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Aug31
Stick a Neuron in Your Head and Laugh!
Dr. Ellen Weber August 31, 2006
Know More: Humor, Humor, Intrapersonal Intelligence, Intrapersonal Intelligence, Introspective as Intelligence, Introspective as Intelligence, Mind-bending Profitability, brain links to business, brain links to business 2.0, brain links to business

Has work lost its luster for you? Are you bored by small talk … sorry jokes … and repeated redneck opinions of a few recycled workers around you from 9 to 5? Then stick a new neuron in your day and laugh! If nothing else you’ll create a buzz for a new and zesty topic.

The human brain creates new neuron pathways when you try something new… change one routine … which can be as insignificant as driving a new route to work … or laugh at anything or everything youlaugh.jpg do. Get others laughing too.  It’s the opposite of boredom which is brought on by negativity, cynicism or pessimism.

It’s also the enemy of whining or blaming others at work….

Einstein and other geniuses claimed to enjoy the unrealistic aspirations of an optimist … daily… and that triggered their brains in directions of success. It spreads like wildfire when it sparks new neurons in others. Try these laughter tips for the workplace.

Start by modeling one positive behavior in a humorous way and stay with that until you see it take root and build new neuron pathways in one person beyond yourself. As soon as one other person jumps in you have already doubled what I call  laughter-neuron effect. Do the math and you’ll see how fast new neuron pathways can  blitz new business benefits at your firm.

Whenever we Laugh – especially at ourselves …  everything around us  lightens up and complex projects suddenly seem doable! We also build new neuron pathways for fun … and if you’re wondering how it works … just watch how it prospers the person with most wit and wisdom where you work. 

Humor’s good for business because it release enzymes into the brain and opens new spaces for learning, giving and for enjoying what you do. It’s also good for expansion … because people gravitate to humorous people, and research shows they like to do business with people who can laugh at themselves. New research also links humor to health, happiness and healing…. If people do better work when they laugh… and we can all build new neuron pathways with a bit more wit … what might add a few laughs to your workday!
Posted at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug31
Books with Practical Strategies for More Brainpower
Dr. Ellen Weber August 31, 2006
Bored by hearing about what your brain can do today at work … with just a little help from you ...? Then stick around ... read the latest on boredom and your brain .... Surprising news flies from brain research daily about some... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments
Take a Risk and Try!
Dr. Ellen Weber August 31, 2006
If You Haven’t Been Told “No” Take the Risk to Try!  The brain based way is to rarely wait for official blessings to try new things… and you could be just one risk away from a huge advance in... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:06 AM | Permalink | Comments
If Not Money or Traffic What's a Blog Worth to You?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 31, 2006
Robert Scoble reminds us that blogging isn’t a game of traffic… and I’d like to add … it likely isn’t about getting rich either.  He says  “It’s about sharing what you love.” Scoble admits his own love for  “using... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug30
Fear Shuts Down Brains and Business
Dr. Ellen Weber August 30, 2006
Mary Schmidt gave some excellent reasons over at Thinking Strategically – Acting Tactically why fear fails as a strategy in leadership or in marketing and research on the brain would support her insights! Mary cautions us against … “fear... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments
Are You Running From Lead at Work?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 30, 2006
A research study at the University of Rochester Medical Center linked lead exposure to adult brain cancer.  “People who are routinely exposed to lead on the job are 50 percent more likely to die from brain cancer than people... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments
Two-Footed Questions for Increased Profit
Dr. Ellen Weber August 30, 2006
I really like the questions asked by  Tom Vander Well over at  QAQnA. Recently Tom asked… “Are you listening to your gut or your customer?” Tom’s use of questions show how to respect customers more while at the same... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments
Go with the Differences!
Dr. Ellen Weber August 30, 2006
I was talking to an engineering friend the other day who tells me that when she places orders for new parts … her male clients often ask to speak to her husband, and she was wondering how to tell these... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug29
Writer Tips for a Brain Based Blog
Dr. Ellen Weber August 29, 2006
I was interested today in business writer, Tom Ehrenfeld’s … 5 Guidelines on Writing partly because I too care about writing and partly because I see brain based business opportunities in Tom's dynamic writing. Tom suggests that writers should:... Continue Reading
Posted at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments
Make More Money in Rebate Hell!
Dr. Ellen Weber August 29, 2006
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Rebate" rel="tag">Rebate</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/customer service" rel="tag">customer service</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/reduced price" rel="tag">reduced price</a> Continue Reading
Posted at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments
Hey, Anything New with You?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 29, 2006
Ask some people … "Hey, anything new happening?" ... and they look at you as if you’ve just invited them to move a graveyard to the other side of the street. Researchers would say these people are not taking advantage of... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments
Three Parts of Your Brain Need Regular Workouts
Dr. Ellen Weber August 29, 2006
Did you know your brain needs regular workouts if you are to create ... say ... the top computer design for your firm?  Your brain has three main parts to be challenged on a daily basis: the cerebrum, the... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug28
Three Choices That Improve Performance
Dr. Ellen Weber August 28, 2006
When Michael Franklin, vice president of one of the largest shipping industries in the , asked his employees how he was doing, they told him. Does your supervisor or CEO ask for genuine feedback on his or her performance?Employees... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:06 PM | Permalink | Comments
To Stay or Go?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 28, 2006
What do you say when people ask … “Should I try to stick it out where I work … or get a new job? John Chambers, CEO at Cisco Systems in CA really described a worker’s dream from inside the... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments
Tips to Regain Energy and Enthusiasm at Work
Dr. Ellen Weber August 28, 2006
If you agree with Jacques Nasser’s statement that….” People who are most successful are those who do what really interests them… you likely also accept his notion that “There’s no substitute for energy and enthusiasm.” Easier said by CEO... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments
Sharks Move Forward and So Does the Human Brain
Dr. Ellen Weber August 28, 2006
Sharks move forward to live ... and human brains move forward to succeed in business. It's a daily thing... at least for those who make it work. What would moving forward look like to you today? Not too long ago, I... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments
Explore, Dream, and Discover New Designs
Dr. Ellen Weber August 28, 2006
 It happens everyday. Successful leaders expect designs they can clearly describe and imagine long before they achieve these! Expectation is a unique mental skill … and it starts with ourselves rather than with external  resources or opportunity’s knock. Mark... Continue Reading
Posted at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments
What Can Bring You Back After Trauma Strikes at Work?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 28, 2006
You’ll likely elevate your stress and serious mental problems if you stay in tough situations at work without help. It’s part myth to believe that in tough times the tough get going! ScienceDaily reminds us that people caught in... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug27
How Could Brain Based Business Improve?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 27, 2006
Just back from a few days in the Cambridge area with my daughter and son-in-law ... I am inspired by a few new tools I gathered for the Brain Based Business Blog. While away, I read, discussed and played my way... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments
Aug26
Learning Changes Your Brain's Neuron Connections
Dr. Ellen Weber August 26, 2006
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have just affirmed that  key connections among neurons get stronger whenever we learn. In their own language... they found that LTP … or long-term potentiation … located in the hippocampus … changes when we... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:14 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug25
A Time to Thank
Dr. Ellen Weber August 25, 2006
I once asked a class of graduate students I taught to write a paper in thanks for something that left them especially grateful.... To my surprise several students commented they could not imagine any way to complete the assignment. Turned out they’d... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug24
Do You See Yourself as a Mistrusted Advisor?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 24, 2006
In her book, Do You See Yourself as a Mistrusted Advisor, Cordelia Fine, tells us that it’s easier to apply lessons about self-awareness to others, but shows why we are better off to manage the distortions of our beliefs –... Continue Reading
Posted at 4:13 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug23
Observing the Brain Reshape Itself with New Experiences
Dr. Ellen Weber August 23, 2006
Have you ever wondered why some people enjoy life to the fullest ... even when they face difficult challenges? They seem to place themselves in the path of good fortune... and now we see that very placement may be shaping their... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:34 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug22
Research Found Dogs are Dumber and they Cheat too!
Dr. Ellen Weber August 22, 2006
According to Physorg.com, dogs are dumber than we once thought. Oh… and by the way … they cheat on tests too. “Chimpanzees and two-year-old children are as clever as each other but dogs are not as smart as previously thought,... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments
Call Your Brain's Innate 911 System for Help
Dr. Ellen Weber August 22, 2006
What do you do to “come back” when you feel more like running from losses in life … than running a successful business?  Believe it or not … your brain acts like a sort of 911 center … to... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments
Let Music Lead your Design to the Peaks
Dr. Ellen Weber August 22, 2006
Could music add fresh marketing ideas to reach new clients where you work? Read more about how Hubo, South Korea’s two-legged walking robot … is being featured soon in a music video. Music offers a brain based marketing strategy for several reasons. Rhythm... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug21
Land a Deal on the Other Side of Myths
Dr. Ellen Weber August 21, 2006
Would you do anything different today … if you changed just one belief about business? Believe it and you are more likely to do it … that’s how the human brain unlocks mental key to more success. It's also... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments
Map Hunger Cycles through Neuron Activity
Dr. Ellen Weber August 21, 2006
Map neural pathways of your hunger, and you’ll likely discover codes that drive you to satisfy hunger. When that mental process pushes you to eat more than is  necessary for survival, it helps to see what brain regions take part... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug20
Math Skills Can Get You Nowhere with Some Problems
Dr. Ellen Weber August 20, 2006
In spite of all the hype about increasing our math scores – math intelligence alone cannot bring you success. This fact is affirmed in The Sydney Morning Herald’s story …  Maths genius living in poverty. Nadejda Lobastova and Michael... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments
Questions that Reboot Your Brain
Dr. Ellen Weber August 20, 2006
Curiosity may have killed the cat – but a lack of curiosity kills brain cells – daily. That’s because your brain is shaped and kept alive by the stimuli you find and interact with in any day. Start and end your day... Continue Reading
Posted at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments
10 Security Questions Every PC Owner Should Ask
Dr. Ellen Weber August 20, 2006
With the security risks out there and with threats from a new worm that can apparently enter the vulnerability uncovered in Microsoft’s security any day ... many people worry that their security and safety is at stake. You can... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments
Merge Science and Soul and Enhance Both to Survive
Dr. Ellen Weber August 20, 2006
In “Passage to India” Walt Whitman named impressive technology feats that improved communication and travel in the 1800’s. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869… laying down the undersea cable in 1866… and weaving together the Union Pacific and... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug19
We Lack Great Leaders in Business Because We Lack Change
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
Never before have we needed leaders that guide our increasingly changing and too often troubled world.  This leads to the question… what do extraordinary leaders possess by way of transformation... that their ordinary counterparts lack? What separates great leaders... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments
Watch Their Faces to Detect Travelers from Terrorists
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
The latest signs of trouble at airports are sought out and found in suspicious faces, according to a New York Times report today. But where is the panic and more security leading us? Have we let terrorists, traffic tie-ups and... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments
Are We Really All That Rude?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
Are Americans Rude? That’s the question that Ann Michael asked recently over at Manage to Change. The question and Ann’s post,  intrigued me for several reasons. Ann quoted the June 2006 issue of Harvard Management Update … specifically an... Continue Reading
Posted at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments
Jay's Good Stuff to Use in Presentations
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
At the "Internet Time Blog" … Jay Cross’ post …  Good Stuff to Know offers insights from the Decker Grid System for preparing a talk… that really invite brain based strategies to pull them off during the session. Thanks Jay!... Continue Reading
Posted at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments
Find Courage and Confidence to Lead
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
It takes courage and confidence to lead consciously … especially because none of us is ever guaranteed security while on this earth.  In spite of the lack of certainties… Helen Keller found courage enough to say… “Life is either... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments
What Would Improve Your Presentation Delivery?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
Any more you’d like to see happen as a result of your presentations? Why not tweak the  delivery of your next session through a few reflective questions? For instance… ask yourself: 1.How much time will I spend talking? 2.... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments
Ten Common Questions that Improve Content for Presentations
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
Have you ever attended a presentation where content was missing, inaccurate or unrelated to what you do? It’s actually quite easy to guide your content away from these pitfalls. A few reflective questions go a long way toward shaping... Continue Reading
Posted at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments
World's Worst Presentations - Were you There?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
This post from … Microsoft at Work … on Ten Worst Presentation Moments … is hilarious. Read it and whatever your next presentation is … it will look good by comparison. We've all suffered thought them and a few of... Continue Reading
Posted at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments
Feedback from Hell -- or with the Brain in Mind?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
Ever give or get back feedbacks from hell? When asked to give feedback about others… do you give tips and encouragement you’d like to get. Because I have been so helped over many years by so many wonderful comments... Continue Reading
Posted at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments
Ignore Any Feedback from Work - and Golf Instead!
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
If you’ve just walked out of a meeting or program where you received a handful of people’s words and ideas about your performance – IGNORE THAT PILE completely ... and go golfing instead!After you have drained your brain to come... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments
Three Questions to Jumpstart Your Next Meeting or Program
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
Have you ever wondered why most meetings bore the tears out of people? What a loss of productivity to pool talented workers together and then drag them down with mundane meetings. Instead why not reboot your next meeting with... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments
Surefire Ways to Lose Pace and Kill a Meeting
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
If pace is the secret of a successful meeting … losing step is a surefire way to a meeting’s demise. Try these five pace killers and see for yourself how fast your next meeting nosedives. 1. Show slides or a... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments
Gain Consensus at your Meetings Before People Lose Consciousness
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
First … question people don’t tell them … and include employees in the solution. That’s how to start a meeting if you want consensus which they are still conscious. Many leaders lecture about the fact that things are going poorly... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments
Five Ways to Bust Boredom During Miserable Meetings
Dr. Ellen Weber August 19, 2006
Have you ever attended a meeting that wasted time you had to make up later that day in overtime doing the job you were hired to do? The speaker bores you … the meeting lacked any agenda … and... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug18
What Does Silence Mean in a Meeting?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
Over at I Can’t Say That! … Dr. Tammy Lenski had a great post today on the silences we hear at many meetings. Tammy asked: “Have you ever been in a meeting where the chair asked something like, ‘Does... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments
Can You Transfer Skills Without Being Taught Specifically How?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
Do you speak effectively, write well, and yet have a hard time expressing ideas to those you are to report information?   Can you search out solutions in creative ways to solving problems yet struggle with mistakes if you... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments
Change is More Than An External Challenge
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
At  What Would Dad Say… today in the post … Past Has a Vote, Not a Veto, GL quoted the following from David Maister’s, Passion, People, and Principles in a post titled…  Life Could Be Better:   “You hear... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments
New Orleans is Still Teaching Us
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
Thanks to Easton Ellsworth’s blog today … The Business of Blogging About New Orleans: Lessons Learned … I am reminded that New Orleans still has many lessons to teach all of us. Before know More media announced their new blog... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments
Good News For Those Who Like Their Work and Want an Extension
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
A new study is giving insights about why some people decrease their brain’s plasticity more than others. It's also dispelling myths about the aging brain ... and offering hope for those who'd like to work longer.   A protein... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments
Questions 4 Growth
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
Did you every ask different questions to elicit responses that fostered growth? If so… you’ll likely use mixes of these 4: 1.  open-ended questions – when answers should involve the application of knowledge in creative ways. For example, "What... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments
Want Better Response to Questions You Ask?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
Do you want better responses back from your questions? We know that our brains are hard-wired for challenges and for communication, and that questions both challenge and draw people in. We ask, "Can anything positive come from the inequity or fraud... Continue Reading
Posted at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments
Transform Pings into People
Dr. Ellen Weber August 18, 2006
Traffic to your blog can be a ping and a faceless hit, or it can link you to people with ideas that add a new zest for business and for humanity.  I like to know more than the fact that this hit... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug17
Solutions that Come From Multiple Intelligences
Dr. Ellen Weber August 17, 2006
Use any one of your strengths to come up with a better way of doing a thing and you’ve likely  already begun to use brain based problem solving approaches.  What strength do you see for yourself ... how are you... Continue Reading
Posted at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments
A Cat Covers its Material - but Humans Question
Dr. Ellen Weber August 17, 2006
Questions motivate us to ask, wonder and discover in order to know where we came from and where we are headed.The brain creates pathways to questions so that we find answers that others miss. We might question why pain... Continue Reading
Posted at 4:17 AM | Permalink | Comments
Another Conference on Brain Based Questions
Dr. Ellen Weber August 17, 2006
I’ll be leading a brain based conference all day today, and I’m looking forward to playing again at questions as they can help to launch a renewal journey, in light of our full range of intelligences. We’ll expand on an... Continue Reading
Posted at 4:08 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug16
Recapture the Power of a Question
Dr. Ellen Weber August 16, 2006
Ask, “How are you?” and the person has been asked many time before and may not care to answer much more than … I’m fine… How are you?” Ask what people think about the weather or about their response... Continue Reading
Posted at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments
Does Motion Sickness Affect your Business Travel?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 16, 2006
The University Of Minnesota tells us that motion sickness is worth research to find out more, and Tom Stoffregen’s research on motion sickness, shows that while we all know people who get motion sick  no one is sure why."There's... Continue Reading
Posted at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments
Tips to Lower Flight Stress
Dr. Ellen Weber August 16, 2006
Tips from psychologist Christopher Knippers today at UPI, remind us that with the rise in airport security comes a rise in stress to business travelers who find themselves in airport settings. CHRISTINE DELL'AMORE put it this way… “Just the... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments
The Brain Works for You in Remarkable Ways
Dr. Ellen Weber August 16, 2006
We often speak of that adrenalin rush the first coffee of the day brings… but have you ever thought about how the brain converts adrenalin into a better day for you? Or have you seen how your brain protects your... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:46 AM | Permalink | Comments
Good Moods Bring Better Business
Dr. Ellen Weber August 16, 2006
Did you ever awaken feeling moody …  trip over your own feet… and struggle all day to work effectively? Your brain is designed to adjust mood and levels so that you up your zest through consciousness and alertness. Good moods... Continue Reading
Posted at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug15
Brain Based Business Conference
Dr. Ellen Weber August 15, 2006
Today I am leading a MITA Brain Based Conference ... with Dr. Robyn McMaster. It's for Rochester business leaders and the schedule looks like this:MITA tips to use more brainpower on an ordinary day  1. Question to rewire your brain’s... Continue Reading
Posted at 4:10 AM | Permalink | Comments
Aug14
Can Personal Renewal Bring Organizational Change?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 14, 2006
Who do you know who underwent a change for the good … and then helped others to change and improve at work?  One engineering supervisor I taught in an Executive MBA class told how he came to work everyday... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments
Your Brain Acts Like an Anti-Virus Against Bad Moods
Dr. Ellen Weber August 14, 2006
Did you ever get up feeling moody and find yourself feeling groggy and unable to work effectively?Did you know that your brain is designed to adjust mood and energy levels so that you up your zest through consciousness and... Continue Reading
Posted at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments
Your Brain's Rooting for You But Do You Benefit?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 14, 2006
Your brain is working behind the scenes in ways that still amaze scientists … and yet too few people are benefiting at work from what their brains can do for them. Sometimes we see a thing better by looking at... Continue Reading
Posted at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments
Use Math Skills to Reboot Your Golf Game
Dr. Ellen Weber August 14, 2006
When we think about our abilities on the golf course, we rarely think of math abilities. However … golf is more than swinging and math is more than number … and these two opposites share one unique similarity. They both... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments
Tips to Keep the Best Employees
Dr. Ellen Weber August 14, 2006
  In Steve Ruciniski’s post… Keeping Your Best Employees: Seven Tips for Retaining Talent …  he features Jose Bandujo, president of Bandujo Donker & Brothers, a New York City advertising agency. Jose suggests… "You need to really listen to... Continue Reading
Posted at 8:01 AM | Permalink | Comments
Is Smartsourcing a Solution for Outsourcing Problems?
Dr. Ellen Weber August 14, 2006
I was especially interested in Carol Kendrick’s post this morning called … Outsourcing or Smartsourcing? Many of us have expressed concern about the unfair balances between outsourcing and reaching globally for interaction … yet we still hear more complaining... Continue Reading
Posted at 7:10 AM | Permalink | Comments
Robot Racing Adds Incentives for Creative Growth
Dr. Ellen Weber