Helping Our Customers Pay Us

Like most businesses, we are plagued with customers who don't pay their bills. It is especially difficult at our company if customers don't pay, because we only produce custom products that we cannot sell to anyone else. Everything has a logo or a name on it, and no one else would want anyone else's products.

We did not accept credit cards for a long time, but since we started doing so, it has reduced our delinquent accounts. When customers can't come up with the cold hard cash, they can put it on their credit card. We use a credit card processing and payment company, and I might check into authorize.net.

Of course, it is not always our customer's fault that they haven't paid the bill. They are resellers, and sometimes their clients haven't paid them. But the buck still stops with them. And we have to put our foot down sometimes.

Criticism of Pelosi Misplaced

I really like Dave Ramsey, but I have to disagree with him on something. I am listening to the archive of his show today. He was addressing of course the market meltdown. Among other things, he talked about how Pelosi's talk made Republicans vote against the bill. SAY WHAT? Granted I did not hear or read about Pelosi's talk yet. But I will. Ramsey said that Pelosi took advantage of the podium today and did some politicking and complained about Republicans. Um yes. There are things to complain about in that regard. And maybe she shouldn't have done that. But Ramsey said that because of her talk the Republicans decided to give her the finger and vote against the bailout. Excuse me, but it is really the public and not Pelosi they are giving the finger to. They decided to do a stupid thing because she was saying something partisan? Oh yeah, those Republicans are just geniuses. Their actions will cost our country a lot. At least they won't be reelected.

Bad Day At Work Yesterday

Just when things look better at work, they take a turn for the worse. I went in to relative boss to talk about taking some time off, without pay if need be, and he turned into his dark self. Said I had taken too much time off to study for the bar. I reminded him that that wasn't a vacation, and I do need some time off. I should have also reminded him that I had told him I shouldn't start work here until after the bar exam, but he insisted I start earlier. What a jerk. I was basically in tears yesterday. Today though he was in a good mood, so who knows. I may broach the subject of time off again next week. I just hate being treated like a peon. I need to figure out what I need to do for myself. I don't want to have regrets later in life because I subjected myself to this. On the other hand, I don't want to have regrets that I left when I shouldn't have.

Perfect Baby Gifts

I do not have children, so I don't have a lot of baby stuff around my place. I have been invited to my share of baby showers though. They are usually fun. People don't seem to play those dreaded party games that were pretty typical a while back. Now they are actually more like parties for the adults, with wine and gourmet appetizers and everything. I may be invited to a baby shower in the near future, so I am already thinking about what kind of gift to buy. This person is close to me, so I would want to get a very nice gift. I am thinking of some cute clothes or some baby bedding. There is some creative bedding that can make a nursery seem really special. I can find out their color scheme and buy some bedding that will match.

Tony Alamo and Nashville

When I heard on TV over the weekend that some more children had been taken from a religious compound, I assumed it was the FLDS again. But I couldn't believe it when I heard that the man was Tony Alamo! They kept mentioning California and Arkansas, but they never mentioned Nashville. And he had such a Nashville connection!

At the time he lived in Nashville and operated The Alamo store on lower Broadway, you couldn't step outside your car and go into some establishment without coming back outside to fiind your car littered with his tripe. Your windshield would be covered with his brochures ranting on about the government and Catholics. Totally inane.

He and his wife Susan were evangelists. Maybe they started OK with the best intentions, but then they got nuts, like most do. They started converting people and they would control them. They would have them work in their store and other operations and not pay them. Well, they would pay them, but their money had to go back to the compound. I was sort of scared to go into their store--because they were crazy and all that--but one time I took a deep breath and walked in. I was pretty amazed. The people in the store actually seemed normal. And their stuff was amazing. Beautiful dresses and suits and cowboy boots and such. Outfits that country music singers would wear. And they were not cheap. I remember seeing a beautiful suede dress for over $3,000. And this was a long time ago.

Despite that, they really were wierd. Tony's wife Susan died, and he wouldn't bury her, because he said she was going to rise from the dead. They had a nice house in a very nice neighborhood--it wasn't all that far from where I grew up. The Alamos got in trouble with the IRS and because of not paying their employees (imagine that!) and suddenly Tony seemed to disappear from the scene. His nice house burned down to the ground. Once he was arrested, you never heard about him again.

Until last weekend. Unbelievable.

Ghost and Goblin Time Coming Up

One of my favorite holidays is Halloween. I love the dressing up, the creativity, the Halloween parties, and the romance that always seemed to be in the air at the parties. At least for me. Back 10-15 years ago, there seemed to be a lot of Halloween parties. But not so much anymore. At least not in my crowd. I have never been great at coming up with a clever Halloween costume. Today, I would try harder and get one from a costume store if I couldn't come up with one myself. Hey--if I pass the bar exam, maybe I will decide to have a party! I'll get out the old address book, buy some Halloween invitations, and have some good scary fun. I have a few weeks to decide, but it would be a good idea.

Article On Marcia Trimble

AOL today published an article about the murder of Marcia Trimble, a case that Nashvillians know all too well. There is one minor mistake I noticed in the this article. The accompanying photo of Marcia has been used over and over since the murder. The article says it is a school photo, but it is not. It is her photo out of the Westminster Presbyterian directory. I still have the copy of my directory with the photo in it. A small detail, but one that I know.

http://news.aol.com/article/arrest-in-girl-scouts-1975-death-jolts/182467?icid=100214839x1210137967x1200589099

Gas Still Hard To Find

I took a quick trip to KY over the weekend and to my relief, they had gas up there!! So I was able to fill up and return on a full tank. I topped off again when I got home, so I can start the week with a full tank. Some of the local stations had some gas today, but they would sell out in a few hours. The first station I stopped at when I got back to Nashville I could only get $3.21 in gas before the pump ran out. So there is gas here and there, but not enough to have life back to normal. The problem as I see it is not so much the consolidation of car trips or the staying at home (like a snow day) but the hardship about getting to work and the worry about getting stranded in a bad area.

There Is No Gas In Nashville!

There is absolutely no gas in Nashville. It is true. It has been spotty for a week or two, but it got really bad last night. All the gas stations were out--I was scared--on empty, when I saw an Exxon station. They only had premium gas. I just had $20 with me, so that didn't go very far. I used half of that today. So I was scrounging around at lunch to find more. NO GAS. ANYWHERE. Someone told me she had just gotten gas at Sam's Club. I went out there about 4 p.m., and luckily filled my tank. She told me they would be out of gas after 80 more cars. Driving home, all the gas stations out. One BP station still had gas, and the line of cars was way down the street. Their gas won't last long. It is really awful. Apparently we are at the end of the pipeline coming from Houston. They say we will get more gas either over the weekend or next week. It is going to be awful. People caught unawares. And people driving through Nashville on their way somewhere else won't be able to get gas. Unbelievable.

Internet Dating Guide

I am a veteran of internet dating. Well, at least a veteran of one dating site. I have been using match.com off and on for a number of years. I have met one guy I really liked--but he was problematic and moved away. I have met a number of people I like, but there was no chemistry. And then I met some who were just downright bonkers.

I think I need some internet dating tips. I think I need a fresh start with online dating. I found a website that compares the various dating sites out there and offers tips on how to write a good email, etc. I feel I am stuck in a rut, and I need to climb out.

Dating profiles are crucial to the process. They are the first thing someone sees and can turn someone on or off. I think my profile is good and really reflects me, but it may be too serious. Not flirty enough. I'll be reading this website over the weekend in order to get some guidance.

Say No To Sarah Palin

This has been swirling around today in cyberspace:

Eve Ensler on Sarah Palin

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for The Vagina Monologues, wrote the following about Sarah Palin:

Drill, Drill, DrillI am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself of the Iraqi war, 'It was a task from God.'

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could and might very well be the next president of the United States. She would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in his name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your power to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, 'Drill Drill Drill.' I think of teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis, doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain. Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing we call life?

Eve EnslerSeptember 5, 2008

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

I left a message today for my biz partner--saying that I thought we needed to clarify our roles a little bit in moving forward with our venture. I hope she takes this the right way. Why shouldn't she? We need to do this if we are professionals. I have been feeling a little edgy about this project lately. Not sure why, but not having our roles nailed down may be part of it. Also, I have been having trouble visualizing my piece of it, but that part is starting to come into focus. I just need to make sure that she will want to take full advantage of my skill set. Because if she doesn't, I am not sure I want to participate. Better to find all of this out now.

Trouble With Venture Partner?

A friend and I are thinking about doing a business together. It makes sense--our interests and skills come together in a complementary way. We have talked about it and gone to two seminars about it. Her part in it is clear; mine is more murky. I am having trouble visualizing how my part will come together Recently I have felt her digging me about some wierd things. I am also worried about some of her outlooks. Is it really a good idea that we go into business together? I am not sure. But I need to figure it out very soon.

I Am Not Liking What I See in the Mirror

I need to stop fooling around and get in shape. Not only for my health but my love life. I am an attractive woman, but you would never guess it right now. I catch a man's eye only once in a while currently, whereas men look at me all the time when I am in shape. Law school and the bar exam kicked me to the curb. I did the dumb thing and ate poorly and never found time to exercise. I wish I hadn't done that, but the law school train never let me off. I have exercised a few times in the last week, so that is a start, and I am attempting to eat better. I need to find a diet pill to help me over the hump. I may go ask a pharmacist or research diet pills on the web. Once I start dieting and exercising and see some results, I get hooked on the healthier lifestyle. I need to kick that in now!

Difficult Bosses

Some of you who have read my blog for a while know that I do not like difficult bosses. I have one now. I also had one in my previous job. Before that, I had the good fortune to have many good bosses. So I know the difference between a good and a difficult boss. To me, a good boss puts his/her ego aside for the sake of the company and the employees. They know they don't have all the answers, and they respect others' opinions. They are not controlling and do not micromanage. They create an environment where people thrive and can do their best work. There are a lot of other things I could put in this pile, but I will save that for another time. On the other hand bad bosses are pretty much the opposite of this. Again, there are a lot of other things I could put in this pile, but again I will leave that for another time. I got together with a friend last night from my previous workplace and was saddened to hear that Broom Hilda was even worse than before. Rude, disrespectful of employees, and has no clue how much she doesn't know. The only good thing is it sounds from what my friend says that the higher ups are catching on to her. That is good news. Maybe it won't be long before she is gone. She has ruined that workplace, and that should never be tolerated.

Country Homes

A group I am in meets at our different homes on about a 4-6 week cycle. Technically we are a book group, but we are almost more a dinner group. And a talking group. Most of us are not best friends, but over a period of years, we have become good friends. Some of our members have neat "getaways" that have been incorporated into the meeting rotation. One member invited us recently for an overnight at her family's farmhouse. I had no idea what to expect, but I did not expect it to be so luxurious. I am not a country girl, but I would be glad to live in style on that farm anytime! I asked my friend if they had hired a decorator, and she said no, that they just incorporated pieces of furniture from all the siblings and parents' homes. It was fabu! They had some nice touches like farmhouse sinks. It really makes me feel I need to spend more time making my surroundings unique and comfortable.

9/11 Remembered

I watched the first hour of MSNBC's coverage of 9/11 from that year, and it was just as horrific this time around. I remember that morning very well. I had just gotten out of the shower, and the phone was ringing. My boyfriend from England was calling. "What is going on over there? There are planes flying into all kinds of buildings?" I had no idea what he was talking about. I turned on the TV, and there it was. Like most people, I was spellbound by the horror and couldn't believe it was really happening. It had to be a movie, I thought. As the minutes passed, I quickly got up to speed on what was going on. Not only had the two twin towers been hit, but the Pentagon had just been hit, and there reports that another plane had been hijacked in PA. For a brief moment, I thought everything was out of control. Everything. The best thing that happened was for the planes to be grounded. It put the control back in our hands. I was one who was hit hard by 9/11. I was depressed and crying for weeks. And I just saw it on TV. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be have been on the streets in Manhattan, or near the Pentagon or Shanksville, PA.

Bar Exam Results: One Month to D-Day

It is hard to believe that we still have a month to go until we learn whether we passed the bar or not. I think I have a fair chance of passing, and I try to keep focused on that. I visualize seeing my name on the list: I am a winner at the bar game. Keep focused. Focus. Focus. The bar graders like my essays. I am a winner. I am a killer at MBE questions. I passed, passed, passed, focus, focus, focus. It will be both a long and short month.

Charlie Cook at Vanderbilt

Charlie Cook, publisher of the Cook Political Report and an expert on national politics, gave some insight last night at Vanderbilt University on the upcoming election but stopped short of calling the race.

Cook said people tend to vote emotionally rather than intellectually, and often vote for whom they identify with. Women, he said may be more able to relate to Sarah Palin than to Hillary Clinton because of their backgrounds. But he added that while Sarah has energized the Republican party, he doesn't think she will cause anyone to vote for McCain who already wasn't going to do so.

Barack Obama is doing very well with all constituent groups except for white people over 65--again the group that has the most trouble relating to him, he said.

Deconstructing Sarah

Poor Sarah. Being subjected to all that media inquiry. Why should she have to put up with that? After all, she is only a VP candidate. Not someone important or anything like that. And the more media inquiry, the more that will come out about her. Facts that McCain should have vetted. Facts that will cost him the presidency. She is a Bush clone. She is anti choice and anti gay. Hello! We live in a free society. And I hope it remains such. She is a what you may call a religious nut. On top of that she has had lip botox. She has an awful 60s updoo that has to go. McCain, what were you thinking? Maverick my A**

I Miss Having A Dehumidifier

My allergies get pretty bad twice a year. Or should I say my nonallergies. I don't really have allergies, but nonallergic rhinitis. The condition still mimics allergies, with all of the same sneezing, drainage, and coughing. Especially the coughing. I used to live in a house with a dehumidifier, and it really helped. Too much moisture can trigger one of my attacks. And when I get an attack, it lasts for weeks. I have heard of Ebac dehumidifiers and will look at a number of them. It is time I get one again and stop suffering!

While The Cat's Away, The Mice Will Play

Boss is away for two weeks. I am determined this time to enjoy the freedom and not get uptight. It is some of my favorite time. But last time he was gone, I was stressed for no particular reason. That isn't going to happen this time. That is a promise to myself!

Unlike boss, I just don't think this job will ever take up 100 percent of my brain space. I multi-task too much and like it. I get bored when all I do is think about one thing for hours on end. I am a rounded thinker. He is a lineal thinker. I like rounded better.

I Am Going On a Cruise!

I am going on a cruise and I am so excited. I haven't been on a cruise in a very long time, and I have been dying to go on one. I really need something like that to look forward to after finishing law school and the bar. The problem: I am totally out of shape and look horrible. The cruise is not until January, so I have time to exercise and get in shape. I would not want to go looking like I do now. I may have to start taking diet pills.

All This Convention Hype

I know that everyone is all excited about Sarah Palin and what not. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. Yeah, great. I guess she is new and fresh, and from Alaska, which makes her cool. I did not get to watch her speech or Rudy's last night and I really wanted to. I may try to do that online. But I am afraid if McCain/Palin get elected it will just be more of the same. And that would be awful.

RNC Convention--A Snoozer Last Night

I watched part of the Republican National Convention last night--ZZZZZzzzzz. Well, at least a lot of it was a snoozer. It didn't have the electricity of the democratic convention. The best part of it was when they introduced the POWs. That was great. Fred Thompson's speech was pretty good. But still, he is boring. But he did better last night than any time he talked while he was running for president. And Joe Lieberman? It will be interesting to see the fallout from his defection.

Computer Repair Made Easy

Oh I wish I had seen this link earlier: computer repair. A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for a three-year warranty for my laptop with the company I purchased it from. It is not cheap! Yes, overall, maybe the 3-year contract is cost efficient, but I would have liked to have known about this online company. If your computer breaks down, you can just pay a fixed fee for a month and get your computer fixed! How sweet is that? It would be a lot cheaper this way. Just pay when you need to! And the price is very reasonable. They say they can help with all kinds of problems--ranging from simple start up conflicts to blue screens and system freezing. I have had my share of blue screens. I hate them! In the future, I will remember these geeks and sign up with them.

Law School--Itches and Twitches

Looking back on my law school career, and particularly the hectic fourth year finals stretch and the bar review and exam, I can see some stress patterns. I can handle test stress pretty well, but it affects me occasionally. Second year I started getting these wierd toe cramps. Where the big toe would get a little out of sync all of a sudden, and a searing pain would creep up the side of my foot. That was wierd. They stopped after that year. I don't remember any physical stress symptoms from first or third year, even though it seems as I would have had some. Fourth year, I developed an eye twitch that lasted a good part of the second half of the year and into bar review. Thank goodness that has stopped too.