General Chatter

Advertise Your Business in Chalk with a $100 sponsorship

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:08:58 PDT

Attention local business owners! Do you want to reach a large audience at a low cost? If so check out this 100% tax deductible opportunity!
Heart of Chaos will host the second and final event of this year's 2nd Annual Chalk Art Festival (http://www.heartofchaos.net/chalkart.html) at the National Hispanic University in San Jose on August 30th. Join Social Wave as a sponsor at this last event of the year for the low cost of only $100. Best of all your sponsorship is 100% tax deductible!
As...more

Aloha Festival

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:10:26 PDT

The 14th Annual San Francisco Aloha Festival
Saturday - Sunday, August 2 - 3, 2008,
10am - 5pm at the San Francisco Presidio
http://www.pica-org.org/AlohaFest/

Gift Cards & Bankruptcies

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:02:54 PDT

If you have gift cards lying around, you should use them ASAP. With the faltering economy, many retailers are filing for bankruptcy so certain gift cards may soon be useless, if they aren�t already. Here�s a very short and incomplete list of companies who have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection recently. This means that many are still in business but will close underperforming stores. Consider this a warning that they may shutter their doors completely at some point.
Express
Bombay Company
Linens...more

Job Market

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:59:02 PDT

I left my full-time perm job about 5months ago for personal reasons. I am still looking. I have had interviews, but no luck yet. I have been temping in the mean time, which has been helped with bringing money in. The unemployment rate is 5.5%.
I have tried the following:
www.indeed.com
www.simplyhired.com
www.monster.com
www.hotjobs.com
www.craigslist.org
www.usajobs.gov
Office Team
Nelson Staffing
Palo Alto Staffing
Career...more

R.I.P. George Carlin (1937 - 2008)

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:34:56 PDT

One of the funniest and sharpest men who ever lives just left the stage for good. For purely selfish reasons, I wish he had hung in there for another month so we could have seen him one last time at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.
I wasn't surprised to hear the news and in fact given his history of heart problems and his torrid pace of work, I'm surprised he lasted this long. Everytime I've gotten tickets to see Carlin, I've wondered if they would be for the last time....more

Bells-palsy

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:48:55 PDT

I was feeling weird and there was somethings going on with my face. I thought maybe I had a stroke or had a bad allergy reaction to something. So I went to the doctor and she told me that I have bells palsy..which happens to be a virus in your nerves. It does not happen gradually, it just happens all of the sudden. If you catch it within 5days there is a good chance of recovery. There is a 10% there could be a side effect after you stop taking the medicine. The doctor does not think I would be...more

Consumer Protection Unit Helps Dissolve Disputes

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:25:59 PDT

According to Action Line, "The Consumer Protection Unit can help solve just about any problem you have with a business." This seems to be a good alternative to the Better Business Bureau since some Social Wavers have complained the BBB doesn't always help.
Contact the Consumer Protection Unit of the district attorney's office at (408) 792-2880.
Find links to Consumer Protection Complaint Form and links to other consumer protection resources here:
http://www.sccgov.org/sccsearch/ui.jsp?ui_...th=/v7/District Attorney,...more

Driving Less? Check in with your auto insurance.

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:14:41 PDT

If you're one of the people who's been choking back significantly on the amount of driving that you do, you may want to check in with your car insurance to see if you can now qualify for a lower rate on your auto premium. If you're like me, you probably set-up your insurance coverage years ago and haven't paid too much attention to it since. If you've changed your driving habits significantly, it may pay to check.

Local Business - Support Local Artists while advertising

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:44:57 PDT

Heart of Chaos is looking for local sponsors for our 2nd annual chalk art festival. Sponsorship is only $100, and of course tax deductible, and would include an artist drawing your logo and contact details in a predominate part of the venue. Sponsorship would be for your choice of one of our two scheduled events:
Event #1
June 14, 2008
10a-2p
Gardner Community Center
Event...more

Don't Forget To Vote Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Thu, 29 May 2008 06:12:11 PDT

I haven't seen any discussion on Tuesday's upcoming election. This election is expected to have a record low turnout. Please help prove that prediction wrong. The propaganda I receive is in consensus with voting No on 98 and Yes on 99.
No 98 Landlords' Scheme
Yes 99 Protects Homes
www.No98Yes99.com
A broad coalition of groups including AARP, League of Women Voters of California, California Professional Firefighters, California Teachers Association, Center for Biological Diversity, CREDO...more

Fast Moving Santa Cruz Mountains Fire

Thu, 22 May 2008 08:39:19 PDT

It was just reported over the radio that there's a fast moving fire in the Santa Cruz mountains near Sequoia Campground. There's not a whole lot of info other than that it's currently in a remote area and traveling fast thanks to the winds today. Here in Campbell, I'm not seeing any clear smoke anywhere, but there seems to be a faint smoke smell in the air... faint enough that it could very well be my imagination.
Anyway, driving over 17 could possibly become an ordeal.

Final Broadcast for KTVU News Anchor Dennis Richmond Tonight

Wed, 21 May 2008 06:16:41 PDT

Dennis Richmond, the longtime news anchor of KTVU Channel 2 News at 6 and 10pm is retiring after serving as a leading news personality in the Bay Area for over 40 years. Growing up, my family watched the Channel 2 news religiously for years and Dennis Richmond is in the background of many of my childhood memories. Good luck Dennis and thanks!
http://www.ktvu.com/news/16335377/detail.html

Heat Wave Expected Starting Tuesday (May 13th)

Sun, 11 May 2008 05:08:45 PDT

Forecasters predict temperatures above 90 starting Tuesday. The unseasonably warm weather "15 to 20 degrees above normal for this time of the year" is expected to last into next week. Thursday is expected to be the hottest days, with temps tapering to the 80s by the weekend.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9226358#article_comments

World Fair Trade Day

Sun, 11 May 2008 02:05:15 PDT

Yesterday was World Fair Trade Day. I don't think this was widely publicized, and since every day has been claimed by some group (Don't Buy Gas Today Day, anyone?), these days have sort of lost their meaning. I still think it's important to draw awareness to fair trade, which is the point of these days anyway. Here are a couple of fair trade sources I'm aware of. Please post others I've missed.
The Hunger Site
https://shop.thechildhealthsite.com/store/c...2692&siteId=221
You can choose which site gets...more

Green Cleaning

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:17:20 PDT

I recently got the book Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity by Ellen Sandbeck, which I haven't even read most of yet but I love, love, love! (And I was just looking at that smiley 5 minutes ago and wondering what I'd ever use it for! )
http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Housekeeping...09247913&sr=1-2
Turns out you don�t need a big book, although it�s helpful for zealous people like me. This is a great article to...more

Worst Drink On The Planet?

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:16:52 PDT

When I saw the headline, I thought it had to be soda, which I think is inherently evil (it has NO nutritional value -- it probably has negative nutritional value -- and I just don't like the taste after not drinking it for 10 years). Of course, I totally forgot about mixed concoctions at places like Starbucks, Baskin Robbins and even Jamba, which easily run from 500 to 1000 calories each.
Are you ready for this?
In a Men�s Health article, authors...more

Asia is world's cradle for new strains of flu

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:55:24 PDT

The SF Chronicle had a blurb about the life of a flu virus that I think is interesting:
Scientists have pinpointed the cradle-to-grave path that flu takes as it sweeps the globe every year � starting with the birth of new strains in Asia and ending when the virus burns out in South America.
In between, influenza catches a ride to North America and Europe about six to nine months after a new strain emerges in Asia.
Why...more

$4 Gas is Coming, How's Your Driving?

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:59:24 PDT

$4/gallon gasoline is already here in San Francisco and we'll probably be seeing it here in the South Bay pretty soon too. The last time I posted a poll on this, hardly anyone said they changed their driving habits. With prolonged $3 gas and the price now hitting the $4 barrier with the more expensive summer blend coming out again, has anything changed?

How Did You Do Your Taxes This Year?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:43:57 PDT

Intuit, the makers of TurboTax reports that they have two massive tax crunches from people hitting their servers hard filing their taxes. The first wave comes when W-2 forms are released. The second comes at the tax deadline. They say, both are very intense. Where do you fall? Apparently the early rush was particularly strong this year with people who want their $600 stimulus checks.

Urban Darling� Redefines Mother�s Day for Bay Area Moms

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:30:24 PDT

Urban Darling� announces a new Mother�s Day � the Urban Mommy Overhaul, a wardrobe styling experience for the busy mom whose time has come to be pampered.
Bay Area, CA April 7, 2008 � Urban Darling�, the choice for personal styling by moms in the Bay Area, today announced the launch of its Urban Mommy Overhaul. The Urban Mommy Overhaul is a fun and �mom-prehensive� service that involves a mini-closet audit for wardrobe assessment, a shopping trip to find body-complementing clothes and ends with special pampering. This experience makes any day...more