Nov
25
Is Patriotism Waning?
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I can’t tell if patriotism is waning. For sure it is not like 9-11. Thank God. But overall it appears to be steady.
My business grows an average of 10 percent, annually, some years more and some years less. This year is going to be a wash. After 9/11 and then the war, patriotism grew to a new level and now has plateau. This is typical.
In my 30 years of business I have seen patriotism grow and plateau over and over again. Never really backsliding. In the 70’s it was the Bicentennial Celebration, in the 80’s it was Reaganism and Bruce Springstien’s “Born In the USA” album, the 90’s brought Desert Storm and now at the turn of the century is terrorism.
I believe we all learned from the Vietnam War to be nice to the men that serve. It is not their fault we are at war. I believe we all learned through 9/11 to be patriotic. Life is fragile. But whether you are for or against the war, expression of patriotism is for everyone and it isn’t waning just leveling off. Typical.
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Nov
23
What is going on on the West Coast
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Wow! In one week I have had two people contact me about starting a Flag and Banner business on the West Coast.
One was my old employee Lorraine. She left two years ago to start her life over. Her kids were grown. Her husband was on crack and she was choking from despair. I thought this woman would be with me forever! But one morning she came to my office in tears and said God had spoken to her and she was leaving in two weeks. No job, no home. She was just packing up and hitting the road to the San Diego area where the weather was beautiful.
Now two years later, her life is turned around (I won’t go into all that) but she still misses my company. And wants me to start a Flag and Banner business on the west coast.
And…out of the blue I have a secret admirer (I love secret admirers) that wants to start a Flag and Banner business on the West Coast too. Go figure.
Maybe I need to follow Lorraine’s lead.
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Nov
14
Recently, I was visiting the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. For your viewing, there is a row of ring binders, chronologically dated, telling you the Presidents schedule for the day. So you can look up your birthday and see what President Clinton was doing on that day.
I have often thought there is no way to be any busier than I am. I mean there is only so many hours in a day. Everyone has to work within the same time constraints even if you are the President of the United States. So I looked up several dates in the President’s schedule and made it official. The President of the Free World is not any busier than I am and I have less help.
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Nov
10
I don’t know how the TV people do the early morning shows. Today we did a live remote from Arkansas Flag and Banner. In honor of Veterans Day tomorrow I meet Tracy Douglas of Channel 4 for the 5 am - 7 am Morning Show. Channel 4
I had to get up at 3 am to get my face on. And you know what that means? It means… start waking up at 2 am to check the clock every 10 minutes so you don’t over sleep.
We had (4) 1-2 minutes spots and during the third live shot the camerawoman stepped on her power cord and we lost connection. Oh Live TV!
Sam Rutherford, our resident vet, showed how to fold a flag and Cindy, our Asian seamstress, showed how to sew a flag while Tracy and I talked over them. Fun was had by all.
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Nov
9
Do The Thanksgiving Shuffle
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It has started the Thanksgiving Shuffle that comes right before the Christmas Shuffle. That is when working women go crazy! How do we fulfill our working obligations and our family obligations? Huh? In the words of Ross Perot, “I’m all ears”.
It is impossible! Somebody is going to be disappointed. And being female I am going to feel guilty. This time of year, I almost always wish I had been born a man?
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Nov
2
Bought a New Phone System
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Signed on the dotted line today for a new phone system Inter-tel.com . It came out to be $100 more a month than I was originally quoted. Extra phones, sales tax, property tax and something else.
It is really a lease/purchase for 5 years with free upgrades and maintenance. I bought the service package too. The last time I did a lease/purchase for equipment, I said I would never do it again. Oh well. We shall see.
They install the 18th of November.
My new fiber optics was put in place last Thursday. Exciting!
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Nov
2
China Market
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Just got back from my fact finding trip to China. Ever heard of Guangzhou on mainland China? Me either. People, people, people everywhere. It makes NYC look like the prairie.
Smog so thick I never saw a blue sky. High rise tenant buildings so high that I can only imagine how much sewage must run in the pipes under the streets. Well you don’t really have to imagine because every block has a grate for ventilation and peee-uuuuu. Step on a crack break your mothers back. Over there it is.. Step on a grate hold your breath (almost rhymes).
Everything is made in China. I mean everything. Look around your room, if it has been made since the 60’s, it was made in China. And believe you me, you want it to be. The environment of manufacturing is not pretty. Americans would never put up with the pollution and equal pay. Because it is a communist country everybody lives just a like. Police on every corner but they don’t hassle you. You screw up they just kill you and glad to be rid of one less citizen. So there is no crime except petty theft and counterfeiting.
I think this is interesting. There is no chicken flu either. They talk about the possibility on TV all the time but have not had one
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