Hurricane Katrina Disaster - What About The Mail?

Did you know about the US Postal Service "Weather Related Service Updates" website?

Effective September 3/2005, the Postal Service is not accepting any Standard Mail (Letters and Flats) or Periodicals Mail — from any source — addressed for delivery within the following three-digit ZIP Code ranges: 369, 393, 394, 395, 396, 700, 701 and 704.

Also, Express Mail Service has been suspended in areas damaged by Hurricane Katrina in the following areas:

ZIP Code City/State
365-366 Mobile, AL. -->
369, 393 Meridian, MS.
394 Hattiesburg, MS.
395 Gulfport, MS.
396 McComb, MS.
700-701 New Orleans, LA.
703 Houma, LA.
704 Mandeville, LA.

The above ZIP Code ranges may change at anytime, so if you have mail going into the Gulf Coast Region, click here for a complete list of partial deliveries, suspended deliveries and the latest updates regarding mail delivery following the Katrina disaster.

I hope this helps!

Hurricane Katrina Blogs

The Shock Of Hurricane Katrina

I was shocked to see the "morning after" pictures as they flashed across the news. When hurricane Katrina blasted the Gulf Coast region, not anyone could have predicted the enormous scale widespread destruction it would cause.

Who would think an entire city of more than 500,000 residents (New Orleans) could be wiped out so quickly? And the devestation in Mississippi and Alabama ...my heart bleeds for the survivors and victims.

The first thing my husband and I did was to set aside a fund for proceeds from one of our most popular websites, from which we will be donating 50% of all our retail profits from sales of Goji Juice through Best Liquid Vitamins this month (and possible several more months ahead) to help in Katrina relief efforts.

In addition, we set up a page with a list of reputable charities in urgent need of donations for first-response and ongoing reliefe efforts.

Plus - today I'm adding to each and every one of my blogs the Technorati tag in honor of today's "International Blogging for Disaster Relief Day"

Are you doing something to help? I would like to hear about it... post a comment with a link to your website or blog and tell us about your support efforts and/or charitable contributions.

International Blogging for Disaster Relief Day

Standing Out From The Crowd

In a recent edition of the eNewsletter Journal, I read a survey question that went as follows:

"Get to the Head of the Writing Class

I write and edit for businesses to help their marketing and sales efforts. It’s frustrating because everywhere I go I see others who are doing the same thing. Since many businesses provide a unique selling proposition along with their list of accomplishments, I thought it would help me to do the same. I’ve been struggling to do this. Yet I do make it clear that I am reliable in meeting deadlines. How does a writer stand out from the competition?

— Jane, Freelance Writer"

Here's My Response To Jane...

In my years writing for business clients, there is one thing they all have in common... they all want me to improve their bottom line in profits and/or new customer acquisition. Conversions mean more to almost all of them than meeting deadlines.

I specialize in "relationship marketing" ...converting first-time visitors into "warm market" prospects, and in some projects take it one step further right up to closing the sale by writing their; online presentation brochures, follow-up autoresponder sets, giveaway lead-capture whitepapers (or similar items), serious spam filter washing of all written e-mail materials, and more.

I thoroughly educate each client in the value of the finished materials they receive from me, and in some cases even reveal the hidden "conversion triggers" I've built into some of my work.

Yes, I could tell them that "I write and edit for businesses to help their marketing and sales efforts." After all, like you, in essence that is what I do. But, that won't get me the ton of referrals I have pouring in on a regular basis.

To stand out from the competition I recommend you focus your USP on how you help improve their bottom-line as well as educate your own clients on the tremendous value they are receiving. In my experience, if you are good at what you do, and more importantly your clients KNOW it, you will receive plenty of referrals as well as stand out from the competition.

Hope this helps.

Karen, Freelance Writer
"Conversions With Integrity"
Meet Me At:
http://wahmdiary.blogspot.com

What Does A Dog And An Accountant Have In Common?

What does "looking for a dog" have in common with "looking for an accountant?"

For one thing, we're doing both today. On our way to interview a firm which may end up being our accounting/small business financial advisement firm, we'll be stopping by a farm that breeds purebred lab pups.

Here's what we're looking for in a dog:
- protective instincts (to watch over our son)
- kind, patient, fun demeanor (he/she will need it with our son)
- coachable, easy to teach basic tricks and commands
- strong (our son likes to wrestle)
- loyalty ('nuff said)

Here's what we're looking for in an accountant/financial advisor:
- protective instincts (to watch over our money)
- kind, patient, fun demeanor (to guide us on tax strategies)
- coachable, likes learning new strategies for home based businesses
- strong (well-trained and experienced in advising small businesses)
- loyalty ('nuff said)

Anything sound the same between the two lists of characteristics?

I'll let you know how the day turns out.

Is It Tomorrow Yet?

I can't believe how fast time is flying by!!!

It's already 2 weeks since our return from our California trip, and we're building up for our Bahama trip --- but I've been so buried since we got back I haven't even had time to pop in here and blog.

Ten things I learned on our trip:

1. The elevator ride in California Adventures theme park is definitely not my "cup of tea."

2. My 5 year-old son likes rollercoaster rides a WHOLE LOT more than me!!

3. The Hyatt Regency where we stayed charges almost $100.00 per meal (even if it's just breakfast) so you're better off renting a car and going somewhere else for dinner ;-)

4. Most people in California seem really OPEN to starting a home based business ...in fact, many were EAGER to learn more.

5. Taxi's charge a fortune over there.

6. Emily, the babysitter we had during the days we were in Convention meetings was absolutely wonderful... and our son really enjoyed his time with her. She is in nursing college right now and we have a small surprise gift going her way.

7. They've got some really strange specialty pizza places over there in CA.

8. Enterprise was a bit more expensive, but their service was outstanding! I'd rent a car from them again in a heartbeat!

9. Don't let your kids drink from the water fountains at Disney on a hot day. Our little guy loves them, and also ended up sick the following day... and we trace it to the public water fountains.

10. If you do go to Disney, learn about the free FastPass for the rides on your first day, not near the end of your stay.

Yes, of course there's more... but I thought 10 was a good start. *GRIN*

Just got back from our trip...

Hi everyone! I just got back from a fantastic trip to California - combined business and pleasure with some great family fun at Disney mixed in with super power-prospecting and an incredible Convention for our primary business.

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. Stay tuned!

When Science and Business Clash, Ethics Must Rule

Former Metabolife chief executive Richard Ellis now awaits sentencing following his conviction for fraud in his safety claims for herbal extract ephedra. Vitamin E producers are reporting sales dives as great as 40 per cent on the back of consumers’ safety concerns about high doses of the supplement. And just last week, lutein makers, too, began grappling with the findings of one unexpectedly unwelcome study, according to a recent article at BeverageDaily.

If people consuming a lot of beta-carotene suffer fewer heart attacks, is it actually the beta-carotene that are delivering the heart bonus? Or something else, that is often present alongside beta-carotene?

Do you really get the same results for a synthetic Vitamin C as you would from say... eating an orange, or from drinking the whole unpasteurized juice from the extremely high Vitamin C goji berry?

In nutrition we rarely yet have insight into the precise mechanism through which a nutrient delivers a health benefit. In some cases, isolating one single nutrient from a whole fruit or vegetable may not be as beneficial as originally thought. So our chief way forwards is by testing over and over for correlations, with different populations, in different circumstances, to build a body of evidence.

Those with strong scientific understanding appreciate that science is not the body of perfect knowledge that it is often viewed as by outsiders. It hypothesizes, tests, and re-hypothesizes, in an endless circling in on the fullest picture.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... one single clinical study doesn't necessarily mean "absolute proof" exists.

In fact, if one were to see the results of many studies completed, one might find the following recommendation popping up quite a bit: "further study recommended."

Even the tiny goji berry is still under very serious study --- an entire research center in China is actively studying every little bit they can learn about this powerful fruit. With 63 astonishing health benefits already confirmed thus far, there are still many many more studies underway.

What's interesting to note is how many studies confirm findings from earlier less intense studies.

This is not always the case in other nutrition scientific studies.

Sadly, consumers often choose the nutrients they purchase basing their decisions on normally grossly simplified science, brought to them as commercial marketing, or by a media with an eye on word-count, accessibility and drama.

The latest ORAC rating system is one example of some pretty lousy science, in my humble opinion. Many manufacturers are racing to get their latest and greatest product the highest ORAC rating they can. The misguided public gets fed the rating, often believing this makes the product/s powerful in the antioxidant realm. Sadly, owing to lack of information and education about this poor measure of antioxidants in a substance, these ratings will most likely cause a great many consumers to be innocently fleeced.

Even worse, the way many manufacturers and distributors report their ORAC rating in many cases without even mentioning the unit of measure their score relates to ...well, that's positively unethical, in my humble opinion.

For manufacturers, here are the advantages of the ORAC assay:

-- the test score will reflect the antioxidant activity of any and all antioxidants in the liquid, whether they are known or unknown, named or unnamed.
-- the ORAC assay does not bother to try to measure presence or absence of individual antioxidants (a task which is difficult and very expensive), but rather, it measures total antioxidant reactivity (against only one type of oxidative radical known as the peroxyl radical) of any and all substances present in the liquid, whether known or unknown, and even those as yet unknown to, and unnamed by, modern science.
-- the ORAC assay is not particularly expensive, and often costs well under $400.
-- the test is quick and simple
-- the assay is offered by a number of commercial independent testing laboratories in the USA and around the world
-- the turnaround time on a test is quick, on the order of a week or less
-- as with any "single-score" "total antioxidant" measure, the score is seductive, because it allows a vendor to offer a single score on their label (or on their website) which purports to state the minimum antioxidant-power value per gram (or per 100 grams or per liter) of a food or nutritonal supplement product. This is obviously simple, clean, clear and neat, or at least it appears so at first glance.....

However, there are some marked drawbacks to the ORAC score.

The disadvantages of using the ORAC score, or at least in relying too much upon it, are several, beginning with the #1 reason, as follows...

The #1 Disadvantage of Using the ORAC Score

Despite the fact that it is sometimes touted as a "Total Antioxidatve Power" score, the ORAC assay can only measure one particular type of antioxidative activity, namely the ability of antioxidants to quench or neutralize only one specific type of oxidizing free radical (aka “reactive oxygen species”, or ROS) known as the peroxy (e.g., as found in peroxide) radical. Thus, the ORAC score offers only a partial picture of the true antioxidant power of an antioxidant or mixture of antioxidants, since some will have little or no activity against peroxides but great quenching activity against other oxidizing free radical species commonly found in the body such as superoxides, triplet oxygen, singlet oxygen, the hydroxyl or nitroxy radicals, and others. Indeed, some highly powerful and effective antioxidants show no activity at all against peroxide radicals (in other words, they are not peroxide-specific), but show great activity against other types of oxidant free radicals, and such antioxidants would score extremely poorly on an ORAC assay.

Two excellent examples of such antioxidants (and in reality there are plenty more) are:

1) The carotenoid family of antioxidants, which includes beta carotene, lycopene, canthaxanthxin and zeaxanthin, among others, and which are found extensively in strongly-colored fruits and vegetables, and in some shellfish. Most carotenoids show little activity against the peroxy radical.

2) The simple hydride family of antioxidants, also known as the negative hydrogen ion, or hydride ion, and also known as active hydrogen, which is a primitive and primeval hydrogen antioxidant which existed on earth even before life evolved, and which may be found in fresh raw fruits and vegetables, raw meats, and in some natural and unprocessed sources of water (such as some deep wells, some high-altitude mountain wells, and glacial runoff water.) The hydride antioxidant may also be found in so-called “alkaline ionized water” (more accurately described as “electrolyzed reduced water” or ERW) produced by commercial countertop devices known as water ionizers, and also in some nutritional supplements, which give only a very modest score on the ORAC assay.

Most of the members of the two antioxidant families cited above show little or no antioxidant activity against peroxide radicals, but show strong antioxidant activity against other oxidizing free radicals, including singlet oxygen and the superoxide radical.

Sidenote: some later off-shoots of the ORAC Assay (such as ORACHO) also look at one additional oxidant radical, the hydroxyl radical, as well, but this hardly solves the deficiency which has been briefly addressed here.

Have you noticed... we're one of the few companies NOT playing the ORAC marketing game? For good reason. When a scientific test that is this high for being potentially misleading, it would not be ethical (in my humble opinion) to wave the ORAC banner... at least, not until a considerable amount of scientific advances are made to render it more useful, make sense?

I hope so. Because there are many many more reasons you should NOT rely on the ORAC score ...and I'll be bringing those reasons to you at Best Liquid Vitamins in a very special feature article coming at the end of August.

Stay tuned. Stay healthy... and whenever possible, stay informed.

PS: For those of you who are using the ORAC scale to market your products --- gosh, don't you feel silly now?

What Is Lycium Barbarum?

The LA Times published an article early this week which reminded me yet again of how wonderful it must be to have the "freedom of the press" rules working in your favor.

For example, a couple months ago my husband renewed his driver's license and was told he could remove the "wear glasses" restriction. He's been wearing glasses since he was 11 years old, and now in his late forties he's free from them, thanks to drinking goji juice (every day over a 14 month period) ... Goji Juice made from the original lycium barbarum bloodline quoted in ancient Asian healing texts.

The LA Times gets to say so many things I wish I could - but I can't owing to limiting govt. regulations I have to follow because of one of the businesses I run.

Yes, we sell Goji Juice made from berries with the exact spectral signature for lycium barbarum of ancient Asian legends. When you experience something this incredible, you definitely want to tell everyone you know ...so it stands to reason that you want to be a distributor ...make sense?

In short, here is a copy of the LA Times article:

SUPPLEMENTS
Lycium may repress some cancer cells
by Elena Conis

Tibetan and Chinese legends tell of people who lived century-long lives while retaining the strength and beauty of youth - thanks to lycium. The sweet, red berries of the Lycium barbarum tree are rich in beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C and several essential minerals. Lycium - sometimes called matrimony vine, wolfberry, boxthorn and goji - is native to Asia.

Uses: Traditional Chinese herbalists recommend lycium to promote liver and kidney health, improve vision and stamina, boost immunity and fertility, combat disease and increase life span. It's also used to prevent morning sickness during pregnancy.

Dose: In traditional Chinese medicine, lycium is most often taken in combination with other herbs, such as schizandra or fennel. The berries can be eaten raw (fresh or dried), or made into a tea. Herbalists recommend half a cup of tea per day, made from about 10 grams of fruit.

Precautions: Some evidence suggests lycium may amplify the effects of blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin.

Research: Much of the research on lycium's health-promoting properties has been done in China, where lycium has demonstrated anti-cancer and antioxidant activity in scores of lab animal studies. In vitro, the berry has inhibited the growth of leukemia and liver and skin cancer cells. It's also diminished some signs of aging in mice. Once clinical trial has shown that lycium may be helpful in treating certain cancers, but much more human research is needed to verify its efficacy.

What About This "Free Flow Of Information Act"

Not sure if any of you visiting have heard about it yet, but the new "Free Flow Of Information" Act before the USA Senate might hold some promise for shielding a few of us bloggers.

There's a ton of info I've learned that I would love to report here in my blog, but I hold back a TON owing to possible repercussions. Some day I'll be writing like crazy over here ...and a great deal of it will pour out.

But there are a few things I can't tell ...unless this new Act before the Senate turns out to protect me as a blogger --- and I can protect my sources. Long story.

Hey, if you want to know more about it, check it out through this link.

I'll be back tomorrow to tell you all about the "combine demolition derby" ...now THAT was a smash 'em up fun event!!

See you then!

New Study Says Working "Moms" Get Paid Less

Prior to getting married, moving to a new country and having a child, I used to have quite a career. Being a single white female in Canada wasn't so bad ...there always seemed to be plenty of opportunities open to me and I never really thought much about how hard it might have been had I been a working Mom instead.

That's why this little news item kind of jerked my attention...

"According to research presented by two Cornell University sociologists at a recent Wharton conference, mothers suffer when competing for jobs against similarly qualified fathers and childless men and women. The conference, entitled 'Careers and Career Transitions: New Evidence for a New Economy,' was organized by Wharton's Center for Human Resources and sponsored by career transitions firm DBM."

Is it really harder for women with children than it is for women without children?

Thankfully, I'm able to work full time from home. Having a child and so many major changes in my life kind of forced me to take a different path than what I did in the past --- and it also brought a new perspective.

In the not so distant past (just over 5 years ago) I wouldn't have even considered Network Marketing as a career option. However, my mind opened up considerably once I realized the obvious advantages, speaking from a career-woman point of view.

But what about all those other working moms out there?

How many are really have a tough time of it competing for jobs and equal-pay-for-equal-work?

According to the study I referenced above - Fatherhood helps your career, Motherhood doesn't. I find that kind of sad for many reasons. There are so many bright, eager, ambitious women out there that can add so much value to every/any orgination that are quite possibly not getting a fair shake in the job world... and very possibly not getting paid what they are really worth.

Speaking from personal experience, I would say having a child and being a working Mom adds tremendously to your skill-set. For example, new Mom's have to quickly increase all of the following skills almost immediately upon their child coming into the world:
- multi-tasking skills
- organization skills
- communication skills
- leadership skills
- management skills
- budgeting skills
- and many more.

Sure... maybe their presentation (appearance) may not be up to par like it was during their pre-child years... but when you consider how much more they now have to do, it makes sense something is going to have to "give" a little in order to make room for new priorities, right?

All you Mom's out there - stand up and be proud.

You add a tremendous amount of value to the world, and have so many wonderful talents to bring to any profession you choose. Go forward with posture and confidence knowing you are constantly growing internally with each and every day that you parent your children.

Believe in yourself. I know you can accomplish anything you set your heart and mind on if you don't let the outside world beat you down.

I appreciate you!