Handy Hacks part 3: Summer Edition

Handy Hacks  part 3

  We all like to learn a new trick that will make our lives easier, save us money, and even impress friends and family in the process.

 Here are a few of my favorites (again):

* Remove Crayons from Walls with WD40:

Use the lubricant and a cloth to remove stubborn crayon marks from the walls just by spraying the wall and wiping with a cloth.

* Keep Ants and Slugs Out of the House with Chalk?

Ants and Slugs Won’t Touch Chalk. So, simply draw a line in front of your doorway where you are having problems with these pesky critters and they won’t cross it, meaning they won’t be able to get into your house.

* That reminds me: Chapstick will stop the bleeding if you nick yourself shaving.

 - assuming of course that a few of you still enjoy an old-school shave as I do.

**and That reminds me:  Olive oil is an excellent replacement for shaving cream! Slick and smooth enough to ward off nicks, it also moisturizes the skin as you shave.

* Vinegar: Kills Weeds and Helps Flowers Grow

Vinegar is a magic wonder when it comes to gardening. It not only kills weeds but they help flowers grow as well. Douse vinegar all around your garden to prevent weeds from popping up and to help your flowers to grow healthy and strong. A spray bottle with the tip opened to a jet works fine.

* Remove A Bumper Sticker with Mayonnaise?

Spread mayonnaise on the bumper sticker and let sit for at least thirty minutes. Then, rub the sticker off with a towel, leaving a clean bumper!

* Clean BBQ Grill with Baking Soda:

Mix a cup of baking soda with half a cup water to make a paste. Dip your brush into the paste and scrub the grill. The caked on pieces and black residue will come off much quicker and using baking soda is much safer and cheaper than using cleaning chemicals.

* That reminds me: Clean your grill with an Onion:

  Close and warm that dirty grill for 10 minute. Slice a fresh onion in half and rub the cut face of onion back and forth on the grilling surface until the juices have loosened all that stuck-on crud. Hit it with your grill brush and repeat if necessary.  Not only will the onion make cleaning much easier, but your next round of steaks will have an awesome hint of extra flavor!

 ...and, One to impress the ladies:

* Freeze Candles to Make Them Last Longer:

Put candles in the freezer for at least 2 hours before using. Once you burn them, the wax will melt at a much slower pace, making them last much longer!

J.B. Stran 

2015  JB "Pop" Stran  All Copyrights apply. No reprint without full link intact.

Lao-tzu, The Way Of The Tao: Manage With Care

"Rule a large country as you would cook a small fish"

- Lao-tzu, The Way of the Tao

  Although very little is known about Lao-tzu, the teachings found in The Way of the Tao have become the foundation of a way of life for twenty million people today.

 The name Lao-tzu itself is more a title that literally means "old master" so it could simply be a name, similar to Homer or Preacher in Ecclesiastes, labeling someone who has written a famous or ancient work.

  There is even doubt that Lao-tzu actually wrote The Way of the Tao, or any other one person for that matter. Despite this mystery, the work and it's famous quote stated above are attributed to Lao-tzu, and the followers of the religion that grew from it don't seem to mind.

 The title statement has been misused a thousand times by speakers who simply wanted to appear worldly and educated to his audience, or maybe even to impress a girl by looking like a deep thinker who is well-read. 

 Many of the lessons in The Way of the Tao are open to personal interpretation, and I will simply offer my own as it appears to pertain to the management of a workforce.

With it's terseness and trace of humor, this famous line looks to advise political moderation and the modesty of wisdom. The wise governor governs least and interferes least.

 As opposed to the dangerously broad strokes common to the risk-takers, a bit more tact and diplomacy is called for in today's work environment. 

  

  2015  The Leader Coach    -    JB Stran