BRAIN EXERCISES

My friend Marilyn Scher emailed this test to me because she felt I would enjoy taking it. She was right. I usually dismiss random tests because I feel they are bogus. This one may be too, but I felt very satisfied with my good results.

All too often I worry about the onset of dementia. Too many coincidences.

1. I can’t find my iPhone.
2. I don’t remember sending out an email.
3. I take an elevator ride and don’t remember getting in and out.
4. I buy clothes, hang them in my closet, and forget to wear them.
5. I read a book for a month and then I can’t remember the name of the main character.

So I said what the heck, I’ll take the test. Go ahead, make yourself feel good.

If you can read this OUT LOUD, you have a strong mind. And better than that: Alzheimer’s is a long, long way down the road before it ever gets anywhere near you.

If you can read the following paragraph, you have a very good mind. This is weird, but interesting!

7H15 M3554G3
53RV35 7O PR0V3
H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N
D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5!
1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5!
1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG
17 WA5 H4RD BU7
N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3
Y0UR M1ND 1S
R34D1NG 17
4U70M471C4LLY%
W17H 0U7 3V3N
7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17,
B3 PROUD! 0NLY
C3R741N P30PL3 C4N
R3AD 7H15.
PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F
U C4N R34D 7H15.

If you can read this, you are one of the 55 people out of 100 who can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseaethe huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

The Eye Test

Can you find the two Bs?
(DON’T skip, or your wishes won’t come true…)

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Once you’ve found the B’s, find the 1…

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1III
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Once you’ve found the 1, find the 6…

999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999969999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

Once you’ve found the 6, find the N… (It’s hard!!)

MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM

Once you’ve found the N, find the Q…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Here is to many more years of working our brains!!!

You Need a Good Laugh

Many people believe that laughter is the best medicine. Even doctors will tell you it cures many woes. I guess that’s why people go to comedy clubs. They are an escape. Caroline Hirsch, owner of the legendary Caroline’s Comedy Club on Broadway in NYC, once told me she feels blessed to be in the business she is in because her place serves as a refuge from the real world. “We do well in both bad and good times,” she said. “Our customers are all about making their own fun away from their everyday grind.”

The world of apps now makes it possible for those who want to laugh to have alternatives outside the confines of a club. People want to hear jokes 24/7.

Comedy Central has come to the rescue. Earlier today, the TV channel launched a new app called CC: Stand-Up that contains the equivalent of 10 million comedy routines. Comedy Central says they have more than 6,000 videos from about 700 comedians.

The app has a special algorithm called Discover Mode that connects fans to five other comics that are similar to whichever one they were watching, a great way to discover new talent from comedians who have worked together before or who share similar material. Specially curated material can be found in Feature Mode which has “best of” one-liners, dark humor, and lots of other categories.

It is going to be very interesting to see how many folks download this free app. Who is going to have the last laugh?

Suicide, The Saddest Word in the Dictionary

Ataia and Savion Gabriel

Like everyone else reading this blog, I have had some pretty dark days in my life. I have suffered severe public humiliation, death of people whom I loved dearly, more than one embarrassing relationship rejection, huge business disappointments, and major financial challenges. Yet the thought of suicide has never entered my thoughts. I am too afraid of death.

I cannot pretend to know why people attempt or commit suicide. They must have experienced a deeper sense of loss than I have ever faced. None of us can escape it. Sooner or later, many of us will be hit with a hopeless situation.

I hadn’t wanted to want to write about this topic, but I just learned that Paris Jackson reportedly overdosed the other day and signs point to an attempted suicide. She leads a very public life with challenges none of us can understand.

However, you can relate to the misery my friend Sandra Gabriel is going through now. Her son, Savion, committed suicide about three months ago. I first read about it on a Facebook post that Sandra wrote. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Countless people wrote back to her immediately expressing their condolences and appreciation for all of the joy she has brought to them. Sandra is a TV producer (Regis and Kathie Lee, The Joan Rivers Show and others).

Her greatest loves are her children. She is now totally devastated. You can search forever for a reason, but there will be no justification. Sandra is no different than you or me. She was completely devoted to her family and a very positive person.

In that vein, Sandra can’t just sit there and do nothing. She started an email campaign. Hence, this blog post. I want you to join her efforts to support The Savion Gabriel Foundation.

Please read her email to hundreds of others. And please forward this post to get others to join in too.

Support The Savion Gabriel Foundation.

Dear Lois,

How are you? I hope this letter finds you and all in your family well and in good spirit.

Did you hear the news about my 22-year old son, Savion?

It’s hard to believe it has been two months and the pain of Savion’s passing continues to be difficult, but carry on we MUST as we have much to do to bring the Silence of Suicide Out of the Darkness and into the Light… http://tinyurl.com/RIPSavion1

Our biggest question remains:

WHY DID SUCH A WONDERFUL 22-YEAR OLD PUT A GUN TO HIS HEAD?

Unfortunately, we will never know.

We do know that we all did our very best and must never go to a place of guilt or regret. No one did this to Savion, but Savion.

That does not make our sorrow and pain any easier. We do know certain facts and we know we must reach out and help others to know these facts so that if we recognize the signs, maybe we can help prevent others?

So if you, or anyone you know, was touched by Savion, or by suicide specifically, please make an offering on his website:

http://www.SavionGabriel.com

We ask for a $5.00 minimum online to help cover the cost of online processing. Or, you can send a check to: Savion Gabriel Foundation, 9 Music Sq. South #375, Nashville, TN 37203. Whatever you can do is so appreciated as we have much to do and we thank you!

We continue to learn and share that Suicide is Preventable.

We have listed some of the symptoms to watch out for on Savion’s website, plus the 800 number to call if you, or someone you know, need help.

Please remember to talk openly about suicide and share this with your family and pay it forward…for the benefit of Savion and others.

Ataia and I thank you for your prayers and support.

With abundant gratitude, love and blessings,

Sandra and Ataia Gabriel

The Last Step in Being Upwardly Mobile

I dream of the day that I will be taking a trip around the world and perhaps not coming back to New York or Miami for months, maybe a year. I am not planning to retire but I would like to know what it’s like to be free of the same scenery every day for a very long period of time. The Internet has given me the freedom to be anywhere on Earth as long as it has WiFi.

I can conduct my business with clients, the press, employees, associates, and strategic partners by email, text, Skype, Twitter, and Facebook. No one (young or old) wants to talk on the telephone anymore unless it’s absolutely necessary. They want to avoid long-winded conversations or my silly jokes. All kidding aside, it’s not just me. People in business are just so busy multitasking that they have little time to converse. While some of you may regret the lost art of conversation on the landline, you have to admit that much of it was repetitive or one-sided.

The one thing holding us back, believe it or not, was the mail. One of Eliot’s daily passions is to get the mail. He reminds me so much of my grandparents who would park themselves on folding chairs outside their apartment building in Brooklyn waiting for the mail everyday. The mailman was almost a family member. Eliot waits for client checks, his favorite magazines, book deliveries, bills, online purchases — the list got longer and longer.

We finally put a stop to all the insanity that had us tied down. We transferred all our mail to a nearby UPS store that offers all kinds of services including sending our mail to us anywhere in the world. Many folks we know caught on to this service years ago out of necessity, but even they say the service options keep getting better and better. Many options are totally free.

When I went with Eliot to sign all the papers that would authorize me as a co-owner of our mailbox, I noticed that a lot of the people who were dropping by the UPS store were not homeless bums without a mailbox. Rather they were upscale neighborhood residents living in multi-million dollar townhouses who don’t want the daily intrusion of mailmen, or traveling business people who prefer not to have letters and packages stacked up in their lobbies.

Both UPS and Fedex have some of the same services and exclusive added bonuses. Click on the links below to see the actual differences, but here is a list of major advantages:

1. Email alerts letting you know when there are package and letter deliveries.
2. Mail storage and will call.
3. Mail forwarding both local and out-of-town.
4. Both website and app tracking.
5. Package tracking so you know where your packages are all the time.

All I have to say is, If my grandparents could only see me now!

You can compare the UPS and Fed Ex mailbox options on CNET.

QR Codes to Save Lives

Every time I get into my car I think about whether I should lock the doors. I don’t like the idea of getting into an accident and no one will be able to pull me out because the doors are locked. Then I worry about leaving my doors unlocked and having someone open one and jump in. That happened to me once.

I was driving my brother’s Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible uptown through the tunnel on Park Avenue when all of a sudden an inebriated suit opened the passenger door when I stopped at the red light. He sat right down and asked where we were going. I saw my whole life flash in front of me. I don’t remember what I said but before the light turned green he left.

I can remember the panic and shock as if it were yesterday. I often think about it. Apparently, the topic of auto entry is on the minds of a lot of people. Car companies are thinking more about getting into our automobiles too, especially when we are trapped inside of them. Mercedes-Benz just announced that they are placing QR codes on the fuel doors and the roofs of their new cars so that emergency responders can quickly get access.

According to the developer of this welcome solution, Mercedes said in a recent press call that the QR codes will link to a copy of the car’s schematics so that responders will know exactly where the tanks, batteries, and electrical wiring is located. The schematics, called ‘rescue sheets,’ will allow anyone with a smartphone or a tablet with a QR app to direct emergency personnel to a website with the specific rescue sheet they need to reference. Mercedes chose these two spots on the car to put the stickers because it seldom occurs that both these parts are badly damaged in the same accident, and they are furthermore easily accessible from the outside.

In a surprising move, Mercedes said QR codes can also be retrofitted for existing cars. The automaker is also waiving its right to patent this idea so that other car companies can implement this sort of technology.

Locking Eyeballs

I have always been suspicious of people who don’t look me in the eye during a conversation. This has been going on forever. Sometimes it has irked me so much I’ve actually asked the person to look my way. Most obliged, but after a few minutes they’d go back to their usual habit of focusing on something over my head.

Today, I discovered that eye contact is becoming less frequent for many people at work and in social settings. Thanks to mobile devices, a growing number of folks are losing their emotional connection with family members as well as casual acquaintances. I don’t know about everyone else, but I can’t keep going around forcing people to look at me.

Sue Shellenbarger, who writes Work and Family for the Wall Street Journal, recently wrote that when she was having a conversation with someone, suddenly his eyes would drop to the smartphone. She feels this is happening more than ever. Quantified Impressions, a communications analytics company, reported that adults make eye contact between 30% and 60% of the time in an average conversation. They should be making eye contact 60% to 70% of the time to create a sense of emotional connection.

Shellenbarger points out that it has almost become culturally acceptable to answer that phone at dinner, or to glance down to check your emails. A study from Computers in Human Behavior claims that many people have FOMO, or “fear of missing out” on social opportunities.

A 2009 research review in Image and Vision Computing showed that, compared with others, people who are high-status tend to look longer at people they’re talking to.

For those folks who are shy, insecure, or have just gotten into bad cell phone habits, Shellenbarger’s column recommends holding eye contact for seven to ten seconds in a one-on-one conversation, and for three to five seconds in a group setting.

It’s so difficult for me to believe I’m writing about this subject because I love to have eye contact with people. I remember the segments with Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm  when he gets very close to friends so he can examine their eyes to see if they are telling the truth. I relate to that. Eyes convey information that words do not. I check my mobile email many times during the day, but would never think of looking away long enough to miss that almighty expression.

NY Times Enters the Sponsored News Business

Many people over 50 remember the affectionate nickname for The New York Times, “The Grey Lady.” The world’s most important newspaper got that name because in its 161-year-old history there has always been a higher than usual percentage of text compared to graphics. That has always been The New York Times way.

Now the unthinkable has happened. I can barely utter the words. I never thought I would live to see the day, but it has arrived. Our beloved bible for breaking news stories is considering publishing advertiser-sponsored stories on its website.

That means the average reader will not be able to tell the difference between a real story and a fake one. The Times says it will clearly mark the advertising-sponsored stories, but there is no guarantee that the public will comprehend the difference. Friends close to the company say desperate times call for desperate measures. The Times has suffered declining revenues for ten straight quarters in a row and has to do something fast to reverse its misfortune.

The New York Times reported that its annual advertising revenue has fallen almost in half, to $711.8 million last year from $1.27 billion in 2006. The recession, coupled with the proliferation of mobile devices, has devastated the newspaper.

Most newspapers that have a print edition can’t compete with digital formats. That’s why The Times is going to depend more on its web version to bring in the money. Thirty-five-million visitors a month is nothing to sneeze at.

While I can’t stand the thought of The New York Times going the way of tabloids and small town newspapers, I realize it’s a business. I worry for my friends who feel The New York Times is one of the last pure things in their life. I guess we all have to grow up.

Zeroing In on the Hotspot

I’m one of those people who can’t stand finding out that I missed a particular art gallery, a legendary candy store, or even a special restaurant when I left a town I was visiting. I could have been there on vacation or a business trip.

Usually, I don’t spend enough time researching a new area, or I’m too quick to assume there’s nothing worthwhile for me to justify my time. I have a New York attitude. If it’s not in New York, then it’s second rate. Thank goodness age has given me the wisdom to know how wrong I have been. Now I want to know every little thing. I want my options. What golden nuggets lie where? Lucky for me, I live in the age of Google and Wikipedia. I have Google to help me with my writings and I have Wikipedia to help me identify what I would like to see when I travel.

I was thrilled to learn that Wikipedia launched a new feature called “Nearby” that recommends articles based on a user’s location. The Nearby page helps readers learn more about their current surroundings. For example, visitors to the Los Angeles Wikipedia page will see articles on the the Pantages Theater and what is currently playing there.

As many more traveling baby boomers take to the road or skies, Wikipedia Nearby is going to replace the Fodor guides we all used to carry on first trips out of our comfort zones.

Happy trails to you!

The New Face of Email

It’s starting with Google’s Gmail, but other email service companies can’t be too far behind. Gmail is now offering users the option of being able to organize emails according to importance. A sorter will help you categorize messages: which ones you should read immediately and which ones you can read later. Gmail offers three tabs: primary, social, and promotions.

It’s all very sensible. Google Gmail learns to identify primary emails that are most important. The Social tab contains message updates from various social networks, like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Yelp. Promotions contains newsletters, party invites, and concert announcements. You can also add additional tabs to help manage electronic bills, banking statements, and messages from forum boards.

Itamar Gilad, a product manager at Google, was quoted as saying, “All emails compete for our attention and it’s getting more difficult to focus on the things we need to get done.” My thoughts exactly. I get no less than 500 emails a day, many of them from people inside my company. We no longer get up from our chairs to talk to each other. We send emails. When we scream at each other we use CAPS.

At the end of each work day, I wonder if my life is now being measured in emails rather than years. I’m not complaining; it’s my livelihood. However, I’m all for organization. I do get distracted by emails from Bloomingdale’s, friends, and the theater. I am not sure if classifying emails into tabs is going to cure my habit of procrastination, but I’m willing to give it a try.

Rise Above the Noise

Many DigiDame readers have spoken to me about ideas that they want to bring to market. Some ideas are just that, ideas. Others are inventions, concepts, or services. It doesn’t matter what stage you are at, you need two things: money and a marketing plan. I learned early on from the money people that they will not give you a dime (and you shouldn’t even think of spending a cent your own money either) unless you have a clear plan about how you are going to market “the big idea” and who are your target audience.

That may seem like a simple concept to you. But, in reality, it is much more difficult to make a marketing plan than it is to develop an idea. Most sophisticated investors claim that they have seen more great ideas go down the drain because no one really knew how to market the product or concept. The good news is that no one person has the corner on ideas for marketing. Sometimes the best idea comes from the guy behind the counter at the candy store down the street. The not-so-good news is that marketing ideas have to be executed the right way and often reinvented to succeed. What works one day doesn’t always work the next. To some, that is the fun of it.

So far, the ratio of good ideas to terrible ones in the world of marketing is five per cent to 95 per cent. I may be slightly exaggerating, but you get my drift. I am not even saying that my ideas are the good ones, but at least I know which ones work and what effort has to be put into a project to make something happen. I am sure you’ve heard the expression “Success is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.” Thomas Alva Edison. One of the major reasons I am still around after all these years is that I am willing to sweat. I would not recommend this kind of challenge to everyone, but if you are passionate about what you do then you have a good chance of succeeding. I have said this before and I will say it again. “You can make it happen. You can make it work. You possess the power.”

This post is surrounded by two videos that our client RELM Wireless created to “rise above the noise” in the land of the mobile radio business. We had nothing to do with the creative. I wish we had. This will get the attention of the press and prospective buyers of their product line. There are eight videos in total which get sent out on a weekly basis to targeted audiences. They are abstract and funny. It beats the usual pitch. This is just one of many marketing tactics. I hope you get the idea.