When I heard that Dina Riccobono at MarketLeverage was participating in Operation Shoebox, I wanted to help.  Being in California, I can’t really participate with her and her group, but I can tell you all about it in hopes that some of you are in the Orlando area and can help, or alternatively, would like to make donations for future package parties Dina plans to host.

Operation Shoebox puts together care packages year round for our active troops, and ships them out either on a one-time basis, or directly connects you with a troop (1 solider = a troop) to interact with for the duration of their tour. While Dina wanted to help as many troops as possible, she really didn’t have the budget to shop for 50 troops herself…so she enlisted the help of some friends. They sent letters, emails, tweets – all asking various companies to donate their products for the packages. They solicited non-perishable items from friends, family, dentists, and co-workers, put out ‘Op Boxes’ in their offices to collect supplies, and stocked monetary donations to assist with shipping costs (the most expensive item for Operation Shoebox by far).

So far, Dina and her group have been able to get donations from the following companies:

• Xshot – 53 of them!
• DoYouPoken.com – 108 Pokens!
• Pingo.com (Brian Hawkins) – 200 International Calling Cards
• Quaker Oats – 50 Gatorade Vouchers
• GBL Public Relations for Pentel – Hundreds of Pens, Pencils, Hats, and t-shirts.
• FujiFilm – 60 One-Time Use Cameras (SeeHere.com)
• CharmFactory – 60 American Flag Pins
• TheDistrictDish – Matchboxes
• Burn Cream MD – Medical Supplies
• Orlando Ichiban – Space for the Packaging Party with Discount Sushi and Drinks

It’s not just companies getting involved.  Dina has been able to attract some individual sponsors as well:

• Drew Bennett of BenSpark.com
• Various members of the MarketLeverage team
• Vanessa Swanepoel of PokenGirl.com

The packaging party – where they will organize all 50 shoeboxes and put the sponsors items and donations together for individual shipment to the troops – is TODAY in Orlando!  If you’re near Orlando and want to help, Dina and her group are happy to have you!. Orlando Ichiban has been kind enough to donate space to use to put the boxes together, and also some discounts on food and drinks. They will potentially live stream this packaging party, and then Deb Schroeder and Dina will drive all the boxes to Operation Shoebox HQ the first week of December and hand deliver the packages. She’ll be filming that journey as well.

Please, if you’re in the Orlando area or know anyone who is, go help them out.  It’s a great thing they’re doing.  You can also organize something similar in your area.  You can go to OperationShoebox.com to adopt your own troop.  Dina hopes to do this quarterly if all goes well this time.  If you’d like to sponsor any items or donate funds for shipping, you can reach out to Dina directly at dina-at-marketleverage.com.

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I had the pleasure and pain of driving up to Sacramento yesterday to sit in on the hearing for AB 178, which I’ve talked about before putting California affiliates in jeopardy.  Lisa Picarille and I hopped into my car and made the drive up, and about 10 minutes away from our destination, we get the news that the hearing had been postponed.  The bill has been changed to a two year bill.  What does this mean, exactly?

Believe it or not, I couldn’t find a sufficient actual definition for what a two year bill is online, so I can only pass on what I was told in basic layman’s terms, which may be better anyway.  Basically what this means is that the hearing has been postponed until January, when it will be up again to be heard in hearings.  We were told by several seasoned lobbyists that if it’s not heard in January, this bill in this current incarnation will be dead.  However, the issue won’t necessarily go away.  We will need to keep an eye out for other bills to make sure language isn’t shoehorned into other bills that could affect affiliate livelihood and tax nexus, and we also have to pay attention in June when budgeting starts to make sure no strange budget items that could affect nexus show up.

This is a small victory and California affiliates can certainly breath easier for awhile, but it’s not over yet.  We’ve won the battle but the war rages on.  Of course, there’s a lot of blog coverage on the happenings of yesterday, so check out their points of view as well:

• Mr. Lewis Goes to Sacramento – David Lewis
• Calif. AB 178 on Hold for Now – Lisa Picarille
• California Hearing Postponed – that’s a good thing! – Rebecca Madigan
• No Hearing for California AB 178 – Shawn Collins
• Commission Junction’s Internet Retail Tax News

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Yes, I’m stepping closer and closer to the abyss.

Right now -  at this VERY MOMENT OF 12:32pm PST – I just turned 28.

What?  You didn’t hear anything?  Well, just imagine muffled screams mixed with maniacal laughter and you’ll be close.  I go back and forth between looking at some aspects of my life and wondering how I did so little by this age, but then I look at others and remember how hard I’ve worked to get that far so fast.

I’m takin’ the day off, so re-posting a meme type thing that Julie posted in her blog Julie’s Journal last month on her birthday.

Famous people who share my birthday

• Tom Brokaw, 1940 – Newscaster, NBC News
• Bob Marley, 1945 – Singer
• Babe Ruth, 1895 – Baseball Player, New York Yankees
• Axl Rose, 1962 – Singer, Guns N’ Roses
• Ronald Reagan, 1911 – Actor, 40th US President
• Rip Torn, 1933 – Actor
• Natalie Cole, 1950 – Singer, Daughter of Nat King Cole

Famous Events that happened on January 3rd:

• 1865- Robert E Lee appointed Confederate General in Chief
• 1918- Britain grants women (30 & over) vote
• 1933- 20th Amendment goes into effect: Pres term begins in Jan not March
• 1935- “Monopoly” board game goes on sale for 1st time
• 1974- US House of Reps begins determining grounds for impeachment of Nixon
• 1981- Beatles McCartney, Starr & Harrison record a tribute to John Lennon (OK, “Brady Brides” also debuted on TV the same day, but the tribute seemed more important)

Famous Capricorns

• Fredrico Fellini – Director
• Geena Davis – Actress
• John Belushi – Actor
• Wolfgang Mozart – Composer
• Opra Winfrey – TV Host
• Charles Lindbergh – Pilot
• Carl Berstein – Journalist

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