I hear what you are seeing

 

My wife came home from shopping yesterday and handed me this little flyer. It was an "Oh, by the way, I donated to them today, bought them some things on their list..." Turns out a small team had a little table set up outside our local grocery store. They catch you on your way in - hand you this little flyer - and they let it unfold. Brilliant. Why? 

Handing over $5 or $10 would have worked too, right? The classic 'please give some money' to a worthy cause. And, I am sure that the good folks from Loaves & Fishes would happily WELCOME such a cash donation. Ah, but the magic is in the movement - not the money. 

As you are winding your way serpentine up and down the aisles of the grocery store - you are now a part of the solution. You, with your shopping list of most urgently needed items - you are now a part of THE STORY. 

As you place the shampoo or deodorant into your basket, you are now on staff at Loaves & Fishes. There is a REASON why certain items are in high demand. There are also things that are donated every month that are really not very helpful. Such as things that expire. Can you 'feel' the placing of healthy snacks for kids into your basket - especially if you have no kids of your own? 

Handing over $5 would have taken around four seconds, and you would be done. Ah, but now, as you are shopping for healthy snacks for kids - you ARE PART OF THE STORY. You are involved. You have now become an active volunteer for an amazing cause, the Loaves & Fishes. You are now a cast member in the show.

From the "timing in life is everything" section of life, into my inbox this morning, I saw the story about how in 1991, improv teacher Kenn Adams creates the Story Spine. The structure goes like this:

Once upon a time…Every day…But one day…Because of that…Because of that…Until finally…And, ever since then…(Optional) The moral of the story is…

At first, Adams teaches it to his students but nobody else. Then, in 1997, Pixar employee Rebecca Stockley walks into one of his classes. She loves the idea. So much so that she brings the Story Spine to Pixar, where she teaches it in the company’s improv classes. Writers and directors love it. It was definitely a lightbulb moment for the everyone in the room. 

Before long, the Story Spine is ingrained in Pixar’s writing culture. Over the next seven years, Pixar releases some of the most beloved films ever:

Toy Story 2 (1999) Monsters Inc (2001) Finding Nemo (2003) The Incredibles (2004)

Yes, Pixar developed amazing advanced animation tech and a deep understanding of IP, but many believe the Story Spine helped create the incredible consistency in their storytelling. The Story Spine technique pulls you into the journey. You are now not simply being entertained via amazing animation and graphics. You now feel like you are part of the story. You are involved. 

Lastly, when speaking to my wife about our partnership with Kajabi, she turned me onto Kaleb Wyse. He started documenting his daily life on his farm in Iowa, he didn’t think many people would take notice or even care. After all, his way of life is simple, guided by the seasons—he spends his days gardening, preserving, baking, and cooking, a rhythm not all that different from that of his parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents who worked the land before him. 

But it turns out that people from all over the country (and even the world) connected with Kaleb’s simple, back-to-basics way of living, and fell in love with his hearty, homestyle cooking. From casseroles to biscuits, his recipes hit the sweet spot of nostalgia for some—and are a breath of fresh air for others. 

In his debut cookbook, Kaleb shares his midwestern family recipes, updated for the way we eat today. And with 1M+ ENGAGED followers, he is going to sell some books. Lots of books. The money shot here is ENGAGED followers. Read on...

From Kaleb's website: "Common knowledge shows that there is a mass exodus from rural areas into urban ones. I completely understand why. Cities offer every amenity one could want: restaurants, shops, parks, culture, diversity – just to name a few of the reasons. This really begs the question: why – upon graduating from college – would I move back to the area where I was born and raised and live on a farm, smack dab in the middle of corn fields. I could go on to explain all the different small reasons, but really, none of those matter. What really matters and what I think we all strive to find in life is a sense of home."

Ah so. Kaleb used the Story Spine. Once upon a time…Every day…But one day…Because of that…Because of that…Until finally…And, ever since then…(Optional) The moral of the story is…

As I write my Sunday Blog, I think back to my first experience with The Story Spine. I was born in 1960, you can feel free to sing it with me...

Here's the story of a lovely lady.... Who was bringing up three very lovely girls... All of them had hair of gold like their mother...The youngest one in curls...

I bet you know the rest, right? I bet you 'feel' like you know that family. All of them. Ah yes, the magic of the Story Spine. They made you part of the family. You became part of the story. 

WyseGuide.com

I see what you did there

If you are on a smartphone, hold phone in landscape mode

I love Audible. I'm a big fan. Especially when it is a book read by the author. It feels like a private Master Class. When the author takes the time to create an audible book from their written book, it feels different. It feels better. It feels like we have a connection. It feels like they are talking directly to ME. 

The one thing that became very evident this month is that the data - the analytics of the audio book experience has not been lost on the marketing world. The good folks at Amazon (Audible) can tell what books I purchase, of course. But they can also see my level of interest in any/all of the books that I purchase. They can see how much time I invest in a certain book. The can tell if I went back and replayed a certain chapter. They can can tell if I downloaded the PDF that comes with the book. 

If I am reading a book on 'Marketing' then I might be someone that is very valuable to Hubspot or Mailchimp or Dotdigital. 

If I am reading a book on 'Telemedicine' then I might be someone who is very valuable to Teladoc or Zoom for Healthcare. 

As of today's Sunday Blog there are 174K+ online schools across North America. The NYDLA.org ( and now the NADLA.org ) services all of them. And, the (now) GlobalDLA.org also services their alumni. Are you someone who is thinking of taking an online course about AI? How about getting a Certificate on Cybersecurity? Or, are you going to get your 4-year college degree from such an online school like Purdue University Online or Penn State World Campus? Master's Degree? How about Law School? 

I have noticed that I am now getting emails/ads from schools for online courses, based on my reading habits (listening habits) from Audible. It makes sense. It's all about the data. After all, AI does not work without the data. And it is not just about online courses. Based on the reading (listening) habits you might get emails or see online ads that match the topic. 

I guess that all of this feels like I am a member of the world's largest 'Book Club' where folks like me (with my interests, my likes, my curiosity) can meet up. You know, we are all living, learning, working, playing, teaching, training, coaching, mentoring in the (now) Global Cloud COMMUNITY. 

TomCapone.com goes to my LinkedIn and TommyCapone.com goes to my Bluesky. Let's meet there. We can talk about your favorite books. Or podcasts. Or blogs. I'll let you decide. 

Boosting the Boosted

LinkedIn has been offering the "boosting" feature for company page posts for several years, with the option becoming widely available around mid-2021 when they rolled out updates to help companies expand their reach with less time and cost investment; essentially allowing users to pay to promote their organic LinkedIn posts to a wider audience beyond their followers. 

Key points about LinkedIn boosting:

Function: Users can "boost" a post from their company page to reach more people on LinkedIn beyond their existing followers. 

Introduction timeframe: The boosting feature was introduced gradually, with significant updates and wider availability around mid-2021. 

Purpose: To help businesses gain more visibility for their content and potentially reach new potential customers or clients. 

I think I might have cracked the code on LinkedIn Boosting. 

How much does it cost to boost a post on LinkedIn? LinkedIn boost post cost a minimum daily budget of $15 USD. One of the best things about a boosted post is that the budget is highly flexible. A LinkedIn post can be boosted for as little as $15, or you can spend $100K if you want your story to reach a wide audience. 

When I do a video podcast interview (CoffeeInTheClouds.us | ZoomTalks.us | NYDLAcast.com) with someone famous they will tell THEIR networks. And in some cases, these folks have a tremendous following on social media - aka LinkedIn. 

THAT is the post to boost! THEIR posts already have a tremendous following of engaged fans. After all, there is a reason why they have (I've seen 1M+) followers on LinkedIn. So, when you boost THAT post, it becomes like a force multiplier. You are boosting the boost! Their following becomes the ideal client persona - the ideal target audience for the topic at hand. LinkedIn calculates engagement rate by adding the number of interactions, clicks, and new followers acquired, divided by the number of impressions the post receives.

Say a LinkedIn post gets 1000 views and 100 engagements — then it has a 10% engagement rate. This is because: (10 engagements / 100 views) x 100 = 10%. A good engagement rate for LinkedIn is about 2%. However, this can climb all the way up to 5-6% at times. Other metrics you can use to measure your LinkedIn success include: Engagement rate, Content reach, Click-through rate (CTR), and Profile views. 

There are 1B+ professionals on LinkedIn and millions on LinkedIn Learning. The ROI on boosting is strong. What is the ROI of boosting a post of a famous person who is highly motivated to have (millions?) of people see THAT post? 

How does that TV commercial go again? 

"Priceless" 

What's a BlackBerry? Do you mean the fruit?

 

If there was no BlackBerry, there would be no AireSpring. And, no MTP-USA. 

When I was running my first MTP company - MaritimeTechnologyPartners.com we needed to find a source for BlackBerry phones and service. From around the year 2000 it was obvious that BlackBerry was going to be a very big thing. Turned out that AireSpring was a major BlackBerry supplier, and we found our vendor. 

In 2000 there were around 25,000 BlackBerry users globally. By December of 2012 the number grew to 80,000,000. It was the found in the holster on the belt of the most important people in the world. Former United States president Barack Obama became known for his dependence on a BlackBerry device for communication during his 2008 Presidential campaign. Despite the security issues, he insisted on using it even after inauguration. This was seen by some as akin to a "celebrity endorsement", which marketing experts have estimated to be worth between $25 million and $50 million. His usage of BlackBerry continued until around the end of his presidency. The Hillary Clinton email controversy is associated with Hillary Clinton continuing to use her black colored BlackBerry after assuming the office of Secretary of State.

I still service the Maritime Industry - but no longer for BlackBerry phones and service. 

In August 2022, it was announced that a docudrama film about the history of the BlackBerry brand, simply titled BlackBerry, had wrapped production. The film, written by Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller, was adapted from the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry. 

AireSpring made the pivot away from BlackBerry and into the telecom game. I made the pivot away from the Maritime industry and into education. Selling and service TBLS - Technology Based Learning Systems. So MTP became MyTeachingPartners.com  But AireSpring kept their name... AireSpring. 

Now in 2025 we are (still) a Master Agent for AireSpring, a company that has grown into one of the largest telecom and technology companies in North America. Some companies pivot, morph, change, adapt. Others fold. I guess that is my muse for today's Sunday Blog. Why do some companies shutter and others shine? 

Until an hour ago, I had no idea what I was going to 'blog on' this Sunday morning. And then my wife said "look what I found" in the hall closet, still with the original box. And it took me down memory lane. I remember how BlackBerry was such a big deal - how some people (like the President of the United States) were almost addicted to using it - being connected to your email from anywhere, at any time. 

June 29, 2007 was the birth of the Apple iPhone, and at that time there were 8,000,000 BlackBerry users around the world. As of 2023, there were an estimated 1.46 billion active iPhone users worldwide. At its peak in September 2011, there were 85 million BlackBerry subscribers worldwide. It has been years since I have seen a BlackBerry phone. Except in a junk drawer. 

Today, in 2025 we service the Maritime Industry on a global basis addressing their telecom and technology needs via AireSpring Global. And via AireSpring Wireless. And we are still their Master Agent. 

Just no more BlackBerry.  

www.GetAireSpring.com

Thanks for your Patronage!

A patronage dividend is a distribution of a cooperative's profits to its members based on the amount of business they do with the cooperative. Instead of being determined by the number of shares owned (as in traditional corporations), the dividend is allocated proportionally to each member's patronage — meaning the more you use the cooperative's services, the larger your share of the profit distribution.

For example, in a consumer cooperative, the more you shop at the co-op, the larger your share of the profits might be when the co-op distributes a patronage dividend. Similarly, credit unions use this concept to refund a portion of the interest earned on deposits back to their members. The Internal Revenue Code (26 USC §1388) even defines a patronage dividend as an amount paid to a patron based on the net earnings from business done with or for that patron.

The Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative (TAC-USA.com) activated patronage dividends in Q1 2025 and the results are.... nuts! Allow me to explain... 

You cannot do distance learning (or digital learning) without technology. So it made perfect sense that the Distance Learning Association would seek out and negotiate 'deals' on telecom and technology for its members. So, for many years, the members of the DLA could 'source' their hardware, software, connectivity, cybersecurity, platforms, books, courses, et.al. at volume contract pricing. Members Only Pricing. A simple 'strength in numbers' model. 

TAC 'was born' to be a value-added member benefit. It's purpose to exist was to service the membership of the DLA (since 1983). 

Here is what we learned - your mileage may vary!  

{ Nerdy legal and accounting stuff begins HERE } 

To offer patronage dividends, we needed to first structure the business as a cooperative and then embed the dividend mechanism into your cooperative’s operating rules. In practice, this involves several key steps:

Ensure your business is legally organized as a cooperative.

Draft or amend your bylaws to create a pre-existing obligation to pay patronage dividends. This means clearly stating that a portion of net earnings (usually determined on a taxable or book income basis) will be returned to members based on the volume or value of their transactions with the cooperative.

Define eligibility criteria (for example, whether only active, fully paid members qualify) and decide if acceptance of the dividend is a condition of membership. We made it automatic - all members of the TAC Co-Op automatically benefit. [ It’s wise to consult a legal professional to ensure your bylaws meet both IRS requirements under Subchapter T and state laws. ]

Develop an Accounting System for Patronage Tracking

Implement robust bookkeeping and point-of-sale systems that record each member’s transactions with the cooperative. [ We went with Intuit ENTERPRISE. ]

Use these records to calculate each member’s share of the net earnings, typically by applying a percentage based on each member’s purchases relative to the total. [ We decided that all members benefit equally. ]

Determine the Dividend Calculation and Distribution Method

Decide on the method for calculating net income eligible for patronage dividends. Many cooperatives use taxable net income or book income as a base. [ We decided to calculate patronage dividends as a share of overall net revenue. ]

Choose how the dividends will be paid out — this could be as cash, store credit, or even equity shares. (For example, some cooperatives distribute a minimum of 20% in cash to enable members to cover any associated tax obligations, with the remainder retained as equity.)

Set clear deadlines for members to claim their dividend benefits. For instance, the dividend should be available for claim within a defined period (often 8½ months after year-end), after which unclaimed amounts may be reallocated by the Board. [ Again, made it automatic and seamless. 'Hey, thanks for your patronage - here's your money!' ]

Member Education and Communication

Educate members about how the patronage dividend works, its benefits, and the claim process. Distribute the updated bylaws and regular statements or notices (often called “qualified written notices of allocation”) so that all members know the rules and see their individual allocations. [KISS: Keep it Simple Sam ] 

Tax and Regulatory Compliance

File the appropriate tax forms, such as the cooperative’s Form 1120-C and, if required, IRS Form 1099-PATR (or elect not to file it using Form 3491 if you meet the criteria).

Follow IRS Subchapter T guidelines so that the dividends remain deductible by the cooperative and potentially tax-free to members (depending on the nature of their purchases).

By following these steps — structuring your cooperative properly, setting clear policies in your bylaws, implementing accurate accounting systems, choosing the appropriate payout method, and ensuring member communication — you can successfully offer patronage dividends. This approach not only returns a portion of profits to your members in a fair and transparent way but also helps optimize tax benefits for both the cooperative and its members.

{ Nerdy legal and accounting stuff has now ended }

OK, land the plane Tom... what does this mean to ME? 

Well, let's use a real-life example. Let's say that 1% of the 174K+ DLA portfolio schools across North America are ready for a 'Technology Refresh' on their computers. Let's say that 1,740 schools want to purchase 1,000 Lenovo Laptops for $1,000. {could be any brand...} Well, that would be 1,740 x 1,000 x $1,000 or $1,740,000,000 in laptops. So, if even 5% of that transaction for Lenovo Laptops was applied as patronage dividends, then $87,000,000 would be distributed to all members of the TAC Co-Op. Feel free to play around with the numbers, but 'the math' is sound.  

AND SO... if there were 10,000 TAC Co-Op members - then each member of the TAC Co-Op would get $8,700 in patronage dividends. 

So, you tell me: would you pay $25 per month (or $250 per year) to access the volume contract pricing / wholesale cost pricing of the Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative - to also get an automatic patronage dividend of $8,700 because a bunch of schools decided to buy a bunch of new computers? 

And... what if we opened up access to the TAC-USA Cooperative to all of the alumni of the 174K+ portfolio schools? And... what if we did this with everything: all telecom, all technology, all hardware, all software, all professional services. Laptops, desktops, cameras, Internet. Everything in the world of telecom and technology that is needed to live, learn, work, play, teach, train, coach, mentor in the GLOBAL Cloud COMMUNITY? 

Hey, why not use the TAC patronage dividends to pay for school? To pay for (or offset) the tuition from one of the 174K+ portfolio schools of the GlobalDLA.org? Penn State World Campus has 775K+ alumni, Rutgers 600K+ and Purdue Online 400K+  It adds up fast. 

Say, where did YOU go to school? 

Yes indeed. The Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative (TAC-USA.com) activated patronage dividends in Q1 2025 and the results are... well, you tell me. 

If you want to learn more about membership in the GlobalDLA.org or TAC-USA.com 

you can email me directly anytime: CEO@TAC-USA.com 

I want to be Frank with you

Frank Caprio is a former Chief Judge of the Providence Municipal Court in Rhode Island, best known for his compassionate and humorous approach to justice. He gained widespread recognition through the TV and social media series "Caught in Providence," which features real cases from his courtroom. His fair and empathetic handling of cases, especially those involving struggling individuals, has earned him a global fanbase. His new book "Compassion in the Court" is already a best seller. 

Key Facts About Judge Frank Caprio

Full Name: Francesco Caprio

Born: November 23, 1936, in Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Career: Served as Chief Judge of the Providence Municipal Court for over 30 years. His courtroom cases became famous for his kindness, often waiving fines for those in financial distress.

Caught in Providence was originally a local program but gained national and international popularity through YouTube and social media.

Education: Attended Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Other Roles: Former chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.

Practiced law privately in addition to his judicial duties. His philosophy of justice emphasizes fairness, understanding, and second chances, which has resonated with millions of people around the world.

Frank Sonnenberg is an American author, speaker, and thought leader known for his work on leadership, personal values, and business ethics. He has written extensively about the importance of integrity, trust, and moral character in both personal and professional life.

Key Facts About Frank Sonnenberg

Career: A widely respected thought leader in leadership, values, and ethical decision-making. His work emphasizes the role of trust, accountability, and strong moral principles in success. He has been recognized as one of America’s “Top 100 Thought Leaders” in Trust.

Books: Follow Your Conscience, Managing With a Conscience, Soul Food: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, The Path to a Meaningful Life

Writing & Influence: Frank runs a well-regarded blog on leadership and values, reaching millions. His insights have been widely shared in business circles and self-improvement communities.

Social Media often gets a bad rap. We tend to forget that 'the Internet' was invented as a result of several technological developments over time, rather than a single event. However, key milestones include:

1960s: The foundation of the internet was laid with the creation of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), developed by the U.S. Department of Defense's ARPA (now DARPA). The first successful message transmission between computers happened on October 29, 1969.

1970s: In 1973, Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn developed the TCP/IP protocol, which became the fundamental communication system of the internet.

In 1974, the term "Internet" was first used in a research paper referring to a global network.

1983: The official birth of the internet—ARPANET switched to using TCP/IP, making it a fully functional network.

1990: Tim Berners-Lee developed the World Wide Web (WWW), which made the internet accessible to the public by introducing web pages and browsers.

The internet, as we know it today, evolved from these early foundations into a global network connecting billions of people. If there was no internet, there would be no social media, no books on Audible, I would not have this Sunday Blog. And there would be no Coffee In the Clouds video podcast. 

I met Frank Sonnenberg as 'friends' on Facebook. I met Frank T. Caprio (the son of Judge Frank Caprio) on LinkedIn. One of my favorite things is to host "Zoom Talks" with authors, promoting their books and works. My video podcast interview with Frank Sonnenberg is 'in the can' as they say. I hope to get Judge Frank 'Caught on Zoom' later this month. See what I did there? 

I run the (now) Global Distance Learning Association (GlobalDLA.org) and we would not exist without the internet. We are democratizing education on a global basis via disruptive technology. 

Via tools like Zoom, we can change lives, and even save lives (telemedicine). We started doing 'distance learning' in 1983, long before the internet even existed. I remember when we mailed VHS tapes and audio books - THAT was state of the art technology back in the day. As of this blog in 2025 there are 174K+ schools across North America in the DLA community. We now service students living all around the world, in every time zone. And we reach the alumni of these schools. And of course, thanks to the power of the internet, we can be....

Frank with all of them. 

Red Pill or Blue Pill?

In the context of the movie "The Matrix," choosing a "red pill" means accepting a potentially unsettling truth and waking up to reality, while choosing a "blue pill" means staying in blissful ignorance of the truth, essentially choosing to remain in a comfortable illusion; the phrase is now used metaphorically to represent a choice between confronting uncomfortable reality or maintaining a comfortable lie. 

Origin: This phrase comes from a scene in the movie "The Matrix" where the character Morpheus offers Neo the choice between a red pill and a blue pill. 

Red Pill: Represents the choice to see the truth, no matter how harsh or disturbing it might be. 

Blue Pill: Represents the choice to remain in a comfortable state of ignorance. 

I write this Sunday Blog on 2/2/2025 while the USA placed 25% Tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and 10% Tariffs on China. This is not a political blog - but it is a 'Red Pill'. Prices are going to go UP for all of us. Not down as promised, but UP. Fact. Did you vote for a price increase on your gas and groceries? Yes? OK, cool, you got what you voted for. 

Humans respond to fear - much more dramatically to fear and negatives, than to safety, security and bliss. 

In the film The Matrix, the main character Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) is offered the choice between a red pill and a blue pill by rebel leader Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne). Morpheus says "You take the blue pill... the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill... you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." It is implied that the blue pill is a sedative that would cause Neo to think that all his most recent experiences were a hallucination, so that he can go back to living in the Matrix's simulated reality. The red pill, on the other hand, serves as a "location device" to locate the subject's body in the real world and to prepare them to be "unplugged" from the Matrix.

For years, higher education was a Red Pill / Blue Pill decision. Here in the USA, K-12 public education is FREE. It was made available to all citizens for 100 years. You COULD send a child to private school, pay money, to provide your child with a superior education. When I went to High School in Boca Raton Florida, my best friend Paul when to Boca Raton Academy. My public education was free, Paul's HS education cost his parents thousands of dollars per year. Paul had less than one hundred in his HS graduating class, I had well over a thousand. 

For years, the decision to 'go to college' was a Red Pill / Blue Pill decision. Quality of life was connected to the quality of education. Getting an MBA was (is?) considered an investment that will pay back an ROI in lifelong career earning potential. Going to RUTGERS is going to cost less than going to DUKE, all things considered. And not going to college at all, is going to impact overall lifelong earning potential.

Or will it?

Grocery shopping at KINGS in Boonton is going to be around 25% more expensive than shopping at ACME in Boonton. Both KINGS and ACME are owned by Albertsons - and they also own Balducci's, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco. I notice that 'the same thing' at ACME is usually less expensive than at KINGS. By around 25%. So, why (how) can KINGS and ACME co-exist in BOONTON USA, less than a mile from each other? And why do I go to KINGS and why does my wife go to ACME? 

But if saving money on household goods is the mission, then it's COSTCO or Aldi. Or, so I hear... I don't shop at either, but maybe I should start. 

Where are you going with this, Tom? 

When you have the ability to choose: Go To College vs. No College. KINGS vs. ACME vs. COSTCO. Live in NYC vs. New York State vs. New Jersey (and commute). Republican vs. Democrat (or vote vs. stay home / no vote) you are taking the Red Pills. 

The PROBLEM comes when taking 'The Red Pill' and expecting to see (and act on) the truth, make decisions based on the facts, and you get 'Blue Pill' results. You did not get what you bargained for, right? How do you feel when you choose TRUTH and you get anything but the truth? 

If I CHOOSE to shop at KINGS and pay 25% more, that is on me. It was a choice. As you drive West from NYC, the cost of living, the cost of housing goes DOWN. How far West are you willing to live, and still commute back and forth to NYC every day? You get to decide, you are in control. 

There is a saying "Reports are only valuable if read by the King." Meaning, you don't need to know the truth if you are not planning on making decisions based on facts. If you are not planning on making life-decisions based on reality, then Blue Pills are just fine. 

AND SO... if you went shopping at ACME in BOONTON USA and the prices were suddenly 25% higher than found at KINGS just a mile away... how would you feel? If there was a sign on the door that said: "Effective immediately all prices in the store have been raised by 25%" what would you do? You still have control - you can get back in your car and drive to KINGS. Or, just go inside ACME since you are already there (one last time). Control. 

Red Pill or Blue Pill? In all things.....