Ten days ago, with no warning, Facebook eliminated the Twitter-like feed of every real-time status update. Now, instead of displaying everything from all your friends, Facebook uses a secret algorithm to display only the posts and status updates that are generating a lot of comments and responses. So you never know what you’re missing.
If you hate the change, here’s a three-step process to revert back to the old feed:
–Log into Facebook. On your homepage, on the top of the left column, you’ll see “News Feed.” Go to the bottom of that column and click on “More.”

–Find the “Status Updates.” Click and drag it to the very top of that column.

–Click “Status Updates” to load that view. Now, Facebook will deliver your feeds just like it did before.

The News Feed option is still on the left. If you click on it, you’ll see the new view. And if you decide later that reading your Facebook feed is like drinking from a firehose, you can always revert back to the smaller feed.

Reprinted from “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.publicityhound.com/ and receive by email the handy cheat sheet “89 Reasons to Send a Press Release.”

I stumbled upon this article today and there is some very good info about the importance of creating an effective title for your email. Don’t get sidetracked by the “E-Bay” references. The same info applies to any email marketing campaign.

Email marketing is one of the BEST tools that you can use to grow your business on eBay, Amazon and beyond. Sending out newsletters, sales and promotions to your customers is one of the best ways to sell more products more often.

However, there’s an important KEY to successful email marketing that most people overlook, and that is…

The TITLE of Your Email

In fact the way you title your email is SO important, the success of your email marketing campaign depends on it.

Why an Email Title is Important

In your eBay listings your 55 character listing title is the “map” that helps searchers find your listings in eBay’s search engines.

With email marketing, your title serves one primary purpose…To get your email OPENED!
Because an email that’s not opened will never be read. And an email that’s not opened will be the target of the delete key. Therefore it’s key to write an email title that will get your email opened and read.

The payoff for you? A great email title and newsletter will bring you more customer sales!

Motivating People to Open Your Emails

Most sellers tend to send out emails with fairly generic email titles. For example:

eBay Seller Email: Save money! Shop my eBay Store for great deals

New in my store

eBay: Great deals!

Check this out!

Winter Clearance Sale

And while there’s nothing inherently wrong with these email titles, there’s also nothing engaging about them either. They are all fairly generic email subject titles.

You certainly can intermix generic titles into your email campaign, but use them as the exception not the rule.

You might think that writing an intriguing email title requires a lot of work. Not so!

With the knowledge you’re about to gain in the next section (and a little help from a tried and true writers tool )you’ll be writing effective emails titles in no time!

5 Strategies for Writing Titles that Get Your Emails Opened

Next we’re going to look at 5 different strategies you can use to get those emails opened!

These 5 kinds of email titles will engage your reader and inspire them to OPEN your email!

1. Target your email title to your customers interests. The more specific the better. If you’re sending an email in which you want to promote your vintage lace linens, rather than using a generic email title such as “Check Out Our New Linens” create a more specific title such as “Introducing Our One of a Kind Vintage Lace Linens”

Generic title: Check Out Our New Linens

Targeted title: Introducing Our One of a Kind Vintage Lace Linens

As you can see, the 2nd title targets a very specific audience and arouses curiosity about the new, unique linens you’ve just brought in stock. Which brings us to our second strategy…

2. Arouse Curiosity. People are naturally curious. And we like having our curiosity peaked! An email title that peaks your reader’s curiosity is likely to get opened.

For example…

The owner of a pet products store could write an email newsletter with a title of…

“The Top 3 Things Every Poodle Owner Must Possess…”

A seller who wants to promote flat irons (for your hair) in their email marketing newsletter might write…

“How to Turn Your Unruly Hair into a Sleek and Shiny Mane”

By using an element of curiosity in your email title people will want to click on your emails and see what’s inside!

Note: Do NOT make your curiosity emails SPAMMY or MISLEADING. Curiosity alone with no substance will turn people off. If you are going to use an element of curiosity in your title, make sure you follow through on your promise and deliver the “goods” within the email content.

If you are promoting “The Top 3 Things Every Poodle Owner Must Possess…” – your email must follow through and share those top 3 things with your customer.

Misleading email titles are even worse. “Loose 150 lbs in 30 days” is simply untrue and will cause your readers to immediately delete your email.

3. Use Urgency. No one wants to miss the big “it”. That one thing they wished they’d known about. Email titles that convey urgency will ensure that your customers at least give your email a quick glance! (Once they’re reading you can grab them with your copy!)

Your email title can contain an element of scarcity.

For example:

“It ends tonight at midnight!”

“Only 4 vases left.”

“20% off for the next 24 hours.”

As with curiosity emails, urgency emails must follow through. If you’re promoting a sale that ends at midnight, it MUST end at midnight. Using a sense of urgency in your emails but not backing it up by doing what you say you’re going to do will cause your customers not to trust you.

And that will kill all chances of your prospect ever reading an email (or buying from you) again.

But if you DO have limited quantities of a product or the sale IS ending in 24 hours – writing an email title with a sense of urgency is a great way to promote it!

Note: Fostering a relationship with your customers that is built on trust is the best thing you can do to build a successful business! As the old saying goes “You must walk the talk.”

4. Tell a story. We all love stories. It’s part of human nature. Creating an email title that is a lead-in to a story can be very intriguing to your buyers.

For example:

“I Found These Beautiful Crystal Vases for You in Maine”

“The History Behind Our Hand Crafted Wall Clocks”

“Why 9 Out of 10 Customers Prefer Our New Steamer”

Then in your email continue on with the story that you started. Emphasize the human connection. Your customers want to buy from a person, not from a nameless, faceless eBay store or website.

5. Have fun. A little fun and humor in your email title can go along way. Have fun! Be creative.

This past holiday season I received an email from an eBay seller with a title that read…

“A Sale So Hot Even Santa Stopped to Shop!”

I opened this email immediately!

The Writer’s Insider Secret Ideas for Email Titles
Now you may be thinking… “This sounds like a GREAT idea but I don’t have a creative writing bone in my body.”

Well the good news is that a copywriting degree is not required to create a clever email title!

You see examples of good email titles are all around you. In fact, your next email title may be as close as the magazine on your desk!

Writers have an insider secret for coming up with good ideas for email titles, emails, advertising copy, articles etc….

It’s called a “swipe file”.

A swipe file is a collection of tested and proven ads, sales letters, headlines etc. You’ll use your swipe file as a springboard to write your own email titles.

Now you won’t be copying the headlines directly, but rather taking bits and pieces of titles and repurposing them for your own specific niche email!

For example, this title used on a recent People Magazine “The Real Reason People Gain Weight” can be re-purposed for your pet products store:

“The Real Reason Your Pet Gains Weight” (This could be used to sell pet exercise products.)

“The Real Reason Your Dog Keeps Shedding” (This could be used to sell dog deshedders.)

When you come across an email title or headline you like, simply make a note of it in your swipe file.

Note: In case you are worrying that this is plagiarism, it’s not!

Keeping a swipe file is a common practice used by advertising writers, authors, anyone who creates copy.

It’s perfectly legal to take an existing heading and target it to YOUR market. And while you can’t use the email title “Got Milk?” you can repurpose it to “Got Game?” “Got Candy?” “Got the Latest Shirts for Spring?” etc.

To help you find samples for your swipe file, simply take a look at the headlines on the covers of magazines in the grocery stores, tabloids, and newspapers. Look at the emails other companies send YOU.

When you look at these headlines with a fresh “eye” you’ll see that most headlines today are variations of existing headlines.

Newsletters in Your Niche

Signing up to receive emails in from other online retailers in your niche is a great way to get some creative ideas about how to market products in your category.

For example, if you sell in the Home and Garden niche, sign up to receive the free email newsletters from stores like Smith and Hawken, Plow and Hearth etc.

I guarantee you’ll get some GREAT marketing ideas!

Start Writing Better Email Titles Today

Email marketing is one of the fundamentals that you need in your marketing toolkit!

Essencia Day SpaList Size: 717
Open Rate: 27.8%
Website: http://www.essenciabelmont.com

Gentle skin bootcamp. That’s how Essencia Day Spa in Belmont, Mass., describes the service it provides for customers. This three-year-old business has already built a loyal customer base in large part due to its high-quality offerings, including facials, massages, manicures, and Botox. But according to Kathy Thomas, one of the spa’s owners, email marketing has also played a large role.

Based on the recommendation of other business owners, Kathy chose to use Constant Contact and began sending her email newsletters in August 2006. Those early messages were largely informational about the products and services offered at Essencia, and each also included one promotion. But as successful as the informational messages were, Karen soon learned a valuable lesson: “We found that our clients responded better to short promotional emails,” she says. “The issue was finding which email format and frequency would bring the most results without having clients opt out or not open.”

Now Karen sends out promotional messages regularly as a reminder to clients that Essencia is ready to serve them. In the spa business, promotions are seasonal and similar offers are used each year at the same times. For Karen, the challenge is thinking of something that will really wow her clients and encourage action. “There is so much competition in this arena that we find offering a price break to our email base is really appreciated,” she reports. “Certain clients will come in regardless of a ‘special,’ but in this economy it all helps.” In addition to the offer itself, Karen pays special attention to her subject lines and the design of her emails so every aspect of the message is impressive.

Karen can see the results of her emails immediately; she says bookings always increase after she sends out a message. But she knows that her promotions serve a purpose beyond the specific incentive. “Even if clients do not open the email, it plants a seed in their mind to give us a call when they are in need of services,” she adds. These gentle reminders help Essencia to stay top of mind with customers, and keep this day spa going strong.

Call or email us today to take advantage of our New Customer Setup Offer.

Email: judy@EnewsHelp.com
303.775.6495

3) Mailed Newsletters
These used to be very popular, but have been replaced by email newsletters that should be backed up by a blog. You’ll likely see a trend in this list. I consider anything that involves using snail mail to be outdated.
Status: Replaced

To read this full list from Steve Mullen:

10 Dead or Dying PR Tactics:

10) Newspaper-based Media Relations Strategy
Newspapers are dying. Circulation is down. You can’t wrap your media relations strategy solely around trying to get print coverage anymore.
Status: Alive, but poor strategy

9) Deskside Reporter Meetings
These are the sit-down meetings where you get to know reporters and/or pitch them in person.  My friend and former boss Jon Newman recently wrote about desksides, saying they’re dying.  I agree.  In a “former life” I flew from Richmond, VA to New York City on a semi-frequent basis for these meetings.  Now, reporters (particularly the print ones) are ridiculously overtaxed and even more jaded than I remember.  You will occasionally find journalists who appreciate the face-to-face time, but there aren’t many left.
Status: Hard to find

Media packets
I would put this tactic in the “nearly dead” category.  You still see plenty of them.  Just one man’s opinion, but I don’t consider glossy packets a good use of money for most organizations.  I’d sooner build a micro-website or even a Facebook page.
Status: Alive, but IMHO a waste of money

7) Video news releases (VNRs)
These are still around, but they’re not nearly as popular as they were 10 years ago.  The Bush Administration essentially killed this tactic.
Status: Alive, but hard to get results

6) Audio news releases (ANRs)
This tactic, which I actually promoted as a service when EndGame PR was first founded, was always the less popular younger sister of VNRs.  While I’m not aware of the Bush Administration getting in trouble for ANRs, they basically died at the same time as VNRs.  They’ve been replaced somewhat by podcasts or web audio soundbites used in social media news releases, but you can still find stations that are willing to accept them.
Status: See #7

5) Media Map
For those of you who aren’t familiar with this tool, it was a server-based media directory.  It was horrendously expensive compared to today’s web-based directories.  I recall the president of the firm where I worked being elated when I discovered we could save about $40,000 every year by switching to the web-based Bacon’s Mediasource.  Oh yeah … I got some major brownie points that week!
Status: Replaced

4) Blast faxing
Remember when we used to pay services to send our releases out to hundreds or even thousands of news outlets?  Who faxes anymore?  I have a fax machine.  I rarely use it.
Status: Replaced

3) Mailed Newsletters
These used to be very popular, but have been replaced by email newsletters that should be backed up by a blog. You’ll likely see a trend in this list. I consider anything that involves using snail mail to be outdated.
Status: Replaced

2) Bacon’s Media Guides
I’m not talking about the online media directories.  I’m talking about the paper media guides … the books.  I believe they’re still available in some format but, really, if I have to explain why the web-based versions are better then you need to take a course on the “Internets”.
Status: Dinosaur

1) Mailed Reporter Pitches
It’s hard to believe, but if you hunt through the “pitching preferences” in the media guides (the web-based ones of course) you’ll still find some reporters who say they prefer mailed pitches. This is another way of saying, “Don’t pitch me”. However, there was a time before email was widespread when it was a legitimate way to pitch.
Status: Doornail, as in “dead as a”

Honorable Mention: Peter Shankman claims the news release itself is dead, or will be soon, with the exception of financial releases.  I disagree.  I believe the release is still alive and well, but is in a different form than it was 10 years ago.  I believe online distribution has saved the release from becoming a dinosaur.  We’ll give it a couple of years and see who is right!

Note: Plenty of people DO still use some of the above tactics.  I’m not writing this list to offend anyone.  If you’re successful … I’m not judging!

You need to get to know your customers and keep marketing to them in these tough financial times. But it’s not enough to simply promote your business or organization. You need to have a communications plan.

A smart communications plan is an easy way to strengthen your relationship with your customers. By providing them with useful and honest information on a regular basis, you engage them in an ongoing conversation that transforms your organization from “just another company” into a trusted partner in their daily lives.

Good communication also fosters loyalty, an essential trait in a down economy. If customers feel you have something valuable to offer, they will be more likely to pass on your information, refer others to you, and turn to you for advice.

In order to develop a successful communications plan, you must carefully consider your company’s message, the best medium in which to communicate it, and the best methods to get — and keep — your customers engaged.

The Message
First, examine your group’s goals and use them to determine what your organization’s message should be. This message should always support your organization’s objectives — even if that’s not immediately clear to your audience — but doesn’t need to overtly state your goals.

Remember: the better you can position yourself in tough times, and understand your customers’ concerns, the more likely those customers will want to work with you or patronize your business.

For example, nonprofits may want to encourage people to donate to their cause and retailers might want to drive traffic to their location, but saying “Please donate today,” or “Come on down!” can be a turn off.

Instead, leverage your expertise and impact your audience with exclusive information that they can only get from you. For example, you can share a story about how previous donations have positively impacted those in need or suggest ways that people can donate their time instead of their money. A retail business can provide style tips or inform its customers about an exclusive in-store event.

Another great hook is your tone and word choice. Craft communications in a voice that reflects the identity of your organization, but don’t be afraid to entertain while you inform. By sprinkling in concrete details, you transport your readers and engage them more fully. And by entertaining your customers while informing them, you’re showing that you care about them, and not just their patronage.

The Medium
Whether it’s a direct mail piece or an email newsletter, the medium you use to reach your customers plays an important role in how they receive your message. Select the mode of communication that best matches the objective of your communication.

For example, newsletters work great to educate your customers about issues that you both care about. Sent at a consistent, regular interval, these communications can become sought-after outlets and drive your customers not only to their mailboxes, but to your store or website. They also tell your customers that although times may be tough, you are still there for them.

Promotional messages, like sale notifications or invitations to an event, should not have the same frequency as newsletters. It’s okay to include promotional information in newsletters — but beware: promoting goods and services too heavily may lessen the value of an information-rich newsletter and could erode your credibility as a trusted partner.

Surveys and other interactive communications are another great way to stay in touch with your customers. Send these out to get feedback from your customers after an event or after a customer has made a purchase. Some of the best communications are two-way discussions, because they help your customers feel like they are a part of your team.

The Methods
Sometimes it’s not what you say, but rather how you say it, that counts most. For example, well-written content with graphic design that matches your readers’ interests will be more relevant with eye-catching design and photography. This will improve the likelihood that your communication will be forwarded on to someone else, rather than simply tossed in the trash. Thoughtful, eye-popping newsletters are more likely to be shared with friends.

And finally, keep your message on schedule. After a while, your customers will look forward to your next communication, so create a calendar to support your content strategy. This will help you manage the frequency of your communications and help you stick to your plan.

Excerpted from John Kremer’s Book Marketing Tip of the Week
March 24, 2009

I would like to take this opportunity to give you my “2 cents” on print
vs. online media, as it currently stands. The landscape of print vs. online
media changes monthly, believe it or not. A year ago, we didn’t view
online media as equal to print media. It’s become blatantly clear to me,
over the past several months, that online media exposure is just as
valuable (if not extremely more) valuable than its print counterpart. I
don’t want to come across naïve in any way; I know that online media
outlets have been gaining speed for several years now. This is not a new
thing. However, I felt like it was time to discuss the state of the issue now.

The latest obituaries from the print media, as of mid-March 2009, are:

Rodale has closed Best Life, the Men’s Health spin-off which was aimed
at older men.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer, the 161 year old Hearst newspaper, has
printed its final edition, and from now on will be a Web only newspaper.
Seattle follows Denver (Rocky Mountain News) in being the second major
US city to lose a daily newspaper.

The Tucson Citizen will close after 138 years of publishing.

I’ve been convinced by a few trends/facts lately:

1. It’s a fact that many people ONLY get their news and features online
now and no longer subscribe or take the time to read a printed page.
It’s more convenient, more accessible, quicker and less expensive to get
your news online. Sad, but ideal, examples are the closures of many
long-running publications across the country. We’re hearing of print
publications closing shop nearly every week. It’s really boiling down to
advertising dollars and subscriptions: fewer people subscribe to the
printed version because they can get the same copy for free online.
Therefore, why spend the money? And, advertisers see just as high
numbers with online readership as the printed version (or higher) so
that’s where they are putting their advertising dollars.

2. Online versions of newspapers and magazines can run a “tighter ship”
by only producing an online version. They can exist with fewer staff, less
overhead, and, of course, save a great deal on printing and mailing costs.
When budgets are getting cinched up everywhere we look, these are
sobering facts for those who have produced a printed version for so long.

3. Consumers who didn’t bother to get their news and information via
the Internet a year, or even six months ago, are doing so now. Even
those who were Internet-phobic when it comes to trusting Internet retail
are coming around and buying books online and doing more and more
purchasing from their computer. Some explanations are: quicker, easier,
less hassle than a brick-and-mortar store, finding sales online, saving gas,
and the list goes on. I have to admit I’m one of these people! I didn’t
shop online for purchases such as books, gift certificates, etc a year
ago and I do now.

• Articles

Ezine Articles: http://www.ezinearticles.com
Articlesbase: http://www.articlesbase.com
Niche Article Directory: http://www.niche-articledirectory.com/

• Video Clips

Hulu: http://www.hulu.com
Open Source Audio: http://www.archive.org/details/opensource_audio
Voxant Newsroom: www.thenewsroom.com

• Audio Clips

Open Source Audio: http://www.archive.org/details/opensource_audio

• Photos

Wikimedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

If you want to use an article that was previously printed in a publication or a website, it is best to  ask for permission first, before using it.

More ideas for creating content:

• Tips
• Q&A
• Announce an Event (party, sale)
• Coupon for $$ Off
• Refer A Friend (get free xx or $$ off next purchase)
• Click on Links (for articles, photos, more info)
• Give Out an Award
• Hold A Contest
• Spotlight A Client, New Hire, Employee (success story)
• Review A Book, Movie, Speaker, Facility
• Testimonials From Clients
• Free Stuff! (Movie tickets, information, CD, book)

Customer Examples:
Here you can see how other organizations—just like yours—are using our email templates to create photo-rich, high-impact emails that help them connect with their audience, build relationships and drive their success.

See examples of customer email campaigns and read their stories

http://www.constantcontact.com/customer-examples/index.jsp

I’ve officially been on Twitter hard core for a few weeks now. I still have lots to learn. But let me share the amazing things I HAVE discovered about it that can benefit you greatly and almost immediately.

- You’ll meet and connect with wonderful people. I’ve met some really neat people I normally would have never connected with.

- You’ll get to discuss things with people you might not know about them in other venues.

- You can interact with a lot of people quickly.

- Your Twitter list builds virally.

People will retweet (explained below) things you say. This virally spreads your info through other people’s networks. This is the most powerful aspect of Twitter.

Now, here are my best tips on getting the most out of Twitter.

1. Sign up at Twitter.com. That’s step one, of course. It’ll take you about 30 seconds.

2. Download Tweetdeck. It’s a freebie download for pc’s and Macs from Tweetdeck.com. Tweetdeck will make your tweeting an unbelievable experience. Alternatively, use TweetLater.com, another great tool for tweeting.

3. Keep the negative junk off Twitter. Don’t use Twitter to try to get that refund or resolve disputes. Use it to bring positive energy and meet people.

4. Follow people who are in your niche. Go to Twitter.com. Click on “find people.” Type in names of people who write blogs in your niche, who have affiliate products and who are influencers. Click the “follow” link under their photo. This will let you see their tweets with other people.

5. Make friends. Do NOT go onto Twitter pitching people. Make friends. Be a sociable person.

6. Learn the art of the RT. RT stands for “retweet.” There’s a little icon that says RT. When you retweet someone’s messsage, you’re passing it on so the people on your list can see it. This is the ultimate form of sharing. You give before you get. Even if you only have 10 people on your list, use the RT. But watch how others do it first. Don’t just jump in.

7. Observe for a week. Spend a week or so just watching others and learning what happens on Twitter before you jump in head over heels.

8. Anything and I do mean anything you say can and will be retweeted. It’s crazy. People RT things you wouldn’t think they would. So be aware that anything you say can be spread. So be very cautious about saying anything negative about anyone.

9. Share your positive energy. I said this before. But I’m going to repeat. Positive energy attracts other positive people.

10. If someone really annoys you, you can go to twitter.com, find their name and on the right side is link where you can block them.

11. Learn to Twitter on your iPhone or cell. Yes, you can do that too.

12. Do NOT end up twittering away time.
Use Twitter. Don’t let it use you.

Can all this bad really be good?

Things are tough. It seems that “how bad things are” is the theme of nearly every newscast and talk show.  I even spend much of my time on television talking about our economic woes.  The economy has gone to hell and the stock market sucks and foreclosures, layoffs and unemployment rates are soaring.  I get it – it’s bad.  But let’s consider this question:  Can a bad economy, layoffs, bailouts, foreclosures, bank failures, and government corruption really be a good thing?   Absolutely.

Let’s look at the positive impact this economic downturn will eventually have on the credit industry.  Just think, we are going to reach the place where credit is going to be given based on a person’s ability to repay the loan.  Loan applications will have to be accurate.  The amount loaned will be based on the real value of the asset instead of some inflated amount.  A definite good thing.

Let’s consider work.  Yep, good old-fashioned work.  That thing you used to do in order to keep your job but forgot to do when things were good.  That thing that got overlooked by your boss and your employer because they weren’t working too hard either.  Now, people are afraid of losing their jobs because there are no other jobs to be had, therefore they are working harder at keeping their job.  They are showing up on time, not slacking off, working harder, being nicer to customers and coworkers.  Again, this is a good thing!  Customers will benefit and the employer will actually get the work they are paying for.  Hooray!

Companies are going to have to work harder to get customers and will have to serve them better in order to survive.  Survival of the fittest is going to force us all to become more fit in the way we do business.  The companies that don’t serve their customers well will go away.  Good riddance I say, as we can all do without companies who provide bad service.

Corruption in our government may force us to look harder and pay more attention to the people we are electing.

Bailouts, while they make us angry, make us think about our core values of fairness and justice.  They will also make us ask more questions and demand more from our elected officials.  We have needed more interest in where our money was going for a long time and these undeserved bailouts are creating some well-deserved indignation that will hopefully trickle down to the voting booth.  The more citizen involvement we have in our government, the better our government will be.

Foreclosures will force us to think before we buy things we can’t afford.

Let’s get personal.  With the high cost of eating out, most budgets simply can’t afford the luxury of going out to a restaurant and people are going to need to stay home to eat.  The same applies to going to the movies and to other various sources of outside entertainment.  That means that families can’t afford to spend money for entertainment so they are going to be forced to stay home and communicate with each other.  They are going to have to learn to cook and eat together and talk to each other.  This will have a positive effect on the family in many ways.

One of the biggest positives I see coming out of all this negative is that people now have a better handle on their finances than in the past.  Whether the news is good or bad, people are beginning to take stock of where they are financially.  That is something few people were paying any attention to before this mess.  They didn’t have a clue who they owed or how much they owed.  Now, probably for the first time, people know where they are.  They are saving more, spending less, and not going in debt as much as they were.  They are learning to live on what they earn instead of spending more than they earn and financing a lifestyle they couldn’t afford with credit cards.  If they don’t have the money, they aren’t willing to go in debt to get it and they aren’t buying it.  All good things.  Plus, Americans now know more about how our country’s economy works than they ever have before.

Face it folks.  The reality is that things were good, jobs were plentiful, money was flowing, credit was easy to get and people stopped paying attention to how they lived.  That, as much as any other factor was the cause of the financial ills we are all now experiencing.  We can complain about this mess as most are doing or we can use it as a wake-up call that in the long run will make us better people and a stronger society.