Table of Contents
Page2.Introduction
Page4.Clients and Experience
Page 5.What Others Say About Me
Page 7.How I Work
Page8.About Jim
Page 10.Services and Prices
Page11Samples
Introduction
As you have come to this page, you have expressed an interest in my copywriting services. Or, possibly I have been referred to you as someone who may be able to serve you.
My goal in any service I give is to improve your sales through one or more kinds of written marketing.
I pledge to give you my best effort in any service I give.
Newspaper Articles and Editorials
I have been writing for many years. I started by writing news articles for a weekly newspaper. I have written many editorials for that and other newspapers. Catching the attention of senior executives, I was asked to ghost write editorials for them to include in company correspondence.
Newsletters
As a field sales representative for a major chemical and laboratory supplier, I had to spend much time on the road, and didn’t have as much time as I wanted with my customers. So I wrote a monthly newsletter that I duplicated and delivered to each customer, personalizing each one to help them in their purchases.
When my division manager discovered that newsletter, he then sent copies to all the territory representatives and recommended that they do the same. I had not told my manager nor his boss about this newsletter. I only did it for the benefit of my customers.
Friendship
I really like my customers. I love to serve them. If I end up working with you, I expect that we will become good friends. It has happened over and over through all my 46 years of direct sales.
University Trained
My university training was in the sciences. Primarily the biological sciences with a lot of chemistry thrown in as part of my program. My fascination with these sciences led to my scoring in the 99.9+ percentile on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). I know my biology!
Copywriter and Web Writing Training
I have been trained as a copywriter by American Writers and Artists Institute. Their Wealthy Web Writer division has certified me as a Web Copy Specialist. I have been trained by Jay White, the email guru, as an email specialist. I have studied sales funnels with Russell Brunson of ClickFunnels.
I find this field of writing fascinating, so I continue to study and home my craft.
Ideal Copywriter for My Ideal Client
I want to be your ideal copywriter. Are you my ideal client? You most likely are. My ideal client is passionate about their business, loves what they do, and how they serve their customers. They want to reach out and serve as many people as possible. They are usually family oriented and want the freedom to spend time with their loved ones. They recognize the need for good marketing that more than pays for itself. Does that describe you? Then let’s work together.
Clients and Experience
American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI)–Premier copywriting training
Fisher Scientific Company–Comprehensive laboratory equipment, chemicals, and supplies sales and service
Thatcher Chemical–Bulk chemical manufacturer and supplier
Alameda Chemical–Chemicals, equipment, and supplies local warehouses
Mountain West Medical–Medical equipment rental, sales and service
Wealthy Web Writer–Training and resources for web writers
United States Air Force and Air Force Reserves–Protecting our country from the air
Utah Air National Guard–Local support for the US Air Force
University of Utah–Serving the people of Utah and the world through the discovery, creation and application of knowledge
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints–Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and serving throughout the world as He would
The Home Depot–Builders materials and services, equipment rental
Rocky Mountain Review–Weekly newspaper
Deseret Gymnasium–Programs for physical fitness, especially swimming
Boy Scouts of America–Preparing the leaders of tomorrow
What Others Say About Me
Testimonials
…Smart, Hardworking, Talented…
Jim Hippen is a smart, hardworking, talented family man with good judgment and insight. Over the years I've seen him in family and work settings and greatly admire him. I highly recommend Jim!
Curtis D. Elton, Esq. Acquisition and Fiscal Law Division Hill Air Force Base
…High Quality, Practical, Good Value…
I have hired Jim on several occasions. I have mostly appreciated the high quality of Jim’s services and his practical approach. Jim provides good value for my dollar. I would hire Jim again and have recommended him to friends.
Thomas Mecham, Esq.
…Honest, Integrity, Competent, Professional…
We have found James Hippen to be an honest man of integrity. His work is completed in a competent and professional manner.
Darrell Knight
In preparing for this introduction I asked several associates, both current and previous, to tell me what they think about my strengths. Here is a list:
“I see you as a great teacher. You are always sharing your knowledge with those around
you.” –Georgia S
“I was always amazed to watch you smile and work through the chaos around you.” –Rob M
“I see you as patient, cheerful, helpful, dedicated, intelligent, a problem solver, loyal, determined and capable. That is not a complete list. But my longer answer is that you seem to be adaptable. I have seen you use the traits on the longer list to adapt to challenging and changing situations. I see you navigating life with flexibility and forward motion. You seem able to change direction purposefully, whether it is a large or small need you are fulfilling.” –Sonya L
“My reply would be you've got a great skill at making all different types and ages of people comfortable around you. You're a very patient, kind man who knows a lot!” --Adam H
“You are a hard worker. You are not afraid to roll up your sleeves and work. You are friendly and kind to others. Over the years you have developed and acquired skills and abilities to solve many common and not-so-common issues.” --Evan W
“You care deeply and show it by your actions and not just words. Words aren't absent because in your conversations you let others know you care about them, but then you back those words up with your actions. You are willing to bend over backwards to serve people. It makes you excellent with customer service.” –Heidi B
“What you do better than anybody else is to put a smile on your face in every situation. You’re even-tempered and long-suffering (both hyphenated adjectives), with a cheerful outlook.” –Heather M
“You are able to see answers and truth quite readily. You are gifted in expressing yourself, your opinions and ideas. You have a friendly and engaging personality that tends to invite people to listen to you.” --Ben M
“You are very good at making people feel welcome and included. Very good at conversation.” –Duff E
“All around nice guy - a rare quality.” --Bart D
“You always set an amazing example of kindness and love toward all people.” --Eric C
“You really embody living the Boy Scout Law, all 12 points.” –David J
How I Work
My system for doing business as a copywriter.
My goal is to help you increase your sales through writing marketing copy to send to your customers and potential customers.
I have a series of steps to help us accomplish that goal.
I want to find out as much about your company and business as possible. First, I have a discovery document that helps me know what makes your company unique and amazing. I’ve had people tell me this has helped them understand their own business and what they want from it.
I will send you an introductory package to fill you in on what my capabilities are.
Once we know each other better, we can talk about any projects that you might have in mind for me. I then send you a creative brief template to help us both set a goal for the first project.
Once we agree on a goal for a project, I will write an outline of my proposal for your project along with associated fees. You may then suggest changes and we negotiate until both are satisfied. At that point I will submit an invoice for half of the proposed cost. Upon receipt of that payment, I will proceed to write the contents for your project. I will update you regularly on the progress, if it is not something that can be completed in a couple of days. I frequently write and rewrite several drafts until it feels right. So even something that may take only 20 minutes to read, can take several days to compose.
After completion of each project we can transition into additional ways to further your marketing efforts.
My clients typically use me to write emails and newsletters to stay in touch with their customers. Building relationships with customers by frequently contacting them with valuable information has paid off very well for me in the past.
Writing case studies to show how your company fulfills its promises is another skill I’ve developed.
Some executives have had me write editorials as a ghost writer that they can then publish under their own by-line.
Others have had me write training materials, such as telemarketing scripts or other sales materials for their sales force.
About Jim
It’s Really About You
After all, this business is not about Jim, it’s about you and how he can make your life easier and your business more profitable. Check him out. Is this the kind of person you want to work with?
Jim is a dedicated family man who has been married to the same girl for over 52 years. He has taught his eight children well. On one occasion, when forced to move across country by a business transfer, he spent hours each evening preparing the children for the change. After attending a seminar on success by The Pacific Institute, he and his wife Georgia taught the children the principles they had learned. After the move, the children quickly became leaders in their new community. They have gone on using those principles to achieve success in life. Eight children now have a combined total of 12 college degrees. All of those degrees have been self-financed with work and scholarships. Dad only needed to provide housing as they started in school. Six have served as missionaries.
One grandchild who was living with Jim had difficulties in first grade with reading. He dedicated himself to helping her. He read aloud to her every evening. Not small children’s books, that would be too boring. He read all the Harry Potter books. All the Roald Dahl books. All the Narnia books. All the Anne of Green Gables books. All the Little House on the Prairie books. All the Inkheart series. All the Fablehaven books. And about a hundred more. The results were better than he imagined. She went to the top of the class in more than just reading. Graduated from high school with honors. Scored a 31 on the ACT (97th percentile). Received a full ride four-year scholarship to Weber State University.
Jim worked for Fisher Scientific Company for five years when they were expanding across the western United States. His motto of “At Least Once a Month in Every Account” led to amazing success. He opened a territory across northern Utah and southwestern Idaho. Within a year his efforts had resulted in the removal of his two major competitors from the territory. Continued re-evaluation of where the company needed representation moved him to opening another new territory in northern California and southern Oregon. He achieved the same result in that territory, gaining over half of all the business.
Jim had a hard time learning to swim. He was so skinny as a child that he couldn’t float. He’d just sink to the bottom. Every summer from the age of eight he’d start again in the beginners’ class. Finally, at the age of fourteen, it clicked. He progressed through several levels in one summer. He went on to swim competitively and represented his high school at the state championship. Perhaps the initial difficulty made him an excellent teacher. He earned his teaching certificate in swimming and later earned awards as a teacher at a local pool. He put himself through the University of Utah as a lifeguard, swimming instructor, and coach. He earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology and entomology with a minor in chemistry.
Jim loves airplanes. From earning the Aviation Merit Badge while a Boy Scout, through Air Force ROTC in college, and 22 years as an aircraft maintenance officer in the United States Air Force, Utah Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserves. He achieved the rank of Major. He was twice awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal along with several other awards.
Jim loves to write. He has written many true stories about experiences in the Air Force. (see samples pages for an example) He has written several newspaper articles. He was a ghostwriter for the base commander and other senior officers as they produced weekly editorials for the base newspaper. He published his own newsletter for his Fisher Scientific customers. He writes stories for his grandchildren to help them understand life lessons.
Jim has owned his own companies for many years and learned the joy of dealing with employees and the government as well as customers. He is a problem solver and became known as “The Fix-It Man” while in the residential remodeling and repair business.
Jim is a family man. He and his “Wonder Woman” Georgia have eight children, 23 grandchildren, and 4+ great-grandchildren. They spend as much time as possible with this amazing group. They welcome many of them into their home the first Sunday of every month for a wonderful meal and much socializing. They also have a spiritual lesson that day for all who are there.
Georgia and Jim read scriptures together every evening, as well as other good literature.
Services and Prices
Service Description
Estimated Investment
Email, Short Copy
$150-$250
Email, Long Copy
$500-$750
Email Autoresponder Series
$150-$250/Email
Newsletter
$500-$600/Page
Article or Advertorial
$250-$400/Page
Press Release
$400/2 Pages
Website Home Page
$1,000-$2,000
Website Other Pages
$500-$750
Landing Page
$750-$1,500
Telemarketing Script
$500-$1,000
Blog Post
$100-$150
Social Media Set-up
$400/Network
Social Media Post and Monitor/Manage Feeds (1-2 Hours/Day, 5 Days/Week
$800/Month
Brochure
$500-$750/Page
Long Copy Sales Letter
$2,000-$4,000
Case Study
$1,000-$2,000
White Paper
$1,500-$3,000
I am constantly studying the latest marketing methods, so there may be other services I can provide that are not listed here. Just ask.
Samples
For the Joy of Writing
“I woke up this morning feeling fine. There’s something special on my mind….Something tells me I’m into something good.” If you remember the song by Herman’s Hermits, the “Something Good,” he was referring to was, “a new girl in the neighborhood.”
For me, it wasn’t a new girl this time. I’m still with the same girl that moved into my neighborhood some 58 years ago. That was really something good! The something good I’m into now, is writing.
Today I jumped out of bed, took care of the first, urgent needs of the day. And now I write.
Why do I write? I guess I just need to get the thoughts on paper (or onto a computer screen), so I can see if I’m still thinking clearly.
Well, there you go. I’m still alive. I’m happy to be alive. So, I write.
I’m excited to see what this day will bring. There may be problems I can solve. There were things left over from yesterday: unresolved issues, ideas just started, and questions I may not have had an answer to. My mind seems to have been working on them through the night. I now have some solutions, some answers, and I can’t wait to implement them.
Writing down the problems and the answers and the solutions solidifies them and makes them easier to put to use.
You know how you sometimes wake up in the morning, excited to get up and get going? If you have a purpose, it can be invigorating. My purpose every day is to make life better for those people I meet.
Who do I meet? First, it’s usually my family. They delight me. I want to make life better for them.
Next, I’m often out for a morning walk. I see lots of others doing the same thing. I smile and wave at them. I hope that makes life just a little better for them. I know it does for me. Being acknowledged while doing anything helps you feel good about doing it. It makes you part of a bigger community. It helps you feel accepted. I can at least do that for people I meet.
Then I go to work helping others.
It makes me happy to help others. It makes me happy to write. Doing both together brings me great joy.
If you are reading this, you probably came here trying to find help with some writing project. I want to help you. Some of the following examples are a result of my trying to help others.
The first one is an email to help market a friend’s business.
The second is a case study I’ve written.
The third is for my sister-in-law who wanted written instructions on clearing a clogged toilet.
The forth is a true story I’ve written from my U.S.Air Force experiences.
The fifth is a story I wrote for some granddaughters who were having problems with normal sibling disagreements.
The sixth is a blog post I composed just because I wanted to get something off my chest.
Sample Email
Subject: How to Cut Your Overhead by 17.9% In One Simple Step
Hi, Dr. Ford,
Dan Linford, DDS, here on behalf of bizinary.com.
A few months ago, while returning from an educational conference I had one of those fortuitous experiences that just make you go, “Wow!”
It all started when the flight attendant came to my seat and asked if I’d like to move up to an empty seat in First Class. I was bumped up to First Class! I know, it was great! So much more cushion, so much more elbow and leg room.
My seatmate happened to be the CEO of a major supplier of mine. He was interested in my business, and I happened to mention that my overhead expenses were a major concern. I mean, ‘can’t sleep at night’ major concern.
He asked if I knew about group purchasing programs. I did not. He said a lot of professional business people buy from his company through such programs.
I’ve stayed in touch with this gentleman, and with his guidance I’m now in a group purchasing program. My overhead has decreased 17.9%, which seems to be about average for people in the group.
Let me introduce you to bizinary.com, where you can get the services and materials you are already buying for significant discounts.
By Professionals for Professionals
This purchasing group is for doctors, dentists, and veterinary practices.
Some of our products include:
• Credit Card Services; Have you ever seen what a huge percentage they take, right off the top? Disgusting! This deal will significantly reduce that.
• VOIP Intraoffice Communications; No more shouting down the hall or across the office.
• Reputation Management; Some negative reviews, on Yelp or other services can really be concerning. Especially if they come from someone who has never been your patient. No more worrying about such problems.
• Website Services; Is your web presence maximizing your impact?
• Cell Phone Service; Another discount we can all use.
• Travel; Now we’re talking. Makes getting away to that resort or cruise much easier to afford. Relax, really relax, for once. Or get to that educational conference.
• Medical/Dental Supplies; Discounts on most everything you use in your practice.
• Office Supplies; Even greater savings.
• Employee Discounts; Won’t your employees feel grateful for better prices on their cell phones, travel, insurance, or many other perks for working at your practice?
Check out our complete catalog at bizinary.com.
Then sign up and start saving money.
See you inside bizinary.com.
Dan Linford, DDS
P.S. I almost forgot to tell you the best part: it costs nothing to sign up and nothing to use.
So why wouldn’t you?
Sample Case Study
Running to Relieve Stress
Curtis had been a runner. He had always enjoyed running, but had never approached it in a consistent manner. He had even trained for a marathon when he was 29-years old.
A health crisis led to adopting a consistent program. He was extremely stressed due to a business loss and failures in another field he was trying. One day at work, he passed out. Fell flat on his face on the floor. After seeing a doctor and undergoing weeks of testing, it was determined that it had been a result of the stress.
Competition Increases the Enjoyment
As he progressed in his fitness and running program, he entered a couple of races. He enjoyed that very much, as he had a very competitive spirit.
Jump forward a few years and he started an annual tradition of running a turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning at a local fitness center. Several of his family members joined him and it became a family tradition.
Jump forward a few more years, Curtis had not been able to train because of an injury. When the turkey trot came around again, he just walked the route. He did not enjoy that as much, but couldn’t do much more.
Introduced to a Fountain of Youth
His wife Ann, had a cousin, Dee, who was very close to them. Dee introduced Ann and Curtis to a new “fountain of youth” that was helping her. Dee had always been into nutrition and healthy eating, and had been puzzled by deteriorating health. It troubled her so much that she went to see her doctor, worried that she might have a serious illness.
The doctor, after nothing showed up on the tests, suggested this product called ASEA. Dee took a sample, went home and tried it. The results were so spectacular that she immediately started calling all her friends and relatives to share what she had found.
Rejuvenation at the Cellular Level
ASEA is a solution containing redox signaling molecules. A patented process turns ordinary salt water into a concentrated solution of these redox molecules. In the human body, the mitochondria in the cells produce these same molecules. But age and stress and environmental poisons reduce the amount of these molecules and make us feel older. Adding ASEA to the body helps protect, rejuvenate, and keep cells functioning at their best.
Curtis and Ann were some of the first people she called. She invited them to her doctor’s office to hear a presentation on ASEA. Her doctor is a regular physician, but has found great success in treating his patients with alternative medicine.
He Was Skeptical
Curtis was immediately skeptical of the product. Because it was sold through a network marketing system, he initially wanted nothing to do with it. He had tried network marketing several times before, and had been very disappointed in the reaction of his friends and family.
But he was intrigued by the product itself. If Dee had such great results, maybe there was something there. So, he went home with some literature and researched the concepts. He has a science background with a knowledge of both chemistry and biology. What he found intrigued him even more.
Will It Really Help with Problems of Old Age?
Curtis and Ann were suffering from some issues with getting older. ASEA promised to slow down and even reverse some of that aging process. Its promise is that it heals cells from the inside. He hoped ASEA would help him feel younger.
The most economical way to purchase ASEA was to become a distributor. So, Curtis and Ann purchased several cases of ASEA and started taking it. It did seem to help them feel better.
No Negative Effects
One of the benefits that was promoted for ASEA was that it improves athletic performance. It had been tested on bicycle racers with excellent results. It improved their stamina and recovery rates. With all the negative press about cyclists doping with substances that improved performance, but endangered their health in the long term, it was feared that ASEA would fall into the same category. Further tests proved that ASEA has no negative effects. You cannot overdose on it. It can’t hurt your body. It is native to the body.
Will it Help Physical Performance?
Then came the real test. The annual turkey trot was coming up and Curtis’s training was way behind schedule. He had recovered from injuries, but was just starting to train again. He was nowhere near the condition he needed to be to run the four miles, and he just was not satisfied with walking again.
He decided to put ASEA to the test. Instead of his usual dose of four ounces, he increased the dose to twenty ounces just before leaving to drive to the fitness center for the race.
The previous time he had run the four miles, he had run it in less than 44 minutes, just about 11 minutes per mile. He had finished in the top ten in his age group. He was now in an older age group, and thought if he could run about 12 minutes per mile, he could again finish in the top ten. However, his most recent run had taken over 14 minutes per mile and he could only finish about 3 miles.
With the ASEA in his system he started at about an 11-minute pace and hoped he could keep it up. At the 1-mile mark, he was amazed at how good he felt. He was not slowing down as he passed the 2 and 3-mile marks. As he came close to the finish line, he was able to almost sprint the last quarter mile, passing several other runners, and finished under the time he had run 2 years earlier. He came in second in his new age group. ASEA worked!
ASEA Is a Fountain of Youth
Curtis and Ann have continued to supplement with ASEA and swear it has slowed the aging process, compared to friends of the same age. Dee and her husband Charles continue to enjoy the same benefits.
ASEA seems to be a genuine “fountain of youth”.
Sample Instructions
How to unclog a toilet:
Your toilet is clogged. It happens to almost everyone. But don’t worry, and don’t panic. It’s a fairly easy fix. Here is the most effective way to unclog it.
Get a regular toilet bowl plunger. The types shown below work the best. Fancier ones, like the type with accordion sides don’t work as well.
Toilet Plungers
The main thing you want to do is loosen up the clog. Most toilets can handle objects up to 2 inches in diameter. Many clogs are just things that jam together to make a mass larger than the width of the toilet trap. The trap is where the course of the flush makes an ‘S’ shaped bend before the water and waste exits the bottom of the toilet.
You may want to put on some protective gear, such as rubber gloves. This procedure can splash sewage out of the toilet bowl.
Place the plunger in the bottom of the bowl to completely cover the opening on the bottom.
If the water in the bowl doesn’t cover the rubber part of the plunger, add water until there is enough to completely cover it. Water will often empty from the bowl through the clog, as gravity sucks it into the drain pipe.
Grab the handle with both hands and push down to collapse the rubber dome of the plunger. You should feel some resistance if it is firmly seated over the opening.
Pull up on the handle. If the rubber dome is firmly seated, you should feel more resistance as you create a suction in the dome of the plunger.
Push down on the handle and quickly pull up again. Down to create pressure under the dome, then up to create suction. Don’t pull up so far that the plunger releases the suction, just enough so you feel the resistance.
Repeat this motion over and over, alternating pressure and suction as rapidly as you can. Remember, you’re trying to break apart the things that are jammed together.
After several times repeating the push/pull, jerk up on the handle vigorously as if trying to suck the clog completely back into the bowl. The plunger will likely be pulled out of the water at this time. This quick pull is what usually releases the clog.
If the bowl doesn’t quickly drain, repeat the above action until it does.
Sample True Story
Black Lightning
As a member of an accident investigation team, I’d occasionally get called out in the middle of the night if an aircraft crashed within the jurisdiction of my home base, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. This was one such occasion.
I met the rest of the team at our designated gathering place and we all got on a bus and traveled several hours to where a T-39 jet trainer had gone down. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, but we found the plane in bad shape. The wing had separated from the fuselage and remained intact as a unit. The landing gear was about 200 yards away, across a small road. The tail section had broken completely off the body and was lying beside the rest of the wreckage. The main part of the plane was sticking out of an irrigation canal, back end in the canal.
CMS Willsey, my best associate and I started walking around the crash site, taking notes. It was apparent that the plane had torn the landing gear off as it entered the barrow pit on the side of a highway, slid on its belly until it came to the small side road, where it launched into the air, broke off the tail and wing, spun around and came to a final rest in the canal.
Sergeant Willsey called me over to look at the nose of the aircraft, where the nose wheel light had been. The lens was broken out and there were marble sized dents in the reflector at the back of the light. We decided it must have been hit by large hailstones.
The plane had six people on board, all of them seasoned pilots. They were returning from a conference at a naval station at the south end of San Francisco Bay. They had landed at an air force base near Cheyenne, Wyoming to refuel. As they were preparing to leave, they received a message from the control tower, recommending that they spend the night there, because of severe weather along their flight path home.
They felt the aircraft had the capability to get around the weather, and decided to go home, anyway.
As they got on their way, they were informed that a severe thunderstorm was directly in their path, with clouds rising to over 30,000 feet. They decided to fly over the storm, as their plane could climb to 42,000 feet. But as they got to the storm, it had blossomed to 44,000 feet and was still climbing. The updraft at that altitude shut off the airflow through the engines and they quit.
They were not too worried as they had practiced air starting engines before. They thought they just had to dive to get enough air running through the engines to get them going again. However, as they dove down, the instruments indicated zero airflow through the engines. They tried to start them anyway, but unsuccessfully. As they saw the ground coming up, they recognized a highway weighing station with bright lights illuminating a short distance on the road. They decided to try to land on the road.
They used the aircraft controls to get the plane lined up on the highway, lowered the landing gear, and just as they were about to touch down, they saw brake lights on a vehicle shortly ahead of them. The pilot turned and hit the ground in the barrow pit, where the landing gear sheared off. The tail and wing broke off when they hit the side road, and came to rest going backward at the irrigation canal.
Only one person had a slight injury. The door with its stairway opened normally. They climbed out and saw the lights from a farmhouse about 200 yards away, across the highway. The farmers wife invited them in, and let them use the phone so they could report the crash. Then all they could do was sit and wait.
A little while later, the farmer and his hired hand came in. They had been out closing irrigation gates because of the storm. Sitting and discussing the crash, it became apparent that the brake lights the pilots had seen were from the farmers truck. He had just passed the weigh station, and slowed to turn onto the side road that the airplane had hit to get airborne again.
The farmer told them, “We had just turned onto the side road when we heard a very large bang, and our truck was splattered with mud.” The T-39 had actually passed directly over the truck. “Then we heard another loud bang. We saw nothing and with the thunderstorm we figured it must have been black lightning.”
Later we figured out the cause of the crash. The engine intakes must have filled with hail from the thunderhead. That prevented air from going through the engines. The only evidence was the lens of the nose wheel light with the marble size dents. The hail had all melted by the time the investigation team arrived.
But the real cause of the crash was get-home-itis.
Sample Parable
Razzberri and Strawberri and the Wizard
(Note: Razzberri and Strawberri are fictional names that represent two sisters for stories I tell my two granddaughters. Razzberri’s nickname is Razzi, and Strawberri’s nickname is Berri.)
Just down the street from 8-year old Razzi and 11-year old Berri’s house was an old house with lots of weeds in the yard. It had an old iron fence all around it. There used to be a gate in the iron fence, but it had been gone for years. The house needed paint. It had been white, with a red door and red shutters around each window at one time. Some of the shutters were gone. One side of the house had a fairly fresh coat of white paint, and the front of the house had been partially painted, but had not been finished. It was a dingy gray where the paint had been left off. There was a covered front porch all across the front of the house. Some of the railing was missing, and some of the decking was broken.
There was a name placard by the front door. It said “Wizeman.” But many of the neighborhood kids said that the old man who lived there was really a wizard. His wife had died a couple of years ago. He had been in the process of painting the house when she died suddenly, without warning. He seldom came out of the house any more.
Razzi, Berri, and their friend Randi were playing jacks on the sidewalk. Razzi asked, “Is that old man in that house really a wizard?” pointing to the old house.
Berri replied, “That’s what everyone says.”
Randi said, “My mom says he’s just old and lonely. She says he used to be really friendly.”
A figure appeared at the front window and Berri let out a gasp. “Look, he’s watching us!”
“Oooh,” said Randi, “Let’s get out of here, I don’t like him watching me.”
So the girls got up and ran to the sisters’ house.
Later, Razzi and Berri were having a big argument. Berri called Razzi a name, and Razzi turned and poked Berri in the nose. Berri started crying. Razzi ran in the house and into her bedroom and slammed the door. Berri went to tell her mom. Mom was busy making a quilt for the church. She said, “Berri, I don’t want to hear it. You just have to handle it yourself. You have to get along with your sister. It’s your responsibility to be a good sister.”
Berri got really mad and ran out of the house and down the street. She didn’t know where she was going. She just wanted to get away. She ran into the yard of the old house and up onto the porch, Then she sat down and just bawled.
Her head was down, her eyes were closed, and she was crying too loudly to notice someone walk up behind her. A hand softly laid on her shoulder scared her badly. She stopped crying, but was frozen in place. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even breath. Then a soft voice asked, “Why so sad, Strawberri?”
She didn’t recognize the voice. The words were spoken softly and kindly. But she was still scared stiff. Finally she got enough courage to ask, “How do you know my name?” She turned and look up into very blue eyes that twinkled with a kindly smile.
“I remember when you were born. I thought your name was very cute. And you’ve turned into a very pretty young lady.”
“Oh,” replied Berri, “So you know me. I think I know you. You’re the wizard.”
Mr. Wizeman laughed. “Is that what you think? You think I’m a wizard?”
“Uh huh!” Berri continued, “All my friends say you are. Can you do magic?”
“No, I can’t do magic. But you can.”
“I can?”
“Sure! Tell me why you’re so unhappy.”
Berri told him the story.
Mr. Wizeman then asked, “Do you like being unhappy?”
“No, not at all!”
“Do you want to know how to be happy, even when things don’t go well for you?”
“How can I do that?”
“Always take responsibility for whatever happens.”
Berri thought about that for a minute, then asked, “What does that mean?”
Mr. Wizeman clarified, “Just think, ‘Maybe I’m the one who caused this to happen.'”
“What if it’s not my fault?”
“It doesn’t matter. Still, always assume the responsibility. And then determine to make it better.”
“What do you mean? I still don’t get it.”
Mr. Wizeman further explained, “Well, for example, take what just happened. Let’s say, instead of running to tell Mom when Razzie poked you in the nose, you think to yourself, “It is my responsibility for her poking me, maybe something I did or said made her do it. Now, think, how can I make the situation better?”
“But isn’t she supposed to be in charge of her own feelings. Dad says nobody else can make you mad, only you can make you mad. So how can that be my fault?”
“Yes, that’s true. But that doesn’t matter. What the other person does, doesn’t matter to you. You take control by assuming the responsibility, assuming the fault. Then you can think about what you can do to improve the situation. Then you have all the options. If you leave the responsibility with the other person, you limit your choices. Now, you can choose to poke her back. You can choose to run and tell Mom. You can choose to give her a hug. You can choose to say, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.’ You have lots of choices.”
Berri said, “I think I’m starting to understand what you mean. But it seems so hard to remember that. I just want to get her back when she does things to me. It’s hard to say, ‘I’m sorry’ when I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Mr. Wizeman sympathized, “It’s often hard to do the right thing. Most people never learn to do it. If you can always think about how you love the other person, and then treat them like you do love them. If you always assuming the responsibility for what happens, you’ll be in charge. You’ll be happier.”
Then he continued, “Now, what is the best thing you can do in this situation?”
“I guess I should go home and apologize to Razzi. But what if she won’t accept my apology?”
“It doesn’t matter what she does. It only matters what you do. Think what Jesus would do. What would you do for someone you love very much? If you always think of the other person first, if you always try to love them and make them happy, then you will be happy. Let’s imagine that Razzi doesn’t immediately accept your apology. What if you were to then say, ‘I really am sorry. I love you Razzi. I don’t want to do things to make you mad. If you’re mad, then you can’t be happy. I want you to be happy.’ What do you think she’d say to that?”
Berri wrinkled up her nose and asked, “Is that how I do magic?”
“Now you’re getting it. When you decide to always stay calm and loving, most of the time you’ll make the situation better, you’ll magically change things from angry to happy. That’s true magic. Most people do not know how to do that.”
Berri was obviously thinking about it when she said, “Okay.”
“Now,” urged Mr. Wizeman, “Why don’t you go home and try and teach Razzi what I just talked to you about.”
Berri brightened up as she said, “Yeah! If she tries to make things better for me, we’ll both be a lot happier.” And she skipped off toward home.
Berri tried it and found that it worked most of the time. Sometimes she forgot and things didn’t turn out so good those times. But she worked at it and got better and better all the time. And she was much happier.
The girls never saw Mr. Wizeman outside his house again. Occasionally they’d see him looking out his window and they’d wave, and he’d wave back. It was a sad day when they saw an ambulance pull away from the old house, and a “For Sale” sign went up out front.
Sample Blog Post
A Blog Post from The Jim Hippen Report, a Political Blog
Why can’t the Conservative majority in the United States Senate fix the medical insurance problems in this country?
They complained that The Affordable Care Act needed to be repaired or replaced. They had several years to come up with a replacement plan. What have they done? Nothing. Bupkuss. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
In my opinion, they are afraid to be wrong. They are like a salesman I knew who wouldn’t make sales calls because he was afraid of his customers.
They hired an actuarial firm to give them the figures they would need to implement a realistic insurance program. If you are not familiar with actuaries, they are the guys who work at insurance companies and figure out statistically how much any insurance will cost, and how much it can be sold for.
I’m sure the politicians took the items they would like in a national insurance plan and cringed. Each item would cost so much. Adding together everything they wanted would cost so much more than they could sell the voters on.
So now it was time to start cutting back on their wants. Here’s where it hit a snag. No two senators, no two congressmen could agree on the cuts. “If I cut this program, the voters won’t like it. If I cut that program the other group of voters won’t like it and I won’t get re-elected. After all, the most important thing in the world is that I get re-elected.”
So let’s not re-elect anybody. If those in office were really interested in doing the right thing, and not just in getting re-elected, compromises would be made and a realistic plan could be put in place.
What is the solution?
Is single payer, like Bernie Sanders promotes, the solution? Ask the governor of Vermont. This was proposed and rejected because ALL taxes needed to double to pay for it.
Employer funded programs are only available to people working for large companies. The small neighborhood business and small startups cannot pay for such programs.
Since government can’t afford it, or can’t make a realistic decision on what to do, I think it’s time for the government to get out of the business of health insurance.
What?! What about Medicare, Medicaid, and VA hospitals?
Okay, those programs, which we have paid into all our working lives would have to continue. However, they could be cut off for anyone who has not yet been invested in those programs. Medicaid and military benefit programs would have to be continued.
We can’t cut off the poor or those who have sacrificed other opportunities for the benefit of the country.
The main problem with letting the market cover the rest of the people, is that people will not voluntarily buy enough insurance.
There would have to be some incentive program in place to encourage the purchase of what might be needed.
Every time the government gets involved, prices skyrocket or service deteriorates. Medicare caused a huge jump in medical costs. The VA hospitals are justifiably notorious for poor service. So I say, “Get the government out of health care.”
