“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.

You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path, and that will make all the difference.” - Steve Jobs

Memorial for Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011)
Cupertino, CA

It’s one week later. Lots of apples and it smells like rain and roses here.

Great speech by Jobs at Stanford University’s 114th Commencement on June 12, 2005 via Youtube. The above quote can be found at 05:08/15:05

Back in April of this year, Amazon announced they would be partnering with OverDrive to bring Kindle Library lending to 11,000 libraries across the U.S.

Can’t wait to look into this option when it’s available later this year for Kindle and free Kindle app users. At the moment I am using Google’s eBook. And it makes reading so much more neater!

A note from Amazon:

- With Kindle Library Lending, customers can take advantage of all of the unique features of Kindle and Kindle books, including:

- Read everywhere with free Kindle apps for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and Windows Phone

- Whispersync technology wirelessly sync your books, notes, highlights, and last page read across Kindle and free Kindle reading apps”

Read more at TechCrunch.

UPDATE: October 4, 2011

I have been using OverDrive app on my iPod Touch. Some things to know to make it run smoothly. The EPUB books have to read with Adobe and requires free registration.

Must set your Touch to military time, 24 hours mode. And make sure your time zone is correct.

Some things I didn’t like about the lending library. The selection is limited, buy hey it’s FREE. You can only check out 8 books and you set the loan limit starting at 1 week to 3 weeks.

Once you’ve check them out, there doesn’t seem to be an option to delete these books on the list.

Many interesting books are checked out and there’s a waiting period. You would think with E-books they shouldn’t have a waiting list. So anyway it’s OK so far, but can be better.

It was sad to see Borders declaring bankruptcy this summer. They really couldn’t compete in today’s changing market. Not that I have anything against online bookstore like Amazon, I actually love Amazon. But sometimes it’s also nice to visit a bookstore.

For those living in Oregon, they have Powell’s, which is an independent bookstore. I’ve never been to one and would love to visit if I’m ever in Oregon.   They have a huge selection of new and used books.  Flate rate shipping is only $3.99

Here is a little more info about Powell’s Books:

“From humble storefront beginnings in 1971 on a derelict corner of northwest Portland, Oregon, Powell’s Books has grown into one of the world’s great bookstores, with five locations in the Portland metropolitan area, and one of the book world’s most successful dot-coms (www.powells.com), serving customers worldwide.”

This month Powell’s is listing 20 ebooks for 99 cents each. Since I barely read much fiction, I found this title that sound interesting: Diary of a Very Bad Year: Confessions of an Anonymous Hedge Fund Manager by Keith Gessen.

A little summary:

“This book is a series of interviews with an anonymous hedge-fund manager (HFM) by the co-editor of a literary magazine (who admits to being ill-informed on finance); he sets out to understand what is happening on Wall Street.

The HFM offers a brilliant financial professional’s view of the economic situation in real time, from September 2007, when problems in financial markets began to surface, until late summer 2009, when the financial meltdown generally subsided and the financial community went back, in HFM’s view, to business as usual.

The interviews are edited in a readily understandable manner and will provide a thoughtful perspective for a wide range of library patrons who want to learn about the recent financial debacle.”

The book covers fall of 2007 to late summer of 2009 and I think it would still be interesting to read. Especially with all the financial situation we’ve been facing in the U.S.A.

Book review from Good Reads.

Ever since I wrote about banking with Washington Mutual Bank, there’s been many changes.

First of all they are now Chase Bank. And what was FREE checking will no longer be offered.

Since February 5, 2011, Chase members who have one of the following checking accounts: Chase Free Extra Checking, Chase Free Classic Checking and Chase Basic Checking will be switched to their new account, the Chase Total Checking.

One of the change is the monthly service fee. $10 for accounts in California, Oregon or Washington, all other states $12. Unless you have one of the following:

* Set up direct deposit of $500 or more into your account. The direct deposit may include a payroll, pension, or government benefit payment such as Social Security.

* have an average ledger balance of $5,000 or more in a combination of accounts that linked

* keep a minimum ledger balance of $1,500 or more

* have paid other Chase checking related fees of at least $25

Info from MyBankTracker.com

I no longer bank with Chase. I prefer smaller banks and have an account with a credit union instead.

I wanted to start off the new year with a new skincare regiment. As my handmade soaps can only do so much.

After I finished using SIBU lotion, I am switching to Korres. It’s an all natural skincare line from Athens, Greece and is known world wide. They’ve been around for a while and thought I would give it a try.

This is the kit I got from Sephora.  Korres Brightening & Anti-Aging Rose Collection which includes:

- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Moisturizer
- 1.01 oz Wild Rose Serum
- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Mask
- 1.69 oz Rose Showergel
- 1.69 oz Rose Body Butter
- 0.21 oz Wild Rose Lip Butter

This kit is formulated with wild rose oil, which is a really luxurious and expensive skincare oil. I’ve only used this kit for about one week and so far my skin really likes it.

The best thing about Korres that it’s gentle and good for those with sensitive skin. And it’s also formulated without Parabens, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, and Triclosan.

My product review:

Wild rose moisturizer has a nice rose scent. It’s a very heavy cream great for winter. It has spf 6, which is not enough for me. But I also use bronze mineral powder for additional sun protection.

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I’d like to share a few interesting handmade soaps I’ve discovered from various shops. Not only do I make soaps, but I also like to collect other soaps too.

This is one of the first handmade soap I came across from Pier One Imports. It’s made in Thailand by Bath & Bloom.

The dark chocolate soap smells yummy! And the tumeric honey is a neat combination. Except when I think of tumeric, I think of the yellow stains it will leave behind. But this doesn’t do that as it’s blended very well into the soap.

It’s a fairly small square bar that weights close to 3 oz. And cost about $2.50 to $3.00. Pier One has many interesting soaps from around the world. But I don’t think they carry this brand anymore.

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Outdoor fashion is becoming more popular these days. From fleece jackets to boots. Is it because they last longer? Or is it because we’ve gone mostly casual in our everyday clothing choice.

Carl Chiara, director of brand concepts for Levi’s, had this opinion to share from a NY Times article, “During uneasy times, consumers are naturally drawn to items that are well-constructed and built to last.” That makes sense, but I would think this is the better way to go, even when times are good. Well made products mean less waste going into landfills.

Outdoor clothing company, L.L. Bean, is getting into this trend with their Signature line. It’s something the more youthful generation can appreciate when they think of L.L. Bean.

Here are some of my favorites from LL Bean Signature Fall 2010 season. I just like the muted and classic colors of the outfit. And the Saltwash Canvas Backpack looks like it’s ready for adventure.

The duck sweater is actually cute! And the shirt underneath is plaid and it’s back. But in much brighter and happier colors.

Photos from LL Bean.

Daiki Suzuki, is Japanese designer that has helped bring the classic American outdoor sportswear look into high fashion. From an interview with Time Out New York in December of 2008, the designer of Engineered Garments was really quite surprised by this trend. The designs from his line was inspired by Woolrich Woolen Mills, an outdoor clothing company.

This is the winning design by Daiki Suzuki. It truly looks like classic American fashion. And the facial hair is more like 1800’s! Photo from The Gloss.

Woolen Mills came calling to Suzuki in 2006 and asked Suzuki to join their team. He was in charge of updating the 170 year old American brand. Two years later, in 2008 his line, Engineered Garments won the CFDA/GQ Menswear Designer of the Year Award.

Suzuki’s combines the utility of outdoor clothing with a modern sensibility. And he also mentioned, “It’s about being made in the USA,” he continues. “It’s not easy manufacturing here, but that’s what gives it its character and heritage.

As for the made in U.S.A part, he must be talking about his own line, Engineered Garment. Since only 20 percent of Woolrich’s products were assembled by Woolrich from start to finish. Forty percent were produced entirely by other manufacturers, and the remaining 40 percent were produced abroad. - source. That probably goes to say for many other retailers too.

Other popular outdoor clothing company that could see business grow is Eddie Bauer, Columbia, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), Eastern Mountain Sports, and Land’s End.

When we think of super food, we usually think of blueberries or even exotic fruits such as acai berries coming from Brazil.

Dr. Zhimin Xu of Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge has new promising research on the health benefits of black rice.

He stated, “Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants.”

Anthocyanin antioxidants are commonly found in such foods that are red, purple, or blue in color.  Such as strawberries, grapes, red onion, and more.

These antioxidants have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

The only black rice I’m familiar with is Japonica Black rice and Chinese Black rice. We usually refer to them as purple rice. And it’s best cooked as rice pudding or other desserts.

Photo above is Lundberg’s Black Japonica rice, which is a mix of mahogany and black rice.

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Since I couldn’t get my hands on any lotus seeds, I was happy to find lotus roots instead. These were sold at the Asian market.

In Chinese medicine, lotus root is believed to improve appetite. Lotus roots is rich in iron, vitamins B and C.

I’ve always loved eating water lotus roots prepared as desserts. Usually mixed with black beans and coconut milk.

To prepare them all you have to do is wash it well. Scrape or peel off the skin. In this case, I just scraped it off with a knife. When sliced, the little air holes make for an interesting pattern. Reminds me of honeycomb cereal.

Once it’s sliced, you want to prevent them from turning brown. Just soak the slices in water with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice.

You can eat them raw as healthy snacks. The texture of lotus root reminds me of water chestnut. They are crunchy, but a bit bland. Tossing them into a salad would be a good idea.

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CNNMoney.com reported in July of this year that “barely half the population has dental insurance”. That is a high percentage.

Just a few months ago when I got a gold crown to fix a damaged tooth, it cost me about $600. And that’s with dental insurance. The price they quoted without dental insurance would be $900.

But just step across the border to Mexico at a DentiCenter office and the cost is $250. That’s a huge price difference!

DentiCenter is a small but growing chain of full-service dental centers sitting along the U.S. border of California, Arizona and Texas. The 6 offices are located in Mexico but 97% of its patients come from the U.S.

Vacation in Baja and vist the dentist too. Photo from The Travelers Journal.

I would probably go to the office in Baja, Mexico and visit the beautiful beaches and cove. Then it wouldn’t be so bad to visit the dentist, as long as you get a short vacation out of it.

The idea of traveling abroad for medical care is becoming common. There are even medical tourism companies that cater to just that idea. Especially in Thailand and India.

DentiCenter is one that caters to dental care. The center is founded by Dr. Juan Eng, a USC-trained periodontist from the Baja peninsula. They have been in business for 20 years now. DentiCenter’s services includes free transportation for all patients a convenient shuttle to and from the Mexico-U.S. border.

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