Now Appearing in an Extended Engagement! Join David Robison as he takes you into his world and his daily life of reviving a stand-up comedy career. Prepare for side trips exploring the "art" of salesmanship and business ethics and his experience with Multi-level Marketing. Enjoy some frequent detours describing his observations on life. Read the exploits of this self-proclaimed Renaissance-man and blooming blogger as you go
On The Road With Dave.
I'm home for ten glorious days. Sorry for the delay in updating this blog.
I've finally helped move every stick, paper, and knick-knack from my partner's home in Maryland down to his new home in Alabama.
The last several days involved no Internet access and some "good" 14-hour-long work days. I hope my absence wasn't too conspicuous.
The next few updates may include some double updates on some days in order to get my "entry" statistics back up to normal. So check back here, and check back often.
This is a quote of my own. In this day of internet spam, pop-up ads, hype, and deception. This is the way I conduct my business:
"It's not about throwing mud against the wall and seeing what sticks, it's better to just tear the wall down and see who steps through." --Dave Robison
But..I have a good reason. I was getting ready for my partner's garage sale that took place today.
Now, this wasn't your ordinary garage sale, with knick-knacks and old clothes and glass Coca-cola bottles. We sold a boat, had two trucks for sale, riding lawn mowers, lumber, lighting fixtures, handicapped retro-fit accessories, 5 computers, power equipment, and the list went on. We accepted American Express, Visa, and MasterCard.
At days end we netted over $1700. That was from 6:30 am to a little after noon.
The way I figure it is; if we sold it, we wouldn't have to move it.
I actually met more people in 4 hours than I have the entire time I have spent in Maryland. Most everyone was friendly. I even met a couple originally from Kentucky, and we both felt "at home" talking to each other. Us Southerners sure know how to bond.
If you haven't met your neighbors yet, or you like to listen about the lives of other people, my suggestion is to have a yard sale. What you don't earn in money, you earn in knowledge about the people around you.
I joined BlogShares today. It's a fantasy stock trading game and website devoted to; you guessed it! Blogs. A link is provided in my sidebar. I haven't fully investigated the site yet, but it looks interesting. Check it out.
with a duck on his head. The doctor says, "Can I help you?" And the duck says, "yeah, can you get this guy off my ass?"
No, that's NOT the kind of jokes I want to tell in my upcoming revival of my comedy career.
One thing that I have noticed in my frequent traveling these days; is that, distances that I thought were such a pain in the past, are now a breeze.
Take for instance, Atlanta, Georgia. I used to think driving the almost 6 hours to Atlanta, and then fighting the traffic was more than I could handle. I was wrong.
So, in keeping with the classic joke I told earlier, I want to embark to a "classic" comedy club. The Punchline in Atlanta is my target. The Punchline is over 22 years old and thriving with the latest comics appearing on your local TV screen.
I know that I need to finish working on my "act" and I need to get a few more "ducks in a row"; but I'm making plans to finally debut my efforts at the Punchline.
There are still many details to work out, and it probably won't materialize until early fall, but this is my goal. I'm making it public here.
I'm now at a resident-type hotel in Maryland. Most of my partner's belongings have been moved South. He is planning a massive yard sale this weekend.
We still have 3 "jobs" to complete for clients before the final move and the "closing" on his house in Maryland.
We start those jobs this week. I hope to be back home on Aug 1, (or before.) :::crosses fingers:::
I have a few thoughts percolating in my mind about some future plans for myself, but after 10 hours of driving today, I'm too tired to write about them now. So, remind me this week and I'll try to spell them out in more detail. KEYWORD: ATLANTA.
If it is your desire to build a strong Internet presence; then you undoubtedly participate in message board forums, chat rooms, blogging, and internet communities.
This is a great way to meet people, establish business contacts, and let others know your thoughts. But, with these advantages, also comes exposing some of your vulnerabilities and shortcomings.
I had a recent encounter with an "internet bully". I opened myself and was later "attacked" and harassed.
A close friend sent me the following. It's good advice.
It is my understanding that these commandments were once attributed to Mother Teresa, but they are in actuality, sourced to a Dr. Kent Keith.
THE PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
July 14 - 17 was the Annual Vent Haven Convention held in Ft. Mitchell, KY, just south of Cincinnati,OH; Ventriloquists all over the world converge to this city annually to learn, socialize and view one of the largest, if not the largest collection of Ventriloquist figures in the world.
I was not able to attend this year, although it was planned. Maybe next year. If I am to pursue a dream of revitalizing my comedy career this is a must-attend event. It will give me a chance to make some new contacts and meet some people face-to-face that I have only talked to online.
Following is an article, posted at the Vent Haven website.
In the early 1900's, while on a business trip to New York, Northern Kentucky businessman W.S.Berger saw his first ventriloquist in a vaudeville show. It was Harry "The Great" Lester, and so taken was Mr. Berger with Lester's performance, that the two struck up a friendship; thus W.S.Berger began a lifelong interest in the art of ventriloquism.
Eventually, W.S. befriended most of the professional vents working around the world, and for more than 60 years he corresponded with great enthusiasm.
By the 1930's, he was actively collecting figures and memorabilia relating to the art, with his growing collection gaining a reputation in ventriloquist circles...so much so, that by the 1930's many retiring vaudeville era vents began to give or will their figures to the place that came to be called The Vent Haven.
By the time he passed away in 1972 at the age of 93, Mr. Berger had amassed the largest and finest collection of ventriloquism-related ephemera anywhere. Ten years before he died, Mr. Berger set up a trust fund to ensure that future generations would be able to see his unique collection. An advisory board made up of prominent ventriloquist performers, figuremakers and researchers offers suggestions and input to the administrators of the trust.
Today, Vent Haven Museum houses what is still the largest known collection of ventriloquial material in the world. Besides the approximately 500 ventriloquist figures in the Museum, there are hundreds of volumes on ventriloquism in the Vent Haven library including books in 8 languages dating back to the eighteenth century. The library also contains ventriloquism courses, sheet music, scripts, pamphlets, vintage playbills and broadsides, records, tape recordings and even films - certainly the largest collection of printed material devoted to ventriloquism.
The Museum also contains countless novelty items and memorabilia: talking canes, hand-carved miniature figures, drinking glasses and other props used by ventriloquial performers...even a grandfather's clock that turns into a dummy and a talking painting! There are cabinets of costumes, and a "rogues" gallery of over a thousand autographed pictures of vents from around the world.
Since 1975, Vent Haven Museum annually played host to the INTERNATIONAL VENTRILOQUIST CONVENTION, the largest and longest continuously running gathering of this type. In 2001, Vent Haven celebrated its 25th Annual Convention!
Under the direction of new curator Lisa Sweasy, there are some exciting new things afoot at Vent Haven. An extensive cataloguing project is underway, as well as future plans for an expanded display area and a new library. Like a visit to Mecca, every vent should see this fantastic collection at least once...there is none like it anywhere!! Most importantly...Vent Haven is still going strong and still growing, with new donations and acquisitions continuing to come in every year!
VENT HAVEN MUSEUM INC. 33 West Maple Avenue Fort Mitchell, KY 41011
It's late at night. I'm at a hotel in Archdale, NC headed south.
The convoy features my partner in a cargo van pulling a 7x12 CargoPro enclosed trailer. I'm in a Dodge Ram pulling a open small trailer hauling various lawn equipment. My partner's wife is following in a car along with two dogs.
We have been on the road about 8 hours. We would have been to the famous Peachoid of Gaffney, SC by now, but the brand new CargoPro trailer had a flat. A serious design flaw in the wheel well of the trailer, managed to wear and cut a nice size hole in one of the tires.
This trailer is brand new(as in bought two days ago). It now has two brand new tires on it again, and a "strongly worded letter" will be composed and sent to the dealer who sold it to us as soon as we return again from Down South on Sunday.
We continue the convoy first thing Friday Morning.
Yep. Back on June 14, 2004, I took up the gauntlet handed to me and began my journey into blogging.
It's been an interesting month.
As I first wrote in my description of this blog, this was my blogging debut. The blog's focus is to let you in on my life. In case you have just joined this little journal; I'm a man with many different interests. Currently I'm a partner in a handyman/home renovation business. I work a lot on the road in Maryland, where my partner lives. Later on, the business will be relocating closer to my home and will take a new twist into real estate investing. We hope to purchase houses for resale and rental income. My partners have made a few purchases already. My part in that is small at the moment; but I have a plan implemented that will increase my stake as time goes by.
In my spare time, I operate a Multi-level Marketing(MLM) business online. I'm affiliated with Quixtar, Inc. A name that people either love or hate. I conduct business a little differently than most MLMers and I concentrate more on building the brand name "David Robison" more than anything else. As long as that "brand" stays consistent and practices business with integrity, I feel like I can accomplish a great deal within the MLM confines.
If you haven't been keeping up with my blog this month, then I should also let you know I have aspirations to be a comic one day. I'm already 42, so I need to put that little goal into action as well. So much to do, so little time.
Starting this blog has been an enjoyable and frustrating(at times) venture for me.
The greatest thing about blogging is it forces you to commit to writing something everyday. Searching for content for the 12 or so readers you may have.
It's an exercise in "thinking," writing, editing and above all it gives you a "voice" for those things you find important; as well as a chance to vent your emotions and thoughts to yourself, as well as others.
Early on, I sort of compared blogging to posting in internet forums and message boards. In my mind, the blogger posted a topic of interest and the readers were free to comment with dissent or agreement.
I posed this thought to a fellow Blogger and friend who had a very different perspective. One that I now totally agree with.
"Blogging is a very different creature than a forum or message board. Those formats will still be useful, necessary and used. What blogging does is allow personal publishing on a global scale. Think of it as a mini-Newspaper, online. The comments can be seen sort of like Letters to the Editor, in real time.
I like to use this analogy. Forums are like a town hall meeting where everyone at least gets a chance to be heard. It's purely democratic with a couple of moderators to keep things flowing. No one voice is able to dominate the others.
Blogging is like a call-in radio talk show. The show is purely the host's opinions, observations and interests but the callers add a bit of extra flavor and perspective. But those calls are tightly controlled by the host and they almost never dominate the show, at least not for the long haul." --Qblog
That sums it up perfectly. Anyway, thanks for hanging in there with me this past month!
A few months ago, I found a six pack of V8 vegetable juice in my friend's fridge. I have drank V8 before and occasionally tomato juice, but usually you'll find me with a Dr. Pepper in my hand. On the weekend I may enjoy a beer or two.
But, there the V8 sat, so I decided to pop open a can. I was hooked immediately. My routine began. I would have a glass every night about an hour before bedtime, most nights that time is spent in front of my computer monitor.
Now since I'm a Quixtar IBO, I decided to try Quixtar's version of V8. I'm not your typical Quixtar IBO, everything in my house does not have the Quixtar name on it. I normally purchase things from Quixtar based on what I think is a good value and if I truly use a product category that Quixtar supplies. And if I don't like a Quixtar product, I normally buy something else.
So, I decided to give Quixtar's Harvest 12 vegetable juice, a fair shake.
Let me say that I'm impressed. It's a thick, flavorful concoction with a good "zip" in taste. I normally use a dash of salt in the V8, but with Harvest 12, I don't find it necessary, and can drink it straight from the aseptic box, without transferring it to a glass.
So what's the difference in the two products?
V8 contains an 8 juice blend, hence the name.
Tomato Juice blend,
Vegetable Juice blend
Carrots
Celery
beets
parsley
lettuce
spinach
watercress
salt
Vitamin C
citric acid
Harvest 12 contains 4 more juices.
Tomato Juice blend,
Vegetable Juice blend
Carrots
Celery
beets
parsley
lettuce
spinach
watercress
Cabbage
Green Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Mushrooms
salt
citric acid
acerola concentrate
Natural carotene concentrate
Vitamin C
beta carotene
Vitamin E
Harvest 12 also contains 8 ounces in their single serving boxes compared to only 5.5 ounces in the V8 cans. V8 Juice's RDI on Vitamin A and C beats Harvest 12, but Harvest 12 beats V8 on Natural Sources for these two vitamins.
So, call me brainwashed, but I'm making the permanent switch to this Quixtar product. I'm sold!
V8 vegetable juice is a registered trademark and is distributed by the Campbell Soup Compnay
Harvest 12 is a registered trademark of Access Business Group, a division of Alticor, Inc. Distributed by Quixtar, Inc.
In my travels back and forth from Mobile, AL to Maryland over the past 5 months; I believe, I've made about 8 round trips. That's 1050 miles one way, so that adds up to be 16,800 miles in 5 months. You start to notice things after that many trips.
The route I take is I-270 to 495 to 95 to 85 to Interstate 65. If you are familiar with this route, then you'll know about some of what I talk about in this entry.
The first thing this poor Mississippi boy had to get use to was a 4 billion dollar blunder that some like to call the "Springfield Interchange"
Located in Virginia, this "interchange" connects 4 separate Interstates. It's supposed purpose is to alleviate traffic congestion in and around the area, as people converge upon the D.C. metro area.
But, at a top speed of 2.5 miles an hour, going through the interchange is a "joy and pleasure" no one should endure. If you get the chance, find an alternate route.
As you travel further into Virginia, you notice countless billboards as you approach Richmond, counting down the miles until you reach "Dockside Dolls", a local adult entertainment establishment (no, I haven't been there... yet)
The odd thing about this landmark is that as you pass the exit for this place, you can see it from the interstate. It's a nice looking building that shares a parking lot with none other than a house of worship. I suppose that if you feel guilty about going to the strip club, you can always go next door to confess your indiscretions.
So now; you're on Interstate 85 in South Carolina, and come to the town of Gaffney. In case you didn't know, South Carolina produces more peaches than Georgia.
You quickly become aware of this fact when you lay eyes on the Gaffney water tower, known as the Peachoid.
I attempted to capture a picture of this tower from the Gaffney, SC website and post it to my blog using the Hello software, but it would not copy well. So you have to go to the Peachoid link to see this I-85 landmark.
Maybe it's my crassness or "redneck" upbringing, but when you see this very lifelike peach in person, the thing that strikes you is the dimple of the peach and the small bump at the base of the dimple. The image makes one wonder why they didn't call the tower,
"The Peach Roid" instead of "Peachoid."
I don't know, maybe its just me.
After that, you may start watching for signs for "Bedtime Stories", an erotic adult toy store. It's quite popular late at night.
Once you enter Georgia, start looking for billboards that say "Topless Topless Topless"...hundreds of billboards. Then, you know you are within 50 miles of the famous Cafe Risque'. Open 24 hours, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. I hear that the "eggs benedict" is quite tasty.
Okay, don't get the wrong impression from these landmarks. In my travels along this route I have seen signs that advertise Civil War battlefields, The Charlotte Speedway, and NASCAR museums. I've been through Atlanta (Home of nightclubs, museums, CNN, and the Atlanta Braves.) There are also cities that bear the history of the civil rights movement and cemetaries filled with historical figures and heroes along the way as you travel south; but nothing that matches the "awe and wonderment" of these unique landmarks.
So, stop. Take some pictures. Enjoy yourself.
I'll see you on the road.
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and affection of children; to earn the
appreciation of honest critics and
endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty, to find the best
in others; to leave the world a bit
better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed
social condition; to know even
one life has breathed easier because
you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
As you know, I'm on the road a lot. As a matter of fact, I leave home this afternoon, again.
This time I was at home, I met a woman. I know, I know, this sort of thing usually happens while "the man" is on the road.
The problem is, she's married. She works close to 50 hours a week, raises 3 kids and takes care of her husband.
But she's gorgeous, funny, sexy, smart and loving. She's also quick to anger, but quicker to forgive.
Now, I can't stop thinking about her.
But what can I do? I leave today. I barely had a chance while home to see her, to get to know her, to tell her she has opened up my world, to let her know that I have fallen in love.
So this blog entry will stand as a record and a confession of my love.
If you have a regular 9-5 job, family, are trying to raise kids, following the war in Iraq, debating the merits of Farenheit 911, and are happily contemplating a debate between John Edwards and Dick Cheney; then the following entry won't interest you.
But if you are doing all these things AND trying your hand at Multi-Level Marketing; then keep reading.
You have probably experienced some objections, tackled some important issues,and maybe even been subjected to a fair dose of criticism.
I normally am questioned about 3 major issues.
1.Front-end loading
2.Can a MLM representative just be a "client" or customer?
3.Commission on Personal Purchases/Last Guy Makes No Money/Closed System Buyer's Club
I'll try to address each of these.
First: Front-end Loading is basically "buying your way to the top". The practice is normally brought up because somebody, somewhere, knows somebody's brother who has a garage full of products they were coerced into buying so they could achieve a "higher pin" in an MLM. They never sold the products, they quit, and they were left with this "useless" inventory
Front-end loading admittedly exists. The fine legal line is walked on daily in Direct Sales. It can be disguised in a Monthly order requirement, or your "best price" in getting started quickly. Maybe as a "Champion Pack" or "your first step in acquiring business credit". But, yes it exists.
Denying it doesn't make it go away. Now, legally there are remedies. Most Companies must buy back any unsold or unused products and sales aids thus offering a return of monies to reps that were persuaded or otherwise coerced into these purchases.
So, from a corporate standpoint, Direct Sales companies are covered legally. In the field, however, that's another matter. Only holding reps to the fire of scrutiny will lessen this occurrence.
Second: Representatives or distributors as customers: MLM reps use their products. So they are also clients. If a person builds an organization of other MLM reps, those reps start out slowly, maybe justpurchasinga few products to tryout. They begin simply as just clients purchasing their products at the "reps" price discount.
My Uncle Barney used to own a Piggly Wiggly (that's a grocery store, in case you were wondering) in Sardis, MS.
Every night after closing, my Aunt Dolly (BTW, these are their real names, LOL) would shop the aisles, fill up her cart, and write out a ticket to be placed in the register. Now, I'm unsure as to how they rung it up, I know they probably didn't have separate wholesale prices for themselves as some Direct Sales reps do, so I assume it was a 'loss" against sales. But since they had already purchased the products from the jobbers and shippers, somebody got paid for the groceries.
So, if we as Direct Sales people, use our own products and purchase them at wholesale, and keep the proper records; then in my mind, a rep's purchases can be counted as "sales" for any MLM company.
Third...and I know this is the big one: How do we justify this issue of commission on personal use? Why should a MLM rep be paid back a commission for his personal use of products or the use of products by those he signed up in his MLM?
Let's look at some history.
In 1940, Frank Beverdrige, founder of Stanley Home products, is credited to starting the "party plan". His reps used "hostesses" to invite friends over to buy Stanley Products. A barter arrangement was set up that paid the hostess in products. She had the expense of the party, but received products to offset her expenses. If she "ooed and ahhed" enough, her friends would buy more and she got more products.
In 1941, Casselberry and Mytinger decided to give reps in the California Vitamin Company an extra 3% discount wholesale if they sold over a certain amount. If they encouraged their reps to sell the same amount to receive this discount...then they would get a bigger discount. Thus the first MLM pay plan.
Both these plans took into consideration, that the hostess or the rep may also purchase some products themselves using the savings of the bigger discount or saving money on the free products bartered. Neither practice would actually earn money for the individual. In the case of the rep, only money came from the sale of products to retail customers. Anything he purchased for personal use, came out of those profits; and the money went to the company. (See Piggly-Wiggly example above). The only benefit came from the savings of wholesale pricing.
These personal use discounts along with retail profit were given back to the rep in the form of commission.
The problem begins when reps are no longer encouraged to sell products directly to the public. We established that a rep could be a customer of his own business; and most will say that the rep wouldn't be a customer unless they were "sold" on being a rep in the first place. So many began pushing the opportunity of MLM as "simply buying from your own store" and making money. They view the rep as more client than business owner. This practice can encourage the new rep/customer to purchase more than he needs, and gives him the incentive to encourage others to do likewise. This is where the complaints about MLM "money-making" begins. You are correct. It does encourage the unethical to perpetuate this practice.
But, the flaw is not in the MLM pay plan, nor the MLM-compensation Direct Sales companies, but with individual reps that seek to tweak the plan in their favor.
But even now, legal remedies are in place to prevent the last man in from being left "holding the bag". One of the litmus tests of whether a scheme is an illegal pyramid or not seems to be if the last guy in can make money, then it's legitimate. In MLM, he can, if he sells something.
Rules are also in place to audit personal sales vs. retail sales. Independent reps may also set their own prices above or below suggested retail to increase cash flow or provide client incentives. Product return policies are also in place. Also, some companies provide their representatives with representation at the corporate level to insure policy changes do not adversely affect those workers in the field.
The industry has flaws. It does attract those that seem to want to tweak any compensation plan to their favor and to the detriment of others. Unethical business practices abound in society, in all areas.
In order to overcome these issues, practice the mantra;
Do your research.
Pick your business partners carefully.
Research your market.
Avoid the hype and exaggerated income claims.
And corny as it sounds, Do unto others as you would have them do to you
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. After a few seconds of arguing over which one should go and answer the doorbell, the wife gives up, quickly wraps herself up in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next door neighbor.
Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you 800 dollars to drop that towel that you have on." After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her 800 dollars
and leaves.
Confused, but excited about her good fortune, the woman
wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets back to the bathroom, her husband asks from the shower "Who was that?" "
It was Bob the next door neighbor," she replies. "Great," the husband says, "did he say anything about the 800 dollars he owes me?"
Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk in advance with your stakeholders, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.
* Corporate lesson 2
A priest was driving along and saw a nun on the side of the road. He stopped and offered her a lift which she accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to open and reveal a lovely leg.
The Priest had a look and nearly had an accident. After controlling the car,he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun looked at him and immediately said, "Father, remember psalm 129?"
The priest was flustered and apologized profusely. He forced himself to remove his hand. However, he was unable to remove his eyes from her leg. Further on while changing
gear, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, "Father, remember psalm 129?" Once again the priest apologized. "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak."
Arriving at the convent, the nun got out gave him a meaningful glance and went on her way. On his arrival at the
church, the priest rushed to retrieve a bible and looked up psalm 129.
It Said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."
Moral of the story: Always be well informed in your job, or you might miss a great opportunity!
* Corporate Lesson 3
Usually the shop-floor staff of the company play football. The Middle level managers are more interested in tennis. The top management usually has a preference for golf.
Finding: As you go up the corporate ladder, the balls reduce in size.
* Corporate Lesson 4
A sales representative, an administration clerk and their manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a genie comes out in a puff of smoke.
The Genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one."
"Me first ! Me first !" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof! he's gone.
"Me next. Me next " says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of pina coladas and the love of my life beside me." Poof! He's gone.
"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
One of the things the south is noted for is the abundance of artists, writers, actors.
William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, John Grisham, all hail from the great state of Mississippi.
A few years back, my wife and I discovered an artist's work that we fell in love with. His use of vibrant colors in his watercolors, his ability to capture the architecture of the "old south", the emotion he is able to instill into a painting of clothes drying on a clothesline.
There's a country song out now, that laments, "can you paint me to Birmingham" reminds me of this artist, in that he has often "painted me" back to New Orleans or Oxford, MS, or Jackson.
If you want to see this man's work, go to the site of Artist, Wyatt Waters; you won't be disappointed.
"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government."
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), from the Declaration of Independence
I'll be updating you on that trip from hell, in a later entry.
But, I made an order for my Quixtar business right before I left Maryland on June 30, and when I signed back on to my computer today I found this out:
IBOs Set New One-Day Sales Record
$11.3 million in sales on June 30
Independent Business Owners powered by Quixtar generated $11.3 million in sales on June 30, once again setting a record for single-day sales. This newest achievement beat the previous record of $11 million, set just three months earlier on March 31.
"This outstanding - and ongoing - sales performance, fueled by the success of our exciting, new Sports Nutrition product line, is indicative why Internet Retailer has ranked Quixtar as the number-one health and beauty site," said Ken McDonald, Quixtar's Managing Director. "This latest accomplishment by IBOs is just one more example of their strong commitment to growing their businesses and the power of our I-commerce business model."
Okay, I didn't exactly order a million dollars worth of stuff, but it was a pretty good order, so that makes me a part of the record-breaking day!
Anyway it's good to be home for the next week or two. I have lots to catch up on, and I hope to relay to you a few entries on our trip from Maryland; and whats going on here on the sunny Gulf Coast.
Until then, relax, take your shoes off and unwind. That's what I'm doing.
