Internet Rehab

Whew, this week got away from me! Sorry to leave you all hanging since Tuesday. Its really quite an interesting story, but its protected by attorney-client privilege, so I can't tell you. Suffice to say, we got a call at the office at 3 p.m. Tuesday to let us know we had to file an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order (i.e. an injunction) for one of our biggest clients by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. So, one of the Jr. Partners and I stayed until about midnight putting it together and then we spent all day Wednesday dealing with the fall out that ensued. FUN times! The Court granted our motion, so it was worth it I 'spose.

Anyway...I have been meaning to do a post on internet addiction, since, well, I started this blog! But CNN apparently has beat me to it! Tuesday, CNN featured an article discussing internet addiction among new mothers. My best friend emailed it to me (although I'd already read it - in a minute you'll see why) and said "wow, this sounds just like ME!" Now, it struck me that she thought that she is addicted to the internet because she doesn't use the internet even 1/8 as much as I do!

We both belong on a message board for moms, but I post and/or reply to posts daily (many days, multiple times a day). She checks it maybe once a week, and usually only responds to my posts... I also belong to several preemie boards.

We both belong on Facebook, but I've belonged for about two years and update my status throughout the day. She just created her page this month and updates her status maybe once a day.

We both have blogs though!!! Her blog is mainly about her super delicious baby boy, and her penchant for all things outrageous and gross (she's got quite a sense of humor).

I have three different email accounts. I just prodded her to get a gmail account this month (for business purposes). I respond to emails almost instantaneously, and it takes her at least several hours to respond, because she doesn't check her accounts nearly as frequently as I do...

Well, the point is...if she's got a problem, then I must be in BIG trouble. Curious as to how much time I actually spent on the internet any given day, I conducted a little experiment - I recorded all the time I spent on the internet for a whole day for personal reasons (much like I account for every .1 hours throughout the day for billable hours...). I didn't account for time I spent on the net on my iPhone, as that would simply be too difficult (which should be telling in-and-of itself). It went down a little something like this:

6:20 a.m. -6:30 a.m. - 10 minutes
9:40-10:00 a.m. - 20 minutes
11:05 - 11:20 a.m. - 15 minutes
12:30-1:00 p.m. - 30 minutes
2:30-3:00 p.m. - 30 minutes
4:30-4:45 p.m. - 15 minutes
9:00 - 9:15 p.m. - 15 minutes
10:30 - 11:30 p.m. - 60 minutes

TOTAL: 3 hours 15 minutes

(plus about 15 "peeks" into Facebook, email or my message board for less than 1 minute a piece, so I didn't write it down).

THREE HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES?!! R U kidding me??!!?? No wonder I feel like I have no time and get nothing done! I'm spending 15% of the day mindlessly wandering the internet! Sheesh.

After passing out and recovering, I began to reason that of course some internet is legitimate. Not all of it is bad... But, clearly, my internet useage is out of control and needs to be reigned in. This very well could be the solution, or at least a step in the right direction, to solving my time management problems! So, ever the planner, I've come up with a three-step program for breaking internet addiction:

1. Make a list of the main uses for the internet that are most important to you. For 1 week, do not allow yourself to deviate from those uses unless absolutely necessary. For me, that would be my email, my mom-board, my blog (aren't you all so lucky!), and Facebook. I really should cut that list down, but baby steps!

2. Decide how much time you will spend on the internet, and stick to it. Set a timer when you get on, and get off when the timer goes off. Do not deviate!! I've resolved to only spend the 10 minutes it takes me to pump (once in the morning and three times during work), and 30 minutes at night. That is a 2/3 reduction in the time currently spent! Plus, if I do it while pumping - that's multitasking right??

3. After the first week is over, allow yourself to expand beyond your "main" uses, but log off immediately if you begin to experience what I call internet zoning - where your mind begins to melt to mush and you find yourself trying to find a reason to keep clicking. If you find your usage getting out of control again, start with step-1 again.

I have a feeling this is going to be a painful rehabilitation period my friends. But, the thought of gaining several hours back in my day is entirely too wonderful!

So, internet addiction - is it real? Do you have it? How bad? Whatcha going to do about it? If anything.... Discuss!!!

South Beach HERE I COME!

Did you realize that summer is dangerously approaching?? As if these blazing temperatures we've had the last few days isn't reminder enough! Well, this summer I've resolved not to spend it looking like a beached whale! I need to lose approximately 18 pounds to get back to my happy weight were sleeveless tops and snug fitting clothes aren't offensive to general sensibilities. Bennett is going to be 1 in a week (*sob*) - I guess I can no longer use the euphemism "baby fat," huh?

So, yesterday, I started Phase I of the South Beach Diet. For those unfamiliar, Phase I requires you to cut out all carbohydrates and requires you to eat lean proteins. Think lots and LOTS of veggies, chicken breasts, turkey, low-fat dairy... For "treats" you do have options such as sugar free Jello or pudding. But you want to avoid refined carbohydrates and sugar like the plague. Or the swine flu. This is done for 14 short (or long and grueling) days. The theory is that you are 1. weaning your body off its sugar and carb addiction and 2. shocking your metabolism into gear. Carbohydrates are generally our energy source. So, if you aren't eat them, your body will have to start converting those fat stores that have been hanging around in your saddle bags for energy. The down-side is that you usually have some decreased energy and headaches during this period. However, most people (according to the book) lose about 10 lbs in the first two weeks. The most I've lost doing this was 6 lbs in two weeks.

After Phase I is complete, you move on two Phase II, which allows you to phase in limited portions of unrefined "whole" carbohydrates. The book touts that most people lose 2 lbs a week in this phase.

This may sound drastic, but I need something dramatic to jump my butt into gear! So, wish me luck!!! Anyone want to play along????

Also - has anyone read South Beach Diet Supercharged?? What is different??

Fast Food for Baby

To the parents of a premature baby, the end of April carries a whole new meaning - the end of RSV season. That means the world is no longer a scary dangerous place to take your baby where they can catch a potentially deadly respiratory disease simply by being within 5 feet of someone who's been exposed to it! Isn't that grand??? Ace and I are practically giddy about this and all the new possibilities that come with it. Bennett will be 1 in about a week and he has only been in public, other than doctors' offices, a handful of times. In the past, we've been a very active family, always on the go, and we are really looking forward to getting back to that!

As we were strolling around a lake path today with the boys, Ace and I were remarking that Bennett seems much more portable than Carter was at his age. Is it because he's generally a more laid back kid in comparison to his high-maintenance older brother? Or, is it because we're seasoned pros at this stuff by now, we know what we're doing, and very little phases us anymore? Whatever the reason, its really nice and we plan to take advantage of it!

So, I thought I'd share some of my tried-and-true favorite accessories that make feeding baby on the go super easy!

First up to bat - First Years Take & Toss

This is a very inexpensive line of disposable, yet VERY reusable, feeding items. You'll never have to worry about losing a spoon, bowl, or sippy cup again. I especially love the snack cups with the rotating lids - perfect for harnessing cheerios! The split-container bowel with spoon is also SUPER handy for meals on the go. They wash very well, and I've never yet had a piece warp in the dish washer.

Second - The Boon Squirt

This is a nifty little gizmo that I have come to love! You fill up the body of the spoon with your pureed food, and feed directly, just squeezing a little to fill up the spoon. It also comes with a cover for the spoon portion, but that isn't shown. This device eliminates the need for a bowel and it keeps feeding very clean. Its also very easy to wash. I generally prefer it for very pureed foods, such as Stage 1 or 2 foods. I make most of my own baby food though, and although I can't seem to get most things completely pureed, it has worked well with things even the consistency of apple sauce. I should add - its an excellent conversation piece as well. Everywhere I take it, people ask me about it and want to ooh and ahh at it! I've generally been very impressed with Boon products, and the Squirt is no exception.

Third - Bumkins Super Bibs

I will never ever buy another bib again! The Bumkins Super Bib is the perfect bib - lightweight, water proof, rinseable. It folds up very compactly so it doesn't take up any space in the diaper bag. You can simply rinse it or wipe it off on the go. It has a pocket for catching stray pieces of food. And it keeps baby dry underneath! Plus, who doesn't love the fun and colorful patterns??? We have each and every Dr. Seuss pattern they make! Its really an excellent bib - for home or on the go. This is a MUST HAVE!

Fourth and finally - Kiddopotomus Place Mat

This is an easy to clean, reusable place mat to barrier your child's cheerios and other table foods from the nasty dirty grimey surfaces they will be required to eat off of on the go. There are many options on the market for stick-on place mats, but they fall short for several reasons. First - they don't "hold" the food in since they are simply flat pieces of slippery plastic. Second - they are not earth-friendly, as they are one-use only items. The Kiddopotomus place mat is washable. And it has a little tray that catches stray pieces. As you see below, it rolls up super compact, which is essential for anything you have to lug around in your diaper bag!

Now if only I could discover a good high-chair cover that isn't bulky! Does anyone have any recommendations? We have one that rolls up into a ball, but its still too big to stuff into the diaper bag. Oh well - I guess we can't have everything 100% absolutely perfectamente. Maybe I should invent it!

Lady luck is not my friend

What a weekend! Had I known how it was going to turn out, I'd have flown to Bermuda instead. Except for, with my luck this weekend, my plane probably would have crashed!

Friday went alright. I tried to leave the office early, but those efforts were thwarted by another attorney at my office who thought 4:30 on a gorgeous Friday afternoon was perfect timing to discuss a case we have together. So, we had to nix our plans for a picnic dinner because we had tickets to see the Seussical Musical put on by the middle schoolers at Carter's school. It was sooo cute! But Bennett decided to rival the performers, so we had to leave at intermission.

Saturday, we were heading to West Virginia to visit my best friend Melissa and her family. We were sitting at a red light right before the exit we get off at for her house, behind at least 10 cars, for at least 30 seconds...when I glance back in my rear view mirror and see this F-250 truck speeding up on me, braking hard, fish-tailing....then BAM! Yep, smack into the back of my new (used) car. With my baby in the back seat. (We'd dropped Carter off with my parents to go to a Children's Museum just minutes earlier). I FREAKED. Bennett was fine. I was ok (neck really sore, ears hurt, wrist hurt, shoulder and knee sore, etc.). Ace was fine. Car... not so fine. *sigh*

I tried to report it to my insurance company to get set up with a rental, but they aren't open until Monday. Of course, I have to be in court in D.C. at 9:30 Monday morning...

We went ahead and went on to Melissa's house and had a very lovely afternoon grilling out, loving on the babies, and plotting to take over the world. Went to pick up Carter, and headed home. Put the kids to bed, popped some pain pills, and watched the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carey. HILARIOUS!!! Definitely recommend it! Crashed.

Woke up bright and early with Bennett this morning. Nursed, played, cleaned. Took him upstairs for a nap. Come down, and my entire foyer is covered in....TERMITES!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!

WHY ME?!? Seriously. Why????? We never seen a hint of a termite on our property before. Where did they come from??? Luckily, we had some insecticide spray from an ant infestation we had in our garage about two years ago. That killed them on contact and we were able to clean them up easily. Once those were gone, we haven't seen anymore. Terminex is coming tomorrow to give us a quote. Lovely. Just what we need right now.

On top of that, we found a hornet in the living room. Ace caught it in a ziploc bag and wanted to set it on fire. I, the logical and level-headed one, forcefully protested to this dangerous and bad-example-setting behavior.

Then on top of that...our camera is about to die. You can't have two gorgeous adorable kids and not have a camera. So....now we need to crunch numbers and figure out all these expenses that have suddenly popped up over the weekend. *sigh*

So, as you see, lady luck has a vendetta against me and carefully executed it this weekend. I pray she's finished exacting her revenge and we can now call it a truce. What are the chances?

My mom, on the other hand, had a rather fantastic weekend! She finished her half-marathon in 2 hours 52 minutes. In the heat! Here is a picture of her and my little brother Jimmy crossing the finish line. YAY MOM! We're so proud of you. And you too Peanut :) We are planning on doing the Disney half-marathon together next November, and making a vacation out of it! I guess I ought to start training....

The "Must-haves" for Building a Sustainable Business

When my friends tell me that they've been downsized or fired from their jobs, my immediate reaction is, "Congratulations - welcome to newfound freedom!" Of course, their mentality hasn't yet grasp the true definition of the kind of freedom I'm speaking of and they're usually still in the victim mentality to prompt them to do anything about it. So...

Here's what you will need to be in business for yourself (I'm skipping the o

bvious, such as a business plan, legal entity, accounting, marketing, sales, etc...because you can find information like that anywhere):

1. A Supportive family: Nothing is more important that this! You could argue that you will need a massive amount of starting capital, or venture capitalist support, but none of these things can build solid foundations

better than the support of your entire family.

2. Persistence and Resilience: There is not a single successful business I know of today that hasn't failed at first. In fact, ALL successful businesses (private and public) have failed many times! Once you've failed and fallen flat on your face, you need to have the resilience to get back up and try again using a different approach. Eventually, it will succeed - trust me.

3. Full-time attention: During my college years, I had established a web hosting business and I charged $1000 a year per account. In 4 years it failed, not because of my technology, or my overhead expenses, but because I had a job. The JOB (which stands of Just Over Broke), sucked the life out of me and gave me a false sense of priority! It consumed the time I had which could have been dedicated to building the business. Instead, I became satisfied with the salary, "perks" and benefits. The sense of comforts a job brings will kill you, slowly.

4. Nay-sayers: A lot of business books tell you to avoid such people, but I say, proceed with caution. You need nay-sayers as much as the praisers and fanatics. I had lunch with the former CFO of the company I used to worked for after I quit and he said to me, "Ace, your company can't compete with Fidelity, and people will choose big companies like these every time. You're better off using your business credit to obtain loans at low rates and re-loan at higher rates..." Needless to say, he was wrong and each time we sign a new account, he's proven

wrong. So, recognize the nay-sayers then prove them wrong. Heck, go into business just to destroy these people and you'll see just how gratifying it is!

5. Trust in your ability to succeed: One of the biggest mistakes I've made when we were starting out was when I did not trust in myself to guide the growth of the business. Instead, I hired it out. We spent thousands for results I could have achieved for FREE! Bad idea when you're just starting out, save your money, and spend it wisely (if at all).

So, there you have it! If you have been wanting/needing to be a stay-at-home-mom or stay-at-home-dad, but need an income stream to support the lifestyle, consider starting your own business.

By: Ace Custodio

President/CEO

Custodio Asset Management

13.1

The last shirt for "T-Shirt Week" is for my mom who is ...

get this ...

running her first half marathon tomorrow!!!! Yes, people, my nearly-50 year old mother is running a half marathon - 13.1 miles! GO MOM!!! Kick butt!

I don't even need to describe for you all the amount of work and dedication it takes to train for a half-marathon. I'm so proud of her! And inspired too. Heck, if my mom can do it, so can I, right?? And so can any of you! And, um...I really want that "13.1" sticker you see everywhere for my car...

Here is my mom and I about to run a 5k together last September:


That's all for today. I figure I cramped your brains enough yesterday with my 13.1 mile-long post/rant that I would keep it light and fun today (although I think mom would disagree 13.1 miles is "light").

Here's an idea for you Mr. President

I'll just put out this disclosure up front - I'm ideologically conservative. Feel free to disagree with me on anything I say, but don't get offended or take it personally.


I heard on the news that President Obama has spent more money in the first three months of his presidency than if we had spent $1B each year since Christ was born. Yikes. That's a lot of money. Money our grandchildren will be paying. And he criticized President Bush for being a big spender??? So today, I thought this T-shirt --> was quite fitting. It was actually a campaign T-shirt for Obama, which I find quite ironic.

So, I understand the philosophy. The federal government is the single largest spender, so kicking up government spending is likely to stimulate growth in the economy. After all, that is what FDR did, in combination with the massive spending that went into WWII, to pull us out of the Great Depression. Perhaps, the mistake is in believing that this recession is like those prior. Maybe, just maybe, the same old tactics won't work? And that is because the reasons we are in a recession right now are quite different from before.

Yes, I know, I am a Doctor of Jurisprudence, not of economics. But, I know a little something something. In my meek view, the interrelated major causes of this recession right now are:

1. Corporate greed - The banks made really bad investments and pretty much went bankrupt. They sold mortgages to people who couldn't afford it, and told them they could afford it.


2. Consumer greed and overspending, over-leveraging credit (kind of like the Great Depression) - People slurped up the money the banks were so willing to hand out and bought way more house, cars, stuff, than they could afford.

3. Consumer confidence - People are freaking out. Everyone knows someone who has lost their job. Everyone's houses have taken a huge hit in their equity. Many owe more on their home now than its worth. Most people have lost 40-60% off of their investments (those who aren't invested with Custodio Asset Managment, that is). People just aren't spending. If people are spending, businesses aren't making money, and in turn aren't reinvesting, and the economy shrinks. Its self-fulfilling prophesy of sorts.

4. The foreclosure crisis, related to items 1 and 2. The initial wave of foreclosures came to head from all the people who believed the banks who told them they could afford the big house and the big mortgage. When it turned out that they couldn't. The second wave of foreclosures came from people who under normal circumstances could afford their mortgages. Until they lost their job. Or, their businesses began losing money. As of the end of 2008, estimates were that 12% of American home-owners were at least one month behind on their mortgage payment. In the first three months of 2009, foreclosures were already up over 24% over 2008. If this isn't a crisis, I do not know what is.

5. Retracted credit markets, related to items 1, 2, and 4. The banks began to crash and didn't have any capital available to lend. And if they did, they were hyper-conservative about it, not willing to risk another cent of loss. Businesses aren't able to borrow money to cover interim operating costs such as payroll. Consumers can't get mortgages or credit to buy vehicles. And the crisis just continues to perpetuate.

6. The severe decline in the housing market, caused by items 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. If the banks aren't lending, and people aren't buying, the housing market stagnates. On top of that, you have the housing market being flooded with foreclosure sale properties. In most markets, these properties sell significantly below market value, which in turns drags down the values of all the surrounding properties. I've heard estimates that right now 1 out of every 3 homes on the market is a foreclosure property. I have seen estimates ranging from 15 to 40% average decline in home values from the start of 2008. Considering that real estate is probably the biggest investment most people have, and the severe decline in housing values, no wonder everyone is freaking out.

Right now, there is a sense of urgency. Panic. We MUST do something NOW. And certainly, the American public would not tolerate it if the President sat on his hands and did nothing. But are we doing the right things??? It seems to me that an awful lot of money is being spent right now on things that we aren't really sure are even going to make a lick of difference in the long run. (And to be fair, this spending spree started with President Bush back in September with the initial "bail out" funds). CNN has the best tracker for spending that I have found - Bailout Tracker. CNN reports that thus far the government has pleged $10.5 TRILLION and spent $2.6 TRILLION in the recovery effort. Wowzah. Thems no small potatoes!

Yes, some of this spending is good. Tax breaks for Americans (in my opinion) is GOOD. Especially when nearly every household has been negatively impacted by this recession in some way. But, my main beef right now is with the President's proposed Homeowner's Stability & Affordability Plan. As you can see from my explanation above, the foreclosure and housing market crisis is a BIG part of the problem right now. It seems to me that if we can help halt that continued decline, it would have an exponential effect in improving the economy as a whole, and would surely directly and positively impact millions of deserving American families. But the President seems to only have one solution to all the woes of the recession - throw more money at it. In this case, I don't think that will help at all. And there are some BIG ways the President can effectuate positive change without spending one red nickle of tax-payer money!


Elle's Homeowner Relief Plan:

1. Declare a 1 year limited moratorium against foreclosures. If homeowners can afford to pay a certain amount or percentage of their mortgage payment, the bank cannot proceed to foreclose on them for 1 year. Several of the big banks currently are voluntarily doing this. I heard rumors that Citi will let you stay in your house if you can pay just $500 a month toward your mortgage!

2. Require banks to work with you BEFORE you go into default. Currently, most banks won't talk to you until you are at least 3 months behind in your payments. At that point, its nearly impossible for most people to "catch up."

3. Require banks to take one of the following actions with regard to any arrearages accrued during that 1 year period - forgive a portion, re-amortize it into the remaining life of the loan, refinance the loan to include the arrearages, or provide afforable and reasonable repayment plans.

4. Lower interest rates a certain proportion down to a minimum level. Interest rates are very low right now, but very few people can qualify to refinance. And if they qualify to refinance, they have no equity in their homes, so the banks won't do it.

(And if you doubt whether Congress has the authority to do any of this - let me just say that if the Supreme Court could find sufficient nexus between a farmer growing corps for his OWN use to interstate commerce, surely it will find that the activities of mortage companies come within the ambit of Congress' Constitutional authority to regulate interstate commerce)


This plan puts the onus on the banks - the ones who caused this problem to begin with. It benefits the banks because it ensures that they will get paid over the long term on more mortages rather than ensuring HUGE losses now by foreclosing. It helps the homeowners. And helping the homeowners helps the economy. And preventing foreclosures will help both the credit and housing markets. And does it cost the federal government (aka tax payers...) anything? NOPE! That is the beauty of it.


So, if its this simple to me...what's the problem???