Add You - News and Society

Rising Postal Rates? Don't Cut Down the Direct Mail
The United States Post Office in the past had some trouble with its finances and their solution was to raise the postal rates. Whether or not you agree with this approach to trying to stay in business, like the weather and government in general, it’s something you have to live with.Many companies have used this as a reason to send out fewer or smaller mailings in an attempt to keep their costs down. Here’s a quote from an issue of Direct Marketing News:“Despite a string of healthy annual increases, the growth of direct mail expenditures is expected to slow over the next four years. Direct mail continued to grow in 2001 but slowed because of the anthrax scare”, the study said.The study also said, "Direct mail will continue to expand during the forecast period but at a slower pace than in the past because of the emergence of e-mail marketing and postal rate hikes, which will force marketers to limit mailings."The question is: should you agree with this and follow the trend, or should you turn it to your advantage? Just think, with fewer mailing pieces arriving in your customers’ or prospects’ mailboxes, your glossy, full-color postcards are goin

g, he have flu. No can come work today. Too late to try tell you.”

Bruce was crestfallen. Suddenly he was looking at an ignomious flight home, if he didn’t go to court and have to spend years in jail here.

It took Vichai another three hours to get Bruce out on bail. They took a taxi to Bruce’s place where Vichai told him his plan. Vichai had seen pictures of Bruce’s brother, Tony. They looked very similar, so Vichai told Bruce to call him and ask him to come to Thailand urgently. They only had two weeks before Bruce was scheduled to go to court.

When Tony arrived, Bruce took his passport, jumped on a plane and flew back to Australia. Meanwhile, Tony went to the embassy and reported that he had lost his passport on the beach at Pattaya. They accepted his story and a few days later he was issued with a new passport and he too flew back to Australia.

ADVICE About Downloadable Dictionaries
There are dictionaries for many different things such as languages, medical, translation, dreams, rhyming, slang, law and much more. Whatever your needs are, you can find a dictionary to help. And a downloadable dictionary has many advantages. They work like most other software programs and they are very easy and simple for you. They are easy to download and very easy to use. You don't have to worry about reading complicated instruction manuals.Using Downloadable DictionariesSo how could a downloadable dictionary help you? Well, you can take Karen as an example. Karen has always been interested in her dreams. Since she was a small child she has remembered her dreams and she began recording them as a teenager.She bought many books on interpreting her dreams but found them bulky, hard to read or too outdated. Then one day she discovered a downloadable dream dictionary. She spent hours reading through it. She was able to download the dictionary to her computer and whenever she has a dream, she can look up possible meanings with keywords.All she has to do is type in a key word or phrase from the dream and the dictionary will bring up possible meanin

Bruce arrived in Bangkok from Australia eager for adventure. He was young, na?ve, and greedy but he knew there were opportunities here if you kept your options open. He got a job at an English school on Sukhumvit Road while looking for other ways to supplement his income. He ran into Vichai the pimp in Patpong one night. They made some small talk first and then Vichai soon got around to what he wanted to say.

“Khun Bruce, you like make much money fast?”

“What do I have to do, Vichai?”

“Ah! Good. I like you velly much. I trust you. You come go with me. I take you to meet man help us make plenty money.”

They piled into a taxi and drove down to Klong Toey. The streets were narrow. Dark shadows lurked everywhere. They pulled up outside a decrepit hut and knocked on the door. It cracked open and one eye checked them out before swinging the door open just enough for them to slide inside. A single feeble bulb hung from the tin roof.

Vichai led Bruce to a dark alcove where he could vaguely see two men sitting at a table. They motioned the newcomers to sit down. A babble of Thai between them and Vichai established that they were who the men expected. Then one of them spoke in English.

“My friend you, he say you want make money. You no speak anyone else?” one of the men asked.

“No, I can keep my mouth shut.” Bruce replied. These men intimidated him. They looked very nasty and he had no doubt that if he got involved with them he had better keep his mouth shut or else.

“OK. I think you can do. Vichai he tell you what to do. You no worry. We help you, make sure no problem. You go now and listen only to Vichai, no speak any man else, ok?”

Bruce nodded and they both got up, went outside to the waiting taxi and headed back to Patpong. When they got there Vichai took Bruce to a coffee shop and he told Bruce what he had to do.

“You get on plane to Hong Kong and stay three days at this hotel.” He handed Bruce the address of one of the best hotels in Hong Kong. All expenses paid, no problem. On last day you go this address.” Vichai said. “The man there, he give you two big suitcases. They very heavy with calculators and watches. No drugs. No problem.”

Bruce nodded, and Vichai went on. “When you get off plane at Don Muang, you go through green lane. My friend he work in customs, him name Khun Soropong Kittisomsak. He no problem. You walk past him and catch taxi to my apartment. You get free holiday in Hong Kong and I pay you 50,000 baht when you bring suitcases me.”

They spent the next hour talking and planning the trip. Bruce was scheduled to leave in two days, so he told his boss at the English school he needed a week off to do a visa run.

He flew off to Hong Kong, checked into the hotel and had a great time. On the last day he went to the address he had been given and sure enough he was handed two suitcases. He piled them into the taxi, went to Kai Tak airport and checked in.

Four hours later in Bangkok he picked up the suitcases from the luggage carousel and headed for the green lane. He started to waltz through but the customs officer stopped him and asked him if he had anything to declare. Bruce looked at the nametag, but it wasn’t the name he had been given. But he smiled at the man and said that he only had two suitcases filled with his clothes. The officer asked him to open the suitcases. By now, Bruce was getting worried. What had gone wrong? Where was Khun Soropong? He had no choice, so he opened the first suitcase and a glittering array of watches greeted their eyes. The officer immediately called for support and they led Bruce away to a room where he was questioned. He wouldn’t tell them who he was working for, so they arrested him and slung him into immigration jail.

A few hours later Vichai turned up looking very angry. “You say what to police?” he asked.

“Nothing. I guarantee you I didn’t tell them anything, just like you told me. They think I own the suitcases.” Bruce told him.

“OK,” said Vichai looking relieved, “you no say anything I help you. When you get out of here, you must run away back home and no come back here again. You have passport?”

Bruce shook his head. The police had taken it away as soon as they arrested him.

“No problem. We have plan.” Vichai said. “Don’t worry. I get you out of here and we help you leave Thailand. Velly solly about this. Khun Soropong, he have flu. No can come work today. Too late to try tell you.”

Bruce was crestfallen. Suddenly he was looking at an ignomious flight home, if he didn’t go to court and have to spend years in jail here.

Home Staging - Lighting Will Make Your Home Glow in Beauty and Grow in Value
When designing a lighting plan for the rooms in your home, you need to consider the variety of activities that occur there. You need to determine how you want to use your home’s space in order to decide what kind or kinds of lighting you will need.If you are going to be reading, sewing, or some other specific activity, then you will need “task lighting.” This lighting needs to allow you to complete your task without getting blinded, but also without needing to strain your eyes to get the job done! For instance, reading requires task lighting that comes from behind the reader's shoulder or reflects off the ceiling or wall.Beyond performing tasks, you will also want to highlight or feature certain areas. This is done through “accent lighting.” When you look around your home, what do you see? More importantly, what do you WANT to see? It may be a particular piece of artwork, an unusual plant, or an interesting architectural feature. For instance, if you have a fireplace made of brick, you and your certified lighting specialist may decide to emphasize this feature with recessed lights installed in the ceiling over the mantle. This type of lighting creates an inte

ai between them and Vichai established that they were who the men expected. Then one of them spoke in English.