Paul's Prattlings

Mississippians have played major role in advances in telecom

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 17:08:00 +0000

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law on February 8th, 1996. Few could have seen then the advancements in telecommunications, broadband services, social media and other technological wonders that would have evolved as a direct result in only 20 years. Whether the original goals were fully realized is a debate for others, but none can deny that the infusion of free market competition into the telecom industry has resulted in tremendous benefits to individual consumers and businesses alike.

Many people may not realize it today, but Mississippians played a significant role in the passage of that bill. Click through the following link to an article written by former Mississippi Republican Congressman Chip Pickering about the role that he and Former Mississippi Republican Senator Trent Lott played in the opening up markets that led to the awesome technologies that we use and enjoy every day.

As my daughter is fond of saying: "We live in the future!"

https://medium.com/@ChipPickering/happy-birthday-telecom-act-of-1996-685a579d0a6a#.z7ec7gtwo

THE (NOT SO DIFFICULT) TRICK TO GET YOUR EMAILS READ

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 16:13:00 +0000

I have a problem when I communicate in writing. The marketing guy in me wants to keep everything simple and to the point. A bulleted list is better. The analyst in me wants to put every conceivable detail in, to leave no possible room for misunderstanding. There has to be a happy medium. Follow the link below for some ideas on the subject.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3026725/work-smart/the-not-so-difficult-trick-to-get-your-emails-read?partner=rss

"I'm new to classical music, where should I start?"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 22:12:00 +0000

My first exposure to the greatest of classical music was, like so many baby boomers, the endless cartoons that I watched every day after school. The "AHA" moment would come when, as an adult, I would hear and appreciate a magnificent piece of music only to realize you heard it first on Bugs Bunny! I still know very little about classical music, but there are many pieces that I have grown to love because of their effect on my blood pressure (they lower it).

I found this post on reditt.com years ago and thought at the time that it was quite a good resource for someone wanting to know more about classical music, so I stored it away. I like Spotify, but whatever music service you use, you should be able to find most of the pieces listed.

Stay tuned...I may post my Northern European Metal Alternative Rock Stuff playlist next.

Or maybe not.

http://www.reddit.com/r/classicalmusic/comments/ehaft/im_new_to_classical_music_where_should_i_start/

What, Pray Tell, Would it Take to MOTIVATE You?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 14:28:00 +0000

Are you having a hard time getting up to speed today? Don't feel like doing what needs to be done? If this article does not help you find your motivation, you are probably a lost cause!

http://www.sellingfearlessly.com/2014/07/21/what-pray-tell-would-it-take-to-motivate-you/

What, Pray Tell, Would it Take to MOTIVATE You?

by ROBERT TERSON

Many years ago, when I first began studying how to write fiction, I read John Braine’s Writing a Novel. Braine was British; his most famous novels are Room at the Top and The Crying Game. It was from Braine that I first heard about another British novelist, Anthony Burgess (his real name was John Burgess Wilson), whose best-known work is A Clockwork Orange. When I researched Burgess I was blown away by his fascinating personal story—what caused him to become a novelist. It gave me a whole new perspective re motivation. It just might do the same for you, which is why I’m going to relate it to you.

When he was 40 years old, Burgess was diagnosed with a brain tumor; he was told he had about a year to live. Sobering news, wouldn’t you say? He was penniless, was going to die, and was going to leave his wife, Lynne, a widow—a totally broke widow. This left him so distraught that he decided to make an attempt to write novels, in order to produce royalties for Lynne. For a number of years he thought he had it in him to be a novelist, but was unable to pull the trigger on the concept. Now, motivated by financial desperation for the woman he loved, he sat down and began writing. He did this despite the tremendous odds against him even getting his work published posthumously. Still, since he couldn’t think of any other way of earning money to leave behind for Lynne, writing it would be.

One of Burgess’s more memorable quotes: “We all need money, but there are degrees of desperation.”

No kidding.

To say Burgess wrote prolifically during his year to live might be one of the great understatements of all time. He produced five-and-a-half novels; more output than many better-known writers—Harper Lee and J.D. Salinger, to name just two—have produced over the span of an entire lifetime. Quite an achievement.

The great irony of this story, I’m happy to say, is that Anthony Burgess did not die as expected. His tumor went into remission and eventually disappeared completely. He wound up living a long life and wrote over 70 books and composed more than 65 musical compositions. The great question is, though, would he have written anything at all, if he hadn’t been handed that terrible prognosis of death? Would he have been motivated to become the great writer he turned out to be? Fascinating question, isn’t it?

What about you? Is there greatness inside of you that’s never going to come out because you’re never going to be motivated the way Anthony Burgess was? Perhaps it would behoove you to ask yourself what you’d do if you were put into the same circumstances Burgess was. If you were told you had only one year to live, to make your mark upon this world, what would you do?

And if you would do it under those circumstances, why won’t you do it now? What is it that’s preventing you from charging ahead and doing it now?

You know what Nike would say—“Just do it!”

Unhappy with your current sales volume? Learn how to close more sales & keep them closed at Tom Hopkins’ upcoming Sales Academy. Get the details here: www.tomhopkins.com/salesacademy.

Get your free preview of Chapter 1 from Selling Fearlessly.

Check out the 71 reviews for Selling Fearlessly at Amazon.com.

posted by ROBERT TERSON

12 Productivity Tips From Incredibly Busy People

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 17:46:00 +0000

Everyone I know is too busy. It's hard to keep everything straight and to accomplish your goals amongst all the chaos and confusion. Maybe this will help. http://j.mp/UocToM

TEC Flex Cloud Voice Systems from TEC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 16:50:00 +0000

Paul B. Watkins likes an update from TEC - Telephone Electronics Corporation

Check out our video about TEC Flex and learn how a cloud-hosted voice system can work for your company. Call us today at 800-832-2515 to find out more!

TEC.com - Technology for your Life.

What is Your Etiquette Quotient?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 14:32:00 +0000

Don't ignore this post! Business etiquette can sometimes make the difference in getting a deal. It always makes Mama 'Nem proud. HT @MarshaEgan. http://j.mp/1na0ZdV #successtips

11 Tips to Help You Manage Millennials

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 17:26:00 +0000

TEC - Telephone Electronics Corporation

A Crash Course in the Language of Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 02:16:00 +0000

Good info for us old guys: http://ow.ly/znsCL

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Word Crimes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 03:58:00 +0000

OK, this might seem a little weird, considering I just stated I was going to try to post business content. But business does not have to be boring. And correct grammar can be funny.

Hey y'all, watch this:

This is my Non-Original First Post

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 03:30:00 +0000

I've decided to inflict upon those who care to follow my prattlings, ramblings, random non-sequitur thoughts, and mostly post clever articles, blog entries, videos, etc., that I will most likely steal from others. My goal is to share information that may be useful to others in the business community, but useful or not, that I find interesting. This may include sales tips, productivity ideas, business grammar and writing, and certainly news and ideas from the telecom industry. Be patient with me while I figure out what I want this to be.

By the way, happy 11th anniversary today to my son, PBWjr, and his lovely bride, Jess.

PW