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<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:51:20 GMT--><rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:rss="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:admin="http://webns.net/mvcb/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:cc="http://web.resource.org/cc/"><rss:channel rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/"><rss:title>Kubota Blog</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/</rss:link><rss:description>From the World Wide Action Hero Headquarters</rss:description><dc:language>en-US</dc:language><dc:date>2010-03-12T11:51:20Z</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.squarespace.com/">Squarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)</admin:generatorAgent><rss:items><rdf:Seq><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/10/branding-identity-the-sum-of-all-parts.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/9/core-strength-for-your-studio-at-wppi.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/6/wppi-plus-class-creative-surprises.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/1/great-blog-for-beginner-to-intermediate-photographers.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/24/wppi-is-only-days-awayget-ready-for-some-exciting-new-kubota.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/23/favorite-1-liner-bits-of-advice-from-photographers-everywher.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/22/pma-2010-workshop-notes-for-attendees.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/22/this-excites-and-scares-me.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/19/ill-b-this-party-in-vegas.html"/><rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/16/customer-service-notebook-acemagnetics-gets-all-aces.html"/></rdf:Seq></rss:items></rss:channel><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/10/branding-identity-the-sum-of-all-parts.html"><rss:title>Branding &amp; Identity: The sum of all parts</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/10/branding-identity-the-sum-of-all-parts.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-03-10T17:21:25Z</dc:date><dc:subject></dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='posterous_autopost'>Yesterday Clare and I taught a workshop at WPPI for the VIP attendees. It was a "no holds barred Branding and Identity" workshop and we discussed the critical aspects of creating your brand by way of your logo, points of contact, website, marketing materials, etc. We did live reviews of all the marketing materials from 8 participants and it was very revealing and educational. One of the main things we saw was a break in consistency between the look and feel of identity pieces from web to print to display. Sometimes a logo looked different, sometimes colors were different, sometimes the entire feel of things changed from place to place. It's really important that your logo, brand message, fonts, colors, etc. are consistent. Look through every corner of your website, blog, business card, ads, studio, etc. and see if the message is consistent. Does it match your keywords? (the keywording exercise is something we do in class to identify 3 adjectives that describe your work). It was a fun class and went by way too quick!<p /><div>If you were in attendance and want to download the notes,&nbsp;<a href="http://tr.im/RkJn">they are here</a>. Just remember, you'll need the password given to you at the workshop to download and open the PDF file. Thanks!</div>  </div>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/9/core-strength-for-your-studio-at-wppi.html"><rss:title>Core Strength for your Studio at WPPI</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/9/core-strength-for-your-studio-at-wppi.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-03-09T16:39:08Z</dc:date><dc:subject></dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='posterous_autopost'>It was a great evening at WPPI. I loved the energy from my guests and was thrilled to see so many people and smiling faces. My good friend Tony shared with me after the show about the "transference of energy" and how people don't always realize how much they can affect one person, or a group of people, by the quality and quantity of their energy. I certainly felt great energy from the room and it made for a really fun night. The program was on the culmination of ideas, concepts, techniques, and services that I've learned and used over my 20 years in business. One of my key points at the end was on the importance of "Riding the Dragon of Fear", which is the process of facing and dealing with the things that are either uncomfortable or causing you some fear or resistance. It seems it always turns out for the better when you <i>ride it now.</i><p /><div>I have to admit, I was a bit worried about having my program alongside the fabulous&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jasminestarblog.com/">Jasmine Star</a>. I'd go see HER if I had a chance too! A few days ago I teased her about us speaking at the same time and told her I fully expected an empty room 'cause they'd all be in her program :-) She was very sweet, and told me about her very first WPPI experience years ago when she came to one of my programs and became very inspired. She said she hoped that she could just inspire one person the way I inspired her. Jasmine, I'm sure you've inspired thousands by now. She's an amazing woman and hope everyone will get a chance to see her and get to know her a little better too.</div><p /><div>For those in attendance,&nbsp;<a href="http://tr.im/Rczy">here's the link&nbsp;</a>to download the seminar notes. I hope it brings you much success! Don't forget you'll need the password I shared with you at the program to download and view the notes. Thanks again everyone!</div>  </div>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/6/wppi-plus-class-creative-surprises.html"><rss:title>WPPI Plus Class creative surprises</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/6/wppi-plus-class-creative-surprises.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-03-06T20:39:16Z</dc:date><dc:subject>Cool Things I've Discovered workshop workshop</dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was LMAO when I saw this. I love teaching workshops 'cause I meet the coolest, most creative people. It's such a treat for me to share my experience and to learn and be inspired by the talent and energy of my attendees. This Plus Class at WPPI was a whirlwind 2 days, but it wasn't until near the end of the second day that I discovered a couple little gems in the crowd. I'm sure there were many more hidden goodies in the group, but it's just so difficult to mine them all when time is so limited. That's one reason I love our weeklong <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="Kubota Image Tools site" href="http://www.kubotaimagetools.com" target="_blank">Digital Bootcamps</a>&trade; - we get a chance to go a little deeper and discover the gifts we each have.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you are looking for the workshop notes, and you were an attendee, <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="download site" href="http://tr.im/QRrg" target="_blank">click here</a>. You'll need the password I gave you at the class to download and open the file.</p>
<p>If you want a great laugh, check out these two videos from two dudes in my class!</p>
<p>The first video is from <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="Simon's site" href="http://www.valophotography.com" target="_blank">Simon McConico</a>. He put this vid together for a contest to win free tuition to the full WPPI extravaganza and he won! You'll see why. It's soo cool and creative and Simon put it together in ONE day! Wow. He even wrote the music and sang! I bet we'll be hearing more about Simon in the future ;-)</p>
<p><object width="500" height="375"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9965553&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9965553&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="500" height="375"></embed></object></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>This next vid was created by J.P. Pierce, who is an accomplished filmmaker turned photographer. J.P. shared this with me just as we were leaving class on the final day and I can't believe I almost didn't get to see it! It gave me the best laugh I've had in...in...well, I don't know when I've laughed like this. J.P. made this video as a real wedding invitation to his own wedding and is now offering it as a service to his own customers. People are eating it up! Such a great way to use all your talents. <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="Genesis Films site" href="http://www.genesisfilms.com" target="_blank">Check out J.P.'s film site here</a>.</p>
<p><object width="500" height="283"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9965577&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9965577&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=0&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=00ADEF&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="500" height="283"></embed></object></p>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/1/great-blog-for-beginner-to-intermediate-photographers.html"><rss:title>Great blog for beginner to intermediate photographers</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/3/1/great-blog-for-beginner-to-intermediate-photographers.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-03-01T18:24:02Z</dc:date><dc:subject></dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='posterous_autopost'>I was recently honored to be featured on this great photographers blog site. They not only showcase photographers, but provide free tips and tricks that are very useful to photographers looking to start or improve their businesses.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.photographybb.com/magazine">Check it out!</a>&nbsp;Here's some info from their site:<br /><p /><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">"PhotographyBB Online Magazine is a free downloadable e-magazine mainly geared towards beginner and intermediate level digital photographers. Each edition features digital photography tutorials/techniques, a look at issues concerning today's photographers, Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials, along with a featured photographer "In the Spotlight." The magazine is&nbsp;published by a dedicated and hard working team of volunteer contributing authors, who simply wish to "give back" to the growing digital photography community, in a fun and positive manner."</div><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p /> </div> </div> <p><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/kevinkubota/tpLfrlJCdEFuplvpRhe5rhYbxedXW5a28CHIYliWt7mIY4vuPmMUQ01Ala7x/PhotographyBB_Kevin.jpg" width="430" height="300"/> </p>  </div>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/24/wppi-is-only-days-awayget-ready-for-some-exciting-new-kubota.html"><rss:title>WPPI is only days away...get ready for some exciting new Kubota products!!! Come to booth #1719 for demos!</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/24/wppi-is-only-days-awayget-ready-for-some-exciting-new-kubota.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-02-24T23:07:47Z</dc:date><dc:subject></dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='posterous_autopost'>      <p style="font-size: 10px;">  <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a>   from <a href="http://kubotaimagetools.posterous.com/wppi-is-only-days-awayget-ready-for-some-exci">Kubota Image Tools Live</a>  </p>  </div>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/23/favorite-1-liner-bits-of-advice-from-photographers-everywher.html"><rss:title>Favorite 1-liner bits of advice from photographers everywhere</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/23/favorite-1-liner-bits-of-advice-from-photographers-everywher.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-02-24T04:46:09Z</dc:date><dc:subject>Customer Service Notebook Facebook Journal Entries Tips &amp; Tricks contest tips</dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I ran a fun contest on <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="my fan page on Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/kevinkubotaphotographer" target="_blank">my Facebook page</a> asking for photographers to share their favorite one sentence bit of advice - either something they've heard, or something they concocted. It was really great to read through them all! The winning one-liner earned it's creator a FREE FULL YEAR membership to <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="SmugMug website" href="http://www.smugmug.com" target="_blank">SmugMug PRO</a>! Sa-weet deal for sure. You can see the 100+ one-liners on <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="my fan page on Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/kevinkubotaphotographer" target="_blank">my FB page</a> if you're looking for some laughs and inspiration. I had to ask my staff to pick the winning entry as I just had too hard a time. The top 10 are here...and the winner was....<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Erin Wray Cady </strong><br /> I heard this one early on and it stuck with me: <br /><em>Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.</em></p>
<p>The other top 10 were...</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Heather Brizendine Gill </strong><strong><br /></strong>Never stop learning - everyone has something to teach you!<br /><br /><strong>Jennifer Lebron </strong><br />Connect to a community &amp; create conversations about what you love.<br /><br /><strong>Sally Benn Clark </strong><br />Above all else, be yourself.<br /><br /><strong>Diane Nanos Parsons </strong><br />Have great customer service! You can be the best photog in the world but no one will book you without your customer service (Smug Mug is a GREAT example of perfect CS!)<br /><br /><strong>Riz Crescini </strong><br />You need new equipment like you need a hole in the head. Invest in yourself instead!<br /><br /><strong>Courtney Paine Bodily </strong><br />Believe in what your doing, believe in who you are!<br /><br /><strong>Colin Vincent </strong><br />As a photographer, one of your goals should be to make pictures *with* things, rather than to take pictures *of* things.<br /><br /><strong>Conrad Flemming </strong><br />The best photography investment I've ever made was buying comfortable shoes.<br /><br /><strong>Russell Haddock </strong><br />Do or do not....there is no try - Yoda :-)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I actually like Russell's recitation of Yoda myself!</p>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/22/pma-2010-workshop-notes-for-attendees.html"><rss:title>PMA 2010 Workshop notes for attendees</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/22/pma-2010-workshop-notes-for-attendees.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-02-22T21:35:17Z</dc:date><dc:subject>Journal Entries PMA notes workshop workshops</dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanks to all who attended my Lightroom Professional Workflow hands-on session at PMA. I apologize that they ran out of chairs for everyone to sit on! It was really exciting to see what PMA has done with their convention - with more of a focus on professional level photography education. I wish I had had more time to peruse the tradeshow floor, but it was a quick in-and-out for me.</p>
<p>The notes from the session are available for <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="download the workshop notes" href="http://tr.im/PmW4" target="_blank">download here</a>. You'll need the private password I gave you at the workshop to be able to download or open the notes. If you were there, your feedback is welcomed!</p>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/22/this-excites-and-scares-me.html"><rss:title>This excites and scares me!</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/22/this-excites-and-scares-me.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-02-22T21:21:28Z</dc:date><dc:subject>Cool Things I've Discovered Journal Entries TED talks technology</dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Technology is amazing, I often imagine myself in 10 years, looking back at the technology we have today and thinking "that was SOO archaic!" - just as we do today, looking back 10 years. TED talks are really inspiring and fun to watch, a friend shared this one with me and it made me go "OMG, LOL, and ZOMG" all in the same 8 minutes! Can you imagine the how cool...and cruel this could be? What are your thoughts?</p>
<p><object width="446" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"></param> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/PattieMaes_2009-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/PattieMaes-2009.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=481&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense;year=2009;theme=what_s_next_in_tech;event=TED2009;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgColor="#ffffff" width="446" height="326" allowFullScreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/PattieMaes_2009-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/PattieMaes-2009.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=481&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense;year=2009;theme=what_s_next_in_tech;event=TED2009;"></embed></object></p>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/19/ill-b-this-party-in-vegas.html"><rss:title>I'll [b] @ this party in Vegas!</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/19/ill-b-this-party-in-vegas.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-02-19T23:45:39Z</dc:date><dc:subject>Becker Journal Entries Las Vegas WPPI party</dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Friend and fellow Igniter at this years WPPI, Becker, will [b] hosting his much anticipated annual event again and it just gets better every year! While we all go to WPPI to learn and grow, you gotta have a little fun too...OK, maybe a lot of fun. Anyway, don't miss this party and don't miss the charismatic Becker when he Ingites the stage, along with 19 other photographers, at the <strong><em><a class="offsite-link-inline" title="Photographers Ignite site" href="http://www.photographersignite.com" target="_blank">Photographers Ignite</a> </em></strong>session<strong><em> </em></strong>Thursday from 9-11am. It's the closing program to WPPI! You should have time to recover from his party by then ;-)</p>
<p><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://tr.im/OXJh" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/storage/b_party-flyer2010.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1266623472484" alt="" /></a></span><span class="thumbnail-caption" style="width: 450px;">Click the image to sign up for the party!</span></span></p>]]></content:encoded></rss:item><rss:item rdf:about="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/16/customer-service-notebook-acemagnetics-gets-all-aces.html"><rss:title>Customer Service Notebook: AceMagnetics gets all aces.</rss:title><rss:link>http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/kubota-blog/2010/2/16/customer-service-notebook-acemagnetics-gets-all-aces.html</rss:link><dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator><dc:date>2010-02-16T18:58:58Z</dc:date><dc:subject>Customer Service Notebook Journal Entries customer service</dc:subject><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I don't listen to the news or read newspapers. I know, I know, people  always ask "how do you know what's going on in the world?" My answer:  if anything important happens, someone is bound to tell me about it.  Actually, the real reason I don't read/watch the news is the  preponderance of bad news. I don't want to start or end my day with  that messaging. I believe that you create your own happiness by the  people and thoughts you keep with you most. So, I want good news in my  mind most. It's worked for me and I'm a happy person.</p>
<p>I recently blogged about my customer service notebook, where I keep a  written record of great acts of customer service, marketing tidbits,  and ideas for improving my customer relations. I then refer to these  notes whenever I am working to improve my own business to make sure I  live up to the very best experiences I've personally had.</p>
<p><strong>CSN entry 2010-02-15.</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong>Short story. A few years ago I met a woman on an airplane who was  pushing 90 years. She was talking to everyone non-stop, starting in  the airport lobby, and I could tell everyone secretly hoped she would  not end up sitting next to them on the plane. She sat next to me on  the plane. She was deep in to conversation with me before she even had  her purse stowed, and I knew it would be a long flight. It was  actually the shortest flight of my life. She was amazing. Full of  energy, life, adventure (she was on her way for an African safari with  her girlfriend), and love. I enjoyed every minute of our flight and  talk together. At the end of the flight, I could not help but give her  a giant hug and thank her for the conversation and inspiration. She  began to tear up and took the bracelet off her wrist and put it on  mine. She said it was a magnetic bracelet and she wore it 'cause it  helped her circulation, arthritis, etc. She said, "Don't worry, I can  get another one, you take this one." I didn't think much of the  healing qualities at the time, but I thought it was a very special  gift and reminder of her spirit. I gladly accepted and wore it 24/7.</p>
<p>Two months later, the eczema on my hands that I had endured since  childhood was gone. I noticed one day that I hadn't had a flare up in  a while and couldn't quite attribute it to anything new in my diet or  lifestyle...then I remembered the bracelet and what she told me about  circulation. That was the only thing I could connect the mysterious  healing to. I didn't really care if it was the solution or not, but I  wasn't going to stop wearing the bracelet anyway and my eczema never  came back. That's been about 6 or 7 years now.</p>
<p>There is a CSN story in here! Hang on...So, since the original  bracelet, I've unfortunately lost the one she gave me, but immediately  replaced it with a new style that I purchased, after much searching  online, from <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="AceMagnetics site" href="http://www.acemagnetics.com" target="_blank">AceMagnetics.com.</a> This was a few years ago. Since I wear  this thing 24/7, it occasionally gets hooked on something and falls  off, but I find it. Recently I lost it but never found it, so I rushed  online to order a new one. <a class="offsite-link-inline" title="Acemagnetics site" href="http://www.acemagnetics.com" target="_blank">AceMagnetics</a> had a new style that was  similar so I ordered. It came very quickly and, alas, it was a wee bit  too small. I emailed Ace on a Friday night (of course not expecting a  reply until Mon or Tues at best) to see if I could just order a link  and have my local jeweler add it on. I thought the next size up would  be too big. By Saturday morning, Jay From Ace emailed back and said  they didn't have links but he would put the next size up in the mail  right away so I could compare - no charge. Wow. A few days later I got  the next size and it was fine. I emailed Jay to get a return address  for the smaller size. Almost immediately he replied back, "Keep it and  share it with a friend."  That's what I call service<span class="thumbnail-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><a href="http://www.acemagnetics.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/storage/bracelet.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1266347145648" alt="" /></a></span><span class="thumbnail-caption" style="width: 255px;">my bracelet</span></span></p>]]></content:encoded></rss:item></rdf:RDF>