"Benefits Supervisor Sleeping", Lucien Freud. 33.6 Million. Grandson of Sigmund, I believe.

Couldn't have someone used that sheet there in the background to cover her up? I mean, she's probably freezing!

Apparently the painting is immense, which goes without saying. So maybe they were just charging for material costs.

The best things in life are free

8 dollars for a gallon of gas within the next 18 months. You heard it here first! And I'm not just talking diesel here.

Personally, I think it's far more important to learn how to make $100 as compared to save $100, but....I think in the upcoming trying times, we can learn to focus on value.

Benjamin Franklin was a smart American, and I believe a rather well respected fellah all around. He invented all sorts of things with Electricity, Waves, firefighting. He got all involved with diplomacy, writing some important country founding documents- but most importantly, he was quite the playa with the ladies. European ladies even. I do wonder sometimes how he found time to do all these things, but then I read that he lived until he was about 84. I'm sure he was somehow hooked up to a bifocally powered Iron Lung or Hyperbaric chamber to get there. Suffice to say, now that I know I have another 50 years, I'm gonna start on catch up.

Maybe the greatest boon from Franklin's brainworks to our society would be....drumroll please.....the lending library. He assembled some rather wealthy printers to create, and thusly lend, books. Books were rather expensive those days. Terms like "two pence threepence full" apparently were todays equivalent of the GDP of Canada.* I can only assume that since people did not have books, that they all carried those adorable hand held chalkboard tablets that the schoolkids had in "Little House on the Prairie." Still not sure how they all learned to read. But I digress.

Considering the explosion of HD and Plasma TV's, I am under the impression that the following image is somewhat foreign to most folk:


** (these asterisks should be next to the picture of the card- I'll fix it if/when I can)

Technically, the library is not "free" since our taxes go to its support, but I think you all catch the drift. I understand the comfortable temptation of having our stories compacted into half hour or hour bites. But honestly, when was the last time that you learned something from TV? Unless you religiously watch HGTV*** or the History/Discovery channel- we're seriously dumbing ourselves down. I'm not saying we need to cut it out, but maybe... in half? Is that so much?

Think of the money you can save just by doing some research and planning through reading. I know that Google and the interwebz covers a great deal of information, but it doesn't cover everything. You can get books, DVD's, even comic books (graphic novels, mindya) through the library. Buying a new book isn't idiotic- but is there a story that is so good that you can't wait a month or two for it to come out for free in the library? Many good ideas for business are sold through a book (with other "products" being upsold after completion of the book.) You can save yourself that initial outlay by just waiting a bit, wading through any information for free once the book/movie is in the library, and then buy the item if you really like it.

I know this sounds cheap/frugal- and I have a hard time arguing. If you are clearing 200-250K a year or more, than this advice is maybe a little too penny pinching. But even saving simply 30 bucks a month, or 360 a year- just by simply waiting a few extra days/weeks to satisfy yourself- can really mean something.

Like, give or take, about 45 gallons of gas for your car


* Ten dollars. Which was a lot back then, since there was no ice hockey or Molson "in the day"
** I used to drink milkshakes from Hershey- a "Cookies & Cream" in a bottle, that had 460 calories per serving- with two servings in the bottle. So if you could polish off 4 bottles- that would ensure that you would be one pound heavier the following day. I assume that they stopped producing these after "regulars" couldn't pinch our fat globby together to grasp dollar bills- nevermind fitting our hands into our pockets anymore
*** I just added HGTV since my wife watches the channel all the time. I know no one else watches it. (I kid I kid!)
**** I have done this blog entry as an homage to Dave Barry. If you haven't already, read "Dave Barry slept Here".

Why Family Guy is so important

So I'm reading "The Memory Book" in an attempt to shore up some of the neurons that may have gone adrift in last years Bacchael "Summer of Bob" (a slight derivation from Seinfeld's "Summer of George- I'll write on that later maybe.) Despite being a salesperson who needs to remember an alarming amount of facts- names have recently been escaping my mind with relative ease. Thus, the reading.

As I was soaking in my tub, leafing through some pages, the following proposition is put forth:

Remember, in order, the following words: Airplane, Tree, Envelope, Earring, Bucket, Sing, Basketball, Salami, Star, Nose.

Now, the authors (a founder of a memory school- go figure- and a Hall of Fame Basketball player from my beloved Knicks), recommends that to easily remember these items, you need to formulate in your head the most ILLOGICAL AND ABSURD linkage/associations between the words at the beginning of the list, using mental imagery.

Now dig this. I imagine an airplane cockpit, being driven by a tree pilot, who leans over and opens an envelope. After he opens it, he finds a gold MR. T earring and tries it on, but it doesn't fit, so he tosses it into the bucket that he uses for a wastebasket. The bucket then begins to sing a song about it's favorite basketball team the Salami Dunks, whose star player is called the "Nose", because of his ability to stuff the ball into his nostril and shoot it into the hoop.

I promise you, I will have a hard time forgetting this sequence of events. But the rub is this: This is all very easy to remember for me, because the entire image is framed using the cartoon style in "Family Guy"

Family Guy has it's critics, the first coming to mind being the brilliant creators/writers of South Park. But the deluge of non sequitirs, irreverence and devotion to absurdity (along with an award winning number of inside references) really floats my boat.
Sure, some of the laughs are "easy", but for a thirty-somethingish ummmm.... (what the hell am I now, a Generation X'er? Sure- why not) Generation X'er, it's refreshing to know that someone else out there was watching/reading the same things that I was. For whatever reason, this exercise is really easy for me with any list of words when I use the Family Guy animation/motif.

So in conclusion, with intelligence being a measure of an ability to absorb, maintain and process information, Family Guy is making me smarter. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Book review: Four Hour Work Week

Today, I am moving into uncharted territory, as I am going to perform a book review of a book that I 1) currently do not have in my possession and 2) have not read in over a month. And I will do this without the help of a net, condom, or sherpa. Wait- what's that? The scratching sound of skin crossing skin, as millions of my fans cross their fingers? That's what I thought!

Now, The Four Hour Work Week, by Timothy Ferris, is a bit misleading in it's title. If you are a Doctor, EMT, or teacher, please do not try to apply most of the techniques recommended in this book. You all picked your bed, now you got to sleep in it. However, if you are looking to get out of your current job, and start a new one- which may offer some easier hours/lifestyles- then do read. READ I SAID!

OK- this book is basically about life style. The title is so catchy because, quite frankly, many of us work long hard hours just to keep up. We have our typical American dream- white picket fence house, dog/cat, spouse and kid- working 9-5 (at least), with maybe both spouses working- etc etc. But are we all happy? Is the trade off worth it?

Ferris outlines a 4 step process which will allow us to further realize our dreams.
1. Definition: a targeted monthly income, how to get started, dreamlining (ie what is it we really want), fear setting (realizing what our fears are, and overcoming them). As with most remedies of similar nature- the way to begin a process is to break down the plans into attainable parts- even 24 hours plans. Nothing monumental here, except for that whole bothersome "what do I want to do that will make me enough money" hurdle. At least setting up these goals will help frame how much you really truly will need. What is vitally important though is to have mini goals, versus a "I need to make $150,000"
2. Elimination: This chapter is swell for learning how to "trim the fat" in our lives. The Pareto principle, or the 80/20 rule (80% of your results will be achieved through 20% of your efforts), combined Parkinsons law (work expands to fill the time you give it) reminds us that there is much we do in life, as in business, that is just "filler", and does not really add much to the bottom line. The greater our ability to eliminate these distractions, the more time we have. Stop spending so much time watching TV, reading newspapers, and on the interwebz, and *gasp* reading books (save Ferris' book, mind you), and you should be more productive. He even gives some recommendations as to how to handle your boss, or co-workers, if they keep trying to eat up your time. This should hopefully give you more time to concentrate on your business(es)
3. Automation: Now, here is the tricky part. Once you've set up your ideal/side business, you now need to pawn off most of the busy work to someone else. Ferris illustrates the cost ratios for outsourcing most business applications to India/Canada, and quite frankly, it's a little frightening how easy it could be. After reading many books on entrepreneurship, I have come to the realization that this option- the delegation part, is usually the most difficult for any successful businessperson. However, with having a business that you know you design with the forethought of handing over the reigns, perhaps this step is a bit easier.
4. Liberation: What to do with all your time now? If you've been working this all right- you can probably work mobile (mobily? Screw you Webster, and your dictionary!). Ferris Recommends "Mini retirements", a fan-spanking tastic idea of taking large chunks off at a time- ie- 6 months or so.

I hate to say it, but I love this book. A lot. It's an easy read, and the unconventional approach to living life is refreshing to say the least. To successfully realize the benefits of the system, it would probably be easier for someone a little more tech savvy (as most of the recommendations in the book involve working a web site, and ordering/shipping materials after promotion.) But whether we want to categorize our jobs as a "Rat Race" (that you Robert Kiyosaki), or even our lifestyles as such, Ferris tacitly infers that our time is our own, and that for the most part, our tethers are self inflicted.

Old, Funny, probably Fake.

http://newscoma.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/cat-found/

Tag this!

Normally, I thrash violently and gnash my teeth at those that put me to work. But since Linda is such a doll, and I do need to practice the whole introspection thing, I decided to give this one a shot.
The following was posted at http://www.snoopmurph.blogspot.com/ Linda does all sorts of bizarre word exercises and other wacky tasks that get thrown at her by alleged "friends" out there on the blogosphere. I personally think that this is just Linda talking to her multiple personalities, but I digress. I am now realizing that putting yourself to these tasks may, through vigorous practice, make you more betterer at expressing yourself, while also having the added benefit of opening yourself up emotionally to future online stalkers. So here's my go at it.

Getting To Know You Meme

The Rules:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 or more people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.
5. You don't have to randomly italic or bold answers, as Blogger has done for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Holy crow, I dunno……. I would be 24, so I had just started in Pharmaceuticals – Merck. Living in a walk up apartment in Central Islip- where some of the locals stole our bikes from our porch (note, I said a walk up- and yeah, we were on the 2^nd floor) It was the middle of the dot com craze, and we always ordered out for things from a new company that would deliver food from regular local restaurants (IE Fridays, Chi chi’s, etc), and we were too young and naïve to realize we couldn’t afford it.

2. What are 5 Things on my To-Do List for today:

1. Go to Dad’s for his birthday
2. Prepare for work (I was away last week for a meeting, so I’m sort of lost)
3. Try to work out
4. My wife
5. Do some thinking as to how I can make some extra money this summer

3. Snacks I Enjoy:

1. Entemann’s Devils Food Crumb Donuts.

2. Chips deluxe Peanut butter Chip cookies

3. When dieting, I love some Ricotta Cheese with Vanilla extract (a low carb diet, obviously)

4. Things I would do if I were a Billionaire:

1. Start up some Business, employ some people, and have them call me “Mr. Bob”

2. Charities- Pediatric Oncology and Autism

3. Find a huge farm, get two down on their luck farmers, and tell them “here’s a farm, and my dog named Buddy. Take good care of both please.”

4. New House, maybe a few blocks away, that is lacking the closeness to the train, and maybe is a better shaped/set up one than I have today. And oh yeah- central air/heating.

5. Write professionally. If people ever questioned me any advice I gave, I would remind them,”Who’s the billionaire, eh?”

5. Three Of My Bad Habits:

Only three?
1. Procrastination

2. Analysis Paralysis (looking at things way too long before I act on them- this is different than procrastination since usually the subjects being analyzed are on topic, as compared to procrastination usually involving subjects that are off topic from that which you are trying to avoid)

3. Blogging while the boy watches TV

6. 5 Places I have Lived:

1. Selden

2. Albany

3. Port Jefferson Sta

4. Central Islip

5. St. James

7. Jobs I Have Had:

1. King Kullen Cashier/Stock Boy

2. Taco Bell Cashier/Line worker. MMM MMM GOOD

3. Mall Marketing/Annoyer (one of those folks in the Mall that asks you to do surveys).

4. Residential work with the Developmentally disabled

5. Assistant Manager at one home of #4

6. Yellow Page Salesman

7. Drug Dealer

8. People I want to know more about:

See, I am not going to tag anyone, but instead- if someone has read this, I would like you to think about the following, and if you wish, post a response on your Blog: ((Authors note- stolen blatantly from a book I read, which I will post about later))

“What do you want people to say about you at your Funeral? A family member, a friend, a co worker, and someone who never met you?”

We did it! We're number two! AKA "What it's like to be a Drug Dealer"

I know I promised to write more. I got all your hopes up, and then dashed them with my conspicuous absence. Well, despair no longer! Not that it's an excuse, but I was in Las Vegas, in what we in the pharmaceutical call a POA. I've never quite figured out what POA stands for on my own ("no Bob .... it's not Piece of Ass.") Apparently, it's "Plan of Action." My personal "Plan of Action" was to use our Presidents "Stimulus Plan" to "stimulate the hell out of Craps tables." Ok, maybe not the best use of the money, since that "plan of action" "stimulated the ire of my wife" to "Mushroom cloud laying Motherfucker" levels, but hey listen, I was just following our commander in Chief's orders. A Real American am I.

Now- for those of you just recently tuning in- I am a pharmaceutical representative. To sum my job up in a nutshell- I go and see doctors (or other prescribers, such as Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants) and give them good reasons to write my drug over other options. I currently work as a "Medical Institutional Representative" (I think that's my title anyway)- which means I work in Hospitals. This ups the skill set required to actually educating Nurses on administration, and doing all sorts of other tasks to ensure that a hospital uses my drug as per national guidelines, and uses it the right way.

Basically, I tell folks why and how my stuff keeps people alive, and how to make sure that they do it safely.

So imagine my chagrin when I learned, during a meeting at this POA, that the occupation/industry I work in- for more than ten years mind you- ranked second on the "most reviled" list in America. Arms manufacturers squeaked out the top spot.

Understand, that puts us ahead of the tobacco and the oil industry. And gambling. And Politicians. And Lawyers fer chrissakes.

I get some of the hatin' though. The drug industry is bloated- but I think far FAR less than other industries previously mentioned- throw in Financial as well. Not that being slightly less bloated is a good excuse for throwing away money. There are some ne'erdowells in our industry that cover things up. Those people should be strung up as well. But look at the overall intent of the companies, and how the free market competition pretty much excludes cover ups for long (ie, folks from "company A" tend to comb over data from competing "company B", just in case a new drug from company B is safer/more efficacious than the other.)

Two things really need to happen. One- the Pharma (as we call it) industry needs to clean up it's act, or else the government is going to step in for the good of the people. As much of a Libertarian as I am, I have a hard time arguing that a country as affluent as ours should not spend some money protecting it's people from an industry that is potentially harming the population under the veil of helping the population. Two- the pharma industry needs to get some better PR. Life expectancies worldwide are going up. Child mortality worldwide is going up. People are in less pain. And yes, penises are still on the rise, thank you baby jesus.

There is an awful pragmatist in me, and I often have an internal dialogue involving him, and about 75% of the patients who are on the medications that I push. He tells the folks that complain about "the drugs being expensive" or the "drugs have side effects" a simple statement.

"Well, don't take the drugs then."

"Oh but I have XYZ, I need to take them."

"Oh, you mean thing that may cause you A) pain B) organ damage or C) Death? And oh yeah- that "disease" that you have, which has been caused by years of you abusing your own body. Or maybe that disease which- if you went to your doctor more than once every presidential election- could have been prevented?"

"Yeah that disease."

*sarcastically* "oh, yeah, you should get our stuff for free, you're right"

Now, understand, I side with those that argue "Hell, I have a funky chromosome that give me a genetic disposition for this disease, how about me?" I'm also pissed that anyone would not EXTENSIVELY test anything that is vaccinating children, or is administered to pregnant women. I place those people into the other 25%, and I'm willing to throw some of my tax money/wherewithal towards helping these people have a shot at a normal life. I'm also willing to ground the companies that are lax in their safety investigations into mince.

But the other 75%? Go screw. The stuff we give helps you either A) Feel better or B) keep you above the ground as compared to below it.

As you can guess, I'm not going to be part of any new PR move by the industry.

A typical argument is "Well, why should the rich be the only one's to get the benefits?" To which I answer, "Well, they (at least 85% or so of them) earned it, how about them apples?" And, so you know, EVERY... and I'm talking EVERY pharma company out there worth it's weight has an indigent patient program that helps those that are truly lacking in financing. Most of the companies don't even ask for an income verification, including the company that I work for. That means FREE drugs. Yeah, free drugs for poor people.

So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

I know that the pharmaceutical industry has been getting some black eyes recently, and some of them are deserved. It's a fine line to walk, this defense of this multi billion dollar corporate monster.

But cmon, lawyers?