General A-K

10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs

This is amazing insight from an amazing man who changed the world in his own lifetime...

“I think we’re having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we’re always trying to do better.” - Steve Jobs

His accomplishments and character helped define a generation and change the world. He is co-founder of the fairytale company we now know as Apple Computers. And he is the visionary of the personal computers world that led the entire computer hardware and software industry to restructure itself.

This man with boundless energy and charisma is also a master of hype, hyperbole and the catchy phrase. And even when he’s trying to talk normally, brilliant verbiage comes tumbling out.

Read More »

The Law of the Garbage Truck

-- By David J. Pollay How often do you let other peopleÔÇÖs nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless youÔÇÖre the Terminator, youÔÇÖre probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on whatÔÇÖs important in your life. ÔÇ¿ÔÇ¿ Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. HereÔÇÖs what happened.

Read More »

A New Christmas Tradition

Christmas Gift Certificate

-- Author Unknown As the holidays approach, giant Asian factories kick into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is! It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Read More »

As I’ve aged…

holding hands

As I've aged... I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4AM or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love... I will. I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

Read More »

What Makes a Teacher or Coach Successful

Male Teacher in Classroom

The other day while attending my wife’s monthly sorority meeting, I met the husband of one of my wife’s classmates Ed Clark. Ed is a Naval Academy graduate and a retired submarine officer. He and his wife Sally traveled from Virginia to attend the meeting. While the wives chat and …

Read More »

A Grateful Whale

Whale celebrates rescue

As Reported In The SF Chronicle

On the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday, Dec 15, 2005, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

The fifty-foot whale was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her her tail, her torso and a line tugging in her mouth.

Read More »

The Story Of Charlie Coulson

Civil War drummer

I was a surgeon in the United States Army during the Civil War. After the battle of Gettysburg, there were hundreds of wounded soldiers in my hospital. Many were wounded so severely that a leg or an arm, or sometimes both, needed to be amputated.

One of these was a boy who had been in the service for only 3 months. Since he was too young to be a soldier, he had enlisted as a drummer. When my assistants came to give him chloroform before the amputation, he turned his head and refused it. When they told him that it was the doctor's orders, he said, "Send the doctor to me."

Read More »

Stuart Hamblen Meets Billy

Record album cover of Stuart Hamblen

Back in the 50's there was a well known radio host/comedian/song writer in Hollywood named Stuart Hamblin* who was noted for his drinking,womanizing, partying, etc.

One of his bigger hits at the time was "I won't go hunting with you Jake, but I'll go chasing women."

One day, along came a young preacher holding a tent revival. Hamblin had him on his radio show presumably to poke fun at him.

In order to gather more material for his show, Hamblin showed up at one of the revival meetings.

Read More »