These are wonderful, Lynn. The advice from childhood that always stuck with me was to be specific with your thank you (your #3) — describe what exactly you appreciated about the gift. I also appreciate the nod to honesty. If it wasn't right for you, there are tons of ways to still express thanks without lying. One other thing that stuck with me, for whatever reason, is to resist the temptation to thank them twice. That is, you don't say "thank you again" at the end. That's a tough one, and I'm not even sure of its purpose, but I can't break the habit of abiding by it.

Great exercise, Lynn! I personally would break it up even further. I generally keep paragraphs to two or three sentences or three or four lines. Here's mine: Are you looking for a new strategy to earn publicity for your product or client? The team at PTPA Media are your people! From influencer programs to the top trending Twitter parties, they have a community of over 100,000 families who are just waiting to hear about your product or service! Over the past year they were featured on The Steve Harvey Show, Ricki Lake, HLN, Marie Osmond, and EXTRA! Do you have a product that you would love to get in front of moms? Now is the time to get it tested by PTPA! Their awards program is the most recognized across North America! Even better? PTPA Media has over 1,000 bloggers in their network who write for them. These guys have the credibility and the connections. HARO members, submit your application form before December 31 and you'll receive a $200 discount on premium submissions using the coupon code "____." Go to http://bit.ly/NJpkb6 to set up your profile, or click here (http://ptpamedia.uberflip.com/t/151114) to download their media kit. Get going! It's not often you come across a company that can do this much for your brand!

It looks great, David. One small thing: I wonder if it's also possible to customize your favicon (for those who don't know, it's the icon that shows up next to your site name in the browser tab) from the standard Typepad icon? I only noticed because I had your blog post open and in the very next tab was someone else's Typepad blog and they weren't differentiated (in a browser window with lots of tabs open). Just a small branding detail—it seems the typewriter guy has potential to be a good one.

David, I'll have to watch American Hustle again when it comes to demand -- very cool! I had a non-speaking part standing behind Nicolas Cage and Hope Davis in The Weatherman, but mostly I do commercials and print work, including several national spots and campaigns. Rodney, no doubt visual arts like photography and painting allow you to see the world in a whole new way!

I also quit my job with a big PR agency to go out on my own. One of the things I did was pursue a second career as an actor—that's opened up doors and perspectives that I never could have imagined. Everyone should pursue an art. Pick up a guitar or harmonica or a canvas and paint or take an improv class. It will get you thinking in new and surprising ways!

She wins, based on the fact that the agency's video was preceded by an ad. (At least when I played them.) But also because the agency never answered the charge that they value quantity and hits over quality. I give them points for being good sports, but the fact that they didn't answer the accusation makes me think they don't have an answer.

This is great news! I think I bought THREE versions of Keith Richards' book. They need to make the process as easy and seamless as possible—and that includes audio.

Hear hear! Reminds me of my favorite quote on the subject, by Lao Tzu: "Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to."

Wait, if I had gone to the Stones concert in Chicago, could I have written it off as a business expense? Great post. What I've always admired about Jagger is how he manages to create this huge physical presence with that tiny body that fills a 60,000-seat stadium. It's amazing. He uses every bit of his body -- arms, legs and otherwise. Definitely a lesson there in owning your physical space and making use of gesture.