PROLOGUE - LIFE IS...Full of strange moments in time.

Prologue


LIFE IS…

Full of strange moments in time. Moments which become suspended in time, slowed down to almost exaggerate the intensity of what you’re about to experience. Moments which are similar to the dreams where you are trying to run but can’t get your legs to move. That brief second before the accident where the whole scene goes frozen for an instant, silent and you think to yourself, this is going to be bad. Then everything goes into fast forward and the crunching sound of metal spinning through the air as the truck flips over and all you see is the ground rushing up to collapse the hood of the cab before it crushes down on top of you, spitting you out the side and onto the ground. As you stare at the ground in disbelief about what you just survived, you are strangely focused on the gravel. Why am I just staring at the gravel? Get up!

So I survived, somewhat broken, but alive. Thanking God that I had been spared. Crazy, uncontrollable body shakes as the body releases the adrenaline dumped into the system, as if I’d just come out of an ice bath. But none of these kinds of life moments could have prepared me for what was about to happen.

We were having an early gift opening for our family Christmas before leaving on a ski vacation, just the four of us. My wife, Patti, my teenage son Kamden, my teenage daughter Kjersti and myself. Sitting around a warm fire, sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the brief quiet before the storm of finishing our packing. The kids are all excited about opening their gifts, but more excited about leaving in the morning for a winter adventure. I ask my wife a question, and I think I mishear her answer. I ask again, and I get the same strange response which makes no sense. I shake my head, look at the kids and they are as puzzled as I am. I cock my head a bit to the left like our little white bijon friche who tries desperately to understand what we’re saying, but just can’t seem to get it. The kids and I both think she is making a joke or kidding around with us, but when it happens again I get an immediate knot in my stomach. I know something is wrong…I just didn’t know how wrong. I call my sister, an orthopedic surgeon, and describe what we’ve just experienced. She tries to keep me calm, but I quickly grasp the gravity of the situation. After asking my wife who the current President is, and with a straight face as serious as can be, she disgustedly tells me, “geessh, purple cows can’t so there’s why I can tell you the President.” After randomly sampling the responses from a few other questions, my sister tells me that my wife is having some kind of brain attack and to get her to the Emergency Room…immediately.

It was one of those times when all of sudden everyone knows something is terribly wrong. The kids begin to cry in fear, not knowing what’s happening to their mom. We quickly load everyone into the car and drive a few short miles to the local ER. My wife is objecting the whole time, half the time making sense and arguing that she’ll be fine, the other half talking gibberish. The intake nurse is quick to recognize the urgency of the situation and immediately gets my wife on a gurney and back into the ER. I sit the kids down and make sure they are situated. Then I join the group of doctors working on my wife back in the triage area. As they start to do testing and asking her questions, I see a blank stare come over her eyes and she stops responding. Like a tidal wave rolling in, the gran mal seizure starts as her eyes roll up into her eye sockets and her body becomes overwhelmed with what’s going on inside her brain. The doctors immediately recognize the onset of the seizure and do their best to assure me that they know what they are doing. How can you know what to do for something as awful as this? The doctors are amazed that we were lucky enough to get her to the ER before the seizure began, as most victims usually lose consciousness and fall down. The first few seconds of the seizure are marked by complete rigidity in every muscle in her body. She stops breathing completely. I cannot fully describe the grotesque contortion that happens to the body when it goes into this state where every limb is seemingly completely hyper-extended, but yet in total constriction. Shortly after the complete rigidity comes the convulsion, violent and rhythmic. All of her extremities are slapping wildly against the gurney, pretty much like Darryl Hannah having a death seizure in one of my all time favorite movies, the Blade Runner with Harrison Ford. I will never be able to watch that movie in the same way ever again. The experts can only watch and make sure her airway is open and that she doesn’t bite her tongue. This is when it hits me that this is why they call it “practicing” medicine, as they have no solution for this. The seizure lasts for what feels like an eternity, but in reality is probably about 3 minutes. The convulsion weakens and just like a submerged diver coming up for air, her respiration starts again with a huge gasp as she gulps for fresh air.

As she stabilizes, they wheel her off for X-rays, CT scan and PET (positron emission tomography) scans. I learn later that PET is a major diagnostic imaging modality used predominantly in determining the presence and severity of cancers. It is currently the most effective way to check for cancer recurrences and it offers significant advantages over other forms of imaging such as CT or MRI scans in detecting disease in many patients. Being an engineer and always wanting to understand root cause, I learn that for the PET scan she is given a radiopharmaceutical, such as FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), which includes both sugar (glucose) and a radionuclide (a radioactive element) that gives off signals. She is injected with these contrast elements, and the emissions given off are measured by a PET scanner. A PET scanner consists of an array of detectors that surround the patient. Using the gamma ray signals given off by the injected radionuclide, PET measures the amount of metabolic activity at a site in the body and a computer reassembles the signals into images. Cancer cells have higher metabolic rates than normal cells, so they show up as denser areas on a PET scan.

I will never forget when the radiologist and medical oncologist called me into a small room lined with little white light boxes all around the walls. They turned off all the lights in the room except the light boxes and then jammed the slides up into the metal clips to hold the scans. This is when it happened again, that out of body slow motion experience just like the accident. I was literally floating up in the corner of the room, watching this bizarre scene unfold in front of me. I looked down at these two lab-coated geeks and said to myself, that poor bastard is going to get some really bad news. As I said that to myself, it hadn’t even hit me yet that the dude was me. When I realized that was when everything went into fast forward high speed mode. It was like my whole life flashed before me and all I could do was sit there in shocked silence. I vaguely remember hearing the doctors talk to me, sort of like how the adults talk to Charlie Brown or the other kids in Peanuts with a “wa-waa-waaa” muffled voice sound, but not intelligible. I do remember crystal clear the sentence, “You see that little black node in her frontal lobe? That is a brain tumor. You need to put your wife’s affairs in order because she will not be here in a year.”

You cold-hearted bastards! Didn’t anyone teach you bedside manner in medical school? Are you such a social retard that you have lost the ability to have any compassion whatsoever? What ever happened to just the politeness of saying, “I’m really sorry, I’ve got some bad news which is going to be really hard to understand. Would you like anyone to be here with you as we talk about this?” This was like these guys were the purveyors of bad news as sport, just trying to see how callous they could be. I knew a guy like these guys before, a forensic pathologist who dealt with death all day long. A life that was tainted by the gore of seeing every imaginable type of death and figuring out how to survive without being scarred for life. The reality was that dude was twisted by his profession. How could you not be affected when you’re the person pulling body parts out of the plane, train and auto wreck or trying to figure out how a man could kill himself using a trapeze hung above his bed and a sharpened fence pole nailed to the wall and impaled up his rectum? That is some twisted stuff. But to be fair to this pair of dumb and dumber, I’m sure it was just a reflection of their own badly honed coping skills, or more realistically their denial of having to interact with real human beings. How could someone survive in a profession where every day you are telling people their loved ones have cancer and are going to die? It’s no excuse for these idiots, but at least I can rationalize why they were such moronic communicators.

Keeping San Diego safe through high-tech surveillance

Keeping San Diego safe through high-tech surveillance



By ELIZABETH MALLOY, The Daily Transcript

Friday, October 31
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It's late at night in a dark apartment complex. A hooded figure walks up to a wall and pulls out a spray can. Just as he's about to paint the building with graffiti, a voice booms from a speaker over head.

"Stop what you are doing. You are on camera, and the police have been called."

This scene is becoming a reality in neighborhoods all over San Diego and far beyond with the technology created by Carlsbad company SensorWave. Established in 2003, SensorWave makes surveillance cameras that are not only monitored by offsite technicians at all times, but are also equipped with a speaker system that allows a monitor to speak to people on camera from anywhere in the world.

"The mission is creating safer communities," said Kendell Lang, chief executive officer of SensorWave. "If you take the premise that we can actually change behaviors through our proactive security solutions, we can dramatically change environments."

SensorWave's "Virtual Patrol" product is a surveillance camera system designed to go above and beyond typical cameras. They are generally placed on top of a 30-foot pole, making them very hard to tamper with. The cameras are made of bulletproof and bullet-resistant materials, are able to zoom in and, in some cases, swivel 360 degrees to capture everything from faces to license plates.

Unlike other video cameras, they can be programmed to only focus on a very specific field of site, such as one company's parking lot. This saves time and effort for the people monitoring the cameras.

Kendell Lang is chief executive officer of Carlsbad-based SensorWave. Photo: J. Kat Woronowicz

They are monitored, at all times, by crews in one of four locations: One in Carlsbad, one in Framingham, Mass., one in Thailand and one in India. Since the monitors, who are mostly trained in law enforcement, are looking at a very limited field of view, they can monitor up to 160 cameras per person at one time.

The monitors are also helped by the fact that SensorWave's software alerts them if suspicious activity is occurring. For instance, if a car pulls into the parking lot of a company that's closed for the weekend, that camera's field of view will begin flashing on the monitor's computer screen. He or she can then look and see if there appears to be a crime happening, or if it's just someone making a U-turn.

Lang said that SensorWave's technology is changing three industries: Camera manufacturers, central monitoring and guarding.

Guarding in particular is getting a boost, and that includes law enforcement. One of the biggest expenditures for police and fire officials every year is false alarms, and Virtual Patrol can help reduce those. Right now, SensorWave is largely working with public/private partnerships, meaning a private company will buy the equipment, which costs $75 per camera, per month, and allow local law enforcement access to it for no charge.

Most of SensorWave's customers are companies who want to protect their buildings, but there are a number of housing projects that use them. One in San Diego's Logan Heights neighborhood, Sea Breeze Gardens, has seen a crime rate go from one crime reported every day and a half, to one crime every five days.

"The police call us a force multiplier," Lang said. "It's not only the quantity but it's the quality of the calls. The incidents that are occurring are less severe."

The founder of SensorWave is a man named Mo Bjornestad. Bjornestad grew up in the inner city and was once abducted as a child. He wanted to create a product that would make neighborhoods safer. He came up with SensorWave's camera systems, and Lang, who joined the company last year, helped improve the software, allowing for the "talk-down" voice software, among other advancements in the product.

While SensorWave does sell systems to clients, the company also utilizes channel partners, meaning existing guarding and alarm companies can purchase SensorWave's technology. Asked if this could lead some day to a major alarm company like ADT purchasing SensorWave, Lang said it's possible, but probably not likely in the near future.

"I really want to get probably three years out in terms of growing our own organic revenues before we're in a position that I think we would get the price that Mo and I would accept to sell the company," he said.

One issue that is a constant concern for SensorWave, and especially the company's attorneys, is privacy. Lang said he thinks people are generally accustomed to security cameras these days, but acknowledged that the added abilities of SensorWave's technology can make for thorny legal situations.

"We are using talk-down, but we don't listen," Lang said. "There's a specific legal reason why we don't do that, because anything that we would listen to constitutes a warrantless wire-tap."

The monitors who watch SensorWave's camera's are also under constant surveillance so the company can see if they use the cameras or the talk-down capability inappropriately.

"We have researched and looked at all the legal ramifications and are very comfortable that our position as a service provider is very well protected from a liability standpoint," Lang said.

Lang said that there are plenty of sociological studies that suggest surveillance is a strong deterrent against crime, and ultimately, that's what SensorWave is trying to accomplish.

"We have a lot of great customer testimonials about how (this) technology is changing lives," he said.

Internet Marketing 101 - Personal Brand Development Components

Internet Marketing 101

Personal Brand Development Components

In a recent article titled "Personal Brand Management: The Secret to Career Mobility" by Todd Rhoad he states, "Developing personal brand equity is a key element to establishing and maintaining your career mobility. Increasing manager equity is the quickest method for improving and selling your brand throughout the organization. It requires an understanding of what managers like, how to measure your changes and how to influence their perceptions with less effort."


Developing a compelling personal brand image still remains essential to positioning yourself. Everyone is overworked and unable to focus entirely on any one thing, so your ability to have someone managing your personal brand is essential. Professional development in the corporation has morphed into the reality that you have to manage your own personal development. In other words, management doesn't have time to help you develop your career. Sure, they'll take a few minutes to help you jot down your goals but it won't go much further than that. Employees don't get the kind of attention nowadays that helps develop careers. The best way to promote yourself is to promote your personal brand and that is what I deliver for my clients, personal brand management.

Personal brand management has a variety of components and you should carefully consider how to integrate all of the following into your personal brand strategy.

Internet Marketing

Methodology. Strategy. Technology. Execution.

These elements are the foundation to delivering powerful results. Having the ability to do a 360 degree evaluation and to seamlessly implement all aspects of an Internet marketing plan provides my clients a single source solution when partnering with me.

Pay Per Click Management

Pay Per Click Management (PPC) - My personal brand management implements a pay per click strategy which has a solid track record of delivering superior ROI.  My results are certified by Google, Yahoo!, and MSN.

Search Engine Optimization Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - My experience as an SEO analyst provides my clients with efficient, high ROI producing organic search engine optimization campaigns that are part of a fully integrated Internet marketing strategy.

Paid Inclusion (SSP)

Paid Inclusion - I help businesses extend their Internet marketing reach at a low and controllable cost through paid inclusion marketing also known as Yahoo SSP.

Content Advertising

Content Advertising - My Interactive marketing expertise continuously maximizes content advertising opportunities for my clients and refines a placement strategy to give my clients new leads, eCommerce sales, and millions of impressions.

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing - My targeted social media marketing will help you personally or your business control, protect, and grow your brand.  There is a huge brand awareness developed through social network marketing and you need someone with my experience to help you protect your personal brand.

Website Design Website Design & Development - As a full service Internet marketing specialist, my ability to create custom websites and landing pages that blend visual appeal with usability for the end goal of conversions is part of the overall personal branding strategy.

Online Video Marketing

Video Marketing - I cannot underestimate the importance of developing compelling, rich media content to effectively communicate your value proposition and convert visitors into customers. I spend a great deal of time getting my customers into the studio to produce effective video interviews to share their personal brand via video.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing - I have broad experience managing affiliate programs in various industries, including one of Commission Junction's top 10 affiliate marketing programs. If you are providing a service and are looking to leverage your solution, you must have an affiliate marketing strategy and I can help you accomplish this.

Discovering your personal brand is the most challenging part because it takes the most thought. I can help you find yourself.  Once you understand that, it is time to create your brand. Once the creation process completed, you are now able to deliver this content, both verbally and electronically, to whoever you want to understand who you are and what value you provide.

Even with a strong Personal Brand, over time it may decay or be out-of-date. That is why the third strategy is to maintain your Personal Brand over time. The brand must be updated with the latest technical competencies, attire, and feel in order to survive. The market changes rapidly and corporations transition, forcing you to evolve in the same fashion. It's all about knowing where you are, who you want to be, and strategizing how to get there.

 

Top 5 Personal Branding Tips for Success

1. 
   
   Start by letting me help you discover your personal brand.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Ensure your skills, competencies, interests, and personality match your objectives.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Network with peers, professionals in your field, and family members.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Create all tangible pieces simultaneously with your intangible core message for maximum consistency.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Send out as many invitations to network as you can, with the strongest content you have.
   
   
   

Career development is dead and Personal Branding is in. There are far too many job applicants for you not to take into account the entire personal brand management issue. Personal Branding is about differentiation, positioning, and creativity. It allows you to have a better insight into what you're interested in, your career, and your pursuit of happiness. Ask yourself this: Do I want to be like everyone else? If you do, then you will not be chosen for a competitive position. Those who aren't distinct are known, in marketing, as commodities. Commodities have to battle on price and you want to be compensated for your value, so stick with Personal Branding. Commodities are easily replaceable and unrecognizable by the target audience.

There is an even bigger picture with Personal Branding and that is life. Those who have strong brands will not only succeed at their profession, but will also have a better life experience because they will gain confidence in their skills and feel unique in a world where there are billions of people. Career development was only the beginning and now Personal Branding has taken over and you must brand yourself!

Let me help you, so call me at 760.445.3315 or email me at kendell.lang@gmail.com

Personal Web Marketing and Internet Marketing Coach

Personal Web Marketing

There is an approach to personal web marketing, or personal internet marketing, which I provide for my clients which is very sophisticated, very technically detailed and very effective.  This strategy is not for everyone, but for anyone who wants to be perceived as a rock star in their profession, you must develop a personal web marketing strategy.  I have honed my skills over two decades and have developed a unique and proprietary solution to provide maximum impact to my clients for their Personal Brand development.

In a recent article in Dental Economics, author Bill Blatchford talks about the reality that, "Life is moving so fast, we can barely keep up. Business practices and marketing ideas are happening on the Internet at a speed we cannot comprehend. Called Web 2.0, social networking is the idea of bringing people together for friendship and business."

Bill goes on to say, "The importance to me for people and businesses (dentistry) to be involved in social networking is so we can have an opportunity to direct our brand or offer services instantly and uniquely. If we have no presence, our marketing still happens but could take a negative turn such as, “Dr. Smith doesn't listen and her hygienist hurt me.” You can't be on every site every minute, but part of your marketing effort is to be present and put a positive spin on yourself personally and professionally."

So how can you translate Personal Brand and personal web marketing into a way to grow your business and impact your wealth?  That is what a Personal Brand Continuum Plan is all about.

The average perception is that high profile athletes who get paid huge contracts for their physical abilities make up a large percentage of millionaires in America.  The reality is; athletes, musicians, actors and actresses make up less than 1% of the millionaires in America.  Here is something you probably didn't know!  99% of self made millionaires in America come from these four categories.

Self Owned Business = 74%
Senior Executive Positions = 10%
Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers = 10%
Salespeople and Consultants = 5%

Being a self-owned business is what has made America great and it is the small business owner who has been the driving force behind every economic recovery and/or growth in our economy.  Yet your success or lack of success is determined by the following.
40% - Genealogy = This is your thoughts, culture, instincts and beliefs.
20% - Environment = Where you were born, and raised, and how many resources you had growing up.
40% - You

Social networking is huge and this is something you need to understand if you intend to compete in this economy. Daily, 450,000 people join Facebook.  But that is just one small tip of the iceberg in terms of a total strategic Personal Web Marketing Plan.  Of course you're familiar with YouTube, Flickr, MySpace and Twitter, but did you know that;

• There are more than 200 major social networking websites
• There are more than 50 major photo sharing websites
•  
• There are more than 200 Free Press Release websites
•  
• There are more than 200 Video Sharing websites

The challenge is knowing how to maximize your online presence across some/all/none of these sites, as well as to protect your Personal Brand from being diminished by the link farm robots that grab your personal information and repost without your permission or control.  If you haven't Googled your personal or business name recently, you should make it a regular habit to periodically check on your Personal Brand.  You may be surprised by what you find.  You can setup a Google alert to keep track of your personal brand with periodic updates if anything comes across the web relating to your name.

A Personal Brand Continuum Plan will put you in the drivers seat to proactively manage your online presence and you will have me as your personal internet marketing coach to make sure your image and personal brand is both protected and presented in the most impactful way.

It all starts with a need.  Do you need a Personal Brand Strategy?  Call me today at 760.445.3315 to discuss how I can help you build your Personal Brand into a powerful online marketing tool to generate more leads, build market credibility or just help you find your next gig.  You can email me at kendell.lang@gmail.com

Personal Brand Continuum

Personal Brand Continuum

Kendell Lang, new media consultant, presents to the San Diego City Council

This Presentation was made by Kendell Lang, new media consultant who was the CEO of SensorWave Technology at the time, given to the San Diego City Council as part of the Amerland Review of Sea Breeze Gardens, a project of The Amerland Group.

Internet Marketing for Small Business

Realities of Search Engine Optimization for Small Business

 

 

In a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, Cyndia Zwahlen writes;

The small business was funded in part by venture capitalist Peter Rogers and his Dry Creek Ventures, which targets clean energy, water and food businesses.

Such small local food outfits, especially those that are gentle on the environment, are key to the long-term health of the economy but need formal access to local investors to succeed, says social venture-capitalist and entrepreneur Woody Tasch.

Shifting capital to organic farmers, independent food entrepreneurs, farmers markets and restaurateurs will pay off in stronger local economies, a healthier environment and improved supplies of affordable, healthful food, Tasch said.

He founded Slow Money Alliance last year to spearhead the creation of regional networks of local investors that want to put their money into local enterprises.

"We've had the life sucked out of our society and economy by financial markets run amok and globalism run to extremes," Tasch said. Slow Money is "part of a network emerging of people who want to repair the damage."

Journey of a Lifetime: Young Adult Travel Adventures

Book Proposal Query Letter - Title

Journey of a Lifetime: Young Adult Travel Adventures

Summary

The companion travel guidebook to the web-based Reality TV Travel Show "Journey of a Lifetime" is all about building a framework for a social network of like-minded young adults who crave travel adventures and want to experience their own Journey’s. Just like the contestants who have submitted their video online and won their dream travel adventure, young adults can learn through this companion travel guide how they too can experience the very same adventure they’ve seen on the show, or create their own travel adventure. This companion travel guidebook will compliment the Reality TV Travel Series where submissions by contestants highlight personalized stories, often emotional tear-jerker reunions, about connecting young adults and their families with their heritage across continents. Each chapter will coincide with the actual itinerary of each week’s contestant winner. This guide will include easy reference to all the resources compiled for every aspect of the week’s show.

The JOAL guidebook is different because each chapter tells a unique and compelling story, all immersively tied to the visual anchors of that week’s episode on video, as well as logically and easily navigated on the web. The guidebook is designed to be the back-pocket easy reference for the traveler’s favorite episode. For those traveler’s who were mesmerized by the events portrayed on the show, the guidebook will insure that they know exactly where to go and what to do if they want to replicate that experience.

Author

I am a global media Entrepreneur who captures the cultural change of young adults seeking purpose in their life by producing compelling travel adventures leading to self-discovery delivered precisely the way this generation receives its content: thru their iPhone, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. You can see the show’s website at http://www.journeyofalifetime.com/ which includes videos about the show and submission videos by contestants.

One of the key elements to consider when evaluating whether to represent me and this book is the considerable momentum the author can contribute to the overall marketing of the book through a comprehensive distribution strategy which supports and enhances all the traditional book distribution opportunities. In addition to developing traditional and interesting publicity hooks and novel selling approaches, the author is uniquely qualified to bring about a new distribution method for this guidebook, including;

HyperDistribution (social networking)

DVD Distribution

Broadband and Viral Distribution

Search Engine Distribution

What Qualifies Me? I am a technical entrepreneur and have been published in numerous industry and trade association publications and technical white papers. I am currently writing two other books, one non-fiction titled “Hyperdistribution: How to Market to Young Adults” and one fiction titled “Gardner’s of Eden”. I am a subject matter expert in online marketing and have obtained industry recognition for Search Engine Optimization, including having written extensively about search engine ranking. I am credited with coining the phrase “hyperdistribution” which is a new online method of marketing which is described in detail in my proposal and the subject of one of my other non-fiction books. I have authored numerous internal company publications, dozens of business plans, executive summaries for successful investor offerings and numerous policy manuals. I have written for numerous websites, including writing the website www.pattilang.com, a six year journey chronicling my late wife’s battle against brain cancer. I am a published author for a cookbook titled, “Cicciotti’s Kitchen” Italian Family Favorites, featuring Gaetano Cicciotti.

Audience

The emerging market of Youth and Student Travelers, ages 18 to 35, is becoming a highly prized demographic.

We provide travel content for the Traveling Young Adult and Student Community and have created effective online revenue generation strategies through this vehicle. We create unique location-specific, travel oriented websites to educate and inform youth travelers.

We believe that traveling youth between the ages of 18 and 35 are one of the principal driving forces behind the growth of the Internet and that as of January 2009, individuals in the age group of 18 to 35 made up 45% of the online population. We believe that traveling youth between the ages of 18 and 36 also represent an attractive demographic group for advertisers and businesses, controlling or influencing over $1.6 trillion of the $3.0 trillion in annual travel spending in the United States.

We have one of the most demographically targeted online communities on the World Wide Web. Our business will be the largest online travel content provider for young adults, with more interactive travel connections and more unique visitors to our Web sites in a given month than any competitor. Our network, built around our core community website "JourneyofaLifetime.com", provides an easy-to-use, comprehensive and immersive travel community experience tailored to the interests and needs of traveling youth aged 18 through 35. We provide advertisers and merchants with targeted access to traveling youth using the Web.

We are an online travel content company that enables our target Young Adult and Student customers to not only immerse themselves in the video content of our uniquely formatted travel shows, but to also search for and purchase a broad array of proprietary travel products, including direct sales of in-house Travel DVD productions, travel guidebooks, as well as referral coordination of airline tickets, lodging, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages through our website and strategic partner websites like Travelocity.com and Orbitz.com. We sell these travel products both individually and as part of packaged trips to our target customers located primarily in the United States. We also offer access to travel news, travel weather, travel delays, security alerts and other information of interest to travelers on our website.

Although there is currently more revenue to be earned from Baby Boomer travelers today than Gen Xers or Digital Youth, that won’t be for long, according to research conducted by TIA’s new strategic partner, DK Shifflet & Associates. Gen X travelers have been on a faster trajectory than their older boomer colleagues as far as growth in hotel room-nights goes.

The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, "In-Flight Survey," May 2005. http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/) produced a report showing that there were 27,351,000 total U.S. Residents visiting overseas destinations in 2005, with 22,373,000 or 81.8% of those total overseas visitors doing so for Leisure as well as visiting Friends and Relatives. Applying 24% youth/student travelers to the total overseas visitors shows that there are approximately 5,369,520 youth and student travelers who went abroad in 2005.

Competing and Related Titles

There are literally thousands of travel guidebooks published around the world. A quick visit to your local bookstore is likely to confuse and overwhelm a would-be reader with the plethora of “me-too” travel books. Most of the existing works focus on basically the same thematic formats which bludgeon the reader with statistics, facts and maps.

The JOAL guidebook is different because each chapter tells a unique and compelling story, all immersively tied to the visual anchors of that week’s episode on video, as well as logically and easily navigated on the web. The guidebook is designed to be the back-pocket easy reference for the young adult traveler’s favorite episode. For those traveler’s who were mesmerized by the events portrayed on the show, the guidebook will insure that they know exactly where to go and what to do if they want to replicate that experience.

The JOAL guidebook is part of a comprehensive social networking strategy designed to foster loyalty only associated with high affinity groups. The traditional TV Travel Show Industry (discussed later in more detail) and the Travel Guidebook Industry have missed a fundamental connection which we address because we are creating a Primary Affinity Group. There are signs of this emerging market trend to focus on the Young Adult Travel market, for example:

• YoungMoney.com (http://www.youngmoney.com/) has targeted the Young Adult market demographic, but treats travel as a narrative adjunct for the traditional task list of articles like; dealing with theft while traveling, top safety travel tips, save money while traveling and other equally non-compelling topics.

• Student Travel Association (http://www.statravel.com/) targets the right audience, but regurgitates the same old tired travel information; the world's largest student and youth travel agency, beats any price…wow, what a difference! They get you (student, teachers & anyone under 26) the cheapest, most flexible flights and top-rated accommodations.

• Student Universe (http://www.studentuniverse.com/) is basically a repackaged reseller of online booking and reservation systems linked in from other providers.

• Student Traveler (http://www.studenttraveler.com/) comes a little closer, but still doesn’t hit the mark.

Special Marketing and Promotional Opportunities

Embedded Advertising (branded alliances) is becoming more and more sophisticated. Theatrical release of the most recent James Bond movie embedded everything from Omega watch advertising to Ford. The restaurant chain Cheesecake Factory now embeds advertising from sponsors in their menus! We are proposing a novel approach to partner with our publisher and to obtain upfront embedded advertising from select Product Sponsors.

Seven main Product Sponsorship areas of focus (not including ancillary product placements) are priorities for SIP operations: Airlines, Hotels, Rental Cars, Search Engines, Computers, Beverages and Clothing. Please see the Product Partners section for more details about each of these opportunities.

In addition to the Product Sponsorship, we are working with a highly specialized Media Services organization which is helping us prepare a sophisticated and comprehensive viral and hyper distribution marketing strategy.

Most 18-year-old students, our Digital Youth, entering the graduating class of 2010 this fall were born in 1990. They grew up with a cell phone in one hand, a mouse in the other and a computer screen as part of their worldview. They learned to surf the internet as they learned to read. While they were still in their cribs, the 20th century started to close as the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet bloc disintegrated, and frequent traditional wars in Latin America gave way to the uncontrolled terrors of the Middle East. For them: Billy Carter, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Billy Martin, Andy Gibb, and Secretariat have always been dead. This year’s entering students form a generation that has always been ‘connected’ and is used to things happening in ‘real time,’ like live satellite coverage of revolutions and wars, instant messaging and movies on demand. They expect solutions for every problem, from baldness to diseased organs. To the chagrin of traditional media outlets, they’ve developed their own generational means of communication.

HyperDistribution: a distribution channel which is even more efficient than broadcasting. If you don’t know what HyperDistribution is, then you don’t know about YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. If you’ve never checked out online content forums and social media sites like Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Del.icio.us and Newsvine, then you’ll need to explore those to understand what’s going on.