Dan Crowther makes a lot of sense

I follow Steve Harrington. He provides great information on marketing and publicity. He recommended Dan Crowther who has a program to actually make money marketing on social media. In addition to being an author, I do offer downloadable training programs in Humanist Life Skills (http://humanisthappiness.com) and  an anti-bullying program called The Bully Vaccine (http://thebullyvaccine.com/toolkit.html)

These programs can help people live happier more fulfilling lives and help them deal with difficult people and bullies more effectively. The problem is, they can't help anyone if they don't know about it so marketing is a necessary activity for me.  I feel ethically good about the process I have been following. Sure, I haven't become an overnight sensation yet, but that can take a few years. I am making slow but steady progress however and I am considered an expert in my field, so that's good.

Anyway - I signed up to view Crowther's video and, boy, it was just what I needed. It basically reinforced my approach to social media. I am not interested in racking up huge numbers of fans just to have fans. I want real fans who are actually interested in and need the information I provide. So no get rich quick schemes for me thank you very much. Just do what I do ethically and rationally and it turns out that my instincts are fairly good and I am doing things basically right. Can I improve? Of course I can. There are more videos in the series and I am hoping to get more detail from them. But in the meantime, I very much needed this reminder that my approach, providing good content in my field of expertise is the right way to go is needed because like everyone else, I am prone to crisis of confidence and perhaps maybe I should try one of the get rich quick schemes. Thanks to Dan, I won't be.

Anyway - if you are interested, the video series is free if you sign up for his mailing list- which I am glad I did because this video was perfect for me. Here is the link if you want to check it out for yourself: http://www.freepublicity.com/social-media-training/video1/ However, I'm told this is a limited offer so it's Nov 26th 2012 right now. If the link no longer works, don't complain.

Yo Solo - wonderful!

My friend Chaz Mena, a fellow Humanist and accomplished actor, starred in a one man show that was recorded for pbs.  It is called Yo Solo and it is about Bernardo de Galvez, a Spaniard who basically helped us win the Battle of Pensacola and therefore the revolution.

This is a delightful film. If you are a history buff, you will enjoy it. If you are a Humanist, you will enjoy it. The themes of the show are not just revolution but also morality and human nature and courage and doing what is right despite the odds against you.

There is one segment in particular I liked that had to do with how people are immobilized by fear. For me, this is a recurring theme that I have to deal with because, well, it is immoblizing. I feel like I am always having to fight against that to move forward in my life.

Anyway - The video is excellent, my friend does a wonderful job and you all should see it. You can view it free online at: http://www.wsre.org/galvez/  Enjoy.

Finally a can opener that works!

I had been in need of a new can opener. My electric one had broken and I had bought a replacement that wasn't a peice of crap. We have been reduced to using an old metal thing that is hard on the hands. I hated it.

Then, I went to a Pampered Chef party and saw this beautiful little smooth edge manual can opener. I asked about it and the host said she loves hers and has not had any problems!  So, I ordered one.

I LOVE IT! Once again, Pampered Chef products make me super happy. This is easy to use. The only thing you have to remember is that it doesn't make a satisfying pop sound when it has cut all the way around. You have to back it up to get the can opener off the can and use the included snatcher to pull the lid off. Don't let that description fool you. It's easy to use and works exactly as it should..

My husband had been wondering what I was using to cut the cans with. He thought maybe there was a new can design that allowed the lids to pop off so beautifully. I showed him the can opener and he was very pleased!  So, if you want one, find your local Pampered Chef representative. Definitely worth the $21 asking price.

Bollywood's Version of An Affair To Remember

Mann is a delightful movie. It stars Aamir Khan who is a really good actor. If you like An Affair to Remember, this movie has all the right moments for you. The opening is a bit different, as our womanizer (Aamir) is shown to really be a womanizer. It does not endear you to him at all. However, it turns out these extra scenes help fill out the character so that when he figures out he is in love, it is a deeply movement moment.

This is Bollywood so there are songs and some dancing. All delightful. The scene where they meet the grandmother was spot on. And when I say spot on, I mean that literally, it could have been the same set. The grandmother even looked the same. My favorite parts where with the grandmother. She doesn't promise a shawl, she promises anklets, which become all the more important at the end because our female isn't just paralyzed, she has lost both her legs. (And no, I don't consider that a spoiler, because if you haven't seen An Affair to Remember, you shouldn't be reading this at all.) Anyway, when Aamir tries to put the anklet on, that is when he realizes who she is.

The movie translates well into Bollywood. They plan to meet at the Gateway to India for instance. However, I have to say, the ending wasn't as powerful as the one between Grant and Kerr, mostly because Manisha, who plays Kerr's character, while she is delightful in the rest of the movie, just doesn't play this in as satisfying a way as Kerr did. Also, the dialogue transitions to Aamir asking her why she didn't show up, rather than the way Grant's dialogue goes on for a while where he is talking about how he didn't show up. What I did like is that after the climatic scene, they show their wedding and that scene makes up for the lack of emotion in the climatic scene.  I did expect to cry more at the end than I did. But I still completely enjoyed the movie.

If you like An Affair to remember and Bollywood movies, this is a remake worth watching.