Smart Phone Smart-alecs!

Artificial intelligence turns iPhones and Google Androids into smart alecs.
Siri, the personal assistant on iPhone 4S, lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls and more.
Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you ordinarily talk, and it understands what you say and mean. It also knows when you’re pulling its leg and talks back.
For all of its virtues, it has attracted more attention for its sassy answers to trick questions. One user commanded, “Beam me up.” The phone responded, “Sorry, Captain, your tricorder is in Airplane Mode.”
Google is in the know about trick questions too. After 13 years of research, some of its super smart engineers have created algorithms able to answer such questions. Ask it the meaning of life,  the universe and everything. It answers “42,” a reference to the favorite geek book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
A lot of work has gone into creating the sarcasm.
The Siri group at Apple, one its largest software teams, started with an artificial intelligence project from SRI International. Now, it continually fine tunes Siri responses. It attempts to forge an emotional tie by regularly using the customer’s nickname in responses, as well as those of other important people and places in the customer’s life.
What makes today’s artificial intelligences so much fun isn’t that it can give answers to prescribed questions. Computers have done that for years.
Now, they can carry on conversations about ridiculous topics. There are several answers to the same question on the iPhone and Android.
My father-in-law asked some hilariously outrageous questions, which were in turn answered with hilarious answers!

Meet ‘the man’ behind Newrock Homes and get the scoop on their new location

I can honestly say that I am not sure that I know anyone who works as hard as Eric Pucci.
Not only is he a Businessman, he is a true entrepreneur with a servants heart.
Owner/Builder of Newrock Homes, Inc. & Designated Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Premier Group, Pucci has a natural “eye” for opportunity and is not afraid of failure. Newrock Homes recently relocated to their newly remodeled office building at 842 Washington Way, Suite 150 in Longview, WA. (A new venture that Pucci is looking forward to here is a “hand-pressed” martini bar with upscale appetizer menu, on the north end of the Washington Way property. Keep an eye out!)
It goes beyond talent, hard work and a “can-do” attitude to be a respected & successful leader and businessman, as Eric Pucci is known for.
Being the humble man that he is, Pucci states that 100% of his success (personally & professionally) is directly attributed to the support he gets from his beautiful wife Joanne, and the people he has surrounded himself with.
Pucci feels blessed to share his success with those that are by his side.
“Our parents raised us to make a conscious decision about the people that we associate ourselves with, and that really resonated with me as I got older” he says.
Moving to Longview from New York in 1990, Pucci had quit school to go to work. However, his Mother talked him in to going back to school and getting his diploma. After doing so, he went to work for Coprintco here in Longview and eventually obtained his real estate license.
In 2006 Pucci took on a partner and Newrock Homes, Inc. was born, building over 100 quality homes their 1st year!
In 2008, Pucci bought out his partner, and their reputation as a “quality” home builder continued growing, causing them to become the most sought after builder in the area.
“Thank goodness for technology, otherwise I’d need a good pair of running shoes to keep up with him,” says Shirley Osborne, Administrative Secretary for Newrock Homes, Inc. & RE/MAX Premier Group.
One of many comments shared by a satisfied customer reads as follows:
“As a Building Chief Engineer on (2) 52 Story “Class A” High Rise Buildings in downtown Los Angeles, my demand for quality workmanship is always a high expectation.
I commend Newrock Homes for taking this huge challenge working with someone out of state with limited supervision and was able to build my “Dream Home” without any flaw.
All of this could not have been accomplished without the superb supervision, vast knowledge and attention to detail by the Newrock Team on site and performed by all the different trades brought in to take part in constructing my “Dream Home”. You can be assured, that by having Newrock Homes build your “Dream Home” to your specifications, that you can be proud to show Family and friends the final product.”
—Joe Q., Pierce County WA
The Cowlitz County Contractors Association recognized Newrock Homes, Inc as Builder of the Year in both 2009 and again in 2010.
In 2008 Pucci also made the decision to buy the local RE/MAX Real Estate franchise from then Broker, Carolyn Levno, and became the Designated Broker of the now RE/MAX “Premier Group”. Many of the same 15 Real Estate agents at that time are now Brokers still operating in his office today due to his positive employment practices.
Pucci and his family are also heavily involved in the community, serving on the board of Habitat for Humanity (Cowlitz County). Newrock Homes participates by donating free labor; drawing of blueprints and roofing those homes. Pucci’s wife, Joanne also serves in the Junior Service League and The Progress Center, as well as chairing the 2011 Festival of Trees. Eric and his wife Joanne have been married for 18yrs and live on a farm in Silver Lake with their 2 daughters, Mercedes & Alexis and raise Belted Galloway cattle.
When asked what his “why” is in life, Pucci said “ I want to leave a legacy for my children.”
If you are considering new construction(or remodeling the one you are in) Newrock Homes will not build you a house, they will build you a Home.
And if you are considering buying or selling any type of Real Estate, the team at RE/MAX Premier Group will be there for you every step of the way.
You will find them both in their new location at 842 Washington Way, Suite 150, in Longview WA.
Newrock Homes, Inc.
842 Washington Way, Ste 150
Longview, WA 98632
(360)423-5151

What goes around comes around

Anonymous
The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.
“Leave me alone,” he growled..
To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling — her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the president. Now go away.”
The woman’s smile became even  broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.
“What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.”
Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma’am?” he asked.
“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”
The officer scratched his head.  “That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”
“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile.”
“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!”
Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.  “Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything.”
“This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it..”
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle  of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and  the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table.
“What’s going on here, officer?” he asked. “What is all this? Is this man in trouble?”
“This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered.
“Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if  you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place.”
The woman  turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”
“Of course I am,” the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”
“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”
“What business is that of yours?”
I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.”
“Oh.”
The woman smiled again.
“I thought that might make a difference.”
She  glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. “Would you like to  join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”
“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I’m on duty.”
“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”
“Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.”
The cafeteria manager turned on his heel,  “I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”
The officer watched  him walk away. “You certainly put him in his place,” he said.
“That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.”
She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently
“Jack, do you remember me?”
Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes.
“I think so — I mean you do look familiar.”
“I’m a little older perhaps,” she said. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”
“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly.  He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.
“I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had  come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”
Jack lit up with a smile.
“Now I remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against  company policy.”
“I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy  it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked  over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register I knew then that everything would be all right.”
“So you started your own business?” Old Jack asked.
“I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually, I started my own business, that, with the help of God, prospered.”
She opened her purse and pulled out a business card.
“When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He’s the personnel director of my company. I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find something for you to do around the office.”
She smiled.
“I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened  to you.”
There were tears in the old man’s eyes.
“How can I ever thank  you? “ he said.
“Don’t thank me,” the woman answered. “To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus… He led me to you.”
Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways.
“Thank  you for all your help, officer,” she said.
“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered.
“Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something  that I will never forget. And…And thank you for the coffee.”
Have a Wonderful Day. May God Bless You Always. And don’t forget that when you “cast your bread upon the waters,” you never know how it will be returned to you.
The Golden Rule lives still today.

You shot it or caught it..now EAT it!

This month I would like to share some recipes with you readers out there. Now I realize that not everyone tagged an elk or deer this past season. I know I didn’t!
However, most of us are fortunate enough to know someone who was successful that would be happy to share some of their bounty. Most folks, myself included, are rather reluctant to share the choicest steaks or tenderloins. More likely than not, these prime cuts have already been eaten.
The most often shared meats are roasts, stew meat, and burger.  It is for this reason that I am going to share with you a couple of my favorite easy-to-fix recipes for Elk Roast and Chili, along with a very simple method of cooking up some of that salmon or steelhead that you might just have in the freezer.
If you are one of those fortunate few who manages to accumulate a freezer full of wild game, you might look at what you will actually consume before next season and consider sharing some of what will realistically be extra.
As a rule, fish and seafood should be consumed within 6 months of being harvested. (Sooner is better, where taste is concerned.) Red meat should be eaten within a year of the kill-date. Again, sooner is better where taste is concerned.
The goal is to consume or share what you have harvested and not need to clean out meat that has been freezer burned, and thereby spoiled (wasted).
The Golden Rule is Harvest What You Can Use, But Use What You Harvest.
So let’s get cookin’!

ELK ROAST
4 to 6 lb. elk roast
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 c. mushroom soup
1 env. onion soup mix
1/4 c. water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. parsley
2 tbsp. flour
Trim excess fat from roast. Salt and pepper. Place meat on sheet of foil. Spread mushroom soup over meat. Sprinkle on onion soup, garlic, and rosemary. Add bay leaves. Cover roast with foil, leaving an inch or so space on top. Seal ends tightly. Bake 30 minutes per pound for shoulder roast or similar cuts. Remove foil. Sprinkle parsley over roast. Thicken for gravy using 2 tablespoon flour in 1/4 cup water.

GUNSMOKE CHILI
2 lbs. coarsely-ground lean beef or venison
2 large green bell peppers, chopped
2 fresh jalapeño chiles, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/3 cup chili powder
1 tbsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. dried ground hot peppers of your choice: (cayenne, jalapeño, habanero, etc.)
2 bay leaves
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
6 cups water or beef broth
2 (15-1/2 oz.) cans kidney or pinto beans
Sauté meat, bell peppers, fresh Jalapeños, onions, celery, and garlic in a Dutch oven with a small amount of oil. Drain. Stir in all other ingredients except beans. Cover and simmer one hour, stirring occasionally. Add beans and simmer another 15 minutes. Makes about a gallon of the tastiest, most satisfying chili you ever ate.
For hotter chili, add more peppers.

BAKED SALMON
2 lbs. tail cut of salmon fillet, in pieces
1 c. potato chips (YES!)
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
Place salmon in a baking, serving dish. Mix sour cream and mayonnaise together. Cover top of salmon with mayonnaise and sour cream. Top with crushed potato chips. Bake in oven 350 degrees about 20 minutes.
You can do an entire fillet of Salmon/Steelhead using this recipe. Simply increase the amounts of ingredients and season to taste. I have grown quite fond of Lemon Pepper as well as Tony Cacheries Cajun Spice. Rub spices gently into the flesh side of the fish before application of other ingredients.
Melvin Larsen, also known as Mountain Mel, enjoys anything and everything to do with the great outdoors, and possesses a vast array of knowledge regarding all things hunting and fishing. Comment online or to: editor@valleybugler.com

Castle Rock Seniors

Submitted by Georgia Cox
The Castle Rock Senior Center is excited to present their Calendar of Activities for November 2011!
Every Monday: Our infamous Cinnamon Rolls and coffee will be served to the public from 10am to NOON. Suggested donation is only $1.50! **CLOSED MONDAY, JANUARY 2ND, 2012**
Every Monday, Wednesday & Friday: Get that heart rate up and get healthy with the exercise classes from 9:30am to 10:30am!
Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday: “Write your Life Story” will meet at the center at 1pm – 3pm.
Every Wednesday: CAP offers Nutrition Meals for Seniors at the Center at NOON. Suggested donation is $2.50, but PLEASE call #274-7502 or #274-8145 (by Monday) for reservations.
Paper Tole classes are held from 1pm – 3pm for projects.
Every Thursday: Fun Quilting projects will take place from 12pm to 3pm and Pinochle games are played in the Center later at 7pm and is open to all who are interested, so bring your game!
Every Friday: Another CAP Nutrition meal! CAP offers Nutrition Meals for Seniors at the Center at NOON. Suggested donation is $2.50, but PLEASE call #274-7502 or #274-8145 (by Wednesday) for reservations.
Every Saturday: (Except January 7th) The Center will be open on Saturdays and BINGO will be from 1pm – 3pm
Tuesday, January 10th: An Italian Potluck! Our speaker will be Andrew Nelson who will present a power point presentation about his two years in Rome, Italy where he attended the John Cabot University and studied “Old World Art”.  Lunch will follow at noon. (Suggestion, make an effort to bring something “Italian” to this potluck so we can really enjoy the “culture” that Andrew will be sharing with with us beforehand. Spaghetti, noodles, bread, Italian seasonings, get creative if you’d like!)
Thursday, January 19th: Commodities will be distributed. Applications for the 2012 punch cards will take place on the 19th. Call 274-7502 for information. Commodity hours are 10am – 1pm.

Have faith in yourself, a positive outlook

Want to live a longer, healthier and more successful life? An optimistic outlook can help you achieve all three.
Researchers at Yale University say people who think positively live 7.5 years longer than those who don’t. The effect was more important than lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
An optimistic outlook is not something you are born with. It’s a character trait that can be achieved.
If your outlook is generally gloomy, changing it to positive isn’t easy. It takes work and repetition. When you are aware of your feelings, decide to be positive instead of negative. It might feel as if you are faking optimism, but after a while the optimism will be real.
Motivational author Charles Kovess says it’s important to remember that you are bound to meet negative people. Don’t let them throw you off course. He recommends being grateful for all experiences because we grow stronger by getting through the negatives.
Our actions are the results of our beliefs. If we have positive beliefs, we will take positive actions.
In his ground breaking book, The Power of Positive Thinking, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale says: “Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”

Save the Castle Rock Library!

The City of Castle Rock does not fund the Castle Rock Library, and there is an imperative vote (levy)coming in FEBRUARY 2012 for all Castle Rock residents to consider.
The library budget is paid for by donations and a special tax levy for residents who live within the city limits.
In order to keep the library doors open, a home for many looking for quiet solitude, educational materials and study resources, the proposed tax percentage is the same it has been for the past ten years.
This election in February will be the deciding factor on whether or not the library remains open in the 2013 year – or closes its doors forever, forcing residents to travel to farther locations for library resources.
For 2012, donations and fund raisers have kept the library alive and kicking, although functioning at a smaller and limited capacity.
Unfortunately, state law requires that all library books and materials are sent to the State Repository should the levy fail to pass.
Really, the levy is such a small percentage – and has a great impact for the local residents of Castle Rock. Library Resources are still a thing of “today”, even amidst the growing world of internet resources. There are loads upon loads of novels, great fictional reading, intriguing biographies, world culture studies and the list goes on and on.
To those who live within the Castle Rock city limits, as a printed publication ourselves, we would encourage you to consider the benefits that the library offers to any size community – and vote YES in February 2012.

In honor of National Eye Care Month, schedule family checkups

The month of January is dedicated to the promotion of healthy vision. We can start by protecting our eyes with sunglasses when we’re outdoors, goggles whenever we’re mowing the lawn or using machinery, and, yes, by eating carrots. Carrots contain beta-carotene that helps guard night vision and protection against macular degeneration.
Even if you don’t need glasses, an eye exam can help the doctor suggest treatment for problems like eyestrain and headaches. Staring at computers, TV screens and handheld devices intensifies these symptoms.
Early AMD: Signs of age-related macular degeneration can be seen many years before vision is affected. Doctors may recommend vitamins C, A and E, or lutein, to slow or prevent AMD.
Presbyopia: the slow loss of ability to see close objects or small print, usually beginning at about age 40. A correct eyeglass prescription is important at this point.
Floaters: tiny spots that float across our field of vision. Although they aren’t usually a sign of trouble, in rare cases they can be a warning sign of retinal detachment.
Dry eyes: occur when our tear glands don’t make enough tears; can cause itching, burning, or some loss of vision. Eye drops may help, but an exam may reveal Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that has white blood cells attacking moisture-producing glands. Four million Americans have it.
Cataracts: cloudy areas in part or all of the eye lens that keep light from passing through the lens, causing loss of eyesight. They form slowly and can usually be removed by surgery.
Glaucoma: too much fluid pressure inside the eye. The cause is unknown, but it can often be controlled and blindness prevented. There are no early warning signs.
Conjunctivitis: occurs when tissues that line the eyelids and cover the cornea become inflamed, causing itching, burning, tearing, or a feeling of something in the eye.
Vision checks often cost less than $40 and may be covered by insurance. Clinics may provide free checkups in January.
Another route to healthy vision may be considering Lasik or Laser Surgery. The process of Laser Surgery incorporates reshaping the cornea of the eye to a different shape, resulting in better vision.
Depending on the severity of your prescription and whether or not you have an astigmatism, you may be a great candidate for Lasik. Consider the benefits of freedom from glasses, contacts and solution – and the financial cost doesn’t seem so high. Many vision centers offer sales in the month of January, check your local Lasik Centers today!

Happy (do something) New Year!

Ready for a New Year for your business? Well then you need to do something NEW.
If you don’t want it to be just like last year you should trying something new and different.
Theoretical physicist and old school Geek,  Albert Einstein was a revolutionary. He encouraged us to do things differently. I love his theory of insanity. “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
The good news is that we don’t need to understand the electromagnetic field or the quantum theory to revolutionize our business. ~:-)
For the new year I encourage you to use some new technology and improve (or begin) your online marketing.
We simply need to make more connections more often with our potential customers. It is simple, but I didn’t say easy. Get out your Rolodex (physical or digital) and update your contact info for friends and clients.
Getting Started.
I first recommend we take an honest assessment of where you are at today and where you’d like to be in 3, 6 or 12 months. Please fill out this basic goal worksheet that I’ve included in this article and then pat yourself on the back – you’ve just completed the first step towards revolutionizing your business.
1) Grow your Facebook Fans
Invite ALL of your customers and friends to “like” your page.
2) Grow your other social networking contacts
There are many social networks out there. Wikipedia lists about 100 “major active social networking sites”. Since time is finite, I would just look to Google+, LinkedIn & Twitter. You might find other industry specific sites – add them to your list.
3) Grow your eMail Marketing List
Start collecting Names and eMails from everyone you do (or would like to do) business with. You can do this by having entries at your front desk, by asking and even direct from your website or Facebook or Google+.  Many of our clients and business associates utilize this information with an eClub, a monthly eMailout for informational items, holiday greetings or coupon offers for eClubbers only.
4) Grow your Snail Mail list
Postage isn’t cheap, but direct mail (if properly targeted) has the potential to generate more sales. Add the mailing addresses of your clients that aren’t in your address book yet.
5) Connect
This is the fun part. Share your success!
Share on the social sites, start an eMail list, send direct mail & start BLOGGING. The key to connecting is to deliver value. If you give real value people will appreciate the connection.
Some of our clients share specials or coupons, others share updates about the business offerings and service. Our focus @ omOrignals Marketing! is to share knowledge, have some fun while helping people grow their businesses.
Ready to get different results?
Then you, my friend, are ready to try something new. If you’d like to increase your connections, please contact omOriginals for a 30 or 60 minute consult. I’d be happy to help you connect the dots. I encourage you to do something new & different in 2012 to revolutionize your business through creative marketing!
Oscar Myre IV is the chief Geek and Creative Director at omOriginals Marketing! in Longview, WA. His team of individuals help create and produce anything and everything “marketing” – from web sites to graphic design (like all the great ads in this publication), and everything in between….including +1 codes.
Reach them 9am – 5pm Monday through Friday @ 575-9839 or online anytime @ www.omOriginals.com

It’s Happy Birthday to…

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