Really Dealing with Stress

Tom Asacker is smart enough to see that the usual advice for stress relief has us running from the problem instead of addressing it head on.

Most people, Americans at least, do the same thing with their debt load. Instead of spending less they think a new low interest rate, debt consolidation or lower monthly payment will solve the problem. For most, it doesn't. More on this later.

And while we're on the topic of relieving stress, isn't it fear we're trying to deal with? What is stress, but fear? More on dealing with fear later, too, maybe.

Joke of the month

I received this from Blinker Bob. It was the best laugh I've had in some time.

---------
Paddy had been drinking at his local Dublin pub all day and most of the
night celebrating.

Mick, the bartender says, "You'll not be drinking anymore tonight,
Paddy!"

Paddy replies "OK Mick, I'll be on my way then."

Paddy spins around on his stool and steps off and falls flat on his
face.

"Shoite," he says and pulls himself up by the stool and dusts himself
off.

He takes a step towards the door and falls flat on his face again.

"Shoite, Shoite!" He looks to the doorway and thinks to himself that if
he can just get to the door and some fresh air he'll be fine.

He belly crawls to the door and shimmies up to the door frame.

He sticks his head outside and takes a deep breath of fresh air, feels
much better and takes a step out onto the sidewalk and falls flat on his
face.

"Boy... I'm smashed," he says to himself.

He can see his house just a few doors down, and crawls to the door,
hauls himself up the door frame, opens the door and shimmies inside.

He takes a look up the stairs and says "No way."

So he crawls up the stairs to his bedroom door and says "I can make it
to the bed."

He takes a step into the room and falls flat on his face.

He says, "Dang it" and ultimately climbs into bed.

The next morning, his wife, Jess, comes into the room carrying a cup of
coffee and says, "Get up Paddy. Did you have a bit to drink last night?"


Paddy says, "I did Jess. I was smashed. But how'd you know?"

"Mick phoned, . . You left your wheelchair at the pub."

Moore's Law applied to razors

Did you ever wonder why Gilette tells you you need five, no six blades to get a clean shave? It's because of Moore's Law . Thanks to Gordon Moore, other technologies must constantly increase thier complexity and capabilities. Don't believe me? Then check out this piece in the Economist.

Getting the best value from a one-trip salad bar

Warning. You may want to do some strength conditioning and check with your doctor before you try this.

Maximizing your ROI at the Pizza Hut salad bar

Six Degrees of Wikipedia

If you liked Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon or the Six Degrees of Separation idea in general , you'll love Six Degrees of Wikipedia.

For those of you seeking college money

If your looking for money for college. Here are a few sites of interest.

fastweb.com
This site is about finding scholarships. Go find some "free" money.

finaid.com
This site is broader providing information on loans, scholarships, educational savings plan, military aid, and other types of aid. It also has some financial caclulators.

collegeanswer.com
This site is hosted by Sallie Mae. No, she isn't some sothern belle. It's the federal student loan program. Th site has some useful information about the entire college process fro preparing to choosing to, of course, financing.

More choices can lead to lower sales

Michael Kanellos over at CNet has a good post on the negative effects of our glut of choices.

Killing me softly with salad dressing choices

"Studies back this up. In a grocery store experiment, a table loaded with 24 types of jams got many visitors, but sales were ten times higher when only six jams were offered. In a study of the 401K plans at 1,500 companies, participation in retirement plans dropped 2 percent every time ten more investment choices were added to the mix. In speed dating, participants had a greater chance of hooking up if they met six, rather than twelve, people in a session."

They think that intelligent filters may help people narrow their choices, but how do you put an intelligent filter on a grocery store isle?

It's curious that I saw this today because I thin there is a lot of opportunity in the filtering business.

Quote of the day

"Photography, alone of the arts, seems perfected to serve the desire humans have for a moment - this very moment - to stay."

- Sam Abell

via AMA e-news

Quote of the day

"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."

Henry J. Kaiser (1882-1967) American industrialist

via daily e-mail from justsell.com

Michigan makes the Crazy Street Names List

Can you imagine having Psycho Path for a mailing address. What would be the ideal business on Psycho Path? A butcher? A barber? A counselor? How about Bates Hotel?

via Reddit.com

Take medication, get a gambling habit.

Apparently one of the side effects they should mention in the ads for these Parkinson's drugs is compulsive gambling. Strange.

By now you must have seen the ads where the side effects are the very condition you are seeking to treat. At least it's not a medication for people with a drug habit.