​Not a chance.

The magic happens inside the store. Unfortunately, the most obvious opportunities are sometimes overlooked. Retailers have more data than ever before, and AI can help predict trends. The key for the retailer, regardless if they have one store, or ten is to understand the data and act on it. The author advises even bad data is better than no data. Anyone can learn to discern the hidden messages inside the mountains of content.

It might surprise you to learn that retail stores have higher conversion rates, (customers who make a purchase) than online retailers. Being inside a store is an experience, the consumer wants to buy. When scrolling online the customer is completing a task.

Even Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, the giant of all giants admits that store traffic will always be important. Watching shoppers walk out the door without a purchase is a missed opportunity. Savvy retailers treat store foot traffic as if it were a marketing campaign. The good news is capturing the sale inside the store is a lot more cost effective and a better use of time than creating, implementing, and managing a promotion. Opportunities to learn come from the most unlikely places, including loss prevention systems. Tiny tweaks and reviewing content with a fresh perspective can inspire new ways of thinking to capture more purchases.
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Don’t take it from me, author, Mark Ryski summarizes each chapter with key takeaways and then adds his own practitioners advice. Now is the time for creativity.

 

I'm not much of a photographer. In fact, I've been to places few Americans have ever visited including the step wells in India. I don't have a single photo. I have stories and memories which is where my heart and mind gravitates. I'm generally so immersed in the experience, photographing it is the last thing I want to do.

However, there are plans for us in life, we don't anticipate, they just arrive. I was invited to join the Photography Society at the University Club of Chicago. This unlikely event has led me to participate in photography exhibits. This photo will be featured from 5/2/2025 to 7/11/2025. 

I've learned the type of photography I delight in and appreciate. I've met photographers of all types. Making photography a priority in my life helps me appreciate stories in a new way. This impromptu invitation has been a great blessing to me and has enhanced my work and life in many ways. 

Please see the artists statement below: 

Manoa Falls presents an enchanting escape that captivates the senses and stirs the soul. Winding pathways embraced by vibrant ferns, singing birds, and towering banyan trees, leads travelers deeper through the sun peeking through the ever-present mist into nature's ecology. For those who believe in Divine Possibility, Hawaii materializes the ideal right here on earth inspiring us to live better and be better guided by the inklings of our hearts. While each island is distinct is unparalleled in its culture; all hold the common value of Aloha — the spirit of loving kindness whispering from the loving elements of nature surrounding and inspiring the island inhabitants, all of whom are visitors. ​

​There’s nothing worse than when someone pronounces your name wrong – or even worse, gives you a nickname that works for them, and not for you.
 
What is your name? How to write your name in Han'gŭl without learning the Korean language is a well-researched, thoroughly-documented, beautifully-laid-out and easy-to-follow guide to writing any name in Han'gŭl. After working through the book a person of any nationality will understand how to write their name in Han'gŭl with clearly illustrated examples that bring the concepts together. This book, a work of art in itself, is richly done.

​How lovely that this author chose to remain anonymous as this work doesn’t belong to any one individual but a collection of authors over time. This is so often true, but rarely recognized by the person channeling the information. 

Harpo Marx quit school at 7 years old and never looked back. He started work, yes work, doing a series of odd jobs, some legal and some not, before reluctantly joining the family act, The Marx Brothers.

Harpo Speaks is a remarkably well-written memoir. The reader learns about the brother, whose voice we never heard, and gets a front-row seat to a fascinating time in history. Born in 1888, Harpo describes the filth of living in a tenement in New York City, with dirt roads and horses dotting the streets with the remnants of their organic waste. 

The story weaves through the introduction of automobiles and life on the road for a vaudeville act (sleeping in maggot-filled beds, eating moldy food when the innkeeper provided it), dodging criminal activity, creating means of making a living when there seemed to be none, and a family home filled with love and laughter.

Areas where we may only have an academic perspective are brought to life in full technicolor: the Roaring 20s, Hollywood's golden age, The Great Depression, and WWII. Through Harpo's unlikely high-society connections, he was the first American performer to entertain in the Soviet Union. 

A devout bachelor in his 40s, Harpo finally reluctantly married a starlet, Susan Fleming. While Harpo was afraid of marriage, he loved a big family; he and his wife adopted three boys and a girl, creating a houseful of playmates for the creative couple. 

The book flows easily through many stories and experiences. I enjoyed every minute.

We still have much to celebrate as we reflect and take responsibility for our freedoms, magnificent triumphs, and horrific transgressions.
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No one is exempt from pain or trauma. Unfortunately, some of our citizens have had intentional agony inflicted upon them in the name of righteousness, which we all know is wrong.

My hope is the trauma may unify us; understanding that since we have continually overcome immorality, we will do so again. What is on the other side is the greater good for each of us and for all of us. Our future, if we all participate fully, is bigger and better than we can imagine.

In just under 250 years, this unlikely country became the leader of the free world, a pinnacle of innovation, and accessible for those who otherwise would have no hope or opportunity. In the universe's timeline, which is estimated to be over 13 billion years old, 250 years is about a minute. All of our ancestors of origin are amazed (and I think pleased) about the lives we lead.

No doubt the path could’ve been easier, more inclusive, and less destructive. Let’s honor the memories of those who suffered before us and sacrificed their lives for our opportunities, either willingly or through coercion, by making the most of our freedoms every day.

While we are flawed, this is the only country on earth that ensures anything is possible.

Let’s dream 10 times bigger than we think possible, risk more than we think we can bear, and share in the confidence that we are rich in resources and doing the right best thing for ourselves and for others is always the right thing to do.

Sometimes.

​A Photographic History of Snakebite treatments, is a visual expedition of serpent bite cures. Ever wonder what the difference is between a venomous snake and a poisonous snake is? After reading Snakebite Treatments, now I know. Join me on the adventure of snake curiosities by reading this book. You’ll find a photographic museum between the pages. Papyrus dated between 330 and 660 BCE contained treatments and spells to cure venomous snake bites and scorpion stings. Modern science has debunked the spells – but if I were bitten by a venomous snake I’d try every treatment available – including magic! This delightful book informs us just how lethal snakes are and what a menace they’ve been to society throughout civilizations. I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself, or the curious person in your life that would appreciate the history of medicine, experiments, and treatments throughout history. 

This beautifully written, engaging book is full of fascinating information. For example, the ancient Chinese believed all other organs were sacrificed for the heart. Leonardo Davinci, known for his fascination with the body, extracted the heart of a 100-year-old man who died peacefully to find a fully clogged heart valve. Is that how we are meant to die? When we have no more compassion to give?
The art of the heART is a thorough and imaginative section of the book. The stories of the heart in music of all types, literature, and rituals are very rich. If more science was written the way Dr. Figueredo writes, I believe more students would choose science as a field of study.

Dr. Figueredo doesn’t list his impressive credentials on the cover of this book. Not only is he an M.D. he also holds an F.A.H.A. (Fellow of the American Heart Association) and an F.A.C.C. (Fellow of the American College of Cardiology). He doesn’t explain why, but I like to think it’s because this work is bigger than he is. If that’s true — what impressive humility! Or perhaps he doesn’t list his credentials because it will attract a greater audience, including artists, musicians, knowledge-seekers, and writers.
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Impressive studies of the heart/brain congruence started in the Renaissance period. It makes perfect sense. Such significance in art, music, and architecture is not possible without making full use of the brain and the heart!
More people die of cardiovascular disease than all cancers combined. Learning about the mechanics, the art, and the emotions of the heart will serve us all well — plus, it’s fun!