My dearest Cousin Randy,

A botched marketing program? Are you serious? I just went into a bank
across the street from my office, and saw three televisions (showing
broadcasts of three different cable news networks) showing the Queen's
plane on the tarmac at Richmond...LIVE.

The Nation watches as Queen Elizabeth II sets foot on the ground of
that Most Ancient and Loyal Old Dominion, which is the Commonwealth of
Virginia...the first time on American Soil in 16 years.

A botched marketing program? According to your numbers, they have sold
2/3, or 60,000 tickets for America's Anniversary Weekend...that ain't
bad. They're only allowing 30,000 people per day...I would expect that
most people would want to be there on Saturday and Sunday, rather than
on Friday.

Any shortfall of the "Revolutionary Times" email blast should be
directed to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, rather than to the
Jamestown 400th crew. CWF is a corporate sponsor of the 400th, like
Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern wants goodwill and corporate
awareness out of the affair. Colonial Williamsburg wants to sell room
nights, which they have...all of them.

The President of the United States will address the masses on Sunday
May 13th. That ain't bad, and that draws media coverage.

We're excited and enthusiastic about the event, and we will be gracing
Williamsburg with our meals and lodging tax donations for the entire
weekend. I've already met this President, so we're going to the
Saturday event, because we want to see Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs,
and Chaka Khan...oh yeah, and we want to stand again that island where
our ancestors did something that I liken to the Apollo
missions...Brave d*mn people...all of them.

As the Virginia Tourism Corporation's web site proclaims:

"EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD STAND HERE ONCE."

Do it. Bring a friend. Be happy. An stand with tens of thousands of
other people who were brought there by the same method that you
were...a marketing program that reached you...that touched you...that
made you want to be a part of this thing. In other words, a marketing
program that is working.


W. Scott Breckinridge Smith
Lynchburg, Virginia