Please tell me the best program to use for moderating Spam on my Blog.  I get about 50 spams a day.. drives me nuts.  Takes too long to moderate.  Appreciate it.

 swak.

Thank you Romundo.  Target today.  Buying Halloween candy.  Spider Monkey Sebastian in the shopping cart.  Howling.  Laughing.  Singing Frosty the Snow Man.

 I hear a voice.  “Hi, I am Romundo - do you want a sticker.”  I see a uniformed security guy kneeling down to Sebastian’s level asking him if he wanted a sticker.  It was cute.

 Romundo then said, I can give you the sticker when you buckle up like an astronaut.  Can you do that- big guy?  Sebastian said “Mommy pick you up”  (he says you instead of me when giving directives to his mom.)

Romundo then gave me an extra sticker - in case he needs some further coaxing.

What a great way to let a mom know not to let her kid stand in a stroller.  He really made it fun for Sebastian.   I didn’t need the extra sticker- Sebastian rode along, buckled in and happy.

Thanks Romundo!

I am lucky.  I have a 23 month old.  He is amazing.  We travel together a lot.

 United Airlines does not like children.  They no longer allow families with small children to board first.  There is no longer any pre-boarding for children.  My son REALLY wanted to get on that airplane.  We were in front of the line waiting to board.  (*I assumed there would be pre-boarding.)

I thought for a moment I missed the announcement and asked.  The flight attendant said I can’t let you go on - United no longer allows pre-boarding for children.

My son started to cry.  He stood there and begged to get on the plane.  He was really upset and wanted to see the pilot.

The people in line behind me were upset too.  They were all asking the woman to just let the little boy on - what difference did it make.  She said, “First Class (and some other club names I can’t remember) must go on first.”  I guy in First Class said, I am in First CLass and I am telling you to let the boy on in front of me.   A few other passengers said “Here, Here.”

She wouldn’t.  Sebastian cried.  It was really upsetting.  WHat is the deal United Airlines?  Is it that you feel people are out there having kids just so they can get in front of your first class passengers?  That’s right, there is a huge conspiracy out there about pre-boarding.  It is a good thing you caught on and changed your policy.

When I was finally on the plane and sitting down (Sebastian was really happy and singing, ) a passenger came over and offered me his seat.  He noticed Sebastian was a lap child and I didn’t have a free seat next to me- he wanted to make sure we were comfortable.

The flight attendant threw a fit and said we had to ask her permission before changing seat.  Mind you, the guy was one row behind me.  It was unbelievable.  Great customer service UA and THANK you stranger passenger who helped make our flight more fun.

An hour into the flight, Sebastian let me know he had to go to the bathroom. We are potty training and you parents out there know the challenge.  I was blocked in by the drink cart and unable to go to my designated bathroom in the rear of the plane so I went to the front. 

The flight attendant neary wrestled me to the ground.  You are now allowed up here- this bathroom is for first class passengers only!  I tried to explain about potty training and a 2-year old.  I pointed to the drink cart.  She said simply NO.

I am sad to say.  I went in the bathroom anyway.  I was standing right next to it.  I throughly expected to be arrested when I came out.  He made it in time and he was so proud of himself for going on the airplane.

It was worth the dirty looks and lack of service I received the rest of the flight.

I understand that not everyone likes kids.  I get that.  It is just so strange that an airline would not want family business.  Why treat families with such disdain?

Odd. 

“We know you have a choice when you are flying and we thank you for choosing us.”

Not if I can help it- from now on.  Not only did you steal the pension of loyal employees UA, you are mean to kids.  Bad airline.  Bad airline.

Research and data shows that teaching abstinence to kids does not work.  Our current administration ignores what is effective and instead spends dollars on creating an ad campaign that inspires parents to tell their kids to wait.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPnI9XAOzvE

 Ok.  Let’s leave the planet for a moment and assume that teaching abstinence works.  (We know it doesn’t - let’s make a leap of faith here and assume.)   This ad does not address the kid directly - instead it is aimed at asking the parents to have the conversation.

Last time I checked most 13-year olds roll their eyes when their parents say good morning.  Not only is the basic message for these kids wrong - the method is even worse.

Such a great example of bad communication.

http://www.backwardsbush.com/

Just 455 days…. just 455 days….

I always thought fire walking was a scam.  I believed there was some trick to it.

Last night, I walked on hot coals.. 10 feet.   I watched them fire up the briquettes, roast them for a half hour and shovel them on the grass right before I walked across then.  They were flaming red hot.

It was scary. I am usually not worried at all.. this one was a knee shaker.

I did feel it.  I have two blisters on my feet to prove I did it.

I’m not sure why it works.  Why I don’t have 3rd degree burns.

I’ll post a picture once I figure out how to do that in wordpress.   Fun.

http://www.davidfabricius.com/

is the guy who facilitated it.  I like the guy as a person- he lectured a wee bit to much for my taste.. when we finally got to the firewalk it was a blast.

“You can’t fire me I quit!”  My favorite part of Rudoph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  When the little elf, Herbie, defiantly shakes his little fist in the air and sings “You can’t fire me I quit!” .. right after he is told he will never fit in and he’d  better learn to smile warmly, wiggle his ears and cute things like that.

I rarely fit in.  I am okay with that.  In fact, I relish it.  I kind of like it.  Sometimes though, it feels scary and I go down the rabbit hole with it.  Shakes my confidence a little.  Leaves me quivering the corner like a poodle.   I am totally unemployable and weird.  I get that.

“Your opinion of me is none of my business.”  -Diane DiPrima

This has been my mantra for years.  I teach communication.  I try to teach others to watch who their critics are.  Not everyone is going to like them.. blah blah blah

I failed today.  It was a double-back triple axle of failure.  It is my second one this year.  Makes the knees a little wobbly and the stomach weak.  After the first one I thought, Okay, that will never happen again.  That was an isolated incident to help me clarify my intellectual property and be better at what I do.  I survived.  Whew.  Done with that.

Um.  Nope.  That wasn’t the end.  Damn it.

Since May I have been trying to make something happen for a group I am involved in.  I have done some serious gymnastics and spent considerable time to make it happen.

The meeting was yesterday. 

I totally forgot everything I teach.  I tried to present something I didn’t really believe.  I am not a salesperson, nor do I play one on TV.  I do not believe in selling, I believe in educating and the selling takes care of itself.  

The cool part?  I’m sure there is one as I am incessantly looking for that silver lining.  …

…

…

 Oh.  I was hoping you would chime in here and tell me the silver lining.  Okay, there is one.

If we are great at what we do, never ever take the advice of someone who is not.  Go with what we know.  Of course, we don’t want to be rigid and not allow change - we just are who we are.

I, for example, just can not be professional.  It isn’t me and words in communication matter least.  I also am not great with dual agendas.  I never run an agenda and I clearly did today.  I ran the agenda to please rather than doing what I do best- educating.

My fault.  Totally.  I am a big girl (still am according to the scale this morning-damn) and it did add two more chapters to my book.

I am reminded.   Judgment is a tough thing to stand in front of.  At least with a firing squad they give you a cigarette, a blindfold and it is over quick.  We are being judged all the time, usually people are a little sly about it though.

Open judgment is a good thing.  It is hard to take and so helpful.  I’d prefer to know where I am at with folks so I don’t waste a lot of time.  

The new relationship economy demands a certain level of rapport and humanness.   When we fail we have to remember it is not the rest of the story.  There is another part of the tale.   

The first time, I didn’t get it.  This time I do.   I know what makes a room listen.  I have tested it for 20 years.    Today, I did the opposite. 

Yep.  I learned something from it.  Still sorting that out.  I’ll let you know.

Thursday night, the video showed his hands trembling. For some reason the clerk behind the counter was laughing a little bit and even pointing. It is clear the robber was trying to sort of hide his face from the camera.

Robbing a 7-Eleven - not the smartest cash cow on the block. The chain of stores well-versed in cash loss avoidance. The clerk that night was fairly new and was under suspicion even though the robber had hit him with a pistol.

Joelle was caught about 7 blocks away. The clerk had described in great detail the green jacket and purple pants worn by the subject. The perp was bent over a few turned over garbage cans puking. The police kneed him in the back to get the cuffs on before they realized he was throwing up blood. The took him to San Francisco General. As a person in custody, his health care was now the responsibility of the state. They read him his rights as the surgeon rushed ran behind the speeding gurney.

Emergency surgery, they said. It seemed Joelle had bad kidneys. Really bad. They didn’t know if he would make it through the night.

The surgeon worked valiantly to stop some internal bleeding. The patient needed a transplant. He was already on the waiting list. He was pretty far up the waiting list in fact.

The police were stationed outside his recovery room. A styrofoam box arrived with the organs… a motorcyclist had made one last gift to 8 people… Joelle getting the kidneys. The transplant surgery was a success AND expensive. Joelle’s whole stay will cost the state $765,991.

The only people who have a Consitutional right to healthcare are the incarcerated. Since Joelle was under arrest, the transplant he had been waiting for .. for years.. was…. free.

Months later, at the trial, the clerk adamantly convinced the jury that Joelle was not the robber. The defense presented a witness who found a green jacket and purple pants, much too big for Joelle, in the trash cans 2 block away from the 7 Eleven.  The real robber was never apprehended.
Joelle was free. New Kidneys. Free Kidneys.

Six months later, the 7Eleven Clerk and Joelle hugged in the basement apartment they shared since college.  Their plan to get the much needed free operation had worked.   The 7-Eleven clerk burned his fake identification, wig and joked with Joelle that he didn’t have to hit him that hard.

End of my made up story.

Thursday, I attended a thought-provoking talk by Justin Graham, MD, the Chief Medical Information Officer with the California Prison Health Care Receivership Corp.  It seems our prisons are in receivership due to poorly provided health care.  Dr. Graham was blunt and refreshing about the challenges in the prisons and the awful health care system within.

I did make up the story about Joelle.  With our health system failing, it is conceivable the scenario can happen.  Right now, the prisons are using local hospitals to perform work they are unable to.  I strongly encourage you to read more about prisons and health care at

www.cprinc.org

Incredible true story (the receivership of prisons).  I hope Dr. Graham stays involved to turn it around.

Sebastian and I had one of those days I will remember when I watch him graduate from college. When he runs toward me all grins and grown up- I’ll remember the film shoot today with Mary and Gigi. Mary is creating an incredible photo book and Sebastian’s feet and my monkeys are included.

After the shoot, Sebastian and I spent a couple of hours at the local hardware store hunting down decorations for his room. His room has a firetruck bed, monkey mirror, nemo decals, spider man sheets,  monkey xmas lights, Speed Car decals and a monkey garbage can. All picked out by my little boy. Unmatching.  A little crazy.  Perfect.

I watched his face today. His absolute happiness and glee. I am struck by immorality tonight as I watch him stick a Car decal on my headboard.

The same people who protested Vietnam voted for Iraq. How does this happen? How did I morph from the little girl in a pair of Dittos, braids and a purple banana seat bicycle to the woman who hides peas in Sebastian’s peanut butter?

Why is it we forget?  Absolutely refuse to walk around the house with a milk moustache?  Forget how incredible an unmatched.. anti-themed room can look?

I have been involved in amazing things.  Things that started with vision and beauty and ended in bureaucracy and boredom.

When I see Sebastian run down that hill… his cap lost .. his gown being shed as each step comes near… the sweet smell of beer and dad’s shaving creme as he gives me a quick hug before jumping in a vessel with his friends…. I pray I am not wearing matching clothes.. that I am still weird.. that I am still a square peg.

Trampolines.

Dozens of them

A full room of them.

Padding.  Can’t get hurt.  This is what I call fun.   Big foam cubes to jump into.

Sebastian and I spent hours running, crashing, jumping… a total blast.

 http://www.jumpskyhigh.com/index.asp

There is one in Sacramento too.  All ages.

Go super early though- it got too crowded as the day wore on.

I sold my company, Bridgeport Financial, Inc.  on March 1, 2006.  I was elated, freaked out, joyful, freaked out… all the things one would imagine after selling a baby grown from nothing into a great company.

On March 9, 2006 I wrote a letter to Dunn and Bradstreet letting them know I no longer owned the firm.  I wanted to make sure my name was removed from the credit history, I am a nerd and weird that way.

I have since called the, wrote to them, talked to them, begged them and STILL my name is on the report as the owner.  Today I received another e-mail telling me my credit score had changed and that I should look at it.  I can’t access it - I don’t own the firm.
The last person I talked to said they only way they would change the report is IF the NEW owner confirmed the change.  I sent them the Secretary of State website that shows I am no longer the owner.   The person I talked to, Matt, let me know it didn’t matter.  Until the new owner confirms the change, I will stay on the report.

Dunn and Bradstreet gets their information from phone interviews - not from backed up sources.  I knew this already, I just also assumed D& B understood that people are busy and often do not respond to surveys or requests for information.  I assumed they had some sort of substance behind their data.   They don’t.
The next time I sell a house, I hope I still own it unless the new owner confirms I sold it.  I can find a purchaser who is super busy and bad at returning calls.  i can then enjoy write off’s and credit card offers I don’t deserve.

If you are using D&B - you are paying for questionable data.’

Bad customer service and a bad product.