Save First Things First-- Vote NO on 302

Arizona Voters, there is a proposition on our ballot that you need to be aware of.  It's Prop 302, and it is a BAD idea!

In November of 2006, we the voters approved a $0.40 tax on cigarettes to provide funding and create the "Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Initiative."  Yes, I voted to approve this tax as I feel we need to be vested in our children and Yes, I am a smoker.

Four years later, the Arizona Legislation is now trying, as usual, to take this tax and dump it into the general fund where there will be no end to how fast they can waste it.  They claim that the money will be used to fund "health and human services for children" but if you have been in Arizona longer that a minute, you know that they will WASTE the money like they waste everything else.  The money is currently being used to help children and is managed by the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board.  Giving this kind of money to our legislators is just ASKING for a waste of money AND children not being helped.  Arizona is not know for being budget responsible and taking $345,000,000 from children is a perfect example of why we need to STOP our current so called elected heros and in one voice tell them NO, YOU CAN NOT TAKE MONEY FROM OUR CHILDREN!

FIRST THINGS FIRST RESULTS TO DATE

*  Expansion of public preschools:  $10 million annually

*  Helping 30,000 children receive safe and affordable childcare:  $40 Million

*  Home visiting programs to support at risk families:  $20 Million

*  Food donated to children & Families:  2.5 million pounds

Total health services and early education grants:  More than $284 million - impacting the lives of almost 330,000 children statewide.

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Small Business Advertising Laws

Those of us who have our own business understand one thing...
ADVERTISE!
This is a given but as a small business owner myself, I found there are a few rules/laws that should be followed.

1. Use One Message: A high response rate ad usually conveys a single message.  For example NordicTrack's message of the "World's Best Aerobic Exercise" was simple and compelling. Your small business advertising needs to quickly communicate its core message in 3 seconds or less. Another example, if you are fearful and overwhelmed by technology, which computer book, do you buy? "DOS for Dummies" began a best-selling phenomena because its message was easily understood and to the point.

2. Add Credibility: It has become human nature to distrust advertising. Claims need to be real and credible. Roy H. Williams, best-selling author of the "Wizard of Ads" says, "Any claim made in your advertising which your customer does not perceive as the truth is a horrible waste of ad dollars."  Ivory soap's advertising success was attributed to its credible statement that ivory soap is the 99-44/100% pure. NordicTrack added enormous credibility from a University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse research study, ranking the cross-country ski exerciser first in the areas of weight loss, body fat reduction, and cardiovascular fitness.

3. Test Everything: Large businesses have a greater margin to waste capital and resources without testing advertising. Small businesses do not have the luxury. Use coupons, codes, and specials to measure the headline, timing, and placement of your ad. Test only one item at a time and one medium. Testing can be as simple as asking every customer for several weeks how they heard of your business.

4. Be Easy to Contact: Every single brochure, box, email and all company literature should have full contact information including: website and email address, phone and fax numbers, and company address. It seems simple but is forgotten by most companies. I know team members of VitaMist put stickers on the caps of their products so their customers always know how to get hold of them. Just think where can I put my information?  The answer is everywhere.

5. Match Ads to Target: Successful business advertising speaks to one target market only. To go back to the example of NordicTrack, the ads were tailored to each market. An ad in a medical publication preached the cardio-vascular benefits of cross-country skiing to heart patients. Ads in women's magazines discussed the weight-loss and calorie burn from cross-country skiing. Focus the message to the target group.

6. Create Curiosity: Successful business advertising does not sell a product or service. Create ads that generate interest and make the customer want more information.  Having a poor response is not the medium's fault. Often the problem is the message. Small business advertising is not a quick fix solution to marketing your company. It takes planning, testing and constant exposure to have an impact on your business. Done correctly, business advertising can be a winning strategy.

More about the VitaMist Affiliate Program...
SEO Marketing
VitaMist Affiliate
Waibel Online

You can blog better

When it comes to SEO, blogging is a must. You want to communicate what you know and how you can help your visitor with whatever it is you are offering.
Did you like that last statement?
Do you know WHY you liked it? In a word, "YOU"!
The most effective keyword you can have in a blog post or twitter post is the word “You”. “You” makes the post familiar. Using generic words like them, they, us, me and I are not as effective.
Make your articles focused on the reader, not the writer OR the product. You can only motivate your reader when they think you are talking directly to them.
Let’s be honest, people are basically interested in fulfilling their own desires. If you don’t appease them, aren’t interesting to them, offering them value, they will not be back, they will find that post that does.
So, you change your post to be directed to the reader. What happens? YOU become the next viral buzz!
Next time you blog, before you post it, count the numbers of “you” words. Count the “I” and “me” words and adjust. Make the post about and for your reader.

Cooking the Cougar Way

Okay, let's face it, part of being a cougar is being mindful that you've wrapped up your time as chief cook and bottle washer and have reached the continuous tenure in your chronicles when you do what you want when you want. While memories of days consumed putting nourishing meals on the table every night are sweet, they are dead and gone and not missed. Cooking is done when and only when they feel like it, it is no longer a project expected of you by those who would otherwise starve were it not for your dedication.
So why a website about cooking with cougars? They happen to be the most experienced cooks in the world, possessing skills that can not be taught in any culinary school. These women can take fifty dollars and turn it into seven extraordinary well balanced meals without even thinking. These women are able to purchase in bulk and turn one average pot roast into three completely diverse meals. These women are the reason comfort food exists. So, while it's not something you would opt to do given the choice, you can cook cougar.

I work from home, do you?

The data collection business did over $14 Billion in revenue last year; A 12 point record on an individual is worth up to $35.00 and a 7 point record on a business is worth up to $10.00; The Direct Marketing Association says companies spent $191 billion last year on direct- response advertising. The category that includes direct mail and telephone solicitations produced $1.7 trillion in revenue.

Automobile and Truck Tag data entry is just the tip of the iceberg and are only Phase One of the Data Network Affiliates simple plan of action. We have begun to roll out DNA Connects (Phase Two) which will offer even more income opportunities and be just as simple to obtain. More information...

The Department of Justice reported 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied resulting in an average of 2,185 children being reported missing each day; 203,900 children were victims of family abductions; 58,200 children were victims of non- family abductions. ONLY 492 children since 1997, has the AMBER Alert program been credited for the safe recovery. DNA can help in such safe recoveries. If DNA helped save ONE MORE CHILD it’s worth it?

Just to surf can be enough

I have been surfing the net and have just fell in love with UrbanSpoon.com.

I use Urbanspoon to keep track of my most and least favorite restaurants. If you use Urbanspoon too we can compare notes on the best places to eat.


Urbanspoon is a website where you can find everything there is to know about local restaurants -- with menus and maps, as well as reviews from newspaper critics and food blogs.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/

What a GREAT Weekend!

I had one of the best surprises a father could get... Seeing one of my children! I know, that sounds kind of lame but let me explain...


My daughter Jordan got married last September and moved to Colorado Springs. Ok, I can deal, only 12 hours from Phoenix. Nathan, her husband, just got out of the Army (A special THANK YOU to him and to ALL Military Personnel. Without you and your sacrifices, we would not be who we are today!). Well, they are moving to Virginia for his Active Reserve time. His parents live out there and the kids have some great plans. BUT, that means that she is no longer 12 hours away, more like 3 DAYS away.

When I found out they were leaving, I asked them if they thought they would have a chance to come down to Phoenix and see us. They didn’t sound to hopeful, so I left it as I needed to save up some money and get Ruby and I out to visit them once they got settled.

Well, Saturday afternoon I got the Big Surprise! Jordan and Nathan WERE able to make it to Phoenix! I was almost speechless. For the first time in over 9 months, all five of my kids, their respective partners, and my 4 grand babies were all here! I was so happy!

I have to admit that Saturday and Sunday count as two of the most awesome days in my life. Special thanks to my loving wife, Ruby, my best friends Paul & Vicky and all those who knew and never told me! You all rock and are all much loved!

Need a vacation and SUNS playoff tickets!!!

Vacations are a very important part of Stress relief, productivity and health. Elizabeth Scott, M.S. agrees. “Many people don’t take vacations often enough.” Over 50% of working people do not take an annual vacation, many have NEVER taken one! One of the main reasons people use is the cost. Yes, a vacation at, say Los Abrigados or the Legacy Golf Resort, if you DON’T own, can be over $1000 a week! The answer is as simple as TIMESHARE!

That’s right, with a timeshare, you can vacation every year without staying at a Motel 6, Super 8, Billy's Motel and Tackle… You get the picture. Believe it or not, you don’t have to spend tens of thousands to buy a time share! Mike at Timeshares for Sale Info has the expertise to help you get a timeshare and use it. Timeshare is real estate. That means you can will it to your children, a charity, whatever you choose. Take a vacation!

Lets here it for the PHOENIX SUNS! Sunday night, the SUNS were down 2-0 to the Lakers. Suns came out, used a zone defense and TOTALLY kicked it! A 118-109 victory now has the our Phoenix Suns only one game down in the Western Conference Finals. Amer’e was instrumental in the victory with Nash pumping up the team almost every minute of the game. Tonight, you will see Game 4 on TNT.

GO SUNS!

How can I pay THAT bill?

They just keep coming and coming.  Bills...Notices...Phone calls...

I decided that "ignorance is NOT bliss" and headed out to see if I could do something about my income.
Data Network Affiliates
I found Data Network Affiliates and they have more than one way of making that extra buck or two. From license plates to cell phones and sleep systems. Best part, ITS FREE TO JOIN! That's right, FREE! I joined little over a month ago and am eagerly awaiting my first check!

Free and Easy:
Here is how it works. You sign up for FREE. You put in 20 license plates a month EASY... WHAT!!!!

Now, before you get all freaky, this is NOT an invasion of privacy and we are not doing Big Brothers job! What we are doing is creating a data base with the locations, dates and times that we, the members, have seen a license plate. When an Amber Alert is made, the local law enforcement officers can request from D.N.A., via the plate number, where we, the members, may have seen the license plate. This can seriously narrow down a search area and get the child back even faster. I've heard the "Well the police have access to the DMV!" and that is very true. But that tells them where you live, not where you have been!!!!
Now, you can, like me, become a PRO AFFILIATE. Yeah, there is a cost but the rewards are even better.

Bottom line, it is free to join, easy to do, makes you a little extra cash and just might help save a child.
JOIN TODAY!