The John Tesh Blog

10 Tips for Reinventing Your Home- Go ahead- it's worth it!

Now that homeowners no longer obsess about how much their homes have increased in value in the past week, they're reacquainting themselves with the joys of home ownership from a new, healthier perspective.

Recognizing that larger is not necessarily better and that less can actually be more, many homeowners are looking for ways to make the homes they're in more useful, comfortable and enjoyable.

Here is Jay MacDonald from Bankrate.com with the ideas that may help you make the house you're in your dream home:

1. Show your true colors. "Paint is the cheapest and most powerful thing you can do to put your personal stamp on a home," says Barbara Corcoran, a New York City real-estate agent and NBC's "Today" show real-estate expert. "Paint your home the colors you enjoy living with, the colors you feel happiest within."

2. Ditch some stuff. "You probably have more stuff than you need. Get rid of some of it," says James Gauer, author of "The New American Dream: Living Well in Small Homes."

3. Start simple. Find the simplest remodeling solution within your home's existing footprint before considering expanding its size, says Marc Vassallo, co-author of "Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live."

4. Dine in a booth. "I've yet to see a small living/dining room where a free-floating dining table and chairs really works," Gauer says. "A dining banquette against the wall looks and feels luxurious and comfortable while taking up considerably less space."

5. Check out books. "Put a wall of books in any room and it's cozy and inviting," Corcoran says.

6. Consolidate doorways. "Attempt to locate all the doorways to the kitchen on one side of the room and eliminate any that are not absolutely necessary," Vassallo says. "This leaves the rest of the kitchen for continuous countertop and appliance arrangement while limiting the flow of foot traffic through the work area."

7. Plan your furniture first. "Never buy furniture without first laying out a furniture plan," Gauer says. "Chances are, that sofa you're eyeing is too big and will just make your living room feel crowded."

8. Let there be light. "The right lighting can make a heck of an improvement,"  Corcoran says. "Throw in task lighting to make tasks easier, mood light to make a room sexier. And don't forget dimmers! I can't imagine lighting without them."

9. Add a column. "Create a more open floor plan by removing a wall and replacing it with a new support beam and columns," Vassallo says. "Columns allow for differentiation of places with minimal view obstruction."

10. Dare to be modest. "Modesty requires us to arrange our homes first and foremost to suit the real needs of our private lives with no thought to public display, to eschew the showy and unnecessary and embrace the appropriate and suitable," Gauer says.

Selling your home right now just may not be in your cards.  That's why we have a great cliche to fall back on, "Love the one you're with."  Weekend's upon us?  Got a little spare time for a little reinvention?  Could find yourself falling in love- with your home- all over again.  Have a great weekend-

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

Fire up, friends! Grilling season is here.

Ahh...remember last Memorial Day?  Gorgeous day, the yard looked great because the family worked tirelessly, and agreeably for once! to make inside and out look festive and welcoming.  You cooked and prepared.  Finally, time for the guests, and everyone's having a fabulous time!  Your in-laws are all speaking to one another.  What could go wrong?  Well, you found out, didn't you?  Got the dogs and burgers on the grill, turned them after a few minutes, and then...nothing.  That's when your spouse asked you if you'd checked the propane tank earlier that day.  Oops.  OK- lessons learned, right?  Not going to happen again- no sir, not on your watch!  How about if we make sure of that before this upcoming, unofficial start to Summer, holiday weekend arrives, bringing your chance for redemption.  Real Simple magazine's going to walk you through it, with the tips you need to have your grill- gas or charcoal- in top condition, ready to go, and set to make you King or Queen of the Grill!

Clean the burner and tubes. Make sure the propane tank is turned off. Remove the briquettes and cooking grates, and carefully detach the gas tubes and burner. Clean the tubes with warm, soapy water and towel dry. Wipe the burner clean with a damp cloth. Towel dry the gas ports on the burner, then clean out each one with a toothpick.

Wash the grill. First, cover the gas valves with aluminum foil to protect the connections from corrosion. Wash the grill’s interior and exterior surfaces with a long-handled stiff-wire grill brush and warm, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and towel dry, then reattach the gas tubes and burners.

Burn off the grease. During the grill season, briquettes transfer heat to the cooking grates, leaving them coated with grease. Before firing up your grill for the season’s inaugural cookout, flip over the briquettes, close the lid, and heat the grill on high for 15 minutes.

Clean the cooking grates. Cool the grill after burning off the grease. Remove the briquettes and cooking grates and scrub the grates with a long-handled stiff-wire grill brush and warm, soapy water. Towel dry, then replace, along with the briquettes.

Stock fuel levels. Check and replenish your propane or natural gas supply as necessary.  Maybe we should move this one to the top of the list, huh?  Corroding and rusted tanks should be recycled; return your tank to a propane supplier or check local listings for tank recycling companies.

But maybe last year- the propane tank fiasco, has you convinced to go old school for the grill, with your reliable charcoal grill.  That's covered, too.

Remove any ashes. If any remain from last season, dispose of them in a noncombustible container.

Clean the grate. Before you have your first cookout, light a fire and heat the grate for about 30 minutes. Then scrape it with a long-handled stiff-wire grill brush to remove any leftover bits of food. If you don't have a grill brush, use a ball of crumpled foil held in long-handled tongs.

Wash the grill. Wash the outside of the lid and firebox with warm, soapy water; use a steel-wool soap pad for stubborn interior stains. Rinse and dry.

Stock charcoal. Start the season right with an ample supply of charcoal (the amount will vary depending on how often you grill.)

Food, family and friends, good weather (sorry, no tips on how to ensure that), and with this checklist, you, my Grilling Master Friend, are ready to go. 

John

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Check out the new John Tesh Social Network. You can connect with new friends, post your own blog, visit various forums, upload your favorite John Tesh music and share your photos.  To learn more about how to join, click here.

You Don't Need Hollywood To Become Famous

Face it, we all want our fifteen minutes of fame . . . or perhaps thirty minutes or more.  The traditional route to fame includes having an artistic talent, getting your 8 x 10 photos, finding an agent to represent you, going out on auditions and then maybe . . . getting discovered.

However, with the advent of the Internet, there are now other ways you can achieve overnight celebrity status without going out on one casting call. According to AmericanWay magazine, the Internet has a way of taking individuals - everyday people - and skyrocketing them to fame.

Trisha Walsh Smith is a bitter divorcee socialite who has made headlines by publicizing her marital problems on youtube.com. Currently, she is seeking donations through paypal to help her with her divorce legal fees.

Scott Steinberg's recent book Get Rich Playing Games cost him little money to make, but the book has landed him guest spots on NBC, Fox and CNN. For $17.95 he'll teach you everything you need on how to go from rags to riches in the videogame industry. 

One of the keys to success lies in your willingness to write a book on an issue most people would love to know about and present yourself as an instant expert.  You can publish your book for $500 to $600 on print-on-demand services such as iUniverse, Lulu.com and Worldclay.com. They will help you ship your finished, bound product to Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.  Who knows . . . you just might be invited to speak on your area of expertise on a national informational news program.  Of course, you still have to sit down and do the hard work of writing the book.

Rock bands and musicians are promoting themselves using myspace.com pages. 

Even clothes you design could lead you to name recognition.  CafePress, PrintMojo and Spreadshirt are websites you can use to design and sell clothing - hats, jackets, tees and more.  If you can come up with a catchy slogan, and a great looking design, you don't know where your talents could lead you. 

I don't need to inform you about film sharing sites like youtube.com or Metacafe, where you can upload your personal videos and potentially attract millions of viewers.  You never know if something you posted will get discovered and lead to a Hollywood contract.

The potential for success via the Internet is greater than ever.  Generations before us never had these kinds of opportunities, but had to rely on traditional methods to gain attention and notoriety.  Stand up comedian Dane Cook who starred in the feature film, Dan In Real Life with Steve Carell used MySpace to attract fans and was soon on his way to success.

My favorite use of the Internet is Podcasting - homemade digital audio clips that any computer user can create with any Mac or PC.  You can create your own show about any topic or become a  DJ playing your favorite Podsafe music from unsigned bands and artists in your local area.  Check out Accidenthash with C.C. Chapman in the Boston area for a great example.  You can help musicians become discovered by featuring them on your show.  iTunes or Zune Marketplace are excellent distribution resources to get your podcast out there before the public eye. 

Don't forget that you can create your own music using GarageBand or a comparable program, and then place your song or even an entire album on various Internet sales outlets like CD Baby or Audacity. 

The chances for making it big using the Internet are as big as your personal dreams. The world of media has become limitless as the Internet grows each day.  Try some of these suggestions listed here and perhaps I'll see you in a feature film or watch you getting interviewed on a morning news show.

John
Email John:   johnsblog@teshmedia.com

You'll find additional ideas on how to achieve your goals described in my new book, Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth.  You can purchase your copy of my new book at your local bookstore or online at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

Music, Basketball and the Answering Machine

Given the current environment of 'NBA Finals Frenzy' I feel it is appropriate to share a little story about how I am tangentially connected to the world of professional basketball. (Stay close...you might find inspiration for more creativity in your life).

First of all you should know that this past Tuesday night I attended my first professional basketball game at the Staples Center. Although this might seem unremarkable, consider the fact that for 8 years (circa 1982) I was a sports broadcaster for CBS and then for NBC, and during that tenure I (rather atypically) composed the NBA on NBA basketball theme on my answering machine. I digress.

It was a stone cold night in Inzell, West Germany and I had just finished commentating on the World Speed Skating Championships for CBS Sports Spectacular.  On the ride back to the hotel, one of our producers mentioned that the rival network (NBC) had just won a bidding war against CBS and ABC to televise the next 10 years of professional basketball. Every composer in America would be gunning for this but since I had spent a few years of my own composing music for the Tour de France, figure skating, etc., I thought I might give it a shot.

The 'composing' took place that very night as I woke from a bout with jet lag. I had a melody in my head, but I had no way to record it...no portable tape recorder...no keyboard. And then it struck me. At 2am local time I dialed my phone number back in N.Y.C. A world away, my answering machine picked up and I sang the melody onto the tape..

             Dah dah {dah-dah-dah} dah {dah-dah) etc.

I called back three times before I unloaded the entire melody.

Fast forward to my arrival back in New York. I placed the answering machine on my piano and wrote out the melody line I had sung while in Europe.  My first thought? "There might be something here".

I 'sequenced' the song on my computer, called my band and recorded the core arrangement. Then I sent the piece out for full orchestration and booked the symphony session. While this was way beyond protocol for submitting a demo, I knew that the jury at NBC would be influenced by a song with bombastic 'impact'.

And then, the final, Machiavellian touch . . . I submitted the demo under an assumed name. J. Frank. (first initial, middle name). I knew that NBC would likely judge 'announcer John Tesh' as a moonlighting composer and I did not want the song to lose out to that kind of prejudice. The plan worked. And by the time everyone figured out the composer's real name, it was already too late.

The theme had been voted in. One year later 'Roundball Rock' won an Emmy for best sports theme and its popularity opened doors for me everywhere in the world of music.

Today the theme is retired from the world of B-Ball.

When NBC lost the NBA rights to ABC, they wanted their own 'sound'. But we still play it LIVE! on stage. And before every concert performance I play the original answering machine tape just to illustrate the fact that creativity is not some elusive ether.

Most often we create greatness in our lives just by believing that a simple idea can be something truly wonderful. Now, go call yourself and leave some genius on your answering machine!

By the way, I've included a link below that shows a few videos connected to RoundBall Rock and there is also a way to download the song free-of-charge. My treat.

All the best, John
http://teshmedia.com/NBA/NBA.html

John Tesh Alive Music & Dance

Hey Blogophiles!  Excuse me while I depart from my regular blog and bring you up-to-date on our ALIVE Music&Dance project. 

Our desire for this project has always been for it to be an encouragement (especially to kids) to live a passionate life.

The joy I witnessed on stage while recording this DVD is now being 'caught' by many reviewers. Please indulge me today and let me share the latest review with you (see below).

I would also like to ask for your help in 'spreading' this review around (send it to family and friends).

I remain, your grateful blogger. John Tesh

"John Tesh Alive Music & Dance is a March PBS special.  It is a worthwhile effort, part of his Christian ministry. 

The music is upbeat and exciting, a mix of ‘Fame’ and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’

Tesh-author, radio show host and winner of many awards – is concentrating on his music these days and gets off to a kickin’ start on his latest release with ‘Alive Overture,’ actually a jazzy version of ‘Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,’ music by Beethoven.  The CD winds up with ‘Awesome God, one of those put-your-hands-together-and-stomp-your-feet rousers.  In between are such goodies as ‘Drumline,’ ‘Two Worlds,’ ‘Breakdown’ and the seemingly requisite song with a Latin title; you will want to play ‘Canta Domine’ several times.

Tesh plays a fair amount of piano on the release but leaves most of the excitement to his cast of about 100 – a huge band, large choir and dancers.

He wrote 10 of the 12 songs and co-produced the effort, which is aimed at all age groups. This disc will bring joy into your life."

Frank Roberts, The Virginian Pilot.

I know how much joy the John Tesh Alive Music&Dance project has brought to my life.  For all my fans who share that joy with me, I want you to know how much I appreciate you.  This project is only ‘alive’ because you made it live!

John   

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

My Tribute to Dennis Miller

Greetings Tesh-Blogophiles. Please indulge me today as I interrupt our regularly scheduled blog programming and pay homage to one of my heroes in the world of entertainment.

Dennis Miller is a genius. And at the risk of kissing-up (since I'm on his show today . . . check your local listings at dennismillerradio.com) let me say that there is no smarter comedian working today. (Eddie Izzard is right up there, but he wears heels and is therefore disqualified).

Miller is cool . . . he's beyond well educated . . . and he does enough homework that I don't bother to watch the debates myself . . . I just vote for the guy HE likes. I don't even like the former N.Y. Mayor but I was ready to drink the Kool Aid for Dennis. So, at the risk of taking a step above my pay-grade, I'd like to offer up a little tribute to my new fave on the radio airwaves with:

The top 7 reasons why Dennis Miller and John Tesh were (likely) separated at birth:

1. HARD WORK
    Before his career in entertainment, Miller worked as a janitor and an ice cream scooper.
    Before his career in entertainment, Tesh worked at the Garden City Cheese Shop as a cheese-ball maker.

2. BEGINNINGS
    Miller got his start writing and delivering humorous essays for PM magazine.
    Tesh worked for rival Entertainment Tonight delivering the celebrity birthdays.

3. CAREER
    Miller partnered (brilliantly) with Al Michaels to cover Monday Night Football.
    Tesh partnered (brilliantly, albeit less noticeably) with Al's younger brother David on the Tour De France Bike Race and World Windsurfing Championship.

4. SUCCESS
    In January 2007, Miller signed a deal with Westwood One to launch a three-hour talk radio program.
    In January 2001, Westwood One cancelled the 3 hour "On the Air with John Tesh" radio show.

5. IRONY
    Miller is currently featured on "Miller Time" Wednesdays on the O'Reilly Factor
    In 1977 Tesh danced with Bill O'Reilly in N.Y.C at Studio 54

6. BABES
    In 1988 Miller married Carolyn Espley, a former hot model from Vancouver, British Columbia,
    In 1992 Tesh married Connie Sellecca, a former hot model from Bronx, N.Y.

7. WIT
    And the final reason Dennis Miller and John Tesh have (more than likely) been separated at birth:

    Tesh once said:  "What I love most about the Penn & Teller thing is that it's so smart. For me it's sort of like Dennis Miller mated with Houdini." 2007
    Miller once said: "John Tesh has the number one new age album in the country. Isn't that one of the biblical signs of the apocalypse?" 1995

    Hey Miller. We're on rival stations in Los Angeles. Guess who I listen to?
                              Love ya babe, JT

In Praise of Conan O'Brien

If you were watching Conan the other night, then you likely saw me ‘beat boxing’ on national television. For those of you non-rap artists it was basically your goofy pal John making rhythmic sounds with his mouth while Conan did his favorite Step-Up dance routine. Then, of course, we reversed roles and I got to take over the dance chores.

This was ostensibly an effort to promote my new projects “Alive! Music and Dance” and the new Intelligence for Your Life book.  And whether or not the ‘rapping’ accomplished any part of those missions, it at least succeeded in producing some laughs. And that’s why I love Conan.

I feel like I’ve been in the TV and radio business long enough to have had just about every experience on the air, but I would have to say every ‘shot’ with this late night genius is a new one. Unless you have ever sat on the couch next to Conan, Carson, Leno, Letterman etc. you’ve never really, truly had that "OMG I have 8 minutes to be very entertaining or I’m never coming back!" experience.
    
Truth be told, unless you are Robin Williams, the producers are a little too concerned for their TV show to let you just come in and wing it. This is not to say that (other than bits) any of this stuff is rehearsed. But there is a plan.

It starts with getting booked on the show which your publicist (mine is Michael Caprio) goes after, and it more often than not coincides with a film/tv/book/album release. Then, the day before the show you go through a pre-interview that lasts about an hour. This conversation is with one of the show’s segment producers who asks about everything from your latest project to your worst memory as a pimply teenager (Dan Ferguson & Frank Smiley are brilliant at this). The idea, of course, is to get some exposure for your "product".

However, TV producers, (if they are good ones) are more interested in their program than your product so their first goal is to put on a great television show.  And that’s where Conan shines. You can Google him if you want to dig deeper into his bio, but suffice it to say he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard with a B.A.  in History and Literature. He was not groomed as the quintessential talk show host.

First and foremost, Conan is a writer and as a host, he behaves like a writer. He never goes for the easy joke. Instead he listens….closely…. and when he finds a piece of your background/biography/latest project/idiosyncrasies, he locks in, builds a theme around that and never again looks down at the card with suggested questions. As a former live TV news/entertainment reporter, I feel compelled to tell you that THIS is a gift.

And when Conan smells blood: “Your latest project has hop hop dancing on it?....Teshy!…why? Why Teshy?” the stage is his, and you know it’s time to play his straight man.

I believe the other reason Conan shines is because when we're watching at home we think “Ya know, if I had the courage and a good hairstylist, I might be able to pull that off.” But that’s the beauty of this late night wild man. He has made the most competitive gig on the planet look like he’s doing it out of his basement on a handycam.

I don’t see Conan very often but every now and then he’ll ring me up with an idea: “Hey, Teshy,  Here’s the bit: Triumph The Insult Dog pulls up at your house in one of those double decker tour buses and you ride with him all over Hollywood. You in?”

Yeah, Conan. Anytime.

John 

Email John:  johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Don't forget that my new book Intelligence For Your Life:  Powerful Lessons For Personal Growth is on sale.  You can purchase your copy of the book on line by visiting Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com.

The Etiquette of Movie-Going

Going to the movies used to be a relaxing experience. Not anymore. Now we have to enforce movie theatre etiquette so we can enjoy a film. Otherwise, we have to deal with the distraction of cell phones, text messages, loud off-screen discussions and crying babies.

One Australian journalist was brave enough to list the seven deadly sins of cinema etiquette:

1. Compulsive mobile phone use. I often ask myself, “What’s so important that a person can’t turn off his cell phone for 2 hours and watch a film?" Putting the phone on vibrate mode would be helpful.

If you must answer your cell during a film, here’s a polite way to pull that off. Assuming your phone is on vibrate, when a call comes in, press the talk button on your phone to stop the buzzing. Immediately quietly say to the caller, “One moment please.” Proceed to the exit and resume the conversation in the lobby.

Text messaging is not the answer since your phone glows a blue hue when a text comes in. Once you receive a text, you normally answer it and chances are there will be a few more distracting exchanges.

My suggestion is to leave your phone off and pick up your messages after the show.

2. Forgetting you’re not in the theatre lobby. Discussions about the film’s actors or the script don’t belong in the theatre during the show. You know there’s always someone next to you who has seen the film already giving a blow-by-blow account of what’s coming up.

There are also well meaning people who verbally offer advice to the actors in the drama, “No! Don’t touch that! You’ll blow up! . . . The killer’s behind the green door. Don’t open it!”

3. Engaging in loud non-movie chatter. If you need to talk about tonight’s dinner plans or last night’s date from hell, save this chatter for the commercials and trailers. Once the film starts, leave the discussion of non-movie issues outside.

4. Loudly opening a candy box and eating the contents. Opening candy boxes and soda cans is noisy. Whether you’re aware or not, loudly slurping the last remnants of your Pepsi is competition to a film’s musical soundtrack and dialogue. The munching of popcorn, the crinkling of the bag as it’s passed along the row and the opening of the fried chicken wrappers from the fast food you sneaked into the theatre are also highly distracting. We should do our best to do these things quietly . . . except for sneaking in the fast food.

5. Showing up late to a film. Once I’m in my seat, I’m ready to blast off. Occasionally a latecomer will ask me to move my seat so he can sit together with his date. That means I have to move further away from seeing the screen. There are other alternatives to walking in late: latecomers can sit in the dreaded front row; they can also see a later movie or they can be separated from their date for 120 minutes.

6. Kicking and knocking into other customers. Have you ever sat in front of someone who can’t shift his body in his seat without kicking the back of your chair? I usually go lurching forward when I’m rear-ended in a movie theatre. You have to kindly turn around the tell them to stop kicking the seat and hope they won’t stick gum in your hair as revenge.

7. Irresponsible parents. Children who walk into a theatre with their parents are the responsibility of those parents. A noisy baby or a bored child who becomes disruptive bothers everyone in the theater and the parents of the child should be aware of how their child’s behavior is affecting the audience. Until a child is old enough, it’s best to enjoy videos at home or hire a sitter when you want to enjoy a first-run feature.

Going to see a film should not be a time when you must be a movie cop. Let’s make our theatres a haven for people who love to go to the movies.

John
Email John: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

People have been writing to The Tesh Blog asking how to get my upcoming hardcover book Intelligence for Your Life:  Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth. It’s easy. You can pre-order my book at half price and you'll receive a free concert DVD by just clicking here.

What Do We Learn from Britney Spears?

Every time we hear the latest news about Britney Spears, we wince anticipating the next train wreck.

For starters, Britney has a torrid marital history. In 2004 she married a childhood friend in Las Vegas and 55 hours later annulled the relationship.

After eight months Ms. Spears married backup dancer Kevin Federline, now the father of her two children.

Two months after her second child was born, Britney filed for divorce. The court awarded Federline physical and legal custody of the children, and stripped her of all visitation rights.

On the flip side of Britney’s behavior, her mother Lynne, has recently written a book on parenting: Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World. Nashville publisher, Thomas Nelson, has pulled the book from the book trade.

In addition to Lynne’s troubles with Britney, the media has revealed her 16-year-old daughter, Jamie Lynn, is having a child out of wedlock.

Despite the tendency to pin the blame on the mother for her daughters’ antics, Lorilee Craker, co-author with Lynne Spears comments, "Lynne, first of all, is a wonderful person. She is one of the kindest, most decent people, and very down-to-earth . . . she's not a stage mom.”

The saga of Lynne Spears tells us being the perfect Mom or Dad does not guarantee “perfect daughters.”

One area where Moms and Dads need greater sensitivity to their daughters is body image.

The seriousness of this problem is supported by a report from the National Institute on Media and the Family: “by age 13, some 53 percent of American girls are unhappy with their bodies; that figure grows to 78 percent by the time girls reach 17. In another study on fifth graders, 10-year-old girls and boys told researchers they were dissatisfied with their own bodies after watching a music video by Britney Spears.”

So what’s a parent, especially a Mom to do?

Here are five easy-to-do steps to establish a new connection with your teenage daughter:

•Don’t give up the ship. Know you still have a lot of influence on your kids. It’s never too late. A survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy reveals most adolescents cite their parents as the most influential voice when it comes to their decisions about sex.

•Pray. Even if you're not the most religious person, it’s always helpful to pray for protection for your girls.

•Keep the communication lines open. Avoid giving speeches and lectures to your kids. Have discussions. Listen to their opinions. Help them think analytically about what they are exposed to . . . TV shows, films and the behavior of pop stars.