Stuff to Rock Your World.

Is the 12,000-Calorie-a-Day-Diet for You?

How many of you skip breakfast? Or maybe you slam a quick bagel and coffee as you rush to the office? Imagine ingesting the following - just as you begin your day:

— three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, and mayo
— one five-egg omelets
— a bowl of grits
— three slices of French toast with powdered sugar
— three chocolate chip pancakes
— two cups of coffee

Welcome to Michael Phelps' diet! This guy is amazing - and to accomplish amazing feats requires an amazing amount of energy. During his training season, he eats a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet so that he can have the energy required to win.

So what's his lunch like? Phelps drinks 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks, one pound of pasta with tomato sauce (YUM!) and two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread.

Dinner? 6-8 slices of pizza, another pound of pasta (YUM, YUM!) with tomato sauce and another 1,000 calories of energy drinks.

And this is what the guy looks like:

Hummm...Guess if we could all dig deep and swim 43 miles each week, we, too could eat 12,000 calories a day and finally have a physique worth flaunting!

--C.L.C.

The Best Defense is...Offensive?

I am intrigued by political campaign communications...The campaign ad guys poll, analyze and generate ideas that sometimes make you wonder, "where in the world did THAT idea come from?!" Like today's ad issued by John McCain's campaign, comparing Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Whoa! Now that's different...! 

Alas! Some bright mind realized that Obama has "celebrity" status  ("biggest celebrity in the world") like Paris or Britney, but he's inexperienced to run the country. SLAM! They show huge crowds coming out to chant for Obama...but similar to Paris and Britney?! I just don't get the connection...as I suspect most of the general public won't get either.

The interesting thing about this ad is it shows Obama as a handsome fellow, with  HUGE crowds chanting his name...Wow, there's huge momentum here - maybe I need to really pay attention, if all those other folks are for this guy, maybe I should be, too.

The ad guys then go for the zinger: Obama is against offshore drilling (as if that's going to reduce our dependence on foreign oii?) and for raising taxes...Psht! "Inexperienced to lead...the Real Obama"...says McCain who approved this message.

...take a look, and judge for yourself - are you convinced by this piece?

Let's face it, McCain has a tough challenge ahead running against Obama who, indeed, probably does have celebrity status. I'm not sure that this is a weakness, however, since Americans LOVE their celebrities - they'd vote Oprah in to the presidency in a heartbeat and they follow Britney and Paris more than they do their Sunday preacher. McCain, on the other hand, is a much older man who is being painted as "Bush's third term guy." Looks like defense to me.

It's interesting, then, that McCain's campaign chose the approach of shining a spotlight on Obama's strengths, and then using oil and taxes as the hammer. Somehow I think that the power of the earlier images do more for Obama than the messages hurt him in the latter part of the spot. 

The Obama camp quicky responded: "Just another of McCain's false, negative attacks..."

Ah! It's gonna be a long campaign season - what fun!

--C.L.C.

4th of July Chaser

I am spending the 4th of July weekend in Santa Cruz, where lately there have been some big fires and therefore fireworks are now illegal.

In fact, as you know, California is on fire - latest count in recent weeks there have been 1,783 fires statewide of which 332 are still active. The total estimated acres burned stands at 526,707. The costs are staggering - 20,260 firefighters committed, 531 hand crews and 118 helicopters.

Clearly, fire is a clear and present danger in this tinder-dry state. 

The devastating impact of fires in residential areas hit close to home two weeks ago, as the Trabing Fire in Watsonville burned the home of a friend. She was fortunate to get out unharmed, along with her pets, and nobody in her family was injured. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation - early on there was talk about arson. Regardless, the human toll from these fires drives home some understanding of why it is now important to not light fireworks in such a fragile spot.

Which brings me to the 4th of July celebration last night...It was quite the display of "shock and awe" observed from the deck of my sister's house in La Selva Beach. Up and down the coast - from Monterey to Santa Cruz - we could hear the peppering of fireworks, most of them illegal. For the first time in my life, rather than see the display, I heard it. Occasionally there would be the random firework that would light the sky, but otherwise, from our vantage point, all we could do is listen.

Maybe if those eager to light up would tour the devastation of the fire down the street, maybe they would be a little less eager to ignore the law.

--C.L.C.

Don't Light Bottle Rockets in Your Pocket

Happy Fourth of July, folks! Today is a day when many families and friends gather for barbeques and fireworks to celebrate our country's independence. Our government is concerned about our wellness and safety, so the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a video to illustrate the many ways in which fireworks can injure...The Commission uses doomed mannequins to demonstrate what happens when you set off bottle rockets in your pocket, or how an M-80 can blow up your head. Heaven forbid what can happen if you set off an M-1000 in your house.

The video ends with a demonstration on how to celebrate safely - if this doesn't look like the most pitiful 4th of July celebration, I don't know what...! 

Be safe, be sane...but please don't be boring!!!

--C.L.C.

Bluetooth, Here I Come!

Starting Tuesday, the California law (SB 1613) goes in to effect requiring all drivers who wish to use a cell phone to use a hands-free device while driving. My life is gonna change.

You see, I am busy. Between work and family, my cell phone(s) allow me to be Grand Central Station. Yes, you read correctly - I not only have one cell phone, but two. My personal phone allows me to keep track of the kids, as well as the parents, the sister, the friends...The other is my work phone, typically a last resort to connect when I am out of the office.

I admit that I just can't possibly go without talking while I am driving because I am always on the run. So how dangerous is it to chat and drive? Well, there doesn't seem to be agreement on this fact. According to a Harvard study in 2002, 5% of all traffic accidents are caused by distracted cell-phone users. California Highway Patrol statistics show that cell-phone use is the top cause of accidents triggered by distracted drivers going all the way back to 2001. Whether or not a hands-free solution is the answer is still under debate.

The other point that I wonder is, what's next? I mean, aren't there many other more dangerous activities that can endanger drivers? Like, will there be a law prohibiting tuning your radio or CD player? Or how about eating food straight out of the drive-in, as you juggle the fries, the drink, the burger and the steering wheel? Or how about driving while drowsy? Or, yuck - how about smokers lighting up? 

Well, I guess driving while holding a cell phone is easier to legislate than all these other things...Being a law-abiding citizen, I got a bluetooth device this weekend because, as I said, I can't not drive and talk. My main concern was needing two devices since I have two different phones - that would have put me over the edge. Sure enough, the saleswoman at the AT&T claimed that there was no device that handled two phones...Fortunately she was woefully uninformed, since I did find a device that can handle my two-fisted call habit.

Meet my new Star-Trek-like hands-free device...Now I, too, can look like all the other geeks driving down the highway. No more dirty looks, folks - I am safe. You are safe. Now please pass the burger...

--C.L.C.

Isn't Love, Love?

Today is a landmark day in California. As of 5 pm this evening, same sex couples began to marry. It has been a long journey for many, one that has culminated in their ability to have their love recognized as a binding marriage, with rights equal to those of heterosexual couples.

In San Francisco, Mistermayor Gavin Newsom, who helped launch the series of lawsuits that led the court to strike down California's one-man-one-woman marriage laws, presided at the wedding of Del Martin, 87 and Phyllis Lyon, 84, long time pioneers in the gay movement.

Outside City Hall, activists protested in the name of Jesus.

I say, have you ever been in love? Have you ever loved someone with your heart and soul that nothing could come between you? Love is love. Period. And who are we to judge one couple's love over another? Who are we to put boundaries on the love people feel for each other, regardless of gender? 

I celebrate these couples for the love that they give and receive. I celebrate the honesty of their relationships. And I celebrate the freedom to commit their love in a binding marriage, with full legal rights that any other loving couple enjoys.

A great day for California. A great day for love. Because I believe that first and foremost, love is love. What happens in the bedroom is none of our business...

--C.L.C.

P.S. I am happy to be deputized any time to be a celebrant...

Chuck a Spaz...

Want to know what "chuck a spaz" means? Check out Deborah Foster, a Long Island school teacher and Hillary Clinton supporter who was ejected from the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting on May 31, 2008 as she shows her bruises... 

Still need me to define what "chuck a spaz" means? Okay, if I must: 

It means to have a fit, whether it be epileptic or emotional. To forego rationality and opt for spasmodic movements, arms flailing, and utterances of an incoherent nature. Likewise, it is the behavior of people who get upset when they don't understand something. 

Whatcha think? Is our friend Deborah here chucking a spaz...or what?!

--C.L.C.

Are You Persuaded?

I came home this evening to find my mailbox stuffed with campaign mail...Must be time to vote. I leave opining on the merits of issues and candidates to my dear friend Sweet Melissa. Rather, I prefer to opine  in an area where I have some expertise: the communications that land in my mail.

I mean, who writes this stuff? (Actually, I know who you are and think you probably have a lot of fun dreaming this stuff up!) A better question is: who would take these flyers and postcards at face value, and vote based on what they read?

So the big election in my 'hood is for State Senate. It's a threesome - the battle between incumbent Carole Migden, Assemblyman Mark Leno, and Joe Nation (okay, of the three, Nation has a leg up on the others when it comes to just his name...did he inherit it or craft it for his profession?!). Living just north of San Francisco, I am getting flooded by mailers because it happens to be Nation country - or at least his name has greater familiarity since he was our North Bay assemblyman for 6 years.  

Taken one-by-one perhaps a careless reader might be persuaded by one flyer or another...But when you receive a stack of them all at once, you just can't help but chuckle. 

Let's see - today I learned that "You Can't Fix Sacramento with a Corporate Tool." I guess Joe Nation is the wrench in question - you got it, that big, red pipe wrench tool...The mailer's message: Nation is "a favorite tool of corporations in Sacramento" (cuz they contributed to his campaign).  Rather, Leno is the better choice for change (supported by other politicians, unions and special interest groups).

Another flyer shows Joe Nation rolling a suitcase, and urges voters to "keep Joe from packing his bags for Sacramento" - after all, he lost to Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey in 2006 and he had nowhere to go. Why send him packing again?

A third flyer has a beautiful image of our beloved Golden Gate Bridge and asks "Who is the best choice for Marin and Sonoma?" Of course, that would be Mark Leno who pointedly asks - once you flip the thing open - "Who is the best choice for Big Business?" (that would be Nation in case you were wondering...)

Next is a two-sided flyer that has horrible photographs of Migden and Leno (see below) , and that states that "San Francisco politicians Carole Migden and Mark Leno are not worth the gamble" (because they won't stop the spread of casinos, since they received money from Sonoma gaming interests and won't pledge to stop the casino." Of course, flip it over, and there you have a beautifully photoshopped image of Joe Nation, clean and crisp, "...the only candidate who will stand up to the North Bay casino."

Speaking of Nation, his campaign also sends another oversized card exclaiming how he will fight to improve health care (with a list of all the bills he authored to fight for affordable health care.) Mmm...but wait, didn't I just read in the Leno piece that Nation voted for drug and insurance companies?! Who do you believe?

Which brings me to my absolute FAVORITE campaign flyer so far: Carole Migden's...! "Creativity Always Begins in Controversy." is her slogan...Holy cow! You can say that again...!! Here is "miss-I-drove-recklessly-but-was-on-medications-and-had-campaign-financing-issues-but-please-vote-for-me"...putting a spin on her controversy: "...but of course, I may be controversial, but it makes me creative..." I wonder how many writers it took to dream that one up!!

Well, dear readers, I'm the first to say that it's obvious that victory is all in how you get out your message. Clearly, these candidates' campaign consultants have polled constituents and tailored the messages to hit the key issues important to voters. And they paid special attention to color, type and photography to make sure that the flyers get the message across supported by imagery - and that they are simple. 

The sad fact is that as Americans, we don't like to read, we don't like to study the issues and we are easily swayed by top-line messages instead of the facts. If we are truly to see change - the kind of change that is being touted during this election year, we must begin to better understand who we are putting in office and then hold them accountable for results. This is not easy work. It means questioning what you read. Understanding and following the issues. Reading the fine print: who is paying for this material and why might they be supporting this particular candidate? And not being persuaded by the quick glance.

I encourage you to take some time to study the voter guides, and delve in a little deeper than the junk that clutters your mail. You may be surprised what you uncover!

--C.L.C.

A Trashy Problem

[Sorry to disappoint those who saw this title and rushed to open it, looking for the juicy gossip and trashy story...Bummer, this post is about something much more serious and worldly. Keep reading, though - next time maybe?!]

The trashy problem that I speak of is happening in Naples, Italy - land of the most carefree and joyful people ever...and also unfortunately the mafia.

Naples, you see, has a problem with its garbage. The landfills are full, and the mafia runs the trash collection service. Put the two together and what do you get? Ya got it - a trashy mess! Neapolitans have had problems getting their trash collected and it has piled up in the streets. But not just a little. A lot.

Today, Silvio Berlusconi, esteemed off again-on-again prime minister, visited Naples and vowed to fix the problem - once and for all. His solution? Bring in the military. You got it: they will guard dump sites (protesters had blocked access to said facilities) and promised stiff measures for anyone caught trespassing or blocking refuse collection, including up to one year of jail time. Previous attempts to open dumps have been hampered by the protests of residents worried by health risks.

He also promises to build more incinerators. 

Meanwhile, there are serious concerns about the spread of disease, rats and cockroaches, and this of course is aggravated by the warming weather.

It would seem that this problem might inspire the government to perhaps think of recycling, composting and reducing garbage production in the first place. Since dump space is becoming limited, finding ways to reduce waste should be the top policy to pursue.

Trust me - Naples is a beautiful city...but until this trashy problem is solved, the stink will keep the visitors away...

--C.L.C.

Outsourcers Beware!

Ya know the type? That business owner who's looking to maximize his profit and so chooses to use a call center somewhere on the other side of the world instead of paying a few extra bucks to keep some poor homie employed in the good 'ole USofA?!  ("...Mabel from Omaha, Nebraska will never know who's on the other end of the line as long as she can talk to someone, right?!") 

Well, I say, Outsourcers Beware...

You never know when the phone line will go down and your service reps will be cut off from the rest of the world...

Imagine the call to the phone company? "My line went dead, can you please get me back up quickly?"

Good luck! 

...Just goes to show you, not all is as it appears and there are hidden costs even when you try to squeeze a buck.

--C.L.C.