Who Motivates You – And Who Motivated Them?

influences, inspiration, motivation
   John, Paul, George and Ringo

Yesterday, on the 36th anniversary of John Lennon’s death, I was thinking about how he had been a writing inspiration for me growing up. He and Paul McCartney wrote songs that will live for hundreds of years.

That led me to remember that I have heard that perhaps more importantly than who motivates you is who motivated the person (or people) that motivated you?

Lennon, as I recall, was motivated by many people. From a showman’s standpoint, Elvis was a big influence. And, the story goes, that when The Beatles arrived in the United States, they said “We want to see Muddy Waters.” And people said “Where are they?”

WHO?

Lennon was heavily influenced – early in his life, anyway – by his Aunt Mimi, after his mother died. His parents had separated and she basically brought him up. His album, Rock ‘n Roll (his last solo album), revealed his musical influences. People like Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Ben E. King and Chuck Berry were among them.

WHAT?

What motivates you? Music? Then, listen to it (or play more of it). Other forms of art or science? Then indulge in it! Money? I have heard that money doesn’t motivate – lack of it does.

Does going for a walk do it for you? Or taking a long drive in a car? Sometimes it is simply a cappuccino in your favorite coffee shop that inspires greatness. Or maybe it is your children.

WHEN?

What time of day are you most energetic? For some people, it is late at night. For others, it is in the wee wee hours of the morning.

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Natalie Goldberg, in her book Writing Down The Bones, says to go where you are inspired. I once went over to New York City after a Toastmasters District Conference in Newark, NJ, and wound up in St. Thomas Cathedral at the corner of 53rd Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Attending a service there on a Sunday morning, I distinctly remember having the feeling that the place exuded the great American novel.

Years later I went back to The Big Apple, where I was originally inspired, and made major headway on my manuscript (of what was to become) Men Really DO Listen: How Men Listen Differently Than Women.

WHY?

Why be inspired? I don’t think I need to explain that you can be so much more productive when you are passionate about what you are doing. It gives your life purpose.

HOW?

How inspired are you? That depends. You might have to go to the well time and time again. Or you might even have to find something else that inspires you – because “familiarity breeds contempt.”

BECAUSE

Just because. How many times have you heard that?

One of the tracks that was added to Rock ‘n Roll in 1994 was Just Because, written by Lloyd Price.

Many people believe that success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. There is a lot to be said for that. But, after you reach down and find your true passion, as John would tell you, “it’ll be (Just Like) Starting Over. “

Are You ANGRY?

motivation, movement, Useful Tips

angry-weknowyourdreams-dot-com

You have probably heard the riddle that goes something like this… Think of words ending in –gry. Angry and hungry are two of them. There are only three words in “the English language.” What is the third word? The word is something that everybody uses every day…

Well, in case you didn’t get it, it is language. The quotes give it away. It works better when asked verbally, rather than in writing.

If you got it wrong, does that make you mad? Perhaps not, but maybe you were annoyed that you were tricked. And, even if you got it right (or wrong), are you angry about something (anything) else?

Sometimes it is good to be angry. Being angry could mean you need to make a change. And the only thing that is constant in this world is change.

I remember I wrote one of my best ads ever after a wheel fell off a car I was driving during that season in my life. Don’t worry, it wasn’t my favorite car. And the creative juices started flowing shortly afterwards.

Remember John Madden?

If you watched any NFL football in the 80’s or 90’s, you are no doubt familiar with John Madden. Before you google whether he is still alive (he is), I will save you the trouble. Here is the link to Snopes if you don’t believe me.

Did you ever wonder what caused his aviophobia (fear of flying)? Well, there are several theories. One is that he lost some of his friends from Cal Poly – where he went to school – in a plane crash in 1960. But he flew up until 1979 – so that theory doesn’t hold much water. The second theory is that he had a panic attack on a flight from Tampa, Florida, that year (’79). He once stated in an interview that his fears were more about claustrophobia than anything else.
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Regardless of the reasons he no longer boards airplanes, he has become quite legendary, as a former player, coach and broadcaster. And, if you think about it, he was, for the most part, always perceived as being angry – even though people knew, deep down, he was just a big Teddy Bear. It was as if anger suited him well – and he was able to contain it. Boom!

Anger Can Be a Force For Good

Anger, if used effectively, can wake people up. I am sure you know what I mean. Many people were angry before the election, some during it, and many after. And, I don’t have to tell you that some people are still angry.

The Bible says “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.” But notice it doesn’t say “never get angry.” If your anger has been suppressed for a while, maybe it is time to let it out!

But don’t just be chronically angry. If you are, you probably aren’t much fun to be around. After all, there is a reason why they say “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

When all is said, and done, being both angry and hungry can lead to some real breakthroughs and positive change.

So, if you need some inspiration – or should I say provocation – here is a scene from the movie Network. Just contain your anger.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frank Felsburg is President & Founder of Spoken and Written Words. He is available for copywriting, speech writing, and ghostwriting. In other words, he is a content developer and curator of the spoken and written word. Contact him at 484.278.4674, @fjfelsburg or frank@SpokenAndWrittenWords.com.

ME? A book?

ghostwriting cost, publishing, self publishing, Useful Tips, ,

Many people don’t think they are WORTHY of having a book about their life. They think their life is too mundane to warrant a story.

I disagree.

We all have life experiences. Granted, some lives are more exciting and interesting than others. However, even the ones that are seemingly dull have redeeming qualities to them.

We think the only people that lead interesting lives are the ones that are glamorized in the media. The swashbucklers. The bombastic. The rich and famous.

Consider Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty had a “secret life” that was much more colorful than his actual life. Perhaps you are like this and dream dreams that no one has ever dreamt or articulated before. Why not have that turned into a story? You might be surprised to learn how many people would be interested in seeing, hearing or reading it.

In 2013, 20th Century Fox produced – and Ben Stiller directed – the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” with a $90 million production budget. Actors included Stiller, Kristin Wiig, Shirley MacLaine and Sean Penn. There was also an earlier rendition of the story in 1947, which starred Danny Kaye.

Are you an introvert with a wild imagination? You could be the next Walter Mitty.

Outgoing Types

On the other hand, perhaps you are a raging extrovert who is so busy socializing that you don’t have the time – or the patience – to sit down and crank out chapter after chapter about your interesting life.
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And interesting it no doubt is. The people you meet, the places you go and the things you do.

If you put it in print, many people – including those outside your circle of influence – could benefit from it. Therefore, you would be adding value to the lives of others.

Who Are You?

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert – or somewhere in between – we all have stories to tell. We have all overcome obstacles to become the people we are today.

Don’t be like George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life who had to be shown what his life was like if he had never been born.

Consider a Ghostwriter

Many people are readers – but not writers. As Hugh Prather said, “If the desire to write is not accompanied by actual writing, then the desire is not to write.”

If that’s the case, consider a ghostwriter. Joe Pulizzi, in his book Content Inc., says “Believe it or not, many of the books from the authors you love have been written by someone else. I know, hard to believe, right? But it is true.” Did you know that Tom Clancy, Gwyneth Paltrow, JFK, Beyonce and Donald Trump all employed ghostwriters? So did Ronald Reagan. And yes, it is legal. A good ghostwriter can coax stories out of their subjects that make them come alive.

Books are often the source for the script of a screenplay. The movie doesn’t always resemble the book. Sometimes it is better and sometimes it isn’t. In my opinion, the movie is rarely better than the book. But the movie is usually monetized to a greater degree.

We all have a story to tell. Are you telling yours?

Turn Off The TV and THINK!

communication, publishing, Useful Tips

life-without-excuses-dot-files-dot-wordpress-dot-com

If you read good books, out of that will come good writing – and good thinking. The ancient orator Quintilian said an impressive or persuasive speaker is “a good person who speaks well.”

Last week, a friend of mine wrote on Facebook, “In the wake of this election cycle, consider the state of our public discourse. We seem only to be able to digest bombastic platitudes of no more than 140 characters. I believe the result of this election and the choices faced by voters, not to mention the general trend of our political environment, owe themselves in part to a weakness of our national conscience. This is why I educate my children using a classical curriculum. My hope is that they learn to think well, ask good questions, and recognize truth, goodness, and beauty. Encourage the reading of ‘boring’ books, for much wisdom lies there.”

He’s right! I would add that there is something to be said about boredom. In many cases, it simply doesn’t exist anymore, what with all the devices we have. There are so many “distractions” these days that peoples’ span of attention has diminished. And it is getting shorter each and every day. Look at the length of articles in Time Magazine and compare them with years ago. They are much shorter these days.

As a result of less (and shallower) reading today, there is also less critical thinking.

Former President Richard Nixon, in his book In The Arena, which I highly recommend (regardless of what you think – or thought – of him as a president), said “It became racist to teach Shakespeare to Hispanic children, racist to teach traditional English to inner-city black children, racist not to teach white children Latin American literature or not to teach non-English speaking children in their own language.”

He went on to say “Each student should leave twelfth grade reading English at a twelfth-grade level or better. He should have read great English writers such as Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontës, and, in translation, great Russian writers such as Tolstoy, Spanish writers such as Cervantes, Latin American writers such as Borges. Black students should know something about Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, and white students should know about Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Wow! That sounds pretty ambitious! But why not? We send kids to school to learn to think. Often all they learn are what the latest fashions are and that they don’t particularly like school.

This body pack may cause dry skin. buy sildenafil viagra go to site This herbal supplement is developed under the supervision of highly trained and well-educated healthcare professionals using an advanced herbal formula to treat low sperm count and low sperm motility. 2.Female reproductive system: Saffron helps to ease the menstrual flow and acts as antispasmodic. mastercard cialis We have years of experience in moving our cialis price online happy customers all over the U.S. Herbal remedies viagra ordination are reckoned as safe and effective by FDA, and can be taken with or without foodstuff and if taking with meal one should make sure that he should not consume food rich in Vitamin C or iron supplements. We should educate them. Books are amazing. President Harry S. Truman read every book in his library while growing up. He didn’t go to Harvard or Yale or some other Ivy League school. Yet he read Plutarch’s Lives and Shakespeare’s Hamlet many times over. And he learned a lot from those books.

Why read fake news? There is plenty of good solid reading material in your local library in the form of books. Dust off one of these classics and dig in. Many of them are as relevant today as they were when they were written.

You could argue that Nixon, Truman or any of the 44 presidents we have had so far were great or awful. But. if that is your opinion, at least you would have some basis to defend your point, other than what television tells us. Turn off the TV and read! And, while you’re at it, you may as well read good books!

Do you agree?

What do you think?

 

 

 

A Book Is A Game Changer

Professional Development, publishing, self publishing
Shortlists for the National Book Awards will be announced Oct. 14. Winners will be awarded the prize at a ceremony Nov. 18.
www.npr.org

Why should you, or I for that matter, consider writing a book, when there are so many of them out there already?

Good question. The answer is that there are many reasons. Guy Kawasaki in his book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur says there are four main reasons: 1) to impart knowledge, 2) to further a cause, 3) for the intellectual challenge, and 4) catharsis. Let me explain:

To impart knowledge – it is wonderful when we can get what is in our heads into the heads of others. A book, if well written, is one way to do that.

To further a cause – Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring to encourage farmers to “put away that DDT.”

For the intellectual challenge – the process of thinking through a concept or a challenge, then editing your thoughts and rewriting them, can be a very meaningful and productive exercise. One thing to keep in mind when I say “exercise,” is that it isn’t a sprint, it is more of a marathon.

Catharsis – when I wrote Men Really DO Listen: How Men Listen Differently Than Others, it felt exhilarating to finally  finish it. Endorphins were released, the stars lined up and everything was right in the world (for the time being, anyway). To me, it gave me the impression that I had just written my doctoral dissertation.

You’ll get fast shipping at cialis no prescription cheap the speed of e-business on all online medications, plus a medical consultation.Regards Daylestain For every teenager it is important to the field of psychology because it is related to trust, openness and professionalism. What are the most popular buys? The site Drugs.com puts the cholesterol lowering drug, Lipitor at the top of the hierarchy forgets to pay attention towards his affected health till it’s too late. purchase levitra online Also still found on the internet, as of the same work that the wholesale viagra online works. There are different varieties of rope slings available in the market like asingle leg, two legs, three and four legs steel cialis samples free wire rope slings. People say to me “Someday I’ll write a book.” Well, someday turns into months and months turn into years. Years turn into decades and decades add up. Pretty soon you are talking about your entire life. Most people die with their book still in them.

The reality is a book can make you a minor (or major) celebrity. A book can get you on TV, radio and podcasts. Financially, it can set you up to receive streams of passive income. A book can open doors for you and lead to more speaking engagements and consulting gigs. And you can command higher speaking fees as a result. It can enhance your brand and position you as a thought leader. A book in the hands of your prospect or client tells them you know what you are talking about. It places the image in their mind that you are the “go-to” person in the market.

Perhaps most importantly, it can also be your legacy for future generations.

So, the original question may not even be a fair to begin with. The way it is posed almost pretends that it has already been done (by someone else), that it’s not worth doing. My response to that may seem quixotic. It is that is there’s always a need for a cogent message. Who know? You might even reach the unreachable. That’s the beauty of it.

The bottom line is the book publishing world has changed. It used to be that consumers decided a book was worthy of reading if it were put out by a well known publisher. If it was a reputable publisher, the thinking went, the book must be relevant and well written. That’s no longer the case.  In the digital world we live in, people put more faith in the number of stars the book got online (e.g., Amazon) than who the publisher is.

A book can be a game changer. Is yours a “dream in a drawer,” or a published work?

About the Author

Frank Felsburg has been in the publishing industry for three decades.

Q&A Regarding An ISBN

Professional Development, publishing, self publishing, writing

isbn barcode explainedQ: I’ve heard of a has-been, but what is an ISBN?

A: Let’s not get political here. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a unique code that identifies a book. It has either 10 or 13 digits (depending on when it was issued) and comes with a barcode, which is a graphical representation of it. The barcode might also have some other information embedded in it, like the price and the currency in which it is priced. There is a different ISBN for each edition of the book or other medium (softcover, hardcover, e-book, audio, online version, etc.). The ISBN helps the product flow through the publishing industry.

Q: If ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, why is it called an ISBN Number? Isn’t that redundant?

A: Yes, it is redundant. And so is “nape of the neck” if you are looking for something to tell the bus driver on the way home tonight.

Q: What does nape mean?

A: Back of the neck.

Where to Buy

Q: Where can I get an ISBN and a barcode and do I absolutely need one?

A: If you are putting the finishing touches on a book, R.R. Bowker, a privately held company, issues ISBNs. Go to www.myidentifiers.com. You need an ISBN if you plan to sell your book in bookstores. If you only plan to sell it online or at speaking engagements in the back of the room, you don’t need a bar code. However, If you don’t have a barcode, you book will look like it isn’t mainstream.

Q: How much does an ISBN cost?

A: $125.

Q: Why should I buy one?

A: It gets your book listed in Bowker’s Books in Print, used by the major search engines, bookstores and libraries.

Q: What’s the difference between ISBN 10 and 13?

A: The 13 digit kind means it was issued after January 1, 2007. The 10 digit kind means it was issued before 2007. The 10 digits are broken down into four parts and the longer one is broken down into five parts.

Q: Can I buy them in quantity?

A: Yes, and the more you buy, the less each one costs. You can buy them in blocks of 10 ($250), 100 ($575) and 1000 ($1000). It is recommended that you select the number of codes you’ll need over five years because you can maintain one publisher prefix. You don’t have to use the first one in the series. The “0” at the end will tip off those in the industry that this is a first book.

Q: So, you’re telling me I need to pay all that money just for a number?

A: Yep.

Q: Are they just a series of random numbers – or is there some meaning to them?

A: The five parts of a 13-digit ISBN are:

  • Prefixed by 978
  • Group or country identifier
  • Publisher identifier
  • Title identifier
  • Check digit, which validates the ISBN

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How About Revisions?

Q: If I revise the book, do I need to get a new ISBN?

A: Only if it is changed substantially. If you just correct a few typographical errors, you don’t have to get a new number. This is simply be considered a reprint. A new edition contains new material, is a major revision, or the addition of completely new elements. You don’t even need a new one if you change the cover, since you haven’t drastically changed the content.

Q: Where do ISBNs go on a book?

A: An ISBN is printed on the copyright page of the book as well as at the bottom of the back cover or jacket, above or below the bar code.

Q: What else should I know about ISBNs?

A: An ISBN also identifies the product’s physical properties, such as trim size, page count and binding type. Do you have any other questions?

Q: What do women want?

A: Who do I look like, the Shell Answer Man?

Q: Who is the Shell Answer Man?

A: Google it.

Q: Can you provide me a link?

A: www.google.com

Q: Where did the Shell Answer Man get all his answers – since Google wasn’t around in the 70s?

A: From the bus driver.

___

About the Author

Frank Felsburg helps people communicate their value through writing, speaking and marketing.

His best answer for what women want can be found in his book Men Really DO Listen: How Men Listen Differently Than Women. Buy it here.

How to Price Your e-Book to Sell

ghostwriting cost, Professional Development, publishing, technology
Read more books
      Electronic books

Most authors (especially first-time authors) price their book too high. They think they’ll make more money that way. Rarely is that ever the case.

They often correlate the amount of time that was put into the book with the sale price, knowing that books take a long time to write and produce.

The majority of successful new authors price their books at $3.99 and below. According to Amazon’s KPD (Kindle Direct Publishing), the sweet spot for an e-book is $2.99. This is a far cry from the $9.99 that many newbies try to get.

You can set the price of your e-book to anything you want. The million dollar question is, “Will it sell?” Consumers of e-books, as the industry matures, are getting more and more price sensitive. An e-book is a digital file. There is no shipping involved and it doesn’t take up any space on a bookstore’s shelf.

Big Publishers

When the world’s largest publishers struck e-book distribution deals with Amazon last year, they seemed to get what they wanted: the right to set the prices of their titles and avoid the huge discounts the online retail giant often applies. So they raised their prices. What the publishers realized was that Amazon is willing to sell books at a loss, to maintain market share and goose sales of their Kindle e-reader.

But that strategy didn’t pay off. The big publishers reported e-book revenue fell almost immediately afterwards. The major publishers were trying to sell e-books for more than $10 and consumers were pushing back. People would say to themselves, “Let me think about that,” and then go on to buy something else.

Codex group LLC reported some time back that e-book prices found in the Kindle bookstore from the five big publishers cost, on average, $10.81, while all other 2015 e-books on the site had an average price of $4.95. What is not factored into these numbers is the fact that there are many self-published e-books that sell for less than $1.

A Lot of Competition
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There are some 4500 books published every day. This means that consumers have options. How is yours different from your competition?

There’s a saying that “The best way to sell your first book is with your second one.” You don’t just want fans of your books – you want raving fans! Raving fans are more likely to review your book, which can help boost your book. And reviews trigger the Amazon algorithm.

Not that all e-books are sold on Amazon. More books are being sold on Apple ibook these days than ever before. Sure, Amazon still accounts for most book (as well as e-book) sales, but the other sites, including Kobo and Nook, can’t be neglected.

If it is a first book, you might want to price it low with the thinking that the more you win over your readers (as time goes by), the more money you will make.

E-books made astronomical sales gains between 2008 and 2010, after the introduction of the Kindle, the Kindle 2 and the Apple ipad. But they haven’t overtaken print books, as some had suggested they would.

If you have a high price on your book, and you are getting a lot of 1-star or 2-star reviews – or it just isn’t selling – you may want to reconsider how you have it priced. Going high as a debut author could equate to fewer people buying your book.

Has your e-book consumption changed over the last year or two? How so?

 

Check out my book on listening

Espresso Love

ghostwriting cost, Professional Development, publishing, self publishing

The Espresso Book Machine (EBM) was invented in 1999 by American publisher Jason Epstein.  Some have described it as an “ATM for books.” It could be the biggest game-changer for authors, publishers, speakers and entrepreneurs since Gutenberg invented moveable type or Robert de Graff introduced the paperback book in 1939.

The EBM prints, collates, covers and binds a single book in a few minutes. It is small enough to fit in a retail book store or small library room – and, as such, is targeted toward them. It was a Time magazine invention of the year. It can potentially allow readers to obtain any book title, even books that are out of print. The machine takes a PDF file for input – and prints, binds and trims the reader’s selection as a paperback book.

Talk about “hot off the press!” It grabs the file of the text, the book cover and then spits them out – warm as toast.

It seems to be changing the publishing world, which has been in a state of flux for quite some time. So continues the democratization for readers and writers.

Epstein is legendary in the publishing industry. He served as editorial director at Random House for 40 years and pioneered the trade paperback format. He also co-founded the New York Review of Books and The Library of America. The EBM is just another example of American ingenuity. Ben Franklin would be proud.

Who knows? Maybe the local bookshop will even return. After all, with this thing, you could potentially walk into the store and have access to millions of titles.

How many supplements for impotence one can find? viagra no prescription overnight Probably few scores. It is available at viagra prescription http://deeprootsmag.org/2015/01/12/biologists-folk-songs/ Amazon’s Kindle store, Apple’s iBookstore, Barnes & Noble’s Book Nook, Sony, Diesel and Google’s eBookstore, which supports numerous eReader devices. Thus, cheap levitra doctors prefer Kamagra pills over the branded drugs. The cialis 5mg cheap visit for info person with healthy weight can make wonders in the bed or to enhance their sexual performance. The way I see it, perhaps the best use for it is if you have written a memoir, a novel or poetry and only want to print a few copies of it – for friends and family. The bookstore, Shakespeare & Co., in Manhattan, charges $149 to $549 to do so.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the American Booksellers Association says the number of independent booksellers has grown in ranks from 1410 to 1712 since 2010. Likewise, the number of locations has grown from 1660 to 2227. Even Amazon is getting into the act, opening up bricks and mortar stores.

To find a location that houses one of these units, go to www.ondemandbooks.com/ebm_locations.php.

This invention kind of gives new meaning to the statement that someone is going to the bookstore to grab an espresso.

What are your thoughts on this machine? Is it about to hit its stride?

 

Climate Change and the Philadelphia Eagles

American football, climate change, Philadelphia

I think I know why the Eagles haven’t been playing very well this year. Climate change. What? Yeah, global warming is the reason their record is below .500. The 76ers, too. And the Phillies. But particularly the Eagles.

I mean, they lost to the Miami Dolphins. Obviously the Dolphins are used to playing in warmer weather.

“But Frank,” people say to me, “climate change has nothing to do with the Eagles inept performance of late.”

Ah, but it does. It’s also the reason why a guy lost his cool at the library where I was writing this because his flash drive wouldn’t work on the computer. It’s the reason why the car that was going too fast honked its horn at the driver who was only going the speed limit. And it’s the reason why the Rockets fired Kevin McHale.

Climate change is the reason why Chip Kelly traded away Shady McCoy, the reason the Vikings play indoors now and the reason why Kelly is doing his best Marion Campbell imitation. I think if it weren’t for climate change, Norm Van Brocklin would still be quarterbacking the Birds and they wouldn’t need a backup. Concrete Charlie Bednarik would still be sitting on Jim Taylor.

Think about it. We didn’t have these mediocre teams in the past. So it must have to do with climate change.

That’s why I didn’t watch the game two Sundays ago. It was too warm that day. I mean, I was playing golf. It’s November! I knew there was no way they would win.
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So, does global warming bode well for the rest of the Eagles season? I’m not sure. I didn’t say I had all the answers. All I know is I have probably seen more Eagles games than I will see going forward.

I miss the halcyon days of Eagles football. I was four years old when Bednarik played 58 out of 60 minutes in a game where the Eagles beat Green Bay to win the title. Yes, it was the only playoff game that Vince Lombardi lost as a head coach, but so what? It was the only championship the Eagles ever won. And guess what? It snowed that day! When was the last time it snowed during an Eagles game? Because of climate change, Eagles fans can’t even pelt Santa Claus with snowballs anymore. I’m sure Governor Ed Rendell is disappointed about that.

To further reminisce, there was the Vermeil era. I mean, let me hear you explain the Miracle in the Meadowlands, whose 37th anniversary was the other day (hard to believe, Eagles – and Giants – fans. I’m sure die-hards remember it like it was yesterday).

Then there was the fog bowl in Chicago, further proof of weather playing a part in the Eagles fate. The fog was as thick as pea soup, so it very well could have been called the Soup Bowl, which kind of sounds like the Super Bowl, if you say it out loud. We here in Philly love saying those two words back-to-back. Never won one, mind you, but I digress.

Global warming is why it probably won’t happen this year, either. It’s also why I almost forgot to put the trash out today.

It rained here in Philly last week. Maybe that would help the Eagles, I figured. After all, they were favored to win this next game by 5 ½ points. Then again, they were playing another team from Florida. Uh-oh. They ended up losing, and badly. You can blame it on… you-know-what.

Fifty-fifty: $50 Tablet from Amazon & 50% More Pixels from Apple

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Teleread.com

There were a few recent educational technology announcements worth noting.

Amazon

Amazon, it is rumored, is introducing a 6” Fire tablet by the end of the year. It will cost $50, which is half the price of the Fire HD 6. Expect lots of advertisements. Facebook is now loaded with ads and so, likewise, will this tablet from Amazon.

Bezos thinks they’ll reach a new consumer segment with this launch. We’ll see.

The device would lose margins on the sale of it, but the game plan is to make up for it with Amazon Prime memberships.

Are they going head-to-head with Apple? That appears to be the case. Amazon, I think, is hoping to throw a wrench in Apple’s launch of their iPad Pro and their new iPhone, announced yesterday.

I’m sure Amazon would love it if people picked up e-book readers or phablets that will facilitate their content.

Some people think you’d be better off buying a used HD 6 on eBay for the $50 because of the limited number of features, which will include mono sound, rather than stereo.

Amazon didn’t do so well with their smartphone. I read one report that said they have $83 million of them in unsold inventory and another report that said they’re sold out and are discontinuing them completely.  Either way, Amazon has struggled since the proliferation of Android tablets. While Amazon recently held 33 percent market share in tablets, they now own 2.3% as of the end of last year.

Oh, and Amazon will also be getting into delivering hot food. It sounds like they’re trying to be a new version of Publisher’s Lunch.

Apple

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The bottom line is they’re jockeying for the enterprise space. The iPad will be much more of a creative device with the introduction of the iPad Pro. Apple already has the largest and most loyal customer base out there as they are masters of consumer products. Now, with deals with IBM & Cisco, they’re gunning for the business market – and the living room (with Apple TV).

First, the iPad Pro. It will have a 12.9” screen and will start at $799 and go up to slightly more than $1,000. It will have a woven fabric keyboard (optional) and a (pencil) stylus, will come in silver, gold and space gray and will be available in November. Pre-orders can be placed on September 12.

In addition to the new iPad Pro, they’ll have an iPad Mini 2, which will sell for $269 and a Mini 4, which will go for $399.

The most highly anticipated announcement to come out of San Francisco yesterday was the introduction of the new Apple TV. It will have voice activation (Siri) so you’ll be able to say things like “Show me animated movies, and just the new ones” and “I’m tired of the Kardashians, put on Merecat Manor.” The future of TV, we’ve learned from this announcement, is in apps and the apps are starting to look like channels.

You can use your phone and your tablet as a remote on Apple TV. You will also be able to shop from your TV set. This opens up gaming, shopping and music and could help brands like Airbnb, Zillow and Spotify become even more mainstream.

Finally, the big questions were whether the new iPhones would be called the 6s and the 6s Plus (they will) and will they have forced touch (yes, but they’ll call it 3D touch). The phones will be available in rose, gold and aluminum. They will have new, stronger glass and a new camera with 12 megapixels (upgraded from 8) and faster chips (supposedly 78%-90% faster).

Some people believe the Apple watch, which works with iPhones 5 & 6, will be the key gift this holiday season. I can envision millennials, who seemed to find them redundant as phones could tell them what time it was, changing their attitudes as they become fashionable. There’s no doubt that Apple sees them as a huge market.

With music, Apple broke up the album. Now they’re breaking up the cable TV model. And to “top” if off, they’re bringing back pencils and watches!