School Books on Your Phone

US and Canadian college students can pack textbooks into their pockets instead of spine-bending backpacks. A northern California supplier of electronic textbooks on Tuesday released free software that makes digitized forms of college textbooks available on Apple's iPhone or iPod devices.

Instead of lugging old-fashioned ink and paper books to classes, students can use iPhones or iPod Touch devices to access textbooks online for reference during classes.

The company (Courtsmart) began offering eTextbooks in 2007 and as of Tuesday had reportedly sold copies to students in more than 5,900 schools and works with a dozen major textbook publishers to stay current with electronic versions mandated by professors for classes. It claims its prices are typically about half that of print versions. Wow, half price with no publishing costs. They probably make more than the authors.

History Lesson

“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.” Cicero, 55 BC

Quotable

Those who do not learn the lessons of history are bound to repeat them.

Burger Franchise

It is not what you think. Packaging up urgent care services like a Burger King and selling franchises across the country is the new American dream.

Maryland physician, Dr. Scott Burger and his partners have run an urgent-care center, named Doctors Express, for three years. Now, Burger wants to blanket the US with Doctors Express franchises. He and his partners hope to open 3,000 such centers around the country during the coming years.

His first franchisees will open their doors in Temple, TX, (of course Texas) with about two dozen more locations set for future launches in Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, North Carolina, Colorado and Virginia.

The model will have a physician on duty during all of its hours of operation. Doctors Express locations will also have digital X-ray equipment, a lab, and a pharmacy on location. In addition to providing urgent treatment, the centers will also conduct drug screenings, do pre-employment physicals, and provide vaccinations. Want fries with that xray?

Quotable

Insure your success by doing common things uncommonly well.

Jack Daniel's

Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel of Tennessee whiskey fame was the descendant of Welsh settlers who came to the United States in the early 19th century. He was born about 1846 and was one of 13 children. By 1866 he was distilling whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

One morning in 1911 Daniel showed up for work early and couldn’t get his safe open. His temper got the best of him and he kicked the offending strongbox. The kick was so ferocious that Daniel injured his toe, which became infected. The infection soon became the blood poisoning that killed ol' Jack.

Do you know why the JD bottle also has Lem Motlow listed as the distillery’s proprietor? Daniel’s busy life of distilling kept him from finding a wife and siring an heir, so in 1907 he gave the distillery to his nephew Lem Motlow, who had come to work for him as a bookkeeper.

Quotable

Men want the same thing from their underwear that they want from their women, a little support and a little freedom.

Profound Thoughts Book 2

Profound Thoughts Book 2
Chapter 1 from my second book in a series of great thoughts from great minds. This book is about Friendship, Kindness, Happiness, and Laughter.

Did You Know

Richard Dawson from Family Feud is in the Guinness World Book of Records as having kissed more women than anyone else. I liked him better on Hogan's Heroes.