50 Rules to live your life by.....

1. Focus on what really counts 2. You can’t please everyone 3. Choose friends wisely 4. Tell people what you’re really thinking. People are not mind readers. 5. Understand that you can only control yourself 6. Learn a new skill this weekend. Repeat! 7. Identify your preferred form of expression 8. Self-motivation is not optional. Get some! 9. Find great ideas then change the context 10. Wake up claiming the best day ever 11. Ditch the TV for more time 12. Do what’s in front of you 13. Set a limit for having unfinished tasks 14. Speak your truth 15. Spend more time with the right people 16. Set short deadlines for decisions 17. Consider your appearance and proper grooming 18. Reward yourself 19. Take ownership don’t blame others for your situation 20. Let the little things go 21. Learn how to negotiate a better deal on everything 22. Know your top 5 values 23. Simplify by eliminating anything that’s not essential 24. Start meaningful conversations 25. Know what you want 26. Limit what you borrow 27. Get the important work done first 28. Never be dissatisfied with what you have 29. Lay the groundwork for some future fun 30. Honor your commitments 31. Don’t settle for anything less than excellence 32. Create a routine and stick to it 33. Ignore the unimportant 34. Make it manageable 35. Be careful when you make comparisons 36. Character counts! 37. Never say, that’s not my job 38. Get organized 39. Schedule small tasks for a given time of the day 40. Don’t underestimate the power of support 41. Don’t browse online as soon as you get home 42. Get enough sleep 43. Speak less. Listen more. 44. Find gym and start going regularly 45. Pay attention to what you’re putting off for tomorrow 46. Stop caring about mistakes, learn from them 47. Get your financial house in order 48. No Cheating! 49. Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do 50. Know the difference between affirmation and information and be careful receiving too much of either

Officially stolen from Kurt Harden.

From the Secret List.............

From the Secret List:
Hey,
Here is an update from FDNY on the Firefighters seriosly injured in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, on Dec. 19. As you know, Firefighter Robert Wiedmann, 38, from Rescue 2 received second- and third- degree burns on more than 50 percent of his body - including his face, hands and head - while fighting that two-alarm fire on Prospect Place. Firefighter James Gersbeck, 52, from Rescue 2 also was seriously injured in the fire."Everyone's working to get Rob back to his regular self," said his brother, Douglas Wiedmann. "He's an excellent firefighter and certainly is our hero."Dr. Roger Yurt, Director of the Burn Center, said he expects Firefighter Wiedmann to be in the hospital for about six to eight weeks, having approximately one surgery a week with a long road to recovery after sustaining burns to over 40 percent of his body - including his head, face and back.Doctors are providing a positive outlook saying that while most people in a similar situation would need to be put in a medically inducted coma, Wiedmann remains psychologically and physically strong. "He's very strong," he said of the 14-year veteran of the FDNY. "We've seen his psychological strength and his ability to deal with this." He is alert and communicative and he mouths words or spells out words using a board."He's always asking how we are; he's more worried about us than himself," he said.Dr. Yurt said he does not expect Firefighter Gersbeck, a 25-year veteran of the FDNY, to have a long hospital stay, noting that he has second and third degree burns that will probably heal on their own with the proper care.
Speaking of both Firefighters Wiedmann and Gersbeck, he said, "They are truly the bravest and two of the best firefighters I know."Both men also acknowledged the generosity and kindness of the members of Rescue 2, who have visited the hospital and supported the family since the fire."We can't express what your support means to us," Mr. Wiedmann said. The members of Rescue 2 are hosting several blood drives throughout the five boroughs over the coming weeks and more information will be posted here and on our home page as soon as it's available.
Take Care-BE CAREFUL.
BillyG
The Secret List 12-22-11 / 1722 Hours
www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

What Christmas is all about............

Merry Christmas..............

Spending what you do not have...................

I look forward to D.C.'s journals posted by Kurt Harden. This portion was written on December 20, 1931 and indicates to me not a whole lot is different from 80 years ago. Click here to read 77 of D.C.'s journal entries, may be the best book you read this weekend.

Solving problems, building relationships & having fun............

Guru Sean Carpenter's Christmas message:

Santa and technology & dancing......................

Stolen from Kurt Harden

I have only had a couple of chances during my adult life to dance to Christmas Music.
This is the first song I would choose.

Stolen from Steve Layman.

Licking County TweetUp at Velvet Ice Cream....

Last Thursday, I attended what I would consider one of my top three social events of 2011. On my way home, several photos in my phone I kept thinking about the great blog post I could write.

Master blogger and good friend Sean Carpenter the next morning posted what I consider a masterpiece of reporting the event.

Please click here to read "The "Scoop" on Being Successful".

Great job to @VelvetIceCream for being such a great host and @seancarp for your blog.

Perfect gift for your dog..............

The Pet Tracker, which uses advanced GPS location technology to track and find your pet. If he/she escapes or strays from the home, use your mobile device or computer to find him/her and bring your pet home safely.

Click here for this outstanding gift.

Can you imagine strapping this to your child at the State Fair, OSU Football game or other large venues?

Shopping made easy, my official gift suggestions for Christmas 2011. Click on the item and order: Perfect Meatloaf (already purchased one), Gift for her, Gift for him, Gift for your pet, Gift for Mail person, Gift for office assistant, Gift for secret affair partner, Gift for boss, Gift for me.

Order today, have plenty of time to wrap and deliver. Check out Asseenontv.com for such a large selection of practical and useful gifts that you can not usually find in our local stores.

Kurt's gift suggestions

Men's Health suggestions

Valet's gift guide

12 Ways to slash holiday stress.........

1. Get Out from Behind the Camera

2. Knock Out the Greed

3. Simplify Your Shopping

4. Find a Gift that Earns You Sex

5. Write a Brag-Free Family Letter

6. Stay Sane Traveling by Plane

7. Survive Annoying Relatives

8. Sidestep the Holiday Blues

9. Don't Watch "It's a Wonderful Life"

10. Dodge the Holiday Weight Gain

11. Hit All the Parties (Politely)

12. Catch the Bowl Games that Count

Click here to the read the theory behind each reason.

14 Ways to win over your in-laws.........

Click here to find out more from Men's Health:

1. Be an Anthropologist

2. Never say "Estate Planning"

3. Decide to be Devoted

4. Laugh at their Jokes

5. Subdue the Yelling

6. Inquire about their People

7. Take their Names

8. Go to Med School

9. Remember your Gender

10. Be their Defense Attorney

11. Remember your Spine

12. Tell your Story

13. Don't let them see you Lying Down

14. The Greats don't loose Focus

Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey........

Fitting for my 700th post:

Thank you to Tim Fitterer for passing this along!

Christmas tree fires........

The video belows shows the difference of keeping the moisture content of your live Christmas Tree at 100% and below 50% as most people do. Please make sure to turn up the volume and watch the timer. You will hear the glass ornaments exploding, kind of sounds alike another holiday and the use of firecrackers.


This video was produced by NFPA.

LICKING COUNTY CHRISTMAS TOURS

THIS WEEKEND, START THE HOLIDAYS WITH SOME FUN

DOWNTOWN NEWARK, OHIO'S COOKIE WALK

Friday 4-8pm, stroll around the Court House Square with Santa Claus, entertainment throughout the evening, buy a ticket and pick up your cookies at many of the participating merchants and organizations.

GRANVILLE, OHIO'S CANDLELIGHT WALKING TOUR

Saturday 1-9pm, the Village Business District is ready for your family to tour the many shops, enjoy the entertainment throughout the day and evening indoors and out. You will enjoy the beautiful Christmas decorations.

Handle being out of your depth.........

Great advice from the Art of Manliness:

How to Handle Being Out of Your Depth: 6 Tips from a Con Man

1. Relax and Project Confidence
The feeling of being out of place consumes your thoughts. As you look around the room, it feels like your inner dialogue is being broadcasted from your forehead, and that everyone else is focusing in on you.
2. Look the Part
While not every job and situation calls for an actual uniform, every event does have a standard of dress, and by adhering to it, you’ll automatically seem more like a guy who knows what’s he’s doing.
3. Play Catch-Up Like a Mad Man
If you’ve been thrown into a situation where you don’t have the skills or knowledge to perform up to par, then you’re going to need to play catch-up every spare second you get.
4. Take Notes
No matter how much direct or indirect research you do, don’t rely on your memory alone to store all that information. Instead, jot down notes that might prove useful down the line.
5. Turn on the Charm
If you’re an irritating boor who’s messing up all the time, you’re going to get the boot. But if you’re polite and good-humored, people will give you the benefit of the doubt and lots of second-chances.
6. Close Your Yap and Observe
The best thing you can do when you’re in a situation where you’re out of your depth is to be extremely conservative with both your actions and your words. Say little and listen a lot.

Click here to read the complete blog post, I needed this and within five minutes of reading, I learned a lot.