Monday, August 30, 2010

Nook At This!





Barnes and Noble let me borrow a Nook(TM) for a few weeks. I'm old-fashioned and will never give up on books or newspapers or magazines, but I have to admit this is way cool and definitely made me realize that there's room for new options in my life.

Pros:

Light, compact and user-friendly. I love how it turns one page into a series of smaller pages and that it shows your reading progress at the bottom of the screen. That's great incentive to finish the book and challenged me to read more often.

Con:

It takes a while to power on. And that's a very small "minus" compared to all the enjoyment I got from The Nook (TM).

And the price compared to The Kindle (TM) makes it even more attractive.

www.barnesandnoble.com

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Saturday Night Bowling Fun - August 28, 2010


Hosted by the Mt. Diablo Legal Professionals Association.
If you like to bowl, want to socialize with legal professionals in the East Bay, want to donate to a good cause, or just want to support this event, please save the date:

Saturday, August 28, 2010, 1-3:30pm

Paddock Bowl
5915 Pacheco Blvd.
Pacheco, California (located near the cross of 680 and Hwy 4)


Tickets are $18 for adults and $13 for under 13 year olds. $0 for non-bowlers. Snacks provided, but a full snack bar is also available.

All proceeds go to the East Bay Community Law Center, a non-profit organization in Berkeley, which consists of many volunteers and employees who provide free legal aid to low income and homeless individuals primarily living in Alameda County. The number of clients has grown tremendously with the decline in the economy.

http://www.mtdiablolpa.info/

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Each One, Knit One - St. Anthony Foundation Knitting Project


The Deal
• Knit on your own and send it in (send in your registration below so we can keep you updated on the impact your scarf made).
• Make a goal with your knitting group or friends and knit together (send in your registration below or register on our website so we know how many).
• Join the St. Anthony’s Knitting Group and come knit with us the last Saturday of the month (Go to www.stanthonysf.org for more information).
• Scarves will be given free to g uests of St. Anthony’s during the holidays.

The Goods
• Size: Our scarves need to be 5-6 inches wide and 58-60 inches long.
• Yarn: We recommend mid-weight #3 yarn, worsted, aran, or afghan.
• Materials: Washable wool or wool/acrylic blends (PLEASE no cotton yarns, they are not warm and they hold in the damp).
• Colors: Neutral, classic, or bright (white or light colored yarn soils easily).
• Yardage: 200 depending on pattern, or about 3 skeins = 2 scarves.
• Needle size: U.S. 7-9 depending on yarn weight.

The Deadline December 15, 2010. Scarves can be dropped off or mailed to:

St. Anthony Foundation
Attn: Knitting Project
150 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Email: knitting@stanthonysf.org


http://www.stanthonysf.org/?q=donate/knit

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Food for Thought *


By Addie Broyles
AMERICAN-STATESMAN FOOD WRITER


I hate to break it to you, but you cannot outwork your computer.

The humming box on your desk at work is a multitasking machine, running multiple programs simultaneously, autosaving spreadsheets and reports, pinging you with new e-mails, keeping open those Internet tabs of articles you intend to read and streaming into your already oversaturated brain the new Arcade Fire album you just bought on iTunes.

For those of us who work in front of a computer, we spend eight (or more) hours a day just trying to keep up with our to-do lists and the steady influx of tasks that come through our in-boxes, often stopping only to use the restroom, fetch the mail or a soda, dig a piece of chocolate out of the office stash or reheat leftovers that we shovel into our mouths between clicks of the mouse.

If you're lucky, you trek out of the office to a nearby sandwich shop, grab a turkey club, lug it back to your desk and mindlessly consume it while answering e-mails.

Our computers don't need a break, so why should we?

Catherine McCarthy, who recently wrote "The Way We're Working Isn't Working" with Tony Schwartz (Free Press, $28), says taking a break at lunch is important from both a nutritional and productivity perspective. According to the American Dietetic Association, 20 percent of us skip lunch altogether and most people eat at their desks two to three times a week.

Rather than working mindlessly for a long period of time, McCarthy and Schwartz recommend in the book breaking up your day into shorter, more focused segments that are separated by designated breaks for recharging. The biggest, most important break? Lunch.


Click here to read the article in its entirety published in the Austin American-Statesman and authored by Addie Broyles.


http://www.austin360.com/food-drink/dining-at-home/refueling-my-mind-and-my-belly-by-taking-851685.html



*(Reprinted with Permission)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Cookies for Tanisha



Many customers may recognize the smiling face of Tanisha Sepulveda. Tanisha’s enthusiasm and upbeat energy have brightened the days of Specialty’s customers and team members alike. Unfortunately, Tanisha recently shattered the C5 vertebrae in her neck in a tragic incident – leaving her mostly paralyzed and facing large hospital and equipment bills on her road to recovery.

Specialty’s is committed to assist Tanisha in her recovery and we are thrilled to partner with our customers in this effort. Please help us help Tanisha! For every CookieGram cookie sent until Wednesday, August 18th, Specialty’s will donate $1.00 to the Tanisha Sepulveda Recovery Fund.
http://www.specialtys.com/

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tune Into the "R" Word - "The Recessionistas" by Alexandra Lebenthal





In case you hadn't heard, Broke is the new Black!

Grab your coffee cup and plug your headset into a live interview on Blog Talk Radio with Alexandra Lebenthal, author of "The Recessionistas."

This coming Friday, August 13th, at 12 PM EST (9 a.m. on the West Coast) on BlogTalkRadio.


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/grandcentralpub/2010/08/13/interview-with-alexandra-lebenthal-author-of-the-recessionistas