8 Ways to Build Relationship Capital

I love this kind of stuff and over time hope to build a repository of solid business advice.

From Business Week:

1. Establish the rules of the game. Families should create a communication code of conduct so that all members play by the same rules.

2. Stop thinking about communication as a tool for getting people to agree with you. The goal isn't agreement, but understanding. Strive to understand the perspective of others, and you'll go from being a strong-armed leader to a good communicator and decision-maker.

3. Ask more questions. This one change in tactics will build understanding and improve communications. Of course, it's tough to keep on asking questions when someone disagrees with you, but that's how you go about gaining understanding.

4. Realize that giving people a voice doesn't always mean giving them a vote. Many leaders fail to elicit opinions because they fear this would give away their power. That's particularly common when parents and children work together. But our research shows that when people are given a voice, they are much more likely to support a final decision -- even if they don't agree with it.

5. Let others know your weaknesses and let them coach you. When one leader told his team that he recognized he had a temper, it allowed them to talk about it openly. Afterward, his salespeople no longer avoided speaking to him.

6. Don't make everything about right and wrong. When you communicate in absolute terms, you don't give other people room to have an opinion. You force them to agree with you, fight with you, or ignore you. Don't confuse strong opinions with strong leadership.

7. Cultivate positive feelings about others. If you dwell on negative thoughts, even when justified, they'll affect both what you say and how you say it. Communicate positively, and you'll promote positive change.

8. Address hard issues head-on. When the sister who had called me about her brother finally talked to him about his work ethic, he improved his habits. And the tension between them began to evaporate. That's the kind of relationship capital they can draw on to improve their business, and their families, in the future.

Wine: 2001 Villa Mt Eden Cabernet

http://www.wine.com/wineshop/product_detail.asp?PProduct_ID=SWS25265_2003&Nu=p_family_name&cid=msndf79017

this is 2003 Grand Reserve

we drank 2001

$35
a tad over priced from other menus on the internet - approx $30


http://www.villamteden.com/
about them
http://www.stimson-lane.com/aboutus/wineries/california/cawineries/villamteden.htm




PIC:
http://di.image.eshop.msn.com/img/sinv/2735/0/79017.jpg
http://a21.g.akamai.net/f/21/923/1h/www.wine.com/labels/79017l.jpg


Mendocino
Sonoma
County
Sierra
Foothills
Napa
Valley
2 0 0 1 C A B E R N E T S AUVIGNON TA L L T R E E S · N A PA VA L L EY
WI N E M A K E R S TASTING NOT E S
“This is a big, yet warm and friendly Cab. It exhibits inviting
aromas of dark chocolate, blackberry and cinnamon spice
with deep flavors of plum and dark chocolate. It is a lush
wine with velvety, ripe, lingering tannins. This is an easy
Cabernet to enjoy with food.”
Mike McGrath, Winemaker
V I N EYARDS
➤ Vintage 2001 was characterized by its early start, quick
growing season and ideal summer weather. The conditions
produced ripe, well-balanced, aromatic and flavorful fruit.
➤ Tall Trees Vineyard, located in Napa Valley’s Yountville
District, provided the backbone for this Cabernet.
➤ Planted in 1997 to a variety of Cabernet Sauvignon
clones and rootstocks selected to optimize ripe fruit
characters with concentrated flavors and aromas.
WINEMAKING
➤ Ripe Cabernet grapes were destemmed and gently
crushed, leaving 20% of the berries intact to preserve
intense, ripe fruit flavors.
➤ Gentle pumpovers during an eight-day fermentation
enhanced color and flavor extraction.
➤ Barrel-aged for 14 months in 85% French and 15%
American oak barrels in equal parts new, one-year-old
and two-year-old barrels.
TECHNICAL DATA
Total Acidity: 0.67 g /100 ml
pH: 3.59
Alcohol: 13.8%
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon,
5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc,
5% Malbec, 5% Syrah
FOOD PA I R I N G S
➤ Roast beef
➤ Meatloaf
➤ Lamb kebabs
Item #109 ©2004 Villa Mt. Eden Winery, St. Helena, Napa Valley, CA
®
2001 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
N A PA VA L L E Y
Tall Trees

Movie: Batman Begins (9 of 10)

[INCOMPLETE ENTRY]

9 out of 10

http://www.themovieblog.com/archives/Batman_Poster_French.jpg


I swear to you that it is a PHENOMENAL movie and THE BEST Superhero movie I've ever seen. I thought Spidey 1 AND 2 were very good...but, my affinity for Batman, coupled with how good this movie was, vaults the Caped Crusader over the recent Spideys.



http://www.themovieblog.com/archives/2005/06/john_reviews_batman_begins_810.html



http://www.themovieblog.com/archives/2005/05/batman_or_superman.html

http://aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20395

http://flakmag.com/film/batmanbegins.html


...DEVELOPING...

Wine: Zenith 2003 Pinot Noir (3.25 Stars)

It was "Marlborough" weekend for the Brocks.

We were in Boston because I had to visit a client in Marlborough, Mass...so, why not do our drinking from Marlborough, New Zealand.

"Marlborough is New Zealand's largest wine producing region. The large corporate producer, Montana, planted the first vines in the area in 1973. The principle vine of the region is Sauvignon Blanc, and it is a single wine produced from this varietal, Cloudy Bay, which has put Marlborough on the wine-world's map."

This Zenith was definitely pleasant, but I thought that it was a little mild and some of bolder (maybe darker) flavors that I wanted to go with the sweet sausages that I ordered at Monica's. For just over $30 at the restaurant (around $11 to $15 on the internet) it was fine.

Zenith Vineyards information

Movie: National Treasure (1.25 Stars)

Before pressing play on the DVD player, I knew that this was going to be a rip-off of the public's current fascination of Dan Brown-like adventures. But...'wow'! I hope that NatTres is not an indication as to what to expect from upcoming movie versions of Brown's novels.

The only thing worth watching in this movie is Diane Kruger. And, even she disappoints because we don't get enough of her. (It is Disney)

Jennifet & I watched this in bed one night that we had a little extra time before we were going to fall asleep. Had that not been the situation then we would have never made it all the way through.

The first paragraph of the NY Times'critique sets the tone for what you need to know:

Maybe, just maybe, an 8-year-old could pick up an interest in American history from watching "National Treasure," that is, if the child could stay awake for this sluggish two-hour trudge through landmarks in Washington, Philadelphia and New York. It's far more likely, however, that a child who could stay awake through this fanciful reality game show (a Grade C "Amazing Race") would come away believing the bogus mythology that detonates it with a squishy thud.

Even the 'positive reviews' are tepid at best. Like, "passable, lightweight entertainment"

More from Rotten Tomatoes.

Reagan Still Appeals to Young Americans

On the first anniversary of the passing of President Ronald Reagan, I thought I would share a very well-written essay from today's Houston Chronicle written by Ashley Herzog. Herzog is a 2004 graduate of The Woodlands High School north of Houston and is currently a freshman at Ohio University.

"Since the baby boomers came of age in the 1960s and '70s, the common assumption has been that college students are more liberal than their parents. But for my generation, that's not necessarily true. Although liberals are still the majority, their ranks are thinning. According to The American Freshman survey, 38 percent of college freshmen identified themselves as liberals in 1971; in 2004, only 24 percent did. In comparison, the number of conservative freshmen has jumped from 14 percent to 21 percent in the same time period.

Look closely and you'll notice the subtle signs of this rightward shift. When our parents were in college, students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. Today, you won't see many armbands, but you will see plenty of cars and backpacks adorned with yellow ribbons — a symbol of support for the troops. In the early days of the feminist movement, young women staged dramatic demonstrations in support of abortion rights. And today's girls? The first time I visited the upper floors of my sorority house, I was surprised to see Bush-Cheney campaign posters on several bedroom doors — and one room was nearly wallpapered with them.

What drives the generational turn to the right? One explanation is that, in a post-9/11 nation, 1960s, feel-good liberalism is no longer practical. As young people, my generation witnessed the most devastating attack ever to occur on American soil. It traumatized us. The peacenik vision of Give Peace a Chance and disarming the enemy with love and kindness is a nice dream, but most of us reject it as not only foolish, but potentially deadly. We can't deny the very real threat of terrorism......

.....I often think back to last June, the night Ronald Reagan was buried in California. I was at a sports bar frequented by college students. On a typical night, the place is crowded and noisy, but there was near silence as we watched the burial on the big-screen TVs. As the casket was lowered, I noticed a twentysomething man with tears in his eyes.

"Where are all the Ronald Reagans today?" he asked no one in particular. "I don't even remember him. But I know we won't ever have another president like Reagan." The rest of us nodded knowingly.

Wine: Andrew Harris 2001 Mudgee Shiraz (3.25 Stars)

We had Andrew Harris 2001 Mudgee Shiraz wine at Perry's Italian Kitchen in Clear Lake. I think it was between $26 and $33, but can't exactly remember the price.

Drinking the wine provided me the opportunity to learn more about Australia's wine growing regions, and particularly about the Mudgee region.

The wine was good. Unfortunately, too much time has elapsed since we drank this for me to log an accurate review. I do remember it being easy drinking, and at $16 would have been a fine value. But, paying 100% more at a restaurant changes that value proposition and I remember wishing it had more punch in the taste to live up to its nose. So, I will defer to some help from Winepros:

"The second tier of the Andrew Harris range, but 100 per cent estate-grown and given good oak.

Medium to full red; spicy dark plum, with hints of spice, earth and prune on both bouquet and palate are the strength of the wine, although the texture of the palate doesn't quite live up to the flavour."

Another website provided the following:

Plum flavors; well textured tanninsl richly coloured soft juicy number has voluptuous aromas of caramel and chocolate, lovely ripe cherry and plum fruit, white pepper, mint, lots of creamy oak and a chocolate raisin finish. It's soft and easy drinking and at the price, great value. $15.95 special.