For Father’s Day, I received a great gift from my son, Fischer. He made me a wallet out of duct tape. It had 5 slots for my cards and money. As you can see, it is well made…and probably waterproof. When asked, Fischer said that only took him 3 hours to make and it was pretty easy. I am grateful.
“In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing.” - Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It
For the next 5 days, I will be spending every minute of time, awake or not, thinking about fish. My Dad, four brothers and I are headed to Montana to experience what God has presented…open rivers, picky trout, and a split second thrill when a fish surfaces to take your fly.
So, if you happen to be reading this entry between June 4 and June 8, don’t try calling the office. You’ll get a polite and non-committing explanation why I couldn’t pick up the phone. The truth is, I’ll be out in the field.
I used to joke that when someone turned 18, the best privilege was that they were able to buy lottery tickets. Now, I realize there is much more going on. If you are 18, or if you have a family member or friend who is turning 18, check out this great resource from the California Bar Association. I can guarantee you will learn something interesting and helpful.
For example, did you know that when you turn 18, that is the earliest you can enter into a legally binding contract? Did you know that you should prepare a will and powers of attorney when you turn 18?
Enjoy the information. Be sure to vote. Get your own credit card. Buy a lottery ticket.
All are solid. Get ‘em.
When I was 10, a bird flew into the sliding glass door next our dining room, as my family and I were eating dinner. As we ran to see what had happened, we saw the poor thing sprawled out on the patio. My Mom suggested that we pray for it. We all closed an eye (guess where the other eyes were pointed?) and said a prayer. Within a few moments, the bird shook itself and flew away. What a lesson. I’ve been praying ever since.
Well, tonight my kids got to experience the same thing…
Only one of them saw the bird fly into our french door. But within seconds, all of them were peering through the glass at the wayward one. And I must admit, it looked pretty bad for the little guy. I almost hesitated in suggesting we pray. It was that bad.
But we did. And 45 minutes later, it got up. The kids saw it fly away. I must admit, it wasn’t the recovery of the bird that made me smile.
3 weeks ago, I started a cleanse. It wasn’t a diet. It wasn’t a weight loss program. What it was: a detoxifying of my insides and a re-adjustment of my fruit and vegetable eating habits. I’m finished.
I became interested when the guys at the gym were talking about the “cleanse” and how great they felt. Here’s the program…You drink 2 protein shakes (fruit smoothie) a day and you get to eat all the fruits and vegetables you want in addition to drinking lots of water. That’s basically it. It is very mild on your system. I used the SP Cleanse products for supplements.
I did not track my weight loss, but my pants are now loose. I haven’t had heartburn for 3 weeks. I look forward to a plate of vegetables. I have not needed an occasional nap. I feel healthy and that feels good.
One of the greatest tools I’ve found for the Small Business Entrepreneur is CalGOLD. After a few clicks, a user can figure out every permit and license that is needed to start a business in California.
How long does a lawsuit take? Consider the March 1989 crash of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker, which sent 11 million gallons of crude oil into the pristine waters of Prince William Sound, Alaska. The outrage was immediate, and five years later, a federal jury hit Exxon with an unprecedented $5 billion in punitive damages. At the time, it amounted to one year’s profits. This award was to be split between the 33,000 people whose lives and livelihoods were damaged from the spill.
On Wednesday, 2/27/2008, the case of Baker v. Exxon Shipping will finally…after three trips through US District Courts and two stops in the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals…land in the US Supreme Court. Nineteen years later, much has changed. More than 6,000 of the 33,000 original claimants are dead, and the $5 billion Exxon is fighting to protect is the value of three weeks of current profits. (from New Jersey Lawyer)
This week was SKI week for my kids’ school. Instead it was SICK week at the Marcus house. I spent a considerable amount of time pretending to be Florence Nightengale to my wife and three kids (pictured, left, in a delightful, not-sick, state). We hit the mattresses pretty hard. Each member of the family required a special diet and a special way of consuming it ( I need the orange straw!) I rotated the patients through the stations…computer, TV 1, Playstation, TV 2 and kept a bowl nearby, in case of emergencies. I charged Ipods, liberated remote controls, adjusted air flow, and administered syrups, elixirs, pills, tablets, and compresses. Thankfully, nobody needed suppositories.
It got me thinking…what would have happened if we had planned to travel, like we have in years past? Do airlines have a sick policy? Leave a comment if you or your family have ever had to cancel an entire vacation on account of household sickness. I can only imagine that it is doubly horrible.
Lately, a few of my start up clients have encountered hang-ups related to intellectual property. Intellectual Property is the bundle of rights and privileges associated with trademarks (names and logos), copyrights (works of art, music, literature) or patents (inventions and secret formulas). Whenever a business is deciding to choose a trade name, it is imperative to conduct a thorough search to determine if someone else already has intellectual property rights associated with the prospective name.
Sadly, it is often very difficult to make changes to a logo or name once the business is rolling along. The best strategy is to create an original name and identity from the beginning.