Monthly Archive for March, 2008

Financial instability does not translate into electability

Published on March 31, 2008 in Politics. 0 Comments Tags: Clinton, debt, health insurance.

It’s fair to expect that candidates (and their staff) should demonstrate fiscal responsibility in handling campaign finances. We have a $9+ trillion federal debt and counting that the next president will need to tackle. And yet, Hillary can’t help but stay in the red.

It seems she owes everybody money.

The Politico.com website reported that if she had paid off the $8.7 million in unpaid bills and not loaned her campaign $5 million, she would have had less than $2 million available for this month. Mr Obama would still have had $31 million cash-in-hand even if he had paid off the $625,000 owed to creditors.

Mrs Clinton’s biggest debts are to her pollsters, strategists and advertising consultants. She also has hundreds of outstanding bills for catering, security, printing and hiring venues. By the end of February, her campaign had not, for instance, reimbursed the Hy-Vee chain for making thousands of sandwiches on the night of the Iowa caucuses.

Her professional team hasn’t been doing a very good job of developing a winning campaign if her recent ratings are anything to go by, so I accept stiffing them. But the hundreds of small business owners that you want voting for you in the primaries and general election, maybe it’s not so good to spite them. Or like delegates from sparsely populated states, in Clinton’s mind small business owners don’t count?

In more ironic news, mandatory universal health care proponent Clinton hasn’t been paying the fees for her staff’s insurance lately.

But the unpaid bills to Aetna were at least two months old, according to FEC filings.

They show the campaign ended last year owing Aetna more than $213,000 for “employee benefits.”

During the first two months of the year, the campaign did not pay down any of that debt. In fact, it accrued another $16,000 in unpaid bills last month, and it finished the month owing Aetna $229,000.

I realize money is tight, but any bills related to one of her defining platforms, should probably take priority. Otherwise it looks as though she holds herself to a separate standard than she wants every other American to abide by.

While I’d like to hold out hope that Clinton will get her finances in order in April, it seems more likely that her team will continue to overlook the cracks in the foundation her Presidential bid is built on.

Update 9:16pm: Went to a networking party this evening and chatted about this issue with a forensic accountant who was born in Persia. He feels I should give Clinton the benefit of the doubt. She’s playing to win, and in the end all of her debts will be paid. It’s part of American culture to believe that if you build it, people will come. For Clinton, she’s spending extravagantly to score the nomination. He also noted that her husband is basically her collateral; she’s a good risk because Bill’s earning power means she can make good on the money she owes either way.

Your thoughts?

That tax rebate may be less of a stimulus than expected

Published on March 30, 2008 in Money. 0 Comments Tags: economic stimulus package, IRS, tax rebate, tax refund.

A friend shared the latest on the life of her accountant friend. Typically, accountants are super busy starting in March, as people finally drag themselves in to do their taxes. This year, he got busy in the middle of January. As soon as his clients had all their paperwork collected, they were filing their tax returns, because they needed the money.

While that story serves only as anecdotal evidence that people aren’t going to splurge on luxury items come the arrival of rebate checks, polls aren’t looking so upbeat either.

Only 18 percent of respondents said they will spend their rebate on purchases, while slightly more than three in 10 said they prefer to use the money to pay off debt, and a third said they’ll pocket it.

Personally, I’m torn between the savings camp and the bill-paying camp. While I’d rather not be accruing credit card interest, I also wouldn’t mind a bigger pillow for unexpected expenses. What do you plan to do with yours?

As an FYI: Rebates will be processed based on the last 2 digits of your social security number, as well as whether you filed a paper or electronic return. Online returns will be processed during the first half of May; paper returns will follow through mid-July. The IRS has posted their intended rebate cutting schedule, so you’ll know when to expect your mad money.

Fueling your body and your mind: nutrition tips from food coach Susan Marque

Published on March 30, 2008 in Health. 0 Comments Tags: food coach, nutrition, quinoa, Susan Marque.

It’s 11am on Monday, and you’re feeling a bit peckish. That handful of Cheerios you snarfed down before hitting the gym at 6:30 this morning has long since been digested. A ding from your inbox alerts you to leftover birthday cupcakes in the kitchen — they’re free and one will tide you over ‘til lunch. The vultures circle and those cupcakes are gone 10 minutes later. With a major report deadline looming, lunch is no longer an option, just wishful thinking. At 3pm, another ding from your inbox. Leftovers from a client presentation mean a midday meal after all!! You help yourself to the leftover pasta and garlic bread. By 6pm you’re dragging, but you have a late night ahead of you, courtesy of that report your team just can’t seem to finish. Coffee from the kitchen, burgers and fries from the diner down the block, you get comfortable in your ergonomic chair while you work late in the name of teamwork.

On Tuesday, repeat.

Sound familiar? I know a number of people that survive on a diet of sugar, starch and caffeine because it worked for them in college (with the addition of alcohol as the fourth food group).

I recently started to notice that on days when my sugar intake is up, my energy is way down. My commitment to adding veggies to my diet, thanks to my local farmer’s market and wheat grass supplements just isn’t enough. It’s sad that I’ll use premium oil in my car to keep it in good health at 14 years of age, but my primary standards for fueling my body are looks good, smells good, tastes good.

For some great advice on how to fuel my brain and body whether working 40 or 70 hours a week, I turned to food and life coach Susan Marque, who teaches clients to optimize their health through nutrition. With more than a decade of experience, starting with addressing the relationship of food to her own health issues, Susan is a popular Hollywood resource for healthier and more energized living.

Despite hearing how breakfast is the most important meal of the day over and over again, it can be hard to fit in during the time crunch between waking up and getting to work. What are some quick to prepare or ready-to-travel breakfasts that will fuel my morning?

I understand that for some people getting up and going can be a challenge in the am. It does get easier when we address the entire body. You’ll wake up with more energy and be much more alert when the fuel you are living on is a bit different. To just address breakfast. You can have it all ready to go and take with you from the evening before. Homemade granola bars are an option but my favorite would be whole grain cereals you cook up yourself. Quinoa with apples and cinnamon is one of my favorites [see recipe below]. You could prepare it even days in advance just reheat or eat cold. Breakfast wrap type of sandwiches are another options or even some steamed (much easier on the digestion system) bread with almond butter once in a while.

While ideally, we’d all like to get enough sleep, what do you recommend for a pick me up on days we just can’t keep our eyes open? Is there a better option than a trip to Starbucks or a can of Red Bull?

Getting off the caffeine treadmill will actually give you more energy once you are free. Again, here, it would be much better to address the bigger picture of what you are doing over all than looking for that quick fix for the moment. Quick fixes should be used sparingly and only when needed. We’ve unfortunately been trained to go from fix to fix and not to create lasting outstanding health. If you seriously cannot keep your eyes open, a nap or meditation would be better than any food ideas.

If I’m packing a lunch for the office, what kinds of foods should I consider regular staples of my mid-day meal? What will keep me energized and focused all afternoon?

Whole foods such as whole grains, beans, veggies, etc., will keep you much more alert and energized. Stay clear of refined products such as breads, pastas, or desserts. One of my favorite things to teach is how to make things from these staples easily and quickly for the guy/girl on the go.

In an effort to plan ahead for days I don’t have time to make lunch at home or leave the office for a salad, what snacks should I keep stocked in my desk or at the back of the office refrigerator?

Ooooh, I love this question because no one really asks me this. I think having some homemade toasted pumpkin seeds (don’t keep them too long though ‘cuz after a week or two they start to turn rancid once cooked.) that are low in fat and high in zinc, can be a good snack. Bring fruit to work, especially ones like apples. You might make extra of soups or bean dishes and store some in your freezer at work for those especially busy moments. I hope that instead of skipping a meal though you could at least order from a fairly healthy place to have food delivered to you.

Sometimes a vending machine is as far as I can stray from my desk for a meal, what are my best options?

Order in instead! The telephone is even closer. The best options from a vending machine would be water and perhaps some sort of nut or seeds in a little package.

In walking away from what I’ll call the “college diet” to a more well-rounded one, do you find your clients have more success cutting out their cookies or Cheetos cold turkey or gradually replacing their vices with healthier fare?

I think it is entirely individual. I have many different techniques I utilize with different people. Whatever works the best for each person is what I’m for and my idea of healthy might be a couple of steps more than what you might even be aware of. I like to offer lots of options and see how they land for someone.

Any final thoughts?

Even if what you eat isn’t all that important to you, it should be. It’s the base you live your life from and if you create habits that support you, you will accomplish much more than when you are fighting your physiology. Many people are surviving and getting by using excuses for their poor eating habits that eventually lead to a dramatic diagnosis. I had the ailments early on so I was forced to learn to live or finally die. I chose health and found out how simple it can be. I encourage everyone to learn how food really works and not what the diets tell you is “right”. There is a fad, craze or study coming out all the time to keep you interested or confused. Whole foods have not changed since the beginning of time and are always there to support us. Learning how they work is invaluable!

To keep up with Susan’s latest nutritional tips, visit SusanMarque.com where you can sign up for her monthly e-newsletter. Check out the archives for her hangover cure.

To get you started, here’s one of Susan’s easy breakfast recipes to kick start your day.

Breakfast Quinoa with Apples and Cinnamon

This dish just satisfies me in the morning without the heavy feeling that I often feel from oatmeal.

1 Cup Quinoa, rinsed and sorted
3 Cups good water (soak the quinoa overnight if you can)
Pinch of sea salt
1 apple, cored and cut into small chunks
1 tsp. cinnamon (more if you like or have a sweet apple)
Flax oil to taste

Place the water, quinoa, apples and cinnamon in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the pinch of sea salt, turn down the heat, place a lid on the pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in flax oil to taste. Enjoy!

Corporate America taking lessons from the Bush administration

Published on March 29, 2008 in Business and Politics. 0 Comments Tags: Bush adminsitration, Fox, Starbucks.

It’s not enough that our current Presidential administration ignores that system of checks and balances that most middle schoolers can explain. Congress demanded contempt charges against Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten. Attorney General Mukasey, a Bush appointee, said no; wonders never cease. The executive branch does not need to justify its behavior anymore; they pronounce executive privilege and walk away.

As can be expected, Corporate America is taking the Bush administration’s lead. A judge just ordered Starbucks to pay $100 million in barista back-tips that were illegally shared with shift supervisors, and Starbucks plans to continue business as usual.

. . .the company also said, “Contrary to some reports, Starbucks has not taken money from any of its partners, and nor is there money to be refunded or returned from Starbucks.” A spokeswoman said Thursday that Starbucks Corp. has no intention of ending the practice of sharing tips among baristas and shift supervisors in California while it seeks an injunction.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Patricia Cowett, in her ruling last week, said there was “uncontroverted testimony that Starbucks continues to utilize the distribution of tips from the tip pool to compensate shift supervisors as well as baristas.” Cowett ordered Starbucks to pay thousands of California baristas $86.7 million plus interest for breaking the law. . .

David Lowe, an attorney for the baristas, said during the trial it was disclosed that a shift supervisor has direction over baristas and that California law specifically says a supervisor who directs others can’t take part in tip pools.

Starbucks can now look forward to similar class action suits in Minnesota and Massachussetts while it appeals the California judgement and Howard Schultz finds some cheese to go with his whine.

this ruling is extremely unfair and beyond reason.

I wonder where the baristas place the unfairness?

Even better, Fox Broadcasting is refusing to pay a $91,000 fine meted out by the FCC over a 2003 episode of Married in America featuring blurred-out naughty bits that upset some viewers.

Fox said it would not pay the fine on principle, calling it “arbitrary and capricious, inconsistent with precedent, and patently unconstitutional” in a statement released yesterday.

They’ll be fighting their fine.

Next corporations will just stop paying their taxes; it’s so much easier than lobbying for corporate welfare.

Netflix: proof conscientious customer service exists

Published on March 26, 2008 in Business and Entertainment. 0 Comments Tags: customer service, Netflix.

I’ve been a member of Netflix for about 4 years now and can report that I’m very satisfied with the service. When I do have a problem, there’s a live person on the other end of the customer service hot line. My problems are few and far between, but as of my last mailing issue, a congenial customer service rep answered my call.

Yesterday, Netflix experienced a major outage that prevented me from accessing my account and precluded Netflix shipping out DVDs due to their customers. In an act of responsible consumer relations, Netflix apologized to its customers this morning and offered a conciliatory token, a 5% credit on next month’s dues.

Subject: We’re Sorry Your DVD Was Delayed

Dear Andrea,

As you may have heard, our shipping system was unexpectedly down for most of Monday. We should have shipped you a DVD but were unable to. Your DVD was shipped today, Tuesday, March 25th, instead.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. We will issue a 5% credit to your account in the next few days. You don’t need to do anything. The credit will be automatically applied to your next billing statement.

Again, we apologize for the delay and thank you for your understanding. If you need further assistance, please call us at 1 (888) 638-3549.

-The Netflix Team

I wish other companies would take note of these customer-friendly practices.

Netflix responded immediately to the problem.
Netflix made a genuine apology, without making excuses.
Netflix provide a service discount for my inconvenience, not on upgrades or extraneous services I wouldn’t want, but on the service I use

Now if the could just make their “Watch Now” feature available to Mac users, my service would be perfect.

What I Learned from Suzanne Somers

Published on March 25, 2008 in Health. 0 Comments Tags: corn syrup, groceries, Michael Pollan, processed foods, produce.

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’ve taken advice from Suzanne Somers. Yes, that Suzanne Sommers.

Years ago, I saw her doing a television interview and she made a valid point about grocery shopping. If you think about the kinds of food we are encourage to eat: the lean meats, fish, and fresh produce, all of those items get heavy pretty quickly. And where can you find them? In the horse shoe around the edges of the grocery store. It’s the processed crap: junk food, crackers, cake, they’re pretty darned light weight and serve as filler for all those aisles. Yes, I know there are exceptions to this rule — beans and whole grains hang out on the mid-store shelves too. And juice may be heavy, but it hangs out on shelves and lacks the fiber of the actual fruit.

So that’s my rule of thumb when grocery shopping. Suzanne and I aren’t alone.

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! recently interviewed Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, about food culture and the food industry. He probably wasn’t watching Suzanne Somer’s being interviewed a decade ago, but he too recommends shopping the edges of the grocery store.

And if you look at the layout of the average supermarket, the fresh whole foods are always on the edge. So you get produce and meat and fish and dairy products. And those are the foods that, you know, your grandmother would recognize as foods. They haven’t changed that much. All the processed foods, the really bad stuff that is going to get you in trouble with all the refined grain and the additives and the high-fructose corn syrup, those are all in the middle. And so, if you stay out of the middle and get most of your food on the edges, you’re going to do a lot better.

The basic takeaway from his interview :

don’t eat any food that’s incapable of rotting. If the food can’t rot eventually, there’s something wrong. . .

Chips and cake mix will sit seemingly indefinitely in your kitchen cabinet, but berries get furry, and greens start melting down if left uneaten in your refrigerator.

So the next time you’re at the grocery store, think about the real estate of your purchases.

Those most vulnerable are least prepared

Published on March 25, 2008 in Gen Y and Health. 0 Comments Tags: advanced directives, leading cause of death, living wills, premature death.

Regardless of what generation you belong to, youth always feels pretty invincible. It’s part of the reason the deaths of young people are so traumatic to society, whether the death of a celebrity like Heath Ledger or local teens killed in a drunk driving accident. A young person with his whole life ahead of him isn’t supposed to wake up dead.

The reality is that accidents are the leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds (according to the most recent census data).

Unfortunately, while youth are most likely to be struck down in a motor vehicle or other freak accident, they are least likely to prepare for that unfortunate scenario. While doctors are willing to broach the subject of living wills with their senior patients, few talk to college students and other young adults about the same documentation.

Living wills, also known as advanced directives, document the kind of care you want to receive in the event you become incapacitated. They allow you to designated a proxy to make decisions for you, as well as outline the type of care you approve or disapprove of, including whether to pull the plug in a persistent vegetative state, resuscitation orders and organ donation. The US Living Will Registry will store your advanced directive for easy access by medical personnel nationwide. The site also provides easy access to approved forms for your state. After submitting your forms via a participating health care provider, the registry will get in touch to confirm your preferences each year.

Completing this documentation is a great step in making sure your medical preferences are on record in the event of the unexpected. More important, making sure your family and friends are aware of those same preferences and the existence of your advanced directive. We all try to stay insured just in case; complete an advanced directive for the same reason.

Looking to be more content? Volunteer or donate to a cause you care about

Published on March 23, 2008 in Society and Useful Stuff. 0 Comments Tags: philanthropy, volunteering.

Last week the media reported on preliminary study findings which suggest that people who donate a portion of their incomes to causes or people they believe in are happier than those who simply spend on themselves. Whether giving college students money to spend or looking at professionals who received workplace bonuses, individuals cited a greater level of happiness with their lives when they gave a share of that money away.

In recent years, a number of studies demonstrated that a commitment to volunteering in one’s community yielded lower levels of depression. A 2004 study in the UK showed that nearly two-thirds of 25-34 year olds reported reduced stress after they began volunteering. Seven in 10 felt that using their professional skill sets for a philanthropic endeavor cut down on feelings of depression, while almost a third of 19-24 year olds reported lower rates of workplace absenteeism as a result of their charitable commitments. Additionally, a 2007 compilation of study results showed positive health effects from volunteering peaked at 100 hours per year; additional health benefits were not found in those who volunteered more than 100 hours each year.

What should these findings say to you? Find a cause you care about. Think about the community and society stories that tug at your heart strings. Do puppy mills and the Michael Vicks dog fighting scandal sadden you? Perhaps a local animal shelter would be a good fit for you. Do you enjoy playing with your nieces and nephews? Maybe you’d be a great Big Brother or Big Sister. Are you frustrated by the disenfranchisement of qualified voters each election season? Maybe you want to take advantage of volunteer opportunities with a group that focuses on making all votes count. Whether you’re volunteering one weekend a month or 2 hours a week, you and your community benefit.

As twenty somethings, we are often juggling debt and entry level jobs that don’t often leave us with a lot of money to spare. One thing we do have is energy and time. So let’s not discount the fact that the time we can give to a cause is just as valuable as the dollars they collect through various fundraising efforts. A lot of smaller non-profits rely on their volunteers to make their dollars go farther and to keep programs a live. Dedicated volunteers are great ambassadors of the organizations they support.

Whether you have $20 per paycheck to donate or 2 hours every Thursday, you can put a smile on your face knowing that your contribution is making an impact.

P.S. VolunteerMatch is a great site that helps partner you with organizations that need your help. DonorChoose allows you to purchase supplies for underfunded schools.

Random breaking news: Passed my exam

Published on March 22, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

For those of you who know I took my certifying exam in Stott Pilates matwork last month, the test scores are in; I passed!!! I can officially tell people I’m a Stott Pilates matwork instructor

Championing comprehensive sex education

Published on March 20, 2008 in Gen Y and Health. 0 Comments Tags: abstinence-only education, comprehensive sex education, sexually transmitted diseases, sexually transmitted infections, STDs.

Iowa recently became the 17th state to turn down federal funding for abstinence-only education, so that it can more universally provide comprehensive sex education to its youth. (Other states that have opted out: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin. A list of states that have opted out is hard to find, my googling shows that Pennsylvania might belong on that list, which means I could be wrong about one of the states listed above.)

Even better, yesterday 76 Congresspersons sent a letter requesting that House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey cut funding for abstinence-only education in the coming fiscal year (2009) because study after study shows that the programming is ineffective. After ten year of federal funding for abstinence-only programming, costing tax payers $1.5 billion, they stated

numerous reports have found that the “abstinence-only” approach simply does not work. For example, in April 2007, the independent research firm Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. [Abstract or full PDF] – commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – concluding that students in “abstinence-only” programs are no more likely to abstain from sex, delay initiation of sex, or have fewer sexual partners than students who did not participate. Moreover, 13 states have evaluated their federally funded “abstinence-only” programs and not a single one found positive, long-term impact. In fact, in some cases young people who participated in the programs actually increased their sexual activity. (letter)

With the Bush administration’s ideology (not science) based governing winding down, it looks as though the science behind education youth is gaining traction. A recent University of Washington study supports the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education.

When differences in race, age, gender and family makeup were taken into account, students who’d had comprehensive sex education were 60 percent less likely to report a pregnancy than those without any sex education and 50 percent less likely than the abstinence-only group. (Seattle Times, 3/20/08)

After last week’s announcement that 1 in 4 teen girls has a sexually transmitted disease, the study disappoints a bit by finding that

Neither comprehensive nor abstinence-only education appeared to affect the odds that a teen would contract a sexually transmitted disease. (Seattle Times, 3/20/08)

Public health officials have their work cut out for them over the next decade. Now that there’s hope that comprehensive sex education is back on track, researchers need to figure out what the missing element is in preventing widespread STD infection rates in youth.