The new store and the environment.

After several months work, the new store is up. Two years ago, when I first decided to build web stores, the first one I was anxious to build was a "green" store offering recycleable, reusable, and sustainable products. The store is now open and there is only one type of product so far. (I am looking at and for other products, and am trying out some solar yard lights.) I first thought that finding eco-friendly products would be easy. It isn't. Sure there's lots of stuff out there, but It is often overpriced, not well thought out, or not available. Then there is the question of quality. I won't market anything I don't believe in, so I test, personally, each product before I put it in my store. That takes time.

I am excited about this new stuff. Bioplastics are a new generation of materials that are made from natural products like corn, soybeans, and potatoes. It is a compostable, biodegradeable, replacement for all those styrofoam, paper, polyethylene and plastic dinnerware we used to buy for parties, picnics, and barbecues. Under perfect conditions the material can be turned into compost in as little as 180 days. When you compare that with our previous choices that sit in our landfills for hundreds of years and leave toxic remains, this is a huge step forward. I have been using the products in my home and am very pleased with the results. Yeah, at first my wife was upset that we weren't using the china, but now, she is equally impressed. We wash them and use them over as many as 10 times, and they hold up very well. They are strong enough to withstand cutting any meat or what ever and don't fold, even when I overload my plate. I'm done with the testing and they will be the exclusive dinnerware for our 2 week Christmas holiday at Big Pine Fish Camp in the Keys, and for all the trips in our 1966 Airstream. If you see us somewhere, stop by and I'll show them to you.

Oh yea, the new store is TocobagaTraders.com.

Breast Cancer Awareness

I have been busy in another arena for the last week and a half. Like many guys I never quite got it when it came to breast cancer. I lost a very good friend about 20 years ago to breast cancer but didn't understand the issue. It took another wonderful friend, who is recovering now to make me pay attention. I called her to see how she was doing and then she told me what she was going through. We have lunch together every other week and it has opened my eyes.

That's why I wanted to share this with you now. My friend shared with me that she had not been doing her monthly self breast exam and therefore wasn't diagnosed as soon as she could have. A regular self exam would probably have meant she wouldn't be going into her second round of treatments now.

What can we do to help? Lots! You can support cancer research and treatment by participating in walks and runs sponsered by your local Susan G. Komen group and the Pink Ribbon groups, and /or make donations. On the personal side you can ask women if they are doing their monthly exam. I called my sister and other loved ones, and after they got over the shock that I asked such a question, answered me and I was surprised that so many weren't. It's a love thing. Ask. Share your concern for them. They appreciated it. Only about 14% of all women do their breast self-exam. Thats not good enough, and half of those don't do it right.

Here is a website that shows you how to do it right:
http://www.y-me.org/information/concerned_about_breast_cancer/earlier_detection_methods/perform_BSE.php
Copy and paste it in that box thing at the top of your internet page. It will take you there.

My wife recently got information about a new device that aids in doing a self breast exam, making it easier to do it correctly and helping you to find lumps easier and sooner. Its called 'The Breast Self-Examination Kit'. So, what am I doing? First I made a large donation to the local branch of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Then I participated in their walk. And, I have put the self exam kits in my bridal store to make them available to everyone. Why do I want that word bold? Because, men, you want to protect your loved ones. A portion of the profit made by the supplier is donated to their local cancer charities, and I am doing the same in St. Petersburg. Fla.

What are you doing?

Thanks for listening,
Bob

Have you seen "The Secret" yet?

If you haven't seen the movie/video "The Secret" yet, then you have an interesting viewing to do. I saw it a couple of months ago and thought, "I knew that." And I did know it, in an unconcious way. I remembered that a friend of my Dad's, told me when I was about 11 years old, to watch what I thought about, because thoughts become things. So if I wanted something, think like you have it and it will happen. Later when I worked as an IBM salesman, I read Napoleon Hill's book and he said the same thing. So what? Well, the idea wasn't really solid in my mind but I can think of a lot of instances where I used it, but wasn't really aware of what I was doing.
Actually seeing the video made it hit home for me and clarified it in my mind. As I have noted elsewhere in this blog, I am on a new track with a new vision of where I am going. I am going to actively use "The Secret" on this new journey and I will share the trip with you. If you are interested in learning more of how to do this, (this was what escaped me most of my life,) below is a link for seven free 'How to do the secret' lessons. They were assembled by three of the guys on video and I am putting them to use.

Sharkwater

I had a great treat last night. Remember "JAWS". Well this wasn't anything like it ....it was better! I went to a preview screening of the new film "SHARKWATER". There were lots of sharks, large schools of hammerheads, whale sharks, great whites, nurse sharks, and many more. There was lots of blood, flesh eating disease, a chase scene, ships colliding and intrigue. In other words a great film.

The photography was outstanding with beautiful scenery, and incredible underwater scenes. During much of the film I was in a state of awe.

Now that I have your attention. This film is a documentry about the slaughter of of sharks.The worst offenders are the people who do 'shark finning'. They catch the shark, cut off the fins and tail and throw the body back in the water, alive. Without it's fins the shark cannot swim and dies because it can't breath, and is eaten alive by other sharks and fish. Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.

Why is that important?
1. It threatens the stability of marine ecosystems. Sharks, as the top preditors in the sea, maintain the balance of species in the sea.
2. Up to 99 per cent of the shark is thrown away. By disgarding the body of the shark, they waste protein and other shark-based products that could be harvested by others.

There are many other reasons, that would take too long to list here. What I recommend is that you visit the movie's website http://www.sharkwater.com and learn about this issue.

As a former SCUBA instructor and charter dive boat operator, I was blessed to share the beauty of the sea with many people. It was a rare treat to dive with a shark when they provided that opportunity. (I'll tell you about the great time I had with a 6 foot bull shark I swam with some time.) Check out the website and go see this movie when it comes to your area. You wont regret it.

The movie will debut September 28 in Florida, and will open around the rest of the country on November 1st.

Abuse

About three weeks ago I finished reading a very interesting book titled "Because I Love Him" 'How Girls Become Battered Women and Why They Stay'. It is the most comprehensive book I have read on the subject. Because of my background in counseling and working with adolescents for 25+ years, I was asked, by a friend of mine, to read it and tell the author, who I have never met yet, what I thought. I was taken by the honesty and detail in this book. The author, Jasper Jamison, knows the real world of the battered spouse and was blessed to come through it. Since then she has worked for over 20 years to help others who have or are experiencing it now. The book will come out in, I believe, 2 months. I will keep you posted as things progress.

By the way, "100% of the author's net profits wil go to victim recovery programs, adolescents rehabilitation, and animal rescue."

When I add it to our book store, http"//www.BustersBooks.com .(copy & paste or use link) those profits will also be disbursed in the same way I described in a prevoius post.

My Favorite Links

From time to time I will add links to this blog. I have chosen two to start with. First is Gourmet Station's blog. These folks have one of my favorite sites. They have gourmet meals you order from their web store that are wonderful. They are shipped to your door to arrive just in time for your meal. I ordered a romantic dinner for my wife and myself. As things go around here sometimes, the night I planned our candle light dinner we had family show up unexpectedly so I converted them to
hor d'oeuvres. They were sensational! Everyone was delighted. If you enjoy great food, check out their blog and I strongly recommend trying out their meals. ( Just make sure the relatives are out of town that night. )

On a totally different topic, I chose for my second recommended blog, Diva Marketing. This blog is all about blogging and after I read it for about six months I finally got brave enough to start this one. Toby Bloomberg, the 'Diva' herself, writes about how to make business blogs informative, yet fun, and how those two relate. Its all about quality. The good news for me is that "Divos" are welcome and I have learned much from this resource. The best part is its just fun to read. Take a look.

Giving

As you know giving back and/or 'paying forward' is a favorite subject of mine. There are many places to help others out there, and one of the best I have found is called 'Modest Needs'. It was started several years ago by a guy who knew what just a little help can do. After finishing his formal education, with the help of others, he joined the workforce and made a decision. He started an organization that helps other folks that need just a small, one time, dose of cash to get them through a difficult time. The best way to learn about Modest Needs is to check it out for yourself. Cut and paste http://www.modestneeds.org into your browser and take a look. Let me know what you think.

Beginning continued..

Here in Florida this time of year we often get rain showers in the afternoons. Most of the time they are light and move through in a few minutes. Yesterday was the same. However, every once in a while they come hard, stay a little longer, and occasionally include strong winds. Most of them include lightening and it can be severe. So, any time I am on the computer and a storm comes our way I get off line and unplug all my computer stuff. It just pays to do it that way.

I am adding a new entry for my resume. Since I retired last year I wanted something to keep me busy and generate some $ for travel and fishing and fixing up cars and stuff but there was even a greater reason. The one thing about retiring that bothered me was a reduction in my income. It wasn't that I didn't have enough. It was that I wanted to give more away, not less. I heard about this concept of being a "reverse tither". I had not heard the term before 2 years ago at a financial workshop. The concept is the reverse of regular tithing where you give 10% of your income to your church or some other worthy organization. In this case you give 90% of your income to the charities of your choosing and keep 10% for yourself. Wow! What a concept! I really like this idea and have decided to do it. Now, you have to understand most of us can't do it right away without some preparation and planning. I sure couldn't. So, I decided I would make it my new goal and set out to figure how I could accomplish this feat. The first thing I had to do was to get my financial house in order, then create a new income to help the process. I wont go into the gory details but I am on my way.

My new business is building and operating web stores. I started last year and have 3 stores operating now and have more to go. ( Please feel free to check out the stores: www.BocaPartySupplies.com , www.BayBridalShop.com ,& www.BustersBooks.com )
Anyway I have started my quest for becoming a reverse tither and I will let you know how that is coming along as time goes on.

I am interested in hearing from you about your goals and how you plan to accomplish them. I also would appreciate feedback on how this blog can be improved.

I hear the thunder in the distance so I will shut down for now. Thanks for your time. Bob

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Bob Lindstrom and I'm probably more surprised than anyone that I am beginning this new blog adventure. Twenty some years when I bought my first Apple IIe computer I couldn't imagine all the possibilities that would come of it. I did not think that I would have 3+ online stores to keep me busy as I reach the age of retirement and start a blog. But I have always enjoyed a challenge and I am excited about this new beginning.

I will continue when the storms are over....