The USA … The Best Of Everything

One of the longest jobs I had in my business career was as the Director of International Technical Services. My job required me to travel extensively outside of the United States taking me to Europe, Central and South America, as well as North America. I also entertained people from all over the United States.

It was an exciting job, and I met many interesting people. One of the things that stands out the most in my memory was how much the people wanted to be like the United States. They were into our goods and services. Contrary to what you hear in the news, people from other countries held us in high esteem and in high regard.

In Mexico, we had a large contract with the Modelo Brewery, makers of Corona beer. Our contract was to design and oversee the construction of a large glass container plant, and upon completion, provide technical services and training of all their employees. Over this period of several years, I frequently visited them in Mexico City and received them at our home in the United States. I got to know their top management people very well.

I learned that when Modelo wanted to acquire expertise on brewing beer, they visited the Coors Brewery in the United States. Yes, Corona is really Coors beer in a new label and a clever marketing program.

Also, I quickly learned that when they came to the United States, they would buy our men's razors, clothing, especially Levi's and most anything else they thought they could get back into their country.

I also learned that things we take for granted every day were hard to get or almost non-existent in other countries. Simple things, like a hamburger or a tossed green salad. Since I traveled for three weeks at a time, this was usually my first meal when I arrived back home.

One humorous story happened on one of my first trips … Budapest, Hungary. I was staying in a beautiful new hotel, the Duna intercontinental, right on the Blue Danube River.

The first morning I went down for breakfast and decided I would start out with some orange juice. Imagine my surprise when they delivered a beautiful goblet with a half- peeled orange stuck in the top. Things we just take for granted are not always that easy in other countries.

Around 1999, our daughter and her family lived in England for two years. You would think this established country would have the best of everything. They lived in a beautiful, modern new home that was worth about $450,000. It was considered a luxury home in England. To her astonishment, it had no dishwasher, a very small refrigerator, and no clothes dryer. The heating system was the old-style, large steam registers, and there was no air conditioning. The toilets had a pull chain. There was one shower that was so small you couldn't turn around it. Most homes did not have a shower. The sink and tub were sealed with an old-fashioned chain and plunk.

My personal experience has taught me that the United States indeed has the best of everything. We have the best beer, wine, whiskey, clothing, ice cream, chocolate, coffee and in my opinion, food.

USA … USA … USA … USA!

Meditation

In the mid-80s, I had a series of jobs that required me to affect the lives of a great many people – I guess you could have called me a “hatchet man.” I admit it made a big impact on me since I was causing great pain to many families at various stages in their lives … I looked for some solace to help me get through it.

I would consider myself a man of some religious belief. I started attending a daily 7AM service at a local church. I could attend the service and still make it to work on time even though, at some point, it was a 35-minute drive. I went every weekday morning that I was in town.

When I started going to the church, there were probably five or six other businessmen there and we were relegated to the “cry room,” a small, glassed-in room looking out onto the main sanctuary. Shortly thereafter, a new Pastor – an organized, witty, little Irishman in his 70’s - came into the church and the number of attendees grew to the point that we had to move into the main sanctuary.

I watched the daily attendance continue to rise until there were over 100 businessmen attending the daily service.

Before I realized it, I had gone to church every weekday for over 10 years … it made a big difference in my life. I found that these 20 minutes of daily meditation helped me get through the big decisions in my life and helped me deal with the effect I would have on other people’s lives.

During this period, I found myself on the other end of the ladder when I lost my job … I was 51, with two children in college.

I was fortunate to have found that these few minutes of thought, reflection and prayer each day helped me get through this difficult period and I recommend that all people find a few minutes for private meditation each day.

I Met God

It was a dark, rainy night when I met God. It was not the first time I met Him … As I mentioned in the Drop on “Meditation,” I prayed and meditated in a business men’s church group every week day for over 10 years. I still pray and meditate every day, all be it, not always in church but as I am exercising. I feel so cleansed mentally and physically when I am finished with my routine.

My communication with God had been through meditation and prayer but the most significant emotional event of His power and all knowing and caring presence was the night I met him face to face.

I was driving home from a late night meeting at my plant. It was about a 35-40 minute drive from the plant to my home. It was a terrible stormy night with lots of rain, sleet, thunder and lighting. I was traveling on the perimeter Interstate 285 around Atlanta, Georgia in the storm when my car had a tire “blowout.” I quickly worked my way over to the edge of the road and stopped.

I called AAA and was informed that, because of the bad weather, it would be a four-hour wait before they could get to me. Here I was stranded in a storm in my business suit and tie with a flat tire. I didn’t know what to do!

I noticed an exit a few hundred yards ahead so I decided to slowly work my way to and down the exit. I didn’t want to leave my car on the Interstate over night so I figured I could make my way down the exit and be in a better position to think thru my options.

As I sat pondering what I was going to do, a jeep pulled up behind me with a 30ish guy with a beard behind the wheel. He got out in the driving rain and started to walk towards my car. I was scared and hid my wallet under the seat … I didn’t know what he might do so I had my guard up.

I rolled down my window and he asked me what was wrong. I told him I had a flat tire. He said, “Do you have an umbrella?” I told him I did. He replied, “If you will hold the umbrella for me I will change the tire.”

As he was finishing the tire change the rain stopped. I got in the car and retrieved all my cash from my wallet - $80. I figured it was the least I could do for all his efforts.

When he finished I tried several times to give him the money but he just refused. All he said was for me to do a “good deed” for someone else in the future.

I said, “At least tell me your name so I can properly thank you.” He said, "You can call me God.” He jumped in his Jeep and drove down the road.

I am convinced there is a God and he watches over you and helps you in many ways … sometimes in very unexpected ways.

It was not the last time I have talked to God but it was the last time I met him face to face.

It's a Dog's Life

I always felt there was so much to learn from mans best friend … A dog. No matter how you treat them they are always forgiving and are happy to see you … Barking, jumping with tail wagging.

Recently my wife sent me the following email that compared a dog’s life with our life, saying it much more succintly than I could.

“A veterinarian, had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. He was dying of cancer. The family was told there wasn’t anything to do for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home."

"As the arrangements were made, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.”

”The next day, the Vet felt the familiar catch in her throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.”

“The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. The family and the Vet sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why. "

"Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned us. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'"

Dogs:
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Have A Vision

To me, it was always a big help in a new business situation to understand the vision, goals and objectives necessary to accomplish your mission.

These same principles apply in your personal and family life. Family mission statements, or visions, are a way of transferring your highly effective business habits to your home life.

Your family and/or personal vision are the “big picture” of what you want to be. They display your beliefs and values. They are succinct and personal.

I have written a family and personal mission and the goals and objectives to accomplish them.

Writing down our values has led us to talk more about what we want out of our marriage, our family and our lives. I have them prominently displayed in our homes and have had them framed for each of our children.

Goals are lofty ideals that you continue to strive for but may never reach. I continue to reach for my goals every day – sometimes with little or no success – but the next day I pick myself up and start all over again.

Objectives are the specific things that are necessary to accomplish if you are going to reach your goals.


Having a vision has been a roadmap for success in my life. I have included it here for your perusal … I pray that in some small way it may be a positive influence in your life.

BEIGHEY FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT

TO CREATE A NURTURING PLACE OF FAITH, ORDER, TRUTH, LOVE, HAPPINESS AND RELAXATION; AND, TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH PERSON TO BECOME RESPONSIBLY INDEPENDENT AND EFFECTIVELY INTERDEPENDENT IN ORDER TO SERVE WORTHY PURPOSES IN SOCIETY

LARRY BEIGHEY MISSION STATEMENT

WITH INTEGRITY, BE PROACTIVE AND VALUE-DRIVEN IN PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL AND INTELLECTUAL INTERACTIONS IN PERSONAL, FAMILY, BUSINESS AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

GOALS

PHYSICAL
REACH AND MAINTAIN THE PROPER LEVEL OF BODY WEIGHT AND AEROBIC WELL-BEING FOR MY AGE AND HEIGHT

SPIRITUAL
PRACTICE, TEACH AND BELIEVE IN THE HOLY TRINITY – FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST

EMOTIONAL
CONTROL EMOTIONS ... BE PATIENT … REDUCE STRESS

INTELLECTUAL
CONTINUOUSLY EXPAND MY INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE

Cream Always Rises to the Top

Years ago, you could buy milk that was pasteurized or homogenized. Back in those days, milk only came in glass bottles … milk cartons had not been developed yet. Many people would buy the pasteurized milk since it was cheaper then the homogenized milk. Do you remember pasteurized milk? In a glass bottle, you could see a layer of cream above the milk. Before you opened the milk bottle you had to shake it up vigorously to mix the cream with the milk. When you would put it back into storage and let it sit long enough, that cream would always separate back to the top, with the milk underneath it.

Pasteurized milk is very much like human behavior. If you take someone with hidden talent and give them the opportunity, eventually their talent will rise to the top – just like with pasteurized milk.

Carole and I made a decision that we would not move our children once they were past the eighth grade. I had been in a position where I had seen families move around frequently and saw the influence it had on their children’s confidence and education. I turned down several promotions because it would have violated the trust our six children had placed in us to watch out for their well-being and education. Perhaps it hindered my advancement, but in the long run it all worked out.

We had about a five-year window between our first four children being out of high school and before the last two entered high school.

When the window opened, I went to the President of the company and told him I was ready to move if it would advance my career goal of being a Division President before the age of 50. He told me he would “put it in his hip pocket,” and at some point would get back to me. About two years later, we were on our way to Atlanta, Georgia, where we lived until I retired.

One of the obstacles we expected to encounter was the education of our two youngest children. We were sure that we would have to put our children in private school, but thought we would try the public school first. After one year, our daughters did not want to leave their school and go to a private school. Believing that the “cream always rises to the top,” we kept them in public school. We made the right decision.

Our daughter Elizabeth graduated with honors in her high school class. She went on to receive her degree from Penn State and achieved a middle management position with TBS Broadcasting, later to become Time Warner. She is now a stay-at-home mom with her two small children and a full-time Creative Memories Consultant with 17 consultants working under her.

Daughter Anne graduated high school as the “Outstanding Student.” She went on to Penn State and started to work as a summer intern in 1992 for Newt Gingrich before he became the Speaker of the House of Representatives … the rest of her career is told by the Former Speaker in the forward to this book. She is now a Senior Vice-President of Fleishman-Hillard in Washington, D.C. and specializes in the health care field. She has co-authored a book with Newt Gingrich entitled Saving Lives and Saving Money.

Not bad for two products of the public school system.

The moral of the story is that people often do not reach their full potential, but if you give them enough time and instill in them some self-confidence, eventually their talent will come out.

Just like pasteurized milk, an individual’s “cream will always rise to the top.”

Blog Administrative Detail

I have made all the Blog Posts that are from my 1st book, A Drop in the Bucket, in a Blue Font Color. All "Posts" from my upcoming book, More Drops in the Bucket are in a Black Font Color.

In addition, you can tell which are from the 1st book by searching on A Drop in the Bucket in the Label Posts ... All Posts from my upcoming book, More Drops in the Bucket carry its Label Name.

Bottomed Out

Did you ever have days when everything seems to go wrong … Those days when things get worse as the day goes on. I have experienced many of these types of days throughout my personal and business career. Like most people, I would complain about it to everyone and anyone who would listen – but I came to realize that no one really wants to hear about all your problems and worries.

My realization came from a vivid real-life experience that I had during the energy crisis of 1976. I was the Energy Czar for Brockway Glass Company. Brockway had drilled gas wells and had built a gathering system to pipe the gas over to the natural gas supplier. During the crisis, the gas company confiscated our gas and would not deliver it to our plants. Since glass manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry and we could not get enough natural gas, we had to shut the plants down and lay off all the people. We had only enough gas to keep the glass in the furnaces molten; there was not enough energy to manufacture any glass containers.

Every morning at 7 AM, I would have an emergency meeting with the President of the Glass Container Division to review where and how much energy we had so we could determine what our Emergency Operating Plan would be for that day. Since it was my job to procure the energy for the glass factories, I was under intense pressure and had many problems and worries.

Naturally, I would tell my “tale of woe” to anyone who would listen. During one of the worst mornings of the crisis, I was in the men's room when a co-worker walked in. He was a happy-go-lucky eight-to-fiver who liked to tell stories, shoot the breeze and gossip. He asked me, "How you doing?" I started to unload on him about all my woes and worries. Well, he hurriedly washed his hands and bolted out the door ... he couldn't wait to get away from me.

It hit me like a ton of bricks that people really did not care or want to hear about your problems. From that day on, I have tried not to burden people with my worries and problems and found that the best approach when someone asks you, “How are you doing today?" is to simply grit your teeth and reply "I have bottomed out ... I’m on the way back ... I’m doing fine."

If You Can’t Say Anything Good, Don’t Say Anything At All

I think it was Will Rogers who said, “if you can’t say anything good about somebody, then don't say anything at all.” I wish I had said it because it is so true and expresses something that I am constantly trying to overcome. It is a continuous battle to not “go negative" about someone or something they said or did.

It doesn't serve any useful purpose for you to go negative, and it is hurtful and insensitive to do this. Instead, simply make positive comments or no comment at all.

I think it was in about 5 BC (Before Carole), when I was a “swinging bachelor,” that I had an embarrassing experience that stuck with me the rest of my life.

A cute girl that I always wanted to date finally broke up with the fellow she had been going with for a long time. I quickly seized on the opportunity and asked her out. Of course, while on the date she asked me what I thought of Mr. You-Know-Who. I was less than flattering in my opinion of him and didn’t hesitate to tell her what I thought. Of course, a short time later they got back together and I lost two friends. Lesson learned!

In no place is this lesson more true than in politics. You must be careful what you say about a colleague.

I could never be a politician … I am too inflexible. I discussed this one time with a close adviser to Speaker Newt Gingrich. I asked him how a politician could be so outspoken about someone’s position and later be all chummy with them. He told me that it was “not personal … just business.” You must be compromising because “today’s adversary could be tomorrow’s needed vote or supporter.”

If you observe most successful politicians, they will differ vehemently on the issues but are very careful not to attack personally.

So remember, "If you can’t say anything good, don't say anything at all."

The More You Practice, The Luckier You Get

One of the professional golfers on the tour said, ”The more you practice, the luckier you get" ... this is so true in any endeavor.

Many times you have heard it said when playing golf, “if that ball would've just been six inches more to the right it would have rolled up to the pin instead of dropping into the sand trap. Of course, the person who practices more gets what we would call the “lucky bounce” but it is really not luck. It is more than likely the constant recurring practice that people do.

You can be the smartest person but if you can’t sell your ideas you are not likely to get ahead.

I have always felt the Speech was one of the most important classes in college … Dale Carnegie is also a great way to learn the art of “public speaking.

For several years, a friend of mine paid for ten high school students to attend the Dale Carnegie Program. He is a very successful businessman and realized the value of public speaking and wanted to pass it on to others. What a nice way to help young people.

I had a reputation of being a good public speaker and people may have the opinion that I was just a “natural” … Far from it … I worked very hard at becoming a good speaker.

I would make a “detailed” outline of what I want to say and get it burned into my mind. Then I would stand in front of a mirror and practice, practice and practice … working on delivery, posture and gestures. For example, did you know:

if you are standing behind a podium and you step around to the side and rest your elbow on the podium you are signaling your closeness to the audience?
Don’t chew gum.
Don’t have car keys or jingling things in your pocket.
Don’t stand with your legs crossed.
Don’t point your finger at people.

These are just a few quick things I learned … There are many more. The important point is practice

Another great tip is to “role play.” I have mentioned that one of my first jobs was at Eddie Levine’s Men’s Store. When I would finish with my daily chores, Eddie would give me one-on-one sales training by role-playing with me. Some times he would be a nice customer … Sometimes he would be a difficult customer all the time showing me “the ropes” of Selling.


One of the executives of Brockway, Inc. was going to testify in front of a House Committee … He spent hours “role playing” … answering “hostle” and “friendly” questions he may be asked. It helped him prepare to answer questions in a high stress situation.

One person that continues to impress me with his public speaking is Newt Gingrich. He normally speaks “off the cuff” or with a few cryptic notes. My daughter, Anne, worked for him for over twelve years and as far as I know only once did he write a speech … the day he was sworn in as Speaker of the House. He is an amazing speaker … No pun intended.

A side story … Few people know that Newt is a speed-reader … The first afternoon that our daughter, Anne, was with him, he was traveling to some rallies in his District … During that time he read a book and 2 newspapers … He has written over 300 Book Reviews for Amazon.com … He is a prolific reader with great retention.

The day he was being sworn in as Speaker, He called up to Anne and asked her to call over to the Archives and have them look up a quote … He wanted to get it just right. It was from Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. He said, “It goes something like this … It is about 1/4 of the way into the book … About 2/3 of the way down a left hand page … The last sentence in the paragraph.”

Sure enough, they found it and Anne took it down to Newt. He was in the Ceremonial Room off the House Chamber … Newt was sitting their alone at Thomas Jefferson’s Desk.
Anne said it was “A Kodak Moment.”

I am sure you have heard the saying, “practice makes perfect." ... Well, we know there are such things as a lucky bounce but more often than not it is a result of many hours of repetitive practice. “The more you practice the luckier you get.

What Have We Learned in 2064 Years

What have we learned in 2,064 years? ... So here it is.

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed ... lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." -

Who said this? ... Cicero - 55 BC

So, what have we learned in 2,064 years ... evidently nothing.

So You Want to Get Into Management - The Bob Strong Story

I think most people that are working for a company have thoughts of climbing the company ladder and getting to the top. I know that I did!

I have always felt that no matter how good a job you do getting your first opportunity to move into management requires a little bit of luck .... somebody from the top needs to reach down and pull you up. This "sponsor" is someone already in management who is willing to take a chance on you.

My “sponsor” was Bob Strong. Bob ran the Data Processing Department at Brockway Glass and he was a very interesting and "good" person. I may have mentioned that in 1960 during my early career with Brockway Glass they decided to purchase their first computer, an IBM 1460 … It had a 4K [4,000 Bytes] Central Processing Unit [CPU] and filled a 20 X 40’ temperature controlled room … Today, I am setting at my Laptop on my office desk with a 2 gigabyte [2,000,000,000] CPU.

Prior to that they were using an IBM 407 Accounting Machine linked with a IBM 604 tabulator using punch cards. These machines programs were connected using wired boards. This is where the program was stored … The wires plugged into the boards at what looked like an old telephone switchboard. Remember the old days where they plugged in cords into the board in the right holes to connect two parties. This is how the programming was done.

When the company was ready to install this first computer they had no one to write programs in a language called SPS for the new 1460 computer. They gave an aptitude test throughout the company to see who had an aptitude for computer programming. I scored high on the test and along with four or five other people I was taught to program the computers starting with actual machine language (binary codes using one's and zeros. if it was a one there was power present. If there was a zero there was no power). After mastering actual machine language, I received training in SPS.

Since the company had no programmers I was borrowed from the Industrial Engineering Department for 5 months to design systems and write programs for the Data Processing Department. It changed my life forever!

During this time, I developed a powerful bond with Bob Strong which was to play a big role in my business career.

Bob Strong did not have a college degree and the new technology was starting to pass him by. After about 3 years he asked me to become his assistant. People said he was crazy that I was going to end up taking his job away from him. He would reply in his humble way, “If he doesn’t pass me by I am going to be really upset with him. Someday, I expect to be working for him.”

When I arrived for work, Bob had moved a second desk into his office and he took me under his “wing” … He included me in ALL meetings, asked my opinions and discussed all important decisions over with me before making up his mind.

It was such an exciting time … we would work day and night with each other … Bob teaching and my “sucking it all in.”

I have to divert for one story about Bob. In 1939, Bob was in the first Machine Records Unit that the United States Army ever had. Bob had been sent to England (he met his wife Joan there). In 1944, he was sent down to the southern coast of England along the White Cliffs of Dover. He didn't know what he was doing there but realized that it was "top secret". He had 3-40 foot trailers sitting in a “U” shape configuration. The bottom of the “U” trailer contained IBM Accounting Machines and Calculators … The other two trailers contained IBM punch card files that were empty. Within a few days he started to receive punch cards to process and then store in the cabinets. He soon realized that each card was a injured or killed person in the D-Day invasion … Within 3 days the card files were filled up … Somewhere around 50, 000 cards … Bob was sure we had lost the War.

It was stories like this that he could tell night and day.

I will always remember Bob Strong and the opportunity he gave me. The opportunity he gave me to move into “management” changed my life forever and gave me the start I needed to “climb the ladder of success.”

Life is a Contact Sport

Although it doesn’t seem fair, sometimes it is true that as you go through life, “it is who you know, not what you know.” Be that as it may, it does not minimize the importance of making and keeping good contacts.

It has been proven that over 80% of the people searching for a new job find that position through contacts they have made. It does not come from resumes, mailing letters, search firms or other means.

It is true that having contacts alone will not get you through life, but it does open doors for you that would otherwise be closed; and, many times it will put your name in front of someone that otherwise would not have encountered it.

I have found through the years that it is always important to keep a complete contact list.

I keep all of my contacts in an Organizer file that now has over 700 names, categorized in many different ways so I can search for the person or discipline that I am looking for.

Once a year I go through my contact list and “weed out” obsolete contacts. Surprisingly, when I finish this process, I still end up with about 700 names.

Home - Sweet - Home

Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their Sixth Super Bowl … The most of any NFL team.

It brings back so many fond memories and reminds me of how lucky my life has been in my younger years … There is no place like Home.

I grew up in a small town in Western Pennsylvania, DuBois; went to Penn State University; came back to work, down the road, at Brockway Glass Company for 28 years; met and married my wife, Carole, and raised our 6 kids there … It is a great place.

I feel we were so fortunite to spend all the early years of our lives in Western Pennsylania … DuBois and Brockway were home … I was 45 years old when we moved away to Atlanta, Georgia.

From this small town of 2,000 people, I traveled all over the United States, Canada, Cental and South America and Europe, working for Brockway Glass, a Fortune 300 Company … Brockway’s headquarters were there until the late 80’s. We would boost that Brockway was the largest Fortune 500 Company in the smallest town … We used to joke that Brockway employed 2700 people in a town of 2000. When I started in 1960, the company did $50 million a year in sales … by the late 70’s, I managed one of the plants in Brockway and we alone did $50 million in sales … By the time my career ended 28 years later, Brockway was doing One Billion in sales dollars.

It was such a great place to live, work and raise a family. Kids went to the park and stayed all day ... swimming and ball games … no one worried.

The whole town used the park a lot. It was a place to socialize and see friends and neighbors ... cause everyone was there sooner or later.

Where else could you spend every summer evening with your family and most of the rest of the town … Let the children walk the mile home after dark and not worry about them … no traffic lights and everyone knew everyone else Everyone helped keep their eye on each other's kids.

It was Paradise.

Speaking of Paradise, Brockway and DuBois are in Western Pennsylvania about 10 miles apart … DuBois is close to Punxsy [Punsxytawney – home of Punsxytawney Phil the famous weather pronosticating Groundhog.]

To get to Punsxy from DuBois you have to drive through …Paridise, Desire and Panic … hamlets made famous in Ripley’s “Believe it or Not.”

Sports were a “big deal” in Western Pennsylvania. Teams like the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins … High school rivaries were “live or die.”

Sports meant so much to the youth of Western PA. It meant being from a corner of the world unlike any other. It meant being from a place where the people are so tough minded that they have survived the Homestead strikes and the Johnstown flood. These people have the DNA of hard work in mills, glass plants and mines, without the necessity of complaint. They live simply, with few frills.

Western Pennsylvania is so tough, even the towels are "terrible".

They had simple traditions like kielbasa, Picnics and celebrations. They live in distinctive neighborhoods like “Polish Hill,” “The Flats,” “Denigal Hill,” “Swede Town,” “The East Side,” “The Bottoms,” and “The Hill District.”

The people are genuine. They didn’t have chic internet cafes and cappuccinos, but they do have The Original Hot Dog Joint, Primanti's, Eat n' Park, Nick’s, Baileys and “IC Lite” from Iron City Beer.

People from Western PA don't have sunny beaches or fancy boats, but the rivers roll gently, connecting the small towns of people whose histories have been built on strength and humility.

People from Western PA don't have the biggest shopping malls or the best nightclubs, but they'll take Friday night high school football, Penn State Football “White-Outs” and Steeler Sunday over anything.

Sports meant so much more than you think. It symbolizes a cherished past for generations who had the best childhood they could imagine. They ran free without a care or concern in the valleys of those Allegheny Mountains. Their blue-collar world was easy. There was no one to tell them that they lacked material things. There was no one to tell them that they needed more.

As the steel mills closed and the jobs disappeared, some of these people had to leave. While the world benefits because they spread their Western PA “wings.” they long for their home where things were simpler and more pure. They teach their kids about Jack Lambert, Bob Prince, Lynn Swann, Ralph Kiner, Terry Bradshaw,Willie stargall, Roberto Clamente, Franco Harris, Joe Paterno, Jack Ham, Rosey Rosewell, L.C. Greenwood, “Mean” Joe Greene, and Myron Cope in hopes of imparting not just the knowledge, but the feeling that they represented.

They are everywhere, those "Terrible Towels." They wave, not just for the team, but for the hearts they left behind. They wave in living rooms in Fort Lauderdale and in the bars and stadium of Washington , D.C.

Make no mistake that Steeler football is not just about football. I could not be prouder to be from the Pittsburgh area than I am right now!! Even if you no longer live in the area, you have Western Pennsylvania in your blood no matter where you go. And deep down in your heart of hearts, you can still hear the Super Bowls of times past, the excitement in everyone's voices especially our fathers, cousins, uncles, and anyone else who gathered around the TV on Steeler Sundays!

It is not just about rivalries and who is better than the other, it's about family, tradition and roots! It's more than football! If you now live in Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Indiana, Indiana, Florida, California, Maryland, Nevada, or Texas, be assured that Western PA will always be home.

Remember, you grew up in Western Pennsylvania if:

You didn't have a spring break in high school but you did have the first day of deer season off.
You walk carefully when it is "slippy" outside.
You often played down by the "crick".
You've told your children to "red up" their rooms.
You've gotten hurt by falling into a "jagger bush".
Your mother or grandmother has been seen wearing a "babushka" on her head.
You've "worshed" the clothes.
I ask you to hand me one of those "gum-bands" and you actually know what I'm talking about.
You know you can't drive too fast on the back roads, because of the deer.
You know Beaver Valley , Turtle Crick, Mars, Slippery Rock, Greentree, Mundorf, Roulette, Degus Cohonda, Paradise, Desire, Panic and New Castle are names of towns. And you've been too most, if not all, of them.
You see a girl walk up to three of her girl friends and say, "HEY, YUNZ GUYS"!
You hear "you guyses" and don't think twice. Example: "you guyses house is nice".
You know the Three Rivers by name and understand that "The Point" isn't just on a writing instrument.
Someone refers to "The Mon" or "The Yough" and you know exactly what they're talking about.
You remember not being able to go outside because the snow was over your head and you would have suffocated.
Someone starts the chant, "Here we go Steel-ers!" or “We Are … Penn State” and you join in the proper cadence, waving the appropriately colored towel or Pom, Pom.
Bob Prince and "there's a bug loose on the rug" or Rosie Rosewell saying, “Raise the window, Aunt Minnie” hold special meaning for you.
The “Terrible Towel” and “The Green Winnie” were real.
A “White Out” was what you wore to the Penn State football game not a “snow blizzard.”
You know what a “Babushkas” is.
You've either eaten a Farkleberry Tart or know someone who has. You drink “pop,” eat hoagies, love perogies, and one of your favorite sandwiches actually has coleslaw and French fries ON it.
You know what a "still mill" is.
You know what Eat 'N Park is and frequently ate breakfast there at 2:00 AM after the bar closed.
You order "dippy eggs" in a restaurant and get exactly what you wanted.
You went to the Heinz Plant or the Isaly's Plant with your Cub Scout Troop.
"Chipped ham" was always in your refrigerator when you were growin' up. You refuse to buy any condiments besides Heinz.
You know what the “Immaculate Reception” was.
When you call the dog or the kids you shout, "kum-mere" and they come.
Franco, Roberto, Mario and JoPa don't need last names and you can recite their exploits by heart.
We would “skip” down the sidewalk.
We would play “Mumblety-peg” or “Hopscotch” instead of Video games.
Food at a wedding reception consisted of rigatoni, stuffed cabbage, sauerkraut and Polish kielbasa.
Beer at a wedding reception consisted of 7 oz. Stoney's, Fort Pitt, Iron City, Rolling Rock, Duquesne “Duke,” Straub, DuBois Export or DuBois Budweiser ...
You know that a "butt" is a very close friend ...
If you didn’t know how to Polka or Obedic, you couldn’t dance.
You "did" dishes.
Referring to a door ... could mean a drawer.
Giving the time was simple, like "its something to" or "its something after"
You knew where the "trap house" was.
Your first swearing was calling a sibling "poopy face"
You wore shoes in the summer … only to church.
You stole farmer’s corn for a "Corn Roast" … even though it was boiled.
You would see how far you could "skate" on the icey spots on your way to school.
Home made Italian Wine, "Dago Red," was common with meals.
Beer was bought at a distributor's house and liquor at a State Store only.
You knew how to make a slingshot...and could nail a bird within 100 feet.
Home made bread was all you ate and pitsafritz was bread cooked in oil.
As soon as you got back home you would go get some HOT “Zappas” Bread.
You predated pizza with homemade bread, with sliced tomatoes (from the garden) olive oil and garlic.
You know what a “bon fire” was before the big game.
You went under the Toby Crick Bridge to hang out.
You had an account at Franco's, Augie’s, Danny’s or Murones.
You knew where Riley Town was and also Red Peak.
You knew where the " hot end" was at the glass plant.
You called Rigatoni "sewer pipes"
· You knew of people like: Bubbles, Babe, Toad, Pets, Peanuts, Gamba, Boom-Boom, the Tino, Gino and Fino brothers, Scats, Pepe, Joe the watchman, Float Work, Captain “Nemo,” Big and Little Chew, Ceech, Skinny, George Felt, Teat, Mouse, Joe Guts, Augi, Twila, Smoky, Wimpy, Geo Moody, Rosie Rosewell, Aunt Minnie, Chick Grecco, and Dr Kilgus.
You listened to "the Polka Party" on Sunday, after mass, before you had your weekly spaghetti.
You made a "U" turn on Main Street at Humphrey’s furniture.
You had a feast and played cards all night after Midnight Mass.
The pizza from Chick's was made by Mrs. Grecco and it was a thin pastry-like crust with a sweet sauce on it and you could keep eating it until you were sick … unusual and wonderful!!!
What about Bailey's hotdogs … Ever taste anything else like those … I'll take one with "Everything" oh, make it at least two
People put things in a 'poke' [not a bag]
We dusted the 'mopboards' .
We put clothes in a 'clothes press'
A banana was 'yella' not yellow.

Of course, I knew all of these wonderful things and experienced them with my “family.”

In 1984, I moved my family away from Brockway to the “Big City” of Atlanta, Georgia.

I jokedly told people that it was time to “move on” when they put the first traffic light in Brockway and did away with the “turn-around” at the end of town on Main Street.

We had a good 14 years in Atlanta … Eventually, all 6 children lived there for a period of time.

But, soon the family started to branch out and move away from Georgia. We had a good “run” there.

If you ask anyone in my family where is home, I am confident they will say, “Western Pennsylvania … A little town you never heard of called DuBois or Brockway is my home.”
How fortunite we were … Home-Sweet-Home.

Never Give a Price Range

How many times in the art of negotiating does a person give a price range or a price maximum that they are willing to pay. You know the routine, I will not pay a penny over $20,000 or I will pay you $40-$45,000.

When you do this you are immediately sending a signal to the other party. For example, if you say, "I will not pay over $20,000" or "I only have $20,000 to spend" for this item you have immediately told the other party that you, in fact, will pay up to $20,000 for that article. Now the other party has a significant advantage over you since you have told him that you will pay $20,000. You have to make the choice at that point between paying $20,000 or walking away because you have already tipped your hand and lost all your negotiating power.

The same thing holds true when you give a price range. Let's say you want to buy a new car and you tell the seller that you will pay $40-$45000 for the car. You are thinking low … that he will sell the car for $40,000 and the seller is thinking high … You will pay $45,000 for the car. You have tipped your hand because you gave him a price range. He now knows that you will pay $45,000 for the car. Again you have lost your power of negotiating.

Don't ever tip your hand and give a price range or give a maximum price when you are buying or selling any kind of item.

Many people don't like to negotiate ... especially in the United States. Negotiating is very much a way of life in most other countries.

Negotiating can be a lot of fun and save you a lot of money but you have to be very careful how you go about doing it.

The Sportcoat - Sales Training

In 1954, my first job was working for Eddie Levine in Levine Bros. Clothing Store in DuBois, Pennsylvania. Eddie and his other brothers had all followed their father in the clothing business … Each located in different towns in central Pennsylvania … Altoona, Tyrone, DuBois and State College.

I worked for Eddie all the way through High School and college and worked for his brother, Charlie, at his store in State College while I was at Penn State.

I started working for Eddie for $.50 an hour but worked my way up to $.85 per hour. I did all the usual things like washing the windows, dusting and straighting up the stock and taking inventory.

When I would finish with my daily chores, Eddie would give me one-on-one sales training by role-playing with me. Some times he would be a nice customer … Sometimes he would be a dificuilt customer all the time showing me “the ropes” of Selling.

Things like:
· Suggestive selling
· How to manage around the cash register
· Wrapping
· Packaging and mailing
· Always price check the tags before quoting a price
· Never stand in the front of the store
· Don’t rush a customer … Let them brouse a little before approaching them.

Eddie built his business on honesty, standing by his quality … His word was his mantra.

Usually Eddie would handle the sale of the big items like suits [$85 with 2 pair of pants] and sportcoats [$32.50 and $27.50] … If he was busy with another customer, I was his backup.

One side point … All of this was before computers or modern cash registers … On the price tag was 2 five letter words, such as “black horse” where each letter stood for a digit from 0 to 9 … A code which told the sales person what the cost of the item was … This was the common way to control inventory, cost and selling price. Eddie was a smart business man and would check the small window to see what his sales were … He knew his break even “nut” everyday.

One day I was backup and a lady came in to buy a sportcoat for her husband. I showed her some sportcoats in both prices … she couldn’t make up her mind. Finally, She picked one and asked how much it was. I told her it was $27.50 and she decided to take it.

When I took it up to the register, I took off the tag which was standard procedure for inventory control.

I realized I had miss quoted and told her the sportcoat was $32.50 … She said, “I thought you said it was $27.50.” Oh, Oh … Eddie was standing by the register and said to me, “Did you quote the lady $27.50?” I told him yes … He said, “Then that is what you sell it to her for.”

Of couse, after she left, I received another lesson from “Eddie” … Your Word is your bond … If you don’t stand behind your product and your honesty the customer will be a one-time customer and “Eddie” wanted “repeat and loyal customers.”

We remained in contact for over 50 years … Eddie Levine passed away in 2009 … He will be missed!

Good in Every Bad - THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

I have always believed that no matter how bad a situation is you can always look and find a bright spot in it. Read the following account of an event that happened to me and I think you will agree “There is Good in Every Bad.”

During 1969 and 1970, I was working for Brockway Glass Company as the Director of Training. My job was to travel to each of the 13 factories throughout the United States each month and teach Management Principles to Front-line Supervisors. It was a hectic schedule that required me to spend a couple days a month in each of the 13 factories. I was only home about three days per month, including weekends, which was about enough time to pick up clean laundry.

My schedule took me across the country … from Freehold, New Jersey to Oakland, California, with many stops along the way. Then I would start the cycle all over again. This program went on for about 15 or 16 months.

I didn’t mind the schedule since I was a 31-year-old bachelor with a 1967 Corvette Stingray, living in my parent’s home in a basement apartment in DuBois, Pennsylvania. I was on a full expense account and I pretty much banked my entire paycheck. I was like the drunken sailor who had a girl in every port. Life was good and I was enjoying it.

On my scheduled travels to Oakland, CA., I would stay with friends who I had known since 1960. I found out that on one of their relocations through Brockway, they had purchased a house owned by a dentist and his wife. I didn’t know them but remember them telling the tragic story that the dentist had leukemia and was not expected to live.

Prior to my starting the Management Training Program, the dentist passed away. I remember riding to work and looking at the house they were building on top of Mt. Vista. My friends told me the sad story. She was widowed in an unfinished home with four small
children under the age of nine. Everyone told me the house was pretty well finished except for hanging a few light fixtures and mounting some switch plates. As I was to find out later, this was far from the truth.

Since I was considered to be an eligible bachelor around Brockway, people were always trying “to fix me up.” My California friends were no different. When I would visit them in Oakland they would tell me about the “Widow on the Hill” and suggested I take her out on a date. They thought that she was a very nice girl and we would hit it off. I told them I would take her out but was privately thinking, “Why do I want to take out a widow with four children in an unfinished house?” Unbeknownst to me, my friends had been writing to the widow and telling her all about me.

In fact, I had no intention of taking her out.

In March of 1970, I was making my last swing through California and told my mother, father and sister, Kris, that I would take them along and we would have a family vacation in California. None of my family had ever been to California. While we were in Oakland, my mother, father, Kris and I stayed with my friends and they would bend my mother’s ear and tell her about the sad situation of the dentist and his wife, Carole.

It was in California that we first noticed my father was having health problems. As we were walking up to Coit Tower in San Francisco, he experienced shortness of breath and we had to stop several times for him to rest. Later, I was so thankful we had taken the California vacation since we had such a good time and it was to be the last time we were together as a family.

A short time after we returned home to DuBois, PA. my father experienced chest pains and shortness of breath. He went into the hospital and while there suffered a massive heart attack that destroyed a major portion of his heart. They moved him into Intensive Care so they could keep a better eye on him. He was very critical for several days.

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THERE IS GOOD IN EVERY BAD. JAC BEIGHEY’S ILLINESS WAS TO DRAMATICALLY AND SIGNIFICENTLY CHANGE MY LIFE FOREVER.

I would sit in the Intensive Care Waiting Room for hours every day watching my father. My mother was always there too. We were only allowed into ICU for five minutes every hour, so it was very difficult to get information on how my father was doing.

THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE came while I was sitting in the waiting room. I noticed a cute nurse who was working in ICU. My testosterone started to kick in. She looked so adorable in her nursing uniform … A cute smile with her tongue rolled up in the corner. I thought, “I have got to find out who that is.” I got close enough to see her name tag … Carole Lanzoni. I thought, “Oh my God, that’s the girl I was supposed to be taking out all this time.” I was pretty embarrassed and went into hiding.

Whenever the ICU nurses would go on a break, my mother would follow them into the coffee shop and pump them for information about my father’s condition. I found out later that on one occasion, my mother followed Carole into the coffee shop and started a conversation with her. During the conversation, Carole mentioned about her husband, a dentist, dying of leukemia in Brockway. My mother remembered the story from the visit to Oakland, California and said, “Do you have friends in Oakland, California?”

I was sitting in the waiting room reading a book when suddenly my mother appeared with Carole Lanzoni and said, “You have mutual friends in Oakland, California.” I was very embarrassed. I hid it the best that I could.

From that moment on, I saw or talked to Carole Lanzoni almost every single day. We were married eight months later.

Fortunately, my father lived long enough to see us get married and to meet Carole, Skip, Susie, Tom and Tim. I always felt sad that he never got to see or know our two youngest children, Elizabeth and Anne.

WHAT STARTED OUT AS A SAD TIME IN MY LIFE HAD A HAPPY ENDING! I MARRIED THE GIRL OF MY DREAMS WHO HAS BEEN A GREAT AND SUPPORTIVE WIFE AND MOTHER FOR OVER 35 YEARS.

YES, THERE IS GOOD IN EVERY BAD.

Right Place, Right Time

I know I have said several times in these books that luck can play an important part in your life. Rest assured that luck is one factor and one factor alone but there are many other factors that are important to your success in life.

Probably the best job I had in my young business career was as the Director of Techinal Assistance for Brockway Glass … It was the position I held for the longest time in my career … and I got it because I was in the right place at the right time.

I had a position as the Director of Training for Brockway and I taught Management Principles to Manufacturing Supervisors in all 13 Brockway Plants in the United States. I visited every plant every month for a year … I was only home 3 days per month including weekends. I didn’t mind as I was single then and enjoyed the traveling and meeting all the new people.

Each month when I returned to Brockway I would meet with the Director of Personnel and brief him on what I saw in my travels to the plants.

During one such meeting, in the last month of my worldwind training program, he took a call from the Chairman and CEO of the company … I was only hearing one side of the call but later he reconstructed the conversation for me.

Brockway had superior glass-making techonology than any other companies in the world and wanted to take advantage of this by selling technology to other glass companies in other countries … since glass weighs too much to have any importing or exporting it was a good business fit.

The International Techinal Services Department was a one-man show and that one person had major health problems and was not expected to return for a long time, if ever.

It was the company’s intention to grow this business segment since it had the potential to be a very profitable business segment for the company.

Because I had moved around in the company more than most people and had worked in Industrial Engineering, Training and Management Information Systems [MIS], I probably knew more people in the company than any one else.

The CEO was looking for a person that had a technical background, personable, could sell the company and knew where to go in the company to get the help he needed … He had to be ready to move into the position NOW.

The Director of Personnell was sitting behind his desk looking at me and said “I have someone in mind let me get right back to you.”

Within a week I was in my new job. I grew the Division into a very profitable business with 10 employees.

I had the qualifications and was a good pick for the job but would he have thought of me if I hadn’t been in the right place at the right time?

Never Give Up

Sometimes in life when you are down and out you get the urge to just give up. Never give up.

I remember a story that happened when I was coaching a baseball team of young men 13 to 15. At that age, peer pressure can be great and can literally destroy a person’s self-confidence.

I had a nice, young fellow named Eddie that was playing for me. He was not a very good hitter. The other kids his age would be hanging around the fence and riding him as well as a lot of other players. They had an informal club that when somebody struck out three times they would yell that they belonged to the KKK … The KKK Club and they would yell it for everybody to hear. A K is the baseball symbol for a strike out.

In one particular game we were playing a team that was a big competitor of ours and it was a very important and close game. Three times during the game Eddie came to bat with runners in scoring position. Each time he struck out and the young men in the stands were yelling at him that he was in the KKK club. Eddie was sitting in the dugout crying. His self-confidence was destroyed and the other boys had reduced him to tears.

I took Eddie aside in the dugout and explained to him that many, many times in life you are going to run into situations where things just seem insurmountable … It seems you can’t do anything right and you just want to give up. I told him not to give up, that life has a way of redeeming itself and that Eddie would find a way to come back and earn everybody's respect and restore his self-confidence. I told him that it might not be that day or that week but if he had confidence in himself and didn't give up eventually he would make a comeback.

Late in the game the score was tied and we again had runners in scoring position. One of the best pitchers in the league was pitching for the other team. As fate would have it, who came to bat but Eddie. I reminded him of our little talk and told him that he could do it … Just watch the ball and have confidence that he could hit it.

Well you can imagine what happened. Eddie got a hit to right field scoring two runners and we won the game. Eddie was a big hero. He went from being a bum in the KKK club to being a hero in the eyes of his peers.

Don't ever give up no matter how bad things seen or how down you are. Remember to have confidence in yourself and always strive to do better.

Never give up!

Make Something Happen - PSU Baseball Story

I believe that I had mentioned before, that I played baseball for Penn State University. It was one of the happiest times in my life. I had many baseball assets in my youth, including speed, and a very strong right arm, which really helped me along in my career.

There's an old joke in baseball that says, “I'll be home tomorrow mom, they started throwing curve balls today.” I was a very good defensive player, but was what you would call a “streak” hitter. Sometimes, I would hit everything in sight and other times. I would be in a hitting slump.

When I was a college junior, I went into one of those slumps. I was a right-handed hitting first baseman, and the coach started to alternate me with a left-handed hitting first baseman. I played against left-handed pitchers, and he played against right-handed pitchers.

During my junior year, we played in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. It was one of the high points of my life, and I will always remember it. We finished third in the nation and lost to the National Champions, Oklahoma State, twice in a double elimination tournament. I played in several games but was still being platooned, playing only against left-handed pitchers.

In my senior year, I was still being platooned at first base, but early in the season started hitting everything in sight. Since I was a very good defensive player and could play many positions, I wanted to play somewhere, but still had to alternate playing first base.

I thought to myself that this was not the way to end my college career and that I needed to make something happen. The centerfielder was in a very bad hitting slump, and I thought to myself, now is the time.

When we were on road trips, we would stop to eat and the coach, Joe Bedenk, would quickly eat and then head back out to the bus, where he would sit in his usual front-row seat. The rest of the team would still be in the restaurant eating.

We were traveling to play Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and I decided that it was time to make my move. I skipped eating and hurriedly went back out to the bus. I went up to the coach and said to him. "If you want to get that job done in Centerfield, I'm the guy that can do it." He just looked at me and didn't say a word.

I figured that he would think about it and that one of two things would happen. He would just dismiss my idea, and nothing would happen or he would give me a chance, after I had practiced in the new position for a while.

Our coach was famous for calling people by different names. Our second baseman name was Larry Fegley, and I was the first baseman Larry Beighey, so we both were forever known as “Larry Begley.”

Imagine my total surprise, when before the game started the coach yelled "Begley, get out in Centerfield and shag some flies." I played Centerfield that day and played every game the rest of that season … Hitting over .325 and never sitting on the bench again.

Sometimes in life you just have to take advantage of an opportunity to make something happen. You can't just sit back and wait for it to happen, because many times it never will. You have to make it happen.

What is the main ingredient of WD-40 ?


Before you read to the end, does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is?

Don't lie and don't cheat.

WD-40.

I heard about someone who bought a new pickup. Someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). Someone told him to get WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40'. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound.. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you... When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top ... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been.

You'll be amazed.

WD-40 uses:


1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terracotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.
Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises..
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open..
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37.. Florida’s favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York, WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, satur ate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

A Clean Desktop - Under Worked or Overpaid?

When I was starting my business career, I was very organized since my education was as an industrial engineer. My desk was always very neat and organized when I left work at the end of the business day.

One day, an old-timer who had been around my company for many years told me “a clean desktop means you are under worked or overpaid.” To me, it was an unintelligent remark that is contrary to my education and my thinking.

I have always felt that everything should be well organized and in its proper place.

Throughout my business life, I have used a simple organizational system. I have a few files to keep myself organized. My system utilizes files named IN, OUT, FILE and ATTENTION. When mail came in I would put it in the IN file until I had a chance to go through it. Following the timesaving tip of only touching mail once, I would decide what to do with it the first time I went through it. I would mark on it what action or routing to take and label it appropriately OUT, FILE or ATTENTION. OUT to send it on its way. FILE if I wanted to keep it under my filing system … I always kept an outline of my file folders to refer to and determine where I wanted to file it. My ATTENTION file was an alphabetical accordion folder where I would file things that I had to take action on later. To this day,
I still use this same system.

So, using the principle "Only touch it once," As I go thru my mail I immediately put it into the OUT or DESTROY, ATTENTION or FILE. Since I live in two different locations - Hubbard Lake and Amelia Island, I put everything that I want to file into two File Folders - FILE - MIGHTY OAKS and FILE - SPYGLASS. I write a name at the top indicating the sub-file I want to file it in.

Our daughter, Anne Beighey Woodbury, worked for Newt Gingrich for over 12 years ... From before, during and after he was Speaker of the House ... During his tenure as The Speaker, Anne was his Executive Assistant. During that period, My wife, Carole and I became good friends with Newt.

It was common for aides to "ghost write" for The Speaker. The Speaker choose to "tear" up the prepared document and wrote the introduction himself.

One of the Drops in this book is “Ask a Busy Person.” It says: “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person. A busy person always seems to find time to add something else to their list of things to do.” Of course, this busy person is Newt Gingrich. (http://www.newt.org/)

I know he is a fully involved and busy person … but that is just the person who would take time out of his demanding schedule to write such a moving and sincere Forward.

It is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank Newt for the thoughtful Forward to A Drop in the Bucket.

I am including Newt's forward here in it's final form.

FORWARD
By
NEWT GINGRICH

I am honored to write an introduction for Larry Beighey’s book because he literally changed my life in two very important ways.

First, through his daughter, Anne, he gave me an extraordinary associate who made my work much more effective and enjoyable as House Republican Whip, Speaker of the House, and then as a businessman and civic leader after leaving the House. The values, intensity, enthusiasm, and determination Anne brings to life are a great tribute to both her mom and dad. Their values and their commitment to life are reflected in their daughter’s career.

Second, when I entered the private sector in 1999, I visited with Larry to learn his secrets as an entrepreneur. One key lesson he taught me was “never be afraid to ask too much or offer too little.” Free enterprise is a process of getting to a mutually acceptable agreement in which both parties feel they are better off because they were able to accomplish something they could not
get done on their own.

Larry emphasized that in negotiating you were supposed to represent your own interests. If you had offered too little you could always raise the offer when it was rejected. If you had asked for too much you could always lower the price as the conversation continued.

Larry insisted that if you offered too much the other person would of course accept it but you might have paid much more than you needed to. If you asked for too little the other side would of course accept it but then you would have received much less than you might have.

I found this process of pleasantly and firmly representing your own interests inside your own head fascinating. Larry asserted that most people lacked the nerve to calmly represent themselves and tended to almost automatically offer too much or ask for too little. They wanted to be pleasant and to be accepted more than they wanted the best deal.

Larry’s insights will help you learn a lot more about being an effective entrepreneur and a profitable businessman or woman. More importantly, Larry’s stories and the principles they illustrate will help you live a better life and be a better person. Larry understands full well that life is about much more than simply making money.

Larry has lived a life devoted to his family, his community, and to Penn State. One of the happiest events we had when I was Speaker was when Coaches Joe Paterno and Lou Holtz came to speak for me at a Georgia Fundraiser. Larry is a devoted Penn State fan and was excited to be asked to introduce Joe Paterno to the 500 people present. He and Coach Paterno had a great time together. I could see the joy Larry got from his long relationship with his alma mater. It was one more mark of the enthusiastic and complete person he is.

This book will teach you lessons about business but more importantly it will teach you lessons about life.

When you are done you will feel you have made a new friend and his name is Larry.

Newt Gingrich,
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1995-1998
Founder, The Center for Health Transformation

I am posting some chapters from my first book, A Drop in the Bucket, on my Blog so that people can read them. I wrote the book to leave something behind ... Not to make money or to be famous. I am about half-way through the draft of my 2nd book, More Drops in the Bucket ... From time to time, I will post a "Drop" from the second book onto the Blog ... I would love to receive comments back from others ... I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Introduction to A Drop in the Bucket

My business career was like a roller coaster. There were many ups and downs, from being President of a large corporation … to losing my job when the company was sold … to buying a troubled plastic bucket company and turning it into a successful, lucrative business.

During all of this and the day-to-day life of raising six children with my wife, Carole, I relied on my beliefs, feelings and judgments to guide me along the way.

I started to accumulate my thoughts and sayings early on in my business career – I always had the notion it was succinct and clever to put some of life’s messages in the form of a saying or phrase.

I never thought about how many phrases I had accumulated, but recently when I started to write them down, I found I had close to 100.

As far as I know, each insight is a product of my own thinking, my own words and my own experiences. In the case where someone gave a thought to me, I have given them the credit.

Bottles and buckets played an important part in my life - thus the name, A Drop in the Bucket. Each of these “Drops” played a significant role in my personal, business, family and social life.

The book is not meant to be read at one sitting; rather, it is a book that you can pick up and read one or several Drops … returning at some later time to read more.

I hope you find “A Drop in the Bucket” useful and that one of these “Drops” will strike a chord and benefit you in some way.

Larry Beighey
LJBeighey@aol.comNovember, 2005