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  • Answer Upon - An Analysis of Lenox (LNX)

    Residual Income From the Internet – An Opportunity For Freedom
    Residual income from the internet is a passive non-linear income. That is to say it does not have a direct relationship to what you need to do to achieve it. This is quite different than income earned from employment where there is a direct relationship between the money you earn and what you have done to earn it. The top five percent of earners in the country earn more among them than the other ninety-five percent put together and this five percent do not get their money from employment. Their money builds up out of residual income from the internet.With the rise of the internet, earning a residual income has become the dream of many and a reality for the successful. Having a residual income brings freedom because you are no longer a slave to the clock. This is because there is no direct relationship between the money coming in and the work that you do. If most people stopped working tomorrow their money would stop with it. If they have no savings then they are in trouble. Residual income from the internet just continues coming in whether you are working or not.More people are learning that the internet provides a host of opportunities to earn a residual income. One way of doing this is through affiliate marketing. This is where you introduce somebody to a website and they take out a subscription or buy a product on that website. When that happens, you get paid part of that subscription or purchase price and you get it every time they make a payment. The more people you sign up, the more money you make. This is money that you don’t have to work for, it is passive income based on what somebody else does
    ng shares of common stock in Lenox, Rush River owned 0.79%, MacKenzie owned 0.07%, and Norqual owned 0.07%.

    Please keep in mind that this 7% stake in Lenox is controlled by Mr. Morgan; but, not Winmark Corporation (WINA), a publicly-held franchisor of retail stores. This is an important distinction to keep in mind (especially since Winmark is a public company).

    Morgan is the Chairman and CEO of Winmark; MacKenzie is the Vice Chairman. However, their stake in Lenox has nothing to do with Winmark. In fact, last time I checked, Winmark did not have a

    Build a Better Blog
    So, you’re blogging. Congratulations! Are you thrilled with your site or do you wish it had more to it? More traffic…more pictures…more ad revenue… I know exactly what you mean! If you want a jam up blog, then going with the status quo is not something that you want to do. Instead, set your blog apart from the pack and your blog will really rock. You might even make a little extra income too!Jet Movements and The Article Writer are the two blogs I currently manage. I also blog on a few other sites and I am considering becoming a paid blogger for a popular business site. Still, my blogs have to perform to the level I want them to perform and that involves some hard work and dedication on my part. I’m up to that challenge!Traffic Patterns – I’ve built traffic to my blogs by linking them to several other sites that I manage. Might as well take advantage of what I own to promote what I manage. In addition, when I blog elsewhere I am not shy about linking back to my blog. Finally, I add tons of links to each blog and this move has kept the traffic flowing.Get Pictures – Yes, including pictures with your blog entries is a must. Maybe not with every entry, but at least with some of the entries. On my Jet Movements blog, I frequently contact companies and ask them if I can get a logo or some other picture that they own and use it with a blog about that company. Naturally, I am not about to bash the company, so don’t go that route if you want their help. Many are only too happy to oblige as they see you helping them promote their business.Get Press Releases
    Below is a letter from Mr. John L. Morgan, beneficial owner of approximately 7% of Lenox (LNX), to Ms. Susan E. Engel, Chairwoman and CEO of Lenox.

    Dear Susan,

    When your board offered me a directorship on September 18, 2006, we discussed the reasons that made it unacceptable. At that time, I reiterated that I could best serve the shareholders of Lenox Group by assuming a leadership role on the Board of Directors and playing an active role in formulating and guiding the strategic direction of the Company. Furthermore, I expressed my intention to not make changes in the management or Board of Directors. My views were based on information I had at that time.

    The Board’s rejection of my offer to help the Company create a successful strategy has given me a different perspective. I now feel that the Board has decided to pursue a course of action that is not in the best interests of the shareholders and is a continuation of the strategies that have failed to create value over the past ten years.

    The management team and Board of Directors continue to behave like the Company is a large, successful Company that has margin for making more mistakes. I do not agree. My offer to assist the Company in changing its strategy to benefit shareholders has been rejected although I proposed to work with the existing management and Board of Directors. You have made your position clear and I hope this letter will do the same for me and other likeminded shareholders.

    Very truly yours,

    John L. Morgan

    The Ownership Situation

    First, let me explain the ownership situation. The reporting persons are John L. Morgan, Kirk A. MacKenzie, Jack A. Norqual, and Rush River Group. Rush River Group is a limited liability corporation (LLC) of which Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual are members.

    Rush River was formed in December 1998 in Minnesota and "its principal business activities involve investing in equity securities of privately owned and publicly traded companies, as well as other types of securities." As far as I can tell, the only members of Rush River are the three aforementioned men: Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual.

    According to a recent SEC filing, Morgan beneficially owned 6.1% of the outstanding shares of common stock in Lenox, Rush River owned 0.79%, MacKenzie owned 0.07%, and Norqual owned 0.07%.

    Please keep in mind that this 7% stake in Lenox is controlled by Mr. Morgan; but, not Winmark Corporation (WINA), a publicly-held franchisor of retail stores. This is an important distinction to keep in mind (especially since Winmark is a public company).

    Morgan is the Chairman and CEO of Winmark; MacKenzie is the Vice Chairman. However, their stake in Lenox has nothing to do with Winmark. In fact, last time I checked, Winmark did not have an

    Investing Mistakes Series: Mistake #3 Investing in Mutual Funds
    Many people believe that mutual funds are simply the best way to invest for the long term. That's what all the advertisements say, right? They are diversified, relatively safe, and have professional management. For some people, investing in mutual funds makes a lot of sense. People who should invest in mutual funds know that the stock market is a great way to create lasting wealth, but they don't want to make the effort to learn to invest correctly. These people are not "too dumb", or "don't have time", or whatever excuse they make. There is nothing wrong with someone like this, they just make it a lot more difficult to create wealth for themselves. Investing is a continual learning process. There is no magic formula or special degree required to be a great investor. The only requirement is desire. Anyone can have that. For those who don't want to make the effort to understand how the market works, hand your money to a pro. They will charge you outrageous fees, but at least you might be able to sleep at night.FeesThe main reason you want to avoid mutual funds, if you choose to make the effort, is fees. "Management fees" and "loads" will rob you of potential returns. Here's how: Without Mutual FundsMary buys 100 shares of XYZ company. She pays her broker $10 to execute the trade. The shares were at $10 per share when she bought the company. Her total investment was $1000. She owns the stock for 5 years and it goes to $50 per share. Her investment is now worth $5000 and she has a profit of $4000. Mary decides to sell her shares. She
    t make changes in the management or Board of Directors. My views were based on information I had at that time.

    The Board’s rejection of my offer to help the Company create a successful strategy has given me a different perspective. I now feel that the Board has decided to pursue a course of action that is not in the best interests of the shareholders and is a continuation of the strategies that have failed to create value over the past ten years.

    The management team and Board of Directors continue to behave like the Company is a large, successful Company that has margin for making more mistakes. I do not agree. My offer to assist the Company in changing its strategy to benefit shareholders has been rejected although I proposed to work with the existing management and Board of Directors. You have made your position clear and I hope this letter will do the same for me and other likeminded shareholders.

    Very truly yours,

    John L. Morgan

    The Ownership Situation

    First, let me explain the ownership situation. The reporting persons are John L. Morgan, Kirk A. MacKenzie, Jack A. Norqual, and Rush River Group. Rush River Group is a limited liability corporation (LLC) of which Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual are members.

    Rush River was formed in December 1998 in Minnesota and "its principal business activities involve investing in equity securities of privately owned and publicly traded companies, as well as other types of securities." As far as I can tell, the only members of Rush River are the three aforementioned men: Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual.

    According to a recent SEC filing, Morgan beneficially owned 6.1% of the outstanding shares of common stock in Lenox, Rush River owned 0.79%, MacKenzie owned 0.07%, and Norqual owned 0.07%.

    Please keep in mind that this 7% stake in Lenox is controlled by Mr. Morgan; but, not Winmark Corporation (WINA), a publicly-held franchisor of retail stores. This is an important distinction to keep in mind (especially since Winmark is a public company).

    Morgan is the Chairman and CEO of Winmark; MacKenzie is the Vice Chairman. However, their stake in Lenox has nothing to do with Winmark. In fact, last time I checked, Winmark did not have a

    Keyword Generators: A Useful Way To Increase Website Traffic
    Once a website is created, all webmasters have a wish of directing web traffic in the direction of their website. Although this process may seem to be a complicated one, it is actually not a complicated process. All that is mainly required are search engines and keywords.Keywords are actually words that are used by viewers searching for information in the internet. These keywords can be bought from a search engine company so that appropriate ad banners can be displayed when a viewer searches a particular word. If one aims at getting a high search engine placement for a relevant search, the website much contains the appropriate positioning and density of keywords related to the search terms used. A keyword generator is a tool that is used to generate the most popular keywords and word phrases that people use to search websites from the search engine. All that one has to do is to write a keyword that is related to your business wherein the keyword generator automatically generates the most popular keywords for that business. So by using a keyword generator, one can find the keyword that people will use to look for your product or service, and then incorporate this keyword in your website through articles or the text of the website.It can be seen that with the use of search engines, people use words from keyword generators to link a user to their specific sites. So in a way, the keyword generator is indirectly responsible for the increase in the web traffic to a site. However, the search engine finds the particular website using a few criteria. The ranking of the website page in the search engine is depend
    Company that has margin for making more mistakes. I do not agree. My offer to assist the Company in changing its strategy to benefit shareholders has been rejected although I proposed to work with the existing management and Board of Directors. You have made your position clear and I hope this letter will do the same for me and other likeminded shareholders.

    Very truly yours,

    John L. Morgan

    The Ownership Situation

    First, let me explain the ownership situation. The reporting persons are John L. Morgan, Kirk A. MacKenzie, Jack A. Norqual, and Rush River Group. Rush River Group is a limited liability corporation (LLC) of which Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual are members.

    Rush River was formed in December 1998 in Minnesota and "its principal business activities involve investing in equity securities of privately owned and publicly traded companies, as well as other types of securities." As far as I can tell, the only members of Rush River are the three aforementioned men: Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual.

    According to a recent SEC filing, Morgan beneficially owned 6.1% of the outstanding shares of common stock in Lenox, Rush River owned 0.79%, MacKenzie owned 0.07%, and Norqual owned 0.07%.

    Please keep in mind that this 7% stake in Lenox is controlled by Mr. Morgan; but, not Winmark Corporation (WINA), a publicly-held franchisor of retail stores. This is an important distinction to keep in mind (especially since Winmark is a public company).

    Morgan is the Chairman and CEO of Winmark; MacKenzie is the Vice Chairman. However, their stake in Lenox has nothing to do with Winmark. In fact, last time I checked, Winmark did not have a

    Pointers in Getting More Traffic to You Web Site
    If you are the owner, operator or manager of an Internet based business, you perfectly understand that the very success of your venture depends upon the volume of traffic that you are able to draw to your web site. With this in mind, you may be wondering how you can get more traffic to your web site. Through this article you will be provided with helpful pointers that you can use in order to get more traffic to your web site.First and foremost, if you really are serious about taking steps to get more traffic to your web site you will want to make certain that your web site looks great. You will want to make certain that you develop and create an attractive, functional -- professional -- website.Second, if you want to get more traffic to your web site, you will want to make certain that your web site contains SEO enriched content, make certain that your web site contains keywords that will be attractive to search engines. The right content and the right keywords (correctly placed) at your web site can make all of the difference in the world.Third, if you want to get more traffic to your web site, you will want to consider seriously embarking on a link building campaign. Through link building -- by getting a link to your website placed at other reputable sites -- you will be able to enhance the amount of traffic to your web site.
    and Rush River Group. Rush River Group is a limited liability corporation (LLC) of which Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual are members.

    Rush River was formed in December 1998 in Minnesota and "its principal business activities involve investing in equity securities of privately owned and publicly traded companies, as well as other types of securities." As far as I can tell, the only members of Rush River are the three aforementioned men: Morgan, MacKenzie, and Norqual.

    According to a recent SEC filing, Morgan beneficially owned 6.1% of the outstanding shares of common stock in Lenox, Rush River owned 0.79%, MacKenzie owned 0.07%, and Norqual owned 0.07%.

    Please keep in mind that this 7% stake in Lenox is controlled by Mr. Morgan; but, not Winmark Corporation (WINA), a publicly-held franchisor of retail stores. This is an important distinction to keep in mind (especially since Winmark is a public company).

    Morgan is the Chairman and CEO of Winmark; MacKenzie is the Vice Chairman. However, their stake in Lenox has nothing to do with Winmark. In fact, last time I checked, Winmark did not have a

    Question: How Can I Tell if a Book is a Valuable, Out-of-print Collectible?
    QUESTION: How can I tell if a book is out of print? If Amazon isn't selling new copies, can I sell it for more than the original retail? With some of my books, I don't know the original price.ANSWER: Technically, a book is "out of print" when its publisher declares it "out of print," and stops supplying it to wholesalers and bookstores. This can happen a few years after publication if sales have dropped off substantially. If sales remain healthy for a nonfiction book, the publisher may declare it "out of print" and print a second edition. This cuts the value of used copies, except of course in cases where the first edition is collectible.If Amazon isn't selling new copies, that's a good indication a title is out of print. I suppose you could find a few examples of in-print books that aren't sold by Amazon, but these would likely be titles with virtually no demand -- and probably dead weight for your inventory.For our purposes, any scarce book is a potential winner, and whether it's technically "out of print" is beside the point.Setting your price is an art, not a science. The correct price is whatever the buyer is willing to pay, so long as you both believe the deal is fair. Pricing your copy above retail is your only smart option when the title is in demand and copies are scarce.In the early days of Amazon Marketplace, only "collectible" books could be priced above the original list price, but this has changed. In my inventory today, I have several titles I've managed to find (in quantity) where the Marketplace price is significantly above retail. I'm not referring here to c
    ng shares of common stock in Lenox, Rush River owned 0.79%, MacKenzie owned 0.07%, and Norqual owned 0.07%.

    Please keep in mind that this 7% stake in Lenox is controlled by Mr. Morgan; but, not Winmark Corporation (WINA), a publicly-held franchisor of retail stores. This is an important distinction to keep in mind (especially since Winmark is a public company).

    Morgan is the Chairman and CEO of Winmark; MacKenzie is the Vice Chairman. However, their stake in Lenox has nothing to do with Winmark. In fact, last time I checked, Winmark did not have any material investments in marketable securities.

    The reported position amounts to 989,300 shares of Lenox. Shares of Lenox last closed at $6.23 a share. So, the position would be worth a little over $6.16 million. Since Winmark only has a market cap of $126 million, I want to make it clear Winmark does not have a position in Lenox – Morgan does. He just happens to be the Chairman and CEO of Winmark. I hope this clears up any possible confusion about Winmark.

    Lenox

    Now, I can move on to discussing the truly interesting aspect of this news, Lenox itself.

    Lenox is the result of a September 2005 merger between Department 56 and Lenox Incorporated. Prior to the merger, Department 56 was known for its "Village Series of collectible, handcrafted, lighted ceramic and porcelain houses, buildings and related accessories that depict nostalgic scenes". That last sentence was taken directly from the company's 10-K, simply because I couldn't write a better description myself. I assume most of you have seen the series. Even if you haven't, I'm sure you can imagine the concept of a little porcelain Christmas scene.

    Obviously, the Lenox name is much better known than the Department 56 name. Therefore, when Department 56 acquired Lenox, it changed its name to Lenox.

    In its 10-K, the company calls the Lenox acquisition a "transformational event". This term is too often applied to mergers that are far from transformational. In this case, however, it’s a perfectly accurate description.

    Whether the transformation is for better or worse is debatable; however, the fact that the merger has transformed the company is not debatable. To put the size of this transaction in perspective, consider this: Today, Lenox (the combined company) has a market cap of $88 million. In September 2005, Department 56 paid $204 million to acquire Lenox Group. Immediately, this should tell you two things. One, the acquisition was probably quite large relative to the existing business. Two, the combined company's stock price has tanked.

    Both of these statements are true. Even when shares of Department 56 were a lot more expensive, the Lenox acquisition was very large relative to the existing business when considered from t

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