This year for Lent, I may send a Thank-You card to someone every day. It just takes a sec and there are lot of people I could thank and praise. And from a selfish point of view… give good Karma, get good Karma.

I am not always perfect on my facts but this is close; annual overall sales for USA is up 7% but it slid back to 4% in the last few months and Arkansas’s sales are still up 7%. So relax people and quit watching sensational news programs. It is not “real” news. Remember the Iraq war they shoved down our throats?
Anybody with a brain, that tried to know the truth, knew that it was not Iraq that attacked us, it was Afghanistan. We live in the information age, don’t be lazy, and find out the truth.

A big THANK YOU to all our wonderful customers!!!

Kerry McCoy

The Old State House Museum recently added two flags to its Arkansas Civil War Flag Collection.

The flags are currently mounted on linen and encased in dark netting to keep the aged, fragile fabric intact. These antiquated methods of conservation prevent the ventilation of the fabric and expose the flags to further deterioration.

Both flags must be cleaned and preserved using modern conservation techniques. The museum’s goal is to conserve these two flags in time for exhibition in 2012 during Arkansas’s commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of America’s Civil War.

* Cost of conserving the newly acquired Consolidated 6th & 7th Arkansas Infantry Regiment Flag : $11,154
*? Cost of conserving the newly acquired Hart’s Battery (or Dallas Artillery) Flag: $14,727

* Total Conservation Costs: $25,881

Can you help? Contributions may be mailed to:

Save the Flags, Old State House Museum, 300 West Markham St., Little Rock, AR, 72201.

Just this week we had Allied Waste Management drop off a big dumpster for cardboard and paper only. This is something we tried to do years ago but no one was offering a small enough service for our amount of paper. So, we got clever and started shredding our own paper and using it as packing materials instead of styrofoam peanuts, but we still had a lot of cardboard. Today no more worries about filling the landfill or cutting down trees …we’re recycling, I mean “sustainably growing”.

Other ways we recyle:
- we don’t use a lot of paper products in our kitchen, we wash.
- we use our leftover banner material to make “give away” banners.
- we use our excess prints to make tote bags
- and I am sure there is more, I just can’t think of it right now.

I like social networking for several reasons 1) it is less wasteful of our natural resources, 2) it is easier for the customer to receive info and throw out unwanted info, 3) it is faster to get info to customer, and 4) it is easier to create, so you can offer more promotions.

When I started Arkansas Flag and Banner, in the 70′s, sells were made by going door to door and shaking hands, the 80′s were telemarketing, the 90′s catalogs, and now technology (info on demand). This is my favorite so far.

To get special discounts join FlagandBanner.com’s Facebook page or sign up for our Flag Alerts and receive weekly e-blasts. I don’t know which method to recommend because they are both good, but different. The Facebook page is more personal, it is almost like seeing us in our underwear. And the e-blasts come right to your inbox, very effective time management.

With Thanksgiving behind us we can focus on preparing mentally for the challenge of Christmas!? So, if you’re making Christmas cookies, send them some place else!!!

Here is what the Guru had to say about this weeks weigh in -
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Thanksgiving couldn’t keep you guys down! Some fantastic results this week people.

The numbers:

Team Red: dropped 10 pounds for a total of 28 pounds lost from initial weigh in, sitting at 1252 right now.

Team White: Dropped a pound, for a loss of 31 pounds since initial weigh-in, sitting at 1033.

Team Blue: These bad asses are taking no prisoners! Dropped another 9 pounds taking them down to 48 pounds lost since initial weigh-in, sitting at 1092 total right now.

Great job everyone! You proved that the holidays don’t have to be an excuse to gain weight. I’m hopeful that you all had a great Thanksgiving anyway. Some of you were shocked that you actually lost. I contend that once you become keenly aware of what you are eating based on the eating plan I put you on, you make more decisions that you are aware of that limit the amount of fat-gaining calories you would normally consume without realizing it

We are going into the home-stretch to Christmas right now so let’s stay focused on our goals and keep up this momentum. If you can get through this first round and actually drop you will all have a head start on the January resolution crowd. You should all be very proud of yourselves for that accomplishment.

Peace out.

JP

Here is The Guru’s message for the week -

———————————————–

Progress! Good job everyone. Some pretty good progress was made this week. Let’s ride this wave of success to the next level.

Kerry, I think it’s time to have the talk… Everyone seems really motivated but they lack the tools they need to succeed. After this talk, everyone will walk away with useful and applicable knowledge… They will OWN it! Like that seen in the matrix when Tank uploads all that data to Neo’s brain… You’ll walk out of the room saying, “I know Kung Fu!”

Another factor that will impact fat loss progress is something we haven’t really addressed yet… Exercise. After talking to a few of you today I have determined that there is enough interest to propose a workout program that can be done in 10-15 minutes right here at F&B without having to even go to a gym using inexpensive resistance training bands as the equipment that will rev up your collective metabolisms. More on that later.

Here are the numbers today:

Some upsets today… White has come from behind for the first time since this contest started to tie it up with team Red. Team Blue dropped behind, but only by 1 pound.

Red: 1255 lb, down 3 pounds this week and down 25 pounds from initial weigh-in.

White: 1039 lb, down 25 pounds from initial weigh-in (a loss of NINE pounds this week!)

Blue: 1247, up 3 pounds this week, down 24 pounds from initial weigh-in.

The total F&B loss is 74 pounds from the initial weigh-in, so you are all 3541 total pounds as of today.

Keep sending me questions. I think you’re all starting to figure this stuff out, so don’t be shy. I want all of you to succeed!

Good job guys!

JP

Two weeks ago we had lost 100 pounds as a group. This week we back-tracked and are only down 65 pounds as a whole.? We’ve gained 35 pounds in two weeks!

Here is J(the fitness Guru)P’s inspiration for the week -

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The entire F&B staff gained a total of 18 pounds this week. The adjusted initial weigh-in total was 3615 pounds. Today’s total is 3550 pounds, putting the entire staff at a total of 65 pounds lost.

No more messing around. Let’s not make excuses. Take care of your body because it’s the only one you’ve got! Re-read last weeks email that I just sent this morning and make a promise to yourself to be accountable. Get a little notebook that you can journal your intake. I promise that you’ll see results quickly. It’s easy to think you’re eating okay if you’re not keeping a record of it because there are lots of little snacks that you don’t count. No one gains weight while eating a sub-maintenance calorie diet. If you are gaining then you are simply ingesting more than your body’s energy requirement. The numbers don’t lie!

It’s only going to get harder with the cold weather and holidays on the way. Take charge NOW.? Like Kerry has said, take advantage of my offer to help individuals with stalled progress.

Your friend in fitness,

JP