I didn’t get married until the age of 41.  I told family and friends that I was just waiting for the guy brave enough to take that step.  One of my friends joked in reply that what I was really waiting for was a guy that was a better man than I was.  Given that he was looking for a better woman than he was, it made sense.

There are advantages to getting married at a later age than most.  I had college behind me, was well-established in my administrative career, owned my car, had decent furniture, and most of the other stuff people acquire to make their homes and lives a little easier.  I’d been an independent adult for over twenty years, making my own life decisions, handling my own money, going when I wanted to go, eating what I wanted to eat, and playing when I wanted to play.

And, ironically, that same independence can be somewhat disadvantageous once you’re married.  Now I was in a partnership, with an individual who was just as independent, just as established in his career, had just as much stuff, and was just as stubborn as I was.  Thankfully, we were on the same page with most things, and we quickly came to the decision that we were just going to have a yours, mine and ours kind of arrangement.  We each kept our individual bank accounts, credit cards, cars, and stuff, while opening joint accounts for the household.  Things that were going to benefit both of us, like the house payment, groceries, utilities, etc., would be paid from the household account.  Items that would only benefit or be used by one person would be paid by that person.  So, when he wants to buy more tools for his workshop, he dips into his personal account.  When I want to buy more silk embroidery floss for my next needlework project, that’s on me.  We each contribute a set amount into the household account every month.  Given that I was bringing in about 60% of the joint income, my contribution to the household was slightly larger than his, but still giving both of us plenty of left over cash to play with.  This arrangement worked amazingly well, until that fateful day in April.

So now I’m on unemployment, which nets significantly less than that nice regular paycheck.  Every penny the state sends me gets put into the household account, because our budget was based on the working income.  The hubby, I think a little to his chagrin, can not support the entire household just on his income.  Much like so many other Americans these days.  Unfortunately, what I get on unemployment isn’t quite up to the level I was contributing while working, so the household belt has tightened to a dangerously thin point.  After years of just being able to pay the bills without really worrying, going out to dinner if we wanted, buying something for the house if we liked it, we are now back to being serious jugglers and tap dancers.  The holidays are looking especially bleak.

And that’s when I noticed that damn box.  The first wall went up when I lost the job – no big deal, just go around.  The second wall went up when the depression came crashing back with a blinding force of will – okay, we can still manage, with a little guidance from the counselor.  The third wall went up when I no longer had my own money.  That was a tough one – I could no longer buy things when I wanted to.  I couldn’t pay my credit card bills, couldn’t buy lunch out if I was running errands, couldn’t even get my husband an  anniversary card.  I was having to ask him for permission to use household funds to pay for my personal bills.  Did not like that at all.

Okay, so I still have one way out.  I don’t have to be in a box.  But then the car registration showed up.  Our lovely three-year-old truck was going to cost us nearly 25% more to register this year than last year.  Welcome to California, now give us all your money.  Money we don’t have, if we want to still pay the house payment.  And that was one of the life lessons drilled into both of us from an early age: ALWAYS PAY YOUR HOUSING COSTS!!!  Don’t pass go, don’t buy lotto tickets, don’t buy cigarettes, booze or even food, if it means not paying the house payment or the rent.  That leaves only one option, unless I have a rich uncle who’s died and left me a large inheritance: we have to PNO the truck.  That means the truck sits in the drive way and goes no where else until we can get the regular registration.  That means I have no vehicle while my husband is at work.  That means careful planning if I need to go somewhere, because public transit in our area ain’t what it should be.  There’s always the bicycle, but I’d have to shell out some money to repair it.  So after over two decades of vehicular independence, I’m stuck.

The weird thing is, I’m a bit agoraphobic and really don’t like leaving the house if I don’t have to.  But it really hit me when I realized I just seen that last wall drop.   No job, no money, no car, and no way out.  I was now completely dependent on someone else to take care of me, for the first time since I was a child.   Much as I love, trust and cherish my husband, much as he does his best to be supportive, understanding and sympathetic, I just couldn’t deal with the idea of being so vulnerable.  Too many years of taking care of myself, making my own money, handling my own affairs, without having to ask anybody else’s permission.  In short, I freaked.

So here I am, sitting at the bottom of this big ol’ box of trouble, my eyes blood shot and stinging from the panicked crying, my head hurting from banging it against the walls, my nails bloodied from digging at the floor, wondering if I could braid my hair into a long enough rope to get my butt out of here.  I still have my brain and my Gerber multi-tool.  I just might be able to reach the top…

© 2009  Cheri K. Endsley   All Rights Reserved.

  Como que este día fue de escritos gastronómicos, anteriormente ya les había mencionado quien era la abuela del Chocolate Abuelita y por ahí me preguntaron que ¿quien coños era el bebe que aparece en las papillas de Gerber? Primero que nada no es Baden_Powell (chiste local para LevelUp). Segundo, no es “el” si no “la”, ya que es una niña la que sale en las botellas de Gerber, y es un boceto en óleo, que realizo Dorothy Hope Smith en 1928. La bebe se llama Ann Turner Cook.

"En 1928, Gerber estaba en la búsqueda de un rostro de bebé para una campaña publicitaria y así lanzar su comida infantil. Smith envió su boceto con el fin de elaborar una pintura en óleo y dijo podía terminar el boceto si era seleccionado. Los ejecutivos de Gerber se impresionaron tanto que lo escogieron tal como estaba y fue de esta forma que el Bebé Gerber hizo su debut. La ilustración se popularizó tanto que Gerber lo adoptó como su imagen oficial en 1931. Desde entonces, ha aparecido en todos los empaques de los productos y campañas de Gerber, haciendo de Ann Turner Cook, la bebé con el rostro más conocida del mundo."

La señora según Wikipedia sigue viva (a menos que no hayan actualizado la entrada), se caso con James E. Cook, educo a cuatro niños (ninguno de ellos imagen de algún producto). Fue maestra y directora de ingles en una escuela Primaria en Florida y se encuentra jubilada y comiendo papilla del producto de la que es imagen, ya que le faltan muchos dientes dada su edad avanzada.

Links: Wikipedia | Odisea Culinaria

Oui, on le connaît tous. On l’a tous plus ou moins déjà cotoyé…

Gerber : empiler, terme souvent utilisé dans le jargon du transport de marchandise.

Eh ouais, on en apprend des trucs en faisant ses courses au rayon lait du Carrefour Market…

I know that I rant and rave about the mass media today and the terrible state it is in. I know that many of you might find my commentary on the 2010 gubernatorial election for Governor in California as bias and crudely thrown together. You might find that my commentary on the social implications that both the media and politics have today are tightly bound by a generally accepted social contract, for good or ill. It is a rare occasion that I get an opportunity to speak on a subject as this one. As few of you know, I am sure, a personal aide to State Att. Gen. Jerry Brown recently ‘resigned’ after a bit of an unfortunate situation with a journalist, recordings, and a lack of candor that proved to be too much for him to overcome, leading to his resignation from his position. What you may not know is the unfortunate timing of this overblown situation of ‘illegal’ tapings and the Att. Gen.’s possible action against the ‘pimp n ho’ ACORN tapes that were released a while back as being illegal and possible entrapment. This all sounds very complicated I am sure to those of you not in the know and not as obsessed and quite possibly addicted to the little ins and outs of the emerging candidates and campaigns in the 2010 election for governor of the most populous state in the union. What has transpired here, and what may transpire is nothing short of a wonderful moment for me to connect Nixon to Reagan to Brown, and I will do so in the most eloquent and demonstrative way possible.

A few weeks back an aide to Jerry Brown named Scott Gerber made a call to the San Francisco Chronicle pleading for changes to a story they did on Brown citing some very extensive quotes from the interview reporter Carla Marinnuci did with Brown. The red flag went up when he was able to quote to an almost impossible length contextual quotations from the interview and what was said. He was present at the interview with Brown, as were others, and it became clear that he could only have recalled such minute details if the conversation had been recorded and he were reading from a transcript. Turns out the conversation was recorded by Gerber without the consent of the reporter, or as they claim, even Brown. Gerber had apparently taken it upon himself to record the interview for posterity and for the express purpose he used it for, to refute inconsistencies or falsehoods in the ensuing article.

Jerry Brown, as any good unofficial candidate would do, claimed no part in the event, claiming no knowledge of the taping at the event. Jerry Brown pulled a classic Reagan and Nixon-esque move with complete deniability in the situation. He had no idea what his aides and subordinates were doing and did not approve the tapings. Just like Iran/Contra incident under Reagan, Brown claimed that he did not have anything to do with the event, and I’m sure, would not have approved such an action without the express consent of the reporter. Just as with Nixon during Watergate, Brown did not know what was going on, and holds Gerber in the highest regard and respect and that the actions taken were taken in the best interest of Brown and the parties involved, though the judgement of Gerber was questionable, his intentions were not.

Old Gerber stepped down under what has turned out to be a bit of an overblown situation calling the taping ‘illegal’ being the state of a very ambiguous statute in California legislation stating that you cannot secretly tape confidential conversations and meeting, without the express consent of all parties involved. The salacious media is picking up on the vague nature of the phrase ‘confidential conversations’ and blowing it out of proportion, as Peter Scheer of the Huffington Post illustrates. This was a conversation with a journalist for the express purpose of providing information that was expressly going to be used in the public sector. This interview was not a confidential conversation, there rarely, if ever, is such a thing as a confidential conversation with a reporter or journalist. Where this incident falls is somewhere under the guise of a broken social contract that reporters don’t secretly tape interviews and vice versa. It is not really ethical and not something done today; reporters are generally very open, honest, and frank in asking permission to record a conversation for accuracy and posterity sake. The real issue was the Gerber did not disclose that it was being recorded, and then he made the mistake of quoting way too much from the conversation for it to just be from memory; poor judgement clearly, but illegal, not at all.

I think the reason that this has become an issue, and it was necessary for Gerber to distance himself is two fold: One is that with a burgeoning campaign and still running unopposed as Brown is for the Democrats in the 2010 election, this kind of ‘scandal’ (which it isn’t) cannot be associated with his current position as the lawman looking to protect the people. Secondly, it is really poor timing as the Att. Gen. is making plans to prosecute the ‘pimp n ho’ filmmakers that ran the sting on ACORN earlier this year, for illegally taping and entrapping the offices that they visited in the state of California.

With this campaign getting seriously close to needing to become official the Jerry Brown camp knew, that if this situation continued is could become an issue to come out officially under this scandal growing, so they needed to nip it in the bud. Jerry Brown didn’t file any charges against Gerber as the internal investigation was scrapped, to the chagrin of proponents and the elation of those critics trying to get anything on Brown. In response Brown has called for n outside investigation in to the situation to cover his ass. This thing needs to disappear quickly if he plans on announcing his candidacy by the end of the year. Brown is currently enjoying great approval numbers and simple name recognition right now without having done a damn thing to campaign, so if this situation festered it would get this team on the defensive the moment they stepped on to the field.

The other issue is his possible prosecution of the whistle blowers that secretly taped meetings with ACORN employees to find a way for the pimp to do his taxes and the prostitute to do hers so as to make their income sound legitimate in the eyes of the government. Now this is a much more slippery slope these filmmakers treaded. They went in to confidential meetings, under assumed identities without disclosing the recording they were doing and lured the ACORN employees under false pretenses to give them legal advice for fake occupations. In essence they could be accused of illegally taping confidential meeting, entrapment, and possibly other charges Brown can drudge up on them. This case, though similar to the Gerber incident lends itself much better to a judicial proceeding in that the meetings, on tax information, are assumed confidential, and the use of those recordings were for public use without the express knowledge of all parties involved; the key word is ‘all’. There is also arguing the entrapment since the parties posed as fake personas and illicitly asked for the advice they wanted, not that they were approached, they asked for specific advice of an illegal kind, under illegal pretenses. I would go as far as to argue that those tapes are not legal evidence in a court case that may try and prosecute ACORN because the means by which they were obtained is on shaky ground to say the least.

The situation and the timing of these two events is cause for a little bit of questioning. Could it be that a secret taping scandal just pops up at the same time Brown is getting ready to attack the filmmakers of the ACORN tapes? I find it a little odd, but I am no conspiracy theorist so I won’t go there, but I do find it interesting that these two issues are coming to bear at a pivotal time in the Brown campaign. With Whitman on the GOP side spending enough money to match the GDP of a small country, and getting some poll numbers to show it is working, a little, Brown is in a precarious spot to either go official or continue to stay out of the limelight to some extent. Is it better for him to get in the ring and start campaigning, getting the fallout of the Nixon-esque recording scandal through Reagan-esque deniability out of the way, dealing with it now and letting the short term memory of the public relegate it to the past as his campaign chugs along? Or should he stay out of the limelight, let this thing go away, never directly addressing it to the public and instead letting it disappear until it comes up in a smear-campaign TV spot put together by Whitman, or possibly his not-yet-decided possible opponent? I think the latter is the way to do it because I think it is going to come up in some debate in the future and it will look fishy to the voting public if it is the first they are hearing about it, as if Brown was trying to hide from it and then looks cornered as a non-secret appears to the public as an all out scandal that we are so far removed from the fact sifting will take to long and cost more to the campaign than getting out ahead of the issue.

The resignation of Scott Gerber was the first, and most important step in letting the Brown campaign distance itself from this little hiccup and in turn gives Brown the option of still going after the ACORN filmmakers all the while giving him deniability, and even the ‘appearance’ of an outside investigation insulates him from allegations of a double standard and hypocrisy, not to mention what may be phrased as an ‘abuse of his power’ and ‘doing favors for his friends’. Now, what the public will hear is ‘secret recordings’, ‘allegedly illegal’, and other terms used to further vilify the actions taken by a single man, and Brown will claim ignorance and be able to say that an outside panel was assembled to investigate and that Gerber resigned after ‘a lapse in judgement’. The fact of the matter is what Brown’s aide did, with or without the consent and knowledge of Brown, was NOT illegal specifically, it is in a gray area at worst, and just a bad call in reality.

The Brown ‘campaign’ should be up and running by the end of the year, it really should, so that it can get out ahead in the democratic voter’s eyes so that they can deter any possible opponents from running. If Brown can get a head of steam now, or at least soon, anyone that might have thought of running would not be able to afford the kind of fight it would take to gain ground AND overtake a man so solidly planted in the state of California. Brown has made a good decision by not running officially yet; he has been able to skirt criticism and early campaign fighting, letting one man, Newsom, defeat himself already. His campaign could use one Republican dropping out though, before he jumps in. How nice it would be for Brown to see Poizner drop out before he got in the race, or Campbell, but I doubt Poizner with all his money is willing to roll over just yet, and Campbell is enjoying some numbers close to or equal to Whitman’s by spending next to nothing, so he will probably stay in for a while, if not to the primaries, though it depends greatly on his funding. Whatever happens one thing is certain, Brown has done a great job with this first ‘scandal’ by copying the best plays from Presidents across the aisle; He sacrificed his close aide as Nixon did with many of his men, and he has total deniability to insulate him from too much criticism as Reagan did. Brown just seems to have done it better than both of those Republicans, and that puts him right up there with one of the great Democrats, ol’ Bill Clinton, a scandalous hall of famer.

This post has been spawned from my interest in pocket-sized tools, and trying to build the ultimate handy set of keys for my work keys. I have a few tools in my collection already, and I’ll write a short review of those, as well as showing some tools off my wish list. This list ignores multitools I have reviewed previously. Most of them are far too big to be included in this post anyway.

Gerber Artifact

my Gerber Artifact

I recently got my hands on a Gerber Artifact, which looked awesome. It has a small pry bar, Bottle opener, “x-acto” style replaceable blade, and a Philips head screwdriver on the tip. I had nothing like it in my collection, so i put in an order

When my order arrived, I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the build quality. The main body appears to be cast, and its hard to fault that, however the locking mechanism and pivot were a little ordinary. The blade is difficult to open and close. The pivot seems overly stiff. I’m not sure if this is the fault of the product, or if the tool was tightened after manufacture.

This brings me to my next point, the condition of the screws on the pivot and the ones holding the locking mechanism in place. It appears they have been abused somewhat. the torx screw in the pivot looks like it has had an allen key used in it to tighten it. To the tools credit this may have been done at the store I bought it from. Next, the two Torx screws holding the locking spring in look as if they had been beaten with a hammer, as well as having an allen key in them (the edges are somewhat distorted)

Really, when you consider the price which was paid, I can’t really fault the tool (it was $10 plus postage in a package of other stuff). It is solid, and very usable

Pocket Wrench II

The Pocket Wrench II is a neat little tool. It seems simple, with no moving parts, but has several useful features, such as a pry bar, a rule with inches and centimeters, and its main feature, the “universal” wrench, or as we would call it over here, spanner. I am yet to own one of these, but eventually, I would love to get my hands on one of these for my collection.

The Pocket Wrench II

 Peter Atwood

This one isn’t a specific tool, its a whole person. Peter Atwood is probably considered “THE GUY” when it comes to making small key sized multitools. his tools are better described as fine crafted works of art, and they are very exclusive. Peter releases the tools in small batches, which he announces on his blog, and the batches never last too long before they are all sold out. You really have to be on the ball to get one of his creations. I don’t own any of his tools yet, but eventually I might splash out for one, if i can catch  a batch with some avaliable

Swiss+tech Utili Key 6 in 1

the Utili-key is probably one of the first on mini, on keys tools I added to my collection. I attribute the discovery of this fun little tool to my sister, who actually found it first. I eventually found myself one, and has been on my keys ever since.

the Swiss+Tech Utili-Key

 Swiss+Tech Micro Plus

along side the Utili-key, I have added a Swiss+tech Micro-Plus to my keys also. these are a little pair of folding pliers, where, as you can see from the image, the handles are made up of a selection of screwdriver ends. The pliers on this critter are not in any way, needle point, they are quite wide, and short. The wide and short jaws come with the design, but can limit some uses of the tool. the biggest issue I have with this tool is that when folded out into pliers, there is no way of locking the handle into position. Again, this is really dictated by the simplistic design of the tools, and it is something you should be able to deal with.

The miniature Swiss+Tech Micro Plus

Swiss+tech make a few other mini tools – mostly variants fo the miniature pliers with more features. when I get around to it, I wouldn’t mind upgrading the micro plus to a Micro Max, which appears to be mostly an addition to some different sized screw driver bits as part of the handle

So there we have it. Short, and far from exhaustive, but I hope someone out there found it helpful or interesting.

Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC has announced the availability of its latest high efficiency toilet (HET), the new Avalanche™ 1.28. The company’s most sophisticated and powerful single flush gravity fed toilet, the Avalanche 1.28 uses only 1.28 gallons of water per flush (gpf) versus the industry standard 1.6 model.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using an HET unit (in place of a 1.6 gallon flush toilet) can save a minimum of 20 percent in annual water usage. An average family of four can save up to 8,760 gallons of water each year. “Because our existing Avalanche™ is our top performing model, the Gerber team dedicated a great deal of effort to design and manufacture this new highly efficient version,” said Kevin McJoynt, director of marketing for Gerber. “We are very pleased we were able to maintain the Avalanche’s industry-leading performance and appealing design while helping to conserve our most precious natural resource.”  Engineered with Gerber’s proprietary XP3 flushing system, the Avalanche 1.28 clears the bowl faster and more efficiently than any other unit on the market.  A three-inch flush valve, Fluidmaster fill valve, uniquely designed jet feed, rim structure and trapway configuration all contribute to this unit’s performance.  Its large water surface helps with cleaning and maintenance, and the slimline tank includes a color-matched side-mounted trip lever. Available in white and biscuit, the Avalanche 1.28 is backed by a five-year warranty, the product is available in Gerber’s uniquely comfortable ErgoHeight model, the product is also be offered in round front and elongated models as well as 10 inch, 12 inch and 14 inch rough-in configurations.

About Gerber:
Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC is a leading manufacturer of vitreous china plumbing fixtures, faucets, fittings and bathroom suites for the residential, commercial and hospitality construction markets. Gerber products are sold exclusively to the plumbing professional and are supported with Gerber’s exclusive “Best-in-Class” customer service. The company is committed to sustaining the environment through resource conservation and building best practices, is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and a partner in the U.S. EPA WaterSense Program.

News Courtesy A-1 Plumbing Supply News http://a1ly.com/

Click here to access money-saving coupons from Gerber Childrenswear! (You have to sign up in order to access the coupons.) These coupons are currently available:

• $2.50 off any two Gerber Onesies brand one piece underwear products!
• $2.00 off any two Gerber Blanket Sleepers or PJs!
• $1.00 off any Gerber Sleep ‘n Play or other apparel or bedding item!

This pretty ivory buttercream wedding cake is adorned with fresh yellow Gerber Daisies and a brown satin ribbon.  The piping design on the cake is taken from the lace pattern on the bride’s wedding dress. 

To schedule your complimentary wedding cake consultation, call The Twisted Sifter Cake Shoppe at 859-285-0306 or email Pam@TheTwistedSifter.com

For more information visit our website at http://TheTwistedSifter.com

i just thought about how the perfect gift, in any occasion – is really, actually – only a flower, of course, thats my opinion, but i love love love love love flowers; my favorite are gerbera daisies, i love them, i feel like they’re fun & elegant at the same time

i’m not sure what made me think about it, maybe the fact that it’s my brother’s birthday – every year for my birthday, i would get flowers, usually roses – but always flowers, from my daddy, recently something has been weird between us, don’t want to get into it. but i love gerberas.

today was a long day ; it was supposed to be short – i got out of class at 12:35 – grabbed lunch, studied a little, i was really tired though, all day i was tired. i had to wait around for my brother – considering i dont have a license, i need a ride home – so i got home at 4ish, cleaned my closet out, i’ll show you pics tomorrow! it looks greeaat thanks to my mommaaa; i asked her not too; but she did my laundry for me anyway she’s such a mom. good thing i guess? anyways, i’m gna get to sleep, i have one class at 6 tmrw, but i have to take the 12pm train to study at school, then i have a bio seminar i’m going to go tooo

lots of love ; annakay

Mom and Dad have grown tired of popping their little fingers in my mouth whenever I make a sound.  They think they’ll fool me with these silicone devices.

They’re wrong.  I know it’s not a finger, but it makes them happy, so I’ll play along.

The taste reminds me of the nipple on one of my old bottles.  It’s a bit chemical-y at first, but after a few chomps, that goes away and it’s off to sweet, sweet sucking-land!  Oh, who am I kidding.  These are awesome.  They make me so happy.  Mmmmm.

What a great character Clint was in Dazed and Confused. Who didn’t want to take a shot at Adam Goldberg, though? His friend didn’t bother me, but had I need in Clint’s shoes and that prick dumped a beer on me? I would’ve released the bull inside just like the greaser did. Clint. Heh. What kind of a name is that? Clint. One letter away from vulgarity. Anyway, who among us hasn’t gone through their “Wanna rip my belt off and go psycho on you, sucka” phase?

Personally, I haven’t ever been in knock down, drag out fisticuffs with anyone. Though there is a certain lure to the “I just got my ass kicked by you, now let’s share a beer in good spirits.” While I would need some sort of bottle-opening implement to crack the top off said beer, assuming we’re drinking in public (I mean, we did just fight, right?), it would make the experience all the more memorable if I used my teeth…assuming they aren’t all knocked out.Heh…Clint.

- Will

Today’s breakfast was a “bargain breakfast.”

Greek Yogurt, Banana Puffs and Dried Banana and Pineapple

I am a bargain hunter, a coupon clipper and a sale shopper. Buy one, get one free deals are my best friend. Ryan and I always compare the “How much did you save?” number at the bottom of our Publix grocery store receipts.

(Surprisingly the cashiers can get really into our little competition, too. One time the bagger ran to the back of the store to get me a bag of frozen large shrimp instead of the jumbo ones I selected since the large ones were on sale. I won that particular savings competition. )

During our most recent trip to the grocery store, an item I typically bypass was on sale: baby food. The discounted price caught my eye and when I saw “whole grains” on the label of one of the items, I began looking at the products more closely.

Gerber Graduates Banana Puffs

The Gerber Graduates Puffs (banana flavor) are made with whole grains and real banana and have only 25 calories per one half-up serving. I put them in my cart.

Next I spotted Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits (banana pineapple flavor).

Gerber Graduates Dried Banana and Pineapple

The ingredients were very simple: freeze-dried banana and pineapple. Into my cart they went. (They were only $1!)

My breakfast this morning was a cup of Chobani Greek yogurt topped with my two bargain baby food purchases.

Greek Yogurt and Baby Food

A Delicious Combo

I also brewed a hot cup of Mighty Leaf chocolate mint truffle tea to enjoy with my crunchy yogurt creation.

Monday's Breakfast

Who knew an adult could love baby food so much?

Question: Are you a bargain hunter? What are your favorite stores for great deals?

By Sharon Dotan

Here at the RIC Centre, we see many entrepreneurs and small business owners. In the process of helping them take their products and services to market, we are often asked for recommended readings and resources (these entrepreneurs really enjoy their homework!).

It seems that just about every week there is a new it-book on the shelves. So how do you decide which books to read and which to turn the page on? Here’s our list of 5 must-read books for entrepreneurs:

1)        The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki – A former Apple-r and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Kawasaki provides tips and advice for anyone starting anything. He encourages entrepreneurs to make meaning, make mantra, and get going. The Art of the Start will give you the essential steps to launch great products, services, and companies. Plus, his brilliant FAQ’s (frequently avoided questions) will answer almost all your fears about starting a new business.

2)      The High Performance Entrepreneur by Subroto Bagchi – This book delves into numerous challenges entrepreneurs may face including how to decide when one is ready to launch an enterprise, select a team, define the values and objectives of the company, write the business plan, choose the right investors, manage adversity and build the brand. This is recommended for high achievers who want to build high potential organizations (think Google).

3)      Relentless by Ted Rogers – In this book, Ted Rogers tells the story of how he built Rogers Communications into one of the largest companies in Canadian history-and in only one generation. Outspoken, sometimes controversial and always forward-thinking, Rogers is a legendary innovator whose brand stands among the top in Canadian business. As Rogers is characteristically frank about his successes and his failures, Relentless will serve as a fascinating and motivational business memoir for entrepreneurs.

4)      Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath – Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these perplexing questions. Inside, the brothers reveal the anatomy of ideas that “stick” and explain sure-fire methods for making ideas “stickier”. Made to Stick explains the principles of successful ideas at work—and how entrepreneurs can apply these rules to making their own messages “stick.”

5)      The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – In this book, Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. Next, he walks you through the steps in the life of a business — from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.

Although there are plenty of useful and informative business books out there, these are just a few of our favourites.

What are yours?

Sharon Dotan is a student in the Master of Biotechnology program at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Through her internship at the RIC Centre, she has gained a passion for cultivating and promoting innovation. With her background in life sciences, Sharon has been able to assist our Entrepreneur-in-Residence with various client needs, including market research, business plans, and go-to-market strategies. Sharon is also responsible for the Growing Your Business breakfast series as well as maintenance of the RIC website at www.riccentre.com

Women Want More: How to Capture Your Share of the World’s Largest, Fastest-Growing Market
Michael Silverstein and Kate Sayre
HarperBusiness (2009)

Silverstein and Sayre conducted extensive research that involved more than 12,000 women, in more than 40 demographic areas, from every income level and many walks of life, and in ten countries. When processing responses to the 120-question survey, presumably they kept in mind that that differences between and among women are probably greater than they are between and among men, especially given where they live in terms of legal, social, and economic status in countries whose demographics are themselves so diverse, notably the United States, China, India, Mexico, and Russia as well as those that comprise the United Kingdom. To learn more about the research and take a brief survey, please visit www.womenspeakworldwide.com.

Throughout their lively and informative narrative, Silverstein and Sayre insert a number of assertions and observations that caught my eye. For example, “No brand – that is truly what she is – understands what more women want from their lives better than Oprah Winfrey…We found variations of Winfrey’s motto – ‘Live your best life’ – sprinkled throughout the 8,000 pages of comments we collected from women around the world, and we saw many more versions taped to refrigerator doors in the homes we visited during the course of our research. To women around the world, Winfrey is a welcome shot in the arm, urging them to complete their education, think big, and change the world.” (Page 89)

Not only do Silverstein and Sayre cite data generated by their rigorous research, data that suggest trends, patterns, and in some instances unmet needs; they are also commendably specific when identifying do’s and don’ts, suggesting which strategies and tactics that various companies have used effectively when attempting to “capture” their share of “the world’s largest, fastest-growing market.” They respond to what women have ranked as being the greatest challenge to them, with time ranked #1 by 47% of respondents to the survey, followed by love, family, relationships, and community.

These exemplar companies include Banana Republic, Curves, Dove, Gerber, Nike, Olay, Oprah/Harpo franchises, Sony, Swiffer, and Whole Foods. These and other exemplary companies have highly sophisticated marketing initiatives, to be sure, but as Silverstein and Sayre so carefully explain, a brand makes specific promises that must be kept. Gerber, for example, combines convenience (time saver) with nutrition, Sony offers stylish products of consistently high quality, and Swiffer really does save time while cleaning floors effectively and now line extension products are being developed, in response to consumer requests for them.

Gerber – Compact Sport Multi-Tool
@ Php 3,000    * competitor’s price is Php 3,737

Part Number:  30
Manufacturer: Gerber

Key Features:
1. Tools lock for safety2. Fiskars scissors3. One handed opening

Product Description:The Multi-Plier 400 Compact Sport is the compact toolbox that fits in the palm of your hand. This ultra compact tool features stainless steel hardware and our patented one hand opening plier jaws – opens with a flick of the wrist. Tool components include; large and small screwdrivers, Phillips screwdriver, drop point knife blade, can opener, bottle opener/medium screwdriver, and a pair of Fiskars Scissors. These are the best scissors found in a multi-function tool, able to cut through leather, hemmed denim, ballistic cloth, and all braided fishing lines. All components lock open with our patented SAF-T PLUS locking system – the safest, strongest, most durable lock available.

Technical Specs:

* Overall Length: 5.56”* Length Closed: 4.31”

* Weight: 6.6 oz.

* Handle Material: Stainless Steel* Sheath: Ballistic nylon

Components:Needlenose pliers, wire cutter, wire crimper, serrated knife blade, Fiskars scissors, cross point screwdriver, small, medium and large flat blade screwdrivers, can opener, bottle opener.

Gerber Double Take- Two Blade Liner Lock Aluminum Handles, 3.5″ Closed
@ P 1,700

The traditional two-blade gentleman’s pocket knife gets a modern update thanks to designer Bob Lum. The Gerber Double Take is a lightweight knife with double liner lock safety, a thumb stud for one-handed opening, and a stainless steel serrated wharncliff and a fine edge clip point blade.

Key Features

•    Serrated and fine edge blade
•    Thumbstud
•    Single liner lock engages both blades
•    Aluminum handle

Tech Specs

•    Overall Length: 6.1″
•    Length Closed: 3.5″
•    Length of Blade: 2.6″
•    Weight: 2.3 oz.
•    Blade Material: 440A stainless steel
•    Handle Material: Hard anodized aluminum
•    Blade Style: Clip point and Warncliffe
•    Blade Type: Fine edge and Serrated

This hot pink, florescent green polka dot, and gerber daisy 3 tier cake was created for a bridal shower in Bardstown, KY. The the cake was carrot on one layer, white with lemon on another and the last layer was strawberry with a fresh strawberry filling. The cake was covered in a pink marshmallow fondant.

To order a cake call The Twisted Sifter Cake Shoppe at 859-285-0306 or email Pam@TheTwistedSifter.com

For more information visit our website at www.TheTwistedSifter.com

Enter to win a Boppy Total Body Pillow plus Boppy Pillow with cover for Mom; and Gerber apparel and bedding plus Boppy Entertain Me play gym and newborn lounger for Baby!

Click HERE to enter. Contest enters Oct. 31, 2009.

“A primera vista, los agujeros están “hechos de nada”. ¿Como es posible, pues, referirnos a ellos como si fueran objetos comunes? ¿Cómo es posible percibirlos? ¿Qué percibimos?”… Ahora las revistas de ciencia dicen que la nada no existe… por que es algo que se llama materia oscura y cosas asi… pero entonces la nada si existe pero con otro nombre?? O deja de existir por que si hay materia oscura donde se suponia que no habria nada?? o existe en otro lugar que no sabemos por que hasta donde vemos solo hay materia oscura??… Un momento… el hermoso plok de abrir un gerber te dice que esta al vacio… entonces entre el gerber y la tapa no hay nada? (o mas bien.. si hay nada????) o hay algo que se llama vacio??… seria lo mismo decir que no hay nada y que hay algo y que ambas sean validas???… Changos….  Parmenides decia algo muy muy cagado de la existencia: “el ser es; el no-ser no es” Carajo… esa es una verdad irrefutable… pero me hace muchas blas… segun el… el no ser es la nada… y si la nada no es entonces no existe?? pero si no existe por que habla de ella!!!… para habar de “algo” ese “algo” tiene que existir… o eso quiero pensar :S

Creo que hablar mas de esto seria caminar en circulos… si en como 3000 años nadie ha llegado a nada menos yo… asi que dejare de escribir esto recordando el hermoso plok del gerber …

Menurut Gerber (Guru manajemen UKM) dalam buku E-Myth yang fenomenal itu, setidaknya terdapat 7 hal yang harus diperhatikan dengan seksama oleh pebisnis pemula berskala kecil dan menengah (UKM) guna mencapai kesuksesan. Dia menyebut 7 formula tersebut sebagai Model Kesuksesan Bisnis (Business Success Model). Berikut ini saya coba menyampaikan ketujuh formula versi Gerber tersebut. Untuk lengkapnya saya merekomendasikan Anda untuk membaca buku E-Myth Revisited karya Michael E. Gerber.

Kepemimpinan: Kembangkan visi untuk bisnis Anda
Hal utama yang menyediakan arah dan tujuan untuk keseluruhan bisnis.

Pemasaran: Memahami konsumen Anda yang terbaik
Riset dan analisis konsumen Anda guna mengidentifikasi siapakah mereka, dimanakah mereka, dan mengapa mereka membeli dari Anda.

Uang: Bangunlah, ikuti, dan peliharalah cash flow yang dapat diprediksi
Pahamilah sisi keuangan perusahaan Anda. Perhatikan pergerakan uang dalam bisnis dan ciptakanlah nilai finansial perusahaan.

Manajemen: Bentuk dan berilah motivasi tim yang tepat
Cara Anda mengelola orang, sistem, dan sumber daya, termasuk mengembangkan infrastruktur dan budaya dalam perusahaan Anda.

Perolehan Prospek: Menciptakan kesadaran terhadap Anda pada khalayak sasaran Anda
Langkah-langkah yang dilakukan secara sistematis guna menarik konsumen untuk membeli produk atau jasa Anda.

Konversi Prospek: Menciptakan sistem penjualan yang dapat diprediksi
Proses konversi dari prospek menjadi konsumen, termasuk diantaranya penjualan dan pembukuan konsumen.

Pemenuhan Janji Kepada Konsumen: Memenuhi janji…tiap saat
Memenuhi janji yang telah disampaikan dalam proses Perolehan Prospek dan Konversi Prospek.

This beautiful blue Gerber daisy and yellow miniature rose cake was created for a wedding that was held in Parksville, KY at the Alum Springs First Church of God. The cake was 3 tiers with a dusty blue satin ribbon and light yellow ribbon. The cakes were chocolate with chocolate ganache and one layer was a white cake with a lemon filling. The cake stand was provided by Jr’s General Store on 4th Street in Danville, KY.

Call The Twisted Sifter Cake Shoppe at 859-285-0306 to schedule your complimentary wedding cake consultation and tasting. You can email Pam@TheTwistedSifter.com to request a tasting too.

For more information visit our website at www.TheTwistedSifter.com

Tired of making kindergarten macaroni art PCBs? Check your Gerber files before you send them off to a fab house with a Gerber file viewer. Viewplot , GerbTool’s Viewer , and FAB 3000 Free DFM are all free versions of for-pay software to view your Gerber files. If you use Windows and demo software, these are nice options. If not, you can use gerbv. Allied with gEDA, Gerbv is free, open source software that you can use to view all of your RS-274X Gerber files and Excellon-type drill files. Still being worked on with an active development group, gerbv does not have all the bells and whistles, it does have the ability to delete objects. Check it out after the break.

“You should always check before shipping or you could wind up with holes in the wrong spots. While you’re at it, a little-known feature is that you can also delete stuff!” -[zach banks]

To start, make sure you have gerbv version 2.1.0 or later installed with cairo.

Copy and paste the following lines into a text document and save it however you like:

*
%FSLAX24Y24*%
%MOIN*%
%ADD10C,0.250*%
D10*
X00000Y00000D02*
X10000Y00000D01*
X10000Y10000D01*
X00000Y10000D01*
X00000Y00000D01*
X05000Y05000D03*
M02*

You will now have a simple Gerber file you can view and play with.  Open it in gerbv either through the command line or by starting gerbv and then choosing “Open Layer(s)…”

You should now see a rounded rectangle with a dot inside on the right side of the screen.

If it is not already highlighted, click on the arrow button at the top of the screen to enter object selection mode.

Click around, you should be able to select the various Gerber objects present. You should also be able to draw a selection window to select groups of objects. Pick an object, in this picture it shows the center flash (the dot) selected.  Hit the delete key, and you should get a window that pops up asking if you really want to delete that object. Go ahead and delete that object, that is why you have been provided the little Gerber file.

You should now see the flash gone. If not, you should check to make sure you are in the correct layer. You can now save the revised Gerber file.

Of course, this is just a sample of what you can do with deleting objects in gerbv.  Hack away!