8th Annual AMI Monetary Reform Conference
The American Monetary Institute announces it's 8th Annual AMI Monetary Reform Conference
Sept. 20 - 23, 2012 at University Center in downtown Chicago with new state of the art audio/visual facilities, across the street from Roosevelt University, site of several previous conferences.
Registration is $395 and available until September 13th,
after which it becomes late registration for $495.
Act now and register by phone (224-805-2200)
or e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or through PayPal (below)
Dear Friends of the American Monetary Institute,
Here is our 2012 Conference brochure and schedule. Photos, bios and topics of speakers are presented first; the actual schedule of their speaking times will be added later. Additional outstanding speakers are being confirmed now. Days and times of presentations are of course subject to adjustment...
Congressman Dennis Kucinich has reintroduced HR 2990 which reforms our money system on the lines advocated by the AMI. It turns a corrupt private debt system based on privately created debt into a government money system based on government created money. He will present at this conference if the Congressional schedule allows.
Dr. Michael Kumhof, the Deputy Division Chief of the Modeling Division of the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund (the IMF) has completed a study of the Chicago Plan, on which HR 2990 is based, using modern computerized techniques, and has come to some highly interesting conclusions. These will be the subject of talks and panel discussions featuring Dr. Kumhof at the conference.
Several talks will focus on what HR 2990 will do for America; how we can get existing organizations and unions to support it, and can help get it passed into law, including; how we will get it introduced in the next Congress. This involves overcoming some of the prevalent psychological pessimism purposely spread by various cults. The banking disaster, created and perpetuated by false people and false economic and monetary ideas, now pose a clear and present danger to the survival of the species. History demonstrates they don't learn from their mistakes. Therefore we must transform the disaster they created into an opportunity to achieve real and lasting reforms for humanity.
We'll focus on why a moral approach is at the heart of successful reform. To those who still support the falsehood of using debt in place of money, whether issued privately or by state owned banks doing the same thing, and dumping more debt onto our economy, we say "Stop doing destructive nonsense - Learn to do good!" There is no excuse to miss this opportunity to reform an obviously flawed monetary system, in favor of the status quo.
Warm regards,
Stephen Zarlenga
Director, AMI
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Stephen Zarlenga presents AMI's Purpose, Objectives and Methodology Director and co-founder of the American Monetary Institute in 1996; author of The Lost Science of Money book; and the Refutation of Menger's Theory of the Origin of Money; a Critique of A. M. Innes substituting debt in place of money, and Greening the Dollar, (a free CD of his presentation at the U.S. Green Party's July 2007 National Convention is available at our homepage); plus various articles and speeches; presents the background; objectives; methodology of the AMI and the Conference agenda and goals. An overview of what the AMI has accomplished since its founding in 1996, how we worked with Congressman Dennis Kucinich to get HR 2990 introduced, and our challenges and plans for the future. |
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Elizabeth Kucinich will speak on |
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Dr. Michael Kumhof speaks on A Modern Evaluation of the "Chicago Plan" Dr. Michael Kumhof is the Deputy Division Chief , of the modeling Division, of the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund. He will address the conference on the important results of his "modelling" (mathematically predicting the results) of the Chicago Plan proposal of the 1930s, when applied to the modern U.S. financial system (data through 2006). "We study these claims by embedding a comprehensive and carefully calibrated model of the banking system in a DSGE model of the U.S. economy," notes the paper. This is the first time that such an exercise has been done! The Chicago Plan was designed and promoted by our best economists in the 1930s (Henry Simons, Irving Fisher, Douglas, et al), to get our nation out of the Great Depression. The Chicago Plan is the precursor and model of both the American Monetary Act, and Congressman Kucinich's "NEED Act" (National Emergency Employment Defense Act), presently introduced in the 112th Congress as "HR 2990." |
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Steve Keen is coming in from Australia to discuss How Central Banks and Banking Systems Really Work Top Australian monetary economist Steve Keen who won the inaugural (Paul) Revere Award for giving an early warning (2005) of the present debt-deflation collapse. He has built a growing reputation as a rare deep thinker on how monetary systems really work, not just how the central banks say they work. Thus his blog has over 50,000 followers. Keen is a must-see analyst for theorists and investors involved in markets of all types, including the bond markets. Keen is Associate Professor, School of Economics & Finance, University of Western Sydney, Australia. In December 2005, drawing on his 1995 theoretical paper, and convinced that a financial crisis was fast approaching, Keen went high-profile public with his analysis and predictions. He registered the webpage www.debtdeflation.com dedicated to analyzing the “global debt bubble”, which soon attracted a large international audience. |
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Prof. Kaoru Yamaguchi will again travel from Japan to present his continuing Economic Modelling of the American Monetary Act Prof. Kaoru Yamaguchi has continued to refine his highly advanced modelling system to project how HR 2990 will achieve monetary reform. He concluded it will: pay off the US national debt as it comes due; provide the funding for infrastructure, which solves the unemployment problem; and does these things without inflation! Professor Yamaguchi heads the System Dynamics Group of the Doshisha Business School at Doshisha University in Kyoto Japan. He presented his macroeconomic model on the to a plenary session of the System Dynamics International Conference in Seoul (2010), being attended by more than 300 researchers. It was so well received that on July 26th, the same International Conference asked him to speak on this matter again, at their meeting in Washington, DC. Then Prof. Yamaguchi also made a well received briefing to a packed room at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington DC, to congressional aides. This year he presents his updated study of the American Monetary Act, which also revisits the 1930s Chicago Plan. |
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Dr. Michael Clark speaks on International Ramifications of Monetary Reform Dr. Michael T. Clark was a senior advisor to the President of the Sixty -third Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2008-9)and helped co-ordinate the intergovernmental negotiations for the outcome of the 2009 United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its impact on Development. He later joined the staff of U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) where he assisted with the final drafting of the NEED Act, (National Emergency Employment Defense Act) prior to its introduction. Dr. Clark will focus on the international dimensions of the effort to achieve systemic reform of the international monetary and financial system, including how the IMF structure and operating procedures may be revamped to become a positive factor in monetary reform. |
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Prof. Michael Hudson speaks on Author, Super Imperialism and Global Fracture; editor, Debt and Economic Renewal in the Ancient Near East; economic commentator for National Public Radio; distinguished Professor of Economics, University of Missouri, Kansas City, and Chief Economic Advisor to the 2008 Kucinich for President campaign. Dr. Hudson was the first to publicly identify the mechanism of "Dollar Imperialism" through the U.S. balance of payments deficits. Always sharp and on target, just before the conference Prof. Hudson will have returned from a trip to Russia and his talk will also focus on the coming momentous and timely monetary developments in Europe. |
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Prof. Nicolaus Tideman will speak on Prof. Tideman received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (where he studied under Milton Friedman and others); taught at Harvard and served as Senior Staff Economist at the President’s Council of Economic Advisors at the White House, before moving to Virginia Tech in 1973. He has been Professor of Economics there since 1985. While his research has focused primarily on urban economics, public finance, voting rules and social justice, in 1975 he collaborated with Nobel Laureate James Buchanan in writing on “Gold, Money and the Law.” Last year his topic is Dealing with Concern for the Possible Collapse of the Dollar. |
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Prof. Ed Stuart speaks on The current state of monetary policy and financial institution structure has turned the means and ends of macroeconomic policy upside down. Policy should be in the service of social goals and values. Some of those goals, are written in the Employment Act of 1946 and specify what the economy should be trying to achieve. In the current "economic culture" of the U.S.A. and other advanced market economies, goals seem to be financial sector enlargement and profits. Monetary policy and financial institutions have nearly unquestioned carte blanche to pursue the ends of a small, and highly compensated, sector of the macroeconomy. What's needed is not only financial reform and structural change but a fundamental rethinking of social goals and economic culture. |
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Robert Poteat speaks on Robert Poteat is one of America's most knowledgeable, reality based experts on our money system. A long term and meticulous monetary researcher, certainly among the top half dozen in America in awareness of monetary systems, and the leader of AMI's Northwest Chapters. Money has ceased to be a just means of exchange, if it ever was, and has become, or still is, a means of power and control. Bob is a senior advisor to the American Montary Institute, and a recipient of the AMI Lifetime Achievement Award. |
Jamie Walton speaks on Jamie Walton, a very serious money reformer from New Zealand, will describe why all three elements of the American Monetary Act are necessary. Those three elements of this single reform are: |
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William Bergman discusses William Bergman, economist and formerly an official at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, until he became a whistleblower on improper Federal Reserve practices. Well that ended his career at the Chicago Fed! Last year he reviewed the basic forms of market failures, outlining the perspective of the public choice school of economics on market failure and the role of government. This year he will discuss a constitutional legal topic with important implications for our monetary policy: The Implications of National Emergency Powers for Monetary Policy. |
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Joseph M. Pijanowski presents Joseph M. Pijanowski , the Directing Business Representative of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union - Local 126, is a dynamic, highly regarded Illinois union leader, of the nationally powerful Machinists and Aerospace workers union. Joe will focus on a major part of our nation's problem, and the monetary solution. |
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Ole Mackeprang, European Financier speaks on A Report on the Prospects for the Euro Ole Mackeprang Ole Mackeprang Ole's book - Money is not Capital Ole Mackeprang, European Financier spoke on "Money Systems & Warfare" at our 2007 Conference and will update us on the practical changes the Euro has brought since its launch. Back then the Euro was proclaimed "dead on arrival." Next, pundits claimed the U.S. Dollar was the casualty, and now it is the Euro in trouble again! Perhaps it is time to get some firsthand observations. Mackeprang's book, "Money is Not Capital" will be available, as well as his new financial novel thriller, "Unlimited Liability." Mackeprang speaks 8 languages, has worked in 62 countries, principally France, Germany, Italy and Spain (Banque Rothschild and Banque de l'Union Parisienne are some companies he has worked with). His fascinating experiences are described in his books, destined to become motion pictures. The life experiences it describes are what American kids (20 & 30 year olds) can only dream about in today's world - and Yes - we shared some of those times working together in old Europe! This year he discusses "Greece, Spain, Italy, and the Euro." |
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David I. Kelley discusses Dave Kelley, Legal and Economic Researcher from Ohio's Cleveland area, has witnessed firsthand the growing disparity in income and the resulting impact on wealth over the last three decades as a Certified Financial Planner. The issues advisor to presidential, senatorial and congressional campaigns, Kelley is the author of two seminal books on pensions, hundreds of articles and columns in the financial area focusing on pensions and Social Security. Last year he detailed how vicious interest rates (over 32% annually!) were "legalized" in the U.S. and how to once again make them illegal! Recently David discussed The Politics of Monetary Reform and Economic Justice. This year he will discuss ways of working toward monetary reform. |
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Will Abram of Canada presents Will Abram of Duncan, British Columbia, (Long term monetary scholar), cannot travel at this point, but will present by video, the neglected story of Gerald G. McGeer, "father" of the Bank of Canada, who instituted major monetary reforms on the lines of the American Monetary Act. Canada used them successfully for decades, getting out of the Great Depression before the US and Great Britain. The great unrecognized importance of this is that Canada is a big industrial country not a tiny island (Guernsey). Thus the example of workability has far reaching and unignorable consequences (except by "economists"!) for the rest of the world. |
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Greg Coleridge speaks on a crucially important theme titled How HR 2990 solves the potential disasters being discussed, and even predicted, out and about on the Internet. While the dangerous possibilities get much attention, whether deserved or not, the solution - HR 2990, ALREADY INTRODUCED INTO THE CONGRESS by Rep Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, and co-sponsored by Rep John Conyers of Detroit, does not get the attention it deserves, to both fix and democratize the US monetary system! Certainly it is being ignored by the people who caused the crisis, the media they control, and even by some progressive elements in our society. Greg Coloridge discusses what HR 2990 will do to repair damage and move our society towards justice. He will also discuss why progressives can lead themselves astray through inadequate research, jumping to faulty conclusions. |
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Mark Pash speaks on "Progressive Economics answers the failures of both socialism and laissez-faire, libertarian economics," writes Mark Pash, who will highlight those key principles. A Certified Financial Planner; Bachelors and Masters in Business Administration, from UCLA and USC respectively; served as an officer in the US Army Quartermaster Corp. For 40 years he has helped clients in all areas of financial planning, founding several financial organizations. Managing Director of NPB Financial Group LLC; served as an officer of various industry associations. His unique background brings together the practical and theoretical. Mark has been active in politics and was once a Congressional candidate. He has politically advocated monetary reform for almost twenty years. The title of his talk is not merely rhetoric but will be considered. |
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Stephen Zarlenga spoke in 2010 on how The world economy is wrecked by false monetary, banking and economic theories, yet major media continues to evaluate economists' proposals as though they know what they're doing. The farce continues partly because it would be scary to admit how mismanaged the nation's economy really is! In the Lost Science of Money we examined how it happenned - and how Ayn Rand and her disciple Alan Greenspan managed to bring down the world economy, with merely logomachy - a bunch of words! |
AMI Panel discussion on Proposed Legislation
American Monetary Act: Outline of the three main, uncompromisable elements of the act -
the minimum actions necessary to place time on the side of justice and humanity.
Stephen Zarlenga, Robert Poteat, Steven Walsh, Jamie Walton and others will discuss The American Monetary Act and how to advance it.
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Carol Brouillet discusses Carol Brouillet has worked on monetary reform since 1993 as an organizer, writer, speaker, and radio show host. She ran for Congress three times on the Green Party ticket. She has organized three conferences on "Strategies to Transform the Global Economy." She championed the idea of local currencies in the 1990s to raise consciousness on how we can reinvent money to serve rather than enslave humanity. Carol published and distributed over 7,000,000 "Deception, Conception, and Perception Dollars" to draw attention to these issues. She organized the San Francisco International Inquiry into 9/11 in 2004. One of her mentors, Bill Moyer, authored the book "Doing Democracy - The MAP Model for Organizing Social Movements." She will discuss how social movements work, recognizing where the monetary reform movement is at this point in time, identifying effective strategies to advance monetary reform and the roles that the times demand of us. The title of the talk will be "Strategy for the Monetary Reform Movement." |
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Steven Walsh, AMI researcher, will speak on |
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Congressman Dennis Kucinich has provisionally agreed to address our Congressman Kucinich has become the most vocal force for monetary reform in the Congress, and he really "gets it," down to the core. Have you watched some of his YouTube Congressional Hearings? Link to them from our our website at http://www.monetary.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/HR-2990_KucinichVideos.pdf Kucinich is the 7th term Congressman from Cleveland; Ranking member of House Subcommittee on Governmental Reform; 2004 and 2008 Candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America; leading peace advocate; Introducer of Articles of Impeachment against Bush and Cheney. |
This is the program schedule:
Thursday September 20th PM:
Introduction of what the AMI is, WHAT we are doing and WHY
1:00 PM Stephen Zarlenga opens the Conference with
AMI's Purpose, Objectives and Methodology
2:00 Robert Poteat on
The Case for Monetary Reform
2:50 Greg Coleridge speaks on HR 2990: The Solution to Any Coming Financial Tsunami
3:30 Steven Walsh speaks on How The Chicago Teachers Union Came to Support HR 2990
4:00 Elizabeth Kucinich on
Advocating for Monetary Reform
Afterward: Panel with Kucinich, Poteat, Walton, Coleridge, DeWulf
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM Get Acquainted Reception
Juices, fruits & vegs, cold cuts, cheeses, rolls and some tasty salads. Special University Center Punch - Don't ask!!
A few acknowledgement and comments, maybe some entertainment! Dress: your choice from informal to fancy.
Friday September 21st AM:
Defining and understanding our Money and Banking System
9:00 AM Brief Conference announcements - Stephen Zarlenga
9:15 How the AMI will Move Forward Will Abrams of Canada gives by video
The Reforms Instituted by Gerald Gratton McGeer presented by Will’s friend Stu Hoffman.
10:15 Dr. Michael Kumhof on The Chicago Plan Revisited
11:15 Prof. Steve Keen on
Capitalism, Credit, Crises and Asset Markets
12:15 noon - break for lunch
Friday PM:
1:15 Prof. Kaoru Yamaguchi presents
An Economic Modeling of HR 2990 and the American Monetary Act
2:15 Jamie Walton on HR 2990 & The American Monetary Act
3:15 Coffee Break
3:30 William Bergman, National Emergency Powers and
their Implications for Monetary Policy
4:00 Joseph Pijanowski on American Labor, Our Forgotten Cornerstone of Wealth Creation
4:45 Mark Pash presents Can Progressives Guide Monetary Reform?
5:30 Panel on Dr. Kumhofs Paper (Dr. Kumhof, Steve Keen, Kaouru Yamaguchi, Jamie Walton, Robert Poteat)
6:15 Break to go out for Dinner
Saturday AM, September 22nd:
International Monetary Developments
9:00 AM Zarlenga opens – Review of Kumhof paper - Dr. Kumhof
9:15 Prof. Nicolaus Tideman on Money, Land and Justice
10:00 Michael Clark speaks on
International Ramifications of Monetary Reform
11:00 Michael Hudson on
Debts That Can't Be Paid, Wont Be Paid!
Noon - break for lunch
Saturday PM:
1:00 Prof. Ed Stuart, on Banks and Monetary Policy as Servant Not Master
2:00 David I. Kelley discusses An Economic Narrative for Progressives and Other Non-Psychopaths
2:45 International Panel including Yamaguchi, Keen, Kumhof, Stuart, Clark;
3:30 Coffee Break (Panel continues)
3:45 Stephen Zarlenga presents The Critique of A. Mitchell Innes view that Money must be debt,
and the damage that has done!
4:30 Steven Walsh, Jamie Walton, Stephen Zarlenga present on
Innes Bad Effect on MMT
5:15 Panel Continues including Kumhof, Yamaguchi, Keen, Clark, Hudson, Poteat; Walton; Stuart; Kelley
6:30 break to prepare for dinner
7:00 PM Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony
featuring Special Guest Speaker (s)
Sunday September 23rd, AM:
9:00 AM Zarlenga has Conference announcements, then
Douglas Wolfe Describes His Monetary Discussion of HR 2990 With the Vatican,
and their Positive Reaction
10:00 Open session and critiques by participants; other reform ideas can be examined briefly, but be ready to take heat!
Carol Brouillet discusses Progressive Strategies for the Monetary Reform
Carol has run for congress on the Green Party Ticket three times and has been a strong
and positive activist in the San Francisco area for more than a decade
Joseph Bongiovanni discusses Blogging Effectively
Joe Bongiovanni and Peter Young have for years presented important monetary concepts on their Internet feature titled Coffee with Joe. http://www.youtube.com/user/economicstability
11:30 AM Stephen Zarlenga Closes the Conference with a brief summary
outlining some objectives until the next conference, scheduled for September 19-22, 2013.
Hotel Checkouts possible - generally request late check outs earlier.
Sunday September 23rd PM:
12:15 - 12:30 PM Participants take readily available taxis for the 3 mile trip to North Avenue Beach
where our beach barbecue party is already set up and cooking, 250 yards South of the Beach House,
under the trees in the grassy area. Shade and chairs available. This event is somewhat weather
dependent, however there is a covered area at the Beach House if it rains. The one mile swim
challenge may be limited to expert swimmers, or cancelled, depending on weather conditions.
1PM - 5 PM Beach Barbecue Party
(Assuming that Lake Michigan and the weather cooperate!)
Oak Street Beach North Ledge
The North Ledge of Chicago's World Renowned Oak Street Beach
Stephen Zarlenga's summertime office is located under an umbrella just beneath
the bottom middle of the photo. This is where we keep our sanity and stay in shape -
physically and spiritually! It's exactly one mile to the sand and back, with ladders
every 40 yards. We'll have hot dogs, sausages, and a vegetarian alternative; volleyball;
badminton and horseshoes. A one mile swim challenge (if Lake Michigan cooperates)
and an alternate one mile walk. A Magnificent Mile Swim T-Shirt goes to each serious
swimmer, and maybe some walkers! We'll have the swim, as long as wind and wave
conditions permit. Swimmers should bring good goggles, a bathing cap really helps keep
you warm, ear plugs and a nose plug. (oh yes - and a bathing suit!)
UPDATE: It is September 9th, and water temperature is 74 degrees! A good sign for the
swim to go forward, depending on winds.
Some scenes from prior conferences:
R.Simpson in waves and 1/2 mile later arriving at Oak St. Beach. Zarlenga arrives at beach Zarlenga,Simpson,Walsh and Riniker
Waves were at near maximum Ben Gisin and Mike Hudson Elizabeth, Stephen and Alistair for the swim challenge to go forward
Congressman Dennis Kucinich Dr. Lucienne DeWulf, Parachutist at
and wife Elizabeth AMI Co-founder Oak St. Beach
Poteat, Sullivan, Zarlenga, DeWulf, Grewall, & Fuller An 8oz Roman Aes Grave atop The Lost Science of Money
Four Ways to Register for the 2012 Conference:
1) Click Donate button below to register via Paypal
Minimum Donation $395 After September 13th minimum late donation is $495.
2) After September 5th, all registrations must be by phone or email!
By phone: 224-805-2200
By email: Send name, address, phone and credit card details to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
……………………………………………………REGISTRATION FORM……………………………………………………………. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....
2012 AMI 8th Annual Conference Registration Form
Click Here for a printer friendly registration form
Enclosed is my $______ registration donation for the 2012 AMI Monetary Reform Conference in Chicago, Sept. 20-23, 2012
All participants must pre-register
There are no "at the door" registrations.
Ask about student discounts and whether any student scholarships are available!
(An 80% refund is available until May 15th, and will afterward be pro-rated downward to a 20% refund after September 1st)
*The American Monetary Institute as part of its responsibility in sponsoring the Conference reserves the right at its sole discretion and without public or private explanation, to restrict attendance at this Conference to persons it considers will enhance the purposes of the meeting, as detailed above. Participants should understand and be in agreement that the conference will stay focused on monetary system questions and will not be diverted into other areas.
University Center is the state of the art venue for the event, and does not imply either support or endorsement of the AMI; the speakers or their messages. They are not affiliated with the AMI.
For excellent pre-conference reading: (Many conference presentations assume this book has been read)
___ Please send me a copy of The Lost Science of Money by Stephen Zarlenga. Enclosed is my check for $68 ($60 plus $8 S&H)
[All foreign shipments are now by airmail at $28 per book (total $88) - a post office requirement].
___ Please send me the professionally recorded video DVDs of the full 2010 or 2011 Conference Speakers, at $195 postpaid in the US and abroad. Outstanding monetary material!
Enclose Check, OR:
___ Bill my credit card (no Amex) ____________ Card # ________/________/_________/_________
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