Not long ago, Craig Lapp made his living driving a truck that helped carve Southern California’s soil into new developments. But then housing sales slumped, and in November 2007 Lapp’s construction company let him go.

While he searched for another job, Lapp began working alongside his wife, Lynne, in a business based in their Temecula home, selling nutritional supplements made by the direct-sales company Isagenix. Nearly two years later and with no construction job in sight, Lapp says a one-time sideline has become the couple’s bread and butter.

Michigan real estate developer, Sherri Russell saw her real estate development business evaporate in a matter of a few months when the economy soured in Michigan and soaring unemployment rates near 14% keeps the prospect of reentering the real estate market anytime soon.

Sherri looked at a Fortune Hi Tech Marketing business (FHTM) offered by a Realtor and mortgage lender that she had worked with in the past. FHTM offers over 25 products from Fortune 500 companies such as Dish Network, Sprint, AT&T to name a few. FHTM has help support this single mom of 13 year old son Kyle says Sherri.

GOT A BUDDING BUSINESS?

“It’s paying our mortgage, our car payments … putting food on the table,” says Lapp, 55, who adds that he and his wife are earning a six-figure income. “It was our ‘Plan B’ that turned into our ‘Plan A.’ “

Direct-sales businesses that rely on home-based representatives to peddle their wares are seeing their sales forces rapidly expand as the nation’s unemployment rate soars to nearly 9% and those who lost jobs and nest eggs look for new ways to make money.

“We’re recession-resistant in the sense that more people come to us during economic hard times for supplemental income or replacement of a lost job,” says Neil Offen, president of the Direct Selling Association, the trade group that represents the largest U.S. direct sales companies.

While 2008 industry figures aren’t yet available, “Anecdotally we’re hearing that recruitment is up and … unfortunately as the unemployment rate rises to 10% or higher, we’ll be picking up more people who need an income-earning opportunity.”

The recession has become a recruiting tool. An Avon  cosmetics representative declares in TV ads that “I can’t get laid off. It’s my business.” Companies such as Isagenix, a marketer of weight-management and nutritional supplements and snacks, and jewelry maker Silpada Designs are coaching their representatives to spread the word that direct selling can keep you afloat in the faltering economy.

“Right now, our direct-selling opportunity is really the No. 1 product that we have to sell,” says Geralyn Breig, president of Avon North America. With that in mind, Avon this year launched its most ambitious recruitment campaign and saw its U.S. sales force grow to more than 680,000 through March, its largest ever, Breig says.

The same month, cosmetics company Mary Kay began airing its first TV ad for new representatives. In its first three days, visitors seeking information about becoming “beauty consultants” at Mary Kay spiked 108%.

Silpada Designs, a Lenexa, Kan.-based company specializing in sterling silver jewelry, says its sales force in the U.S. and Canada was up 11.8% on May 1 from a year earlier. And Chandler, Ariz.-based Isagenix says its sales force was up 30% in March from a year before.

The hope is that larger sales forces will grow revenue, even in an economy that has shrunk sales for many companies.

“Representatives and recruiting is a leading indicator of future sales,” says Jerry Kelly, Silpada’s CEO, who acknowledges sales for his privately owned company were down roughly 10% in the fourth quarter of last year. “We’re optimistic that we’re going to fare fairly well this year as a company in a very difficult climate. … We’re seeing a more determined and focused representative who might be looking to supplement lost income for their family.”

There are roughly 15 million direct sellers in the U.S. — independent contractors who sell goods or services primarily through parties, demonstrations in someone’s home and one-on-one interactions. In 2007, the most recent year available, the sales industry generated $30.8 billion in U.S. sales, according to the Direct Selling Association.

Sellers are recruiting

Avon aired its first infomercial last month, and rather than promoting makeup or skin products, it targets new recruits. The company kicked off its TV commercials earlier, with a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl pre-game show in February. That ad, a 60-second spot and the infomercial will air all year.

The cosmetics company is also going to job fairs this year, scouting for new salespeople at more than 140 such events, Breig says. It’s also beefed up its presence with online job search engines and since February has had a recruiting ad in the front of every one of its brochures.

“We’re executing the boldest recruitment campaign … in our history,” Breig says. “It’s part of our mission to enable women to have a financial solution.”

That resonated with Elizabeth Leyba; an assistant office manager for a plumbing company who lives with her family in Munster, Ind. Leyba saw her hours cut last year and needed a way to make up her lost income while maintaining her office job and busy household.

So in April 2008, after watching a TV commercial for Avon, she decided to give it a try. In the year since, she has discovered that she is an entrepreneur.

“I didn’t know it, and I’m thrilled that I am,” says Leyba, 39, who has sold more than $10,000 worth of Avon products and hopes to sell full time. “Even though there’s a recession, even though the economy is bad, my business has continued to grow.”

Leyba’s Avon earnings have paid for everything from gas to her 17-year-old son’s senior pictures. “I’ve been working since I was 16 so, you know, I like the fact … it’s your own business,” Leyba says. “I am in control of my future now. Not corporations.”

Compensation systems vary, but representatives primarily earn money from commissions on product sales or by purchasing the products wholesale and selling them at retail prices, says the Direct Selling Association. Commissions on sales typically are 25% to 50% of retail.

While representatives may also earn a small commission on the sales from representatives they’ve recruited, legitimate businesses do not use recruitment alone as a basis for compensation, the association says.

Denise Ruiz-Cabrera, 31, of Branchburg, N.J., was nearly five months pregnant in March 2008 when she lost her job as a corporate recruiter. She could not find a new job. “I exhausted almost every single contact that I had,” she says of her search. Though she’d used Avon products, she’d never thought of selling them until this year. She saw one of Avon’s recruitment ads, “and I thought to myself, ‘Why don’t I do that?’ “

Knocking on doors is history. Direct sales representatives now find new customers through such methods as referrals, gatherings and parties, spontaneous meetings on the street and the Internet. Ruiz-Cabrera is one who does it all.

“I’ve sort of coined the term, ‘Welcome to 21st-century Avon,’ ” says Ruiz-Cabrera, who has a personalized website maintained by the company. She carries brochures in her purse and her baby’s stroller, promotes favorite products on her Facebook page and meets new representatives she’s recruited at the local Starbucks.

“I think people in these times, we’re hungrier than we used to be,” says Ruiz-Cabrera, who has made as much as $1,000 a month with Avon. “I had jobs lined up in the pipeline that all fell through because of the economy, and I focused all that energy on my business and in three months I’ve built something that looks to be pretty promising.”

Retirees join in the trend

It’s not only those who have lost jobs or endured pay cuts that have turned to direct selling.

“We’re hearing a lot from women who’ve recently graduated or are about to graduate and are finding it to be quite a challenge to find a career,” says Rhonda Shasteen, Mary Kay’s chief marketing officer. Then there “is the other end of the age spectrum: women who are approaching retirement age, and saw a lot of their savings wiped out, and find themselves with a very short time frame and with a need to make up a lot of money.”

Lawanna Lloyd, 66, and her husband, Rodney, 69, retired in 2000. But in the wake of the stock market fall, Lloyd says they are now worth about half of what they were just 18 months ago.

To make their retirement nest egg last longer, Lloyd’s husband returned to work last year, teaching chemistry at a private school in their town of Boerne, Texas. Then Lloyd, who was a stay-at-home mom through most of her marriage, decided she needed something, too. “That’s when I signed up with Silpada,” she says.

She is rattled that there was a need for her and her husband to return to work at all. “It doesn’t feel good,” Lloyd acknowledges. “It makes life very uncertain, and scary. …Who wants to go back to work?” But she made more than $500 from her first jewelry parties in April, and she enjoyed hosting them.

“I think Silpada does provide the perfect solution for earning some money and being able to set my own schedule,” she says. “We had decided that we would do something … to earn income for four or five years and see where we are then. Hopefully by then the market will have recovered and we’ll feel like we can retire again.”

Kim Joseph, 26, of Stewartsville, N.J., received a master’s degree in public health in 2006, but has struggled ever since to find a job in her field. She worked for her sister as a nanny before getting a full-time position as an account manager with a marketing solutions company.

Last June, she decided to start selling Mary Kay cosmetics on the side, partly to earn extra cash for her upcoming wedding. She now intends to forgo a public health career and eventually sell the makeup line full time.

“I’ve been able to see how being a consultant gives me room to impact the lives of women,” says Joseph, who added that selling Mary Kay also gives her freedom to spend more time with her husband without crimping their household income.

Direct selling is a fluid industry, with only 10% of representatives working “full time or at least 30 hours a week. Many work only long enough to meet short-term goals, such as holiday presents.

But some who work in or watch the industry believe the severity of this recession may cause more sellers to stick with it, even when the economy rebounds, at least as a way to supplement their income.

“I truly believe this has readjusted people’s thinking,” says Kathy Coover, executive vice president and co-founder of Isagenix. “With this economy, people can’t take their jobs for granted anymore. They have to have another alternative … so if something does happen, this is their safety valve.”

Sherri Russell, the Michigan real estate developer has seen her FHTM business rapidly increase in recent months as she has effectively used social media networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to build FHTM teams across the United Sates and Canada. I have teams as far away as Hawaii, Canada, and Pennsylvania and Texas, added Sherri.

About the Author

Brent Vanderstelt is owner of Hess Lake Vacation Rentals in Newaygo Michigan, visit http://www.hesslakerentals.com. Brent has also started a free vacation rental listing service, http://www.ytbvacationrentals.com and also has a popular vacation blog at http://myytbtravel.blogspot.com

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Please do your own homework.

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First of all we should focus the security of the players as well as the spectators sitting in the stadiums. Unfortunately Acts of terrorism have been growing at an alarming rate globally. As far as international sports in Pakistan are concerned, we are facing a massive loss after a heartbreaking incident was occurred with Sri Lankan Cricket team in Lahore. The number of sports events has rapidly decreased and the country has been deprived of billions of rupees on account of sponsorship. For example, Pakistan lost the chance to host Asia-Oceania Zone group two Davis Cup ties against Oman (March 6 – and Philippines (July 10 -12) on security grounds. We also lost the opportunity to host an international squash event, a table tennis event and a sailing regatta to name a few. Recently ICC excluded Pakistan from the host countries of Cricket Word Cup.

People related to different sports are of the view that inviting any foreign team or player, at the moment is similar to asking for the moon. They argue that if even parents hesitate to send their children to compete in domestic events, we cannot expect foreigners to undertake a trip to Pakistan. As a result, the graph of sports in Pakistan has already reached low ebb and urgently needs collective efforts for its revival.

Pakistan should accept ground realities and focus on increasing domestic activities in the larger national interest. On the one hand, the competition will keep players in a good form, while, on the other hand, they will be able to deliver the goods in global events.

Concerned authorities should, however, give full attention to fool-proof security measures even for domestic events in order to avoid any mishap. Even a minute´s lapse in security can destroy all efforts.

As some one who has been involved with sports, as a sportsman, a journalist or organizer, it is sad and painful to see the present situation. Pakistan has reached what seems like the lowest ebb in its history. The country had not taken long to make its mark in sports after independence. It took rapid strides despite facing many hurdles including poor financing, lack of infrastructure, proper organization and support. But somehow the country managed to produce world champions in some sports and certainly took lead at Asian level in some others. This came through the sheer determination of few highly spirited individuals who had the vision to lead and bring moments of joy and pride to the nation.

In this one can single out one man who stands tall and he is Air Marshal Nur Khan. He had the vision to give a lead to help bring laurels in Squash, Hockey and Cricket, his innovation and some of his ideas have been acknowledged on a global level. Others like Kh. Iftikhar of Tennis, Hafeez Kardar in Cricket, Prof. Anwar Chaudhry in Boxing, Sh. Zafar Ali as a pioneer in Pakistan Olympic Association, A.I.S. Dara in Hockey, Brig. Rodhm and Major Hamid in athletics need special mention.

But where we stand now? Nowhere! It is because of several reasons. First the various sports bodies need complete overhand and change in their outlook and working. Then the governing body- Pakistan Sports Board- which has become a behemoth and unwieldy be restructured and not become a liability to eat up most of its funds on its huge establishment without doing anything worthwhile.

The sports bodies should be freed from official control and let them be run independently with professional management and to raise its own financing rather than looking for official grants. Pakistan Sports Board´s role should be re-defined. The practice of appointing Heads of Pakistan Olympic Association, Pakistan Hockey Federation, Pakistan Cricket Board, etc by Government should stop and let these be made through elections as done everywhere else in the world. I suggest let us consult some of the icons who are luckily still around like Nur Khan, Prof. Chaudhry, Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan, to be consulted besides other stake-holders including senior sportsmen, journalists, organizers to evolve a new policy to revamp the national sports. The present mockery of how sports are being run need to be radically changed. Pakistan can still stage a come back to reclaim its eminence but there is need to act without losing much more time.

Those who matter in the corridors of power should also evolve an effective marketing strategy to attract weaker teams and players for home series by offering lucrative prize money and incentives. Also, with international cricket out of the picture, this is a good time to focus on other sports that will bear fruit. We also need to take effective measures to improve the country´s image, sports wise. Last year, for example, the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) gathered players from across the World including India and China for two-leg ITF Pakistan Women´s Futures at Islamabad in the aftermath of the Mumbai incident. Although it seems a Herculean task yet, if achieved, it will go a long way in cleansing the image of the country. We can learn lessons from the past and remember that the spirit of Olympics did not die after the1972 Munich Games was marred by an ugly incident (the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes). The torch continued to glow bright.

Hockey, the national sport of Pakistan, has lost its flavour among the masses over the last decade. The reasons for the degeneration of hockey affairs are numerous, which have been highlighted off and on at various platforms. To revive the glory of Pakistan hockey, the management of hockey affairs will have to fight on two fronts simultaneously. The technical and tactical aspects of national hockey are already under focus. A pool of “Trained Senior Coaches” must be established who spread their newly acquired technical knowledge to the other coaches of country. Thus a chain of highly qualified coaches can be prepared to educate hockey youth on correct and modern lines.

The second and the most unattended front are the Marketing and Media aspects of field hockey promotion. There is a certain dearth of professionals in the field of sports marketing in our country in general and in hockey in particular. In the absence of a coherent sports culture and non-existence of professional based sports, it would not be easy to find professionals who fully understand the political, social and economic environments of sports industry. A common mistake which always occurs in such a situation is hiring of foreign experts, who despite having excellence in the concerned field are not fully aware of the above mentioned sports environments in our country. Such an expert should be able to understand the global and local sports structure and its trends, the knowledge of event management, logistical planning, and a sound understanding of corporate and individual sponsorship, relationship of tourism and hotel industry with sports and above all the capacity to hatch a detailed marketing plan. Till hockey is marketed along professional lines its chances of growing form the shadows of cricket popularity at the national level are remote.

The unexpected and unfortunate attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore left Pakistan cricket in shambles. Consequently Pakistan´s tour to Bangladesh has also been postponed. Currently Pakistan Cricket team is playing ODIs and Twenty 20 matches with Australia in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At this stage the PCB has a lot of challenges to meet. Their job has become increasingly difficult in the present scenario. Their officials deserve understanding at this point of time to perform their duties as it´s in the interest of whole country to have cricket revived.

Last year, over hundred people were killed in India through the Mumbai terrorist strikes and England returned three weeks later to finish the tour with ramped-up security. This is Double Standard? Is it for commercial reasons? Is it because India has more money than anyone in the cricketing world? If the same thing happened in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe or Bangladesh, would England have returned so quickly? These are the questions that must be answered by the concerned quarter.

About the Author

Author is a Research Officer.

101 Sports Medicine Tips/Facts: Vol. 3–Youth Sports (Book) $19.95 In 101 Sports Medicine Tips and Facts: Vol. 3–Youth Sports, authors Barry Boden, MD, Francis O’Connor, MD, and Robert Wilder, MD present targeted, up-to-date and easy-to-apply information on a wide array of youth sports issues. Topics covered include the most common injuries encountered in youth baseball, basketball, football, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling.

Gameface Sports Youth / Medium Safety Mask (Clear) $38.8 GameFace youth safety mask is a safety device specifically designed to protect the face in various sports, reducing the chance of facial and dental injuries. Key features and benefits include: Made of ultra-lightweight and extremely strong polycarbonate (same material that makes up bullet-proof glass) – benefit: provides lightweight protection. Unique honeycomb design – benefit: gives strike bar superior strength. Ventilated – benefit: provides cooling and visibility. High-impact adjustable foam pads – benefit: provides maximum comfort and protection. For youth head sizes up to 21 7/8 – benefit: specifically designed to fit and protect youth heads. Also available in an Adult GameFace Safety Mask .

Sitting on my couch one day, patiently trying to get the little one to sleep, I just happened to look out my window and was scared to death. I see a huge man trying to hop over my gate with a special ladder designed for hopping fences! If the limitless thriller movies have taught me anything it is not to go investigate on my own. So what do I do? I go outside to investigate, with the baby in tow. It’s funny; the thought of calling the cops or at least taking mace never entered my mind. Thankfully the man was not there to kidnap or kill me; he was doing his job for CenterPoint, installing a smart meter. Apparently he had been hopping over every fence and installing these meters all around my neighborhood. In a state where anyone can own a gun, this seems like a pretty risky profession to me. It’s funny because if I hadn’t busted the guy installing the meter, I would have never known that anything had changed and I’ll bet most people still don’t. I’m not saying there wasn’t any notice, I am sure there was, but who really reads those notices in the mail? Anyways, now that we have this new device on our house I thought it would be important to figure out what the heck it does and why CenterPoint felt the need to install these in everyone’s homes.

In the past, every business and household in Texas is required to have an electric meter on their property. The reason for this is pretty obvious; it’s to make sure there is an accurate and consistent way to measure the electricity going into your home and/or business each month. This is helpful for both us, the customers and electric companies because it allows for a more accurate bill each month. And up until now, that is all the meter was designed to do; interestingly enough it has been this same way for about 50 years. But because we live in a world where new technology is always being developed, a more interactive and “smart” meter has been created to not only help the consumer but to help the electricity companies and the electric delivery companies as well.

Something I’d like to point out before I continue is the companies that distribute electricity are called electric delivery companies. Another name for them is TDSP’s (I have no clue where they got that acronym from but nonetheless that’s what they are known as in the industry). These companies are responsible for quite a lot. They install and maintain the meters, poles and transmission lines. They also are the ones who actually provide the power to the retail companies where you get your power from. An example of this type of company is CenterPoint Energy in Houston and Oncor for Dallas. These companies are completely separate from the company you pay your bill to every month, which in the industry are called retail electricity providers, often called REP’s (this acronym makes a lot more sense). This may clear up any confusion some may have – I can’t tell you how many people have told me in conversation that they pay their electricity bill to CenterPoint. I think this is because not many people know the difference between the two companies.

Moving on. Since the meter has basically stayed the same for the last 50 years, it was definitely time for an upgrade. Today, we have access to so much information, it is almost scary. Like when I was pregnant, we saw so much in our ultrasounds – her brain, four ventricles of the heart, blood flow in and out of the umbilical cord, you name it, we saw it. It was wonderful and scary at the same time, and far advanced from 50 years ago. My point is that given our technological advances, it is amazing that something like an electric meter hasn’t changed until now. The smart meter will continue to measure your electricity usage, but it will also send information back upstream to allow CenterPoint, the REPs, and you, the consumer, make better decisions. I like to compare it to a gas pump. As you pump the gas, you can see the price going up in relation to how many gallons you’re pumping. Immediate feedback. This is basically the same idea with the smart meter (except it relates to electricity). You will be able to see your usage and resulting cost on a more real time basis instead of having only one reading at the end of the month. There is a reading every 15 minutes and it’s done from a remote location so you get a more accurate and real-time record of your energy usage. With the elimination of meter readers, it actually cuts costs for customers and companies because it reduces costs associated with sending a truck and meter reader to each customer. This device is also helpful if you are working on a budget because if you’ve budgeted let’s say $200 for the month on electricity and you see that half way through the month, you are already at $150, it serves as a warning to let you know that you need to start either cutting back on your usage or you’ll at least be prepared to go over budget. Also, another neat function is just like your grocery store savings card keeps record of everything you purchase and you’re sent coupons at the end of month for items you buy the most, this meter acts the same way by recording and analyzing your usage history so you can better manage your energy consumption. You can actually see the peaks and valleys of your energy usage and be able to make changes based on the analysis which could in turn save energy and then save money. One additional perk to this new meter is that it sends instant power outage reports to your local TDSP which leads to a much quicker response time.

One thing to clarify is the smart meter doesn’t send this analysis straight to you, nor can you go out to your box and get all of the analysis mentioned above. The TDSP receives the information from the meter and then they have their own ways of making that information available to you. For Houston and surrounding areas, CenterPoint Energy is providing home area network capabilities that will allow for customers to review this information online via the web. For Dallas/Fort Worth area Oncor is rolling out their own version called Advanced Metering System (AMS), which began in January 2009. The REPs are also sure to provide tools and services that build on this information, and allow their customers to make better energy decisions.

Since I began working on this piece, I’ve noticed that there has been more and more coming out in the papers on this smart meter topic. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but just this week the government announced they’re awarding $3.4 billion in funding to utility companies (and then those companies are going to put in another $4.7 billion in matching funds) in support of 100 projects aimed at modernizing the nation’s power grid to make it more “smart. One of those projects is installing the smart meter in homes across the U.S., and I read somewhere that these investments could potentially reduce U.S. electricity use by 4% a year! That’s a big number when you think of the millions of households. Also, the government’s ultimate goal is to distribute 40 million smart meters over the next few years.

What are the next steps locally for the smart meter roll out? Well, CenterPoint Energy was just awarded a $200 million grant to speed up its work to replace all 2.2 million customer electric meters with the smart meter. These new funds will cut two years off of their 5-year goal. In the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, the TDSP, Oncor, applied for $315 million to speed along its smart grid projects but didn’t win any of the grants and so their projects will continue on schedule. If you are in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, you can click here to see when your area is scheduled to have your meters replaced.

About the Author

Bounce Energy is a Texas Electric Company based in Houston. Bounce Energy’s goal is provide more than low Texas Electric Rates to our customers. With innovative and flexible plans, excellent customer service, and superior customer rewards, Bounce Energy offers a unique approach to Texas electricity.

Grant $14.81 This large, one-volume biography of Ulysses S. Grant finds much to praise. It reviews his career after the war and as President, and sees him as one who dealt with difficult challenges such as Reconstruction, the growth of the nation, and foreign policy with confidence. It also deals forthrightly with the criticism of Grant both in his time and by historians. A New York Times Notable Book for 2001.

Texas Tech University, which is located at Lubbock Texas, was established on February 10, 1923. This public university was originally called the Texas Tech University System, which is known for being one of the largest contiguous campuses in the US. Also, this institution is the only one in Texas that houses undergraduate, medical, and law schools at the same campus or location. When it comes to sports, the athletic teams that represent this school are called the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Women teams are also called Red Raiders, except for the women’s basketball team which is called the Lady Raiders.

The Texas Tech University has two mascots, Masked Rider and Raider Red. The former is actually the oldest mascot of the university. Although the Masked Rider was first used by the athletic teams of the school in 1936, it became an official mascot only in 1954 when Joe Kirk Fulton together with his horse Blackie led the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team into the field at the Gater Bowl. An Atlanta Journal writer, Ed Danforth, even wrote that there is no team in any sports bowl to have ever made a sensational entrance such as the one that Fulton, along with the rest of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, pulled that day. To commemorate this unforgettable tradition, a statue of the Masked Rider created by renowned artist Grant Speed was unveiled in 2000.

The other mascot of Texas Tech University, Raider Red, is a fairly recent addition to the team. This mascot was actually unveiled during the 1971 football games because the Southwest Conference did not allow the inclusion of live and breathing animal mascots on the games unless the host school explicitly consented. So, in games or situations where the home team cannot bring the beloved Masked Rider’s horse, the raiders usually bring Raider Red, which was created by Jim Gaspard. Although the true identity of the Masked Rider is known to everyone, the identity of the one who is wearing the Raider Red costume is not public knowledge, at least until the end of the student’s tenure. However, one thing is for sure, the one who dons Raider Red should be a member of the High Riders or the Saddle Tramps.

For the longest time, the rivals of the Texas Tech University in athletic competitions have been the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns. The students and fans of Texas Tech usually camp outside the Jones AT&T Stadium the night before important games against the Aggies, the Longhorns, and even the Oklahoma Sooners are held. Aside from the mascots, another popular school tradition of Texas Tech is the Double T Logo. Whenever you see this symbol, it is a good bet that the one wearing it is a student, alumni, or a fan of the Texas Tech teams. The first one who used this symbol to decorate the football team’s sweater is EY Freeland, who is also the first coach of the Texas Tech football team. The logo was updated in 2000 to make the Double T look more three-dimensional.

About the Author

Freddie Brister is a big fan of ACC and Texas Tech Red Raiders and Virginia Tech Hokies. Check out his
Texas Tech Red Raiders Gear
or his
Virginia Tech Hokies Gear
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Well….Bulger is terrible in my opinion….Brady is a huge upgrade, Grant isn’t bad either, I think the Packers will rely on the run more this year because of rogers so as long as Grant can stay healthy. I would probably do it….its Fanstasy after all its all about gambling and taking chances….
If i did the trade I would also drop Breaston, or Bulger, then on bye week of Brady work the waiver for a QB at that time

Norwood $11.05 The picaresque adventures of a folk singer named Norwood Pratt on a cross-country trip from Texas to Manhattan in the 1960s.

State Democracy thrives on busy political times

Non-profit Web site links constituents with leaders

By Martin Desmarais

StateDemocracy.org, which was started in 2001, has brought on seasoned entrepreneur Frank Islam, above, as chairman and to lead expansion efforts. Photo courtesy of StateDemocracy

MCLEAN, Va. – For most Indian Americans interested in politics the rallying cry is that not enough members of the community are politically involved and the main effort is to make this happen. However, Shukoor Ahmed and Frank Islam go one step further. They feel that not enough Americans are involved in the political process, specifically voting, and they are using StateDemocracy.org to try and change that.

The Web site connects citizens with their lawmakers and lawmakers-to-be, both at the state and federal levels – in all 50 states. The site’s LobbyDelegates service provides a way for people to find out who their lawmakers are and quickly contact them by e-mail, fax or letter. On the voting site, the site packages all that is necessary to vote in any state: voter registration, absentee ballot applications, polling place locator, links to every state and local election board and election-day requirements, such as voting hours, identification requirements and write-in rules.

Following the increasing social networking phenomenon of the Web, StateDemocracy is on Facebook, myspace and LinkedIn and has created widgets that allow people to access its voter tools on many other Web sites. Facebook offers StateDemocracy’s voter registration, absentee ballot and poll locator tools.

“What we are trying to do is get our voter engagement tools out to all the different Web sites where people are going,” said Ken Laureys, executive director of the StateDemocracy Foundation, which is set up to run and finance StateDemocracy.org.
According to Laureys, the excitement and interest in the Presidential election, combined with the increasing role of the Internet, makes it a perfect time for StateDemocracy and what it offers.

“This year it is really unprecedented in the numbers of new voters that are coming into the system,” he said. Still, he believes, there is a major problem of most citizens not knowing who their lawmakers are and how to continue a dialogue with them after elections, particularly on the state level. With the mass media firmly entrenched in covering national politics, Laureys said StateDemocracy can make headway on the local level.
“Here is where the Internet can do that segmentation and niche and have a role to play in informing people,” he said. “Once people start [looking into politics on a local level] they find out there is a lot of important things. … There are more things that are decided on the local level that affect you than on the national level.
“With technology you don’t have to do Annapolis or, if you are in Western Mass., you don’t have to go to Boston. You can virtually connect with your politicians,” he added.

Originally started by Ahmed in 1999 as part of his campaign to run for Maryland House of Delegates, StateDemocracy evolved and in 2001 Ahmed started the StateDemocracy Foundation to oversee the Web site. Since 2001, approximately 500,000 people have visited the site, with 150,000 registered users. In the last month, the site’s traffic has increased 400 percent, has seen 76 percent first-time users and had 120 widget packages downloaded to other sites. An average of 20 users are adding StateDemocracy’s voter tools to their Facebook profiles on a daily basis.

Ahmed

The success is a dream envisioned for Ahmed and he has put his money behind the venture, pumping $300,000 into StateDemocracy since 2001 through his V-Empower Inc. He started the Bowie, Md.-based Web-strategy firm in 1999. V-Empower provides services such as software development, application security consulting, Web development, e-commerce implementation and search engine optimization. The company also developed the Web-based tools that StateDemocracy uses.  Customers include: Microsoft Corp., CA (formerly Computer Associates Inc.), Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Franklin McKinley Education Foundation and Prince George’s County.

A native of Hyderabad, India, Ahmed came to the United States after completing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, physics and chemistry from Osmania University. He then attended American University’s School of Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.

He took a job as a reservation agent with Olympic Airways in 1983 and worked his way up to director of business development by 1999, when he left the airline industry to start V-Empower.

StateDemocracy’s Laureys is also vice president of client relations at V-Empower. Laureys and Ahmed met on the campaign trail in 1999 working for Presidential candidate Bill Bradley. Laureys said they both share a passion in politics fueled by schooling. Laurey has a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from George Washington University and a master’s degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland. He views StateDemocracy as the practical embodiment of this academic and theoretical political interest.

This year, Islam succeeded Ahmed as chairman of the StateDemocracy Foundation. According to Laurey, the goal was to put Islam’s business acumen to work expanding the scope of StateDemocracy.

“He has been very successful in his business career,” said Laureys. “He has a vision about where he wants StateDemocracy to go to using his experiences and talents and his connections from the business field.”

Islam is the chief executive officer and chairman of FI Investment Group, a holding company that owns health-care and IT companies. Previously, he was the CEO of QSS Group, an IT company that generated revenue of $300 million and earned recognition from the Inc 500 for six consecutive years, the Washington Technology Fast 50 for seven consecutive years and the Deloitte & Touche National Tech Fast 500 for eight consecutive years. He sold QSS to Perot Systems Corp.

Islam has been involved in the IT, aerospace engineering services and systems integration business for more than 25 years. In 1999, he was recognized by the Ernst and Young as Maryland Entrepreneur of the Year. The U.S. Small Business Administration selected him as the Minority Small Business Person of the Year of the Washington DC Metropolitan Area in 2001.

He has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in computer science from the University of Colorado.
According to Islam, his work with StateDemocracy is his way of giving back. “After I made my money I said it was time to give back to my community, my country, that I love so much and that is America,” he said. “I was very passionate about business and growing my company. Now I am passionate about StateDemocracy.”

Islam has very specific plans for StateDemoracy. These include: strengthening the reputation of the Web site as a brand, expanding the foundation’s board membership, soliciting more grant funding and benefactors, expanding strategic partnerships with other citizen engagement groups, voter registration Web sites and grassroots advocacy groups and connecting with state election boards to provide them with StateDemocracy’s voter tools and establishing a plan to more efficiently update data on poll locations, absentee ballot and voter registration forms.
Melding political passion into a clear plan for StateDemocracy’s success is Islam’s strategy now that he is at the helm. He believes that the same focus he used to generate his business success will spark similar growth with StateDemocracy.

“If you do not focus you lose power, you lose energy,” he said. “If you focus you can even drill a whole in a diamond.”

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