What does a romance hero do for a living? When I was much younger the hero in romance comic books, these books were my favorite right after Betty, Veronica and the gang, was usually the boss in an office. I don’t think it mattered what he did, he was simply “the boss.” The secretary, receptionist, etc. usually kept her infatuation a secret. She may have told her gal pals but never let the boss know. Then it happened, maybe a ride home in the rain, perhaps they had to work late at the office, she or he had a life emergency and…the rest is romance history.

Romance novels are as popular as ever, perhaps more so now that you can download your novel and read it online ;) Some women (and men) never admit to reading these books, but the numbers tell us that someone is reading them. And far more than those who stand up and freely admit, “My name is Vannie, and I am a reader of romance novels.”  When you admit to this, you are also admitting that you don’t want to read about someone who is a fast food worker or an accountant. Although sometimes…well.

Romance novels have such an impact on readers, the magazine Psychology Today performed an analysis of over 15,000 romance novels and the heroes that live within these pages. See the list of the most common occupations of romance heroes in fiction, not one works at Mickey D’s:

• Doctor
• Cowboy
• Boss
• Prince
• Rancher
• Knight
• Surgeon
• Monarch
• Bodyguard
• Sheriff

Where are you gonna find a knight to romance you? Hey we are talking fantasy, remember? That’s also why he always has rippling muscles, a killer smile and can charm honey from a stone! BTW, did you know that August is Romance Awareness Month?

Source: Psychology Today Magazine: http://www.psychologytoday.com/
Visit Romance Genre: for Tweets about romance and romance authors http://twitter.com/RomanceGenre You will have to join Twitter first.

According to a report by eMarketer, online networking continues to rise.

As one who recently joined Facebook, I am feeling like the proverbial country mouse coming to the big city. Wow! What a exciting life–yes I know I said I had no interest in joining. To be perfectly frank I had none until I was given my own Facebook URL. Stepping in this world has reunited me with an early Internet connection; as I have said many times, though world-wide, the Internet is actually a very small place. Much like ones own real life social/business network. Even when you don’t remember the name, you remember the face and vice-versa. Facebook helps you find former co-worker’s, old beaus, lost family members, old friends and more. And you can connect with those you have wanted to meet. Very cool!

So how many individuals in the US are on Facebook? eMarketer says that in 2011, the Facebook social network “will have 132.5 million U.S. users. That’s more than half the number of Internet users overall in the U.S., and about five times higher than the number of subscribers to Twitter.

By 2013, eMarketer predicts, 62% of all domestic Web users will have a Facebook profile—47.6% of the U.S. population. After that point, Facebook’s growth will probably peak domestically, although expansion is likely to continue around the globe.”

My advice to those not on Facebook, go ahead and connect. It’s painless and fun. I guess it’s a good thing I have no problem saying, I was wrong!

Source: www.emarketer.com/

You don’t expect to get fired, but what about being displaced? Are there warning signs that tell you to update your resume? Or that you are not as valuable as you thought you were?  Sometimes little things can mean a lot.

  Do you take time to notice what’s going on around you in your office? So what are the signs to look for to make sure your job is as secure as you can make it? There is no time like the present to take stock of how you are seen in your work place:

• You’re no longer in the loop. Does everyone else know what’s going on at your organization before you do? If your manager and co-workers all stop communicating with you, the reason may be because they know you won’t be around much longer.

• Other people are getting promoted ahead of you. The guy who was hired six months after you is now your manager’s boss. You may have hit a wall and need to learn something new or sharpen your people skills.

• Your responsibilities have been cut in half. These days most employees have too much to do. If your key tasks have been assigned to someone new, the rest of your job may soon follow.

• People ignore your mistakes. Sometimes what’s worse than getting yelled at for an error is NOT getting yelled at for an error. That could mean that your boss isn’t planning on taking any more chances with you.

• Your manager wants you to sign off on everything. Most terminations call for a certain amount of documentation—your boss needs to show that he or she did everything right before letting you go. If you’re being asked to sign every memo or acknowledge each e-mail you receive, your manager could be creating a paper trail to justify a decision he or she has already made.

 
vr-bizrightsFD-MMXI

I offer quotes for the heart, mind, and soul to end one year and start another. I am hopeful that some will make you go ‘mmmmm.’

• You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them. —Desmond Tutu
• There are people who have money and people who are rich. —Coco Chanel

• Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. —Stephen Hawking
• Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. —Dee Hock
• Statistics are no substitute for judgment. —Henry Clay
• Science is simply common sense at its best. —Thomas Huxley
• There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns. —Edward de Bono
• Succeeding is not really a life experience that does that much good. Failing is a much more sobering and enlightening experience. —Michael Eisner
• Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. —Paul Hawken

• Sometimes you’ve got to let everything go—purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything, whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you’ll find that when you’re free, your true creativity, your true self comes out. —Tina Turner
• And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. —Anais Nin
• The arithmetic of life does not always have a logical answer. —Inshirah Abdur-Rauf

Happy New Year to all.

Vannie Ryanes

What’s the best way to land a new job? High rates of unemployment make that an urgent question for many people. A study of more than 700 job seekers who found employment between July 2009 and January 2010, conducted by the IMPACT Group, identified these tactics:

 Referrals and networking were the top tactics for job hunters.

Referrals from inside the hiring organization were the most successful strategy, cited by 18 percent of job seekers. Social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter helped candidates identify opportunities for referral. Referrals from outside the organization were successful for 9 percent of job hunters.

Posting résumés online was successful for 8 percent of job seekers, the same as in 2003.

Networking was most effective for older workers (50 and up), with 46 percent reporting that it led to employment. For candidates earning more than $100,000, networking was successful for 50 percent.

So what does this mean to you? It means cast a wide net. My personal recommendation is LinkedIn.com. If you are not on LinkedIn, you should join. Do not pay to hide your information, people can do a search and see that you are connected, but privacy will keep people from seeing what you do and your qualifications. Join groups there and participate in discussions, answer questions, show that you know your stuff. If you see someone you want to meet get an introduction, this is no time to hide or be shy. Networking is not easy, it is almost a job itself!

Source: IMPACT Hiring Solutions Job Search Network 

Don’t jump to conclusions about saving money on food. Do you rely on coupons to save money, or buy in bulk to get the best value? Those are reasonable strategies, but they’re not necessarily the only way to cut food costs; the thing is to combine several cost-cutting strategies.

This way you can save money and buy the food you really want, instead of buying certain foods because they cost less.  If you have children, you know that you cannot make a child eat a brand he or she does not like. Ever try getting a kid to eat an off-brand cereal or jelly?

Some common misconceptions:

Coupons are the only way to save money. No way!: You can save money without coupons with a little planning. Look for the two-for-one sales and special holiday sales. A store’s shopper club also has deals available only to its members.

Wholesale stores offer the best value. Not aways! Certain items bought in quantity may save you money, but your favorite brand might not always be available. Also, check and compare prices, calculating the per-unit price of the bulk against the single-item price. Sometimes the single-unit item costs less.

Store brands are always cheaper. Just plain not true! Sales frequently bring brand names close to store brands, especially when combined with coupons.

More $$ saving ideas:

1. Re-think the way you shop and check out all ‘ways’ to shop and save, not just one.
2. Everyone is familiar with ShopRites yearly Can Can sale. If you are a family of one or two, and don’t want 10 cans of corn, etc., find someone to shop with and split the cans and the cost. You will have a good time and save money by sharing costs and goods.
3. For good take-out, skip fast food restaurants and the deli counter. Go to your local diner instead, they are known for over flowing dinner plates. Order a meal (or two) take it home and enjoy. Plus you will probably have leftovers. You will also save money.  

Humor can help you cope with even the most dire situations. Writing on the EmpowHER.com website, a man tells about the time when his wife was diagnosed with cancer.

For several years they’d been subscribing to a newsletter on health and nutrition. About six months after the cancer diagnosis, they received a renewal notice.  He gave the renewal notice to his wife who wrote the following note on the renewal: “I’ve been receiving your newsletter for several years, and I did what you said. I got cancer anyway. Now I eat pie.” She sent back the notice and never heard from the newsletter people again. The husband realized there was a humor lesson here, however the humor is served up. The lesson is you can use humor to cope, even if the humor is just for you.

Most people think of humor as something that you laugh about out loud, and with others. There are no rules, though: Who says you have to have an audience?” And who says the humor has to be slapstick or cause loud guffaws? Well you don’t be slapstick and you do not have to have an audience, but you often do; especially if you have a gift of gab and a little positive humor. My good friend Linda (Miss Dazey), is often in pain, but she does not let that stop her from a heavy online presence. She has gained an audience even though she started blogging just because…

However, she is a good and humorous storyteller and it is reflected in her blog posts, especially the posts on her Elder Generation Blog. It is understandable that it has not taken long for people to find her blogs and her presence on Twitter. She can be found at on Twitter @Miss-Dazey. Visit her there and tell her pal Vannie says “Hey” and “Thank you.”

As one who never opens forwards, etc. I share with you one that a friend sent to me with a note in the subject line: I Know You Don’t Read Forwards-PLEASE READ!  How could I not read it? She knew she would have hell to pay if I felt she wasted my time. It is below.

On the bulletin board of a California company, someone once posted this sign to remind everyone of how time is relative—but the value of time is priceless:

• To realize the value of one year: Ask the student who has failed his final exam.

• To realize the value of one month: Ask the mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

• To realize the value of one week: Ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

• To realize the value of one day: Ask the daily wage laborer who has 10 kids to feed.

• To realize the value of an hour: Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

• To realize the value of a minute: Ask the person who has missed the train, the bus, or the plane.

• To realize the value of a second: Ask the person who has survived an accident.

• To realize the value of a millisecond: Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.

I sent my friend an email telling her she did good.

Success depends on a certain amount of luck, but smart people know not to leave success entirely up to chance. In the book Work Your Strengths, the authors identify discuss the 12 strengths that are essential to success. Do you have these skills?

Response inhibition–do you act first, think second? Do you have the ability to think *before* you act?

Working memory–are you good at emembering information? can you remember information while you are performing complex or detailed tasks?

Emotional control–do you or can you control counterproductive feelings such as anger, impatience?

Sustained attention–do you have the ability to focus on the immediate job? Oh look, a shiny thing (LOL)

Task initiation–do you sit and plan rather than just get started. When I was in my 20’s, I worked with a young woman who always said to our boss when asked if she had done a task, “Nooo, but, I’m just fixin to now.” In the words of Nike, Just Do It!

Planning and prioritizing–do you know what is important and what to do first?

Organization–do you have tools and resources available when you need them?

Time management–do you use time as efficiently as possible?

Goal-directed persistence—do you set goals and move steadily toward them?

Flexibility– do you have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances? Always have a back up plan.

Perspective—can you see the big picture and your role in that picture?

Stress tolerance—what is your stress tolerance? do you have the ability to deal with stress?

If you don’t have the about traits, I believe that some things can be learned. I had to learn emotion (Impatience) control. I was fortunate, I had a best friend to complain and b**ch to. However, instead of saying you poor thing, she told me, “Everyone is not like you.”

Check out the book Work Your Strengths: A Scientific Process to Identify Your Skills and Match Them to the Best Career for You.

Those who remember Johnny Carson know that he loved odd one line jokes, he would have made a great court jester.
  I wonder what he could do with one liners about the bad economy?  Here are a few, all of the one liners start with “The economy is so bad that…”

. The economy is so bad that . . .

• I got a pre-declined for a credit card.

• I ordered a burger at a fast-food joint and the kid behind the counter asked, “Can you afford fries with that?”

• CEOs are now playing miniature golf.

• My ATM gave me an IOU.

• A picture is now worth only 200 words.

• I bought a toaster oven, and my free gift with purchase was a bank.

• The Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas is now managed by We R Pirates, Inc.