Happy Black Friday! Today is considered the official start of the holiday shopping season in the US, though from the look of everything from streets to stores you would have thought it started the day after Halloween, or even earlier.

In the spirit of the holidays and in promoting small businesses as I like to do here at The Hot Iron, allow me to suggest gift ideas. These suggestions will be of products and services from fellow entrepreneurs and businesses. As the reach of The Hot Iron goes beyond Chicago, I will be writing about gifts you can get here in the Windy City and beyond. Some are purely online, and others are retail establishments.

Happy Shopping!

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To all my readers and their family and friends, a safe, healthy and Happy Thanksgiving day! If you are traveling, by now – hopefully – you have made it to your destination and are well on your way to spending good times with those around you.

The accompanying picture is of the dining table and centerpiece from last year’s Thanksgiving, made by my lovely wife. This year I will try to get a picture of the complete feast to share next year.

Don’t eat too much, and a safe return trip!

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I am proud to announce you can read selected posts from The Hot Iron on Blogspot, the official blogs of Ashworth University.

Ashworth University, based in Norcross, Georgia, offers distance learning courses and distance education programs for home study career education. In developing their blogs, Ashworth sought out experts in various disciplines to contribute their content to their blogs to accompany the faculty of the school. They contacted me and asked me if I would like to join this virtual expert lecture, and I was more than glad to accept this offer.

The Blogspot is a great example of a win-win situation. For Ashworth and its students, they have the opportunity, in one location, to read a wide variety of information and opinion from real-world experts. For myself, it is a new venue of readers – not to mention potential customers of Dunkirk Systems! It is similar to guest blogging, and my posts show up on Google Alerts and Serph, so their blog is getting good reach.

Some of my posts are on their Business and Technology categories. Even if you are an avid reader of The Hot Iron, check out their feeds and gain some insight from my fellow contributors.

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Tomorrow, Thursday, November 8 is the “official” 3rd birthday of my Internet consulting business Dunkirk Systems. Where I was already in business before this date, it marks the day I emerged from the bowels of the Cook County Office Building with my certificate stating my sole proprietorship is called Dunkirk Systems. Yes, it was a surreal moment where I felt like Jake and Elwood Blues!

I am inviting my friends, clients and readers of by blog The Hot Iron to join me in celebrating this. If you are in Chicago, please join me:

Date – TOMORROW, Thursday, November 8, 2007
Place – Gallery 37 Cafe, 66 East Randolph, Chicago
Time – 8 am to 9:30 am CT (note the cafe opens at 8 am)

And the coffee is on me! They offer other tasty treats if you wish to purchase them yourself, but I will be springing for the coffee, tea or whatever other beverage you prefer to start your day.

Please no cards or gifts. But if you insist, make a donation to the American Liver Foundation – Illinois Chapter.

See you then!

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Since 2001 my family, friends and I have participated in walks in Boston and Chicago to support the American Liver Foundation (ALF). This is a result of my channeling my emotions and energies after the loss of my Mom that year to Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, or PBC, an auto-immune liver disease that mostly affects women. Through funding research, wellness programs and advocacy, ALF is the leading organization in the US fighting liver disease.

This year my lovely wife and I will not be able to participate in the Liver Wellness Walk & Fun Run in Chicago, but that is not stopping us from participating. Taking a page from what I do on the Internet, we are forming The Virtual “A” Team, and out tag line is “We’ll Be There In Spirit!”

Anything you can do to contribute to this cause is greatly appreciated. Please visit our team page to make a contribution by credit card – if you would like to give by check or cash, please contact me directly.

Thank you in advance, and feel free to bookmark or pass along this post!

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