Newman's Own

[Steve]

I was watching an episode of Iconoclast with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. A little history about the company: For several years, Paul Newman and his long-time friend, author A.E. Hotchner, were in the habit of giving bottles of their homemade salad dressing to friends as holiday gifts. They would mix up a batch in Newman's basement and hand out old wine bottles filled with the dressing while Christmas caroling in their Westport, Connecticut, neighborhood. The response was favorable, and their 'limited edition' bottled dressing became a sought-after item in neighborhood gourmet shops. In the show, they talked about how Paul's view with business and with life was 'if it's not fun, it's not worth doing.' Another similar saying he used often was 'If we stop having fun, we're closing up shop.' Paul and a partner created Newman's Own food line that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities. What do you think about his theory on business and life?

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[swstout]

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Originally Posted by Steve I was watching an episode of Iconoclast with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. A little history about the company: For several years, Paul Newman and his long-time friend, author A.E. Hotchner, were in the habit of giving bottles of their homemade salad dressing to friends as holiday gifts. They would mix up a batch in Newman's basement and hand out old wine bottles filled with the dressing while Christmas caroling in their Westport, Connecticut, neighborhood. The response was favorable, and their 'limited edition' bottled dressing became a sought-after item in neighborhood gourmet shops. In the show, they talked about how Paul's view with business and with life was 'if it's not fun, it's not worth doing.' Another similar saying he used often was 'If we stop having fun, we're closing up shop.' Paul and a partner created Newman's Own food line that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities. What do you think about his theory on business and life? My wife and I have personal experience with The Double 'H' Hole in the Woods Ranch (New York). For years my wife has been a pediatric critical care nurse. One of her clients had a condition in which he had only about 10% of the muscle mass of normal kids. He could not breath without a respirator, hold his head up without braces, chew or swallow food or drink or even speak or cry. At age 12 he could communicate using the American Sign Language awkwardly using only his right hand. From age 7 to 12, he went to the The Double 'H' Hole in the Woods Ranch (New York) for one week every year 100% free. At the facility, the parents and the primary care nurse were housed also absolutely free. There were 2 medical personnel for every child, and activity spe******t on site pre-briefed on every child. Kids with no quality of life got to do things like horseback riding (wearing specially designed Bio-Suits while being held by camp personnel on the horse). This was just one of many sensory rich activities provided for the kids. Parents and primary care nurse are given seminars on supplying hundreds of sensory rich activities for the child in their home life. If it can enhance the child's quality of life, they have the resources, training and follow-up. My wife still receives a weekly patient quality of life newslettter from them even though the child left this world 4 years ago for present and future clients. Steve

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[picframer]

I have lived my career by these two motto's for the past 25+ years, if I am not having fun on a daily basis at something I am working at, I go in another direction. Sure we will all have bad or off days but those will come in any job, but if it were every day, perhaps we should consider doing something else.

[Steve]

Very interesting thoughts! Would you ever like to have a business that raised money for a charity? If so, what would you like to do and what charity would you raise money for or would you create your own?

[swstout]

Originally Posted by Steve

Very interesting thoughts! Would you ever like to have a business that raised money for a charity? If so, what would you like to do and what charity would you raise money for or would you create your own?

My wife and I have always supported various charities until the attack on the World Trade Center. We were both there, my wife as medical support and me as search and rescue. The needs of the volenteers were many and all the charities jumped on board. It was a disaster, a real cluster ####!

Most needed by the volenteers was face masks and normal saline. Bill Gates sent his people to ask the volenteers just what they needed and had it on the job and distributed the very next day. The right thing to do, right. The "powers to be" didn't think so. They tried to confiscate the aid so that they could distribute it. Form bureaucracies, appoint commities and just waste time and resources. If it hadn't been for Fox News, they would have.

Since then we still donate, but not to bureaucracies. We help individuals or families. Never with cash though. We will pay bills in their name and most often give grocery vouchers. It's not deductable but we know exactly where it is going and how it will be used.

Stevefficeffice" />>>

[swstout]

I feel I should explain my ideology:
Charities, like all bureaucracies feel that money will solve all problems and all have the same game plan

1. Apoint a Czar
2. The Czar forms a commity
3. The collected money is put on hold
4. The commity establishes pecking order
5. The lowest in the pecking order gets bids for the service or product
6. The commity choses the one that best benefits them
7. The Czar over rides the commity and iniates his choice
8. The order is placed
9. The commity then decides who should get what and when
10. The Czar initiates his choices
11. The Czar spends the money
12. The needed services and or products finally are dispensed

Bill Gates got what was needed almost instantly to the people that needed it and bipassed the buearucracy hurting their feelings and diminishing their power.

Now I do the same. I get what is needed to the people and families when it is needed.

Steve