- Financial Predators: Vermin, Rodents and Other Insect Pests
While there are predators all around us, we generally do not think of our financial providers as predators. When Ed Bagley receives a postcard in the mail advertising a $5,000 loan you can receive tomorrow with only your signature as collateral, he digs a little deeper, uncovering the source of the loan and the fine print terms of the loan. What he discovers is shocking, and fair game for exposure so that unwitting borrowers know the score. - USPS: It Reminds You of the Army, and its Call to "Hurry Up and Wait"
Why aren't those postal lines moving faster? If you thought it was because the front counter people at your post office are slow and inefficient, think again. Usually in the battle between men and machines, it is the man that slows down the machine; in the case of the USPS front counter processing software, it is the machine that is slowing down the man, not to mention annoying customers and aggravating postal employees. - Shopping Online - Caveat Emptor (Latin for Let the Buyer Beware)
Internet Marketers shopping online are presented with a problem because they cannot examine the goods before they commit to buying. This fact of purchasing works in the seller's best interest, and the seller, not the buyer, will do anything to keep it that way, including, but not limited to, exaggerating claims, playing upon your emotions, pressuring you to make buying decisions, and being disingenuous in an attempt to relieve you of your money. - Mailing Lists: If You Must Err, Then Err on the Side of Caution
Almost any recognized Internet Marketing guru making you an offer today will mention somewhere in his sales pitch that a mailing list is really important, however, his primary objective is to get you to buy whatever he is selling. Competition is stiff in acquiring names, and some Internet Marketers have less resourcs than others, resulting in some pitches to sign up without being given any information on which to make an intelligent decision. - Forced Matrix Opportunities: A Slippery World of Sinkholes - Part 1
The idea has been around since we first ditched the barter system for a monetary system of coinage. You could create a system of growing money by making entrance to the system affordable, rewarding people for bringing others into the system, and using leverage to build volume and profit. It is called a forced matrix. An analysis of one offering would result in 8.5 billion people being involved after 33 days. Does this make a lick of sense? - Forced Matrix Opportunities: A Slippery World of Sinkholes - Part 2
The idea has been around since we first ditched the barter system for a monetary system of coinage. You could create a system of growing money by making entrance to the system affordable, rewarding people for bringing others into the system, and using leverage to build volume and profit. It is called a forced matrix. An analysis of one offering would result in 8.5 billion people being involved after 33 days. Does this make a lick of sense? - Career Fairs Best Serve Everyone But the Jobless
Reading my Sunday newspaper yesterday reminded me of how Career Fairs do little to substantially increase local employment. Three special interest groups benefit the most, not the unemployed looking for work. You could hold Career Fairs for the unemployed every other week in Flint, Michigan and it still would not affect their depressed economy. It is likely that when people benefit from these Career Fairs it is more by accident than design. - Two Excellent Films With Oscar Nominations
A Man for All Seasons poses the question: What would a man sacrifice for his principles? When Henry VIII seeks approval to divorce his wife and marry Anne Boleyn, his new Chancellor and Cardinal - Sir Thomas More - stands in his way. In the end, Sir Thomas becomes the only person in England who will die for his principles. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl becomes the best pirate picture every made, thanks to Johnny Depp. - Two Excellent Films That Could Not Win an Oscar
Secondhand Lions is a masterpiece of storytelling written and directed by Tim McCanlies (remember the name). Near as I can tell, this film generated little stir when made in 2003, and had absolutely no nominations for Oscars (what a shame). First time French Director Christophe Barratier has given us an incredibly good movie in The Chorus, which was nominated for two Oscars but came up empty handed at the presentations. No matter. It did not affect the effort and excellence of The Chorus. - An Iranian Foreign Film Fails To Promote Real Understanding
Children of Heaven is an Iranian movie with subtitles about a boy who accidentally loses his sister’s worn out shoes after being sent to get them repaired, and must share his own worn out sneakers with her in a sort of relay while each attends school at different times during the day. Children of Heaven has some touching moments, as you might imagine, and the film is worth a look, but brace yourself for an unsettling ending. If it were not for this terrible ending, I would rate this film higher, but I am not about to reward poor story telling. - How Hiring Corporate Executives Could Improve in a Heartbeat
It has always been a mystery to me why certain chief executive officers do such a poor job hiring key executives for their management teams. I submit that one reason is because chief executive officers spend company money and the stockholders' equity in the hiring process. What if the chief executive officers had to hire their key people with money out of their own pocket? You better believe their judgment and discretion would improve in a hurry. - Five Movies You Think Would Be Really Better Than They Are
Here are five movies you think would be really better than they are, unfortunately for the films, the scripts, the direction, and the actors, they are not. All five get my terrible rating; they include About Schmidt (with Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates as Oscar nominees), The Anchorman (with Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate), Before Sunset, Cocktail (with Tom Cruise) and Corky Romano (with Chris Kattan of Saturday Night Live fame). - Many "Free" Offers Online Can Scare Newcomers to the Internet
Can a guru help an Internet Marketing newcomer too much? Maybe. The guru is not giving you a free web site, hosting and all of the other amenities because he is feeling rich, blessed and altruistic (that is only what he is telling you with a straight face). He is giving you all of this because he can stuff his pockets 100 or 1,000 times more with affiliate web sites than without them, and so he spends his time creating affiliate web sites. It is called leveraging your time and money, his (the guru's), not yours, he is bleeding you dry. - Five More Movies You Think Would Be Better Than They Are
Here are five more movies you think would be really better than they are, unfortunately for the films, the scripts, the direction, and the actors, they are not. All five get my terrible rating; they include Imagine Me & You, Down With Love (with Renee Zellweger), In Good Company, It Runs in the Family (with Michael Dougles and Kirk Douglas) and Laws of Attraction (with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore). - Million Dollar Baby: This Is One Fight Where You Get Your Money's Worth
After watching so many pay-for-view, big time, hyped fights on the tube and being totally disappointed, watching Million Dollar Baby was refreshing because I really got my money's worth. This is a really good film that has the hardware to prove it. When the 2005 Academy Awards presentation ended, Million Dollar Baby, nominated for 7 Oscars, won 4, including Best Picture, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Actress (Hillary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald) and Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman as Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris). - Have Some Affiliate Marketing Opportunities Become Overblown and Annoying? - Part 2
The Internet is a sprawling expanse that covers the Earth. If there are two companies that could arguably be identified as the best and the biggest prowling the Internet they might well be Empowerism and the mighty Strong Future International Marketing Group, better known as SFI. Here is my experience with each of these affiliate marketing opportunities. - Have Some Affiliate Marketing Opportunities Become Overblown and Annoying? - Part 3
The Internet is a sprawling expanse that covers the Earth. If there are two companies that could arguably be identified as the best and the biggest prowling the Internet they might well be Empowerism and the mighty Strong Future International Marketing Group, better known as SFI. Here is my experience with each of these affiliate marketing opportunities. - Who Earns the Most Based on Their Educational Level
Colleges and universities are fond of reminding anyone who will listen that there is great value in earning a bachelor's degree. In the most recent statistics available the U. S. Census Bureau tends to agree. Results from the 2004 Census Bureau report shows a $23,000 difference between the average annual salary of adults with a bachelor's degree ($51,554) compared to adults with a high school diploma ($28,645). Find out the Top 12 Paying Jobs Overall in the nation today. - Why Lenders Are Not Your Friends - Part 1
The next time you go borrowing, and your friendly banker smiles as you walk into his office, be aware that you may be snookered by someone not worthy of your trust. For the uninitiated, there are more real surprises at loan closings in America than when opening gifts on Christmas morning. One client of mine went to a loan closing and learned that $10,000 had been added to the loan closing costs without prior notice; he thankfully got up and left. Why you should be aware. - Why Lenders Are Not Your Friends - Part 2
The next time you go borrowing, and your friendly banker smiles as you walk into his office, be aware that you may be snookered by someone not worthy of your trust. For the uninitiated, there are more real surprises at loan closings in America than when opening gifts on Christmas morning. One client of mine went to a loan closing and learned that $10,000 had been added to the loan closing costs without prior notice; he thankfully got up and left. Why you should be aware. - How Online Surveys Prey On New and Unaware Marketers
When I first became involved in Internet Marketing I was looking for some way to make money without a lot of time commitment and investment. This led me to online surveys and the lure of cash for giving my opinions. Alas, I was snookered. The truth is most online surveys involve identifying and qualifying people to be sold goods and services that in many cases they do not want or need. So how stupid is this online survey hoax? Very. Read this article to find out why. - Four Romantic Comedies That Will Not Stress Your Emotions
Here are four romantic comedies that will not stress your emotions: Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker in Failure to Launch, Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo) in Maid in Manhattan and The Wedding Planner, and Michael J. Fox and Gabrielle Anwar in For Love or Money. Just sit back and be entertained. If you want great stories, great acting and great direction, try other movies. - 69 MPH Windstorm (and Rain) Leaves a Family in Turmoil
Life a thief in the night, everything went dark and unseen at 11:47 p.m. Thursday (12-14-06). I was in the middle of writing an article when it happened. A house that was well lit and humming within minutes took on the feeling of a damp, pitch black cave as winds up to 69 mph hit Western Washington, leaving one million of us without power. That would have been the same one million people who were looking for an open restaurant Friday morning for breakfast. You can imagine the traffic jam and the aftermath when most restaurants and fast food operations were without power. - Four Average Movies: Two Messy and Two Unpretentious
Here are four average movies, two of which are pretty screwed up (The Family Stone with Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson and Rachel McAdams, and Mona Lisa Smile with Julia Roberts) and two of which are unpretentious and easy on the eye (Indian Summer with Diane Lane and Unlikely Angel with Dolly Parton) Despite being pure fluff, I would rate the last two better than the first two. - Whatever Happened to Helen Hunt After Making What Women Want?
What Women Want is a romantic comedy light enough to float away. Helen Hunt is a real talent with real hardware and seemed so on top of her game after the release of What Women Want in 2000. Heck, I figured, move over Julia Roberts and hello Helen Hunt as America's newest sweetheart, but Hunt did Cast Away with Tom Hanks and then returned to Broadway. Big screen's loss became Broadway's gain. I believe that the two rising stars today are Reese Witherspoon and Hilary Swank. - A Romantic Comedy That Works With a Couple of 60+ Senior Citizens
Something's Gotta Give is a romantic comedy without substance that works because of Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. Keaton is one the few actresses at age 60 who has been able to partner with bankable leading men. I found myself wanting to bond with Keaton. She seems to have found the secret to staying young, alive and attractive while Nicholson at 69 and counting appears his age and has not benefited from the passage of time. Keaton is one fine looking 60-year-old woman. - One of the Best Movies Ever Tells of a Boy's Perfect Christmas Gift
A Christmas Story is arguably the best Christmas movie ever. Can there be anything greater than Santa coming to your house on Christmas Eve with the perfect gift of your choice? I think not, especially if it is a genuine Red Ryder 200-Shot, Carbine-Action BB Gun for a 9-year-old named Ralphie living in Northern Indiana in the 1940s. A Christmas Story is about much more than whether Ralphie gets the Red Ryder BB Gun he covets. Find out why in this review. - Hollywood's Most Perfect Actress Had Beauty, Fashion, Grace and Humility
Was there ever an actress who combined these four timeless qualities—beauty, fashion, grace and humility—better than Audrey Hepburn? I think not, especially when I see her again in Breakfast at Tiffany's. We shall not see another like her in our lifetime and by then the film industry may be on the way out when some newer, better technology unknown to us today arrives. See Breakfast at Tiffany's because Audrey Hepburn became an important contributor to our time and culture. She was a model of grace and humility in a world with little of either. - An Independent Film Production That Became an Excellent, Big Fat Paycheck
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is simply one of the best movies ever made about close families and their traditions. The estimated $5 million budget for the film generated worldwide revenue of $368 million, making it the highest-grossing independent film of all time, and the the highest grossing movie never to have hit number one at the box office. The reason why was Nia Vardalos, Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Joel Zwick, Michael Constantine, Ian Miller, Lainie Kazan and Andrea Martin. - Two Films With Tons of Recognition That Leave This Viewer Unfulfilled
A lot of moviegoers saw Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World as a great picture with great acting and pretty much a shoo-in for a handful of Oscars. I did not see it the same way, nor did the Academy. The Lion in Winter is a 2 Star movie with some 4 Star (Excellent) performances. I came away from both movies feeling that they are average films because they stir no emotion in me, foment ill will and breed confusion when clarity should rule the day and resolution should be the result. - There Is No Huge Correlation Between Education and Income and Here Is Why - Part 1
A client e-mailed me yesterday about her student loan debts that netted her 3 college degrees and a job without a commensurate income and future. I had to break the news to her that there is no real correlation between education and income, and that not all degrees are equal. How can a person with a high school degree earn a six-figure income without any degree? Learn how it happens in this first installment of a two-part article that exposes colleges and universities for what they are and are not. - There Is No Huge Correlation Between Education and Income and Here Is Why - Part 2
A client e-mailed me yesterday about her student loan debts that netted her 3 college degrees and a job without a commensurate income and future. I had to break the news to her that there is no real correlation between education and income, and that not all degrees are equal. How can a person with a high school degree earn a six-figure income without any degree? Learn how it happens in this second installment of a two-part article that exposes colleges and universities for what they are and are not. - These Two Films Create Confusion or Unbelievably Overblown Drama
Ocean's Eleven is a confusing film about a $160 million heist of three Las Vegas casinos from an impenetrable safe 200 feet underground. I say confusing because it is not really evident whether Ocean's Eleven is supposed to be an action flick, a comedy, a crime story or a drama. The Hours features three depressed women from three different generations trying to cope with life, some Academy Award-winning performances and a story line that is even more depressing and repugnant. - To Kill a Mockingbird Exposes the Destructiveness of Bigotry
Gregory Peck won a Best Actor Oscar in this adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about white lawyer Atticus Finch defending an innocent African American man accused of raping a white woman. This is a story that illuminates everything that is wrong about hate, prejudice, bigotry, ignorance, stupidity, lack of backbone and lack of a heart. It is a story about an all-white male jury who makes important life decisions without right thinking and right motives. - Boise State Looked Oklahoma in the Eye and Showed How Belief Makes a Winner
In one of the most exciting bowl games in college football history, underdog Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference upset mighty Oklahoma from the Big 12, 43-42. With only 7 seconds left Boise State pulled off a razzle-dazzle catch and lateral play to tie the game up and force an overtime. After Oklahoma scored first in overtime, Boise State scored and elected to try for a two-point conversion and the victory. They used the old Statue of Liberty play to make it happen. - Why American Designers Simply Cannot Get It Right When Creating Running Suits
Imagine a man who wants to buy a running suit with zippers on the pockets and can find none. He soon discovers that people who design running suits today could not possibly be athletes or people who are interested in safeguarding their valuables. Pockets without zippers allow wallets, money and keys to fly out when running or even sitting in a chair. Even Nike does not put zippers on running suit pockets anymore. The designers apparently went out to lunch and never returned. - Dantonio Finally Arrives on the Big 10 Stage as Head Coach at Michigan State
Michigan State University has a football history of folding when it counts. By unloading John L. Smith and hiring Mark Dantonio as their new head football coach, the Spartans have put themselves in a position to perform better than any time since the legendary Duffy Daugherty coached Michigan State to a combined 19-1-1 record in 1965 and 1966, winning back-to-back Big Ten and National Championships. In business and in football there are really only two possible outcomes: results or excuses. Dantonio has made a career out of producing results. - Who Has Had the Greatest Influence on Your Life and Why?
I lot of us remember our mother, and for good reason. Should someone pose the same question to me that I have asked of you, I would never hesitate to talk about the most important person in my life, my mother. She was the biggest backer that I ever had. She was not a movie star, she was not famous, and she was not rich. She simply had the most important job in the world, she was a mother. There will be no greater calling, and there will be no greater reward. - You Cannot Forget Captain Jack Sparrow, But National Treasure Is One Heck of a Hunt
It took an inordinately long time for movie land to bring us a modern day treasure hunt worth watching, but Director Jon Turteltaub delivered big time in National Treasure, the story of a secret treasure that crosses the centuries. National Treasure is full of obscure clues. Unlike the Indiana Jones trilogy with Harrison Ford, where you are drawn to Ford and his action adventure antics, National Treasure stays focused on the clues with the actors not upstaging the treasure hunt story line. - Millrose Games Celebrates 100th Birthday as Track's Most Prestigious Indoor Event
I guess you would have to be a runner to appreciate the Millrose Games, which celebrated its 100th running during the weekend at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Track and field has fallen on hard times in the United States lately and that is why the 100th running of the Millrose is so significant. Only the 2007 Millrose Games, as Dick Patrick wrote in USA Today on Thursday (2-1-07), "has survived the demise of a once vibrant indoor circuit that the USA monopolized." Patrick has it right. - 4 Average Movies That Do Not Get Any Better the Second Time Around
Here are four average movies that do not get any better the second time around: Anger Management with Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler, The Emperor's Club with Kevin Kline and Emile Hirsch, The Fast and the Furious (a totally mindless guy flick about macho wannabe men street car racing) and Five Easy Pieces with Jack Nicholson and Karen Black (both Oscar nominees in a depressing film about a guy going nowhere 1,000 miles an hour) - "Coach Carter" Sends an Outstanding Message About a Coach with Integrity, Honor and Goodness
Samuel L. Jackson plays Coach Ken Carter in a good sports drama with an outstanding message for today's high school basketball players who see playing with the pros as their only objective in life. Carter believes that scholarship and ethics should go hand in hand with outstanding basketball play. This is an incredible story of a coach who will not compromise his values by not compromising his integrity. Coach Carter has the guts and audacity to stand fast and right wills out in the end. - It Is the Incredible Ending that Makes "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" Worth Reading
The Five People You Meet in Heaven is the story of Eddie, a simple man living a simple life as a maintenance man who has a regret and an ache in his heart. He spends his entire life berating himself because he never left the amusement park to pursue his dream of becoming an engineer. He dies while trying to save a little girl in an accident, and does not know if he saved her life or not. He awakens in Heaven and finds out the real meaning of his life. A complex but rewarding story. - If You Are Looking for Leeches, Skip the Pond, Go to Your Credit Card Company
Two seemingly unrelated stories caught my attention yesterday. One was about corporations stockpiling cash and the other was about consumer savings rates, which moved into negative territory for the first time according to the U. S. Commerce Department. American corporations are doing well at the moment while the consumers that feed them profits are saving zero dollars and paying high interest rates. Credit card companies have no legal limits on what they can charge for interest and fees. - Isaacson's Biography of Benjamin Franklin Reminds Us of What We Did Not Realize
Almost everyone who has graduated from high school knows that Benjamin Franklin was a famous American. But Walter Isaacson's biography "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" chronicles an incredible journey of one of America's most influential founding fathers and arguably its greatest diplomat. I did not know that Franklin was America’s best scientist, inventor, writer, business strategist and diplomat of his time. Was Benjamin Franklin awesome? Absolutely. Isaacson tells us why. - What Every Woman Should Know About Men and Why Some Men Are Interesting - Part 1
Some men say they cannot live with women and they cannot live without women. I think they mean they do not understand women. Women are God's third most important gift, following the gift of life and the gift of free will. Since women are a necessary and wonderful addition to a man's world here are 14 things that every woman should know about men and why some men are more interesting than others. Part 1 of 3 Parts. - What Every Woman Should Know About Men and Why Some Men Are Interesting - Part 2
Some men say they cannot live with women and they cannot live without women. I think they mean they do not understand women. Women are God's third most important gift, following the gift of life and the gift of free will. Since women are a necessary and wonderful addition to a man's world here are 14 things that every woman should know about men and why some men are more interesting than others. Part 2 of 3 Parts. - What Every Woman Should Know About Men and Why Some Men Are Interesting - Part 3
Some men say they cannot live with women and they cannot live without women. I think they mean they do not understand women. Women are God's third most important gift, following the gift of life and the gift of free will. Since women are a necessary and wonderful addition to a man's world here are 14 things that every woman should know about men and why some men are more interesting than others. Part 3 of 3 Parts. - Clason's "The Richest Man in Babylon" Reveals the Fastest Way to Become Financially Savvy – Part 1
George Clason's book "The Richest Man in Babylon" reveals the fastest way to become financially savvy. It works today because money is governed today by the same laws that controlled it when prosperous men thronged the streets of Babylon 6,000 years ago. Here is a synopsis of The Richest Man in Babylon and the important financial lessons it teaches. The moral to the story The Richest Man in Babylon teaches this lesson: Proper preparation is the key to our success. - Clason's "The Richest Man in Babylon" Reveals the Fastest Way to Become Financially Savvy – Part 2
George Clason's book "The Richest Man in Babylon" reveals the fastest way to become financially savvy. It works today because money is governed today by the same laws that controlled it when prosperous men thronged the streets of Babylon 6,000 years ago. Here is a synopsis of The Richest Man in Babylon and the important financial lessons it teaches. The moral to the story The Richest Man in Babylon teaches this lesson: Proper preparation is the key to our success. Part 2 of 2. - Want a Six-Figure Income Without Getting a College Degree of Any Kind? Here Is How
I have a client making $350,000 a year with a high school diploma. I have another client making $144,000 who is a high school graduate with two additional years of technical training. A third client is making $250,000 with a high school diploma only. Here is some information you can use if you are a high school graduate and have zero interest in getting a bachelor's degree at this point in your work career: go into sales if you have any people skills or personality. Sales is the second highest paid profession in the world, and it does not usually require a college degree. - What Makes a Person Want to Run, and Why Few Will Ever Know the Joy of Running
I remember those fall workouts on the Michigan State University campus when the leaves on the deciduous trees would burst into color along the wooded trail, and the sunshine would filter down through the trees. Running gives you peace of mind that settles your soul. You bound along at a pace that would exhaust the average person, but you are trained to run at a brisk pace for a long time and distance. You would run faster in a race, but your goal today is to finish feeling pleasantly tired, knowing that you could have run much faster. - "Breakfast on Pluto" Is Really Not About an Alien from Outer Space
Breakfast on Pluto is a gender preference movie about a boy who really wants to be a girl, and settles for being a transvestite trying to find a place in a world that curses his very existence. I endured Boys Don't Cry and Transamerica and am pleased to say I did not have to endure Breakfast on Pluto. I think that Neil Jordan is the reason why. Jordan achieves something that few of his counterparts have been able to do and that is direct and write and produce a good product. This film is worth viewing for its message: to thine ownself be true. - "Meet the Fockers" Gets a Real Boost From De Niro and Hoffman
Meet the Fockers is the best comedy I have seen in a long time. This movie could have been easily over-the-top with its descriptive title, but there is no hint of it in the presentation. A believable story line and an all-star cast with former Oscar-winners Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand (yes, Streisand won as Best Actress in Funny Girl) gave this comedy a real boost of professionalism. By reducing Ben Stiller to a lesser role and playing up the acting and timing talents of Hoffman and De Niro, this movie is so much better than the first that there can be no comparison between the two. - What Every Woman Should Know About Men And Why Some Men Are Interesting - Part 2
(Editor's Note: Part 1 dealt with A Man's Five Basic Jobs: 1) Defend his loved ones. 2) Protect his loved ones. 3) Provide for his loved ones. 4) Encourage his loved ones. 5) Lead his loved ones.) - What Every Woman Should Know About Men And Why Some Men Are Interesting - Part 3
(Editor's Note: Part 2 dealt with A Man's Five Basic Tendencies: 1) He believes he is indestructible. 2) He believes his reach should exceed his grasp. 3) He believes he will live forever. 4) He needs someplace to go, something to do and someone to love. 5) Listen carefully to what a man says but watch what he does; what he does is who he is.) - Agatha Christie, a Master Writer, Invents Inspector Hercule Poirot, a Master Detective
The made-for-TV movie "After the Funeral" is based on one of the 41 murder mystery novels involving the proper, obsessive little Belgian inspector Hercule Poirot. The character of Poirot (played to perfection by David Suchet) was created by the famous British author Agatha Christie, whose books only have been outsold by Shakespeare and the Bible. Agatha Christie wrote her first Poirot novel in 1920 at the age of 30 and her last Poirot novel in 1975, 55 years later and a year before her death in 1976. She is arguably the best mystery writer ever. - "High School Musical" Gives an Outstanding Message About Acceptance by Teenagers
"High School Musical" represents everything that is right about today's teenagers. We see quality athletes, quality academic students, quality relationships and personal growth which leads to right thinking, right motives and right actions at the appropriate time. High School Musical gets quality direction by Kenny Ortega and quality writing by Peter Barsocchini, who sends an excellent message about acceptance that every teen struggles with growing up. - "Cards on the Table" Murder Mystery Stumps Even the Clever Little Belgian
English mystery writer Agatha Christie must have had her gray cells working overtime in 1936 when she created Cards on the Table, another crime novel featuring her clever little Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It is unusual to see Poirot be flummoxed over a murder investigation, but he is in this one. In Cards on the Table, Poirot almost meets his match in the mysterious Mr. Shaitana, who apparently will go to any lengths to prove his fascination with the perfect murder. - There Are Only 2 Unsolved Murders? Never to Fear - Hercule Poirot Is Here
The Mystery of The Blue train finds Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) boarding the train for the Riviera when an American heiress is killed. Agatha Christie felt this book was not her best work. I felt The Mystery of The Blue Train was no better or worse than many of her other works. Death in the Clouds is the first film adaptation of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series that I consider an average effort. I found this script to be over the top with simply too many suspects and too much meaningless detail. - "Sad Cypress" Is a Woman Scorned Who Becomes a Suspect in 2 Murders
Sad Cypress presents a suspected "murderer" with so much incriminating evidence that it seems unlikely that she did not do it. Even Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) has cause to question the innocence of Elinor Carlisle (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh) who had the means, the motive and the opportunity to commit two murders and is even convicted of doing so. But Poirot is nobody's fool and does not tolerate apparent murders without intensive and thoughtful investigation. - "Waking Ned Devine" by Kirk Jones Is the Best Comedy I Have Ever Seen
In crafting "Waking Ned Devine" Kirk Jones has done what dozens of his peers have not done on their best day, and that is both write and direct a film worthy of being called the best. I would put Kirk Jones in the same incredible class of writer/directors as Tim McCanlies in Secondhand Lions. Kirk Jones has given this story heart, risk, honor, integrity, unity, romance, love, tolerance, chicanery and Irish whiskey all rolled into a masterpiece of storytelling. Waking Ned Devine is the funniest film I have ever seen and is also a study in relationships. - The 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament Has 30 Million Americans Involved in Office Pools
March Madness is here. The 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament will have its day, or shall we say several days starting today (March 15) and continuing to the national championship game on April 2. Experts estimate that more than $2.5 billion (yes, billion) will be wagered this year. For those of you who are counting, that is more than was bet on the last Super Bowl, and only 4% of the $2.5 billion will be wagered "legally" in Nevada. The odds of picking a perfect bracket? It is 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 1. - Jerramy Stevens - A Troubled Tight End, a Great Talent, a Greater Disappointment
Welcome to Seattle. I would like you to meet our poster child for success. Shake hands with Jerramy Stevens, our troubled tight end who used to play for the Seattle Seahawks and never will again. He has worn out his welcome with the sorry excuses of a loser. He could have been one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the National Football League, and even have ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the rate he is disintegrating, it is more likely he will end up in jail or dead. - A St. Patrick's Day Toast to Irish Runners Marcus O'Sullivan and Eamonn Coghlan
A week before St. Patrick's Day I bought a pair of Saucony Kilkinney cross-country racing flats. They are a screaming Irish green and stick out like neon lights. It reminded me of the Sports Illustrated magazine cover I have on my office wall recording the moment from 1994 when Eamonn Coghlan broke the tape at the finish line to become the first man over the age of 40 to run a sub-four-minute mile. Any day is a good day to raise a glass of Jameson Irish whiskey to the likes of Marcus O'Sullivan and Eamonn Coghlan, but an even better day when it is St. Patrick's Day. - "Chicago" Shows Two Murderesses Who Beat the Rap in a Fight for Fame
The musical "Chicago" is absolutely everything it was cracked up to be. A superb cast of singers and dancers under the direction of Rob Marshall brought Chicago together in a super professional, entertaining romp that generated 13 Oscar nominations and won 6 in addition to 30 wins and 52 nominations from other award groups. Winning Oscars at the Academy Awards were Catherine Zeta-Jones for Best Supporting Actress, Chicago for Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction. - Online Hiring Threatens to Do Away With Traditional Hard Copy Resumes - Part 1
Is it really true that online hiring threatens to do away with traditional hard copy resumes? As one who has spent 20+ years in the high end of the resume writing business crafting 5,400+ hard copy resumes for executives and professionals making $40,000 to $350,000 a year, this is not my experience of how things get done in the hiring process. Let me explain why this soon to be "urban legend" is like all others, simply untrue and does not have any substance in fact. Part 1 of a 4-part article. - Online Hiring Threatens to Do Away With Traditional Hard Copy Resumes - Part 2
Is it really true that online hiring threatens to do away with traditional hard copy resumes? As one who has spent 20+ years in the high end of the resume writing business crafting 5,400+ hard copy resumes for executives and professionals making $40,000 to $350,000 a year, this is not my experience of how things get done in the hiring process. Let me explain why this soon to be "urban legend" is like all others, simply untrue and does not have any substance in fact. Part 2 of a 4-part article. - Online Hiring Threatens to Do Away With Traditional Hard Copy Resumes - Part 3
Is it really true that online hiring threatens to do away with traditional hard copy resumes? As one who has spent 20+ years in the high end of the resume writing business crafting 5,400+ hard copy resumes for executives and professionals making $40,000 to $350,000 a year, this is not my experience of how things get done in the hiring process. Let me explain why this soon to be "urban legend" is like all others, simply untrue and does not have any substance in fact. Part 3 of a 4-part article. - Online Hiring Threatens to Do Away With Traditional Hard Copy Resumes - Part 4
Is it really true that online hiring threatens to do away with traditional hard copy resumes? As one who has spent 20+ years in the high end of the resume writing business crafting 5,400+ hard copy resumes for executives and professionals making $40,000 to $350,000 a year, this is not my experience of how things get done in the hiring process. Let me explain why this soon to be "urban legend" is like all others, simply untrue and does not have any substance in fact. Part 4 of a 4-part article. - First 2 Rounds in 2007 NCAA Tournament Produces Just 4 Real Upsets in 48 Games
The first two rounds of the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament produced just 4 real upsets in 48 games. Do not tell Duke, Notre Dame, Wisconsin or Washington State that it was a good tournament. They were all eliminated and humbled by lesser lights with Hollywood's biggest klieg lights focused on them. Duke lost a first-round game for the first time since 1996, ending the Blue Devils string of Sweet 16 appearances at 9. Only North Carolina's streak of 13 straight appearances is better. - We Live in an Over Communicated World, and Now We Can Hide Behind Our Emails
The advent of the computer and email has been a godsend to communication, but whether it is deeper or more meaningful is another question. Some people are choosing to hide behind emails rather than communicate more effectively in person or at least over the phone. If I were to coin a word to describe them, it would be "email phantoms" as you do not hear them or see them. They communicate only in an electronic world. Others no longer answer their phone when they are able to do so. - A Little Learning Is a Dangerous Thing, Drink Deep, or Taste Not the Pierian Spring
Alexander Pope, best known for popularizing the heroic couplet, came to my attention in an English literature class at Michigan State University in the mid-1960s. I was more interested in reading Pope at the time than learning about Pope because he clearly knew how to do what I call "turn a word". That is, to write a string of words that grabs your attention and delivers a thought so profound that it cannot be ignored. Pope, a master at this art in writing, has been cited as the second most frequently quoted writer in the English language. - "Finding Nemo" Earns an Oscar and Wins the Hearts of Children Everywhere
In the never ending battle to find good family films without filth and nasty surprises, Walt Disney Pictures comes to the rescue with "Finding Nemo", an animated film about a fish rescue. Finding Nemo is everything that your average Hollywood film is not, a good, clean, entertaining story with likeable characters. Finding Nemo is anything but all wet, it will give you a good feeling in the dry comfort of your home. Add popcorn and low-sugar drinks, and it makes for a good family night together. - The Final 4 for the 2007 NCAA Tourney - Florida, Ohio State, UCLA & Georgetown
Now there are only four teams left, exactly as the statistics predicted. No more than two No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final 4 in 18 of the last 22 years and now it will be 19 of the last 23 years. And no team seeded below No. 4 has won the championship for 18 consecutive years and this year will make it 19 consecutive years. North Carolina and Kansas, both No. 1 seeds, lost to No. 2 Seed opponents. The Final 4 will be No. 1 Florida against No. 2 UCLA, and No. 1 Ohio State against No. 2 Georgetown. - Imagine Getting Sick, Having Medical Insurance and Going Broke Anyway
When I had some pains in my chest my internist decided I should have a stress test. It sounded like a good idea to me. I enjoy living and am not the least bit interested in the alternative. While I do not understand the technical terms involved, I was readily able to recognize the cost of the procedure. Try $2,485. All of this took about 4 hours and the physician was involved for all of probably 20 minutes. I had insurance but still will end up paying $593. My insurance company will pay $813. It is not difficult for me to understand why people wonder if they have medical insurance or not. - The Living Sea - A Look That We Generally Are Never Able to See
The Living Sea may not be as impressive watching it at home on your television as it would be in an IMAX theater, but it is plenty good enough to merit attention. This 40-minute film was nominated for an Oscar as the Best Documentary for a short subject, and is a good family film for children because it is colorful, interesting and informative. We may not realize it, but we are dependent upon the oceans for survival as 70% of the Earth's oxygen comes from ocean plants. - Has "Saturday Night Live" Finally Become Saturday Night Dead?
When I was younger I used to watch "Saturday Night Live" faithfully because it always seemed to have enough "funny" to keep me positive and laughing. Saturday Night Live is just not as funny as it used to be. Everything is tired. I believe it is not so much the cast as the cast simply needs better material. Recognize this fact: It does not take a lot of talent to come up with bathroom humor, but does bathroom humor really work that well? I think not. Here is a suggestion to save an institution. - Life Is Full Of Rejection Take Harvard - 22,955 Student Applications To Apply And 20,897 Rejections
I opened my Friday newspaper and was reminded again that life is full of rejection. Take Harvard University for example. No less than 22,955 eager applicants applied for admission to Harvard this fall and only 2,058, or 9%, were accepted. A whopping 20,897 applicants came up short of admission. Hundreds of the applicants had perfect SAT scores on their verbal or math portion, and 3,000+ ranked first in their high school class. To all of the rejects of the world, I have some good news: you can make it in the game of life anyway. Learn how in this article.
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