Month: April 2005 (page 2 of 3)

I’ve long been a fan of what is commonly called “new age” music…you know, that kind of ambient stuff that creates good backgrounds for working or relaxing or whatever…

I’ve also been a fan for a couple of years of AccuRadio…it started when I discovered their Christmas music channels a couple of years back.

Yesterday, I got an e-mail heads-up about the newest channels at AccuRadio…a collection they call Textures. It features a lot of piano- and accoustic guitar-based stuff (think Windham Hill, Jim Brickman, Yanni, etc.) and some other goodies – some you’ve heard of and some that are pretty obscure.

Is it great music in the “great music” sense of the word? Naaaah, probably not. But if you’re looking for a good source of new age stuff, you might want to head on over and check it out.

(Oh, you bemoaners of “pomo crap” – and you know who you are, Gary – you might want to stay away…just a thought!)

Tonight I was looking for something particular, but I came across this in the Book of Common Prayer…

In the Morning

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring
forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.

Interesting that I found it while trying to find something else to encourage a woman who is facing cancer. I believe it will encourage her, but I got my dose, too.

I go through these spurts sometime when I can’t wait to discover new and cool stuff on the Web. I still think it’s amazing to sit here in northwest Georgia and connect instantaneously with people, places, ideas, and events around the world!

But lately, it seems I fire up the computer, check my e-mail, hit my feeds at Bloglines, scan the local news and a couple of other sites, and that’s it.

Oh, sure…there are times when I spend a good deal of time looking for something specific – research – but right now, at least, those days are fewer and further between.

“The Boy” has gone from classic rock through a (thankfully!) short-lived gangsta rap stage to now, when he’s on a country kick.

Well, kind of country, anyway! He’s into folks like this, this, and this???

C’mon…gimme a break, already! (What in the world does somebody from Australia know about Nashville?)

If it ain’t this, this, this, this, this, this, this, and of course, this, it might be better than a lot of things…but IT AIN’T COUNTRY!!! (Oh, and on a related note, just remember this indisputable truth of life: “It don’t matter who’s in Austin, Bob Wills is still the king!”)

Oh, well…at least he hasn’t latched onto this poseur…YET!

I’ll be re-reading the McManus book, after watching him on James Robison’s show the other night. I’ve had the 7 Practices for a while, but this will be the first opportunity I’ve had to get into it at all. Half of a Moleskine left and some smokin’ Mirado Black Warrior #2s…gonna be fun!

Check out today’s Peanuts over here!

It’s got to be the right ball! Check out this article about the CEO of Ryanair from Terry Paulson’s Message of Mastery and Mirth e-mail newsletter…

Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, isn’t known for holding back: “I’m just a small, loud-mouthed Irish guy running the lowest-fare airline in Europe. We are what we are. Our corporate results are the barometer of our success. Comparing management styles is for the Muppets who write management books. I’m focusing on our business, not my management style. There are three signs when things are starting to go wrong in a company: The CEO announces new headquarters, buys a helicopter and then writes a ‘how to’ book. These are three signs of somebody taking their eyes off the ball.”

While recently providing leadership programs in the UK and Brussels, I was able to read insights from some top European leaders. Just like Southwest Airlines in the states, Ryanair is a budget airline that can teach us all important lessons about giving customers what they want. Ryanair has developed a valid business model to deliver a lot of customer value – They attract customers of all ages and occupations in search of cheap, simple air travel from point A to point B. Ryanair is hugely successful, but it still gets complaints regarding their bare-bones service. Those complaints don’t phase Mr. O’Leary. He asserts that customers whine because they refuse to ‘read the Ryanair label.’ They fantasize about what they would like Ryanair to be, but the budget airline keeps its focus totally clear! Ryanair offers the lowest airfare, with safe and normally on-time service. That’s it! It works because O’Leary keeps his airline focused in delivering only that. His eyes are squarely on the right ball!

Know what you are and what you are not! Don’t chase unprofitable tangents. Never let complacency and pride stall strategic growth and progress. What is the ball your team should be focused on? Work to keep your focus where it belongs.

Went with the family to one of our favorite places this afternoon – a spur-of-the-moment trip to Amicalola Falls. It’s a great place just to hang out, talk to old coot trout fishermen, look at real! live! rattlesnakes!, and just enjoy a couple of hours away from it all. BTW, it’s the approach to the southernmost end of the Appalachan Trail.

Pics from “The Boy’s” phone here.

Good words from Fast Company’s blog…

This via Brian Tracy’s time management newsletter…

Remember the old Confucian saying, �If you don�t change the road you�re traveling on, you�ll probably end up where you�re going.�