Around the Internet: Food

Fancy Cupcake Wrappers - I don't make cupcakes often, but I suspect I will as MetaBoy starts school. It's a great alternative to a giant cake. And with these precious cupcake wrappers made from recycled paper, I don't think I'll be able to resist. (NOTE: some items on this website are for baking (e.g., liners), but others are to be used as decoration only.)


SOS: Your recipe requests answered - Looking for the recipe to a favorite restaurant meal, dessert, or drink? The Los Angeles Times to the rescue with Culinary SOS!! That said, some things are best left to the professionals ;-)

Cocoa Butter, Raw and Orgamic - I wonder if "orgamic" butter is like buying a Rolecks instead of a Rolex?

Politics of the Plate: Selling the Farm - A heartbreaking story about a 144 year old family farm that has to be sold off because being a dairy farmer is more about going into debt that making a living.

"In Vermont, where I live, that translates to a loss of $100 per cow per month. So far this year, 33 farms have ceased operation in this one tiny state. Meanwhile, the price you and I pay for milk in the grocery store has stayed about the same."

It really makes me wonder what's happening to our food supply when small, productive farms run by families willing and able to work are run out of business.

Around the Internet

Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes: study - It turns out it's never to late to change habits for the better. Don't just blame genetics. Do something!!

Sugar Content in Packaged Breakfast Foods - A visual aid. And if you want to check other foods like processed snacks, beverages, and more, click at the links on the top of the page.

Our Milk Money - Here's an interesting website where self-employed parents list their products or services. So with your purchase, you can help support a family. And if you're a parent looking to make some money on the side, this might be a good place to list yourself.

News Map - A cool, if overwhelming, news aggregator.

Blame Poverty, Not Pork, for the Swine Flu - So the article is interesting, but a rather nutty comment stuck out.

"IPCC chair Rajendra Pachauri says we should have two or more meat-free days a week. New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman equates the environmental impacts of livestock production to those of nuclear war. On the loopier side is Paul McCartney’s ex-wife, Heather Mills, whose global warming worries led her to recommend that people switch from cow’s milk to milk from dogs and rats."

OMG! If it's between rats milk and no milk, how about no milk, for goodness' sake!?!

I'm just saying.

Around the Internet

Study: Kids Often Misdiagnosed With Food Allergies - A very interesting article that is sure to create skepticism about the current state of food allergies based on blood tests alone.

"Tests on 125 children with allergies and eczema and found that more than 50 percent of the kids could tolerate foods they had been told to avoid."

Alice Waters on 60 Minutes - I really think she's right. And I'm glad she's been around pushing good food on the U.S. because I think it's fair to say the FDA and the USDA aren't bothered by such pursuits. Having the luxury of being able to shop at farmers' markets has allowed me to realize how good food can be. And that salad...ooo, it looks to good!!

NPR Cancels All Newspaper Subscriptions Except Wall Street Journal - It seems ironic. But they've been cutting back in all areas, which has included canceling two shows and laying off 7% of its staff. And if they can get certain content online for free (e.g., New York Times)...well...

‘Sesame Street’ Producer to Reduce Workforce by 20% - This makes me sad. But they could probably use a reworking of expenses. Per the article, 2008 revenue and expenses were $145 million and $141 million, respectively. "Program expenses at Sesame Workshop, which include content distribution and product licensing, totaled $116.4 million in last year, up from $100 million the year before."

Auto Tax Revenues Going in Reverse, Hurting Cities' Coffers - An informative article breaking down how dismal car sales are impacting Los Angeles and surrounding cities. I'd guess it's applicable to most U.S. cities.

Acne: another bump from the recession - The stress caused by the tough economy can lead to acne. Ack!! Ironically, that stresses me out.

Happiest Place on Earth

When you Google "Happiest Place on Earth," the first result is Disneyland.

Which leads me to tell you about the best text message ever.

"Do you want to go to Disneyland?"

Duh.

Be still my heart. I don't remember when I've been so excited! I've been to Disneyland many, many times, but not for a while. In my 20's, it seemed like a ridiculously boring thing to do. But now, OMG, OMG, OMG!!

Speaking of the "happiest place on earth," I ran across a couple of interesting articles. This one and this one both rank Iceland as the 4th happiest place on earth. Basically, the populations of the happiest countries

• have a higher GDP per capita,
• have good healthcare,
• have access to education,
• don't have extremes in happiness or sadness.

Basic tools for a healthy body and mind while keeping to the middle of the road is where to be, I guess. Unfortunately, Iceland's been perhaps the hardest hit thus far in the global economic crisis.

"Iceland's whole economy appears on the verge of breakdown, with debts 12 times larger than its GDP. Its stock exchange was today shut down until Monday, due to the "unusual market conditions". Three days ago trading in financial firms was stopped."

The population of 320,000 seems panicky, as does the British government given that Prime Minister Gordon Brown is considering legal action against Iceland for its decision not to recompense those with savings in its failed banks.

Every day, another huge chunk of depressing financial news.

Curious to see what happens with WellsChovia Group. What's King Solomon gonna do with that baby?

Credit Crunch on Main Street

Here's an fun animation simplifying how the credit crunch could effect main street. Cute and funny :-)

This American Life Analyzes the Housing Crisis

I heard this episode of This American Life on the radio last week, The Giant Pool of Money. It was one of the best depictions of the recent decline of the housing market, as impacted by the mortgage industry.

"We explain it all to you. What does the housing crisis have to do with the turmoil on Wall street? Why did banks make half-million dollar loans to people without jobs or income? And why is everyone talking so much about the 1930s?"

Why did I find it so enlightening and informative?

• It's easy to listen to, making the one hour fly by.
  
  
• Real people tell their stories and their intentions. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
  
  
• The stories make sense. For example, brokers wanted to lend more money because they made a mint on each deal they made, and mortgage companies wanted to lend more money to borrowers because there was little long-term liability (they would bundle a cluster after a month or two and sell the debt off to other institutions). Money was flowing.

In any event, I highly recommend listening to this if you're interested at all in how the nation got into the housing crisis, with foreclosures taking up more and more news headlines, and the credit crunch, which has impacted us all.

Showing Your ID When Paying With a Credit Card

The June 2008 issue of Money Magazine brought something to my attention. When I purchase something with a credit card, I thought I was safer when the cashier asked for my ID. Nope. Showing your ID provides strangers (i.e., cashiers) with a lot of information that they don't need. In conjunction with your credit card number, that data can seriously impact the security of my identity. Less serious, it might be used to put my name on a mailing list. All of that sounds terribly unappetizing to me.

The article goes on to say:

"since major card issuers won't hold you liable for fraudelent charges, being forced to show ID doesn't give you any extra protection."

Here's what they suggest:

• MasterCard, Visa and Discover forbid stores from requiring ID with a signed card, so refuse the request. Amex discourages the practice.
• Print this clause and carry it in your wallet to back up your refusal to the cashier.
• If they still give you a hard time, call your CC company for assistance. The rep will either convince the cashier, or issue a complaint, which can lead to a fine or suspension for the merchant. 800) MC-ASSIST; (800) VISA-911; (800) DISCOVER.
  
• There's always cash.

Irish (and other European) credit cards require a PIN for all transactions, which is entered like an ATM PIN. It seems to be a much more reliable method of assuring security than signing the back of the card and crossing your fingers. I never understood the point of that, really.

We really don't get asked for our ID often these days, although IKEA did ask just last weekend. That said, having worked in retail back when, I would assume that most cashiers who ask for an ID do so with nothing but good intentions. So if you refuse, be nice :-)

Photoshop Express

Photoshop Express is Adobe's most recent attempt to hook consumers who aren't willing to drop a bundle on their popular Photoshop software.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm terribly excited to. The thing is, I like taking and sharing pictures, but I'm just not as good at it is I'd like to be. The few great photos I've taken have been merely accidents. I assure you. I can use all of the Photoshop-type help I can get.

Here's what they offer:

"There's nothing sadder than a photo without a home. You hate to see that. Give your photos a free ride with Photoshop Express. just sign up, then start uploading, polishing and showing off up to 2 GB of photos on our dime."

Well...unsettling news: Complaints trigger rewrite of Photoshop Express terms

Specifically, Adobe would be granted "...royalty-free, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable license to use, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content..." blah blah. That hardly sounds like something I want with my photos.

Well, MetaDaddy's first reaction was "That wasn't Adobe's intention." Something about the aggressive nature of contracts paired with the ever-changing nature of technology allows for misunderstandings. That is, the folks who make the software aren't always in sync with the folks protecting it. He called it a storm in a teacup. Precious, no?

Needless to say, Adobe and their lawyers fixed their little snafu. It's now safe to jump on board again :-D

13 Thoughts About the U.S. Dollar and the Economy

I'm no economist, but I read a few things here and there that catch my attention. With the writers' strike in effect, I look to the stumbling economy for entertainment. Here are 13 thoughts about the U.S. dollar, finance, and the economy.


DOLLAR VALUE

1. Tourists from Canada, South America, etc. are traveling to the U.S. for bargain basement deals, despite the travel hassles. I've never known the U.S. dollar to be at par with its Canadian counterpart, so this was a real testament to the current state of the economy.
   
   
2. Foreign tourists will no longer be able to pay the entrance fee at the Taj Mahal in dollars. Apparently, the 22% decline in the dollar impacted India's tourism revenue.
   
   
3. As the dollar decreases in value compared to the Euro (a/o today,$1.47 buys 1.00 Euro), dollar holders have less spending power because imports are more expensive. As Americans buy less, European exporters sales decrease, thereby impacting their economy.
   
   
4. In 2005, the Chinese Yuan was revalued so that it would no longer be tied to a fixed rate against the U.S. currency. As the Chinese economy gets stronger and the U.S. dollar weakens, I'm curious to know if this has impacted our Chinese imports. I haven't seen an analysis of it, though.
   
   
5. Oil is purchased in dollars. What does that mean?
   

   "Oil producers sell their products in dollars. These dollars are used to purchase other goods in international markets. As the dollar lost its value starting in 2002, oil producers could afford to buy less in international markets with their dollars. To compensate for this loss of buying power, they may have raised the dollar price for oil."

   MONEY & THE ECONOMY
   
   
6. Rapper Jay-Z and other celebs are touting the Euro, not the dollar. And just when I figured out what cheese is.
   
   
7. Another possible rate cut, brought to you by the Fed. Bernanke's feeling the strain on the economy caused by the housing and mortgage mess, higher gas prices, tighter credit conditions, and stock declines, which means he's open to another drop in the fed rate.
   
   
8. Banks Pay the Price for Risky Mortgage Bets - Financial institutions have been making a mint by employing a complex system where they bundle mortgages into one item and sell it to other major financial institutions. Some bundles are riskier than others. Back and forth, back and forth these bundles went until the real estate market started to soften. The backup plan on handling all high-risk loans was based on the theory that real estate goes up, not down; a borrower facing default could sell the property and pay off the loan. Once property values started dropping, selling the property was no longer viable. An obvious factor in the billions being written of at financial institutions this year. I'd like to know their profits on these transactions prior to this year, though.
   
   
9. Reading Pays- Especially When It Comes to Credit Card Updates - Here's an interesting tip that I didn't know about. In the tiny text of the mind-numbing amendments to your credit card agreement, you might find an option to reject changes such as APR increases by writing a letter. That's worth skimming it over a bit closer going forward, methinks.
   
   
10. Be Careful When Police and Firefighters Ask for Money - In general, I don't make donations to any organizations that contact me. I have a few organizations that I routinely donate to, and if I'm considering a donation outside of that circle, I research their efforts at Just Give.
    
    
11. Plonkee addresses the reasons why people don't donate to charities, and knocks them off one by one. My take on it is that if you have money to spend on gifts for others, then you have enough money to donate to those who need your help. 'Tis the season to give 'til it hurts, people ;-)
    
    
12. In the excitement of buying a home, first time home owners don't always think about the non-mortgage related costs, which can be significant. The biggest, for us, is property taxes, which in California increases about 1% annually. Other states property taxes are fixed to the market value of the property (see tips here for contesting property assessment), which seems to me as a frustrating liability. I like knowing what I owe and not having it tied to a vague estimate of market values.
    
    
13. Speaking of housing, it looks like prices are still falling, for a net 13% from this time last year. I can tell you that although the median sales price for a new home is now $217,800, it's closer to half a million in Los Angeles. Since this is the median, a substantial number of homes here are in the million dollar range, which means that for the past few years, first-time home buyers had the choice of opting for a questionable loan (e.g., no interest, zero money down), or continuing to rent

Accountant vs Stay At Home Parent

I worked as an accountant at various companies over the course of several years. I'm beginning to think that having worked as an accountant makes me appreciate being a stay at home parent today.

Being an accountant is thankless. No one cares about you until you make a mistake. No one wants to validate expenses; we're just a nuisance for requesting backup and information. It's a department usually outside of the realm of generating money for its company. It's just about support and oversight. Overhead. Its work is intangible, and as such not quantifiable.

Now I do things like clean, cook, bake, make baby food, shop, and play with Boogie and keep him safe and happy, all the while relieving my husband of some of the chores and errands he had to do back when we both worked. Yet, I still feel useful and productive. And it is in no way thankless, thanks to my boys, but there isn't the same kind of praise as if I was working in a different environment where everything well-done gets praised or highlighted. Getting that stain out of Boogie's clothes just doesn't elicit the same reaction :-P Someone asked me if i get bored as a SAHM. Are you kidding? Who has time to get bored? Besides, as a curious person, I've always been on the hunt for new information and to learn new things. So if I'm not doing something that *needs* to get done, or playing with my son (which is the whole point of this endeavor), I'm doing something that entertains me. There can be learning and growth in any of the challenges we take on, as long as we work to that end.

Intangible? Usually. Productive? Absolutely.

Rite Aid's Awful Customer Service

We used to have our prescriptions filled at Rite Aid because it's close, open late, and parking isn't a problem. However, it wasn't cheap, the customer service was terrible, and prescriptions were never ready in a timely manner.

When I was pregnant, I needed a prescription filled, and a friend was going to pick it up for me. My doctor called it in, and I called Rite Aid to confirm. They seemed busy, but gave me a time frame. I did a follow up call, and it wasn't ready. I called again, and it wasn't ready. I kept getting the brush-off and they stopped answering my calls at one point. Finally, someone answered and I really started to lay into her. It was hours later and my doctor's office would be closing soon. The person I was on the phone with said she'd get it done and call me back within 30 minutes. She didn't. I called my doctor's office and asked her to call the prescription in to another pharmacy. This new place, Horton & Converse, was so much better. Despite having never been there, they were able to accept my insurance information over the phone, fill my prescription, and allow my friend to pick it up without any trouble. They're only open 9-6:30 during the week and until 1 on Saturday, but unless we have an off-hours emergency, I don't foresee ever using Rite-Aid, Walgreens, or any other large corporate store again. I later called Rite Aid to leave a complaint, but I never heard back. I have no doubt that they just don't care about one lowly customer.

So at Rite Aid, I experienced years of:

Bad customer service
Long waits
Understaffed pharmacy
Large, carless corporations

Why did I tolerate this for so long? I hate knowing that I just put up with it because the hours seemed convenient, but in all honesty, I seldom needed a prescription filled late. In my attempt to patronize smaller stores, I've found such better attention and customer service. Prices can be higher, though not necessarily. And at the end of the day, patronizing small stores assures they'll be around when you realize you just don't want to be ignored by the Rite Aids of the world.

Going Green with Enron?

I like the idea of going green. I always have. However, it's a costly transition riddled with time and patience drains. CNN's article Eco-decorators for your home discusses a new start-up company that audits your home and gives you the best options for you and your home in your particular area (e.g., solar panels vs. wind turbines, installation costs, state rebates, federal tax credit).

I love this. Despite the up-front cost, this kind of investment can pay off over time. Getting assistance from someone experienced in the process can make the transition much smoother, resulting in fewer unknown expenses and delays, while taking full advantage of all state and federal incentives. What isn't a motivation is the $30K price tag for the service. Or knowing that the founder of the company referenced in the article is a former Enron energy trader. Eep!!

So while I still like the idea of someone providing this type of service for big (i.e., expensive) greening projects, I think I'll pass on this one.

The Simpsons, Coming to a Kwik-E-Mart near you

If I didn't have a deep seeded prejudice against all foods lacking any nutritional content whatsoever, I would go out and raid my local Kwik-E-Mart for my fair share of Krustee-Os and Squishees.

7-11 will be "making over eleven of its stores in the U.S. and one in Canada as Kwik-E-Marts, in honor of the store owned by beloved Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon." What? Not enough? How about this: They will be "sponsoring a contest where the winner will be animated in a future episode of the show."

In fact, the movie will have several corporate tie-ins, including Jet Blue, which has become the official airline of Springfield. The Simpsons' well hated Mr. Burns, in another of his crazy stunts, has even taken over Jet Blue founder David Neeleman's blog.

"I had Smithers hack your interwebular chronicle so I may set you straight, because lately, David Neeleman, your business practices really chafe my bed soars.

I believe customers have the right to keep quiet as I pluck every penny from their upturned pockets, but you insist on charging honest fares AND offering free TV and unlimited snacks. Mind your profit margins, man. Your rates make a mockery of the corporate greed our great confederacy was built upon. Who taught you to be a robber baron? Mother Theresa?"

Eeexcellent!

Price Fixing OK'd by Supreme Court

*Sigh*

Marketplace reported on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn a 96 year old ruling to ban "minimum price agreements."

"These are deals between companies that make things and the retailers that sell them. For example, a TV manufacturer tells the electronics store its new TV has to sell for a thousand dollars, not a penny less. The electronics store says, OK."

It turns out that since 1911, it's been deemed illegal for a retailer to agree to a manufacturer's set price, and today's ruling had Justice Stephen Brier comment that it will likely raise the price of retail goods. As a consumer, I had no idea about this because it feels like I constantly see products that have fixed prices like Apple, Mustela, and various baby gear brands. However, it seems that it used to be that pricing agreements between manufacturers and retailers could be challenged on a case-by-case basis. Now, the situation has reversed and the burden of proof is on the distributer, or the discounter.

I can see prices increasing in general, and I can see my precious savings found at my beloved Amazon fizzle away. I'll be looking out for more news on this to see what kind of impact it has on price fixing.

A Quiet Green Gap

Gap carries a line of clothes called (Product) Red. When someone buys one of these products, they donate a portion of its profits to buy and distribute AIDS medicine throughout Africa. I'd heard about that, as it feels as though the (Product) Red campaign has gotten a reasonable amount of publicity. I did not, however, know that Gap has been doing some other environmentally conscious things. Fool's recent article outlines a couple of interesting things:

"In 2004, Gap partnered with Delhi's government and two NGOs to help women who have been victims of domestic violence by employing them as garment makers. Project Swabhiman, as it was called, provided the women shelter, support services, job training, and a healthy environment to work in. Did you know that in February, the company began testing a more earth-friendly product made from 100% organic cotton? Were you aware that last summer, Banana Republic sold a skirt from an environmentally friendlier hemp/silk material?"

I respect them for doing this, and I'll be watching for more.

The Virtues of Open Table

OpenTable is great. The NY Times recent article on them just reminds me of how useful the service is to restaurant goers.

Each restaurant listed has a plethora of information (food, cost, location, hours of operation, special features), but if you need more, they include links to the restaurant's website and menu, if available. They could add a bit more family/kid information in my opinion, though. High chairs? Kid-friendly?

To use it, I go online and make a free reservation for the perfect time (never after 6 these days), and there's an optional feature where I can make special requests (e.g., high chair, corner booth, crayons, secret cake for a birthday). I earn points for each kept reservation which can be redeemed for gift certificates. Each regular reservation earns 100 points and 2,000 points get me a $20 gift certificate to be used within 6 months of issuing at any restaurant listed on Open Table. That's not much really, but I use the service for the convenience, so the reward points are just gravy. As I said, it could use a bit of tweeking for families, but so far, it's one of the most useful tools for handling the logistics. I can quickly check the viability of going out. Not every place is on there, but there are a lot, and they're adding new ones every day. If you'd like a specific restaurant to be listed, they ask that you submit a request.

We've found small family restaurants, though there are many more high end restaurants listed. So if you're traveling to an Open Table city, or you've ever wanted to get the red carpet treatment at a posh restaurant, what better way than to go online and make all sorts of silly requests to make you feel special. And since it's the only such online service, they've got the market cornered.

The NY Times article points out some reasons why users like OpenTable.:

Making a reservation through OpenTable "reduces the inconvenience. Say you want a table on short notice at a busy Manhattan restaurant — Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe. Placing a phone call there usually requires calling during business hours, enduring loud jazz for hold music, and talking with a reservationist for a while before finding an acceptable time. OpenTable might give you the same results, but it will do the work in 10 seconds."

"One user said he "liked the one-click cancellation feature. And he likes the convenience of making a reservation at 2 a.m. (One-third of OpenTable’s reservations are made between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.)"

The NY Times adds a few interesting things to consider with regards to the restaurant's ability to remain organized and efficient, which will absolutely impact diners' experiences.

"The software also reveals the idiosyncrasies of thousands of guests. The restaurant staff knows in advance, for instance, that a regular always insists on a table under a particular piece of artwork. They know about another person’s request for kosher food — but only when dining in certain company. And there is the guest so reliably late that staff members know to add 45 minutes to the reservation time."

One restauranteur "likes the information he gleans from the system. “We can know what kind of seating people like,” Mr. Pipes said. “And we can know if they have a favorite server.” And that favorite server can note, ever so discreetly, whether a customer happened to order the restaurant’s $1,000 frittata, or that he is a reliably generous tipper."

"Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, on the other hand, arguably the most popular restaurant in the nation, signed up in early 2003 and Per Se, his New York version, is also there. “Thomas Keller needs more reservations like a hole in the head,” Mr. Meyer said. “But even he knows that anyone truly into hospitality is being disingenuous to say they wouldn’t benefit from all that great guest information provided automatically.”

Google or Yahoo?

How do you get around on the net? It seems most people in the US use Google. 65.1% of the U.S. search market in May, in fact. Duh. Wee little Yahoo only saw 20.9% of that action. That's quite a difference. That said, I don't remember the last time I used Yahoo. And Ask.com? Please. Those annoying billboards have assured I'll never bother with them again.

Dads as Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur.com has an article on the creative side of dads. Being at home with a child makes you re-evaluate all of the little things you never used to care about...laundry detergent, toilet cleaner, toothpaste. Having to change habits and routines to accomodate a little one, a parent can accidentally stumble into brilliance. Mom's have been doing this a lot lately. But now that dads are spending more time raising their kids, they're starting to show off their clever side, too. Furniture, cleaning products, are medicine flavorings are mentioned.
Hey sweetie...got any good ideas yet? Or do you need a few more daddy-baby days?

101 Financial Tips

Ask Mr Credit Card has a great list of personal financial tips. From insurance to real estate to college funds, there are lots of tips and reminders on how to maximize your savings.

The Great Big Google Monster

I'm a Google-ite. I search for everything on Google, and it keeps me coming back. But I do believe that when a company gets to be as big, powerful, and self-admiring as Google is becoming, it can lose its effectiveness. It's easier to buy a company that does something they'd like to do than to come up with the idea on their own. They're growing in leaps and bounds (did i hear at an average of 500 new employees per month this year?). And as they grow into this behemoth, I can't help wonder how much internal progress they're stifling. In terms of creativity, large companies just don't function as well as smaller companies...there are far too many points to compromise. Steve Wozniak's development of the Apple while at HP comes to mind.

So when I saw this article on PBS, I was amused. The Final Days of Google points out "Google is an amazing entrepreneurial petri dish. Yet at the same time, it is doomed to disappoint nearly every entrepreneurial type who works there. This is key: Google is sowing the seeds of its own eventual destruction. It can't help doing so."

Just reminding myself to take even the brilliance of Google with just a pinch of salt.