Good Morning Post Cards from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Good Morning Post Cards from Zazzle.com

What's better than a nice omelette and toast in the morning? Add a cup of coffee and you're ready to start the day. Unless you're a vegan, it's a nice feeling.

Get this image on some nice Zazzle products and share that feeling with everyone. This image is also available as a customizable template design so you can say whatever you want!

The Right Hand Shirt from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

The Right Hand Shirt from Zazzle.com

The Right Hand design. You can choose the the Left in the other category. Maybe it's for when you're busy or lazy and you want to say, "Hi!" Or it's you letting some know to keep your personal space boundaries. Or maybe you just want to let people know which hand you use more often. You've got the upper hand when you have this design on one of these products!

The Left Hand iPad Speck Case from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

The Left Hand Speck Case from Zazzle.com

The Left Hand design. You can choose the Right in the other category. Maybe it's for when you're busy or lazy and you want to say, "Hi!" Or it's you letting some know to keep your personal space boundaries. Or maybe you just want to let people know which hand you use more often. You've got the upper hand when you have this design on one of these products!

Psychedelic Sun Hoodie from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Psychedelic Sun Hoodie from Zazzle.com

Groove on the rise of the Psychedelic Sun, baby! It's a way-out but real "in" design that's great for Spring and Summer (but good all year 'round!). Let the establishment know you're all about love and happiness!

Funky Love Exclamation T Shirts from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Funky Love Exclamation T Shirts from Zazzle.com

Exclamation!!! With funky, psychedelic colors, you are sure to make your point with this design. Love the exclamation!

I AM a Game Changer Coffee Mugs from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

I AM a Game Changer Coffee Mugs from Zazzle.com

Watch people's confidence rise when they see that you are a Game Changer! You're the person who makes it happen and takes it to the next level. Or use this Doug E. Shirt design to remind yourself or group (when you buy a bunch for the team) that we all have the positive chaos inside us!

Slow News Day T-shirts from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Slow News Day T-shirts from Zazzle.com

Seems like lately the news is alway on and it's a disaster, scandal or corruption. I'm sure I'm not the only one that is looking for a Slow News Day! This design is part of the Wear It Out Loud collection. A saying worth wearing.

Brothers Are Everywhere Men's Dark T-Shirt from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Brothers Are Everywhere Men's Dark T-Shirt from Zazzle.com

Brothers are everywhere. And you can remind people of that fact by wearing the tee or hat (or both!). Anyone can wear this anywhere... the mall, on a trip, the White House or even the moon!

New Design! Love Compassion 2012 at Doug E. Shirts on Zazzle

Meet the new candidate hopefuls for 2012. Vote the Love/Compassion ticket for 2012. Vote early and often! You'll be glad you did. On many fine Zazzle products at Doug E. Shirts.

I came up with this design thinking about the upcoming elections wishing there was a candidate that could counter the negative vibes in the country. Then I thought "Love conquers all" and there you go!

Browse other personalized gifts from Zazzle.

Birthday Love Cards from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Birthday Love Cards from Zazzle.com

Here's the newest items that's sweeping the nation! Birthday Love tees are a great substitute or addition to the tradition. Or you can personalize the traditional card!

Get Well Flowers Coffee Mugs from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Get Well Flowers Coffee Mugs from Zazzle.com

Flowers on the hospital tray. A hopeful greeting of love and hope. Cheer up your friend or loved one and encorage them to get well with your own words with this design on a card, postcard or one of the other fine Zazzle products.

Feed The Hungry Shirt from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Feed The Hungry Shirt from Zazzle.com

Shirts for creating awareness of hunger in our world. What did you have for dinner last night? The back has the verse from Isaiah 58:10 that starts, "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble." This shirt would be great for a group that's running a hunger-thon or an hunger awareness campaign.

#whatsfordinner Tshirt from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

#whatsfordinner t shirt from Zazzle.com

Taking a cue from the popular Twitter hash-tag group, this design spins the discussion to the spiritual pursuit of feeding the hungry. The verse from Isaiah 58:10 starts, "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble." We can raise the awareness that while some of us have the good fortune to have choices, others struggle to come up with an answer to "What's for dinner?"

America: A New Chance, A New Start Pinback Button from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

America: A New Chance, A New Start Pinback Button from Zazzle.com

America: A New Chance, A New Start

This design speaks to the hopes of all the huddled masses that have come to America for a new beginning as well as their descendants. Everyday is a new day ripe with opportunity if you have a positive attitude. In shirts, buttons and more!

Montreal Flower Show 2007 Print from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Montreal Flower Show 2007 Print from Zazzle.com

Montreal Flower Show 2007 Print

A scene from the Flower Show that was exhibited in Montreal, Canada in the Summer of 2007. It was a particularly peaceful and wonderful shot...

New Design! Yes at Doug E. Shirts on Zazzle

Be positive! Do I need to say more?

Well, I'm going to say more! I have had an idea for a "word balloon" design for some time. I was thinking about what I was going to do for this week's new design when the idea had bubbled up again. I then took the initial idea and thought about how I could make it positive. Simplicity won out as I couldn't think of anything more positive than "yes". Hope you like it!

Look for a personalized gift at Zazzle.

Peace Out! T-Shirt from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Peace Out! T-Shirt from Zazzle.com

Peace Out! T-Shirt

Spread the peace outwards from you with this design.

Happy Face Omelette and Toast Pullover Sweatshirt from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Happy Face Omelette and Toast Pullover Sweatshirt from Zazzle.com

Happy Face Omelette and Toast - Template Design

What's better than a nice omelette and toast in the morning? Add a cup of coffee and you're ready to start the day. Unless you're a vegan, it's a nice feeling. Get this image on some nice Zazzle products and share that feeling with everyone. This image is a customizable template design so you can say whatever you want!

Good Morning Mugs from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Good Morning Mugs from Zazzle.com

Good Morning - Omelettes and Toast

What's better than a nice omelette and toast in the morning? Add a cup of coffee and you're ready to start the day. Unless you're a vegan, it's a nice feeling. Get this image on some nice Zazzle products and share that feeling with everyone. This image is also available as a customizable template design so you can say whatever you want!

Question: Why Isn't the Pro-Life Totally Pro-Life

My question for the day is about the Pro-Life movement.

Lately, I've seen/read/heard conservative politicians trying to defund Planned Parenthood to allegedly prevent abortions. They've also attacked Healthcare Reform in ways that limit a woman's options regarding healthcare. I get that they want to prevent abortions and protect innocent, defenseless fetuses. But are the politicians and the Pro-Lifers really "pro-life"? Pro-Life supporters are very concerned about the unborn children in wombs all across America. They seem very unconcerned about the life of people prior to the conception of that child as well as the time after the birth of said child.

I would be able to listen and take to heart to the concerns of the Pro-Life movement if they could prove to me that they concerned with ALL human life. Isn't any death kind of like a retro-abortion? I would like to see the Pro-Life movement embrace the preservation of all life. This would mean they would:

• be against the death penalty
• be against war
• support efforts to end hunger, particularly with children
• support adoptive services
• support nutrition issues for all, especially for mothers-to-be and children
• join in an effort to bring an end to poverty
• endorse and support education
• support equal opportunity for all kids
• support education and services of all new mothers

I know, I know - you might be thinking that with all these causes, it might diffuse the Pro-Life message. I would argue that, for the thinking individual, it would do just the opposite. Instead of seeming like a bunch of irrational baby lovers harping on the joy of new life and the sins of others, Pro-Life members could be such a positive force that it would be hard to deny their sincerity.

I believe that there are many, many people who have a very prayerful, sincere belief that abortion is sinful and terrible. I'm not that crazy about it but I won't have to make the choice. I also have a belief (that I would love to have disproved) that the architects of the movement are concerned only about American, Caucasian babies for reasons too involved to list in this post. For a group that at times is so fervent about the preservation of life, I find it interesting that I do not see the primarily Caucasian Pro-Life groups protesting in front of minority clinics. In fact, some of the same Pro-Life members want to deport babies born in this county back to the country of their parent's origins. That doesn't seem caring or pro-life to me. I don't understand why they do not involve themselves in the world to make it a more loving world so that abortion would be the absolute last choice.

What do you think?

The Left Hand Necklace from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

The Left Hand Necklace from Zazzle.com

The Left Hand Necklace

The Hand design. You can choose the Right or the Left. Maybe it's for when you're busy or lazy and you want to say, "Hi!" Or it's you letting some know to keep your personal space boundaries. Or maybe you just want to let people know which hand you use more often. You've got the upper hand when you have this design on one of these products!

Other Cool Zazzle Stores: saytoons

Look for a personalized gift at Zazzle.

I AM a Game Changer T-shirts from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

I AM a Game Changer T-shirts from Zazzle.com

Watch people's confidence rise when they see that you are a Game Changer! You're the person who makes it happen and takes it to the next level. Or use this Doug E. Shirt design to remind yourself or group (when you buy a bunch for the team) that we all have the positive chaos inside us!

Bill Nemitz: Peter Lee aspires to be 'the Johnny Appleseed of instruments' | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Bill Nemitz: Peter Lee aspires to be 'the Johnny Appleseed of instruments' | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Peter Lee is a great guy and is doing wonderful. positive things! Please take a moment to read the linked story and check out this worthwhile charity The Instrument Exchange. Sometimes it doesn't have to be because of a disaster to give someone hope.

interbeing coffee mugs from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

interbeing coffee mugs from Zazzle.com

interbeing

Everything is a part of creation. Remind people of the interconnections of life - interbeing.

The Right Hand Ties from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

The Right Hand Ties from Zazzle.com

The Right Hand (The Hand)

The Hand design. You can choose the Right or the Left. Maybe it's for when you're busy or lazy and you want to say, "Hi!" Or it's you letting some know to keep your personal space boundaries. Or maybe you just want to let people know which hand you use more often. You've got the upper hand when you have this design on one of these products!

Portland, Maine Hoody from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Portland, Maine Hoody from Zazzle.com

Portland, Maine
Maine's Largest City

A moose, Portland's skyline, and a fact about the city. Does it get any better?

New Designs! Cartoon Happy Face from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle!

Yep, it's Cartoon Happy Face! Doesn't it give you a happy, joyful and positive vibe? This also comes in additional flavors - American, GLBT and Irish. Let me know if you would like any other versions. On many products at Doug E. Shirts!

I used the image I previously used on my Thanks! Card because I liked it. I worked with it in Illustrator to come up with something I like. Let me know if you like it as well.

Cartoon American Happy Face Keychain

Cartoon Happy Face Tote Bag

Cartoon GLBT Happy
Face Coffee Mug

Cartoon Irish Happy Face Lady's Tee

See more personalized gifts from Zazzle.

Thanks! Card from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Thanks! Card from Zazzle.com

Thanks! Card

Cards for thanking the people who matter.

Sending a simple thanks really can make someone's day. Go ahead - do it. You know you want to...

I'm Gonna Be FAMOUS Trucker Hats from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

I'm Gonna Be FAMOUS Trucker Hats from Zazzle.com

I'm Gonna Be FAMOUS

Who's gonna be famous? You are with this Doug E. Shirts trucker's cap, Baby! Let everyone know what the future holds for you.

I Like Scared Stiff TV

I like me some old-school horror and suspense. And a friend of mine does, too.


Doug Plomitallo created Scared Stiff TV. He saw that there was a void on YouTube of original horror and suspense content. I've known Doug a very long time and I know of his love for such movies as Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the Halloween series. Each short story is full of plot twists, spine-tingling suspense and even some truly funny moments. His acting troupe is a combination of local Connecticut actors and his very talented family.

The latest episode is The Game. Don't watch it alone!

W.S.P.L. TOTE BAGS from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

W.S.P.L. TOTE BAGS from Zazzle.com

Work Hard, Sleep Well, Pray Fast, Live Love

Great for mission trips and themes! A mantra for today's involved person.

IMO: Live by Your Hourly Wage

Wouldn't life be easier if we could make all our decisions by what the cost was? Well, I kind of think we can (with conditions, of course).

Some may balk at reducing life's decisions to dollars and cents; but, many times, we already do this. For example, if you are buying a car, you figure out what you can afford. If you're planning a trip, you save up for it after figuring out how much it's going to cost. I would argue that many of us could use this methodology a little more in our lives.

Let's set up the criteria for the following examples. Doug makes $30,000 a year, which works out to $14.42 gross per hour/24 cents gross per minute. We'll call the per minute rate Per Minute Value (or PMV). 

My theory is that I want to come out ahead most of the time and that my time is valuable; in fact, using the example criteria, my time is worth 24 cents a minute. This value, by the way, is a lot more than one can earn in many other third world countries. So the questions I would always have to ask myself is, "Is what I'm doing worth my time? Will the outcome of what I'm doing be worth my invested time?" It doesn't work for every situation; however, I find it a great starting point for deliberation.

Example #1 - Watching an hour-long TV drama

Okay, let's do the math. For the sake of argument, the show is 60 minutes; so the PMV is $14.42. Was the show you just watched worth that much to you in enjoyment? In other words, would you pay $14.42 to watch that show (on top of what you're already paying for cable access)?

Example #2 - Working on my online store

Let's say I work on stuff for my online store (site, blogging, tweeting, marketing, creation) and I spend 14 hours on it for the week. That would result in a PMV of $201.88. Was it/will it be worth it? If it's the beginning of your online business, you can expect start-up costs. But if it's Year 3 and you've only sold one item, maybe you need to think about if this is still worth doing. If you're really happy, so be it. But I would re-examine why you started this in the first place and if there's anything you can do to change your results.

Example #3 - Working out at home for 30 minutes 3 times a week

Two words - heck yea! You spent $21.63 of your PMV and, aside from saving money not paying the gym, you're most likely adding years and quality to your life. I definitely think you come out ahead on this one.

Again, you may not be able to apply this to every situation in your life; in fact, I recommend that you don't. It's important not to over-value yourself when doing this. But this can be a very useful tool in the evaluation toolbox when examining life's choices.

A reminder to yourself and others to make "right now" count! Available at http://www.zazzle.com/dougeshirts .

Join To Participate T Shirt from Doug E. Shirts and Zazzle.com

Join To Participate T Shirt from Zazzle.com

Get the wear that's sweeping the nation! Let everyone know that they "must join to participate." You decide what it means.

Other Cool Zazzle Stores: fch_agora - Basketball The Game Keds

Basketball The Game Inks Black White Cream Red

fch_agora Zazzle Store

Right Now Was The Future Shirt from Doug E. Shirts & Zazzle.com

Right Now Was The Future Shirt from Zazzle.com

A reminder to yourself and others to make "right now" count! Watch in fascination as people get what you're saying.

Amena Brown - You

In an earlier post, I mentioned I had been getting into spoken word. On a lark, I had "Googled" Christian spoken word. Thank God for Google and my inquisitive mind. I found Amena Brown and her talent. I find that this is very spiritual and wish this found it's way to my church (I working on it!). I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF raising money for children affected by disasters in Japan :: News Releases :: Media Center :: U.S. Fund for UNICEF - UNICEF USA

U.S. Fund for UNICEF raising money for children affected by disasters in Japan :: News Releases :: Media Center :: U.S. Fund for UNICEF - UNICEF USA

This is a short one.

Please consider donating to UNICEF! They save the lives of children all around the world through food and programs. Their "program dollars" ratio is one of the best for charity organizations. And the disasters didn't end with Japan; in the same region, there was an earthquake in Myanmar.

You can navigate to the donations page once you're at the site. Thanks in advance!

New Design! I AM a Game Changer at Doug E. Shirts on Zazzle

New Design Friday! That's right, Doug E. Shirts has a new design just about every Friday and this week's is a game-changer! No really... the name of this design is "I AM a Game Changer". Are you the one who brings positive chaos to a situation? Do you know someone who spins a group into a new direction? This is the design that is sweeping the nation! Get it on many fine Zazzle products today. It's customizable!

I like the term and was trying to figure out a way to use it in a design for Zazzle products. Does it work for you?


Browse other personalized gifts from Zazzle.

My Top 5 Favorite Recipes from Allrecipes.com!

I love to eat! Recently, I had to figure out how to "love" a little less due to health reasons. Equipped with the knowledge of what I could and could not eat, I turned to Allrecipes.com and signed up to be a Supporting Member. being a Supporting Member gives you tools to filter based on your criteria. And now that they have a new Menus section that breaks out meals in different categories by popularity, meals, cuisine, season, holiday and diet, it couldn't be easier!

What follows are my Top 5 recipes (so far!). Click on the title to go to the recipe. Please feel free to suggest your favorites as well.

1. Cinnamon Stove Top Granola

I use raisins instead of dried cherries. I also cut the brown sugar down to 1/4 cup.

2. Barbeque Tempeh Sandwiches

Yummy!

3. Black Beans and Rice

Make sure to read the comments for great variations. Most of them recommend adding corn and more spices.

4. Crispy Eggplant with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Follow the recipe and you can't fail!

5. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Awesome!

Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine | Video on TED.com

Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine | Video on TED.com

In this TED video, Hans Rosling proclaims the washing machine as the greatest invention of the industrial age. And once you think about it, how can you disagree?

Let's face it - washing clothes was once time-consuming, back-breaking work, primarily done by women. With the invention of the washing machine, women were given the gift of discretionary time. Time that they could spend with their children and concern themselves with more than chore drudgery. What I like about this presentation is that I find myself questioning what truly is revolutionary as well as by what perspective I'm measuring that status. In addition, I am reminded that really great achievements are measured not only what effort is expended to achieve the goal, but what it actually means in improving the quality of life.

Books I'm Reading (Part 3): Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job

I'm Doug and I'm currently unemployed. Sure, I have the great Doug E. Shirts at Zazzle site, but I don't get the medical benefits with that. So, like a lot of people nowadays, I'm looking for a job. And I'm finding that job hunting has changed in the last ten years, so I figured I would get some "new thinking" from Jay Conrad Levinson and David E. Perry in their book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job (longest. title. ever.). My copy is a Kindle version and revised. I'm looking for ideas to jump-start my job search and ideas to possibly strengthen the marketing of my Zazzle store.

Chapter 2 is all about personal branding, guerrilla style. The following is a summarization that applies the themes to my job hunt as well as the marketing for my Zazzle store.

- How to Stay Motivated

This section has four steps to fight the rejection and negativity one faces when looking for a job or career.

1. Take Charge of Your Job Hunt

Only you know your strengths and weaknesses. To possess the authenticity in interviews, you have to write your own resume and cover letters.

Job Hunt: This is a known. I don't want to look like I don't know what's on my resume or what I wrote in a cover letter.

Zazzle Store: I've got to know my products and stand behind my designs. For me, this also means keeping to my mission statement and make my designs positive!

2. Adopt a Tough Mindset

Surround yourself with positive people and lose the "Debbie Downers" or the people who feed off others failures. We need support, not sympathy.

Job Hunt: Network with supportive people. Stay away from other job hunters eager to blame their lot on everyone and everything other than themselves.

Zazzle Store: Network with other successful Zazzlers. Accept constructive criticism and stay away from other soured Zazzlers, friends and family that don't get it. Don't listen to your Aunt that has never bought a t-shirt in her life.

3. Stay Focused

Track and record your efforts. Stay on track in what your you're doing. Actually write down your accomplishments and setbacks; you need to see what you're doing to be successful.

Job Hunt: Not only is this a great way to keep yourself honest, but you can also learn and see what's working and what's not.

Zazzle Store: Sometimes it can be easy just designing and ignore why I opened the store in the first place - to SELL STUFF! I've got to be willing to track sales, see what sold and continue to improve my store.

4. Think Positive

You have to believe you will be successful. Write positive affirmations and always keep your goals in mind. It will be worth it!

Job Hunt: Don't talk yourself out of a job! Do the things you need to do to stay on your game. This includes eating right, sleeping, networking and look at the bright side.

Zazzle Store: I can come up with a million reasons why my Zazzle products won't sell. But that's not positive OR true. People I don't even know have bought my products! If I believe in myself and my designs and do the things I need to do to be successful, the rest will follow.

To be continued...

Beautiful Italy Poster - Cathedral of Milan from Crisferra Gallery and Zazzle.com

Beautiful Italy Poster - Cathedral of Milan from Zazzle.com

I've been to Italy and this poster brings back so many good memories! Cristina (Crisferra Gallery) is a graphic designer living in Italy and she really digs photography. You can buy many of her images not only in her Zazzle Store, but working images on sites such as Shutterstock and iStockPhoto. She also is on Facebook, Twitter and has a blog! Please take an opportunity to view her art.

Sarah Kay performs " B "

Sarah Kay is a spoken-word poet and started when she was 14(!). I'm sure many who have seen her on HBO's Def Poetry know her work but she just found me. She performs her poetry stunningly. I encorage you to view the YouTube video (a NSFW word or two at the end) and check out her body of work.

Response to Japan Earthquake Continues

Response to Japan Earthquake Continues

By this point, you would have to be living under a rock with no media access to not be aware of the tragedy and devastation in Japan due to the related triple-disasters of a 9.0 earthquake, tsunami and potential nuclear meltdown.

If you want to help, the truth is there is no better organization that deals with this kind of thing than the Red Cross. Already they have people in Japan helping to get the needed necessities to the survivors of this horrendous act of nature. Whether you raise money by yourself or in a group, I strongly recommend that you donate those proceeds to the American Red Cross. Read the blog post article (link above) and donate here.

New Design! Funky Love Exclamation at Doug E. Shirts on Zazzle

Exclamation!!! With funky, psychedelic colors, you are sure to make your point with this design. Love the exclamation!

I had this thought about a design using an exclamation point and I wanted it to have a positive vibe. So this is what I did. What do you think? Please leave a comment!

See more personalized gifts from Zazzle.

4 Green Things To Do For St. Patrick's Day

Top 'o the mornin' to you all! Since it's Saint Paddy's Day and I'm not Irish, I figured that I'd look at the "green" a different way today.

Environmentally, I'm not the greenest guy. I grew up in the convenience generation and threw away my share of foam cups, batteries, printers and plastic bottles. I am trying to be a better person now; both by cutting down the waste I produce and dealing with my waste in a responsible manner. But sometimes it's hard to know what's an Earth-friendly practice. As they say, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. What's a laddie to do?

Here are 4 green things you can do to minimize your impact today for Saint Patrick's Day:

1. Unplug - After you finish reading this blog post, log off your accounts and turn off your computer. I you can't do that, at least try to minimize your computer usage. And unplug everything you're not using (like your toaster and TV). Most appliances are draining power from the grid even if they are not being used. 
2. Walk - Many of us will have somewhere to go today, Irish or not. Instead of consuming that expensive petrol, why not walk if weather permits? Not only will that be good for the environment, but it will be good for you as well. Or, if you live in an area that has bus service, take a group ride? It will mean one less car on the road for the day.
3. Use a non-disposable/reusable drinking vessel - When you are going out to drink your green beer/coffee/Jamba Juice, how about not using the foam or paper and bring your own mug/stein/pitcher? Yeah, I know - the cup was already made. But by using your own cup, you can slow down the consumption of the disposables.
4. Eat a local restaurant - Let's face it; unless you're a great cook, preparing corn beef and cabbage is not that easy and can be cost-prohibitive for some. Why not take advantage of dining at a local restaurant and doing the group-eat thing? You help support the local economy and cut down the potential waste of cooking for yourself. 

Have a great green Saint Patrick's Day!

Anthony Atala: Printing a human kidney | Video on TED.com

Anthony Atala: Printing a human kidney | Video on TED.com

Hopeful, wonderful and "Star-Trek"-like! Surgeon Anthony Atala demonstrates creating a kidney using 3D printing.

Watching this and the skin replacement "printing" gives me goosebumps. Please do yourself a favor and watch this wonderful TED video.

WI Senate Majority Leader Lets The Cat Out Of The Bag: Defunding Unions Meant To Hurt Obama's Reelection | Crooks and Liars

WI Senate Majority Leader Lets The Cat Out Of The Bag: Defunding Unions Meant To Hurt Obama's Reelection | Crooks and Liars

This is an excellent post from last week's Crooks and Liars blog. Go read it here.

It sounds like a weird political conspiracy. What if a political party wanted to win so bad in the Presidential election that they were willing to risk the health of the nation and plunge it to the edge of the abyss to show up the sitting President? Maybe it's not such a wacky idea. What can you do to destroy the areas of support that a Democratic candidate might depend on? Destroy the unions, take away funding from schools, don't allow college students to vote in the town they are going to school at, take away same-day voter registration, and block the President every chance one can. Make sure the governors that are with your political party have their marching orders to implement this plan on the state level.

I'd like to be positive, but I don't see any real winners in this. All the more reason to live one's life that makes the government's influence as irrelevant as possible. We need to create support systems and positive, hopeful living conditions that the state and Federal government can't tax and can't control.

Summer Mermaid iPhone Case from Rona's Art & Zazzle.com

Summer Mermaid iPhone Case from Zazzle.com

This beautiful iPhone Case is available from Rona Gregory at her Zazzle store call Rona's Art (go figure!).

Rona currently resides in Ontario, Canada and works in mixed media and acrylics. Her artwork adorns various Zazzle products. Go check out this store!

1000 Happy Faces - Your face on giant billboard in Chicago

Check out the video for this worthwhile cause and event. It's happening in the Chicago area but it could spread! You can also like them on their Facebook page.

Repost: What Would Jesus Want US To Do?

Note - I originally posted this in April 2006. It's incredible that this seems even more true today. Enjoy and think about it...


I'm a Christian. Yep. I said it.

I know many people have bad feelings about religion(s), God, belief in God and Christians. Some of it comes from very painful memories and experiences. And, as a Christian, I'm sorry. The things some of you have had to endure under the guise of "Christianity" are horrific at best. It doesn't seem right; you know it wasn't right. And you're right.

Some people like to rail because it's the cool thing to do. To those people, I'd ask that they think about what they say. It's one thing to have experience rejection or hurt from a supposed follower of Christ; it's another thing to rail against the government and hit well meaning people in your crossfire.

There are days I'd have to admit I'm ashamed to admit I am Christian. Not because I believe in and love Christ... but because my brothers and sisters who have made such loud proclamations without compassion. These are the people who hook themselves to an issue and don't bend. They get in bed with Big Government and want a Taliban-like theocracy.

I don't pretend to be Super-Christian, but I can see the viper in the bed. Government and others in power have compromised the message and have given power to those who say they follow Christ, but actually follow world power. These people innocently believe, at first, that anyone who professes belief in Christ to be honest and loving. Many of these people have no time for the grays; only black and white.

And you know what? The problem doesn't lie with those people. You heard me right. The problem lies with those Christians that have not stood up and spoken out against the ridiculous shouting of a frightened group of people.

I think it is time for compassionate Christians to take back their name.

How do we do this? One only has to look to the new testament to find out what Christ would have us do (Matthew 25:31 - 46):

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Welcome the strangers
Tend to the sick
Clothe the naked
Visit the prisoners

This is love in action.

And I believe that it is not enough to say what is wrong; in fact, in a lot of instances, it is not our place. If we Christians could concentrate on just these six areas that Christ himself spoke about, I can't help but believe this world would be that much closer to heaven. Even many of those who do not believe but have compassionate hearts could not argue with this line of thinking.

Will there be mistakes made? Probably; we are human. But I'd rather make a mistake out of love than indifference and intolerance.

Is it safe? Hell no. But it has been mentioned to me that a comfortable Christian is not Christian at all. To follow Christ is very radical; no doubt many would have a very hard time leaving their comfortable lives behind. I still struggle with it.

But I believe that practicing Love In Action will give me a joy that no creature-comfort could ever give me. I won't be in the position of judging others... I'll be loving others.I won't be above others... I'll be with others, attempting to bring heaven a little closer to the here-and-now.

Doug

New Designs! Get Well Flowers at Doug E. Shirts

Flowers on the hospital tray. A hopeful greeting of love and hope. Cheer up your friend or loved one and encorage them to get well with your own words with this Doug E. Shirts design on a card, postcard or one of the other fine Zazzle products.


Make a personalized gift at Zazzle.

Brothers Are Everywhere Men's Dark T-Shirt from Doug E. Shirts & Zazzle.com

Brothers Are Everywhere Men's Dark T-Shirt from Zazzle.com

Design Spotlight!

Brothers are everywhere. And you can remind people of that fact by wearing the tee or hat (or both!). Anyone can wear this anywhere... the mall, on a trip, the White House or even the moon!

Chad Vader : Day Shift Manager - The Date

One of the funniest series on YouTube is Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager by Blame Society Films. Chad has a famous, more-accomplished brother (guess who!), while he toils as a struggling supermarket manager.

I have many laugh-out-loud moments watching this. You should get quite a few laughs out of this and the many other offerings from Blame Society Films!

Books I'm Reading: Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job

I'm Doug and I'm currently unemployed. Sure, I have the great Doug E. Shirts at Zazzle site, but I don't get the medical benefits with that. So, like a lot of people nowadays, I'm looking for a job. And I'm finding that job hunting has changed in the last ten years, so I figured I would get some "new thinking" from Jay Conrad Levinson and David E. Perry in their book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job (longest. title. ever.). My copy is a Kindle version and revised. I'm looking for ideas to jump-start my job search and ideas to possibly strengthen the marketing of my Zazzle store.

Chapter 2 is all about personal branding, guerrilla style. The following is a summarization that applies the themes to my job hunt as well as the marketing for my Zazzle store.

-Effective Branding is About Selling what Matters

This section helps you determine your marketable skills and find the achievements that prove those claims. Documenting those achievements with more than bullet points, highlighting how you saved your employers money or provided value is key.

Job Hunt: Intellectually, it's common sense to list my skills, but I need to have a sense of how it benefits my potential employer and put into writing.
Zazzle Store: The take-away is promoting myself a little more (okay, a LOT more) on my store's landing page and provide a sense of value for my products.

- Attitude Check

Employers need to see a positive, "can-do" attitude. Many people would rather hire a positive candidate with some skills that a person that is very qualified with a poor attitude. Someone who doesn't fall apart from setbacks but learns from them.

Job Hunt: I have to project an authentic positive "I want to be here" attitude with my resume, cover letter and style.
Zazzle Store: For me, this means being welcoming at my store and offering to go the extra mile with my customers.

To be continued...

PINK BUNNY BLUE DOG IPAD CASE KENNETH SHAW from Zazzle.com

PINK BUNNY BLUE DOG IPAD CASE KENNETH SHAW from Zazzle.com

Kenneth Shaw is an artist and animator from Los Angeles, California. His designs are delightful, fun and crisp. Check out his store here.

Bill Gates: How state budgets are breaking US schools | Video on TED.com

Bill Gates: How state budgets are breaking US schools | Video on TED.com

I found this fascinating and compelling. The fact that state and town budgets are not simple enough for the regular person to follow, thus allowing our representatives to do accounting that is so wrong should be a crime. Please check out this video.