Archive for April, 2010

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Tom Waits and bibliomancy and Barbados

Friday, April 30th, 2010

‘The captain is a one eyed dwarf, he’s throwing dice along the wharf.’ I sailed with him

Barbadoes, the easternmost of the Windward Islands in America: it is general a level country, though not without hills, it is 25 miles in length and 15 in breadth. It had formerly a good deal of wood, but is now almost consumed with carrying on the sugar-works.

The commodities which they export are sugar, rum, cotton, indigo, and ginger; and they have most of the fruits common to the climate. The number of white inhabitants are about 20,000, who have 100,000 negro slaves. They have no manufactures, nor do they breed many cattle; receiving most of their corn, cattle, flesh and salted from North America, and their clothes and furniture from England.

And they have one particular production called Barbadoes tar, which rises out of the earth, and swims upon the surface of the water. It is of greatest use in the dry belly-ache, and in diseases of the breast.

It is 70 miles E. of the islands of St Vincent, and 90 S.E. of Martinico. The capital town is St. Michael, or Bridgetown, which lies in lon. 59.36. W. lat. 13.5 N. Source: Barclay’s Dictionary 1813.

Posted in Barbados, Bibliomancy, Serendipity, Tom Waits | No Comments »

Specialists in processing returned & undelivered mail from as little as 0.4p per item

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

……Because ‘ gone way’ mail matters

Specialist, automated and quick turn around service for the data capture of Returned and Gone Away Mail.

We capture the data you need from the format you use…

* Alpha numeric
* Alpha
* Barcode (including CodEffect 2d)

Our solution helps your company comply with the new BSI Standard PAS2020 and qualify for Royal Mail’s Sustainable Mail reduced postal rates. It also addresses EU directives on landfill and the issue of ‘producer responsibility’ in that all waste paper generated is disposed of responsibly.

As part of our service we ensure that all waste paper is securely destroyed and recycled.

Cuts Carbon footprint meets corporate social responsibility

Mitigates opportunity for identity theft, cuts out delivering mail to wrong address recipient

Protects brand image

Saves you shed loads of money!!

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, 'gone aways', Carbon Footprint, Catalogues, CodEffect 2d bar code, DMA, Direct Mail, Environmental responsibility, PAS2020, Postal returns, Recycling paper, Returned and Undelivered Mail | No Comments »

A James Bond Delay Might Mean No More Daniel Craig …

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Should Daniel Craig should step aside for a new version of Bond?

It is undoubtedly depressing news that due to MGM’s financial woes, the latest James Bond film has been indefinitely delayed. I know I was far from the only one looking forward to seeing what new director Sam Mendes would cook up for Daniel Craig’s tortured, steely take on the iconic British spy. But chances are that even if money is found to put the project back into development, Mendes and Craig will most likely get snapped up by other projects in the meantime. Could this be the end of the Bond franchise?

If you tack on the phrase “as we know it” to the end of that question, then the answer is obviously a yes. Given the popularity of Craig’s portrayal of Bond, it would be foolish for another actor to try to copy it. But the beauty of Bond is that he’s always been bigger than the actor sporting the tux and the director telling him whose butt to kick. Over his 22-film career, James Bond has reinvented himself more times than Madonna. Film geeks will never quit debating which Bond was best, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is one of those extremely rare characters audiences don’t mind seeing new and fresh takes on. (As Bryan Singer and Brandon Routh will surely tell you, even Superman can’t make that claim.)

It could even be argued that the only way to keep this franchise timeless is to let Craig step aside. For 20 films, Bond was a stagnant character. All we knew about him was that he loved gadgets, martinis, and women; but he was so cool we didn’t mind his superficiality. Giving him an origin story (and inner pain) was an inspired idea in Craig’s first Bond film, Casino Royale, but it was already starting to become troublesome in the next installment, Quantum of Solace. For the first time in franchise history, fans were expecting a Bond film to actually continue a story from where it left off. This meant people actually began to question if Bond’s actions were realistic (how could he hook up with that chick when he’s clearly still not over Vespa???). They expected resolution to lingering questions from Casino Royale, and further development of Bond’s character. They hoped to see him find peace after everything he went through, and that is something Bond can never have in order for the franchise to continue.

Although it was great to see Bond grow and change for once, it also meant that one day his story would have to come to an end. Daniel Craig’s James Bond may prove to be impossible to follow. People may look at the character differently now that we’ve actually learned a few things about him. But if he’s absent from our movie screens for a few years, people may start to miss him enough to welcome a new iteration of the character. (MGM will certainly start to miss the money he brings in). The tuxedos, the cool cars, and the iconic theme music will all be welcomed back onto the big screen. Some new action franchise will come along that a filmmaker will want to use James Bond to copy, just as they used The Bourne Supremacy as inspiration for Casino Royale. But my suggestion to whoever ends up tackling the next reinvention of James Bond is to only wink at the revelations of Daniel Craig’s version. The franchise, and the fans, will need some distance.

Article by Erin Nolan http://www.film.com

Posted in Bond 007, Chester, Daniel Craig | No Comments »

Direct Mail and Traying Up

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Is the process of ‘traying up’ as efficient as you would want it to be? Is your system automated, pre-trayed and pre-sorted? By a slight extension to the use of CodEffect 2dbar code, used by us to process returned and undelivered mail, you can create automated traying. This can considerably improve efficiencies in the presentation of your mail to your carrier (s) and save you money

The efficiencies and reduced costs gained by CodEffect in the processing of returned and undelivered mail is a ‘no brainer’ and could save you a considerable amount of money.

The responsible handling of all yours, or your customers returned mail is good for your brand image, and good for the environment, it ticks all the ‘green’ boxes and cuts carbon footprint.

Our service also helps you to comply with PAS2020, Royal Mail’s Sustainable Mail, and the EU Directives on Landfill that all waste paper is disposed of correctly, no more land fill allowed for this kind of material.

As an inclusive part of our service we recycle all waste paper.

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, Carbon Footprint, Catalogues, CodEffect 2d bar code, DMA, Direct Mail, Environmental responsibility, PAS2020, Postal returns, Recycling paper, Sustainable Mail | No Comments »

Direct Mail some good advice from USA but…..

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

10 ELEMENTS EVERY DIRECT MAIL PIECE SHOULD HAVE

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 00:00 Written by Joy Gendusa

Don’t want your direct mail to end up in the trash with the rest of the unread mail? These 10 tips will help you get the results you want:

1.       A clear, bold headline

On the envelope or front of the mailer there should be one central message. The best way to achieve that is with a bold, clear headline that’s not cluttered with other text. A good guideline is to have the headline fill up at least 15 percent of the front of the mailer.

2.       A graphic that supports the message

The graphic should be easy to understand and easily relatable to the message the headline is trying to convey. For instance, if you are trying to get people to buy a car, you would want to show a car with a promotional sign clearly visible, such as “$1,000 Cash Back”. That graphic reinforces the message more than a simple picture of a car.

3.       Color that pops

Make the headline and other text stand out by using a color that stands out from the background color. When you look at the card, ask yourself, “What do I see first?” If your answer isn’t the headline, you might want to tweak the colors.

4.       Subheads that lead into text

If you have a couple of paragraphs of text with no lead in, there’s nothing to entice people to actually read the copy. A subhead will give people a place to start reading. If you have only 100 words or so you may be able to get away with it, but if the text gets any longer the average reader will want to have some guideposts along the way.

5.       Benefits, benefits, benefits

One of the biggest advertising errors people make is to state features rather than benefits. For example, never assume recipients know what benefit can be derived from a lower interest rate. Let them know how their monthly payments will go down.

6.       The offer

An offer is always a good idea and should represent a specific reason to call now, such as “Limited supply” or “Interest rates are climbing.”

7.       Your company name and logo

Although this needs to be on the mailer, it shouldn’t overshadow the offer. Customers care most about what you can do for them.

  1. 8. Call to action

Tell prospects exactly what you want them to do. “Call today for more information” or “See us online” are two of the most common desired actions.

9.       Contact information

Provide your name, phone number, and web address directly following the call to action. Whatever you ask prospects to do, give them the means to do it easily.

10.    Return address

A return address ensures you’ll get returned mail from the post office and sends a message that you’re an established professional. People feel better knowing the company they’re dealing with has an actual location.

BUT… WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR RETURNED AND UNDELIVERED MAIL? THE ‘GONE AWAYS’?

OUTSOURCE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS – VERIDATA

We take the headache of the ‘end of life solution’ and the producer responsibility that all waste paper generated is disposed of correctly. We will also:

  • Capture the information you require
  • Keep your databases clean
  • Save you money
  • Help you comply with PAS2020 & Royal Mail’s Sustainable Mail
  • Protect brand image
  • Mitigate opportunity for identity fraud
  • Lower your carbon footprint

Call Tim Craig 07970 759282 today

PS Save even money ask us about CodEffect 2d bar code

Article by Joy Gendusa is CEO of PostcardMania, USA for more information visit www.postcardmania.com.

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, Carbon Footprint, Catalogues, CodEffect 2d bar code, DMA, Direct Mail, Environmental responsibility, Government and SMEs, PAS2020, Recycling paper, Returned and Undelivered Mail, Royal Mail, Sustainable Mail | No Comments »

Home workers is this the way forward?

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Mobile computing, phones, Internet access, text messaging, instant messaging and email

Collaboration software products such as Microsoft SharePoint and Exchange/Outlook
Home office programs
By deploying the types of technology-enabled solutions discussed above, businesses and governments are able to implement a broad range of scheduling and work location options for employees. Popular programs that take people off the roads and reduce commuting and related auto maintenance costs include:

Telecommuting from home one or more days per week

Full-time home-based employees who share temporary offices at the corporate site when required for meetings, eliminating the need for a permanently assigned corporate workspace

Working from remote or decentralized office facilities that are closer to the employees’ homes to reduce commute times and distances
The Canadian Teleworker Association (CTA) estimates that organizations can save, on average, one office per three teleworkers, at an average real estate cost of $2,000 per teleworker per year. As discussed in the power management cost reduction examples above, these numbers only become compelling when viewed in the context of their cumulative effect. From the larger perspective, real estate savings can rapidly add up. Sun Microsystems, for example, has recently estimated that their telecommuting programs have reduced their requirement for office space by about 6,000 office seats. Based on the CTA numbers, this would represent a real estate expense offset of $12 million annually.
By aggressively pursuing telecommuting, home office and other employee-focused programs, Sun estimates an overall cost reduction of approximately $63 million annually. Sun also reports through their website that employees are saving an average of 108 hours of commuting time per person annually and that these programs have cut employee gas and car repair costs significantly.
www.cgi.com  Emerging Trends in Green IT

Posted in Banking, Business Link, Carbon Footprint, Chester, Environmental responsibility, Home workers, IT Costs, Moral questions | No Comments »

Greener IT and Desk Top PCs

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

A business with a network of 20,000 desktop systems running 24 x 7 drawing 200 watts will consume about 35 million kWh of electricity annually. Using the average U.S. cost of electricity at $.0855/kWh, this would cost this business approximately $3 million in utility charges annually.

Today we know that, depending on local utility rates, a computer and monitor left running 24 x 7 x 365 drawing 60 watts will consume about $50/year in electricity, while a higher-end 300 watt device will cost about $225/year (based on an average U.S. utility rate of $.0855/kWh).

On a base of 20,000 workstations, implementing power management policies and standards would represent an annual savings of between $900,000 on the lower-end 60 watt devices and up to $2.4 million on a base of higher-end devices annually.

Does anyone know, given our electricity tarrifs  how all this translates into UK pounds?

Posted in Business Link, Environmental responsibility, IT Costs | No Comments »

Whoops! Email etiquette.

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Ever sent an email and suddenly realised you have made a ridiculous howler. God it’s embarrassing, and what to do? Follow it up with an immediate apology thereby drawing attention to your stupidity or the fact that you are losing the plot. Hope that it will not be noticed? Pretend it never happened?

I always read my emails carefully before sending them, or so I think,  but no matter how I hard I try to get it right from time to time after I have pressed send and there is a sudden flash in my  WHOOPS, done it again. Or a day later on rereading, I will see the thing that I have overlooked staring out at me in ten foot high neon letters.

Am I losing the plot or is it just always trying to do things too quickly, everything seems to be moving too quickly. I am irritated by feeling the need to answer emails immediately, but I still do it. Why am I unable to slow down.

Is it me? That sounds like some old fart saying ‘I don’t believe it’.

Looking back I could cringe at the idiotic mistakes I have made, the most recent was writing  to a client about Tesco Nectar Card, association of ideas or getting my wires crossed. In the context of my email not good.

On the plus side with everything moving at such a pace in this increasingly mad world, I suppose these things are soon forgotten. I hope!

I can never say or write ‘Whoops’ without thinking of Le Chiffre to Bond at the card table  in Casino Royale, or docking in Genoa when the pilot hit another ship and with an almighty crunch and the Scouse quarter master at the wheel just casually murmured it.

Posted in Chester, Liverpool, Local information, Serendipity, email etiquette | No Comments »

Rainer Maria Rilke

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves…
Do not now seek the answers,
which cannot be given to you because you will not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually,
without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Posted in Serendipity | No Comments »

Direct Mail and Public Perception

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Paper has been identified as a material where reduced waste and greater recycling can yield significant environmental benefits.

The Government has already concluded voluntary producer responsibility agreement to promote, in particular, increased recycling magazines and direct mail the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

Add in Newspapers and these three waste streams are estimated to amount to about 3.6 million tonnes (which would equate to about 14% of total household waste).

Direct marketing material estimated to account for approximately just 2% of this but the public perceive it to be much higher because it is so visible. More and more consumers are concerning themselves with environmental and social issues and 53% of UK and 66% of US consumers have considered switching brand due to corporate social responsibility. 51% said they or their family had boycotted a company because its products damage the environment.

For companies that send out large mailings our service helps to address corporate social responsibility and the issue of ‘producer responsibility’ in that all waste paper generated is disposed of properly. 80% of the carbon footprint for a piece of mail is in this ‘end of life’ solution. It also helps with BSI Standard PAS2020, Sustainable Mail and new EU directives on landfill,

Public perception about the much maligned ‘Junk Mail’ is skewed because it is so visible and in the home but opting out is all or nothing and who has not at sometime been prompted to make purchase from direct mail?

Protect your brand, reduce your carbon footprint, and save shed loads of money just call us now.

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, Carbon Footprint, Catalogues, CodEffect 2d bar code, DMA, Direct Mail, Environmental responsibility, PAS2020, Postal returns, Sustainable Mail | No Comments »

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