Bad Market Research Contributed to Romney's Presidential Loss

If you are a market researcher, you have heard this quote at least more than once: "Garbage in, garbage out."

Basically it means the results from your research is only as good as the way you set up and deploy your project. There's a lot of items that can turn a project into something shitty: Bad survey writing, writing biased questions,  overcomplicated survey questions, poor respondent sample , bad survey tool, wrong way to reach ideal survey population, poor analytics, and more.

Maybe it's too soon to talk about politics as everyone seems to be politically burnt out. But I am going to do it anyways. Specifically about the presidential race.

Let's face it, Mitt Romney is super rich and he had some of the richest people around the world donate to his campaign, and yet the dude lost. He hired some of the brightest and smartest people to run his campaign and yet they failed to capitalize on all of the funding he was able to give them and deliver him the president's seat.  I have been reading some really interesting articles online  stating that Romney's campaign were not using unbiased polls and research to determine his political strategy. In fact, the polls that were spot on and proved true the day of the election were completely ignored or balked at in favor of their own in-house research. It's clear to me that all of this in-house research offered his strategy team a slanted view of their odds. Too many "yes" men do not and will not yield positive results.

As a person who works in market research I see this all too many times. My clients are not happy with the results or the response rates. They find a way to point fingers at others while not admitting that they may have not set up a good research project and deployment plan in the first place. They sell these incredibly elaborate research projects for more money, but then have trouble finding the right tools to accomplish them.

COMPLICATED QUESTIONS IN A SURVEY DO NOT EQUAL BETTER RESEARCH RESULTS!!!

Research people need to go back to simplifying the way the collect data, make it enticing for people to give opinions, find those who are passionate and invested enough to share results, use social media to track true opinions via #hashtags, and use unbiased techniques and respondent populations that gather "real picture" results. They also need to know that the simplest questions often yield the best results for board members or CEOS to review.

In addition, I also read that most board members and strategist already have a pretty good hunch of what they want to do anyways so the best thing to do is deliver data that is easy and to the point. They hardly ever read a 40 page research paper. Ever!

Sure, there are other reasons why Romney lost, and I am not supporter of his politics. However, I kind of shudder and also wonder what life would be like today had Romney's team looked at real unbiased results. Would Obama not be a 2-term president? We'll never know, but as a market researcher one has to imagine what could have been....

In Defense of K-Town...

Ok, I admit it, I am a total dork! Lately my life has been less going out, more watching TV and YouTube webisodes. I'm in a nasty reality tv rut and need to bust out, but these shows keep sucking me in! Maybe this is a desperate cry for help. Who knows....

The latest obsession is "K-Town." It's a YouTube show produced by the Loud channel about Asian Americans hanging out in LA's Korea Town.  It portrays the life of an Asian American that is quite different from the asian stereotype. Instead of striving for straight As in college, being home to help the family, and going to Korean baptist church, these people get drunk, catty, and are completely obsessed with their looks, materialism, and drama. And you know what? This is really what Asian Americans do. Well...SOME of the popular asians do. Nevertheless, I am pretty impressed that even though this show may or may not be scripted it does portray what some of the more Americanized Asians are doing.

I'm 31 years old and I do remember my time in my late teens to early 20s where most of my friends were asians and we would down Hennessy like it was water.  I probably drank more shots with my asian friends than anyone else. I would be back at school the next day all hungover trying to study and running to the bathroom to throw up in the college library. Drinking games with cheap beer were a staple at all parties. A typical night out in Seattle would include a Chinese 4th meal (only thing available after 2 AM in Seattle at the time) to soak up all the alcohol before your drove home. The shit you see on this show isn't newsworthy. Asians love hooking up and  partying just as much as any of those characters on the Jersey Shore. The only problem is that most asians want to keep that a secret. Some don't really want other races to see this because the stereotype that's been long-upheld has benefited us in many ways. Are all asians good at math? No...but it's nice for people to think you have a propensity to figure out how to split a dinner bill six ways.

"K-Town" blew this door to asian stereotypes wide open for anyone online to view. My favorite characters on the show is Scarlet Chan and Jasmine Chang.

Scarlet (girl on top) gets a lot of shit for being incredibly loud, rude, and all up in everyone's business, but she keeps it real. I love her brute honesty about any topic and she's only voicing the opinions of what many of the viewers are thinking even though she's doing it completely drunk. I love that she will never give the time of day to a guy that's shorter than her. I never did either. Hello!!! Just because I'm 5'2 that doesn't mean I am interested in a guy who's only 5 foot tall! Find someone who is 4'11 or shorter! She's hilarious and I would love to watch this girl on a date with a guy she thinks is good looking. So far nothing in K-town is impressing her. Everyone's been a "Konguru" in her eyes.

Jasmine Chang (the blond asian on the bottom) is considered the jokester, and she's really witty with her words, and knows how to laugh and have a good time. One time I also tried dying my hair blonde when I was younger but it came out green and orange and  made me look bald like a cancer patient. Jasmine can pull it off and she has a fun sense of style. These two characters together make Youtube gold in my book. All they need to do is go to grocery stores and go out and it will be fun to to watch them get into trouble and make fun of Colonel Sanders again.

The other character are alright and have their small shining moments. I really enjoy watching Young Lee because I think he's the most real out of all of them. He's not really trying to get in front of the camera but he knows how to be a good presence. His storyline about making it in Hollywood while trying to marry the love of his life is fun to watch. Joe Cha is the dude from Seattle and I used to see him around at the same places I used party at. He was very popular, knew everyone, and a lot of girls thought he was super hot. The show hasn't really given him much of a chance to shine. Steve is the drunk guy who likes to instigate a lot of things. He reminds me of a couple of my old guys friends who would always trying to get everyone wasted. Cammie, Violet, and Jowe are interesting sometimes, but the show hasn't spent too much time really developing their characters. Quite frankly, if they did a Scarlet and Jasmine spin-off show I wouldn't miss any of the other cast members.

The one thing I think this show is missing that even the Jersey Shore has is the element of family. As a fellow Asian American a lot of who we are are influenced by our families and if they had a chance to film these people interacting with their family members I bet you the ratings and viewership will skyrocket. I want to see Joe talking to his mom about his career, Scarlet to talk to her family about her life decisions and what their expectations are. Don't you think what happens within their family influences what they do on K-Town? Yes, for sure! Why does Steve like to drink so much? You got to wonder if his family has anything to do with it. I have some Korean friends and have dated a few Korean guys in my life and I know that the family unit is very strong and if the family doesn't approve, all hell will break loose. Maybe one day these cast member's families will allow us to see this.

I know what you are thinking: What does this review have to do with conscious marketing? Television or webisodes is a type of marketing.  These people are edited and portrayed in a way that the Loud channel thinks is interesting and will drive viewers to the show. The fact that they are not playing it safe with the typical Asian American type cast is worthy to note. I haven't seen too many asians on tv get as drunk or crazy as these guys. This is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but if you grew up like me you will will definitely relate to a couple of situations when you watch the show. Sure, it doesn't put asians in the best light, but seriously, this is what's happening out there and there should be a show about it.

So scripted or not, this is my guilty pleasure I have to watch every Wednesday on YouTube.

Applegate Farms: Educating Meat Eaters Through Laughter

As a YouTube visiter you can now choose to skip commercials after 5 seconds and go directly to the content you are looking to watch. However, every time a commercial for Applegate Farms comes on I have to keep watching this 33 second commercial.

It's funny, the message is simple, and I love both characters: The concerned mother and the muscled cow man.  I am not a mom but I know plenty of friends who are that review everything their families eat with great detail. I see it even more so in the Portland area than elsewhere.

Applegate farms and other organic/all-natural food products are now using viral videos and comedy to spread the word that growth hormones in meat is bad for you. So bad that you can in fact it might as well be a roided-out german body builder in a cow costume.

It doesn't take a genius to see that it's probably not good to eat foods pumped full of hormones and medication. People of all ages can learn and laugh watching this commercial. It's really great to watch organic food product commercials going viral instead of the typical chip or soda commercial.

I've eaten Applegate farm sausages and they are good for prepackaged sausages. My personal favorite sausages are from the New Seasons Market, however, Applegate farms are great sausages that are precooked and great for a quick meal.

For more information visit: Applegate Farms

The Laws of Neutrality

Here is a picture of Dalat, Vietnam's version of the Eiffel Tower.  It is still used as a radio signal for the city. During the Vietnam War, Dalat was a neutral zone. Soldier from both north and south Vietnam as well as American soldiers used this city as a place of rest and relaxation. Acts of war were strongly prohibited and none of the summer homes of the colonel frenchmen from the early 1900s were destroyed. Now, this place is a national treasure and tourist destination in Vietnam. It's known to be the city of love and the place for honeymooners. It is the home of the only wine made in Vietnam, and it is the only area that grows strawberries, artichokes, and other vegetables we can find in our own backyard, etc. The weather is 20 degrees cooler than the rest of the country. French is spoken by some of the older vietnamese who still live here. It was one of my favorite places to visit while in the country.

While I was there I was incredibly amazed at how the people of Dalat were very proud of their french influence. It is very clear that anyone who lived in the neutral zone at the time were spared a lot of hardship in comparison to other neighboring cities.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there were tons of unknown war crimes, spying, and espionage occurring, but for the most part both sides of the army placed nice in Dalat.

My family's history were shaped greatly by the war, and as I get older I find myself thinking about it all the time. I see what my parents and my aunt had to go through to get to the U.S. and I wonder how much of their experiences has shaped who I am today.

My dad went to college in Dalat to study electrical engineering. When the war started, instead of staying inside of the neutral zone he went home to his family. When he got there he found out that his father was thrown in jail for helping American intelligence. Dad was given an ultimatum from both the north and south armies: Join the army or go to jail with your father.

So what did he do? He ran away to Saigon and spent all of his money on a ticket on a packed boat to the Philippines.  He wasn't sure what was going to happen but he knew this was better than joining either army. Every time I ask him about a particular time during the war his face kind of turns into stone. I never press further than this because you can see the pain he endured. No words need to express this.

One thing I realized that I take after my dad on is that he's very steadfast with his beliefs and sticks to playing fair. His life is built on principles that people who work hard should be rewarded and those who are trying to cut corners in a dirty way should own up to their actions. What you see with him is what you get. There's no two-faced politics to play with him. You are either in or out.

I recall several times while growing up that he was quite upset that he was passed over for a promotion. I never really thought about it until  I was passed over on taking on several interesting responsibilities at my position. Inside, I was sort of disappointed, but I knew that it was because the position would not play to my strength. The position required a person who knew how to maneuver well between several groups of personalities and positions and then make sure to reach a goal set forth by the owner of the company. I realized that in order to be in that position you need to be able to play for both sides of team, listen well, and also be able to build trust between all of the groups in order to make those goals. With every job there are politics involved and you need to be able to work through them to your advantage. Both fortunately and unfortunately for me, I realized I am terrible at being neutral and I really don't like office or government politics.   I'm very similar to my dad. My mind set is very " in or out" on a lot of situations.

It dawned on me at that point that this mentality that both my dad and I shared is both a blessing and a curse that governs our lives. It will be something I will continue to deal with in both my personal and professional life until I die.

On this note, I do want to reiterate that I am capable of compromises and negotiations. Although I am extremely stubborn, I do try my very best to try to stay open minded about people's opinions and actions in relation to my own. Trust me, it's not easy to do as each day is a new challenge. And I can see why others who can work through this better than myself would be called into positions of leadership or management.

The other side of playing on both sides of the fence is the two-faces you put on. For some this is easy to do. Personally I believe people who rise into roles of leadership need to be able to deal with different sides of the fence. Conjuring hope and motivation, working to earn your trust, but sometimes a little low on keeping promises at times. I know for a fact that this is not a game I can play. What you see is what you get. And if I get passed up on opportunities to take on new projects I may be interested in I guess that is meant to be. Afterall, my dad did not choose the neutral zone, and its in my blood to forego neutrality and stand firmly on the ground with my own research, thoughts, and gut feeling.

An Interesting Ride Home....

I'm finally home from going to Seattle twice in 10 days! It's been mostly for work, but I got to spend time with my dad on his birthday so that was nice.

Traveling between Portland and Seattle is nothing new for me. Ian and I have  been doing it for a long time for both work and pleasure, however, today was a bit different.

While waiting in Chinatown for the 6:00 PM Bolt Bus, two previous Bolt Buses passed us up because they were either done with their shift, or did not have enough gas to make the full trip. Due to the Seattle Mariners/Yankees game, traffic was nasty and the bus didn't show up until 6:38 PM.

The bus was filled to capacity and I was the very last person to get on. Looking around and walking towards the middle I realized there was no seats available. WTF? Really? This is super shitty.
So I walked towards the front and the bus driver looked at a girl's ticket on her phone and realized she bought a ticket for the 2:00 PM bus, not the 6:00 PM. I was relieved that there was a seat but also sad that she had waited long only to find out she is on the wrong bus.

So I took my seat, which was at the very front row. Next to me was a man name Allen. He was a 55 year old Portlander who came up to the Mariners game to see them play the Yankees. I don't really know why but we kept talking about all kinds of things. He a scout troop leader, had 5 sons, a self taught machinist and conveyer belt designer, and he was extremely conservative in his political and community views. We were talking about traveling and I noted that it's when I leave the Northwest liberal utopia that I realize how conservative our country really is. Allen responded, "I'm the conservative one and I am amazed at that as well!"

He told me that prior to the the reign of Sam Adams his neighborhood just past I-205 in NE Portland was a good neighborhood with good schools. Now that all of the low income housing has moved east into his neighborhood, it has really changed the dynamic of his community. He told me he's never seen so much crime go unreported or unmentioned in the media, and the people he talks to feel like they are entitled to government food stamps and subsidized housing, but they do not do anything to lift themselves out of poverty. I then told him that my parents came to Vietnam with nothing and they made something of themselves even though they started out with nothing as well. Any kind of hand outs they took were temporary and they gave my sister and I a great childhood. Flash forward to now, those opportunities are drying up and there's less hope for the people living in poverty, or coming from a developing country to make something of themselves. Those programs are no longer in existence.   Allen only kind of agreed with this point.

"1 in 5 Oregonians depend on food stamps" -The Oregonian.


I don't agree or disagree with Allen's feelings because, yes, there are people who are milking the system, however, when 1 in 5 people in this state are on food stamps, this is not always the fault of the people. Over 40% of the middle class wealth is now gone. It is the fault of the greedy banks stealing people's homes, and also the citys, neighbors, and myself who are not helping enough.

We've become so competitive and complacent with ourselves that we don't have enough time to think of others. Life is precious and giving back is worth its weight in gold.

Life can also be altered or taken away in an instant. I had a big reminder of that today.

Today there was a car accident just 30 meters from Exit 21, the Dike Access Road/Woodland road. The two cars were crushed like an accordian, broken glass everywhere, and on the right hand shoulder was a semi with a bruised front and side panel. Everyone on the Bolt bus held their breath as the we crept by the scene of the accident. There were no signs of the victims in the car, but I know we must have all imagined their state of injuries were. It was not a pretty sight.

As we crossed the Columbia River Crossing Allen told me that early in the 60s/70s Janzten Beach was not a bunch of strip malls. It used to be an amusement park and public pool complex.

"They had the best wooden roller coaster. On the very last they they were in operation they let people ride for free, and I rode it over and over."

It was fun to imagine Janzten Beach without a Hooters or Michaels. Just an amusement park and a swimming pool for the public. I imagined the lights from the amusement park bouncing off the Bolt bus windows as we drove into downtown Portland. It's pretty to imagine, right?

I guess home is where your heart is, but it is also where your mind is most at peace.

Hologram Technology: Pure Genius or Creepy Marketing Ploy For The Entertainment Business?

Snoop Dogg & Hologram Tupac Performing at Coachella 2012

For those who don't follow entertainment news and music buzz, the biggest news from the Coachella Festival in Indigo, CA last weekend was the hologram of Tupac performing with Snoop Dogg. Tupac, one of the legends of hip hop who was shot and killed back in 1996, appeared on stage out of thin air and pumped up the crowd with his signature look, body movements, and voice. The detail was downright impeccable. His tattoos, muscles, and his west coast strut can all be witnessed in the video below.

Click here to watch on YouTube

I don't know about you, but I get the willies watching this. Tripping balls-styled willies! It's really cool, but also kind of creepy, right? I'm not the only one who feels this way. Celebrities who witnessed the event Twittered:

Katy Perry: “I think I might have cried when I saw Tupac. #coachella”

Rihanna: “#TupacBACK #unbelievable #IWASTHERE #STORY4myGrandKidz“

Meek Mill: “2Pac is alive and performing at 2012 Coachella!!: this da best shit ever!!!!”

Tyler, The Creator: “THAT TUPAC SHIT WAS SCARY. IT WASNT EVEN COOL OR LIKE, OMG THAT SHIT IS SCARY AS FUCK. IM GETTING ANOTHER NIGHT LIGHT FUCK THAT.”

Questlove: “That Pac Hologram haunted me in my sleep. Rest In Peace 2pac…….#OkIWill!!!!!!!!!!”

A-Trak: “But yo the Tupac hologram shit was creepy, don’t front. People were not hyped for that. The hits were all we needed (and we got them).”

DJ Drama: “Niggas bout to start bookin hologram shows. That shit was fuckin crazy!”

Wiz Khalifa: “Fuccin 2pac Ahhhhhhh!!!”

Santigold: “Snoop and Dre have a 2Pac hologram on stage with them!!!! WTF!!!!”

Busta Rhymes:“This Tupac shit is fuckin’ Kraazzzzzzzyyyyy WHAT THE FUCK!!! #HALOGRAM #INCREDIBLE!!” “Sometimes we need 2 see groundbreakin’ shit 2 realize how much we need 2 put shit in it’s proper perspective. I’m clear. @drdre & @SnoopDogg” “Fuckin’ Wow. From Hip Hop 2 Halograms and Hip Hop did it 1st! . With the acception of GOD, There’s nothin’ greater than this rap shit!!!”

Hit-Boy:“That was one of the illest things I’ve ever seen.” “It’s people on my tl who ain’t ever done a great thing in life tryna trash the tupac hologram lol. Appreciate the creativeness, they tried.” “That shit was dope, to me.”

Asher Roth: “I knew Tupac was alive that whole time” – anonymous #coachella“

Joel Madden (Good Charlotte): I wonder what kind of clearance you need to use a hologram? Serious question are there gonna be new music biz laws for that now?

 After the event many people and media outlets  began asking questions such as:

"Is Tupac going on tour this year?"

"Can we bring back other music legends like Jimmi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, and John Lennon?"

"Will musicians start using holograms to tour the world to save on money?"

"Will we see hologram technology in other places now?"

Regardless if you are a hip hop fan or not, what you see in this video is a start of something new. Something crazy and mind-blowing. I can't put my finger on it but I have a feeling that it's going to change a whole bunch of crazy shit in the entertainment business and in our personal lives.  Forget about 3-D technology!!! Hologram technology is going to change the movie going experience. Can you imagine what  "Avatar "will be like if holograms bounced around the theater walls? High tech concerts will have musicians floating above the crowd while still performing on stage...or they might not even be there in person. It's going to be like Chuck-E-Cheese for adults! 

 In our personal lives it's possible one day that a hologram of our loved ones who have passed on will be featured at funerals instead of a video tribute. Kids will have imaginary friends they can actually "see." People can use holograms to portray ghost-like figures or vampires and scare the shit of out of people walking down the street.

I'm not looking forward to the last one. =(

With hologram technology, the lines of reality will be  greatly altered.

Another thought comes into my mind as well: For those celebrities that have passed on, by using hologram technology are we messing with their spirit and  legacy by  reincarnating them back into a hologram? Shouldn't we let them rest in peace, or if given permission by their estate, is it ok to  use their image for entertainment?  Although Tupac's mother approved of the hologram and was pleased with the results, news sources say she felt a lot of mixed emotions from grief to joy while watching the video above. All the Twitter reactions made it clear that people were excited but not prepared for this advancement in technology.

The days of holograms seen just  in Sci-Fi movies and TV shows are over. Remember how you react to the video above - this might possibly be just the tip of the iceberg into a new technology endeavor. 

The Mind Does Control Your Body

 I had a crazy epiphany last week. It's kind of dumb to admit this as it's something that we've been told so many times in our lives: Our minds and thoughts control our bodies. 

Well, duh, right? This old news. What really got me was the overwhelming power the mind has over one's body. 

Although I cannot go into full detail, last week I did some things that was not good. In fact, it was downright stupid and I will never ever do it  again. The amount of anxiety and stress it caused me made it really hard to concentrate. My heart was elevated, my sleep patterns were way off, and I couldn't sit still. My mind did not want to rest. My dreams consisted of my consequences, and I completely lost my appetite for nearly a full day. Please do not get concerned. Everything ended up working out in the end and I am filled with a sense of relief.

It was during that time of anxiety that I finally accepted the fact that my mind really does do a number on the body. And it got me thinking, "What are the other things in my mind that are wrecking havoc on my body?"

The body is really sensitive to your thoughts. I can see why people claim you can make yourself physically healthier by getting your mind strong and healthy first. Yoga, an exercise practice of a mind/body connection, allows avid practitioners to be in tune with their bodies at all times. Though I don't practice yoga, I am seriously considering adding something like it into my exercise regimen. 

I started thinking about some of my friends and family as well. Are there certain fears or thoughts that are preventing them from becoming fully healthy? Can they prevent themselves from getting sick by having healthy thoughts? Although I do not want wish to pass judgement, I can't help but wonder. Have you ever had a moment in your life that was so dramatic you did not want to eat or sleep? Or it was the opposite where all you wanted to do is sleep and eat a lot? I remember when I was  younger I went through a terrible break up and lost about 13 pounds in 20 days. Thinking back, I should have had the mind/body epiphany long ago. 

Yeah this sounds really crazy, hippy, new-age-ish whatever, but in a way, this moment has really changed my life. My hope is that by understanding this connection more I can make myself a better person inside and out. When was your moment you realized this and what have you been doing to improve your mind and body?

I Think I Found My New Calling In Life....

Homemade raspberry lemon chocolates

It's really no secret that I am a chocoholic. My world proclaims chocolate as a completely separate food group and is part of my daily calories be it in some form or matter. Even at work all of my software demos includes the topic of chocolate, much to the dismay of my coworkers. One of them has even told me they are completely sick of chocolate because of me.  =)

When we lived in Seattle Ian and I used to live by Theo Chocolate, one of my favorite chocolate brands on the planet. There you can go visit the factory and do a bunch of taste testing after lunch. Sometimes I'd skip lunch all together and go H.A.M. on the samples. That place is special to me. I love Theo's!

Lately Ian and I have been eating relatively clean diets: 80% no grains, no refined sugars, and mostly veggies and meat on special occasions. During this time I've been reading about going raw (which we do on occasion for some meals) and one of the items that really caught my attention was raw chocolates. Raw chocolates are basically any kind of raw cocoa beans that have dried then either stone ground or cold pressed and then reheated to less than 110 degrees. Sometimes they separate the cocoa butter, sometimes they don't. Doing this preserves the antioxidants and nutritional value of the bean. Once considered the "Food Of The Gods," raw chocolates have been used for many centuries in Mayan/Aztec cultures as a kind of currency and to treat ailments from depression to virility. Science has shown that raw chocolates have the highest form of antioxidants in comparison to acai, gogi, and other plant matter.   Skeptics say that there's really no such thing as raw chocolates because anything that is heated loses some kind of nutritional value. Personally,  I think they are a bunch of haters.

A friend of mine recently went to Equador to see a buddy of his who owns www.therawfoodworld.com and told me a story of them eating a bunch of raw foods made with raw Ecuadorian cacao and feeling this amazing high. It was nothing he's ever felt so intensely before when eating normal chocolates. Another girl told me that she was feeling very deprived of intimacy and had some raw cocao chocolate cream pie and it satisfied her desire....not exactly sure what "satisfied" means in this case, but I will let your imagination wander. Obviously it was the theobromine at work here. 

Sweeteners that are used in raw chocolates include honey, dates, coconut palm nectar, and xylitol (made from stevia leaf). Natural sweeteners are an acquired taste and one should be careful of the glycemic index of each of these. Even though some of these items may have high glycemic indexes it's very clear that they use substantially less sweeteners in comparisons to the refine sugar-laced counterparts. In a world where many of today's illnesses are caused by too many refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup, I'd rather go natural as much as I can. 

If you have never tried raw chocolates now is the time to give it a whirl. The price of their chocolates are probably 4x the amount of Theo's chocolates, but you also have to consider that they are not sweetening with refined sugars, milk, or any gluten products to hold it together. These online raw chocolate stores are popping up online all over the place and I've been having fun discovering  new (online) chocolate stores.

My most favorite brand of raw chocolates is Gnosis Chocolates. They are by far the best and have the most unique flavors out there. http://www.gnosischocolates.com. The story about the owner/chocolatier is pretty inspiring as she was a naturalpathic psychologist who created these to help her patients with symptoms of depression and so forth. Amazing eh? I want a doctor who can cure with me chocolates! Her Aphrodisia bar is probably one of the best chocolates I've ever had in my life. However at the hefty price tag of $9.25/bar, I can't see myself buying from her internet store a regular basis. Ummm, yeah sorry Ian! I did buy that candy bar for that price...sorry honey! The other ones were less though...

Another raw chocolate brand worth mentioning as my 2nd favorite is Portland's very own Stirs The Soul chocolates. You can find this at any Whole Foods or New Seasons around town. They are about $3.69 a pop but feature great flavors like chocolate lavender, gogi cashew cayenne, and more. http://stirsthesoul.com/ 

These chocolates are great because I don't have the desire to eat the whole thing. Having just 1 piece (maybe 2 max) is just enough to satisfy me for the day. I like that it doesn't do much damage to my blood sugar, too. I used to have serious blood sugar crashes where I would be shaking if I didn't have something carby or sugary to quell the shakes. It is really a beautiful thing to be clean of that addiction while still enjoying my favorite foods.

Now I'm kind of at a crossroad. I still have a TON of regular chocolates but now I want to make my own raw chocolates. What do I do with all of this? I decided I'm going to make hand crafted chocolates and truffles! Once the last bag of chocolates (they are organic chips) are gone, it's good bye except for special occasions. Don't get me wrong I LOVE Theo's and will always have room in my diet of their coconut curry chocolates on a very special occasion, but I really want to make my own raw chocolates. I asked Ian if I can just quit my job and make raw chocolates for a living and he didn't like the idea. It's a saturated market and very tough to break into. Haha...and honestly the ones who are really passionate about it took years to perfect their craft before officially making it big. As much as I love chocolates, I don't have years to sit around and figure it out.

The ingredients to make raw chocolates are not cheap but they are cheaper than buying the candy bar. If you are lucky and I really love you don't be surprised that I will be giving you this as gifts.  =)

Why I Support The SOPA Blackout Protest

SOPA Blackout Aims To Block Internet Censorship Bill

I am 100% in support of the protest against the STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT bill that's in congress right now. This bill is nothing more than a bunch of greedy corporations  who are desperate to keep their market shares high and squash the future of  online entrepreneurship and competition.

We can all agree that the act of piracy in itself is not a good thing, but this bill has so many loopholes that it will allow the government to shut down freedom of speech which has offered many people and businesses a platform to be heard. It is truly appalling that this bill will allow telecom companies to charge more for site distribution speed, and automatically restrict the common man from accessing and searching for various websites of their choosing. 

What's going to happen to freedom of the press? What's going to happen to start-up companies with great ideas? What about that unsigned rock band with a major fan following? How are they going to be able to interact with fans and showcase their music against music industry titans who are using this bill to restrict them?

There's a lot of junk on the internet, however, let the people sift through it themselves. Let people choose what they want to look at during their own time. 

I'm all for the government cracking down on online cyber criminals, terrorist plots, and stopping cyber bullying, however, if SOPA passes then the internet as we know it will cease to exist. The interactions we have and information we can gather is going to change. We might be moving into a world filled with more propaganda than ever before. It's downright scary. We're not China, but this bill will move us in that direction. When I went toVietnam for my honeymoon it's very evident that the big businesses there are clearly connected with the government. There's only 1 kind of soda, 1 kind of lemonade, 1 brand of chocolates, etc. Just look at our grocery stores! America is about choices. The SOPA bill is going reduce an enormous amount of variety. It's like Safeway restocking their shelves with only their Safeway brand products. I don't know about you you but I hate the Safeway brand. Gross..and that's what's going to happen to the internet if this dumb bill passes. 

What makes me even more upset is that the majority of the companies who are backing the SOPA bill are the same ones who don't pay their fair share of taxes. Can someone see what's wrong with this picture? 

I applaud Craigslist and Wikipedia and others for standing up to this injustice. More companies should follow suit. I know at my own company this bill can potentially damage a great deal of opportunities to deliver surveys on behalf of our clients. It's true that the people should have a say in this bill, however, isn't it already evident that corporate responsibility and morality are the main forces that will change what's happening on Capital Hill? Will more corporations please stand up and protest? Like it or not, the businesses' livelihood is just as at stake than just the regular Joe browsing the internet on his smartphone. Unfortunately, we are living in an era where the voice of a business is far greater than the voice of the people. 

Having wikipedia or Craigslist shut down today is a real pain in the ass, but this will be nothing compared to what will happen if the SOPA bill goes into effect. Brace yourself people, this is going to change everything...and it might not be pretty.

To join the protest go to : http://www.craigslist.org/about/SOPA

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/



There are many helpful links to get your voice heard.

Is it Too Late to Talk About New Years Resolutions?

Well, It's the middle of January and already I'm wondering if my resolutions will hold up for 2012. Those items include:

1. Eat mostly plant-based meals. Save meat for 3-5x/mo, but do not center entire meals around it. Ian's all for this as he thinks meat is too expensive. All in the name of saving a dollar or so.
2. Eat a 75% grain-free/gluten free diet.  This has not been easy but I'm reading up on a lot of alternatives that I will explore using mostly almond and coconut flour. Save bread and grains for special occasions.
3. Cut out 75% beans. I think beans does the exact opposite in me vs. other people so it hasn't faired so well. It's too bad, too, because I love lentil soup, hummus, and chili, and Vietnamese sweet been desserts.
4. Cut down on refined sugars and explore alternatives to sugar other than agave nectar.
5. Make and drink fresh juice more often and use it to replace meals in times crazy busy schedules at work.
6.Make a note to exercise at least 20-30 min 5-6 days a week switching from interval training, strength, and leisurely cardio, or outdoor activities.
7. Learn how to do basic irish dance steps. I have my dvd dance video to help me and maybe I will graduate to a more advanced dance video in the future. I've been considering purchasing dancing clogs, but I don't have a floor to tap on so not really an option right now.
8. Beer-free January. Quite hard do as Kaylan and I have a beer blog with nothing on it for 2012 yet.
9. Get of out my shell and attempt to make more friends in Portland and network in my respective career fields.
10. Save more money. Already doing a bad job on this, so I need to work on this.
11/ Do at least 2 outdoor activities in the area a month. We already did a snowshoe trip. Maybe a hike through Forest Park might be nice to end January.
12. Plan trip to Europe and decide where to go, what to do. It's kind of hard because we're both so busy with what's happening right now that thinking about a big vacation doesn't exactly feel right at this time.
13. Never forget the bigger picture in every aspect in life.
14. Get back into making and writing music. This will be hard. I miss this but hardly have any time.

They say that writing down your resolutions will help you visualize your goals better. It's kind of weird writing it in a blog for everyone to read but, hey, it's a way to keep me accountable. I can definitely say I've not followed through as well as I would like to. As a middle of Jan QA check I need to step up my game.

Resolutions in general are kind of cliche for New Years, in my opinion, so I'm not even sure why I have a list of 14 items I want to work on. Why wait until every new year? Why not just wake up tomorrow and be a better person then?  There's always something each person can improve on.

"Each day is a new day. Fresh with no mistakes in it." Ms. Barry -Anne of Green Gables.