at7:30 amThe brilliant Any Other Woman have me on them again talking about how I met M. So if you want to see my version of events and see many pictures of us together over the last five years then please do head over!
And to put you in a romantic mood for I would recommend you pop this on while you read. This is one of our favourite songs and I think it goes well with the story (at least part a certain part!).
Enjoy!
Tags:feeling grateful,London,love,nostalgiaEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook4 comments:
ads
Saturday 13 July 2013
Share Health Update
at7:30 amWhen I last wrote about this I was finding exercise a breeze, loving vitamin D and SAD lights but massively sabotaging myself by eating lots of chocolate and drinking lots of fizzy drinks at work.
I was also failing miserably at getting my repeat presciptions filled and therefore letting my health slide back as a result of that. I was also using shower stuff that disagreed with my skin, exacerbating stuff there and using shampoo that made my hair and head unhappy. I was very much in a two steps forward, two steps back scenario.
Which brings us to now. I have now completed my second full week of no snacks or fizzy drinks at work, and it is really making a difference. Instead I go for a walk, drink water and rest. The change is a small one but I can feel that it will have lots of good long term benefits (no more sugar crashes at my desk, weight loss, money saving) and it seems to have really helped my mood too, but some of that might be the change in weather. We'll see if I keep it up, but I have gone about six months in the past where I managed it before I fell back into the trap of doing it once and then every day.
I think I wasn't really honest with myself about how bad it had got. I was having chocolate every time I had a hard day, and Spring Term is pretty much all hard days! This meant that on particularly hard days I would eat a chocolate bar, some fizzy pop AND a sharing bag of chocolates, or a muffin, or a cake. It all mounts up pretty quickly.
From this week I'm getting some greens in and making my own packed lunches. More money saving and more control than ever before. I'm really enjoying it.
I've changed all the products I was not using that should and am back on my regular prescription which has been amazingly valuable. I've also started early on the anti-histamines to help prepare for summer hayfever season. I've kept up the vitamin D but wonderfully no longer need the SAD light and wake up alarm.
The last two weeks have been very high stress so there has been very little sleeping done, but I feel like I'm getting my balance back on that.
And now I have recovered from my burns and blisters I am back on the exercise wagon. It feels so good to me moving again and feeling strong. In and amongst the busy/sleepy/stressed I've been feeling more in control again, feeling more content and feeling more like me and that was always the main goal of all of this.
How are you getting on with any health goals you set yourself for 2013?
Tags:#ShareHealth,happiness,health,Spring,strength,sunshine,thinkingEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook5 comments:
I was also failing miserably at getting my repeat presciptions filled and therefore letting my health slide back as a result of that. I was also using shower stuff that disagreed with my skin, exacerbating stuff there and using shampoo that made my hair and head unhappy. I was very much in a two steps forward, two steps back scenario.
Which brings us to now. I have now completed my second full week of no snacks or fizzy drinks at work, and it is really making a difference. Instead I go for a walk, drink water and rest. The change is a small one but I can feel that it will have lots of good long term benefits (no more sugar crashes at my desk, weight loss, money saving) and it seems to have really helped my mood too, but some of that might be the change in weather. We'll see if I keep it up, but I have gone about six months in the past where I managed it before I fell back into the trap of doing it once and then every day.
I think I wasn't really honest with myself about how bad it had got. I was having chocolate every time I had a hard day, and Spring Term is pretty much all hard days! This meant that on particularly hard days I would eat a chocolate bar, some fizzy pop AND a sharing bag of chocolates, or a muffin, or a cake. It all mounts up pretty quickly.
From this week I'm getting some greens in and making my own packed lunches. More money saving and more control than ever before. I'm really enjoying it.
I've changed all the products I was not using that should and am back on my regular prescription which has been amazingly valuable. I've also started early on the anti-histamines to help prepare for summer hayfever season. I've kept up the vitamin D but wonderfully no longer need the SAD light and wake up alarm.
The last two weeks have been very high stress so there has been very little sleeping done, but I feel like I'm getting my balance back on that.
And now I have recovered from my burns and blisters I am back on the exercise wagon. It feels so good to me moving again and feeling strong. In and amongst the busy/sleepy/stressed I've been feeling more in control again, feeling more content and feeling more like me and that was always the main goal of all of this.
How are you getting on with any health goals you set yourself for 2013?
Tags:#ShareHealth,happiness,health,Spring,strength,sunshine,thinkingEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook5 comments:
Monday Music: Back to the Future, I mean 80s...
at7:00 amOn Saturday we are having my sister's 40th birthday party and in preparation we have been preparing a 1980s playlist. When I think of the 1980s I tend to think of 1980s pop music. I think this is because I was born in 1983!
To make the playlist though I had to think of lots of songs that were not just the obvious 80s pop tunes and here are some of them to start your working week!
NWA- Express Yourself
Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Ain't Nobody - Rufus and Chaka Khan
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Smiths - The Boy With the Thorn in His Side
The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
The Cult and the Cure scared me in the 1980s - as did my sister's poster of Michael Stipe - I thought he was going to climb off the wall and kill me in my sleep (really!). She also had loads of Salvador Dali postcards, and a Winston Churchill poster. We shared a room and as the oldest she got most say in how it looked and what we listened to! In addition to being a bit of a goth, and then a raver, she also had an impossible to shift crush on Feargal Sharkey and still has a crush on Peter Capaldi. I think former punks must be her bag!
What is your favourite song from the 1980s? Do you have any memories from the 1980s you want to share?Tags:family,Monday Music,music,nostalgiaEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
To make the playlist though I had to think of lots of songs that were not just the obvious 80s pop tunes and here are some of them to start your working week!
NWA- Express Yourself
Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Ain't Nobody - Rufus and Chaka Khan
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Smiths - The Boy With the Thorn in His Side
The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
The Cult and the Cure scared me in the 1980s - as did my sister's poster of Michael Stipe - I thought he was going to climb off the wall and kill me in my sleep (really!). She also had loads of Salvador Dali postcards, and a Winston Churchill poster. We shared a room and as the oldest she got most say in how it looked and what we listened to! In addition to being a bit of a goth, and then a raver, she also had an impossible to shift crush on Feargal Sharkey and still has a crush on Peter Capaldi. I think former punks must be her bag!
What is your favourite song from the 1980s? Do you have any memories from the 1980s you want to share?Tags:family,Monday Music,music,nostalgiaEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
I love to read your comments, and always do read them and reply, even if it takes me a couple of days.
Newer PostOlder PostHomeSubscribe to:Post Comments (Atom)Tuesday Music? Willy Mason
at7:30 amIt seems I have been behind on everything lately (except work - catching up at work has made me behind on blogging, blog reading, personal correspondence, housework, you name it). This is one of the busiest times of year I have at work and to be honest I'm struggling a bit out of work as I am just so exhausted from this all.
As you might know I lost my phone, I also lost loads of other things around the same time, and missed social plans as I did not have my phone with all the details of the arrangements. So the past few weeks I've felt a little bit lost.
The thing that helped me feel a little more found and grounded was suddenly deciding to listen to the entirety of Willy Mason's back catalogue. I keep forgetting I like Willy Mason and then remembering. His songs make me feel a lot better when I'm trying not to collapse on the train home!
So here are some of the songs I really love either by or featuring Willy Mason (who is over a year younger than me!):
Willy Mason - Save Myself
Willy Mason - Strong
Lianne le Havas feat Willy Mason - No Room for Doubt
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan feat Willy Mason - No Place to Fall
I did have a great weekend. It almost certainly wont make it here but we celebrated my sister and she had a great time. I'll hopefully be caught up with myself by next Monday with an on-time Monday Music post and some news (hopefully).Tags:being busy,Monday Music,music,workEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook2 comments:
As you might know I lost my phone, I also lost loads of other things around the same time, and missed social plans as I did not have my phone with all the details of the arrangements. So the past few weeks I've felt a little bit lost.
The thing that helped me feel a little more found and grounded was suddenly deciding to listen to the entirety of Willy Mason's back catalogue. I keep forgetting I like Willy Mason and then remembering. His songs make me feel a lot better when I'm trying not to collapse on the train home!
So here are some of the songs I really love either by or featuring Willy Mason (who is over a year younger than me!):
Willy Mason - Save Myself
Willy Mason - Strong
Lianne le Havas feat Willy Mason - No Room for Doubt
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan feat Willy Mason - No Place to Fall
I did have a great weekend. It almost certainly wont make it here but we celebrated my sister and she had a great time. I'll hopefully be caught up with myself by next Monday with an on-time Monday Music post and some news (hopefully).Tags:being busy,Monday Music,music,workEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook2 comments:
Spot the Difference
I did not want to do this so publicly but then I realised that if I did not I would do nothing about it.
In the picture where I have the purple top on I weigh just over a stone less than the picture of me with the white blouse on. The skirt is the same, it was a little loose in the purple picture and is a little tight in the white top picture.
When I was a student I walked EVERYWHERE as I could not afford to get the bus most of the tiem. I mean EVERYWHERE. Including sometimes walking a really long way to get to work and most of the time I walked up a really steep hill because, well, I lived at the bottom of it.
I also ate, pretty much always, food cooked from scratch as takeaways and convenience food were luxuries I could not afford. So I ate a lot of fresh vegetables from the market and a lot of quorn (it was cheaper than meat). Sometimes at the weekend I would treat myself to a Chomp and a bottle of Irn Bru.
When I moved to London I started being VERY sedentary. I used to commute for 3 hours a day and spent most of that sitting and reading. I then sat down at work, and at work we had free biscuits, which I ate pretty much every day. I ended up rigging my body to need sugar at about 11am and 4pm every day. I started to gain weight.
I then took up climbing (hurrah!) and changed jobs (hurrah) and though there was a communal biscuit tin I dipped in less often. My weight came down my confidence shot up and then I went through a massive break up.
Somewhere in that time I went from being okay as long as I was under X number of stone, to being X number of stone. Then somewhere a little later I went from being okay if I was under X
Monday Music - Vienna
at7:00 amAs you read this I will be heading home from Vienna where I will have attended the wedding of two very close friends.
As such I think you can guess what the last song from the list is likely to be.
But I have to be clear, I have finally started to look out some new music again and I have to say it is a good feeling. New music like this chilled bleepy bit of electronica. It is by D33J a Californian DJ who does cool things with beats and noises.
I also found I really like this "Ironworks" by Baths which is pretty much brand new from an LP called Obsidian which came out at the end of last month on Anticon. I missed his first album (which was fairly acclaimed I think) and think I might need to check that out too. I love the sound on this and the looping, off kilter backing.
As you might be able to tell, chilled music seems to be where it is at for me right now. I think I need it after the last few very hectic weeks! But of course as you read this I should be pretty chilled after some time in Vienna.
Ahem...
How was your weekend?Tags:Lexapalooza,love,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook5 comments:
As such I think you can guess what the last song from the list is likely to be.
But I have to be clear, I have finally started to look out some new music again and I have to say it is a good feeling. New music like this chilled bleepy bit of electronica. It is by D33J a Californian DJ who does cool things with beats and noises.
I also found I really like this "Ironworks" by Baths which is pretty much brand new from an LP called Obsidian which came out at the end of last month on Anticon. I missed his first album (which was fairly acclaimed I think) and think I might need to check that out too. I love the sound on this and the looping, off kilter backing.
As you might be able to tell, chilled music seems to be where it is at for me right now. I think I need it after the last few very hectic weeks! But of course as you read this I should be pretty chilled after some time in Vienna.
Ahem...
How was your weekend?Tags:Lexapalooza,love,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook5 comments:
Ah, Vienna
at7:30 amHere is the thing. I enjoyed Vienna so much I took almost no photos...
Those I did take I took on a rubbishy, very old iPhone. So here are some from my phone and some from M's phone. And with the scarce photos I have added some words.
Those I did take I took on a rubbishy, very old iPhone. So here are some from my phone and some from M's phone. And with the scarce photos I have added some words.
Catching up
Me on a day where I felt a bit ill but still wearing the zebra print jeans look - even if with slippers!
As you might be able to tell I am finally starting to catch my breath after May and lavish some care and attention on this here blog.
So some things that I have done
- changed the background to something more relaxing in line with my new interest in being more relaxed
- updated my profile picture to something more recent
- updated the books pages to be more reflective of what I have been reading, as I have been reading for a lot of this year, not that you would know from looking at the pages.
In addition to these updates, you might notice that on the books page I refer to a forthcoming review - that is going to be posted on Friday all being well and will be my first "proper" book review on this site, so I have given it a lot of consideration, particularly as many of my colleagues write book reviews, so I feel I need to keep up my end, despite not being an academic.
As you might be able to tell I am finally starting to catch my breath after May and lavish some care and attention on this here blog.
So some things that I have done
- changed the background to something more relaxing in line with my new interest in being more relaxed
- updated my profile picture to something more recent
- updated the books pages to be more reflective of what I have been reading, as I have been reading for a lot of this year, not that you would know from looking at the pages.
In addition to these updates, you might notice that on the books page I refer to a forthcoming review - that is going to be posted on Friday all being well and will be my first "proper" book review on this site, so I have given it a lot of consideration, particularly as many of my colleagues write book reviews, so I feel I need to keep up my end, despite not being an academic.
Monday Music - Arts and Crafts
at7:30 amI do love the Arts and Crafts record label, and this year to celebrate turning 10 they are doing a whole lot of exciting things, including exhibitions, music releases and an amazing festival in Toronto that Christy got to go to (SO VERY JEALOUS).
This post is therefore dedicated to the Arts and Crafts label and consists of this this brilliant CD they put together for thier birthday and are streaming on Soundcloud. It is sublime (and Christy got a free copy at Field Trip). Enjoy! Tags:Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook2 comments:
This post is therefore dedicated to the Arts and Crafts label and consists of this this brilliant CD they put together for thier birthday and are streaming on Soundcloud. It is sublime (and Christy got a free copy at Field Trip). Enjoy! Tags:Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook2 comments:
Late to the Party
at7:30 amI'm so VERY late to the if your blog was an outfit party started by Kirsty on A Safe Mooring but if my blog were an outfit I think it would look like this. Yes my blog would have the annoying iPhone boombox and something by F Scott Fitzgerald on hand for if it got bored. If you were wondering my blog is a MASSIVE David Bowie fan and really enjoyed the Five Years documentary the BBC recently showed.
I think the only thing about this outfit is it might not be colourful enough for my blog. What do you think? More pink required? Or is this outfit already enough of a hot mess?
I think the only thing about this outfit is it might not be colourful enough for my blog. What do you think? More pink required? Or is this outfit already enough of a hot mess?
True Faith
at7:30 amSo as you may remember I decided to pick a word for the year and that word was "genuine/authentic/true". I had in mind that if I was being more genuine and true I would feel less conflict and feel more free and comfortable.
I also had in mind that I would stop lying to myself and start facing myself in a more truthful way.
Halfway in to 2013 I can safely say that since I started this I now have less of an idea of who I am than when this year started. I have no clear ideas anymore about what my values or worth or plans are. I do not have a clue who or how I want to be. I feel completely and utterly lost and rudderless.
M is wise, and reckons this might be the beginning of my journey to whatever true is. That by losing my sense of self I might find it again in a more true place. I hope he is right!
For the rest, I am yet again trying to avoid seeing having stuff as a way to hide from having the rest of that stuff (ideas, plans, a sense of who I am) and instead am trying to embrace whatever it is I am on a journey with right now.
This is quite a scary place to be but at the same time kind of liberating. I really did not expect this to come from such a small thing as picking my word for the year but it has and for that I am grateful.
And here is yet another song with the word "true" in it...
Tags:genuine,health,honest,inspiration,openness,progress,word for the yearEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
I also had in mind that I would stop lying to myself and start facing myself in a more truthful way.
Halfway in to 2013 I can safely say that since I started this I now have less of an idea of who I am than when this year started. I have no clear ideas anymore about what my values or worth or plans are. I do not have a clue who or how I want to be. I feel completely and utterly lost and rudderless.
M is wise, and reckons this might be the beginning of my journey to whatever true is. That by losing my sense of self I might find it again in a more true place. I hope he is right!
For the rest, I am yet again trying to avoid seeing having stuff as a way to hide from having the rest of that stuff (ideas, plans, a sense of who I am) and instead am trying to embrace whatever it is I am on a journey with right now.
This is quite a scary place to be but at the same time kind of liberating. I really did not expect this to come from such a small thing as picking my word for the year but it has and for that I am grateful.
And here is yet another song with the word "true" in it...
Tags:genuine,health,honest,inspiration,openness,progress,word for the yearEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
I love to read your comments, and always do read them and reply, even if it takes me a couple of days.
Newer PostOlder PostHomeSubscribe to:Post Comments (Atom)Monday Music: Words in the Fire
at7:30 amYou all know by now how much I love Patrick Watson. I got Adventures in Your Own Back Yard some time ago now and though I liked it, I don't think I really got into it. Just the other week though, sitting at New Cross Station having missed a train and with a 30 minute wait for the next one in glorious sunshine, I got into this album.
At that point I realised that Word in the Fire might be shuffling some other Patrick Watson songs out of my top 5. I just love it. It is a song I want to live in, and it makes me day dream about one day having a fire pit in a back garden, sitting at it with M, writing down my troubles and watching them turn to dust in the flames. It summons a feeling of contentment and warmth and joy and I love it.
So this week I'm just posting one song, and the song is a little old but I love it so I really, really do not mind. I hope you do not mind either.
Enjoy!
Tags:Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook4 comments:
At that point I realised that Word in the Fire might be shuffling some other Patrick Watson songs out of my top 5. I just love it. It is a song I want to live in, and it makes me day dream about one day having a fire pit in a back garden, sitting at it with M, writing down my troubles and watching them turn to dust in the flames. It summons a feeling of contentment and warmth and joy and I love it.
So this week I'm just posting one song, and the song is a little old but I love it so I really, really do not mind. I hope you do not mind either.
Enjoy!
Tags:Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook4 comments:
1,2,3,4...
at7:30 amSo I recently posted that I wanted to lose 4% of my body weight every 4 weeks for a while and now the first 4 weeks are up, how did I do?
4% in this instance equates to about 6lbs, and as so far this year I have gained and lost the same 4lbs that is a figure that marks a breakthrough for me, and one that at the start of this process I set out to be the first of many.
The deal is this, I hit walls and as I get bigger the walls I hit are at higher and higher figures, but this does not mean they cannot be broken down. I think what happens each time is that before I break the wall down, I break. If I'm breaking then that wall is not going to go anywhere.
So how did I do?
Well.... I knew things were going much better when I fitted into my "test" trousers. Before I started, I could not do them up, now I can do them up but it is not advisable for me to do so (very uncomfortable and not yet flattering). I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that they fitted perfectly in May 2012 and focus on getting back into them instead!
As I knew my hormones would wreak havoc with my body in the last week of this four weeks I weighed myself a week early on 13th June and had lost one pound more than my target, but in the interests of fairness I weighed myself again yesterday. In two weeks of high stress the normal response for me is to gain a few pounds, partly as stress makes me hold onto weight and partly through comfort eating.
When I weighed myself yesterday I had lost 7lbs - that is one more than I was aiming for. I'm keeping my next target at 6 lbs but if it is 5lbs I'll still be on track! Hurrah!
And to finish as the number 4 has been on my mind A LOT. Here is 1,2,3,4 by Feist
Tags:#ShareHealth,healthEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook8 comments:
4% in this instance equates to about 6lbs, and as so far this year I have gained and lost the same 4lbs that is a figure that marks a breakthrough for me, and one that at the start of this process I set out to be the first of many.
The deal is this, I hit walls and as I get bigger the walls I hit are at higher and higher figures, but this does not mean they cannot be broken down. I think what happens each time is that before I break the wall down, I break. If I'm breaking then that wall is not going to go anywhere.
So how did I do?
Well.... I knew things were going much better when I fitted into my "test" trousers. Before I started, I could not do them up, now I can do them up but it is not advisable for me to do so (very uncomfortable and not yet flattering). I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that they fitted perfectly in May 2012 and focus on getting back into them instead!
As I knew my hormones would wreak havoc with my body in the last week of this four weeks I weighed myself a week early on 13th June and had lost one pound more than my target, but in the interests of fairness I weighed myself again yesterday. In two weeks of high stress the normal response for me is to gain a few pounds, partly as stress makes me hold onto weight and partly through comfort eating.
When I weighed myself yesterday I had lost 7lbs - that is one more than I was aiming for. I'm keeping my next target at 6 lbs but if it is 5lbs I'll still be on track! Hurrah!
And to finish as the number 4 has been on my mind A LOT. Here is 1,2,3,4 by Feist
Tags:#ShareHealth,healthEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook8 comments:
Monday Music: Love Songs
at7:30 amThis weekend I attended the wedding of two friends, and with two weddings attended this month, and our wedding anniversary coming up at the end of the month the whole thing got me feeling super soppy, so here are some love songs to start the week.
Massive Attack - Safe From Harm
Some might say it is less than romantic but it speaks of a fierce kind of love that I have always found riveting "If you hurt what's mine, I'll sure as hell retaliate"
Cinematic Orchestra - All That You Give
Just sit back and let this wash over you. I love Cinematic Orchestra.
Air - You Make it Easy
This is more of an obviously romantic song. So pretty. Makes me cry.
Ben Kweller - Falling
Pretty self evident why this is a love song.
This is by no means my favourite love songs. I left out Patrick Watson for one (as I cannot seem to stop posting Patrick Watson songs) and a whole bunch of silly songs that have significance for me and M, but this is a few songs to hopefully start your Monday with a smile.
Enjoy your week! Tags:joy,love,Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook4 comments:
Massive Attack - Safe From Harm
Some might say it is less than romantic but it speaks of a fierce kind of love that I have always found riveting "If you hurt what's mine, I'll sure as hell retaliate"
Cinematic Orchestra - All That You Give
Just sit back and let this wash over you. I love Cinematic Orchestra.
Air - You Make it Easy
This is more of an obviously romantic song. So pretty. Makes me cry.
Ben Kweller - Falling
Pretty self evident why this is a love song.
This is by no means my favourite love songs. I left out Patrick Watson for one (as I cannot seem to stop posting Patrick Watson songs) and a whole bunch of silly songs that have significance for me and M, but this is a few songs to hopefully start your Monday with a smile.
Enjoy your week! Tags:joy,love,Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook4 comments:
One year on - started as lovers don't know where it's going to end ...
Time keep on passing us byInto giants you can't stop us
From living out our livesAs we turned into a crowd of smiles
Jumping over all the bad timesFor ends to meet again
Monday Music: Electric Soft Parade
at7:30 amIdiots by The Electric Soft Parade came out last month on the 17th June.
They sent me an email (I'm on the mailing list) to celebrate the album coming out with a link to this video but sadly I was having a massively busy spell and failed to get round to listening to it for a couple of days. On that day though it was sunny, and summery and I had my windows open to let in the sound of drilling (hurrah?) but this song washed away the sound and took me to a summery place.
Electric Soft Parade - Summertime in my Heart
Though I took a few days to get around to listening to the song above, I had heard the equally summery sounding "Brother You Must Walk this Path Alone" on the radio and loved it. I think you will too. Check it out if you have not already heard it.
Electric Soft Parade - Brother You Must Walk This Path Alone
I'll admit that when I first heard The Electric Soft Parade I dismissed them (I think I'd probably only heard "Silent to the Dark", which is actually pretty good) and I have memories of dissing them to an ex-boyfriend around the time they came out, but frankly that shows what I knew back when I was a 19 year old know it all
They sent me an email (I'm on the mailing list) to celebrate the album coming out with a link to this video but sadly I was having a massively busy spell and failed to get round to listening to it for a couple of days. On that day though it was sunny, and summery and I had my windows open to let in the sound of drilling (hurrah?) but this song washed away the sound and took me to a summery place.
Electric Soft Parade - Summertime in my Heart
Though I took a few days to get around to listening to the song above, I had heard the equally summery sounding "Brother You Must Walk this Path Alone" on the radio and loved it. I think you will too. Check it out if you have not already heard it.
Electric Soft Parade - Brother You Must Walk This Path Alone
I'll admit that when I first heard The Electric Soft Parade I dismissed them (I think I'd probably only heard "Silent to the Dark", which is actually pretty good) and I have memories of dissing them to an ex-boyfriend around the time they came out, but frankly that shows what I knew back when I was a 19 year old know it all
Daily Photo Project
First eight photos of tracking my progressSo I said I'd take a photo every day to help me work on my weight and my style and I've more or less done just that...
Follow my blog on Bloglovin
at7:30 amThis post is just a quick reminder that Google Reader is going on 1st July and if you want to still be able to read my ramblings then you will need to find an alternative feed source.
I use Bloglovin and I really like it. It has a nice simple colour scheme and a clean layout.
So if you want to follow my blog over there, you can set up an account (either email and username or via Facebook or Twitter) and then import all your Google Reader feeds right into it. That simple!
Even better if you were having problems unfollowing any blogs (hopefully not mine!) in Google Reader that problem does not apply to Bloglovin so you may be able to have a little bit of a clean out while you are at it.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
I use Bloglovin and I really like it. It has a nice simple colour scheme and a clean layout.
So if you want to follow my blog over there, you can set up an account (either email and username or via Facebook or Twitter) and then import all your Google Reader feeds right into it. That simple!
Even better if you were having problems unfollowing any blogs (hopefully not mine!) in Google Reader that problem does not apply to Bloglovin so you may be able to have a little bit of a clean out while you are at it.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
I love to read your comments, and always do read them and reply, even if it takes me a couple of days.
Newer PostOlder PostHomeSubscribe to:Post Comments (Atom)Stop running your mouth, get out of the house
at7:30 amThis post may end up shooting me in the foot, as this may be something that happens only to me and just makes me feel like a complete weirdo, but then maybe I am not the only one and this will make me feel better. I have no idea, but here goes:
In social situations I often get the feeling I am doing something wrong. Then, knowing I am doing something wrong I try to identify what it is I am doing wrong. While trying to figure this out, I try to cover up that I am frantically working out what I am doing wrong. This usually means I am doing the wrong thing more and more. I have no idea how to stop doing the wrong thing. Then the people I know look bored or annoyed and then they walk off.
When they walk off I then usually try to hide, because I know I should not be around people in that state, but it is generally pretty hard to hide in sociable situations (there is only so long you can stay in the toilets - particularly if they are out of order and a bit whiffy) so then I just want to go home. I feel exhausted when this happens.
This does not happen all the time. I still can't tell if it happens less around nice people, or people I am comfortable with or just less when I feel better in myself, but it does not always happen.
The thing is I even feel pretty wiped when I've been around people and this has not happened. When I've had great chats and laughed a lot and been silly and had fun. I know some people feel energised by being around people, but I struggle sometimes even with people I really love. After an evening with people I just want to curl up and sleep and hide, and it is only since I read How to Avoid a People Hangover that I realised both that other people felt this way, and that actually a lot of people I love have no idea how I feel.
Realising how some people I love HAVE NO IDEA what this feels like was actually quite freeing, as it means I was then able to explain that the sadness I feel after hanging out with people, is not always that it has ended, it is sometimes just sadness because I am so wiped from being around them, even if I loved it at the time.
So this is basically a post asking for tips. I am often struggling to find questions to ask people that don't sound like rubbish small talk, and ways to be there when a conversation is happening where I have nothing to add without feeling like I should just run away as I am just in the way of the conversation (even though it is often really interesting). As I said this does not happen all the time, and, for reasons I cannot fathom, being around some people just makes me want to cry, or sleep or run away, regardless of how they are acting.
I've discovered that the more I socialise in one week, the more I wear down my ability to do it "right" so I'm starting to look at how I plan my social life to allow me to be better around people more often and feel less of the rabbit in the headlights feeling.
So this post is really over to you. Do you have any ideas on how to work on this? Anything you've tried that works? Are you one of those people who finds this energising and effortless and what is that like?
In other words - help!
(blog title taken from the lyrics to Synthesisers by Butch Walker)Tags:honest,openness,thinkingEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook2 comments:
In social situations I often get the feeling I am doing something wrong. Then, knowing I am doing something wrong I try to identify what it is I am doing wrong. While trying to figure this out, I try to cover up that I am frantically working out what I am doing wrong. This usually means I am doing the wrong thing more and more. I have no idea how to stop doing the wrong thing. Then the people I know look bored or annoyed and then they walk off.
When they walk off I then usually try to hide, because I know I should not be around people in that state, but it is generally pretty hard to hide in sociable situations (there is only so long you can stay in the toilets - particularly if they are out of order and a bit whiffy) so then I just want to go home. I feel exhausted when this happens.
This does not happen all the time. I still can't tell if it happens less around nice people, or people I am comfortable with or just less when I feel better in myself, but it does not always happen.
The thing is I even feel pretty wiped when I've been around people and this has not happened. When I've had great chats and laughed a lot and been silly and had fun. I know some people feel energised by being around people, but I struggle sometimes even with people I really love. After an evening with people I just want to curl up and sleep and hide, and it is only since I read How to Avoid a People Hangover that I realised both that other people felt this way, and that actually a lot of people I love have no idea how I feel.
Realising how some people I love HAVE NO IDEA what this feels like was actually quite freeing, as it means I was then able to explain that the sadness I feel after hanging out with people, is not always that it has ended, it is sometimes just sadness because I am so wiped from being around them, even if I loved it at the time.
So this is basically a post asking for tips. I am often struggling to find questions to ask people that don't sound like rubbish small talk, and ways to be there when a conversation is happening where I have nothing to add without feeling like I should just run away as I am just in the way of the conversation (even though it is often really interesting). As I said this does not happen all the time, and, for reasons I cannot fathom, being around some people just makes me want to cry, or sleep or run away, regardless of how they are acting.
I've discovered that the more I socialise in one week, the more I wear down my ability to do it "right" so I'm starting to look at how I plan my social life to allow me to be better around people more often and feel less of the rabbit in the headlights feeling.
So this post is really over to you. Do you have any ideas on how to work on this? Anything you've tried that works? Are you one of those people who finds this energising and effortless and what is that like?
In other words - help!
(blog title taken from the lyrics to Synthesisers by Butch Walker)Tags:honest,openness,thinkingEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook2 comments:
Our anniversary
at7:30 am weekend was spent at home but felt like a holiday.
I wrote a lot to try to describe it but I cannot do it any justice. So here are a few sentences to try to give a tiny bit of an impression.
A hilariously terrible restaurant meal.
Appreciating the still.
An early morning run.
Going to see Before Midnight.
A weekend without distractions (no phone, no internet, just each other)
Deep sleep.
Quality time.
Love.
I've got a whole bunch more to say about aspects of this weekend (mostly the running and unplugging - don't worry) but not today. Today is a day for whatever today brings.Tags:love,thinking,weekendEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook6 comments:
I wrote a lot to try to describe it but I cannot do it any justice. So here are a few sentences to try to give a tiny bit of an impression.
A hilariously terrible restaurant meal.
Appreciating the still.
An early morning run.
Going to see Before Midnight.
A weekend without distractions (no phone, no internet, just each other)
Deep sleep.
Quality time.
Love.
I've got a whole bunch more to say about aspects of this weekend (mostly the running and unplugging - don't worry) but not today. Today is a day for whatever today brings.Tags:love,thinking,weekendEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook6 comments:
Monday Music: Goat
at7:30 amAbout two weeks ago I went to see Goat and they were amazing.
For those who don't know Goat are a Swedish Psychedelic band who wear masks on stage. I am terrified of masks having read The Pleasure Garden at an impressionable age but goodness me I loved it. I was not even too scared of the them once they got going.
The last song of thier main set (Goathead) was one that made me stop thinking as all I could do was just feel the music. It was around me and in me and frankly that right there is one of mt favourite things about live music.
So please do listen to Goat. They are many different kinds of ace.
I'll leave you with three of thier songs. Goatman, Goathead and Goatlord and let you come to your own conclusions, but mine is this. Goat are great. I've used videos as this band are an all round sensory experience. Check it out.
Goat - Goatman
Goat- Goathead
Goat Goatlord (live)
Tags:Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
For those who don't know Goat are a Swedish Psychedelic band who wear masks on stage. I am terrified of masks having read The Pleasure Garden at an impressionable age but goodness me I loved it. I was not even too scared of the them once they got going.
The last song of thier main set (Goathead) was one that made me stop thinking as all I could do was just feel the music. It was around me and in me and frankly that right there is one of mt favourite things about live music.
So please do listen to Goat. They are many different kinds of ace.
I'll leave you with three of thier songs. Goatman, Goathead and Goatlord and let you come to your own conclusions, but mine is this. Goat are great. I've used videos as this band are an all round sensory experience. Check it out.
Goat - Goatman
Goat- Goathead
Goat Goatlord (live)
Tags:Monday Music,musicEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookNo comments:Post a Comment
I love to read your comments, and always do read them and reply, even if it takes me a couple of days.
Newer PostOlder PostHomeSubscribe to:Post Comments (Atom)Thursday 11 July 2013
YTB Anticipates $5 Million Dollar Loss For 2011
YTB has postponed filing it's 10-K (Annual Report) to the SEC due to the abrupt resignation of their CFO in March. In the filing, YTB was required to note any significant change in results from the prior year. They reported an anticipated loss of $5 million.
The Registrant anticipates that it will report significant changes in its results of operations for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 compared to its fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. Based on the information available at this time, the Registrant anticipates a net loss of $5.0 million or $(0.04) per diluted share compared to a net loss of $4.0 million or $(0.04) per diluted share for the comparable prior year ended December 31, 2010. Net revenues are anticipated to be $26.4 million in 2011 compared to $36.4 million reported in 2010. Total operating expenses for 2011 are expected to be $31.4 million compared to $40.0 million reported in 2010. Last year, the company lost $4 million according to their 10-K. YTB has not had a positive year-end report in more than 6 years.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat12:37 PM
The Registrant anticipates that it will report significant changes in its results of operations for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 compared to its fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. Based on the information available at this time, the Registrant anticipates a net loss of $5.0 million or $(0.04) per diluted share compared to a net loss of $4.0 million or $(0.04) per diluted share for the comparable prior year ended December 31, 2010. Net revenues are anticipated to be $26.4 million in 2011 compared to $36.4 million reported in 2010. Total operating expenses for 2011 are expected to be $31.4 million compared to $40.0 million reported in 2010. Last year, the company lost $4 million according to their 10-K. YTB has not had a positive year-end report in more than 6 years.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat12:37 PM
Crazed JetBlue Pilot Was Also Direct Marketer For Visalus
According to the Associated Press, Clayton Osborn, the JetBlue pilot who went berserk earlier this week had a side gig selling nutritional shakes with multi-level marketing firm ViSalus.
Another longtime friend, Bill Curley, said Osbon is a Christian who has become "increasingly" religious but wasn't fanatical. Osbon was also a direct marketer for health shakes sold by Visalus Sciences, a marketing company based in Troy, Mich. Ashley Guerra, a fellow Visalus marketer in Georgia, said she saw Osbon just last weekend and that he appeared friendly and helpful as usual.ViSalus was one of the multi-level marketing companies who successfully recruited many directors away from YTB several years ago.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat9:25 AM
Another longtime friend, Bill Curley, said Osbon is a Christian who has become "increasingly" religious but wasn't fanatical. Osbon was also a direct marketer for health shakes sold by Visalus Sciences, a marketing company based in Troy, Mich. Ashley Guerra, a fellow Visalus marketer in Georgia, said she saw Osbon just last weekend and that he appeared friendly and helpful as usual.ViSalus was one of the multi-level marketing companies who successfully recruited many directors away from YTB several years ago.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat9:25 AM
YTB To Begin Selling Royal Caribbean
According to the Just Picture It Now Newsletter, YTB has found a way to sell Royal Caribbean cruises once again. Initially it will only be through their travel support number, but shortly it will be available on their booking engine as well. Here is what the newsletter said:
Effective tomorrow, (that's Monday, April 16th) we will be able to book Royal Caribbean Brands through our own Travel Support phone number.
On (or about) May 1st, Royal Caribbean Brands will reappear on our booking engines so everyone and anyone can once again begin booking cruises with Royal Caribbean.
At this time, we are not cleared to book directly with Royal Caribbean - and we do not have a specific timeline when we will be able to book directly once again with RCCL.
Bottom line - after 4 1/2 years - YTB is back with RCCL.This is most likely one of the perks of being acquired by First Travel Alliance and likely a similar program when Royal Caribbean bookings for YTB were being run through their sister company (a legitimate host agency) in Florida that was lost when YTB and the Brents (Rezconnect) split ways.
Royal Caribbean has not issues a statement on this new found relationship just yet.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat11:50 AM
Effective tomorrow, (that's Monday, April 16th) we will be able to book Royal Caribbean Brands through our own Travel Support phone number.
On (or about) May 1st, Royal Caribbean Brands will reappear on our booking engines so everyone and anyone can once again begin booking cruises with Royal Caribbean.
At this time, we are not cleared to book directly with Royal Caribbean - and we do not have a specific timeline when we will be able to book directly once again with RCCL.
Bottom line - after 4 1/2 years - YTB is back with RCCL.This is most likely one of the perks of being acquired by First Travel Alliance and likely a similar program when Royal Caribbean bookings for YTB were being run through their sister company (a legitimate host agency) in Florida that was lost when YTB and the Brents (Rezconnect) split ways.
Royal Caribbean has not issues a statement on this new found relationship just yet.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat11:50 AM
YTB CEO Resigns As Acquisition Deal Begins To Fall Through
CORRECTION/UPDATE: The YTB agent quoted below emailed and said that upon a second glance that KidZafe is indeed still on the website; however it is no longer being promoted as aggressively as it once was. He also brought up another question regarding the resignation of CEO Bob VanPatten. His wife, Cynthia, was heading up a the Suklaa product line which was a replacement for Chae Organics. Suklaa was geared toward the African American beauty market. There is no word if Cynthia has resigned, but the YTB agent did say that he had not heard mention of her for several months.
Travel Pulse is reporting that a proposed merger involving YTB and LTS Neutraceuticals has been put on the back burner and that their CEO has resigned. In addition, they have cut their headquarters staff by a full third in hopes of saving $2.7 million dollars.
Over the years, YTB has gone through several CEOs and other senior level executives in an attempt to turn around the company to earn a profit. YTB's operating losses have been the norm for many years.
YTB has yet to file it's 2011 8K (annual report) with the Securities Exchange Commission and has filed for two extensions claiming executive level departures as the reason. While the report (as of latest extension) is due on June 15th, it remains to be seen if YTB can produce it. According to Travel Pulse, they also indicated that their 10Q (quarterly report) will not be filed in a timely fashion and are addressing this. I suspect that the company will soon be delisted and revert to a private company where legitimate financials will no longer be required to be shared.
There was no mention of the merger with Sixth Scott, LLC or First Travel Alliance. Other than an announcement that Royal Caribbean was again salable, there has been little public indication that this merger is going forward.
A current YTB member reflected that it seems all of the products they were bringing to market are no longer the focus of the company despite significant investment from the YTB members.
ZamZuu is not selling the KidZafe Online Predator Safety product anymore. All the months of training and hype that this was the best product on the planet and it lasted 6 months. Same thing with electricity. Same thing with a group of services that once were available are not available anymore. They brought on a bunch of products and services that lasted 6 months or less. How do they expect me to trust them now with bringing them customers when the product or service will be gone within 6 months. This has happened to well over a dozen products and services.And that is a good question?
The current push is for The Leadership Summit (which appears to be a higher dollar reiteration of a past program) where YTB Directors pressure the lower level members to attend these "training sessions" at a cost of $495 (one time fee) an $125 per month. The Directors have been giving marching orders to have 250 enrollments in their area for the summit to happen. The program also requires you to attend (read: pay) a minimum of 12 sessions over a year at an area location (usually involving travel expenses--currently the only areas that have achieved the 250 registrants are Baltimore and Toronto) and you must bring one new prospect with you each month. Once three prospects are enrolled in the program, for $149 monthly fee is waived. Sound familiar?
If the enrollment is successful, this will be a huge cash influx to YTB. To sweeten the pot, YTB has now followed the lead of other MLM companies and is offering a lease reimbursement program for a luxury car--but only if you enroll in the program. Ironically enough, before YTB began to crash and burn, their recruiters were mocking the other MLMs for their car promotions. Now it has come full circle.
While the program alludes to be somehow connected with Franklin Covey, Franklin Covey would not confirm their involvement.
THE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT COURSE COMBINES THE GENIUS OF FRANKLIN-COVEY TRAINING WITH REAL-LIFE ENTREPRENEURS AND LEADERS THAT WILL SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE – AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AT AN INCREDIBLY LOW PRICE FOR TRAINING THIS POWERFUL!This is very similar to the tactic YTB employed years ago when they claimed that Roger Staubach, Serena Williams, and yes, even Hillary Clinton were RTAs selling travel through YTB. At one point an independent Director also claimed that Joel O'Steen and his ministries were associated with them--a claim that O'Steen vehemently denied.
As it has been with YTB for many years, there is always another program that will bring the promised successes to the masses--but it always comes with a price. Way back when, it was $500 and $50 a month for a travel site. But then when that did not work out it was because the RTAs did not buy the Success From Home paid sponsorship magazine at a cost. And then the training was holding them back from riches, and then it was because they were not selling the stuff in the mall, it morphed into girdles, coffee, electricity, and so on, and so on.
Each new program infuses just enough cash into the company to launch the next one, kicking the company down the lane just a little. Will YTB ever get to it's destination? Or will the rock that is YTB be kicked off the road. Time will tell.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat9:44 AM
Travel Pulse is reporting that a proposed merger involving YTB and LTS Neutraceuticals has been put on the back burner and that their CEO has resigned. In addition, they have cut their headquarters staff by a full third in hopes of saving $2.7 million dollars.
Over the years, YTB has gone through several CEOs and other senior level executives in an attempt to turn around the company to earn a profit. YTB's operating losses have been the norm for many years.
YTB has yet to file it's 2011 8K (annual report) with the Securities Exchange Commission and has filed for two extensions claiming executive level departures as the reason. While the report (as of latest extension) is due on June 15th, it remains to be seen if YTB can produce it. According to Travel Pulse, they also indicated that their 10Q (quarterly report) will not be filed in a timely fashion and are addressing this. I suspect that the company will soon be delisted and revert to a private company where legitimate financials will no longer be required to be shared.
There was no mention of the merger with Sixth Scott, LLC or First Travel Alliance. Other than an announcement that Royal Caribbean was again salable, there has been little public indication that this merger is going forward.
A current YTB member reflected that it seems all of the products they were bringing to market are no longer the focus of the company despite significant investment from the YTB members.
ZamZuu is not selling the KidZafe Online Predator Safety product anymore. All the months of training and hype that this was the best product on the planet and it lasted 6 months. Same thing with electricity. Same thing with a group of services that once were available are not available anymore. They brought on a bunch of products and services that lasted 6 months or less. How do they expect me to trust them now with bringing them customers when the product or service will be gone within 6 months. This has happened to well over a dozen products and services.And that is a good question?
The current push is for The Leadership Summit (which appears to be a higher dollar reiteration of a past program) where YTB Directors pressure the lower level members to attend these "training sessions" at a cost of $495 (one time fee) an $125 per month. The Directors have been giving marching orders to have 250 enrollments in their area for the summit to happen. The program also requires you to attend (read: pay) a minimum of 12 sessions over a year at an area location (usually involving travel expenses--currently the only areas that have achieved the 250 registrants are Baltimore and Toronto) and you must bring one new prospect with you each month. Once three prospects are enrolled in the program, for $149 monthly fee is waived. Sound familiar?
If the enrollment is successful, this will be a huge cash influx to YTB. To sweeten the pot, YTB has now followed the lead of other MLM companies and is offering a lease reimbursement program for a luxury car--but only if you enroll in the program. Ironically enough, before YTB began to crash and burn, their recruiters were mocking the other MLMs for their car promotions. Now it has come full circle.
While the program alludes to be somehow connected with Franklin Covey, Franklin Covey would not confirm their involvement.
THE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT COURSE COMBINES THE GENIUS OF FRANKLIN-COVEY TRAINING WITH REAL-LIFE ENTREPRENEURS AND LEADERS THAT WILL SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE – AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AT AN INCREDIBLY LOW PRICE FOR TRAINING THIS POWERFUL!This is very similar to the tactic YTB employed years ago when they claimed that Roger Staubach, Serena Williams, and yes, even Hillary Clinton were RTAs selling travel through YTB. At one point an independent Director also claimed that Joel O'Steen and his ministries were associated with them--a claim that O'Steen vehemently denied.
As it has been with YTB for many years, there is always another program that will bring the promised successes to the masses--but it always comes with a price. Way back when, it was $500 and $50 a month for a travel site. But then when that did not work out it was because the RTAs did not buy the Success From Home paid sponsorship magazine at a cost. And then the training was holding them back from riches, and then it was because they were not selling the stuff in the mall, it morphed into girdles, coffee, electricity, and so on, and so on.
Each new program infuses just enough cash into the company to launch the next one, kicking the company down the lane just a little. Will YTB ever get to it's destination? Or will the rock that is YTB be kicked off the road. Time will tell.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat9:44 AM
Is Travel A "Non-Core" Product Or Service For YTB?
The Alton Telegraph is reporting that YTB plans to shed on-core products and services in the next year. Since the recruiting heydays of 2007 and 2008, it has been very difficult to determine exactly what was a core and a non-core business for YTB. The one consistent has been the ulti level marketing recruitment of people into their programs.
The company also will begin taking a more strategic approach to its business model, it said, by eliminating non-core products and services that are not producing a satisfactory return and exploring "new growth opportunities for leveraging its competitive advantages and large sales organization.The company has been a travel agency, a mall, a coffee shop, an insurance broker, electricity provider, online identity protector, girdle store, cosmetics firm, picture frame distributor, and probably many more.
Travel has never been a big margin industry and it was obvious that the money YTB earned was produced primarily from the recruitment of others into the various programs. Even today, there is the Leadership Summit that costs $500 to join and $149 a month simply to learn how to make money in YTB.
One thing is for sure, YTB seems to have lost any focus they may have had and this year will be an interesting one. With laying off 1/3 of their employees (last reported figures to the SEC in 2010 stated 120), that drops it to 80. However, it is suspected that there may have been even less. Will that be enough to support the recruitment efforts?
MLM junkies are known to hop from one program to the next regardless of the product or service. Will this recent shakeup scare their heavy hitters off and send them fleeing to ViSalus, World Ventures, or the next get rich quick scheme?
Stay tuned.
Read more: http://www.thetelegraph.com/articles/ytb-70286-international-third.html#ixzz1v8B7uZPSEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat9:00 AM
The company also will begin taking a more strategic approach to its business model, it said, by eliminating non-core products and services that are not producing a satisfactory return and exploring "new growth opportunities for leveraging its competitive advantages and large sales organization.The company has been a travel agency, a mall, a coffee shop, an insurance broker, electricity provider, online identity protector, girdle store, cosmetics firm, picture frame distributor, and probably many more.
Travel has never been a big margin industry and it was obvious that the money YTB earned was produced primarily from the recruitment of others into the various programs. Even today, there is the Leadership Summit that costs $500 to join and $149 a month simply to learn how to make money in YTB.
One thing is for sure, YTB seems to have lost any focus they may have had and this year will be an interesting one. With laying off 1/3 of their employees (last reported figures to the SEC in 2010 stated 120), that drops it to 80. However, it is suspected that there may have been even less. Will that be enough to support the recruitment efforts?
MLM junkies are known to hop from one program to the next regardless of the product or service. Will this recent shakeup scare their heavy hitters off and send them fleeing to ViSalus, World Ventures, or the next get rich quick scheme?
Stay tuned.
Read more: http://www.thetelegraph.com/articles/ytb-70286-international-third.html#ixzz1v8B7uZPSEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat9:00 AM
Why I Think Cauthen Can Turn YTB Around
I spent about an hour on the phone today with Andy Cauthen the new CEO of YTB. And I am sure many of you may fall off your chair when I say this, but I think there is a new air of legitimacy for YTB; and if they can be turned around and accepted by the industry, Andy Cauthen is probably the guy to do it.
I have always said that YTB, if they were legitimate, could be the largest host agency on the planet. No one has denied that they sell a lot of travel. I have often said that they have a few very heavy hitting travel agents among their ranks. The unfortunate part was that they had a few hundred thousand that were the kings of the strike out.
My issue has always been that the way they recruited people cheapened the industry. It minimized what we do. It harmed legitimate agents and it harmed the suppliers. Some suppliers realized this (thank you Royal Caribbean, NCL, Celebrity, Azamara, and the rest) but most did not. They are beholden to their stake holders and a dollar earned is a dollar earned no matter how it came to pass. And to a degree I understand this.
I may be naive, but I have a feeling that in the next six months, we will see a new YTB emerge and one that will be accepted. How do you like them apples?
Now, about our conversation. Last week, we exchanged a few emails and on his suggestion, I offered him some suggestions on what I felt a new YTB should look like. Essentially, I said drop the MLM, keep the $50/month, split commissions based on level of legitimate training, keep the overrides for YTB, and control the RTAs.
Surprisingly, he agreed. Mostly. He said the MLM is not going away, but that he appreciated my input and the ideas were solid. WOW!
How I understand it, the travel fulfillment will be handled by First Travel Alliance (FTA) which is (or soon will be) an unrelated entity. FTA will "buy" their customers (agents) from YTB who will sell the opportunity via MLM. (Boo Hiss). However, FTA will be run as a typical host agency. They will have training, preferred suppliers, and presumably charge a fee for their services. If YTB has retained even a fraction of their RTAs, this will be a mega host.
We talked about the bogus claims and the "travel for free" mentality and Andy assured me it would end. I relayed a recent email correspondence being discussed on an agent only forum and he assured me that the type of sales pitch would no longer be tolerated. He recounted a situation where a YTB RTA was putting fliers under cabin doors on a Carnival ship that said "if you paid more than $200 for this cruise, you paid too much." YTB received an irate phone call from Gerry Cahill. The activity was stopped and ultimately the RTA was terminated. Now this was the old YTB, but he was candid enough to recall the story and to tell me that would not be tolerated.
One thing that Andy emphasized was compliance. He wants to see YTB (and FTA) accepted into the industry again and he said that he will insist on being in compliance with all the rules, regulations, and conventions within the industry. No more losing the IATA accreditation for selling ID cards. If this comes to fruition, I am convinced that YTB and FTA will be well on their way back into the industry.
Cauthen told me that the California suit was a huge punch right between the eyes and the cause of YTB "losing it's identity" over the following four to five years. When California told them to change their ways, they did not know how. They tried to introduce all sort of other products--coffee, girdles, insurance, electricity, a shopping mall, and as Andy said, "elephant saddles made by Gucci." None of which worked and further caused both YTB and their representatives to question the focus.
With the resignation of the former CEO , Bob VanPatten, the Board made a decision to put all the unfocused actions on hold. They pulled out of a merger with LTS and asked Andy to come back and see what he could do. Andy is not a travel guy--he is a business guy and he is not dumb by any means. And for some reason, he has an affinity for YTB.
Call me crazy, but I think Andy is onto something. He was very candid with me and did say that he was brought in to affect change. And that if that change is not accepted, he will not stay. Those are pretty strong words.
Time will tell, but I got the impression that Andy is serious about turning it around. As much as I dislike YTB, I think they may have turned a corner. What remains to be seen is if they can pull it off like the Phoenix, or if the damage already done is too much to recover.
Personally, I spoke with Andy shortly after he left YTB. He agreed to talk to me then, but pulled out at the last minute but was adamant that he had nothing but good things to say. Back then, I thought Andy was a straight shooting good guy. And after today's conversation, that impression is reaffirmed.
I am not willing to give them a pass based on the word of the 7-day old CEO just yet, but I am very willing to give them a chance and see what happens.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat9:57 PM
YTB Fails To Make Power List
YTB, the multi-level marketing company, has been included on the Travel Weekly Power list for several years. Each year, their numbers are challenged and each year, it seems that they used a different method for determining what they reported.
The minimum cut off for inclusion in the 2012 Power List is $100M in sales and it appears that YTB did not make the list.
With YTB's failure to complete the federally required SEC filings for the year ending 2011 and the the first quarter of 2012, we can have no idea how many "agents" YTB actually was able to retain as they floundered between selling travel, coffee, insurance, girdles, electricity, and any number of other non-related products.
It will be interesting to see if the acquisition of YTB by First Travel Alliance or the return of Andy Cauthen makes a difference. Will YTB be able to pull it back up, or is the downward spiral. With a market cap under $3 million and their stock trading close to 2 cents for the better part of a year, it makes one wonder.
As I said in my previous post, time will tell. But if Travel Weekly is any indicator, it seems that YTB may indeed be done in the travel business.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat4:17 PM
The minimum cut off for inclusion in the 2012 Power List is $100M in sales and it appears that YTB did not make the list.
With YTB's failure to complete the federally required SEC filings for the year ending 2011 and the the first quarter of 2012, we can have no idea how many "agents" YTB actually was able to retain as they floundered between selling travel, coffee, insurance, girdles, electricity, and any number of other non-related products.
It will be interesting to see if the acquisition of YTB by First Travel Alliance or the return of Andy Cauthen makes a difference. Will YTB be able to pull it back up, or is the downward spiral. With a market cap under $3 million and their stock trading close to 2 cents for the better part of a year, it makes one wonder.
As I said in my previous post, time will tell. But if Travel Weekly is any indicator, it seems that YTB may indeed be done in the travel business.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat4:17 PM
CORRECTION: YTB Makes Power List At #52
The previous post indicated that Travel Weekly's Power List for 2012 did not include YTB. It appears that the initial online version only included the top 50.
However, the print version shows YTB at #52 down from #34 the previous year. The self reported statistics indicate 95 employees (down from 300
However, the print version shows YTB at #52 down from #34 the previous year. The self reported statistics indicate 95 employees (down from 300
Coach Tomer Files For Bankruptcy
YTB Founder Lloyd "Coach" Tomer announced to his Facebook page that he and his wife have filed for bankruptcy.
Good Morning, Good Morning! Miss Chriss and I have recently taken a significant financial step that I want you to hear about from me. We filed for personal bankruptcy this past week. As you know, we have given our all to this company and will continue to give our all to this company. With tough economic times and everything YTB has gone through in the recent past, our resources have dried up. However, we are good, healthy and focused on not only our future, but also we are committed to help you build yours. Love ya'll! Thank you for your continued support as we build YTB to new heights! Have a WONDERFUL Tuesday!Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat12:45 PM
Good Morning, Good Morning! Miss Chriss and I have recently taken a significant financial step that I want you to hear about from me. We filed for personal bankruptcy this past week. As you know, we have given our all to this company and will continue to give our all to this company. With tough economic times and everything YTB has gone through in the recent past, our resources have dried up. However, we are good, healthy and focused on not only our future, but also we are committed to help you build yours. Love ya'll! Thank you for your continued support as we build YTB to new heights! Have a WONDERFUL Tuesday!Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat12:45 PM
Will Coach's Followers Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is?
After Coach Tomer's announcement yesterday that he and his wife filed for personal bankruptcy, his Facebook page began to fill with comments from his supporters lauding his bravery, generosity, vision, etc. One commenter, even said that it was time for them to give back.
Hey YTB'ers! It's time to give back. Let's get to work!!!!!While many in YTB would like to believe that there were thousands upon thousands who made a lot of money with YTB, the truth is that a relatively small number actually did. This number is hard to define since most pople involved in the program are instructed to "fake it till you make it."
But, without a doubt, YTB did make a lot of money for quite a few people. Even Coach had a program in 2008 to make 10,000 millionaires in 10 years. I wonder if these folks will put their money where their mouth is and truly give back to the man who "gave them so much?"
According to his bankruptcy filing, he and his wife have assets of $271,808 with liabilities of $3,863,026. The Federal Gift Tax Exemption (2011) is $13,000 for an individual and $26,000 for a married couple. Will those whom Coach help make those millions be willing to write a tax free check to Coach to lift him from this bump in the road? The difference between assets and liabilities is only $3,591,218--or 276 people....or 138 couples. If 276 people each wrote a check to Coach, he could accept the gift without any tax implications and there would be no tax implications on the giver (except a reduction in the $5m lifetime gift exemption).
Imagine the numbers who could make a smaller contribution. According to YTB's reporting on the Travel Weekly Power List, there are 12,000 people in the program. If each one wrote a check for $299.27 (less than it cost to get into the program--and certainly they have made much more than that
Hey YTB'ers! It's time to give back. Let's get to work!!!!!While many in YTB would like to believe that there were thousands upon thousands who made a lot of money with YTB, the truth is that a relatively small number actually did. This number is hard to define since most pople involved in the program are instructed to "fake it till you make it."
But, without a doubt, YTB did make a lot of money for quite a few people. Even Coach had a program in 2008 to make 10,000 millionaires in 10 years. I wonder if these folks will put their money where their mouth is and truly give back to the man who "gave them so much?"
According to his bankruptcy filing, he and his wife have assets of $271,808 with liabilities of $3,863,026. The Federal Gift Tax Exemption (2011) is $13,000 for an individual and $26,000 for a married couple. Will those whom Coach help make those millions be willing to write a tax free check to Coach to lift him from this bump in the road? The difference between assets and liabilities is only $3,591,218--or 276 people....or 138 couples. If 276 people each wrote a check to Coach, he could accept the gift without any tax implications and there would be no tax implications on the giver (except a reduction in the $5m lifetime gift exemption).
Imagine the numbers who could make a smaller contribution. According to YTB's reporting on the Travel Weekly Power List, there are 12,000 people in the program. If each one wrote a check for $299.27 (less than it cost to get into the program--and certainly they have made much more than that
Another Sign Of YTB's Move To Legitimacy
In a prior post, I discussed my conversation with Andy Cauthen and held the opinion that YTB may indeed be looking to turn things around and go legitimate.
Today, is another step in that direction. They are eliminating the "travel agent ID card" that was such a selling point (albeit a false one) to the MLM recruiters.
On June 22, you received a letter from First Travel Alliance. In that communication they offered several levels of partnership where you are in control of your destiny and the exciting advantages available to you in the world of travel!
Today, is another step in that direction. They are eliminating the "travel agent ID card" that was such a selling point (albeit a false one) to the MLM recruiters.
On June 22, you received a letter from First Travel Alliance. In that communication they offered several levels of partnership where you are in control of your destiny and the exciting advantages available to you in the world of travel!
Scott Tomer Abruptly Resigns From YTB
Scott Tomer, has abruptly resigned his position with YTB. According to an SEC filing submitted today:
On August 31, 2012, J. Scott Tomer submitted his resignation as Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of YTB International, Inc. (the “Company”), effective immediately. Mr. Tomer’s resignation also extended to each position previously held by him with each of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company has no current plans to replace Mr. Tomer. The Company’s Board of Directors will appoint a new Chairman at its next meeting.Additionally, the Board of Directors has backed completely away from the merger with LTS Neutraceuticals.
The Company has determined that, after further analysis and consideration, a merger with LTS Nutraceuticals, Inc. (“LTS”) is not in the best long-term interests of the stockholders and would not enhance the strategic or competitive stance of the Company. Accordingly, the Company has ended its discussions with LTS about a possible merger transaction. Tomer's resignation marks the first time since it's inception that a Tomer has not had control of the company. Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat3:57 PM
On August 31, 2012, J. Scott Tomer submitted his resignation as Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of YTB International, Inc. (the “Company”), effective immediately. Mr. Tomer’s resignation also extended to each position previously held by him with each of the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company has no current plans to replace Mr. Tomer. The Company’s Board of Directors will appoint a new Chairman at its next meeting.Additionally, the Board of Directors has backed completely away from the merger with LTS Neutraceuticals.
The Company has determined that, after further analysis and consideration, a merger with LTS Nutraceuticals, Inc. (“LTS”) is not in the best long-term interests of the stockholders and would not enhance the strategic or competitive stance of the Company. Accordingly, the Company has ended its discussions with LTS about a possible merger transaction. Tomer's resignation marks the first time since it's inception that a Tomer has not had control of the company. Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat3:57 PM
YTB Prepares To Exit Travel Industry
It appears that YTB, the multi-level marketing company is no longer in the travel business. After selling their travel assets to Sixth Scott, LLC/dba First Travel Alliance last year, it appears that YTB and MLM are no longer a part of the plan going forward.
In a recent article in Travel Weekly, Jeff Scott, the new chairman has said that one major distinction from YTB is that First Travel Alliance is not a multilevel-marketing company, so downline recruiting is not part of the business model.
According to the Travel Weekly article, it appears that First Travel Alliance will be severing all ties with YTB in a few months
Jeff Scott, president and CEO of Sixth Scott LLC, which launched First Travel, said that Sixth Scott will continue to work with YTB for another few months, as it transfers training and technology. First Travel Alliance has been selling travel since March.Jeff Scott, president and CEO of Sixth Scott LLC, which launched First Travel, said that Sixth Scott will continue to work with YTB for another few months, as it transfers training and technology. First Travel Alliance has been selling travel since March.As many know (and this blog documents), YTB took the travel industry by storm back in 2007. Of course, the storm was mostly smoke and mirrors as the founders (Coach Tomer, Scott Tomer, and Kim Sorensen) promised riches that never materialized for $500 and $50 a month. The allure of quick cash and promised riches never materialized for most people. The average annual income (after dishing out $1100 a year) was a paltry $200. But the modus operandi of the company was to promise even greater riches by enhancing the program (read: giving them more money) by buying self published magazines, attendance at conferences, referring friends, selling ancillary products and the like. There were several close associates of the founders who were rewarded and were paraded to the masses to show off the lifestyle the majority were missing.
Their tactics did not go un-noticed and they were dropped by many travel suppliers, IATAN, and had several federal lawsuits filed against them by the States of California and Illinois. There is also ongoing litigation as well.
When the scheme began to unravel, Coach Tomer mover to Florida (a homestead exemption state, so his home could not be seized) and was asked to leave the company by the Board of Directors. He still is collecting a check, however, as a consultant and has filed bankruptcy yet again in the wake of all of the pending litigation and an unsatisfied lien from the IRS exceeding $500,000.
The assets of YTB Travel were sold shortly before Kim Sorensen died due to complications of a lung transplant last year.
And most recently Scott Tomer abruptly resigned claiming that he always preferred to not be in an "office" and wanted to work directly with the field. He is still compensated as a consultant.
YTB once boasted that they had 138,000 travel agents. According to the Travel Weekly article that number is under 15,000 now.
So, what happens to the former YTB? It is anyone's guess. The company seems to be trying to replicate what they did back in 2007. Holding meetings to recruit. Promising riches if they recruit. Denying that they are a pyramid scheme, and parading a very few select people as examples of success. They are rolling out programs to buy into as well. As for any product they are selling--who knows what the flavor of the week is. I have lost count. At points in time they sold travel, girdles for men and women, insurance, cars, coffee, picture frames, anti child-pornography services, make-up for black women, posters, banners, and more. At one point they represented themselves as a mall where they had affiliate sales to major stores--this is when Tomer claimed that YTB would be the largest distributor of goods in the world by 2012--YTB was to dwarf Walmart.
Tomer also claimed that for those that followed what he said (read: gave him money when asked) he would create 10,000 millionaires by 2020. Well, the bankrupt Tomer still has a long way to go.
YTB is still a publicly traded company and have yet to provide the required annual and quarterly reports to the SEC. The last report was for the 3rd Quarter of 2011. The company claims that the abrupt departure of their CFO was the reason for the delayed reporting.
Their stock, which the Tomers insisted would be upwards of $50/share has been languishing under a penny for several weeks and hasn't been higher than a dime in a year.
But as it stands now, Sixth Scott/First Travel Alliance is in business as a legitimate online and host travel agency utilizing the dregs from YTB and will be severing ties completely in a matter of months.
I have always said that if (and that was a big if) YTB were to decide to become a legitimate host agency, they would be a formidable one. But unfortunately, YTB decided to go the other way and has left Sixth Scott with a reasonable number of underperforming "agents."
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat11:02 AM
In a recent article in Travel Weekly, Jeff Scott, the new chairman has said that one major distinction from YTB is that First Travel Alliance is not a multilevel-marketing company, so downline recruiting is not part of the business model.
According to the Travel Weekly article, it appears that First Travel Alliance will be severing all ties with YTB in a few months
Jeff Scott, president and CEO of Sixth Scott LLC, which launched First Travel, said that Sixth Scott will continue to work with YTB for another few months, as it transfers training and technology. First Travel Alliance has been selling travel since March.Jeff Scott, president and CEO of Sixth Scott LLC, which launched First Travel, said that Sixth Scott will continue to work with YTB for another few months, as it transfers training and technology. First Travel Alliance has been selling travel since March.As many know (and this blog documents), YTB took the travel industry by storm back in 2007. Of course, the storm was mostly smoke and mirrors as the founders (Coach Tomer, Scott Tomer, and Kim Sorensen) promised riches that never materialized for $500 and $50 a month. The allure of quick cash and promised riches never materialized for most people. The average annual income (after dishing out $1100 a year) was a paltry $200. But the modus operandi of the company was to promise even greater riches by enhancing the program (read: giving them more money) by buying self published magazines, attendance at conferences, referring friends, selling ancillary products and the like. There were several close associates of the founders who were rewarded and were paraded to the masses to show off the lifestyle the majority were missing.
Their tactics did not go un-noticed and they were dropped by many travel suppliers, IATAN, and had several federal lawsuits filed against them by the States of California and Illinois. There is also ongoing litigation as well.
When the scheme began to unravel, Coach Tomer mover to Florida (a homestead exemption state, so his home could not be seized) and was asked to leave the company by the Board of Directors. He still is collecting a check, however, as a consultant and has filed bankruptcy yet again in the wake of all of the pending litigation and an unsatisfied lien from the IRS exceeding $500,000.
The assets of YTB Travel were sold shortly before Kim Sorensen died due to complications of a lung transplant last year.
And most recently Scott Tomer abruptly resigned claiming that he always preferred to not be in an "office" and wanted to work directly with the field. He is still compensated as a consultant.
YTB once boasted that they had 138,000 travel agents. According to the Travel Weekly article that number is under 15,000 now.
So, what happens to the former YTB? It is anyone's guess. The company seems to be trying to replicate what they did back in 2007. Holding meetings to recruit. Promising riches if they recruit. Denying that they are a pyramid scheme, and parading a very few select people as examples of success. They are rolling out programs to buy into as well. As for any product they are selling--who knows what the flavor of the week is. I have lost count. At points in time they sold travel, girdles for men and women, insurance, cars, coffee, picture frames, anti child-pornography services, make-up for black women, posters, banners, and more. At one point they represented themselves as a mall where they had affiliate sales to major stores--this is when Tomer claimed that YTB would be the largest distributor of goods in the world by 2012--YTB was to dwarf Walmart.
Tomer also claimed that for those that followed what he said (read: gave him money when asked) he would create 10,000 millionaires by 2020. Well, the bankrupt Tomer still has a long way to go.
YTB is still a publicly traded company and have yet to provide the required annual and quarterly reports to the SEC. The last report was for the 3rd Quarter of 2011. The company claims that the abrupt departure of their CFO was the reason for the delayed reporting.
Their stock, which the Tomers insisted would be upwards of $50/share has been languishing under a penny for several weeks and hasn't been higher than a dime in a year.
But as it stands now, Sixth Scott/First Travel Alliance is in business as a legitimate online and host travel agency utilizing the dregs from YTB and will be severing ties completely in a matter of months.
I have always said that if (and that was a big if) YTB were to decide to become a legitimate host agency, they would be a formidable one. But unfortunately, YTB decided to go the other way and has left Sixth Scott with a reasonable number of underperforming "agents."
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat11:02 AM
Another Lawsuit Filed Against YTB
According to the Madison-St. Clair Record, YTB is being sued once again for breach of contract.
A Canadian consulting company alleges an Illinois travel company, based in Wood River, failed to pay it nearly $150,000 owed for its services. YTB has been the focus of numerous suits over the years including the Attorneys General from California and Illinois. They have had class action suits filed against them which are still working their way through the system and their founders have been forced to step down from the company.
The travel assets of YTB were reportedly sold to Sixth Scott LLC and the new principal has vowed to steer the new company (First Travel Alliance) away from the multi level marketing model, but to date has not done much of anything.
YTB once numbered close to 140,000 independent "travel agents" and now, estimates suggest that number may be under 10,000 as YTB continues to flounder. YTB's stock is hovering around a penny per share and has been at that point for close to six months. At one time, the owner's had promised that the shares would be trading well over $10. YTB has failed to produce the SEC required annual report for 2011 and has not submitted any quarterly reports for 2012.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat4:13 PM
A Canadian consulting company alleges an Illinois travel company, based in Wood River, failed to pay it nearly $150,000 owed for its services. YTB has been the focus of numerous suits over the years including the Attorneys General from California and Illinois. They have had class action suits filed against them which are still working their way through the system and their founders have been forced to step down from the company.
The travel assets of YTB were reportedly sold to Sixth Scott LLC and the new principal has vowed to steer the new company (First Travel Alliance) away from the multi level marketing model, but to date has not done much of anything.
YTB once numbered close to 140,000 independent "travel agents" and now, estimates suggest that number may be under 10,000 as YTB continues to flounder. YTB's stock is hovering around a penny per share and has been at that point for close to six months. At one time, the owner's had promised that the shares would be trading well over $10. YTB has failed to produce the SEC required annual report for 2011 and has not submitted any quarterly reports for 2012.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat4:13 PM
Bauknight, YTB's Cheerleader-In-Chief May Be Calling It Quits
A consistent cheerleader for YTB for nearly six years, Doug Bauknight has alluded that he may be moving onto different ventures. While professing that YTB had consistently allowed him to earn a large income, he states in his newest newsletter that indeed he needed to look into another business--selling books; which he claims has grown significantly.
Now, it appears he will be moving onto a different opportunity in 2013. He says he will still maintain his booking engine with YTB, but will no longer be leading the charge of cheerleaders with his newsletter and blog.
While we still plan on keeping our booking engine up and running, and continue to sell travel for years to come, I've struggled with this decision since this summer over maintaining our YTB Blog and this Newsletter - Just Picture It Now.While he does not come out and state that he is leaving YTB, he certainly alludes to it. You can read the full context of his newsletter here. I am not sure that his YTB booking engine will yield any measurable income. As we have demonstrated over the years, they tend to be more of a liability than an asset. The few that have made money in YTB did so by recruiting new members to participate in the Multi Level Marketing scheme. And the fewer still that made money in travel, did so by booking affinity groups. Of course, the main allure was the discounts which amounted to commissions earned on self-sold travel.
As Bauknight shuffles away from YTB, I am confident that the $600/year he will pay for the booking engine may pay off for discounts on his personal travel. The question remains, will Jeff Scott, the new owner of YTB's travel division, now called First Travel Alliance, allow people to maintain websites for their own discounts.
In other YTB news, just last night I heard that the number of travel selling RTA's (Travel Agents) has now dipped under 2,000. At one point, YTB boasted close to 150,000. With 2,000 agents selling at the levels of the old YTB, First Travel Alliance will not come close to being the powerhouse host agency they likely had intended.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat12:09 PM
Now, it appears he will be moving onto a different opportunity in 2013. He says he will still maintain his booking engine with YTB, but will no longer be leading the charge of cheerleaders with his newsletter and blog.
While we still plan on keeping our booking engine up and running, and continue to sell travel for years to come, I've struggled with this decision since this summer over maintaining our YTB Blog and this Newsletter - Just Picture It Now.While he does not come out and state that he is leaving YTB, he certainly alludes to it. You can read the full context of his newsletter here. I am not sure that his YTB booking engine will yield any measurable income. As we have demonstrated over the years, they tend to be more of a liability than an asset. The few that have made money in YTB did so by recruiting new members to participate in the Multi Level Marketing scheme. And the fewer still that made money in travel, did so by booking affinity groups. Of course, the main allure was the discounts which amounted to commissions earned on self-sold travel.
As Bauknight shuffles away from YTB, I am confident that the $600/year he will pay for the booking engine may pay off for discounts on his personal travel. The question remains, will Jeff Scott, the new owner of YTB's travel division, now called First Travel Alliance, allow people to maintain websites for their own discounts.
In other YTB news, just last night I heard that the number of travel selling RTA's (Travel Agents) has now dipped under 2,000. At one point, YTB boasted close to 150,000. With 2,000 agents selling at the levels of the old YTB, First Travel Alliance will not come close to being the powerhouse host agency they likely had intended.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat12:09 PM
Another Mass Exodus From YTB
As is typical with most MLMs, the core leaders will make their money off of the initial flurry of interest and then fly the coop. YTB went through this several years ago when Ron Head, PJ Jensen, and many more left when the recruiting levels dropped. Recruiting is the only way that people will make the promised money in a MLM. In YTB's case, travel was merely the enticement to get people to pay a joining fee and a monthly subscription.
But YTB, over the years has been able to re-invent itself and they have moved from travel to girdles, to online shopping malls, to coffee, to automobiles, to picture frames, and any number of "products" to entice people to sign up and pay the monthly fee.
Don Bradley Leaves YTB
We have learned that YTB has just lost three more senior level directors because they have lost faith in the company (and are no longer making the money promised). Don Bradley has resigned and moved onto (you guessed it) another MLM. Bradley was part of the 3 CEOs (Spencer Iverson, Don Bradley, and Floyd Williams) when YTB was riding high. They were an Atlanta based partnership who recruited thousands of people into the scheme. In 2009, the three partners decided to leave YTB for another MLM, MonaVie. However, Don Bradley was convinced (we have also heard that he was paid handsomely) to remain with YTB. He was promoted to the highest level of Director and lavished with all sorts of awards at the 2009 Convention. Now it seems he has left YTB behind and likely will be taking a portion of his substantial downline along with him.
Dave & Marliss Funk Leave YTB
Another powerhouse pair of YTB Directors have also left. Dave and Marliss Funk were also MVPs and Circle of Champion members and were responsible for the Dallas recruiting efforts. They have also departed for another venture. This is significant as they were two of the original directors in the company and also recruited thousands into the scheme.
Both the Funks and Bradley became staunch supporters of Coach Tomer and his scheme that consistently went downhill and never produced the results promised.
There was a time when YTB chartered a Carnival Cruise ship to celebrate the birthday of Coach Tomer. They ran contests for recruiting and the winners would get a free cruise and others could pay to come along and rub elbows with "greatness." That was 2007 and now here we are, 6 years later and what was billed as "Coach's Birthday Bash" has been downgraded to "Coach's Birthday Webcast" where the few remaining holdouts in YTB can pay to listen to Coach talk about how great YTB is and how the company is poised to explode!
YTB Admits Accounting IrregularityWhile YTB still has not filed their 2011 annual report with the SEC (or any of the 2012 ones) that indicate their financial position, they did recently file a memo indicating that they have "discovered" accounting irregularities in the reports filed in 2011 and prior. Apparently they classified several non-owned assets as their own and artificially inflated their value to the tune of $7.9 million. According to the filing, they claim that the assets they claimed were indeed liabilities.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat8:34 AM
But YTB, over the years has been able to re-invent itself and they have moved from travel to girdles, to online shopping malls, to coffee, to automobiles, to picture frames, and any number of "products" to entice people to sign up and pay the monthly fee.
Don Bradley Leaves YTB
We have learned that YTB has just lost three more senior level directors because they have lost faith in the company (and are no longer making the money promised). Don Bradley has resigned and moved onto (you guessed it) another MLM. Bradley was part of the 3 CEOs (Spencer Iverson, Don Bradley, and Floyd Williams) when YTB was riding high. They were an Atlanta based partnership who recruited thousands of people into the scheme. In 2009, the three partners decided to leave YTB for another MLM, MonaVie. However, Don Bradley was convinced (we have also heard that he was paid handsomely) to remain with YTB. He was promoted to the highest level of Director and lavished with all sorts of awards at the 2009 Convention. Now it seems he has left YTB behind and likely will be taking a portion of his substantial downline along with him.
Dave & Marliss Funk Leave YTB
Another powerhouse pair of YTB Directors have also left. Dave and Marliss Funk were also MVPs and Circle of Champion members and were responsible for the Dallas recruiting efforts. They have also departed for another venture. This is significant as they were two of the original directors in the company and also recruited thousands into the scheme.
Both the Funks and Bradley became staunch supporters of Coach Tomer and his scheme that consistently went downhill and never produced the results promised.
There was a time when YTB chartered a Carnival Cruise ship to celebrate the birthday of Coach Tomer. They ran contests for recruiting and the winners would get a free cruise and others could pay to come along and rub elbows with "greatness." That was 2007 and now here we are, 6 years later and what was billed as "Coach's Birthday Bash" has been downgraded to "Coach's Birthday Webcast" where the few remaining holdouts in YTB can pay to listen to Coach talk about how great YTB is and how the company is poised to explode!
YTB Admits Accounting IrregularityWhile YTB still has not filed their 2011 annual report with the SEC (or any of the 2012 ones) that indicate their financial position, they did recently file a memo indicating that they have "discovered" accounting irregularities in the reports filed in 2011 and prior. Apparently they classified several non-owned assets as their own and artificially inflated their value to the tune of $7.9 million. According to the filing, they claim that the assets they claimed were indeed liabilities.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat8:34 AM
YTB Files Bankruptcy
The once-huge MLM travel company, YTB (also known as Your Travel Business and First Travel Alliance) has filed for bankruptcy citing assets of $1.3 million and liabilities exceeding $7 million according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
At one time, YTB boasted that they had nearly 50,000 "travel agents" and were positioned to be the largest travel agency in the world by 2010. However, lawsuits filed by the Attorneys General in California and Illinois alleging they were little more than a pyramid scheme began their slide into travel obscurity. Both lawsuits were settled and YTB was required to change the way they do business.
That change brought a new focus and they began to sell on-line malls, girdles, coffee, insurance, child protection software, photo frames and many other products while travel took a backseat.
The travel portion was eventually spun off and re-branded by Sixth Scott, Inc. dba as First Travel Alliance. With the spin off, promised were made that YTB would once again be able to sell the products of the travel suppliers who had blacklisted them many years ago for their questionable business practices.
Facts and documents clearly demonstrated that the travel sales amounted to little more than vacations purchased at a discount by their so-called agents. While the average "agent" paid more than $1000 a year to the company for a replicated website, their earnings were typically less than $600. However, the unrealistic promises of their charismatic leaders, Coach Tomer and his son Scott, kept people hooked. The golden ring was always theirs on the next spin of the carousel. The carrot was always dangling in front of them. Wealth and prosperity were just another monthly fee away.
In fact, there were several people who were early entrants into the program (most of whom have moved onto other MLMs) who made a lot of money. The bulk of any money (and all bonuses) were tied to the number of people you recruited and the number of people those recruits recruited, etc.
The initial entry to the program was several hundred dollars and $50 a month...plus options like a magazine, CD, attendance at recruiting events, conventions, etc.
YTB, a publicly traded company has not filed any of the legally required SEC reports since the 3rd quarter of 2011 and recently issued a statement that they believe their past filings were materially incorrect. Their stock continues to trade at a penny or less.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat11:01 AM
At one time, YTB boasted that they had nearly 50,000 "travel agents" and were positioned to be the largest travel agency in the world by 2010. However, lawsuits filed by the Attorneys General in California and Illinois alleging they were little more than a pyramid scheme began their slide into travel obscurity. Both lawsuits were settled and YTB was required to change the way they do business.
That change brought a new focus and they began to sell on-line malls, girdles, coffee, insurance, child protection software, photo frames and many other products while travel took a backseat.
The travel portion was eventually spun off and re-branded by Sixth Scott, Inc. dba as First Travel Alliance. With the spin off, promised were made that YTB would once again be able to sell the products of the travel suppliers who had blacklisted them many years ago for their questionable business practices.
Facts and documents clearly demonstrated that the travel sales amounted to little more than vacations purchased at a discount by their so-called agents. While the average "agent" paid more than $1000 a year to the company for a replicated website, their earnings were typically less than $600. However, the unrealistic promises of their charismatic leaders, Coach Tomer and his son Scott, kept people hooked. The golden ring was always theirs on the next spin of the carousel. The carrot was always dangling in front of them. Wealth and prosperity were just another monthly fee away.
In fact, there were several people who were early entrants into the program (most of whom have moved onto other MLMs) who made a lot of money. The bulk of any money (and all bonuses) were tied to the number of people you recruited and the number of people those recruits recruited, etc.
The initial entry to the program was several hundred dollars and $50 a month...plus options like a magazine, CD, attendance at recruiting events, conventions, etc.
YTB, a publicly traded company has not filed any of the legally required SEC reports since the 3rd quarter of 2011 and recently issued a statement that they believe their past filings were materially incorrect. Their stock continues to trade at a penny or less.Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat11:01 AM
YTB Splits From First Travel Alliance, Will Issue Travel ID Cards Again
There is never a shortage of surprises with YTB. In late 2011, they sold their assets to Sixth Scott dba First Travel Alliance with promises of getting back in the good graces of Royal Caribbean and the other vendors who refused to work with YTB due to their marketing tactics.
This morning, YTB announced that the 1
This morning, YTB announced that the 1
YTB Rolls The Dice With DIP Loan
In a SEC filing today, YTB advised that they have found a lender (Jamravel) willing to lend then $420,000 to cover operating expenses while they try to re-organize under bankruptcy.
The loan is secured by a"first priority security interest and lien on all of YTB’s assets." According to the latest valuation, YTB has a Market Cap of $969K. The loan must be repaid with 9% interest by June 14, 2013.
YTB is no stranger to short term loans with "loan shark" interest rates. They gambled and lost several times with that tactic.
It boggles the mind that YTB is creating so many millionaires and is such a great product, that they are in bankruptcy and cannot obtain competitive interest rates.
It is unknown if the lender, Jamravel, has any relation to YTB or any of the former executives or directors.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat2:46 PM
The loan is secured by a"first priority security interest and lien on all of YTB’s assets." According to the latest valuation, YTB has a Market Cap of $969K. The loan must be repaid with 9% interest by June 14, 2013.
YTB is no stranger to short term loans with "loan shark" interest rates. They gambled and lost several times with that tactic.
It boggles the mind that YTB is creating so many millionaires and is such a great product, that they are in bankruptcy and cannot obtain competitive interest rates.
It is unknown if the lender, Jamravel, has any relation to YTB or any of the former executives or directors.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookPosted byJohnat2:46 PM
More Info On The Fallout Between YTB and First Travel Alliance
We have obtained an email sent by Jeff Scott, president of First Travel Alliance regarding the recent split from YTB.
As predicted more than a year ago, it appears to be the questionable business practices of YTB that has unraveled yet another deal. According to this email, First Travel Alliance received the commissions from vendors and passed them along to YTB who, in turn, re-directed the payments to key directors (recruiters), founders, and executives. This is textbok ponzi scheme--take money from the new entrants to pay off the liabilities of the older ones.
The email alludes that YTB changed the booking engine from FTA's to their latest Travelocity managed one without any type of notice to FTA and simply with an announcement to the RTAs.
Now it seems that FTA is looking to publicly set the record straight and is trying to retain or convert as many RTAs into their host program--a more traditional model. The email highlighted that YTB was charging the high fees which are unnecessary to sell travel via the FTA program.
Jeff Scott is currently out of the country, but we have reached out to him for comment.
Hello Everyone I wanted to keep the lines of communication open and be crystal clear as we move through this transition from YTB. First and foremost, I wanted to apologize to all of you that have had your business disrupted by this unfortunate turn of events and for the turmoil it may have caused in your lives. All of us at First Travel Alliance want your career in travel to be enjoyable, fun and financially rewarding. We know you don’t need this kind of aggravation. We have heard, and you will continue to hear the untruths and inconsistencies from those leading the diversion away from the real issues. These strategies have been used many times over the years with several of the businesses YTB International has attempted but failed to do business with. We are not saying YTB itself has made these assertions, but we understand that some directors have made incorrect or untrue statements. We need to clear the air on a couple of issues that have surfaced over the last two weeks. First and foremost, YTB, not First Travel Alliance, is delinquent in payments of commissions to RTA’s. YTB has apparently continued to divert funds that were scheduled to be paid to RTA to other members and to pay executive and founder salaries. This diversion of funds continued the non-current payment status they are in today. Speaking of commissions, let’s talk about payment of commissions. For the last year you have been paid through YTB on travel booked through First Travel Alliance. YTB has been in control of the payments and when those payments were paid out. In fact, YTB has been paid over $4.0 million in revenue from vendors and revenue received by First Travel Alliance passed through to YTB for payments of commissions. Unfortunately, we do not know when, how much or to whom they have paid commissions. YTB has either retained or received payment for all commissions owed to you. We will continue to encourage YTB to pay you the commission money it has received from First Travel Alliance for commissions earned through March 31, 2013.Starting with commissions received from vendors on or after April 1, 2013, First Travel Alliance will pay commissions directly to First Travel Alliance agents for those commissions received from April 1, 2013 onward. The first direct commission payments will be made on May 25, 2013. First Travel Alliance is assuring those who have travel booked, but commission not yet received, that First Travel Alliance will pay those commission timely and in full. For example, if you currently have a group cruise booking that sails in September, First Travel Alliance will pay that commission to you directly the month after the commission is received from the vendor and you will no longer have YTB as the middle manIn addition, First Travel Alliance will not continue YTB’s prior policy of stretching commission payments over several months based on the date travel occurs, which YTB implemented years ago in an effort to catch up on commission payments (by delaying some of them). We will pay your commissions in the month after they are received. As you may have noticed, YTB recently redirected your travel portals to a new booking engine, but rest assured that we are addressing that through the proper channels and expect to have that corrected promptly. While we expect to have a bump or two in the road because of YTB’s actions, we look forward to focusing exclusively on travel and continuing to provide you with the best travel products available. Now let’s move to the more positive side of this note. We have and always will take great pride in our ethics and integrity in this industry. First Travel Alliance is strong and expanding rapidly with agents that are true sellers of travel. We are very interested and excited about the opportunity to continue to offer many of you the ability to sell travel through our company. We are not interested in you trying to sell non-travel products or recruiting for recruiting’s sake. We want only to help you sell as much travel as you would like while making money and enjoying the benefits that the travel experience brings. First Travel Alliance is pleased to remind you that you can be a First Travel Alliance agent without paying any upfront fee or the $49.95 monthly fee. Why worry about “3 and Free” when you can be a First Travel Alliance agent for $19.95 per month and the first 3 months are free. That is -- not paying an upfront fee that goes to marketing and then a large monthly amount to pay down-lines. It is also not selling time share memberships and travel certificates that create the “SIZZLE” used previously and suggested time and time again by YTB. For those who are interested in selling travel, let’s get going!!! It is time to truly “HAVE FUN AND MAKE MONEY” If you are currently an Independent Contractor/ Out Side Sales Agent, you have signed your agreement and you are currently booking under the First Travel Alliance CLIA and ARC numbers. We will be sending you additional information for building your profiles.
For those of you who have not signed up, we can get you set up quickly with a 3 step process.
Step 1. – Send an email to Registrations
As predicted more than a year ago, it appears to be the questionable business practices of YTB that has unraveled yet another deal. According to this email, First Travel Alliance received the commissions from vendors and passed them along to YTB who, in turn, re-directed the payments to key directors (recruiters), founders, and executives. This is textbok ponzi scheme--take money from the new entrants to pay off the liabilities of the older ones.
The email alludes that YTB changed the booking engine from FTA's to their latest Travelocity managed one without any type of notice to FTA and simply with an announcement to the RTAs.
Now it seems that FTA is looking to publicly set the record straight and is trying to retain or convert as many RTAs into their host program--a more traditional model. The email highlighted that YTB was charging the high fees which are unnecessary to sell travel via the FTA program.
Jeff Scott is currently out of the country, but we have reached out to him for comment.
Hello Everyone I wanted to keep the lines of communication open and be crystal clear as we move through this transition from YTB. First and foremost, I wanted to apologize to all of you that have had your business disrupted by this unfortunate turn of events and for the turmoil it may have caused in your lives. All of us at First Travel Alliance want your career in travel to be enjoyable, fun and financially rewarding. We know you don’t need this kind of aggravation. We have heard, and you will continue to hear the untruths and inconsistencies from those leading the diversion away from the real issues. These strategies have been used many times over the years with several of the businesses YTB International has attempted but failed to do business with. We are not saying YTB itself has made these assertions, but we understand that some directors have made incorrect or untrue statements. We need to clear the air on a couple of issues that have surfaced over the last two weeks. First and foremost, YTB, not First Travel Alliance, is delinquent in payments of commissions to RTA’s. YTB has apparently continued to divert funds that were scheduled to be paid to RTA to other members and to pay executive and founder salaries. This diversion of funds continued the non-current payment status they are in today. Speaking of commissions, let’s talk about payment of commissions. For the last year you have been paid through YTB on travel booked through First Travel Alliance. YTB has been in control of the payments and when those payments were paid out. In fact, YTB has been paid over $4.0 million in revenue from vendors and revenue received by First Travel Alliance passed through to YTB for payments of commissions. Unfortunately, we do not know when, how much or to whom they have paid commissions. YTB has either retained or received payment for all commissions owed to you. We will continue to encourage YTB to pay you the commission money it has received from First Travel Alliance for commissions earned through March 31, 2013.Starting with commissions received from vendors on or after April 1, 2013, First Travel Alliance will pay commissions directly to First Travel Alliance agents for those commissions received from April 1, 2013 onward. The first direct commission payments will be made on May 25, 2013. First Travel Alliance is assuring those who have travel booked, but commission not yet received, that First Travel Alliance will pay those commission timely and in full. For example, if you currently have a group cruise booking that sails in September, First Travel Alliance will pay that commission to you directly the month after the commission is received from the vendor and you will no longer have YTB as the middle manIn addition, First Travel Alliance will not continue YTB’s prior policy of stretching commission payments over several months based on the date travel occurs, which YTB implemented years ago in an effort to catch up on commission payments (by delaying some of them). We will pay your commissions in the month after they are received. As you may have noticed, YTB recently redirected your travel portals to a new booking engine, but rest assured that we are addressing that through the proper channels and expect to have that corrected promptly. While we expect to have a bump or two in the road because of YTB’s actions, we look forward to focusing exclusively on travel and continuing to provide you with the best travel products available. Now let’s move to the more positive side of this note. We have and always will take great pride in our ethics and integrity in this industry. First Travel Alliance is strong and expanding rapidly with agents that are true sellers of travel. We are very interested and excited about the opportunity to continue to offer many of you the ability to sell travel through our company. We are not interested in you trying to sell non-travel products or recruiting for recruiting’s sake. We want only to help you sell as much travel as you would like while making money and enjoying the benefits that the travel experience brings. First Travel Alliance is pleased to remind you that you can be a First Travel Alliance agent without paying any upfront fee or the $49.95 monthly fee. Why worry about “3 and Free” when you can be a First Travel Alliance agent for $19.95 per month and the first 3 months are free. That is -- not paying an upfront fee that goes to marketing and then a large monthly amount to pay down-lines. It is also not selling time share memberships and travel certificates that create the “SIZZLE” used previously and suggested time and time again by YTB. For those who are interested in selling travel, let’s get going!!! It is time to truly “HAVE FUN AND MAKE MONEY” If you are currently an Independent Contractor/ Out Side Sales Agent, you have signed your agreement and you are currently booking under the First Travel Alliance CLIA and ARC numbers. We will be sending you additional information for building your profiles.
For those of you who have not signed up, we can get you set up quickly with a 3 step process.
Step 1. – Send an email to Registrations
Family Fast
What's up everybody! This is Kurt and officially my first time ever blogging. Jordan and I are preparing for a very important Doctors appointment coming up next Wednesday, March 30th. It is a Genetics appointment that has been scheduled since Mado was in the hospital, where we will all be tested and be given a better picture of our different options for the future, in terms of having more kids of our own or whether we will look towards adoption down the road. We would like to invite everyone to join us in a fast this upcoming Sunday, and would appreciate all of your prayers for our family, as this has been something that has been weighing heavily on our minds ever since we found out. Thank you guys so much!
Posted byKurt and Jordanat8:39 PM
Posted byKurt and Jordanat8:39 PM
Chris's Wedding...
From Honey and Papa:
Chris and Jenny's wedding is on May 7th at 5:30 pm at our house with the reception immediately following. PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU, COME! THE WHOLE FAMILY. I need HELP! (I KNOW, I know, I've needed help for a long time, but especially now). That day is also the Ironman trials here in Ivins and if you need lodging you will need to get it soon!!!
And here's Honey with an old and a new toy - a 4x4 f150!
Chris and Jenny's wedding is on May 7th at 5:30 pm at our house with the reception immediately following. PLEASE, I AM BEGGING YOU, COME! THE WHOLE FAMILY. I need HELP! (I KNOW, I know, I've needed help for a long time, but especially now). That day is also the Ironman trials here in Ivins and if you need lodging you will need to get it soon!!!
And here's Honey with an old and a new toy - a 4x4 f150!
Honey's irises and rock, Kate behind the wheel
Honey has been cultivating her iris patch, and Ruben said he can't believe a 2500 lb rock could make a woman so happy.
Kate is reaching the age where Ruben is making her pose in and near cars. Been there. Done that.
Kate is reaching the age where Ruben is making her pose in and near cars. Been there. Done that.
A Star in the Family
This beauty is going to be in "Grease" at Tuachan. Honey and Papa are getting tickets for Little Mermaid. The dates are Sept 23 for Little Mermaid and Sept 24 for Grease.
Make your plans early!Posted bynoelleat12:50 PM
The Improved River House
"display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /
Come CELEBRATE!!!!
Come celebrate Kruser's 3rd birthday (a month late) at our house next Friday, June 24th! Everyone is invited, there will be a big bounce house, BBQ, snow cones, popcorn & cake!!! Party from 5-7pm, I hope everyone can come!!! Please text me or leave a comment and let me know if you can make it so I can plan for the dinner!!!Posted byKurt and Jordanat11:41 AM
Jason's Chair
Jason has wanted to build a chair with old skis for a long time. He modified some adirondack plans and created this beauty. We love it! He is going to make another one and maybe a side table too. Then he will use our old snowboards to make a bench.
Isn't Jason awesome?
Posted byUs5McEuensat1:08 PM
Tori and Cami Soccer
Related BlogsKurt and JordanJason and HeidiMarci and MorganChelsea and EddieBeth and JohnBridget Reed - "You, Me & The Z"Little RubenEmily and GregAmber Teeples - Teeples TrailsLori HribarNoelle Bates - "The Juggle"
Soccer Updates
All of the information on the previous post is correct except that Cami's games today will be vs. Juan Diego at Judge Memorial.
Posted byBridgetat9:52 AM
Posted byBridgetat9:52 AM
Alisa!
honeysaid...
She is one of my very best friends, she helped me keep my sanity for 20 years and never once complained about it!
September 14, 2011 at 7:46 PMHoney and Papa in Connecticut
Related BlogsKurt and JordanJason and HeidiMarci and MorganChelsea and EddieBeth and JohnBridget Reed - "You, Me & The Z"Little RubenEmily and GregAmber Teeples - Teeples TrailsLori HribarNoelle Bates - "The Juggle"
Kate...the actress
First Day of School 20117th Grade
Kate has a part in her fall school play, The Knights of the Rad Table. The performances will be at Faiss Middle School on Thursday, December 1 at 6:30 pm and Friday, December 2 at 6:30 pm.Posted byAmberat10:28 AM
Kate has a part in her fall school play, The Knights of the Rad Table. The performances will be at Faiss Middle School on Thursday, December 1 at 6:30 pm and Friday, December 2 at 6:30 pm.Posted byAmberat10:28 AM
D&D Fantasy Dorks
Kate...the actressHoney and Papa in Connecticut ► September(1) ► August(2) ► June(2) ► May(3) ► March(2) ► February(3) ► January(3) ► 2010(44) ► December(2) ► November(6) ► October(3) ► September(3) ► July(4) ► June(3) ► May(4) ► April(6) ► March(7) ► February(5) ► January(1) ► 2009(51) ► December(5) ► November(4) ► October(8) ► September(2) ► August(5) ► July(4) ► June(5) ► May(2) ► April(4) ► March(5) ► February(2) ► January(5) ► 2008(135) ► December(16) ► November(7) ► October(8) ► September(9) ► August(6) ► July(6) ► June(12) ► May(15) ► April(10) ► March(13) ► February(12) ► January(21) ► 2007(201) ► December(19) ► November(14) ► October(17) ► September(15) ► August(21) ► July(10) ► June(10) ► May(15) ► April(17) ► March(20) ► February(18) ► January(25)
DISNEY CRUISE
Related BlogsKurt and JordanJason and HeidiMarci and MorganChelsea and EddieBeth and JohnBridget Reed - "You, Me & The Z"Little RubenEmily and GregAmber Teeples - Teeples TrailsLori HribarNoelle Bates - "The Juggle"
Yummy Recipe
It's been awhile since anyone posted on here, let alone posted a recipe. But we had the yummiest dinner last night and it was too good not to share!
It's from a recipe blog called http://www.thesisterscafe.com/
I get LOTS of good recipes there.
Anyway, the only thing I did differently was add some chopped red bell pepper to the salsa - it added a little more color :)
here it is:
Peanut-Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Peanut-Ginger Chicken Marinade
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I prefer using most of a 3-lb bag of
defrosted chicken tenderloins)
½ cup boiling water
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup bottled chili sauce
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
2 T. vinegar
1 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger (I use fresh)
In a medium mixing bowl, gradually stir water into peanut
butter. (The mixture will stiffen at first.) Stir in chili sauce, soy sauce,
olive oil, vinegar, and ginger. Add chicken; stir to coat it with marinade.
Chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh mango
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
3 ½ T. sugar
1 T. canola or olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1 T. lime juice
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped mango, cilantro,
cucumber, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover and chill in
refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.
Coconut Rice
2 c. coconut milk
1 ½ c. white rice
1 c. water
3 ½ T. sugar
½ t. salt
Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the
rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and
cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and
keep warm until serving. (You can also use your rice cooker.)
To Serve
At dinner time, grill the chicken. Or, in my case, I layered the chicken in a
broiler-safe pan lined with tin foil (I spooned the excess marinade over the
chicken) and put it 10-12 inches under the broiler for 5-7 minutes on both
sides. The chicken should have slightly blackened edges. (Similar to our Chicken
Tikka Masala recipe, that I love.) Chicken baked this way always
turns out moist and tender for me. Serve chicken with the mango salsa over the
hot coconut rice. Makes 6 servings.Posted byBridgetat10:39 AM
It's from a recipe blog called http://www.thesisterscafe.com/
I get LOTS of good recipes there.
Anyway, the only thing I did differently was add some chopped red bell pepper to the salsa - it added a little more color :)
here it is:
Peanut-Ginger Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Peanut-Ginger Chicken Marinade
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I prefer using most of a 3-lb bag of
defrosted chicken tenderloins)
½ cup boiling water
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup bottled chili sauce
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. olive oil
2 T. vinegar
1 T. grated fresh ginger or 1 t. ground ginger (I use fresh)
In a medium mixing bowl, gradually stir water into peanut
butter. (The mixture will stiffen at first.) Stir in chili sauce, soy sauce,
olive oil, vinegar, and ginger. Add chicken; stir to coat it with marinade.
Chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh mango
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
3 ½ T. sugar
1 T. canola or olive oil
1 T. vinegar
1 T. lime juice
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped mango, cilantro,
cucumber, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Cover and chill in
refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.
Coconut Rice
2 c. coconut milk
1 ½ c. white rice
1 c. water
3 ½ T. sugar
½ t. salt
Combine the coconut milk, rice, water, sugar, and salt for the
rice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then cover and
cook for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork, cover, and
keep warm until serving. (You can also use your rice cooker.)
To Serve
At dinner time, grill the chicken. Or, in my case, I layered the chicken in a
broiler-safe pan lined with tin foil (I spooned the excess marinade over the
chicken) and put it 10-12 inches under the broiler for 5-7 minutes on both
sides. The chicken should have slightly blackened edges. (Similar to our Chicken
Tikka Masala recipe, that I love.) Chicken baked this way always
turns out moist and tender for me. Serve chicken with the mango salsa over the
hot coconut rice. Makes 6 servings.Posted byBridgetat10:39 AM
Nick has the main part in his school play...
So come see him perform as the Shoemaker in The Shoemaker and the Elves. Wed. Mar. 21st or Thurs. Mar. 22nd at 7 pm. Hillcrest Jr. High 126 E. 5300 S. Murray.Posted byUs5McEuensat10:03 PM
Cami and Kate's Future Car
two of my grand daughters will be driving this beauty soon. cass (cami) when she gets her drivers license, then kate when she turns 16, only three more years.
pray for me to live long enough to keep this poncho (slang for a pontiac) running. this is a 60's gas hog, watch out people in SMART CARS !!!!!!!!
papa
pray for me to live long enough to keep this poncho (slang for a pontiac) running. this is a 60's gas hog, watch out people in SMART CARS !!!!!!!!
papa
Grant's Blessing
margin:0 5px 5px;padding:0 20px 15px;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.2em;line-height: 1.4em;font: normal normal 78% 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Arial, Verdana, Sans-serif;color: #999999;
Relief
skip to sidebarMiller's Online Outpost Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Mom said I needed to post to put everyone at ease...Matt is fine. He has some sort of something (big medical word) on his vocal chords, which should be cleared up with reflux medication. He also has a hardened tonsil (hardened by what, who knows), but it could possibly be an infection that is trapped in there, so they put him on antibiotic to see if that clears it up. If it remains hardened after the round of antibiotics he will have to have his tonsils out so they can see what the problem is. We are feeling after weeks of worrying that he could hace something awful. Thanks for your prayers, we appreciate it!Posted byAmberat9:44 PM
Missing Items from the Heber House
Grandma wants to find the following things...
-ROOSTER DINNER PLATES
-.22 rifle
-Grandpa's shotgun
Please call her if you know where any of the above are!!!Posted bynoelleat11:14 AM
-ROOSTER DINNER PLATES
-.22 rifle
-Grandpa's shotgun
Please call her if you know where any of the above are!!!Posted bynoelleat11:14 AM
Judy's Graduation Party
Related BlogsKurt and JordanJason and HeidiMarci and MorganChelsea and EddieBeth and JohnBridget Reed - "You, Me & The Z"Little RubenEmily and GregAmber Teeples - Teeples TrailsLori HribarNoelle Bates - "The Juggle"
Fasting for Matt
Matt will be having a tonsillectomy on Thursday. If you could include him in your fasting this Sunday we would really appreciate it!Posted byAmberat9:47 PM
Happy Easter
Related BlogsKurt and JordanJason and HeidiMarci and MorganChelsea and EddieBeth and JohnBridget Reed - "You, Me & The Z"Little RubenEmily and GregAmber Teeples - Teeples TrailsLori HribarNoelle Bates - "The Juggle"
Split Testing Tips For Small Businesses
border: 4px solid #ffffff;-webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);-moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75); box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75); margin-bottom: 20px;
Celebrating Small Business For National Small Business Week
border: 4px solid #ffffff;-webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75); box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);margin:20px 0;
How This Online Business Manages Multiple Audiences Easily
Beth Picard creates and helps others create web graphics. She offers various tutorials on how to create backgrounds, clip art and other images to use on the web. Every business needs graphics, so Beth needs to let everyone know who she is and why she’s a good solution for their business.
Fortunately, she’s found a solution for her to accomplish this.
How Email Marketing Helps“AWeber has made it so much easier for me to market my four sites, and to be able to stay in touch with customers that have different needs and wouldn’t necessarily want to get emails about things on other sites,” Beth says. “I use AWeber to stay in touch with my graphics customers, to let them know when I am having a sale, and occasionally some other info I think they would be interested in.”
To ensure subscribers get the content most relevant to them, Beth manages her different sites with separate lists. Each list can have its own set of messages, settings and sign up forms. For content relevant to all subscribers, she can choose to send an email to multiple lists.
“My customers LOVE getting my emails, because it usually means they are going to get a good deal on something. Most of the time, I don’t announce the sales I am having anywhere, not on my sites, Facebook or Twitter – you have to be on my email list (and CONFIRMED) to get the email about the sales. This helps me keep my email subscribers and gives them a little “bonus” for being on my list,” Beth says.
Here’s an example of one of her emails:
How To Create Newsletters For Your Membership Site
So you’ve got a members-only part of your site that you set up through MemberMouse or Premise. And you want to send a robust email campaign to your members.
Some membership platforms come with basic email options. But if you want more than that, keep reading.
Here’s How To Tie An Email Campaign In With Your Site Memberships:MemberMouse and Premise let you send basic transactional emails – purchase confirmations, resetting passwords, sending a basic welcome message.
Adding your members to an email campaign lets you send them way more information to enhance their experience. Think upselling, class materials, members-only newsletters or secret discounts.
Plus, AWeber has a ton of pre-designed email templates you can use to catch your readers’ eyes.
What Emails Can You Send To Make Your Membership Site Stronger?Emails can supplement your offerings on the members-only area of your site. If you’re running an e-course, you might want to email special extra videos or a study guide to your members.
You can use an email campaign to reward your members, too. Send discount codes for other products you sell. If you have different membership levels, you might want to invite people on a lower level to join a higher level at a temporary discount.
Did you consider that an email campaign could be your entire paid membership? Run a members-only e-course or grant access to a special newsletter with discounts and coupons not available to your regular site visitors.
How Do I Tie Them Together?It’s super simple to add emails to your membership site. AWeber has apps that connect with MemberMouse and Premise that automatically invite new members to join your email list.
Set up the apps in your AWeber account and you’re good to go! You’ll be able to select a certain list to add new members to so you can send their special emails just to them.
Have a membership site but no AWeber account? Not a problem. Sign up here and try us out for just $1 and get your membership emails rolling!
Print This Post Related Articles How To Build An E-course With AutorespondersApp For Etsy Sellers: Easily Email Your CustomersAWeberFacebook Hashtags: Are They Worth Your Time?
border: 4px solid #ffffff;-webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);-moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75); box-shadow: 0 1px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);margin: 20px 0;
Cheap And Simple Ways For Small Businesses To Do Video
Video’s a really effective way to market. No, really – people spent twice as much time on sites with video, video attracts almost triple the monthly visitors, and that’s just the start.
And with video apps like Vine and the new addition of video to Instagram, you don’t even need cameras, equipment or a budget to start recording video for your business.
Here’s a run-down of all the ways you can do video on a tight budget – and their pros and cons so you can decide what’s best for you.
Quick, Creative Video ShootsYou can create some awesome, impactful video with just a smartphone and 6 to 15 seconds. Two video apps make it super simple to get your message across and make your business memorable. And they’re easy to share since they’re owned by Twitter and Facebook respectively.
VineVine is Twitter’s video sharing app – and is the most creatively restrictive.
Vine limits you to capturing 6 seconds of video, which means you’ll need to plan your message carefully. But 6 seconds is plenty of time to make a memorable impact, demonstrated by the brands below.
Toyota experiments with 6-second stop-motion:
Lanzamos el primer spot en #vine ?Os gusta? #toyota http://t.co/NJXbf9fC
— Toyota Espa?a (
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)