Updates Blog

We are working to translate The Leaves Of Time into all the languages shown at the top of this page.  Here is the progress we’ve made so far:

• U.S.A.  100% completed.
• British Commonwealth:  100% completed.
• Spanish:  95% completed.
• Russian:  90% completed.
• French:  30% completed.
• Others:  Currently examining translators’ bids

Visit 1heart2another.org to download this free collection of time-saving tips that can gain you hundreds of hours.

The first launch of 1Friend2Another.org not having attracted much attention, I’m preparing a re-launch AND a launch of a sister site at 1Heart2Another.org. The main purpose of both sites will be the same: to enable friends to connect with teach other, and to promote “The Leaves Of Time” (which really is “The Book Of Time” renamed.)

1Heart2Another.org is a simple site. I concluded that a lot of people just want to grab the goodies and go, without spending as much time as 1Friend2Another.org usually takes. There you just look at the book, and if you accept the challenge of saving hundreds of hours of free time for yourself and your friends, you pass the word. Not too many bells and whistles.

The relaunch of 1Friend2Another.org solves some troublesome bugs which took me some time to find and eliminate. I’m also making a subtle but important change in its emphasis: rather than being so much about the site and the book, I’ll make it much more about friends appreciating each other.

Today I decided to watch bowl games not like a “couch potato,” but also get stuff done at the same time. There’s always a lot of time in between football plays, so why not put that time to good use?

My bedroom is cluttered after having spent so much time on the charity campaign. A lot of design work goes into making the sites that are at the core… Read More of it. I start by sorting all the stuff into different piles.

My cat isn’t sniffiling anymore, which is a relief, although she is back to those whiny pestering ways of hers that I’ve always had to put up with. She decides to camp out for a snooze on a couple of my piles of paper.

The main lesson learned today: Keep my mind in the spirit of the football game, while I’m cleaning up. It really can be done, and I actually enjoyed the game more today than I usually have before I started this multi-tasking experiment. It feels good to get stuff done while I’m having fun watching the game.

The launch of 1Friend2Another attracted little attention, so I’m reprogramming it for a second launch soon, hopefully by Friday January 2. I need to reprogram the site to make it less about the site, and more about friends appreciating and helping each other. The site needs streamlining, it needs to start with one friend’s message to another in the opening screen, and it needs to be a simple statement of faith in humanity instead of a graphics-intensive site that looks like a mini-game.

I’ve decided to give away “The Book Of Time” to support charity. The success of the new site design will hinge on three simple questions:

1. If you could read a free book in 30 minutes and gain hundreds of hours of free time to live life, would you read it?
2. Are there others in your life that you care enough about to email them the good news about this book?
3. If you could support deserving charities by merely “passing the word” — would you?

It’s a race against time with the inauguration approaching on Jan. 20, but hopefully the race can still be won!

I decide to try the metro bus system to see whether it saves time and/or money. On the positive side:

-It only cost $1.50 for a round trip
-The bus was nearly empty, so there was plenty of room
-I enjoyed listening to music without having to drive
-You can call people on your cell phone
-From where I live, it’s only a 100-foot walk to the bus stop

On the other hand…

-I waited 5 minutes at the bus stops. Next time I think that can be shaved to 2-3 minutes.
-The bus zig-zagged through various stops, so it took twice as long to get there
-The ride was bumpy, especially through the melting ice
-Reading was iffy, writing very difficult with the bumpy ride

I can see giving up my car to use the bus. My mother and brother live less than 5 miles away, so if I need a ride (or even to borrow a car) I can probably swing it.

When you visit 1Friend2Another.org you can leave a comment for Barack Obama. We will include your comment with those of others in a giant bouquet of flowers, and deliver it to the White House on Inauguration Day. It will have:

• 50 flowers in the middle (the official flower of each state in America)
• 200+ flowers ringing it (one for each country on Earth)

Thousands Of Prizes!
You are not required to give us any of your contact information in order to participate in this contest. Here are the prizes that will be awarded:

1. A Prize For Everyone:  You will receive a prize package worth $25, including a sequel to The Book Of Time. That in itself should be worth $25 to most people, plus we’ll add at least a couple of other really nice downloadable prizes to be named later.
2. 250 Runner-Up “Mystery Prizes”:  We will mail this prize package, worth around $100, to 250 people who left comments that interested editors at the Consumer Freedom Alliance.  Hints:  You’ll receive something you’ll want to share with your family, something you’ll actually interact with, and it will help most people financially. It’s not a book, nor is it software that you install on your computer.
3. One Grand Prize:  Awarded to whoever made the best comment as judged by David O. Snow, author of The Book Of Time.  It’s actually a double prize!  First, you will be awarded $1,000 to be paid no later than March 1, 2009. Second, you will also get five runner-up prizes to give to whoever you like.

Full contest rules are posted at 1Friend2Another.org.

I’m happy to announce that our first press release was officially released on 12:01 AM (Pacific Standard Time) on Wednesday, December 24,2008. You can access it by visiting:

    http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/12/prweb1787144.htm

I was pleased how PRWeb formatted it, with a very nice animated screenshot of our home page. I hope you will all share this with your friends so that everyone can be a part of this groundbreaking project. More importantly, we want everyone to have the opportunity to learn some incredibly valuable information. Think of it as our holiday gift to the world.

Regarding the new site at 1friend2another.org, I’m customizing the site for English speakers from other countries, for example in the Mount Rushmore scene I’ve added quotes from people in Australia and other parts of the British Commonwealth.

Meanwhile we’re buried in the strongest snowstorm in over ten years here in Seattle. But I love it, having been born and raised in Alaska.

I’m preparing a press release for the American press and will put it on this page tomorrow.

You may wonder what the chances are that 1friend2another.org will succeed in its ambitious aims. Well, there are basically three ways this site could go:

1. Some people forward it to their friends, but it doesn’t really catch on and it fizzles after a few hundred (or a few thousand) people have read it.

2. It grows exponentially as friends forward it: 1000 forwards become 2000 the next day, then 4000 the next, until in ten days one million people have seen it — and in the next week, tens of millions may even see it.

3. We send out emails to people and enthusiastically urge them to forward it for the sake of charity, and at first it grows exponentially because the email is being forwarded among caring and charitable people. But as it gets forwarded to more people who are a bit less charitable and less connected to the original enthusiastic email senders, the growth gradually slows down. It ends up reaching tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people.

Six very worthy charities will soon benefit from our new site at 1Friend2Another.org. By launching this site, we hope to entertain and enlighten people worldwide, while generating many thousands of dollars for charities. Once it is officially launched on December 24, you can visit it and forward it to anyone else whose life you wish to brighten.

Everyone is encouraged to donate, but you can use the site for free either way. Charities will be collecting all donations directly from donors; visitors to our site are instructed not to send any money to our company.

What is our vision and mission? It is this:

a) To disseminate very high-quality consumer information in support of charities

b) With this information, teach people to live better. The more people live right, the less likely they will become a burden on charity. If you think about it, spreading good teachings is an excellent way of being charitable in and of itself!

c) Establish that the power of friendship, beauty and fun can inspire positive social change through friends communicating with one another.

d) As we establish contact between us and thousands of people, we believe this site will increase both your donor base and our customer base. While we expect to spend tens of thousands of dollars on this promotion, we expect that this expense will be made very worthwhile by establishing these contacts.

We look forward to seeing you soon after the official launch on December 24 at 1:00pm EDT.

How To Save Hundreds On Home Insurance
1. Home security upgrades.	Save up to 15-20%.  Get dead-bolt locks and a burglar alarm (preferably one that’s monitored 24/7).
2. Fire-fighting upgrades.	Save up to 10%.  Fire alarms and extinguishers are worthwhile. A sprinkler system is an excellent (but costly) upgrade.
3. Raise your deductible.	Save 15-25%.  Raising your deductible can save big money, especially if it’s currently lower than $200.
4. Drop unneeded coverage.	Save up to 20%.  Eliminate any “riders” or “floater” clauses that cover unlikely losses. Insurance should cover no more than the rebuilding cost — don’t include the value of the land.
5. Shop around.	Save up to 20%.  Home insurance prices from different companies can vary widely, so shop around for a lower rate at sites such as InsWeb.com, MostChoice.com and NetQuote.com.
6. Loyalty discounts.	Save up to 20%.  Most companies offer a longevity discount for people who stick with them. Often it’s a 5% discount for staying 3-5 years, and a 10% discount after six years.  Retirees often get an additional 10% discount.
7. Avoid risk.	Avoid anything that increases the risk perceived by your insurer (for example a lower credit score, or keeping a dangerous pit bull, or having an accident-prone swimming pool.)
8. Claims-free discount.	Save 10-15%.  If you avoid burglaries and don’t make an insurance claim for three to five years you may get this discount.
9. Block watches.	Save 5-10%.  If you organize a block watch, insurance rates and the crime rate will both go down in your neighborhood.
10. Live in a safe home.	Save up to 20%.  Newer homes have fewer problems.  In windstorm-prone areas, consider brick homes; in earthquake zones, wood frames stand up better. Avoid flood-prone areas.
Call your insurer and consult with them. Tell them about your home improvement plans, make sure you’re adequately covered, and be sure to ask what other discounts they offer.