Guest Writer: 5 Productivity Tips

I was just published again at ChangeForge.com, writing about my 5 tips for boosting your productivity. Leave a comment on their blog with your favorite tip! http://www.changeforge.com/2009/02/28/gitterdun/

Open Letter: Adam Shephard

Dear Adam Shepard,

I want to thank you for your book Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream. As a current member of the unemployed who has held very similar beliefs about the American Dream, this book arrived at an opportune time and has planted valuable seeds of thought.

This letter will hopefully encourage you to write further, expand your thoughts and research, and get the warm fuzzy feeling appreciated by authors that you have reached someone. In the interest of full disclosure, I should reveal now that my main intent is self-centered. You may never read my words, but I write them anyhow for the purpose of crystallizing my thoughts about your book while they’re fresh. I write this letter for my own purpose, but sincerely hope that you benefit as well.

The first thing that strikes me about your book is the audacity of your idea. Since this is an open letter, I will fill in your future readers on the idea: After graduating college, you take $25 and essential survival gear (sleeping bag, duffle bag.) and arrive in a strange town as a homeless person. Without using your network or degree, you will rise up from homeless to your own furnished residence with a car, steady work and cash in the bank, in less than a year. Why? To prove that hard work and goal-setting still pays off at the lowest levels of society.

I am a college graduate with a home, a network, and extensive experience, but I have lived the lifestyle that you experienced of heavy manual labor in a dead-end job surrounded by un-ambitious hooligans. I could never go back to the life I once lived, and I cannot imagine starting at the rung of homelessness. I had to start out low due to my lack of planning and education. If I had the choice, I doubt I would have been brave enough to attempt your experience. Kudos for going big, bringing a big set of brass balls, and executing your strategy well.

I am struck by your honest writing style. I never sensed that you were bragging or glossing over truth, even when you were pointing out your obvious strengths and bravery. Almost as brave as setting out to be homeless, your treatment of getting whooped by BG was courageous writing. Even though your tenacity overshadowed your weakness, it still took a great deal of courage to paint the bloody picture that you became within a second of the first blow.

I read both of Barbara Ehrenreich’s books that you referenced, with relish. She also has an appealing writing style and I think she revealed some important aspects of our society that we would never be aware of. Her books produced a lot of thought, and opened up my awareness to hidden aspects of our society.

Like you, I did not buy into Ehrenreich’s idea that the American Dream is a sham. Rather, I suspected that if you set out to prove it is a sham you will fulfill your own prophecy; likewise, if you set out to earnestly make your dream happen you will also find success. I didn’t enough ammunition to argue with Ehrenreich’s thesis until I read your book.

You proved to me with your experiment that paradigms play a major role in our success. Currently, I am unemployed. I was laid off from a job I enjoyed at an employer whom I respect. I worked hard and exceeded expectations, but was laid off anyhow due to the economy. When the executives realized that our revenue for the next several quarters would be lower than usual, they decided to reduce headcount to cover the loss. I had just been hired 6 months ago, and so I was one of the first selected to leave.

When you give so much to a company and get laid off, it is frustrating. On further reflection, I realize that there was absolutely nothing I could do to avoid the layoff, except to have remained in the previous job where I was stagnant and unfulfilled.

I sometimes find myself tempted to stoke feelings of bitterness and self-pity. I sometimes realize that I have developed an attitude of hopelessness, thinking that the next job will also be a waste of my time and effort. Of course, I am wrong and reading your book helped me maintain a reasonable perspective.

Shit happens. Like your broken toe and ulcer, we all run into bumps in the road that we cannot always avoid. We also run into the lucky breaks. You found a good shelter to live in, received the timely advice that landed you at Fast Company, and had a mentor in Derrick to provide guidance and motivation. I look at my own life and realize that I have made my own luck, received unexpected (and sometimes, undeserved) luck, and have had my share of bad luck as well.

I could focus on the bad luck and point to Ehrenreich’s conclusions to bury myself in hopelessness and self-pity. It is far more preferable to me that I focus on the good luck and self-made luck, point to the evidence of your example, and find a new path toward my goal.

The fact that you had a vision was probably the most important factor in your success. Many of the guys like BG who are uninspired by goals such as yours find themselves spinning their wheels. Could you have achieved your goal without the hope of it getting published? Could you have achieved your goal without knowing that you had a degree to call upon if necessary?

I would answer that you could still have achieved your goal if you could simply come up with another reason for doing so. The reward is what is important. For you, the reward was the book, and probably some mixture of self-satisfaction and respect among your family/friends. For Derrick, it is probably to raise kids in a better environment than he had. For BG, it could have been to land a sugar-momma, to prove his detractors wrong, or perhaps there was a dream job that would appeal to him (pilot, entrepreneur, private investigator, etcetera.) The key is having the vision that you can stick with, one that starts by scaring the hell out of you, and becomes so real you can taste it before you have achieved it.

On page 162, you discuss Fast Company’s relationship with its employees that really struck a chord for me. In pointing out the reason why Jed is not as successful a leader as Sherman was, you really highlight an important leadership lesson for anyone who is responsible for others. The employees were not concerned with money as much as they were with belonging to something. Napoleon said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” Sherman helped his employees hope that no matter what was wrong with their job, at least they knew they were appreciated, protected, and fairly secure.

So many companies view their employees like Jed: unappreciative, suspicious, and callous. However, many successful companies can point directly at their human capital and say: “These are the reasons why we are successful.” It makes a tremendous difference as an employee to know your work is appreciated, not just compensated. I am far more likely to stretch my limits and risk discomfort if I know it will be appreciated.

Your conclusions really resonated with my own knowledge and experience. When arriving at pages 214-216, I transformed from passive reader to enthusiastic highlighter, and I believe I will often return to this section of your book. Mainly, I think you proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that those who are happiest at any level of life are those who seize responsibility for themselves. The contrast of Derrick and Shaun is something I have seen in my own life (I have a little Shaun and a lot of Derrick in myself waging war constantly) and in the lives of those around me. You point of assuming 60 years of hindsight and asking whether you are proud or bitter is a great method for assessing your current priorities.

Finally, I really appreciate the 7 points that you shared from your Ohio friend Neil Cotiaux. Among them, the opportunities provided by the peace corps and the military, as well the need for parenting skills mentoring are fantastic ideas for enabling more people like you and Derrick to find a path to their dreams.

Thank you for a great book, Adam. May you always find yourself able to dream bigger, achieve more, and make great friends along the way. I eagerly anticipate future works!

Blended Value

Are you skeptical of social entrepreneurship? Do you think that social entrepreneurship is a story of wasted money and effort? Then here is the point you are missing: The key to success is to create blended value. In their book The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan describe blended value as, “…what results when businesses—whether for-profit or nonprofit—create value in multiple dimensions—economic, social, and environmental.”

Capitalism is not a complete success. If you are in the American middle-class, then you may not fully appreciate the failings of capitalism to reach inner city neighborhoods only a few miles from your two-car garage. You may find it easy to blame single mothers and college dropouts for their own mistakes. You may point at un-ambitious, but able bodied, minorities who would rather collect welfare and charity than work. You can even throw your hands up and point to the failure of government bureaucracy to make any inroads to the situation. These may all be valid points to make, but unless you’ve walked a mile in their shoes, you would better serve your own interests by considering how we can help them.

As a member of the American middle class, it is impossible for us to fathom the impossible situation in Haiti, where no amount of ambition and hustle can help you overcome the odds. We cannot imagine places in Africa where oil drilling has caused devastating pollution, taking away the ability villages once had to sustain themselves through fishing and farming, poisoning them, and preventing them from sharing in the profits that the oil generates.

There are many areas of this planet where capitalism is not working, and there are many reasons. There are many potential consumers who are unable to participate, prevented from participating, or fear participating due to the scandalous history of capitalism. That does not mean it is a flawed system that needs to be replaced. Capitalism is the greatest economic system when it works, and it can be tweaked to work anywhere.

Social Entrepreneurs are tweaking capitalism to create a blended value that is self-sustaining. Charity is ultimately not sustainable because it depends on a constant stream of generous donations. In places where people cannot yet compete in a global economy, charity is simply a matter of throwing money down a hole if it is not used to create value. However, if the charitable donations are used to enable participation in the global economy, then we can call it an investment.

When a multinational firm arrives in a developing nation, the locals will automatically assume that their best days are numbered. They will assume that a lucky few locals will benefit from the arrival, while the vast majority will experience exploitation, pollution, and neglect. The reason for this is because in the 20th century, the primary aim of capitalism was to generate profits for the shareholders of the company. If you did not own a share of the company, then your opinion and your welfare was not important. Hence, many people experienced capitalism in the form of quasi-slavery and oppression.

Today, we are seeing trends towards Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship, which aim to make capitalism more responsible. In this model of blended value, capitalism aims to generate value for the stakeholder which includes the shareholder, the employees, the supplies, the customers, and the local community. In return, each stakeholder protects their interest in the corporation in order to ensure they receive their share of the benefits provided.

By focusing on stakeholders rather than shareholders, Capitalism is transformed from a model of “dog-eat-dog” and “every man for himself” to a model of symbiotic relationships, a functioning village, and a system of sharing resources. Competition still exists, and bad businesses will still fail, but there will be a level playing field and better chance for everyone to do well.

Better still, the firms who provide a greater benefit to the community will likely receive lower taxes, less political obstacles, and a better perception in the market. Your efforts at social equality and creating blended value may become your most successful form of marketing.

ChangeForge Guest Writer

ChangeForge is a nationally recognized blog that analyzes the collision of business and technology. They normally carry high standards for their content, but they lowered those standards today and posted a piece written by yours truly. I would be greatful if you would stop by their blog and leave a comment for me!

http://www.changeforge.com/2009/02/05/control-the-airwaves/

Who knows BOP?

If you are a Social Entrepreneur, you are helping people find their way in the global economy for the first time. Many of these people are participating in their national economy for the first time. Social Entrepreneurs may be providing education, venture capital, internet access, or one of many innovative means to help people build their own corporate ladder or find the first few rungs of an existing ladder.

As I stated in my last post, there is an untapped market of 4 billion low income consumers known as the BOP: the Base Of the economic Pyramid. There is an increasing demand for the labor and talents of the BOP, which means that they are beginning to receive money that they will spend on life's necessities. Moreover, many of these people will have money to increase their quality of life, which can be an especially lucrative market at low margin but high volume (see: Wal-Mart.)

If you are fiscally responsible for an enterprise that might be able to serve the demands of the BOP, then you should begin to research the BOP market now. In the near future, you will either compete in this market or miss out on a lot of activity. On the other hand, if you blaze a trail today and reap the return tomorrow, you will have fulfilled your responsibility. You may have even saved your enterprise.

This new global economy is not going to wait for you, it will be filled with nimble, hungry, elusive, and innovative enterprises which will consume your market share while you’re on vacation. While you are making the turn for the back nine or on a retreat, they will be eating your lunch.

How do you enter this enormous market with so many pitfalls and political obstacles? Look for the unreasonable men and women who are already blazing a trail, and step in their tracks. Better yet, ask them to lead you through the minefield. Without metaphors, what I mean to say is that if you find the Social Entrepreneurs and imitate them and/or partner with them, you will be establishing yourself in a market with lucrative potential.

As John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan point out in their book The Power of Unreasonable People the Social Entrepreneurs are going to know the BOP well. They can help you innovate your approach to this market to ensure your success. They can guide you around the political obstacles and help you avoid the pitfalls and dead ends. Best of all, they can help you build a reputation in a market that will initially regard you with suspicion. In fact, the greatest benefit that you can gain from Social Entrepreneurs is their marketing potential. The BOP will probably regard any traditional efforts at marketing with disdain. However, by participating with Social Entrepreneurs and NonGovernmental Organizations (NGO's) who are raising the standard of living for the BOP, you will change the market’s perception of your brand name before you pay a single dime/peso/etc on advertising. If you scratch the back of the BOP, you may find 4 billion people scratching your back in return. Even 1% of that market will be 200 million fingers (4 million people using one hand) on your back.

Lucrative Profits: Where? BOP!

In The Power of Unreasonable People, authors John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan discuss the BOP: Base Of the (economic) Pyramid. The authors state that the BOP consists of 4 billion low-income consumers. What if you could generate $1 of profit from 10% of that market in a year? I’m not a natural at math so correct me if I’m wrong, but I expect that you’d make $400,000,000 in a year. That would be a good living for a small company or an attractive division in a multinational corporation. It may be possible to pull from more than 10% of that market, or to generate a larger profit from the 10%. Bottom line: we’re talking about lucrative potential here.

For those who are not inclined towards the language and methods of Capitalism, allow me to add a disclaimer here. I am not talking about exploiting poor people and robbing them of the little wealth they may hold. That is what we expect from Check Cashing companies and liquor stores. Through the magic of the internet, free markets and trade agreements, and a growing global market, the BOP is beginning to receive a trickle-down of profits. The BOP in Brazil, Russia, India, and China (also known as the “BRIC”) for instance, are receiving orders for their lower labor costs. In exchange, they receive wages in place of government handouts or agrarian/village life. In other words, billions of people now have or will soon have spending money and will participate in the global market where they once were non-existent. These people will increasingly demand to exchange their wages for products and services that were once surplus supply and/or undemanded. Bottom line: new profit potential for the global market.

Allow me to make one more thing clear, and forgive me if you are up to speed on macroeconomics. You have heard of the law of supply and demand, I assume. Basically, if supply (goods/services offered for sale) is higher than the demand (the number of people willing to buy) then prices are lowered to a point where people start buying. If demand is higher than supply, then you have a group of people with money to spend who are competing to buy products, and that is the reality we are facing if 4 billion people are beginning to spend money in the global market for the first time.

When demand goes up, everyone wins. Prices naturally rise because people are competing for scarce supply. That may not seem like a good thing for the low-income consumers, but I see an opportunity and many other capitalists will too. By using the Wal-Mart model of low margin and high volume, many enterprises will be able to undercut their competitors and prevent prices from rising too high. Therefore, business will customize themselves to reach the BOP and keep prices low enough for the low income consumers to raise their quality of life.

Low prices are only half the win, though. If demand is greater than supply, then intelligent enterprises will raise their production, creating more jobs. Simultaneously, entrepreneurs who may have been prevented from competing previously will now have a chance to meet the high demand. Entrepreneurs create new wealth, make new demands on the economy to spend that wealth, and create jobs both directly through their enterprise and indirectly through their increased demand.

In a nutshell, an increase in consumers leads to increased demand. More demand leads to increased opportunities and profits. More profits/opportunities leads to more demand. Point to the loser in this equation. I can’t find one.

Unreasonable People

I am currently reading a book entitled The Power of Unreasonable People by John Elkington and Pamela Harrington. The subtitle is “How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change The World.” To introduce the book’s title subject and thesis, the authors quote George Bernard Shaw: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

Social Entrepreneurs do not accept the status quo and the traditional system. They are trying to bend Capitalism to also serve the fringes of our economy, where opportunities are scarce and the tradition is poverty. These are intelligent and often well-educated individuals, but rather than spend their ambition climbing a corporate ladder, they spend their ambition on trying to help people get on the ladder who normally wouldn’t. Better yet, they help people build their own ladder. By this last point, I mean enabling impoverished individuals to become entrepreneurs themselves in self-sustaining ventures that the global market will demand.

Social Entrepreneurs are trying to provide money in places where profits do not exist…yet. In my next post, I will share Elkington and Hartigan’s most exciting point: Social Entrepreneurs may be pointing to a very lucrative source of profits: the BOP.

Karmic Wealth

I am a fan of science over faith. I would rather believe in something that can be repeated, demonstrated, proved with logic, or known a priori. However, we are limited in our use of science. That is why meteorologists can employ vast resources of radar, satellites, computers, algorithms, historical data, and trained observers, and still be wrong about the weather. A meteorologist cannot identify every factor that influences the weather...yet. They are getting better all the time, but they still rely on statistics to determine how right they may be.

I make this point because I cannot prove Karma, but I believe in it. It would be difficult to isolate every variable that could demonstrate Karma's existence. I choose to believe in Karma because I think it is a beneficial model of regulating and justifying behaviors. For some, an ethical model is enough, others choose religion. I have chosen Karma.

Karma originates in eastern philosophy (mainly Buddhism, but other systems use it as well.) Karma can be found in the bible; for example, "You reap what you sow." Karma is a valuable tool that can be employed by atheists, agnostics, humanists, and non-theists. Essentially, I am arguing here that Karma is not related to religion and you can believe in the principle no matter where you stand. You can even call it by another name if you choose.

What is important is that you believe that when you do something that others perceive as good, then you will eventually receive an equal measure of goodwill back. If you do something that others perceive as bad, then you will receive an equal measure of something bad in return.

Again, this cannot be proved. I allow myself to believe that it may take 20 years for Karma to come around. I have no way of keeping score, but I like to believe that I have canceled out a lot of bad Karma from my past with some good Karma. Therefore, if I send out good Karma in the form of a $50 donation and do not receive $50 in return, I assume that it has either canceled out some bad Karma from the past or that I will receive it back in a non-monetary form.

Staying with the assumption of a $50 charitable donation, I am fine with that being returned through the hug of a child. Whatever force is controlling the Karma may decide to create an account of of charitable donations, add interest, and return it to me later in the form of a promotion or inheritance. It may be used to cancel out a time that I cost someone $20 and never repaid them. You get the idea here, somehow a running total is kept and a power greater than myself is making sure it is fair.

You can argue with me all day how unfair the system is, or that it is an unproven theory, or simply that it is hogwash. Even if you could mathematically prove that Karma does not exist, I would maintain the system of belief. For me, Karma is a matter of faith, and I want to believe in it.

We all enjoy or suffer from a symbiotic relationship. When I pay my mortgage, it provides money that the bank may use to loan to you, pay your salary, or pay you a dividend (depending on your relationship to the bank.) When I pay my taxes, it enables the government to protect you, pave your roads, and fund your schools. The opposite is true: if I do not pay my bills or my taxes, you will experience higher costs and less services. Your actions affect me in an approximately equal manner.

A symbiotic relationship is not limited to economics. My littering may affect you. Your poor driving may affect me. There may be several intermediaries: My rudeness on the phone causes someone to drive angry, who cuts off a third person and sends them into a ditch, and that causes the victim in the ditch to miss a meeting with you that could have saved your sales quota for the month. Paying it forward changes this scenario to show me being nice to you, causing a driver to yield in traffic, causing your client to arrive early and in a buying mood.

We are not islands unto ourselves, we are all connected. We pass on our germs, wealth, and ideas. My exhalation provides carbon dioxide to your trees, which provides oxygen and shade to your neighbor. This is the basis of Karma, so it is not a far-fetched idea.

All this is to argue that Social Entrepreneurship is about building up Karmic Wealth. Your day job is paying into your 401k and your home-equity. Your efforts as a Social Entrepreneur pay into your Karmic Wealth. When you are 65, you hope to have enough economic wealth to live a life of leisure. As a philanthropist, volunteer, and Social Entrepreneur, you hope to have enough Karmic Wealth to provide a sense of contentment in your leisure.

A person who has amassed Karmic Wealth may experience evil, violence, heartache, and destruction (though I cannot explain why bad things happen to good people.) My faith in Karma allows for such unspeakable horrors to occur, knowing that when the Karmic Wealth is cashed in, you will receive relief and comfort in equal measure.

The fact that bad things happen to good people is the hardest concept for people to grasp. We may be able to grasp Calculus and Super-string Theory Physics, and memorize the taxonomies of our profession, but we all have difficulty understanding why something bad would happen to us or someone we love. Karma is my insurance plan. I have accepted the fact that unspeakable horrors may occur in my life no matter how I live and no matter whom I pray to. My belief in the concept of Karmic Wealth allows me to take comfort in the notion that when something bad happens, I will be provided with a safety net of friends and strangers to comfort me, provide for needs that I cannot provide myself, and help me carry on with my life.

In business, Entrepreneurship is about amassing economic wealth and powerful friends. There is nothing wrong with that, except that assets can be stolen, devalued, taxed, or outlawed. Friends amassed on the basis of wealth will usually disappear when you can longer be measured in enough dollars. Karmic Wealth can only be destroyed by your choice, cannot be stolen, always appreciates in value, and attracts friends who stand by you through thick and thin.

I choose to believe in Karma, not because it can be proven but it is a preferable system of behavior. I volunteer my money, time, and blood because I believe that it builds up Karmic Wealth. I amass Karmic Wealth because I may desperately need it someday.

Please leave a comment, thought, or criticism below, or just leave a punctuation mark to let me know you stopped by. Thanks for reading me!

Who?

I am an MBA student. That is my primary qualification to be a Social Entrepreneur. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Management from Baker University (Cum Laude) and have 17 years of experience in team leadership, public service, and business management. Therefore, I am starting with a base of knowledge in managing people, organizing resources, and maintaining efficient processes.

Take away my degrees and titles, and you are left with some valuable skills. I like people, and people like me. I am a good writer and public speaker. I am able to teach and to persuade. I am able to use empathy when I listen, and empathy allows me to discover problems and solutions that less-sensitive people may miss.

I have made mistakes in life. I have made big and little mistakes, and I have used those events as learning opportunities. I have experienced the painful process of fixing mistakes, which requires admission and repentance. I have been humbled by mistakes, educated by mistakes, and lead to a new opportunities through mistakes. Making mistakes may disqualify one from some stations in life, but learning from mistakes is the only way attain the stations that matter to me.

I have the heart of a teacher. I root for the underdog, and I love a Cinderella story. I am not smart enough to realize that some things are unattainable; I am experienced at overcoming the perceptions of un-attainability.

I have desired and prayed for many things, and received only a few of them (thank God for that. Unanswered prayers may be the greatest gift God can give.) My only desire and prayer now is for the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I regularly donate blood (especially 2RBC via aspheresis) at the Community Blood Bank of Kansas City: http://www.savealifenow.org/

I love the idea of Microloans, and actively participate at Kiva: http://www.kiva.org/lender/larrys

I participate in WatchDog Dads at my child's school: http://www.fathers.com

As a Social Entrepreneur, I have a vision that is threefold:
1. Appreciate our public school teachers more.
2. Provide more in-class attention to students who are above or below average.
3. Effectively address parenting issues that affect in-class behavior and performance.

At this point, I am still working out the details of how I will address this vision, but basically I need to recruit both thinkers and doers. I need to attract donations to fund the projects. Finally, I need to collect a think-tank of experienced people to help develop and guide the vision. The third problem will need more creativity and wisdom, while the second will require money. I think the first vision will never be fully achieved because teachers in general are so valuable, generous, and effective.

Please click the comment link below to add an insight, criticism, or just a punctuation mark. I need to know you read me, and I will enthusiastically welcome all thoughts on the subject!

Why?

I think it is appropriate to start a blog by explaining why it exists. This reason may evolve over time, but it has to start somewhere and should head in a particular direction. My purpose is to discuss Social Entrepreneurship in totality. This blog start with a selfish goal, to develop myself as an expert on the subject. What is not selfish is the hope that anyone reading my blog will find valuable information as they achieve their own goals.

I am not a social entrepreneur, but I would like to be. To be more precise, I will be. I need to refine my vision into a practical and sustainable idea, gather supporters who are willing to work with me, and raise the funding required. I also have a lot to learn. In this blog, I will capture my efforts at learning and refining. I will point you to resources and research that I find to be useful. I will share my own thoughts and creations in the hopes that they help you.

A social entrepreneur (SE) is a leader who starts and leads a charitable cause. Once I have started some effort at charity, I can call myself an SE. This blog would then blossom into a discussion of how to keep the effort alive, exciting, and growing. Ultimately, an SE is one who has a vision for improving his or her world, sets a measurable goal, and collects resources to achieve that goal.

There are already many worthwhile charities that will enable you to employ your money, time and talents to achieve ends that you believe in. Therefore, one may ask why we need another SE coming in to rob other charities of resources. It seems like an egotistical effort more than anything else in that light. However, I take a different perspective. First, fresh ideas may give a needed boost to the solution. Second, some large charities (but not all) are inefficient and bureaucratic, and do not adapt well to changing conditions, nor do they employ new ideas as rapidly as a startup would. Third, a new face on the scene will attract additional donors of time and resources simply because it is new. Finally, the goal is to change a social condition, not to be "the biggest/best" charity out there; therefore, it is not always bad to move resources from one charity to another.

If you are reading this, please add a comment. Any comment at all. Even just a smiley/frowning face, or just a punctuation mark. It is always nice to know that the words were seen, and additional insights or criticism is welcome.