May 2008 Archives

There are literally millions of people whose job
can be fit under the sales umbrella. I'm for separating
and classifying salespeople. For instance, is the guy
working the Tommy Bahama store really a salesperson,
or a retail clerk?

Even though I have always been given first class
treatment at Tommy Bahama's, the guy there
really isn't a salesperson. He has never convinced me
to buy anything, or influenced me in any way.

That doesn't mean TB isn't a good operation,
because it is.

But the folks who work there ain't salespeople.

However, if you asked most people, they would
tell you that retail people are salespeople, and
a long list of complaints would likely follow.

These are things that executives at these
companies should listen to, but they won't,
and so people will continue to have issues
with sales people.

A friend of mine who has been very successful
in sales says he sells 20% of his clients just by
showing up for appointments on time. This is also
a secret I learned from a "super" salesman a
couple of decades ago. "If the appointment is for
2 PM, knock on the door at 1:58. People will note
that you are there on time, and it enhances your
credibility."

My friend went 8 years without ever being late for an
appointment. Once he hired a snowmobile to get him
to a prospects house because you couldn't drive the
road in a car. Do you think maybe he closed that deal?

Mediocre sales people don't go out of their way to do anything.

They don't leave early if traffic is bad.

They often show up without the correct sales material or contracts.

They decide what the customer wants, and try to sell them that.

When the customer has questions, they ask them to buy again.

When they are turned down they pout, and demonstrate that you
have been wasting their time.

I could go on and on, but the key here is to put
your prospect first, and worry about yourself later.
I made a call with a young guy who once spent
30 minutes talking about his divorce with people
who tried to change the subject four or five times.

When we finished he asked me what he did wrong.

He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

The best thing you can learn learn from mediocre
salespeople is not to be them. Watch them, observe
them, and don't do anything they do.

Find the best salesman in the company, and emulate them.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Remember what I said yesterday. You'll
never make any serious money without advertising,
and all of us want to be serious players, right?
Get on the bus Gus! Contact the best team in the
business at: thejoanrandallagency.com.

Our phones work too. 206 407 3124

A very recent CBS/New York Times poll has found
that 72% of Americans rate their own financial health
as good. This is quite a contrast to the glum and
morose pronouncements made every day by the media,
and others with vested interests.

This reminds me of a few years back when the media
was telling us about a meteoric political shift that was
about to take place, where all incumbent politicians
were going to be tossed out on their ear.

Amazingly, incumbents won 99% of the races they were
involved in, and the message really was, "Your
Congressman needs to go, but mine is okay."

Today I really don't know what you have to do to get
booted out of Congress. Maybe Senator Craig knows.

So...what we really have is a perception problem.

There is a crisis in the real estate industry. Even so,
it only affects a very small percentage of people who
hold mortgages. The tax rebate certainly isn't going to
solve the problem.

A friend of mine received a letter from the IRS yesterday
informing him that he would get a $900 rebate. I asked him
what he was going to with it, and he replied, "I'm going to
Costco, and I'm going to buy a stainless steel gas grill on
Uncle Sam."

(The grill costs $899.)

I'm not getting a rebate, which I am a little miffed about.
I'm suffering too you know. The only problem for me is that
$900 is not going to make me feel any better.

So the big question is, how is everybody going to feel after
they get their rebate check?

Is there going to be a gigantic mood swing that ends all the
economic doom and gloom? Are we all going to become
shiny happy people?

When those checks start hitting, the media will tell stories
about what people did with the money, and then a couple of
weeks later, just about the time of the political conventions,
the country will just go straight down the tubes, and desperation
and despair will reign over the land. Until 48 hours after the election,
when there will be a holiday until the next President is sworn in.

Then the cycle will start all over again.

But remember that 72% of the people are satified with where
they are financially.

Smack dab in the middle of ruin, acording to the media,
72% of Americans feel like they have enough cake.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. If you don't advertise, 100% of the people who don't
see or hear your message won't buy your product. Guaranteed.
Or you could increase your sales by 100% or more, and not
worry about whether you are getting a rebate check either.
Contact us at: thejoanrandallagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

Warren Buffett says we are in a deep recession
that we won't pull out of for a long time.

The Whelanator has a different opinion.

What Buffett is doing, in my humble estimation,
is setting up the market for a buy, and maybe two
or three buys. Buffett is an expert at buying companies
that are undervalued, and then watching them blossom.
He tends not to buy anything when the market is bullish,
and full of enthusiasm.

Lately, the market has been battered, mostly by greedy
CEO's who were fixated on short term profits. Buffett is
a long term player, and only makes a mistake occassionally.
His winners far outnumber his losers, and his Berkshire
Hathaway holders are a happy lot.

I don't know what Buffett has his eye on these days, but
I'd be willing to bet that it has sopmething to do with real
estate and banking, the two industries hurt the most over
the last year.

As if real estate investors and bankers needed any more
headaches, Buffett announces last week that we are in a
deep, deep recession. The only effect this can have on
those industries is to push them lower.

And mark my words, when the price is low enough, Buffett
will swoop in and acquire a couple of companies that are
seriously undervalued.

Then he will announce that we are pulling out of the recession,
and that real estate and banking are making a strong comeback.

And once again he will look like a genius.

And Bershire Hathaway stock will grow and prosper some more.

That's what I think.

Meanwhile, for those of us who aren't Buffett, we have to figure
out how to grow every year too, without all that clout. Because
in business, it's grow or die.

So I'm sticking to my opinion, which is that there is no
recession. If there was was we could just fold all our cards and
go home and watch the financial news, where you can be sure
they will be talking to...The Whelanator.

(Maybe in a few more years!)

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. One of my clients just called to tell me his sales
are up 67% this month. His campaign started on May 1,
and he couldn't be more pleased. He is reaching what he
calls "high quality buyers" who didn't realize what his
company had to offer. If you want to reach folks who don't
kick the tires, contact us at:
thejoanrandallagency.com, or call us at 206 407 3124.

Over the weekend I was involved in a little charity
work which involved cleaning out a filthy house
so that it could be fixed up and used by someone
who deserved a place to live.

Over the years in my sales career I have seen
some pretty filthy houses. Some of those houses
smelled so bad they brought tears to my eyes. I
just couldn't figure out why anyone could that way.

This house had it all. Garbage, rodents, bugs, and
a smell that would knock a pig for a loop. The guy
who got me involved in this endeavor never blinked.
He does this stuff all the time.

He has a huge real estate business, and does this
charitable work without any publicity. Here is a guy
who has it all, and on most weekends this is what
he chooses to do.

Before this weekend I don't think I had ever seen him
without a $2000 suit and one of his fancy cars. He eats
at the best restaurants, and travels extensively too.

So I have to admit that it was a bit of a surprise to see
him in coveralls standing in the middle of a house that
only rats and roaches could love. But within minutes he
had everyone organized, and by mid afternoon you could
actually see the floors, and walk from room to room. By
the time the sun started to set, we were taking the last
of the junk out.

Just then his exterminator arrived, a white haired old
guy in his 70's. My friend told me he was the best in
the business, that bugs and meeces and other rodents
starting packing as soon as he arrived. Freddy mixed up
some chemicals on the tailgate of his truck, and put on
some kind of space suit.

Then he went in. About 30 minutes later he came out,
and said the vacuum guys could come in the next day.
At this point I called it a day.

The next day I was curious about the vacuum guys,
so I drove over to this house. There were a couple of
pickups, and a big Mercedes in the driveway.

I went in and couldn't believe my eyes. The vacuum
guys had just started, and the floor and every surface
in the house was covered with bugs. They crackled
under my feet as I stepped in.

They had two industrial vacuums, and 55 gallon waste
cans that they were shoveling roaches into. The guys
working smiled and waved at me.

I found my friend out back taking notes. "We'll have t
his place completely ready to go in 7-10 days. The actual
repair work is pretty small. A lot of paint and new appliances,
and somebody can move in in two weeks."

I wanted to know what it would cost. It's a bad habit, but I
always feel compelled to ask. I got the answer I deserved.

"Jim," he said, "It doesn't matter. I have so much money I
could have retired 10 years ago. I could have retired, lived
like a king, and never worried about anything. But this is why
I work now. This is the best and most important work I have
ever done. You ought to get involved yourself."

I just may do that.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. It's back to bizness today at: thejoanrandallagency.com
The phones are open and if you're not dialing in, we're dialing out.
206 407 3124.

I was reminded of the fact that today is Memorial
Day, and though I normally just relax on holidays,
I thought I should send this message out.

As many of you know, I am a naturalized citizen,
having been born in Canada. I became a U.S. citizen
some years ago, and no one could be prouder of
their adopted country than I am.

That includes supporting the military, who fight and
die daily to make this country what it is.

Months ago I wrote about the deplorable conditions
at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, where
hero soldiers were forced to endure worse treatment
than you could imagine, while the Defense Department
and Army twiddled their thumbs and said they would fix
things.

Has anybody checked recently?

Today I want to make sure that you are aware of a place
where you can make a difference.

It's called the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, and this group
has made it its mission to get artificial limbs for U.S. soldiers
who suffered terrible physical injury while serving the country.

One of the Marines they outfitted with an artificial leg is now
back serving in Iraq.

That's the kind of people being helped by this outstanding
fund.

You can find it at: fallenheroesfund.org

You can make a donation online, or mail it in.

Don't just think about it, do it.

It's your chance to say "thank you" to those who serve with honor.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

A few years back Time Warner acquired AOL in a
blockbuster deal that turned fairly sour shortly after
it happened. It seemed that AOL executives had
artificially inflated the actual value of their companies
stock.

The new Time Warner stock took a severe beating.
The most famous of those to get hosed was the
"Mouth of the South" Ted Turner, who held all his
money in Time Warner stock. The deal cost Turner
about 2 billion dollars. He managed to hang on to another
billion, but he wasn't a happy camper.

As time unfolded we found that AOL was guilty of
any number of violations and exceptionally sneaky
business practices. Most of this was cataloged in
a Washington Post article by a reporter whose name
I can't remember at the moment.

My apologies to the reporter.

The thing that I have been curiuos about for some
time is that the chief executive of AOL, Steve Case;
the guy who ran the company and made the deal with
Time Warner, has never been charged with fraud. He
lives quietly in Virginia, apparently immune from the
mess he created, or at the very least, helped create.

Most of the blame for the brouhaha is being laid at
the feet of the financial officers of the company, and
the Securities and Exchange Commission is collecting
fines from them and some members of the business
affairs unit.

As far as I can tell there are no plans to prosecute
Case for one of the biggest stock frauds in history.

After all, he was only running the company, and like
his predecessor at Enron, he didn't understand all the
intricacies of high finance.

The evidence laid out in that Washington Post article
years ago begs to differ, and if Martha Stewart had to
spend time in the hoosegow for shading the truth about
forty grand, Case needs to spend more than a few years
busting rocks for his part in a multi-billion dollar fraud.

Either that, or make him give up some of his hundreds
of millions.

Or better yet, make him shovel out the stables at Ted
Turners stables for the rest of his life.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Call the agency that never rests until you start
putting some money in your pocket. Contact us at:
thejoanrandallagency.com, or 206 407 3124.

Every now and then I like to read the gossip columns,
or tabloids. It's a good way to relieve stress, and get
some good laughs. The pictures are probably the best
things about the tabloids, showing what Hollywooders
look like without makeup.

Many times it ain't pretty.

It is downright amazing what a bucket of Max Factor
can do for some people.

One of the items I read yesterday concerned Jessica
Simpson, she of "Is it chicken or is it fish?" fame. She
was married to a former boy band singer, and then
thought she could do better for herself, so she kicked
him to the curb.

He should thank his lucky stars.

Lately Jessica had been linked to Tony Romo, the
quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. The connection
was of dubious benefit to Romo, and Cowboy fans were
certainly vocal in their objections.

Before Mister Tony, Simpson had a fling with John
Mayer, a musician, who has been linked to a hundred
different women.

Apparently Jess was still carrying the torch for Mayer,
who meanwhile had been burning plenty of candles
with anyone other than her.

Romo and Simpson reportedly had several disagreements
about Mayer, and Romo finally kicked her back to where she
belongs, which is all alone crying the blues.

(Good news for Cowboy fans.)

Jessica reportedly drank herself into a stupor when
she heard that Mayer was dating Jennifer Anniston.
Now if I was Mayer, I think I would have headed in that
direction myself, given a choice. I mean, Jessica did
refuse buffalo wings because she didn't eat buffalo.

And just exactly how would you tell Simpson was in a stupor?

Thank God for the National Enquirer, it's better than aspirin.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
Chairman of the Board

P.S. We may not be intellectuals here, but we know
that "Chicken of the Sea" is tuna, and Buffalo Wings
come from chickens. That puts us a step above Hollywood
celebretards, and gives us the edge we need. Contact us at:
thejoanrandallagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

I was cruising down the street yesterday when
I saw a sign that caught my eye. The sign said
"Hip Hop Fish and Chicken."

Now I ain't a hip hopper by any stretch of the
imagaination, but I was intrigued by the sign, and
by the fact that a new business was opening in the
middle of what many misinformed folks are
calling a recession.

Everyday we are being bombarded by folks who
claim the sky is falling, and many of them should
be ashamed of what they are doing.

Back a few moons ago, when Billy Jay was running
for President, he claimed the country was in terrible
financial shape. Billy Jayz peronal pit bull, Snakehead
Carville, coined the phrase, "It's the economy stupid!"

Clinton was elected in November because George
Bush couldn't make the case that the country was
doing just fine. But lo and behold, by January, when
Clinton was sworn in, the ecomony was just fine. It
was so fine that Clinton survived all his bad judgements.

There was nothing wrong with the economy then,
and there is nothing wrong now.

The smart guys know this, and they continue to open
and even expand their businesses.

Hip Hop Fish and Chicken. I'm willing to lay money
that this business succeeds. Not only that, but it expands.
The guy who owns this is bucking the current wisdom, and
guys like this always come out ahead.

I'm certain that a whole host of folks were negative about
this idea. But soon they'll be eating not onlt their words,
but his fish and chicken.

The best time to start something is always right now,
just like the proud owner of Hip Hop Fish and Chicken.

I'll be giving it a try myself.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. You can't become a champion unless you are
willing to get in the arena and do battle. We're here
to see that you don't have to go it alone. Contact us at:
thejoanrandallagency.com, or call us at 206 407 3124.

I went to lunch today at a Greek joint that recently
opened fairly close to the office. They have another
restaurant that is about 35 minutes away, and it's
pretty successful. Every time I have been there it
has been packed.

I went ahead and ordered a platter, and when it
arrived I was sort of stunned. It was easily enough
food to feed four people. Now I should have remembered
this, but I didn't. I have ordered that before, and then
tried to eat the whole thing, which usually requires
a nap afterward.

Back in February I made some changes to my diet.
swore off pizza, and all fast food. This included Popeye's
Chicken, which was a particular favorite. I also passed on
all desserts, cake, pie, and pastry. I must confess that I
still eat an occasional piece of candy, toffee being my rule
breaker of choice.

But it is a small piece, and I never eat more than one.

Lo and behold, since February, I am much lighter,
having lost quite a few pounds. I still eat quite a bit of
food, but by switching away from processed and
packaged foods I haven't had to kill myself exercising,
or totally give up what I like.

At the end of ninety days I promised myself I could go
to Popeye's, but that day is coming and I don't feel like
I have to go. In fact I'm not sure if I want to go, since I
feel so much better since I stopped going. The same
goes for Pizzeria Uno...where I brought home a Chicago
Classic twice a week.

Did you know that there are enough calories, fat, and
carbohydrates in one slice of a Chicago Classic Pizza to
satisfy a large mans requirements for an entire day?

And I used to eat three quarters of a pie at night, and
the rest for breakfast.

Is it any wonder that I put on a little weight? No, it's not.

Here's some simple weight loss rules.

1) Stay away from sugar.

2) Do not eat any processed or packaged foods.

3) Do not drink any soda.

4) Do not eat any fast food.

5) Stop eating the second you think you are full.

If you follow these rules you will lose weight without
much effort on your part.

If you throw in some exercise, you'll get even
faster results.

Americans are fat because they eat to much junk.

It's as simple as that.

The cure is pretty simple too.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. As I've said many times before, The Joan Randall
Agency is a lean mean fightin' machine. We do it better,
faster, and you save money to boot. Contact us now at:
thejoanrandallagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

A couple of weekends ago I met with a large group of successful people. About half the group had college degrees, some with advanced degrees. The other half probably didn't finish high school, much less log any university time.

I fell in the middle. I finished high school, but didn't go to college. I did a little forgetable stint in the Army, and then went to work building my first company, which was a freight business.

When I started that business I didn't know much about the freight business, or trucks, or paperwork, or how to acquire customers, and keep them. In fact, I didn't have much going for me other than a burning desire to build a company.

I learned how the freight business worked on the job. Then I figured out some unique ways to make money based on what my competitors were doing, and not doing very well. I took those things that they didn't do well, and found a way to do them very well. That kick started my company, and got me a bunch of free publicity. When I saw how easy it was to get free publicity, I started picking up the phone to get some more, and that worked pretty well for me. I didn't have to spend money on advertising because I had reporters writing stories about me.

Having someone else tell your story is better than anything you can do for yourself. Somedays the phone would ring off the hook.

In those days I worked 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. Then I found a mentor who showed me how to delegate, and how to outsource a good number of the things I thought I had to do. Pretty soon I had a decent life that didn't consist of working all the time.

When I gained all that time I started reading books, listening to CD's and watching DVD's about any number of subjects. Thus began my self education, which continues today. I also spent a lot of time listening and watching what we call oldtimers. I learned more from these guys than I could ever put down on paper.

I am convinced that anyone can be a success if they have the desire to succeed. They are certainly plenty of naysayers in the marketplace that think that isn't possible, that there will never be, as they say, a level playing field.

Well the news flash is this: Desire will overcome all obstacles.
Thomas Edison failed to invent the lightbulb 10,000 times. But the point is he suceeded because he kept trying.

If you want to be a success in business, just get in the game.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. To start getting the sweet flutter of large denomination bills headed to your business, contact us at: thejoanrandallagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

It was way back when...when I learned about the
law of unintended results. I was taken back to that
time by an article in this mornings Washington
Times about the airlines and their Skycaps, or
baggage handlers.

The article was written by Tom Ramstack,
(Now there's a name-Ramstack), and it's a
perfect illustration of the Law, as I learned it.

Sometime back the airlines instituted a $2 fee
for handling curbside baggage. This fee used to
be determined by the passenger in the form of
a tip to the baggage handler. When you could
make up your own mind about this, most people
overpaid for the service out of a sense that this
was a thankless job, and they enjoyed being generous.

Then the airlines decided that they wanted a piece
of the action. They decided that rather than raise
ticket prices $2, they would collect this fee from the
baggage handlers, and make it look like the baggage
handlers were responsible.

Most people believe that the two bucks goes
to the handlers, and it doesn't.

As a result of this stupid policy, passengers
have stopped tipping the baggage handlers, who
are now suing the airlines.

This nickel and dime approach is also used
by the banking industry, and quite frankly, it's
a pain in the old keister.

To give you an example of this kind of outright
stupidity I'll relate my following adventure at an
unnamed large national bank. I had a couple of
large checks on the corner of my desk, and I
decided to go deposit them in the bank over
the lunch hour.

I have several accounts in this bank, and the
deposits run well into six figures in all of them.
When I indicated that I wanted to deposit this
money in a specific account I was asked whether
I had a deposit slip, which I didn't.

The teller responded, "That will be a $7.50 charge."

"What?"

"There is a $7.50 charge for a deposit slip,"
replied the teller.

What happened next was not pretty. The
Whelanator demanded a manager, and when
one didn't appear quickly, he got loud. When the
manager finally appeared, he got a piece of the
Whelanators mind for a good loud ten minutes,
and when he was finished other bank patrons
applauded, and chimed in with attaboys.

I didn't pay the $7.50.

In fact, the bank waives almost all fees for me,
because they don't want a repeat performance.

But this nickel and dime stuff is really stupid.
The only outcome can be bad, as the airlines are
going to find out. First, they have disgruntled
employees on the front line of their business, and second, legal fees are not cheap.

Think you can fool the public? Think again.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. Happy Mother's Day! From all of us at:
thejoanrandallagency.com. 206 407 3124.

I have been a lot of places in the world, but I
have never even been close to Burma, or Myanmar,
or whatever this place recently in the news is called.

I was apalled though, when yesterday the Right
Reverend Fat Al tried to sweep the horrible events of
the weekend into his global warming tent. Yes,
according to the Right Reverend Fat Al, the cyclone
that wreaked havoc and killed over 100,000 people was
caused by global warming.

Apparently the earth has no history of cyclones,
tornadoes, and hurricanes that he can't fit under his
evangelical tent.

Here in this country we have Katrina to look back at,
and there is no doubt W and his lefftenants mishandled
that event. But sitting in my office its very hard to imagine
over 100,000 dead.

(And I suspect that number is going to keep rising.)

Burma is governed by a gang of military thugs, and
no aid is getting through. The U.S. would like to help,
but the thugs haven't been responsive.

There are no more charitable people on earth than
right here in this country. Time and time again, as
misfortune strikes around the globe, the American
people respond. We send billions of dollars in relief
to almost anyone in trouble.

The trouble is that most of the money doesn't get to
where it should. We learned that lesson after 9/11 right here.

In NYC for instance, fireman still don't have all the
protective gear they need to fight large scale disasters.
They are getting some of what they need from
actor/director/commediene Denis Leary's fund, in which
95 cents of every dollar contributed goes directly to buy
what the firemen need. In most other organizations the
reverse is true. 5 cents out of every dollar contributed
actually makes it to the victim.

The is a tragedy too.

Charities need to be held accountable for the money
they take in and supposedly distribute, and this includes
the Red Cross, which has a terrible record of delivering the goods.

We can never stop natural disasters, in spite of what the Right Reverend Fat Al thinks.

But we can fix the way aid is collected and distributed.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. I'm thinking about selling billboard space on
Fat Al's back. If you're interested, contact us at:
thejoanrandallagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.

When ole Snakehead Jimbo Carville talked about
trailer trash queens several years back he probably
never imagined Baba Wawa in the group. She was
still sitting pretty as a respected newscaster in those days.

Then Baba got involved with the insipid television
show called "The View" and little by little the silverware
started to acquire some tarnish.

In spite of her protestations to the contrary, Baba
instigated the whole Rosie and Donald feud, and
then she fired Rosie to bring in Whoopie.

She has always maintained a kind of sanctimonious
air that struck me the wrong way. You would have
thought that she was Saint Baba in the way she
conducted interviews.

So now she has written a book to fill us in on what
we really didn't want to know in the first place.

She failed at three marraiges, and had a parade
of affairs with powerful men, a married black
Senator from Massachusetts among them. This
particular information was leaked last week in a
bit of what W would have called strateegery.

For some reason Baba just had to get that
information out in public, along with all the rest
of the soiled lingerie.

She is now the Pamela Debarge of the newscasting
industry. You may remember Pamela as the super
groupie that wrote the book, "I'm With The Band...
Confessions of A Super Groupie."

Now Baba can claim her trailer park turf too, since
we know everybody she "swept wif." It all should make
good fodder for Oprah, who is above all this except
when it's ratings gold.

Leave the book sitting on the shelf, it really
doesn't deserve to be a bestseller.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. To take the express train to the top the
mountain, contact us at: thejoanrandallagency.com,
or call 206 407 3124.

If Buckwheat was President he might have some
signs made up that say "Cil The Reech!" (That's
kill the rich.)

After finishing watching the news this morning
and reading a couple of newspapers, it's really
clear the government is good at one thing in particular,
and that is wasting your money.

The Democrats in Congress have already outspent
their Republican colleagues, and want to lift the
ceiling on spending for the second time. It is no
mean trick to have outspent the Republicans, who
spent more money than anyone in history up to this
point, but the Democrats are up to the task, and this
is without universal health care, and the myriad of
other programs the Democrats are proposing.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard scraps eight ships at
a cost of over several hundred million because the
firm they hired to do the retrofitting failed to make the
ships seaworthy.

Then there is the ethanol debacle. Corn based ethanol
was always a bad idea, except to environmentalists.
With oil at $110 a barrel, corn ethanol has to be
subsidized to compete with oil, and it has sent food
prices through the roof.

Dumb de dumb dumb.

Those taxpayer refunds are due soon, a fix for
an economy that wasn't in nearly as much trouble
as everyone thought. When the jobless rate drops
to 4.95% it's time to pay attention.

Bush has maintained that the country is not in
a recession, in spite of all the genius economists
and media pundits. I think he is right on this, and
it's the first thing I've agreed with him on in quite a while.

We need to remember an old rule.

If the government can do it, we can do it better,
faster, and a helluva lot more efficiently.

The FAA, (Federal Aviation Administration), can't
even do safety checks on airplanes without causing
airlines to shut down for days.

The Office of the Attorney General says that illegal
aliens standing on the street are not committing a crime.

Duh?

Private enterprise always has been, and will continue
to be, the salvation of this country.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. The Joan Randall Agency is not some big
bureacratic ad agency. It's a lean mean fighting
machine, ready to do battle for you on a moment's
notice. Contact us at: thejoanrandallagency.com,
or call at 206 407 3124.

Over the weekend I met with my fave orr ite
designer, Sylvia Danese Di Cola, and her right
or left hand man, Lou. I think Lou is ambidextrous,
or something. He ponied up for a couple of glasses
of ice cold milk, which is The Whelanators beverage
of choice, which makes him okay by me.

If you're in the market for some high fashion threads
you need to check Sylvia out at:

www.danesecreations.com

Not only did I order a new tuxedo, but several of my
friends did too. For me, this is Tuxedo # 7, so that
only makes 23 more to go.

My goal is to have 30 tuxedoes, one for every day of
the month. And of course I'll have to have boots and
a hat for each one too.

The tuxedo Sylvia is making this time is unlike
anything anyone has ever seen before. It's so cool
that Elvis and Liberace want to come back from the
dead just to wear it, but they are plain out of luck...
not to mention time.

The tuxedo has become THE LOOK for
THE WHELANATOR. It's my signature, and
nobody is going to top me.

The tuxedo is also a business magnet. When I go
to an event, nobody ever forgets who I am and what
I do. When I call them later it's instant recognition.

I appeared at an event Friday night in Tuxedo # 6,
and immediately people began asking where they
could get a tuxedo like it. Here's the deal: You can
get a tuxedo, and a fine one it will be be; but it won't
be like mine. My tuxedo's are one offs, meaning that
design doesn't get sold to anybody else.

But not to worry, Sylvia can make you
YOUR VERY OWN DESIGN. That's exactly what
she's doing for some of my friends, and they are
indeed happy campers, looking forward to drinking
their first martini while wearing some sophisticated
threads.

Well I have to run, it seems like the horse is all
saddled up and ready to go. But like I say, if you're
in the market for some threads that make an impression,
be you a mane, or wo mane, check out my friend Sylvia.

You won't be disappointed. I guarantee it.

From the big saddle,

Jim Whelan
The Chairman of the Board

P.S. And as always, you can find us at:
thejoanrandallagency.com, or call 206 407 3124.