Google

Search giant Google was recently named as the best place to work in America.

Google capped a year when it hired about 7,000 people, the most intense growth spurt in it's 13- year history.

"Employees wave about their mission, the culture, and the famous perks of the plex: bocce courts, a bowling alley, and loads of other cool things.

"What people often focus on are the flashing showy things like that and the food and the massages"
But that is NOT the real story about what makes the Google culture work.

The real story is that Google treats employees as the owners of the company, that is has an ethic of open transparency that allows rank and file workers to question and expect honest answers from their superiors- even CEO Larry Page, at the company's weekly "TGIF" all hands meeting- and the company tries to empower employees to feel that everyone can have an impact, both internally, and in the larger world.

A company's most important investments is NOT the tangible things like your building, vehicles and cars or trucks or your office supplies and equipment - IT IS YOUR EMPLOYEES- they are your most important investment of time and money.

Invest time in them and you will succeed.

More from our agent in VA...Hampton Roads

The way I became an Arpin agent in the beginning is somewhat interesting. I had a very small operation in mid coast Maine. So small that I was Mr. Mom quite often, having fashioned a “crib” for Chad out of a 6.0 cube in my little office. I was looking for a carrier to work with, and after calling all of them, Arpin was the only one willing to talk to me. Jack Cotter came up to see me, but I had to meet him in Bath, ME as I guess he didn’t want to drive the rest of the way up. We meet in a Holiday Inn restaurant and signed right there. Why I didn’t turn and run then I’ll never know.

I had a job out of Rockland, Maine. It was for one, if not the last fish canning companies to can sardines and herring in the state. They were moving their corporate office to Anderson, SC. We had to load on Friday and have them all set up by Monday morning. The last piece on and first off was a ticker tape type of a machine that their worldwide orders came from. One part of the office stuff was a “lab” that they used to test the canning process. They would deliberately try to spoil the contents, causing botulism. That way they knew what abuse the can could take I guess. Well any way, I had an overflow of non-priority items that I asked Arpin dispatch to try and cover for me. So a few days after I get back from SC, I get a call from Don H. saying he has a driver for the shipment…but there is a problem. Seems the drivers ex-wife lived in Maine, had some kind of a restraining order on him and he wasn’t allowed in the state. Don wanted to know if I could meet him in New Hampshire. By now the customer was looking for the “non-priority” stuff, so Brenda and I, with Chad in a car seat between us, travel to Portsmouth and in the parking lot of the state liquor store at Portsmouth circle, we transfer this shipment. Well part of the non-priory stuff was 8-10 cases of canned sardines and herring steaks. These never made it to South Carolina. As a matter of fact, you could still find a quick lunch of sardines at the warehouse at corporate for many months after that. I never did know if those cases were from the “lab” or not.

My Very First Moving Experience

Below is from one of our elite agents located in the Norfolk VA area, Don Queeney...

My very first time on a moving job was quite by accident. In the spring of 1978 I hitch hiked across the country with a long time friend. We were out on the road for over 8 weeks. We traveled through 17 different states and had our share of “experiences”. The day I got home, back to Long Island, NY I was describing my “experiences” to a neighbor while he readied his straight truck moving van for a trip. We talked and he asks me if I wanted to run down to DC with him to help him unload. What the hell, I had been away from mom for 8 weeks, she probably wasn’t looking forward to me re-entering her empty nest anyway. So off we went. At this point I had never touch a stick of furniture in my life. By that next morning, along with 2 landscape guys my neighbor grabbed from the apartment complex we were delivering to, we delivered 12,000 lbs to the 30^th floor of a high end apartment. I was in charge of unloading the elevator and placing in the customer unit. I will never forget when an 18^th century secretary desk came off the elevator with one leg completely broken off and laying on side of the desk as it laid on a 4 wheel dolly. That was my introduction to the business. Why I didn’t turn and run then I’ll never know. I worked with this neighbor for two years and to this day I use skills from him and that time.

Leadership

"GET OUT OF YOUR IVY TOWER AND GET TO KNOW YOUR PEOPLE!"

To truly lead, you need to know your product and your people.

Abraham Lincoln knew this and that is how he led. During the civil war, he would even set up camp with his troops in the field to observe how his Generals operated.

Dan Blanchard, the author of the One Minute Manager, says that those that are not in the pits with their people daily are  "swoop down managers." They simply swoop down when mistakes are made, chastise their staff and then disappear again.

If you want to make a difference, if you want to properly train and be a part of a team, you need to lead from within. Whether you work in a business environment or are a household goods operator, you must stay involved on every step and take charge.

How can you improve the process if you do not know the process?

It is even more difficult for the household goods operator because you have to deal with different help and labor almost on every job. It is even more imperative that you have a process down and that you oversee all aspects of the move at all times. Absolutely difficult...absolutely necessary.

For those of us in a business environment, you HAVE TO get out of your office, listen, help, and be a part of the day's events. From there, you can help train more on a one-to-one and improve what your team does overall.

They will respect you more and you will respect what they do.

No matter what your title is, you need a team...you will only succeed together.

"GET OUT OF YOUR IVY TOWER"

Vince Lombardi

" To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price"...
         Vince Lombardi


Vince went on to say- " Success is like anything worthwhile. It has a price. You have to pay the price to win and you have to pay the price to get to the point where success is possible.

Most important, you must pay the price to stay there."

" Football, he said, is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile."

Career Highlights/Honors

• Began head coaching career with the Green Bay Packers in 1959
• Was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1959, his rookie season
• Won 5 NFL Championships, including Super Bowls I and II, during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers
• Inducted as a charter member of the Fordham University Hall of Fame in 1970
• Shortly after his death in 1970, the Rotary Club of Houston established the Lombardi Award, an annual honor that recognizes the nation's best collegiate lineman
• Posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971
• In his honor, the NFL renamed “The Super Bowl Trophy” to the “Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy” in 1971
• Inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1975
• Was a member of the famed “Seven Blocks of Granite”, the nickname given to Fordham University’s famous offensive line

Funny story.....

From Don Queeney, agent owner in Norfolk VA ( and past recipient of agent of the year)

The first time I really got to meet Mr. Arpin was at the 1990 convention in Boston. For a year or so before this, at convention or some other event, he would see me, break into a big grin and say “So Richie how’s your mother and father?” thinking I was Richie Greenberg. I don’t think I look like Richie, but Paul must have. Anyway, in August of 1990 I was talking to Dave Arpin about leaving Maine and opening something in Maryland or Virginia. At the convention Paul walks up to me and says “You’re not Richie Greenberg are you?” smiling and laughing at his own joke. “You have been talking to my son David, come see be at the next break”. So at the next break I go down front to talk to Paul. We get into a long conversation and turns out the moderator (Jack Cotter) is holding up the restart of the meeting on us, and everybody knows it, but us. Eventually he speaks up and says that if you two school boys would stop gabbing we can get started. As I’m headed back to my seat, everyone’s saying OOOHHHH your in troubleeee!! The convention was in October, by that February I was in Norfolk laying down the ground work for that company store. Why I didn’t turn and run then I’ll never know.

How would you like to be remembered?

About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies." And also "He was the merchant of death." This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words "merchant of death," he asked himself a question, "Is this how I am going to be remembered?" He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.

Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his values, we should step back and do the same.

What is your legacy?

How would you like to be remembered?

Will you be spoken well of?

Will you be remembered with love and respect?

Will you be missed?

Puppies for Sale

Take five minutes to watch this, it is a clip from Dan Clark. Dan spoke at one of our convention's and is a master motivator and best selling author.....

Good stuff....

What goes around comes around

 His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day,

 while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help

 coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

(A bog,  is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant )

 There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy,

 screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad

 from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

 The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse 

 surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and 

 introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

 'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer 

 replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son 

 came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.

 'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.

 'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of 

 education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his 

 father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' 

 And that he did.

 Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, 

 graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and 

 went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir 

 Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog 

 was stricken with pneumonia.

 What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill .. His son's name?

 Sir Winston Churchill.

 Someone once said: What goes around comes around..

From our agent in CA....

Below is from our agent Silicon Valley Moving in CA....

As the year begins, I reflect on the blessings that have been bestowed upon my family, friends and business.  I am truly grateful for the values that have been passed down by my parents and grandparents. Instilling good work ethics and morals have led to success and happiness throughout my life.  I feel lucky to be a part of a company whose principles are the same as mine. 

I am a believer in the “Golden Rule” and I always try to treat others the way I want to be treated.  This has served me well in my personal life as well as in my business world. Our customers receive the best service we can provide. We will go the extra mile to ensure their happiness with their move; repeat business and referrals are the result.

Our relationship with Arpin has grown over the years and we hope to continue along this path.  I wish all of my fellow Arpin agents as well as the entire team at Arpin Corporate and Arpin International Group a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

We are here for the entire team including the most important people, our drivers, to ensure success for the New Year.

Cheri Childs

THANK YOU CHERI, WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE YOU AS AN ARPIN AGENT AND A PARTNER

Martin Luther King Jr

Some quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.....

.Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others.

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
-- "I Have a Dream" speech, August 28, 1963

 

Alex Smith

Alex Smith is a name that most of you may not know.

He is the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Alex was a first round draft pick a few years ago for the 49ers and most everybody had given up on him.
The 49ers were not doing good and he was not living up to what people expected of him.

In football, as in business, you can not succeed alone.

Enter a new head coach for the 49ers this year and with him he brought a new enthusiasm and he had faith in his quarterback. He basically had the same players that two years ago could not manage to pull themselves together and play as a team and HE made them winners.
 He helped them believe in themselves.
Yesterday they won a playoff game and now head the Championship game next week with the winner going to the Super Bowl.

What was really cool about yesterday's win was the role that Alex Smith played.
He was right on and focused, he ran in and scored the crucial touchdown and then threw a bee line touchdown pass to win the game.
Retribution !  Wow, how that must of felt for Alex , Jim and the team.

Imagine being young and successful and given a job and everybody has high hopes for you.
Then just as fast, people question your ability and write all negative things about you.
No one it seems believes in you anymore.
You feel like a loser.

That is the difference one person can make and the difference when you believe in yourself.

The head coach , Jim Harbaugh, came in and gave Alex confidence and the instruments and the TEAM that he needed to succeed and looked them in the eyes and believed.
These were mostly the same guys but Jim coached them up, worked hard to have them believe that if they had each other's back and excelled in their role on the team that the TEAM would succeed.

Alex Smith never gave up hope on himself and fought through the nay sayer's and those that wanted him gone.

Be a mentor and a coach to somebody, help them succeed, and wonderful things can happen

And always believe in yourself even when, and especially when, others want to push you down.

Congratulations Alex Smith, Jim Harbaugh and the entire San Francisco 49ers.

A true story

Below is a email from a son of a driver that currently drives for Arpin....(he did not drive for Arpin during the happenings in this email ABOUT 17 YEARS AGO)...

 So as you all know my dads profession as an over the road driver of coarse constitutes for some interesting dealings.  Around the age of 13 I can remember being in southern Florida and my dad receiving a phone call from someone asking if we would be interested in helping him out and I believe making an additional amount of side money.  Dad being how he is of coarse with not letting anyone give him any offers he cannot turn down, wether money related or not, says no problem.  When he hung up I asked "Who was that?" only to see my dad take his pointer finger, place it on the tip of his nose and push his nose toward the left side of his face.  At the time I had no clue what that meant and asked again, "Now who was that?" He responded and said "insert name here." although I do know the name I am leaving it out. 

 He also said we have something small to pick up for the trip from one of the moving agencies. I obliged.  When we arrived at the location we were pointed toward this very small antique refrigerator.  Dad and I stated wont be a problem.  As we go to lift the item we are over whelmed with the wait and end up having to place this on a moving dolly.  In placing it on the dolly the one thing I can remember are the tires bowing out as they seemed like they were going to blow.  We end up getting it loaded and leave for our destination in California. Around a week later we arrive in an upscale neighborhood that I cannot believe we are in.  We pull up to the destination and out walks an older man probably pushing 70. Dad and I step out of the truck and approach him. He seemed very happy we arrived.

 I still to this day remember his accent, at the time not sure where it

 originated. He said in his Italian accent "Its going in the garage." Then he opens the garage door and to our surprise there are around 10 to 12 people speaking Italian, not English Italian, sitting in there.  They all seemed very exited.  We fought to get the refrigerator out of the trailer and got it to the garage.  The older man in his Italian accent asks I we would like to be shown around his property.  We oblige.  He has a massive amount of land and delivery pigeons, which at the time had no clue what they were used for.  When finished he walked us back to the truck and handed my dad an undisclosed amount of cash.  Then says to my dad in his Italian accent "Your sons a biga boy, he ever thought about joining the rackett?" again not knowing what he was referring to.  I don't exactly remember what dad said, but of coarse no in some fashion.  Alot of this in the latter years made more sense.  Not sure to this day what was in the feidge. This is a  story I would love to keep around and

 therefore is why I have placed it here.

Thanka U for the email...

This guy does not EVER do the minimum

Below is an email from a customer on one of drivers, Kevin Mayberry, who only knows how to do things one way....give it your best

Hi Dave. I just want to let you know how much I appreciate how Kevin has handled my move so far. I am a single parent and professional who travels every week on business and I had very little time to prepare for my move from California to Virginia.

Kevin offered to help me box up items, knowing that I would not be able to meet the deadline since I had very little help. He came over the day before and helped me tremendously. I would not have made it without him.

In addition, Kevin and his staff were very efficient and I feel that I received excellent customer service. I am looking forward to seeing him next week at my new home.

I am very thankful that he was assigned to be my driver and wanted to note my appreciation.



Great letter and always nice to read...
Going above and beyond and helping someone out in a time of need...
That is what it is about in business and in life...THANKS KEVIN

MORE ON CAPTAIN FREEMAN....

Ed Freeman was a larger than life hero.  Apparently, he had a great sense of humor.  He also was exceptionally humble.  He wasn’t actually awarded “The Medal” until 2001.  This battle actually happened on November 14th in 1965 not 1967.  On that day in 1965 there were actually two pilots who braved insurmountable odds to save lives.  While both men were extremely brave, they were also both exceptionally humble.  The other pilot was MAJ Bruce Crandall.  Crandall was Freemans’ Commander and he(Crandall) immediately submitted Freeman for the award in 1965.  Freeman refused to “cooperate” with the folks tasked with gathering the necessary information to give to Congress for this award, so, the process was never completed.  Apparently, Freeman refused to be considered unless his counterpart received the same consideration.  Crandall, as you might have guessed, declined to pursue that course.     Anyway, Crandall never stopped “working” on the award for Freeman.  In 2001 Freeman finally acquiesced and was awarded the Medal of Honor.  Freeman, then became a strong advocate for Crandall.  In 2002 a movie about the battle at Ia Drang was made starring Mel Gibson (We Were Soldiers Once).  This created new interest in several of the soldiers involved in the incredible battle, including, Freeman and Crandall.  This, coupled with the tireless efforts of many, led to Crandall receiving the Award in 2007.   Crandall is still alive, and is quite a character. 

I thought you might find that tidbit interesting.  There is a web site (run by the Department of Defense) that has a ton if information about our Nation’s highest honor in case you are interested:   http://www.cmohs.org/

From our agent in Kansas, John Campbell.....thank you John for the clarification and the information.

Stay true to yourself

Below are great lyrics from the song entitled- Change-(Garth Brooks)

And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me

It is so easy to give up or to give in, especially when you feel out numbered or bullied but if you stay true to your beliefs you will not only feel better about your situation but you will feel better about yourself.

It may not be easy, actually I can pretty much assure you that it will not be, but if you just go with the flow knowing that it is wrong or at least against your principles then you fail and lose your direction and your power.

I know what it is like, there are days that you just don't have the fight in you.
Days when it is easier to just take the path of less resistance.

The longer you live a lie a longer the longer it takes to find yourself again and in many cases people do not, they just go along rather then try to change things.

EVERYONE LOSES......DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO CHANGE YOU.

It was NOT HIS job...

You're a 19 year old kid and you are critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

It is November 11, 1967.

Your unit is out numbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO
(Commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you're not getting out.

Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again.

As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then- over the machine gun noise- you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.

You look up and see Huey coming in. But..it doesn't seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.

He's not Med Evac so it's not his job,  but he heard the radio call and decided he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.

Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway.

And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety.

And, he kept coming back !! 13 MORE TIMES !!  Until all the wounded was out.

No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.

He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor recipient Captain Ed Freeman, United States Air Force, died Auhust 20th, 2008 at the age of 80, in Boise Idaho.

May GOD Bless and rest his soul.........A TRUE AMERICAN HERO....

Doing the absolute minimum

You all know and have probably worked with people that take on an attitude of.. " this is how much you pay me so this is how much effort I will give you" OR it's not my job.

They figure that if you pay them more then they will do more or learn more.

The biggest problem with that is one will never know exactly what your true potential really is, you or the person that is in the decision seat.

You not only cheat your employer but you cheat yourself because if you never try to learn more you will never grow and learn new things. Within that part of it is where you may be steered somewhere that you never would of even of imagined.

Push yourself, want to learn and help and it will always pay off in the long run.

Most employers want to see want you can do first and just where your commitment is- then the process will eventually take it's coarse....again maybe not on your time table but it will.

The American Dream

What is the American Dream to you?

To me, it is about opportunity and the freedom to obtain your goals through those opportunities.

For most of us, it isn't easy.  No one said it would be, but at least we live in a land that you can still work hard and have a chance to steer your own life, whatever your goals may be.

When my wife and I were married back in 1985, we didn't have two nickles to rub together. To pay for our wedding rings, we had to open up our wedding envelopes on our wedding night and use most of the money to pay for our rings.

We did not have much but we knew what we wanted. We wanted a house and a family. We worked hard and grabbed every opportunity as we went along and enjoyed the ride.

Don't get me wrong. We did not always enjoy every challenge and there were plenty of days that we didn't know how we were going to pay the bills or get heating oil...but we did it. We did not look for hand outs or complain.  If times got tough, I picked up a second job. We watched our money and only bought things that we absolutely needed. (I can write a few separate blogs just on our exploits with our automobiles.)

It is NOT easy, but I still believe that if you put in an honest days work and try not to hurt anybody, you will succeed. Of course it may not always be on your timetable...but little is.

If you do not think that we still have something unique here in the United States, then go out there and visit other countries. We still have the foundation and the freedom.

All you can ask for is the opportunity and the freedom to pursue your dream.

That is the American dream to me.

Mess with one of us.....

Mess with one of us you got us all......that is a line from a Kenny Chesney song called the " Boys of Fall ".

The song is about a football team and how as a team they have the mentality that they help each other and come to each other's defense. If you mess with one of them you have the rest of them to answer to.

That type of mentality wins, that type of TEAM effort will allow a group of people to accomplish some pretty cool stuff.

That same type of philosophy needs to occur in your work place, in your every day.

You can NOT succeed alone. Anyone who thinks that they have what they have on their own is in deep disillusionment.

Somebody had to help you, the question is - Are you helping someone? Are you willing to help your co-worker succeed? Are you quick to blame or point the finger or do you go one on one with the person in question and sincerely try to see their side or try to take the time so that they see your side?

I worked the sidelines for Pro Football teams in the NFL and when the offense comes off the field they sit on one side of the benches and when the defense comes off they sit on the other side. They sit next to each other so they can discuss what they saw and how to game plan during the game. Their respective coaches will come over to point out what they saw.

Can you imagine if during the game the someone from the offense went over to the defense as they were sitting there and they pointed in fingers in their face and blamed them for the losing score?

It would look like a team in disarray.

 It would not look like a one for all and all for one team that's for sure. The players on the defense would get upset and yell back and everyone would lose focus on the game itself.

That is what happens in business, we need to sharpen our part , we need to look at ourselves and ask what we could of done different at the same time that we help the people around us improve what they do.

We throw the word "team" around a lot but that needs to be your goal every day- how can the team succeed? How can we collectively reach our goal.

Any great player will always tell you that they did not do it on their own, and in the end that is the where the greatest feeling is- Accomplishing the goal together, sacrificing for each other. Putting yourself out there.

Try it, make it your goal to work with each other and gain the team atmosphere.

Gossip

Years ago I was in class with my daughter in our church and the priest asked if we thought gossip was a sin. I ran through the ten commandments in my mind and did not remember anything about gossip so I thought no.
We opened up the discussion on it and he had said that it was because gossip hurts people.

I had never thought about it like that before but he was absolutely right.
When we gossip about somebody behind their backs or if we start rumours we hurt people.

If you can not say it in front of the person you should not say it.

I have been with people who talk negative about someone they do not like, I may not even know much about the person that they are talking about but their conversation will stay with me and I may find myself pre judging that person or looking for something that I ordinary may not of.

Rumors and gossip hurt.

As an exercise years ago we sat around 10 people in a line and the first whispered something to the person next to him and then that person had to whisper to the person next to them and by the time it got to the last person in the line it was nothing like what it started.

Through the years I can't tell you how many stories have gotten back to me about Arpin , myself or of others and  they were completely wrong and the crazy part is I find myself trying to convince the person I am talking to that it is not true and in some cases I can tell that they still believe the rumor....crazy.

Stick by the rule that if you can't say it in front of the person that you are talking about then don't say it and if you have a question about a person or a situation go to the source...do not spread rumours..it is nothing but negative and in my eyes shows weakness.

POSITIVE REMARKS ON A COD SURVEY

This customer moved from CA to WA and sent in a survey and in the remark section they wrote:

I have been moving it seems my entire life- all 74 years !
This was the best , most organized, wonderful, easy , pleasant ( with no trauma ) move I have ever had.
How can I ever thank you all?
From the wonderful estimator to the wonderful driver everything was perfect. I still smile when I think about this move, thank you so much !!!
I will recommend your company forever, and that is a promise.



Moving is listed as one of most stressful ordeals that a person goes through and this man is left smiling at the end.......wow !

The agent was Silicon Moving in California and the driver was our Canadian owner operator Ken.

Thank you all......this is what it is all about......people helping people.

Stand for something...

"If you do not stand for something you will fall for anything".

Do not be afraid to speak your mind, to take a stand. That said try to listen to all sides and respect other people's opinions. Take it all in, take your time, then speak out.

The world if full of bullies and it is getting more political by the day. People are afraid to speak their minds in fear of retaliation. This is not good for you personally or for everyone in general.

We grow when we are able to take in all sides and try to understand where others are coming from. To shut them down or to not even to hear them out we will never learn. As I have said it past blogs, we all have a story and that story makes up how we view the world and decisions that we make every day. When we are able to take in other views and truly listen you may start to see it from another side. A side perhaps that we were not even privy to.

That is what democracy is, that is what relationships are all about.

When we push others away or make our own minds up before we hear it all out we all lose. It is hard sometimes, that is why it is best to not have knee jerk reactions to situations.
 Stop, look and listen.

But above all do not be afraid to talk and to try to make a case, choose your time and the right place and venue.
Take it all in and speak out.
 If the other is right in the end, say so. Either way shake hands and respect the other person. After all they are as adamant on their position as you are yours and that is good.

As General Pattern said to his Generals in one of their meetings, "if we are all thinking the same then we are not all thinking".

STAND FOR SOMETHING

The year was 1957

 

1957 saw the continued growth of bigger taller tail fins on new cars and more lights, bigger with more powerful engines and an average car sold for $2,749. The Soviet Union launched the first space satellite Sputnik 1. Movies included "Twelve Angry Men" and "The Bridge Over the River Kwai", and TV showed "Perry Mason" and "Maverick" for the first time. The music continued to be Rock and Roll with artists like "Little Richard". The popular toys were Slinkys and Hula Hoops. The continued growth of the use of credit was shown by the fact that 2/3 of all new cars were bought on credit. Some of the areas that would cause problems later were starting to show South Vietnam is attacked by Viet Cong Guerrillas and Troops are sent to Arkansas to enforce anti segregation laws

 

Popular Culture

• Elvis Presley purchases a mansion in Memphis, Tennessee and calls it Graceland
• The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool ( Where the Beetle's started )
• The Film Jailhouse Rock premiers with Elvis Presley

"American Bandstand" the teenagers chart music show makes its network debut on ABC

Popular Films

• The Ten Commandments
• Around the World in Eighty Days
• 12 Angry men
• Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley
• The Bridge on the River Kwai
• The Three Faces of Eve

Popular Books

• The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss
• From Russia with Love - Ian Fleming
• The Guns of Navarone - Alistair MacLean

Many Americans suffer from unnecessary stress

From a health column in our local paper, a letter to a Dr. Donohue...

Dear Dr. Donohue,
I had a wonderful physician back in the 1950's who said we all suffer from "Americanitis" an illness indigenous to the United States. He said we complain about stress where none exists until the stress itself becomes a problem.

The Dr. wrote ..
I think we do suffer from worry about many things that never come to pass. I also believe that worry wasted on events and news over which we have no control is unhealthy.



I absolutely believe in this, and in today's "micro wave society " and 24/7 new cycle and how we simply can no longer " shut down " it is even more complicated.

Do not insert worry and stress in your life where it is not. Do not buy into everybody's complaints and stress.

Live your own life and just concern yourself with what you have control of.

One of my favorite speeches from a movie...

The movie was AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT..this was a great speech. One of my all time favorites...

 

 

 

For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being President of this country was, to a certain extent, about character. And although I've not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I have been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character.

For the record, yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU, but the more important question is "Why aren't you, Bob?" Now this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question, why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the constitution? Now if you can answer that question, folks, then you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a few hours ago.

 

America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms.

Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.

 

I've known Bob Rumson for years. And I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Bob's problem is that he can't sell it!

We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family, and American values and character, and you wave an old photo of the President's girlfriend and you scream about patriotism. You tell them she's to blame for their lot in life. And you go on television and you call her a whore.

Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, and lobby for the safety of our natural resources. You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, 'cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.

I've loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer. And I lost the other 'cause I was so busy keeping my job, I forgot to do my job. Well, that ends right now.

Tomorrow morning the White House is sending a bill to Congress for it's consideration. It's White House Resolution 455, an energy bill requiring a twenty percent reduction of the emission of fossil fuels over the next ten years. It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming. The other piece of legislation is the crime bill. As of today, it no longer exists. I'm throwing it out. I'm throwing it out and writing a law that makes sense. You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and hand guns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I'm gonna convince Americans that I'm right, and I'm gonna get the guns.

We've got serious problems, and we need serious people. And if you want to talk about character, Bob, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up.

Check it out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUxGqU6LwVI

Some goals for 2012

- LOSE 10 LBS- the same 10 lbs that I have tried to lose for the past 10 years.

- RELAX AND LET GO- " If you can't fix it with conversation,apology, OR action, let it go". It doesn't mean much in the long run and essential energy is just wasted feeling bad.

- RE ACCESS MY DEFINITION OF QUALITY TIME- Quality doesn't have to mean spending money on an activity or trip. Snippets of time together matter, depending on your appreciation of them.

AT WORK-

- REMEMBER THE BASICS- Continue to build relationships and try to help train and teach the basics of what got us here. -Respect others- be honest- always follow through and do my best- don't assume-

- CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR COMPUTER PROGRAMS-  2012 is a big year to transition operations and our entire process with better faster computer programs that will enhance what we all do.

- REMEMBER TO ENJOY THE RIDE-