Month: June 2015

“Kindness is in our power even when fondness is not.”

~Henry James~

This week:

America’s KINDest City?

Make YOUR In-Kind Contribution…

Kind Snacks:

This is great

A One of a Kind Dog:

This will give you a chuckle

A Heartwarming Interspecies Reunion:

Get out the Kleenex!

Bright Colors and Rich Thoughts:

Great Nature for your Nurture

We brag about San Diego as America’s Finest City, but what about America’s Kindest City?

Can we really have a prospering and healthy civic society anywhere in the world, without a strong social fabric weaved together by compassion and kindness?

What could happen if we were just a little bit kinder to everyone we meet?

In the post-recession economy, the brand attribute that moved the most by far is KINDNESS, increasing 341%. This is according to those with access to the largest consumer database on earth!

In difficult times we are reminded of the power of kindness and caring, yet common sense is often uncommon practice.

Let’s change that starting right now…

It doesn’t take much to be kind

A friend of mine Shannon M, has made it her purpose to manifest America’s Kindest city, whose vision is to create a kinder and more sustainable San Diego in the non-profit and for-profit sector for the current generation, and for generations to come.

This is not just a feel good campaign…

Americas’ Kindest City is a strategic approach to corporate social responsibility as a means to ALIGN purpose-driven businesses with nonprofits doing the most measurable and sustainable good. What is corporate social responsibility and why is it so important when doing business? Simply put, CSR is a way for companies to manage how they give back. With the dramatic consumer spend shift towards companies that are KIND & empathetic or  “purpose-driven,” the emerging global economy will soon demand that companies think and do business PURPOSEFULLY.

So what is America’s Kindest City and what do we do? We consult with small, medium and large businesses who want to increase their CSR in more meaningful ways, to become branded as KIND Companies, through the partnership of businesses and nonprofits in mission and value alignment. Additionally, America’s Kindest City offers public relations and marketing services to increase visibility, cost reduction services, credit card processing and employee give back (volunteer) management.

What’s the PURPOSE? To make San Diego KINDER, to then model and mentor this strategy for the rest of America to follow.

“Business as usual” is about to take on a whole new meaning.

Let’s envision for a moment the transformative impact this orientation can make as kindness gets us out of our base selves (me) and into our larger selves (we).

If you are of similar kind,(kind-red spirit) you can join us on Facebook here and now:

https://www.facebook.com/americaskindestcity

Kind Snacks:

Speaking of Kind, if you haven’t tried them yet, KIND snacks are both healthy and not just good for you but good for society.

They sponsored a recent San Diego Non Profits event and their snacks went like hot cakes!

Here is more about them:

Since its founding in 2004, KIND has been on a mission to make the world a little kinder one snack and act at a time.

 All award-winning KIND snacks are made from delicious, wholesome ingredients and are gluten free and non GMO. KIND currently offers six different snack lines including: KIND^® Fruit & Nut and KIND^® PLUS, two lines of delicious whole nut & fruit bars; KIND^® Nuts & Spices, a line of whole nut & spice bars that naturally have only 5g of sugar or less; KIND Healthy Grains^® Clusters made from five super grains; KIND Healthy Grains^® Bars, a line of crunchy and chewy granola bars; and STRONG & KIND^®, a line of savory-flavored bars featuring 10g of protein.

 Through its social mission – known as the KIND Movement – KIND, together with its community, is committed to inspiring kindness through acts big and small. It fulfills this commitment through programming like KIND Causes, which helps individuals and organizations bring their socially-impactful ideas to life with monthly $10,000 grants.  

 To snack happy visit kindsnacks.com, and to join the community visit kindmovement.com. 

Now also enjoy…

A One of a Kind Dog:

A Heartwarming Interspecies Reunion:

Bright Colors and Rich Thoughts:

Kindness is in our power

Thanks this week go to Shannon M, Logan S, Larry H, Andrea M & every person who practices kindness in thoughts, words and deeds.

Pay it forward!

Love,

Neville

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless” – Mother Theresa

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

Humor: Colonoscopy Journal with Pulitzer Prize Winner Dave Barry

Investing in Love and Precluding Personal Bankruptcy with Will Marre

Employee Ratios  to Watch in Your Organization with Anthony Demangone

Smiles for You with David Zinn:

Humor: Colonoscopy Journal with Pulitzer Prize Winner Dave Barry

Colonoscopy Journal:

I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy.

A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis.

Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner.

I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn’t really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, ‘HE’S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!’

I left Andy’s office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called ‘MoviPrep,’ which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America’s enemies.

I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous.

Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn’t eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor.

Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep. You mix two packets of powder together in a one-litre plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a litre is about 32 gallons). Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes – and here I am being kind – like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.

The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, ‘a loose, watery bowel movement may result.’

This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.

MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don’t want to be too graphic, here, but, have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently.  You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another litre of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.

After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep.

The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, ‘What if I spurt on Andy?’ How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.

At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothes and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked.

Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep.

At first I was ticked off that I hadn’t thought of this, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.

When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point.

Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand.

There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was ‘Dancing Queen’ by ABBA. I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, ‘Dancing Queen’ had to be the least appropriate.

‘You want me to turn it up?’ said Andy, from somewhere behind me…

‘Ha ha,’ I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.

I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling ‘Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the tambourine,’ and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood.

Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that It was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.

On the subject of Colonoscopies…

Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous. A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies:

1. Take it easy Doc. You’re boldly going where no man has gone before.

2. ‘Find Amelia Earhart yet?’

3. ‘Can you hear me NOW?’

4. ‘Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?’

5.  ‘You know, in Arkansas, we’re now legally married.’

6. ‘Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?’

7. ‘You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out…’

8. ‘Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!’

9. ‘If your hand doesn’t fit, you must quit!’

10. ‘Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.’

11. ‘You used to be an executive at Enron, didn’t you?’

And the best one of all:

12. ‘Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?’

ABOUT THE WRITER: Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald.

Investing in Love with Will Marre:

Will Marre

Employee Ratios Written by Anthony Demangone We credit unions love us some ratios! ROA. Delinquency ratios. Fixed asset ratios. Efficiency ratios. The list is long, and important. If you know your ratios and track them, you can see trends jump off the paper. But not everything can be boiled down into a ratio. And that’s too bad. Because I’d love to see the following ratios put into play. Negative energy ratio. This ratio measures how often an employee brings a Debbie Downer attitude into a discussion. This is measured by dividing the number of negative/gloomy/whining comments by total workplace interactions. Anything approaching .25 or higher should entitle a prompt corrective action. Gotcha ratio. This ratio measures how often a colleague helps you, while zinging you at the same time. You’re not sure whether to say thank you or curse after such interactions  “Paul, can you send me the results from that audit?”  “Sure, Tina – you mean the results I emailed you three days ago?” “Yep, Paul – you got me! Those are the ones.” The ratio has a risk-based component – weighing gotcha’s more heavily if given in a public setting or during a crisis. Life preserver ratio. This ratio measures how often an employee fixes a problem versus how often the run to another employee to have a problem fixed. A high ratio means the employee is a self-starter with responsibility. A low ratio means that other employees grimace when they see your extension ringing their phone. The “I’m sorry, what did you say” ratio? This ratio measures how often an employee comments about something off-topic during a meeting. This could be called the “Demangone Ratio” at NAFCU. I have a bad habit of hearing a comment that gets me thinking. By the time I mention something, that topic is about 10 minutes old. My hand goes up. The conversation halts. Eyes roll. If you hear “we’re getting off-topic here” after you speak on a regular basis, you may need to work on this ratio. The Problem/Thought ratio. This ratio measure how much thought a person has given to a problem before they discuss it with a supervisor. A high ratio would correspond with an employee who has identified a problem and thought about every possible solution, as well as a recommended course of action to fix it. A low ratio would be found with employees who use an auto-forward rule with problems. When a problem comes to them, it simply is forwarded on with little or no thought. The Anti-Aircraft Gun Ratio. The higher the ratio, the more likely the employee loves to shoot down foreign ideas. This is also risk weighted, with a heavier emphasis given to shooting down ideas in public, or with a condescending tone. I’m sure I’m missing a few ratios.  Shoot me a note if any others come to mind.

Smiles for You with David Zinn:

David Zinn

Thanks this week go to Larry H, Sue S & Debra S for bringing us Dave, Will, Anthony & David

Pay it Forward!

Love,

Neville

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

‘Tis the Season for Graduations with Pomp and Circumstance

What you may not know about the music…

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1273081

The 19^th Character Matters Conference at USD

We can’t foster Civic Leadership without Character…

https://www.sandiego.edu/soles/centers-and-research/character-development-center/summer-conference.php

Eco Houses

Meet The Woman Building Stunning Sustainable Homes From Bamboo

http://www.trueactivist.com/breathtakingly-beautiful-bamboo-homes-in-bali/

Lost Posture:

Why Some Indigenous Cultures May Not Have Back Pain

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/06/08/412314701/lost-posture-why-indigenous-cultures-dont-have-back-pain

Subject: Newspapers

A guide to keeping the political news as reported by our newspapers in perspective:

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.

2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.

3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should runthe
   country, and who are very good at crossword puzzles

4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country
   but don’t really understand The New York Times.  They do, however, like
   their statistics shown in pie chart.

5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the
   country, if they could find the time — and if they didn’t have to leave
   Southern California to do it.

6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the
   country and did a poor job of it, thank you very much.

7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t too sure who’s
   running the country and don’t really care as long as they can get a seat
   on the train.

8. The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who are running the
   country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while
   intoxicated.

9. The Chicago Tribune is read by people that are in prison that used to run
   the state, & would like to do so again, as would their constituents that
   are currently free on bail.

10.The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country,
but need the baseball scores.

11. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure if there is
    a country or that anyone is running it; but if so, they oppose all that
    they stand for.  There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are gay,
    handicapped, minority, feminist, atheist dwarfs who also happen to be
    illegal aliens from any other country or galaxy, provided of course, that
    they are not Republicans.

12. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery
    store.

13. The Seattle Times is read by people who have recently caught a fish and
    need something to wrap it in.

14. The Texas papers are read by Texans trying to find out how screwed up the rest of the nation is so they’re ready to defend themselves.

“Mosaiculture”

Once every three years, there is an international competition in
horticultural sculpture, called “Mosaiculture” in a major city in the
world…the last one in Montreal.

This is not topiary, but rather creating sculptures out of living plants.
The greatest horticulturalists in the world, from 20 different countries,
submit plans a year in advance.

Steel armatures were then created to support the works (some 40 feet high);
they are then wrapped in steel mesh and filled with dirt and moss and
watering hoses.  Then they 3 million plants of different shades of green and
brown and tan were ordered, and these were grown in greenhouses all over
Quebec.

The horticulturalists came to Montreal and planted all of their plants in
the forms at the Montreal Botanic Gardens.
There were 50 major sculptures along a path two miles long…and are
incredible.  Click to view: http://myvirtualgarden2.blogspot.com/2013/09/mosaiculture-exhibition.html

Thanks this week go to Public Radio, Ed D and Patty M, Glenda O and Barbara SB, Sean D and Rachel L & Larry H.

Pay it Forward!!

Love,
Neville

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

• A Letter from the Post Office
• Your Purpose Finding You and the Gifts of the Specially Abled
• When are Employee Wellness Incentives No Longer Voluntary?

If you are local:

• Remembering a Great Educator: Chips Dreilinger
• San Diego National Philanthropy Day Deadline extended deadline to Wednesday, June 10, 5pm so send in Your Nominees!
• See Differently! Killer Logos

A Letter from the Post Office

We don’t know who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter department who understands LOVE……

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month.

The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.

She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her.

I told her that I thought that we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog?

Abbey died yesterday and is with you in heaven.

I miss her very much.

I ‘m happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her.

She likes to swim and play with balls.

I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog.

I really miss her.

Love,

Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey & Meredith, and addressed it to God/Heaven.

We put our return address on it.

Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.

That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.

A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet.

I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand.

Meredith opened it.

Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies.’

Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope.

On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.

Abbey isn’t sick anymore.

Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.

Abbey loved being your dog.

Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in so I ‘m sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me.

What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I ‘m easy to find.

I am wherever there is love.

Love,

God

Don’t say you’re too busy to forward this. Just go ahead and do it.

—

Your Purpose Finding You and the Specially Abled

http://www.dailygood.org/story/1007/everybody-is-good-at-something-meeting-v-r-ferose-nipun-mehta/

When are Employee Wellness Incentives No Longer Voluntary?

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/05/29/410334545/when-are-employee-wellness-incentives-no-longer-voluntary

If You Are Local…

Remembering a Great Educator: Chips Dreilinger by Patty M

 It is with a heavy heart that I share with you all the sad news that Chips Dreilinger passed away this past Monday, peacefully, at his home in Encinitas.  Though he has been ill off and on since his retirement in 2002, this was still unexpected.

Chips served as the Dean of Muir College for 23 years, retiring in 2002.

It is truly difficult to fully account for the impact Chips had on student life and the community at Muir College.  So much that we value in our Muir community today is because of his efforts as Dean.  Many traditions we have today were inspired through his leadership.  Traditions including Muirstock, John Muir Week, the Pumpkin Drop, even the UnOlympics (he was proud we won the shoe this year), and Spirit Night.  And the generations of students whose lives he impacted in both small and large ways will never forget him.   He was truly a quintessential “Muiron” and a dedicated advocate on behalf of all students.  He was well known around the campus – not the least of all for his attire.  He would typically come to work in jean shorts and a Muir t-shirt (added by Pat – flip-flops!).  You knew if he had a meeting across campus because on those days he would wear full jeans – and a Muir t-shirt.  Chips combined a perfect blend of humor and intellect to just about every situation he encountered.  I know the stories involving Chips are endless and will be shared among many for years to come.

Services are not as of yet planned but in lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in remembrance of Chips to Paws’itive Teams – a local organization that trains and places service dogs and where Chips was matched with his beloved dog, Jed.   Their website is the following:  http://www.pawsteams.org/

For those of you wishing to send condolences, memories and any other “Chips” stories – Anna Dreilinger’s email is add@ucsd.edu and I know she and Chips’ family would appreciate them all.

While we never were able to get him an elephant to ride into Unolympics on – I hope he is riding on one now!

National Philanthropy Day Deadline extended deadline to Wednesday, June 10, 5pm

Wednesday, June 10, 5 pm  is the deadline to nominate an outstanding person or organization for a National Philanthropy Day award! We encourage nominations from you, your nonprofit partners and colleagues. The hardest part, I’m sure, will be deciding whom to nominate from among the many deserving candidates you know. More information about the nomination categories and the November 9 event ceremony is below.

Nominate Someone Making a Difference

Do you know of a story that needs to be told? We want to include the good work being done in your community! Submitting a nomination for National Philanthropy Day San Diego is a great way to show your appreciation. And the nominations are EASY! The AFP San Diego Chapter annually recognizes individuals and organizations whose philanthropic achievements have made an impact in the San Diego region, Imperial County and Tijuana.  While we are looking forward to building on the success of our predecessors, we are expanding our vision of inclusion and celebrating and honoring the rich diversity of our region. Let’s honor those who embrace philanthropy on November 9, 2015, at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront Hotel. Nominate someone that you feel deserves to be acknowledged for their efforts. Nomination Categories: Outstanding Philanthropist Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer Outstanding Organization Volunteer Outstanding Philanthropic Organization Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation Outstanding Development Professional Outstanding Youth/Student Volunteer Deadline Quickly Approaching! Nominations will close on June 5, 2015. Please help AFP San Diego honor one of its own and nominate someone today. For more information, including the categories and criteria, click here.

 

NPD 2015 Presenting Sponsor

See Differently!

Killer Logos

YOU WILL NEVER LOOK AT THESE LOGOS THE SAME WAY EVER AGAIN

Thanks this week go to Barbara S-B, Pat D/A, Patty M and the whole Chips fan club from Muir, Nancy J and the NPD team & Anurag T.

 

Pay it forward!

EVOL,

Neville