Musings of an Entrepreneur

Damn this world is crazy.

My first ever lucid, inception-like layered dream.

I had my first ever lucid dream this morning. It was amazing. I was talking with all the subconscious characters my mind had created and laughing at how impressive their answers were. It's ridiculous how powerful our mind is and how little of that power we actually put to use.

Eventually I decided to get out of bed and get some serious work done, so I got up, grabbed a couple of dirty glasses from the bedroom desk and put them in the kitchen before going to the toilet to do "my business".

In there I heard some strange breathing noises very close to me... and I started looking around the room trying to figure out where they were coming from. It seemed to be the wall in front of me...?

I peered closer toward it and the noises surely intensified. I remember thinking, "what the hell is going on?" when suddenly I opened my eyes and I could see Marj laying next to me on the bed.

DOH! I was dreaming that I had gotten out of bed to go to the toilet. I thought, "who hasn't done that before?"

Chuckling, I touched the side of the bed, touched my face, touched the floor with my feet and thought "right, here we go again."

I put the dirty glasses back in the kitchen and as I walked through the toilet door I was met an image of Marj laying on the pillow next to me.

I was back in my bed again.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" I thought to myself. After which I frantically touched all the items I could find by the bedside.

A dream in a dream. And all lucid.

Remind you of anything?

True story btw. And hilarious.

P.S. I've been "awake" for a good 8 hours now. If I suddenly see Marj laying on a pillow next to me I'm going to freak out.

A Quick, Simple Guide to Living Well & Staying Healthy

  • Be happy - smile, laugh, sing, dance, play, make love - do all the things that make you happy and don't care what others think.
  • Get a least 30 mins of sunshine every couple of days - it works wonders.
  • Half an hour of exercise every day may keep the doctor away - and you'll look & feel much better 10 years later too.
  • Stay hydrated with clean water - yellow to dark yellow urine is a sign you should maybe drink more water.
  • Organic, raw food - it's what we were eating all the way through our evolution until now, hence cancer and other modern diseases.
  • Be spontaneous - there's nothing more contracting to your being than doing the same thing, day-in day-out.
  • Love your family and friends - your family and friends are the support structure you can fall back on if anything goes awry. Tomorrow they may not be there.
  • Have a purpose - live your life knowing that you're contributing some value to the world. The moment you feel like your soul is stagnant or somehow atrophied then you need to question what it is that you're doing.

Did I miss anything? ;)

My Latest - Pineapple Chicken Bonanza

Dscf3457

I love making names for recipes. When I read them I always facepalm myself.

Bearing that in mind, here's my latest - the Pineapple Chicken Bonanza (I just facepalmed again) - SERVES 3-4:
  • two large chicken wings, thighs and breasts
  • 1 inch horizontal slide of the center of a large pineapple (minus the hard skin and "eyes"), diced
  • 1 large red pimiento sliced (the sweet pepper - not the bell)
  • half a red onion, diced
  • 2 diced chilis (you choose the type based on your taste)
  • 1 head of broccoli separated
  • cornflower with cold water mixed (you pick the amount - a quarter of a cup works fine with two tablespoons of water)
  • 4 tablespoons of clear honey
  • 1 heaped tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt (not heaped!)
  • pepper to taste
  • 3 spring onions, julienned
  • 1 can coconut milk (make sure it's all mixed before you add it!)
Here's what you do:
  • Heat up a large wok on maximum heat until it's very hot and then add oil
  • Wait until the oil starts evaporating and then swirl it around the wok to cover the majority of the inside
  • Add all the chicken and stir until the outsides have been cooked
  • Place a lid over the wok and leave it for a minute to steam
  • Place the onions into the wok and cook for another minute minute
  • Place the broccoli, honey, salt, pepper & pineapple into the wok and stir up for another few minutes
  • Pour in the coconut milk and stir for around 3 minutes
  • Add the sliced pepper and the spring onions and then the cornflower after mixing it with the water
  • Stir well and then serve with rice or fried rice (the fried rice is boiled and then left to cool, after which is placed into a plan and stirred in with a couple tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt for around 5 mins)

Enjoy!

We're Hiring!

This post is here to inform you of a job opportunity at easisell.com - a web marketing and design business that works with solopreneurs and small businesses to help establish and market themselves online.

We work with various businesses and handle different projects for a variety of clients. Due to recent client partnerships and new business we are now looking to expand our team.

I'm looking for an awesome graphic designer with basic to moderate website development experience to join my team (full time) and I'd like to interview you to see if you are a good fit. The core skills I'm looking for are:
  • Advanced Photoshop CS3 and above
  • Advanced Illustrator CS3 and above
  • Basic Adobe Lightroom
  • Basic to Moderate XHTML
  • Basic to Moderate CSS

The main tasks you will be responsible for are:
  • Graphic design, conceptualization to implementation

From time to time we might ask you to perform other tasks that are within the scope of your skills set.

The position is for full time (40 hours a week), from home, on a semi-flexi-time basis. This means that you will be required to work daily from Mon-Fri at 8 hours a day, but you can choose when you want to have breaks, as long as your time on tasks amounts to the daily quota. We would prefer, and at times we will need, for you to work within certain time frames so that we can collaborate on projects.

We'd like you to have enough flexibility to achieve work-life balance, all we ask is you are able to deliver what is asked and you are able to meet the reasonable deadlines we set for your tasks.

We would prefer it if you focus on this job and not work for other employers, however as long as you are able to give 40 productive hours every week and there's no conflicts of interest it shouldn't be an issue. We want you to be a part of our team for a long time.

We will be paying in British pounds (GBP). A Paypal account will be necessary to receive the money.

On top of that you can expect to get support from us regarding your personal and professional development. This includes access to resource videos, PDF's and tutorials and one on one training in certain aspects of the job.

After 3 months we will review your salary and change it according to your performance, and also give performance-based bonuses. You will receive more detailed instructions about guidelines and our expectations, (and training materials) during the job interview.

If you fit our criteria, and you are interested, please do the following:
  1. Email your portfolio or a list of your sample works to hireme@easisell.com.
  2. Enclose a cover letter, stating why we should hire you. If you want to contact me, you can do so anytime between 10 am to 10pm GMT. If you want to be successful in your application, you need Skype and a working microphone.

I am looking to hire immediately, so please don't delay. I look forward to hear from you! :)

When is something "simply unacceptable" to you? Is it when you read this?

Amnesty International USA: TAKE ACTION NOW!
Tomorrow, Israel and the Palestinian Authority begin their first direct negotiations in nearly two years. But there can be no sustainable resolution until the blockade of Gaza is completely lifted.
Help us send at least 10,000 postcards to the White House demanding action to lift the blockade of Gaza.

Dear Yeung,

The United States recently extended an invitation to Israel and the Palestinian Authority to re-start direct talks. Both sides accepted.

Tomorrow, Israel and the Palestinian Authority will begin their first direct negotiations in nearly two years. To say that a lot is riding on the outcome, would be the understatement of the century.

Divisions between Israel and Palestinians have made this one of the world's most intractable conflicts. The blockade on the tiny strip of land is about 130 square miles (approximately the size of Las Vegas, Nevada) and traps more than 1.5 million Palestinian men, women, and children within its boundaries. The Gaza Strip has served to spark more tension and hostility as well as worsen an already dire humanitarian situation. 

But we can do something about it. Your letters and postcards have a tremendous impact when we pool them together and deliver them personally. So that's exactly what we're going to do - all you have to do is sign and send a postcard. 

When we reach 10,000 postcards, we'll hand deliver them to the White House. Your postcard can help build the pressure that we need to shine a light on the people of Gaza.

 Collective punishment in Gaza

That's the real horror of the blockade - it does not target any armed group, but instead imposes a vicious form of collective punishment on Gaza's entire population, particularly the most vulnerable - children (who make up more than half of the population in Gaza), the elderly, and the sick.

In addition to restricting Palestinians' movement from Gaza into Israel, the blockade has also severely undermined Palestinians' right to access: 

  • Clean water: only 5% to 10% of water available is fit for human consumption
  • Medical care: people with serious medical conditions are frequently delayed or denied exit permits to leave
  • Education: students are denied permits to leave even after being awarded scholarships and acceptance at higher learning centers
  • Food: the malnutrition rate among children is on the rise, and four in five Gazans are dependent on humanitarian aid
These acts are in direct violation of international human rights and humanitarian law and must be stopped. 

Amnesty members have the power to break this blockade! Sending a postcard can make all the difference. 


Christoph Koettl 
Crisis Campaigner 
Amnesty International USA


 Share on Facebook  Share on Twitter
Take Action Donate Blog

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds.

Find Us On Facebook MySpace YouTube Twitter Change.org

© Copyright 2010 | Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza | New York, NY 10001 | 212.807.8400

Amnesty: Nicolas Cage Joins The Gulf Coast

Amnesty International USA: TAKE ACTION NOW!
"It's the people and their rights that have to be met if you really want the region to prosper." – Executive Director Larry Cox from video Nicolas Cage Speaks Out With Gulf Coast Survivors 
Don't shut Gulf Coast residents out of the recovery process!

Dear Yeung,

The Gulf oil spill brought an already vulnerable region to its knees.

After spending the last 5 years picking up the pieces from the worst hurricane to ever hit the United States, survivors are now cleaning up after one of the worst environmental disasters in history. 

But residents can't help the Gulf fully recover when they don't even have a seat at the table. Decisions are being made that will have an enormous impact on long-term health, on coastal wetlands and wildlife, and on two major industries in the Gulf Coast: fishing and tourism. 

Congress can ensure that these kinds of decisions aren't just being made with the community in mind, but that residents are actively engaged in the decision-making process.

Empower Gulf Coast residents during the Gulf spill clean-up by giving them a voice in the recovery process!

After the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, a citizens’ advisory council was created to provide community oversight of the clean-up efforts and prevent future oil spills. This council is considered by many to have played a critical role in leveling the discussions between the company responsible for the damages and the people adversely affected. 

A citizens' advisory council in the Gulf Coast would guarantee representation for communities of color and low-income communities – groups disproportionately impacted during crises, as evidenced in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Gulf spill.

This past April, actor Nicolas Cage helped us make this special video during our All Rights for All People conference in New Orleans to help shine a light on these very groups who risk being shut out once again during the recovery process. 

Seeing the communities up close and speaking with residents one-on-one just confirmed what we've known all along –Gulf Coast residents need nationwide support as they continue to fight for their human rights. 

We can't allow their voices to be drowned out this time.

Please contact your representatives and ask that they give Gulf Coast residents a voice in rebuilding their own future.

Thank you,

Jason Opeña Disterhoft
Demand Dignity Campaigner
Amnesty International USA

 Share on Facebook  Share on Twitter
Take Action Donate Blog

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds.

Find Us On Facebook MySpace YouTube Twitter Change.org

© Copyright 2010 | Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza | New York, NY 10001 | 212.807.8400

Federal courts rule against Troy Davis again, despite lack of evidence.

Amnesty International USA: TAKE ACTION NOW!
Federal court rules against Troy Davis – putting him back on track for execution, despite clear doubts of his guilt. Alert the media! Troy Davis must not be executed!

Yesterday, a federal district court in Savannah, Georgia denied Troy Davis' petition – ruling that Troy didn't reach the extraordinarily high legal bar to prove his innocence.

But I was in that courtroom in June, along with other Amnesty representatives. We saw the witnesses and heard the facts first-hand, and as Executive Director Larry Cox put it "nobody walking out of that hearing could view this as an open-and-shut case". 

So how is it that Troy has been put back on track for execution?

The courts have been far too comfortable leaving room for doubt, error and bias. There is no physical or scientific evidence linking Troy to the crime. In fact, Troy had to rely on witnesses who the judge didn't find credible, even though these are the same witnesses on which his conviction hangs!

Because the courts have failed to resolve the doubts in this case, we're taking Troy's story back to the court of public opinion. We want every news outlet talking about the disastrous system that wouldallow a man to be put to death even when doubts persist about his guilt.

Write a letter in support of Troy Davis and ask key newspapers to publish it. 

Troy's case is so powerful because it has inspired:

  • A majority of witnesses to admit that they lied 19 years ago
  • Four witnesses to finally testify against the person who they suspect to be the real killer of police officer Mark MacPhail
  • Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to all call for clemency
  • A movement of human rights supporters to unite and pass Troy's story along from one person to the next to the next...
There are no do-overs when it comes to death. As long as there's doubt, there should be no execution. But as long as there's hope, we'll continue to fight for Troy Davis.

Please send your letter in support of Troy Davis today.

Thank you,

Laura Moye
Death Penalty Abolition Campaign Director
Amnesty International USA


 Share on Facebook  Share on Twitter
Take Action Donate Blog

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds.

Find Us On Facebook MySpace YouTube Twitter Change.org

© Copyright 2010 | Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza | New York, NY 10001 | 212.807.8400

Sri-Lanka: Kicking and Screaming

Amnesty International USA: TAKE ACTION NOW!
A flawed and ineffective commission isn't really going to get to the bottom of war crimes in Sri Lanka.
Call on the United Nations to set up a real investigation into war crimes.

We deserve to know why civilians were used as human shields against bullets. And why observers and journalists were barred from entering the war zone. But the government of Sri Lanka doesn't seem as interested in finding out.

The country had been embroiled in a bitter conflict for nearly 30 years. Now instead of demanding justice, the government has set up yet another weak and ineffective commission1 that threatens to prolong the country's vicious cycle of abuse and impunity. 

This month, the U.S. State Department issued a report that confirms what we've suspected all along: Sri Lanka is no closer to answering war crimes-related questions than they were before this whole charade began. 

The United Nations (UN) is the only one who can establish an independent, international investigation and ensure that justice is brought to the 300,000 displaced civilians who were trapped in a deadly crossfire between government security forces and the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Where is my justice?

Amnesty officials will deliver our petition to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon very soon. We're so close to reaching our goal of 50,000 signers, and every name counts.

Call on the UN to investigate war crimes in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Gamini Peiris recently blasted Amnesty International and other human rights supporters for advocating on behalf of the rights of civilians2. He questioned our "moral authority" in getting involved.

But to at least 58 members of Congress who signed our joint letter to Secretary Clinton3 and the nearly 40,000 Amnesty supporters who've signed our petition so far, our message is clear: the people of Sri Lanka deserve justice.

We will continue pressing officials to establish an independent and international investigation for as long as it takes. 

Thank you for helping to make a difference in Sri Lanka.


Chistoph, Jim and the rest of the Crisis Response Team
Amnesty International USA


 Share on Facebook  Share on Twitter
Take Action Donate Blog
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds.

Find Us On Facebook MySpace YouTube Twitter Change.org

© Copyright 2010 | Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza | New York, NY 10001 | 212.807.8400

Kyrgyzstan's Big Coverup

Amnesty International USA: TAKE ACTION NOW!
Kyrgyzstan's government failed to protect the country's ethnic Uzbek population from grave human rights abuses. Now perpetrators of the violence may actually get away with it.
Call for an impartial, international investigation into the recent violence in southern Kyrgyzstan.

We could read their signs of distress from outer space.

People trapped on the blood-stained streets of southern Kyrgyzstan painted massive signs on roads and sports fields for the sake ofsending one simple message that the entire world could understand – "S.O.S."

This international code for help was as clear as day from our satellite images of the country1. However, nearly two months after the worst of the violence has subsided, the international community has failed to push for justice. To this day, entire neighborhoods are still burned to the ground and the people who lived there are still looking for a place to call home. 

It’s not too late for the international community to finally answer Kyrgyzstan's calls for help.

Take action now to ensure that those accused of colluding in abuses don’t end up leading the investigation.

Reports are prevalent that Kyrgyzstani law enforcement abused its authority by failing to protect those citizens who were being targeted during the period of unrest.

Now that video and photographic evidence from local journalists and residents who documented this abuse of power are beginning to surface, law enforcement officers are re-igniting a new wave of terror – silencing journalists and anyone who dares to reveal the truth about the horrific acts of violence that were perpetrated primarily against Kyrgyzstan's ethnic Uzbek population.

It wasn’t bad enough that Kyrgyzstan's government failed to protect its citizens from violence, now the perpetrators of the violence are about to get away with impunity. 

Don’t let Kyrgyzstan's government get away with this outrageous abuse of power. Call for an impartial, international investigation into the recent violence in southern Kyrgyzstan. 

Thank you for taking action,

Christoph Koettl
Crisis Campaigner 
Amnesty International USA

 Share on Facebook  Share on Twitter
Take Action Donate Blog
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds.

Find Us On Facebook MySpace YouTube Twitter Change.org

© Copyright 2010 | Amnesty International USA | 5 Penn Plaza | New York, NY 10001 | 212.807.8400

BP's genocide plan for Gulf of Mexico fishermen

BP's plan seem to be pretty simple.

Chronically disable and kill Gulf of Mexico fishermen so they are easier to fight later when the legal battle over the damages start. 

Exxon did the exact same thing in Alaska.

Maybe the first time, it was an accident (but I doubt it.)

Now it's deliberate - and the FedNazis are letting it happen. 

Speak out. This is cold blooded murder.

Details:

Click here for more information