05.31.10
Posted in Comedy Around The World, Humor~Business, Humor~Events, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~In The News, Humor~Inspirational, www.yourshiningexample.com at 4:14 am by Dr. Trina Hess
Today’s Comedy Around the World goes to Athens, Greece. Home of the first ever marathon race, 26.2 miles.
When I signed up to run the race with the Leukemia Society’s Team in Training marathon fund-raising program, I pictured a big party. After all, that year marked the 100th anniversary of the running from Marathon into Athens during the war. The runner died at the end, but that was beside the point. This would be a big party! Lots of excitement! History, athletics, fun!
Was I ever wrong.
That race taught me a lot. From that fiasco I got:
1. A crash-course in perceptions. What was marketed as a majestic event was in reality a tragic disaster. Note to self: The Greek people are not into fitness or—apparently history, either. At least not the kind of history that involves fitness activities. Another note to self: it’s very, very bad to run a marathon in 80+ degree (F) heat with little water, and completely on pavement. Especially when all your training was done on the soft, snow-packed roads of rural Western Pennsylvania.
2. A better way to train. The guest speaker for our pre-race workshop was Jeff Galloway. He gave us his training regimen. I followed it in the next marathon I ran, in Anchorage. It was my most enjoyable marathon ever. If indeed there can be such a thing as an enjoyable marathon.
3. To trust that people will pull together and create a fun or at least a manageable event, even in times of crisis. As those of us in the back-of-the-pack clamored for water in the sweltering heat, sometimes picking up discarded bottles along the road, a funny thing happened. People who had intact bottles of water were sharing it with strangers. Runners noticed the other runners who were distressed and shared their water from their backpacks. Everyone was in pain, but some still found the strength to care for the others left behind. It was an amazing thing to see and a scene I will always remember.
4. What works for one sector, faction, or business may not work for yours. Like I mentioned in 1., the Greek people weren’t all that excited about this race. At least not by the time my fragmented body wandered into the finish area in downtown Athens, which was—ironically enough—in the Olympic stadium. I realized I may have been reliving the death scene that occurred at the end of the original marathon. There was no parade hailing me to the finish line. Instead, I had to wend my way around rush-hour traffic that had smog that was unbearable. I didn’t know which was more dangerous, breathing the smog or holding my breath.
5. Look at all the aspects, all sides of the issue. If I would have done my research, I could have known that Athens would be quiet that day. That I would have to motivate myself, rather than rely on the kindness of Greek strangers. I would have found out the race course, and that it included absolutely no grass or snow or other soft surfaces. I would have known that the water was only rationed according to your own tour group. There’s nothing like seeing an oasis of water bottles and dragging yourself there only to find out that it’s for another charity group, not yours. Had that group been less rigid and inflexible, they would have saved several of us runners from heat exhaustion.
Your “100th Anniversary” celebration is your way of creating a humorous atmosphere. Make sure the celebration that others join is the same one you’ve envisioned. And bring enough water for everyone! to others as you;re picturing it for yourself?
Inflexibility, inefficient facts,
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05.30.10
Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~Creativity, Humor~Events, Humor~Inspirational at 4:57 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
I’m not talking about the fairy tale, Cinderella. I’m talking about Cinderella’s Janitorial Services. They sponsored a band last night at a Mexican restaurant where I was eating dinner.
A song by Three Dog Night. Wait–that wasn’t the radio, it was LIVE! And in the next room.
I wandered over to see what was happening. Someone told me it was Cinderella’s 10th year in business and they were inviting everyone to the party.
I had never heard of Cinderella’s Janitorial Services. I don’t know exactly what they sell or where they are. But will I check them out? Definitely!
Cinderella’s taught me a lot that night, about business: We should be—
1. surprising! It’s not every day that you hear live music at dinner.
2. interesting and intriguing! I was curious about the music and so I asked questions.
3. out-of-the-ordinary! I would expect a janitorial service to give out free paper towels or something. Not to host a live band (which was great, by the way. I think they were called, Fear No Evil).
4. inviting! The guests and the Cinderella employees invited me to the party.
5. fun! Above all, Cinderella’s created a fun atmosphere that made me associate good things with their company.
What could Cinderella show YOU about business?
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05.28.10
Posted in Humor~Events, Humor~Research at 1:27 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Want to share your humor expertise with a wide audience of your peers? Here’s your chance! Read this from AATH:
“You’ve spent years honing your skills and now is the time for you to share your experience and knowledge by submitting a proposal for consideration as a break out presentation at AATH’s Annual Conference, April 7-10, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.
“The purpose of our conference is to provide high-quality education and networking opportunities for humor and laughter professionals. Our multiple day, multiple track format offers a self-directed, facilitated learning environment with educational sessions and interactive forums. This is your opportunity to let other “like minded” people know how you do what you do and how it impacts the world.
“The deadline for submission of proposals is: Friday, June 25, 2010.
“Do not miss this opportunity to share your expertise and ideas with our members and guests. We invite you to submit your proposal online by clicking the following link:
http://www.aath.org/call_presentations.htm”
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05.27.10
Posted in Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Research, www.yourshiningexample.com at 6:16 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Want to adopt me? Ask Trina for info---
Using, appreciating, expecting, and enjoying humor all benefit your health. One way to achieve humor is having a pet. What else provides so much free entertainment, companionship, and fun? Here from the
Main Street Newsletter are 7 good reasons to have a pet—-and get all the health benefits that humor offers us!
1. Lower Blood Pressure. A study in Psychosomatic Medicine linked dog ownership to reduced anxiety, a slower heartbeat, more relaxed muscles and lower blood pressure, plus heightened ability to cope with stress.
2. Heal Faster. Even short-term exposure to dogs after heart failure significantly lowers stress hormones, boosts mood and improves cardiac function.
3. Pets Are Immunity Boosters. Pet owners are said to make fewer visits on average to their family physicians, according to a UCLA study—probably because they’re less stressed and engage in more physical activity than those without furry companions.
4. Pets Can Lower Cholesterol. Several studies have shown that pet owners have lower cholesterol than those in homes with no pets.
5. Pets Can Keep You in Shape. Dog owners log more steps per day than non-pet owners, and also tend to walk faster, harder and longer, and are less likely to be obese.
6. Pets Can Ward Off Elderly Depression. Studies show that pet owners are as much as four times less likely to get age-related depression than those living by themselves, likely because even simple acts like petting a dog release brain chemicals (serotonin, for example) that naturally combat the condition.
7. Pets Can Play the Role of Marriage Counselor. Studies show couples with dogs report less tension in their marriages (maybe it’s the “blame the dog” theory), as well as better conflict resolution with their partners.
7.5 Ready to get a dog? The one above and his 3 siblings just happen to be available! Here’s the story from one of my colleagues:
“They are a healthy weight – according to the vet they are the size of an average Lab at the same age. The puppies are a Lab/Border Collie/Beagle mix. I would GREATLY appreciate any help in finding good, responsible homes for them. They are almost fully weaned and will be ready to leave their mama and litter mates in 1 week.
“A few months ago I adopted a dog from the Venango County Humane Society. She had a very healthy litter 7 weeks ago and there are 4 of them that I still need to find responsible homes for.”
If you or anyone you know would be interested please contact me. And, if you’d like to see the rest of the litter, check (and join) my Facebook fan page!
Thanks for supporting humor in every way possible! Good dog!
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05.26.10
Posted in Humor~Creativity, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Inspirational, Humor~Research, www.yourshiningexample.com at 1:16 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Humor is only for certain situations, among certain people. There are some subjects that you can’t laugh about. And there are things that aren’t funny at all.
All the above are false. Especially when that subject is organic chemistry.
I stumbled upon a site for humor about organic chemistry. Some of the listings under the “Brain relaxation activities” were:
[Molecules of the week/month] [Organic chemistry and humor] [Amusing Stories] [Dramas] [Chemistry games] [Comical compounds] [Chemistry clip-art] [Chemistry Animations] [Funny sentences].
The funny thing is, I’m not even making this stuff up! Check out the jokes for yourself. And then think about what YOU didn’t think could be funny. Share your compounds here ~
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Posted in Humor~Creativity, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Inspirational, www.yourshiningexample.com at 12:52 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
- Image by AA7JC via Flickr
Piano?
I used to think that sounding like a “player piano” was a bad thing. No emotion, no roller-coaster of sound, just a mindless showing-off and clanging of noise.
But I just watched a video clip of a traveling classical piano concert. One of the stops that the pianist, Angela Jia Kim, made was in a small town. The host invited Angela to play one of his collector player pianos. He explained how the piano worked.
The composer would sit at the piano keyboard and play the composition. Then, the machinery of the player piano made indentations into the scroll underneath the keys. This forever stamped the composer’s actual emotion, skill, and weight of the keys into history.
Angela was thrilled to see that the collector had a composition by Rachmaninoff. That meant that Rachmaninoff had actually sat at that specific keyboard and played his musical consctuction!
I thought: Wow! Was I ever wrong about player pianos! I had one image, one definition, one perception in my mind when I heard that phrase, “player piano.” And my opinion had solidified so much that I was shocked — really surprised– to learn the actual definition and explanation of the phrase.
And I study this stuff, creativity, humor-generation, communication –
I wondered, “What else am I missing in life? And why?”
Let’s look at why I thought I knew everything there was to know about the player piano. And why I was so easily surprised!
1. I was distracted. I had no real need to learn about player pianos. I already know how to play the piano, so I have never been interested in seeing the keys move by themselves.
2. I am regularly distracted by other things besides player pianos. And so, naturally, I was not generally conscious of player pianos.
3. My “knowledge” about what a player piano is, was—in my mind at least—correct. So I had no real need to think about it, because no one or nothing until today had questioned my knowledge about it.
Maybe player pianos aren’t all that important in the grand scheme of things. But think about your “player piano.” What are you so expert at that you can’t see alternatives, insights, or epiphanies? How is this mindset limiting YOUR progress and creativity? How is it keeping YOU from creating YOUR masterpiece?
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Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~Events at 12:41 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
My friend Joanne Quinn-Smith, aka, the TechnoGrannyTM and host of PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM is a cheerleader for business in Pittsburgh. Now it’s her turn to shine! Her show, PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM Talkcast (PPL Talkcast) was named a Finalist today in the Media Talkcast, Blog, and Website category in The 2010 American Business Awards.
More than 2,700 entries from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories, including Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Corporate Environmental Responsibility Program of the Year. PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM Talkcast is competing as a finalist in the Web, Talkcast, and Blog category for Media.
The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit entries,public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.
This year’s Stevie Award winners will be announced during the annual gala on Monday, June 21 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. More than six-hundred executives from across the U.S.A. are expected to attend. The event will benefit Oceana (http://oceana.org), the largest international organization focused on ocean conservation. The ceremonies will be broadcast on radio nationwide by the Business TalkRadio Network. As one of the finalists, the creative staff of PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM Talkcast will be attending and also covering the event and spread the good news about Pittsburgh. PositivelyPittsburghTM Radio and TV goes to New York City.
In 2007, Joanne Quinn-Smith, aka, the TechnoGrannyTM and host of PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM Talkcast created an internet radio Talkcast which has evolved into a total product, the Positively Pittsburgh Live Alliance which includes
PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM Talkcast, PPL Blog, PositivePittsburghersTM Networking site and PPLMag.com. As a result of this unique first to market Community Talkcast, blog, networking site and online community magazine, she was awarded the 2009 National Small Business Administration Journalist of the Year Award. She became the first person to be honored for this award who totally used Social/New Media.
PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com is a syndicated Pittsburgh internet radio and TV network with accumulated national and international listeners of over 200,000. The goal of PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM (PPL) is to disseminate only GOOD NEWS about Pittsburgh, often topics that are missed by major media outlets. In this mission of the PPL Talkcast, Good News Reporter, Joanne Quinn-Smith has interviewed over 800 Positive Pittsburghers representing the best news about Pittsburgh.
Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/aba. Final judging will continue thru May 28, 2010.
Listen to all of the syndicated Pittsburgh internet radio shows at:
http://pplmag.com
About PositivelyPittsburghLiveTM Talkcast and Alliance]
If you are tired of the negative news and would like to hear only the good news, PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com is in its second year. Positively PittsburghLiveMagazine.com is a Pittsburgh Online Community Magazine complete with calendar and forum and also a Pittsburgh Internet Radio and TV Network. So check out the Positive News for, about and by Pittsburghers, the Positive Trendsetter for Good News about Pittsburgh!
Positively Pittsburgh LiveTM internet radio talkcast features the weekly PositivelyPittsburhTM News, the Roving Pittsburgher ReportTM and the Steeltown HeroTM Spotlite
PositivelyPittsburghLive Alliance
All at: http://pplmag.com
PositivelyPittsburghLive Talkcast
PosiitvelyPittsburghLive Blog Show Notes, News
PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com
PositivePittsburghers Social Networking Site: http://positivepittsburghers.com
PositivePittsburghers LinkedIn Group
Follow PositivelyPittsburgh at https://twitter.com/pospittsburgh
About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.
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05.24.10
Posted in Comedy Around The World, Humor~Creativity, Humor~Health & Goals, Humor~Inspirational at 3:52 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
This week’s Comedy Around the World goes to Cook Forest, in Western Pennsylvania. I saw a sign while I was hiking there yesterday. It was near the
Forest Cathedral Area.
Sign said, “Be sure to leave no trace of your presence” when you leave the forest.
What an odd and refreshing message. Usually we’re told to stamp our mark on everything. Brand your message. Copyright your writings. Protect your privacy.
But here in the woods it’s a different story. They don’t want to know you. Don’t want your footprints, your pawprints or your trash.
Isn’t that the way we go about creating new products? We make sure we’re not stealing someone else’s URL for our website. Make sure our article is “original”. But all over our creation is US. We are there, not the thing created.
What if we could adopt the forest’s policy and leave no trace of us, of our ego. How much loftier, richer, vital would our products be if we weren’t in them. If we didn’t worry about how many laughs our jokes are getting, or how well our product will do compared to our competitor? If we weren’t concerned with how many people adored our creative prowess and instead we just created. Just for the sake of being a valuable channel between the universe and utility.
How? By following some of the rules of the forest.
1. Pick up your garbage. Get rid of anything that’s holding back your ideas. Past failures, future catastrophies and negative weighing-downers.
2. Don’t disturb the wildlife that’s here. Don’t decry an idea because it seems stupid, useless, or unprofitable.
3. Respect the community of the forest. Look beyond immediacy and self-serving motives. What can your idea do to impact, connect, and enlarge the world around you?
What kind of cathedral are you creating? And what kinds of footprints are you leaving?
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Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~Social Media, Humor~Technology, www.yourshiningexample.com at 12:54 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
“Lighten Up.” That was one of Mashable’s 4 Tips for B2B Marketing on Facebook
When you inject some humor and levity into your social media,
—you connect.
—you give a face and personality to your company.
—you create a fun community.
—you create an inviting atmosphere.
—you win.
What’s YOUR Facebook fan, like, or regular page? Message me and I’ll join YOU!
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Posted in Humor~Events at 12:44 am by Dr. Trina Hess
The Business of Pittsburgh Politics with Dr. Cyril Wecht and Jim Roddey & Moderated by Larry Richert!
NewsRadio 1020 KDKA will begin hosting a Business Breakfast Series which will in-part benefit Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania. The series takes place off the air, features experts and news-makers, and is designed to serve as an informative and engaging opportunity for anyone in the Pittsburgh business community. There are two events planned with the Business Breakfast Series in 2010, with the first event taking place on Thursday, June 10.
Join us as we kick-off the series by discussing the Business of Pittsburgh Politics with Jim Roddey, Chairman of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County and Forensic Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht on Thursday, June 10th at the Rivers Club at One Oxford Center. The doors will open at 7:30am for business networking and the program will begin promptly at 8:00am and will conclude by 9:00am.
NewsRadio 1020 KDKA Morning Host Larry Richert will moderate the discussion, and guests will have an opportunity to interact and ask questions with our featured speakers We’re excited to bring newsmakers, Roddey and Wecht together in KDKA’s initial Business Breakfast Series event, as they dissect the politics of Pittsburgh in this unique forum.
There is limited seating - click here to purchase tickets or contact Anna Fees at 412-575-2526 for more information. Tickets are $25 each, and include a full hot breakfast. Tables of ten are $250.
Dr. Cyril Wecht—Dr. Wecht is certified by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic, clinical, and forensic pathology, and is a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, and the National Association of Medical Examiners.
Jim Roddey—Jim Roddey is the Chairman of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County and served as Allegheny County’s First Chief Executive from 1999 to 2004.
Larry Richert—Larry Richert is the host of the KDKA Morning News with co-host John Shumway.
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