Blog & News

Month: December 2010

Message from a Hostel – Grand Ole Opry

Alistair I think you me and baby bear will go to the Opry tonight – what Nora I don’t think I would like Opera singing and all that stuff, and as we are in Yankee Doodle land country music would be better to listen to.  Well Alistair the Grand Ole Opry is where all the county music is played it’s the longest running country radio show.  Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Elvis and all the greats played here.  Oh I thought it was Opera music Nora.  So let’s go then. Well Nora that was great entertainment, all the singers and the show was as they say here awesome.  I loved all the music and way it was a live broadcast.  The commercials were read out except for USBank, I would sack the marketing person – sending their standard corporate advert – I say get with the programme of the Opry and have it real. I knew you would like it Alistair, well Nora and Baby Bear how about a drink at Toothies Bar. Ye haw Never judge until you listen and learn – my friend

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Message from a Hostel – we have all the ingredients we just need to mixed them up

Far far far away in the land of Yankee Doodle there is a place called Clarksdale.  Maybe it is more in the land of very South Yankee Doodle (CSA).  The home of the crossroads and I don’t mean the UK TV series I referring to the home of Delta Blues.  It is only an hour and half south of the place known as Graceland. Alastair and Nora accompanied by a visiting relation known as baby bear went to see places known as Morgan Freemans Ground Zero Blues Bar and Reds Juke Joint.  On entering Red’s who is an actual person who owns the bar they were greet with “there an’t no cuttin and shootin to-nite so come on in” Just before ordering a beverage Red informed Alastair “we ain’t got no liquor here only beers, cause I have drunk all the liquor so what you havin boy?” “Oh said Alastair two beers please.  Y’all talk funny where ye all from – Funny said Alastair y’all talk funny too. We were then met by Mr Bingo who had all the moves and eyed up Nora as his new Honey babe.  Alastair and Nora were joined at their table by “ I jus gonna sleep here for a few minutes and y’all ani’t in my way” They did not actually get his name as he nodded off to sleep.  Then the music started and wow what a sound from Lightnin Malcolm.  Guess who woke up and the first words out of his mouth were “hey girl you gota slow down, I say slow down girl ya slow down girl” to which a fast response came across the table from his missus – “who you talkin too fool best not be me fool caus I ain’t listening to you old fool” All Alastair could say was “hey Nora slow down girl” to which Nora replied “I am slowin down fool” The best place to stay in town is the Shack Up Inn – not to be missed, what a place, friendly people and you would think you were staying at home.  Not found on the usual tourist sites and that is what is great about it and hope it stays that way what a treasure.  Nora said give this place a year or more and it will be the saviour of Clarksdale and Alastair we won’t be able to get a shack to live it. Great place and well worth the visit full of real characters and great music.

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Merry Christmas

I would like to wish all my readers a very merry and peaceful Christmas. Thank you for continuing to read my blogs. Merry Christmas to one and all

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Curriculum Vitae (CV) Resume – Make it STANDOUT

I have written recently several posts on developing your own Curriculum Vitae (CV) – Resume and the most important thing is that it standouts out from the normal boring two page formats that HR professionals seem to demand.  I just read a blog written by Seth Godin which I feel encapsulates these points.  Here is a short section of what he wrote. When your car looks like a car but the doors are gullwing, we notice them. When your suit looks like a suit but the lining is orange, we notice it. When you apply for a job and you don’t have a resume, we notice it. This was the secret of the golden age of comic books. 90% of every hero was on key, professionally done, easy to understand… which allowed the remarkable parts to stand out. You can’t be offbeat in all ways, because then we won’t understand you and we’ll reject you. Some of the elements you use should be perfectly aligned with what we’re used to. The others… Not a little off. A lot off. What have you got that is Different ?

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Message from a Hostel – Man made beer and God made grass who do you trust?

Well Alistair these Munchkins seem to have very strict laws on beer drinking, what do you mean Nora?  Alistair you can’t have beer at an outdoor concert, you can’t have beer with your BBQ on the beach or at a public park, you can’t have an open beer on the street or a bottle of liquor that has been opened in your car.  Every place we go we get asked for ID – well I do get asked, Alistair they seem to know you are over 21.  On the other hand everywhere we go we get the smell of grass being smoked, everyone is growing it in their back room and smoking it.  It would knock you over Alistair with smell of the stuff on the street and the Yellow Brick Road RMCP don’t seem to mind.  I think Alistair you should give up the beer and we should try this stuff.  I don’t think so Nora I will stick with the odd beer or two.  Alistair man made beer and God made grass who do you trust? Why Nora I think you should copyright that slogan and stick it on a T-Shirt, I think it was done before Alistair- I will have to think of a new slogan for T-Shirts. Just because something might have been said or done before it does not mean that YOU could not say or do it better.

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Message from a Hostel – Gator what?

Deep in the south of Yankee Doodle land they have their Gators, they farm them, they fish them, they parade them for the tourist, they stick them on their football shirts they skin them and they eat them.  Gator tail on special here at Turkey Trail Bar was the big sign.  Uncles B truck took a sharp turn to the right and before Alastair and Nora knew it they were sitting at a large table in Turkey Trail Bar reading the menu.  Sure enough Gator Trail was there in black and white, Can I get ye all some drinks asked the lovely waitress– beers all round said uncle B and a large portion of Gator Tail – sure thing sir coming right back at ye Ye haw said Alistair (Alistair like Nora was staring to pick up the local lingo) as Nora’s face went into one of this I am not eat that when it appears features.  Sure enough within 10 minutes the beers and Gator trail was on the table with a large bottle of some hot sauce planted beside it.  Ye enjoy now ye hear said the waitress or bon appite as they say in EU land.  Tuck in there Nora said auntie M – ha no thanks replied Nora I will this a miss and wait for my salad and in the next breath did I mention I was thinking of becoming a vegetarian.  No said Auntie M when did this come about – oh said Nora just recently. As Nora turned her head there was Alistair licking his lips and tucking into some more Gator tail.  It tastes like calamari only a bit more on the chewy side you should really try some Nora says Alistair.  Suddenly Alistair foot began to feel very painful as some other person’s foot landed on it.  Ah no Alistair you seem to be stuffing your face and enjoying it work away replied Nora.  This is really awesome said Alistair –who was now leading the way in the local Yankee Doodle accent competition.  Ah well I see they have snake soup on the menu Nora said Alistair sure you might try some of that, I think snakes are vegetarian. I think it s time we got back on the Yellow Brick Road thought Nora to herself – it might be better for Alistair’s therapy session as his twitching eye was not improving.

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Is your Company listening?

On the 2nd December I wrote about the Inner You and the importance of listening to those voices within.  The key is to really listen and find those voices that are hidden that you don’t pay attention to because you are too busy listening to the usual self. Organisations who fail to listen to their people within will find it much more difficult to grow and develop and even survive as a business.  The big issue is they don’t listen, they might listen to a chosen few but not all those that need to be heard.  Good leadership will pass beyond the chosen few (usually senior management) the voices that they hear each day and seek out those who are not heard, often within lays the solutions. Are you prepared to listen? “A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?” – unknown

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Inner You

Listen to those from within, what are they telling you?  Ask the questions you need answers for, they will come if you listen.  Remember the saying “I have a gut feeling” the body is never wrong when it is trying to tell you something. Therefore we have to be in tune with the listening. No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place – Zen

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