Springhill Is Growing ...

Rural Social Media - "Springhill Is Growing...Love"

Dr. Dana C. Richardson, 

Eco Dev. amazingddp.net 

&

Assisting contributor Dr. 

Steve Broe, author of, 

“Leaders in Transition” 

mycareerimpact.com

“Love – it's called...love.” 

 'The Giver,' Jeff Bridges; 

begins in black and white, which can be off putting if you aren't ready, then it segues into color as the story develops. Life in this Lois Lowry rending is explained as a society where life has changed. From a point in the past where mankind was different, a ruling way of life with principles that are to be obeyed without question is now in place. The families of this society obey the principles and take their wellness pill each day. The concept is a society that has become color less, all even, without interruption and without pain. Everyone lives in the culture with no highs, no color and no conflict. There is an underlying terror of control in the movie, slowly it creeps into the viewers realm as they learn that emotion and memories can bring pain. Most remarkably, however, is that memories and emotional highs and lows are part of a life which allows – love.

'The Giver' is deeply philosophical, challenging nihilism, functional nihilism, existentialism, and an entire host of want to be sociological theorems. They are all good theories, especially when you put a gun to the head of a person and illustrate how quickly they adjust their expectations of what you demand, suddenly, social theory goes out the window. Nagging at the back of our minds, in our present world, however, is a much deeper more primal fear. It is the question, 'what if we've got it wrong, and we don't know it?” The fear is that we may be stomping out love?

Now for the really scary part...what do you think? 

Rural Social Media - Growing - Becoming -

“Springhill is growing: …extraordinary.”  

Dr. Dana C. Richardson, Eco Dev. amazingddp.net 
&

Assisting contributor Dr. Steve Broe, author of, “Leaders in Transition” 
mycareerimpact.com

                

          Robin Williams lived an extraordinary life, in the public eye, comedy and laughter falling from his performances, so quickly, that they made Daytona drivers drool.  Robin mastered his art over a career of very successful stand-up comedy in addition to television and movies.  By doing this he helped us see sides of our lives that lay buried under what we force ourselves to swallow;  the delusion of the ordinary.  We know that our lives become this as we constantly choke back chances to take risk.  Each time that we choose no risk, we fall into the unfortunate life lived ordinarily that poets over the centuries have written about.  Robin Williams took that edge of the cliff humor to the point where we had to either listen, or turn him off.  Was he a lightning rod for thought, which when the lighting struck, couldn't actually handle the charge?  In his movie “Dead Poets Society,” he plays a professor at a very conservative school, who wants his conservative students to realize, there is more to life than what everyone else tells you must be.  He uses Keating, “This is a battle, a war, and the casualties could be your hearts and souls.”  Behind the frequent bilge of political correctness we’re on the edge of losing our ability to listen to a Robin Williams. It’s so unfortunate, so unlikely in the U.S., that this fight for your soul may have become our moment extraordinary?  If you choose ordinary, will those around you stand alone and extraordinary?

                Battle, war, these are terms that politicians who depend upon being elected, have tried to put aside, especially locally.  Local voting has dangers.  As Jack Nicholson being Colonel Jessup famously says about grave danger, “is there another kind?” Local politics constitute the breadth of America, and even in the Metropolis life, our country is forged in small units of business at the local level.  Politics, on the other hand, is the art of doing what seems to meet the majority need, that’s how we vote for representation that matches our needs.  The system of electing those who represent what we are doing, however, needs to step up to battle, but those who want to be elected, and especially at the local level, find they often have to choose between being a leader who isn’t going to let fear be their guide; and the tough decisions which will bring our nation home.  Now more than ever small business is being lied to, and the deadly lies involve how it’s going to be funded.  Who will be allowed to succeed who won’t?  The rules to that series of choices changed between 2012 and now, the vast majority of possible loans, are categorically “too risky.”  At this point entrepreneurs’ begin to feel the bite, every time they fill out an application for funds only to be told, “We’re sorry we can’t help you.”  Which is true, banks don’t make any money on loans they can’t make, politicians can’t cash in on votes they don’t get- read that sentence again, it is what is now in control of your country, at the local level, it’s extraordinary.

                This movement toward business which can prove it will succeed before it’s allowed to take the risk isn't new,  the deadly precision which small business must now prove it’s potential beyond surety, is. It means most entrepreneurs’ won’t get to try.  The difference is the fact that in decades past, if an idea were solid and the bank said “the risk is too high,” then we’d go to mom and dad, or friends, or the community.  Today families and friends are strapped with the worst tax standard in all of human history; we pay over 60% of our dollar into taxes; that do?  We have social media based financing groups, such as “Lending Tree,” “Street Shares,” and others; but those people are also strapped to the point that $25 dollar contributions are 70 percent of the time the most contributed amount  to the group effort at financing a small business’s needs.  Guess what, it isn't working; across the board the results are stated to be positive, but when you look deeper at the number of applications and the number and amounts of financing which occur, it’s bleak.  The answer is going to take local leaders with heart and real courage; the fake vote getting, compromising truth kind; won’t get America out of this trap.  The tax and law structure which placed us here didn't happen overnight and won’t cure rapidly. Every person who understands money and its use is going to have to pony up to the battle, or lose the market on small business, and kiss this country good bye.  Banks don’t make any money on loans they can’t make, politicians can’t cash in on votes they don’t get. Politicians and bankers need to get into this fight in a way that cannot be anything but extraordinary, and so, my friend, must we be extraordinary.

No Point To It

Three things are essential
to survival in rural America.
Now we're not talking about
rural America 50 miles outside
Dallas, or Denver,
a burb of Chicago, those
places call themselves rural -
but in reality they are capable
of pulling all of the big city
resources they have right
into their mix.  Nope these
three things are for rural where
we're at...the sticks, as they
used to say...so here they go...

1.  Friday night football.

2.  Main Street that is
open for business.

3.  Folks who do what needs
doing in the community, and
volunteering to help.

There are other but these three
are the main ones.  No football
and Friday night becomes just
another night of the week.

Business on main street in our
town means something, we don't
have a lot of plants around us
employing a lot of folks, so
our folks either work somewhere
and live here, or, retail their
hearts out to local folks while
praying for a break on the web.

Folks who do stuff that needs doing
isn't just a rural America thing, but
it does help, and we don't have a
huge population to draw from.  This
can mean, and sometimes does mean,
we end up with folks doing a lot,
from a few.  It's what is the only
way that some things get done.

Have any favorite observations about
your rural community, we'd love to
hear them?

Five Little Known Factors About Diabetes

Personal experience is often the best teacher
because we get to see first hand how
things are, wouldn't you agree?

When we talked about my future
the word diabetes wasn't in that
description.  That happened to
people who didn't take care of
themselves, didn't eat right, had
bad family history's of the disease,
but it wouldn't hit me.  I ran nearly
every day- worked out, was
active as a cat, had energy out the
wazoo, and was losing weight.
So the idea of having diabetes
never crossed my mind.

Went to the eye doctor of all places,
and my eyes prescription for contacts
changed twice in a three month period.
This doctor was very wise, he said,
"look I'm not tryin' to alarm you but
that's sometimes a symptom of
something else, you should see a
doctor."

Eyes may change.

I was not gaining weight, which is
what I believed in error, that people
who got diabetes, gained weight-
wrong- weight loss is a signal.  Weight
change, that is dramatic and you
can't account for it one way or the
other, and that's a sign.

Weight change, dramatic weight change.

The next thing that happened is more subtle,
it's also harder to talk about.  It's an internal
change - you suddenly find yourself being
very thirsty.  Water, fluids, and anything
you can get your hands on that is wet, is                                                      
what you want, because you have dry
mouth, like you've never had.

Change in drinking habits, always thirsty.

You may notice, I did, that my feet started
to tingle.  My sense is that it's when we
say something is "going to sleep," like when
you have an arm in one position too long
and it starts to tingle- that's the sensation
in your feet.

Tingling sensation in feet and hands.

This last one is certainly not the least,
but you may find yourself becoming
very tired, sleepy tired, in the afternoon.
This wouldn't be your normal, "gosh
I'd like to take a nap," tired, this is
sitting down and then going to sleep-
Bam- just out, like a light, in the middle
of the afternoon.

Sudden drowsiness beyond normal.

When these five signs show up, get
with your doctor, it's important, there
was no real history in my family of
this disease, I was a person who took
care of my body- and yet, here it is,
If it can hit me, it can hit somebody else.
My hope is that by sharing what
happened with me, maybe you'll go see
the doctor sooner...it can help.

Information Keeps Down the Frustration

One of the hardest things to do as a person who
wants to open a business is to know who to
go to?  So here is a list of the people who can
be helpful to you:

LED - website:  Louisiana Economic Development

SBA - website:  Small Business Administration

SBDC-website:  Small Business Development Center

This is linked through amazingddp.net because that
is also a center for information.  You have two quick
ways to get around as a person with an idea to start
a business, one, call 318-465-2762 and ask for me-
I'll help you if I can.  Two, you can click on one 
of the links above and see information.  Again it
might be good to get in touch with me, 
drd1201@gmail.com  as my work in to try and
be a good guide to the information you need,
that keeps down the frustration.   

FaceBook Social Media Isn't What It Seems At All

  You may not be new to Facebook, and my hope in writing this is that you aren't, but if you are new to Facebook, this may save you 
some "skin in the game," from experience.  The leading consultants on social media will tell you how powerful it is as an advertising tool.  The leading local groups for discussion will tell you what a powerful way to stay in touch it is (personally for local - my preference is "ring -ring" but that's just me...).  Those who have huge groups of people in their Facebook family will tell you what a great place it is to share.  Are you seeing a common theme here?

  From this brief you should take away two things:  1)  Experts when it comes to this field, are called that, because they've learned all about this new way of behaving called social media, within the last decade.  They should be noted, and listened to, but also, understood for what they are, experts- you and I, aren't- and the difference, when we understand it- can really spare us a lot of sweat when it comes to what we call success for our Facebook page.  2)  We live in a culture and world which professes to be outcome based; every time you speak with someone the subject invariably becomes, "what happened," or a flavor of that- guess what (?)- the same holds true in social media with Facebook!

  This article really begins three years ago when Joe Vitale, Mr. Fire as he is known, introduced me to a new form of communicating over the internet called Twitter.  Dr. Joe said that Twitter would

change everything, and for me, it truly was, remarkable- suddenly I found myself conversing with people from all over the planet, and enjoying it.   From Twitter my exposure to social media got into Facebook  and I truly believed that I'd found communication via the web heaven- here it was, the answer, the dream, everything.  Wow wee, was it ever a mistaken first impression, because Facebook isn't what it appears to be.

  About the time that my experience in life began to change from working hard to working smart, my training on Facebook also changed, and Mari Smith entered the picture in her seminars.  Mari is not only brilliant, she is not only a student of the craft, but she is a powerful and influential member of what Facebook is actually about- so much so, that Mari speaks now at large events that not too many years ago, weren't.  Today those events, social media training events and seminars, many of which take place via the excellent work of Michael Stelzner, of Social Media Examiner 
fame; are well attended and recognized within the community of Facebook professionals, as having tremendous value, they do; took one online two years back, it changed my Facebook.

  "Scareech..." that's the sound of fingernails on blackboard, most unpleasant, almost no one likes that sound- so it gets attention, and it's why we need to throw on the brakes one second - and stop and realize that what Facebook appears to be is a great communication center where your face and photo's and even videos, can be sent to friends, and those who choose to want to look at what you are saying or going through, that you enter.  Would that pretty much match the opening viewpoint that most of us had?  My experience was from chat rooms and online meeting rooms, suddenly there were images, and video's and sound and motion, wow, it was like an entirely new universe to me, and I'd be willing to bet, for anyone who first walks on to the Facebook page, and starts getting into what it's about, it may seem so, and that, is what sets it apart.

  But the "scareech," is to call attention to the less obvious, the less surface issues, and begin to move into the deeper and more creative areas.  What Facebook begins as in your life, is likely nothing like what it is now; that's either good or bad, some people have actually had some bad experiences on Facebook; but almost every comment that I've heard over the years has been positive.  Let's stop and consider that- here is the 5th largest nation on earth by population, which has more interested and involved members of that nation, than just about any other.  Think about all the posts and all the conversations, and the sheer weight of the value of those and you begin to see, Facebook may be, and likely is, a phenomenon that has changed history; via exposure and open communications; and one which will, into the foreseeable future, continue to be a historically relevant force.  

  A force to be reckoned with, or, a flow to move along with, there are many different ways to relate to the fact of the enormous reality of what Facebook became; that was then, this, however is now, and it may not all be good- so hang on- we're going to go some places that not everyone likes, but places where we may need to check, because Facebook may not be what it appears to be.

  "High Tech High Touch," John Naisbitt began to hint at what we're seeing today, his insight began in 1988; so computing and the social media that we have today, didn't exist, but since that time, and the hardcover publication of his work in 2001, much has changed and not all of it is for the better.  Let me ask you this, are you primarily sharing deep and insightful parts of you out there on the social site?  Likely no, because we know, for the most part, that it is seen by- well; everyone- and certainly by your Facebook friends, that's certainly true; but, we don't want them to know it all, nor would that be good, would it?

 
So what are we not saying, what, in other words, if we were in a high touch; personal, in person, meeting, might we say, that here, in this high tech realm, we won't? On the other hand, because the person isn't there, what will we let fly that were they there, we'd never let get said?  Now before you dismiss this as obvious, stay one more round, because it's going to be worth considering, that's the way that social science is, taught it for a couple of years at two year colleges, that and basic psych  so, this is an informed opinion, with some facts to back it, Facebook, isn't what it appears to be.

  Imagine standing outside a house and looking into the window of that home, what might you see?  You might see mom and dad very wildly gesticulating with their hands and arms, and you might think that they are having - A.  An argument?  Or, possibly, B. A very intense discussion.  What would cause you to deduce such?  Their gestures, right(?)- their hands and faces, and things that you could see standing outside that window- and looking in. 

  This would be things that you would know from that perspective, that they wouldn't know that you knew.  Suppose that after several hours you return to their home, knock on the door, and go into that living room with them?  Now you can talk, exchange ideas, and both of you will know the same information, they know and you know.  You wouldn't know what was inside their heads, what they were thinking, unless they told you, so those things would be secret, unless revealed; in which instance, the secrets would become shared information.  Things that you know and they know, things that they know and you don't (their inner thoughts), things you know and they don't (what you saw), and a category we seldom like to address, that neither of you know- the deep end where a lack of knowing can be very powerful.  

  This is called the JoHari window concept, it was invented by two men who studied four areas of our thinking and feelings and lives and how those four areas impact upon our lives and the lives of others...this isn't new stuff, it's well recognized in the world today, here for example, is one site of 348 thousand that come up when Googled [click]  Here comes the kicker - we're going to put some ingredients into this mix and the soup is going to start to have a flavor because Facebook isn't all that it appears to be, point in fact, it may something we aren't thinking it is capable of being?  Something that we don't want to believe, it could be.

  Step back into social media, only now, see it through the lens of this truth, it's a harsher lens, because what may be happening, as we participate in it, may not be what we'd like?  What would your ideal outcome from Facebook be- have you one in mind?  When you post something, is it just, "getting it said," or do you think before you post?  How when you comment, reply, do you just "go with it," or do you stop and analyze, then reply; or, in such instances, do you choose to just observe with no comment?  We're going to wrap this first session up with a doozy; but it's a doozy worth it to you for thought, is my hope in bringing it to the table.  

  When you have a high touch experience, a hug, a smile in person, a group where everyone has a good time playing games, a great restaurant experience, a grand time- somewhere- that's warming to the soul, we love those times, and we remember them, they are warm.  Facebook isn't warm, it's techno, yes, you see the smile, but

no, the person isn't there.  

One of the brilliant leaders from Britain, Michelle Holmes teaches us to use video, now, Michelle I believe credits that idea to Marie Forleo, who has a great show on MarieTV; and also I'd believe Amy Porterfield another astonishing leader; who also, along with Mari Smith and Michael Stelzner emphasizes the use of, and high content value of, video.  Here's the doozy; video or not, it's not the warm tech of touch, it is still high tech, cold tech, no matter how warm we try to make it- and therein, we shall on this first session, stop- with the doozy-
is Facebook a cold tech nation?

  Love to hear from you, and we will be putting this session into a video, and we will continue to explore the doozy, but we'd love to have you join in that exploration- if we can answer any questions about this, please do contact Dr.D at drd1201@gmail.com, or the cell, 318-465-2762, yes, I do answer emails, in a day or two, and yes I certainly do answer the cell, but if we're meeting with officials or clients, might have to get back to you, I try to return all calls within a day...please do leave a voicemail, although friends have been fussing at me about that being full...;-)  See a pattern here?  At any rate, thanks for taking your valuable time to consider the nature of what Facebook may actually be and what that may mean...

  

  

  

Growing The Development Culture

Growing The Development Culture

"Getting There..."  Dr. Dana Richardson,   Eco Dev

You’ve seen the movie, “Hoosiers,” starred Gene Hackman as the coach who took a small town ball team to state?  “Yeah, figures Dr. D that you’d choose a basketball movie story seein’ as how our boys are in the playoffs for football, genius!”  Yes I know, but some quotes are too good to pass up! Be they football, like Denzel Washington, talking to the team as Coach Boone, of “Remember The Titans,” at Gettysburg, “this is hallowed ground.” Or, Gene Hackman, taking his boys into a gym at state that’s huge, asking them to measure the basketball key, remember that?  They measured the net, they measured the key, and his statement was, “I’ll think you’ll find that the measurements there are the exact same ones we have back home.”  His point was; it isn’t the size the opponent, it’s the heart of the competitor, and it’s how you compete; whether we win, lose or draw (can you have a draw in football?) – If our athletes play their hearts out and play with good conduct and athletic manners of combat in football, they are winners.

THEY ARE ALREADY WINNERS- GETTING THERE!

  Economic Development carries in the program an idea that somehow we’re going to make businesses happen, education get better, the infrastructure of the community get better, the way that the community reports itself to the outside world, become enhanced.  In short, the expectations for a good economic development program need funds; and what we tend to believe is that those funds will always come from the Federal Government, State government, or some other source of grant money.  Here’s a shocker- they usually don’t.  In major cities which have huge economic development programs, the majority of the funding comes from the city leaders.  Grant money can happen, and we’ve been fortunate to have grants approved, but we’ve been unfortunate to then have the agency approving the grant, not receive enough money to fund the grant?  Interesting concept; that one is; sort of like, ordering a Cheeseburger, like everybody else, but only being able to watch other people eat it? Isn’t there a better solution, in order that, our community can continue to grow, continue getting there? 

  Did you catch that, how we report ourselves to the world sentence?  You may have thought “internet,” O.K., think “internet” as T.V.; see it?  How powerful is the impression left by the first contact with a website?  In the case of Universal Studio Orlando (http://www.universalorlando.com/) it’s pretty powerful – Harry Potter is front and center; and who, could forget Harry?  In the case of NASA a lot of really cool things are going on no matter what page you click to (http://www.nasa.gov/).   If you type in Lafayette Louisiana, you get this (http://www.lafayettela.gov/) web site that is aimed at you communicating with them, and visiting them; hmm, that’s interesting, wouldn’t you say?  So what about Springhill, what do people see if they type into the search engine Springhill Louisiana?  It is in the top three on Google as a web site, great, but it’s behind, Wikipedia and North Webster Chamber of Commerce?  Is North Webster Chamber of Commerce, Springhill?  No but we have a nice link middle of their screen; but would a person have to want to find Springhill to use this?  Here’s the point; surfing facts tell us that when an executive is looking for a new community to come to, they go to; Google, and they search for the community- the question you need to ask yourself is, are the sites that they’re finding about us influencing their choice?  Is there any possibility that we might make our site better, more attractive, more welcoming and more inviting to them to contact us?  When those executives click on your page you have 7 seconds to impress them,  or they’re gone!  We need to perhaps think about what it is that we want to show them, so that, when it comes to getting them here, we’re getting there!  

WANT TO READ FIVE TIMES FASTER? GUARANTEED!!

Yes you think the good Dr. has lost it,
but guess, what, NOPE- know this
works, have used it for years, and it
works.  Isn't hard, isn't a hassle- it's
so easy, when I tell you what the deal
is, you're gonna say- "doc you killin'
me wit' this stuff, let's go grab some
etouffee...."  or something like that...

So that means if right now you are
reading one book every two or three
weeks- you are going to be reading
five in that same 
amount of time!
With no hassle- no sweat- and no
headache!  Hard to believe isn't it?
But here is the deal, I've used this
for years, and it works, and every
person that I've shared this with
who uses it...well, they are just
blown away by how easy and how
quick this is.

It's not that you aren't reading, it's 
how you are doing what you are doing-
AND- catch this...it's where!  Let's be
adult about this...yes, the can, it's a real
place, and, well- reading can take place
there...although it doesn't necessarily
have to, the real secret to this method,
if there is one- is how you go about doing
what you are doing- this will take some
getting used to.  You put a book in the
car- AND- catch this, you read in it,
much as you can, five minutes before
you take off, OR, five minutes before
you start home, OR, when you pull
into the drive!  Book in the car!

Book in the den, where you sit down
to watch T.V.- beside where you sit
down- put the book there!  Book
in the kitchen- if you really want to
get radical with this, put the book where
you go most often when you go into the
kitchen...that's right...the refrigerator.
Book in the bedroom, beside the bed,
before you sleep, or, when you wake
up; five minutes...that's all, that's all there
is to this, and if you will do it- you will
increase the number of books you read,
and you'll make an amazing discovery;
your mind works by where, and remembers
the story by where you are reading it at.
Simple- my turn- "I told ya so..."

Sooner or Later..

Make yourself develop the discipline
to read.  Jim Rohn, one of America's

premier keynote speakers, and a man
who motivated millions to succeed;
quipped that, "leaders are readers."

So - one of my buds is a dead set "not
gonna read it," kind of gal...which one
must respect, after all; anybody who is
willing to be that honest, you have to
respect, so what's the solution there?




To me it seems like "lighten up,"
might be in order...AND...if you
care about your folks like I care
about my bud- heck, get them an
audio dose?  Guaranty ya this-
Jim Rohn sounds just as good as
he reads...check it out...

Gray Haynes - "A Riverbank of Tears" ONE CLICK TO GET IT

Gray Haynes is an amazing author, this is an amazing book, CLICK on image get it now!

Simple Facts - Open Your Business in Springhill Louisiana...We Want'cha...

All of the clients that we handle in Springhill
Louisiana have a standard approach to the
business model which they must take.  It's
that simple, first, they have to be registered
with the Secretary of States office in Baton
Rouge, DDP Group encourages them to
pursue L.L.C. status, because that seems to
accord them the widest variety of choices to
make as to the future of their business.

Next we like our clients to tackle the fun
of the I.R.S. at IRS.gov.  What we tell them
is, "if you will call the IRS you will find a
friendly helpful human on the line."
We know, we've called them countless times,
we've never had a bad experience, but bear
in mind, people are gonna treat you like
you treat them, so if you call up irate,
do you really expect someone a thousand
miles away on a phone line, to not get
in your face in return?  Be nice...it's easy
to do...even if you're fumed, just think of
it as ...therapy, and call the IRS.gov.

Second we like them to register with the
Louisiana Economic Development Division
in Baton Rouge, this allows us to work with
the Hudson Initiative and the Small and
Emerging Business Division, as well.
If we are dealing with veterans that are
opening their business we try to affirm
such with them and have them register with the
Veterans initiative at that site as well.

This opens doors for our clients to information
that previously they might not have been
aware of.  So when they help us do our job
better we can in turn, hopefully, help them
to do theirs with a little more clarity.  It's
something to get used to, it's not easy
for small business when there are any
additional hoops to jump through, but
in the long run, it's worth it.

Great Big Joy

"We have to do something about this, it just

Mopsy relaxes on her favorite pillow

isn't fair to her..."
My wife's words hung me on the truth;
"I know it, but what can we do, she can't
stay with Deb and them, and she just
doesn't seem to get along with anybody,
not us, not the other dogs?"
"Well, would you?  If somebody shot you in
the ear with a bee-bee, wouldn't you be pissed?"
She had made her point, but what to do?

My heart has always gone out to my Mopsy-
when my wife first brought this dog home
she was tore to pieces, her skin looked like
it had been kicked or bitten off, she was
a mess- and somebody threw her out at
the plant where my wife worked.  She got
Mopsy into the van and brought her to the
vet, he fixed her up; and we tried to get her
into some friends homes where they had
dogs outside with large dog run pens- on
farms and such, but each time, Mopsy would
go to the corner of the pen, and the other
dogs would eat her food, she wasn't being
treated fairly by them.  We knew- we had
to do something.

"We can't take her to the vet, she's older,
won't nobody want to take her..."  The vet
had a policy that if they couldn't find a home

Mopsy today no pinkish beat skin...

for the animal after a certain
percentage of time, they had to
put the animal down as part of
being able to even keep the facility,
it was one of the roughest parts of
the small rural vets life, and we knew it,
and we really had already
started to become attached to Mopsy.
But Mopsy was anything except attached to us,
if we'd approach her, she'd head down, tail
tuck and growl.  Sure signs in my mind that
somebody had harmed this dog in the past.

I told my wife we really should keep her- and
then we needed to pour love into this poor

Mopsy still loves the wife's garden...

girl, love in every way we could.
Gentle voices, constantly trying to
get her to come to us, bringing her the
best food, water, and after
three months; Mopsy actually
came up to me, hand down,
head down, eyes down, and
she sniffed my hand, and we bonded,
I touched her and gently petted her,
and it was real.

Mopsy has been with us now for thirteen years,
we have no idea how old she really is, but we
know this, we should have taken before and
after pictures, nobody would believe the
difference in her.  It's the power of love, I
always say, oh, not our love toward her, her
love toward us, you see, she had to forgive
whoever had done those horrible things to
her, and then realize, it wasn't us; and that
my friends is what this story is all about- great
big joy!

Rural Social Media is a blog about
perspective, really, that's what it's
all about, you see we have
a mission here; to better the
lives of those around
us.  We live in rural America;
and we believe that living in rural America
is totally different than living
anywhere else.  That's a simplification,
and we don't all have wheat shucks sticking out
of our mouths and wear bib overalls,  but it's
not such a bad thing at all, to wear them, is it?
Somebody around this great nation of ours needs
to man up- I'd just as soon they were wearin' bib
overalls, as cross dressed fancy, how 'bout you?

Great Big Joy comes in lots of flavors- but
it boils down to this, success; and hard work,
work that pays off.  Yes I know what the good
folks at the Metaphysics, "The Secret," side
of the house say, "all you have to do is believe
and it will be so,"  but what I'm gonna share with
you is, when you really believe, your hard work
becomes like play, and you make it so.  Now
that's a bit different statement, but I believe when
you boil it down, success doesn't happen very
often from dumb luck, it just looks that way.

Great Big Joy is a series of ideas and concepts that
we're gonna go through together, about business,
because that's what I get to do, my task in life,
my passion, is to help the community of Springhill,
Louisiana, do better.  Now that probably sounds
pretty crass, but realize that every community in
America has suffered in these last two decades
by the changes that have taken place in our world.
Those sufferings were very real, to farmers who
used to have a cash crop that would be allowed
to come up next year, only now, that's not for
certain anymore, thanks to the good folks at
Monsanto, and their hybrid seed programs!

Great Big Joy comes after going through such,
for the farmer who finds another way, and my
task, my passion, is to help them.  That's the
community side of what I get to do.  Now there
is also the fun side, and that's where we're gonna
stop today, but I want to share a success with
you that I'm enjoying to no end, that's the
businesses that are already doing pretty good-
only we're gonna get to help them go to the
next level.  Imagine what fun that is going to be?
Imagine being able to stand next to someone
that is going to someday be a name that is
spoken very far away, and with respect, no
matter where it is spoken at?  Imagine being
Paul Allen in California when a young man
comes over named Bill Gates and wants
to discuss this new device called a computer?
Imagine being able to help the future
leader of a massive franchise of pet
grooming products, because that's
her dream, and someday everywhere
people say, "Painted puppy- why
sure, we remember that gal...she..."

Do You Really?

Don't you just hate it when late night TV is
all those infomercials?  Nothin' else on, there
you are, awake, flippin' through the channels
because you can't sleep- AND, to top it off,
you get infomercials.  Doesn't it chap you
just a touch?

Well this one won't- love Facebook?  Want
to see your Facebook experience become
"AWESOME!"  No matter what sort of Facebook
person you are?  Check out this lady- she will
amaze you, and her directions work...they work
and every single one that I've tried has worked!

NOW if I can do it, and I don't have any THUMBS(!)
imagine what you can do?

BLIND COMMITTEE Errors...?

Three really tight blind guy's felt like there
was nothin' they couldn't handle- in fact
they were so independent that they said,
"there's nothin' we can't handle you bring
it on- we'll figure it out."  And for some
time they gained a modicum of fame
for their ability to figure stuff out.
Ever been there?  Needed somebody
like that?

One day an equally real person said
that he had a challenge they might
not be able to handle- well, they
rose to the occasion.  So he put
before them a challenge, a room
they would go into and tell what
was in that room.  They agreed.

In the room they went---and the
first fella said, "this is obviously a
broom closet, I can feel the wisps."
The second man spoke up with;
"That's weird this feels like a tree
to me, like a rubber tree maybe?"
By which time the third guy
shouted out:  "Have you guys
lost it, this is obviously a commercial
sweeper?"

SO CLICK TO REALIZE WHAT YOU KNOW

AH The Kicker...HERE IT IS....

Jon McNaughton's painting, "The Forgotten Man."

Saw this on facebook - could not turn away from it...

How does it make you feel?

Your Opportunity Is Looking Right At You

YouTube presents you as a television channel.
This truth is sobering, especially if nobody
watches, then, it's very sobering.

It might mean you don't post a video worth taking
in, or, it can mean that your video is fine,
it's just not what certain people want to
look at, so they don't talk about it, hence
the term "social media."

But knowing social media and doing social
media are two different things.  Just as
knowing about grants, and then writing
grants, are two different things.  But both
are necessary, it's really a question of
which you want to do?  If you'd like
to do some research and get into making
money from that- we believe that we
have a great key that will unlock the
doors you need unlocked to get such.
If you'd like to get into grant writing-
we believe we have the best opportunity
going to break into the field, and we'd
love to chat with you about it.

Dr. D - 310-846-8096

DEJA M00 Hits Full Force

This morning, March 1st, 2012,
Facebook opened
me up with a great
big..."oh I
know you
didn't shoot
that green stuff at me!"
Moment, that can't
not be shared.
Had that odd feeling
that we've been here before?

Let me explain..

On March 15th, in the Springhill
Community Civic Center Council
Chambers, (and hopefully the
turn out will be great enough
that we'll have to use the
big room) we are going to
have one of the most
powerful leaders in small business,
anywhere,
John Matthews, (CLICK)
come to see us.  Ordinarily
this wouldn't be a big deal,
but here in Louisiana, it is,
and keep reading and
I'll tell you why...plus...
throw in a
little secret you really
don't wanna miss...

In Louisiana small business
there is funding
available, which is
always good news, grants, and loans, and...money!
Small business is usually not fortunate
enough to have a staff of people to research
and write grants, it would be nice if they
could afford such, but usually they can't.
So several years back, Louisiana's Governor,
Bobby Jindal,(CLICK)
took action and started teaching a lot of people how to
research and write grants for small business.
Here's the kicker, as they say, much of what
happens with a grant doesn't happen at just the
research and writing phase, much of it is follow through
with the people who have their hands on the money spicket...enter
our hero- John Matthews.

Ordinarily, it would be just another
visit from the state government "down south,"
in Louisiana, to their distant friends and voters,
"up north," in the state- but not this time.  What
happens when we explain to powerful people
that we need assistance in the north
of the state is, they hear, "travel,
no shows, small crowd,
little interest."  What we're
saying is, "wow do
we ever need what you have."
What they are hearing is,
"here we go again, we've traveled
up there before, 
and nobody showed up."
See the problem?  
So this time, we have to do
whatever we have to do,
to make sure that doesn't happen
this time.  We need what this
man has to offer...and to
sweeten the deal...we have a special prize -
and it's a nice one-
your name goes into the bowl for two such
nice gift receipts for $25.00 to a local eatery
that is nice  - hows that!  Two names will
be drawn from the people who email us
to say "we're gonna be there - March 15th
at 5:30- Council Chambers" - and we'll draw
them out that evening...NOW- hows that for
cool...NO MORE DEJA M00 Huh?

What does "good deal" really mean?

It's been so long since I've done a blog
entry that most of the folks who used
to swing bye, have swung bye,
and said "bye-bye" and who can
blame them.  Here is my official apology
to them, they were faithful readers,
and I went to work outside my career
field for a while and did not have any
moments, really didn't, to do
entries.  That has changed, and a
much chastised Dr. asks you to engage
once again, promising you
that we will surface some juicy topics, as well as,
some useful ones.  That being said, let's dig in,
to what I hope will be a joyful bowl...

So we have to begin with my faves- Chris and
Mari - Chris cause he's just way beyond cool
with his gadgets - I don't think there is a new app
out there that Chris hasn't tried, and the cool thing
is, when Chris say's it works...you can trust his
voice.  http://www.facebook.com/chrisvoss?ref=ts 




Which brings us to Mari Smith.  One of a kind?
Unique- AWESOME- they become just words
if you aren't careful, until you run into Mari-
then suddenly, you see...she's the definition
of so many of them:  http://www.facebook.com/maris

Story Telling For You - Chapter Six c- Gene's right, she always is...

“Look I know what went down, that’s

not the point; I’m still tryin’ to get my mind

around what it means.’  We were back at

my house; my humble abode, actually it

wasn’t so humble, it was a nice little brick

house on the edge of town, and I liked living

on the dead end street.  But where I was when

saying these things wasn’t the issue at all,

the issue had to get settled, we, Gene and I,

were into a mess, deep, and it appeared the

only way we were going to get out was with

a lot of money, and no small amount of luck.

She picked up on my silence,  “what it means,

Chuck is that we have now made even more

trouble for ourselves, and I didn’t think that

was possible.”

“You had the right idea Gene, it just didn’t

happen like we thought.”

“You’re talking like it’s going to work out?”

“How else can I talk?”

“Chuck can you just, for one minute talk

real here- and quit with the dreamy “it

will work out,” non sense?”

“What if it’s not non sense Gene?’

“But it is Chuck, that’s the point.”

“So you say, but what if?”

“See there you go again, I can’t get you

to see how unreal your ideas are?”

“OK Gene I’ll give you that it’s odd, and

that not everybody thinks of such things,”

“No they sure don’t…”

“But that doesn’t mean they aren’t possible,

it may mean, that folks who are living day

to day, just working their way through life

don’t ever get to think that there might be

something different.”

“Chuck, when you first brought this up,

I thought you were crazy, then when I

heard these guys talking about the welding

that they did on the rigs, to keep water from

getting up into the rig, suddenly something

clicked and I saw your idea.  But after all this

Chuck, I think we’re in somewhere where we

shouldn’t be, and I don’t think we ought to

continue to move forward with this.”

She leaned forward on the table, folding her

hands together, her point was a final one.

When she did that, it was her way of saying

that she’d said what she had to say and that

was that.  Usually I went along with that, but

this time, it just wasn’t going to happen.

“Gene let’s back up and think amounts, so that

we understand the real deal, we’re talking more

millions than we’ll ever see, ever.”

“The millions make sense some, I have to admit

that the money would be incredible…”

“Uh huh-“

“But we’re not these kinds of people Chuck.”

“Uh huh-“

“Chuck why do I get the feeling you ain’ listenin’ to me?”

“Uh huh-“

“And so they gave me a thousand dollars

just to dis you, so I’m leavin’ alright…”

“Uh huh- hey, wait a sec, do I get some

of them bucks too?”

She reached across the table and punched my arm.

“Chuckles you got to get serious about this man,

it ain’ goin away now, it’s on us, we brought it,

and I feel scared of those dudes, they are weird?”

“See when you say that to me, it makes me feel

all warm inside, cause I thought I was weird?”

“You are, that’s not the point, they are weird

in their own little “gangster with guns” sort of

way, and I just ain’ used to nothin even close to that.”

Her point was a really good one, one I couldn’t

and wouldn’t argue with, yeah; right.

“What do you want to do?”

“Whoa there cowboy, you tryin’ to put

this on me?  This wasn’t my idea-“

“Goin to see them was-“

“And you said it sounded good, remember?”

“You apparently aren’t going to let me forget-“

“I’m just sayin’,” by now I knew Gene as going

to let the hammer down, it was just a matter

of time, and I figured I knew where she was

going to land it at. “We started down your

path, your idea, your craziness, we didn’t

need the money-“

“Yes we did-“

“No, Chuckles, we didn’t, that was in your

mind, I’ve never bugged you about

money, it’s not an issue to me and

you know it, if it were I would have

left you like those others who left

Jeff holding the bag-“

“Hey, Smadge is a good guy-“

“That’s what I mean, bad deal for

him, but worse deal for them, they

lost a good guy, but babe, I’m not

about the bucks, never have been.”

“So how come you always like to

go downtown and get new stuff?”

“Ah c’mon man, that’s just ladylike,

what, you don’t want me to be

ladylike?”

“Oh yeah, it’s real ladylike getting

us into a shooting match with hoods.”

“Chuck, we might’ve needed what they

were talking about they could do.”

“I hate relationships based on need,

don’t you?”

“Apparently not-“