Cheesecake: A love affair

My relationship with cheesecake goes a long way back. I can’t put my finger on the exact moment I fell madly in love with cheesecake, but I was probably about knee-high to a grasshopper. The interesting thing about cheesecake is most people either love it or hate it, but admittedly, cheesecake has always had a rather polarizing affect on me.

Few desserts are more indulgent than a deliciously rich cheesecake. It’s the last thing you’d expect to find in a cookbook committed to healthy eating. It isn’t everyday that you can bite into a mouth-watering piece of cheesecake and walk away feeling nourished and not guilty for eating something so unhealthy. Generally, the aftermath is not so pleasant. You know the deal… You can feel the beginning of a sugar headache erupting, followed by unbelievable sluggishness demanding the sudden need for a nap no matter what the hour.

Recently, I had the privilege of experiencing a “Rockin’ Raspberry Cheesecake” from Orange County's Earth Café—the place where “food lives.” Privilege is probably an understatement, and not just because this cheesecake made my salivary glands burst with savor, but because Earth Café’s cheesecakes are not just “any” cheesecake. They are an invitation for indulgence, but without the side affects! These cheesecakes are 100% healthy, vegan, gluten-free, and made from the finest ingredients! It is so refreshing to enjoy a delectable dainty while nourishing your body!

Try them, you’re body will say, “Thank you!”

https://earthcafetogo.com/

If you have nothing to hide, this seems safe enough, but perhaps if you have any hidden agenda’s or secrets that you “only” share with your Facebook friends, you might want to re-think your buddy list.

This new quest that the FEDS are on to fight for justice and the American way, to expose the snake in the grass, or stop criminals from gathering personal information from the “good guys” who have been enjoying social networking as we tweet from face to face, and stay linked-in with one another has been discovered as a result of a document that surfaced in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The document revealed that federal agents are utilizing social network sites in order to keep tabs on suspects activities as they, “exchange messages with suspects, identify a target’s friends or relatives and browse private information such as postings, personal photographs and video clips.”

While this is excellent for keeping track of those using social networking for devious purposes, is it somewhat invading our privacy?

A former U.S. cybersecurity prosecutor, Marc Zwillinger, said investigators should be able to go undercover in the online world the same way they do in the real world, even if such conduct is barred by a company’s rules. But there have to be limits, he said.  In the face-to-face world, agents can’t impersonate a suspect’s spouse, child, parent or best friend. But online, behind the guise of a social-networking account, they can.

Zwillinger added, “Investigators should be able to go undercover in the online world the same way they do in the real world, even if such conduct is barred by a company’s rules. But there have to be limits. This new situation presents a need for careful oversight so that law enforcement does not use social networking to intrude on some of our most personal relationships,” said Zwillinger, whose firm does legal work for Yahoo and MySpace.”

Read More:

When Tweets Can Make You a Jailbird

The new Alice in Wonderland... a feast for the eyes?

The truth is... It's all about ENTERTAINMENT!!! It's certainly not a particularly strong script, but having the acting genius of Johnny Depp helps to make up what is lacking in the writing. Viewing Alice (now 13 years older), I kept having to remind myself that the film is just an EXTENSION of Lewis Carroll's novel. Tim Burton turned Carroll's wonderful Alice into a fantasy epic, using amazing special effects. Certainly an entertainment for the senses, and an appeal to those who delight in the far out. What an adventure! Alice in a new kind of la-la land wonderment! It is certain that Disney Studio's are pleased with the $116.3 million dollar opening weekend. I guess it could be worse!

Writing for friends: A recipe for disaster

It always seems safe enough…You know, when a friend or family member approaches you to do them a favor? How hard can it be to write for someone you know and love? It’s not like you are going in business together.

However…

It is a recipe for a dilemma that might be hazardous to your health. It’s not so much the doing a favor for a friend or family member, it is actually accepting a business proposition from them.

Here is a hypothetical situation: Joe is a great writer, and even though his area of expertise is primarily in journalism, his buddy Frank has a start-up marketing company, and he needs help with ads, press releases, and various advertorial-driven copy. As you probably know, it is hard for any of us freelance writers to turn down a paying writing gig, so Joe tentatively accepts the offer. I mean–how hard can this be, right? As a news journalist, Joe is used to doing a good amount of research, so what he doesn’t know, he will research and find out.

For the first couple of times things work out okay, until suddenly the wind shifts. Keep in mind, Frank and Joe are still good friends, so naturally the normal business boundaries set between a freelance writer and an employer do not exist. The territory is simply too familiar. Just when things seem to be working out well, Frank frantically emails Joe with a rush job. Normally Joe would charge extra for anything rushed, but Frank is his buddy and there are no established rules of business etiquette between them. Joe feels obligated and pressured, yet he willingly agrees.

As with any rush job, the pressure is on. Regardless of who you are writing for when there is pressure to get something done, it changes things a bit. It is during this time that those feelings hidden underneath the surface, begin to rise to the top. It is never a good idea to work when you are frustrated, especially because writing requires so much concentration. At any rate–you are under the gun, wishing you had never said yes, but this is for Frank, so you suck it up and do your best to accommodate him.

Somewhere between the rush and completion is another problem lurking in the corner. While Frank promised to pay you for this rush job, he neglected to mention to you that he cannot pay you until he gets paid. In fact, weeks go by and you hear nothing back from Frank. Even though you have seen your copy in the next issue of “whatever,” you have not in-so-much as seen a dime!

You politely shoot an email to Frank, just to make certain that the check went out, but instead of getting an immediate response (something you are normally used to because you are close friends), you never hear back at all. Once you are over the shock of being treated so disrespectfully, you put in a call to Frank’s mobile phone. After-all, it is the fastest way to access him, and because he’s your buddy, he “always” answers the phone. Not this time. Frank does not take your call. You write it off, saying to yourself: ”Oh, he’s probably in a business meeting and will get back to me shortly.” After waiting 3 or 4 days for Frank to respond, you decide to call again. When the call immediately goes to his voicemail, this time you feel a tinge of bubbling irritation rise up in your insides.

Four weeks later, you send him a rather stern email reiterating your commitment to friendship, but stating your astonishment for his lack of professionalism, while reminding him that you rushed to do this for him because he is a friend. Finally, you get an email back. ”Hey buddy, sorry about the lag. I’m waiting on the company who hired me to send me a check. We’re all hurtin’ here, and I will let you know as soon as it comes in.”

Now that bubbly sensation moves to a potential gasket being blown, as you rant about Frank and his clueless lack of professionalism. No amount of Alka-Seltzer Plus is going to make this go away. In fact, you are so irritated that you begin to discuss this with a stranger at your niece’s wedding when this person flippantly refers to your freelance writing career as an easy way to make money from home. You have had one too many cocktails, and that bubbling irritation begins to erupt!

Six weeks later, you get your insignificantly small check, with a little note of thanks stroking you with a dozen accolades, and the promise that you will be mentioned on his new-to-be-developed business website. ”It’s all about you buddy! You’re the shinning star, cause don’t you know I couldn’t have done it without you?”

Now, your friendship is in serious turmoil because you’ve lost total respect for Frank. In addition, you most assuredly will never do anything else for him again—or at least that is your profession. Hopefully you have learned your lesson and come to the realization, that friendship and business should not ever be mixed.

So, here are some suggestions when you are tempted to work for a family member or friend:

Resist every impulse.
Working for a family member or friend will not guarantee career satisfaction or advancement.
This is not just a dilemma, but it is a recipe for disaster.
Ask yourself, “How much do I value this relationship,?” Because it might be compromised.
Remember Joe and Frank? They don’t even get together for Monday night football anymore.

Travel writing: making money while on vacation?

It is certain that writing is not an easy field, and with the current economic slump, challenges in this field are being emphasized even more. However, I don’t want to discuss the economy. There is enough chatter about that already.

It’s 1:25 a.m., and I feel like discussing magazine writing. Now there’s a broad topic! The possibilities are endless, right?

Sitting on your perch (favorite office-type chair), you ponder the possibilities. Perhaps you are a travel enthusiast, and you cannot imagine doing anything finer. This might really work well, especially with all the frequent flyer mile incentives that many of the airlines offer.

When researching your options, Hawaii is always a good idea. You log onto cheaptickets.com, find a great rate, locate a package deal… three nights, four days, and you are as good as gone! Think of it… a vacation while earning (potential) money! This is going to be golden!

The flight over is fantastic. There is very little turbulence and you are eager introduce yourself as a “travel writer” to anyone who asks. Admittedly, it does sound grand, and every time you utter the words, “travel writer,” the oo’s and ahh’s are hard to contain. You will get comments like, “Oh, that sounds fabulous! A vacation while you work,” or, “I wish I could write. I am so bad with words,” or, “I am so envious…I always wanted to be a writer.” You feel a deep sense of pride well up as you grin and happily agree.

After the airport madness, you finally make your way to the hotel with the taxi cab driver from hell, and just when you are ready to scream, you pull up to this amazing seaside resort. Oh yeah, this resort far surpasses your wildest fantasies, and the view balcony is nothing short of stunning. What a career! Most people only dream about having a job like this.

Of course, before you left you did your homework, and researched the places you would go, and the things you would cover on this trip. I mean–it is so important to know your market, and to have a solid story that you can pitch to an editor. Equally important, you must know your magazines voice. For example, it’s doubtful that Sports Fishing Magazine is going to be interested in the history of poi, nor is Good Housekeeping going to get excited about an article written about the rain forests in Kauai.

None of those topics appeal to you anyway, so you have decided to try your luck with restaurant reviews. Given the fact you are a food enthusiast, and truly enjoy gourmet cooking, this might prove to be quite rewarding!

There is a world famous chef who runs the restaurant in the resort you are staying at, so you have scored! Your article will be just what this guy needs to promote his newest creations. Of course, your disappointment runs deep when you get to this tropical resort only to discover that the National Association of Restaurants is having a week-long convention, and interviewing the head chef or even a bus boy during this busy week will not even be remotely possible.

Game play #2 has to kick in…

You probably want to stay clear of a obscure topics or a story that is simply not relative. For example, it’s doubtful that you are going to find a magazine back in the mainland that will print a story on Hawaiian antiques at the Waioli Mission House of Kauai. Remember too that while you are doing a story on Hawaii, Hidden Europe, a magazine exploring the cultures and customs of Europe is not going to find your local island discoveries remotely interesting. In short, don’t waste your time.

Now, given the fact you are giddily exuberant about your travel discoveries, keep in mind that a magazine that usually publishes articles between 1,500 and 2,000 words is not going to share your thrill as you submit a 4,000-word manuscript!

The reality is that if you are going to pursue travel writing, you need to do a lot of research, do all of your homework before embarking on this potentially exciting career, and find your niche. After all, if you have never held a fishing rod in your life, writing a story like, “North Shores Best-kept Secret: Ahi, the Yellowfin Jackpot,” will not be very convincing. Even if you are traveling, it is always the best idea to write about something you are familiar with. If you were a floral designer in a former career life, you might want to consider doing an article on Hawaiian wedding spots. When you write about something you have expertise in, then it becomes easy to look for new angles for your story.

When researching, you may want to utilize these resources: Travel Industry Association of America (www.tia.org), Travelwriters.com, or the World Chamber of Commerce Directory (www.chamberofcommerce.ccom).

… and look at it this way, if all else fails, you have at least enjoyed reveling in paradise while sipping coconut juice on a white sandy beach, listening to palm trees sway and ocean waves break against coral reefs, while racking up your credit card.

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Pet Friendly Carmel-by-the-Sea: Why Vacationing in Carmel-by-the-Sea is a Good Idea

Central California Coast Travel Clubs: Planning Your Trip Wisely

Central California Coast Travel Clubs: Planning Your Trip Wisely

Portsmouth New Hampshire: Simply a Good Idea: Enjoy New England's Historical Sites In Portsmouth

Portsmouth New Hampshire: Simply a Good Idea: Enjoy New England's Historical Sites In Portsmouth

Do you believe it is right for an employer/company to run a credit check on a potential employee? Interestingly, I just finished writing an article for a newspaper, and address this issue in the article. Some companies are actually insisting that prospective employees fill out a credit check form, so the company can run a credit check on them. If their score comes back bad, then these people will not even make it to the interview process, and they will not be considered for the job.

Part of the really unfair thing about this, is that most people who have gotten their credit messed up, have not deliberately done this. Usually there are a myriad of factors that create this kind of mess. It is NOT ALWAYS about a person being financially irresponsible, and for a person to have to disclose personal information like this seems very discriminatory.

I have a friend who's credit and life got completely ruined because his wife suffered with a 4 year cancer battle that eventually took her life. The medical bills alone were off the charts. He lost everything; to include his business. My is an engineer, who once had a wonderful career. If a company runs a credit check on him, he will never be hired. I don't believe a company should be empowered to that degree.

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=178700

States Consider Ban on Pre-Employment Credit Checks

Posted by Al Tompkins at 12:01 AM on Mar. 2, 2010

There is a national movement underway that would stop potential employers from prying into your financial past. Currently, 16 states are considering a ban on pre-employment credit checks.

Many states are questioning whether it's reasonable for a potential employer to run a credit check before hiring someone. Should an employer, for instance, trust someone who is chronically short on money to handle a cash drawer? Or should the employer disregard the person's credit score altogether?

The Associated Press reported on the difficulties that people with bad credit scores face when applying for jobs. The story explained why employers want this information:

"Sixty percent of employers recently surveyed by the Society for Human Resources Management said they run credit checks on at least some job applicants, compared with 42 percent in a somewhat similar survey in 2006.

"Employers say such checks give them valuable information about an applicant's honesty and sense of responsibility. But lawmakers in at least 16 states from South Carolina to Oregon have proposed outlawing most checks, saying the practice traps people in debt because their past financial problems prevent them from finding work."

MSN Money reported on the issue last year, saying that "applicants for Transportation Security Administration airport screener jobs are rejected if they have more than $5,000 in overdue debt."

It is not just past-due or bad debt that could cost searchers an opportunity. High credit card balances could sink their chances too. MSN Money said employers may actually have a duty to investigate an applicant's credit background:

" 'There's a perceived correlation between a high debt load and the possibility of embezzlement, theft or malfeasance,' said employment attorney Manesh K. Rath, a partner at Keller and Heckman in Washington, D.C., who advises companies about their hiring practices. 'This is a widely held belief in the employer community.'

"But what's also driving the push to check credit is fear of lawsuits, Rath said, especially in businesses where employees have access to customers' money or possessions, including the banking, property management, hotel and home health care industries.

"If a visiting health care worker steals something from a client's home, for example, that client isn't likely to sue the offender in civil court. The client might instead sue the employer, which is perceived as having deeper pockets and responsibility for hiring the thief."

Msnbc.com reported that critics say there's not much research correlating good job performance with bad credit:

" 'There is no science, there is no evidence that supports the idea that an applicant's credit history is reflective of a person's propensity to steal or their suitability for employment generally,' said Adam Klein, an employment lawyer at Outten & Golden in New York.'These are basically unrelated concepts. ... It would be like asking for hat size or if you can sing on pitch.'

"In some cases, a job candidate with bad credit could even turn out to be a better worker, critics like Leonard argue.

" 'The simple case is somebody who has lost a job and suffered damage to their credit score,' he said. 'They're going to be a more motivated and inspired employee than somebody who hasn't because they need the income more.'

"Under current law, employers can access any job applicant's credit history, with some restrictions. The reports made available to employers don't include the applicant's age or credit score, for example. Job candidates have to be notified of the credit check and give their permission to access their credit data. And if you're turned down for a job explicitly because of bad credit, the employer has to give you a copy of the report."

The other night I was driving around with a friend of mine here on the Central California coast, and we passed several SUV-type cars that all had some sort of TV/DVD thing running in the back seat. We couldn't help but notice the obvious. Silence is no longer apparently GOLDEN! In fact, as we began to address this topic, we both admitted that it certainly seems like people in general cannot ever be without noise. What is a bit scary about this revelation of sorts, is that I don't believe it is healthy for anyone to have noise going every waking hour of the day. In addition, I cannot imagine what this is doing to young children and their entire psychological make-up.

For years, I've thought that low-level background noise can actually help concentration. Bart Kosko talks about this notion in his book Noise. There's also recent research suggesting that noise can improve cognitive performance in children with ADHD. Here is what child physiologist Mark Andrews of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine writes in the new issue of Scientific American Mind that noise can lead to stress which actually impairs learning and memory. Bottom line? When it comes to noise, YMMV. From SciAm:

"Several studies have indicated that stress resulting from ongoing white noise can induce the release of cortisol, a hormone that helps to restore homeostasis in the body after a bad experience. Excess cortisol impairs function in the prefrontal cortex—an emotional learning center that helps to regulate “executive” functions such as planning, reasoning and impulse control. Some recent evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex also stores short-term memories. Changes to this region, therefore, may disrupt a person’s capacity to think clearly and to retain information."

Well, I am certainly NOT surprised! I also find it very interesting that the so-called inability that many children are having with focussing has been on the rise for the last decade or so. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a correlation?

What are we doing to our children?