From Italy and the what did you expect to happen department, when a company decided to help its salesmen and women by bringing in a man who gets people to walk on hot coals barefoot.  A former athlete turned motivational speaker said that he was shocked by the fact that nine people had to be treated for burns when they walked on the hot coals.  He said, “I have done this job for 12 years with thousands of people and never had a problem. I myself walked first on that bed of burning coals and didn’t feel anything.”  It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you have such thick callouses on your feet that you wouldn’t feel it walking on a six inch spike, now could it?  The trainer says that this teaches people to overcome their limitations and fears and seek new challenges.  I would imagine that the new challenge for these nine people is to have a “conversation” with this motivational speaker once their feet heal.  Note for all of us in this, if your company brings in a motivational firewalker, it should merely motivate you to head for the nearest exit.

Moving on to the second item for your consideration coming from Georgia thanks to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  A 29-year-old man wanted his mother to iron some clothes for him.  His reasoning?  Because ironing is “women’s work.”  She refused and he pulls a gun on her and takes her keys and cell phone.  He proceeded to hold her hostage for 6 hours because she refused to iron.  She eventually escaped and brought the police to the house.  The man is now in jail for the incident and I thought of a great sentence and hope the judge in this case is listening.  Here’s what you do…first, give the man the maximum prison sentence because you don’t pull that kind of thing on your own mother.  Second, he has to be put to work doing ironing and laundry the entire sentence.  What he says is “women’s work” is the job of many men, including myself.

And finally today from the why hasn’t someone come up with this idea sooner department…Non-Stick chewing gum.  Approval has just been landed for a British company that makes the stuff.  It will be easier to get it off the pavement or your shoes when it hits store shelves.  Now I must admit that this is intriguing for those of us that hate the stuff and hate to step in it, as we all have from time to time.  Still, you have to wonder about the marketing for this stuff.  Buy our chewing gum, not because it tastes good, but because you won’t irritate people quite as much when you throw it on the ground.  It’s expected to be on store shelves starting next year, but I wouldn’t expect it to be “sticking around.”