Eternal Thoughts from a Sunshine Mind

Giveaway! Mulberry Moon One a Day Holiday Giveaway

2008-11-15T10:16:00.005-05:00

Giveaway promotion! Tell Santa what is on your wish list at Mulberry Moon personalized jewelry and gifts and you could win it in the Mulberry Moon one a day holiday giveaway!

For more information about the November promotion and daily giveaways, visit Mulberry Moon personalized jewelry and gifts.

Technorati Tags: giveaway

10 of the Best Social Media Tools for PR Professionals and Journalists

2008-11-03T13:10:00.001-05:00

Here is a really good resource for PR professionals and journalists alike. Social media is really breaking down barriers and is providing real time access for getting the right information to the right people at the right time.

Sarah Evans lists 10 of the best social media tools for PR and it was posted on Mashable last week.

10 of the Best Social Media Tools for PR Professionals and Journalists

Please write to the Army Corps in support of the Georgia EPD’s request to hold more water in Lake Lanier.

2008-10-13T19:58:00.004-04:00

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has sent a letter to the Mobile office of the Corps of Engineers requesting the Corps reduce the minimum amount of flow in the Chattahoochee River at Peachtree Creek in Atlanta by 13% between November 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009. This will reduce this flow from 485 million gallons a day (MGD) to 420 MGD, thereby leaving an additional 11.7 billion gallons of water in Lake Lanier.

The EPD letter requests this action to conserve needed storage in Lake Lanier and states that its modeling has shown that water quality at Peachtree Creek was not adversely affected when the flow was reduced between March and May 2008.

The Corps of Engineers is reviewing this request and is asking for stakeholder comments to be received by October 27 by submitting its online form.

http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/pd/CommentForms/BufordDamCF.asp

You may also submit your comments to
cesam-pd-ea@usace.army.mil

or send a letter to the following address:

Colonel Byron G. Jorns, District Commander
Mobile District, USACE
Attn: CESAM-DE
P. O Box 2288
Mobile, AL 36628-0001

The Corps' press release may be read at

http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/docs/08-53.pdf

Say No to Gardasil and Protect Our Daughters from this Merck Moneymaker.

2008-10-10T12:57:00.000-04:00

As a mother of two girls, I am very bothered in the marketing behind Gardasil. Big Pharma better watch it because as they try to push for mandatory vaccinations in the name of the almighty dollar, our daughters may suffer for it. The side effects for this expensive treatment (not covered by insurance) range from standard to severe.

Please do your homework when it comes to protecting your children! My girls are not getting this vaccine. My dad is a Dr. in Chemical Engineering and he says there is not enough long term research on the safety of this new vaccine. It's not been proven that it even works.

US Government Mandates Gardasil
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2008/oct/u-s-govt-mandates-gardasil

Judicial Watch Uncovers New FDA Records Detailing Deaths in 1,824 Adverse Reaction Reports Related to HPV Vaccine
http://www.judicialwatch.org/6428.shtml

Is HPV Vaccine to Blame for a Teen's Paralysis?
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2008/7/2/is-hpv-vaccine-to-blame-for-a-teens-paralysis.html

CBS News: Vaccine Watch: Gardasil Side-Effects?
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/07/08/couricandco/entry4240888.shtml

Gardasil Vaccine: The Damage Continues
http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2008/08/gardasil-vaccine-damage-continues.html

...The vaccine reaction reports keep coming into the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) from mothers describing how they took their healthy teenage girls into a pediatrician or gynecologist's office where they were given a GARDASIL shot and, then, nothing was ever the same again. The reports of HPV vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths continue to roll in, not only to NVIC but also to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (Search HPV4 athttp://www.medalerts.org/vaersdb/index.html) newspapers, and television stations. And the only response that comes from officials at the CDC, FDA and drug companies when perfectly healthy teenage girls collapse into unconsciousness, suffer a massive seizure, get paralyzed or die suddenly after being injected with GARDASIL is the zombie mantra: "It is a coincidence."

Find Gas in Atlanta

2008-09-29T20:48:00.002-04:00

We spent half our day yesterday worried about getting gas in Atlanta. Here is a neat real time Twitter feed with Atlanta people posting the status of gas stations and availability in the area.

Twitter ATLGAS feed

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23atlgas

If you Twitter, use #atlgas with your posts about where you see gas

Good luck!

FIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN A DOWN ECONOMY

2008-09-26T12:18:00.001-04:00

I was thinking about small businesses and how they are especially hit hard in a down economy. I wanted to post some tips that you can do for free that will help continue your business building efforts even in a recession.

1) Get local with search. - Make sure your company is listed in Google and Yahoo local directories. They are free and you can even link to your web site.

2) Get local in business/service directories - with directories like Angie’s List and CitySearch popping up, be sure your company is listed in the relevant local directories. Be sure to ask customers to write a recommendation for your company as well.

3) Build a local media list at smaller newspapers and start a relationship. Offer advice, take a reporter to lunch. Local media is easier to reach and if you are doing neat things with the community, be sure they know about it. Having an event for charity? Send a media advisory.

4) Remember your employees. PR isn’t all about outside relations - make sure your employees are motivated and happy. You can reward them with small things like praise (employee of the month/quarter), pizza in the office for a job well done, etc.

5) Discover social media. Start a blog on WordPress and talk about your industry, not just the company. Give tips, advice, general observations. Sign up for Twitter, a microblogging site, and follow people that interest you and join the conversation. Create an account in LinkedIn and Facebook and reconnect with old friends and colleagues. You can even ask business questions in LinkedIn and answer others’ questions and be seen as an expert in your field.

6) Okay, I said five but here’s a bonus tip. Sign up for Help A Reporter.com’s newsletter and get PR queries from journalists looking for sources. But be sure if you answer, that your pitch is on target, short and sweet and do not send attachments. Include contact info in your email and links if needed.

Need help with your marketing and public relations? Contact Jen Marketing for more information.

http://www.jenmarketing.com

Jen Marketing

Candles with Meaning - Buy in September and 15% goes to Kids with Food Allergies

2008-09-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

I just read about this candle company in a food allergy newsletter. I am going to try it out and knowing that 15% will go towards Kids with Food Allergies makes it even better. It's a safer way to burn candles with no soot so if you have kids, this is a nice alternative to traditional candles.

My daughter has a peanut and egg allergy and I am learning all I can about children and food allergies.

Candles with Meaning
http://www.candleswithmeaning.com/

Candles With Meaning offers wickless, flameless candles. The candles use a ceramic warmer that melts wax using a 25 watt bulb. 15% of your order will be donated to Kids With Food Allergies.

Traveling with food allergies pt. 2

2008-09-15T16:56:00.002-04:00

We are off to Canada next weekend to see my Grandma. My parents are already there and have been on the nut-free food hunt for us. They found bread and Quaker has six new granola bars that are nut-free and made in a nut-free plant in Canada. It seems that Canada is ahead of the game in many aspects of being aware of food allergies and accommodating people.

I am still afraid of flying with her allergy and the snacks on the plane. We are flying Northwest Airlines and they don't serve peanuts, but the snacks they do serve might have nut in them, so who knows. They will make an announcement at the gate if you ask when you check in as well.
I am still afraid of going to restaurants on our trip. I don't like confrontation and it is my fear that I will bring up my daughter's peanut allergy and they will say everything is fine and then there will be cross contamination and she'll have a reaction. I have restaurant cards that I printed out and hopefully people will be understanding.

I am a new fan of Sunbutter. It does taste just like peanut butter and my older daughter loves it. My allergic one doesn't like it but that is okay since I don't want her to get used to it and then accidentally have pb somewhere else when she gets older. She might associate it with her initial reaction which was from pb.

I contacted Disney for our trip in September. They are great. They have an entire division for special diets. They recommend that you make reservations in advance. Then about 2-3 days before, call the restaurant and remind them about your food allergy. Then when you get to the restaurant, talk to the manager and chef and they will prepare a special safe meal for your child. I have read great things about them. Here is one families' experience with it. I will blog about it after we go.

I bought two books - the Peanut Allergy Handbook which is a small book that you can put with your epi-pen and benedryl. It has pages to put medic-alert info and details on yoru child as well as helpful advice to deal with the allergy and if there is a reaction, what to do. It is also good to give caregivers. I also bought the Peanut Allergy Answer book. I will start reading it this weekend. They are both available on Amazon.

As always, be vigilant and educate everyone! We are in this together. It really does take a village.

Traveling with a peanut allergy

2008-09-15T16:56:00.001-04:00

I am preparing to take my daughter on a trip in two weeks on an airplane. I called Delta and Northwest airlines. Northwest does not serve peanuts but their snacks might contain nuts. They will make an announcement at the gate if requested.

I also have to get a doctor's note to travel with her benedryl and epi-pens. It is my fear that they will be taken in security. I will call the allergist's office and post what I learn.

I just ordered two peanut allergy books from Amazon and will post about those too once I read them.

Information is power and learning how to manage it all and read labels is the most important thing for newly diagnosed families.

We had a birthday party for our oldest daughter who turned 5 last weekend. I ordered the Publix cupcake cake and made safe cupcakes for my youngest daughter. So that worked out okay as she broke out in hives from tasting a Publix cupcake a few weeks ago.
Small steps!!!
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=114&title=travel_with_food_allergies

You know you are getting older when...

2008-09-15T16:54:00.000-04:00

You watch the Disney Games and are reminded of the original Battle of the Network stars!

You watch an old Donny & Marie show and are taken back to the days of 3 networks and only a handful of channels.

You remember pong as the breakthrough video game that started it all.

You lived life without a cell phone, the internet and a computer until your 20s.

You hear 80s alternative songs on the easy listening radio station.

Yikes! :)

Some fun links:

You Might Be a Child of the 80s http://www.inthe80s.com/80schild.shtml

Are you a child of the 80s quiz http://www.blogthings.com/areyouachildofthe80squiz/

Child of the 80s http://www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/80schild.html

Cool 80s stuff http://www.childofthe1980s.com/

Great Child of the 70s/80s/90s site http://www.childhoodsite.com/

PR pitching tips

2008-09-15T16:53:00.001-04:00

I came across this post from Margie Zable Fisher and it's a great reminder to all of us PR types how to provide pitches that are on-target.

http://zfpr.com/blog/wordpress/2008/08/17/how-to-write-a-pitch-for-a-reporter-query/

Now my daughter has an egg allergy in addition to peanut.

2008-09-15T16:51:00.000-04:00

Here we go. First, the peanut allergy and now a suspected egg allergy. I gave her a bite of real scrambled eggs and she made a face, spit it out and shivered. I watched her for a few minutes and then she developed some small red bumps or hives around her mouth. I gave her benedryl and started to cry. We are just getting used to her peanut allergy and now we have to be careful with eggs. The weird thing is that she eats french toast sticks and they have egg in them. I called the allergist and set up an appointment in September for another skin test. Poor baby. I hate doing it but we have to know and I am going to check for all the rest of the common allergens while we are there.

The nurse said for now, avoid all eggs. I asked her about the frozen french toast sticks and she said that for some foods like frozen, processed french toast sticks, the egg protein is weaker since it is much further away from a pure egg. It might have been cooked out or the processing weakens it. So what does that mean? Well, no bakery items obviously and no eggs. But everything seems to have egg in it! Some breads have egg brushed on the outside! Here goes my paranoia scale - up and away.

I found a good sheet for egg allergies to avoid so we'll start here. How are you all managing out there allergic moms?

And what about flu shots and other vaccinations with eggs in them? More questions for the doctor I suppose.

Egg Allergy Informationhttp://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/egg_allergy.html

Foods to avoid with egg allergy - print out for your wallet http://kidshealth.org/teen/misc/eggallergy_cutout.html

More egg allergy infohttp://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/health/1065007/

Disney bound, food allergies and all.

2008-09-15T16:50:00.000-04:00

Well we are almost ready to go. I will issue a full report upon return. We have a reservation at the Rose & Crown in England at Epcot and will be eating in the condo for most of the week.

I am worried about family giving my daughter unsafe snacks as I'm still educating them of the importance to read labels. We will see how it goes.

I found some one piece swim suits on sale for my oldest daughter today on clearance for $2.80 each. Score! And they are Hannah Montana and High School Musical suits with hair bands. Woo hoo!

Also scored swimsuit coverups for both girls. Is it just me or are some of these girls swim suits too revealing like bikinis? My girls will wear one pieces for many years to come.

Just random thoughts from a pre-vacation panicked mom.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone! Be safe.

Tips for Visiting Disney on a Budget

2008-09-15T16:48:00.000-04:00

I married into a Disney family. My father in law is a member of the Disney Vacation Club and we have been fortunate to be able to stay at the Old Key West resort for many years. We like to visit Disney a few times a year if we are lucky. We have found ways to see some sights on a budget and I'd like to share some with you. I just sent this to a friend whose family member is going for the first time. I hope it helps!
Some tips:

Pick up Disney toys/stuffed animals/clothes at Wal-Mart before trip and hide them/bring out during trip.

You can bring snacks into the parks - we brought cereal bars, raisins, etc. They check your bag but it's allowed.

Take the monorail around to the Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary resorts and walk around each resort to see each theme.

Ask to ride the front of the monorail and kids get a monorail operator license!

Eat at Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney - great sandwich, low cost - they even have breakfast.

Walk on Disney's boardwalk - it's just like New Jersey and there are carnival games, etc. Restaurants, a bakery, ESPN zone, a boat ride, you name it! You can see the fireworks at Epcot here too.

Make a reservation for character dining and make it the end of the brunch time around 11 - 11:30 before it ends. You have more time for characters and less people by then. (our favorite place is at the Contemporary - Chef Mickey's)

You can get a mini-fridge and stay at the Pop Century or All-Star resort and you can take the bus.

See the characters at Epcot Character Spot - they are all lined up inside the building and if you go early, there is little wait time.
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/entertainment/entertainmentDetail?id=EpcotCharacterSpotEntertainmentPage&bhcp=1

Go around the world at Epcot - we like to eat at the Rose & Crown in England - make advance reservations - good kids menu, pick out an oyster in Japan and get a pearl - under $20.

Happy trails!

Camp Rock!

2008-07-08T16:21:00.000-04:00

My daughter and I enjoyed the new Disney movie Camp Rock. She is all about the Jonas Brothers and the songs are really good from the movie. Here she is rocking out with her Barbie guitar.

Rock star!

By the way, the Barbie guitar is most excellent. Thanks Grandma!

Cross contamination with food allergies is scary.

2008-07-08T16:20:00.000-04:00

Well we had our first bought of cross contamination for my daughter’s peanut allergy this weekend. Luckily she just had hives and I quickly gave her benedry. She just had a litle bit of icing on a cupcake from Publix. So no bakery items that we have not made from scratch ourselves. This is the scariest part of her allergy. I am so worried about her at school and when I’m not around to really make sure what she is eating is okay.

Here are some good charts that I put on the fridge for cross contamination and handling a food allergy attack - it’s good for babysitters, etc.

Foods to avoid - peanut allergy: http://kidshealth.org/kid/misc/images_50969/1110295792292.nutAllergy_carrycard.gif

Food to avoid List: http://kidshealth.org/kid/nutrition/diets/nut_allergy.html

Allergic reactions instructions sheet - post in your home for babysitters, etc.http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=1&article_set=36693&cat_id=20221

Entire page: http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/nut_peanut_allergy.html

Food allergy Chef Restaurant cards: http://www.foodallergy.org/downloads/ChefCard_Interactive.pdf

R.E.M. rocked in Atlanta!

2008-07-08T16:19:00.002-04:00

I went to the REM concert on Saturday night at Lakewood Ampitheater and it was great. I recommend their new album and seeing them live for any REM fan. There were lots of people young and old. I felt a bit older as I looked out and saw some college kids passed out on the lawn. Ahh to be young again. Not! Amateurs! ha.

Here is the review from the AJC:

PEACH BUZZ: Great night set stage for R.E.M. show

By Mike Benzie
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 06/23/08
Buzz revisited the glory years Saturday night, taking in a little R.E.M. at Lakewood Amphitheatre, where the group finished up its North American tour. Only in 1989, we didn’t have the privilege or the right to purchase $11 beers. Not that we’re complaining (that loudly).
A beautiful night for an outdoor show, highlighted visually by “Electrolite” in the middle of the set, where the mostly packed house lit up the cellphones for a portion of the song.
R.E.M. played a few songs from its latest, “Accelerate,” but opened with “These Days” and pulled out “Driver 8,” “Pretty Persuasion” and “The One I Love.” Michael Stipe was energetic, and his wispy (Buzz thinks he actually “did the robot” for a moment) moves were very reminiscent of the “Losing My Religion” video back in the day.
The show lasted about two hours, and R.E.M. played a 22-song set with a six-song encore. Modest Mouse and The National opened the show.

Did you know you can use 911 for non-emergencies?

2008-07-08T16:19:00.001-04:00

I always thought that 911 was for life-threatening emergencies. My neighbor who works for the government says no - always use it. Especially if something happens after hours - for example, there was a car sitting in front of our house late at night for a few nights. I thought I should call the sheriff’s office but my neighbor said to call 911. Also when a car with three people sat in my driveway one time - I was peeking out the window and seeing what was up as my husband was away and we have two kids. She said I should have also called 911 then.

So, I just wanted to let it be known that you will not tie up the lines and if there is ever anything weird, especially after hours, call 911. At least a sheriff will patrol the neighborhood and make sure everything looks okay.

My daughter’s food allergy and food allergies in the news

2008-07-08T16:17:00.000-04:00

Well my daughter is sick and last night I gave her benedryl so she could breathe since she was so congested. So now I have rescheduled our allergy appt to next Friday. She can’t have benedryl in 7 days before the skin test. So we will wait another week to find out what all she is allergic to in addition to peanuts.

I have been reading more about food allergies and to my pleasure, many mainstream publications have stories about them this month. It can only help educate people about how serious food allergies are with kids. I can’t imagine worrying about my daughter’s safety in the cafeteria at school, but in a few years, I will be right there with these parents.

Newsweek My Turn: A Plea for My Daughterhttp://www.newsweek.com/id/139437

Newsweek Fear and Allergies in the Lunchroomhttp://www.newsweek.com/id/62296?tid=relatedcl

The 411 on Food Allergies - Quiz - Know your food allergy facts?http://www.newsweek.com/id/62097?tid=relatedcl

RedbookWorried About Food Allergies?http://www.redbookmag.com/home/worried-about-food-allergies

Trace Adkins has an article in June Redbook about his daughter’s allergies - here is an excerpt from People Magazine:Trace Adkins Opens Up About His Daughter’s Near-Death Allergic Reactionhttp://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20202611,00.html

BabyCenter Food Allergies Forum - I have received great support from wonderful momshttp://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=bcus9266

I am a new Trace Adkins fan!

From CMT: Trace Adkins is working with the two U.S. senators from Tennessee to promote legislation to assist schools in protecting 2.2 million children nationwide who suffer from life-threatening food allergies. Adkins, whose 6-year-old daughter Brianna suffers from severe food allergies, raised public awareness of the problem while raising money for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) as a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice. Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both Republicans, announced Monday (June 9) they will co-sponsor the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act to develop voluntary guidelines for schools to prevent exposure to food allergens and ensure a prompt response when a student suffers a potentially fatal reaction. The bill also calls for grants to be provided to implement food allergy management guidelines in public schools. Noting that he and his wife have been seeking this legislation for more than three years, Adkins said, “There have been no consistent standardized guidelines to help schools safely manage students with their food allergies. This bill will help keep kids safe while at school and parents will be more at ease knowing an action plan is in place.”

From www.Kidswithfoodallergies.org Heed ALL warning statements

“There are now two studies that indicate may contains do contain the allergens in 10% of cases and that it does NOT matter if the statement says: may contain, run on shared lines with, or processed in a facility with, or processed in a facility that also processes “

Press Release Grader - Check Your Press Release Instantly

2008-07-08T16:16:00.001-04:00

Here is a cool new tool from Hubspot, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company that helps small business build their online presence. Now you can have an expert double check your press release at no cost!

Cut and paste your press release into the window at: http://www.pressreleasegrader.com, complete the form and click on “Grade Press Release.” In a few seconds, you will see your score and a list of suggested improvements.

For all of us small business PR people, we thank you Hubspot!

Desktop management and the NECC

2008-06-05T11:03:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again when the ed-tech community flocks to one city to share insights and collaborate on all things education technology.

Here are some links regarding the show:

Edubloggercon http://www.edubloggercon.com/NECC+2008

eSchool News NECC conference information center http://www.eschoolnews.com/conference-info/necc/

NECC ning http://www.necc2008.org/

Hitchhikr NECC http://hitchhikr.com/wordpress/index.php?page_id=5&conf_id=310

NECC conference planner http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2008/planner/planner_login.php

NetSupport Software - desktop management software

Booth #3222 - be one of the first 50 visitors and receive a gift! Education products include computer instruction & monitoring software, PC remote control software, IT asset management, desktop security, and desktop alert software for mass notification and emergency alerts.

http://www.netsupport-inc.com/

Technorati Tags: necc08

Miley Cyrus is tired.

2008-05-29T14:55:00.001-04:00

Seriously, people. We have child work laws in the US, but no one seems too concerned with the overworking of teen pop stars (see Britney Spears).

Entertainment Lawyer has a great entry about this topic. I do feel sorry for Miley and I hope that she can carve out some sort of normal childhood in this merchandising madness of a tv show, movies, music and tours. The mouse company and those around her just seem to see dollar signs.

She is also a child. Who is working. Way too much.

Let's see what happens in the next five years.

Miley Hurts on the Insidehttp://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2008/05/miley-hurts-on-inside.html

Atlantic Link Global E-Learning Management Technology Company

2008-05-29T14:54:00.001-04:00

This company is doing great things in the area of e-learning technology and learning management systems.

Atlantic Link Global http://www.atlanticlinkglobal.com/

Corporate trainers can create, upload, edit and share lessons on the fly without technical knowledge. Then they are shared for computer based training. With gas prices on the rise, this is the future for training!

Lake Lanier Woes Part 4

2008-05-29T14:52:00.003-04:00

Here are some pics of the endangered woodpeckers that live in the woods behind us on Lake Lanier. This is the same Army Corps property where they want to knock down the trees to install the raw water pipeline instead of going under the street, which makes much more sense. It's also a shorter route for the City of Cumming to go if they do go under the street. Plus it would eliminate the need to cut through a Forsyth County resident's property.
Sometimes I think the government does not use common sense.

Thinking small in PR

2008-05-29T14:50:00.001-04:00

The web and social media gives us incredible opportunities to reach people in ways we have never been able to before.

In Ragan's "PR smallball" feature by Shel Holtz, he talks about thinking small in public relations.
Hasn't it always been about getting the right pitch to the right person at the right time? In other words, shouldn't we always think small?

I don't need for the world to know about the product I am pitching, I just need about 20 of the most influential editors and bloggers to know.

It is a good reminder in this world of mass communications. Always pitch on topic and always target the right people.

Check out www.ragan.com for more great PR and communications articles.

Food allergy advice and articles

2008-05-29T14:49:00.001-04:00

My 18 month old daughter had a reaction this week to peanut butter. We think she has a food allergy and went to the doctor. He prescribed an epi-pen for emergency and told us to restrict feeding her any nuts at all and get a blood test when she turns 3. I still want to go to an allergist and get an opinion from a specialist.

I did some research for first time parents with children with food allergies - here are some great links:

New diagnosis (great web site - Parenting a Child with a Food Allergy)http://www.childfoodallergy.com/archives/new_diagnosis/

Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) http://www.foodallergy.org

Kids with Food Allergies http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/

MedicAlert Food Allergy Resources http://www.medicalert.org/Main/ResourcesFoodAllergies.aspx

Food allergieshttp://www.kidshealth.org/teen/nutrition/diets/food_allergies.html

Good luck and I will post as I discover things.

I just learned that Trace Adkins supports FAAN as his child has a food allergy.

Thank our troops - the Gratitude Campaign

2008-05-29T14:47:00.001-04:00

Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and wanted to convey to them your thanks, but weren't sure how or it felt awkward?

Recently, a gentleman from Seattle created a gesture which could be used and has started a massive movement to get the word out.

Please everybody take just a moment to watch.... The Gratitude Campaign ...and then forward it to your friends!

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php

Lake Lanier Woes, Part 3

2008-04-22T19:55:00.001-04:00

My neighbor heard some rather shocking news today regarding the City of Cumming’s plans for routing the water into town. He met a surveyor in his yard and apparently they are going to go through our creek and up through Roger’s yard. The surveyor asked if he had gotten a letter yet. Yikes.

That doesn’t make any sense! That is a lot longer path to go from the current pumphouse to the city. My neighbor said it’s going to be about 40 feet wide taken of his land. Plus all the digging they will have to do to come around the creek and up our way, up his hill and to the street. What is going on?

He also said that the city manager has been going to Mobile 3x a week. Why does the City of Cumming Manager need to go to the Army Corps headquarters when they will not listen to the Governor of Georgia? What are they hiding?

Anyway, I need to research what our rights are if they come between our yards and the whole eminent domain issue. That means our trees will go in the front right side of our yard. This is so upsetting.

We also wonder if the lake level is being held so they can dig. The lake dropped for the first time in awhile and they released 3x more water than usual. What is going on???? Who does the Army Corps answer to? Where are our checks and balances? The rumors are flying in Forsyth County and it’s not good.
Who can help us, Clark Howard? WSB-TV? Someone!

Lake Lanier Woes, Part Two

2008-04-11T13:20:00.000-04:00

The latest rumor on our street about the City of Cumming and Army Corps of Engineers is that they will keep dredging until September 08. The heavy trucks continue to tear up our roads and some people’s yards continue to get parked on. My neighbor thinks that since they have so much equipment invested in the lake in young deer creek, that they are purposely keeping the water level down.

On weekends when there is rain in the forecast, the water is released before the rain comes and the readings appear different than what they should be. My neighbor has been measuring.

That coupled with the fact that there is a lot of dredging equipment where the water would come up makes us think that it will be a long while before our water comes back to full pool. Even a Congressman who lives across the lake from us wonders what is going on. I think they are keeping things from us. We can handle whatever truth there is, but just don’t hide things from the local citizens. It’s our money they are using to dig for more water in the first place.

This wouldn’t happen if English was the official language of the United States

2008-04-11T13:19:00.001-04:00

This is out of control. Now congress is going to allocate funds to help teach English in schools? It is time that we make English the official language of the United States before we have to start catering to a barrage of languages and bending over backwards to please everyone. If you come to the US, you know you need to know English. Period.

House OKs English-language instruction

Senate to vote today on $40 million for language instruction; allocation system faces fight
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0410flores0410.html

WTF? And now the Senate votes…

Help a Reporter.com

2008-04-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

As a public relations person, I am always looking for ways to connect with journalists. Here is a great web site and newsletter for journalists seeking experts and sources. Peter Shankman is hilarious and started it out of the goodness of his heart. He also offers humor and insight into the curious world of PR. Check it out.

http://www.helpareporter.com

The new Press form can be found at www.helpareporter.com/press

HARO rules!!!

Cheeky Monkey! Seven Year Old Loves Monkeys, Creates Online Store with Monkey Themed Gifts

2008-02-25T21:37:00.003-05:00

My friend's seven year old daughter loves monkeys and is known to friends and family as the monkeylady. She recently started her own online monkey themed gift store and is saving for college. Check it out - it has the cutest monkey-themed personalized gifts!

www.monkeylady.com

"Thank you for visiting my webstore, monkeylady.com, which specializes in cute monkey stuff! My name is Michaela but my family and friends call me Monkeylady. I am 7 years old and I LOVE MONKEYS! I thought it would be fun to run my own business and sell the things I love, with help from my mom of course. I pick all of the products for my store and help with photography, product descriptions, personalization, packing and shipping. I promised my Mom that I will save all my profits for college (and a few new monkeys every once in a while). I will be adding more monkey products so be sure to check back soon! You can email me at michaela@monkeylady.com if you have any questions!"

All Things Monkey! Backpacks, purses, picture frames, jewelry, magnets, plush, room decor, you name it. http://www.monkeylady.com/

I personally recommend the quilted backpack (in Michaela's words):

"Quilted Backpack with Monkey, one of my favorites. It has a drawstring top and a magnetic snap closure on the flap. My mom will put your name on this bag. Just choose your font and thread color. My favorite thread color for this bag is orange." It is $26.50 and you can personalize it.

http://www.monkeylady.com/Personalized-Quilted-Monkey-Backpack-p/sj1099a.htm

Attention Cancer Survivors in Alpharetta, GA

2008-02-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

Sometimes The Lap Is The Victory

Cancer Survivors & Caregivers…this is for YOU!

Relay For Life of Alpharetta
Friday, May 2, 2008
Alpharetta High School
Survivor Activities –
Dinner at 6:00 PM
Survivor Lap at 7:00 PM

For cancer survivors, each day, month and year is a victory. The American Cancer Society invites all cancer survivors to join our survivors' celebration and first lap at this year's Relay For Life. We applaud your courage and strength and want you to join in our community's effort to take up the fight against cancer.

If you are a cancer survivor and are interested in participating in the 2008 Alpharetta Relay for Life, please contact me. Check out http://www.alpharettarelayforlife.org or call Kate at 678-522-3823 for more information.

Crayon or chapstick in the dryer? Either way it's pink.

2008-02-06T17:01:00.000-05:00

Well I just witnessed my first dryer debaucle as a mom. My four year old daughter left a pink girls lipstick/chapstick in her pocket and shazam! Everything is pink. Of course, it occurred when I was drying her school uniforms. Aargghhhhhhhhh.

Thank goodness for the internet! I did a quick search, read a forum and a few minutes later ran the dryer to heat/melt the lipstick, then cleaned it away with a damp washcloth and comet.

Here is the awesome web site. Note to self, start checking her pockets!

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf690227.tip.html

Mayer? A New John's in Town

2008-02-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

John Mayer, yes he's great and I love his work. But I am more proud of my cousin John Gurney and his band. Here is his myspace link. He won the talent contest at University of Missouri last year. And a claim to fame of his is that he lives in Brad Pitt's room at his fraternity house. Love it! Go John - we are so proud of you and wish we could see you more.

http://www.myspace.com/thejohngurneyband

Farewell 99X

2008-01-25T16:04:00.001-05:00

I moved to Atlanta in 1993 after I graduated college and 99X had just begun as the only alternative station in the southeast. It was great. I grew up with the station and enjoyed getting to know the DJ's like we were old friends.

I'm sorry to see you go. You will be missed. Steve Craig is brilliant and I will miss my favorite 80s lunch hour show.

I have many fond memories of Resurrection Sunday at the Atlanta Beer Garden in Buckhead and many great concerts were brought to Atlanta thanks to them.

Leslie Fram, you have made an impact on radio and as a fan, thank you for all that you have done!

http://www.99x.com/

Lake Lanier Woes

2008-01-21T16:40:00.001-05:00

It's been depressing watching the water recede away from the shores of lake lanier. Our dock is now on dry land and our pontoon boat is parked for a few seasons.

The line of dry docks and boats serve as an eerie reminder of what once was a thriving lake just this summer.

According to the AJC, at the current rate it will take 29 years for the lake to fill to full pool.

BOOSTED BY RAIN
The week's rain continues to minimize the flows out of Lake Lanier, which remains near a record low. Given current rain conditions, it would take 843 days for the lake to reach its summertime full mark of 1,071 feet above sea level.

137.3
Billion gallons of readily available water left in Lake Lanier for drinking, sewerage and power generation.

20.7
Million gallons being added daily, on average, to Lanier.

29
Number of years it would take Lanier to fill at this rate

These snapshots, taken at 12:01 a.m. Friday, are based on a two-week average of conditions at Lanier. They account for water stored in the lake's primary supply pool; water flowing in from rainfall and streams; and water lost through evaporation, withdrawal and downstream releases. The average is calculated by dividing the amount of water remaining by the average amount lost or gained each day. If it rains or less water is released, the number of days remaining will increase. That can happen even though the lake continues to set new lows nearly every day. Under Lanier's primary pool is a secondary pool; it contains an additional 282.7 billion gallons.

http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2008/01/20/droughtpage0120.html

Lake Lanier revealed - photo gallery
http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/metro/addicks1111/

Virtual Marketing Assistant

2008-01-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

Looking for a virtual marketing assistant?

The internet is bridging gaps in the corporate sector like never before. I truly believe that workers will be able to contribute to companies worldwide without the need to provide for relocation coverage.

Great workers and employers are hard to find, so when the internet can help link the two and make a match, it's a great thing.

Small businesses that cannot yet staff a marketing department need help with their marketing objectives. A virtual marketing assistant can help you ramp up with projects more quickly.

The owner typically does the marketing and usually does not have time to stay on task and on deadline. So marketing usually suffers by being overlooked, or deadlines are missed, which in turn affects new customer acquisition and sales.

Who can benefit? Small businesses and VARs. VMAs can help with strategic project marketing, presentations, web content, collateral, press releases, advertising, trade shows, lead generation, public relations and more.

Virtual marketing can be a great short-term solution for your business - you have no overhead and no benefits to pay, just an hourly rate. In turn, you gain an experienced marketer who can quickly learn your business from the expert, you, and then plan a plan and attack.

Please visit my site for more information and call for a free consultation. What you don't know can hurt you!

Virtual Assistant Services
http://www.jenmarketing.com

I have over twelve years of marketing, advertising and pr experience. I am looking to help small businesses build their local customer business on a project basis.

Hanky isn't feeling well

2008-01-03T23:21:00.000-05:00

Please please please let Hank be okay. Our other dog Cal passed during Thanksgiving week and now Hank is not eating and getting sick.

I think he misses Cal and is depressed. We are taking him to the vet tomorrow. I hope it's something treatable because we can't handle losing both of them so quickly. He was in a kennel this weekend, so maybe it's just a bug.

Hug and love your pets!

Weirdest Secret Santa Gift Ever!

2007-12-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

Our office had our holiday dinner at a local restaurant. For those wanting to participate in the Secret Santa, we exchanged our gifts at the party. I think I got the weirdest gift ever and some people were pretty funny about it. I got a Ouija board.

I have a pretty good idea that it was someone in our sales dept as the message on the present said "To help with planning the 2008 trade shows. Good luck." I thought it was funny but then thought a magic 8 ball would have been a better gift.

I think Ouija boards are evil and I have The Exorcist and my mom's best friend to thank for that. When I was in 5th grade, my mom's friend introduced me to the Ouija board and scared the living daylights out of me. I don't know what my mom was thinking. I had had nightmares from the time I started dreaming and woke them up almost every night. This didn't help!

It wouldn't matter so much except I took the time and effort to get my Secret Santa recipient some neat little gifts that I knew she would like.

Regardless to say, I gave the Ouija board away to one of the young twentysomething restaurant waitresses with an appropriate warning - are you sure you want it? they are evil, haven't you seen the Exorcist? But she was excited and proclaimed that she is a freak and will love it.

So good luck to her. And good luck to all of you stuck with yucky secret santa gifts. And good luck to my 2008 trade show planning. May we get new sales reps at our company in 2008.

Farewell Sweet Callahan

2007-12-17T12:15:00.000-05:00

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that we have lost a dear member of our family. Sweet Callahan, 11 1/2 years old, has left this world.

We are so thankful for the time that we had with him and for all of the joy that he brought into our lives.

It is a time to reflect on how thankful we are for our family and friends and how precious each day is on earth. Thank you for your love and friendship.

The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master. - Ben Hur Lampman

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

The Elf on the Shelf

2007-12-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my friend sent my daughters the elf on the shelf. If you haven't heard of it, it's a cute little elf doll. Your child has to name it and then it is placed on a shelf in your home. The elf, ours is Rudy, reports back to Santa every night before Christmas if the kids have been naughty or nice. You can't touch the elf because it is a magic elf and each morning Rudy appears in a different spot.

It comes with a book explaining the story and the box it is shipped in looks like it came from the North Pole! It is a very cute idea and so far, it's working with my 4 year old! I just tell her, remember, Rudy is watching! Her behavior is better and it is a fun game each morning to find Rudy.

What a fun tradition to start. You can also register your elf on the web site and print out a certificate. How clever. Check it out - there is still time for your elf on the shelf!

www.elfontheshelf.com

A New World Order?

2007-12-11T15:10:00.000-05:00

So today I am hearing about this North American Union. Its ties include NAFTA and some other under the radar associations and even allegedly go back to the Rockefeller dynasty.

It looks to me like the sinister wheels of progress are already spinning under our noses. If this is even remotely true, our futures have already been planned by an elite group of greedy power players.

It reminds me of FEMA and the X-Files, although this, fellow citizens is non-fiction and happening right now. IF this happens, who knows what will become of our rights and freedoms this country was built on.

NORTH AMERICAN UNION & VCHIP TRUTH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXo

QUIETLY, QUIETLY BUILDING THE NORTH AMERICAN UNION http://www.newswithviews.com/Yates/steven23.htm

1st North American Union drivers license issued in North Carolina
http://www.newswithviews.com/Kouri/jim111.htm

Amero coin arrives
http://www.halturnershow.com/AmeroCoinArrives.html

North American currency union
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amero

The Plan to Replace the Dollar With the 'Amero'
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15017

North American Union

The Amero - North American Currency
Watch video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hiPrsc9g98

North American union to replace the USA?
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14965

It's already started
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15233

Lou Dobbs - CNN YouTube - Lou Dobbs: North American Union Orwellian ...Plans are in the works for the North American Union
Watch video www.youtube.com/watch?v=H65f3q_Lm9U

Stop the North American Union
http://www.stopthenorthamericanunion.com

Security and Prosperity Partnership Of North America (a cloak)
http://www.spp.gov/

Independent Task Force on North America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_american_union

Keeping Sales Stats Fresh, Avoiding Stale Powerpoints

2007-11-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

As a marketer, I reference industry statistics so I can more effectively communicate the need for solutions whether through a powerpoint presentation, newsletter, sales document or at a trade show.

Seth Godin hits the nail on the mark regarding how this data should and should not be graphically presented in a powerpoint. It's not brain surgery, but until he walked me through the thought process, I hadn't realized what an impact properly arranging the graphics could make. It takes me back to the days of my college psychology class and he is so right.

Read his thoughts here: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2123/21206835

Tis the season for male guilt trips

2007-11-27T09:22:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again when my husband gets pissed off at holiday commercials. And rightfully so. The time where new cars appear in driveways with bows on them and jewelry ads hit us from all angles. I never realized just how bad it was until he pointed it out a few years ago. I hear Madonna now "We are living in a material world..."

If my husband bought a car and tried to surprise me with it, I would hurt him. We are on a budget and that is just not practical. But neither is the holiday shopping advertising campaigning going on since Halloween. Seriously.

This is why I think that Thanksgiving is possibly the best holiday on earth. We give thanks for friends and family, eat a luscious meal, drink heartily and watch football. No gifts or guilt appear anywhere during this holiday, and for THAT I give thanks.

Holiday gift ideas for the person who has everything

2007-10-26T12:38:00.000-04:00

I don’t know about you, but as soon as October rolls around, I start panicking about the holidays and what to get family members when everyone lives out of town and I have no idea what their preferences are. And as far as my parents go, if they need something, they usually go out and buy it. So I searched for some neat personalized gifts and found them at Mulberry Moon.com. Everyone I have given presents to from here says they love it and that is great for me.

Mulberry Moon Personalized Jewelry, Candles & Gifts
http://www.mulberrymoon.com

Technorati Tags: engraved+gift, engraved+candle, personalized+candle, personalized+gift, holiday+gift, monogrammed+gift, customized+gift

October - Baseball, Halloween and My Baby Turns 1!

2007-10-16T21:35:00.000-04:00

Ahhhh October. It's one of the best times of year. Baseball playoffs, college football, pumpkin patches, cooler weather, Halloween and now, a birthday in the family!

I can't believe my baby is turning one. And she is our last baby of which I have been highly enjoying every moment I can. It's harder with the second one - you feel bad that you can't give her the same focus, time and energy as our first daughter due to having two kids and much more craziness all around. But she goes with the flow, is a total sweetheart and adores her big sister, so I don't think there is any problem there.

I just think I give her a different kind of quality time - a frenzied, mama is trying to give you the time you need but oh yes, where did your sister go? - of which she has the extra benefit of having a sister around to chase, screech to (or at) and generally giggle with. I think it's a blessing and the dynamics between our two girls make it all worthwhile.

We are watching the Red Sox and hoping for a victory. My Cubs blew it but that's nothing new. There's always the cliche! hee hee. Auburn football is keeping us entertained and we go pumpkin shopping this weekend. Auburn plays LSU Saturday night for some foosball on the Bayou, so bring it on. It is a great time of year, and we have lots to be thankful for.

Speaking of being thankful, here are four neat organizations in the event you are searching for ways to pay it forward, do good for mankind, make a small yet valuable difference in the world.

http://www.AdoptAPlatoon.org - I never agreed with the war, but vowed to support our friends and family who are fighting to make the world a better place. Find out how you can be a pen pal and make a world of difference in a soldier's life. They pair singles with singles and married soldiers with married/families. It's really rewarding and the people I have met who are putting their lives on the line are amazing. They need our hopes and prayers.

Do One Nice Thing - http://www.doonenicething.com/ - I signed up for this newsletter and they are chock full of ideas of nice things you can do that take anywhere from one minute to one hour to do. It's a great idea and I enjoy receiving the newsletter each week. You can donate skymiles - I donated a ticket to a military family. How cool is that?

My aunt and uncle sent me this note and my goal is to participate in this for the holidays. I want to find a person to loan money to with my daughter - hopefully a mother/daughter company and we can watch their business grow. My daugher will learn about gifts that give. You also get your money back!

"Take a look at http://www.kiva.org/. If you have not heard about it, I am telling you now. It is a wonderful service and it will make you feel better. We need to change the view of the rest of the world has about us."

http://www.kiva.org/ - Loans that change lives - Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

http://www2.worldvision.ca/gifts/app - Last Christmas, my aunt & uncle in Canada gave us two hens and a rooster, or rather, a needy family, two hens and a rooster to help them support their family and earn a living. How cool is that? Our daughter didn't need an extra toy but she learned that she is helping a family survive on their own with animals that were purchased in her honor. The true meaning of Xmas - giving.

The Tale of a Defiant Soccer Mom

2007-10-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

Soccer moms, SUVs and sass, oh my!

Our family has begun the entry into kids sports.

My four year old daughter has started playing soccer this season. It's hilarious - all the kids running around the field and sometimes kicking the ball. She is enjoying it although she's a little hesitant to go get the ball and is sensitive to other's aggression. I think it's a great first sport. A field, two goals, a bunch of kids and two confused coaches trying to guide the madness.

What I wasn't ready for was the sudden self-awareness that I am the only working mom showing up late at practice in business casual wear while everyone else is in their leisure outfits and flip flops with folding chairs and cellphones so they can keep up with their friends and whatnot.

My husband kids me that I am now a soccer mom. I am in protest. I don't really feel that I fit that stereotype and before, I really didn't think it was real. Now that I am exposed to it and briefly crossing into that world, I realize there is this great divide between working moms and stay at home moms. There is just such a difference in the lifestyles.

It's an interesting observation and I will continue my journey into the world of soccer life in another post.

Radiohead makes a bold move

2007-10-03T10:12:00.000-04:00

It's a bold move in the music industry but one that is an interesting marketing test. Radiohead has legions of loyal fans. It will be interesting to see how this pans out and how it affects the industry.

Radiohead says to hell with it, lets listeners set price for new album

How much would you pay for Radiohead's new album?$5? $15? $20? Not a damned penny? Then that's the price.
http://moblogsmoproblems.blogspot.com/2007/10/radiohead-says-to-hell-with-it-lets.html

Auburn Football and the best time of the year.

2007-09-12T16:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time again. The best time of the year. When baseball and summer are still hanging on, yet a glimpse of fall appears with college football and tailgating.

Here are some fun Auburn football memories. Early times gang, unite! War Damn Eagle.

Let Freedom Ring

2007-09-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends who lost a loved one on this day six years ago.

I am also praying for of all of the families of soldiers who lost their lives abroad while making this world a better place.

Here is a moving tribute from Atlanta radio station Q100. It is hard to listen to, but it is worth taking a moment to remember all those precious people who lost their lives.

God Bless America.

The Bert Show's 9-11 Tribute...Every year on the Bert Show, we honor the anniversary of 9/11 with an incredible montage that Producer Tracey created. Here's also our disclaimer...like seeing the images on TV today, this montage may be painful to listen to. Thank you, Tracey, for a powerful tribute. Click here to listen with your Real Player
Click here to listen with your Real Player

http://www.allthehitsq100.com/bertshow/

Honor the Fallen
http://www.militarycity.com/valor/honor.html

No More Robocalls - Let’s Create A Political Do Not Call Registry.

2007-08-14T16:43:00.000-04:00

I recently learned in a Network World article about the do not call registry that politicians among others, are exempt. Exempt! And that it is time to renew your do not call status (it's every 5 years.)

There is also a new non-profit that wants to stop these political telemarketing “robocalls.”

I invite you to sign up for noticifaction when they start a registry. I know I don’t want to receive all those automated political calls and the last local election in Forsyth County was a nightmare. Our answering machine couldn’t keep up with those calls.

Stop the Robocalls!

Thanks for contacting Citizens for Civil Discourse (a non partisan non profit corporation), the home of the National Political Do Not Contact Registry!This is a grass roots initiative. We the people need to take back control of the political discussion and tell politicians not to call us (or mail or email) if we ask them not to do so.

What is next?

Building the Political Do Not Call Registry website and database –-> launch in mid to late September, 2007.

Once it is launched, you will be notified and asked to officially sign up and join the Registry.

What you can do in the meantime:

If appropriate, please tell your friends and family about this exciting non profit by asking them to visit:
http://www.StopPoliticalRobocalls.org/

Let us know why you care so much about this issue. Do you have a story to tell? Do you remember a particularly disagreeable phone call you received? What would you like to tell the politicians (from all parties)?

Please feel free to contact us with any further questions you may have.
Cheers,
Shaun Dakin – CEO & Founder
Citizens For Civil Discourse

Bio @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/shaundakin

info@citizensforcivildiscourse.orgCCD website:

http://www.StopPoliticalRobocalls.org/

Technorati Tags: do, not, call, registry

It's not easy being green.

2007-08-12T19:43:00.000-04:00

I saw an Inconvenient Truth a few months ago. It was disturbing and I think there really is something negative going on our planet that we have caused.

At the end of the doc, they tell you ways that you can make a difference in your daily lives. I liked that and was comforted to know that we have already been doing many green things for a few years.

Use an automated thermostat. Recycle. Reduce trips out. Run the dishwasher and laundry at night. Replace energy efficient lightbulbs when your old ones burn out. Wrap your water heater. Replace air filters regularly. Telecommute. Insulate your home. Use energy efficient appliances. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.

I don't have an energy efficient car now although I had a VW Jetta that rocked and was efficient.

I was disturbed to know that you shouldn't rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I'm a rinser. I admit it and it's a habit I cannot break. Maybe because our frickin' dishwasher will not rinse everything and I end up having to wash it.

Other things I didn't know - unplug electronic devices as they use energy even when turned off. Computers, hairdryers, cellphone chargers, tvs and the like.

Anyway, if you haven't seen the documentary, it's worth seeing. And for more ways to make changes in our daily lives, check out these sites:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/whatyoucando/

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/

Duran Duran and the video revolution

2007-08-02T19:59:00.000-04:00

Ahhh Duran Duran. My memories of Simon, John, Nick, Roger and Andy and being a teenybopper with teen beat magazine-laden walls of these MTV video posterboys will always be fond ones.

I just watched the Concert in honor of Princess Diana and was amused to discover that she was a big D2 fan as well. Another reason to like her!

Anyway, I need to order their best-of video collection. They truly were pioneers for the video generation.

http://www.duranduran.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duran_Duran

http://duranduranmusic.com/

"My head is full of chopstick and I don't like it."

Do One Nice Thing

2007-07-27T06:10:00.000-04:00

I read about this web site in Glamour magazine recently. The point of "Do One Nice Thing" is that you can in a matter of minutes do something to help someone whether it be send an email to support the troops or send a card to a sick child.

I had lots of extra skymiles and learned that I could donate skymiles for the Fisher House which provides free or low cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers. I donated a ticket in a matter of minutes from the Delta web site.

The nice thing about Do One Nice Thing is that they provide summaries and links and they make it easy for you to do something quickly. They also have a newsletter.

Do One Nice Thing
http://www.doonenicething.com

Fisher House
www.fisherhouse.org

Donate Delta Miles to charities
http://www.delta.com/skymiles/use_miles/donate_miles/skywish_charities/index.jsp

1009 W Ashley Folly Beach - Don’t Stay in this Beach House Rental

2007-07-24T15:05:00.000-04:00

Fred Holland Realty advertised a beach house rental that is good for “large family gatherings” on the beachfront. It has 4 BR and 2 BA and if you count the mold infested mothball smelling downstairs room, it has 5 BR and 1 more bath but it’s not livable down there.

We complained when we arrived 1) that it wasn’t cleaned from the previous week’s visitors with food on the counters and floors among other nasty findings and 2) that the house itself was in need of a major upgrade. I have a 9 month old baby and we had to put a sheet on the floor as it was so dirty that your feet were black after walking around on the carpet. We covered the furniture as it was disgusting as were the curtains and mattresses.

So, Fred Holland Realty’s answer? You get what you pay for. $3,000 a week for a nasty, dirty beach house? I don't think so. Why don’t you take pride in all of your homes and insist they be clean? Why don’t you insist that the owner upgrade it to living conditions or take it off your list?

Tell the owner, Mr. Jerry Zucker, the second richest man in South Carolina to replace the dirty carpeting and floors and make it a respectable property. Well, that won’t happen. And more families will stay here. Which is why I’m warning you now. Do not stay here. It is not family friendly and the realty ruined the start of our family reunion and my dad’s 70th birthday.

More to come including their listing of the house vs. the actual listing that it should read.

1009 W AshleyFolly Beach, SC 29439
http://holland.vrmreservations.com/vrmgr/rental/PropertyDisplay.aspx?PropertyId=25&WebCode=all&ReturnPath=/vrmgr/search/SearchResults.aspx

Description: An excellent home for a large family vacation (NOT). The top floor is the main living area with a full kitchen, living room (needs new curtains, furniture, paint on the walls and carpet), and bedrooms (that need new mattresses and carpet). A totally seperate (spelling?) unit downstairs has two more bedrooms (OUTRIGHT LIE - it’s one bedroom and a family room with two twins and damp, mothball scent throughout, floors need replacing) and a full bath. Great ocean front home value (it’s a dump).

Also, there is a fly stuck inside one of the pictures with a water stain on it. Lovely.

Pets Allowed: NoBedrooms: 6Bathrooms: 3Half Bathrooms: 0Security Deposit: $0.00Beds: 3q, 1d, 4t

Home owner: Jerry Zucker (he also owns 903 W Ashley and they were complaining of bugs in the bed)
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/G399.html

Technorati Tags: folly-beach-house-rental, fred-holland-realty, folly-beach, 1009-west-ashley, charleston-beach-rental

Peanut free snack ideas for the classroom

2007-07-10T16:29:00.000-04:00

My daughter's birthday is this Friday and I called her daycare and asked about bringing in a treat to celebrate. I was warned that there is a child with a peanut allergy, so no cake or cupcakes were allowed. I was shocked that bakery items even had trace amounts of peanuts but found through research it's because they are made in a place where other peanut items are also made. This little known fact opened my eyes as I launched an internet search for peanut-free snack ideas for my daughter's birthday celebration.

Here is a great article for all of us not familiar with peanut allergies and how many foods we don't even realize have trace amounts of nuts:

If Your Child DOESN'T Have Allergies: Read This!
http://www.yummymummysite.com/index.cfm?PID=16916&PIDList=16915,15873,16916

Here is a list of snack ideas from a school. I can't imagine what schools are going through now that allergies are at an all-time high.

Peanut free snack suggestions:
http://www.walledlake.k12.mi.us/llake/peanut_free_snack_suggestions.htm

I think I have decided on Kroger brand ice cream sandwiches. But I still need to check the label for that specific package as even different factories have different products being made there and could possibly have peanut items.

Wow. I am thankful that so far my kids don't have a peanut allergy.

So next time you look to buy vanilla ice cream for a party with kids with allergies present, think again. Nuts are found a lot in many ice cream flavors so even the nut free flavors could contain it. Check the label!

Also, Oreos and Chips Ahoy cookies are good.

Cornhole, the new bean bag game leading a nation

2007-07-06T20:46:00.000-04:00

We visited friends in Charleston who are from Ohio and discovered an awesome new bean bag toss game called cornhole. It is simply made of 2x4 foot pieces of wood with a hole cut out and they are slanted. You throw corn-filled bean bags into or onto the wood board. It is a great mix of horseshoes and tic tac toe bean bag toss from our youth.

Then we returned to Atlanta and I saw two cornhole games on the same day. One at Piedmont Park at the Park Tavern and one at the Braves game while a college group tailgated. Both times I shouted "cornhole!" My cousin from Chicago was with me and had never seen it. It's so cool!

So I just ordered my auburn cornhole bags and my husband will make the boards this weekend so we can start playing. Please check it out. It rocks.

Links:
How to build your own cornhole game platforms
http://thefuntimesguide.com/2005/08/build_cornhole.php

Playcornhole.org
http://www.playcornhole.org/

The cornhole portal
http://www.cornholeportal.com/

Directions how to build your own
http://home.fuse.net/mikebrungs/cornhole.htm

Cornhole made from some notre dame alum
http://www.kevincooney.com/archives/000040.php

Let's stop teaching our preschoolers to be sexy

2007-06-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

There was an eye-opening article recently in Glamour magazine about the onslaught of sexual marketing messages our sweet preschoolers are exposed to and the effects it has on them.

The Bratz dolls are a key example.

As a mom of a 4 year old, you bet I'm concerned.

Here's the link to the article:
http://www.glamour.com/news/articles/2007/04/childrensexy

Technorati Tags: parenting, preschooler, marketing+to+kids, marketing, kids, preschool

40 glorious paris-free days

2007-06-11T11:24:00.000-04:00

Glory day.

Technorati Tags: paris+hilton, paris, hilton

Stereotypes in Commercials

2007-05-18T18:44:00.000-04:00

It's funny. The more we change, the more we stay the same, at least in commercials. I am used to the female as sex object role model in commercials, but what's interesting is how my husband is offended by the usual dumb husband roles in commercials. The typical male who cannot do work around the house, who has to order pizza and sit drinking beer watching sports. I realize it goes both ways when commercials dumb down American families or at least husbands and wives. Hopefully they will wise up and realize that many of us are intelligent creatures who both work, take care of the family, house and each other. And yes, we do enjoy a cocktail or two, but we are respectful to each other and others.

SEXISM IN TV, ADVERTISING, AND MOVIES
http://newmedia.cgu.edu/nardi/projects/a3/

Someone is Finally Going to Jail

2007-05-11T18:14:00.000-04:00

Being a Hilton (and no, no from THAT family which I get asked all the %$#* time), it is about time a certain member of this name should finally go to jail. If it were any other citizen with the amount of citations that this celebutante has, we would all be in jail for a much longer time. I try not to talk about it to give into the media feeding frenzy but I am including a link to the petition that I did sign. It won't stop her and I'm sure this is the beginning of a very long E True Hollywood story, but at least LA County is finally doing something. You would think they were paid off or something. hee hee. LA Confidential.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/jailparishilton/

Technorati Tags: paris+hilton, paris, hilton

George Clooney and Budweiser

2007-04-24T21:50:00.000-04:00

George Clooney makes we want to buy Budweiser beer, and I don't even LIKE Budweiser. His smooth, rich, full bodied voice along with his dashing good looks, mocking self deprecation and enigmatic charisma makes him one of the most appealing and compelling leading men in Hollywood. You rock George!

http://www.clooneystudio.com/

Technorati Tags: george+clooney, budweiser

Why saying "Thank you" is more than just good manners

2007-04-13T11:19:00.000-04:00

Why saying "Thank you" is more than just good manners

A 10-year study of 200,000 managers and employees suggests that praising people for a job well done may lead to bigger profits, says Fortune's Anne Fisher.

By Anne Fisher, Fortune senior writer
April 12 2007: 6:46 AM EDT

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Dear Annie: I changed jobs last year, going from a small company (where I had worked since the start-up phase, over a decade ago) to an organization about 10 times bigger. I've made the adjustment pretty well, except for one thing. My old employer was very gung-ho about recognizing people for their achievements. If someone met a tough deadline or went above and beyond for a client, that person got a public pat on the back and maybe even a "prize" like a free dinner for two at a nice local restaurant.

My new company is completely different. No one ever says "thanks" for anything or shows any appreciation for extra effort, and as a result people don't do anything more than the minimum required to get the job (sort of) done. I think this hurts the business, but I can't convince my boss. Any thoughts? - Trying to Help

Dear Trying: I'd be willing to bet we've all worked in organizations like yours, at one time or another. Many years ago, Fortune had a top editor who made a point of never praising anyone for anything. Asked why not, he replied, "People who are good know they're good. They don't need to hear it." Well, if any proof is needed that that approach to managing people is wrongheaded, here's where to find it: "The Carrot Principle" (Free Press, $21.00), a fascinating book by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, both consultants at Salt Lake City-based consulting firm O.C. Tanner (www.octanner.com).

The book's subtitle says a mouthful - "How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance" - but the basic idea is simple: People will work harder and more enthusiastically for an appreciative boss, and companies that praise topnotch performance are more profitable than those that don't. In a study of 200,000 managers and employees over a 10-year period, Gostick and Elton found that, in companies where few people agreed with the statement "My organization recognizes excellence", annual return on equity averaged a paltry 2.4 percent. By contrast, companies with a culture that emphasized thanking people for excellent performance racked up returns more than three times as high, at an average of 8.7 percent. (For the complete study, go to www.carrots.com, under Research.)

Of course, anybody who has taken Statistics 101 will tell you that correlation doesn't always imply causation, and companies that praise their workers are probably doing lots of other things right, too. Even so, at a time when employers are competing fiercely for top talent, the authors note that 79 percent of employees in a recent poll who had quit their jobs cited lack of appreciation as the main reason. It seems saying "thank you" is even more important in retaining people than paying them more money - and a pat on the back is free.

How can you persuade your boss to start recognizing his team's achievements? Adrian Gostick says that about one-third of managers in the Fortune 100 companies he works with are, like my old editor, dead set against the idea of praising people. "They don't believe in it. They're always the ones sitting in the back of the room at our seminars with their arms folded, and that negativity often spreads to others," he says. "To overcome their resistance, we start by asking why they don't want to. Often they say they don't have time. But another big reason is, lots of managers want to be seen as 'tough', and recognizing people looks 'soft' to them. Another obstacle is that they just don't know how."

That doesn't mean your boss can't change. Gostick says that, in a former career as vice president of a bank, "I had to be told to recognize people. My employees urged me to do it." He adds, "We've found that, if you encourage a reluctant boss to start with just a few small things, he or she is often pleasantly surprised by the response and will want to do more."
"The Carrot Principle" is full of creative ideas for thanking employees, and you might take a look at those, and pass a few suggestions along to your boss. But some of them - like buying lunch for all employees who have to work on a Saturday and inviting their families to join them; or springing for an extra plane ticket so a spouse can accompany an employee on a business trip - may be too much for the budget. No problem.

Says co-author Chester Elton, "You don't need to spend a lot of money to make an employee feel valued. We find that a handwritten thank-you note, which costs next to nothing and takes just a couple of minutes, is something people really love to get. It's far more effective than an e-mail, especially if it's timely and specific. It should say, not just 'Way to go!', but 'You did a terrific job on that XYZ project'. We've seen people who are so pleased to get these that they keep them for years."

But let's say you show your boss the bottom-line results of Gostick and Elton's research and make a few gentle suggestions for how to start recognizing people, and he doesn't budge. You know the grassroots-political maxim, "Be the change you'd like to see in the world"? If you were to make a habit of thanking colleagues and praising the people around you for a job well done - beginning with (why not?) your boss - who knows? You just might start something big.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/11/news/economy/annie_praise.fortune/index.htm?section=magazines_fortune

Technorati Tags: human+resources, workplace, ethics, office, management, motivation, corporate

Atlanta Investing Named Finalist for the Atlanta Business Chronicle Pacesetter Award

2007-04-06T15:17:00.000-04:00

Atlanta Investing Named Finalist for the Atlanta Business Chronicle Pacesetter Award

Atlanta Investing ranked among the fastest growing companies in Atlanta

Atlanta, GA – April 6, 2007 -- Atlanta Investing, Inc., a residential Atlanta real estate investment company specializing in foreclosures, announced that it has been selected as a finalist for the Atlanta Business Chronicle Pacesetter Award. Atlanta Investing joins an elite group of fast-growing, successful companies in the Atlanta area.

The annual Pacesetter list is compiled by the editors of the Atlanta Business Chronicle To qualify for the award the companies must be headquartered in Atlanta, must have 2006 revenue between $1 million and $300 million, and must have two years of growth in sales of more than 50 percent. Companies are ranked by a growth index formula, which is used to level the playing fields among companies of different sizes. Factors in the formula include the percent change and absolute change in revenue and number of employees.

"We are excited to be selected as a finalist for the 2007 Pacesetter Awards. We’ve experienced tremendous growth over the last two years and it’s due to the outstanding work done by our staff on behalf of our clients”, said Chris Wall, President of Atlanta Investing. About Atlanta Investing

Atlanta Investing, Inc. is a residential Atlanta real estate investment company specializing in foreclosures. The company acquires distressed properties and works with investor clients to match the perfect property to each investor. Most wholesale properties are offered 30 percent or more below market value to its investors. For information on future open houses, consulting services and real estate seminars, please call Atlanta Investing at 770-934-6906 or visit http://www.atlantainvesting.com.

Technorati Tags: atlanta+investing, atlanta, flip, house, real+estate, fixer+upper, atlanta+investment+properties, residential+real+estate

Office affairs in a small business

2007-04-06T11:34:00.000-04:00

I work for a small company and it seems there is an office affair going on by a supervisor and a staff member, who are both married. Everyone in the office is aware of the situation and rumors are flying. It's awkward.

How do people deal with this type of work environment? It's not healthy or professional. I don't respect my supervisor. If management is supposed to address personnel problems like this and he IS the management, where does that leave the staff? Just turn the other cheek, I guess.

Workplace romance: love affairs and lawsuits
http://www.gruntledemployees.com/gruntled_employees/2006/11/workplace_roman.html

Dealing With Workplace Affairs And Other Office Dilemmas
http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/workfamily/20050916-workfamily.html

The Iraq War Through US Soldiers' Eyes

2007-03-27T14:46:00.000-04:00

Although I don't agree with the war, I wanted to do something to support the brave men and women of the United States who are fighting on behalf of our country. I heard about Adoptaplatoon on a local Atlanta radio station a few years ago.

www.adoptaplatoon.org is a wonderful non-profit organization where you can adopt a soldier to support and send care packages and/or letters. Check it out. You don't always hear back from your soldier for obvious reasons, but I have been surprised by the soldiers that have emailed and written back their heartfelt thanks for my support. There are many soldiers who don't even receive letters from their own families, so please reach out to them if you can. Make their day with mail call.

Here are some blogs by soldiers and families of soldiers - it's the best way to gain perspective on what is going on through their eyes.

Midnight in Iraq : US Marine in Iraq
http://midnight.hushedcasket.com/

Daily Life of A Marine Mom - Her son is in Iraq
http://usmcmom.blogspot.com/

American Soldier
http://www.soldierlife.com/

Iraq War News
http://iraqwarnews.net/

Technorati Tags: adopt, soldier, adoptaplatoon, platoon, support

Wholesale Atlanta Properties - Flip this house

2007-03-19T11:23:00.000-04:00

Looking for Distressed/Wholesale Atlanta Properties to Flip?

Atlanta Investing, Inc. is a residential real estate investment company specializing in foreclosures in the Atlanta area. Atlanta Investing acquires the properties and works with investor clients to match the perfect property to each investor.

Most properties are offered 30% or more below market value to its investors. Sign up for our free 7 part newsletter “Learn How to Make Money with Real Estate Investing” and learn key real estate investing strategies including evaluating a deal, securing financing, best areas to buy and more.

Investors can subscribe online at http://www.atlantainvesting.com.

Subscribers can also receive updates on new property listings in the metro Atlanta area and receive a link to a free Foreclosure List via e-mail in less than 60 seconds.

For more information, call 770-934-6906 or visit http://www.atlantainvesting.com./

An Anniversary, St. Patrick's Day and March Madness.

2007-03-16T09:30:00.000-04:00

Life is good. This is quite possibly one of the best weekends of the year! Today is our wedding anniversary, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day on a Saturday, no less, and it is march madness. Let the games begin!

Erin go bragh!
http://www.guinness.com

Beware the angry leprechaun
http://www.liquidgeneration.com/Media/Default.aspx?MediaId=386

http://www.liquidgeneration.com/Media/eCards/The_Evil_Leprechaun_Lovely_Lassie/

March hoops bracketology
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

Swiper, witches and crocagators, oh my!

2007-02-07T10:21:00.000-05:00

My 3 year old daughter is having bad dreams just like I used to. I worry about it but we filter her television viewing to preschool shows and try to turn off the tv a lot. I know we read stories with bad people and I guess it's just going to happen. I am trying to talk about it more with her so it won't seem as scary. Here is a good article about nightmares and preschoolers on babycenter, my bible.

http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/refcap/preschooler/psleep/64922.html

Technorati Tags: bad+dreams, preschooler, parenting, swiper

'The Office' As a Training Tool

2007-02-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

I started watching "The Office" a few months ago on maternity leave. Previously, it was too painful to watch as it reminded me of bad managers and unhealthy workplaces that I have experienced as a worker bee. Now I have been able to get past the pain and laugh. And laugh and laugh.

Here are some interesting insights into "The Office" and how it pertains to real life management and training in the workplace. Worker bees unite! Managers, please read!

NPR Business
'The Office' as Management Training Tool
Morning Edition, October 25, 2006 · The dysfunctional workplace portrayed in the TV show The Office rings true to many viewers. It also provides a roadmap of how not to manage a workplace.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6380073

Must See TV: Lessons from NBC's "The Office"
December 01, 2006
What can "The Office" teach you about managing a sales force? Plenty.
By Rebecca Aronauer
http://www.salesandmarketing.com/msg/content_display/publications/e3i778b0e5af917c8c649a51ebf1bd4fe4b?imw=Y

Technorati Tags: the+office, training, motivation, hr, human+resources, management, bad+boss

80s Music in Commercials

2007-01-28T03:04:00.000-05:00

It is disturbing to see some of my favorite songs from the 80s infiltrating the tv commercial landscape.

The The has sold out to M&Ms which I never thought that I would see. The Cure was featured in a polaroid ad a few years ago, but there are many popping up now.

Our House for Maxwell House?
Don't You Want Me for Chips Ahoy?

This is getting ridiculous.

Here is a list of songs from the 80s that have been "butchered" by tv commercials:

Songs from the Eighties That Have Been In Commercials, Index

Well, it was bound to happen, and it has been happening now for a while, Commercials bleeding the memory of the eighties, for music. The first one I remember is "Like A Rock" and then "Born in the USA." Now it's food items. What's next? I'd love to hear your recomendations.
http://www.inthe80s.com/adsmusic/

Technorati Tags: 80s, music, commercials

Maternity Leave - 2 glorious weeks left of mini-retirement

2007-01-07T22:41:00.000-05:00

I have two weeks left of my wonderful maternity leave before I have to leave my daughter at daycare (which will rip my heart out) and rejoin the ranks of corporate america. I return to work a bit older, and a bit wiser this time around. And a major fan of the tv show The Office.

My job is just that - a job. I work to live, I do not live to work. I have a great husband and two beautiful daughters and they are my everything. So now I am faced with the guilt most working moms feel. How can I leave my kids at a daycare and go work? Emotionally and financially, it is hard, but it is what I need to do for myself and my family.

My future goal is finding an ideal part time job by the time my kids go to school so at least I can be home when they get home. These times are different than when I was a child, but I don't think our children are suffering for it. My daughters are learning at an earlier age - social skills, learning skills, you name it.

Yes, it would be nice to be home and have the luxury of spending more time with them. But either way, the quality time you spend with your kids is so important. And yes, I can work and have a family balance and all that good stuff. How is it that men aren't questioned to balance work and family life, rather it is accepted, but for women, the same is not true?

I have friends who work and friends who are stay at home moms and there are issues and rewards with each situation. The battle we face internally and among ourselves is constant and the guilt is always there - am I doing what is best for my family? For me? And the judgment is out there. But I don't care if others judge me for working. I believe that you have to have time for yourself, time for you as a married couple and time for your family. I believe my job is part of my "me" time and I contribute towards our household which gives us many choices and a lifestyle we enjoy living. It also makes me feel accomplished.

I just hope that society will be more willing to accept working moms as a positive force and end the judgment that all women feel, whatever choice they make. In the end, we are all working hard and working moms - it's just a different title, office space and type of superior. For stay at home moms, the job never ends. For working moms, there are two jobs to balance - the one at work and one at home. Either way, it's a tough role. Let's all support each other as we make our way.

Waiting in Line Etiquette at the UPS Store

2006-12-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know what topic to file this post under, but it's just plain wrong what happened to me.

I took my 2 month old to the UPS store this week so we could ship Grandma's Christmas gift in time to make it for the holiday. I walked up to the register and there was one person in the store other than the employee and she was making copies.

So I am waiting at the register with my infant in a car seat for about two minutes. The woman making copies goes to the other register and the employee waits on her first. Fine, she was already here, no problem. Whatever.

Then it's my turn. I give him my envelope and he weighs it. Then I see this large, tattooed, white-bearded man appear (no NOT Santa) and he starts complaining loudly how he "might as well go to the $#%& post office". So the employee gives me my package back and WAITS ON HIM. Then my brain starts going into complete shock and my face starts to contort.

The woman, then leaving the store, stops by to tell me that it's okay, he was here first, but he just WENT TO KROGER and then came back. As if it would make me feel better. During the busiest shipping week of the year.

Uh, in my book, when you wait in line, you WAIT IN LINE. You don't leave for another store and keep your spot in line. There is no invisible Georgia line holding law that this jacka-- was covered under. And I absolutely cannot believe that the employee started to wait on me and then stopped when the man started bickering and waited on him. Shame on you, UPS store in Cumming GA. I will never go to your establishment again.

I don't know who to tell about this, Clark Howard or Dane Cook.

Anyway, my two month old fussed less than that tattooed old man. Bah humbug to you old man and employee who waited on him.

You have one bad experience, you tell 30 people. That employee needs to remember this...

Now what do you do? Well, I will tell everyone I know.

Do NOT go here!

The UPS Store 4473
2659 Freedom Pkwy
Cumming, GA 30041 USA
770 886-7774

A New Mom the Second Time Around

2006-12-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

The Second Time's the Charm!

When I had my first daughter, I felt a wild hormonal mix of elation and anxiety as I tried to figure out how to care for my newborn. I thought that she was so fragile that she could break and I was afraid to change her clothes. Her cries ripped at my heart and my blood pulsed heavily through my body as I tried to determine the cause of my sweetheart's discomfort. It eventually got better and I was soon a pro or at least semi-pro by the time she was a few months old.

There is good news for moms pregnant with your second born if you felt the same way: the second time around, I feel more a mix of hormones, elation and energy. I am more confident in handling my second daughter and I am more patient and calm when she is upset and fussy. It is still tough - the sleep depravation still exists, finding time for my husband is challenging and now I have a preschooler to tend to as well as a newborn, but I am definitely stronger this time around. My family is growing and so have I!

My husband and I are very proud of our family and are baffled that we have come so far from the teenagers we were when we met. It is important to have time as a couple, a family and as individuals.

Anyway, back to parenting the second time around. Trying to communicate with and listen to my daughter as she communicates with me is an important part of the parenting process.

Which is why yesterday's Oprah had such an impact on me.

A guest on the show has studied cries of newborns and has determined five essential messages that babies communicate by instinct. Check out the video and details for yourself. If you have a child from 0-3 months, this is a must-see/must-read. I am already deciphering differences in my daughter's cries and it makes all the difference.

Here are the links and good luck!

The Secret Language of Babies on Oprah
http://www2.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200611/tows_past_20061113.jhtml

http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200611/20061113/slide_20061113_350_101.jhtml

Watch the video of babies and their different cries
http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200611/20061113/slide_20061113_350_102.jhtml

The Dunstan Baby Language DVD - order your copy at www.dunstanbaby.com.

Auburn defeats Alabama in Iron Bowl for 5th year in a row.

2006-11-21T09:24:00.000-05:00

War Damn Eagle!

Is it me or did CBS' commentators seem like they were broadcasting from the Alabama Network? Anywhoo, Auburn defeated the Crimson Tide and has bragging rights for a fifth consecutive year. Woo hoo! Fear the thumb!

High five. Low tide.

Auburn wins 5th straight 22-15 over Bama
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/college/4345663.html

Auburn Seniors Get Lifetime Supply Of Bragging Rights
http://www.nbc13.com/news/10362096/detail.html

ClayNation Dixieland Delight College Football Tour: Auburn at Alabama
http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/9817786

Technorati Tags: auburn+football, auburn+university, iron+bowl, war+eagle

Great October Movies to Watch

2006-10-17T17:07:00.000-04:00

I just watched my annual viewing of Donnie Darko. It's an awesome, dark and brilliant movie to watch in October. The soundtrack is also an excellent mix of dark alternative 80s music with the movie being set in 1988. Jake Gyllenhaal is at his best and it's a great way to get into the Halloween spirit.

What's it about, you say? Watch it and tell me. There are many theories out there. There are also some cool web sites analyzing the movie. Check it out.

Official Donnie Darko web site
http://www.donniedarko.com/

Fanlisting for Donnie Darko
http://creative-escape.org/donniedarko/

Cellar Door
http://ruinedeye.com/cd/

Other great October movies (besides the classics - these are newer ones)
The Butterfly Effect - director's cut ONLY
The Grudge
The Ring
The Skeleton Key
Constantine

Technorati Tags: october, movies, donnie+darko, halloween+movies

Flip This House!

2006-10-14T13:23:00.000-04:00

I have discovered this show and it's pretty interesting to watch.

I also have a client who buys/sells Atlanta wholesale residential investment properties that people invest in or flip, and this industry is booming.

But I still think it takes money to make money. People need to be careful when getting into residential real estate investing. Do your homework, get good business references and have fun. Good luck!

Flip This Show on A&E
www.aetv.com/flipthishouse

Atlanta Investing
www.atlantainvesting.com

With Birds I Share This Lonely View

2006-09-22T15:53:00.000-04:00

Remember when you heard a song on the radio and sang what you thought the lyrics were? I have made many a singing faux pas with my pals - from Guns N Roses "take me down to the very last city" (paradise city) to Billy Idol "I supply the fish." (eyes without a face)

Thank goodness there are now lyrical web sites available to save you from embarrassment and a future of years of teasing. Here are some good ones to reference. I am still trying to learn Green Day's Holiday. I love it but I can't figure out the words! Good luck and happy singing.

http://www.lyrics.com/

http://lyrics.astraweb.com/
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/

http://www.lyricsondemand.com

Books on Amazon:

Blinded by the Lyrics
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0806526955/ref=reg_hu-wl_list-recs/104-4743677-2343902?ie=UTF8

Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy and other misheard lyrics
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0740759930/ref=reg_hu-wl_mrai-recs/104-4743677-2343902?ie=UTF8

Technorati Tags: song+lyrics, lyrics, song

Planet Pluto

2006-09-12T08:15:00.000-04:00

Poor Pluto. I grew up with 9 planets in my solar system and now they decide to change that, among other things. I will fight this! When my daughter has to make a shoebox diorama of the planets at school, this family is including Pluto! Stop the madness!!! How many schoolbooks have to be changed now? Calling Pluto a dwarf planet is like demoting it. It's just wrong.

Astronomers: Pluto just a dwarf
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-08-24-pluto_x.htm

Pluto, and ya don't stop
http://blogs.usatoday.com/techspace/2006/08/pluto_and_ya_do.html

Snakes on a Plane!

2006-08-17T11:26:00.000-04:00

This is one of the coolest movie promotions that I have seen. You can send your friend a personal message from Samuel Jackson regarding the movie over email or the phone. Check it out!

http://snakesonaplane.varitalk.com/

Canon MP390 printer problems

2006-08-06T11:02:00.000-04:00

I am having many problems with this all in one printer. After reading message boards about it - I recommend NOT buying one. Canon discontinued it and many people are having problems with the printer head. I cannot print pictures at all. It has been a total nightmare. Warning to all!

Hilton Head Island

2006-07-27T17:20:00.000-04:00

I am heading to the beach with my family for some much needed r&r. It will be fun to see my 3 year old daughter play with her cousin on the beach. Palmetto Dunes is beautiful and we are ready to go. Even though I am very pregnant, I will be poolside with my gossip magazines. Escape! Serenity now!

Road trip! Here are some fun HH and Summer music links for anyone going to the beach this summer:

www.hiltonheadisland.org

www.hiltonhead.com

www.palmettodunes.com

Songs of Summer 2006
http://spinachdip.blogspot.com/2006/07/rating-songs-of-summer-2006.html

http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002811.html

http://www.npr.org/programs/asc/archives/summer06/

Lake Lanier at Low Level Thanks to Army Corps of Engineers

2006-07-11T07:32:00.000-04:00

Our lake days are seeing low levels once again only this time it's because of human error. A faulty gauge released 22 BILLION gallons. They also miscalculated the lake levels and reported the level was higher than it actually is. How do you miscalculated a water level?

And they are responsible for fixing the New Orleans levees? Good God.

Faulty gauge drains Lanier Low levels could prompt drought declaration on brink of summer
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/0619lanier.html

Faulty gauge costs Lake Lanier lots of water
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/14854687.htm

IKEA US web site needs help

2006-06-18T13:11:00.000-04:00

I tried to order my daughter's bedroom set online today from IKEA to pick up at their downtown Atlanta store, but they wouldn't let me. If you order online, you have no option for store pickup, just shipping. I also tried searching items from the catalog using their search feature and things would not show up that I later found through the categories. You would think such a large company would have thoroughly checked their web site for products and made them easier to find. So now we have to trek downtown with our printouts and find the items to buy. I guess large corporations are still not at the top of their web site games either.

www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/
Just try searching for a bed rail

Freelance project marketing professional in Atlanta

2006-05-25T07:26:00.000-04:00

Looking for marketing help for your small business? Too busy to focus on various marketing, advertising and PR communications activities but can't afford a full time employee?

Jen Marketing.com freelance project work - all things marketing. Marketing, ad planning, events, web research, PR, Collateral, online marketing, flyers, newsletters & more! Because you have work to do. Let`s get started. Jen Marketing. Do More.

http://www.jenmarketing.com

Small business marketing help is here.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

2006-05-10T06:23:00.000-04:00

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

- Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Nanny nanny boo boo

2006-04-13T20:39:00.000-04:00

As my 2 1/2 year old daughter smiles at me and says "nanny nanny boo boo," I stop and ponder where that phrase originated. I mean, I said it when I was little and I'm sure my parents' generation said it and so on. It is just a special something that she picked up at daycare. It is funny what gets passed on and even if you try to keep your kids from learning this things, it is inevitable.

The same goes with riding the school bus. I rode the school bus but only from like 3rd grade on to public school. I do have an issue with my daughter riding one at 5, but only because there aren't any kids on our street and she won't know anyone, plus the fact that 10 year olds will also be riding that bus. I think kindergarten is a little young and I wouldn't have issues if she had friends in the neighborhood to ride with. Well I'll cross that bridge when I come to it in about 2 years.

For now, nanny nanny boo boo.

Random mom thought #452

2006-02-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

You know, that Johnny in Johnny & the Sprites on Disney looks like a young, cute Ben Affleck. Boy do I need to watch some grown up tv. hee hee hee

http://disney.go.com/disneychannel/playhouse/johnny/

The Job Interview - How Can You Really Know How Someone Will Work?

2006-02-20T19:43:00.000-05:00

I have been interviewing for jobs and find the whole interview process a little off kilter. I mean, how can we really know what a company is like when they grill you? And how do they know how productive I will be by answering questions the right way? I say give people more 90 day trials and let them duke it out. An apprentice like approach but that is really the only way to know - for both sides.

Indeed.com job search www.indeed.com
Monster www.monster.com
Career Builder www.careerbuilder.com

F&*(^% Company
www.fuckedcompany.com
Job Vent
http://www.jobvent.com/
BullS*&^ Job
http://www.bullshitjob.com/
About My Job
http://www.aboutmyjob.com/

Office Space Soundboard
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/officespace.html

The Office UK
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theoffice/

The Office US
http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/

Movies with Great Plot Twists

2006-01-21T21:59:00.000-05:00

My husband and I just watched Skeleton Key last night with Kate Hudson. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, it threw me for a loop. I love smart movies that keep you guessing. This is a great movie if that is what you seek. Not a lot of gore or scary scenes, it is more imagination and the setting in New Orleans pre-Katrina and in the tone of Hoo Doo, not Voo Doo although I think they are related. Add it to your next Netflix rental if you enjoyed these types of flicks: The Village, The Sixth Sense, The Others, etc.

I hope New Orleans comes back. I know its soul is there. It's just a matter of time.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397101/ Skeleton Key

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/1I9SQWLW3M40N/002-2296279-3421668?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Amazon Reader List: Movies with Great Plot Twists

http://www.virgin.net/movies/toptens/movietwists.html Everyone has a list come to think of it

I love Netflix! www.netflix.com

Stop. Hammer Time.

2006-01-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

Stop sign seen in Shiloh Road Alpharetta business park. Right under the stop, someone put in nice stenciled lettering "Hammer Time". I almost drove off the road laughing. I will go back and take a picture for my blog. Thank you to the random person who put that there. I have been giggling about that all week.

Another annoying sighting - at a grocery store, a large woman wearing sweatpants with writing on her backside. Please don't make me look there. And the writing just forces your eyes to look there. That is a big fashion DON'T that Glamour magazine regularly covers!

www.glamour.com Glamour magazine

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/signs/categories.htm Funny street signs

The Chicago Bears have a chance!

2006-01-07T21:38:00.000-05:00

It's a damn good year when the Bears are in the playoffs. The Cubs did okay but now as a Chicago fan I feel better. Although the Red Sox/Cubs game this summer did rule as my sports choice of 2005, I hope the Bears can make some headway.

I won my husband's office pool for the college bowl games and it was just sweet. I picked Texas to win just like last year and my dream came true. My husband thought I was nuts, but after Auburn was shafted last year for the bowl championship series, it would be a cold day in hell before I root for the number one ranked team.

I say have a playoff! College fans deserve a thrilling and worthy championship series that will silence the critics and allow a true champion to evolve through what every other sport and pro NFL conference will attest to: you need a playoff system.

Word to the motha. Jenni out.

www.auburn.edu

Welcome to the world of the podcast

2006-01-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

I got a new 30 GB video iPod for Xmas and it rocks. Besides trying to upload all my CDs and maxing out my laptop, I have half my iPod full and have now discovered podcasts.

Through iTunes, I have discovered some really cool podcasts. For those of you who aren't familiar with them, they are basically radio shows that you can download and listen to on your iPod at any time.

I have the Rolling Stone interview with Bono on my iPod as well as NPR 7 am news, story of the day and song of the day. I have stuck in the 80s and the ricky gervais show podcasts and they rock. Even They Might Be Giants has one that I am subscribing to and it's free.

There is a whole world out there and now we can listen on our schedule instead of the programmer's schedules. When I drive home from work, I listen to the NPR story of the day and in about a 20 minute drive, I hear a really neat story from someone in the world in my own little commuting world.

I have a feeling that life and radio is about to change as we know it, again. I am very excited to be witnessing this empirical shift from media when the programmers direct it to media when the consumer wants it. It is the age of me and it rocks.

Now back to my iPod.

www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts
www.itunes.com
www.ilounge.com
www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

http://www.podcast.net/
www.ipodder.org
www.podcastalley.com
www.podcastbunker.com
podcasts.yahoo.com
www.podcastcentral.com
www.guardian.co.uk/rickygervais
www.podcast411.com
www.podcast.com

Toddlers and Medicine

2005-12-21T21:48:00.000-05:00

My two year old daughter had strep last week and we gave her amoxicillin to treat it. She felt better in a few days, but was waking up agitated in the middle of the night with stomach cramps and she was crying, which she never does normally.

I called the nurse at her Dr office and she said although it is cause for concern, to continue giving it to her for the remaining 3 days of the 10 day treatment. It was against my better judgment and we stopped giving it to her.

It had been 8 days since we all slept through the night, but last night was the first restful night since we stopped giving it to her.

It's hard being a parent and deciding what's best for your child, but when they are in pain and don't need to be, it's not even an issue.

I guess I'm most upset that I have discovered that doctors and nurses are just people and not superpeople whom I grew up thinking could solve every health problem. As a parent, we have to make educated decisions and guesses, like they do, about what is best for our health and for our family's health.

Never second guess your gut feelings and instincts. I know I won't!

Online Marketing and Smaller Businesses

2005-12-20T10:52:00.000-05:00

DECEMBER 20, 2005

About two-thirds of small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) use online marketing or plan to start in the next six months, according to a new report.

Frank N. Magid Associates surveyed a national sample of 1,060 for-profit small- and medium-sized businesses between September 12th and October 11th, 2005. A little over one-half of these respondents were from a registered users list of AllBusiness.com, an online resource for businesses that sponsored the study.

The data implies that only 22% of SMBs use the Internet for marketing. Of these, just over 60% employ e-mail marketing, while 56% use search engine optimization, 36% have banner ads, and 25% use pay-per-click advertising. Most of these organizations — 74% — are planning to increase their online marketing spending, although 43% of SMBs who are not using online marketing say they are planning to in the next 6 months.

However, a study by Interland indicates that SMBs rate other, non-Web related factors as more important, or just as important, when it comes to business success. For example, 55% of US SMBs surveyed said that community relations were critical, compared to 47% who cited a Web site. Public relations, direct mail and yellow pages were all deemed more important marketing tools than e-mail marketing. While converts to online marketing seem enthusiastic about it, it is clear that SMBs as a whole have not yet jumped wholeheartedly into the online realm when it comes to promoting their products.

Outside the realm of marketing, Magid found that over four-fifths of SMBs credit the Internet with improving communications in their company, while about three-fifths said that the Internet opened new markets for them, increased competition and lowered their costs. Interestingly, less than one-third said that the Internet improved employee performance, perhaps reflecting concern over employees being distracted from work by surfing the Web.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1003731

©2005 eMarketer Inc. All rights reserved

Small Internet Retailers Are Using Web Tools to Level the Selling Field

2005-12-19T20:53:00.000-05:00

E-Commerce Report from The New York Times

By BOB TEDESCHI
Published: December 19, 2005

AMAZON, Walmart.com and other online retailing giants have always had upstarts nipping at their heels. But the little guys are starting to bite harder.

Just how sharp their teeth are, however, is a matter of some debate.

Of the $26 billion in sales that are projected for Internet retailers this holiday season, about 45 percent will go to small retailers, according to Forrester Research, up from 42 percent last year. Even so, with revenues starting to flatten at eBay, the site so many of them use to market their wares, some analysts doubt they will ever be able to break through the 50 percent mark.
But other analysts are not so sure. In the fast-changing world of Internet commerce, they say, smaller merchants have gained two important advantages: Google and consumers who are fussier than ever.

"The game has changed," said Gene Alvarez, an analyst with Gartner, a technology consulting firm.

In years past, any retailer could put up a Web site fairly easily, although it had little chance of attracting the attention of Web browsers unless it had enough money to advertise on well-known sites like AOL and MSN. Yahoo and Amazon, which have long sold cheap Internet storefronts to small businesses, sweetened the deal by listing the businesses on their sites in return for a sales commission.

But that exposure, while significant, pales in comparison to the publicity Web merchants can now gain by spending a few nickels per click on a text ad on Google. "Before, people couldn't find these smaller guys," Mr. Alvarez said. "But now these stores can be much more easily discovered on Google."

At the same time, consumers are displaying a growing appreciation for small online retailers. According to the Kelsey Group, a media consulting firm, the portion of Internet searches that include local elements like "dry cleaners and Greenwich Village" or "art galleries in Easton" has doubled in the last year to 20 percent.

One reason for that, no doubt, is the spread of high-speed Internet connections, which allow users to click through multiple merchants without waiting hours for Web pages to load.
All of which leads to another phenomenon that could further threaten the dominance of the big players - simplified e-commerce software with the potential to lure hordes of hitherto reluctant merchants onto the Internet.

According to eBay, nearly 650,000 small businesses in the United States have an online presence, a sizable figure but a tiny fraction of the 7.5 million companies that the Kelsey Group estimates market most of their goods directly to consumers. Many of the holdouts have resisted the Web because they deem the transition to be too difficult, too expensive or both. But now, Yahoo Stores, ProStores from eBay, NetSuite and other companies that help businesses operate online hope to change the minds of the hesitant with software and services that are cheaper and easier to use.

"We're moving into the next generation for small and medium-sized businesses who want to sell online," said Mr. Alvarez of Gartner. "Even a one-person shop can open an online store that's much more refined than it would've been a few years ago."

Liz Herbert, a Forrester analyst, said the biggest change in e-commerce software in the last few years was that it no longer comes in a box. It is delivered online, so businesses do not need technology specialists to install and run the company's system.

EBay has for years offered sellers the chance to set up their own ministores, called storefronts, in this fashion, but the company this year intensified its efforts to reach small businesses that might not be interested in selling solely on its site. In January, it bought Kurant, an e-commerce software company, for an undisclosed sum; this year it renamed the service ProStores and upgraded the software with added features.

According to Chris Tsakalakis, eBay's senior director of stores and platforms, the ProStores service, which costs from $7 to $250 monthly, gives sellers templates to use in setting up a store, and will carry an online catalog of 10 items or more. For those who pay $30 or more a month, the service includes a personalized Web address, a secure checkout process and a selection of more sophisticated business tools, like those that help managers improve the store's rankings on search engine results.

Such software tools sound like an obvious place for Google's engineers to focus, particularly if the company wants to attract more local businesses online so they will buy more Google ads. But Google - which last month began giving away software to help Internet managers analyze their site traffic, but has not otherwise pushed into e-commerce services - does not offer live customer service, and this is one market where such service is critical, executives said.
"We have hundreds of live agents that are highly trained, answering questions around the clock," said Rich Riley, vice president and general manager of Yahoo Small Business. "That gives us a real head start."

And increasingly, these services include more than just the ability to post a Web site and accept transactions. NetSuite, a privately held company co-founded by Lawrence J. Ellison, Oracle's chief executive, and Evan Goldberg, one of Oracle's chief technologists, has improved its tools for companies that want to manage their entire business - including payroll, shipping and marketing - through the Internet.

For some retailers, like Mess Makeup, a New York seller of cosmetics, that is the most important feature in the latest incarnation of e-commerce services. "I could go to the Bahamas, pull out my laptop, look at inventory, see how many leads came in, track people's shipping, and everything's extremely user-friendly," said Adam Furman, a former software consultant who co-founded Mess Makeup two months ago.

Mr. Furman, who pays NetSuite about $1,000 a month for one of its more sophisticated service offerings, said he would have had to spend $500,000 to $1 million to develop the same technology on his own a few years ago. "And we would've needed to hire a tech team of our own," he said. "Now we can concentrate more on just selling makeup and building our business."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/19/technology/19ecom.html

Small Business Marketing Help is Here

2005-12-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

As a business to business marketer, I have garnered much experience in the areas of technology with a splash of agency work as well. I am currently a one person marketing department and I handle all aspects of corporate marketing communications. I handle advertising (both print and online), public relations, trade shows, marketing collateral and all marketing projects for a software company.

I have recently started working freelance on small business marketing projects for some local companies. It is amazing all of the companies out there who are looking for marketing professionals for projects but who do not have the budget or workload to staff a full time marketer.

With that in mind, I have started freelance marketing for small businesses. Jen Marketing is my new creation designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses handle their advertising, marketing and PR on a project basis. Looking for a freelance marketer? Seeking a marketing consultant? Need help with some projects that you don't have time for? Need help writing and distributing a press release? Just need some research done? Give me a shout. I can help with your small business marketing and small business advertising needs large or small.

Jen Marketing.com freelance project marketer - all things marketing. Marketing, advertising, events, web research, PR, Collateral, Web marketing, flyers, newsletters & more! Because you have work to do. Let's get started.

Jen Marketing. Do More.

www.jenmarketing.com
Freelance marketer
Project marketer
Marketing consultant
Advertising consultant
PR consultant
Trade show coordinator
Small business marketer
Small business advertiser
Small business public relations

I got my iPod. You didn't get one.

2005-12-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

Glory day. I got my 30GB video iPod and I am in heaven. It rocks. I also bought the kit with all the cables that you need to play it in your car, on your stereo and listen with 2 people. I have all of my music and pictures on it. You can show slide shows on tv to music, put your calendar on it, your contacts from Outlook. It even has games and a timer on it. Christmas came early in our household!

Between this and our satellite radio that is due anyday, we will be set. No more boring radio for us. No more songs overplayed to the point of no return! Control is back in our hands! Victory is ours!

www.apple.com