Category Archives: Professional Development

The Lives of Coco Chanel and Stan McChrystal

leadership, Professional Development, writing, , ,
wsj.com

Stan McChrystal was a huge baseball fan when he was young. He grew up in the Midwest. Naturally, “Stan the Man” Musial was his hero.

McChrystal is a retired four star general in the United States Army. Having attended West Point, he followed in his father’s footsteps. His dad, Major General Herbert J. McChrystal, served with General Eisenhower in Europe. Stan served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Married to “Annie,” they have a son named Sam, who grew up playing ice hockey. The family lived in Boston and, like most military brats, a number of other places (the word brat is sometimes an acronym for “born, raised and trained).”

Forked Tongue

I heard him speak at an ATD (Association for Talent Development) meeting a few years ago. I can assure you that he didn’t hold back.

He now runs a leadership consulting firm in the DC area called The McChrystal Group. The group’s main areas of focus are Talent Management, Leadership Development and Teambuilding. The Team of Teams strategy has worked everywhere from hospital emergency rooms to NASA. It has the power to transform organizations large and small.

He has written a number of books, including Leaders: Myth & Reality, Team of Teams, and My Share of the Task: A Memoir. He also wrote the foreword to One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams by Chris Fussell and C.W. Goodyear.

McChrystal served 34 years in the US Army, rising from Second Lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division to four-star general, in command of all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. He came to realize there isn’t a simple answer to the age-old question: “What makes a leader great?”

The Great Plutarch

With Plutarch’s Lives as his model, in Leaders, he profiled 13 former leaders in business, politics and the military.

                Walt Disney and Coco Chanel

                Maximilian Robespierre and Abut Musab al Zarqawi

                Boss Tweed and Margaret Thatcher

                Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr.

                And, his military hero, General Robert E. Lee.

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It turns out that Coco Chanel was bright, opportunistic and worked really hard. She was a tough boss that made models stand for hours like mannequins while she chain smoked. However, she revolutionized women’s clothing at a critical inflexion point right around World War I.

The co-writers of the book are Jeff Eggers, a former U.S. Navy Seal, and Jason Mangone, a former marine.

Accolades

Simon Sinek said about Leaders: Myth & Reality, “Anyone who considers themselves a student of leadership must read this book.” Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs, said, “At a time when Americans yearn for leaders we can admire and respect, this book shows what qualities are truly important. It will help you think differently about both leadership and our history.” And Ken Langone, of Home Depot fame (and author of I Love Capitalism), said, “Leaders is a must-read for all leaders – whether they’re just beginning their careers, or whether they’re already leading an entire organization.”

Similarly, Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org, said, “Leadership reexamines old notions of leadership – especially the outdated view that history is shaped by great men going it alone. General McChrystal shows us that leadership can take many forms, leaders often have different strengths, and great leaders can come from anywhere.”

After that,Wired UK Magazine said, “To hear McChrystal talk about leadership is like hearing Steve Jobs talk about innovation or Henry Ford talk about productivity.”

Seek First to Understand

McChrystal himself said “Leadership is extraordinarily complex but it’s something we have to struggle to understand.” He goes on to say, “My entire life I’ve been fascinated with leaders and leadership.”

Evidence that he is, in many ways, just a regular guy, is that he wasn’t real studious growing up. His favorite movie is Talladega Nights. And he used to run across the Brooklyn Bridge.

On the other hand, while he was at Ft. Bragg, he was known to have run 12 miles every morning, eat only one meal a day, and sleep less than 4 hours per night. He spent five years running the Pentagon’s most secretive black ops.

McChrystal is a senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs

Above all, here’s a link to his TED Talk, entitled Listen, learn … then lead.

About the Author

Frank Felsburg is a ghostwriter, publisher and content marketer, living in the mountains of Western North Carolina. 

A Book Is A Game Changer

Professional Development, publishing, self publishing

Shortlists for the National Book Awards will be announced Oct. 14. Winners will be awarded the prize at a ceremony Nov. 18.
www.npr.org

Why should you, or I for that matter, consider writing a book, when there are so many of them out there already?

Good question. The answer is that there are many reasons. Guy Kawasaki in his book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur says there are four main reasons: 1) to impart knowledge, 2) to further a cause, 3) for the intellectual challenge, and 4) catharsis. Let me explain:

To impart knowledge – it is wonderful when we can get what is in our heads into the heads of others. A book, if well written, is one way to do that.

To further a cause – Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring to encourage farmers to “put away that DDT.”

For the intellectual challenge – the process of thinking through a concept or a challenge, then editing your thoughts and rewriting them, can be a very meaningful and productive exercise. One thing to keep in mind when I say “exercise,” is that it isn’t a sprint, it is more of a marathon.

Catharsis – when I wrote Men Really DO Listen: How Men Listen Differently Than Others, it felt exhilarating to finally  finish it. Endorphins were released, the stars lined up and everything was right in the world (for the time being, anyway). To me, it gave me the impression that I had just written my doctoral dissertation.

You’ll get fast shipping at cialis no prescription cheap the speed of e-business on all online medications, plus a medical consultation.Regards Daylestain For every teenager it is important to the field of psychology because it is related to trust, openness and professionalism. What are the most popular buys? The site Drugs.com puts the cholesterol lowering drug, Lipitor at the top of the hierarchy forgets to pay attention towards his affected health till it’s too late. purchase levitra online Also still found on the internet, as of the same work that the wholesale viagra online works. There are different varieties of rope slings available in the market like asingle leg, two legs, three and four legs steel cialis samples free wire rope slings. People say to me “Someday I’ll write a book.” Well, someday turns into months and months turn into years. Years turn into decades and decades add up. Pretty soon you are talking about your entire life. Most people die with their book still in them.

The reality is a book can make you a minor (or major) celebrity. A book can get you on TV, radio and podcasts. Financially, it can set you up to receive streams of passive income. A book can open doors for you and lead to more speaking engagements and consulting gigs. And you can command higher speaking fees as a result. It can enhance your brand and position you as a thought leader. A book in the hands of your prospect or client tells them you know what you are talking about. It places the image in their mind that you are the “go-to” person in the market.

Perhaps most importantly, it can also be your legacy for future generations.

So, the original question may not even be a fair to begin with. The way it is posed almost pretends that it has already been done (by someone else), that it’s not worth doing. My response to that may seem quixotic. It is that is there’s always a need for a cogent message. Who know? You might even reach the unreachable. That’s the beauty of it.

The bottom line is the book publishing world has changed. It used to be that consumers decided a book was worthy of reading if it were put out by a well known publisher. If it was a reputable publisher, the thinking went, the book must be relevant and well written. That’s no longer the case.  In the digital world we live in, people put more faith in the number of stars the book got online (e.g., Amazon) than who the publisher is.

A book can be a game changer. Is yours a “dream in a drawer,” or a published work?

About the Author

Frank Felsburg has been in the publishing industry for three decades.

Q&A Regarding An ISBN

Professional Development, publishing, self publishing, writing

isbn barcode explainedQ: I’ve heard of a has-been, but what is an ISBN?

A: Let’s not get political here. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a unique code that identifies a book. It has either 10 or 13 digits (depending on when it was issued) and comes with a barcode, which is a graphical representation of it. The barcode might also have some other information embedded in it, like the price and the currency in which it is priced. There is a different ISBN for each edition of the book or other medium (softcover, hardcover, e-book, audio, online version, etc.). The ISBN helps the product flow through the publishing industry.

Q: If ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, why is it called an ISBN Number? Isn’t that redundant?

A: Yes, it is redundant. And so is “nape of the neck” if you are looking for something to tell the bus driver on the way home tonight.

Q: What does nape mean?

A: Back of the neck.

Where to Buy

Q: Where can I get an ISBN and a barcode and do I absolutely need one?

A: If you are putting the finishing touches on a book, R.R. Bowker, a privately held company, issues ISBNs. Go to www.myidentifiers.com. You need an ISBN if you plan to sell your book in bookstores. If you only plan to sell it online or at speaking engagements in the back of the room, you don’t need a bar code. However, If you don’t have a barcode, you book will look like it isn’t mainstream.

Q: How much does an ISBN cost?

A: $125.

Q: Why should I buy one?

A: It gets your book listed in Bowker’s Books in Print, used by the major search engines, bookstores and libraries.

Q: What’s the difference between ISBN 10 and 13?

A: The 13 digit kind means it was issued after January 1, 2007. The 10 digit kind means it was issued before 2007. The 10 digits are broken down into four parts and the longer one is broken down into five parts.

Q: Can I buy them in quantity?

A: Yes, and the more you buy, the less each one costs. You can buy them in blocks of 10 ($250), 100 ($575) and 1000 ($1000). It is recommended that you select the number of codes you’ll need over five years because you can maintain one publisher prefix. You don’t have to use the first one in the series. The “0” at the end will tip off those in the industry that this is a first book.

Q: So, you’re telling me I need to pay all that money just for a number?

A: Yep.

Q: Are they just a series of random numbers – or is there some meaning to them?

A: The five parts of a 13-digit ISBN are:

  • Prefixed by 978
  • Group or country identifier
  • Publisher identifier
  • Title identifier
  • Check digit, which validates the ISBN

This theory received a confirmation after the discovery of sildenafil citrate drug. cialis purchase Students also learn from computers, videos as learning tools. generic cialis 40mg It’s not just to buy a product that they come across in a sponsored advertisement, without ever leaving cialis on line discover this the main app. This ailment lowest price for cialis djpaulkom.tv commonly strikes males older than 50.

How About Revisions?

Q: If I revise the book, do I need to get a new ISBN?

A: Only if it is changed substantially. If you just correct a few typographical errors, you don’t have to get a new number. This is simply be considered a reprint. A new edition contains new material, is a major revision, or the addition of completely new elements. You don’t even need a new one if you change the cover, since you haven’t drastically changed the content.

Q: Where do ISBNs go on a book?

A: An ISBN is printed on the copyright page of the book as well as at the bottom of the back cover or jacket, above or below the bar code.

Q: What else should I know about ISBNs?

A: An ISBN also identifies the product’s physical properties, such as trim size, page count and binding type. Do you have any other questions?

Q: What do women want?

A: Who do I look like, the Shell Answer Man?

Q: Who is the Shell Answer Man?

A: Google it.

Q: Can you provide me a link?

A: www.google.com

Q: Where did the Shell Answer Man get all his answers – since Google wasn’t around in the 70s?

A: From the bus driver.

___

About the Author

Frank Felsburg helps people communicate their value through writing, speaking and marketing.

His best answer for what women want can be found in his book Men Really DO Listen: How Men Listen Differently Than Women. Buy it here.

How to Price Your e-Book to Sell

ghostwriting cost, Professional Development, publishing, technology

Read more books
      Electronic books

Most authors (especially first-time authors) price their book too high. They think they’ll make more money that way. Rarely is that ever the case.

They often correlate the amount of time that was put into the book with the sale price, knowing that books take a long time to write and produce.

The majority of successful new authors price their books at $3.99 and below. According to Amazon’s KPD (Kindle Direct Publishing), the sweet spot for an e-book is $2.99. This is a far cry from the $9.99 that many newbies try to get.

You can set the price of your e-book to anything you want. The million dollar question is, “Will it sell?” Consumers of e-books, as the industry matures, are getting more and more price sensitive. An e-book is a digital file. There is no shipping involved and it doesn’t take up any space on a bookstore’s shelf.

Big Publishers

When the world’s largest publishers struck e-book distribution deals with Amazon last year, they seemed to get what they wanted: the right to set the prices of their titles and avoid the huge discounts the online retail giant often applies. So they raised their prices. What the publishers realized was that Amazon is willing to sell books at a loss, to maintain market share and goose sales of their Kindle e-reader.

But that strategy didn’t pay off. The big publishers reported e-book revenue fell almost immediately afterwards. The major publishers were trying to sell e-books for more than $10 and consumers were pushing back. People would say to themselves, “Let me think about that,” and then go on to buy something else.

Codex group LLC reported some time back that e-book prices found in the Kindle bookstore from the five big publishers cost, on average, $10.81, while all other 2015 e-books on the site had an average price of $4.95. What is not factored into these numbers is the fact that there are many self-published e-books that sell for less than $1.

A Lot of Competition
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There are some 4500 books published every day. This means that consumers have options. How is yours different from your competition?

There’s a saying that “The best way to sell your first book is with your second one.” You don’t just want fans of your books – you want raving fans! Raving fans are more likely to review your book, which can help boost your book. And reviews trigger the Amazon algorithm.

Not that all e-books are sold on Amazon. More books are being sold on Apple ibook these days than ever before. Sure, Amazon still accounts for most book (as well as e-book) sales, but the other sites, including Kobo and Nook, can’t be neglected.

If it is a first book, you might want to price it low with the thinking that the more you win over your readers (as time goes by), the more money you will make.

E-books made astronomical sales gains between 2008 and 2010, after the introduction of the Kindle, the Kindle 2 and the Apple ipad. But they haven’t overtaken print books, as some had suggested they would.

If you have a high price on your book, and you are getting a lot of 1-star or 2-star reviews – or it just isn’t selling – you may want to reconsider how you have it priced. Going high as a debut author could equate to fewer people buying your book.

Has your e-book consumption changed over the last year or two? How so?

 

Check out my book on listening

Espresso Love

ghostwriting cost, Professional Development, publishing, self publishing

The Espresso Book Machine (EBM) was invented in 1999 by American publisher Jason Epstein.  Some have described it as an “ATM for books.” It could be the biggest game-changer for authors, publishers, speakers and entrepreneurs since Gutenberg invented moveable type or Robert de Graff introduced the paperback book in 1939.

The EBM prints, collates, covers and binds a single book in a few minutes. It is small enough to fit in a retail book store or small library room – and, as such, is targeted toward them. It was a Time magazine invention of the year. It can potentially allow readers to obtain any book title, even books that are out of print. The machine takes a PDF file for input – and prints, binds and trims the reader’s selection as a paperback book.

Talk about “hot off the press!” It grabs the file of the text, the book cover and then spits them out – warm as toast.

It seems to be changing the publishing world, which has been in a state of flux for quite some time. So continues the democratization for readers and writers.

Epstein is legendary in the publishing industry. He served as editorial director at Random House for 40 years and pioneered the trade paperback format. He also co-founded the New York Review of Books and The Library of America. The EBM is just another example of American ingenuity. Ben Franklin would be proud.

Who knows? Maybe the local bookshop will even return. After all, with this thing, you could potentially walk into the store and have access to millions of titles.

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According to The Wall Street Journal, the American Booksellers Association says the number of independent booksellers has grown in ranks from 1410 to 1712 since 2010. Likewise, the number of locations has grown from 1660 to 2227. Even Amazon is getting into the act, opening up bricks and mortar stores.

To find a location that houses one of these units, go to www.ondemandbooks.com/ebm_locations.php.

This invention kind of gives new meaning to the statement that someone is going to the bookstore to grab an espresso.

What are your thoughts on this machine? Is it about to hit its stride?

 

How I Listened Myself onto My College Baseball Team

baseball, listening, Professional Development, ,

I played baseball when I was younger but didn’t make the high school team. I tried out for second base then but wasn’t very good. I couldn’t hit all that well and my second base proficiency was, well, second rate.

I tried all the positions growing up – pitcher, catcher, infielder and outfielder. Quite frankly, I may have decided on second base because it was the least dangerous. But I remembered that when I was a catcher in little league and elementary school, I’d won some accolades. I had a decent arm and good hands, and I felt less inhibited with all that gear (aka, the “tools of ignorance”) on.

Baseball-Field-at-Home1

When I decided to go to college, I had three goals: I wanted to (1) go away to school, (2) get my bachelor’s degree, and (3) play baseball (and not necessarily in that order). I was intent on accomplishing all three.

I was not very studious in high school My grades weren’t that good; somewhat miraculously, however, I got accepted at Loyola College in Baltimore. I had barely survived the first fall semester, when, all of a sudden, here came spring, when a young man’s thoughts turn to … well, in my case, baseball.

I tried out for the varsity team as a catcher, taking my lumps along the way. The pitchers were out to impress and they were throwing hard. Because it was February and cold outside, we were indoors. The other catchers handling the pitchers were catching without a mask, but after I’d had my nose bloodied a few times, I swallowed my pride and wore one.

For pills cialis go to storefront a product that does not contain the active ingredient of the medication, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), interacts with proteins known as cannabinoid receptors. Many times anyone can take too much but it’s wrong, you should need best price vardenafil to aware of the side effects of particular drugs especially antidepressant drugs adversely affect sexual functionality. Let your doctor know if you are running any other medication treatment you are running from. levitra on sale http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/armadillo/ Disappointment to do so may bring about lessened item quality about whether. non prescription viagra On the last day of tryouts, I showed up early to imagine myself on the team. This was the day my fate would be decided.

My hitting had improved the previous summer while playing softball, but I hadn’t witnessed any curve balls in that league. Here I would encounter plenty.

As I stood in the on-deck circle during an intra-squad scrimmage that day, my eyes met those of “Walt,” another prospect whom I knew from the dorm. He’d observed that “John” threw the ball right down the middle. I concurred, having seen his repertoire of pitches in the gym while catching him.

When it was my turn to bat, I dug in, remembering what Walt had told me. It was late in the game and my dream was on the line. Sure enough, one of the first pitches I saw was a fastball right down Broadway. I hammered it out into left field, driving in several runs in the process. It was at a crucial point in the game. Not only did I surprise myself, but I surprised the coach as well, who now had a harder time deciding whom to let go.

After the game, I passed all the defensive drills the coach put me through and made the team. In all honesty, it was the advice Walt gave me, and my putting it to good use, that enabled me to realize my dream of playing college baseball.

Anyway, I’ll be giving a listening workshop at various American Executive Centers in August. Come on out and join us. To register for it, go here: http://www.americanexecutivecenters.com/summer-learning-seminars/

A Good Match

Professional Development, technology, Useful Tips, ,

LinkedIn’s acquisition of Lynda.com is social media’s fourth biggest deal ever (behind Facebook’s purchase of Oculus and WhatsApp and Google’s buying YouTube). They paid $1.5 billion for the eLearning company. The deal tops the one billion dollar acquisition of Instagram by Facebook four year ago.

What does this mean to us? Lynda will become a household name and many of us will have access to the over 6300 courses and more than 265,000 video tutorials they provide. LinkedIn, already a household name, has over 300 million users. The partnership makes sense since they’re both focused on professional development.

LInda

Now, don’t expect to see videos on how to trim bonsai trees or improve your golf game. Lynda.com is primarily good for multimedia skills. The videos focus heavily on business, technology and creative skills. Want to learn more about Photo Shop, Create Space or Final Cut Pro? Lynda can help. Or how about Adobe, Articulate, Google or Microsoft? Ditto.

One way LinkedIn is promoting Lynda.com is by offering a 21-day free trial of it (better hurry, it expires soon, if it hasn’t already). I sent the 21 day free-trial information to my sister, who is a photographer. She responded that she’s  been using Lynda.com for a few years now and that they have great courses.

Lynda Weinman, cofounder of Lynda.com, wrote in a LinkedIn Pulse post some time back that she and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner “both believe the skills gap is one of the leading social issues of our time – technology changes fast and people need to keep their skills up to date.” No argument here. Lynda.com has been a tremendous resource with tools for designers, coders, video editors, photographers and entrepreneurs.
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Reid Hoffman, Peter Thiel, et. al, offered early juice to LinkedIn. Lynda.com has been the sweetheart of eLearners for years. Having been in the Training & Development space for a number of years, I had certainly heard or it (her?). But I’d never sampled the courses. Now I have and I’m hooked!

They even have German, French and Spanish content under the Video2Brain brand name. So, if you want to learn those languages, you could listen to videos in them. The visual element will certainly help you with the comprehension, especially if you already have some understanding of the content.

I remember when I went to Germany on vacation, although I had listened to audio of the language prior to arriving, I still had trouble carrying on a conversation of any length with another individual. Yet, when I watched German language television, it really helped. TV wasn’t nearly as intimidating, probably because I didn’t feel put on the spot. No response was needed from me.

With Lynda.com, you can also create playlists based on your interests or skills you want to acquire immediately. Additional resources such as worksheets and templates are often included.

The self-paced, subscription-based service costs as little as $25 per month or $250/year. Online learning is hitting its stride. Neglect it at your peril. Learning is literally right at our fingertips now. All we have to do is take action.

Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

communication, Professional Development, Useful Tips

Are you a giver or a taker? Wharton professor Adam Grant, who wrote a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling book called Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, says there are basically three kinds of people: givers, takers and matchers. While it seems like takers always wind up at the top, Grant says it’s quite the contrary. Givers, he says, come out ahead, provided that they take care of themselves.

give-take1

Takers believe in a zero sum world where you have to win at all costs. Givers, on the other hand, go the extra mile to do favors for people without expecting anything in return. Matchers believe in a just, quid pro quo world.

There are two kinds of givers: Selfless givers and Otherish givers. Selfless givers give without regard for their own welfare and therefore wind up at the bottom. They deplete all their resources and, as a result, can’t take care of themselves. They don’t have the ability to keep giving. They don’t know how to manage their lives effectively.

Otherish givers, on the other hand, wind up at the top. They know how to negotiate the giving boundaries, so they can continue to give.

Givers need to block out time for themselves. As long as givers have not depleted their own resources taking care of others, they’ll do well for themselves and society.

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Unfortunately, Grant says, the negative impact of a taker is double or triple that of a giver in a culture.

This week I attended a workshop by Patience Lehrman. Patience is a recipient of the Presidential Citizen’s Medal, the second highest civilian award in the United States. She was talking about transforming your life through an attitude of service.

Patience had us do an exercise where we were to come up with two things we wanted help with that somebody in the room could help them with. The two questions I got were as follows: 1) I’d like to know what Jamaican food trucks at Temple (University) are good, and 2) I want to learn how to create and market an interactive e-book with a cognitive tutor.

Well, I asked one of the videographers at their TED Talks Live! program at the Pyramid Club in Philadelphia if he knew the answer to question #1. He did. For those of you in Philly and attend (or live near) Temple he told me there is a good one on Montgomery right next to a Middle Eastern truck.

As for the second one, I didn’t get a chance to ask the person who penned the question what she meant by “with a cognitive tutor” but I thought I’d put the first part of the question out there to see how many givers there are.  How do YOU create and market an interactive e-book? Thanks in advance for answering.

Clean Comedy

humor, laughter, Professional Development, ,

I’m reading Jim Gaffigan’s book Dad is Fat. Gaffigan, for those of you who don’t know him, is a stand-up comedian. He’s known as being a clean comedian – one who doesn’t use profanity as a crutch.

I call it a crutch because I honestly believe that’s what it is. I think many comedians think “We’ll at least if it’s not funny, the shock and awe will make them laugh.” I could be wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time).

I bought Dad is Fat at the airport on the way to my nephew’s college graduation last year but never got around to reading it until now. What prompted me to start reading was I gave a talk last month and someone said that I reminded them of him. She said I had “a droll sense of humor – kind of like Jim Gaffigan.” Right before I bought Dad is Fat at the airport a friend had recommended Gaffigan to me.  Hence the purchase.

In reading it I realized he’s the guy who talks about Hot Pockets. Then it dawned on me that I have seen him on comedy channels. I watch very little comedy. Just hearing politicians talk is funny enough. Actually it’s sad, but you have to laugh because if you don’t, you’ll cry.

What surprised me about Gaffigan’s book is how well written it is. I’m not sure if he wrote it or had someone write in for him. He did mention working for his high school newspaper so maybe he does write. And, obviously, someone has to prepare his stage material. Yet, another part of the book talks about his writer. So perhaps it’s ghostwritten.

Gaffigan’s book thus far has been about being a husband and the father of five kids. An excerpt: How do you answer, “Daddy why are you a stand-up chameleon?” or “Why don’t dogs get chicken pops?” He has some other interesting observations that I find amusing, despite my not having any children, let alone five.

I realize in writing this that I want to check out the local comedy scene. Now Philadelphia is not exactly L.A., Chicago or New York. But there are millions of people here, so there must be a few places that have open mikes or decent acts.

According to my friend Theresa Hummel-Krallinger, a Philly-area comedienne, there is a pretty vibrant comedy scene in the city of Brotherly Love. “The local A-club is Helium, on Sansom Street.  Other local clubs with a long history are the Comedy Cabarets (with multiple locations) as well as Comedy Works in Bristol.  I’m delighted that there are also some fun monthly venues with great local talent, like the Broad Axe Tavern in Ambler or Cardinal Hollow Winery in West Point (near Lansdale.)  There’s also an abundance of open mics in the City and suburbs.”

For those in the Philly area, here are a few venues for comedy:
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http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/top-lists/top-comedy-clubs-in-philadelphia/

http://www.uwishunu.com/2012/07/roundup-our-guide-to-the-best-live-comedy-in-philadelphia/

http://phillyhotlist.cityvoter.com/best/comedy-club/arts-and-entertainment/philadelphia

Gene Perret, who has written for some of the all-time great comedians, says to keep it clean. He said in an article for The Toastmaster magazine, “the profane is easier, surely; the romantic, lyrical, philosophical language is more effective – and more appreciated by the listeners.” I agree.

Attached is a link to a video of someone I consider clean, Scott Wood (you may need Flash to run the clip, which, I understand, Apple products do not have).

http://www.cleancomedyclinic.com/scottwood.php

To sum up my philosophy about comedy, I love what writer William Zinsser said. “What I want to do is make people laugh so they see things seriously.”

Scott Wood

It’s Driving Me Crazy

Driving, Professional Development, Useful Tips, ,

This post might sound like a “When I was your age” rant. Because it is.

People need to know how to park. Many people can’t even pull in straight in, let alone parallel park. And now we find out that the state of Maryland has removed parallel parking from their drivers test.

Why? Is it too hard? Is it politically incorrect to ask people to know how to parallel park? What if they pass the test and then have to park the car somewhere that’s not “convenient”? Are people who take their drivers exams allowed to use self-driving cars?

Full disclosure: When I took the driver’s test, they didn’t ask me to parallel park. I was asked to do a three point turn, however. And I agree with those who say going two miles an hour is not all that dangerous. But all those people that say that must admit that you need to be able to parallel park to get along in the world.

They say the reason they removed it is because kids were flunking the tests and then having to wait to take the test again. Well, don’t flunk that part. Learn how to do it. Kids are on YouTube every day! When I was a teenager, we didn’t have YouTube. We had to ask people things! So now that you know that I’m older than the game of hacky sack, will you be able to navigate your next parallel parking situation?

Shame on us for making it challenging to pass a driver’s test! Why not just give everyone who is big enough to see over the steering wheel a set a car keys? And when people complain that it’s not fair to those that CAN’T see over the steering wheel, we’ll cave on that, too. In the meantime, I’m sure they can use baby seats to prop themselves up a little. Or a few telephone books (now I’m really showing my age).

Maybe we should be teaching people how to drive with a hamburger in one hand while they’re steering with their knees wearing noise cancelling headphones. Perhaps that’s what should be on the drivers test. That’s probably more realistic.
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I live near a pretty busy intersection. I can’t tell you how many people I see driving erratically and then when they get up close to you, you see they’re on a cell phone.

But last night (and I kid you not), I saw something I don’t think I had ever seen before. I heard music coming from a car outside the house. I went out with the dogs and saw a woman parked at the stop sign who had stepped out of her car, left the car door open and was dancing to the music blaring from her sound system. Maybe she was celebrating having passed the Pennsylvania drivers’ test.

I’ll never forget the drivers’ education teacher I had in high school. He told us a story that will live in my memory forever. He said his father was driving down the road and a bee flew into his car and, rather than pull the car over to the side of the road and get the bee out of the vehicle, he tried to swat it while driving. He was killed in a collision. That was powerful.

Folks, if you don’t know how to parallel park, please learn how. There are YouTube videos out there on it. I’ve even attached one to this post. I got a kick out of one of them I previewed that said “Point the passenger side mirror to the ground so you can see the curb.” (Here comes the recurring theme again) When I was learning to drive, we didn’t even have passenger side mirrors, let alone be able to control them from the driver’s seat!

I think people in Maryland should move to New York for a weekend. I’m sure you learn pretty quickly how to fit into a parking spot there.