I was extremely disappointed in my home state of California for passing proposition 8 - until I got the info about the Mormons.  No matter what your beliefs  - you have ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT to impose them on others…

The Yes on 8 campaign estimates that up to 40 percent of its donations come from Mormons. Some others estimate that Mormons account for over 70 percent of donations from individuals.

The church largely stays out of politics. But in this case, the Salt Lake City-based church has sent letters, held video conferences and in church meetings asked for volunteers to support the campaign. In response, some church members have poured in their savings and undertaken what may be an unprecedented grassroots mobilization for the effort.

Several Bay Area Mormons said they would support the right of gay and lesbian unions to have all the rights of married couples. But the word marriage was sacred, pivotal to their concept of families, who can be “eternally united” in the afterlife. A key church document - “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” - says that “marriage between man and a woman is essential to His eternal plan.” They also believe that children are entitled to be raised by a father and a mother.  credit

Believe what you want to believe - that is your right as an American.  But as Americans we have NO RIGHT to tell others whom they can love, whom they can cherish and most of all…whom they can marry.  We don’t all subscribe to the same beliefs…and last time I checked there is such a thing as separation of church and state…

I hope this proposition is overturned as unconstitutional.

First off I have to say that I am so completely honored to have been able to experience such a historical moment - the election of our 44th President.

I think that this election says a lot about us as Americans…and that we’re ready for true change…not just talk.

We really need to band together, no matter whom you voted for, to help Obama bring his visions for us into fruition.  He cannot do it all alone.  And he has a lot up against him - the special interests especially.  If we ever want to be able to move forward again, return to financial stability and be a country that is admired by the world we need to help.

Those who view all things in the negative need to stop and think about what is for the greater good of our country.  Negativity and hate gets us NOWHERE.

I fully support President Obama in his endeavors to help us and I look forward to positive change for ALL Americans.

Here’s to our future…our newfound positive future.

Quoting a moron who spoke today “Drill Baby Drill - Mine Baby Mine!”

There is no such thing as “clean coal”.  The idea of “clean coal” comes from a very expensive process of attempting to capture the c02 that is released into the environment when mined.  Assuming that this process can fully be developed, the cost of electricity generation will rise exponentially.  This includes neither the rising cost of coal, nor the heightened cost of new coal plant construction, which has surged by more than 130 percent since 2000.

The American Lung Association estimates that pollution from coal-fired power plants triggers 550,000 asthma attacks and 38,000 heart attacks annually, helping to cause an estimated 24,000 Americans to die prematurely each year. Coal combustion is also the country’s largest source of mercury poisoning and releases more than five dozen different types of hazardous air pollutants.

“There is no such thing as clean coal,” said Cindy Rank, mining chairwoman for the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.

“It’s dirty when you mine it. It’s dirty when you burn it.  It’s dirty when you dispose of the waste. It’s just dirty.”

So why does Palin keep bringing it up?  Special interest…she’s not about to steer us away from something that makes her money…even if it further ruins our environment.  Because after all - it’s not our fault.  If you are a follower of hers, then you likely believe that all the causes of global warming, climate change, pollution, etc are not attributed to “man-made” actions.  And I quote “It’s not our fault.”  Please…

I should also point out that there is no such thing as clean nuclear energy either.  While it does not release carbon dioxide into the air it does produce hazardous waste.  Why not go for a cheaper method that produces neither waste nor emissions?  Or is this just yet another case of “if it makes sense then why do it?”

Rather than perpetuate our country’s dependence on dirty energy, we can rejuvenate our economy with a transition to truly clean and renewable energy resources. Each year, the price of coal soars, while the costs of solar and wind decline. A report prepared for the California Public Utilities Commission earlier this year estimated that clean coal plants would cost $.1732 per kilowatt hour, compared to $.1265 for utility-scale solar power and just $.0891 for wind. Moreover, an analysis of more than a dozen independent reports studying the impacts of clean energy on employment found that wind power produces up to three times as many jobs as coal per unit of power produced. Rooftop solar produces seven to 10 times as many jobs.

The answer seems pretty clear to me…

I wonder why it is that Gene Simmons has not yet tried to run for President.  I like Gene because he’s an entrepreneur - and I admire his constant slew of money-making ideas.

A quick visit to his site however, revealed why he would not run for President, even though there does exist “Gene Simmons for President” t-shirts.

“I only have two problems with public office. 1. It doesn’t pay much (and everyone mostly, dislikes you). 2. While Democracy is wonderful on paper, I would prefer a Benevolent Dictatorship. Things get done.”

Sorry for the long silence!  I have been a super busy bee this month teaching a course on basic website editing.  And while I am sad that it’s now over I am glad to get back to a more normal schedule - which includes my posting here on my blog!  So to reunite myself here I wanted to blog about something that is on my mind this very minute - styrofoam.

It occurred to me the other day when I bought my Jamba Juice smoothie that I should probably buy one of their plastic reusable drink cups so that I’m not continuously adding to the landfill problem.  I promise that I will buy one next time I go there…because I seriously hate throwing that cup into my trash can - only being able to recycle the lid and straw.  Perhaps Jamba Juice should push harder for it’s patrons to purchase those cups as well - maybe offer us an incentive?  After all, if we all purchased one we’d not only be saving the landfills from even more styrofoam but we’d be cutting their costs in having to purchase those nasty cups.

Aside from Jamba Juice, the replacement graphics card I ordered the other day came to me in a huge box from Newegg.com overfilled in my opinion with the foamy peanuts.  What am I supposed to do with all that?  I seriously cannot feel good about dumping it into my trash can - so away it goes to the attic with the rest of the accumulation - hopefully to one day become someone elses problem when I use it to ship a fragile item.  Once it’s out of my hands I can only hope that the recipient uses it in the same fashion.

I get that styrofoam offers up such great protection to fragile items.  I get that it keeps things cold.  But because it isn’t biodegradable or easily recyclable there’s not much you can do about it.  The process for recycling styrofoam involves highly toxic chemicals - which in itself isn’t a very effective process.  So I’m definitely for the ban of the product all together.

One thing I noticed in doing my Google searching is that there is a process that they are working on where they can use bacteria to break down styrofoam.  This process is apparently economical and the end result is that the styrofoam is turned into a “recyclable, biodegradable product with alternative uses, like biomedical applications.”  If this is something that has come into fruition I sure hope that the public utilities put it into place soon.

Here I was thinking I had a drinking problem when I did a Google search and found all of these great benefits to drinking wine!  Ok, so you are not supposed to drink a bottle or more a day to benefit from it.  More like one 4oz glass - but hey I say indulge thyself!!!  Apparently, in America women buy 6 out of every 10 bottles of wine sold.  We’re real close to beating out France and Italy in terms of wine consumption.  Now for the benefits!

1. Good for memory.  Wine keeps the arteries clear thanks to a good cholesterol it creates.
2. Keeps you thin.  Daily wine drinkers have a lower body mass vs. non wine drinkers.
3. Keeps you healthy.  Daily wine drinkers are less likely to get infections or even food poisoning.
4. Keeps ovarian cancer at bay.
5. Good for bones.  Wine drinkers have more bone mass than non wine drinkers.
6. Keeps diabetes at bay.  Wine seems to reduce insulin resistance.

So there you have it.  Six reasons why hitting the “wine” bottle is good for you.  I’m off to pour myself another big glass!

>> Read more on wine consumption on Health.com

I know, I know.  It’s not wine - it’s beer that I am babbling about today.  But as I type this I am having glass #1 of some Tisdale Cab Sav, which incidentally is still on sale at QFC for $3.99 a bottle.  Oley!

I wanted to mention two of my favorite beers, which I tend to also enjoy on occasion - if the mood strikes.  And also mention a new beer, well new to me anyway, that I think is very much worth mentioning.  I tend to be a German Hefeweizen fan - mainly the unfiltered kind, and my most favorite is Franziskaner.  Here in Seattle I have only found it in some bars - although they may have it at Bottleworks in Wallingford.  So typically I just get it as a nice treat when I do the bar thing here in West Seattle.  The West5 carries it.

My second favorite beer is called Ur-Weisse which is made by Ayinger.  They actually make several beers that I equally love - all hefeweizens.  I used to buy these at Bottleworks also but recently I discovered that QFC carries them as well so I just get it there.  I fell in love with this beer after having tried it at an Octoberfest in Levenworth.

Lastly, I recently tried a beer called Shocktop that is carried at the mini-mart around the corner from me.  It’s a nice, light citrous beer - a “Belgian white” made by Anheuser-Busch.  I noted some pretty lackluster reviews of it online but I think that they were mostly beer snobs doing the reviewing.  If you want a real light and refreshing beer that isn’t piss water give Shocktop a try…it’s one of the better beers I’ve tried recently.

Another week has passed and i’m finding myself on the edge of burnout once again.  Being my own boss is something I would not trade for the world - but I have to say that I am the worst boss I’ve ever had!  I tend to burn out way too often.  My attempts at taking Friday’s off have not worked out all that well so far because I tend to still make myself available - defeating the purpose entirely.  So I went in search of information on the subject online today and came up with some pretty cool stuff.

The reality is that you are only really doing yourself and your clients a favor if you are working at your fullest potential - and the only way to do that is to allow yourself time to relax.  It’s also how you can assure that you won’t end up hating what you are doing.  I have found that working myself to the brink of exhaustion only results in my mind periodically going blank and things that should be rather easy to figure out become 5 - 6 hour unbillable nightmares.  Relief is in sight if you too find yourself often in this same position.

1. Decide in advance when you will be taking time off and be sure to give all of your client ample warning.  When you finally do take time off there will be no surprises.  If necessary put someone in place who can help to handle any emergencies - but if you are taking time off, take time off.  If you get in the habit like I did of still making yourself available during your off-time your clients will take advantage of it.
2. Turn it all off.  If you are trying to follow a specific schedule and want your clients to respect that schedule then you have to adhere to one.  For instance - my office is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific.  I am closed on Fridays so that I can simply focus on issues related to my own business and to have some time to relax.  (the problem right now is that I need to actually follow that schedule and get used to shutting down at the end of my day and NOT making myself available to clients on Fridays unless absolutely necessary)
3. Stop working on weekends.  If you were working a regular job, you would most likely have two days off each week, be it Saturday and Sunday or any other two days of the week.  The purpose of these days are so that you can relax and well, enjoy the fruits of all that weekly labor.  Basically - TO LIVE.  Do not make the mistake of working on weekends.  If you must make it an option - charge double.  If someone needs you that badly that it cannot wait until Monday - then they will likely be willing to pay for it.
4. Set boundaries and stick to them.  This is something I’m always working on myself, but as I set them I definitely notice the positive impact in the long run.  If you have not set boundaries before and you have clients inadvertently walking all over you, when you finally start setting some you will likely encounter some tension.  Do not let this deter you.  Any clients that are worth keeping are ones who value your time, skills and most of all you as a person who also has a life.  The fear always exists that if you tell someone “no” that you might lose them as a client.  While this may be true from time to time consider who is walking and who is willing to work with you.
5. Set reasonable turn times on projects.  One thing that often puts me deep in a hole, being the people pleaser that I am, is giving my clients unrealistic turnaround times.  You may think that you are impressing your clients by saying on Monday that you will have their project concepts over to them by that same Wednesday, but really what you are doing is 1. adding stress by promising something that you may not be able to deliver and 2. ultimately disappointing and causing your clients doubt as to your abilities when you don’t come through for them.  Your best bet here is to always overschedule.  If on Monday you take a project, be realistic based on your current schedule and how much time you really need to complete the project based on time spent on similar projects in the past.  If your timeline does not work for the client, it’s almost always possible to contact other clients to see if you can buy time on their projects.  Or in some cases you just plan ahead to work a little longer on some days - it all depends on how much you want that gig.  But be realistic.  If it’s Monday - say you will have it on Friday.  Then when you get it to them on Thursday they are likely to be elated.
6. Lastly, delegate!  This can be a tough one - even for myself but if you ever want your business to grow, let alone step away from your desk you need to pass things off to others.  Start out small but just getting one person to assist with things like scheduling your calls, handling emails and interacting with new clients, etc.  You will find that as you start to pass off things here and there that more and more of your time frees up.  What do you do with that time?  Well, for one you can relax a bit more!  But you can also focus that time on more endeavors that increase your bottom line.  Not having to spend time on little time wasters makes a huge difference.

I have to admit that I’m no saint here - I’m struggling with all of the above even still…but it’s slowly getting better over time.  I think maybe I’m hoping that this may help someone else in the same situation and that maybe by typing it all out that I might remember what it is I need to be doing as well!

So last night I managed to get this huge spider (see previous blog post) inside of a lidded bowl.  Now that I can get a good, close and safe look at him I cannot tell for sure if he is a common Giant House Spider or the poisonous Hobo Spider.  He does appear to have the chevrons on his body, which indicate a Hobo.  I happen to have exterminators coming out to the house next week, so I am hoping they can tell me for sure.  Hobo Spiders are found in Seattle and the Pacific NW - an accidental immigrant from Europe.  Their bites cause necrosis - which is a rotting of your flesh.

What scares me is that this big dude was in my laundry room - where my little kitten could have happened upon him.  Being more curious than my older girls, I’m sure he would have gotten bitten by this thing.  I must say however - I have to attribute the hypnosis I had years ago for even making it possible for me to hold the container up to a light to take the photo above - let alone stare for an hour at various spider identification photos.  My skin still crawls though…

There’s nothing I hate more than spiders.  When I see one my skin crawls and I sort of start to feel like they are all over me.  Back in 2000 or so I had my then therapist attempt to hypnotize me into not being afraid of them - it worked slightly but not fully.  It used to be that if I knew one was in my room and it escaped being killed by whomever I screamed for that I would literally sit up all night watching for it.  At least now, since the hypnosis I could care less if one gets away.  Just so long as I don’t wake up at any point and find it in my immediate vicinity.

This morning I got up to do my usual morning ritual of cleaning cat boxes and I picked up the kitty litter container to find a HUGE spider that seemed like it was dead.  It was a good 2.5 inches long with it’s legs stretched out.  I took the poop scoop and nudged his leg and he sprang to live - almost giving me a freakin’ heart attack.  Again - I attribute my hypnosis for my ability to prod such an enormous and sickening thing like that with a poop scoop.  He scurried under my rug shampoo machine and I ran into the kitchen looking for something to stick over him.  When I came back I moved the shampoo machine and dropped a big plastic tupperware bowl over him - clear so that I could see his every move.  Later when I’ve lost that “they are all over me” feeling, I’ll stick a sheet of paper underneath and see if I can get a lid on the bowl.  I can’t rest until he suffocates.

A quick search this morning online reveals that he is likely a Giant House Spider - not poisonous thankfully.  I grew up in California, where Black Widows are prevalent, so I don’t mess around with spiders.  I also discovered while searching online that August - October is considered spider season and when one sees one of these Giant Beasts in the house it’s almost always a horny male in search of a female.  The females stay out of site - and I honestly think that the males should too!

I’m attempting to get my house sprayed - the landlord wants to take care of a carpenter ant issue we’ve got going on and I guess spiders are taken care of at the same time.  I can’t wait!!!!

Watch Casey & His Brother pay homage to the “Big Spider” during the “Uncle Muscles Hour”.

Tim & Eric \”Big Spider\”