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http://jdgroover.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/the-2013-darwin-awards-are-out/

The 2013 Darwin Awards Are Out!

Posted on August 20, 2013by Jim G.

Yes, it’s that magical time of year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us.

Here Is The Glorious Winner:

1. When his .38 caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.

And Now, The Honorable Mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef’s claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn’t discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6.. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer… $15. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?]

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he’d just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, “Yes, officer, that’s her. That’s the lady I stole the purse from.”

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn’t open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren’t available for breakfast… The frustrated gunman walked away. [*A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER]

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street by sucking on a hose, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline, but he plugged his siphon hose into the motor home’s sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges saying that it was the best laugh he’d ever had and the perp had been punished enough!

In the interest of bettering mankind, please share these with friends and family…. unless of course one of these individuals by chance is a distant relative or long lost friend. In that case, be glad they are distant and hope they remain lost.

*****Remember*****

They walk among us, they can reproduce.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

I Guess They Just Don’t Like Saving Money

People can be strange.  I know we’re all different, but doesn’t everyone want to save money?  My company offers discount plans to help people reduce their health and dental care expenses, plus they save our members money on myriad other expenses (vision, hearing, roadside assistance, ID theft protection, doctors by phone, chiropractic  - and more)! 

And yet, I hear people frequently say they have no need for our plans.  Sometimes they believe their health insurance will cover all these expenses.  Wrong!  Even WITH insurance, all healthcare and dental care policies have limited coverage.

For instance, I have “full coverage” health insurance.  The co-pay on my prescriptions is HIGHER than the discounts offered by my company.  You can see proof of this below.  One receipt shows that with my insurance, I would pay $250 quarterly for my co-pay on one of my prescriptions.  I asked the pharmacy to run it through again, this time using my discount card, and they refunded me over $167!  That is a huge difference!

Just this week, my husband got a new crown at the dentist.  His bill was reduced 

by $800 by using our discount card!   I have an old crown that the dentist has 

recommend I have replaced.  He has given me an estimate of $1357 as his "Usual and 

Customary Rate, but only $910 using my discount card!  A $447 savings!

Our discount plans cost between $19.95 per month to $49.90 per month PER FAMILY!  With what my husband and I have saved this year alone using our discount plan, we have paid for our plans many times over!

So, as I said at the beginning.  I guess some people simply do not like to save money.  In today’s economy, I find it difficult to believe.

Besides the company I am now with, I have not seen a single online business that meets my qualifications:

• ·        Products EVERYONE can use sold at a truly affordable cost.
• ·        A simple, generous compensation plan.
• ·        Respected in the industry.
• ·        Leadership with integrity and open to change and suggestions.

If you are “smarter than the average bear,” you may want to check out our discount plans so you too can save money.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

FREE discount Rx card! Really, totally FREE!  NO obligation to buy or join anything! Select link, and download and print your FREE Discount Rx Card.   http://www.nbdrugcard.com/DrugCard.aspx?ID=x032

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.  

Have You Been to Griffith Park?

I read an interesting article today that brought many wonderful memories to mind.  In the heart of Los Angeles, Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States.  At more than 3000 acres, it is five times larger than New York’s Central Park.

Griffith J. Griffith purchased what remained of Rancho Los Feliz in 1882.  When he bought the land, it was chaparral-covered slopes, deep canyons shaded by trees and shrubs, and a wide array of wild animals.  It has not changed much in the intervening years.

In 1896, Griffith donated 3,015 acres of land to the City of Los Angeles.  It was a charitable thing for him to do, but he was not known for his kind, generous nature.  Beyond charity, Griffith was ridding himself of what was land that could not be developed at the time for which he had to pay taxes.  In 1903, Griffith shot his wife while in a drunken rage. He served two years in San Quentin Prison for attempted murder. 

Over the years since, Griffith Park has become a recreation area that includes a variety of family attractions.  This is where my memories kick in.  I went to Griffith Park many times as a child.  The Griffith Park Observatory, built in 1935, sits atop a mountain overlooking the city.  The Observatory has fun things for children and fascinating science displays.  I loved going there, and in fact visited there a couple years ago with my grandchildren.

 Many additions were made in the park over the years.  The Greek Theater opened in 1929, and I attended several concerts at the beautiful outdoor theater.    

The Los Angeles Zoo is fun and exciting.  Travel Town is a great place for children to play, but it is also loved by train “buffs.”  I remember climbing inside the old train cars when I was a child, and they remain there today.  There is also a miniature train ride in the Park that I always loved.  It is about a 15-minute ride going through lovely terrain.  I rode it again a couple years ago when we visited the Observatory. 

The Park’s old carousel is a popular attraction along with the live pony rides.  I was an adult when the Autry Museum of the American West opened in 1989.  Those who watched old “cowboy” movies will remember Gene Autry, one of the “singing cowboys.” Sports fans may remember that he also owned the California Angels baseball team at one time.

One of my favorite places in Griffith Park is Fern Del.  Many Angelino’s are not aware it even exists.  Even in the summer, it is cool, shaded and beautiful!  It is a park within the park with a running stream with small fish, beautiful ferns growing all around, walking and hiking trails, and swings for the kids – all this in the middle of Los Angeles. 

Many miles of hiking and walking trails remain, along with picnic tables and grills.  Griffith Park is a treasure.  If you are ever in Los Angeles, I recommend you add a visit to the Park to your itinerary.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. Winston Churchill

To make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction” Winston Churchill quotes (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

Most of us are at least somewhat resistant to change.  We are comfortable with the status quo.  It is easy to continue doing what we have been doing in the same way.  However, change is inevitable.  If we look at change positively, we realize that change can be exciting, keeping life – or our businesses – ever evolving and improving.

The transformation in today’s workplace is ever-accelerating.  If it does not come naturally, it is an ability we must learn quickly in order to successfully adapt to the adjustments made in our company’s operation, management, compensation and/or products. 

When we learn of an upcoming change, we may focus on what we might lose rather than on what we may gain from it.  Whether we personally like or dislike it, we must adapt productively and positively to modifications that arise around us.

There may be times when we would like to just get the change over with and move on.  Unfortunately, it does not always work that way, and the cycle of change may take longer than you hoped or expected.  The company must announce the upcoming change to everyone; it must be integrated into an existing system; and it may take time to adjust to the many things that the change may affect. 

When we learn about an upcoming change, we should consider it a challenge!  Learn as much as possible about it; think about the new and exciting possibilities that may result from the change. Face it head on.

Instead of clinging to the status quo, why not ask ourselves, “How will this change improve my business?  How will it make our entire company better?”  Instead of resisting it, let’s seek out ways that the change will provide us with an opportunity to grow our businesses. 

Ask others – your team leader or other team members – for their opinion.  Perhaps they have more of an understanding about how the change will affect each of us individually and as a company.  They may have an entirely different perspective from ours, so we can ask for their feedback on how they are adjusting to the change.  When we have a solid support system surrounding us, it will ease the effect of the change. 

Eventually the adjustment to the change, or to several changes, will become easier.  I’ll admit that early on with Xpress Healthcare® business, before I knew the business well, changes frightened me a bit.  I wondered whether I could learn a new way of working, new products, new skills. 

My company is only a few years old, so I have since learned that I must expect changes and embrace them.  If we can all do this, we can improve, evolve, and grow with our company and contribute to our company’s growth as well.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

The Good Stuff!

It seems that all we see in newspapers, in online news reports and on television these days is someone getting murdered, a terrible storm that devastated a town or a mass killing.  There are so many wonderful things happening every day, and nearly everyone in the world is good and kind.   So today, during this joyous season, I want to share “The Good Stuff!” 

I won’t take credit for this title or the stories I am about to share with you.  I watch “New Day” on CNN early each morning, and every day they share a great story that they call “The Good Stuff.”  You can see the video stories here:  http://newday.blogs.cnn.com/category/headlines/the-good-stuff/.  I am happy to pass along these true stories that highlight the good news happening around us every day!

A five-year-old kindergartner named Claire Koch was part of her class’s holiday concert.  Both of Claire’s parents are deaf.  This wonderful little girl decided to surprise her parents by singing along in sign language so her parents could enjoy the songs too!  What a fantastic gift she gave to her parents.

A young Rabbi and his wife purchased a desk on craiglist.  It turned out that the desk wouldn’t fit through the door of their office.  So, they had to take the desk apart to get it into the office.  When they disassembled it, they found $98,000 inside.  They contacted the original owner and learned that she had hidden her entire inheritance in the desk and forgot about it!  (I do not understand that either.)  After receiving the money back from the buyers, the woman sent them a thank you card along with the money they had paid for the desk.

Darnell Barton, a bus driver in Buffalo, was driving along a busy highway when he noticed a woman who had climbed over the railing above a freeway overpass.  Many cars were just driving by, but Darnell stopped his bus, walked slowly toward the woman while speaking softly with her.  He gently pulled her down, all the while giving her words of comfort.  He sat with her on the sidewalk until others stopped to help.  He then returned to his bus and continued his shift for the day and did not even report the incident to his employer.

A struggling single dad, Anthony Garfallo, found a fake Christmas tree in a box a few years ago.  He didn’t open the box until recently.  When he did, he discovered $50,000 in bearer bonds inside.  He was able to determine the name of the owner of the bonds, but all the contact information that he found was invalid.  Mr. Garfallo said, “What’s right is right.”  On the “New Day” show they announced the name of the owner and said he could contact them to retrieve his bonds.

Upon the passing of Nelson Mandela, the news coverage has reported all his accomplishments and the many years he was imprisoned.  They give details of the various memorials and events planned to honor him.  “New Day” aired a phenomenal photo of two fathers standing side-by-side at a gathering to honor Mandela.  Each man had a child mounted on his shoulders.  One man and his child were black while the others were white.  That photo alone tells the whole story of Nelson Mandel’s accomplishments and contribution to South Africa.

At this time of year when Good Will is on our minds, I hope that you will visit http://newday.blogs.cnn.com/category/headlines/the-good-stuff/ to see the videos of these stories and more.  I am sure they will brighten your day as they have mine.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have been in the network marketing industry for nearly a decade.  Still, it never ceases to amaze me that so many network marketers do not work during the holiday season.  They usually say that people do not buy products or joining businesses during this time of the year. 

This is the second time in about a week that I am writing about this topic.  I feel so strongly about it that I feel the need to get my message to more people!

·        On Thanksgiving Day, a new rep joined my team online.  I had no prior contact with her.  This is the third time in my network marketing career that someone joined my team on Thanksgiving.

·        More people than ever use social media.  Do they stop during the holiday season?  Of course not!  So, why would you stop trying to build relationships and promoting your home business?

·        Various events and parties we attend in December are filled with prospects!  No, it isn’t a good time to try “selling” someone, but how about if you give a two sentence explanation of what you do and then say something like, “I don’t want to take up your time.  We are here to join in the party.  I would be happy to speak with you later this week to tell you more.  Let me just jot down your phone number an email address.”

·        While standing in the inevitable lines at a store, strike up a conversation with someone near you.  Try to slip in, “I am so much more relaxed this year since I didn’t have to ask anyone for time off.”  There are many simple ways to hint toward your career without jumping into a presentation.  Very often if we say something like this, the other person may ask you, “Oh, you don’t work anymore?”   The door is open for a VERY brief mention of your business.  Then give them a business card or brochure and/or ask for their contact info.

Opportunities are all around you to promote your business during the holidays, both online and off.  Keep your eyes open to recognize these occasions, and you can grow your team and increase your product sales by the New Year.

Who would like to take on the holiday challenge to build your income by January 1^st?

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

Who Are the Buffalo Soldiers?

Fort Huachuca (wa-choo-ka) is an army post in Southeast Arizona.  It is one of the oldest military bases in the United States.  It is a product of the Indian Wars of the 1870s and 1880s and was established as Camp Huachuca in 1877.  At that time, it offered protection to settlers travelling through the area or living in what was then Apache territory. 

As part of its long and proud history, Fort Huachuca has served as one of the homes of “B” Troop, often referred to as the Buffalo Soldiers, for many years. The Buffalo Soldiers at one time consisted only of African Americans.     African-Americans have served and with distinction in all U.S. military engagements. They made the greatest sacrifices and contributions during the Civil War when more than 180,000 African Americans were in the Union Army.  Over 33,000 of these soldiers sacrificed their lives for their country. 

In 1866, Congress established a peacetime army, reducing the size of armed forces dramatically and abolishing all the African-American units created during the Civil War. Of the new cavalry regiments and infantry units established at that time, four of the cavalry and two of the infantry units consisted of “colored men.”  These troops remained in the West until the Spanish-American War.  At that time one if five cavalry soldiers and one in eight infantry soldiers were black.  They were nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers.  There are different stories regarding the origin of the name, but the most widely accepted is that the Indians saw a similarity between the black soldiers’ hair and buffalos.  The Buffalo Soldiers were former slaves, freemen and Black Civil War soldiers, and they were the first African Americans to serve during peacetime.

The Buffalo Soldiers escorted settlers and railroad crews and even cattle herds. Throughout the western States, they conducted campaigns against American Indian tribes.  They participated in the Spanish American War, The Philippine Insurrection, The Mexican Expedition, World War I, World War II, and the Korean Police Action.  Their contribution subduing Mexican revolutionaries, hostile Native Americans, outlaws, Comancheros, and rustlers was largely unrecognized, but invaluable. Their adversaries included Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Billy the Kid, and Pancho Villa.  

In addition, the Buffalo Soldiers explored and mapped vast areas of the southwestern states and strung hundreds of miles of telegraph lines and much more. Their assignments were considered the worst the Army had to offer. The Buffalo Soldiers became one of the most distinguished Army fighting units, in spite of the fact that they faced extreme by those living in the post-war frontier towns.

Today's Buffalo Soldiers represent a wide variety of occupations: attorney, doctor, fireman, computer technician, police officer and more.  They are active duty soldiers, retired military or someone who simply believes it is an honor to be part of this historic group.

The mission of today’s Buffalo Soldiers is to promote the heritage and traditions of the U.S. Army in the Southwest during the period of the Indian Wars and support recruiting, community relations, and official/ nonofficial ceremonial functions. Through appearances at social, cultural, and other activities, B Troop advances the interests of the U.S. Army, military horsemanship of the 1880's, and the history of Fort Huachuca.  They participate in ceremonies on the 4^th of July and in parades.   I really enjoy their

Fort Huachuca today is a major military installation and one of prominence throughout the Southwest.  Today it is the home of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM).  In 1976 it was declared a National Landmark. 

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle