Tacoma Blaze - Life on the Stove

Self Hypnosis MP3's and CD's

2007-08-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for some self hypnosis mp3's that i can download to my ipod so that I can "improve myself" while i'm commuting to work. I think that's the perfect time to work on my self development. According to this wikipedia page on hypnosis repeated suggestion can effect your behavior after a while. They have a download for hypnosis cd's to quit smoking which i definitely need to listen to because i smoke like a chimney.

CarSeats and Strollers

2006-12-28T18:58:00.000-08:00

I went to target the other day to buy my kid a carseat and guess what? They were out of all of them! I kind of thought that was crazy that a big store like target was all out of carseats. Anyway, i ended up coming home and finding a website that sold carseats and strollers. They had a really great selection and a lot of customer reviews which helped me pick a good one. I needed one for my son that would fit my Infiniti Q, would be easy to install and keep him safe.

Thinking about starting a Business

2006-12-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

Shew..I haven't blogged in a while. I'm glad i'm picking it up again. I found this site the other day that focuses strictly on promoting business opportunities. I thought is was pretty interesting how they have things broken down by what type of business opportunity you are interested in. I was thinking about starting a business of my own and did a little research on this sba loan site. I found out that I can probably get a pretty good loan. I was particularly interested in one of the home based businesses.

Anyway, I think i'm goint to apply for the sba loan and see what happens. You never know, if I get the loan I might be the proud owner of a new home and garden party business!

Dog Collars

2006-07-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

I think it's about time to get my dog a new dog collar. Actually, my dog is a puller and i've been hearing a lot about these new dog harnesses that are much better for walking your dog because the leash attaches to the front of the harness instead of the back. What ends up happening is that if the dog tries to pull when you're walking it, it can't because your pulling it from the front. The dog has nothing to push against and after a while it just gives up on the whole pulling idea. Trying to walk a dog that pulls a lot has got to be one of the most annoying things on earth. Just ask Cesar. What ends up happening is that both the dog and the dog owner suffer becuase the dog doesn't get walked as often and when it does get walked, it's hurting it's own trachea. Not good news...

2006-06-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

I was surfing the web the other day and happened to stumble across these two golf sites, www.golfweb.com and www.golf.com. It made me realize that I really miss going golfing. Heck, I know that I was never that good but there's something about going out on the green that makes me feel alive. I reckon that it might be good to take me some lessons. I found a golf school in my area and they actually have 2 New York golf shcool locations and one golf school in Florida, which is where I have my vacation home so that works out perfectly. I'm excited to take up golfing again and I can't wait to get back out there. Fore!

Home Improvement and Water Softeners

2006-04-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's the sign of Spring that has caused me to get up this past week and do some work on the home. From painting the garage this weekend to installing some new hardware in the home, it's been pretty busy.

My biggest task has involved the decision to install a water softener. I had been reading up on what happens to water and ions and all that stuff when it comes in contact with limestone and other metals. After reading it, it made it a little difficult to drink that tap water straight anymore. Hard water was definitely different than I though.

If you want to learn more about how it works, take a look at that site that gives a pretty good description that is easy to understand. I've found some good sites that sell high quality water softeners systems for homes. They even carry some cool stuff like ultraviolet sterilization systems.

Almost time for cancun. Where are the local hotspots?

2006-02-23T10:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it's almost time for my spring break vacation and I must say I have been working hard to get in perfect shape. :) Via el Cancun.

Here are the places I am planning on hitting up:

La Boom
This place is a must vist internationally renowned mega club. Awesome light and sound show, video bar, and DJs. Open till the sun comes up.

Coco Bongo
Ultra-trendy nightclub with DJ’s and live music. Lots of beautiful people and a great atmosphere. You will have good luck at this place.

Daddy O’s
Good music, original contests and prize giveaways. Famous for its CO2 cooling on the dance floor. Check it out.

Senor Frogs
Probably the most famous bar of all. Tequilla poppers anyone? All ages atmosphere, with good food and cocktails. Also open for dinner.

O Ultra Lounge
Great martinis and lots of beautiful people. Chill-out ambient lounge music give this place a unique twist.

Finances and Purchasing a new Home

2006-02-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how easy it has begun to apply and qualify for a home loan online these days with a number of websites. Within minutes of entering some basic personal information, financial background, and social security number, these sites can tell you if you are qualified on the spot. From there, it's as easy as filling out some forms, dotting a few things in the contract, and you have yourself a hefty home loan.

It's not only home loans that people can do online these days. Things like home refinancing have become popular as housing prices in certain areas continue to increase. Also those financially strapped are taking out second mortgages on their homes to pay for various things such as old credit card bills or perhaps a new business they want to pursue. In any case, the Internet and some crafty online mortgage companies have made it so we can cut down on the paperwork and allow any novice like myself to acquire a home loan easily.

Spring Break Swimsuits and Plans

2006-01-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

Well Happy New Year to all! It's amazing how quickly time flies and how far in advance one must plan to go on a simple spring break vacation to beat the crummy winter and lay out on the beach in your swimming trunks.

So this year I've decided to head down to Cancun like every other person in the world and enjoy their nice, sunny weather. Besides booking plane tickets and a hotel room, I've been in search of some swimsuits for the trip that not only look good, but fit. It looks like that place above is good for all types of swimwear on all kinds of sizes. Another store was here. For those who just like to look at hot models wearing swimsuits, you can take a look at that. Probably not safe for work, but don't say I didn't warn ya.

If you have some suggestions on swimsuits, swimwear or anything swimming, please drop me a line and let me know. Otherwise, I'll think of you when I'm laying out in 95 degree sun sipping on a Corona.

Spot Needs a New Dog Bed

2005-12-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

So I was going through my Christmas list trying to figure out who I still need to get gifts for when I realized that my dog Spot was sleeping on a dirty old towel on the floor. If anyone deserves a Christmas gift it would definitely be Spot. So I figured I would get him a new dog bed. The only problem I had was trying to figure out which one to get. I looked at the petsmart site and the ones that they had seemed pretty cheap. I found some really good ones at Bark Slope and the prices seemed to be reasonable. Now, the only question is should I get a bolster dog bed (so that spot has something to lean his head on) or just a round dog bed. I think spot would appreciate the head rest so I think I’ll get him the bolster dog bed. One other bed that caught my attention was this other one. But it’s way too expensive.

Mom Likes to Cook - Christmas Gift Solved

2005-12-01T00:28:00.000-08:00

The yearly task of finding a gift my Mom actually likes and will actually uses may just be solved this year. Over Thanksgiving and the annual visit for turkey, mashed potatoes and all fixings, I realized that she is still organizing all her recipes in those ridiculous recipe boxes that get old, tattered, and dirty. Although it holds a nostalgic feel, it is completely unnecessary in our day of computers.

What better way to help my Mom the closet cook then to pick her up some amazing recipe software so that she can learn how to publish a cookbook from home. There were some other cookbook and recipe management software solutions out there, but I think I came across the most affordable and full of features. So with that problem solved, it's off to work on Dad.

New Laws Require Headsets

2005-11-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Thankfully cities are figuring out that most of us drivers can't stand to be driving next to some guy worried more about his useless cell phone conversation than driving. This is why I've seen an influx in new laws that require users driving on the road to use wireless headsets while driving. I'm sure you've heard about the bluetooth ones, but there are actually a lot of other alternatives.

Besides having headsets to help while driving, they can actually come in quite handy at the office. If you've ever sat on the phone for hours at a time you are quite familiar with that cramp you get in your neck and shoulders. A company call plantronics actually makes some really nice headsets for business types. These plantronics headsets can be found just about anywhere you buy office supplies or by running some basic searches in Google. My personal favorite is made by that Plantronics company and is called the Plantronics cs50 wireless headset. Wherever you find them, headsets of the wireless and non-wireless kind can be a great way to relieve some stress on your daily life and possibly even save a life.

Coral Reefs and Aquarium Stuff

2005-08-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

As an avid saltwater fish fan, a bulk of my time online is spent mindlessly thumbing through websites about sps coral and aquariums. Easy Reefer happens to be my favorite site for up-to-date scientific information on coral identification and other bullshit involved in this exciting field of study.

Some of my favorite families of coral are fungiidae, Acroporidae, of course Mussidae. This site has so much useful knowledge. It is unfortunate that they don't sell any of the stuff at this time. I wonder if it is in their plans for the future. Seems like a way to make some money on hardcore SPS coral buffs like myself.

Review Sites Everywhere

2005-08-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about the Internet is the massive amounts of information on each product and service you are looking to buy. Need a cell phone? Read some user reviews on it. Want to eat at a restaurant? Read up on what others who have eaten there say. It's a great tool for consumers to even the unlevel playing field that held us down from scammy businesses.

So far I've found sites that cover reviews on restaurants, electronics, to even all american good ole fashioned porn reviews. I couldn't find anything I've wanted to buy that didn't have atleast one review or blog post about.

My only concern about these review sites is the validity of the claims. Would a site lie about a product because they are being paid off? I think the main thing to look at is whether the site is advertising a similiar or the same product somewhere else. If a site trashes Dell computers and has Gateway ads all over, you know something is up. Guess what I'm saying is to take these reviews with a grain of salt as well. However, I've seen plenty of people ganging up on a product or company and you can tell that you don't want anything to do with them.

Open my own store?

2005-07-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Always tossed around the idea of opening my own rock climbing store. As many of you know, I'm a passionate rock climber, and know the equipment in the industry better than any bozo you'll find working at those stores.

Couple issues come up, but I think I'm going to figure it out soon.

The first, getting some capital in place. I'll need to rent or buy some property to have the store. Not to mention the overhead (rock climbing wall, employees, etc.), and products I need to keep in stock. My credit is pretty clean, so I don't think I will have too much of a trouble getting a small business loan to start this company.

The second is location, which may be tougher being in Chicago. Doesn't seem to be a huge contingent of outdoor people (which is odd considering the weather). With that said, I may look into keeping this store online. Would be much cheaper to start up, and I could work in my pajamas, which is always a plus. I could always hire a call center outsourcing service to take my calls when I'm not around.

The last problem would be how to get payments. I think I found a couple good credit card processing companies online that could fill the needs. They have competitive rates, good reputations, and provide the service I'll need.

Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted on the progress.

World Series of Poker - I'm Addicted

2005-07-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Once again this years World Series of Poker in Las Vegas turned out to be an almost unbelievable time. How can you go wrong with booze, women, and gambling. Joseph Hachem defeated 5618 players, including the second place finisher Steve Dannenmann, to win the main event at the 2005 World Series of Poker. His victory earned him a record breaking $7.5 million dollars and also cast him forever into the poker limelight. You definately have to give some props to the man who says he is going to travel the world and play poker for a living now. If anything, I am now inspired to chase my true calling and play poker. With my new poker shirts and attitude towards poker I plan on taking part in the 2006 event. So look for me. I will be staying at the RIO Hotel and Casino where they host the poker tournament. S0 look out Phil, Johnny, and Joe... I'm coming to take your money and next year's bracelet for the world series.

Hiring a Nanny or Not?

2005-07-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's a pretty difficult decision many of us face when we have our first kid. Do you go out and hire a nanny to handle the daily duties, or have you or your wife stay home.
Personally, I've always been for having family take care of my kid.

However, for a first born, I think an experienced nanny can do wonders. Although we try to tell ourselves that it is a learning experience, a nanny who has dealt with young kids for years can't be beat. They've seen it all, and can offer some invaluable advice you couldn't pick up in any book.

So if you are looking for nanny services for your child, the best bet is to look online, and research very closely. Plenty of great resources to use. There are even some organizations made specifically for nannies that have guidelines that must be met.

Luckily for me I've had no problem finding a nanny in Houston where I've been searching for sometime. I just home my brother who is desparately searching doesn't run into the same problem out in Boston finding a nanny.

Congrats in Order

2005-07-04T01:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday I had lunch with a good friend at Applebees. He informed me of a new business he has been pursuing on the side outside of his day job. I guess he had been doing things without a business in place for awhile and finally needed to set one up for tax purposes. Now he can write off computers, rent, and other business expenses he might incur.

I figured this news was worthy of a congratulations. It's not everyday that you go out and do something like that. Knowing his previous side ventures on the Internet, he will do very well in this one. He has gained a lot of experience since his college days. It is weird to think that we are all growing up and becoming business people.

Little Competition

2005-06-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

A buddy of mine is in a SEO (search engine optimization) contest over on a popular industry specific message board. The goal is to rank for the term pointenslutten (link taken down as the contest is over and I deleted the page) by the end of July and win the contest. So it is my job to offer him a link and help him in this quest.

I'm not sure what the word means, and I really can't find a good definition on it on the web. I think it may be better that I don't know, as it seems it might have some adult context.

Let's hope my site doesn't jump up for using the term on the in this post. My site does tend to get traffic from some obscure terms. Best of luck to my buddy and I hope he wins this contest hands down.

Sojourner Boats

2005-06-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

It’s always been a goal of mine to own an ocean worthy sailboat of my own. I would love to retire and cruise the ocean to exotic ports of call. South America, Caribbean, and even the South Pacific. I’ve only been able to do it in short stints during vacations, the longest being a month, and never on my own boat. In doing research on which types of boats work best for the cruising lifestyle, you have to be very thorough.

Initially, make sure that this is something that a) you really want to do, and b) that you actually can do. Many people purchase boats with wild dreams of sailing off into the sunset, only to realize that the maintenance is too difficult or expensive, or that they don’t enjoy the lifestyle. There are as many reasons to not enjoy sailing as there are TO enjoy it.

Secondly, you have to decide the length of boat. I recommend at least 41 feet for anyone serious about doing this. I’d estimate that the average cruiser found in the Caribbean or South America is sailing a 40-45’ boat. This, of course, is just my estimate based on my personal experience. Next, you have to decide on a make. Lots of experienced cruisers prefer Tartan sailboats , known for their classic styling and quality manufacturing. Beneteau’s and C&C’s are two other popular makes. I’d also recommend looking into catamarans. Friends of ours cruised for years with a Cat they made themselves, and it was an elegant and extremely functional boat. And of course, it was as fast as the wind. They are great on space and usually have a very open central gathering area for maximum comfort.

Once you have made your purchase, start looking into message boards with information and tips from other cruisers. This is your best source of knowledge. Learn from their mistakes, and save yourself a lot of pain. Sailing journals are a great source for information, especially with the advent of blogs. Do your research first, and then prepare yourself for a wonderful, and wonderfully difficult, adventure. Good luck!

Dominican Cigars

2005-06-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

As a former cigarette smoker, I know that I have the addictive personality traits that allow for nicotine addiction. I mean, who doesn’t love a good cigarette after a nice meal, or out on the porch in the summer time with an ice cold beverage. These are all occasions that make smoking enjoyable. However, these occasions are less enjoyable once the habit starts up again. Soon after picking up the habit again, I would be right back where I started, smoking too much, to the point that none of the smokes are really enjoyable at all. But by then, it’s too late. The nicotine has taken hold.

This is the reason why I’ve learned to enjoy the occasional cigar. For whatever reason, I don’t get addicted to them at all. I can smoke a fine cigar on the golf course, or at a barbeque, and not have the desire to smoke another one for several weeks. Not only that, but it doesn’t make me want a cigarette either. This is key for a for nicotine addict like myself.

Recently I’ve been in search of the perfect Dominican Cigar. It’s secret that the Caribbean island grows some of the finest tobacco in the world. The climate is totally conducive to growing rich, flavorful tobacco that can be processed into world class cigars.

The Romeo Y Julieta cigar that is crafted today in the Dominican Republic took years to develop. A tasty Nicaraguan binder and a bold blend of Nicaraguan, Peruvian and Dominican long fillers finish out the cigar making for a deep, fuller bodied smoke boasting a lovely aroma and taste.

If you’re somewhat active like myself and want to see an amazing country with surfing, kite surfing, wind surfing, and mountain biking, Dominican Republic Travel is extremely affordable and surprisingly rewarding. Many travelers have found the Dominican Republic to be a better value than Hawaii. I encourage you to find out for yourself.

Just Running a Test

2005-05-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

Wanted to see if this works?

Other Types of Blogs

2005-05-04T01:51:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how powerful the blogging community had gotten until I ran some searches today on Ask Jeeves. It seems that every type of blog in the world exists. I saw blogs about poker, business, adult, personal, humor, politics, and many many more that I don't feel like listing. It isn't just about people writing a journal about their life, but used to make money and even document experiences and events.

A friend of mine introduced me to blogging back in November. I was totally surprised at how easy it was to setup a blog, update a blog, and the fact that it was free. Heck, you could even make money on your blogs by putting up some ads (though I haven't ventured out to that yet). Technology has certainly advanced and even caught up to tech idiots like myself.

I saw an interesting video online about the future of blogging and the Internet. It was a little scary, as it made it seem that blogging could take over for a lot of your mainstream media. You won't need to get a journalism degree to work for a major news outlet. Just start a blog or site like Drudge and start reporting. Some of your best reporting is done by these people. But you have to be careful, they can also carry a lot of rumors, lies, and propoganda.

Finding my way around town

2005-04-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

New city, new places, and I'm completely lost. Things move much faster out here, although I'm starting to find some good places to lay my hat. Came across one of the better Internet Yellow Pages out there.

A few searches and I was able to find some good restaurants and even a new chiropractor in my area. I highly recommend them.

The condo is working out nicely. Bought a new couch and box spring mattress for my bed. Spent a little more money than I wanted to but I figure it is worth it. I've been so carefree with my money of late. I always figured I'd be more careful the older I got.

Summer is on the way and it's still cold as hell. Hopefully we'll see the sun peak through in the next couple days and I can get rid of this horrible pale skin that the Portland winters have given me.

Just moved to Chicago!

2005-04-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's been quite a journey from lowly Portland, but I'm finally in Chicago in my new two bedroom house. The funny part of Chicago is that their are so many neighborhoods you can move into. Some rich, some poor, some artsy, some blue collar. All kind of a preference I guess, and something that you didn't really deal with much in Portland.

The good news is that I found a really good Chicago real estate agency that helped me find a nice home in Lincoln Park.

Lincoln Park is a nice neighborhood, with little crime and plenty of places to drink. I found a real nice list of sports bars in chicago online with a Google search.

So if you are a friend, I want you to know I've made it in safe and sound. If not, and you're from Chicago, drop me a line. :-)