Quotes of the Day

Take courses, volunteer, join a committee, go to exhibitions, walk someone's dog, learn to cook, take tango lessons, visit art galleries, go to pet shows, take up roller-skating, attend weddings and christenings, funerals, and other events. Get a fun part-time job, give dinner parties, start a book club, attend night school, ride a horse, take sewing lessons, study Chinese, learn spot welding. Choose a class where you participate rather than sit back and listen to a lecturer--something like cooking, wine tasting, or learning a foreign language. [2004] - Nicholas Boothman

If you can manage the initial discomfort, it's worth joining an established group in which most members are of the gender you're seeking. Shy men who want to meet women might consider taking a course like flower arranging, pottery, or home decorating (ideally, whatever you sign up for should truly interest you) or joining a reading group at the library or local bookstore. Dance, yoga, or Pilates classes are also excellent options for men. [2004] - Bonnie Jacobson

Every direct-mail package should contain a letter; flyers and brochures are optional. Use a flyer when you are selling products that are colorful or visually impressive. The package should have a natural flow from outer envelope to letter to flyer to reply card. [2005] - Robert W. Bly

Internet users are relatively comfortable providing e-mail addresses online, but are very uncomfortable about providing other contact information (phone numbers, street addresses); credit card and social security numbers. [2004] - Dan Gooder Richard

BFG Outlier Research Process (BFG) is used both by institutional and retail level investors. The retail version can be found within www.superstockinvestor.com and is called The Madison Letter. BFG was created to solve one of the toughest tasks for anyone involved in markets: the identification of intermediate tops and bottoms with a high degree of success. A sell occurs where the BFG Score is above 20, Trend Measure falls under 40, and volume wanes into the close. Buys occur where the BFG Score is below -20, Trend Measure falls under 40, and volume improves into the close. [2009] - James DiGeorgia