Free Parking is at the Pennington street parking facility.  A great concert at the Fox by the Portland Cello Project is expected to rock the house.

Lots of other activities for the evening from a Twitter wall display in a store front window on Congress street to lots of food and street vendors.

Come on down to the first 2nd Saturdays Downtown.

For more information you can check out these two local sites and posts.

2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com

2nd Saturday Nights Downtown Tucson

He defined GOAL as “How much money do you want to make next year”  Interesting.  Seems to me when most “motivational” speakers talk about goals they are talking about money.

I’m not opposed to money, but it isn’t why I live.  It isn’t something I would set an amount of money as a goal.  Over the years I’ve found the people that make an amount of money a goal, do so at the expense of other people.

The people are no something, not someone, they are to be “sold” a product, service, widget.  It doesn’t matter, what it is, the “GOAL” is to SELL them something.

The speaker was highly motivated to SELL all of us on coming to HIS seminar that is worth almost $3000 on the screen but “For today only” we could get it for $299  and if just 12 people would sign up at this “incredible” price he would donate $1000 to the main charity at Tucson WCR.  Well he had 6 at that price.

But that’s not all . . .

How many of you would attend if the price were just half that?  How about for “Today only” we make the price $149?  Would you come then?  Now another 6 or 7 were signing up and he was going to write that check.

I’ve been to so many of these sales pitch at a meeting deals that I made a bet with myself.  I bet that before I left the room he would offer the seminar to me for FREE.

I listened to the pitch, but wasn’t writing down his keywords from the screen on the handout.  After all my goal isn’t money, so why write down all the things I could do to make more money, which meant I had to SELL stuff to people.

Five minutes into the presentation he handed me his sheet so I could continue writing on his sheet.  Ah, a nibble on the line.  I set it down on the table and continued to listen.  A few minutes more and he came back and picked up the paper and pen and handed it back to me, saying “No one just sits in one of his presentations”  Ah, a solid strike on the line.

I set the paper and pen down again.  Now all I had to do was wait patiently and reel him in.  More pitch, more screen shots of testimonials of how great he and his seminar were in the past.  An additonal FREE book.  etc.

Announcement at the end of the meeting, but he was still popping up making more “Appealing offers” to the group.

As most were leaving he walked over to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said “You are my guest at the seminar for free”.  : )

NO, I’m not going.  Why do I need to go?  I out sold the salesman.  I got his $30o0 product for FREE.  Do I need more money?

My Goals?  Making a difference in peoples lives so they can be more successful.

I know a lot of very unhappy rich people.  I also know a lot of people enjoying their life and business because of things I’ve helped them do or implement.

Write down your GOAL.

Berry Ball Stuck

It might be down, left, right, up, but mine was stuck so it wouldn’t go down. There have been times in the past where it felt like there was gravel under the ball and it would stick.  Usually a good hard rolling in all directions would dislodge whatever had decided to become a squatter under the ball.

This morning however, it didn’t matter what I did it wouldn’t scroll down.  I even tried powering it down and back up again.  (It didn’t seem like a software problem, but with a Blackberry the first thing you always try is a battery pull reset).

I could tell there was something under the ball, but no matter what I did I couldn’t dislodge the gunk.

I had my laptop with me so I did a google search on “Blackberry Trackball won’t scroll down“  One guy recommended blowing into the ball area and the keyboard.  Not sure why the keyboard, unless it was to throw off any suspicion on why you would be blowing on the trackball on your berry.

I looked around and no one was looking my way so I tried it.  Nada.  Another suggested a can of air, another picking the ball out with your fingernail.  That one had me crossing my legs and fingers at the same time.  Finally, I put the thing in the holster and decided I’d tackle the trackball issue once I got home.

I have an Air Compressor

Not only do I have an air compressor, but I have a nozzle with a trigger so I can direct a small blast of air at any object.  It comes in handy for cleaning filters, etc.  I didn’t want to hit the berry with a huge amount of pressure (No reason to blow the trackball clear across the garage).  I set the pounds of pressure to 40 psi and told the berry to hold it’s breath.  Blasted the keyboard, then the trackball while moving and depressing it.

What the Heck, no go.  It still would not scroll down.  So I decided to turn up the pressure, but I wasn’t going to baby the berry.  If 40 psi wouldn’t dislodge the gunk I would go straight to 100 psi (damn the flying balls all over the garage I was going to get that crap out of the berry ball slot).

When I pulled the trigger, the berry almost screamed, or whistled, as the air hit the trackball.  I pressed it down with the nozzle end and rotated the ball in all directions.  I didn’t hear anything, or see anything.  The berry held onto it’s ball even at 100 psi.  (Great little berry).

That did it!!  The crap was blown somewhere else.  I don’ t know where it went or how far it was blown, but it was gone and gone for good.

I unplugged the compressor and slid the Berry back into the case.  100 psi.  That’ll make the Berry sing and make the crap fly away.

The trackball is now scrolling in all directions.  It better.  I have an air compressor, did you know that?

The Coupon

Not everyone thinks the same way.  I know what you’re thinking, STOP IT.

In my pursuit of life observations I had one thrust upon me this past week.  Ok, it wasn’t so much thrust as it was observed by me as a witness to a teller at McDonald’s struggling with a hole punch.

My first thought was “Bad coupon Design”  who thought this thing up that put the location for the whole punches where a hole punch couldn’t reach it.

It wasn’t until a couple of days later while thinking about this post in the shower, Yeah, I think in the shower, it has caused many a nick of the razor and I have to make a note not to think so much and pay attention to the sharp object in my hand.  Geez, yes I shave in the shower, no I don’t use shaving cream, it is for economy.  I’ll explain later.

It was during that moment of pain it struck me, this wasn’t so much a case of bad design as a designer making an assumption about those using the coupons.

The designer assumed consumers would use the free one at the top first.  This would expose the punches for the coupon above and below.

But what if the consumer (this would be me) started at the bottom and got the first card punched all the way and used it for the free one.  This now removed left the top one and the one in the middle.  This caused the issue with the hole punch.

It was my intention to use the last two coupons are “Free” coffee.  This way I paid for 4 drank the 5th free, paid for 4 more and drank 5th and 6th free.

If the designer had put the coffee cups at the bottom making the middle coupon identical to the middle coupon it wouldn’t matter how the consumer used the coupons.  The hole punch could reach all locations.  The way it is if the consumer doesn’t tear off and use the top coupon there is no way for a standard hole punch to be able to reach all locations on the middle card.

And the Point ?

Think about it!

Yesterday I was looking at the tool ads for Tucson when I ran across this one.  It will disappear when the “stuff” is sold.  It shouldn’t, it should be memorialized as a great ad.  So it won’t pass out of existence when the “stuff” is sold here is the ad which I’m sure will disappear soon.  Such “stuff” won’t last long.

Man Stuff For Sale

$416 worth of man stuff!
Treat your man or yourself because life’s no fun

BONUS!
I’ll throw in this new, never used Colibri pocket watch that was $115
but you’ll have to pay my full asking price, $99 for everything
I know, I drive a hard bargain

You’ll get:
Black Marble desk set ($95)
2 small, working tape recorders ($45)
Brown worn out Brighton belt sz 36 ($55)
12″ Stanley tape measure ($8)
BMW silver keychain
new snooz alarm ($15)
2 padlocks w/keys
cell phone case
2 small black leather notebooks
“Fight Club” lighter ($15)

and what man doesn’t want to impress his friends
with his own remote control fart machine with over 15 different farts?
Control farts remotely up to 100 feet away!
I’ll even give you batteries! ($20 value!)
What a great icebreaker at parties to get the mood going!

1 lg pewter “Key to Success” ($15)
a black velvet bag with (3) nice Tungsten tournament darts ($45)
plus a new pkg of Harrows radical flights system ($15)

**New Nite Note ($20) with 2 extra nite note paper pks ($14)
Nite Note has a built in light with a
built in pen that writes upside down
You can:
* Write a vivid description of your dreams to bore your friends with
*4 a.m. and can’t sleep? Keep a record of your hopes and goals, even your “to do” list
* Tell that special someone how you feel
*jot down something important in your sleep!
*Keep track of late night harassing phone calls

Some tasty booze recipes on a silver ring
Duracell battery charger for 4-AA’s ($15)
Tasco binoculars, 7×35 wide angle model 318 (LOL) (an unbelievable $25 value!)
Autopoint silver pen ($14)
1 leather ashtray

Act today! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

I will delete this when it’s gone

Man Stuff

Bonus Stuff

I might have to check on Craigslist more often. There is some pretty cool stuff on this list. I can see now why so many people shop on craigslist. Where have I been? Don’t Answer That!

Great Day to be Dave

Today isn’t bad, but tomorrow is even better.  Why?  because tomorrow, thanks to an economy that sucks, “Guys Named Dave Eat FREE at Famous Dave’s”

That’s right, tomorrow I eat free.  I don’t know what I get to eat at Famous Dave’s but whatever it is I don’t have to pay for it.

I have eaten at Famous Dave’s before, not because I was famous, or because it was my place.  No I ate there because the people I was with didn’t want to eat at McDonald’s.  Go Figure.  Famous Dave’s it was.

I found something I could eat, that wasn’t too spicy, or hot.  I like the water there and the lemon they put in it isn’t bad either.

Not a fan of the little bitty ears of corn which are actual ears of corn chopped up into four small ears of corn and sold as an “ear of corn” when anyone who ever raised corn knows an ear of corn isn’t 4 inches long and blunt on each end.

But I’m not going to complain about it.  Tomorrow I eat free at Famous Dave’s.  I won’t get famous for it.  I won’t be famous because I wrote this either.

I was actually going to write this post on another blog, but was warned that if I did and too many Dave’s showed up at Famous Dave’s it might be crowded.  Yeah, like there are a lot of guys named Dave in Tucson, LOL, what a thought.

Therefore, I’m putting this post here, where no one reads it that lives in Tucson (or probably on this continent) and most certainly not anyone named Dave.  I also know if you are thinking about changing your name to Dave so you can eat free tomorrow, forget it, it takes at least a week to get it change to Dave, I know.

Anybody remember “Fred, eats FREE day”.  Be patient someday your name will come up and when it does hope you are living close enough to the place to be able to eat FREE.

What a day  it will be, Transformers in the morning and FREE Lunch.  Hey, who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?  Bet he wasn’t named Dave!

That's Not a Thumb

I’ve got two chapters left to read in “Rules of Thumb” by Alan Webber.  It has 52 chapters, one for each week.  They aren’t long, about 4 pages each.  Mr. Webber (not as in the grill)  used to be with the Harvard Business Review and he started some business magazine I had never heard of called “Fast Company“  “Fast Money” or something like that.

His life has been reduced to a bunch of 3 X 5 cards of which he picked 52 as the basis for this book.

I’ll read it again after I finish it for the first time through tomorrow.  The second reading will get annotated and I’ll even make note of the couple typos I found.

No 3 X 5 Cards but Some Thumbs

I have Rules of Thumb myself.  I never wrote them down, and there aren’t 52 of them.  I usually don’t even remember them till I have broken one of them and paid the consequence.  Once such recent violation involves the “the chair” which is not the centerpiece for the For No REal Reason Badge.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what to do with the next decade coming up.  I’ve decided the best course of preparation involves being ready to go and do when the time and opportunity presents itself.  This translates into a forth simplification.

If you want a good thought provoking read I would suggest “Rules of Thumb” and when you get the book be sure to buy a pack of 3 x 5 index cards.  You’re going to need them.

Postscript

I’ve finished the book.  Now on chapter 2 on the second read.  Chapter 1 should be read again every 5 chapters.  We need to be reminded often to drive out fear and enjoy the journey.

Our Fallen Angel

I heard a screech coming from the living room the night we decorated the tree.  Our angel that had adorned the top of the tree for many past years suddenly became dizzy and lost her place on top of the tree.  World Traveler was the source of the sound.

Fallen Angel lie on the floor still lite but not herself.  I grabbed the camera to document her fall, but not her fall from grace.

She will be missed. But never forgotten.

Dad After Red Jello

He called me right after the procedure was done and said he was back in his room and feeling okay.  I decided to let him rest and would head down to see him in the afternoon.  St Mary’s Hospital on St Marys street, how hard could this be. Right?  (You sense a story coming on here don’t you)

I got to St Marys street and proceeded in the direction I was told to go.  It was there, I could see it way off in the horizon, it was on St Marys street just as I thought, but I couldn’t get to it from St Marys street, instead I had to turn on Silverbell to get to the main entrance to the hospital.

It was obvious parking was a premium, thus the building of the new parking ram to the side of the main hospital.  They had blocked off the ends of the rows of cars to create a means of driving around the end of rows to the next available row.  However, someone had moved the cones at most of the rows creating “DEAD ENDS” at each row so everyone had to try and turn around and get out of the row to find a parking place.

The Front Desk

I finally found a spot and was feeling pretty good that I could see the main entrance sign, (two of them)  Can you have two main entrances?  I went through the doors to the main desk.  I’ve always been told to stop and ask directions at the main desk.  In a really large hospital I understand how that could be important.  You might come in one entrance and still be a mile away from where you intend to go.

I didn’t see anyone at the front desk when I went by, no big deal how hard can it be, 3713 third floor.  I turned the corner and found room numbers starting at 4000.  This was on the first floor.  Hum!  There was an elevator so up to the third floor I went.

3900 – 39 something.  Headed around the large square for the floor, no 3700′s.  Asked a guy pushing a cart where 3713 was, he had no idea.  Passed a few other people finally the dazed lost and confused look won out.

Can I help you, I was told I was in the wrong building.  To go down the elevator take the hall to the chapel.  I knew where the chapel was didn’t I?  No.  Find the Christmas tree.  It is outside the chapel.  Turn left go down the hall turn right go up the elevator.

The All Directions from Here Christmas Tree

It took a few minutes to find the elevators again.  (Different elevators)  I popped out in a place that looked even less familiar than the one I came in.  Down a couple of halls turn left, turn right, turn back, then I saw it, The Christmas Tree, way down at the end of a hall.  I walked to the tree and it was right outside the chapel door where four hallways came together.  All hallways were at an angle on clear left in sight, wasn’t sure which one was the original left I was told to take since I had arrived there in a rather (I’m lost as hell in St Marys Hospital kind of way.

Took the left, went down the hall a long way into MRI ville and then to Radiology Land.  Nothing that looked like elevators or rooms.  Back up the hall, took another left.  Up to the third floor on elevators I eventually found.  Doors open to a hall and no one around anywhere.  I stood there for a few seconds when a door opened and a nice lady in a security uniform asked me if she could help.  Room 3713?  Oh, this is a private floor and you can’t get there from here.  Follow me.

Back on the elevator, back past the Christmas tree down past MRI ville and Radiology Land and beyond.  There after an atrium was a bank of elevators to the right.  Up to the third floor, when the doors opened I could see 3713.  It only took 30 minutes.

I was there about 20 minutes when my sister arrived.  I told her of the “adventure” finding dad and she wanted to know if I had asked for directions at the main desk?  Hum.  Didn’t see anyone there when I came in figured it was no big deal.  I said everyone kept telling me directions from the Christmas Tree.

I wondered what they did after they take it down.  Maybe they never take it down.  Maybe it is always there to give directions “from”.  Maybe they have maps that show where the Christmas tree is when it isn’t there and still give directions like “Go to where the Christmas tree stands when it is up”.

She was laughing, dad was laughing, the nurse was laughing, (maybe its true).

Arizona Drip System

As I got ready to leave I took a picture of Dad’s IV tree.  He looked at me funny with a smile and asked “What is that for”  he reads my blogs.  I’m calling it an Arizona Drip System.  We all laughed again.

Today, as I write, he is in surgery again.  Yesterday was remove the sludge from the duct work.  Today it is remove the gallbladder and stones.

I think I can find my way back even if they have moved the Christmas Tree.

Finding A SideKick

While looking at the meters and test strips I found the sidekick saying it was just reduced from $28 to $19.99 for the meter and 50 test strips.

SideKick Glucose Monitor and Strips

I’ve tested them side by side and the SideKick performs well and provided nearly the same results as the more expensive test strips.  The Accu check returned 164  The SideKick 158, close enough for the price difference.

Did I mention it is fast.  I took about 5 seconds to get the results.  The Accu Check takes about 30 seconds.