The way we talk to each other, the way we drive, the way we work... these things matter. We behave as if they don't, but in day-to-day life, I can think of nothing more important than to do these little things really well.

They have a cumulative effect and they spread like a virus. There was a television commercial once that followed a smile that traveled through about 12-15 people in a 30 second spot. The first person smiled and opened a door for the second, who a few moments later handing the dropped glove to a third, and so on. The viral spread of good will toward man. That's actually how quality and attention spread as well.

When I observe someone doing a really good job -- say a waitress or someone behind a counter somewhere -- I instinctively want to do the same. It makes me want to do a better job at whatever it is I'm doing. To really concentrate on it in the moment and to move swiftly and efficiently with a good spirit.

We don't all get the opportunity to have the world stage -- to be a good politician or religious leader. Most of us have to contend with being good brothers, sisters, parents, children, employees, managers, etc. But if we act as if doing these things well is unimportant day-to-day and moment-to-moment, we never truly live.

Time to start living. Time to turn life into one eternal tea ceremony. It beats the heck out of waiting to hit the lottery, for the kids to grow up, or to get promoted in order to start living. And if enough people get infected, who knows what will happen.

My family has been in a perpetual state of crisis for many years now. It began over a decade ago when my brother first began to experience symptoms of his now chronic muscle and nerve pain. No one knows what he has after years of research, doctor visits and many dollars spent. Johns Hopkins says it may be something they have never seen.

As his condition deteriorated and his emotional response to his condition worsened, the family suffered along with him. Most notably, my mother and myself. My mother, because her baby was sick and she could do nothing about it. And me, because my brother who I respect and love deeply was suffering. Additionally, the burden of research grew such that my own body began to fail. I developed symptoms of fibromyalgia in the mid 1990's which coincided with my brother's worst years, emotionally speaking.

Eventually, my brother pushed through the emotional crisis of being one of the afflicted and came out stronger, wiser, saner and full of faith. He continues to amaze me. Now, as his health declines his spirit and his mind grow stronger.

I also improved -- both emotionally and physically. Lifestyle changes including regularly sleeping habits, reduction of caffeine intake and meditation have all helped a great deal, as did a year of weekly massage therapy. I also credit Dr. Paul St. Amand's guaifenesin treatment protocol (http://www.guaidoc.com/index.htm). I take 1200 mg daily and have since 1998.

Mom lives with me, now. Being closer to her kids (Paul lives only five minutes away) seems to help her.

All this to say, that the kind of adversity we have had to face is unusual. Most families don't have to deal with this. But I hope it is comforting for others to realize that even under such dire straights, the human spirit is such that it can overcome. We each have within us the ability to adapt and to take new attitudes and to dig deep when we need to do so in order to survive -- even to thrive.

If you have had a life filled with good fortune, enjoy it. But also know that if you are tested, you can overcome even the unimaginable.

Everyone has had to put up with on-line registration at one time or another, and almost everyone resents it. Not only is it inconvenient and irritating, but it is potentially a risk to your privacy depending on the site's policies for managing personal data.

Perhaps most frustrating of all are sites that restrict information -- brochures, white papers, product spec sheets and the like -- from users who prefer not to register. It is in the site's best interest to allow prospects to easily obtain company information. Forced registration puts an arbitrary obstacle between you products and services and your prospects. It is simply bad for business.

Even though designers, developers, and customers all recognize that forcing registration is controversial at best, registration is still enforced all too frequently and even worse, the data captured often times extends well beyond the reasonable core contact information.

In my experience working as a Web and Graphic designer in a variety of industries over the years, it appears that this problem is consistently perpetuated by Marketers hell bent on lead generation. (Note that the term isn't valid lead generation.) By putting registration in between your customer and their goal, you are likely to receive invalid data. So now, not only have you irritated your customer, but you have gathered no valuable data and have compromised the integrity of the data you do have.

If you absolutely must force user registration in an effort to obtain hot leads for sales, I recommend you adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Give customers something valuable for their trouble: Rebates, discounted pricing, chances to win prizes -- all of these are reasonable offerings that can justify a registration request.

2. Ask for a minimal amount of personal information: Don't force registrants to give up too much personal data or they will enter bogus information. Your inside sales force should qualify the leads. All that should be captured during registration is the bare minimum: Name, Company, and e-mail. Questions about job function, ability to purchase and make recommendations, annual revenue, etc. have no place on a user registration form.

3. Always have a contact opt-in check box, unchecked: Do not pre-check and opt-in box. Yes, this practice has become ubiquitous. But it is devious and underhanded and says only bad things about your organization.

4. Link to your privacy policy from the registration form: If you are going to ask for personal information, make sure it is easy for customers to learn what you are going to do with it.

Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Carly Fiorina Resigns from HP

Does this mean we can all get our jobs back now?