One Step Closer to Perfection

Change Your Passwords

tressea — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:52:17 +0000

You password is pitifully obvious. Well, to the 16 year old hacker kid that’s trying to steal your credit card number, it is. Most likely, it’s some kind of combination of your kids’ names, your street name, your last name, or maybe…. ooh, tricky… your maiden name. You may have even thrown in a number or two for good measure… your kids’ birthdays, your birthday, the last two digits of your social security number, your address. Am I on to you? Yeah, I thought so. Which is precisely the problem. Each year, over 10 million people are the victims of identity theft, with the numbers increasing every year. Most of those victims spend between four and six months recovering from this crime, and afterwards still report negative information in their records. Many experts say it’s not a matter of IF someone will try to steal your identity, it’s a matter of WHEN. It’s time to batten down the hatches.

Identity thieves frequently use password cracking software to assist them in their evil endeavors. These programs canrun through dictionary words, combinations of dictionary words and numbers, and dictionary words with alternative spellings (“2night” instead of “tonight,” “l1ve” instead of “live”) in record time. Thus, if your password is something like “fire3fly8″ or “jessicasteve33,” it’s just waiting to be outed by one of these programs… hence today’s Baby Step.

Assess the passwords that you use for important things… accessing your bank accounts online, logging into your credit card company, opening up your online stock portfolio, buying things with Amazon’s 1-click service… and determine whether or not they are secure. Again, any combination of dictionary words, names, and numbers is most definitely NOT secure.

If your password is a sitting duck, change itto something stronger. The best tip I’ve heard is the following: create a sentence that involves capital letters, punctuation marks and numbers, and then convert it into a password form by combining the first letters of each word, punctuation marks, and numbers. Thus, “My first child, Michael, was born on April 3, in the morning” would become “Mfc,M,wboA3itm.” This is a great password for several reasons:

It’s long (over 7 characters)
It does not use any dictionary words
It has some capital letters
It has some numbers
It contains punctuation marks.

Now, to get really sneaky, consider switching up this password for each separate account that you access. For instance, add one additional character for each separate account… perhaps the first letter of the account that you’re accessing (A for Amazon, b for Bank of America, etc.). So, your Amazon password would become “Mfc,M,wboA3itm.a” Now you’ve got not only a strong password, but one that’s also easy to remember, AND different for each website that you use.

These passwords may seem long and unwieldy at first glance, but after typing them in several times, muscle memory will take over and you won’t even have to think about them. Plus, protecting yourself from identity theft is worth the extra few key strokes.

3 gold stars for each password you change. 1 bonus gold star for each non letter or number character you use. 16.5 gold stars for laughing maliciously the entire time about how upset that 16 year hacker kid is going to be when his stupid little program can’t crack your code.

Update Your Skin Care Regimen

tressea — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 02:02:32 +0000

Before we begin, boy, do I have to tell you: this no television, no Internet thing has increased my overall productivity in startling ways. Thus far this evening, I’ve managed to go grocery shopping, clean my kitchen, cook a three course meal, wash the dishes, have a glass of wine, AND start this post (on paper, mind you), and it’s not even 8 o’clock. AND I managed all of the above at a slower-than-normal pace. It’s blowing my mind. Clearly, the Amish are on to something. ANYWAY, on to the topic at hand: skin care. If you’re anything like us, you have a non-aggression pact with your skin. You won’t mess with it, if it won’t mess with you. This explains why you’ve been using the exact same skin care regime since you were 17. It’s time, however, to start making some changes.

There are two important reasons to switch up your skin care regimen. First, our skin requires different things as we grow older. Hence, if you needed oil free products when you were 22, that may not be the case now. In fact, it’s probably not, because as we age, our skin is less prone to acne and in greater need of moisture. Thus, if you’re still going completely oil free at 35, you may be depriving your skin of much needed hydration and nutrients.

Second, you know all those breakthroughs we’ve made in science, medicine, and nutrition, over the last few years? Yeah, we’ve made some in dermatology, too. Now, skin care products not only have alpha hydroxy in them, but beta hydroxy, as well.(Altogether now, “Oooooooooh…”) There’s also green tea extract, and white tea extract, and retinol, and soy, and botulism (well, that’s another story). See what I mean? If you’re still applying rosewater tonic and Nivea to your skin at night, you’re stuck back in the dark ages, my friend, and missing out on important breakthroughs that could prevent wrinkles, improve your skin tone, AND unclog your pores (maybe even all at the same time). It’s time to start mixing things up and doing some research.

Before making any drastic changes, however, we highly recommend that you consult with a dermatologist. Having one on hand is always a good thing, even if it does take several months to get that first appointment. They can give you an all-important skin cancer check (a yearly must if you’re over 40, and still important if you’re over 25), and provide personalized guidance about your individual skin care requirements. Plus, let’s not forget the biggest perk of a dermatologist appointment: free samples. The last time I went, I walked out with an entire bag full of little tiny moisturizers. Nothing makes me happier than a bag full of little tiny moisturizers. It’s like a little package of joy.

In the meantime (as you wait six months for your appointment), here are some things you may want to consider:

In Your 20s: Developing good skin care habits now can delay signs of aging later on. Thus, double check: are you using sunscreen? Everyday? If you hate applying it on its own, are you at least using products with sunscreen already in them? Additionally, starting to use an under-eye product isn’t a bad idea.
In Your 30s: Early signs of aging may begin to show in your 30s, and your skin may start requiring more moisture. Thus, in addition to the sunscreen that we are certain you are now using religiously, consider adding a hydrating night creme, and a product with ingredients that will even out your skin tone like soy or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).
In Your 40s: Signs of aging may become more apparent in your 40s. Expression lines around your mouth and eyes may become more prominent, your skin may lose elasticity, and you may have more problems maintaining a radiant skin tone. Thus, in addition to the products you were using in your 30s, you may want to consider upping your moisture levels with richer moisturizers, and breaking out the “big guns”… Products with pro-retinol and higher levels of AHA may be more effective in reducing fine lines and wrinkles at this age.
In Your 50s and Above: Your skin may be considered “mature” at these ages, and in need of special care. Your need for heavier moisturizers may increase yet again, and dermatological procedures such as chemical peels and injections may be the most effective ways to combat signs of aging. You should ensure that you are consulting with a dermatologist regularly so that any signs of skin cancer can be dealt with swiftly.

Again, we want to emphasize the importance of consulting with a dermatologist when updating your skin care regimen. Everyone’s skin is unique, so the principles set forth above may not apply to you. Also, did we mention the free samples?

5 gold stars for admitting to yourself you may need to make some changes. 15 gold stars for making an appointment to see a dermatologist. 8 more gold stars for perusing your local cosmetics aisle to see what else is being offered these days. 76 gold stars for finagling a bag of little tiny moisturizers out of your doctor.

Have a Flicker and Glare Fast

tressea — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:19:24 +0000

You sit in front of a computer screen all day long . When you come home, you spend at least three hours in front of the television, and the rest of your time reading your e-mail, watching YouTube clips, and checking your blog stats (we do it, too). You, my friend, have a serious Flicker and Glare Addiction. You are drawn to screens of all kind, spending a staggering proportion of your life in front of them. Yes, it’s true. Don’t fight me on this one. Admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery. Today’s Baby Step– temporarily fasting from all that flicker and glare– is the second.

Now, before you get all bent out of shape and start accusing us of trying to turn you into some kind of Luddite, let’s get the terms of this Baby Step straight. First, we are only requesting that you take ONE EVENING off from your television, computer, Blackberry, PalmPilot, PlayStation, etc. Second, all other forms of entertainment– books, crafts, cooking, actually talking to other people–remain kosher. Third, going to the movies (so you can sit in front of another HUGE screen) is cheating.

This Baby Step isn’t coming at you entirely out of left field. Spending large amounts of time either watching television or surfing the Internet is associated with higher rates of depression in both males and females. A recent paper by researchers at the University of Zurich, moreover, suggests that higher levels of t.v. viewing lead to higher material aspirations, greater anxiety, and lower overall life satisfaction. Spending more time away from your screens, however, may lead to greater social connectedness, more variety in your life, and even better sleep.

If you find this Baby Step to be excruciatingly difficult… if you’re sitting on your couch tonight, jiggling your leg, obsessing over what might be in your inbox… if just the idea of having to do this is tempting you to write us and beg for a different task (“I’ll go entirely high fructose free! I’ll use a tongue cleaner! Heck, I’ll read every damn one of your eight financial tutorials! Just don’t make me do this!”)… it may be time for some serious self-reflection. Might you have an Internet or television addiction? No, I’m serious. Check out that last link. If you don’t, might your online habits be holding you back from better, more fulfilling activities?

If, however, this Baby Step just makes you feel grumbly and bored, we recommend one of these five Flickerless activities:

Reading a book (there’s no soundtrack, but you’ll survive)
Doing a crossword puzzle (there’s no spellcheck, so be careful)
Trying out a new recipe (your officemates will love you if you bake them cookies)
Exercising (time to actually take advantage of that gym membership you got last month)
Talking to another member of your household (you won’t be able to use emoticons, but you’ll survive).

5 gold stars for managing to fast for an entire evening. 1 gold star for each hour you managed to stay flicker-free, if you didn’t. 8 gold stars for each additional evening you manage to fast. 18 gold stars for picking up on the irony that a blog is trying to get you to shut your computer down.

Invest Ten Minutes

tressea — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:06:53 +0000

Knowledge is power, particularly when it comes to money. If you’re not keeping track, it’s easy to lose out on the higher interest rate savings accounts, the lower fee mutual funds, the better ways to make your money grow. In fact, one of the very worst things you can do when it comes to financial planning is stick your money in one or two places and call it a day. Why? Because both your life and the financial world change on a day-to-day basis. Better opportunities come along. Your needs change. If you’re kicking back and sticking with the financial plan you made ten years ago, you may be losing out not only on better deals and greater financial stability, but quite possibly on thousands of dollars in savings. Hence today’s Baby Step… investing ten minutes (just ten, nothing crazy) in learning something new about personal finance. To make things even easier, we’re giving you options AND bringing the material to you. Seriously? Seriously. We love you that much.

We’ve selected eight topic areas and provided three links to informative material about each of them. Select one and spend ten minutes (just ten minutes) reviewing the material. You are certainly welcome to choose any topic not included on this list and/or to do your own research. Either way, the goal is to end the ten minutes having learned something new about something financial. It’s really that simple (and after requiring you to go high fructose free, you deserve something easy today).

Here are the eight pre-selected, pre-researched topic areas you can choose from, and three useful sites we could find for each of them…

1. Stocks– The Basics:

2. Bonds– The Basics:

3. Credit Cards– What You Should Know:

4. IRAs and 401ks– Your Retirement Savings Options:

5. Budgeting:

6. Saving for College & 529 Plans:

7. Managing Your Student Loans:

8. Money Market Accounts:

Feeling more enlightened now? Tempted to stand on the street corner lecturing about personal finance? We thought so. Great job.

5 gold stars for spending 10 minutes learning about something new. 3 gold stars for each additional 5 minute period. 25 gold stars for actually putting your new found knowledge into action. 150 gold stars if you already knew all this stuff, anyway, Warren Buffett.

Go High Fructose Free

tressea — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 17:59:50 +0000

You don’t smoke. You exercise…occasionally. You only drink on the weekends. The last dangerous drug that went into your body was a Motrin from a bottle that expired three years ago. You use a tongue cleaner. Sometimes, you even manage to take a multi-vitamin. You are, in the grand scheme of things, a pretty health-conscious person. We applaud you. Unfortunately, there is another battle to be fought… another frontier to be conquered… another nutrition-related imperative to irritate you as you wander through the grocery store…. high fructose corn syrup. Yes, yes, I know you hoped we wouldn’t go there, but we did, and we have total faith in your ability to come along with us (kicking and screaming though you may be). Off we go…

I know, I know, it looked so harmless, and tasted SO good. It came in those pretty little bottles, and, honestly, you hardly EVER used it when you cooked. In fact, you’ve got almost an entire bottle left in your pantry from those Christmas cookies you baked months ago. We believe you. High fructose corn syrup ISN’T something you put in the food that you cook a lot. Unfortunately, it’s in a shocking… STAGGERING … amount of food that you buy. In fact, virtually every processed food you purchase at the grocery store, particularly anything sweet, has high fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient.

So what’s the big deal? It’s made out of corn, right? That’s counts as consumption of a vegetable… Yes, in the way that eating ketchup (which, by the way, usually contains high fructose corn syrup) counts as 1 serving of tomatoes. Honestly, we’re not trying to be the food police, here, but HFCS is some nasty, nasty stuff, and you’ll be not only healthier, but SEVERAL steps closer to perfection if you manage to minimize your exposure to it in your diet. Here’s why…

HFCS is a highly processed food. Unlike table sugar, which is relatively easy to derive from sugar cane, creating HFCS involves several very involved steps. First, corn starch is processed to yield glucose, which is then processed to yield a higher percentage of fructose (the sweet stuff). Along the way, a variety of enzymes, chemicals, and fungi (yes, fungi) are added to help this process along. By the end, you have something almost completely unrelated to the original ingredient… corn. So, what does that mean?

Sugar (the traditional kind) is only about one step away from it’s plant form… sugar cane… so, when you consume it, your body says, “Sugar!” and knows exactly what to do with it. When you consume HFCS, however, your body says “WHAT?!” It’s so highly processed, and so unrelated to virtually anything in your natural environment, that your body has a difficult time figuring out what to do with it. This is what makes HFCS so incredibly unhealthy.

Studies consistently show that HFCS can have the following effects on the human body:

Increased incidence of obesity and diabetes
Elevation of blood cholesterol levels.
Creation of blood clots
Inhibition of white blood cells, such that they are unable to defend the body against germs, viruses, and other harmful invaders
Interference with the heart’s use of key minerals
Increase in uric and lactic acids in the blood
Gastrointestinal distress
Accelerated aging through oxidative damage

In short, HFCS can make you fatter, older, weaker, and more prone to diarrhea than other, more natural forms of sweetener. Need we say more?

Today’s Baby Step, therefore, requires you to increase your awareness of how much HFCS you are consuming, and to at least THINK about eliminating it from your diet. We will be the first to admit that this is not an easy task. We’ve been high fructose free for about a month now, and let us tell you, that stuff is in EVERYTHING. We had to change our food shopping habits pretty dramatically. The great news is that because going high fructose free requires you to cut most processed foods out your diet, it also requires you to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables and choose the healthier options in virtually every aisle of the supermarket. In short, it’s a one stop way to revolutionize your diet for the better. And, honestly, it’s not THAT difficult, just highly annoying at first.

Because this is a pretty substantial step, we’re going to be liberal with the gold stars. 1 gold star for each time your read an ingredient label to determine if something contains HFCS. 3 gold stars for each time you cut 1 food item containing HFCS out of your diet (or replace it with something healthier). 26 bonus stars if, by the end of this week, you’ve managed to kick five or more HFCS sources out of your shopping cart and out of your diet. 150 stars if, in the next 3 months, you manage to go HFCS free. Oh, and 15 gold stars for finally throwing away that bottle of expired Motrin.

Express Gratitude

tressea — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:57:50 +0000

Somewhere between 563 and 483 B.C., Siddhartha Gautama– otherwise known as the Buddha– remarked, “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” Just cultivating this sort of radical, all-encompassing sense of gratitude is a truly Herculean task, and one constantly at risk of being undermined by the legions of inconveniences and frustrations most of us experience on a daily basis. Expressing it? Well, that just takes it to a whole new level. Fortunately for you, we’re making the radical expression of gratitude a one-day-only task, AND we’re assigning it on a Friday. Isn’t our benevolence astounding?

Studies consistently show that gratitude has a “significant, consistent, and sizeable effect” on our overall levels of happiness. In fact, researchers that study happiness in human beings note that the kinds of things that most people focus on to improve their happiness “do not have the consistent effects that we might expect.” Gratitude, on the other hand, appears to have precisely the sort of long-term effect on our overall well-being that we seek.

Additionally, our feelings of gratitude have the ability to improve the overall well-being of others. This is entirely obvious. If there is one universal human experience, it’s probably the desire to feel loved and appreciated by others. Hence, today’s Baby Step… expressing gratitude. We’re not requiring an Academy Award acceptance speech, just one sincere expression of gratitude to one other person. Here are the ground rules:

Your expression of gratitude must be sincere. For instance, telling your vageuly sociopathic boss that you are grateful that she didn’t totally ruin your day would not count.
Your expression of gratitude should be relatively specific. Thus, “thanks for being you,” is unacceptable (as well as ridiculously cheesy).
Your expression of gratitude should be in person, if possible. Phone and e-mail are acceptable if that’s not feasible.

That’s it! You’ll be happy. They’ll be happy. You have the next two days off from work… What more could you want? (Ha! Trick Question! We’re working towards radical gratitude for what we already HAVE, right?).

3 gold starts for your first expression of gratitude. 5 more for each additional one you’re inspired to make. 18 points for laughing at my trick question joke (I like to be appreciated, too, you know).

Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector

tressea — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 03:40:39 +0000

Today, as temperatures drop across the country, and snow sets in throughout the east, danger lurks not only on icy roads, and frozen lakes, but also inside your home. Each year, over 500 U.S. residents die from carbon monoxide poisoning, often on the coldest days of the year. Another 15,000 experience the effects carbon monoxide exposure, suffering from dizziness, headaches, and nausea, among other things. Future deaths and injuries can be prevented if people install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes. Most can be purchased at your local hardwood store or Costco for less than $20. It’s time to make the investment.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas. Fuel-burning heating systems (fireplaces, water heaters, gas appliances, portable heaters) and vehicles are the most common sources of carbon monoxide in most people’s environments. When appliances are functioning properly, and vehicles are operated in well-ventilated areas, people have very minimal levels of exposure to carbon monoxide. When appliances malfunction, however, the level of carbon monoxide in the surrounding environment can increase rapidly, creating a life-threatening situation relatively quickly.

The truly scary thing about carbon monoxide poisoning is that you have no warning that it’s occurring until you begin experiencing its symptoms. Because you cannot detect the presence of carbon monoxide in your environment with any of your five senses, you have to rely on your abilities to: a) recognize the symptoms, b) realize that they’re being caused by carbon monoxide exposure (instead of, for instance, the flu), and c) move to safety before it’s too late. If your exposure occurs in the middle of the night, while you’re fast asleep, however, well… you may not be able to rely on anything to protect you. Which is exactly why you need a carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon monoxide detectors are relatively cheap, widely available, and easy to install. They operate just like smoke detectors… beeping when there’s a dangerous level of carbon monoxide in the air. The CDC recommends installing carbon monoxide detectors in the hallway outside the bedrooms in your home, and having at least one additional detector on each level of your home.

So, as you head out on your typical pre-snow day milk run, add a carbon monoxide detector (or two) to your list. It’ll take 5 minutes to pick up, 5 minutes to install, and earn your some gold stars (and peace and security) along the way.

5 gold stars for installing or already owning a carbon monoxide detector. 1 additional gold star for each detector beyond the first that you place in your home. 38 gold stars for purchasing a carbon monoxide for a friend, you good samaritan, you.

Know Thy Credit Score

tressea — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 05:19:42 +0000

If you’re anything like us, the very phrase “credit score” strikes fear in your heart. If you’re anything like the general population, you probably have no idea what yours actually is. In fact, if you’re like most people, you’re not even quite sure what your credit score even means. So, you plod on, worried that your credit score might be low, worried that that one bill you forgot to pay a few years ago has forever tarnished your good name, worried that you’ve managed to overlook something in your finances. You may be so worried, in fact, that you’ve managed to scare yourself into NOT actually CHECKING your credit score to see if there’s anything to worry about. Well, we’re here to convince you today that: a) checking your credit score is neither difficult nor scary (in fact, it’s usually FREE and easy), and b) when it comes to credit scores, ignorance is most certainly NOT bliss.

First, a tiny bit of background. Your credit score is a number between 300 and 850. A higher number is better. Your number is the product of several different factors:

Payment History: 35% of your score is based on your payment history. This portion of your score is affected by how many bills you’ve paid late, whether you’ve ever filed for bankruptcy, etc.. More recent events have more of an impact on this portion of your score.
Outstanding Debt: 30% of your credit score is based on how much debt you have outstanding. This not only includes how much you owe on your house and your car, but also how much you owe on your credit cards, and how close you are to reaching your credit limit.
Length of Credit: 15% of your credit is based on how long you’ve had established credit. Longer is better.
Number of Inquiries: 10% of your credit score is based on the number of inquiries on your credit report. More inquiries will yield a lower score because they may indicate that you are increasing your amount debt or that you’re in some form of financial trouble.

Companies look at your credit score to help them determine whether or not to extend credit to you. A low score nay indicate to the company that you’re a risky bet: that you are more likely to default on your loan than a person with a higher score. Landlords, potential employers, utility companies, may also examine your score for similar reasons: to assess your overall level of responsibility.

Three credit bureaus– Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion– independently calculate your credit score and maintain copies of your credit report. Companies can request your score from one or all of these bureaus, so it’s important to keep track of your scores at all three (each of them might have a different score for you).

Federal law gives consumers the right to keep track of their scores. The bad news? There’s often a fee involved for doing so. The good news? You are entitled to one free credit check per year per credit bureau. To take advantage of your yearly free check, log on to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ . This site is the only federally authorized source for obtaining your free credit report (other sites– like freecreditreport.com– also offer free reports, but usually require you to sign up for some kind of financial service). Once at that website, enter the required information, hit the button, and voila! your credit scores. Now that wasn’t so scary, was it?

Once you’ve checked your credit scores, there are 3 possible outcomes:

You Are Happy With Your Scores: Great! Award yourself some gold stars, and go have a snack.
You Are Unhappy With Your Score(s): That’s okay, you can improve it. Click on these words to learn how.
You Think There Has Been a Mistake in the Calculation/You Found Errors In Your Report: Don’t panic. You can correct errors in your credit report, and there are a number of fabulous websites that can take you step-by-step through this process. Start here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre21.htm

Congratulations. You have overcome your fears, gained knowledge, taken greater control over your financial destiny, and all in record time. Go forth and conquer, brave warriors, the world in yours.

10 gold stars for checking or already knowing your credit score(s). 15 gold stars for printing out your free credit report. 5 gold stars for placing it somewhere you can actually find it again.

Eat More Turmeric

tressea — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 05:02:49 +0000

Okay, okay, I know that you have three questions on your mind right now. Number One: What, exactly, is turmeric? Number Two: How is this stuff going to make me more perfect? C: Is this some sort of hippie, crystal-worshipping, hemp extract-loving, new-fangled diety thing? Slow down, Larry King, all of these questions will be answered in good time, and all to your satisfaction! For now, though, take a good look at the little jar of spice in the left-hand corner of this box. It may be just the miracle-worker you’ve been looking for. Now, on to those questions…

1. Turmeric is a yellow spicemost often used as an ingredient in curries and other South Asian dishes. In the U.S., it’s also used to give food products, such as commercial mustards, a yellow color. Turmeric is a member of the ginger family native to Indonesia and India. Its roots are boiled, dried, and then ground up to make the powdered spice. It has a fragrant smell and a slightly bitter taste.

2. The medicinal properties of turmeric have been recognized by both Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine practitioners for centuries. In more recent years, practitioners of Western medicine have begun to explore the ways in which turmeric may assist in the treatment and prevention of a number of diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, colorectal cancer, psoriasis, and melanoma. Indeed, recent studies seem to suggest that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may account for its numerous health benefits.

3. Turmeric, therefore, is not just the latest craze in natural medicine and nutrition. The over two hundred studies currently being conducted on its medicinal properties bear witness to its likely staying power. That’s why eating more turmeric is today’s Baby Step. Anything that can decrease your risk of cancer, reduce your arthritis pain, AND possibly prevent Alzheimer’s disease is well worth a sprinkle or two over your food. At the very least, it will make you seem like quite the gastronomist (“Oh, this yellow spice next to my salt and pepper? It’s turmeric, a member of the ginger family, you know.”)

Turmeric is available in the spice section of your local grocery store (unless, of course, you food shop at 7-11). For those of you seeking more bang for your buck, you can also find great big bags of it at inexpensive prices at your local Indian supermarket. As for how you use it… it’s totally a matter of personal taste. I’ve started using it as a condiment… putting it on my baked potatoes (along with the normal fixings) and steamed vegetables. For the more culinary-inclined, check out some of these tasty turmeric recipes. Oh! And for those of you that consume cereal and milk at every meal (I know you’re out there), turmeric is also available in supplement form. It doesn’t get any easier.

3 gold stars for purchasing or already owning a jar of turmeric. 1 gold star for each time you incorporate it into a meal or snack. 36 gold stars for signing up for an Indian cooking class because, hey, there are only so many ways to incorporate turmeric into the 3 dishes that you currently know how to cook.

Google Yourself

tressea — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:30:28 +0000

Today’s Baby Step requires you to start off by googling yourself. Yes, you heard me right. Google yourself. From the stands, I hear, “You want me to do WHAT? Really? It just sounds… so… so… wrong. I wouldn’t want to be caught dead doing THAT.” Well, suck it up, sister, and get thee onto Google. Lord knows, everybody else is already there. Your boss? He’s googled you. Your boyfriend? He’s googled you. Your boyfriend’s parents? They’ve DEFINITELY googled you. Every person you knew in high school? Yep, they, too, have been there and done that, so you might as well know what goods they have on you. Now that you’re there, type your name into that little box, and hit search… What pops up?

Chances are, it’s not news to you. Google is the newest forum for narcissism. We here at OSCTP google ourselves at least once a month because it’s like a little walk down memory lane… our business profiles, that race we ran last year, that paper we managed to get published back in grad school…. aaahhhh, one little click of the mouse, and it’s all about us. Unless, of course, we have a name like “John Smith,” in which case, it’s mostly all about some other guys that we’ve never met. But you get the point…

Here’s the thing, though: it’s all fun and games until somebody reads something about you (or by you) that you wish they hadn’t. That manager you interviewed with? What if he found your recent post about how much you hate your boss? The admissions counselor over at the law school you just applied to? You probably don’t want him perusing your obscenity-laden profile over at MySpace. Your newest paramour? Let’s not even DISCUSS all those pictures you have online of you and your last fling.

“But wait,” you say, “people have better things to do than to google me. You’re being totally paranoid.” No, we’re not (and that’s why we get paid the big bucks to write this blog). Consider this little snippet from a June 2006 New York Times article:

When a small consulting company in Chicago was looking to hire a summer intern this month, the company’s president went online to check on a promising candidate who had just graduated from the University of Illinois. Tien Nguyen, a college senior, signed up for job interviews but said he was seldom contacted until he withdrew a satirical online essay.

At Facebook, a popular social networking site, the executive found the candidate’s Web page with this description of his interests: “smokin’ blunts” (cigars hollowed out and stuffed with marijuana), shooting people and obsessive sex, all described in vivid slang.

It did not matter that the student was clearly posturing. He was done.

“A lot of it makes me think, what kind of judgment does this person have?” said the company’s president, Brad Karsh. “Why are you allowing this to be viewed publicly, effectively, or semipublicly?”

Scary, isn’t it? And this isn’t an isolated example. An increasing number of reports suggest that everyone from potential employers, to current professors, to police officers are using publicly available web sites to track down information about people. That’s why YOU need to control the information that’s out there about you.

Today’s Baby Step, therefore, is to screen what’s out there on the web about YOU. Googling yourself is the first step, but it doesn’t end there. Scan your blogs, your profiles, your pictures, and any other material you make available online. If there is anybody you can think of that you would be uncomfortable viewing any of this, it’s time to clean up your online act. For those of you… stuck back in 1998… without Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster accounts, and personal blogs, this will probably take approximately 0 seconds. For those that spend half your life online, this may take slightly longer.

If the task seems totally overwhelming to you, removing all obscenity and non-academic references to drugs or alcohol is a great place to start. From there, we highly recommend following a plan of action like this one. Remember, every little bit counts, and if the changes you make result in your online image being a little bit more like Gene Simmons and a little less like Keith Richards, it’s worth the effort, even if you’re aiming for Mr. Rogers at the end of the day (at least Gene Simmons doesn’t drink).

1 gold star for googling yourself. 1 gold star for each reference to drugs or alcohol you remove from an online profile. 10 gold stars for totally cleaning up your online act. 5 gold stars if your name is John Smith and ain’t no one gonna be able to find your profile, anyway.