Great American Success Story

The Mind and Its Many Useless Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 15:33:00 +0000

“The undisciplined mind is a constant assembly line that painstakingly produces thousands of useless gadgets every hour, and only rarely puts together something of value.”
Gavin deBecker, author of Just 2 Seconds

During my walk in the woods at Timucuan Preserve one morning, I had a useless gadget running through my mind. I was fantasizing about a conversation I’d like to have with a person who I may never see again. In the unlikely event that she and I do meet someday, I doubt that the conversation would go as I envisioned it. Running through that scenario was a useless gadget.

It would be so nice to simply tell my mind, “Shut up. Shut up. Shut, the hell, up.”

I’ve tried that in the past, but my mind has replied, “I never shut up. It’s simply not what I do. You really ought to know that by now. I think, and I think, and I think. I never stop thinking. Even when you’re asleep, I’m thinking. It’s so nice to be in the office when nobody else is here! I can get so much done.”

So, there’s no way to get my mind to simply stop running a useless gadget. The mind needs something else to run on. That morning in the woods, I said to myself, “I would prefer not to be running this useless gadget. I would prefer a useful gadget, preferably a business idea where I could use my skills to serve a particular market and to do so in a way that would produce substantial and ongoing revenues.”

I’ve had that in my programming since I finished the latest eBook, The Smiling Stoic: How Fortune Favors the Funny. This morning, when I tried to shift away from the useless gadget to something more useful, it happened. I got the best business idea I’ve had in a long time. A blog targeted to a very defined and growing group of people and one that advertisers would love to have access to.

This could work. Onward!

Need help writing your book? Get a ghostwriter.

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 14:58:00 +0000

Anyone who is reasonably literate can crank out a 5,000 to 10,000 word ebook and put it out on Kindle or elsewhere. However, most writers who want to produce good books know that they are going to need some help. They may need a copy editor, a cover artist, a book designer, or some other specialist. They may also need an editor or ghostwriter to keep moving forward with the project.

When to consider hiring a ghostwriter.

You realize that you don’t have a clue on how to write a book.

You don’t have time to learn how to write a book.

You know that you will never get it done without help.

You have the resources to hire some help.

What to look for in a ghostwriter.

Experience. Hire a person who has actually ghost-written several books, or at least a few. Ghost-writing is more difficult than many other forms of writing. An experienced ghost-writer will know how to keep the project moving forward at a good pace. An inexperienced person may be an excellent writer, but may not be familiar at all with collaborating on a large project.

Skills. Naturally, you will want someone who writes well. Take a good look at some of the writer’s work. If you don’t like it very much, look for someone whose writing you do like. Journalistic skills also come into play. A writer who can figure out the right questions to ask will keep your project moving forward. If you want to include photos in your book, hiring a person who knows how to take and edit pictures can help.

Compatibility. You and your ghost-writer will be spending considerable time together. Look for someone you get along with, someone with similar values and temperament.

Someone who can write in your voice. The final product should be in the voice of the author, not the ghostwriter. If the author doesn’t use lots of big words, the book should reflect that. If the author has an extensive vocabulary, that should be in the book. Toward the end of work on the second edition of How the Rubber Meets the Road by Dick Erickson, we engaged the services of an excellent copy-editor, Doug Filaroski. After he edited the book, he and I and Dick met for lunch. Doug hadn’t met Dick previously. Halfway through the lunch Doug told me, “You really got Dick’s voice right.” It was great to hear because ghostwriting is about getting the author’s voice right.

My process for ghostwriting.

My process involves weekly meetings with the client. I spend an hour or more preparing for the meetings, figuring out what we can accomplish in the sessions, and coming up with questions that will keep the discussion moving forward. Those meetings can be in person or by Zoom, and they can run from 30 minutes to 2 hours. I record the meetings with Otter.ai so I can get a transcript later. I also take notes of highlights that I want to get back to.

The transcripts can run from 10,000 to 20,000 words, much of it gibberish. The software isn’t perfect, but it’s AI, so it’s getting better all the time. Shortly after a meeting, either that afternoon or early the next day, I review the transcript looking to dig out as much useable material as I can. By staying as close as possible to what the client said, the client’s own voice emerges.

I revisit whatever parts of the manuscript are already in place and figure out where to plug in the new material. When I feel like I’ve got a chapter or topic far enough along for the client to review, I’ll send it by email, load it on Dropbox, or deliver it in whatever way is convenient for the client.

A few days prior to an upcoming meeting, I will send a reminder to the client. Usually, I will have a few questions that need to be addressed. Facts might need to be verified, or I might want more information about something we’ve discussed. Also, I ask the client what he or she wants to cover in the next session. If the client has something on his or her mind, I certainly want to get into that. As a writer and as a ghost-writer, I believe in going where the energy leads. Then I start planning for the session, writing out the questions, etc.

Getting a ghost-writer doesn’t mean there won’t be much work for the client. In fact, I think a good ghostwriter will push a client to do the necessary work on his or her end. Shortly after a session, I usually have something for the client to review, questions to be answered, or information that the client needs to dig up. There’s some coaching involved.

“I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes at 9:00 a.m. every morning.” This quote has been attributed to William Faulkner, Somerset Maugham, and several others.

Commander Willie Brown (USN, retired) recently spoke on The 7 Keys of Leadership at a Wise Counsel meeting.

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 12:28:00 +0000

I was pleased to shoot this video, which has the first four of his inspiring points.

Deadliest Yak: The Legend of Moby Danny

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 17:11:00 +0000

This is not a fish story. This is a true account of events that took place in the environs of Vilano Beach on June 12, 2021, verifiable by numerous eyewitnesses including men, women, and one extraterrestrial of impeccable character.

Dozens of adventurous kayakers gathered on the south side of the Guana River Dam, the launch site for the voyage. There was champagne and caviar and dancing. Oh, the dancing! The mood was jovial as the group prepared to embark on a great adventure together, with all of the hopes and dreams that human beings can have.

The sky was clear when we set out, and although the breeze was against us at times, the tide was with us. After paddling for three miles, which seemed more like ten, we all gathered at a small beach to swim and socialize. The storm clouds to the west seemed distant.

Upon putting out to sea for the second time, I started out in the middle of the group. While others were gliding over the water in their fancy touring kayaks, I was plowing through in my fishing kayak. I did my best to keep up, but, after a while, I was trailing the group. I lost sight of any human presence for several hours.

The breeze stiffened and became a howling wind! Before long, the swells got deeper and deeper, well over ten feet at times. They were breaking over the bow, the stern, and both sides, sometimes simultaneously. I was blinded by the sea spray! Somehow, knowing that my life might be at stake, I kept paddling, paddling, paddling, like a mad man.

When my strength was gone, the beastly fish showed himself. I looked into his vacant eyes. In all my days, I have never seen a fish so angry. He bumped the kayak, over, and over, and over. After I was tossed from the yak, I could hear bagpipes! “Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling…”

The ferocious fish bared his teeth as he came toward me. The end seemed to be very near. Then a dolphin bumped the evil thing. When I floated to the surface, all was peaceful. The water was smooth as glass! It seemed as if I had found my way to the eye of the storm.

The kayak was nearby. Aside from a few dents, it was intact. One of the hatches had opened up somehow, and there were two reds in there. I’m telling the truth, officer. I don’t have a fishing license, but the fact is I didn’t catch those fish. They gave themselves up for me. True story!

Right Place, Right Time, and Humility

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 03:36:00 +0000

When I was a boy playing PeeWee hockey, I had one season, where, for a while, I was consistently in the right place at the right time. I scored a goal in every game for about two months. The best skater in the league was on my team, and I was, somehow, outscoring him. I should note that I only remember one goal that was unassisted. All the others were set up by nice passes from teammates. I was chubby, and when I found my spot in front of the opponents' net, it was hard for the defenders to move me out of it.

I sometimes look back at that time as one of the best times of my life. I’ve often wished that the rest of my life could be similar, that I would consistently be in the right place at the right time, scoring goals of one sort or another. However, one of my frequent ruminations has been that I haven’t been in the right place at the right time very often. I’ve even whined about it in my prayer life.

On Easter Weekend, I was inspired to share on Facebook some of the interesting sunrises and sunsets I’ve photographed. My eye was on a period, 2012 through 2014, when I was interested in the interactions between the sun and manmade structures. (I was shooting with a Nikon D80, a really good camera that I, eventually, wore out.) I posted several pictures that I regard as some of my best.

Whether you’re shooting events, which I did plenty of, or news, which I also did plenty of, you have to be in the right places at the right times to get good shots. I’m not a world-renowned photographer, and I didn’t earn much taking pictures. Still, I’ve taken a few shots that were good enough to get in newspapers, magazines, and elsewhere.

On the Saturday before Easter, I made plans to hike on some nature trails with a new friend. (I got a nice phone shot of a full rainbow near those trails last year.) While I was driving out there, something hit me right between the eyes. Although I can’t remember a time of my life where I was in the right place at the right time for an extended period the way I was in PeeWees, I have actually been in the right place at the right time many times. I’m not referring only to photography. In other areas of life, I have often been in the right place at the right time. Not all the time, but enough. However, more often than not, I've taken those moments for granted.

I concluded my little project on Easter Sunday. The last picture I posted was of the Jacksonville Beach Pier with the sun coming up on the other side from where I was shooting. The sun was beautiful coming through all that lumber! I don’t remember being blown away by the beauty of that moment. I think I was probably just taking a nice picture.

Looking at the picture all these years later, I realized several things. I didn’t make that sun, didn’t make that ocean, didn’t make that beach, didn’t mill any of the lumber, and didn’t even screw in a single one of the bolts holding it together. I didn’t even create my ability to recognize that it was a beautiful scene. I didn’t create that moment, but, by the grace of God, I had the privilege to be in the right place at the right time that morning. For me, it's a very humbling thought.

Habitual Optimism - What my dog taught me about positive thinking.

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Sparky likes to run!

Whenever I got ready to let my dog, Sparky, out to the backyard, she is ready to move the moment the door opens. She's always optimistic and seems to be thinking, “There could be something out there that’s going to be fun to chase. Maybe a cat! Maybe a squirrel! Something could be out there!” She never seems concerned that the big dog next door might have gotten over the fence again and could be out there waiting for her.

When that door opens, she is gone, almost instantly, to the back fence to take a look. Most of the time there isn’t anything back there. Still, she knows that every time the door opens, there just might be. And, when she comes back in the house, she always checks the front door, just in case someone might have left it open so she could go for an exhilarating run off the leash. She’s a whippet/Jack Russell mix, and would never pass up a chance to run at full throttle.

Is some fantastic opportunity going to present itself to me every time I go out my front door? Probably not. However, if I go through the day thinking something great might be just around the corner, which is the way Sparky thinks, I’m going to be ready when opportunities do arise.

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Who has inspired you with a positive attitude? How can you develop a similar outlook on life? Leave a comment.

Related reading on positive thinking.

Switching from negative to positive thinking.

Positive Assumptions.

Dick Erickson, Founder of Sun Tire, talks about profit-sharing at Wise Counsel 2020 Boot Camp.

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 15:58:00 +0000

Dick Erickson (left) and Skip Alcorn.
Dick Erickson, Founder of Sun Tire, has some interesting insights about profit-sharing. He shared some of them at the 2020 Wise Counsel Boot Camp in Jacksonville, Fl.

Why share profits with all employees?

Some companies share profits with leaders and managers. Other companies provide profit-sharing after an employee has been at the job for a designated period of time or has been promoted to management. Very few have policies to share profits with all employees. A defined profit-sharing plan can set a company apart from its competitors.

How does a company benefit from sharing profits?

The speakers at the 2020 Wise Counsel Boot Camp.

Employees are more engaged and have a better focus on customer service and making customers happy. Happy customers come back, and they also provide referrals and recommendations.

Employees put more effort into their personal appearance and the way they come across to customers. They are also more conscientious about the appearance of the storefront or workplace.

Employees want fellow employees to be productive. If someone is lazy, other employees won’t be happy about that.

Employees take better care of equipment because they know that helps profitability.

Shrinkage is reduced because employees know that if they steal, it comes out of the profit-sharing.

Employee turnover is reduced because employees are getting something they may not be able to find elsewhere.

Employees at every level think more like managers. For that reason, there is a reduced need for oversight and/or middle management. Employees really want to do a good job for the good of the company and because it will improve their bottom lines.

You can get more information about Dick Erickson's approach to profit-sharing from his book, which is available in paperback or on Kindle through Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Rubber-Meets-Road-Entrepreneurs/dp/B08KH2K9L6

Off the Beaten Path in Jacksonville

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 20:32:00 +0000

e of the trails at U.N.F.

One of the keys to success in any business endeavor is making good decisions. Making good decisions requires clear thinking. One of the things that helps me to keep my thinking clear is taking long walks in the woods. Long walks are one of the best things I do for myself. I believe that long peaceful walks are good for anyone who is able to take them.

When people visit Jacksonville for the 2020 Republican National Convention or other events, some may want to stray off the paved and beaten paths. There are several excellent places for a nice hike that are just a short ride from downtown Jacksonville.

Note: If you go out walking in Jacksonville in August, it will probably be hot, even in the morning and early evening. The heat can cause people to sweat profusely, and it doesn’t take long at all to become dehydrated. Believe me, you don’t want to be a mile from your parking spot when you start to feel overheated. Bring a bottle of water.

Also, there are lots of insects in Florida and many of them bite. That’s especially true at the Timucuan Preserve. For that reason, it’s a good idea to either apply some insect repellant before starting a walk.

Jacksonville Arboretum

The Arboretum is operated by a non-profit 501c3 charitable organization. It’s a nice example of what a group can do when they pool their efforts. It’s only a ten-minute drive from downtown. There’s a paved walkway around a lake and several miles of unpaved trails through the woods. There’s also an award-winning Loblolly Bay Tree.

Nature Trails at University of North Florida.

The trails go around a lake, through woods, and through a swamp. There’s a lot to see, including gopher tortoises grazing on the vegetation at times. There are also exercise stations for sit-ups, pullups, and walking on a balance beam a few feet off the ground.

Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

The Timucuan Preserve is part of the National Park Service. There are two entrances to miles of excellent hiking trails.

Theodore Roosevelt Area, 13165 Mt. Pleasant Road.

The Theodore Roosevelt Area is one part of the preserve that has several miles of unpaved trails through the woods. One trail leads to an observation tower looking out over a salt marsh. And unlike most other parks in Jacksonville, the Timucuan preserve has one trail that’s a bit steep and moderately challenging. There’s not a lot of parking space, but there is a bathroom near the parking lot.

Fort Caroline Visitor Center, 12713 Fort Caroline Road.

Another entrance to the same trails is across the street from the Fort Caroline National Memorial. There are more parking spaces than there are at the Theodore Roosevelt Area, but there’s no bathroom. There are facilities at the Fort Caroline National Memorial, but you may need to plan ahead if that isn’t going to be open when you visit.

To reiterate a very important point, bring some water for your hike and some insect repellant.

Right Place, Right Time, 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 16:07:00 +0000

The key to getting a good shot of a rainbow is being in the right place at the right time. Generally, the sun is somewhere behind you and the rainy weather is in front of you. The conditions for rainbows change from moment to moment because the sun is always moving and the weather is usually moving and changing as well. When you are stationary, rainbows may fade in and out while you’re watching but they usually don’t last very long.

My wife and I recently travelled to Titusville to watch a rocket launch. It went off on schedule without a hitch before sunrise on the morning that we were there. That doesn’t always happen. In fact, that launch had already been rescheduled twice. To view a launch from Titusville, you look to the east over the Indian River. It was nice that the launch wasn’t delayed because if it had been, the sun would have come up and we just wouldn’t have seen much. We were in the right place at the right time.

Afterwards, we drove out to Canaveral National Seashore. It was beautiful! However, on my way out of there I got stopped for speeding! The speed limits on that road are tricky if you’re not paying close attention. Anyways, the last time I got stopped for speeding was toward the end of December 1999, twenty years prior, probably to the week and possibly to the day. I quit speeding after that last ticket because I had used up my lifetime supply of driving safety school to keep the points off my record. In Florida you can only go to driving school five times! In any case, I was very polite to the police officer and he let me off the hook. Apparently, there are no active warrants for my arrest.

I was feeling very merry on the ride back to Jacksonville! There was some light rain. When we got onto the East Beltway from I-95, there was a full double rainbow right in front of us over South Jacksonville. As I mentioned above, due to the movement of the sun and the rain, rainbows generally don’t last for long. On this occasion, we were moving in the same direction as the weather and that rainbow was right in front of us for a good ten minutes. I keep an eye out for rainbows, and I’ve seen lots of them and photographed many. They’re always great to look at, but this was an extraordinary experience.

Being in the right place at the right time is the key not only to viewing rainbows, but to seizing opportunities throughout our lives. The good news is that we frequently have the power to put ourselves in the right places at the right times. Here’s to being in the right place at the right time throughout 2020.

Happy New Year!

How To Start Writing Your Great American Success Story in 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 15:34:00 +0000

“I have written this book because 100 years from now, there probably will be no other trace that I have lived on earth. Our great grandchildren will most likely not know our names, they will have minimal interest in our having lived, or in what we did during our stay on this earth.” Herb Peyton, Founder of Gate Petroleum and author of New Boy, his autobiography.

The United States is full of great American success stories. From native sons who grew up in poverty to immigrants who came here with very little, they have built businesses that have provided them with livelihoods and enriched their communities. Unfortunately, many of their inspiring stories will be forgotten because they have never been written down.

2020 is upon us. Many people have resolved to lose weight, get in shape, and take better care of themselves. Some have resolved to write the books they have been thinking about for years. Lots of great businessmen and businesswomen would like to leave their marks in the form of books and literature, but they don’t know how to go about it. There are several ways to organize a business-oriented autobiography. Here are three straightforward ways to do it.

Chronological. The writer records his life history, from childhood through to the present. (In some cases, writers trace things back to the lives of their parents and grandparents.) They write about their upbringing, their schooling, and their first jobs. From there, they move along to college education, military experience, and their beginnings on a career path or in business endeavors. It’s not necessary to write the book in order. You can write the parts that come easily at first and then put them together in order later

Topical. Some authors organize their work by topics, concentrating on the subjects they care most about. For a businessperson topics could include technology, customer service, and willingness to take on risk. A topic that may sound boring to some can become very interesting in the hands of someone who cares deeply about it.

The beginning and the end. Another way to write a book is to write the introduction (what the book is about), then write the conclusion (a summary of what the writer hopes readers will come away with), and then fill in the middle. The introduction and conclusion will likely change by the time you finish the middle, and that’s OK. This method is simply a way to get started.

It’s effective to concentrate on stories that have a point to them and it will be very helpful if the stories are also entertaining. When Jesus told parables, those little stories taught lessons but they were also entertaining to listeners. Writers can start with the stories that they enjoy telling. If you have stories that you’ve told dozens of times, those would be a good place to start.

Writing a book isn’t easy. Even a short book of 20,000 words could take hundreds of hours to write. Devoting time on a regular basis will be required. If you don’t have a half-day per week, or better yet two to four half-days per week, to put into a book project, you might want to put it off until you can devote the time to it. Also, to produce a good book will require lots and lots of rewriting.

The reward for your hard work is that you will, at the very least, leave something behind that your grandchildren will be able to read some day. If it’s a good book with helpful information and it catches on, it might even help people – perhaps lots of people.

Mr. Rogers, Thanksgiving, and Habitual Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 03:13:00 +0000

ikimedia Commons

On the morning of Thanksgiving in 2019, my family and I watched “Won’t you be my neighbor?” It’s a documentary about Fred Rogers, the creator and star of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood on PBS. On Thanksgiving afternoon, I went to the movie “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” Tom Hanks plays the part of Fred Rogers.

Both movies were very good. One of the most powerful scenes in the feature film has Mr. Rogers in a restaurant with a writer named Lloyd Vogel. (In real life, the name of the journalist was Tom Junod, who wrote an article about Mr. Rogers for Esquire.) In that scene, Mr. Rogers asks Mr. Vogel to think about all the people who helped to make him what he was.

As the camera pans around the restaurant, some of the faces are familiar. In fact, several of the people who were interviewed for the documentary appeared in the restaurant scene. For example, Mrs. Rogers and the actor who played Mr. McFeely on the television show were in that scene.

Whenever a film is made about a real person or about something that actually happened, one has to wonder how accurate the movie was. Parts of the feature film about Mr. Rogers are made up, including the restaurant scene. However, in real life there was an event where Mr. Rogers very publicly encouraged people to be thankful for the people who had helped them in their lives.

In 1997, Mr. Rogers was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Academy Awards. In his short speech, he asked members of the audience to think for ten seconds about all the people in their lives who had helped them in some way. As the camera panned around the room, some audience members wept. Ten seconds of sincere gratitude can affect a person that way.

This is the time of year when people make plans for the coming year and formulate their New Year’s Resolutions. Giving thanks can be just as powerful as making a New Year’s resolution. Naturally, the list of people to be thankful for includes friends and family members. For people in business, it can also include the clients and customers who have contributed to one’s success. Thanks can also be given for the mentors and advisors who have been helpful.

Like Mr. Rogers, I believe there’s something very powerful about being thankful. Being habitually and intentionally thankful can have a very positive impact on one’s life and on one's business. My morning routine includes making a list of three things I am thankful for. I encourage others to make thankfulness part of their routines as well.

Are you ready to get started on your Great American Success Story?

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 04:03:00 +0000

I’m Danny Murphy, but not Danny Murphy the famous baseball player. Or the famous soccer player. Also, I’m not the Dan Murphy who owns most of the liquor stores in Australia. I’m Danny Murphy, the writer. Actually, there are over a dozen Danny Murphys who are writers.

I’m the one who works with clients like Dick Erickson, Founder of Sun Tire, to document their Great American Success Stories. Then I help them to present their stories in the form of books, videos, and through social media. For example, Dick’s forthcoming book is titled Rubber Meets Road: Business Isn’t Rocket Science.

A new year is almost upon us. If you or someone you know is ready to turn the page and begin the chapter in life that includes writing a Great American Success Story, you will find helpful information here at SuccessStory.biz.

Blog posts will include inspiring and practical insights from some of the great American entrepreneurs I run into. I read quite a bit of business literature, so there will also be inspiring quotes from some of my readings. Most importantly, there will be practical information on how to go about presenting your Great American Success Story.

Some of the topics that will be covered include:

Why does the world need your success story?
Three easy ways to get started with your success story.
What to include in you success story.

Herbert Hill Peyton grew up in modest circumstances and went on to build the Gate Petroleum empire. If you drive just about anywhere in Jacksonville, you’ll drive by a Gate Store. Mr. Peyton wrote an autobiography titled Newboy. He and his family moved around quite a bit, and he was in a new school every year. He was always the new boy, and that can make life challenging.

The prologue to his book explains why it was important to him to write the book. “Have you ever wondered what evidence of your life might remain one hundred years from now? I have written this book because one hundred years from now there will probably be no other evidence that I have lived on Earth. Our great-grandchildren most likely will not know our names. They will have minimal interest in our having lived, or in what we did during our stay on this Earth.”

I know very little about my great-grandparents. It would be nice to know more, but there’s no simple way to dig it up. It would have been nice if one or more of them had left a book, even a short one, behind. Stories matter. However, if they are not recorded, they could be lost forever. Don’t let that happen to your story.

Super Bowl Commercials and the Power of Business Humor

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 15:44:00 +0000

Wikimedia Commons

Super Bowl commercials are a very big deal. There’s even a show about Super Bowl commercials. There are also commercials about the show about the commercials. Some of the commercials on the show about the commercials are about the Super Bowl.

Business humor is the common element in most of the commercials. The businesses that are spending big bucks on Super Bowl ads understand that good business jokes get people’s attention and thus help to sell products and services.

Now the companies that are paying the big bucks to get their commercials aired during the Super Bowl are putting out million dollar ad and P.R. campaigns to generate buzz for the commercials. Does that not seem a bit crazy?

Soon people are going to begin to realize that football is what happens between the commercials for the Super Bowl.

Suggested Slogans for Howard Schultz’s Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sat, 02 Feb 2019 20:27:00 +0000

Ask not what your country can brew for you…

Life, lattes, and the pursuit of happiness.

Four score and seven mochaccinos ago…

Give me free lattes, or give me death!

We, the baristas…

United, we brew.

The brew stops here!

Home of the Brew!

When love goes wrong. Happy Valentine’s Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 22:45:00 +0000

Courtesy of FreeGreatPictures.com

Did you know that Valentine’s day was rooted in a festival called Lupercalia in pagan Rome? It involved abusing women and engaging in some sort of sexual lottery. I guess that sounds romantic to some people.

And how did the image of a naked baby flying around and shooting arrows at people become a symbol of love? That's more like a scene out of a horror movie.

Valentine’s Day Trivia

When sugar and candy were rationed during World War II, flowers became the preeminent gift for Valentine’s Day.

Americans spend about $13 billion annually to celebrate Valentine's Day.

About 145 million valentine cards are purchased annually. Women purchase 80%of all greeting cards.

Further reading

St. Patty's Day Humor

April Fools' Headlines

Fat Free Jokes

Overcoming fear when it goes from reasonable to irrational

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 01:48:00 +0000

The Gator Whisperer

I once went hiking up a mountain with some friends. As we went higher the trail got thinner. In some places we were one small slip from plunging to the depths of Hell. Then there was a spot where the trail had been washed out. A jump of about three feet was required to go forward.

I was at the front of the group but I was so scared of missing the little jump that I stepped aside and let the others go first. I was in good shape and there was no reason to think I would have any trouble with the jump. However, the more I looked, the more I envisioned myself sliding down the mountain to my demise.

Seeing my friends make the jump should have helped. Instead, I was focused on the horrible consequences if I missed. Soon I was the only person who hadn’t made the jump. I was nearly paralyzed with fear and I seriously considered staying behind. My friends told me there was nothing to it. Finally, I took a deep breath and made the jump. It was no big deal.

When you spend too much time looking at a problem, it can seem bigger and more difficult than it actually is. Being careful is good, but overdoing it can keep us from moving forward.

Do fears sometimes hold you back? How can you recognize when sensible fear crosses the line to being irrational?

If you got some value out of this post, share it with your friends. The sharing buttons are below.

Also, if you liked the writing, you might enjoy one or more of my ebooks. The titles listed in the right column and more are available at Amazon.com. Check them out!

Fat Free Jokes

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 04:19:00 +0000

The punchline is the funny part of the joke. First you have the setup, then comes the punchline. It’s the destination. The setup normally exists for one reason - to lead the way to the punchline. (There are talented people who get laughs out of their setups, but that’s fairly unusual.)

Most people have probably heard someone tell a joke and include all sorts of details in the setup that really weren’t necessary. There’ve been many times when I‘ve heard someone setting up a joke and I’ve muttered inwardly, “Would you please get to the punchline?”

Something happens to an audience when there’s a long setup for a joke. The longer the setup is, the more people anticipate the punchline. In my opinion, the punchline should be a surprise, something people don’t see coming. Also, as a rule of thumb, the longer the setup is, the stronger the punchline should be.

Many of my setups were questions that were a little off the wall to get people scratching their heads a bit. For example, Have you noticed that whenever a whale lands on the beach, people assume it got there by mistake? Or, Have you ever wondered why people ignore the limits at the express checkout counter?

When I wrote those bits, which were two of my better ones, the setups were different from what I just wrote. I started out with more and then cut the setups down to exactly what was needed to get to the punchline. No more, no less. Nobody needed to know what species of whale I was talking about. Nobody needed to know which chain of grocery stores I was talking about. Those details could only have slowed down the joke.

If a detail doesn’t contribute to the effectiveness of the joke, it simply has to go – no ifs, ands, or buttocks. You must be mindful of the fact that people have short attention spans. You don’t want members of the audience to be wishing they had a remote so they could hit the fast forward.

For more tips like this, check out Humor101: How to Tell Jokes for Power, Prestige, Profit, and Personal Fulfillment atAmazon.

Further Reading

Laughter is the best therapy

Practice telling your jokes

How to use sight gags

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Blue Angles, Jacksonville Beach, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sun, 05 Nov 2017 18:28:00 +0000

I've seen the Blue Angels dozens of times, but this was the the best performance I've ever seen. The sky was perfect, the light was perfect, and I had a good camera and a nice spot to shoot from. Unforgettable!

Humor for the Totality, The Mother of All Traffic Jams, 2017 Eclipse Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 16:55:00 +0000

Box-headed people in 1963!

The bad news is that there is a nationwide shortage of glasses to view the eclipse. The good news is that suitable viewing boxes can be made out of the millions of Amazon boxes that have been piling up in Americans’ garages. Now, nobody has to miss out.

Pundits predict that traffic to and from the Path of Totality of the eclipse will produce the worst traffic jam in the history of humankind. To listen to the media, the traffic promises to be even more apocalyptic than the apocalypse! It will be the Mother of All Traffic Jams. There will be shortages of food, fuel, water, Grey Poupon mustard, and escargot. The traffic is going to be so bad that most Americans will not be able to get out of their own driveways for days, possibly weeks.

According to experts in the media, this event will be like Y2K, the Mayan Calendar, and the 2016 election rolled into one. Who can bear the thought of living through any of those events again? Take a look out your front door. Traffic is probably piling up right now! Fill your gas tanks and get some water, while you still can.

I have a contrasting opinion about this event because I've observed various media using the power of exaggeration for decades, actually centuries, come to think of it. I, on the other hand, am predicting another massive miss for the media. There will likely be heavy traffic here and there, but nothing beyond an annoying inconvenience for most people. You heard it here folks.

My next post may be from the Totality!

Bill Maher and Kathy Griffin: Jokes that hurt and jokes that kill.

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 13:22:00 +0000

Once upon a time, I was having a good set at a small nightclub in Georgia. I was in my angry phase and that was really working for me. Someone in the audience asked, “Do you hate everyone?”

I said, “No, I don’t hate everyone. Just people like you.”

I know it doesn’t sound funny at all, but people were laughing. Then I said, “I’m kidding. That was just a joke. Have you noticed that when people say something was just a joke, it usually wasn’t?”

More laughter. Once in a while when you do standup, you can say anything and people will laugh. I even blew a few punchlines that night and people still laughed. On the other hand, when you tell lots of jokes, some of them are going to go wrong.

Sometimes when you say something off-the-cuff, you realize immediately that you shouldn’t have said it. Then you say, “I’m sorry. That was just a joke.” Sometimes an incident like that really is just a joke. At other times, the joke teller in question is saying it was just a joke only because someone got ticked off.

A big part of Bill Maher’s schtick has been making snarky remarks in response to one of his guests. He used the N word recently. In the moment, that seemed funny to him. Although Maher has a history of being edgy, he doesn’t have a history of using the N word often. The next day he posted an apology. Nevertheless, there are people who view him as a habitual envelope pusher and they want him to suffer serious consequences.

Kathy Griffin’s severed head incident was more than an offhand remark. Sometimes when a photographer is wrapping up a shoot, he or she says, “As long as we’re all set up, let’s try something zany.” From what Griffin said about the shoot, that may have been how the severed head photo came about. Still, the Trump head photo required a prop and that takes at least a little premeditation.

After the incident, Griffin posted a video apology which seemed sincere. On Friday, June 2, she held a press conference at her lawyer’s office. She was briefly remorseful. After that she was combative, she claimed the President and his family were out to destroy her, and she sobbed a few times. She said, “It was just a bad joke.”

At the outset of the press conference, she mentioned that she was nervous and that she probably would resort to jokes as a result of that. Still, going into standup mode in response to serious questions seemed strange. That’s her persona and it’s what she does, but it still seemed odd. It doesn’t seem like the press conference helped her to begin salvaging her career.

Griffin has been ridiculing Donald Trump since before he was elected. Contrary to what some people say, ridicule isn’t harmless. More often than not, it is intentionally destructive. Jokes can be very effective for pointing out how ridiculous and stupid someone is. People use ridicule to make fun of other people in an effort to break their spirit, one verbal swipe at a time.

People who enjoy insulting others say, “It was just a joke,” with some frequency. The more a person says it, the less likely it is to be true.

#KathyGriffin: When the joke goes wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:40:00 +0000

When Kathy Griffin saw how many Americans were offended by the severed Trump head, she acknowledged that she went way over the line. Americans from both sides of the political spectrum agreed. As Melania Trump commented, it was very disturbing. Griffin posted an apology which seemed sincere. Nevertheless, there were consequences. Griffin was fired by CNN for the annual New Year’s Eve gig. Al Franken cancelled appearances with her.

With some of the commentary that has gone back and forth prior to the last election and since then, the line between decency and vulgarity seems to have disappeared. Profanity has become very common and the insults hurled between the right and the left are limited only by the imaginations of the people speaking them.

American comedians have been pushing political envelopes for decades. In the 1960s, Lenny Bruce was arrested several times for obscenity which would be considered quite mild now. George Carlin was charged for obscenity in 1972 for performing his Seven Dirty Words bit. Since then, many comedians have stepped over many lines. Others who come to mind for pushing it include Richard Pryor, Andrew Dice Clay, Andy Kaufman, Roseanne Barr, Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, Dave Chapelle, Daniel Tosh, Ricky Gervais, Carlos Mencia, Tracy Morgan, Gilbert Gottfried, and many more.

How does any of this apply to professional public speakers? It's a reminder that you have to be very careful about the jokes you tell. When telling jokes, it’s very important to keep the audience in mind and to avoid jokes that may be taken the wrong way and detract from the presentation. Just because a joke seems funny to you does not mean that most of the people in an audience will also find it funny. When in doubt, leave it out.

I used to tell one joke that I really loved. “I saw a bumper sticker that said ‘Meat is murder.’ Well, that must make me some kind of a sociopath, because I love the feeling of my incisors ripping through a nice juicy steak.” That joke rarely worked for me. If a joke doesn’t work the first time, try to figure out why and make any needed adjustments. If it doesn’t work a second time, you should really think about letting it go.

It’s refreshing to see that there is indeed a line which should not be crossed. Fake decapitations of President Trump are officially off limits. In my opinion, chatter about killing people with whom we disagree or wishing death upon them should be off limits as well. As I mentioned in my stump speech when I ran for Congress last year, the jokes have been getting uglier. It's hard to imagine an uglier joke than this latest stunt by Kathy Griffin. The time has come to Make America Laugh Again with kinder gentler jokes.

A liberal, a conservative, The Pope, and Kim Kardashian walked into a bar…

For tips on how to tell jokes, check out these previous posts.

Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Remedial Sensitivity

Politically Correct Jokes

Also, Humor 101: How to tell jokes for power, prestige, profit, and personal fulfillment is available on Kindle and it will soon be available in paperback. Check it out!

The News Junkie

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Tue, 30 May 2017 16:47:00 +0000

Not Danny Murphy.
Wikimedia Commons.

I’ve been a news junkie since I was a boy. My first job in a suburb of Boston was delivering The Boston Globe, The Herald Traveler, and for a handful of discerning readers, the Record-American. Eighty or so newspapers on a bike, long before I started driving a car. There was another guy in the neighborhood who delivered the Patriot Ledger in the afternoon.

My father worked in the Mailers’ Union for the newspapers. When I was in high school, right across Morrissey Blvd. from the Boston Globe, he got me a few shifts on Saturday nights putting the Sunday papers together at The Globe. That was back when the Sunday newspapers were gigantic. When I went on breaks, I enjoyed reading the paper in the middle of the night, before anyone else had an opportunity to.

I did well at writing in high school and I took writing classes in college. One of those courses was Magazine Feature Writing at the University of North Florida. That class was taught by the incomparable William Roach. Students in that class had to go through the process of writing and submitting four articles to magazines. One of mine got published! It was a thrill to see my name in print. I went on to write book reviews for the Florida Times-Union and numerous articles that were published in excellent magazines like Onyx, The Wittenburg Door, and National Business Employment Weekly.

In the 90s a friend of mine who was in radio ran for Congress and I got involved with his campaign. During that time I read dozens of books about the media. I was trying to learn enough to become the logical pick for press secretary if my friend won. Unfortunately, he didn’t win. I had accumulated so much information that I felt like I had to do something with it.

By that time, lots of Americans loathed the media. Trivial Pursuit was hot. I created a trivia game called Media Mayhem, the game that empowered people to trash the media, piece by illicit piece. I intended for it to be a fun way to learn about the media. Although the game didn’t sell as well as I would have liked, I did manage to get on over fifty talk radio shows throughout the country as a guest to talk about it.

I’ve never stopped being a news junkie. I still get two newspapers – the Wall Street Journal and the Florida Times-Union – delivered to the end of my driveway every morning. (Actually, the WSJ doesn’t publish on Sundays or holidays.) Also, I’ve continued to write for publication. Toward the end of 2016, it seemed to me that there would be a serious need for informative articles and blog posts to educate people about fake news. I wrote blog posts on topics like How to Spot Fake News, Pizzagate, Buzzfeed, Alternative Facts, and more.

To lighten things up, I also wrote fake news about fake news. Those posts include titles like Fake News Announces it will Develop a Code of Ethics, and a post about the fictitious Fakies Awards. I believe that humor and satire can be very effective for making points about serious subject matter.

Check out the book, Fake News 101, at Amazon.com. As a former reviewer of books, I can assure you that it will be well worth your time.

Lights! Camera! Blackout? A story of a friendship restored during the holidays.

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 19:42:00 +0000

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the home,
no devices were running, not even a phone.
The children did gather, totally bored,
in hopes that the power would soon be restored.

Christmas Eve was unseasonably mild. The power went out right after sunset when people were turning their Christmas lights on. Shortly afterwards, Fred rolled his generator into position not far from the kitchen window. He had purchased it a few months earlier in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. It was still shiny and new. It was also easier to crank up than his lawnmower.

After the generator warmed up, Fred connected the refrigerator, the TV, and some lights. The generator was loud, but the power it provided was well worth it. Wilma, Fred’s wife said, “I’m really glad we have that, even though we didn’t use it for long when the storm came through.”

“Yeah, me too,” Fred replied. “Aside from stepping over the electric cords, life’s almost normal tonight. I’m going outside to see what’s going on with our neighbors.”

Walking to the end of the driveway, Fred heard other generators. However, they were all in the distance. It sounded like his was the only one running nearby. As he approached the end of the driveway, he saw no evidence of electricity in his neighbors’ homes.

With a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice, he told his wife, “It looks like we’re the only ones on the street with a generator.”

“So, Barney and Betty have no power?” Wilma asked.

Fred cleared his throat before answering. “Well, honey, they live right next door and I don’t hear a generator over there. Furthermore, their lights aren’t on. So, I think it’s fair to conclude that they have no power.”

“Maybe it will come back on soon,” she said.

“Yeah maybe,” Fred replied as he turned on the TV. He wanted to see if there was any news about the mysterious power outage.

The talking heads on the local news programs all said the same thing. “A JEA spokesperson says that the utility is working to restore the power, although they have not yet determined the exact cause.”

“That’s not very encouraging. They don’t know what the problem is but they’re working to fix it,” Fred told Wilma.

“Is there anything we can do for Barney and Betty?”

Fred and Barney had been best friends and fishing buddies for over a decade, right up until early November. In the leadup to the election, they argued a lot over politics. Then they stopped speaking to one another.

In a perturbed tone of voice, Fred said, “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because Barney is your best friend, and it’s time to put this insane election behind us. Can you stop being so hard-headed?”

Fred softened up. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. We can spare some power. I’ll take a walk over there.”

Wilma told him, “No gloating. Over the election or the generator.”

Barney had a flashlight in his hand when he answered the front door. “Hey, Fred. How’s it going?”

“OK. How are you and Betty?”

“Well, I'm living in the dark, like a caveman. Betty said she enjoyed the cold dinner by candlelight. Me, not so much.”

Fred said, “I just saw the news and it doesn’t seem like anyone knows when the power will come back.”

“I heard that on the radio. Hopefully it will come back on soon.”

“Who knows? After Matthew, some people were back up in a few hours and some people were out for a week. I’ve got more wattage than I need. If you want, you can throw a line over the fence and I’ll connect it to my generator. You could at least power up the fridge and a few lights.”

“Thanks, Fred. That’s very generous of you. Our refrigerator is packed with stuff for tomorrow and Betty has been getting antsy about it.”

After they got things connected, Barney asked Fred, “Would you like to sit down for a cold one before you go home?”

“You know I would,” Fred answered.

They seated themselves at the kitchen table.

“I really appreciate you hooking me up Fred. It’s easy to take electricity for granted till you lose it. Having some light back in the house is nice.”

“It’s no big deal. Thanks for the brew,” Fred said after taking a long sip.

“This election was the craziest I’ve ever seen,” Barney said.

“You got that right. I’m glad it’s behind us.”

“Agreed, old friend.”

“So, do you have any big plans for the holidays?” Fred asked.

“Well, I’m thinking of getting up early tomorrow morning to fish. Of course, it would be a lot better with a fishing buddy. Are you up for that?”

“Fishing on Christmas morning? Sounds interesting. I’ll have to clear that with the boss, but yeah, that sounds good to me.”

“Hey, I hear something outside, and it doesn’t sound like reindeer,” Barney remarked.

Out by the street, a bucket truck parked,

and a JEA lineman soon disembarked.

Children gazed out their windows with glee,

looking forward to once again lighting their trees.

After a few minutes, the lights came back on.

“Looks like the power’s back. It’s a Christmas miracle,” Barney said.

As Fred was heading out, Barney said, “Thanks again for coming over and hooking us up.”

“Thanks for being a friend, Barney. I realized something important tonight.”

“What was that, Fred?”

“Friendship is one of the greatest gifts of them all. And, like electricity, you tend to take it for granted until you lose it. Let’s not let anything stupid happen to our friendship again.”

“Agreed,” Barney nodded. “And Merry Christmas.”

Santa may cancel deliveries due to drone traffic.

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:58:00 +0000

Since the 1960s, when Rudolph began lighting the way, there has never been any talk of shutting down Santa’s delivery runs. However, new issues have come up which may force the cancellation of Christmas. The air traffic from holiday delivery drones has been building for several years, and an insider at the North Pole says a shutdown by Santa may be imminent because of it.

“The reindeer like to work and none of them have ever complained, formally, about extra shifts through the holidays. However, all of the reindeer are concerned about safety,” said the insider. “There is talk of forming a union. The reindeer want to be sure they’ll get back to their families, and they want their safety concerns addressed by upper management.

"Santa Claus, LLC, is very concerned about competition from holiday delivery drones. Another issue is the liability, aside from the possible death and/or dismemberment of the reindeer, associated with delivery operations. The organization’s insurance rates have skyrocketed and they now have to get a special policy to travel outside the Arctic Circle.”

One red-nosed reindeer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “I was really looking forward to making the deliveries this year. Amazon, FEDEX, and others have cut into our business but we're still very competitive. We’ve retrofitted our lighting systems with LEDs to reduce our carbon hoofprint along with our energy consumption. The technology is amazing and the testing has gone well. It will be a shame if we can’t make the actual run. On the other hand, I’m as concerned about safety as any other reindeer. The substandard wages and the lack of healthcare benefits are also a problem, especially for reindeer with children.”

The Lord's Fishing Buddies

noreply@blogger.com (Danny Murphy) — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 02:52:00 +0000

The calling of Peter and Andrew
by James Tissot, 19th century

Did you ever wonder why Jesus chose fishermen as his disciples? I think one of the reasons is that people who make their living by fishing are very tough, both physically and mentally. Fishing for a livelihood is hard. Fishermen have to be able to withstand all kinds of weather, from searing sunny hot days to dangerous sudden storms. They work with knives, ropes, and hooks, which results in injuries from time to time. They know how to take some pain once in a while.

Fishermen are mentally tough in the sense that they sometimes have days when they do the job, but the fish just aren’t biting. Worse yet, they may have many days in a row when things go that way, days when they get scared because they don’t know how they’re going to feed their children. But fishermen also have days when everything goes right and they come home with a good catch. People who make their living by fishing understand that there are ups and downs in life.

How different that kind of attitude is from today’s supermen of the spirit, who seem to believe that walking the walk is really more like leaping from one mountaintop to the next. How different that is from the kind of folk who believe that when anything goes wrong in their lives, it’s an attack from the devil. How different that is from the kind of person who mopes around when things don’t go his or her way.

Sometime after Jesus rose from the dead, Peter and several other disciples went fishing in the Sea of Tiberias. (John 21) They fished through the night but caught nothing. When the morning came, an unfamiliar man on the shore told them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. It probably didn’t make much sense to them. Still, they were willing to give it a shot. And they caught enough fish to stretch their nets to the limit. Then they had breakfast with the Lord. Ups and downs. Life and the spiritual journey are full of them.

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Great American Success Story

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I was pleased to shoot this video, which has the first four of his inspiring points.

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Dick Erickson (left) and Skip Alcorn.Dick Erickson, Founder of Sun Tire, has some interesting insights about profit-sharing. He shared some of them at the 2020 Wise Counsel Boot Camp in Jacksonville, Fl.

Why share profits with all employees?

How does a company benefit from sharing profits?

Off the Beaten Path in Jacksonville

Jacksonville Arboretum

Nature Trails at University of North Florida.

Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

Theodore Roosevelt Area, 13165 Mt. Pleasant Road.

Fort Caroline Visitor Center, 12713 Fort Caroline Road.

To reiterate a very important point, bring some water for your hike and some insect repellant.

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How To Start Writing Your Great American Success Story in 2020

Mr. Rogers, Thanksgiving, and Habitual Gratitude

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Super Bowl Commercials and the Power of Business Humor

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Ask not what your country can brew for you…

Life, lattes, and the pursuit of happiness.

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Give me free lattes, or give me death!

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United, we brew.

The brew stops here!

Home of the Brew!

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