In my short five years in the Travel Industry there’s one thing that I’ve come to not only know, but expect from traditional Travel Agents:

They absolutely LOVE to complain.

In all the industries, all the companies I’ve worked for during my adult life, I’ve never seen an industry so quickly drawn to anger and criticism the way Travel Agents are. It’s no wonder so many of them have gone out of business. Currently, with two thirds unable to show a profit last year, one might suggest that a bit more focus on their own business would be in order – rather than spending time and energy on someone else’s.

Not Travel Agents. They relish the role of victim and have an uncanny way of finding something to complain about – even if it’s a half a world away.

I first caught wind of this iTrek story and promotion in Australia called “The Travel Agent Is Dead” at the beginning of the month. I didn’t think much of it, nor was it “news” to me by any means.

As we’ve come to expect, the industry can never let anything go. Quite the opposite. Since the initial story posted on March 8th, there have been numerous other articles on the progress, compounded with more bickering back and forth within the community.

As a result, more heals are being dug in on both sides of the fence that only heightens the hostility and anger – now almost a month old.

There soon appeared to be a tie with Travel Guard in this developing story, in which they proceeded to do some major backpedaling in order to save themselves from the wrath of the Travel Agent community. If you’re wondering how Travel Guard got mixed up in this mess half way around the world, they do some of the underwriting for iTrek. Enormous pressure (and blame) was bestowed upon them in order to “fix” this promotion once and for all.

After all the dust settled, I’m reading Travel Agent Central yesterday only to find that iTrek has decided to move forward with the promotion. While putting an end to the gala affair they initially planned for this promotion, they’ve decided to move forward with the film competition and prize awards, however, on a much smaller scale. We found this on their website home page.

THE RUMOURS ARE TRUE.

Unfortunately “The Travel Agent Is Dead”, is dead. The competition has come to a tragic and premature end due to the unprecedented hostile response from Travel Agents in both the USA and Australia.

There has been a biblical over reaction by Travel Agents to this marvelous competition. The pressure that was put on our Underwriter to withdraw support for this competition was of the highest degree and due to this relentless onslaught we are unable to continue with the campaign.

Biblical overreaction. Sound familiar? You bet it does!

I’ve seen far too many “relentless onslaughts” from this community over the years, to the point that it makes me sick to my stomach that we actually work in the same industry. It’s not only appalling; it’s embarrassing to see grown adults react in this fashion.

And that will eventually be their downfall – they “react”, they never “respond”.

And there is a difference.

In my humble opinion, Travel Agents as a whole need to get a spine and start promoting their value – rather than attacking and condemning everything that appears to stand in their way. It’s gone past the point of sad to the point of absurd. You just can’t get anywhere effectively by doing this type of bickering. With every problem lies a solution, but most can’t get out of the way, due to the emotional outbursts we see all too often. None of them ever appear to take the time to look at more effective ways to respond to any given situation.

Look at YTB. Sure, the hostility and public shame has driven some away, but our company as a whole is much stronger and far more resilient than they ever imagined. That’s the nature and the beauty of the Direct Sales and Network Marketing model. There’s power in our numbers, and no two people are going to perceive or respond exactly the same way. In stark contrast to the Travel Agent community, our industry spends far more time looking for opportunities to advance and improve – not blatantly attack and tear down.

In their defense, nobody likes being called a dinosaur or worse – dead. They see evidence of things changing around them every day. Look at the Travel Weekly Power List. Four of the top ten companies are on-line Agencies, producing a combined $45 BILLION in sales without any need or want for their fine services, which they proudly hold near and dear to their heart. And they should be proud of what they offer. Likewise there is a market for their fine customer service and support.

The problem as I see it comes from the heart – instead of using their heads. As a result, the emotions elevate and compound each situation instead of finding an applicable resolution that most everyone can agree on.

Produce another competition here in the U.S. for all the reasons why you actually need a Travel Agent. (Without any need or desire to even speak of iTrek.) With all their years of experience I’m sure there are some wild stories that could be told. Real horror stories and how they came to the rescue and aid of long time clients they’ve helped over the years. Not only could it be extremely informative but down right fun to watch if done in the proper spirit. And by proper spirit – I mean in a way that I’ve heard them talk for years – a Travel Agent is your partner – a Travel Agent is your friend – a Travel Agent is there to build a relationship with you. It’s the only way a Travel Agent can offer the perfect vacation or travel experience.

All features you just can’t get from a web site – bits and bytes simply can’t compete in that regard.

Promote your features, advantages – benefits as to why your worth every penny, while at the same time saving your clients valuable time and money.

What a novel idea.

Instead…what we see is more anger, with more fingers being pointed – this time from across the globe. All that does is push potential clients away. What’s even more amazing to me is their anger is directed at a company that the average American has never even heard of until Travel Agents decided to make a stink. Now, not only do more people know about them, but iTrek actually won more promotional leverage in a market that’s very keen on saving every penny they can. Based on what I’ve seen, who would want to work with a hostile and angry Agent like the one iTrek described? You couldn’t pay me to book with some of these “professionals” at this point.

At this rate and with their attitude, they will be dead when it’s all said and done.

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I don’t have much time this morning, but wanted to share with you another great experience with ZamZuu.

Over the weekend, my laptop power supply went on the fritz. The power would cut in and out and the cord had to be just right in order to get power to the laptop. Power cords have been a constant problem over the years because it is a mobile device and I take the laptop with me where ever I go.

Kind of like my right arm. ;-P

Have you ever tried to shop around for a power supply? Did it a couple of years ago and ended up getting one of the all-in-one type supplies that cost about $120. Sure I could hook it up to multiple devices, but that’s hard to do when you need it for your laptop all the time. The next time it went on the fritz, I ordered one off the internet from somebody off of e-bay. Worst mistake I ever made. Sure it was cheap – I think something like $20 but that also meant it was cheap manufacturing. The stupid thing was so noisy you could see static on the television set – and that’s with a conditioner attached to the set! (Something used to clean up the power to the television.)

So the last time I needed to replace the power supply, I was a little more careful and bought from a reputable supplier that specialized in power supplies for around $40. Still cheaper than getting it direct from the computer manufacturer, but not so cheap that it wreaks havoc on all your other appliances.

What I didn’t realize at the time was the manufacturer who makes these power supplies also OEM’s them for other retailers, and depending on who you purchase it from, it could save you some money. Once I found the right price from a retailer I knew and trusted – I decided to log into my ZamZuu site to see if the retailer was one of the hundreds offered in my shopping portal. All I had to do was type the name in the search box and up it came.

So get this – not only did I find the cheapest price on the internet, I got it even cheaper because I was smart enough to check out ZamZuu before I decided to buy. And the time it took to log into ZamZuu to check? Less than 60 seconds to find the exact same item, for the exact same price through ZamZuu to get cash back.

As it turns out – the problem wasn’t the power cord, but the power supply connection inside the computer. After a little investigation, it was found that this tiny little item is attached to the mother board of the computer. (Meaning that in order to replace the power supply, you need to replace the main guts of the computer.)

More research showed that a new board for an outdated computer would cost around $400 to buy and repair. I can do a lot with computers – but a motherboard in a laptop isn’t one of them.

So what do we do now?

Do another search on the internet silly to find a new computer with the right features and the right price.

Not only did I find one, I found it locally from one of the big box retailers – who as you might have guessed is available through ZamZuu. (It’s one we have listed as our “Favorites”) Like the desktop that bit the dust before Christmas, this was another customer pickup that had a new laptop in my hands within 20 minutes of ordering a smashing new Dell laptop with most of the bells and whistles I wanted.

So from the comfort of an office chair I not only find the best deal in town, but get it for less because I went through ZamZuu.

I remember the old days of store hoping and think how chaotic and time consuming that process is – only to run into a cheaper price somewhere else a week later because I was too tired to take the time to check.

Well, I do have something that will take some time. Getting all my information on this computer from the weekly backups I make. I should be good as new by this afternoon with everything in its place.

Just wanted to share another reason and a personal experience that continues to cement my belief and faith that YTB is heading in the right direction. Without YTB’s foresight to diversify, it probably would have cost me a lot more time and money because I’m used to doing things a certain way. (Aren’t we all.)

Now that I know how easy and quick this is, you’d be hard pressed to ever get me to go back to doing things the old way.

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In this mornings article, I mentioned an industry veteran I had spoken with over the phone. I have to let the cat out of the bag now and let you know that this veteran is George Dooley, an independent travel writer of some 35 years who wanted an exclusive on the Convention. George and I first spoke a few years ago when he interviewed me surrounding the dueling blogs between myself (Pro YTB) and John Frenaye (Con YTB)

Little did I know that George has kept up with my blog over the years, and I think it’s safe to say he’s a fan of my work here on Just Picture It Now. He writes in today’s exclusive interview with me:

“YTB International’s annual convention opens this week at the America’s Center in St Louis, with 5,800 plus YTB agents and representatives expected. Among them will be Doug Bauknight, one of YTB’s most articulate defenders who has stood by YTB in good times and bad. Bauknight’s web site, www.justpictureitnow.com, is available to help interested parties understand the ever-controversial YTB and its future.”

On Monday, George contacted me to write this piece. While driving home from dropping off my kids so Ronda and I could come to Convention George and talked at length about the industry and YTB. George was very open and honest with his positioning of this piece and also granted me an opportunity to view the first draft to ensure accuracy of my quotes and view of YTB.

I’ve poured my heart into YTB and this blog for the last 4 years. As I have grown as a writer and entrepreneur I can’t tell you how humbling it is to have a veteran like George not only recognize me, but contact me for this exclusive interview. On top of his accolades Ronda and I have been stopped by other YTB Agents here at the Convention countless times so far to thank us for the work we have done on this blog and for our weekly newsletter.

This interview which posted today is icing on the cake, and we’ve been here for less than 24 hours.

Please feel free to read this interview in it’s entirety here and pass it around as much as you like to show the credibility of YTB.

And George…thank you. I know you put yourself out there for ridicule when taking a pro YTB stance. I appreciate it, and the company appreciates it.

Your Friend and Fans,

Doug & Ronda

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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I’ve been surfing around the last few days and about all I can say is “yuck”.

So rather than get caught up in the childish bantering, the market collapse, sad Annual Reports, and more job losses, we’re going to shift gears (maybe from here on out?) and focus on something positive. Personally, I just don’t like participating in doom and gloom, which has escalated into even more absurdity. It’s not only unproductive, and when negativity is all you focus on, what do you get more of?

More negativity.

So for now, we’re going to focus on something positive. Something meaningful. Something important.

My new iPhone!

Oh COME ON! It’s important to me, and this IS my blog, and I had no idea how useful this phone REALLY was until I got myself one a week ago. The screen on my old phone blanked out on me, and with the hundreds of contacts I had saved on it, and because I had saved the settings to silent due to the Directors meeting last week, I had no idea who called or even if they called. With my phone being my left arm, (laptop being my right) it was time for a new phone.

I’ve had team members who have raved about the iPhone for some time, and while I’ve always wanted one (actually wrote about how slick Google integrates with it), until I had a chance to see it and get first hand experience with a number of the applications, features, and benefits I truly had no idea. The only problem I have with the iPhone right now are my kids who can’t keep their hands off it wanting to play games. They’re rather upset that their father doesn’t have any games loaded and while I told them that it’s not a toy, my wife had the nerve to brake out in uncontrolled laughter. (What’s up with that?)

The iPhone 3G combines three products in one – a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device. It features 3G, built-in GPS, push email, calendar, and contacts. (You can also talk to people!)

Technology also has a way of making life easier, saving both time, money and space. I remember buying books on tape, which graduated to books on CD, and now I can download thousands of audiobooks on iTunes within a matter of minutes with a digital format that takes up very little space. I’m also thrilled with literally THOUSANDS of niche iTunes Podcasts that I can subscribe to and are downloaded automatically to the phone before I head out for the day. While I did listen to the radio a couple weeks ago during the Super Bowl, I rarely listen to the radio, opting for biographies, motivational, or personal developement CD’s instead. Now with the ability to listen via my iPhone for both books and broadcasts that empower me and nurish my mind instead of bombarding it with negativity and useless chatter, I’m more focused and prepared to take on the day.

Another area I just LOVE is the 3G feature for internet and GPS. This combination built right into the phone is absolutely amazing to me. If you throw in a couple of iPhone applications, that give you instant access to traffic delays, flight delays, and where to find the lowest gas price in your area you’ve got yourself some kind of power in your hand. While the Flight Track Pro is used for clients with air while I’m out and about, I can also access the Atlanta Traffic Cams right from my phone either before I head out or while I’m trying to decide the best route to take home. Another very cool application is Cheap Gas, which takes your current GPS location and not only posts the gas prices of surrounding stations, but when you find one you like, and not sure about the best route to take to get there just hit the “map” feature for turn by turn directions.

Of course the same can be done while you’re out and about using Google Mobile App that I wrote about some time ago. It’s been quite some time since I’ve toyed with voice recognition software, and I have to admit, either Google did their homework, or technology has finally caught up with this type of application making it virtually error free. There’s no training involved like the old days, and results come back surprisingly fast even if it hits the servers and comes back with results. Another application I really like is “Say Who” that accesses the names from you contact list, which is a real time saver when you have as many contacts as I do. Just say the name, it pulls it up and dials the number automatically. No more setup, and no more voice training which now opens up my entire list of contacts, not just the most used or the only the ones I’ve manually trained and programed.

I also love the voice mail features. In the past, people would leave a voice mail, and when I saved it for later because I couldn’t write down the dates or itinerary when I went to access it again, I’d have to scroll through several other saved voice mails in order to get to the one I wanted. It was frustrating and time consuming to say the least.

GONE! Now I can access any voice mail in any order, with a slick GUI interface that provides a name, date and time stamp, and I even have the ability to stop mid stream and call a client or friend back right from the voice mail area to clarify or reply with a quick answer. When done, simply delete.

One area that I know gets a lot of use from others, that I haven’t gotten the hang of just yet is typing on such a small screen. Put a full featured keyboard in front of me and I’ll type for hours, but this tiny keyboard does take some getting use to. I’ve never been one for texting and don’t intend to start now, but I can do like to respond to e-mail on the fly. I can also “Tweet” and update Facebook with many other Social Networking sites on the go. Yes, there are several applications for Social Networking and while I haven’t decide which one works best, (basically because I don’t use them that much) I do like the feature and ability to post on the fly.

Lastly, the browser used was a big surprise to me. I couldn’t imagine being able to read posts like this on such a small screen, but found out that while it is smaller, it’s surprisingly easy to read. It is different navigating around, and you certainly don’t have the space to read without scrolling, but I was surprised at the clarity and ease of use of the built in browser. I wouldn’t recommend it be your only connection to the internet, but it certainly does the job in a pinch when you need to access something on the go.

Bottom line for me is that this phone absolutely ROCKS! The ease of use, stable platform, and incredibly useful and intuitive applications make the phone the best toy, errr, “tool” I’ve seen in a long, long time. The features, benefits and usefulness are amazing and provide real time savers, increased productivity and service to those I associate with.

I give it two thumbs up!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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This past weekend, I was introduced to a company called Aisle 19, and if you are like me, you probably went “Aisle who?” I never heard of them either, but after checking out the movie, it looked interesting. There really isn’t much out there concerning this company or concept so I figured a review was in order to help those of you who may have been invited, (the only way you can join by the way) to provide some information and answer some questions.

Aisle 19 is somewhat like the Discover credit card. You should know how that works. For every purchase you make; you earn a certain percentage as “cash back”.  The difference in Aisle 19 is it’s not a credit card, but a gateway you pass through in order to earn this “cash back” bonus with over 600 retailers. Percentages will range by retailer from 1% up to 20%, but by going through this gateway in Aisle 19 you are automatically qualify and are connected directly to the online stores you know and trust. Some names you may recognize are NFLshop.com, Barnes & Noble, Gap, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, K-Mart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Staples, Sony….

You get the picture.

In addition, Aisle 19 is a good place to find those special deals, kind of like the Sunday paper, but every day. When I logged in this morning I found an exclusive Aisle 19 offer to receive 20% off the list price of any one item with Borders. The offer expires 1/31 and is good for everything from books and music to movies and kids. Another offer from Target includes free shipping with orders over $50.00. It’s a great place to start your shopping experience to save money.

What’s the cost for something like this? Nadda. There are no additional fees, no setup fees, and no activation fees. There are no inflated prices on shipping or product sales. Product prices and shipping costs through Aisle 19 are the same at the merchant’s web site and sometime even lower with Aisle 19’s Daily Deal specials.

All you need is to be invited by someone else.

So what’s the problem? I honestly couldn’t tell you. For someone like me who’s been buying online for a number of years, it’s really a no brainer. (Seriously) I mean, it doesn’t cost me a thing to join, I shop with retailers I already know (and trust) and I get “cash back” if I arrive at these stores sites via the Aisle 19 web site.

That being said, there are probably some questions, and I’ve seen some out there that I hope I might be able to answer for you here.

• Where is Aisle 19?

Aisle 19 is on the internet. I have seen questions out there believe it or not from people who physically went into the store and looked for an Aisle 19 in the store. (If you’d like to search for them, be my guest, but they will remain nameless here.) Aisle 19 is the online shopping portal or gateway that you can now use to save money and earn cash back.

• How do you make sure you get credit through Aisle 19?

Simply start shopping by going to Aisle 19 first, and then click the store of choice through Aisle 19. Stores will have no way of knowing how you got there without going through Aisle 19 first.

• How do they know it’s me?

Cookies, and we’re not talking Mrs. Fields here. Cookies are computer speak for tracking. It’s not spyware or any type of virus, just a way to make sure that the purchases you make all link back to you. Cookies used by Aisle 19 and it’s network of stores are completely safe and they are enabled by default with most browsers.

• Do all purchases qualify for cash back?

Virtually every “item” you purchase through Aisle 19 qualifies for cash back. Aisle 19 cannot, however, give cash back for taxes, shipping, or any portion of a purchase that is paid for with non-Aisle 19 provided coupons, gift certificates or a store credit. Specials and coupons CAN be combined to maximize your savings. (Unless otherwise stated by the retailer.)

• How do I know I’m saving as much as possible?

One way is to shop from the stores that offer the highest cash back incentives. Simply click on the ALL STORES tab in Aisle 19 and then select the Cash Back pull down. Aisle 19 will then show you which stores offer the highest cash back incentives from highest to lowest. Another way is to always start by checking out the Daily Deals on the main page. Aisle 19 does all the work for you by searching all the specials, deals and coupons that stores are currently offering. This saves you the time of clicking from store to store to find what deals are available. Many times these deals are not available when shopping from the stores directly so by coming through Aisle 19 you get discounts that are often not available to the general public. You can also word search for items in the daily deal section to see if what you are looking for happens to be on sale.

• How soon will I receive my cash back?

On or around the 20th of every month, your cash back check from the previous month’s purchases will be cut and mailed to you. There are special incentive stores that will provide instant cash back for you at the time of purchase. Kind of like an “instant rebate”, and simply take the cash back you receive off the total price.

• What are the shipping policies?

The same as the retailer’s web site. Because you will be shopping on the retailer’s site you will have to check their shipping policies. Some stores like Sam’s and Wal-Mart will allow you to order on-line and pick your merchandise up at the local store. (Cool huh?)

• How safe is my credit card information?

100% secure. When you check out at any of the merchants used, you are on the safest possible connection, a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Credit card security is of the utmost importance to Aisle 19 and something they look for when partnering with a retailer.

If you’ve been introduced to Aisle 19, I hope this gives you a better idea of what this program is all about, and answer some of the questions you might have had. Personally, I like the idea and it fits in very well with what I’m already doing. It also gives me added incentive to shop for more products online for additional savings of both time and money.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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This is for anyone who lives in Atlanta, who has ever lived in Atlanta, has ever visited Atlanta, ever plans to visit Atlanta, knows anyone who already lives in Atlanta, or knows anyone who has ever heard of Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta is composed mostly of one-way streets. The only way to get out of downtown Atlanta is to turn around and start over when you reach Greenville, South Carolina.

All directions start with, “Go down Peachtree.” and include the phrase, “When you see the Waffle House.” (Except that, in Cobb County, all directions begin with, “Go to the Big Chicken.”)

Peachtree Street has no beginning and no end and is not to be confused with:

Peachtree Circle
Peachtree Place
Peachtree Lane
Peachtree Road
Peachtree Parkway
Peachtree Run
Peachtree Terrace
Peachtree Avenue
Peachtree Commons
Peachtree Battle
Peachtree Corners
New Peachtree
Old Peachtree
West Peachtree
Peachtree-Dunwoody
Peachtree-Chamblee
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

Atlantans only know their way to work and their way home. If you ask anyone for directions they will always send you down Peachtree.

Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. That’s all they drink there, so don’t ask for any other soft drink unless it’s made BY Coca-Cola.

Gate One at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport is 32 miles away from the Main Concourse, so wear sneakers and pack a lunch.

The 8 AM rush hour is from 5:30 to 10:30 AM.

The 5 PM rush hour is from 2:30 to 8:00 PM.

Friday’s rush hour starts Thursday afternoon and lasts through 2 am Saturday.

Only a native can pronounce Ponce De Leon Avenue, so do not attempt the Spanish pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. (The Atlanta pronunciation is “pawns duh-LEE-on”.)

The falling of one raindrop causes all drivers to immediately forget all traffic rules!

If a single snowflake falls, the city is paralyzed for three days and it’s on all the channels as a news flash every 15 minutes for a week.

All grocery stores will be sold out of milk, bread, bottled water, toilet paper, and beer.

I-285, the loop that encircles Atlanta that has a posted speed limit of 55 mph (but you have to maintain 80+ mph just to keep from getting run over, unless you are stopped completely during “rush hour”), is known to truckers as “The Watermelon 500.”

Don’t believe the directional markers on highways.

I-285 is marked “East” and “West,” but you may be going “North” or “South.” The locals identify the direction by referring to the “Inner Loop” and the “Outer Loop.”

If you travel on Hwy 92 North, you will actually be going southeast.

Never buy a ladder or mattress in Atlanta. Just go to one of the interstates and you will soon find one in the middle of the road.

The last thing you want to do is give another driver the finger. Unless your car is armored, your trigger finger is itchy and your AK-47 has a full clip.

Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.

There are 5,000 types of snakes, and 4,998 live in Georgia.

There are 10,000 types of spiders. ALL 10,000 live in Georgia, plus a couple no one has seen before.

If it grows, it sticks.

If it crawls, it bites.

It is not a shopping cart; it is a buggy.

“Fixinto” is one word (“I’m fixinto go to the store.”).

Sweet Tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you’re 2 years old.

“Jeet?!” is actually a phrase meaning “Did you eat?” (“Jeet yet?”)

If you understand these jokes, forward them to your friends from Atlanta, Georgia, and those who just wish they were.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

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This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came to me via e-mail but wanted to post it because it’s worth your consideration.

Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $4.00 a gallon by next summer and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action.

This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the “don’t buy gas on a certain day” campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn’t continue to “hurt” ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us! By now you’re probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.89 for regular unleaded in my town.

Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 – $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace…..not sellers. With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.

The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can’t just stop buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here’s the idea:

For the rest of this year, DON’T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It’s really simple to do!

Now, don’t wimp out at this point….keep reading and I’ll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people.I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us sends it to at least ten more (30 x 10 =3D 300) … and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 =3D 3,000)…and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers. If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!

If it goes one level further, you guessed it….. THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That’s all. (If you don’t understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people…. Well, let’s face it, you just aren’t a mathematician. But I am, so trust me on this one.)

How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!!

I’ll bet you didn’t think you and I had that much potential, did you?

Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN.

THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

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