OK so, after doing a little math - if the letter went to 120 million homes..... a ridiculous letter to tell you that the letter is coming... then, it cost them about (stamp, envelopes and manpower, not to mention being a real pain in the arse for the already stressed and possibly soon to be laid off post office) about $200 + MILLION dollars? 
Do you know how many people we could feed for that coin?
Do you know how we could improve the educational system with that chunk of change?
Perhaps we could have given some to help cure cancer, to help defer war costs... 
Who is paying for this and where is it coming from and what was the purpose of the warning letter? Or complimentary letter or whatever it was considered to be???
For a letter to tell you that a letter is coming. That is addressed on the outside in English but inside in English "mostly" and in blurbs, a few other languages... not all, just some.


As my friend Jeni mentioned, "What am I supposed to do, mark it on my calendar?"  
It is the MOST ridiculous thing. 
I would encourage anyone in politics to tell me how or why this is sensical, and I'd love to hear from others!  


Was this ..ODD to you? 
 
 

His passion: Music

Where does he find creativity? ...he says  "The universe is full of inspiration, and I find it in the words of great thinkers, artists, writers, fans and friends."

When asked about his childhood, he states that he was a precocious child, which, "as the son of a preacher, could get you in some trouble." 

The five people he'd invite to dinner if he had the chance:  Ghandi, Hendrix, Salvador Dali, Prince and Mark Twain. . . (plenty eclectic I think)

His favorite quote: If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is
because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which
he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

His office (sounds like mine :) "Organized clutter"

He states, "It is the artists task to tell the story of the times in which they
live.  Love, life, war, peace, it is all a part of the story that
turns me on to create"

What is happening for Aaron Tee in the near future? "Travel throughout the US and Europe in support of the release of my CD "Days of Grace," and the accompanying book of poetry  "The I
Animal"

Aaron Todd's official website is http://www.aarontoddonline.com

 Music can be found at http://www.myspace.com/aarontoddonline
 
 
Creativity is my passion no matter wat the media might be.

Passion is what drives me to be creative. I have to have a a passion for what I'm doing or I can't wrap my head around it.

When I was little we had a curb at the end of our front yard by the road. After it rained there would be a good supply of mud in the gutter next to the curb. I was pretty well sifted dirt, since the water had washed over it during the rain. Made for terrific mud pies.

When asked who she would invite to dinner, if she could invite anyone from past, present or future she said:

Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ronald Reagan, Eleanore Roosevelt and my daughter at age 22

I picked those 5 people for their contribution to the conversation. Varying opinions and strong personalities that respect each other. Kenzies contribution would be interesting to hear at that age.

Favorite Quote(s):Don't sweat the small stuff and Don't give the SOB the satisfaction

Her workspace: A roll top desk and light

Life is too short to sweat the small stuff, cuz its all small stuff. If its not small then it is much to big for you to handle and you need outside help.  

I was told a long time ago by a Master Gunnery Sergeant on the verge of his retirement, in reference to the Marine Corps career...When it ceases to be fun, GET OUT! and don't let the son of a bitch have the satisfaction of seeing you upset. There are times in the military when "certain" people like to screw with you as a female. Don't get upset and like the quote says...Don't give the SOB the satisfaction of seeing you upset.




As far as the future: She is moving to a farmhouse less than a few miles from her home,

and the farmhouse is a family homestead... that is keeping her busy these days as well as

her advocating for education and political change.




 
 
When people address me to explore how to increase their business, I often start by asking one question, "Who is your client". The responses I get are often very similar whether they are from a CEO or a new sales agent. I get "Everyone is my client" or "any soccer player is my possible client" and so on; often very vague. Some people will be a little more detailed and say "My clients are often upper class professionals" or "My clients are teenagers"... 


What does this tell me? It tells me that they have no idea who their client really is, and thus, have no idea how to gain more clients based upon this information. They probably are doing the same thing over and over and feeling like a hamster on a wheel. 


So, I ask business executives of all levels to explore who their client IS. It should be a snapshot image in verbal display. The individual I work with needs to know as much as possible, including but not limited to: personality types, religion, cultural background, marital status, family status, do they vacation, where do they vacation, etc.. in other words, as much as possible.
When you know who you HAVE you know who you do NOT HAVE. 
The key here is diversity. 
Once you know who you have, you'll see a trend in the types of clients you "own". 
When you have that, you can then look at the gaps in diversity. The people you have are already are the individuals who will do your word of mouth or your growing demographic based upon what you already do.
I'm going to ask you, your prompt if you will, to jot down a few ways to gather people who do not fit your current (after you figure it out, and it should take you some time to fully analyze) client base. After that, I am going to ask you to then jot down ways to attract that new client base. If you found three client bases that you do not already "own" then you should have a list of three client bases and for each one at least three ideas (you may have to get creative), in which to attract them. 
If nothing else, this prompt will open your eyes to diversity in a new way and at best, you will open your business to diversity.
 
Is the end near? 03/05/2010
 
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/2012-the-end-of-the-world/
 
 
OK here it is - by demand!
Melt about a quarter cup of semi-sweet chips in a mid size pot with a little bit of heavy cream, stirring frequently.
Add more heavy cream slowly, stirring - total heavy cream about a half pint.
Save the other half and whisk or beat until fluffy (add a teaspoon of sugar *any kind of sugar will do*
Now, add 1 or 2 percent milk, though if you want a thicker cup of chocolate, whole milk works great. I prefer Whole Milk.
Stir and allow to simmer... then once it is simmering, add 1-3 teaspoons of sugar if you wish. Since the chips are semi-sweet, I tend to not add sugar though many people enjoy it.
Reserve a handful of chips. eat a few while you stir (yes, that's who I do, so it's in the recipe :)
Now, with the thick heavy cream that you whipped, make sure that it is the consistency you desire.. some people like it very thick, some like a latte'.
Ladle the hot chocolate into WARMED cups. (I put the cups the oven on Warm for about 15 minutes, while I'm stirring the chocolate) ... a warmed cups makes all the difference.
Now after you've done that, you spoon the heavy cream on top.
Then, add a pinch of mini-morsels of chocolate.
VARIATION: Use white chocolate chips for a variation...or, both, or chocolate for the hot chocolate and white and dark chips as the topping.


ENJOY!
 
 
This is a pretty incredible video put out by some SONY folks...and assorted others..click here..http://www.public.iastate.edu/%7Emcleod/didyouknow/Did_You_Know_NEW.movweeblylink_new_window
 
 
Not sure what to make of this - Chile had an earthquake that did incredible damage and although we are hearing about it, we are hearing more about how Hawaii missed a "bullet". When Haiti was hit with an earthquake, by now there were cell phone and viral relief efforts. I understand the differences in situations but an 8.8 is nothing to overlook; wonder why this is... anyway, here is what the LA Times reported as of Feb 28 at 5 AM this morning...

From the LA Times:"Disaster relief officials Saturday were faced with a daunting mission, trying to arrange assistance to victims of Chile's massive earthquake while maintaining full-throttle operations in Haiti. 

That should not be a problem for large organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, which have the resources to send emergency responders and humanitarian aid to a number of hot spots. But the same may not be true for smaller groups whose focus is on long-term rebuilding efforts. 

"Organizations like ours are able to coordinate on multiple disasters," said Red Cross spokesman Eric Porterfield, citing as an example the cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in China's Sichuan province in May 2008. 

In the month and a half since a magnitude 7 quake devastated Haiti, he said, the Red Cross has raised $322 million for its efforts there. A separate emergency fund could be directed for Chile, Porterfield said. 

The medical relief group Doctors Without Borders already has dispatched a team to Chile. That organization too is heavily involved in its mission in Haiti, "but that doesn't mean we won't be able to respond to another natural disaster," spokeswoman Emily Linendoll said. 

And so Chile's immediate needs after the quake are likely to be met. 

But this month, the U.S. Agency for International Development had alerted some relief groups that government funding for foreign disaster assistance could be affected by the cost of operations in Haiti.

"It's going to be hard," said Farshad Rastegar, head of Relief International, a Los Angeles-based humanitarian agency. "A lot of resources have been devoted to Haiti, and there has been a shrinkage of the capacity to respond." 

Many smaller aid organizations like Relief International focus on long-term issues such as infrastructure rebuilding. They also address international crises that don't always make major headlines, such as the refugee problem in Pakistan. Those efforts have been affected by the huge amount of resources directed to Haiti, Rastegar said. 

Another question weighing on relief organizations is whether Americans will open their checkbooks to help Chileans so soon after Haiti. 

"The nongovernmental organizations have been tapped out and stretched by the tough economy," said Thomas Tighe, president and chief executive of Direct Relief International, a privately funded humanitarian health organization based in Goleta, Calif. 

"I'm not sure if there was another Haiti next week that people could do the same," he said. "But our assumption is that if there is a precise need and compelling case, people will step up." 

--Shari Roan"
 
 

When I wrote "Raise the Snake" I speak a lot about our connection and dependence upon nature, and how incredibly nature deficient we are... it's not just about "natural" weather but about abusing the earth from which we depend upon. 
Tsunami's, Earthquakes - all results of energy imbalance...

From a 2005 report from cruisecritic.com
"Could a Tsunami Swamp a Cruise Ship?Could a tsunami swamp a cruise ship? 

Such an occurrence, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' Andrew Poulton told Cruise Critic today, would be highly unlikely.

Indeed, when the tsunami began to strike the coastlines of 12 different countries in South Asia, a handful of cruise ships, such as Star Clippers' Star Flyer, Seabourn's Spirit and Swan Hellenic's Minerva, were sailing, if not right in affected areas then in the general oceanic vicinity. None reported any damage to the vessel -- or injury to passengers and crew. In fact, Poulton says, "If you are on a cruise ship and in the ocean you might not even notice it."

Tsunamis travel at speeds of 500 miles per hour across the open sea, Poulton adds. "People may think of it as a wall of water coming across the ocean, but it's not. It's a shock wave sent across the sea. When it gets to shallow water it compresses and is forced into a huge wave -- because it's got nowhere to go. It only becomes an issue when the water hits land."

Even ships docked, pierside, likely won't be horribly affected should a tsunami approach. That's because most cruise ships need at least 30 feet or so to dock, which is actually fairly deep (15 ft. deep, on the other hand, would be considered shallow). However, the caveat is: ships must be tied with super extra care.

A story on today's wire services backs that up. In a report issued by Bloomberg, the government of India is warning that, as a result of aftershocks, another tsunami could occur. At Madras' Chennai Port, which is primarily a cargo port, loading was halted -- and 15 ships were anchored in the harbor rather than sent out to the open sea (cruise lines have already altered itineraries away from the impacted areas).

The worst-case scenario is that the wave, approaching the docked ship, could be fairly "large at that point and may knock the ship against the pier -- but it wouldn't capsize," Poulton explains. Far scarier for cruise passengers than a tsunami, he adds, is a rogue wave. He noted that some years ago when he worked for Cunard, Queen Elizabeth 2, sailing in the Atlantic, was almost suddenly slammed by a 90-foot wave -- a freak condition, Poulton says. "Thank god the captain actually saw it coming on radar," he says. "It was like a wall and he faced the ship right into the wave. There was some structural damage, but nothing else."
From Michele:
Remember that an earthquake is essentially like an elastic band that snaps per imbalance of energy.
Aftershocks are essentially a rebalance of energy and not as severe normally but already weakened structures can be weakened further .

I did an article years ago for a local paper and found that in my own home town, there are two fault lines that cross a major crossroad area -- this is just one example of how we live "above" many fault lines... and people often have no idea.
 
 
Turn off Overture on right and then click the play arrow to hear a hysterical parody, by Steve Bryant, to the theme of "Eye of the Tiger".  Steve Bryant is on FB  - friend him!