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Tuesday, September 26, 2006

False Information about Tommy Hilfiger

I received this email in my inbox this morning and I feel there is a need to clear this up. If ever you receive this email. Please do not ... do not forward it out because the information is not true.

In a January 2001 press release, the Tommy Hilfiger company denies that their founder ever made such a statement:

"The facts remain simple and cannot be disputed. Tommy Hilfiger did not make the alleged comments, he has never appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and, in fact, Ms. Winfrey herself, on her January 11, 1999 program, stated Tommy Hilfiger has never been on her show nor has she ever met him.

"Most importantly, Tommy Hilfiger wants his clothing to be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds and his collections are put together with the broadest cross-section of individuals in mind. To reinforce this, he features models of all ethnic backgrounds in his fashion shows and advertisements."

So pervasive is this rumor that, by 2004, the company had set aside an entire section on their corporate web site to deny it, featuring statements from Hilfiger, Winfrey, the Anti-Defamation League and Hilfiger customers.

Tommy Hilfiger is not the first or last famous person to be falsely accused of publicly telling certain ethnic groups to not buy their products. Liz Claiborne, Lauren Hill and Shakira all stand accused. None of the accusations stand up to scrutiny. Some are based on misunderstandings, while others, like the one above, are complete fabrications built on favorite elements of urban legendry. Break this Chain.



SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Subject: Tommy Hilfiger on Oprah

Hello, please read.... and pass on if you haven't already! Everyone needs to see this.

Good for Oprah!!!! I'm sure many of you watched the recent taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger. On the show, she asked him if the statements about race he was accused of saying were true. Statements like"...if I'd known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jewish and Asians would buy my clothes, I would not have made them so nice. I wish these people would *NOT* buy my clothes, as they are made for upper class white people."

His answer to Oprah was a simple "YES". Where after she immediately asked him to leave her show. My suggestion? Don't buy your next shirt or Perfume from Tommy Hilfiger. Let's give him what he asked for. Let's not buy His clothes, let's put him in a financial state where he himself will NOT be able to afford the ridiculous

prices he puts on his clothes.

BOYCOTT PLEASE...., & SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ANYONE YOU KNOW

Nothing empowers people quite like their own survival!

END CHAIN LETTER TEXT

Sunday, September 24, 2006

The Future of eBooks

By Stephen Cole, eBooks.com CEO
February 28, 2002

The key issues for industry development are range and functionality.

The available range is limited by two things, security and commercial imperatives.

With the advent of digital distribution, book publishers looked on with horror at what happened to music and software. Unlike music and software however, books are not already out there in digital form. It takes an act of will on the part of a book publisher to enter this realm. Obviously, caution is appropriate.

Adobe and Microsoft have worked tirelessly to develop and sustain the integrity of their digital rights management platforms, and this has given comfort and confidence to our publisher partners. Nevertheless, they are cautious. Who can blame them?

Furthermore, publishers have operated a very successful and orderly economic model for about 500 years now. You need a compelling commercial story to woo them into a different model. The slower-than-expected adoption of ebooks hasn't helped this transition. Publishers are very busy managing the exigencies of their businesses, in a climate of shrinking margins and fierce competition. To ask them to divert scarce internal resources into an unproven business model -- a model that carries a heightened risk of piracy -- is not trivial.

But until publishers fully embrace the medium and commit all of their new books to digital editions, the value proposition for the digital shopper is diluted.

It is happening, though. From where we stand the future is great. New publishers are signing up every month, loading their titles onto our repository. Every month there are thousands of newcomers to www.ebooks.com, and the numbers just keep growing.

Functionality is the second key driver of ebook adoption. There are many benefits in using ebooks -- you can search 500 pages in a few seconds, you can carry a thousand books in a lightweight laptop; ebooks are typically cheaper than printed books, you can buy an ebook any time of the night or day and have it almost immediately, and so on.

But the functionality of the reading platform is another matter. There is a convoluted chain of interdependencies that falls between the time when the consumer forms the desire to buy an ebook and their finally being able to settle down and read their ebook. Support issues can arise at almost every link in this chain. And they do. Each technical hoop that a consumer has to jump through represents a disincentive to their coming back again.

The process of acquiring a book (and getting the thing to work once you've downloaded it) can be daunting. The Microsoft solution does not currently handle images and tables well. These rudimentary design elements are critical in publishing professional and educational books.

It's early days, quite clearly. The downloading process needs to be simplified. The reading platforms have to be stable. Oddly, consumers don't voluntarily repeat disappointing shopping experiences. And it's repeat customers that the industry needs, in order to grow and be real.

I have been involved in the ebook space for 5 years and have seen a great deal of courage, brilliance, hubris and chaos. Out of all of this, the simple fact remains that ebooks are, and will continue to be, cheaper and more useful for specific applications. They will not replace paper books. Nobody claimed they would. The cell phone didn't replace the home phone. People have car radios and Walkmans (Walkmen?), but they still have a radio on the bedside table or the kitchen bench. So it is with ebooks.

As the range grows and the buying and reading experiences improve, the low-cost channel will come into its own.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

eBooks.com Promotion

eBooks.com Buy One, Get One Free!

Symphony of Love

Let Us Spread Love Wherever We Go!

The Power of Positive Habits

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"Wherever you are in life, your habits determine 95% of your thoughts, feelings and actions. This program shows you how to develop the lifelong habits for great success."

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"Every aspect of our life is determined by our habits, including relationships with those we love. This book teaches you how to acquire new habits that can help improve your relationships...automatically!"

-
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Monday, September 18, 2006

New Google Book Search Partner Program

Good news for large book publisher or small press! Now you can sign up for the Google Books Partner Program and help users discover your book on Google.

Click here to find out more!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

A Tribute to Those Who Lost Their Lifes During 911

Success Is The Quality Of Your Days
by Dr. Philip E. Humbert

If the events of this week have taught us anything, they have reminded us to live each day to the fullest. We were never promised our full "four score and ten."

Even before the attack this week, I was reminded that our lives are too often cut short. My wife is a nurse, and she told me about a young man, age 44, who recently went to his doctor with a summer cold. He had a cough and couldn't get rid of it, so the doctor gave him some pills and told him to come back if it didn't get better.

It didn't get better, so the man went back. They ran some tests, and discovered that the man has been walking around with lung cancer for months, perhaps years. He is married, with three small children, and now knows that he has only two or perhaps three, weeks to live.

There is a wonderful quote that urges us to make plans as if we'll live forever, but to live as if we'll die tomorrow. The truth is that today - this one day - is the only one we really have. Let us use it well!

The rubble of lower Manhattan sends a wake-up call to live with enthusiasm and to do the things you must do in this life! It sends a challenge to love with gusto and to tell the people you love how much you treasure them! Out of the dust comes challenge to say the words, take the risks, make the investments, and experience the richness of life!

It reminds us that life is short, and we often get on advance notice when our ticket expires,

True success is combination of "having" and "being." Success includes earning money and buying nice things, having a home we are proud of, and leaving something to our children and those who follow.

But success is also about "being." It's about being a person others can love and respect. It's about living and loving every moment of our lives, and being honest with ourselves, and with others. It's about being silly, being in love, being proud, and about grieving when it is our turn to grieve.

There is a huge lie in modern culture that claims, "He who dies with the most toys wins." It is NOT true, my friends!

The truth is that "Those who die with some nice toys, lots of friends, fond memories, a few embarrassments, and a smile on their face, are the true winners in life."

There will be many ways to honor those who were killed and injured this week. It is vital that we support them and their families in very tangible ways, and it will be important that we come together for memorials and times of remembrance.

But I propose that an even greater way to honor their memory is to commit ourselves to living up to our fullest potential. In this moment of sorrow and tragedy, challenge yourself to care, to live, and to love with renewed and outrageous enthusiasm. Pursue your dreams as if you could not possible fail! We can not turn back the clock, but we can live our lives with passion, with honor, with integrity and vigor!

Let us truly live every moment of our lives.

Symphony of Love
Let Us Spread Love Wherever We Go!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

More Places to Submit Your Work

eLibrary - Open Ebooks Directory. We are inviting you to add your eBooks to our directory.

DPPpress (a division of DigitalPulp Publishing)
eBooks by authors, self-publishers and independent presses
DPP -- reinventing reading!
www.DPPpress.com - You can submit your eBook to sell here.

http://www.bookcatcher.com/ - Submit a press release with a free member registration.

http://www.wisdomebooks.com/ - Submit your eBook with a link back to their site.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Places to Submit Your Ebook

Looking for websites where you can list and promote your eBook? I managed to find some of these websites when I was promoting my eBook. Hope it will save you some troubles from having to look for these websites yourselves. If you know of any that is not included in the list, please inform me so I can add them to the list.

Places to Submit Your Ebook:

http://www.ebookbroadcast.com - Submit News Press Release.

http://www.buildebooks.com/ - Submission requires a free membership.

http://www.ebookpalace.com

http://www.ebooksnbytes.com - For free submission, go to the ebook listing page. Scroll down and click on the proper category for your ebook. Then find the link for ebook submissions/add url/ submit site and follow the instructions. Premium listings are available for $19.95 US/year.

http://www.jogena.com - Submission requires a link back to them.

http://www.ebookheaven.co.uk - Submission requires a free membership.

http://www.free-ebooks.net

http://www.mindlikewater.com

http://www.bitbooks.com - Fiction or short stories only. Member button with link must be used on your site in order to submit.

http://www.ebookdirectory.com - Choose the proper category for your ebook. Then click on 'Add eBook' to add your ebook to the index.

http://www.e-bookdirectory.com - One-time charge of $10.00 US to submit your ebook.

http://www.published.com - Submission requires a free membership.

http://www.claytabletpublishing.com

http://www.ebooksearchengine.com

http://www.ebookjungle.com - Submission requires a link back to them.