#White Salmon Rive

[cpahlow]

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[anne-lister-adventures]

Saturday, 8 March 1840

4 50/’’

11 55/’’

And we are to be off again in 3 hours (at 5 a.m.) – Vide Schnitzler vol.[volume] 1 p.[page] 691 his mention of Carte de Mr. Lapie of Russia Good – Lay down on my mattresses in my Chalat (having taken off my gown and handkerchiefs) at 2 50/’’ expected to be called at 4 1/2 – So much bit under my chin, that was sometime before I could fall asleep but I think I slept about an hour+ till A-[Ann] called me and I jumped up at 4 50/’’ – No water – No anything ∴[therefore] ready in 10 minutes and waited impatiently – At last by dint of pother got us off from Wiazowskaya and its cockroaches at 5 1/2 – Gave the woman a 30 Kopek silver piece = 1/05 with which she seemed very well satisfied – 

Tho’ we had only 25 v.[versts] to go, it took us 3 40/’’ hour snowing all the way, and cold wind driving the snow about us, and in at the top of the Kibitka on the off (A-‘s[Ann’s]) side – Very cold – Reaumur -12º dehors in the courtyard on the snow said Gross, on leaving W-[Wiazowskaya] but it was sheltered from the cold wind, and lying under the buildings – Great deal of snow on our road already a little drifted in places so that we could seldom go out of foot’s pace - 

Staritskaya a village – The cottages thickly covered with snow – Very wintry picturesque – Station House a good cottage of 2 rooms – One (left) nice little warm room with oven-stove, and bright live embers in it, and looking very comfortable – Our Courier had left his cap and Shube there ∴[therefore] I withdrew and all our people soon took possession – 

Wattled farm-yards and sheds and the log houses (some neat good little cottages) plastered up with mud in the seams of the logs – Did not see a church – 8 minutes in trotting till we got out of the village and yet we seemed to leave a still further length of Street to our left – Wrote the above notes as we drove off – Very cold work, writing – My fingers’ ends ached with the cold (being obliged to take off my little fir mittens to enable me to hold my pen) – 

At 10 1/2 a.m. Reaumur -11 1/2º lying on the in-driven snow in the corner of the Kibitka in the draught from the off (A-‘s[Ann’s] – West) side – Never had R-[Reaumur] so low before in our Kibitka – Our hands and feet were very cold when we reached Tchernoï Jar, board nord. Tchernoy Jar (Black bord, rive, or bank vide Schnitzler I. p.[page] 692) we had had hardly met or passed one person on the road, and the snow falling made the atmosphere so thick we could scare see a 12 yards before us – 

On alighting George said the Courier de Poste had gone 2 v.[versts] forwards and then returned – So thick he could not find his way – No road – All snowed up and very few guide or road-posts this way – A-[Ann] and I tasted nothing since last night – Glad of breakfast but 1 1/4 hour before we could get the Semovar to boil – 

“Caught in a storm” by Sverchkov. (Image source)

Our little room the least we have ever been in – About 3 yards square and about 2 ft.[feet] to 2 ft.[feet] 6 in.[inches] of one side taken up by stove and bedstead – The woman raked up the braise in the stove – But still Reaumur stood at only 8 1/2º of heat, and the little door opposite the single window (single glass) opening into the little anteroom exactly opposite the outdoor, made our little room cold – Tho’ the little door like all the inner doors (and outer doors, too, of cottages) hereabouts is low shutting against a threshold 7 or 8 in.[inches] or more above the floor, like ancient doors with us – The reason is plain – To keep out the draught of cold air from under the door along the bottom of the room – 

Had George in to know if we could go on – He said the weather was no clearer outside the town (nice little village-like Town – See no church) but the Jamptschiks (drivers) would go if I liked – The next stage 30 v.[versts] thought they could get there by midnight – But then we must go 31 v.[versts] farther for Goatschewskay a mere village – Nothing but Isbas – It would be difficult for us to sleep there – But a good Government Station at Vetlaninskaya 2d.[2nd] stage from here – It was now after 2 – No use in being 8 or 9 hours in going 30 v.[versts] and then being obliged to go 31 v.[versts] farther – Stay all night here – 

Off to look at a good house near where travellers usually go to sleep – The house empty – The people were at dinner in a smaller house the kitchen-house on the other side the courtyard – Went there 6 good looking better sort of peasants and the lady of the house and her 2 women cooking dinner and serving the plats from the stove oven in the little place (kitchen) adjoining – 

Carême – (Lent) Manger maigre – Fish Tchee (soup – Cabbage and fish instead of cabbage and meat soup) – Some cold salted salmon and lastly blinis (blēēnys) the sort of little thickish wheat flour pancake the size of the inside of common English dinner plate – Sat down for a minute or and tasted all there to their amusement – 

Agreed for one good room at 1/- per day – Dinner at -/50 each – And came Kibitkas and all settled here at 3 1/4 heated by 2 poeles, 3 doors, 3 windows, single glass as very general of late – One room about 5 1/2 yards square – The board-walls painted a yellowish darkish green with a festoon of flowers over each door, 3 scripture pictures St. John Baptists head on a tray-table a young man holding it (left hand) by the hair, and right leaning on a long large broad sword with cap and fur-lined handsome Shube on (meant for Herod?), and 2d.[2nd] angel and round Abraham going to slay his son – And 3d.[3rd] Daniel in the lions’ den (8 lions – An angel over man (like Daniel himself) with book (Bible) in his hand in the clouds – And from top of wall the King and 2 turbanned grandees looking down upon Daniel) – 

The ceiling an 8tagon[octagon] of a lightish blueish green with a medallion in the middle (a woman feeding 2 swams a circular medallion surrounded by garland of roses, marigolds, panseys, forget-me-nots, and something else – The medallions a tree in full leaf with nosegay of flowers lying by – A tree full of white apples – A tree in full leaf with vines with ripe blue grapes by it, and a parcel of naked small trunks of trees – Sundry garlands on the panels round the skirting board 2 ft.[feet] high – The doors same light green as 8tagon[octagon] of ceiling, and the ogee bevils of the 3 tier of door panels red – 2 tables and 6 chairs – Offered to bring canapés for us to sleep on – But we declined them – Used to put our mattresses on the floor – 

‘Tis now 5 10/’’ – Slumbered and mused our 1st stage this morning and the 2d.[2nd] Read Russian Grammar and Schnitzler I. from p.[page] 121 to 145 till 11 1/2 – The Post Courier has been delayed here the last 3 nights if I rightly understood our Courier – We to be off at 6 a.m. tomorrow if possible – But cela depend – If more snow falls in the night we shall have enough of it – No Volga – No Na Volga – Since Sarepta – Would rather be here than there – May live less well, but shall be warmer – The single windows there and German stove that got quite cold during the night were starvation – 

Reaumur 10 3/4 on my table now at 5 20/’’ p.m. Reading Schnitzler and looking at maps till dinner – Tea and cotelettes du poisson, and Blinnys (the pancakes) over at 8 20/’’ – Then read article Tchernoï Jar in the Geography Dictionary de la Russie – Inquired if the fortifications were still kept up – Yes! Still standing but not much attended to – Very few soldiers – Shall pass the Kremlin tomorrow morning – To stop a minute en passant – The lesser salt lake 40 versts from here 1 little Town 20 v.[versts] from here en route and a little village close upon the lake – Lac Yelton perhaps 100 v.[versts] from here – 

Then reading till now 9 55/’’ – When at Tzaritzine should have tried to see the site of the Ancient Bulgarian city Soumerkente, and on the island formed by the Achtouba on the other side the Volga interesting remains of Saraie city and palace of Batou Khan – Vide these 2 articles in the Geography Dictionary of Russia – Battle of the Calca (Chalka Government of Nijegorod?) which delivered Russia into the hands of the Tatars, 1226. Vide Geography Dictionary II. 263. article Tchemigof – And see article Calmouks – Le famoux Tchingruis-Khan was grandson of Batou Kahn, had just written so far at 10 35/’’ 

Snowy windy cold day – Fair towards evening – found my cousin gently come at breakfast Lay down as last night at 11 55/’’ A-[Ann] and I –

 5 1/2 to 9 10/’’ Wiazowskaya to Staritskaya                                    25

9 27/’’ to 11 40/’’ S-[Staritskaya] to Tschernoy Jar (Gorod)            21

                                                                                                         46

This stage along the Volga, while en route to Astrakhan.

[symbols in the margin of the page:]         +          +          +          𐐥

[in the margin of the page:]             Reaumur 8 1/2º inside

[in the margin of the page:]             Doors shutting against high thresholds

[in the margin of the page:]             Tchernoï-Jar

[in the margin of the page:]             Room at Tchernoi Jar

[in the margin of the page:]             L.[Lake] Elton 180 v.[versts] from here

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0036 and SH:7/ML/E/24/0037

[bangkoksightseeingtours]

New Year Eve Dinner Cruise Bangkok Alangka Cruise

New Year Eve Dinner Cruise Bangkok Alangka Cruise

Famouse Place Bangkok by New Year Eve Dinner Cruise Bangkok Alangka Cruise on the Chao prhaya river,Bangkok,Thailand. Celebrate New Year Party 2021 Bangkok on board Alangka Cruise alongside the Chao Phraya river Bangkok, Thailand. Come and experience on board large luxury Bangkok New Year’s Eve river cruise on Thursday 31, November 2021 at Icon Siam,Bangkok,Thailand. Countdown and watching to New Year Firework over the sky on top deck of Alangka Cruise.

New Year Eve Dinner Cruise Bangkok Alangka Cruise

Tour Code: BKKNYE07 Destination: Bangkok Start City: Bangkok End City: Bangkok Tour Type: Joint Tour Cruise Capacity : 500 Persons Type of Dinner Menu :  Thai -International Buffet & Seafood Check in time: 16.00-19.00 Pm. Cruising time: 18.00 Pm. – 00.15 Am. Cruise Pier Drop-Off: ICON SIAM Cruise Departure : Daily Chao Phraya River Attractions The Holy Rosary Church Santa Cruz Church Wat Kalayanamit Woramahawiharn Temple of Dawn Wat Arun Grand Palace The emerald Buddha Temple Rama 8 Bridge River Hotel 5-Star Asiatique the riverfront Icon Siam Dinner Cruise Itinerary Cruising  Time : 20.00 Pm. - 00.15 Am. 16.00 -19.00 Pm: Check in at at Alangka Cruise Counter at ICONSIAM  in Sooksiam Zone (G. Floor). 19.45 Pm: Welcome aboard Alangka Cruise at  ICONSIAM . 20.00 Pm: Departure from ICONSIAM pier. Time on your New yr EVE 2021 Party dinner with Live song by professional singer in a romantic atmosphere along the Chaophraya river of our extremely inner buffet function elegantly set up from appetizer to main path and dinging with dessert for your dinning satisfaction. then enjoy with the unique Thai classical performance on the cruise and continue by stay band duo singer. Enjoy breathtaking views of Buddhist temples such as Temple of dawn, Grand Palace and the beautifully lit up riverside venues. 11.50 Pm. Get ready to end the year of 2020 and celebration to the year of 2021 and enjoy to watching the wonderful fireworks over the Chao Phraya river “Happy New Year 2021” 00.15 Am: Arrive the pier. Happy New  Year 2021 Alangka Cruise New Year EVE Party Dinner Bangkok New Year Eve Dinner Cruise Bangkok Alangka Cruise Bangkok. The excellent place in Bangkok for new years eve 2021, The luxury large river cruise 5-star with potential 500 passenger consisting of as 3 floors , the 1st ground and 2nd ground are air conditioned room with big home windows for watch true perspectives of the river scenery. On 3rd floor is big pinnacle deck open air with 360 degree panoramic perspectives to look the lovely surroundings of Chao Praya rive both facet and notice firework to Celebrate New Year Party 2020 Bangkok, Thailand. Alangka Cruise International - Seafood Buffet Dinner Menu Appetizer & Salad Cold cuts Chicken cream sauce Ham salad Grilled pork spicy salad Papaya salad with shrimp Mixed mushrooms salad with shrimps Shrimp paste spicy dip Salad Corner Italian dressing Creamy dressing Thousand dressing Hot Savories Beef sew or Spicy mussels in Arabiata sauce Fried rice noodles with shrimps Spaghetti chicken of seafood or white cream sauce salmon and ham Deep-friend chicken nuggets with tatar sauce Stir-fried pork with black pepper Stir-fried seafood in yellow curry powder Green curry with fish balls Stir-fried chicken with cashew nut Stir-fired vegetables in brown sauce Baked potato with cheese Fried rice Steamed rice Soup River prawns spicy soup Mushroom cream soup Craving corner Honey roasted ham or Roasted beef Japanese corner Sashimi salmon Crab stick Sushi Seafood on ice corner River prawns New Sea land Mussels Desert Chocolate Fondue Assorted Thai Deserts Assorted Cake Hot Drink Coffee Tea Remarks; Some menu lists are subject to change depend on seasonal Dress Code Free style

Price/Person Adult : 4500฿ Child : 3500฿

* Child rate 3-9 year only Tour Price included; Welcome Drink International + Grilled Seafood buffet + BB-Q Lucky Draws Thai classical dance Live Music duo band Watching fireworks over the Chaophraya river Free Flow Including; Beer Whisky Wine Cocktails Champagne Toast Soft drink Tour excludes Personal expense How to use this tour? After confirmed we will get TOUR VOUCHER & Pier Map to you by mail for guarantee booking Please present either a printed or show on your mobile to Alangka Cruise Counter at ICONSIAM TOUR VOUCHER is valid only on the tour date and time specified After check in already, please arrive at the pier, and waiting for at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time

Booking here >> Read the full article

[travelwinechick]

For many, brunch is the earliest meal of the day when alcoholic beverages are deemed socially acceptable. It often conjures up images of Mimosas and Bloody Marys and calorie-laden breakfast and lunch foods, because after all, brunch is two meals rolled into one. People who brunch usually have limitless finances to spend on this leisurely and lavish, decadent meal. However, what if brunch were both more, and less, than that? What would happen if we envisioned brunch as a warm, casual meal for everyone, an educational experience, even a healthy approach to eating and drinking? The latter is the approach that friend, chef, and photographer, Gary Monday, decided to pursue when we planned our intimate brunch with friends.

Both Gary and I have been through major lifestyle changes in our lives, which have resulted in great weight losses and improved health and fitness. We both have learned which foods are good for our bodies. We also both discovered a passion for sparkling wines as standalone or food wines. They are lighter in style, lower in alcohol, available for all budgets, and fit with our newfound lifestyles.

With this vision, I invited sparkling wine producers to contribute to our brunch. We received seven wines at all price points from Italy, California, Michigan, and Virginia. Suggested retail prices ranged from $17 per bottle to $55 per bottle and case production ran the gamut from 109 cases to 240,000 cases. The samples included wines made both in the traditional and charmat methods, the difference being secondary fermentation in the bottle or tank. The wines were made from a variety of grapes: chardonnay, chardonel, glera, muscat, and pinots – noir, gris, and meunier.

Gary created a menu that he called Southern/Pacific Northwest infused food, a nod to both his North Carolina roots and current home in Seattle. His expenses were around $110 to feed six people, a brunch bargain. Food included bacon-wrapped jalapeño peppers; grilled pork loin and salmon; a kale, citrus, and pomegranate salad; a fresh fruit bowl; and biscuits and gravy. Since Gary is dairy free, he made dairy-free sausage gravy and purchased vegan biscuits from Redwing Café in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle, along with making traditional milk-based sausage gravy and buttermilk biscuits. While all the food was amazing, the attendees delightfully discovered that the standouts were perhaps the healthiest foods: the grilled salmon; the kale, citrus, and pomegranate salad; the Redwing Café vegan biscuits; and the dairy-free gravy.

Gary learned the kale recipe in a dairy-free cooking class taught by Danielle Premo. Perfect for brunches and holidays, ingredients included kale from Full Circle – a community supported agriculture (CSA) delivery company – clementine oranges, pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, and Danielle’s dressing made from orange juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The kale is massaged with the dressing, left to sit for 15 minutes, then the clementine orange slices and pomegranate seeds added. The finished salad is garnished with the candied pecans. The beauty of this salad is that it can be prepared ahead of time without the kale becoming soggy. In fact, the flavors integrate the longer they are together.

For the dairy-free sausage biscuit gravy, Gary used the drippings from cooking bacon, sausage, and pork loins. He added all-purpose flour and cooked on medium heat until he had a thick paste in the pan. He introduced unsweetened cashew milk slowly until the desired consistency was achieved. He reduced the stove to low heat for simmering and thickening, stirring continuously, while adding salt and pepper to taste.

Gary bought vegan biscuits from Redwing Café, which specializes in healthy food options. I contacted the owners to ask what makes these biscuits vegan and they explained that they use olive oil and hemp milk in place of butter and buttermilk. After tasting these, I may never have another traditional biscuit again.

One of our brunch guests was Rhonda Hamlin, biscotti maker and owner of The Art of Crunch. As the dessert finale, in honor of National Biscotti Day, she contributed samples of her handcrafted biscotti, including a special test flavor for all of us to try and contribute our input as to the final recipe. It is not often I veer off my strict eating path, but these biscotti were a delicious way to conclude our brunch. To learn more about The Art of Crunch, visit this link to read my interview with Rhonda.

The beverage stars of our brunch were the seven sparkling wine samples we received. As an educational tasting experiment, we gave our guests an index card for each wine and asked that they take notes on the wines they enjoyed the most and with which foods, then we discussed the results. Below are our collective thoughts.

Photo by Adami Vigneto Giardino

2017 Adami Vigneto Giardino Asciutto Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Rive di Colbertaldo, SRP $22, 3700 cases produced Across the board, our brunch attendees chose this wine as one of their top wines of the day, two writing “#1” and “Favorite! <3” on their index cards. In fact, someone said, “I didn’t know Prosecco could taste like this!” This floral, fruity, and spicy sparkling wine made from 100% glera, charmat method, was mesmerizing. It was also one of the most versatile food wines, pairing well with nearly everything, especially the fruit salad, biscuits with raspberry jam, even Rhonda’s biscotti.

Photo by Enrico Serafino

2015 Enrico Serafino Brut Rosé Alta Langa DOCG, SRP $26, 5000 cases produced This Brut Rosé, made from 100% pinot nero (noir) in the traditional method, was light in color, but big on flavor, exhibiting clean, bright raspberry and redcurrant flavors cradled in yeastiness. A hint of sweetness was beautifully offset by mouthwatering acidity. This wine was a perfect match for our kale salad.

Photo by Frank Family Vineyards

2013 Frank Family Vineyards Blanc de Blancs, Carneros, SRP $55, 500 cases produced This is wine that our attendees said tasted “the most like Champagne.” Made in the traditional method and hand riddled, the Blanc de Blancs was the elegant, grande dame of our brunch. Fine mousse, brioche, and freshly cut, tart apples dominated the palate of this lovely 100% chardonnay sparkler, which was the preferred pairing with grilled salmon and pork loin.

Photo by Frank Family Vineyards

2014 Frank Family Vineyards Brut Rosé, Carneros, 2014 SRP $55, 1000 cases produced I admit, I jumped the gun when I tasted this wine, exclaiming that it was my favorite. I am Brut Rosé gal through and through, and this blend of Carneros-grown 88% pinot noir and 12% chardonnay did not disappoint, bursting with red berries and a pleasantly creamy mouthfeel. One of our guests wrote, “Love it! This is great all by itself!” Our favorite food pairings were strawberries, the kale salad, and biscuits with raspberry jam. Click here to read how this wine gives back during the month of October.

Photo by L. Mawby/M. Lawrence

NV L. Mawby/M. Lawrence Sex, Michigan, SRP $17, 246 cases produced With a name like Sex and a price point of $17, how could you not like this wine? This sparkler, a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and muscat, was dry and crisp, with an interesting juxtaposition of cotton candy and white grapefruit on the palate, making it a fantastic accompaniment to fresh fruit. Exclaiming, “Yes, yes, yes!”, we drank every drop of this wine. Of course, it left us wanting more.

Photo by Mumm Napa Valley

NV Mumm Brut Prestige, Napa Valley, SRP $24, 240,000 cases produced If you want a sparkling wine that consistently delivers palate-pleasing flavors and is and affordable enough to drink anytime you feel like bubbles, Mumm is the wine for you. A blend of 45% chardonnay, 45% pinot noir, and 10% pinot gris and meunier, Mumm’s signature wine is made in the traditional method. On the palate, think pears with a honeyed quality, coupled with soft effervescence. The Brut Prestige complemented rich foods like bacon-wrapped jalapeño peppers, biscuits and gravy, and grilled salmon. With a quarter of a million cases produced, Mumm is most likely available right around the corner from you.

Photo by Gary Monday

2016 Rosemont of Virginia Brut, Virginia, SRP $25, 109 cases produced This wine was the most unique of all the wines we tasted. The only brut nature (no dosage) of the lineup and made from 100% chardonel (a cross between chardonnay and Seyval) using the charmat method, this wine showed zingy, citrus fruit flavors like white grapefruit, lemon, and lime. The bone dryness and racy acidity cut through the fattiest foods, like bacon-wrapped jalapeño peppers, sausage gravy, and grilled salmon. This vintage is sold out, but next year’s vintage will be released in early 2019.

Brunch with Friends: Sparkling Wines and Healthy Food Choices for All Budgets For many, brunch is the earliest meal of the day when alcoholic beverages are deemed socially acceptable.

[claracussonseo]

Email Marketing Lesson (2)

Email Marketing Lesson (2) was first published to: SEO experts in Chicago area

Email Marketing Lesson

Every so often I take time out of my busy Email Marketing Consulting schedule and steal an afternoon just for myself. A few months ago I decided to take one of those days. With five glorious hours ahead of me I pondered how best to enjoy my break. I really wanted to do something memorable, something that would inspire me and something that would last long after my special day was over. So I did what everyone does on an afternoon off – I got a tattoo. I had never gotten a tattoo before and did not know which shops were the best but I was on an e-newsletter list of a shop called Brave Tattoo. I had joined the list while they were running a contest to win a Harley. I didn’t win but stayed on the email list because I was impressed with how creative the tattoo shop was with their e-zine. There was always two or three professionally written articles about tattoos and a whole bunch of tattoo design suggestions. I really looked forward to their bi-weekly e-zine because their e-newsletter approach really communicated their passion for their product and store. I sort of felt like I already knew the shop because of their e-newsletter. This week’s email special was a little odd but it worked perfect for me and I took it as a sign. 21 characters for the price of 20. I arrived early for my appointment and got all setup with an artist named BeeBee. She was painted from head to toe and had earrings, nose rings and studs everywhere imaginable (she told me about the ones that were not visible and I took her word for it). We got started right away with the cleaning and stenciling. All those needles looked a little unnerving so I turned away and tried to clear my mind of work and everything else I was thinking about. Just as my first character was about to be stenciled, a rowdy group moved into the booth next to me. Six people. Three of women and two of the men looked like they had just stepped out of a cloning machine. Same clothes, similar hair and similar gestures. The sixth guy was obviously the leader. Dressed in a William Fioravanti suit, this guy looked like a million-and-a-half bucks. His teeth were bleached white and gleaming. His face looked like he had shaven so close he was glowing. He almost looked too perfect or something. “Probably due to a fake tan,” I thought. I knew I had seen the guy before; he looked really familiar. Oh well, it was my afternoon off and I decided to not waste my time paying attention to Mr. Nice Suit and Super White Teeth. I closed my eyes and let BeeBee go to work. I must have dozed off because when I came to I already had ‘EMAIL MARKETING FOREVER’ stenciled on my shoulder. It looked pretty good so far. The little flying envelope was really cute too. BeeBee mentioned that the next step was the point of no return. I eagerly nodded and told her to get going with the permanent ink. We started chatting about my tattoo choice and I told her the history of Email Marketing and how I had chosen to have my tattoo done at their store because of their creative e-newsletter. She told me that a fellow name Buzz took care of all the marketing but he was out on an errand right now. Throughout our conversation BeeBee and I had to talk louder and louder because of the group in the next booth. It sounded like they were having a party. The five clones must have been the guy’s groupies because they weren’t calling him by a name, just his initials. I asked BeeBee who the guy was. Maybe he was a rock star or something and that’s why I recognized him. “He is the new cat’s meow,” BeeBee said. I thought ‘cats meow’ was code for ‘new lead singer in a rock group’ so I tried to act smart and answered casually, “Oh? What club are they playing at?” I got really excited at the prospect of getting a tattoo AND meeting a rock star all in the same day. What a great way to celebrate my Email Marketing Forever tattoo! Who knows, this guy might be a great performer. The glowing skin was a little too perfect and I’d pass on the groupie thing but who knows where this guy might be in a few years. I got giddy at the thought of meeting Mr. Nice Suit and Super White Teeth and hearing his group. BeeBee didn’t seem to hear my question about the club and started humming Bob Dylan’s hit “The Times They Are A-Changin'”. I always liked that song. I hummed along too and decided to go introduce myself to the suit and teeth after my tattoo was done. I would find out the address for the club first hand. I could hear the clones squealing at the suit and teeth’s every word. “He must be something special to get so much attention,” I thought. I closed my eyes and was only half listening but I think they were calling him RSS. I lay there with my eyes closed wondering what RSS stood for. Ricardo the Super Stud? Maybe RSS was the short form of his heavy metal band. What could the band be called? All those bands had such weird names. Could it be Rotten Salmon Sushi? Or maybe it was a country band called The Raunchy Smoking Smiths. Who knows. I was only half paying attention because the tattoo needles where starting to sting. I tried to clear my mind and focused on going out clubbing when all this was over. Suddenly BeeBee stopped humming and looked up from her needles and ink. “Buzz, is back from his errand,” she reported. “You can meet him after he’s done getting the catering set up.” Catering? What kind of a tattoo parlor was this? BeeBee noticed my query and motioned to the group next door. “I think it’s to keep the groupies quiet so RSS can get his tattoo done in peace,” she giggled, earrings swaying to and fro as she laughed. My mind wandered to thoughts of dancing at the club with my new Email Marketing Forever tattoo permanently sitting on my shoulder. I could hear the clones expressing awe over the tiny sandwiches and little cakes. Then I heard it. There was a lot of sandwich squealing going on but I knew what I heard. I heard it again. “RSS feed me! RSS feed me!” Seems Mr. Nice Suit and Super White Teeth, or RSS as they called him, was making the rounds with the cloned groupies and aiding them in tasting all the culinary delights. RSS was tossing crackers and caviar into the open mouths of two of the women. I gagged and quickly realized that I did know this guy. He wasn’t a rock star like Bono; he was an Internet rock star! You can’t go anywhere without hearing about this guy. The suit and teeth was none other than RSS Marketing! How could I have not recognized him? I guess my MyYahoo! aggregator would have helped but the perfect good looks and groupies should have been a clue. I took a deep breath, looked to see where BeeBee was at with the permanent ink and said, “I think you had better stop.” ‘Email Mark’ was as far as BeeBee had gotten. Great, I was now the only person on the planet with a ‘to do list’ tattooed on my shoulder! Well at least it sort of made sense. My brother’s name is Mark so I thought I could make up some little story about how my brother and I had matching tattoos to remind us to keep in contact with each other. A vision of Johnny Depp and his ‘Wino Forever’ tattoo raced across my mind. I said a quick prayer to Johnny and asked him if I could join his club of botched tattoos. I got all bandaged up and went over to the RSS party and introduced myself. The clones looked a little worried but I assured them they could keep all the little sandwiches for themselves. RSS was quite personable and really nice, however I quickly realized the guy had a bit of an identity complex. We were all laughing and joking when RSS whispered in my ear, “They all have so many expectations…” Those bleached white teeth so close to my ear sort of startled me. RSS’s voice sounded like the kid who saw dead people in ‘The Sixth Sense.’ “Who?” I whispered back, surprised I was having a whispering conversation with a person I had just met. “Everyone.” RSS whispered. He motioned to the clones: “They are all marketing executives eager to dump every other kind of digital marketing and ride my back into the RSS Feed golden sunset. “First they blogged me and I thought I was stretched with that. Now they want to personalize me and individualize me. Some of them even want me to pretend I’m email and go right into a customer’s email inbox!” RSS sounded a little freaked. I started to think he might need a Valium. “What if I they take me all the way into the bedroom and I can’t perform?” RSS pleaded. “Cute analogy,” I thought. Forget the Valium, this guy needed some marketing Viagra just to make sure he could go all the way, regardless of who decides to hop into his digital bed with him. I finally left the tattoo parlor that day only after RSS Marketing made me promise to email him. We meet quite regularly for coffee and I think he is slowly getting more comfortable with his stardom. He realizes that he probably won’t make everyone happy but he is trying his best. Those marketing executives have him going day and night. He was right; some of their expectations are pretty high. I wonder where RSS Marketing will be a year from now? Will he be washed up with caffeine-stained teeth and a fraying designer suit playing in some Internet bar? Not likely, but will he be around ten years from now with a greatest hits album? Who knows. I think the bottom line is that personalized digital marketing will progress and RSS Marketing will be part of it just like Email Marketing, Podcasting, Blogging, Text Messaging and everything else savvy marketers are trying. I think most people are being realistic and realizing they have to stock their toolbox with a variety of tools built with their specific customer group in mind. You can’t build a marketing strategy with only one tool and RSS Marketing is not the key to everyone’s fiscal salvation. Should marketers use RSS Marketing? Of course they should. Should marketers dump Email Marketing in the north river with a concrete block around its neck? I guess they can if they want to. But they may find their decision is shortsighted. Just like my Email Mark tattoo, the use of Email is in our bloodstream and getting it out will take more than an RSS Feed transfusion. Why not get smarter and acknowledge the landscape has changed and change Email Marketing accordingly? We did it with TV, magazines and the radio. “Come gather ‘round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You’ll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you Is worth savin 'Then you better start swimmin’ Or you’ll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin’.” -Bob Dylan The last time RSS Marketing and I met he was kind of down as he had pulled another all-nighter. He asked me what he should do if his Internet gig didn’t work out. Where would he hide and spend his retirement without living in shame? I told him not to lose another ounce of sleep. If RSS Marketing doesn’t work out according to Internet Marketers’ expectations RSS could fade into the sunset without a care. RSS didn’t seem convinced. I assured RSS he had nothing to worry about. If RSS Marketing doesn’t meet the expectations of corporate marketers everywhere, everybody will be sending the blame up the Pacific Northwest coast into the misty air of Redmond to Bill Gates, to Microsoft and that new browser of theirs.

The following testimonial Email Marketing Lesson (2) click: review of Jack Lombardi

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）

[kojiarakiartworks]

September 2003 PDX Portland Oregon U.S.A. 

© KOJI ARAKI Art Works

Daily life and every small thing is the gate to the universe ：）