Info-Leeches and other E-Invertebrates

POS terminals have revolutionized the way consumers buy their
goods and services. Even more so they have revolutionized the
back end operations of retail stores. They have simplified the
way that inventory is tracked. POS terminals help order new
inventory, they keep track of sales and manage profits. Most
importantly they provide the manager of retail stores with an
efficient way to analyze information, make decisions and carry
out those decisions.

POS terminals are much like cash registers in that they handle
the money as customers purchase goods and services. However,
they are much more than cash registers. POS terminal stands for
point-of-sale terminal. Each terminal is a station that is tied
to a central database that handles all of the sale or
transaction. Because they are tied to a central database many
POS terminals can be linked together to provide the same
transaction tasks across a single store or even multiple stores.

POS terminals can handle many tasks that are related to sales.
One such task is inventory control. POS terminals can help
manage inventory. When a person purchases a product the
information on the product that they purchase is stored. That
information can be used to calculate the remaining inventory.
This data helps the manager know when to purchase more products.
Many software packages will actually tell the manager when it is
time to replenish the inventory. Some will even order more
inventory automatically.

A system like this does not work for all businesses or even
all industries. The liquor industry for example would not
benefit from a service like this. To facilitate accurate
inventory tracking for places that sell liquor,
liquor control systems were invented. To track liquor a
measuring device is placed on the spout of the liquor bottles.
Then as the drink is poured the liquor is measured by the device
then the information is transmitted to the pos system where it
is recorded and the total is calculated. This is especially
convenient for mixing drinks.

Another useful feature is that reports can be given in
real-time. Because each POS terminal stores the transaction
information in a central database reports can be generated from
that information without downloading the information from each
terminal at the end of the day. The types of reports that can be
generated can be anything from the gross sales of the day to the
number of products sold. These features are very useful for
store managers who need to know how well a promotion is working.

POS Terminals can save money and time. The need to constantly
check the inventory manually is reduced because the computer
takes care of the tracking. The computer can also handle much of
the financial data which reduces the staff required to handle
those functions. One company
Comcash says that an effective POS system will boost profit
$20,000 to $100,000 a year depending on the business.

POS terminals have changed the inner workings of most retail
stores. They have made it easier to track and manage inventory.
They have simplified many of the tasks associated with
transactions. POS terminals have even increased profits for many
retail firms. Little by little they are changing the way we do
business.

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to visit regularly. You never know what may be revealed to you
that could be the turning point in your spiritual life. May
peace be with you my friend and relation in humanity as you have
arrived here as a seeker or teacher of spiritual truth and
wisdom.

World in Christ is a christian church and fellowship
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If you trust in Jesus Christ with your prayer relationship then
you will know your prayers are being heard by God almighty.

Peace be with you.

David Baker

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There are always some questions that we tend to ask ourselves
when we did not make any kind of decent money online and we
blamed everything except ourselves for it.

But have you ever thought that these questions can be answered
by you all along?

Today, there are some questions which I will be discussing and
will also be providing answers of my own. They may be similar to
yours or they might be entirely different.

But what I would to achieve is that at the end of it, you will
have your own kind of answers to making money online.

First question:

“Why can’t I make any decent money online anytime I want?”

Is is that I’m worse off than other people in trying to market
any kind of products?

No. My products are absolutely wonderful and they are the top
of the line. But the problem is that I just couldn’t make any
sales from it.

I really could not figure out why I could not make an steady
decent income out of it. Occasionally, I got some sales in a
month but sometimes, there are those really bad months which I
could not even make breakeven on my advertising dollars put
out…

I really think hard on that…

Finally, I realized that the key to making those steady income
like those top gurus was that most of them if not all have a
common characteristic.

All of them have a mailing list of their own!

By this time, the second question already popped into my
mind…

“Why is so important for these gurus to have their own mailing
list?”

Initially, I am really puzzled at that, as I often thought that
anyone could make some kind of money just by spending some money
on advertising at some sites related to your products.

This method has worked for me and also for some of my friends.

But I’ve come to realized that the problem with this method is
that I do not get a regular income out of it and the conversion
rate was not as high to really justify the advertising costs
which I am forking out for.

Then I came to a conclusion that why I am different from those
top gurus is that I do not have my own mailing list. Then I
began to search for the advantages of having my own list.

With a list, some of the more important advantages which I can
capitalize on are that, I will be able to email offers to my
list anytime I find a great offer to earn those affiliate
commissions which otherwise would have been random if it is only
based on advertising.

I am also able to keep in touch with the members on my list and
know exactly what are their needs so that I could know exactly
what to offer the next time round to satisfy their needs.

These two advantages are already sufficient to guide me to
start my own mailing list and start offering my members quality
information to help them to succeed online.

Now for the final question,

“How do I start building my list fast without much effort”

This question stumped me immediately.

At that time, I am really cracking my head over this question.

At last! I found the key to this question.

That is by using traffic exchange sites which provides quality
traffic to my lead page to generate subscribers.

However, I found that it still lacks something which can
automate the whole process to make it effortless.

Then I hit upon the idea of “Power List Generator”.

This is an idea which combines two different kind of marketing
tools which are available free of charge and will automate the
whole process of generating unlimited subscribers.

And thus, I used the strategies and techniques that is inside
“Power List Generator” to generate my subscribers.

If you would like to know more of this free eCourse, please go
to http://www.powerlistgenerator.com

As you would like to know, after using the methods, my
subscribers did increase with much effort from me.

And by building a list, I finally realized that I could at
least guarantee a steady income by occasionally making some
offers to my list.

With this, I hope you gain something from my experiences. To
get a steady income, you will need to build your own mailing
list first.

Most of all, any internet marketer should focus their efforts
on cultivating relationships with their members and always align
their actions to increasing their subscribers.

The response to this, in masses of cases, is “yeah”! Areas such as the Costa del Sol presently look pricey for average budgets nevertheless, there are still masses of good buys to be had in masses of vicinities of Spain. Flats in the the Costa Blanca are still on sale beginning at 100,000 Euros, (£69,750) and villas beginning at more or less 190,000 Euros, (£132,500). In Murcia and the the Costa Almeria property prices are proportionally cheaper with restoration projects beginning around 75,000E (£52,300) and villas beginning at more or less 160,000 Euros, 112,000 pounds If someone buys off plan it ensures that the value of the property increases as the development marches on and nears completion. Folk buying early in the whole building work realise the tops deal and investment return.

Property located in Spain is still rising located in price and with the easiness of access from each and every European airports it persists in being the most attractive destination for each and every year sun. It could be an excellent investment, with the added perk of out of this world vacations or possiblly a perfect setting for permanent living.

There are still delightful areas in Spain that the vacationers & the investors have not discovered. For instance the Alpujarras region in southern Spain is a stunning, mountainous district which is a haven in unexplored peace & bargain prices. The yellow strands in Costa Tropical aren’t far away & access to airports is no problem through Granada or Almeria.

Stretching south from the foot hills called the Sierra Nevada, the Alpujarras contains the area’s capital city, the seaside community called Almera, as its south east border, with the sea side community called Motril in Granada being the south western cut-off. The locality has a rich contrast in climate inside a minute field - you can be loafing in a sub tropical shore merely twenty minutes from your front door or you could be skiing in the snows called the Sierra Nevada merely 2 hours away, depending in your mood and the time called year! Have a look for property in spain with Property Line.

Property values in the district are currently at preposterously great hights for roughly roughly Spain. A village home In the district of Valor requiring renovation for roughly roughly 26,000 Euros (£18150). A two bedroom renovated home in the vicinity for roughly roughly 155,000E 108,165. A 3000 square metre building site for roughly roughly 26,000E (£18150). Brand new two bedroom apartments from approximately 85,000E fifty nine thousand pounds. Cortijos requiring renovation for roughly roughly approximately 50,000 Euros (£34,900). Restored cortijos for roughly roughly approximately 100,000E (£69,780). Why don’t you have your own finca constructed from approximately 120,000E (£83,750) or even procure a complete working commercial olive farm - 24 hectares for roughly roughly 495,000E (£345,450). There are chances to buy hotels, restaurants or even b & b firms to equip you with a working income in this up-and-coming district much liked by the local population for roughly roughly their own holidays - with everything at values the rest of Spain has long forgotten about.

Investors would be advised to act swiftly though. News of this heretofore shrowded setting is coming out. The costs are beginning to rise & so in the next two or three years the real bargains here will probably be a thing of the past.

No one lives in a vacuum, we might say, and the same is true of
nature. Just as people need other people to get connected and
learn to survive, so do other natural elements in the universe
and on planet Earth. While it may be difficult for most of us to
comprehend the universe with the naked eye, we can go out and
study the world around us without the use of even a microscope
as long as we have some idea of what we’re looking for. Studying
a microcosm, or smaller world of organic activity, can help us
to understand larger principles and systems at work on a major
scale.

As schoolchildren, we study the basic physical sciences,
including biology, physics, chemistry, and geology. College
students will learn even more about some of these topics in
fulfilling the general education requirements for just about any
diploma. Yet, because few of us study all the sciences at
length, we often do not understand very much about the way the
natural world works. That’s why personal study of a nearby
ecosystem may help to expand our knowledge base in useful ways.

Start by reading an introductory lesson on the type of system
you want to study. It might be about a woodland area, a bog or
marsh, a river or pond, or a plain or meadow. You could study a
farmer’s crop of corn or beans, or a neighbor’s trickling
stream. Wherever you look in the rural outdoors, you can find a
mini-system of natural principles operating to support a variety
of life forms. If you have kids or grandchildren, or teach
school or children’s church, you may even want to arrange a
field trip for an hour or so to let them learn about nature the
experiential way. Go over the basic guidelines for identifying
an ecosystem and how the parts work together to create a system
that supports living creatures and plants.

Choose a good-weather day for the expedition. If you plan to
investigate a neighbor’s property, get permission first. Be sure
there are no safety hazards like swampland, ditches, or gas
lines that someone could stumble over. Let everyone know the
boundaries for the study project, along with an idea of what to
look for. Then it might be a good idea to pair everyone in two’s
to keep anyone from wandering off or getting lost. Another
advantage to twosomes is they can check their impressions with
each other to clarify findings.

Have everyone describe the terrain, the climactic and
environmental conditions, and the dominant weather cycles for
the region. They can do this afterward in discussion or take
notes while in the field. Then they should look for typical life
forms in the area, including species and genus, if they know how
to classify organisms. Otherwise, a simple list by common names
is fine. They should at least be able to separate insects from
mammals, and so on. Animal tracks can be used as evidence in
lieu of seeing the actual creature, like deer, for example.

The next step is to find water, air, and food sources that
support the living things. Applying known rules or principles to
actual observations will provide a rich and personal learning
experience. In the notes or via discussion, explain how
everything in the area works together to support an
environmental life chain. This type of activity makes a great
family excursion or a fun hobby for an individual. Try it
sometime to see whether you enjoy reading physical history in
the great outdoors.

You’ve heard claims like you can buy cars for as little as $100.00 at repossessed car auctions, but is this true? If so, where does one find listings of repossessed car auctions?

To know where to go to purchase one of these cars, you must first know what a repossessed car is. Most of the time cars get repossessed by the banks, because the owners have defaulted on the car loan or lease payment. When this happens, the institutions such as the banks, the police, the customs or the IRS offer these repossessed cars offered for sale at auctions.

The main reason why repossessed cars are priced cheaply is not so much for the state it was found in or the brand, as much as the continuing supply and the expense of storing these cars, that tend to lower their prices.

If repossessed cars are dirt cheap, why do only a very few buy at these kinds of auctions?

Three reasonable explanations have been put forth; one is that there is a lack of information on these kinds of auction, including pertinent information on schedules, venues and which institutions actively hold these kinds of auctions.

Another credible point put forward is that the reason why this is so, is because car dealers want to keep these auctions a secret. They can re-sell the cheap auctioned off car at retail prices to the public. Allowing them to generate more profits.

The third explanation that a majority of car buyers find it hard to change their buying pattern. They are used to buying new cars from a car dealership. Provided you do your homework and research well, there is no reason you can not go home with an also brand new vehicle priced at $200.00 or less.

My site provides listings of repossessed car auctions

When planting a garden there are many questions which you must ask yourself before you begin. Where are you going to plant it, do you have the garden equipment to do so and how big do you want your garden to be? When do flowers bloom and what are their heights? These are all very important questions, however they mean very little if you have not yet decided which types of flowers you want to plant. There are many to choose from and don’t le anybody tell you which ones you can and can’t plant. Gardens are unique and fascinating to look at because each one is unique it its own way.

There are endless possibilities of flowers to choose from but if you are unsure of which types of flowers are known to look best in gardens, keep reading and you will find out. The following is a list of the five most popular types of garden flowers chosen by gardeners from all over the United States:

1. Cosmos - These flowers have the ability to grow anywhere from 12 inches to 4 feet tall. Cosmos are perfect for cutting gardens and are often picked out of gardens and used in flower arrangements.

2. Marigold - Marigolds can be found in yellow, orange, red or a combination of all colors. This type of flower blooms in 45 to 50 days from sowing and very rarely requires additional water than what the rain provides.

3. Morning Glory - Morning glories have heart shaped leaves and are available in a variety of colors including white, blue, red, pink and lavender. This type of flower has the capability to become more than ten feet high.

4. Zinnia - Zinnias are traditional, old fashioned flowers which are constantly blooming all season. If there is not a lot of rain, this type of flower will require watering on a consistent basis but try to get water on the foliage (leaves) as this can cause mold which can potentially cause the plant to die.

5. Sunflowers - There’s no better flower for your garden than the sunflower. Sunflowers have yellowish-orange petal with a black circle in the middle. These flowers can grow to be as tall as 6 feet or possibly even higher depending on the flower itself.

In order for your garden to flourish successfully, you will have to maintain it and keep it healthy on a daily basis. Watering cans, pruning shears, gloves and spades are all types of gardening equipment which will assist you in keeping your garden in good condition. These pieces of equipment are very important and are relatively inexpensive.

The types of flowers you choose will have a large impact on the overall outcome of your garden. The list above was provided as a guideline for novice gardeners who area unsure of which flowers may be most adaptable to a garden atmosphere.

Which flowers you choose will ultimately be your choice and regardless of the kinds or colors of your flowers, your garden will be a wonderful piece of work for everyone to admire.

Colin Smith is a freelance write for http://www.gardenequipment101.com - a site that features information about patio furniture, wrought iron patio furniture, lawn mowers and more.

Congress recently passed the most sweeping bankruptcy
legislation in more than twenty five years. The Bankruptcy Abuse
prevention and Consumer Protection Act was written to make it
harder for most personal bankruptcy filers to have their debt
swept away through a Chapter 7 filing. The new law will require
that potential bankruptcy filers pass a “means test” and most
will not qualify for the Chapter 7 filing.

Instead, they will have to file under Chapter 13, which requires
a court-defined repayment schedule of up to five years. This
legislation, considered by its detractors to be a “wet, sloppy
kiss” to the credit card companies, has many people justifiably
concerned about how to approach their problem debt. Once concern
that has largely not been addressed is the fact that it may be
considerably more difficult to hire a bankruptcy attorney once
the new legislation takes effect in October 2005.

The existing bankruptcy law makes a personal filing a fairly
simple and routine procedure. Most personal filers file under
Chapter 7. The court eliminates their obligation to repay their
debt, and the debtor is allowed to make a fresh start.

This does not come without cost; the bankruptcy filing will stay
on the debtor’s credit report for a period of ten years. Legal
costs for hiring an attorney for a Chapter 7 filing will vary
from state to state, but the process typically involves just a
few hours of billing time.

The new law, which will require most bankruptcy filers to apply
under Chapter 13, is different. Not only is the filing procedure
more complicated, resulting in two to three times the legal
fees, but the new legislation holds attorneys liable if
incorrect financial information is filed on the part of a
client. This leaves lawyers vulnerable to lawsuits from their
clients as well as the bankruptcy trustees involved in the case.

For the average consumer, this means that it will become both
more difficult and more expensive to find a competent attorney
to handle their bankruptcy case. Many attorneys who handle
bankruptcy cases on a part-time basis, including those in small
towns who handle a variety of cases, may simply decide not to
handle bankruptcy anymore. For them, the risk of a lawsuit may
mean that it simply isn’t worth their while to handle such
cases.

Attorneys who specialize in bankruptcy law will undoubtedly
raise their rates, partly because of the increased demand caused
by fewer lawyers doing such work, and partly because of the
increased liability.

Anyone who has problem debt now and is considering filing for
bankruptcy should probably do so as soon as possible. It would
be far better to hire an attorney now, when you might not need
one, then to try to hire one later, when one may not be
available. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Copyright 2005 Leadsandtraffic.com

This article is available on the web as well as by
autoresponder. If you decide to publish, please let us know at
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you.

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WORD COUNT: 1511

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Write a Better Online Personal Ad By Tracy Brant at Dateable.com

If you are going to invest time or money in using a matchmaking
website, you should really pay some attention to writing a
profile that will get you some responses. People will not be
interested in emailing you if you do not do something to make
yourself stand out from the masses of people using personal ads.

I administer several dating websites. People frequently write in
saying, “I never get any replies to my ad.” And when I go look
at the ad, I find that they have not filled out the profile, or
added a photo. Who can tell if they want to email you if there
is no information? Not quite as bad, but still ineffective, is a
profile that says, “Email me for details” or “looking for a nice
person.” You can’t bother to write a paragraph to find the love
of your life? Or even a fun date for the weekend?

Here are some guidelines for writing effective personal ad
blurbs:

INVESTMENT. Decide that this is worth spending some time on, or
don’t bother. You wouldn’t submit a sloppy resume, would you?
This is about making a good first impression, because there will
be no second chance once someone clicks to the next ad.

MARKETING. You are marketing yourself… trying to stand out in
a crowd. You are the “product.” and the people you want to meet
are your customers. Think about who you want to meet, and then
think about who THEY want to meet! How can you tell them that
YOU are the person they want to meet? Magazine ads, for example,
grab your attention, make you laugh, they make you think “wow,
what a great thing… I want to buy it.” They can be short, but
pack a punch. If they are long, they tell a good story.
Marketers test their different ad campaigns, and you should,
too. Try placing different ads to see what gets you a better
result.

PREPARATION. Before you log in anywhere, do some thinking and
writing. Don’t wait until you are faced with a blinking cursor
to write your blurb. Give serious thought to how you will
describe yourself and the person you hope to find. Write at
least two paragraphs, one about yourself, and one about the
person you seek. Ask someone you trust to read those paragraphs
and comment on how well they reflect who you are and what you
want. Save that text to cut and paste into dating website forms.
Have a digital photo or two ready.

OPENING LINES. Use your username… don’t be Bob3456… be
PaintBallPrincess or SecretSuperHero or something else that
reflects your sense of humor and yourself. If the ad allows you
a “subject line” also use that well… “Need woman in Atlanta”
doesn’t cut it. “Atlanta man on a mission” sounds more
interesting. “Atlanta Knight seeks his Queen” tells a different
story about who you are seeking. Use your username and subject
line to hook people into your ad. Use humor, drama, a funky
metaphor. Then, like any good ad, you want to show them you are
what they need, show them why you are unique, and invite them to
take action… by emailing you!

DETAILS. Write in complete sentences. Spelling and grammar DO
count. We have modern tools to help with that. You want to look
like you find this task important enough to spell out the words.
Unless you are 15 years old, writing “If u r inrested n me, wrt
2 me” makes you LOOK 15 years old. ALL CAPS IS LIKE SHOUTING…
don’t. It is actually harder to read.

HONESTY. If you are not honest with yourself and others, you
will not find happiness in the personals. Are you married? You
know, people CAN figure that out and will resent the lie more
than the wedding ring. Without making any value judgements,
putting down “married” will not necessarily stop you from
finding matches. If you are just looking for a casual date,
don’t imply that you are looking for marriage just to get more
email… it wastes everyone’s time. If you are looking for a
long-term thing, don’t think you can “convince” a casual date to
spend more time with you. You are asking for disappointment. Try
completing this sentence: “In a year, I’d like to see us
doing….”

STRINGS. Guys, I see many you making a crucial mistake in your
profiles. You will find that women are seldom looking for a “no
strings relationship.” There simply is no such thing… if it is
a relationship, it has strings of SOME sort. If you don’t want
strings, you are looking for an escort service. Women of any
description can find casual physical relationships without
lifting a finger to a keyboard. Don’t lie, but think about which
“strings” are okay with you. “Seeking Torrid Summer Romance” is
fine and honest. So is, “I am not eager to move in or get
married. I want to have a regular date for parties and cookouts
with my friends.” Ladies, this counts for you, too. If your
personal ad sounds like you might be offering paid sexual
services, you are going to get some rude offers. You might avoid
phrases like, “looking for a wealthy man with good taste in
jewelry.”

BEYOND PHYSICAL. Have you ever really dated someone just for
their eye color? OK, maybe you have spectacular eyeballs. But
ads tend to reel off personal stats… and then stop there, as
though there were nothing but a body. Most personal sites let
you click things to describe your eyes, hair, and height…
don’t waste valuable profile space on your hair. Talk about who
you are first, and what you look like at the end. Want to know
the number one thing surveyed women look for in a guy? A sense
of humor.

AVOID NEGATIVES. This is not the place to list all the things
that drove you crazy about your ex and how you won’t put up with
that again. Don’t list what you don’t want… discuss what you
DO want. Turn your own lifestyle quirks into positives, not
obstacles. Workaholic? Try, “My career keeps me very busy, so I
need someone with a flexible schedule for spontaneous one-day
adventures.” Frugal to a fault? Try “I find it amusing to
squeeze a nickel ’til it screams… help me research for my web
column “CheapDates for CheapSkates.” Worried people will regard
your children as an obstacle? “My family is very important to me
and I hope to find someone that will enjoy the attention of a
warm family circle.”

POST A PHOTO. Website statistics show that an ad with a photo is
80% more likely to get a response. A photo that shows you
relaxed and having fun, no matter what you look like, is even
better. Don’t use a photo that isn’t current.. it isn’t worth
looking so insecure, or being rejected later. Don’t rush to ask
for a photo… you may look like a “pic trader,” someone who is
collecting photos rather than looking for a real date. Don’t
stress about your looks… attraction is about more than looks.
Yes, we often are first attracted to someone by looks, when we
meet in person. But on the Internet, if you seem like a jerk,
you won’t get the chance to meet in person.

LIFE STAGES. People often say that “age” is not as important as
“life stage.” Where are you in your life? Just starting out in a
new career? Settled into life with kids? Empty-nesting?
Exploring new interests? These are things that matter. Talk
about what is important in your life. “I am established in my
career and now turning my attention to the great books I never
had time to read.” “I moved to this state for a job after
college, and I am looking for dates with a lot of
outdoors-loving friends to help me build a sporty new social
circle.”

FAVORITE THINGS. Listing ALL your favorite things is dizzying..
Choose one good example and talk about why you like it. Choose
something that gives the reader an insight into what you enjoy.
You want people to be able to spot things you have in common,
but also feel that there is something new and interesting to
learn about you. Interest them in learning more with a “teaser”
about something fascinating about you. Ask a question for them
to answer in the reply email.

RULES. Never… NEVER include your last name, phone number or
address. Observe the rules of the various websites… some do
not allow you to post web addresses or email addresses. Many
prohibit crude language or sexual references. Getting your ad
removed by breaking rules is a waste of time.

So… let your personality be shown in a tasteful way, take the
time to do a good job, and have a good photo. Those things alone
will put you far ahead of the misspelled anonymous pack. Best of
luck!

© Dateable.com LLC 2002

Where Al Franken’s’s last book was Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them was funny, educational, and inspiring, his new endeavor, The Truth (with Jokes) is scary and a little depressing.

Don’t get me wrong– there are a few sections in the book that are really funny, but those parts seem to be scarce. One such hilarious comes a Al realizes that one of his favorite people, Sean Hanity seems to completely ignore any attempts to thwart his lies. He goes on as if they were truth regardless of the facts. Thus, Al takes a different approach to fighting them. Al debunks a list of Sean Hanity’s accusations of John Kerry being a “flip flopper”, and after each one makes up a lie about Sean Hanity, as Al see this as a better way to combat him. Now, the individual lies aren’t all that funny in and of themselves, but Al seem to have great execution in this section. Comics often talk about timing as being the most important aspect of doing comedy well. I used to think this rule only applied to the spoken word, but Al managed to keep me laughing through this entire chapter. Just as my laughter subsided, all would present another lie about Hanity that would start my laughter al over again.

But alas, most of the book wasn’t very funny. Certainly there were places that it was obvious that it was supposed to be funny, and many that invoked a grin, but nothing like what I have come to expect from Al Franken. Maybe his 3 hour a day radio show has drained his previously overstocked supply of really funny jokes.

Also, the book seems to be lacking any inspirational call to action. There is a lot of time spent on how much Bush and Company screw up, and how their policies are driving our country off a cliff, but almost none on how we can move forward as a party.

But, don’t think that this is a bad book, or that it isn’t worth reading. It is really an eye opener in many ways. Al tells us of the unethical, greedy adventures of Jack Abramoff and his friends in Congress. He exposes the real reasons Kerry Lost in 2004 Most prominently he shows how badly the Bush administration screwed up in Iraq. Prior to Al’s well cited explanation, I was under the assumption that although Bush led us into an unjustified war with Iraq, he had done as good a job as an would at the execution of the war. Boy was that wrong. By closing his eyes and ears to the advice of many really smart people on both sides of the political spectrum, Bush fought a war based on positive-thinking rather than real strategy based in reality.

My advice is, borrow this book from a friend or your local library. At least wait until it comes out in paperback. I do recommend reading it before the 2006 elections, as it really is a valuable political resource and its a quick read (I finished it in just over two days). But, if you’re looking for a good laugh, you’re probably better off turning on The Daily Show or cracking open the latest edition of the Onion.

Please, click to buy Al Franken’s The Truth (with Jokes)

You can find more insightful book reviews at: TristanHavelick.com.