Gibran K. Gibran: Teaching

Listen to GIBRAN KHALIL GIBRAN in his Masterpiece, THE PROPHET:

Then said a teacher, "Speak to us of Teaching."

And he said:

No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of our knowledge.

The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.

The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm nor the voice that echoes it.

And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither.

For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.

And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.

The End of Marketing As We Know It

The Big Idea

The best-selling author of “The End of Advertising As We Know It”, Sergio Zyman, gives us his irrepressible, irreverent but charismatic style of telling us the real score in marketing: It is not only to create an image that consumers could fall in love with but one that will drive consumers to buy more products and services for as often as possible.

His provocative and counterintuitive approach which he impresses upon us throughout his book is that producing award-winning commercials and promotions, and creating ads that people like are not an end by itself. What is far most important to marketing is to move customers and consumers to buy those products and services that are being promoted and advertised.

Sergio Zyman is a proven successful marketing guru that earned his sobriquet “Aya-Cola” in Madison Avenue, New York by boosting Coca-Cola’s market value from $56 billion in 1993 to $193 billion in a span of five years and selling 15 billion cases to 5 billion people in 190 countries.

Zyman demolishes traditional myths and beliefs in marketing. He professes the idea that marketing is a serious business discipline and a science that marketing professionals can effectively use to promote and sell products and services while measuring the effectiveness of ads and promotions in terms of sales results.

He also debunks the belief that marketing should create and produce crowd pleasing ads and promotions solely for the purpose of pleasing viewers of those ads. Zyman upholds the belief that the main objective of marketing is to sell products and services to its customers and consumers for as often as possible for as more money as possible.

Cartoon of the Week

Apple introduces the new iPhone 3G

The new iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking, built-in GPS, and iPhone 2.0 software that supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs hundreds of third party applications built with the iPhone SDK. Available in 22 countries on July 11, iPhone 3G comes in two models: an 8GB model priced at $199 (US) and a 16GB model priced at $299 (US)

My Country 'tis of Thee

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A rare and original manuscript of one of America's most patriotic songs has been discovered in a flea market bargain.

The manuscript of the song could be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

A shopper browsing through the market in New York bought a framed picture of a flower for $10 and found handwritten manuscript of "America" (My Country 'tis of Thee) tucked behind the picture, the manuscript's owner said Thursday.

The manuscript of the song whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831 could be worth tens of thousands of dollars, said the owner, art collector Keya Morgan. He said he bought it from the flea market shopper, who has asked not to be identified.

The song was intended to be played in schools to inspire and teach children and was first played in public on July 4, 1831, in the First Baptist Church in Newton, Massachusetts, Morgan said. The song is written to the tune of "God Save the Queen," the national anthem of the United Kingdom.

The authenticity of the document was confirmed by Morgan, a handwriting expert who has been authenticating historical documents for nearly a decade, and Diana Yount, an archival specialist at Andover Newton Theological School. Yount reached her conclusion after comparing the handwriting with that in a hymn written by Smith.

Morgan, whose collection includes artifacts from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses S. Grant, was ecstatic.

"It's the biggest high I could get," said Morgan. "It shaped the nation and reminds us that this nation is just a baby."

Picture of the Week

Things You Should Never Do at Work

From the e-mails we "forget" to return to the voicemails we "never received," telling little white lies has become a very real part of our workplace routine.

For the most part, we get away with it. After all, we tell ourselves, who are we really hurting? Anything beyond the occasional fib, however, and the lines get blurred.

To avoid a serious faux pas -- and possible career sabotage -- stay clear of the following 10 workplace sins:

1. Stealing
Whether you think that the company "owes" you things like Post-its, pens and other office supplies, or you simply don't think it's a big deal, you should be sure about that in case your boss or co-worker catches you. Stealing can not only get you fired, it's illegal.

2. Blaming someone else for your mistake
It's dishonest, childish and tacky. Very tacky. Sure, having to admit you made a mistake is embarrassing, but not nearly as embarrassing as it would be to have to admit you lied about it or tried to cover it up.

3. Spreading gossip
Who knows why people get a certain high from hearing juicy gossip. Many of us are guilty of passing along at least a few rumors at times, but the more you can avoid doing so, the better off you will be. Try to avoid it. In addition, if you hear it, don't repeat it.

4. Calling in sick when you are perfectly healthy ...
If you wake up and just cannot face the idea of going in to work, there's no reason (unless this happens every day) you shouldn't give yourself a vacation, personal or mental health day. Nevertheless, calling in sick is not only irresponsible and insensitive to the co-workers who have to cover for you, it could also be grounds for firing if you're caught.

5. ...or showing up when you aren't
The admiration your co-workers show you for coming in to work despite having the flu will be short-lived: It won't take long for those around you to tire of hearing hacking, sniffling and coughing coming from your desk, nor will they appreciate being exposed to your germs.

6. Abusing office technology
This includes (but is not limited to): spending a significant amount of time on personal phone calls, e-mails or instant messages; using office time to type and print out the pieces of your screenplay; going online to catch up on last night's episode of "My Life on the D List"; and using the office printer to make the invites to your holiday party.

7. Involving co-workers in your personal problems
If problems at home are distracting you from doing your job, that's one thing, which you should take up with the boss or human resources. But involving your co-workers in your personal problems is distracting and unprofessional.

8. Getting too comfortable
Dressing professionally is just as important as behaving professionally in the workplace. No matter how long you've been with the company, how "cool" your boss is, how much sleep you got the night before, or how cold or hot it is outside, you should always maintain a clean, workplace-appropriate appearance.
Even if you work in a relatively casual office, you should still make the effort to wear clean clothes and have well-groomed hair. A good rule of thumb is to never dress better than your boss, nor worse.

9. Hitting on your boss
This one has "Lifetime movie" written all over it. For every successful office romance story, there's a disaster story to match it. When co-workers hook up, it always makes for a tricky situation; when one worker is subordinate to the other, the stakes get even higher. Unless you are well aware of your employer's policy regarding office romances and are prepared for the possibility of rejection, avoid this one altogether.

10. Hitting on your employee
Consider all of the above.

Print Ad of the Week

Gibran K. Gibran: Love

Listen to GIBRAN KHALIL GIBRAN in his Masterpiece, THE PROPHET:

Then said Almitra, "Speak to us of Love."

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them.

And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, I am in the heart of God."

And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Note from the Blog Owner

S†MoN® says:

Thank you for visiting my World.
For a better structure management, I have decided to post these topics on regular basis:
- Monday: Cartoon or Joke of the Week
- Tuesday: Words of Gibran Khalil Gibran
- Wednesday: Print Ad of the Week
- Thursday: Business-related articles (Management, Advertising, Marketing ...)
- Friday: Picture of the Week

Please expect some carefully-selected write ups every now and then. Soon enough, my blog will feature some ad banners. The income generated will go to charity (Adoption of a less fortunate or neglected child).

All the Best,