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Obama's Red Hot Car Pitch for Health Care

Posted by April Lorier on Sunday, July 19, 2009 6:37:20 PM
I just heard President Obama's press conference on the Health Care Bill. He took no questions. But the method of his pitch took me back to days when I was involved in the car-selling business.

There are three things that sell a car: Fantasy, Greed, and Fear. Let's go through them one-by-one.


Fantasy
Build a sensual picture in the customer's head about sitting in this hot car with all the hot chicks staring at him. Make sure he feels the upholstery, is mesmerized by all the new doodads, and smells that new car smell. Let him feel the power of sitting behind the wheel as he accelerates the speed. The faster, the better! (This is important!) Oh! Now he feels powerful beyond his dreams! Whatever you do, you must make him fall in love with that car! He must see himself being the proud owner of that car!

Greed
When the customer comes in, he has usually done some research and has the attitude of 'I'm smarter than this salesman thinks. He won't cheat me!' He finds the car, and with a proud attitude, begins the dance with the salesman. But the car salesman has to sell this car to meet his quota, so he's ready to barter. He knows he must get $22,000 for this car in order to make his commission, so he's ready to confuse the customer by switching the numbers so fast it will confuse this pompous dud. The customer is determined to pay $18,000 for the car. But by the time he has been put in 'the box' with the closer, he's so confused with the shifting of the numbers, he can't think straight. Larger down payment, smaller down payment, lower monthly payments, or no "LaHa" (insurance in case he loses his job, etc.). In the end, he pays $22,000 but thinks he is paying $19,000. The salesman's job of confusing the customer has been successful!

FEAR
The customer has come into the dealership off of an ad in the newspaper. The salesman knows he must instill fear in the customer if he is to sell this car. The key is to rush, rush, rush, and get the message across that this price is good until the end of the day. Then it goes up. After all, this is a time-limited sale! The customer should realize that only this salesman will do whatever he needs to do to seal this deal, but time is of the essence!! And don't even worry about how you will pay for it. You'll have this hot car!

You combine the fantasy, the confusing of the greedy, and the fear factor, the customer will usually sign on the dotted line -- especially if he has handed over his own car keys to the closer. 'Buyer's Remorse' will eventually hit the customer who allows himself to be rushed. If he does not have the presence of mind to say, 'I'll think about it and let you know. Give me my keys,' he's dead meat.

That's how President Obama's pitch made me feel today. If we don't pass the Health Care Bill by the end of the year, all is lost. So I ask, 'What's the rush, Prez?' Of course, as I mentioned...he allowed no questions.

(c) 2009 April Lorier
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Michael Jackson - Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

Posted by April Lorier on Saturday, June 27, 2009 4:42:20 PM

'He Knew' is the title of Lisa Marie's June 26th blog on MySpace. It is a heart wrenching account of a conversation she had with Michael Jackson when they were married, and how he told her he knew he was going to die just like her father had died. He would not be dissuaded, though she tried repeatedly.

Lisa Marie Presley is suffering today through a kind of DejaVu. On August 16, 1977 she watched as her father was taken from behind the gates and put into an ambulance. He was gone. On June 25, 2005 she watched her ex-husband being taken from behind the gates and put into an ambulance. He was gone.

 

14 years later, I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears.

I feel sympathy for Lisa Marie. I used to watch her father sitting in the balcony of The First Assembly of God Church in Memphis, Tennessee during the monthly "All Night Singing" Festivals. He was profoundly lonely. He loved his Lord, loved singing about Him, and loved hearing the quartets onstage as they sang about Him. But he was lonely.

Michael Jackson was profoundly lonely. Who could he trust?

Thursday, I sat watching the news of Michael Jackson's death, and I was impressed with the parallels between Michael and Elvis' lives. Each had been catapulted to the top, and the closer they got to the top, the lonelier they became. Fame does not make a human being 'happy'. I asked myself, 'But what was the point of either life? They changed music?' And I realized how little that had to do with character, life, or the after-life.

Today Lisa Marie is feeling like she should have been able to 'save' Michael. Human beings cannot 'save' other human beings. There is only One who can save a human being from himself. So, I say to you, Lisa Marie, You were not born to save Michael Jackson from his self-fulfilling prophecy. He tried, in several ways, to be like your father. And if it meant he had to die as your father did, then so be it. It was not your doing.

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Author of God's Battered Child: Journey From Abuse to Leader, April Lorier offers her Christian view on domestic abuse, issues of society and of women, politics, divorce recovery, books, and Christianity. The daughter of a pastor, her perspective is sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking, but always a helpful faith-based resource for seekers.
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Laura Bush, Champion of Women!

Posted by April Lorier on Thursday, June 11, 2009 4:39:16 PM

If I say "Laura Bush" what do you think of first? Literacy? OK, but I think of what a Champion of Women Laura is. What? You didn't know that? Thus, this post.

Polled by Gallup as one of the most popular first ladies, she established the Women's Health and Wellness Initiative and became involved with two major campaigns.

She first became involved with The Heart Truth awareness campaign in 2003. It is an organization established by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to raise awareness about heart disease in women, and how to prevent the condition.

She commented on the disease:

"Like many women, I assumed heart disease was a man's disease and cancer was what we would fear the most. Yet heart disease kills more women in our country than all forms of cancer combined. When it comes to heart disease, education, prevention, and even a little red dress can save lives."
She has undertaken a signature personal element of traveling around the country and talking to women at hospital and community events featuring the experiences of women who live, or had lived, with the condition. This outreach was credited with saving the life of one woman who went to the hospital after experiencing symptoms of a heart attack.

With her predecessor, former First Lady Nancy Reagan, Bush dedicated the First Ladies Red Dress Collection at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in May 2005. It is an exhibit containing red suits worn by former First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush meant to raise awareness by highlighting America's first ladies.

She has been the Ambassador for the Heart Truth since 2003. She has led the federal government in giving women more information relating to heart disease. Bush has coordinated many events relating to the Heart Truth, including a White House ceremony in 2004, the Kennedy Center exhibit, the Reagan Library exhibit, and has participated in all Fashion Week events dating to 2003.

Bush's mother, Jenna Welch, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 78. (She endured surgery and currently has no further signs of cancer.) Laura Bush has become a breast cancer activist on her mother's behalf through her involvement in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She applauded the foundation's efforts in eliminating cancer and said,
"A few short years ago, a diagnosis of breast cancer left little hope of recovery. But thanks to the work of the Komen Foundation... more women and men are beating breast cancer and beating the odds."
She used her position to gain international support for the foundation through the Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research of the Americas, an initiative that unites experts from the United States, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico.

In November 2001, she became the first person other than a president to deliver the Weekly Presidential Radio Address. She used the opportunity to discuss the plight of women in Afghanistan during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, saying, "The brutal oppression of women is a central goal of the terrorists." In May 2002, she made a speech to the people of Afghanistan through Radio Liberty, a radio station in Prague, Czech Republic.

In August 2007, First Lady Laura W. Bush approved the establishment of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health within the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and thus began the effort to establish a multi-campus women's health institute in Abilene, Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock and the Permian Basin. This expansion brought the convergence of expertise, resources and support from TTUHSC including:

So I would say that, in addition to her efforts with literacy, her legacy would have to include championing women's health. I know she's a Champion of Women in my book!

So what's this champion doing these days?




I do hope you enjoyed this video!
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Blog Speeches, Mr President?

Posted by April Lorier on Thursday, June 11, 2009 1:08:25 AM
Since Barack Obama became our President, I believe the number one question I have heard people ask is, "Why are his speeches so effective, even when he contradicts himself?" I will offer my own perspective on this question.

We live in the age of bloggers. Almost everyone I know has at least one blog, either on Blogger or on Wordpress. I have three blogs and one dot com. As I have learned more about how to be a "successful blogger" - that is, one whose blogs are climbing up the ranking system on Alexa and Google, I have been able to teach less successful bloggers how to improve their own rankings.

I explain to them that blog-writing is different than any other kind of writing. First of all, blog readers tend to scan, not read. Their attention span is that of a child, so you have to use white space, bold headlines, and short "articles" (posts) to keep their attention.

Secondly, you have to understand what people are interested in - that is, what people are searching for in their search engines. So I direct them to Google Trends to see what this week's search trends are.

Third, they must understand keyword writing. For example: I'm writing a blog post on Shih Tzu dogs as pets. So, the title must have those words in the title, and they must appear at least twice in the blog post - more, if possible.

I explain to them that they are writing for people, but also for robots who will see only those keywords and will then rank their post accordingly.

Then I send them to Google Analytics to critique their writing. OK, now they're getting the routine down!

I see Obama's speeches as "blogger speaking." He understands people will remember only the sound bites (because they will be repeated over and over), so he makes sure they sound good.

He has a good handle on what people are complaining about, so he makes sure he uses all the keywords he knows will appeal to even "the other side." A good example of this was his speech at Notre Dame. He knew people were upset over his appearance at a pro-life school because he is pro-abortion. So, as I listened, I heard all of the right keywords: faith, spiritual and moral decision, gut-wrenching experience for every woman, etc. These words stuck out to pro-lifers and made them feel as if he might be sympathetic to their cause. But he was not. See, it doesn't matter how the words (or phrases) are used, just that they are used.

Since people "on the other side" do not enjoy listening to his speeches, they are similar to robots. That is, they scan - they hear only the keywords or key phrases, and then they feel less hostile.

Before he gives his speech, he has already gone to his team of Obama-Analytics and checked out the effectiveness of it. He knows he's a charismatic salesman, and he knows hostile people will be half-listening. He also knows what his supporters want to hear (all the keywords). He knows, before his speech is broadcast, it is a "successful blog-speech."

This is only my perspective and my answer to those who wonder why people keep applauding his speeches even though the speeches may have few facts in them at all.

Yep, it's a blogger world now.
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Not a Fairy Tale - This Is a Nightmare

Posted by April Lorier on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 12:42:24 PM
Once upon a time there was a king who wanted to change a democratic country into a monarchy. With lightning speed he set up new programs, changed the rules, and then appointed sixteen Czars to oversee his kingdom.

Who did these Czars report to? To whom were they accountable?

What a silly question! Everybody knows a Czar is accountable to no one and can do whatever he wants to do. A Czar is an emperor, a potentate, a big cheese on the hill! Did Nicholas II have to ask anyone in Russia before he made a decision? No!

The people were confused. Some thought it was cool to have Czars, while others were afraid of Czars. But the king didn't mind because he was a popular king and knew he could use his swirling words to convince them of anything he wanted.


And the Czars snickered at this video.
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I Remember "News"

Posted by April Lorier on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 12:58:20 AM
There's a lot of fear mongering today on television, radio, the internet, and in printed media...and they call it "news" today. I have lived long enough to remember what news is supposed to be: just the facts, Ma'm. But today we have sensationalism ("If it bleeds, it leads!"), teasers, opinions, and repetition on channel after channel.

Everyone knows groceries cost more, in fact, everything costs more today. Families are trimming their budgets big time to make ends meet. But when all one hears is how bleak our future is, how can we avoid fear? We are, after all, human!

I have lived to watch "the box" (television) become the modern-day idol all over the world. If the words are coming from "the box" they must be true, right? Wrong! What makes one pundit's opinion more true than my opinion? Is it because he (or she) is dressed up and on television? If I, a woman, am in my bathrobe and slippers does that disqualify my opinion?

More importantly, as a Godwoman - that is, a woman who believes God over any human being - I choose to believe what God, in His omniscience, said in His word. He said He would provide all my needs through Christ Jesus. He said I was not to fear because He would provide for me! So, who do I believe: God or fear mongers?

It's a whole lot easier to believe the fear mongers simply because I spend more time listening to them than I spend listening to God's Spirit and reading His promises in His Word! So, if I feel fear, I have no one but myself to blame.

I can solve this problem by turning off the television, radio, and other forms of media and choose to spend that time in God's Word. If, according to Philippians 4:8-9, I choose to focus on what's true, according to God's Word, what's positive, what the attributes of God are, I will not feel the fear. I will feel the peace of God.

So, today, I choose to focus on the promises of God instead of what passes for "news" today. See, I remember "news" and I don't hear it much these days.
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Charles Krauthammer Honored AGAIN!

Posted by April Lorier on Tuesday, June 09, 2009 11:15:28 PM
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and commentator Charles Krauthammer has been honored again! He won the 11th annual Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Krauthammer -- a regular panelist on FOX News' "Special Report" whose weekly column in The Washington Post is syndicated in more than 200 newspapers worldwide -- won the $20,000 award for depicting "love of country and its democratic institutions," the Eric Breindel Foundation announced Thursday.

Who is Eric Breindel?

Eric Breindel became the Editorial Page Editor of the New York Post in 1986. Breindel was appointed Senior Vice President of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in 1997. His nationally syndicated column appeared weekly in the Post and he was the moderator of a weekly national public affairs television program, Fox News Watch on the Fox News Channel. A book of his columns, titled A Passion for Truth: The Selected Writings Of Eric Breindel, was published in 1998.

Charles Krauthammer was born in New York City and raised in Montreal. He was educated at McGill University, majoring in political science and economics, Oxford University (Commonwealth Scholar in Politics) and Harvard (M.D. in 1975). He practiced medicine for three years as a resident and then chief resident in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 1978, Krauthammer quit medical practice, came to Washington to direct planning in psychiatric research for the Carter administration, and began contributing articles to The New Republic. During the presidential campaign of 1980, he served as a speech writer to Vice President Walter Mondale. He joined The New Republic as a writer and editor in 1981. He writes regular essays for Time magazine and contributes to several other publications, including The Weekly Standard, The New Republic and The National Interest. He also has a column on Town Hall.

He has been honored by many organizations, from the Center for Security Policy (Mighty Pen Award) to People for the American Way (First Amendment Award). In 2003, he was a recipient of the first annual Bradley Prize. In 2004, he was honored by the American Enterprise Institute with the Irving Kristol Award.

Krauthammer lives in suburban Washington with his wife Robyn, an artist. Their son is a student at Harvard.
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