Thursday, September 8, 2011

Concert Pics with the girls

Big Time Rush at Allentown Fair.

My ear drums still hurt from all the tweens screaming.

Monday, September 5, 2011

The 4 D's of Effective Management

 If you ask most managers - they will tell you that being an effective manager today is significantly harder than even a few years ago.  Reasons range from the economy, attempting to do more with less, and the rise in technology - which has many distractions.

I read somewhere that email is "Someone else's to do list for me." I love that - and I always try to remember it when I browse my inbox while trying to get actual work done.  When navigating through email and the many tasks on my to do list - I've subscribed to the 4 D's:
        • Do it
        • Delegate it
        • Delay it
        • Dump it
Do it

Does it need to be done?  Does it need to be done now?  Why wait?  Do it.

Delegate it

Should I personally be tying myself up in this task or is there someone else who can do this?  I've stopped trying to control everything - and delegating completes the task and leaves me out of it. WIN!

Delay it

Many things seem urgent at first.  Delaying will not only give you time to see how important it is - it will allow you to focus on tasks which made it to the "Do it" list.  I've saved emails in the "Delay" folder, and read them weeks later and if I had taken action on them - I'd have wasted my time.

Dump it

I mentioned it above - the worst thing an effective manager can do is to try to control everything - so I stopped trying to.  This lead to me dumping lots of tasks I would normally involve myself in.

What else can you dump?  For a week, try to dump a few tasks you would normally do and see what cause and effect this has on your effectiveness.  You'll be surprised at how not doing things feels so liberating!

Got a tip on how you are more effective?  Please share it below.



Thursday, August 11, 2011

Glass Beach

Glass Beach is a beach in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, California that is abundant in sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline near the northern part of the town.

160 Glass Beach




235 Glass Beach

322 Glass Beach

419 Glass Beach

515 Glass Beach

611 Glass Beach

710 Glass Beach

811 Glass Beach


Sunday, July 17, 2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Looking for updates? Find me on Google+



I'll be updating my Google+ account, and would love it if you would join me. Please click here.

For more info on what the Google+ project is, check out this video from Google.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Baby Praying Mantis

Baby Praying MantisBaby Praying MantisBaby Praying MantisBaby Praying MantisBaby Praying MantisBaby Praying Mantis
Baby Praying MantisBaby Praying Mantis

Baby Praying Mantis, a set on Flickr.

Shot with Olympus E500 with a 1:1 150mm macro lens.

These little guys were spotted on the bush right next to our front porch.

Looks just like her Mom


Looks just like her Mom, originally uploaded by -SPK.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Making Google Music Work inside Safari on iOS

I just got my Google Music invite and was excited to be able to use it on my iPhone and iPad through Safari but couldn't figure out how to navigate through songs.

When you first click on a song you can play it by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking the triangle play icon.  Here's where I ran into trouble - if I want to play another song or switch to an Auto Playlist - I could not figure out how to.

After "reading the entire internet so you don't have to", I came across a video where I saw this trick:

Tap on a song to highlight it:

P1566

See that little triangle at the end of the title, right before the song length?  Well, tap that and it shows this menu:


 P1571

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mobile Professionals: You must have this tool
















Every once in a while, an app comes along that is just simple genius.  If you are a mobile professional, you must download CardMunch for your iPhone (it's free).

You snap a photo of a business card, and CardMunch sends it to their servers, a human transcribes it with "100% accuracy" -  even if there are handwritten notes on it  - and sends it back to you in the form of a contact that can be automatically added to your iPhone contact list.  Since it's a LinkedIn company, you can also connect with them on LI through one click.


Overview of CardMunch in 21 Seconds from CardMunch on Vimeo.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Doing Good - Having Fun


Twitter, like other social websites, has become a great way to meet new friends.  My friend, Mike Andreano, has committed lots of time and energy to help people with the blood disease Lukemia.

You can just donate some money if you want - but Mike has come up with some really great fundraising events that you'll not only enjoy - but you'll be giving to charity.  (And it's all tax deductible!)

Today you can buy 3 raffle ticket for an iPad 2 for $10.00.  Contact Mike through their site located at http://www.teamtweetup.com

Here are the other events.


Thursday, May 5 - 7-10PM
Cinco de Mayo - Mexi-tini Tasting Contest & Live Music
Visit us after Tunes for Twilight!
$10 per person
SophistiKate, Bethlehem, PA
Buy Tickets
Friday, May 6 - 6-9PM
Come see us at First Friday at Banana Factory
Banana Factory, Bethlehem, PA
FREE EVENT
Saturday, May 7 - 12-2PM
My Big Fat Greek Lunch
Greek Family Style Lunch- Sit-Down, Fixed Menu
$20 per person
Mayflower Deli, Bethlehem, PA
Buy Tickets
Tuesday, May 10 - 8-10PM
Come laugh with us at the Associated Mess Comedy Show
Allentown Brew Works, Allentown, PA
Tickets Available
at the Door
Friday, May 13 - 7-10PM
Margarita Tasting & Beer Sampling
Guest Bartenders include:
- Lehigh Valley Rollergirls
- Ken Anderson, Former Cat Country DJ
plus Silent Auction
$30 per person
Allentown Brew Works, Allentown, PA

Saturday, May 21 - 5PM-12AM
Pub Crawl of Degradation
    * Starfish Brasserie (5:00pm-6:30pm)
    * Bethehem Brew Works (6:30pm-8:00pm)
    * Rippers Tavern (8:00pm-9:30pm)
    * Old Brewery Tavern (9:30pm-11:00pm)
    * Joe's Tavern (11:00pm - ???)
Includes 5 drink tickets, wristband, and mug
$25 per person, Downtown Bethlehem, PA
Monday, May 23 - 6PM & 7:30PM
Priority Bracelet Workshop
Wear your goals and motivations on your wrist after
this powerful workshop
6PM - Business Woman workshop
7:30PM - Mother / Daughter workshop
Bring a friend or daughter and they get 10% off an order!
Macungie Institute, Macungie, PA

Buy Tickets
$5 Tickets get you a
  $5 credit towards
a bracelet purchase!

Proceeds from purchases
also go to the Campaign!
Tuesday, May 24 - 6-9PM
Family Night at Starters

** Bring the family out and 10% of your food bill will go towards
The Leukemia Society PLUS all kids 12 and under get a $5 gift
card to use in the game room that night!

** APL Photography will be there offering family and friend
portraits that you can take home on CD with you that night with a
donation to the Leukemia Society as well!
Starters Riverport, Bethlehem, PA
FREE EVENT
Proceeds from meals and
tips go to the Campaign!
Thursday, June 2 - 7-9PM
Lehigh Valley Tweetup
Guest Bartenders:
Michael Andreano and the Lehigh Valley SteelHawks dance team
All tips and 10% of food bills go to The Leukemia Society
Starters Riverport, Bethlehem, PA
FREE EVENT
Proceeds from meals and
tips go to the Campaign!
Sunday, June 12 - 4-6PM
Wine Tasting / Food Pairing / Wine Cellar Tour
Franklin Hill Vineyards, Bangor, PA
$30 per person
Buy Tickets
Monday, June 13 - 7PM
Murder Mystery Dinner - "The Final Blog"
$40 per person
Starfish Brasserie, Bethlehem, PA
Buy Tickets
Thursday, June 16 - 7PM
Greek Dinner Nite
$35 per person
Mayflower Deli, Bethlehem, PA
June 20
Dinner and a Concert
Dinner and Performance by Dina Hall and Brittany Ann.
$35 per person
Bethlehem Brew Works - SteelGaarden, Bethlehem, PA

Thursday, April 21, 2011

A Mother’s Prayer for her Child by Tina Fey

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.


May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.
 
-Tina Fey
 
Thanks RSA for sending this to me!

You may be interested to Search Amazon.com for daughter products!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Forget Rebecca Black, check THIS out

If you haven't heard about Rebecca Black's song: Friday, it only has 57.9 million views and was uploaded on February 10th - a mere 17 days ago.  (if you were wondering thats 3.4 million views a day)

The reason it's been so popular?  It's so damned annoying!  (I watched it only a few times for research)

Anywho, the entire reason I'm writing this post is to give a little love to Maddi Jane, a teenybopper who actually has a ridiculous amount of talent.  Give her a watch/listen, you'll love the little lass.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

3.79 million square miles and 308 million people

Story 1

When my father-in-law retired from Western Electric in the mid 80's, he went to work in a local nursery.  While employed there, he befriended a gentlemen and his wife and they have since stayed in touch.

Well, this summer while he and my mother-in-law were on vacation in Florida - they decided to visit the couple.  They chatted about many things and somehow the conversation came up about how the woman works at a local Publix and on many days in the summer a nice young girl comes to the store with her husband and they buy lunch.  As people do, they get into conversations about where they are from and she mentions she is originally from Illinois but lives in Hawaii and visits Florida every summer for a time.

She mentions this to my mother-in-law because she grew up in Illinois.  It turns out that the couple from Hawaii that comes to Florida every year is my mother-in-law's cousin!

Story 2

I happen to mention to a client that I am from Easton, PA.  He says inquisitively "Oh, where in Easton." "Forks Township, just up from Lafayette College." I respond.  "Really, where in Forks Twp.?!" I can hear his voice getting excited.  I explain the neighborhood and he gets even more excited. It turns out that the house next to us is his childhood home!

On top of that, I know the current owners of the house (not because we are neighbors either), I worked with his father as a sales rep - he is a CPA in Pen Argyl.

Story 3

My wife's niece was studying abroad in London and took a weekend trip to Italy.  While sitting on a train, she peered out to people watch and thought she recognized someone.  She did - it was her great Aunt and Uncle from Illinois!  Neither one of them know the other was there!

Do you have a small world story?  I'd love to hear about it!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Ever wonder how an LCD display works? THIS is cool.



Bill takes apart an LCD monitor and shows how it works. He explains how it uses liquid crystals, thin film transistors and polarizers to display information.


Found here http://geekbeat.tv/how-an-lcd-monitor-works/