Clear Blue Dei

According to Facebook’s old terms of service, when you closed your account with them, their rights to your uploaded content expired. This is their old facebook policy. In reading through the old terms, I was still surprised at how much rights facebook had to my content.

But now Facebook claims rights to anything you upload, regardless whether or not you have removed the content or your account has been closed. Forever. They can even sub-license it.

This is current wording, which is the same as the old terms. However they removed the section at the end.

“You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.”

so far nothing has changed (although read this carefully since this is what you have always agreed to).

And this is what has been removed:

“You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”

So no longer does their license expire. You can remove it, but once it was uploaded, it becomes theirs, with nothing to say they give up any rights to it.

In addition, the Termination paragraph near the end states:

“The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service: Prohibited Conduct, User Content, Your Privacy Practices, Gift Credits, Ownership; Proprietary Rights, Licenses, Submissions, User Disputes; Complaints, Indemnity, General Disclaimers, Limitation on Liability, Termination and Changes to the Facebook Service, Arbitration, Governing Law; Venue and Jurisdiction and Other.”

Here is Facebook’s new Terms of Service (as of Feb 4, 2009).

So don’t upload ANYTHING to Facebook that you don’t want to give away all rights to Facebook, permanently. So those pictures of you partying could come back to haunt you years in the future and there is nothing you can do about it. And if you upload any original material like pictures, drawings, songs, etc., you gave facebook rights to them permanently. I’m not sure exactly what that means legally, but I know that artists and musicians should be very, very careful. Does this mean facebook could use your original music for its advertising? I think so.

So you become famous and facebook could capitalize on it. Embarrasing pictures? Early artwork or music? I don’t even want to think about it.

Thanks to the Consumerist.com website for this information. I subscribe to their rss feed and frequently read their articles which are always interesting and informative. And you should also read their article called “Facebook’s New Terms Of Service: “We Can Do Anything We Want With Your Content. Forever.”

Enjoy but take care,
Susan Mellott

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I just finished an excellent book by Sheri Tepper called “The Margarets”. Sheri Tepper is one of my favorite authors. She frequently writes about interesting issues from a different perspective, such as matriarchy and women in “The Gate to Women’s Country” (another excellent book). She writes science fiction/fantasy, but from a distinctly female perspective. Being a woman, while I primarily read SF/fantasy, I prefer a female protagonist/characters. That is one of the downsides of SF sometimes, they are overloaded on male characters and the female characters are frequently just side characters or caricatures. That said, there are also many SF/fantasy books (usually by women authors) with female protagonists.

The Margarets starts with a female child named Margaret who has no other children to play with and makes up imaginary character versions of herself, such a Queen Wilvia, Naumi the warrior, the spy, the healer, etc. As she reaches various decision points in her life, one of her makes one decision and one makes another and they off and go on to various different lives on different planets based on their decision. There is a prophecy involved (isn’t there always :)) and the Margarets are the key to the prophecy.

Of course, it is interesting how the book resolves and it is done in a way that makes a lot more sense than most, but I especially enjoyed just reading the stories of the different decisions made. That is something I really appreciate about Sheri Tepper’s writing and what I look for in a book. While I like SF/fantasy, I prefer “philosophical” SF over “hard” SF. In other words, I prefer writing that explores different ways of thinking, living, society, etc. rather than the SF that concentrates on new war machines and fighting. I think that is more the male-oriented SF and I’m just not into it as much, although I have read some very well-written stories that I greatly enjoyed. I still like more characterization than I do great battles though. I like reading about warriors and their quests or battles, but not so much about soldiers fighting battles with the battles being the main focus.

In any case, if you think you might like what I like, I highly recommend the “The Margarets” and Sheri Tepper.

List of Sheri Tepper books

Also, on a Web 2.0 note, the links to amazon above were created using my Amazon Associates ID and a widget provided by Amazon. For every purchase on Amazon made through a link of mine, I get some (very small) percentage. I currently have accumulated $2.46 in my account so I’m not going to get rich but it is an interesting concept and someone could really create a good site with interesting Amazon content and make some money. Here’s a link to the Amazon Associate’s Information page.

Take care and enjoy!

~Susan Mellott

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This Tuesday I attended my first Library Camp at the Allen County Public Library. No, I am not a librarian, but my husband is the head of Technology at the ACPL and I have discovered through him that libraries can be very leading edge at using and incorporating the new Web 2.0 tools and at looking for new ways to connect with their patrons and to move their libraries into the 21st century. Web 2.0, Learning 2.0, Library 2.0, these are all concepts that many libraries have embraced.

Did you know that your library very well may have a presence in Second Life, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, IM, Flickr, YouTube, wikis, FriendFeed and more? Do a search in any of these tools on libraries and see what you find. Libraries, in my experience, are quietly paving the way for institutions to have a real 2.0 presence.

I had originally planned to do some examining of some of the ideas first, so I could provide some useful, additional information but then I realized that I would never get this post out if I waited until I had explored all of them. So what I will do now is give an overview of the library camp topics and discussions and go into depth on some of the ideas in future posts. After you see the agenda, topics, discussions and ideas, you will see why! So here is how my day went. If it seems a little scattered, it is because I was frantically scribbling on a handout and am trying to translate and organize what is essentially a completely covered paper, with writing between and around every line of print. So bear with me.

This post will be a general overview to what we did and how the day was divided up. Part 2 will contain specifics from the Pecha Kuchas and discussions and if that post gets too big, Part 3 will have the afternoon sessions and a wrapup observation.

ACPL Library Camp design was based on the Unconference model, with the addition of a guest speaker and Pecha Kucha presentations.

The event started at 8am (with continental breakfast beforehand) and lasted until 5pm when several people went down to J.K. O’Donnell’s, our local Irish Pub to continue visiting and discussing.

From 8-9am, David Lee King, the featured speaker, gave a wonderful and thought-provoking presentation Managing the Digital Branch. Here is his post re: Library Camp which includes links to his presentations and to some of the other library camp resources such as the wiki that was set up for Library Camp. Here is the ACPL Library Camp on FriendFeed.

And here is a link to the ACPL Library Camp 2008 twitter feed. This was used in a very interesting way as it was being displayed on a large screen at the front of the auditorium and updated as the event proceeded. That provided an interesting mix of information on the proceedings and “backchannel” talk amongst the participants and observers. I can see this being used more and more often as the idea proliferates.

Everyone had been asked to bring 13 (I think it was) business cards with them and after David’s talk, there was a 2 minute card exchange where everyone was to meet and pass out their business cards to each other and to get to know new people. I really liked this idea and it worked really well. People got up, mingled, met, made contacts and just generally interacted with each other. I don’t have “business cards” as I am basically retired, but I really wish I would have made up some cards with my Clear Blue Dei site and my personal information on them. I got one “personal card” from someone with their own personal blog site on it and I am definitely going to go take a look. Perhaps a sign-up sheet (or site) where people could add their blogs would be nice as I always enjoy finding and read people’s blogs. I think I would even do this twice, once at the beginning and once later in the day after people got a chance to discuss and share ideas.

Then it was time for the Pecha Kucha presentations. In a nutshell, the idea behind Pecha Kucha is to keep presentations concise, the interest level up and to have many presenters sharing their ideas within the course of one day/period. Therefore the 20×20 Pecha Kucha format was created: each presenter is allowed a slideshow of 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds. This results in a total presentation time of 6 minutes 40 seconds on a stage before the next presenter is up. There were several presentations during the Pecha Kucha session, which I will list and go into in more detail in Part 2. For now, I’ll just say that this was a highly successful and invigorating format and one I think people should consider trying at their next meeting, conference, staff day or event.

Then David Lee King presented his next talk called Climbing out of the Box: Mashing up our Community.
As part of this presentation, David had everyone divide into groups of 4 or 5 and gave us 10 minutes for each group to come up with an idea of a way to reach out to the community. Again, an extremely successful session with many new and innovative ideas in just 10 minutes. See Part 2 of my Library Camp posts for the ideas and discussions.

Following this, we continued the Unconference model (An unconference is a facilitated, participant-driven conference centered around a theme or purpose) by having the participants discuss what ideas they would like to meet and discuss and an ad-hoc agenda for the afternoon was designed by the group for afternoon. There were 3 sets of 1 hour sessions, 2 per hour (in meeting rooms A and C). A facilitator from the group was designated for each session.

Everyone went to lunch after David’s presentation at various places in town (we went to Munchie’s Emporium, aka Mad Anthony’s for microbrew and good food and conversation) and then we all met back, picked up the afternoon agenda and made our choices as to which sessions we wanted to attend.

Kay Gregg (ACPL videographer and Sean’s cohort in crime for all the creative YouTube videos, etc), Sean Robinson (Head of ACPL and my husband) and David Lee King split off to videotape a Conversation with David Lee King, one of the ongoing series of “Conversation” youtube series that they are creating. This should be coming out in about a month, stay tuned.

I attended some of the sessions but had to leave so I missed the wrap-up session 4:30-5pm, but I heard that Sean did a great job wrapping up and that he put people on the spot, asking them “what one idea from this camp do YOU plan to do?” I’m sure that was interesting… From some of the buzz I’ve heard afterward, people really enjoyed the Library Camp and found it invigorating and inspiring. I know I did!

Stay tuned for Part 2 and Enjoy!

~Susan Mellott

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I’ve been negligent in my blog posting lately, due to senior parent issues, but I am back and plan to start blogging again.  For a quickie first blog post though, here is the latest from Smart Car USA (did I mention that I LOVE these cars?!)

Vol.15 in this issue .01>> from the smart USA team .02>> the 2009 smart fortwo .03>> NYC parking specials for the smart fortwo .04>> fashion fleet: the ultimate urban trunk show .05>> smart owner events: here, there and everywhere .06>> we’ve got you covered

15.01>> from the smart USA team

Dear smart Enthusiast, Thank you for your continued interest in the smart brand. If this is your first e-newsletter – welcome to the smart USA family. It’s after Labor Day, and our 71 smart centers, including our newest additions, Cincinnati, OH and Birmingham, AL, have delivered over 16,000 smart fortwos into the hands of eager new owners. We also have three more smart centers scheduled to open before the end of the year – Las Vegas, NV, Jackson, MS, and Walnut Creek, CA – all exciting additions to better serve you through our smart center network. smart center contact information, including opening details, will be available on the dealer locator on smartusa.com. This past month, smart USA has had several important announcements. We introduced the 2009 model year update for the smart fortwo. Check out the new 2009 configurator and color selector on smartusa.com and your local smart center website. smart USA also formed several new partnerships, including discounted parking in the NYC area as well as unique Fashion Week exposure. Please read below for more details on these exciting new developments. Finally, the national enthusiasm is very visible on smart USA’s official social networking website for enthusiasts around the country, www.smartusainsider.com. Over 6,800 members are actively blogging, posting photos and videos, and participating daily in exciting discussions about their smart experiences, personalization, product questions and more. If you have not yet visited smart USA Insider, we encourage you to meet and interact with the thousands of smart owners, reservation holders and enthusiasts like you that gather there daily to discuss all things smart. Again, thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support for this amazing brand. Kind regards, Dave Schembri President, smart USA

15.02>> the 2009 smart fortwo

The 2009 smart fortwo models will begin to arrive in early November and will feature the same performance, safety, and design features that make smart so unique, but with a few changes.Here are some of the changes to our standard features, which are also available to see on www.smartusa.com: A vibrant and sporty new standard color, “rally red,” will replace “light yellow.” The cool and sophisticated optional color, “metallic gray,” will replace “red metallic.” The “design red” fabric interior available on the passion coupe and passion cabriolet will be more intense to match the exterior “rally red.” On the driver and passenger doors, the current built-in hard case door storage areas will be replaced with a net to for a more flexible storage space. A “Loose Gas Cap” indicator light has been added to the instrument cluster to inform you if your gas cap is not fully locked. The discontinued colors, “light yellow” and “metallic red” will continue to be available by purchasing full bodypanel freshup kits through your smart center. At this time, there is one new factory-installed option for the 2009 model. Customers can now order the smart fortwo passion coupe with a solid roof instead of the standard panoramic roof at no additional cost. The solid roof is the same resilient textured plastic roof featured on the pure coupe. Please note, however, the panorama roof upgrade option will no longer be available on the smart fortwo pure coupe. Any additional factory-installed options that become available will be communicated at a later date. Finally, the prices of the 2009 model are yet to be confirmed.* For more information on the smart fortwo’s standard features, options and colors, please visit www.smartusa.com. *Prices are for current model year only and are subject to change without notice. Prices exclude tax, title, registration, destination charge, options and other dealer fees.

15.03>> NYC parking specials for the smart fortwo

The smart fortwo was built for cities around the world. Its small size allows urban dwellers to easily maneuver heavily congested streets and squeeze into the tightest of parking spots. People are starting to take notice of those customers who make responsible vehicle choices like the smart fortwo, especially as an urban solution.Recently in New York City, Meyers Parking, the owner of parking garages near popular Manhattan attractions, has reduced its parking prices by 50% for smart fortwo owners. If you live in the tri-state area you can enjoy reduced parking rates at the following locations: Madison Square Garden Area 218 W. 31st Street/225 W. 30th Street (between 7th and 8th) 212.736.8233 340 W. 31st Street (between 8th and 9th) 212.594.1915 Javits Center 323 W. 34th Street/334 W. 35th Street (between 8th and 9th) 212.279.7310 Broadway/Times Square 141 W. 43rd Street/146 W. 44th Street (between 6th and Broadway) 212.997.7690 Empire State Building/Midtown 9 W. 35th Street/12 W. 36th Street (between 5th and 6th) 212.268.8572 Upper East Side 154 E. 87th Street (between 3rd and Lexington) 212.722.6500

15.04>> fashion fleet: the ultimate urban trunk show

Club Monaco, a global fashion brand, and smart USA are collaborating to bring inspiration and design to the urban professional with the launch of FASHION FLEET: The Ultimate Urban Trunk Show. The fleet showcases a caravan of chic Club Monaco designed smart fortwos and fall fashion, courtesy of Club Monaco.The Club Monaco smart fortwos, ten in total, will feature images from the newly launched Fall 2008 Club Monaco Campaign as well as the brand’s iconic black and white crest. The Fall Collection and campaign were inspired by the idea of the downtown aristocrat who brings uptown elegance a downtown flare.“It’s a natural partnership for us and one we feel aligns with Club Monaco’s core values – design, style, and function,” says John Mehas, President and CEO of Club Monaco. “Both Club Monaco and the smart fortwo are urban and sophisticated, and are geared toward meeting the needs of the modern consumer – one who has a versatile and demanding lifestyle, and is looking for affordable luxury.”The partnership will launch during Fashion Week in New York City with the ultimate urban trunk show. Club Monaco designed smart fortwo vehicles will cruise New York City streets making stops at the landmark Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week locales. 75 lucky New Yorkers will receive gift bags with iconic pieces from Club Monaco’s Fall Collection at each stop, including cashmere scarves, sunglasses from the newly launched collection, statement jewelry and small Italian leather goods.The ultimate urban trunk show will debut on Sunday, September 7 in the Meatpacking District and will continue with stops in SoHo, Wall Street, the Flatiron District, Midtown and Bryant Park on Monday and Tuesday during peak lunch-time hours. In addition, Club Monaco’s 57th Street Store window will be dedicated to the partnership throughout Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week featuring a unique design and one of the Club Monaco designed smart fortwos.“smart USA is excited to partner with Club Monaco for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week activities,” said Dave Schembri, President, smart USA. “smart is the brand at home on the streets of New York City providing drivers with urban mobility, great gas mileage and environmental responsibility. The smart fortwo’s iconic design also compliments the sophisticated style of Club Monaco stores and customers.”The Club Monaco and smart USA collaboration generates a design philosophy that marries functionality and style; tradition and modernity. The result is a dynamic partnership that is not limited by age, price or location. It’s about iconic style.For more information about the partnership, click here.

15.05>> smart owner events: here, there and everywhere

> Woodward Dream CruiseThe smart Michigan Users Group (sMUG) participated in Detroit’s annual Woodward Dream Cruise on August 16, 2008. Over 40,000 classic and future classic cars that cruised a 16 mile stretch of Detroit’s historic north-south avenue. Among them, over 60 smart owners showed up to cruise with their cars which provided an impressive parade down Woodward Avenue. In addition to the owner’s group, smart USA also took part in the event by setting up an on-site official display which included a smart fortwo four car high stacker. > Lombard StreetThis may be one for the Guinness Book of World Records. The smart Owners Group of Northern California participated in parking over 130 smart fortwo vehicles on Lombard Street in downtown San Francisco on August 17, 2008. It was the largest number of cars parked on the winding and picturesque street to date. > New York/New Jersey LookoutThe smart owners group from the New York and New Jersey area just had their second meeting at the State Line Lookout at beautiful and scenic Palisades, NJ overlooking the Hudson River. Ten smart owners made the trip to celebrate their unique cars at the state border. The owners showed off their radios, antennas, cargo organizers and vanity plates - everything that makes them enthusiastic about their new smart fortwo.To view photos from these events and many others, click here.

15.06>> we’ve got you covered

We know how excited you are to get behind the wheel of your new smart fortwo. That’s why we designed the >>Insurance foryou program (underwritten by Liberty Mutual) - to provide your smart fortwo with the insurance coverage it deserves.With this comprehensive insurance product, you can take advantage of the new vehicle replacement coverage, genuine smart fortwo replacement parts, 24-hour roadside assistance and more.  Get your free, no-obligation quote today.  Visit www.libertymutual.com/smart.

this message was sent by smart USA Distributor LLC 1765 S. Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield, MI 48302 1.800.smart.USA www.smartusa.com Please do not respond to this email. Click here if you wish to unsubscribe.

© 2008 smart USA. All rights reserved.All illustrations and specifications contained in this email are based on the latest product information available at the time of sending. smart USA reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, in colors, materials, equipment, specifications, and models. Any variations in colors shown are due to variations in monitor resolution. Illustrations may include test situations. Some vehicles may be shown with non-U.S. equipment. Some vehicles are shown with optional equipment.

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This is a video that the Allen County Public Library Youth Services made to explain tag clouds. What is also interesting is that it uses Vimeo instead of YouTube which allows you to produce a much higher definition video. Also, you can click on the full screen icon in the bottom right of the video to view it full screen.

This came from the ACPL’s Innovation Through Technology Blog.

ACPL Youth Services Tag Cloud from Kaygraphic on Vimeo.
Check it out!

~Susan Mellott

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I am in the process of applying for VA benefits for my dad and one thing they wanted attached to the application was either the original DD214 (discharge paperwork) or a certified copy.

The VA Officer recommended that I not send in the original since it could get lost and we would be really out of luck.  Instead, I went to the City-County Building (our government offices) and went to the Recorders office and they recorded dad’s DD214 and gave me 2 certified copies for free.

They will be sending me the information for dad’s DD214 being recorded and as I understand, now that it is recorded, if I lose the original I can get a certified copy from the recorders office.

I did not even know about this.  But now that I do, I would definitely recommend that any veteran take their DD214 to their local recorders office and have it recorded.  As I have written about previously, your DD214 is gold and you DO NOT want to lose it!  To see my first post on this, click on “veterans” in the categories list, either at the top of this post, or in the categories list on the right.

There are many benefits that a veteran can get, but they all depend on having the DD214 to prove that you were in the service.

So while you still have it, go get it recorded!

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I am still dealing with some family problems but in the meantime, I thought I’d pass along the latest information I’ve received from Smart USA. And as soon as Tom gets his new Smart Car, I’ll post a picture of it. Should be soon!!!

~Susan Mellott

smart USA Newsletter, vol. 12

Vol.12 in this issue .01>> from the smart USA team .02>> smart USA dealer network

12.01>> from the smart USA team

Dear smart Enthusiast, What a way to start the New Year! We are thrilled to announce that the smart fortwo has finally arrived in the United States. The first shipment of cars are here and ready to be delivered to smart dealers. We are also pleased to announce our dealership network which will consist of 74 smart dealerships. By the end of January, 68 of the 74 dealers will be open and operational, subject to licensing and other required approvals. The remaining six smart dealers should be open by June 1st. Thank you to everyone who participated in our online surveys. We are pleased to announce that we have a great amount of interest in smart merchandise and you will soon be able to purchase this merchandise at your dealership and through our e-store. We also had a large number of votes for the naming of our enthusiast site. We are sorting through the most popular names nominated and will let you know the winner shortly. More information about the new enthusiast site will be available in next month’s newsletter. As always, for the latest information about smart please visit our website at www.smartusa.com. We appreciate your commitment and enthusiasm to the smart brand and we are excited to begin changing the landscape of the highways of America. Best regards, Dave Schembri President, smart USA

12.02>> smart USA dealer network

smart USA is pleased to announce its dealership network of 74 smart dealerships across the United States. smart USA dealerships will be branded as “smart center” with the city name (for example – the dealership in Beverly Hills, California will be called - smart center Beverly Hills). Each smart center will have a distinctive smart look, various display and demonstration cars, and a tridion safety cell. For the true smart enthusiasts, vehicle accessories and personal merchandise will also be available for purchase. A list of our dealerships, along with contact information, can be found on our website at www.smartusa.com. This list will be updated as dealerships open across the country. Please contact the dealership nearest you for additional information, including exact opening dates. Official smart USA Dealers State Dealership Name and City Location Market Arizona smart center Chandler Approx. opening date mid-January 7450 West Orchid Lane Chandler , AZ 85226 Phoenix California smart center Beverly Hills Approx. opening date mid-January 9250 Beverly Blvd. Beverly Hills , CA 90210 Los Angeles   smart center Santa Barbara Approx. opening date mid-January 401 S. Hope Ave Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Los Angeles   smart center Laguna Niguel Approx. opening date mid-January One Star Drive Laguna Niguel , CA 92677 Los Angeles   smart center West Covina Approx. opening date mid-January 2010 East Garvey Avenue South West Covina , CA 91791 Los Angeles   smart center Riverside Approx. opening date mid-January 8505 Indiana Avenue Riverside, CA 92504 Los Angeles   smart center Universal City Approx. opening date mid-January 4227 Lankershim Boulevard North Hollywood , CA 91603 Los Angeles   smart center Sacramento Approx. opening date mid-January 2625 Arden Way Sacramento , CA 95825 Sacramento   smart center San Francisco Approx. opening date mid-January 500 8 th Street San Francisco , CA 94103 San Francisco   smart center San Jose Approx. opening date mid-January 3940 Stevens Creek Boulevard San Jose , CA 95129 San Jose   smart center San Diego Approx. opening date mid-January 4750 Kearny Mesa Road San Diego , CA 92111 San Diego Colorado smart center Denver Approx. opening date in February 2855 S. Broadway Englewood , CO 80113 Denver Connecticut smart center Hartford Approx. opening date mid-January 650 Connecticut Blvd. East Hartford , CT 06108 Hartford   smart center Fairfield Approx. opening date mid-January 80 Commerce Drive Fairfield , CT 06825 Fairfield Florida smart center Jacksonville Approx. opening date mid-January 7018 Blanding Blvd. Jacksonville , FL 32244 Jacksonville   smart center Sarasota Approx. opening date mid-January 4821 Clark Road Sarasota , FL 34233 Sarasota/Ft. Myers   smart center Weston Approx. opening date mid-January 3500 Weston Road Davie , FL 33331 South Florida   smart center Palm Beach Approx. opening date mid-January 3974 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach , FL 33409 South Florida   smart center Coral Gables Approx. opening date in February 272 Valencia Ave. Coral Gables , FL 33134 South Florida   smart center Tampa Bay Approx. opening date in February 3800 W Hillsborough Ave. Tampa , FL 33614 Tampa/Clearwater   smart center Clearwater Approx. opening date in February 19820 US 19 North Clearwater , FL 33764 Tampa/Clearwater   smart center Orlando Approx. opening date mid-January 8675 Commodity Circle Orlando , FL 32819 Orlando Georgia smart center Buckhead Approx. opening date February 2799 Piedmont Road Atlanta , GA 30305 Atlanta Illinois smart center Lake Bluff Approx. opening date mid-January 775 Rockland Road Lake Bluff , IL 60044 Chicago   smart center Lincolnwood Approx. opening date mid-January 4255 West Touhy Avenue Lincolnwood , IL 60712 Chicago Indiana smart center Indianapolis Approx. opening date mid-January 4000 East 96 th Street Indianapolis , IN 46240 Indianapolis Kansas smart center Merriam Approx. opening date mid-January 9400 West 65 th Street Merriam, KS 66203 Kansas City Kentucky smart center Louisville Approx. opening date mid-January 2400 Blankenbaker Parkway Louisville , KY 40299 Louisville Maryland smart center Germantown Approx. opening date mid-January 19750 Germantown Road Germantown , MD 20874 Washington , D.C.   smart center Annapolis Approx. opening date mid-January 324 Sixth Street Annapolis , MD 21403 Baltimore Massachusetts smart center Boston Approx. opening date mid-January 259 McGrath Highway Somerville , MA 02145 Boston   smart center Lynnfield Approx. opening date mid-January 385 Broadway Lynnfield , MA 01940 Boston Michigan smart center Bloomfield Approx. opening date mid-January 1765 S. Telegraph Bloomfield Hills , MI 48302 Detroit Minnesota smart center Bloomington Approx. opening date mid-January 8033 Knox Avenue Bloomington , MN 55431 Minneapolis/St. Paul Missouri smart center Creve Coeur Approx. opening date mid-January 11830 Olive St. Rd. Creve Coeur , MO 63141 St. Louis Nebraska smart center La Vista Approx. opening date mid-January 7010 S. 124th Circle LaVista, NE 68128 Omaha New Jersey smart center Englewood Approx. opening date mid-January 24 Grand Avenue Englewood , NJ 07631 New York City   smart center Edison Approx. opening date mid-January 910 U.S. Route One Edison , NJ 08817 New York City   smart center Cherry Hill Approx. opening date mid-January 2151 Rte 70 West Cherry Hill , NJ 08002 Philadelphia New Mexico smart center Albuquerque Approx. opening date mid-January 1220 Renaissance NE Albuquerque, NM 87107 Albuquerque New York smart center Latham Approx. opening date mid-January 1111 Troy-Schenectady Road Latham , NY 12110 Albany/Schenectady   smart center Buffalo Approx. opening date mid-January 8185 Main Street Williamsville , NY 14221 Buffalo   smart center Manhattan Approx. opening date mid-January 536 W. 41 Street New York , NY 10036 New York City   smart center Roslyn Approx. opening date mid-January 1600 Northern Blvd. Roslyn , NY 11576 New York City   smart center White Plains Approx. opening date mid-January 460 Tarrytown Road White Plains , NY 10607 New York City   smart center Smithtown Approx. opening date mid-January 463 Middle Country Rd. St. James , NY 11780 New York City North Carolina smart center South Charlotte Approx. opening date mid-January 950 N. Polk Street Pineville , NC 28134 Charlotte   smart center Cary Approx. opening date mid-January 2400 Auto Park Blvd. Cary , NC 27511 Raleigh   smart center Winston-Salem Approx. opening date mid-January 691 Jonestown Road Winston-Salem , NC 27103 Winston-Salem Ohio smart center Bedford Approx. opening date mid-January 99 Broadway Bedford , OH 44146 Cleveland   smart center Easton Approx. opening date February 4300 Morse Crossing Columbus , OH 43219 Columbus Oklahoma smart center Tulsa Approx. opening date mid-January 9393 S. Memorial Tulsa , OK 74133 Tulsa Oregon smart center Portland Approx. opening date mid-January 9215 SW Canyon Road Portland , OR 97225 Portland Pennsylvania smart center Devon Approx. opening date mid-January 215 West Lancaster Avenue Devon , PA 19333 Philadelphia   smart center Pittsburgh Approx. opening date mid-January 4709 Baum Blvd. Pittsburgh , PA 15213 Pittsburgh Rhode Island smart center Warwick Approx. opening date mid-January 1557 Bald Hill Road – 2 nd Floor Warwick , RI 02886 Providence Tennessee smart center Knoxville Approx. opening date mid-January 10131 Parkside Drive Knoxville , TN 37922 Knoxville Texas smart center Dallas Approx. opening date mid-January 6113 Lemmon Avenue Dallas , TX 75209 Dallas   smart center San Antonio Approx. opening date mid-January 10739 I-H 10 West San Antonio , TX 78230 San Antonio   smart center Sugar Land Approx. opening date mid-January 15625 SW Freeway Sugar Land , TX 77478 Houston   smart center Houston North Approx. opening date mid-January 17510 I-45 North Houston , TX 77090 Houston   smart center Round Rock Approx. opening date mid-January 2132 North Mays – Suite 930 Round Rock , TX 78664 Austin Utah smart center Lindon Approx. opening date in February 530 S. Lindon Park Drive Lindon , UT 84042 Salt Lake City Virginia smart center Tysons Corner Approx. opening date mid-January 8601 Westwood Center Dr . Vienna , VA 22182 Washington , D.C.   smart center Alexandria Approx. opening date mid-January 1605 Fern Street Alexandria , VA 22302 Washington , D.C.   smart center Virginia Beach Approx. opening date in February 5193 Virginia Beach Boulevard Virginia Beach , VA 23462 Washington , D.C. Washington smart center Seattle Approx. opening date mid-January 311 Baker Boulevard Seattle , WA 98188 Seattle Wisconsin smart center Milwaukee Approx. opening date mid-January 11340 West Metro Blvd. Neenah , WI 53224 Milwaukee Expected smart center Locations State Serving the Market of…. Projected Opening Alabama Birmingham Second Quarter 2008 California Torrance Second Quarter 2008   San Rafael Fourth Quarter 2008 Mississippi Jackson Second Quarter 2008 Nevada Las Vegas Third Quarter 2008 South Carolina Charleston Second Quarter 2008

this message was sent by smart USA Distributor LLC 1765 S. Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield, MI 48302 1.800.smartUSA www.smartusa.com

© 2007 smart USA. All rights reserved.

All illustrations and specifications contained in this email are based on the latest product information available at the time of sending. smart USA reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, in colors, materials, equipment, specifications, and models. Any variations in colors shown are due to variations in monitor resolution. Illustrations may include test situations. Some vehicles may be shown with non-U.S. equipment. Some vehicles are shown with optional equipment.

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I’m sorry I haven’t updated my blog lately.  I am in the midst of a major family emergency and have not had time to do anything else.

I will start posting again when I can.  Until then, I hope you have a happy and peaceful holiday season.

~Susan Mellott

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Here is the latest update from Smart Car USA. The Smart Car Dealerships are due to open in January and the reserved Smart Cars will start to be delivered at that point. We know someone who has reserved and is getting a Smart Car, hopefully in January. He and his wife are very excited! I hope to get a ride in it when he gets it and I will take pictures and post them.

Also, here is an interesting article from the Associated Press (on sfgate.com) that is an interesting read in that it contains some rather negative thoughts about the Smart Car. Here is an excerpt:“Some industry analysts are skeptical about Smart’s chances in the United States, where trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers still command more than half the market and gas prices, while rising, still don’t approach Europe’s.

Schembri won’t say how many vehicles Smart hopes to sell in 2008, but Aaron Bragman, an analyst with Global Insight, said he doesn’t expect more than 20,000, and sales will probably fall off after that. By comparison, the Toyota Yaris — the most popular subcompact on the market — sold 73,874 units in the first 10 months of this year, according to Autodata Corp.

“I think it will be a novelty,” Bragman said. “It’s a very niche market, and I’m not very sure it has much staying power.”

Bragman said for the price, buyers could get a used car with a lot more space and practicality. Unless gas prices hit $5 to $6 a gallon, he said, it’s hard to picture Smart gaining much ground.”

I think they may be surprised at how popular the Smart Car will be. People were very surprised at how popular the Scion XB is, not only among it’s intended audience - young, hip college kids, but also with baby boomers, older people, active people and just a lot of people in general. We own one and are thrilled with it. It is a very, very practical car and I think that they underestimate how many people want a practical car.

And especially for city commuting, the Smart Car is perfect, as near as I can tell. It exactly fills that spot and does so better than any other car available. It is small, inexpensive, gas-efficient and attractive. Not everyone wants or needs a big, gas-guzzling SUV, although the industry seems to think so. Well, we’ll see.

Also, I apologize for the formatting on this, I cut and pasted it from the email newsletter I received and it didn’t come through as well as I’d like. I could edit it to make the columns a little less wide, but the white space I just couldn’t seem to get rid of. But the information is all there

Enjoy,

~Susan Mellott

Vol.11 in this issue .01>> from the smart USA team .02>> smart dealership announcements .03>> road show wrap-up .04>> enthusiast site .05>> smart merchandise

11.01>> from the smart USA team

Dear smart Enthusiast, Thank you for your continued interest in the smart brand. If this is your first e-newsletter – welcome to the smart USA family. This month we have many exciting announcements for our smart enthusiasts. The Reservation Confirmation Program is well underway. Our smart USA team is currently contacting groups of reservation holders every week. Once contacted, reservation holders will have the opportunity to change and confirm their vehicles’ model, color, and add options, as well as update personal information. Upon confirmation, your reservation will be converted into a production order. Your order will then be assigned to the dealer nearest you who will contact you once your order is actually in production. The smart USA team is creating an enthusiast site just for you! Here you will have the opportunity to chat about the smart fortwo, exchange ideas and interact with insiders across the country. This website will be ready for your participation in the new year. smart USA will also be announcing the majority of our dealership locations throughout the month of January, and as they open throughout the balance of the year. Please read below for more details. The US version of the smart fortwo made its debut at the LA Auto Show November 14-25. The smart fortwo will also be featured at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January 2008 and the New York auto show in March 2008. Lastly, we are pleased to share with you the official technical specifications for the US smart fortwo model. We hope that this information is helpful as you await the arrival of this amazing vehicle. Again, thank you for your continued interest. Best regards, Dave Schembri President, smart USA

11.02>> smart dealership announcements

We know that many smart enthusiasts have been anticipating the formal announcement of our dealerships around the country. In addition, our Reservation Holders are patiently awaiting phone calls from their local dealer regarding formalizing their order. At this time, smart USA will begin announcing the majority of our dealerships throughout the month of January, and as they open throughout the balance of the year. This is to ensure that all national and state government requisites have been met by smart USA and the local dealers. After the announcement has been made, dealers will begin calling Reservation Holders to discuss the status of their reservations and formalize purchase agreements and delivery of confirmed orders. We are on track to open the majority of our dealerships by the end of January, and begin deliveries when dealerships doors open. Until then, we will continue to contact groups of Reservation Holders by email weekly with our Reservation Confirmation Program. smart USA appreciates your continued patience and enthusiasm for the arrival of the smart fortwo. Please continue to direct questions about your the smart fortwo or Reservations to 1.800.smart.USA or by using the “Contact Us” tab on www.smartusa.com.

11.03>> road show wrap-up

The smart USA “street smart” road show has come to an end with one final stop in the Washington D.C. area December 7-9. The road show has proven to be a major success in every city we’ve visited! The road show visited 50 cities, reaching over 75,000 people through our street team static displays, and test drives. In fact, over 50,000 people had the chance to take a test drive and experience the smart fortwo firsthand. In each city, the smart fortwo was met with overwhelming enthusiasm and excitement! Some people drove as far as three or four hours to attend a road show event. Others test drove the vehicle and were so excited that they got back in line to take another drive. We thank you for your enthusiasm and patience and apologize if you experienced a long wait. We hope you think it was worth your time. Thank you to those who attended the show, met our smart USA team, and took the time to share your questions and ideas with us. With your help, the “street smart” road show exceeded our most optimistic expectations and was a hit!

1.04>> enthusiast site

Attention Insiders: Want to be a part of something new and exciting, and exclusively for smart fortwo enthusiasts? Here is your chance! The smart USA team has created a special enthusiast website where insiders are invited to chat about their car, exchange tips, questions and ideas, and meet other insiders across the country. Before we start, we need your help to name our enthusiast site. Click here to participate in our short online poll and submit your vote for the website name! Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!

11.05>> smart merchandise

smart merchandise items are coming! Make the sidewalk your catwalk with a new smart tee, baseball hat, keychain, and much more. We would like to see what items best suit your style! Please click here to participate in our one minute online poll.

this message was sent by smart USA Distributor LLC 1765 S. Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield, MI 48302 1.800.smartUSA www.smartusa.com

© 2007 smart USA. All rights reserved.

All illustrations and specifications contained in this email are based on the latest product information available at the time of sending. smart USA reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, in colors, materials, equipment, specifications, and models. Any variations in colors shown are due to variations in monitor resolution. Illustrations may include test situations. Some vehicles may be shown with non-U.S. equipment. Some vehicles are shown with optional equipment.

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What exciting news! Michael Stephens, noted Library 2.0 speaker, author and creator of the well-known blog, Tame The Web (and who is from Indiana!) will be giving a public speech at the Allen County Public Library Main Library Auditorium on December 14, 2007 from 10:30 - 11:30 on Top Tech Trends. Here is an overview of his speech:

What technology trends are changing the way we work and play? What trends have you tapped into? Join Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor at Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science, for an overview of trends and how libraries are responding. Michael Stephens has spoken to audiences in over 25 states and in three countries. He also writes a monthly column, “The Transparent Library,” in Library Journal with Michael Casey. His blog, Tame the Web, is read avidly by many librarians.

If this piques your interest in what Michael has to say, here is a fascinating video that Sean posted on his blog, ACPL’s Innovation Through Technology, by Erik Boekesteijn and Jaap van de Geer, DOK Delft Public Library, who interview Michael Stephens in Chicago about libraries and innovation.

And here is a brief bio of Michael Stephens:

Michael Stephens, Ph.D., is currently Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

After receiving an MLIS from Indiana University, he spent over fifteen years working in public libraries, where he developed a passion for the practical application of technology.

He published The Library Internet Trainer’s Toolkit in 2001, and two years later, he launched his popular weblog, Tame the Web. Since then, Michael’s writing has appeared in Public Libraries, Library Journal, Computers in Libraries, and a host of other publications.

In 2004, Michael was awarded an IMLS doctoral fellowship at University of North Texas, where he conducted research on social software and blogging. Named a “Mover and Shaker” by Library Journal in 2005, Michael joined Dominican’s faculty in 2006 and completed his Ph.D. in 2007. Recently, he has produced two ALA Library Technology Reports on Web 2.0.

Michael has spoken to audiences in over 25 states and in three countries. When not traveling or teaching, he resides in Mishawaka, Indiana, and enjoys escaping to Traverse City, Michigan.

Here is the PSA (Public Service Announcement) for Michael’s speech by Sean Robinson, head of IT at the Allen County Public Library:

And here is a link to the ACPL web page announcing Michael’s speech. I am very excited to meet Michael and to hear his speech. And stay tuned for Sean and Kay’s “Conversation” youtube video with Michael. After the speech, Sean and Kay will be interviewing Michael and then will produce a video of that interview as part of their “Conversation” series.

In the “Conversation” series so far is a 2-part interview with Jeff Krull, Director of the Allen County Public Library, and one with Stephen Abrams, Head of Innovation for Sirsi-Dynix. These areshort, professionally and beautifully produced videos, reminiscent of the style of the famous documentary director Ken Burns.

I am really looking forward to this Friday and then later, to watching Sean and Kay’s new video with Michael Stephens. I hope you all can come see his speech if you are in the area, or at least, stay tuned for my post announcing his “Conversation” video.

~Susan Mellott

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