Got mold in San Diego county? Try Carlsbad mold removal

If you've had water damage in your home or business, you may have mold growing and not even know it. It's best to let professionals deal with this kind of problem as mold can present some serious health problems for some people. If you are in the San Diego area, check out Carlsbad mold removal. They can come in, assess the damage, remove the water, control and clean up the mold contamination, and then clean up your stuff and let you get back to working or living in a clean environment. When they are done, things will look like new, with no trace of the water damage or mold.

How not to remove Palm Trees

I cut down two 30 foot tall palm trees in my yard about 3 months ago. It was a huge amount of work, but dealing with the palm fronds and stumps is turning out to be even more work. I am able to get a small amount taken away each week with the trash, but at this rate it may take a year to remove the two trees. Plus, I've got at least one more tree that needs to be cut down before it knocks down my fence. I got one estimate on removing what's already down and it was around $500 which seemed a little too much. I may need to just rent a dumpster and get as much of it hauled away as possible. Those are $75 each.

Find some enlightenment at Encinitas Imports

Organized religion provides spiritual guidance for many people, but not for everyone. There are other sources for spiritual growth and guidance and Spiritual books, gifts and CD’s are another option. Larry Pell's Encinitas Imports has books, CDs, DVDs and more, all offering different kinds of spiritual enlightenment. Everything can be ordered over the phone or via email or fax. Personally, I would call in my order rather than send credit card information via email where it could be exposed to others who shouldn't see it.

First black coach in Super Bowl

I don't get why Lovie Smith is the first black coach in the Super Bowl. Tony Dungy is also black, and the Super Bowl starts at the same time for both of them, so aren't they both the first black coach in the Super Bowl. It seems ridiculous that because the Bears game ended first that Lovie Smith is first and Tony Dungy is second. It makes no sense. It's about the Super Bowl, not which team was in first.

All My Children on Soaps.com

If you are a soap opera lover, you may already know about Soaps.com. They provide daily updates and news related to your favorite soap opera. One of the classic soap operas is All My Children, and on soaps.com, AMC has its own dedicated area. One section, the All My Children Spoilers, takes you blow by blow through each episode, complete with screen shots. If you can't see the show yourself and you don't have enough time to watch the whole thing, soaps.com has you covered with the daily summary of what happened with the Chandler family and everybody else on the show. It's almost as good as watching the show yourself, but this way you don't have to stay home from work or figure out how to use a DVR. Soaps.com even has a message board just for All My Children fans, so you can get on there and talk about what's going on with your favorite character.

Puzzle contest at PPP

PayPerPost has another puzzle contest going on. I don't get too excited about these. They require lots of work, with an uncertain payback involved. Only one person gets the money, so near the end, you need to be spending lots of time online. Unless the last piece shows up on a weekend, that won't work for me. I'm a little surprised that there hasn't been a statement about the puzzle contest rules after the fiasco that happened with the last one. In fact, I'm a little surprised that there was never an explanation of why two people were paid as winners of the last contest since one of them admittedly didn't follow the rules and if you are paying the money to the first person to submit the correct puzzle within the rules of the game, there's only one winner. I'm sure that was pretty irksome for people who were trying to win by following the rules. I didn't get involved in the last one and I don't think I'm going to have the time to work on this one either.

Looking for a place in Bulgaria?

Bulgaria used to be a dark place, with an oppressive government. Now it's the latest member of the European Union and a popular vacation spot. The country has lots of mountains plus waterfront properties on the Black Sea. If you are interested in buying a home in Bulgaria, check out Sofia property. Sofia is the capital and largest city in Bulgaria. There are some bargains in new housing developments, nothing like those old Soviet-style apartment complexes.

No football this weekend

This is the weekend before the last big sports weekend for a long time. After the Super Bowl, the next big deal is March Madness and ten the NBA playoffs which start in May, I think. At least it should be a good time to get things done around the house and clean out the garage over the next couple of months.

Clean your air with Ionic Pro

One of my sons has some allergies and at certain times of the year, it can be tough for him. Lots of coughing and sneezing. One way to make it easier on people with allergies is to make sure the air in your home is clean. The Ionic Pro air purifier will help remove allergens such as pet dander, dust, and pollen which makes it easier to breathe. Where I live, dust is a real problem and limiting the amount of it helps everyone breathe easier.

Steve Nash not an all star starter

How can Steve Nash not be a starter in the all star game? He won the MVP award the past two years and his team is one of the top two this year. No starters from Dallas or Phoenix. I think the fan voting is a little off this year. Tracy McGrady is a great player, but I don't think he deserves to start this year. And Shaq? Not even close. Injured most of the season, with lower productivity anyway.

Hoodia for weight loss

You know something is pretty mainstream when they sell it on the shelf at Costco. And pure hoodia is now one of those things, although it may not be a widely known product. Hoodia is a natural appetite suppressant derived from a cactus which grows in the South African desert. Not exactly something you'd find in your back yard, but if you try the hoodia diet you may lose some weight like many other people. Hoodia helps you control your hunger and with less hunger, you are less likely to grab that bag of chips or cookies and add on a few pounds. All the hoodia from naturalhealthhoodia.com is certified to be 100% Pure Hoodia Gordonii, so you know you are getting the real thing, not some fake stuff that may be sold elsewhere.

slow blogging week

I have had a busy week at work and haven't been keeping up as well with my blogging. I still haven't gotten around to either of those 5 things memes I'm supposed to do. Five things people don't know about me and my five favorite movies are the ones I need to do. Very far behind. Maybe tomorrow...

Reading this fashion blog can help you look better

I don't know if I would be considered a fashion victim. Possibly, although I think it's more a matter of indifference. I have lots of very nice clothes in the closet which I don't wear and a small number of things that I do wear. If you are like me, or if you just want to learn a little bit more about which tie looks good with your new shirt or why one handbag is better than another one, check out Belisi Fashions, the fashion blog written by Peter Belisi. He's got great ideas to help you look up to date, with tips and commentary on what's happening in the fashion world. A little information can go a long way when it comes to clothes. You won't wear striped pants with a checked shirt again after reading the Belisi Fashions blog.

Backing up

I'm waiting to get the file recovery software today so I can try to salvage what's on my laptop's hard drive. I hope that goes well, but you never know. What I really need to do is have a good system in place to back up my files regularly. I've got too many 300 adn 400 GB drives which are practically full and I'm not doing any regular backups. Greg Keene at TechDigs.net does an extensive job laying out the options for backing up your files when you've got lots of files. It's a little daunting, but something has to be done, in my case. It's no fun to lose your files when your drive goes bad.

Eagle Optics for Bushnell Binoculars

I'll be taking a trip to the mountains in a couple of weeks and there's nothing better for looking at birds and things in the distance than a pair of binoculars. I've already got a pair, but if you are lookng for some binoculars, check out the bushnell binoculars at EagleOptics. Bushnell is an excellent brand with binoculars ranging from the for around $40 up to models which cost more than $1000. The Excursion 10x28, at around $106 dollars is a great Bushnell binocular -- waterproof, easy to carry, great for hunting, bird watching or sporting events, and they come with a 30 day money back guarantee. All binoculars that you buy at Eagle Optics come with free UPS ground shipping in the 48 continental US states, along with an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee. If you're not happy, send it back. No problemo. Eagle Optics has good prices and a huge selection of binoculars as well as other optical products like telescopes, digital cameras and rangefinders. Check them out for anything optical.

Burning CDs

I'm using my laptop to burn 16 CDs to give out in class tonight. It's going to take about 45 minutes to do it. Years ago, at Apple, I had access to the first commercial CD writer, made by Kodak. It cost $10,000 and took 45 minutes to write a blank CD, which had less capacity than CDs do now. Those blanks were $10 each, so when you had a write error, it was a little more painful than it is today. The CD Writer was also huge -- bigger than two VCRs are today. Now, of course, CD-RW drives cost very little and come with almost every computer. Blanks are around 10 cents each. Quite a difference. People sometimes say that CDs aren't reliable as archival media, but I still have the CDs I made in 1993 and they are still working. Of course, I didn't leave them in the sun or flip them around, so they are in good shape.

Wirefly has deals on T-Mobile phones and plans

Getting a cell phone and a plan is usually a big purchase. Unless you get a pay as you go plan, you are signing up for one or two years and locking yourself in to a monthly payment. It's good to check around before you jump in on something that's not what you need. Wirefly has a nice deal with T-Mobile through the Rebate. You plan needs to be $34.99 a month or more to qualify. Wirefly has a nice selection of Tmobile cell phones, so when you are ready to sign up, check out what they've got. Among other deals, you can get the gray or magenta RAZR from Motorola, the most popular phone around, along with one of those futuristic looking Bluetooth headsets, plus the fifty dollar rebate when you sign up for a two year plan. You'll get your phone delivered in two days by FedEx for free when you go for this deal. If you like to check your email on your phone, check out the RIM Blackberry 8700g. It's only $99 when you sign a two year deal with T-Mobile, but with two fifty dollar rebates on the deal, you break even. There are lots more deals through T-Mobile through Wirefly, which has a huge selection, low prices, free shipping, and a great return policy. You can't go wrong at Wirefly if you need a cell phone.

Bush plan to reduce gas consumption

I'm a little skeptical of President Bush's plan to reduce the amount of gasoline used by 20% in 10 years. Not that it can't be done, but I think this guy and his buddies are the same group who lowered clean air standards and did nothing to put pressure on US automakers to improve gas mileage. If it wasn't for Toyota and Honda, I don't think any of the US carmakers would be selling hybrid cars or looking into electric cars. We'll see what happens. It would certainly be a good thing. Maybe car sharing, like they are doing in the Bay Area, would be a good thing to promote. There are three car sharing companies in San Francisco, which is pretty impressive. I don't think car sharing is viable everywhere, but it does look like a way to save money. I'd just like some kind of mass transit where I live, something that seems unlikely to happen.

Lingerie for Valentine's Day

I usually get my wife flowers and a small gift on Valentine's Day. Not too exciting, I guess. We have a little conflict because it is also the birthday of one of our sons, so we usually devote more effort to him. I think this year is going to be a little different. Along with the flowers, I think it would be nice to get my wife some lingerie. And I think I know just what would look good. My wife works in a hospital, so I think I will surprise her with the sexy fishnet nurse outfit. I'm sure she will enjoy wearing it, but only at home! I think I can find a patient for her to take care of, too. InHisDreams is an online lingerie store with lots of great Valentine's Day gifts, including Free Sexy Lingerie with your purchase. Valentine's Day will be here soon, so don't wait. They've got something for everyone, in all sizes.

Scrivener for OS X

It does seem that there are quite a few outliners/word processors/note-taking/clip management applications for the Mac. I have trouble keeping up with them and don't seem to get around to spending enough time with new ones to change what I'm working with. Scrivener 1.0 was released yesterday and it has some unique features. In addition to the full screen, distraction-free mode which has become popular in order to help people focus on writing and not on browsing the web or checking email, it has a kind of note card mode which allows you to organize your thoughts on a project and view them on a virtual corkboard. I'm not clear on what kind of functionality you get with this, but it's worth a look.

Improve your fashion sense with the Diva's Dreams

When I think of multi-season fashion, I imagine living someplace where the temperature is always 72 degrees and I can use the same clothes year round. The Diva's Dreams has some more practical advice on this topic and it doesn't involve moving to an island near the equator. Belisi on multi-seasonal fashion has tips on wearing leggings and dresses which don't go out of style and can be worn summer, fall, winter and spring with a little creative thinking to mix and match. The Diva's Dreams has tips on shoes, style, color, handbags, accessories, and entertaining written by former Palm Beach bartender turned luxury fashion accessory guru Peter Belisi. He covers all aspects of fashion and you'll learn something new every time you visit his blog. You'll upgrade your wardrobe in no time with some of his tips.

Lane Kiffin new Raiders coach - bad career move

The Raiders have their guy - Lane Kiffin from USC. He's younger than nine current players and the youngest coach in the modern era of pro football, 31 years old. I guess he doesn't subscribe to the Sporting News, which has a scary looking picture of his new boss on the current cover. I don't know if Lane Kiffin is going to fix the problems facing the Raiders. He's got to improve their offense, but after the bed and breakfast guy, that shouldn't be too hard to do. I just wonder how hard it will be for him to get guys like Randy Moss and Jerry Porter to play hard for him. There are just too many knuckleheads on the Raiders. I just hope he's got an out clause in his five year contract.

Talk about the Nissan Skyline

The Nissan Skyline is a Japanese muscle car which has been around since the 1950's. It's popular in the US, although it's never been sold here except on the gray market, or as the Infiniti G35. It also shows up in quite a few car racing video games. If you've got one, or if you'd like to get one, check out the Nissan GT-R forums where other people with an interest in the Skyline meet to talk about it.

Pechanga Comedy Club

The local casino here in Temecula -- Pechanga -- is opening up a branch of the Improv comedy club in March. Shows will cost $20 and it might be fun. I am not familiar with any of the names on the list of performers, but they are up and coming talents, not stars. If they were already stars, they would be perfoming in the theater, along with the Moody Blues and the Fab Four. Actually, not all of the performers are on the county fair circuit. The Chinese Acrobats and David Copperfield are showing up next month. Not on the same day.

Keep up with your soap operas at soaps.com

Once upon a time, I never missed an episode of the Young and the Restless. I have moved on, but years later, they still have most of the same actors on the show! My life would have been much easier back then if soaps.com, had been around, keeping track of my favorite Soap Opera for me. The site has daily summaries, so instead of messing with a VCR and trying to record the show, I could have been keeping up online. Soaps.com also has news about the shows, and message boards where you can chat all day and night with people who share your passion for one or many television soap operas. Right now the site follows ten of the most popular soap operas, including Ugly Betty! Check it out.

Parcells retires, AP publishes first draft

Bill Parcells retired from coaching today. I'm surprised he lasted a whole season with Terrell Owens, who should be the next to go. Looks like the Associated Press was in a rush to be first with the story, as they included the following two paragraphs:

Parcells won two Super Bowls with the Giants. He came to Dallas four seasons ago energized by the challenge of restoring glory to "America's Team." He went 34-32 and definitely left the Cowboys better than he found them, but his tenure ultimately may be remembered for the lack of a playoff victory.

He came to Dallas four seasons ago energized by the challenge of restoring glory to "America's Team." While he definitely left the Cowboys better than he found them, his tenure ultimately may be remembered for the lack of a playoff victory.

How about a little proofreading before you press the Publish button?

Some of the fault lies with CNNSi, who published the story as-is. ESPN and SFGate edited the AP text so the duplication isn't there.

Check out Blue Haven and outfit your backyard

I would love to have a swimming pool in my backyard. It would take up most of the space we have right now, but if we moved to another home, a pool would be a priority. I had an uncle with a really nice in ground swimming pool as a child and since he lived in the same town, we were able to swim in his pool frequently. One of the things you have to do with a pool is to keep it clean. Blue Haven Pools and Spas has lots of Swimming Pool Supplies as well as other accessories for pools and spas. They sell things like solar heaters for pools in addition to patio furniture and pool toys like the water wheel. Blue Haven has good prices and fast shipping along with a 99 day money back guarantee, plus a huge selection of fun stuff. When you are ready to upgrade your backyard for some fun, check them out.

Sunday football

I was hoping to see the Colts against the Saints in the Super Bowl, but I'm at least half wrong. And it's not looking good for the Colts. I think the weather worked against the Saints a little bit, but not enough to change the outcome. I'd like to see the Colts come back in the second game and make it competitive. It's going to be tough to outcoach Bill Bellichick however. If the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl, I think they would be the favorites considering their experience.

Listen to the half.com guy

Half.com is one of my top five favorite websites. I never buy a book without checking on half.com. Mark Hughes was in charge of marketing for half.com and made a big splash by getting Halfway, Oregon to change its name to half.com! Now he's a marketing speaker who can help other people come up with creative marketing solutions or business ideas. He is a popular speaker who gets rave reviews. Check him out the next time you need an exciting speaker for your event.

Bottleneck blog -- 458 comments

The LA Times/Steve Lopez started a blog about LA Traffic last week -- the Bottleneck blog. There are 3 posts now, but the first one has 458 comments! I wish I had that kind of interaction on one of my blogs. Obviously traffic in LA is a serious issue for just about anyone who lives or works there. An entire page of the comments on the Bottleneck blog was published in today's paper. Some were good. A few were weird or ridiculous, but it's pretty clear that something has to be done about traffic and maybe the blog will lead to some change, either in transportation or in who gets elected.