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I had no idea a trip to get our dog groomed could be so dangerous: - Make sure that the restraining device they put around your dog’s neck has a breakaway snap. Many dogs die when they get a little too close to the edge, fall off, and their necks are broken. If the snaps breakaway, the dog will just land on the floor, rather than hanging. All it takes is a person walking away from the table for a second and the dog dies. Eeeek. - Make sure that the dogs are provided with a source of water when they are put in the waiting cages. - Make sure that the blow dryer that is put on them is heat-free. Again, if the person walks away for too long, the dog could become overheated and die. It happens more than the groomers will admit, and it can easily be prevented. After I learned about these senseless ways dogs die every day, I was shocked. I hope everyone will make sure that their dog’s groomer is following these simple guidelines. 
On July 25, a woman posted a message to Craigslist Nashville with the title “Please help, I’m desperate!!!”. Curiously, I read through the post, as she literally begged for a job. She had been out of work, her unemployment was running out, and she still had not found a new job. She had 3 kids and was a single Mom. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. Single Mom’s often need very specific work hours because they have to get their kids to school in the morning, then pick them up in the afternoon. Employers see this as a sign of instability and unreliability. But I have a great respect for single parents, because they have one of the hardest jobs in the world already. Anyway, I felt compelled to write this woman, even though I didn’t have a job to offer her. It was so brave of her to put herself out there, begging for work. A lot of people would have too much pride to say “Hey, I’m struggling and I need help.” But she was putting her pride aside because she knew she had her kids to think of, and she really needed some work. Exactly one week later, I got an e-mail from her, thanking everyone who had offered their support and prayers. In that short amount of time, she had scheduled 13 job interviews and received 4 job offers! WOW! She started her new job 5 days later. It is amazing to see how the kindness of strangers and all the positive energy connected can impact one person’s life. I am so happy for this woman, and I know that she and her 3 kids are resting easier tonight.
This video seems to be a hot commodity online. It first went live on Monday, and was quickly removed by YouTube. I’ve uploaded it myself, so we’ll see how long it lasts online. I won’t say his name because I don’t want it to come up in search results, but let’s just say he’s a well-known singer, best remembered for “Living La Vida Loca”. This video was used as a backdrop on his summer tour, and it was [allegedly] created by the same company that did video for Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour. It doesn’t show any actual nudity, but I do find it mildly sexy.
Last week I actually met a gay person for the first time who was against gay marriage. I knew they existed, I knew they were out there, I just had never sat down and actually talked with one. His belief is that marriage is a religious ceremony, specifically designed for a man and a woman. Because it was designed that way, he doesn’t think it should be changed. Instead, he thinks we should just have civil unions. Well, I certainly see where he’s coming from. I can understand the logic, and I didn’t argue with him. There’s no point. He’s a grown man and that’s how he feels, so I respect that. I politely disagreed, told him that I felt different, and that Rodney and I would get married if it were an option, no doubt about it. Now here’s the thing… yes, marriage is a religious ceremony in the traditional sense. However, there are thousands of heterosexual couples who identify as atheist, and they still get married. Further, I do think the rules need to be bent. Afterall, churches have come a long way with divorce. There was once a time when divorce was unheard of. Once you were married, you had to stay with that person until death. Marriage has obviously evolved and now people get married and divorced all the time. So to say “that’s the way it was designed” really doesn’t seem like a good argument. The design has already evolved many times throughout history. I feel like if we separate marriage and civil unions, we are separating ourselves from society. Do you remember a time when black people had to use different water fountains than white people? Now, you could always argue that the fountain for black people is just as good and offers all the same benefits. But still… they were separated. I don’t want to be a separate member of society. I am a U.S. born citizen, a tax paying adult, and I expect every single privilege that the our neighbors next door have. Further, I identify myself as Christian, so I see no reason why I should not participate in an activity that is considered a religious ceremony. That’s just my 2 cents on the matter. Now, in the mean time, I would certainly agree to civil unions. But if I had to vote for gay marriage, I would do it, unlike my gay counterpart who told me he would not.
I’ve rarely mentioned my experiences from when I lived in Raleigh, NC, simply because that was pre-Nathan Exposed. But I’ve recently learned a new moral that I thought was worth sharing. While living in Raleigh, I worked for a booming design firm in 2003-2005. I was the lead designer, working for a very successful businessman. He was a pretty good man to work for, but I often felt inner turmoil. He just had a way about him that sometimes got on my nerves. Essentially he was a leader who had to have things his way. But I was also a leader, and I wanted things my way. Since he was paying me, you can guess you usually won these little battles for power. Fast forward 2 years to present time, and now I work for myself. My tendencies to sell my services are fully surfaced, and I’ve turned into a mini-clone of my employer in Raleigh. It happened without me realizing it. For all my bitching and moaning, it turns out he was really a fantastic leader and I’ve learned so much from him that you could never learn in a book. He had something called experience, and he helped me get a lot more of it. I’ve gained a new respect for him, and I kind of wish I hadn’t spent so much time being difficult with him. Now that I’m in his shoes, I know it really can be tough being in charge. He was just doing his job, and he taught me a thing or two along the way. It took me several years to really learn this lesson, but now I have. Everything is so fast paced in our lives, but sometimes we have to just take a step back and realize that sometimes we can’t have all the answers immediately. In my case, it took me several years to really understand how lucky I was to have learned from one of the best. And now, I’m a better person because of it.
After what’s happened this week, a lot of people are increasingly concerned about the bridges they drive over in their area. Here’s a comprehensive list that will let you see the scores of your local bridges: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20093413/
Feng Shui is the study and belief that the elements (earth, air, fire, water) and directions (N, S, W, E) dictate the successes and failures in our lives. I’m paraphrasing, of course. It’s actually much more complex. Feng Shui is a extremely popular and common in Chinese culture, and I first learned about it in 1999 when I met my ex, who was born and raised in China. He swore by it, and I have to admit, it really did seem to be effective in his life. He used it for his health, career, relationships, finances - pretty much every aspect of his life. I got into it also, and started studying books, learning about it. The key is to take your home and divide it into sections, using a compass. You then fill those sections with certain elements (such as wood or metal) and that helps increase the positive aspects of your life in that area. The problem is… well… it never worked for me. I am extremely open minded to new concepts, so I know I wasn’t being skeptical. I fully understood and was educated in Feng Shui. Fast forward to 2007. I found some of my old Feng Shui tools and books, and decided to give our home a small Feng Shui make-over since I was going to be running a home business. If a few gold Buddha’s will make my business more successful, I’m all about it. While my business is in its baby mode (only 4 months old if you want to get technical), I can’t say that I saw any significant boost when I activated my career and wealth corners. I have had some really good clients and really good projects. But I can’t really say any of them were due to the Feng Shui, because most of them happened before the fact. Anyway, here’s the odd part… one day, I decided to take a break from my home office upstairs and work in the living room, which is on the opposite side of the house. My business boomed that day. I was getting new leads, e-mails, phone calls. Fast forward a few months, and I once again brought my laptop downstairs and started working. Again, a massive boom of success ensued. My phone was ringing all day. How in the heck was the part of the house I worked in affecting my business? Had I been doing it wrong all these years? Was one side of the house actually more lucrative than the other? It’s enough to make a person wonder. Afterall, the Chinese culture has been using it for centuries. We’ll see what develops. In the mean time, I’m keeping this computer downstairs. You can bet on it.
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