April 2014

As readers and a loyal audience, you should have never let me roam outside the boundaries of Alive Magazines circulation. You see, I am an explorer, and the act of staying put resembles trying to herd cats. The most wonderful aspect of this article is whenever I do break the lock on my own kennel; my first thought is that I can’t wait to bring you all with me. Today we are going to Portland!

There is a belief—a philosophy if you will—that I have about doughnuts. Somewhere around toddler-hood, the deep connection between a kid and a doughnut is formed. Perhaps this even precedes physical memory, but that does not deter from the power that is generated. Then, as we grow and mature, we see the doughnuts as security. An item that brings nostalgia, comfort, understanding, does not change and will always be there for you when you need it most. In adulthood, we veer a little further off course and even lose our connection for a bit, while we look at the effects that pastries and sugars have on our aging bodies. We examine our intake to preserve our waistlines and start making crucial cuts. Doughnuts are the poster children for dropped habits. I believe that they are the first to go because we know that if ever we change our minds, they will be there, waiting for us. Never questioning where we have been, never wondering why it took us so long to get back, and probably served by the same person in a hair net that we knew from so very long ago,

I have recently arrived at an amazing part of my life. I am now in possession of the body that I will be buried with one day. No more 20lb swings in either direction—a little soft in the middle, but comfortable. I love what I am and it requires little effort, outside my current routine. This allowed me to shake hands again with my old friends; maple bar and chocolate old-fashioned, and oh, how I have missed them!

Last week, my wife, son and I took a quick pilgrimage to the Pacific North West. This trip served two purposes. One: I got to meet some people that will be carrying my book, “What Seems to Be the Problem?” in their stores and two: One last trip before we meet my daughter, set to arrive in April!

While there, we had a short list of “musts,” coinciding with our short amount of time, but on that list was Voodoo Doughnuts!

Here’s the skinny (great word here)—Kenneth “Cat Daddy,” Pogson and Tres Shannon are longtime friends. These two operate as one and always wanted to create a business in Portland. They landed on doughnuts as an un-tapped reservoir of “creativity meets business sense,” but how? They knew nothing about confections, so the two infiltrated LA and the doughnut masters that would teach them like samurais in the fine art of doughnut rolling, frying, flipping and creating. They returned to Portland with stories of fame and not only created amazing donuts, but shapes and styles. Dead body doughnuts filled with raspberry jam, frosting “Xs”over the eyes and pretzels protruding outward from the chest. Maple doughnuts with crushed Oreos, drizzled with peanut butter. Maple bars with bacon on top (ridiculously good food), and don’t get me started about the cream-filled éclair in the shape of man parts. But the best part is that each bite is cathartic. Something about the bright pink building with Mrs. Pac Man and pinball inside, the traditional doughnut shop smell of coffee, pastry and frosting, and “cash only” nuance secured our breakfast heaven.

We introduced my son that day to what I am sure will be a lifelong relationship to a food that will provide comfort when we can’t.

Voodoo Doughnuts, 22 SW 3^rd Ave, Portland Oregon 503-241-4704

 

So long. sweaters!  The newest looks are fresh and fun!

Bright and airy colors…

 

 

 

 

 

 

… Floral prints (look by Blugirl)

 

 

 

White with black accents–not to be confused with plain ol’ black and white (available at lyst.com)…

 

 

 

 

 

THE color of the season, radiant orchid, makes a handbag look, well…radiant (bag by Michael Kors)…

 

 

 

 

The summer bootie works with slim slacks, skirts, dresses and shorts—this season’s IT shoe (shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo, available at Neiman Marcus, $750)…

Designing with the season is a great way to update your space. Interchangeable pillow covers for the family and living rooms, different table cloths and runners for the dining table, and throw blankets for the bed and sofas are all great places to start. Bringing in new designs also means it is time to clean and declutter. Nothing makes a room feel better than a freshly cleaned, bright and airy space. Updating is an excuse to purge and replace items that have seen better days.

Did you know that reupholstering a sofa can cost about the same as buying new? The cost largely depends on the type of fabric chosen and if the cushion fill needs to be changed out. It is always a good idea to look into the cost of buying new before you settle on updating the old. A new style of sofa in the living room can brighten the space and lighten it up. Older sofas that weigh down a room can have a huge, negative impact on the space. Working around one element or item in a room that you are not in love with is difficult. Make sure the base elements of your room are to your liking; paint colors, flooring, and lighting elements.

Spring is the perfect time to start designing. The winter market is over and manufacturers are just starting to release their new styles, so you are sure to get the latest fashions for your home. Fun new fabrics and furniture styles come into my office every day; I am able to present them to my clients before anyone else has a chance to see them. Working with a designer on your springtime update will save you valuable research time and money. Brighten up your space just before the rush of summer!

In honor of National Pear month, let’s discuss famous pairs, like Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Lewis & Clark. (I made that stuff up about a National Pear Month. Just being silly).

1. In the early 40’s, Universal Studios tried to advance a vaudeville team to be competition for Abbott and Costello. Their two movies were “Hellzapoppin,” and “Crazy House.” Who were these two comics? (Last names will do).

2. They played shortstop and second base together for 17 years for the Detroit Tigers during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Who were they?

3. They were responsible for the Broadway musicals “Babes in Arms,” “Pal Joey,” and “On Your Toes.” Who was this wonderful team of composers?

4. He was a squirrel and his friend was a moose. They made kids laugh on TV in the early days and delighted parents (like me) with their offbeat humor. Who were they?

5. Their last names were Elliott and Goulding, but we knew them by their first names. They delighted radio listeners of the 40’s and 50’s with their whimsical humor. By what names did we know them?

6. They made several musicals for MGM in the 30s and 40s, such as “Rose Marie,” and “Naughty Marietta.” Who were they?

For anyone interested in watching the cream of the Bay Area Triviaphiles in action, you are urged to run, not walk, to WPLJ in Walnut Creek on Sunday April 27 from 11AM to 3PM for the annual Kings X Trivia Tournament. You will certainly thank yourself for attending.

 

What would you think if tomorrow’s lead newspaper headline read: Gas Prices Skyrocket Overnight: Pass the $5 Barrier to $5.25 per Gallon!? As bad as it sounds, as you read more, the news gets worse. A gallon of milk isn’t $3.50 like it was yesterday, it’s now $4.88. And what about your daughter’s planned enrollment to Cal? You’ve been budgeting for tuition of $13,800.00, but today it is announced that you’ll need to come up with quite a bit more–$ 19,300.00 a year!

When the price of a new car that costs $38,000 today jumps to $53,000 overnight, and when a house valued at $800,000 at 9:00 a.m. is worth $1,114,000 at 5:00 p.m., I would say something is horribly wrong in the marketplace. This is exactly the kind of out-of-control economic spiral possible when some in the federal government believe one of their constitutional duties includes tinkering with the free market.

Right now, several marketplace intervention ideas are being proposed by the Obama Administration. The first is a raise in the minimum wage, from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour. If the prices hikes mentioned above seem incredible, then the one in wages should as well—they all represent a 39% increase. Other proposed regulations include mandated paid sick, family and parental leave laws.

There is nothing within the General Welfare Clause of our constitution that implies the authority or responsibility of our elected representatives to set prices or wages, and all Americans should be concerned when politicians—especially ones with zero business experience—start down this path. Our antennae should be up for their election year game of “We’d Like to Buy Your Vote,” with promises of chickens in every pot, two cars in every garage, and… higher wages—all mandated via government decree!

The fact is, wages are a cost on any business’ income statement, and when wages are arbitrarily forced to rise, business owners will make adjustments in other areas of their budget to account for that rise. They will either raise their prices or cut costs in other areas—like laying people off. In a recent survey by the nation’s largest privately held staffing firm, Express Employment Professionals, 65% of business owners said they would raise prices to adjust for an increase in the minimum wage and 38% said they will cut their workforce. In other words we’ll all pay more for goods and services and unemployment will rise.

Those who support government mandated wage hikes argue that it stimulates the economy by giving consumers more money to spend. By that logic, why then only raise it to $10 per hour? Wouldn’t a minimum wage of $20, $40 or even $150 per hour be even better? As the level of these spurious wages rises, so too the flaw in the logic supporting them becomes more obvious.

The real value of goods, services and labor are most accurately determined by the marketplace. Prices and wages are inextricably linked and should reflect a legitimate relationship between market-driven forces of supply and demand.

Whenever the government imposes changes on one part of the market, the rest of the market will react in kind.