[W + (D-d)] x TQ
M x NA

The model is broken down using 6 immediately identifiable factors; weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing our new
year.s resolutions, low motivational level and feeling of a need to take action.

W . Weather

This takes account of the depression in weather systems which affects the UK around January, bringing with it low dark cloud (making the days feel shorter), cold wet and sleet conditions and
very little sunlight.  After the Christmas break we are forced to go outside particularly in the mornings, increasingly exposing ourselves to the unpleasant weather conditions.

D . Debt

The amount of debt we.ve accumulated over the Christmas period and the ability to pay all or most of this debt at our next pay day. the greater the difference between the amount owed and the amount paid off the greater the depression.  Also we are stretched by the pressure of January sales and concerned that our next pay day won.t cover the deficit.

T . Time since Christmas

Recharging during the Christmas bank holidays gives us a positive feeling towards work and new plans but this feeling begins to wear off by the third week of January.  It could be a good
time to make concrete plans to look forward to, like a holiday.

Q . Time since failed quit attempt

Having joined the millions of people who have made New Year’s resolutions to curb their unwanted behavior, within an average of 6-7 days the majority of people will return to their habits. 
This will result in a sense of failure which knocks confidence, but this could be reversed if they begin to make changes again.

M . General motivational levels

Following party season, it dawns on us that the fun is over and all that we have postponed for the festivities returns to haunt us.  Ritual and domestic duties see the exciting plans and enthusiasm of early January go out the window.

NA . The need to take action

This refers to the human need to look forward to positive things.  The realization that the party is over makes now an ideal time to organize something to look forward to provide a motivating focus, for example saving for a holiday.

• If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you’re “exotic, different.”
• If you grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, you’re a quintessential American story.

• If your name is Barack, you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
• If you name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you’re a maverick.

• If you graduate from Harvard Law School, you are unstable.
• If you attend 5 different colleges before graduating, you’re well grounded.

• If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you don’t have any real leadership experience.
• If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.

• If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.
• If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.

• If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
• If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system, while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

• If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.
• If you’re husband is nicknamed “First Dude”, with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

This is really a cool idea. Takes only a few minutes to send your cards out and its a lot of fun to get postcards in the mail.

Looking forward to getting another batch of postcards out in the mail and for more to come in!

Pretty simple idea and a great way to get interesting postcards from around the world especially fun for the kids.

UPDATE In case it isn’t obvious, you will need to provide your name and address in order for people to send you a postcard. This might be something you want to consider before you sign up. If you are a paranoid type of person, this project probably isn’t for you. Or, you can do what I usually do and use a derivitive of my real name for things like this, in my case I use my first and middle initials as my first name. This way when I get things for CR Moewes, I know that they are from online signups.