The Young Turks show discusses the real value of money

How much money do you need to be happy?

In this video, the Young Turks explore what it is  to be rich, what it is to be poor. How much money  do you really need to be happy? I've explored this myself and I realized that I'm really not a mansion guy. I discovered after some quiet contemplation that about 100,000 tax-free dollars is my magic number. 

But what's your magic number? $100,000, $200,000 -- or is it like a video suggests, $75,000? Think about it, drop me a line and until next time… Roll on! 

'Sexy and I Know it Christmas' lights will crack you up festively

HAPPY SEXY HOLIDAYS!

Roll on!

Reblog Rerun Month: Dr. Wayne Dyer's nine steps of manifestation

The Wheelchair Philosopher: Dr. Wayne Dyer's nine steps of manifestation resin...:
The nine principles below illustrate Dr. wayne W. Dyer's nine principles of manifestation....



Enjoy this reblog and may your Holidays be merry and bright and may you continue to roll on!

Donate to March of Dimes and have your gift doubled!

The famed charity for infant mortality and birth defect illness prevention March of Dimes is now taking donations for its matching gift incentive drive. Donate right now and you contribution will be doubled!

According to current statistics, on in eight babies in the U.S. is born premature -- a fact not lost on me as I was also born over two months premature and later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at eleven months old.

Please give what you can to this loving and important cause at marchofdimes.com and help make this Holiday Season a bit brighter for a little boy or little girl today. Thank you and Happy Holidays!


Roll on!

Help the cast of Glee support famine relief with a classic Christmas Hit

The Gleeks take on the colossal Band Aid Christmas carol of caring of 1984, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to support the current hunger crisis is East Africa. The cast will donate 100% of the net earnings from "Do They Know It's Christmas?" To live8.com  and The Band Aid Trust <---Click to donate. 

You can buy the single right now to support the charity via iTunes

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! May the new year roll out special blessings for you and those you love!

Hire me Michael LaPenna for all your writing, editing and creative needs

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Reblog Rerun Month: iPad study shows hope for autistic children...

Today's reblog holds a very special significance as, in my mind, it solidifies why my new iMac will be so uber cool as the following seems to be an overall trend with Apple products throughout the webosphere.

Until then... roll on iPeople!

The Wheelchair Philosopher: iPad study shows hope for autistic children by Mic...: The nation's Centers for Disease Control estimate that nearly 1 in 110 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with a form of autism...

The National Defense Authorization Act isn't being covered by the mainstream press?

The fact that the mainstream media hasn't mentioned this is very scary:




"The broadcast media's ignorance and unwillingness to cover the National Defense Authorization Act, a radical piece of legislation which outrageously redefines the US homeland as a 'battlefield' and makes US citizens subject to military apprehension and detainment for life without access to a trial or attorney, is unacceptable." - David Seamen, Business Insider

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-medias-blackout-of-the-national-defense-authorization-act-is-shameful-2011-1

President Obama's response:  http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/obama-threatens-veto-of-defense-authorization-bill-20111117


Here is the most recent news on the matter: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/12/occupy_portland_protesters_mar.html




My thinking in posting this is that it screams of the McCarthyism of the 1950s in which anybody suspected of being a Communist could be blacklisted from American popular society. Today, if you and I are accused of something in this country, we get a trial. Opponents claim that under the  wording of the proposed NDAA, if we are merely suspected of being a terrorist, that might not happen; and while I don't feel I'm in any direct danger of being accused of terrorism, the premise of this bill is still scary as all Orwellian hell.


Please pass this on as media seems to be shying away  from what  appears to be a mammoth civil rights issue.


Until next time... keep enjoying Reblog Rerun Month and as always... roll on!

Reblog Rerun Month:The Wheelchair Philosopher rolls through J. R. Smith's '26 Rules of Media, Money and Life'

An homage to an Old Hero

 The Wheelchair Philosopher: The Wheelchair Philosopher rolls through J. R. Sm...: A generic inspirational photo in Lieu of a pic of the Professor -- waka, waka, waka J.R. "Jim" Smith was my undergraduate Communica...


Roll on with good habits!

Reblog Rerun Month: Wheelchair fencing freakin' rules!

The Wheelchair Philosopher: Wheelchair fencing freakin' rules!: Oh yes! Methinks this be the shiznit! It's wheelchair fencing! Oh! You didn't know?


Reblog and roll on!

December is Reblog Rerun Month at The Wheelchair Philosopher

A Hiatus to Boost this Blog's Status... Wocka, Wocka

Yes, ladies and gentlemen and small, fun-sized children with giant intellects.... This December is Reblog Rerun Month here at The Wheelchair Philosopher! What this means, folks, is that I have decided to pursue the rebuilding of this blog with a sort of month-long best of in hopes of gaining greater readership by taking more time to interact with other bloggers. Smart you say? Yep! 'Tis quite.

So I implore you in the least annoying of ways to getcha read on and pass this blog along to friends, family, countrymen and general people of Earth and other carbon-based life forms who dig a good blog post. Until that time, I'll be on a blog writing sabbatical in pursuit of R and R and another R for revenue for this blog.

Reblog Rerun Month is all December here at The Wheelchair Philosopher! :



Happy Holidays and as always... roll on... with cheer!

Give meals to those in need this Holiday Season

 Help feed America. Facebook 'like' a turkey.

This Holiday Season Feeding America and Pepto Bismol are giving meals to  families struggling to make ends meet -- especially in the current economy. The Feast for All campaign will give eight meals per every one click of the "Like". button on its Facbook page featuring ABC's Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet and his delicious turkey. The current goal is to feed a whopping two million families!

So I urge all of you to help Pepto Bismol and Feeding America help feed two million families this Holiday Season and give thanks for your blessings by blessing those around you and making a true Feast for All!

To "Like" Eric Stonestreet's Turkey, go to facebook.com/peptobismol and click the Feast for All link or click here.

To find out more on how to give a meal to a family in need, visit feedingamerica.org today.



Give thanks and roll on!

Occupy Yourself with a Solution by The Wheelchair Philosopher Michael LaPenna

Know how to read the signs of life.

In this life, we have no storage struggles and disappointments. We lose a job and we gripe. We fail at a sport and we feel like a loser. We fail a test in school and we feel stupid. The economy goes bad and we, the people in New York City Occupy Wall Street and begin complaining about all the many things what we don't have: a job, a house, income to pay that latest student loan. We feel most assuredly like rejecting any optimism at all in these kinds of moments. The hurt is just too piecing, the barriers too mountainous. But there is another view, one that takes takes said job loss as a learning experience. To this way of thinking, if we fail at a sport, we utilize the opportunity to analyze what we did wrong and right. If we fail a test in school, we only study harder and well, if the economy goes Bad News Bears' market on Wall Street or on Main Street, we inevitably run for City Council to BE THE CHANGE WE SEEK as Gandhi so famously proposed.

The Occupy Movement of America in 2011 as with nearly ever protest including "New Coke" in '85 is one of unrest and want of change. It seeks freedom from domination of the Mega-rich, what is thought to be an oppressive system.  It seeks freedom from  job-loss, freedom from lack. It seeks immediate answers to why so many gaps between those who have and those who have not seem so immense and cavernous. The questions circle in our heads and we dwell on them. But the follow-up question is then, "How do we dwell on them?" How do you deal with the them? Occupy-ers invariably see the "system" as favoring those in high-level positions in America's financial and business sectors and part of a system that has failed to hold those institutions accountable for debacles like sub-prime mortgage lending, misguided credit policies and a seemingly unjust consolidation of power and corporate influence over the political landscape in the country. Yet while November 17 has been call a Day of Action in Lower Manhattan, what that action actually is remains ambiguously uncertain and frankly, as of this writing, seems undecided. But mainly and in no uncertain terms, the natural human tendency to blame is central to the theme here.

Blame is a tricky tradesman though. It can act as a prosecutor and hold the accused accountable with the culprit's feet aflame, yet it can also be the scapegoat for our anger that breeds bullying, prejudice, racism and yes --dare it be said--  ill-fated, decade-long wars. The former is usually the mark a protest of large demand such as the Civil Rights rallies of the 1960s and Gay Marriage movements of today which both have had their own specified agendas for equal treatment under the law. But the latter is visceral and unsure -- an  impulsive reaction to an irregular heartbeat so to speak caused by fear of what might happen in an unfair, mean world.

Asking yourself how you see your lot in life is crucial. Do you see yourself as oppressed, disadvantaged and stricken with bad luck? Do you complain and soak into your circumstances, or instead -- and this is equally critical-- do you see yourself  in control of your circumstances despite economic inequality, racism, sexism, disability, abuse, rejection and so forth? These are questions that you may have asked yourself before, or they may have never entered into your consciousness even in the most peaceful of times. Nevertheless, ask. Ask with intention. Ask with purpose. Ask with vision. After asking you will find something remarkable more than likely,  you'll find that you have become what you have focused on most intently. If you're protesting in anger only, if you let yourself become peeved all the time while attempting peace, you'll notice that you never really become at peace.  However, if you turn your rally against what has oppressed you into the inspiration to do better -- to abolish every bad thing by focusing on  positive ideas, positive intention and positive results, you will--in no uncertain terms-- become affected positively. Answers will come and solutions will become clear because you have become occupied with a solution. Try it... if you dare.

My friend, be the change and watch the change be. It really is that simple. We may look outside ourselves for solutions, we may ask others to help our causes, but  as Willy Wonka once said, we are inevitably, for better or worse, the  true makers of our dreams.

Roll on!

Dynamic Writing Service from Michael LaPenna The Wheelchair Philosopher

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Writing, editing, marketing, ad copy, comedy writing, help with novels, screenplays... and even greeting cards and poems for that special person in your life; it's all a part of the Michael LaPenna creative service guarantee! I'll work within your budget to ensure you get the best value for your dollar! For rates, questions and general inquiries, contact me here or call (845) 313-4714. Thanks so much for your business! Sincerely, Mike Learn more about my service and book me at Thumbtack.com Roll on!

Give meals to homeless veterans for FREE

I have recently become aware after considerable research, that an estimated one-third of all homeless in America are veterans of war. The Veterans Site features a free, click-to-give, sponsored charity button to help feed homeless vets. On this Veterans' Day, I encourage all of my readers to click regularly to help our heroes who may be struggling after they have given so much to us.

Click here to give a homeless or hungry veteran a meal on The Veterans Site. 



Roll on for freedom.

Photosophical: "Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Wealth and Poverty Part 1

Professor and activist Dr. Cornell West at Occupy DC rally where he was arrested  in October. Photo credit: AP and Facebook.

What does the above signify? 

Do you agree with Dr. West? Is poverty the worst of all violence?

 What might Dr. West mean by holding the sign? 

Does a person resort to crime more if he or she is desperately poor? 

Is there an emotional violence that occurs within those who are without basic shelter, food and healthcare? 

What, in your opinion is the central cause of continual poverty? Furthermore, does that cause qualify as a kind of violence?

More on this in Part 2

Until then... roll on in peace.

The Wheelchair Philosopher featured by The Feng Shui Voice and Feng Shui consultant Laura Cerrano

Laura Cerrano is a certified, second generation Feng Shui Consultant in the New York and surrounding tri-state area. She is also, in full disclosure, my good friend. She offered me to my insight on the concept of Feng Shui and what it means beyond the stereotype of being a Voodooish placement of your stuff to gain wealth or success . But as I said to Laura -- it's very, very very much more common sense than that.

Click here to read Breathing Feng Shui by Laura Cerrano and the Wheelchair Philosopher.



Roll on!

Tech troubles won't stop me Michael LaPenna The Wheelchair Philosopher

Life is odd. You're friends, family and clients keep asking when you're getting iMac and your PC seems to come down with a Megatron-induced virus 24 hour prior to your purchase. Yes, my rolling minions, it happened. Call it the ghost of Steve  or the burden of Bill, but after seeing me finish a Bachelor's in Media Management, helping me meet of my wife-to-be Abby and witnessing the birth of YouTube, a bittersweet seven-year itch of creeping death has come to my 2005 Dell Desktop.

My buddy Dell is likely on his death bed and ready to be sent to "greener", more recyclable pastures. Yet as I opined in another post, the Apple brand seems much more adaptable to special needs with its propensity toward touch screens and easy-to-read typeface and, um... fun. And afterall, I have devoted most of my latest few posts to Steve Jobs and his techo-philosophical legacy.

So here's to hoping my computer woes subside or even vanish entirely in the coming days of Macdom so I can finally bring you the rolling quality of bloggery I always wanted this blog to have. Isn't that what we all want really? :)

I'll see you in a few days, but for now... roll on!

There's nothing like a power outage and loss of heat and water to make a wheelchair user feel grateful by Michael LaPenna The Wheelchair Philosopher

I give thanks for sights like the one in this photo.

A Brief note on Gratitude

As many of you many know, the Northeastern US had snow this past weekend -- the blizzard kind that lasts a good twelve to fifteen hours and culminates with a loss of power for 30 hours or as is the case south of me, up to three days. All that I can say after it has ended is that I am grateful for heat coursing through my home's electrically functioning pipes  and equally gleeful for the electric current flowing like a mighty stream  through my crappy, slow, 2005 computer (which I will be replacing with an iMac this month).

Growing up with Cerebral Palsy, I never rode a bike, played sports or was even able to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at school. A great portion of my life consisted of hanging out with the kids in my neighborhood, playing Nintendo, watching pro wrestling, and playing with action figures in a well-lit space where my friends and I could create worlds of Sci-Fi adventure and Lego legend. Even today, I make my living through the Internet as a freelance writer, editor, marketer and as the saying goes, a chief cook and bottle washer. In this sense, while I may not  be materialistic -- much of my world exists through technology. An while I cannot walk out of my home through the front door or drive a car to the corner store, I am for instance healthily enjoying my job, my favorite TV shows, movies and Internet chats with friends across states and countries while my electric heating and cooling systems keep my bodily health intact.

Moral: Be grateful for all that you have. Even electric lights and heated homes are miracles when you don't have them.


Until next time... roll on! 

A New tighter format is on the way from Michael LaPenna The Wheelchair Philosopher Part 2

Dearest readers, as I said in my earlier post here, I've decided in earnest to post a bit less and focus on my professional jobs in Freelance Writing and Editing and Marketing. So, my lovely minions, I will now post three to four times per week in an effort to focus on promoting the blog, commenting on other blogs and posting to social media mainstays like Twitter, Facebook, and your mom's favorite cultural phenomena in the blogosphrere.  In the meanwhile, expect the content to be higher quality than before, and with more time to post, the posts themselves may be a bit more in depth.

Until next time folks... roll on!

iPad study shows hope for autistic children by Michael LaPenna The Wheelchair Philosopher

The nation's Centers for Disease Control estimate that nearly 1 in 110 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with a form of autism in his or her lifetime. It is, by all accounts, a condition or group a of conditions characterized by  disconnection and detachment from the social world that so many of us who have the ability to communicate normally may take for granted.

But the following CBS 60 Minutes exclusive sheds new light on what is thought to be  a saving grace by researchers. Since its release in 2010, the iPad has changed the lives of people of all abilities in new and illuminating ways. From vocalization software to an easy-to-use drag-and-swipe touch screen, kids who normally are barely able to say what their most basic needs are now have an "iOutlet" so to say.

For the full story, click on the video below and and as always... roll on!

The Wheelchair Philosopher Michael LaPenna is rolling on without the need for Wall Street protests or zoo animal rescues

Would you put this face on your Love List?

As fans of The Wheelchair Philosopher blog may have noted, I've been posting slightly less frequently than the usual five posts per week. And that, my rolling compatriots, is nothing more than a sign that my life has become a bit busier and more bustling than in previous seasons. And while I have yet to occupy Wall Street or chase loose zoo animals in Zanesville, Ohio, not Kansas or Oz, I have doubled my disposable income and applied to several jobs while also beginning a new promotion for LoveList.com which nonetheless does make me shout, "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!"

For more on what I've been doing when I'm not blogging about current events, promoting LoveList.com or watch Gene Simmons' wedding, shoot me an email at mike.lapenna@gmail.com.



Roll on!

A new tighter format is on the way from Michael LaPenna The Wheelchair Philosopher

A new tighter format for The Wheelchair Philosopher is on the way!

For more information contact Michael LaPenna and Michael LaPenna Writing and Editing Services at http://thumbtack.com/michaellapenna

Or

 Follow Michael LaPenna on Twitter Michael LaPenna @WCPhilosopher to check ou the latest in Wheelchair Philosophy and news via your Twitter acccount and also brand new writing services just launched on New York and Hudson Valley Craigslist

Hire Michael LaPenna on Fiverr.com at http://fiverr.com/mikeywrites0010.



Roll on!

May this re-blog occupy Wall Street and your hearts and minds

May this re-blog occupy Wall Street and your hearts and minds... Hi Rihanna! (Wink, wink!)
                   

Check it out at the link below and as always... roll on!

The Wheelchair Philosopher: To think, to blog, to grow rich from the seat of a...: I've been reading the Depression Era classic of economic empowerment -- the propitiously titled Think And Grow Rich...

Steve Jobs Part 2: Steve Jobs gives seven keys to success

"Think different."

- Apple tagline/slogan

The following is a conglomeration of Apple-lonious wisdom from the iKing taken from various quotations and a blog that I found  at real estate blogging site ActiveRain.com. Special Thanks to William and Teri.

1. Do what you love-don't settle, passion is everything. Do it because you love it.

2. Put a dent in the universe. Develop a clear and concise vision. Have the courage to follow your heart.

3. Say no to a thousand things. Focus. Reduce the clutter, make it simple. Get the spark back. Simplicity =
having only a half dozen people you consult with.

4. Kick start your brain by doing something new. Develop an inquiring mind. Unexpected connections.  The apple stores are based on the four seasons.

5. Sell dreams, not products. Re-think something as an entirely new experience. (Example: the iPhone revolutionized the telephone experience.)

6. Create insanely great experiences.  Innovate by creating an extraordinary consumer experience. (Note how shopper friendly any Apple Store is.)

7. Master the message. Steve re-invented the phone.  It 's all about how well you communicate.

Steve Jobs was a genius, a perfectionist -- the ultimate visionary. Steal his secrets, he expects it!.

Steve once said, "Good artists copy, great artists steal. "

Roll on!

Wheelchair Inspiration: Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech (2005)

As a tribute to the man on whose browser I type this blog and whose company singularly changed the way we see the world, (Mac) hear its music ( iTunes, ipod) and navigate through it, (iPhone, iPad) here's to you Steve Jobs -- an Apple a day keeps your legacy alive! May you rest in perfect peace.

Steve Jobs

1955-2011

Roll on!

Deaf Woman, Sloan Churman hears her voice for the first time

Sloan Churman has spent her whole 29 years of life hearing muffled distortions, reading lips and using hearing aids that never quite did the right trick. But thanks to the new Esteem Implant which apparently uses inner ear vibrations to stimulate the implant and costs upwards of $30,000, has finally allowed her to hear her voice for the very first time!

The video and the tears and happiness it encapsulates so are contagious as one blogger put it, but I can't help but think how I might feel were I to be essentially cured of my Cerebral Palsy. I would very likely weep my tear ducts dry like Mrs. Churman. However, until that day arrives, I am content as I am -- wheelchair or no. I am happy for Sloan Churman -- truly. But for now, I rejoice with her and her loved ones and those millions in the deaf community whose lives will be inevitably changed forever. May they be blessed!

Alternate link: http://mashable.com/2011/09/30/sloan-churman-deaf-hears-voice/



Roll on!

Jesus, blind people and wheelchairs... what?

¹ As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
   ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

- John 9:1-3

I'm very often asked a certain type of question when I tell people that I was born with my Cerebral Palsy. They ask if I ever get depressed. Am I resentful of that fact that nature and/of God has allowed me to be "this way?" Their faces become masks of a self-evident sullenness -- a  sort of grief that a person might have if she found a dead kitten in the road by her cozy suburban home on a random Wednesday evening. It's the kind of thing authors put into their novels to give a subtle twitch in a character's psyche to add depth to a story. My answer, however, has always been that I am no more depressed in not walking, for instance, than any person would be in being able to walk. It is what I know, who I am. To paraphrase Lady Gaga: I'm fine in my own way and God make no mistakes. I was born this way and in the above Biblical verses, Jesus seems to agree that this at least might be true foe some folks.

When I first read this verse, I felt instantly assured that the plight of the anonymous blind man was like mine and many people who are different from the norm in any walk of life, whether blind, deaf, wheelchair-using, dwarfed or even gay -- that the glory of God may indeed be shining through people in such situations rather than burdening it as so many strangers I meet would seem to presume. I often hear in my social circles sentences like, "My cancer made me a kinder person," or "My accident made me appreciate my life so much more than before" -- as if these automatically assumed stricken or suffering people have found a secret angel who has enhanced their lives with an invisible cloak that the everyday passer-by fails to see the same way an attacker might fail to perceive a cab driver's Kung-Fu training.  These are metaphors of course, but nevertheless,  I do believe beyond all doubt that we all have something special hidden within us to contribute to existence by which particular glories and graces might be shown.


Through my disability I've known what it is to be ignored by the girls in the nightclub, thought incapable by an employer and I've known what it is to struggle in doing simple tasks like clipping my toenails. I truly have been given patience beyond my peers. I can't walk out of my front door, literally. I'm not medically cleared to drive a car either. You may be asking yourself where I'm going with this rant, but there is a point. That point is this: I know prejudice. I know ignorance. I know "having not." I will never be the spoiled kid. I will never be the man disgruntled and dismayed by not having his car that's being fixed ready in time. I will never be the pontiff claiming that racism doesn't exist and I will never not know what it is to be the minority in the room being stared at and judged. Yet, I remain steadfast in knowing what it is to make the best of every situation -- that every time I do get the chance to travel, I love it. Every moment with my wife-to-be  is  a blessing in that I know what it is to be without that blessing. Every dollar I make feels like $100 because I know what it is to be unable to freely travel to every job within a 15-mile radius. Thus, my attitude is, as the saying goes, gratitude.


There is a saying by a man whose name escapes me at the moment. It says that if the only prayer you ever say is  "Thank you", that would be enough. And while this message is a Biblical one, it is also universal. My struggles have made me realize the universal truth that gratitude creates  humility -- it drops ego and entitlement and replaces it with grace and appreciation for the gifts that life will offer us.


In closing, I hope that you re-blog, tweet and share this post with your loved ones and maybe a few enemies and urge them to be grateful for what they have and even  for what they might not have. May you and I always be thankful in this sense and may you always...




Roll on!

The Wheelchair Philosopher rolls through J. R. Smith's '26 Rules of Media, Money and Life'

A generic inspirational photo in Lieu of a pic of the Professor  -- waka, waka, waka

J.R. "Jim" Smith was my undergraduate  Communications and Media professor during what I might call my Renaissance years at SUNY New Paltz. And while the now retired, and as I remember, Hawaiian-shirt-adorning prof of profs has no immediate correlation to disability, his motivational insights are that of ball-busting legend and have kept my spirits up through quite a number of adversities related to this blog. For this much I say, "Thank you, Professor Smith!" 

SMITH’S 26 RULES OF MEDIA, MONEY, AND LIFE

 © J. R. Smith, 2005

PEOPLE

1. Networking is the single most important skill you’ll ever develop.

2. Dump your “loser” friends they are a waste of time and energy. You will be known, whether you like it or not, by the company you keep.

3. Treat everybody the way you want to be treated.

4. Don’t ignore the “little people.” Often the vice president’s secretary knows

more than the vice president.

5. Hire people smarter than you are.  It’s more important to be successful than

to be right or in control.

6. Keep your mouth shut. You learn more by listening and it is not always

necessary for people to know what you are thinking.

7.Don’t be afraid to sell!  Selling is building personal relationships…solving somebody’s problems or meeting their needs.

 

PERSONAL VALUES

8. Stay focused. Be passionate. Work hard and provide value. Don’t waste time.

9.Have integrity. Don’t cheat anybody. Be honest.

10. Be flexible, adapt.  Darwin was right.

11. Resist the urge to enhance your personal life until you have started to achieve

your professional goals.

12. Max-Min.  In all endeavors, maximize the upside potential and minimize the downside risk.

13. Relationships, life, and business are cyclical.  Learn to recognize the cycles and how to deal with them.

MONEY

14. Buy low, sell high, and know when to leave the table.

15. Use OPM (other people’s money) but retain ownership. But, borrow when interest rates are low, pay back when they are high.

16. Ask for more than you need but don’t be ridiculous.  When you get the money, follow the budget and keep some in reserve.

17. Think “investment” not “spending” when handling money. A corollary;

If you out-think them, you don’t have to out-spend them.

18.  Work for yourself, always own a business, even when you work in a corporate environment.  It also makes good tax sense.

19.  Divorce and business have much in common.  Be sure to leave relationships

with more than you brought to them.  And you will be leaving!

MEDIA RULES

20. Think software, not hardware. Content is king.  Don’t focus on technology or delivery

systems they quickly become commodity businesses.

21. There’s always somebody with more gear or more money than you have.

22. Define and know your target audiences.  They will make you money

if you let them.

23. Do your homework.  Research everything, including the failures. Profit from the successes and learn from the failures of others.

24. Pay your dues.  Learn the business from the ground-up.  In the beginning, you’ll have to work long hours for little pay but know, in the end, it’s worth it.

25. Egos.   Never lose sight of the fact that the media business is full of people with large egos.  Accept it and learn to deal with them.  Turn their ego into your “employee.”

26. Know the basics of contract law and accounting.

Regarding millionaires, did you know?

            Of those who didn’t inherit their money, less than 40% got rich by working for a corporation.

When somebody asks “What’s your sign?” 

           **Tell them © and ®**.

Remember Alan Alda’s famous quote: It isn’t necessary to be rich and famous to be happy. It’s only necessary to be rich.

If you commit  any of these missteps on a regular basis will definitely shorten your career path:

-Participate in Office Gossip

-Miss Deadlines

-Send a Lot of Personal E-mails

-Take Credit for Others' Work

Roll on!

Wheelchair Philanthropy: Pay for your child's college education with a painting

1st Birthday by David Poyant

My client David Poyant is a fine arts painter with a very special mission. Fund children's college educations with the sales of his paintings. David got the idea after deciding that he wanted to help his own family pay for their kids' college expenses. He is now hoping to send what he calls a "magic 200" children to college with his artwork. The program now running by Incentives Fundraising at incentivesfundraising.org is quite simple. Each painting sold is tracked by a chosen student ID number. For each item sold with the corresponding ID number, that child is given a minimum of $31.00 (as of the current lowest price).

David explains his selling point and premise simply:

 "Affordable, custom made just for you. Your painting will be capturing a special moment in your life. You provide me with a photo and I will turn it into a work of art."    - David Poyant

Keith and Ann by David Poyant

I urge all my readers to participate in this wonderful cause if not for your own child, for someone you love. You'll be so thankful you did!


Find out more at http://www.incentivesfundraising.org/Paintings.php.

For more on David and his paintings go to davidpoayant.com and davidpoyantpaintings.com today.

  You can follow David Poyant on Twitter @dppaintings.


Roll on... the paint.

Sesame Street gets inclusive and accepting with a hilarious 'Glee' parody

SesameStreet.org

The following Sesame Street parody of FOX's progressive-minded show choir showcase Glee   predictably entitled "G" and brought to you by the very same letter seems to encompass a level of diversity that I've not see since my time in the Student Union Building at SUNY New Paltz -- ahh, college! But I digress. One cannot help but be comically enthralled by the big  Lenoesque chin on "Mr. Goo" as he takes the "G Club" to the "G-gionals," the multiple colors of people, the kid rolling in a wheelchair as an Artie clone and... a not-so-out gay Kurt Muppet? Yes, the Sesame writers may not have  a shiny red megaphone ala Bert and Ernie's toy chest to shout it from the rooftop of Hooper's Store -- but I know fabulous ferocity curiously and capriciously creeping out of a camera lens when I see it, dang nabbit! But I have to laugh and most likely so will you!

Check it out:

Roll gleefully! 

The Wheelchair Philosopher Presents: Mega Motivation Course - Relaunching Nov. 1!

That's right, guys! My Mega Motivation Course by Email is revamping and relaunching into new heights on November 1! Contact me for more information on this exciting new program!

See the full add at the highlighted link below:

The Wheelchair Philosopher: The Wheelchair Philosopher Presents: Mega Motivat...: Please be advised that the media listed below were obtained for free in the public domain and elsewhere throughout the Internet. Mega Mot...



Roll on!

Wheelchair Freelancing Re-blog Update: Have Batman sing you a song ...

Release Date: July 20, 2012 (All rights to filmmakers)

Hi, guys! I'm dropping this re-blog to inform you that we've had a lot of responses to the The Dark Knight Rises Facebook Fanpage, but most of those have been "likes" and we're looking for a few more quality sales. So if you have a friend or family member that you want Batman to serenade or if you have a special birthday or anniversary that needs a Batsong, hit us up for a Batastic time!


The Wheelchair Philosopher: Wheelchair Freelancing: Have Batman sing you a son...: Promotional poster (all rights retained by filmmakers) Your favorite wheelchair-rolling blogeteer's Batman singing telephone-o-gram is ...

Wheelchair Freelancing: I will show you how to transform ANY negative situation into a positive benefit for $5 on fiverr.com

Image by 3e Love

Has a terrible thing happened -- lost a job, a house, a loved one? Are you having to start all over? Need an anonymous person to motivate you to get back on track? Well I'm here to help you be relieved of some of that stress. In addition, I'll donate $2.00 of my $3.92 in earnings to a charity of your choice! (A confirmation will be sent to you as proof for your donation's receipt.)pt.)

mikeywrites0010: I will show you how to transform ANY negative situation into a positive benefit for $5 on fiverr.com




Roll on!