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A phone message to the nation: Please call 510-872-7326; Marc Horowitz wants to meet you for dinner. Go ahead — dial it. If he doesn’t answer, just leave him a message. That’s what thousands of people have done after seeing his number on a dry-erase board in a Crate & Barrel catalog photo last fall. Horowitz, a conceptual artist in San Francisco, was working as a photo assistant on…

A pick-up line is ONE way to conversation, but it’s usually not an EFFECTIVE way. About a year ago I was dancing at a local club. My friend Dave introduced me to a woman named Alexis. After we shook hands she asked, “So Scott…do you have any friends named Alexis?” “Uh, well yeah…there was a girl I went to college with named Alexis.” “Okay, well let me ask you…

Here are two conversations…with two different people…who made two VERY different first impressions: The first was Amber. She was the newest sales associate at my office. One day some coworkers and I were having lunch when Amber walked by and said hello to the group. After she and I were introduced, Dennis joked, “You look tired – long night last night?” She laughed and said, “Well, I’m kinda dating…

During last weekend’s Superbowl party we ordered a few pies from Pizza Hut. When the delivery guy handed them to me, I noticed some unusual writing on the box: “10 Fun Questions for Kids to Ask Their Parents.” And underneath was another section with a headline reading “5 Fun Questions for Parents to Ask Their Kids.” This is BRILLIANT. Open ended questions that start with “What’s your favorite…?” are…

This week I took my car into the shop for a few repairs. When asked what kind of rental I wanted, I noticed a black Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab and said, “I’LL TAKE THE TRUCK!” I’ve never driven a truckfor an extended period of time before. But I found it to be an interesting experience. My “Auto Approachability” changed when other drivers began to treat me differently. People…

The profession most commonly associated with nametags is food service – and rightly so. If there’s anyone whose attention you must be able to grab ASAP, it’s the person delivering your food! But like so many others, I too worked in food service for many years as a waiter, busboy, bartender and food runner. So I know the value of self-disclosure through the offering of names to expedite and…

India’s most famous woman guru, Mata Amritanandamayi, (Amma, for short) whose name means “mother of absolute bliss”, is renowned for many things, namely, she hugs peopleas a blessing and therapy. Her followers call the act of hugging darshan, or seeing, the word used by Hindus to describe an audience with a deity. LET ME ASK YA THIS… Do people need to hug each other more? * * * *…

I recently stumbled across a website for consulting company on which the contact page said, “Whether you’re an email person or a phone person, it’s easy to get in touch with us!” It was like music to my eyes. According to this article from Online Publishing News, more than 80 per cent of business people prefer using email to telephone communication. No less than 74 per cent of respondents…

Andrew Fischer, 20, of Omaha, who put his forehead for sale on eBay as advertising space, received $37,375 on Friday to advertise the snoring remedy, SnoreStop. Learn more about him on Human Ad Space. He’s sharing his brilliant business and culture decision with the world! Here’s what he said on his ebay auction: “In this age where media rules our wallets, we are buying whatever we are told is…

The St. Louis Post Dispatch ran a brilliant article about the annoyances and frustrations stimulated by cell phone users’ over-disclosure in public places. Also, check out an organization called Shhh! which is the Society for Handheld Hushing. They offer downloadable cards you can give to annoying cell phone users. LET ME ASK YA THIS… What’s the MOST personal information you’ve heard someone publically reveal on a cell phone? *…