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Vol. 28, No. 5 • May, 2010 / www.Freeman-Spicer.com

What We Look Like . . . . . . . . So many of us, me included, still tend to eyeball people and make a value judgment based on the way they look. I was on a plane recently, and the guys behind me were on the way to a golf weekend. They were loud and obnoxious, and one had a tank top and a straw hat. And I thought, “What jerks!” Then they began talking business. These guys were brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! The moral of the story, which I’m still learning all the time, is, “Do not make value judgments based on the way people look.” There are still CEOs who take a look at someone and decide that the way they dress, or talk, or behave, indicates whether the person is good, bad, smart, dumb, efficient, inefficient. And it just isn’t so. (Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat)

Brands Americans Love to Drink . . . . . . These are the five top-selling wines, spirits, and beer brands at supermarkets and other retail stores in the U.S.: (Top-Selling Brands* / Percentage Share of Category)

  Wine                                                                                    Spirits **                                                      Beer**

* Ranked by dollar sales at supermarkets, gas stations, and drug and convenience stores, for the 52 weeks ended Feb. 21

** Included sales at mass-market retailers (excluding Wal-Mart, club stores and liquor stores)

Speaking Of Wine . . . . . . . . Get stains out of anything! Everyone spills stuff on themselves from time to time. It can be food, liquids or many other substances. Most of these substances can leave stains. Some stains come out in the wash. You can take care of other stains with some soaking. But many stains become firmly set. It doesn’t help that different spills require different cleaning methods. How do you know which method to use. Go to:

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/stain/

It is a large database of substances that stain. Click on a substance for detailed directions on removing the stain. Most stains can be removed with common household cleaners. (Komando)

Keeping The Sale . . . . . . . Often as customers, we are so disappointed in the service we receive (or the attitude that comes with it) that we go elsewhere. Amazing. The company made the sale, got the customer, and then, through an act of rudeness, indifference, poor follow-up, bad service, slow response, or the like, lost the customer they fought so hard (and spent so much) to get. Seems ridiculous, but it happens thousands of times every day. It’s happened to each of us many times. And boy, do we talk about it. Statistics show a disgruntled customer tells 20 times more people than a satisfied one. How good is your Customer Service? Once you make the sale, are you as intense to keep the customer as you were to get them? (The Sales Bible)

“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago” (Warren Buffett)

“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” (Beverly Sills)

Driving . . . . . . . A teenage boy had just passed his driving test and inquired of his father as to when they could discuss his use of the car. His father said he’d make a deal with his son: “You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut. Then we’ll talk about the car.” The boy thought about that for a moment, decided he’d settle for the offer, and they agreed on it. After about six weeks his father said, “Son, you’ve brought your grades up and I’ve observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I’m disappointed you haven’t had your hair cut. The boy said, “You know, Dad, I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair . . . . and there’s even strong evidence that Jesus had long hair.” Typically, the father had a very good answer . . . . “Did you also notice they all walked everywhere they went? (Novachek)

Vinegar Fly Trap . . . . . . . . Since so-called fruit flies are actually vinegar flies attracted to the odor of fermenting fruits and vegetables, here’s a simple solution to rid your kitchen of these annoying pests. Place a few drops of dish soap in a small bowl of vinegar on the counter and stir to combine. The vinegar lures the flies into the liquid, and the soap breaks the surface tension, preventing them from escaping. (Laura Carrigan)

OK . . . More Helpful Tips . . . . .

•          Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

•          Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold.

•          Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

•          Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

•          To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream and then beat them up. Julia Childs added just a little water before and then beat them up.

•          Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro-pizza.

•          Foggy Windshield? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box or your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser . . . it works better than a cloth. (Submitted by Bishop)

Only A Mother Would Know . . . . . . One day my mother was out, and my dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2 ½ years old. Someone had given me a little “tea set” as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room reading the evening newspaper when I brought Daddy a little cup of “tea”, which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home. My Dad made her wait in the livingroom to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was “just the cutest thing!’ My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I came down the hall with a cup of tea for my Daddy; and she watched him drink it up. Then she said, (as only a mother would know) - “Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?” (Fournier)

Social Security . . . . . Politicians and pundits love to talk about how Social Security is running out of money. Let me reassure you: It isn’t going anywhere. It is true that the program’s tax receipts will start to fall short of outlays in 2016, and it’s long-term surplus will drain away by 2037, according to recent government estimates. But even then, Social Security would be able to deliver about three-fourths of scheduled benefits. And the gap between that level of payouts and full funding isn’t insurmountably huge - about 2 percent of national wages, which Uncle Sam could fill with relatively minor tax increases and benefit reductions. (Smart Money)

Appearance At The Gates . . . . . . A cowboy appeared before St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. “Have you ever done anything of particular merit?” St. Peter asked. “Well, I can think of one thing,” the cowboy offered. “On a trip to the Black Hills out in South Dakota, I came upon a gang of bikers who were threatening a young woman. I directed them to leave her alone, but they wouldn’t listen. So, I approached the largest and most tattooed biker and smacked him in the face, kicked his bike over, ripped out his nose ring, and threw it on the ground. I yelled, Now, back off or I’ll kick the crap out of all of you!” St. Peter was impressed, “When did this happen?” The cowboy answered - “Couple of minutes ago.” (Fournier)

Inheritance . . . . . . . Will your kids blow their inheritance in Vegas? They just might. According to a recent survey, one quarter of affluent teens said they should be able to “buy anything they want,” and 22% agreed they “deserve to be rich because their parents are.” To inoculate kids against “Paris Hilton syndrome”, start early. If you still worry that your kids will blow their inheritance, set up an irrevocable trust to hold the assets when you die. You can stipulate how and when the money will be used. And if that seems like too much parenting from beyond the grave, simply appoint trustees to sensibly disburse funds. (Best Life)

Lowest Bidder . . . . . . . . Remember this: You can’t get rich keeping other people broke. Share the wealth. Pay people well when they deliver results. Did you ever get the best work done for you by the lowest bidder? Not often. You do get what you pay for. So pay as much as you can and a little more. If you become known as a person who pays well, you’ll attract better employees to work for you. And well-paid employees aren’t always looking for a better job for a nickel more at every opportunity. You build loyalty when you pay people well. It’s said that “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.” (It’s Called Word For A Reason)

What, No Water . . . . . . A fleeing Taliban, desperate for water, was plodding though the Afghanistan desert when he saw something far off in the distance. Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the object, only to find a little old Jewish man at a small stand selling ties. The Taliban asked, “Do you have water?” The Jewish man replied, “I have no water. Would you like to buy a tie” They are only $5?” The Taliban shouted, “Idiot! I do not need an over-priced tie. I need water! I should kill you, but I must find water first!” “OK, said the old Jewish man, it does not matter that you do not want to buy a tie and that you hate me. I will show you that I am bigger than that. If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you will find a lovely restaurant. It has all the ice cold water you need. Shalom . . . .” Muttering, the Taliban staggered away over the hill. Several hours later he staggered back, almost dead and said, “ Your

stupid brother won’t let me in without a tie!” (Foti)         

Sincerely,

Edward C. Levy

President