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Vol. 25, No. 8 • August, 2007

You can find this newsletter and some past issues on the web @ www.Freeman-Spicer.com

Tattoos lessen likelihood of landing a job . . . . . . . . . . . Got a tattoo? It could interfere with getting a job. A new survey shows that employees are getting the message that plenty of bosses find visible tattoos or body piercing objectionable in the workplace. “Some would argue that they are a legitimate form of self expression and shouldn’t be regulated by an employer,” said Mark Oldman, co-founder of career site Vault.com, which conducted the survey. “But, like it or not, many employers feel that flagrant tattoos detract from one’s professional appearance. While they may be less unsavory now, they still can carry a counterculture, Hells Angels flavor, especially the more angry-looking tattoos.” Others agree. Of 468 employees who responded to Vault’s 2007 tattoo and body-piercing survey, 85 percent said yes, such body decorations impede a candidate’s chance of getting the job, a big jump up from the 19 percent who said that in the 2001 survey. Lucille Mavrokefalos, director of human resources consulting at Portnoy Messinger Pearl & Associates Inc. in New York said she can’t think of one employee handbook she has written or updated in this past year that does not have language related to body art. In most cases, employers are requiring tattoos be covered. (Newsday reported in the Chicago Tribune)

NEW ITEM! - Cure Spotty Mobile Phone Coverage . . . . . . . . . by bringing the network to you. Samsung’s UbiCell acts like a miniature cell tower, creating a local network that covers 5,000 square feet - plenty for the average home. UbiCell taps into your carrier’s network through your broadband internet line, and your mobile phone connects to it as it does any other cell tower. (Carriers decide whether air time counts as it would on regular mobile calls.) When you stray outside the UbiCell range, you’re automatically transferred to the standard cellular network. The price isn’t set, but Samsung hopes to start selling the device through carriers by the end of the year. Then you can finally kiss your landline goodbye. (Popular Science)

Another Idea From Google . . . . . . . . . . . If you have text message capabilities on your cell phone - here’s another way of getting information quickly. Google Chief Eric Schmidt proclaimed last year that “your mobile phone should be free,” and he’s making it happen. Google is introducing a host of cell-phone-accessible features that will cost you pretty close to bupkis. Want to check your flight status? Using your phone’s text feature, send a text message to GOOGLE (466453), with the name of your airline and the flight number as the message (“UA924,” for example). Within seconds, Google will search Flightstats.com and beam you back times and gates. You can also get stock prices, movie times’, directions and sports scores gratis from Google. Some carriers may charge for text messages. (Directions example - type in Directions - then list from an address to another address - hit send) (Kiplinger’s)

When Dan Found Out . . . . he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a woman to enjoy it with. So one evening he went to a singles bar where he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. “I may look like just an ordinary man,” he said as he walked up to her, “but in just a week or two, my father will die and I’ll inherit 20 million dollars.” Impressed, the woman went home with him that evening and , three day later, she became his stepmother. Women are so much smarter than men. (Bishop)

E-Z Pass . . . E-Z PayMore . . . . . . . . . Beachgoers winding their way along the New Jersey Turnpike this summer might want to think twice before choosing E-ZPass, a system that lets drivers pay tolls electronically. New research by Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Amy Finkelstein suggests such systems lead to toll hikes. The likely reason, she says, is that the technology allows people to think less about the fact that they are forking over money to the government, which makes it easier for politicians to raise the price. “Because the driver need no longer actively count out and hand over cash for the toll, the toll rate is arguable less visible,” she writes. Finklestein found tolls increased by 20 to 40 percent following the installation and adoption of electronic toll collection systems. The International Bridge Tunnel and Turnpike Association, an industry group, points out that toll increases are well disclosed and subject to public debate. (U.S. News & World Report)

Selling . . . . . . . . How often are you in front of your customers or prospects? Answer: Not as often as you should be. It takes 7 to 10 impressions to get a sale and begin to build a relationship. You can get there more quickly if you use the mail - if you can’t be there in person, send a letter. An effective communication by mail or other means can solidify a deal. Do it often and the number of new orders, volume of repeat business, and percentage of customers remaining loyal will drastically increase. Sometimes the writing is already done for you. Cut out or photocopy an article about something that pertains to your customer’s business, or something you know he’s interested in. Attach a message on a Post-it-note. It will be remembered. (The Sale’s Bible)

This is something to think about when negative people are doing their best to rain on your parade. So remember this story the next time you run into someone who knows nothing, cares less and tries to make your life miserable. A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded: " Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty! You're crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?" "We're taking Continental," was the reply. "We got a great rate!" “Continental?" exclaimed the hairdresser." That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome ?" "We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River called Teste." "Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks its gonna be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump, the worst hotel in the city! The rooms are small, the service is surly, and they're overpriced. So, whatcha' doing when you get there?" "We're going to go to see the Vatican and we hope to see the Pope." "That's rich," laughed the hairdresser. "You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it." A month later, the woman again came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome. "It was wonderful," explained the woman, "not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked, and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on me hand and foot. And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $5 million remodeling job, and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city . They, too, were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owner's suite at no extra charge!" "Well," muttered the hairdresser, "that's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope." "Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if I'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet me. Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me." "Oh, really! What'd he say ? He said, "Where'd you get the lousy hairdo? (Defauw)

What’s Inside Red Bull - Energy Drink . . . . . . . . . Ingredients for the drink Red Bull are:

Glucose - Like most popular soft drinks, Red Bull is largely sugar water. But don’t count on its glucose to “give you wing,” as the ad says. Multiple studies have debunked the so-called sugar high.

Taurine - Also known as 2-aminoethane-sulfonic acid was originally isolated from bull bile in 1827. Now made synthetically, it is the magical elixir said to bring out the kitesurfing extemophile in any Web-surfing nerd. Taurine’s actual effects, while not as drastic as the hype, are pretty wide-ranging, even from the amount found in a single can: Not only is it an inhibitory neurotransmitter (in some cases acting as a mild sedative) and an age-defying antioxidant, it even has the potential to steady irregular heartbeats.

Glucuronolactone - Internet rumors claimed this was a Vietnam-era experimental drug that causes brain tumors. Luckily, that’s not true. But don’t crumple up your tinfoil hat yet - hardly anyone has looked into exactly what this stuff does. So little research has been done on glucuronolactone (and most of it 50 years ago) that almost all information about it is mere rumor. Users generally believe it fights fatigue and increases will-being, but that could turn out to be bull too.

Caffeine - Ah, here are Red Bull’s wings. All the things this drink is supposed to do for you - increase concentration and reaction speed, improve emotional state, and boost metabolism - are known effects of this white powder, a distant cousin of cocaine.

Niacin (Niacinamide) - Also known as vitamin B-3, niacin increases so-called good cholesterol (HDL) by preventing the formation of triglycerides, making it a terrific cholesterol drug. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough niacin here to have this benefit. And it’s not even pure enough to give you the mild head rush dubbed the “niacin flush.”

Sodium Citrate - Commonly used as a preservative in soft drinks and spreadable cheeses, sodium citrate also helps convert glucose into lactic acid during exercise, producing a measurable effect on athletic performance. In at least one test, it shaved an average of 17 seconds off a 5K run.

Inositol - A carbohydrate found in animal muscle (sometimes called “meat sugar”), inositol is turning out to be a wonder drug that significantly reduces depression, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It might even be what makes whole grains effective cancer fighters. Instead of being a bit player in Red Bull (you’d need to drink as many as 360 cans a day to get its benefits), inositol probably deserves a drink of its own. (Patrick Di Justo in Wired)

Management . . . . . . . . . As a matter of sound business practice, it’s important to raise prices regularly. Otherwise, you’ll be letting your profit margins erode and you’ll be undermining the value of your company. It’s never easy to raise prices. As for big increases, you make them at your peril. There’s simply no way to do it without antagonizing customers and thereby putting your most important relationship at risk. Faced with such resistance, a lot of businesspeople are tempted to forgo price increases altogether, or at least put them off for as long as possible. If you do either one, however, you’re making a big mistake. Granted, you may not feel the pain for a while, but your expenses are going up. Raise your prices on a regular basis. (INC.)

Why Do Men have Adam’s Apples? . . . . . Actually, both men and women have Adam’s apples. In medical terms, the Adam’s apple is called a thyroid cartilage. The reason a man’s Adam’s apple is larger than a woman’s is because his larynx is larger to accommodate his longer vocal cords. (By the way, it is male’s longer vocal cords that give them deeper voices.) A second reason is because women have more fat in their necks, which hides the Adam’s apple. The name, Adam’s apple, is taken from the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. As the story goes, a piece of the apple that Eve had given Adam to eat became lodged in his throat. From then on, Adam and all his male descendants had an enlarged larynx as a symbol of Adam’s shame. (The Book of Totally Uselss Information)                                                                                                               

Sincerely,

Edward C. Levy

President

 Freeman-Spicer Financial Services

316 South Eddy Street, P.O. Box 1238, South Bend, IN 46624

(V) 574.234.0069 or 800.526.6753 / (F) 574.234.6414 / surekey@aol.com

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