11.27.06
Last week, as tradition held, President Bush pardoned the White House turkey. Letterman’s take on it: ‘’Before the official pardon, Vice President Cheney spent the day torturing it.'’ I think MY take is funnier; ‘’Upon hearing of the pardon of this year’s White House turkey, Don Rumsfeld thanked the President profusely.'’
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Must be that the tryptophan in all that turkey that the DAX Elves ate last Thursday put ‘em under for a few days, as when it came time to review their output for this week’s post there was scarce-little for me to read, let alone edit. So . .. I pretty much had to come up with all of the following on my ownsome. Let me know if it passes muster or cusses Custer or whatever your personal standard may be. . .
Doubtful anyone’s even reading this on Monday anyway - this is one of those traditional after-the-big-holiday-days when most of the Nation’s work force calls in sick. To WHOM they call in sick is a puzzlement, since their bosses are also amongst those slackards who do not show up! Not here in DAX-LAND! It’s 4:00 A.M. Monday, November 27 and yours truly is bushy-eyed and bright tailed . . . Which reminds me of a statistic I saw recently (that) ten out of two people have dyslexia . . .
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DEAN’S RANT: ‘’He Called Me A Whaaaat?!'’
MONEY-MAKER: ‘’P$$$$$$$t . . . Don’t Tell Anyone!'’
MONEY-SAVING: Tunes On The Cheap!
HEALTH BOOSTERS: Old ‘Blue Eyes’ Sings Again!
SHORT TAKES: Cheap Gas, On-Line Discount Tricks, & HEALTHY Japanese Smokers(?)
DAX YAX: How To Stay Married A Long Time . . .
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DEAN’S RANT: ‘’He Called Me A Whaaaat?!'’
Most of us will say at one time or another that we do not like being labelled, but of course, we all are. Many resent being defined by mere words rather than deeds, but that’s generally the way of the world, is it not? And there’s really nothing that can be done about it.
It doesn’t have to be a bad thing - especially, if the labels that are affixed to us are positive or supportive, as in ‘’My son, the doctor!'’ ‘’My daughter is an honor student!'’ ‘’That man is rich and successful!'’ ‘’That Georgia - she’s a real peach!'’ You get the point. But have you ever thought about the numerous labels that you and I and everybody we know could rightfully have attached to us? I have - and don’t ask why - I just have. Here are some:
Starting at the start(!) you are a fetus. Well, if you want to go back even further, you were once a zygote and before that, ‘’just a wicked gleam in your father’s eye'’ (as my late mother used to declare.) You were an unborn, a pregnancy, a birth, a baby, a child, an infant, a kid, the offspring - and statistically, even a ‘’mistake!'’ (I certainly was a surprise to all concerned!)
In such cases, one may be referred to as an ‘’oops!'’ Some labels are gender-specific, such as you’re being a girl or a boy - a male or a female - a man or a women. A son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, wife, husband, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, father or mother.
But anyone can be a friend or an enemy and one may choose to be good or bad. Accomplished. Gifted. Worthless. An inspiration or a disappointment. A success or a failure. A person may be a teacher, farmer, engineer, dentist, doctor, lawyer, pilot, farmer, accountant, nurse, judge, juror, plaintiff or defendant.
LIFE’S LABELS LOST
I suppose the goal for each of us should be to garner the most positive labels that can truthfully be applied to us - and in so doing, strive to avoid being referred to as something negative or really bad: You do NOT want to be a crook, terrorist, dictator, despot, philanderer, slut, maniac, drunk, druggie, cheapskate, ne’er-do-well, malcontent or miscreant and above all - never a politician(!)
So . . . let’s strive for bonafide reasons why ‘’truth in labelling'’ may result in others thinking of us in glowing terms such as: Generous, healthy, kind, industrious, motivated, inspired, successful, truthful, upstanding, helpful, stalwart, humorous, entrepreneur (loyal, brave, clean and reverent? Ha! Yes, I WAS both a Cub and Boy Scout PLUS an Explorer!)
A HIDDEN BENEFIT
Scientists tell us that oldsters who make a point of stimulating their mind, as well as their body, can stave off the dreaded Alzheimer’s Disease.
Thus, it may be worthwhile to make a written list of such ‘’labels'’ - all those words and phrases that could be assigned to a person - man or women - whether he/she is good, bad, evil or saintly. I’ll bet a comprehensive list would contain thousands of possibilities.
-Dean
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MONEY-MAKER: ‘’P$$$$$$$t . . . Don’t Tell Anyone!'’
Here is a heretofore carefully guarded (by ME!) secret that can be of significant benefit to you if you are involved in any form of direct marketing:
Whether you are using a list of ten, ten thousand or ten million names, arrange up-front with your list provider to have at-the-ready precise duplicates of the list that you use in your initial mailing. That is no problem for him/her and indeed, you should receive a considerable discount on subsequent use of the lists.
First, the list will have already been segmented to your specifications, i.e., geographical areas, ZIPS within, targeted data (buyers of $100.00 and up, or new mothers, gardeners, etc.) Secondly, if your mailing is structured to provide you with nixies, you would send them along to the list owner so they can be removed from YOUR segmented list prior to next usage. That way, when ready to use again, you need only instruct as to the fresh Key Coding data, etc. Are you with me so far? Well, you’d better be ’cause, I’m going on . . .
Okay, here’s the inside skinny - and I’m telling you this from decades of experience and millions upon millions of pieces of mail we’ve ‘’dropped'’ - some of which have literally cost us two dollars each!
About two weeks after your first mailing - but no longer than four weeks - send out a second mailing OF THE EXACT SAME LITERATURE to the very same list of people!
Two - four weeks later - send out another mailing to the VERY SAME PEOPLE - VERY SAME MAILING PACKAGE. Do not even alter the wording on the outside of the carrier - leave everything, as is! Only exception would be if you have placed a deadline for purchase on some item offered in your package.
Keep very close track of the sales response rate from each of your sequential mailings. You will discover in virtually all situations, that each time you send out another mailing - again, to the same prospects, using the identical materials - your sales will actually increase!
Yes, there is an eventual point of diminishing returns - for awhile. You will need to determine that by way of those all-important records that you’re keeping. If/when it slows done measurably . . . QUIT MAILING! But do not quit for good! Go back to that ‘’waiting well of wealth'’ in another two three - or six months. Again, experimentation plus close monitoring is always a key task in marketing.
The above process - which I immodestly tell you that I personally developed several decades ago - has worked so well for us at DAX we found it very economical to maintain our own in-house list of just 1.1 million multiple buyers for many, many years now. We constantly (daily, actually) remove any nixies, make any address changes and add new customer names ONLY to the extent of keeping that one list not merely active - but highly productive!
All extraneous names - even if they are fresh buyers, are placed in a separate file and yes, we do cultivate those people as well, but it is our core group that receives the bulk of our on-going attention. And for the obvious reason - they keep buying again, and again, and again! A few oldsters on that list have been with me since 1962 - and are STILL buying DAX goodies! They are what we very lovingly refer to as ‘DAX Devotees’ - any wonder why?
By the way, our mailing lists ARE available for rental to other marketers of quality, legal and non pornographic(!) offers. In short, no swear words in your copy or you do not get to mail to ‘’my people!'’ For a brochure, email me and request it at: Dean@DAXRICH.com
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MONEY-SAVING: Tunes On The Cheap!
If you prefer to have all or at least some of your music in hard copy, as most of us ‘’oldsters'’ do(!), nowadays that generally means getting ahold of a CD or in a few isolated cases even cassettes. I have tons of the latter which, one by one, I’ve been listening to and mostly discarding thereafter.
Regardless, whenever I want a new CD for the office, car or at home, I have discovered huge savings can be had simply by going to Amazon.com, finding the title and artist of my choice and THEN, scanning all of the new and USED offerings there.
Invariably, I will find a copy of exactly what I want for just pennies on the dollar. Over the years I have saved hundreds of $$$. I have never gotten a ‘’bad'’ copy and more often than not, the seller ships me a brand new copy rather than the used one for which I actually paid. Last week I got my best bargain to date:
Carl Orff’s ‘’Carmina Burana’ performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra with the choristers of the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St. Alban for a pittance of $1.59(!), plus First Class shipping of $2.59.
I wanted it because of only one piece ‘’Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi'’ which if you are unaware, is a familiar cover used for dramatic effect in cartoons, and slightly irreverent adaptations of serious or high drama spoofs, although, to be sure, that’s not what Orff had in mind when he composed the ditty!
Anyway, give the Amazon.com cheap-o option a try sometime - it’s a huge money-saver no matter what your taste in tunes. By the way, many years ago when Jeff Bezo was just starting the company, he phoned me personally, asking if we would allow his new organization to sell DAX products, as at that time, he was selling only books. I half-heartedly agreed, although I suspected his venture would never go anywhere . . . HA!
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HEALTH BOOSTERS: Old ‘Blue Eyes’ Sings Again!
Some time back, whilst chatting with a former very long-time colleague - who shall remain nameless (and I bet he now wishes that he hadn’t reneged on a promise to ol’ DAX, here!) - we reminisced about various celebrities and other ‘’well-knowns'’ that we have each known or cavorted with in the past, and he mentioned once having some dealings with the late Frank Sinatra.
Although, I’ve met a bunch of folks over the years (from Truman Capote to Cher, Joan Rivers, Lucille Ball, Kaye Ballard, Magic Johnson {in Paris}, Joe Montana and his wife {also in Paris - on their way to the Greek Islands} plus, a number of others). Also, my ‘’alter-ego,'’ du Vall, the abstract expressionist, has sold paintings to many other ‘’household names'’ - frankly, I couldn’t even come close to his: Sinatra! In his time, he was truly the epitome of ‘’Top Dog'’ in the celebrity world - bar none.
With his infamous ‘’Rat Pack'’ (Sammy Davis, Jr., Shirley McClaine, Liza Minnelli, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford {JFK’s brother-in-law} as well as the more obscure members of the group, Joey Bishop and Richard Conte) he held court for a number of years at the Sands in Vegas which later became my own favorite haunt (and home) for quite awhile when I first moved to the desert in 1990.
Now that I think about it, I did come CLOSE to my erstwhile friend’s claim to fame: About 40 years ago, an ex-wife observed my (Valentine’s Day) birthday by having Frank Sinatra JUNIOR serenade at a local bistro . . . does that count?!
Well, forget all THAT, because right now we’re not talking about Frank - either senior OR junior - but rather, one Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. - a famed cardiologist whom we have quoted in the past. Hence, the headline for this article. (Wow! Was that far-reaching, or what?!)
This particular time, Sinatra (M.D., that is) sings a pretty tune about being able to protect our hearts against disease merely by taking a pill (or two or three). Specifically, if each of us just makes sure to get a cornucopia of healthy supplements (assuming that, like most other Americans, we are NOT getting these nutrients from our basic daily diet) we can realistically expect to stave off serious heart disease - even death.
No one can promise specific results, but a truckload of empirical data certainly points the way to a sensible daily program that includes:
Alpha lipoic acid (50 - 100 mg)
Calcium (1,000 mg. Even more - 1,500, post menopause - see your doctor)
CoQ10: A DAX perennial favorite and one we have ‘’preached to you about'’ for many years. Sinatra says to take 60 to 90 mg every day. DAX says: Ask your doctor if you can safely double or even triple that amount and if so, GO FOR IT!
Magnesium (400 MG)
Niacin (20 mg) Again, chat with your ‘’white coat.'’ My doc has me taking (and this is NOT a misprint) 1,000 mg TWICE every day! It really cuts down on the bad cholesterol!)
B-Complex (B6 10mg, B12 100 mcg)
Vitamin C (600 mg)
Vitamin E (400 IU)
I MUST add this: Any heart-smart program should include (in our judgment) careful consideration about the amount of carbohydrates one allows into their diet regimen. There is much evidence to show that we must all cut back on excess carbs because, the simple FACT is that too many not only make one FAT - they drastically increase the risk of heart disease. Do NOT take my word for it -talk with your very own medical provider.
A FEW EXTRA HEALTH HINTS
Chinese researchers tell us that the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease is the lowest in Asia and Africa. Their contention is (and no one has yet disputed it) that the reason is because those peoples have a history of a plentiful intake of green tea. ’tis a complicated theory, based on the fact that dopamine (a key player in Parkinson’s disease) is made in an area of the brain called substantia nigra and then travels to a second part of the brain known as the striatum.
Apparently, natural properties in green tea help maintain a proper balance of the two vital chemicals. We already know that green tea is a pretty darn good alternative to black tea and especially, coffee - so, as they say, ‘’What could it hurt?'’ (Also, note yet another possible and extraordinary benefit in this week’s SHORT TAKES!)
SEEMS LIKE MOST OF US ALREADY KNEW THIS:
According to an article in the Archives of Ophthalmology, a study shows where high doses of various antioxidants, as well as the mineral zinc, can slow down or even prevent vision loss in people prone to get macular degeneration which, as you know, is an age-related ailment affecting more than 7 million Americans.
AND FINALLY . . .
Good ol’ (and cheap) magnesium has also been found to boost one’s energy level, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They say that in a study of women between 55 and 70, whilst they were able to ride an exercise bike for equal lengths of time, those who were on a magnesium poor diet burned 15% more oxygen and their heart rates average nine beats a minute faster.
The U.S.D.A. cautions us to not ingest more than 350 mg of magnesium per day. I won’t comment on THAT - other than to suggest (again) that you have an informed chat with your personal care-provider - and let’s hope he or she is enlightened in the ways of the REAL world when it comes to supplements, nutrients, alternative medicine, etc. (You may also listen again to ‘’Sinatra’s Song'’ we played earlier in this article . . . )
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SHORT TAKES: Cheap Gas, On-Line Discount Tricks, & HEALTHY Japanese Smokers(?)
$$$: Especially vital these days: Go to www.fueleconomy.gov There, you will find a wealth of data for determining the MPG (city and highway) for most any car. Further information provided includes the annual fuel cost, the amount of ‘’greenhouse emissions'’ plus, the EPA pollution score.
$$$: We mentioned recently that when you’re checking out your purchase(s) at an online site, you are often asked to fill in a box to realize an additional discount. It may be stated as a ‘’promotional code,'’ ‘’special deal'’ or ‘’coupon.'’ For starters, try typing in the word DISCOUNT. With some sites, it’s as simple as that.
If that does not work, before actually okaying the purchase, use GOOGLE (or any other good search engine) and type in the retailer’s name PLUS the word ‘’promotion'’ or promotional code.'’ Often, you’ll quickly get the inside skinny on WHAT the special code data is, you can return to your check-out procedure and often, save a whole bunch of bux! TRY IT!
$$$: The people of Japan are amongst the heaviest cigarette smokers in the world, yet they have one of the lowest incidences of lung cancer. Huh?! Researchers believe that, whilst a number of factors may account for the anomaly, most likely, it is due to mitigating benefits derived from a high consumption of green tea which affords strong and significant antioxidant protection. A Swiss study also reveals that green tea significantly lowers LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) but in men only. No explanation for that!
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DAX YAX: How To Stay Married A Long Time . . .
A man and woman had been married for over 60 years, sharing everything, talking to each other about all their experiences - no matter what. Indeed, there were no secrets between them save for an old shoe box that the wife kept on a top shelf in her closet which, early-on in their marriage, she had asked her husband to never open or ask her about.
The husband respected her wishes for the duration of their marriage, but when she became very ill and the doctor told him she had precious little time left, he thought he should start winding down their earthly affairs, sort out any lose ends and responsibilities and part of that was to get down the box which he took, unopened, to her bedside.
She held the box for a moment then, quietly said that indeed, it was time for him to learn what was in it. She opened it to reveal two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totalling $95,000. Naturally, he was curious and asked her about the contents of the box that had been the only secret between them for a lifetime. She said, ‘’When we were first wed, my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me, that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.'’
The old man was moved to tears. Only two dolls in the box. She had been angry with him just twice in all those years of living and loving. He looked at her lovingly and said, ‘’Honey, that explains the dolls, but what about all that money” Where did it come from?'’
‘’Oh,'’ she replied, ‘’That’s the money I made from selling the other dolls.'’
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