What you will find in this edition
- Editorial Comments
- Swiss Trust Company Video Tutorial
- International Cuisine
- Executive Fitness
- Business Tech
- Good Reads
- Celebrity Interview
Editorial
Clear & Present… Critical Thinking
Monday was laundry day. At the start of every new week, you did your washing and ironing. That’s the way it was. On a bright and sunny day, if your clothes were not hanging by clothespins outside, a neighbor would likely call over and see if you were ill. After all, it’s Monday and that is what you did. Good, bad or indifferent we loved our habits. It was a simpler time, and those days are gone. My early childhood, spent growing up in Pittsburgh during the 1970′s was not “Leave it to Beaver” the iconic T.V. show but on the other hand, it certainly wasn’t “Beverly Hills Housewives” either. The world has changed. Times are radically different but are we? Or, do most of us, as Henry David Thoreau once said, “lead lives of quiet desperation”? Is it our conditioned fate to drone on with personal rituals and our own “virtual” laundry days without ever questioning why?
Jaywalking Through Life
Any fan of late-night television will recognize the Tonight Show, and a segment entitled Jaywalking that was done with the former host Jay Leno. It is an uneasy humor which hits the viewer as contestants attempt to answer simple questions and fail in the most amazing ways. The segment often resembles a train crash – you want to turn away – but it is simply impossible not to watch. Maybe we aren’t smarter than a fifth grader. Nothing in pop culture points to the failure of our educational system better than this simple comedy skit. Individuals who otherwise appear intelligent, frequently educators themselves, fail to summon up fundamental knowledge that should have been obtained through rote learning long ago. Is this lack of awareness some sort of deep social-psychological conditioning? Perhaps we are bombarded with so much information daily that we have become the opposite of Pavlov’s dog and prefer not to respond at all. No matter the reason for its existence, this collective lack of thought we are willing to demonstrate throughout our lives surely creates opportunities for those who are desirous to manipulate it.
Every single day, public relations firms, governments and special-interest groups pound away at us through the media. Content that was once considered editorial is now frequently advertorial. Reported news is opinion. You cannot avoid it. Virtually everything that is printed, photographed or videotaped can be manipulated to influence decisions. Therefore, we have a choice to make. We can passively accept what is fed through these outlets as fact or understand that yellow journalism really does exist and question the validity of everything presented to us. In ancient Latin, there is a phrase “Qui tacet consentit” which means “silence implies consent.” Jaywalk through this valley at your own peril.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to steer clear of quick judgment and question what is presented as factual. It is not a step by step process that can be memorized but rather a skill that is honed with time and use. This invaluable discipline can function in every aspect of life to solve problems and make quality choices. American academic great, William Graham Sumner, thought that “men educated in it (critical thinking) cannot be stampeded by stump orators.” Advocates of critical thinking have frequently stated that “education should teach how to think and not what to think.” It might be time to for us to expand that argument to include the instruction to think. By definition, an international entrepreneur or even just an advocate of a wide-reaching lifestyle, must think out of the box. No matter your political leanings, the current times demand no less.
– Jeff Corbett
Captive Acquisitions
Swiss Trust Company Ownership – Video
In this seven-minute video presentation, we provide a complete synopsis of the Swiss Trust Company business model, including what you need to know and what to avoid. A great learning tool.
(Please Click on Photo for Video)
International Cuisine
International Flavors to Your Front Door!
* Polish Cuisine
Nothing is more Polish than a pierogie and where else to go for the best pierogies than Pittsburgh! Hidden in the McKees Rocks section of the city – just a few miles from downtown “Pierogies Plus” is nothing short of a jewel. What a find! With all due respect to Mrs.T’s frozen rendition of the same item, you will want to immediately try these easy to order pierogies.
Pierogies Plus, Inc.
342 Island Avenue
McKeesRocks, PA, USA
Phone: 412-331-2224
Click Here to Order
* German Cuisine
German food from Texas? Yes, and it might just be the best sausage that you will ever throw on your grill! Straight from the Grapevine area of Dallas, reasonably priced and a real treat, the best of Bavaria is available to you and can be at your doorstep within two days. Our favorite is without question the Kochers Weisswurst (literally means white sausage). The casing is so soft that it will melt in your mouth! Weisswurst is traditionally manufactured early in the morning and prepared to be eaten as a snack between breakfast and lunch. Often the Germans would enjoy it with a soft pretzel and mustard. In any case, this is just one of many options for some of the best German food you can find in the States
German Deli
5100 State Hwy 121
Colleyville, TX 76034
Phone: 817-354-8101
Click Here to Order
Executive Fitness
Qardio – State of the Heart Technology
Qardio is an award-winning digital health company with a mission to transform the healthcare industry with simpler, smarter and more effective solutions for everyone: patients, doctors and healthcare providers. Qardio’s three products, QardioArm, a connected blood pressure monitor, QardioBase, a smart scale and body analyzer and QardioCore, the first wearable ECG monitor are revolutionizing personal and preventative health monitoring. For more information please review their website.
Business Tech
Evernote – For Business Notes
EverNote
This clipping service app is free and has quickly become one of our favorite business tools. If you are not familiar with it, perhaps you should be. Capture a note once, and it’s instantly available on all your devices. Never worry about where you saved something because it will be where you are at any time. Needless to say, it is paperless and one of the most efficient methods we have come across for keeping business articles and other important items taken from the Internet.
Company History
Evernote has become a massively successful app (and company), and the clear leader in terms of note-taking and organization software, but it has overcome its share of challenges. In 2008, founder Phil Libin made the hard decision to shut the company down, once and for all, upon realizing that it probably was never going to take off. Then, almost out of nowhere, an overseas investor pledged $500,000 to give the product more momentum. That one extra push was enough to give Evernote the foundation it needed to succeed.
Good Reads
“Wake Up Happy” by Michael Strahan
A YouTube channel which is quickly becoming one of our favorites is presented by Tom Bilyeu an American entrepreneur best known for co-founding Quest Nutrition, the second fastest-growing private company in 2014 domiciled in North America. In particular, we recommend his review of “impact books.” Below we offer his insights into American football star and television personality Michael Strahan’s book, “Wake Up Happy.”
(Please Click on Photo for Video)
Be Inspired!
Celebrity Interview – Mario Andretti
Entrepreneurship is nothing without inspiration. Over the years, we have had the rare opportunity to meet and talk with some very well-known and thought-provoking personalities. Below we have provided you a link to one of our favorite interviews.
Mario Andretti
MARIO ANDRETTI – Born on February 28, 1940 he almost needs no introduction. This retired Italian American world champion racing driver is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport.
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by Jeffrey H. Corbett
