Stuff I Don't Want to Hear Any More About in 2011

 I am a news junkie. I read two newspapers, listen to news radio, read news online and watch whatever news programs I can catch on TV. But some news stories tell me things I really don't want to know. Here is my list of the top 10 in that category from 2010.

 10. Bernie Maddoff's life in prison.
  9. Mel Gibson's church.
  8. Naomi Campbell's anger management.
  7. Bret Favre's retirement plans.
  6. Bristol Palin's dancing ability.
  5. Lebron James' attempts to rehabilitate his image.
  4. Rex Ryan's wife's feet (or anyone else's feet).
  3. Anybody and anything about "Jersey Shore"
  2. Lindsay Lohan's explanations to the judge.
  1. BP's explanation of who is at fault for their oil spill.

I am sure there are other stories that merit the same lack of attention in 2011. Feel free to add your own choices in the comments below.

Use Color in Your Communications

Using color to send messages has been around for centuries. The Aztecs considered red dye, made from the female cochineal beetle, more valuable than gold. Around 1518, the Spanish explorer Cortez brought the dye to Europe. The beetle based dye was used in the color of British army uniforms; they were called the "Redcoats." It was also used by Michelangelo in his paintings and frescoes, and possibly in Betsy’s Ross’s first flag. The Romans used a purple dye made from mollusks to color the robes of the most honored among their senatorial class. Of course, these were generally the wealthiest senators, because it took four million mollusks to make a pound of the purple dye. In the middle ages, bibles and religious manuscripts were “illuminated” by monks who hand painted the documents with colorful dyes and gold leaf. Perhaps they thought the message needed the embellishment to stress its importance.
 

Putting color on printed documents was once a cumbersome task. Not any more. Today’s printing devices no longer require beetles, mollusks, or monks to produce vivid and attractive color. Progress in the development of color copier/printers and color printing techniques  has led to dramatic expansion in the use of color for business documents. Whether it is marketing materials, training materials, or other information, if you are not using color, you may be losing in the competition to get your message across. To make the most of your business communications, you do not have to crush any beetles. But it does help to know the various methods available to produce color documents and the advantages and disadvantages of each. 

Rain in Southern California

We have had a little rain here in Southern California. Actually, it probably isn't a whole lot in comparison to some parts of the country. But for us weather snobs here in Southern Cal, it is akin to the flood that landed Noah's menagerie on Mount Ararat. It has been raining steadily for an unheard of 5 days! Cars on the 101 Freeway are driving at a 60 mile per hour crawl, except when they are totally stopped to allow the CHP to clear the inevitable crashes. Apparently, rain makes us crazy. We drive off the road. We plow into the back ends of otherwise sane people who are driving at an insane 35 miles per hour on the 405. Trucks roar ahead sending blinding Niagaras of water crashing on our windshields and so we find ourselves going 70 miles per hour on the I-15 with zero visibility. There is no reason to slow down; we will recoup our vision in a half minute or so. Besides, slowing down only insures that the blinding torrent raised by the truck in front of you will last even longer. To make matters worse, they will  tell us that the rain won't end the current drought and it will only aggravate the next fire season by promoting more growth of "fuel." I guess next September we will be driving through smoke on the PCH.

 

Holiday Card Orders Being Filled Now

Yes, there are some people who have already ordered their holiday cards. Of course, I am not one of them, and chances are, neither are you. In mid December when holiday card orders start to pour into CR Print with urgent messages (and voices) attached, it dawns on me that I am not alone in my perennial procrastination. I will probably wait until the last minute to order my cards, but you don’t have to. No, really.

Our online holiday card collection makes choosing your holiday cards easier and faster than ever. Just go here. This will take you to our all new 2010 selection of holiday cards. You can make your choices and place your order all on line. It is a great time saver.

But, and here is the hard sell, don't wait too long. The more popular cards sell out and you need to leave enough time to get them addressed,  mailed and delivered.