Why Not To Term The Term Addict Lightly (Even "I'm A Twitter Addict".

I AM NOT A “TWITTER ADDICT” (AND NEITHER ARE YOU)

c2009 By Rick London



I grew up what one might call fortunate. I had all “the opportunities” in that I came from a successful and well-known family. Two of my family members were two of the most well-known worldwide in their trade, one a poetess, and one a U.S. Supreme Court Judge. Being “successful” is such a misnomer in our culture. As Leo Tolstoy pointed out in his opening of Anna Karenina, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. . Success is not “just more money”; in fact money often has very little to do with it. It is about happiness combined with a healthy lifestyle, loving family and friends.

The western world is still learning that depression, addiction, and other emotional disorders exist and pays no mind to social status. My own family had its share of alcoholism, addiction, suicides
and much trauma. I am not sure why, I survived, but I did, after many years of “acting out”. I returned to college at age forty-four. I learned new skills and a trade. I learned to love stability, nature, know how precious family, friends and other loved ones are, the necessity of communing with nature and animals, and taking care of my body/mind/and soul.

There is still way too much stigma attached to addiction, depression, and other real medical ailments, in which the one afflicted cannot help it any more than one suffering with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or multiple (you name the disease).

These other diseases do not have stigmas. In fact the only two disease of which I am aware in which the person suffering from the disease is “identified with the disease”. For example, if a person walking down the street with congestive heart failure is seen, nobody says “There goes a heart diseased person”, if someone with cancer is observed, nobody says “There goes a cancerous person.

But if someone has an addiction, you can almost be sure, they will be described as “their disease”. “He/she is an addict” or “He she is an alcoholic”. Same is true with depression. “There goes Bill, he's
depressed you know” (as if that is the only asset Bill has...depression).

How do we stop this stigma. I believe the first step, has more to do with society (NOT afflicted with these diseases), than those with it. For instance, as innocent as it might seem (and cute/funny) to say “He/she is addicted to Twitter” or “He she is an Internet addict”; it lessens the severity of the scope of the disease. It may seem harmless, but it is not. Do I sit in judgment? Of course not. I used to say the same thing, until it came to my attention, I was furthering the stigma, therefore making it harder for struggling people to find real medical treatment.

I have worked in writing, media, and the entertainment business for almost three decades. The media has covered it so thoroughly, and how epidemic these disease are in it, that it would be redundant to
go into here with a sermon.

So who can facilitate change? I believe the media can. Major network media. They need to understand that “it's just not funny” to compare constructive, productive social networking such as Twitter or Facebook (or whatever) with a fatal disease such as an addiction. The “leader sets the tone” and in our country, the leaders, are often in the media.

I hope that one day, a brave, insightful “major media player” will read this article and help facilitate that it is “as uncool to correlate lethal diseases, and pin tags of modern day society at work, when, all it does is further the stigma, hence the depression, and finally death of the person suffering.

Please think about it. I am not for censorship, and anyone has the right to “make light of addiction, etc with the gratuitous “I'm a Twitter Addict”, but if you can see the harm it does, perhaps you'll think twice. There are millions of sufferers in our country, who need and want help, but won't get it, simply
because of “the jokes”, though done in fun. I know nobody means harm. But it is time to be conscious of this very serious stigma that we are prolonging, and deterring sufferers from receiving help.

Thank you for allowing me to share my views.

Londons Times Cartoons Offering $500 Gift Certificate To Lucky Twitter

TOP GOOGLE OFFBEAT CARTOONIST/& OFFBEAT GIFT SHOP OWNER GIVING $500 GIFT CERTIFICATES TO LUCKY TWITTER


Dateline: Hot Springs, Ar. March 11, 2009: Cartoonist E-entreneur Rick London

announced today his firm, Rick London Group, LLC., is offering a $500 gift

certificate to his award-wining top-ranked offbeat cartoon funny gift stores, if Twitters

will put him at the top of Twitter. Making it “to the top” simply

means having the most followers. (His user name is “ricklondon”) on Twitter.

London's six award-winning Internet stores feature over 165,000 gift items

such as coffee mugs, T-shirts, gourmet coffee gift baskets (his own line of

farm-fresh coffee beans with cartoon mugs and coasters, teddy bears, maternity

wear, magnets, buttons, jogging suits, caps, aprons, hoodies, shoes, wall and

desk clocks, and much more more.

London is also the designer of (Shoes That Amuse) women's casual sneakers with

famous love quotations and graphics of the famous person who penned them,

featured recently in USA Today and AP Wire which will also be included in the

contest.

London adds, “But not to worry, even if I don't make it to the top, (Obama is

there now), I am giving a $100 certificate for the most 'retweets'. So I really

don't have to be at the top for other Twitters to win. Simply following me and

retweeting, and one can still win a $100 gift certificate,

easily, without even a drawing. We simply count the retweets of each Twitter

member at the end of the contest.

A re-tweet is when another blogger at Twitter copies and pastes your tweet with an

“RT” in front of it which stands for “retweet”, giving the original blogger credit

for the post, and, sharing it with , often a whole separate network of followers.

London will allow 120 days for the contest to end, and a name to be drawn at

random on his birthday which is July 16th. . London plans to print his page of

followers, cut the names into squares, place them in a box, and draw one.

London adds, “In addition, we plan to issue a press release, if the winner wishes,

including his/her name and web address to the wire services for yet more value to

the prizes. Londons adds, “There also will be a second prize winner, of a $100 gift

certificate.

In addition, a $50 second prize for the second most “retweets”.

The gift certificates will be good at all of London's stores. He founded Londons

Times on March 22, 1997, and it has grown to be one of the most visible sites on the

Internet, and Google's #1 ranked offbeat cartoon and gifts since 2005.

He will also add an extra $25 bonus gift certificate if the winner has visited his

main cartoon site and signs up for his monthly newsletter.

His stores include

Rick London Special Editions Top-selling funny gifts

Rick LondonWear Rare line of funny rock star memorabilia and other novelty gifts

Rick London Collection Huge variety of best-selling funny gift ideas

Londons Times Superstore Londons largest funny gift store and exclusively sells world's only gourmet coffee cartoon gift basket (Londons Own Line).



Rick London Organics (organic cotton tees) bearing his top-selling cartoon images.

Shoes That Amuse (World's Only Famous Love Quotation Shoes) These are not cartoon products but women's casual shoes he designs.

For more information: contact: info@londonstimes.us

For Spreadsheet (Temp Blog)

Londons Times Cartoons Gets Ok From Keds For Offbeat Cartoons

Londons Times Cartoons Becomes First Single-Panel Offbeat Cartoon On Shoes

Cartoonist/writer Rick London announced today that Keds has given the green light to at least 15 of his offbeat cartoons that now appear on a line of U.S. Keds for women on both slip-ons and lace-ups.

This development comes on the 11th year anniversary of Londons Times Cartoons. Rick London founded the cartoon in an abandoned Mississippi metal warehouse on a used pc in very bad shape, a few dollars, and a phone line.

That was in 1997. Today it is the most visible cartoon on the Internet with over 8000 images, luring over 3 million annual visitors and has ranked the #1 offbeat cartoon on Google since 2005.

These funky shoes can be seen at Rick London Funny Gifts.

Londons Times Cartoons Now On Woman's U.S. Keds

Londons Times Cartoons Becomes First Single-Panel Offbeat Cartoon On Shoes

Cartoonist/writer Rick London announced today that Keds has given the green light to at least 15 of his offbeat cartoons that now appear on a line of U.S. Keds for women on both slip-on and lace-ups.

This development comes on the 11th year anniversary of Londons Times Cartoons. Rick London founded the cartoon in an abandoned Mississippi metal warehouse on a used pc in very bad shape, a few dollars, and a phone line.

That was in 1997. Today it is the most visible cartoon on the Internet with over 8000 images, luring over 3 million annual visitors and has ranked the #1 offbeat cartoon on Google since
2005.

The offbeat cartoon Keds can be seen at Funny Shoes

Google's #1 Ranked Offbeat Cartoon, Londons Times Celebrates 11 Years In March

Cartoonist and founder of Londons Times Cartoons, Rick London, says "Beware of my idle cartoons of March, but I hope not very idle".

London's story is legendary within the cartoon world. He began his venture with no art background, no money, no home (he lived in an abandoned warehouse in rural Ms. for a year, had a phone line, a stray mutt, $200 and a beat up clone pc computer. Oh, and a book titled "Internet For Dummies" as he'd not learned the net yet.

Eleven years later Londons Times Cartoons or LT Cartoons is one of the most visible cartoons on the Internet with over 3 million visitors per year and has been the #1 ranked offbeat cartoon on the Internet since 2005 (Google Rankings).

London owns a number of E-stores featuring his cartoon merchandise, funny tees,
funny mouse pads, funny greeting cards, funny clothing, and other cartoon collectibles.


Cartoonist and founder of Londons Times Cartoons, Rick London, says "Beware of my idle cartoons of March, but hopefully not very idle".

London's story is legendary within the cartoon world. He began his venture in March of 1997, with no art background, no money, no home (he lived in an abandoned warehouse in rural Ms. for a year, had a phone line, a stray mutt, $200 and a beat up clone pc computer. Oh, and a book titled "Internet For Dummies" as he'd not learned the net yet.

Eleven years later Londons Times Cartoons or LT Cartoons is one of the most visible cartoons on the Internet with over 3 million visitors per year and has been the #1 ranked offbeat cartoon on the Internet since 2005 (Google Rankings).

London is known to love “all things Irish” so he is glad Londons Times Cartoons falls
within a week of St. Patrick's Day (anniversary is March 22)

Since it's beginnings London has created a number of “world's firsts” such as:

First offbeat cartoon to reach the Alexa top 100,000 most popular websites

First offbeat cartoon to be approved by U.S. Keds as one of their products

First (and only) cartoon of any type to “go green with merchandising”; producing
100% organic cotton tees for men and women at Rick London Organics (Bono
of U2 provides the textiles for all women's tees; American Apparel for men's,)

First offbeat cartoon to stay at Google's #1 ranking for 3 years in a row (Going on Fourth)

First cartoon to create a gourmet coffee gift basket (the mug and coasters feature LT Cartoons)

First and only cartoonist to create custom cartoons for Dr. Vinton Cerf (Father Of The Internet), Barbara Orbison (Widow of Roy Orbison), and Xaviera Hollander (The Happy Hooker) First (and only) offbeat cartoon to receive approval from the U.S. Post Office for real postage; more than 30 images

London owns a number of E-stores featuring his cartoon merchandise, funny tees,
funny mouse pads, funny greeting cards, funny clothing, and other cartoon collectibles.

London adds, “When he started, it was merely a hobby between he (the writer and concept man) and a few artists. We had no idea it would grow like it did and take a life of its own. I still wake up every day thinking it might be a dream and will disappear any day now. But it keeps growing and our merchandise remains popular. I am very grateful, and I thank you, the public for making it what it is. We could not have done anything close to this without your continued support.”

He says when he started, it was merely a hobby between he (the writer and concept man) and a few artists. We had no idea it would grow like it did and take a life of its own. I still wake up every day thinking it might be a dream and will disappear any day now. But it keeps growing and our merchandise remains popular. I am very
grateful, and I thank you, the public for making it what it is. We could not have done anything close to this without your support.

Londons Times Cartoons Has More World's 1sts

Londons Times Cartoons, founded by Rick London in 1997, has several more "world's firsts" and "world only" under it's belt.

A. Londons Times Became the first cartoon for the U.S. Post Office to approve
it on real U.S. funny postage stamps available at the Rick London Funny Gift Store. About 30 different images are in circulation now.

B. Londons Times Cartoons is the first offbeat cartoon to be the #1 ranked on Google 3 years in a row.

C. Londons Times Cartoons is the first cartoon to "go green" with it's merchandising. It has opened an online shop of funny tees of using 100% organic cotton (for men and women)

D. Londons Times is the first cartoon to feature offbeat single panel cartoons
on funky women's shoes>. (or any shoes for that matter) at our Rick London Funny Gift Store.

Rick London founded Londons Times Cartoons in 1997 in an abandoned Ms. warehouse where he lived and worked for a year. He started with only $300, a beat up IBM
clone computer, a phone line, a book called "Internet For Dummies" and his late
stray mutt dog "Thor". (and the clothes on his back). He had lost everything in the
1994 Northridge Earthquake in Ca. London now lives in the Ouachita Mountains of
Arkansas and owns 6 online stores and is a return-to-school nontraditional adult
student at age 54.