The Delicious Day

279 Days to Overnight Success: 10 Questions with Marketing Mastermind Chris Guillebeau

deliciousday — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:11:24 +0000

Chris Guillebeau wanted to build an online community and through that find a way to support himself. For 279 days he worked day and night. On the 279th day his earnings were $50,000 a year. Things have grown tremendously since then. This week he launched his newest book, The $100 [...]

How to Turn $9 into $700: The Secrets of an eBay Power Seller

deliciousday — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:01:17 +0000

Peggy began to understand the power of eBay when she sold an African fertility statue for $125 that she received for free at a white elephant work Christmas party. It drove her passion to see how cheap she could buy things and how much she could sell them for. She has had some unbelievable sales.

[...]

Escaped from Cubicle Nation: An Interview with Pamela Slim

deliciousday — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:32:26 +0000

In 1996 Pamela Slim busted out of what she refers to as ‘the corporate prison’. For the last 16 years she has helped nurture the entrepreneurial spirits of others so they can do the same. Here is a bit of her story.

In talking to people who have either left or lost their job, they very [...]

Left IT for Life Coaching: A Woman Who Created the Life She Wanted & Now Helps Others Do the Same

deliciousday — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:03:32 +0000

Benay Wettle worked in IT. She didn’t realize how miserable her job was until she was on a family vacation in Greece and started to hear horribly she spoke about it. When she got home to Australia she started to search for other options. She happened across life coaching. It intrigued her. After a 3-day [...]

Left Job to Record Beauty: Lucia De Giovanni’s Journey to Internationally Acclaimed Photographer

deliciousday — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:40:53 +0000

At the age of 14 Lucia De Giovanni’s parents did something that would forever change the course of her life – they bought her a camera. Lucia spent almost two decades studying the camera, learning from her mentor David Burnett and working as a photojournalist. Then, thinking she needed traditional stability, security and to own [...]

Debt Gone, Stuff Gone, Corporate Job Gone: The Woman Who Lives More with Less

deliciousday — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:56:57 +0000

Courtney Carver was an Ad Sales Director for a group of luxury magazines. She was in debt, she worked all the time and she was stressed out. Then, in 2006, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was forced to look at her life habits. She started by changing her diet and ended by quitting [...]

From Crystal Meth Addict to Devoted Yogini

deliciousday — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:59:57 +0000

Erin was a young and beautiful student at a university in Saskatchewan. She had a job, a boyfriend, best friends and a daily crystal meth habit. A blessing in disguise started to wean her off her chemical addictions and yoga teacher trainings put a final stop to all of it.

Here is a bit of [...]

How to Move to Australia (and Live for Free): A Chat with a Couple Who is Doing It

deliciousday — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:31:35 +0000

After months of traveling Karen and Steve decided they wanted to settle in Australia for a bit. After traveling throughout Southeast Asia the cost of living in Australia was shocking. Determined to make it work, they started doing a little research. Through the help of a few websites they figured out how to live in [...]

Lost Job, Found Happy: A Woman’s Journey from Sales Director to Nanny

deliciousday — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:41:18 +0000

On New Year’s Eve 2008, Cathy lost her job. For a year she floated a bit aimlessly, questioning herself, the absurd jobs she was considering and what she really wanted to do. The idea of going to an office [...]

Divorced Peacefully & Holidays with His Ex-Wife: The Man Who Said No to Divorce Status Quo

deliciousday — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:33:57 +0000

After 5 years of marriage, 32-year-old Scott* was not in love with his wife and wanted a divorce. To complicate matters he and his wife had a young son. In hopes of doing what was best for their son and themselves, they decided the divorce process and [...]

The Fountain of Youth Exists (and Is Available at a Store Near You)

deliciousday — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:31:38 +0000

Eloise Nelson has a PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Her certifications, years of experience and specialties related to health, fitness, lifestyle and nutrition are practically endless. When a family member was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Eloise changed her diet to almost 100% raw and live foods. The results? She looks 25 years younger than she is [...]

The Woman Who Cured Lupus Without Chemotherapy or Surgery

deliciousday — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:49:39 +0000

Paula was diagnosed with lupus in 2006. During subsequent blood work, a nurse mistakenly ordered her blood to be tested for heavy metals. The results showed she had excessively high levels of mercury and lead in her blood. Paula refused surgery and chemotherapy and spent a year looking for a doctor who would address her [...]

Empty Closets, Full Lives: Two Guys Re-Creating the American Dream

deliciousday — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:44:03 +0000

At the age of 28 Ryan Nicodemus & Joshua Fields Millburn had what they always wanted — six figure jobs, oversized houses, high priced cars, closets of clothes. The only thing missing? Happiness. If ‘stuff’, they decided, was not helping them find happiness, perhaps not having ‘stuff’ was how they would find it. They decided [...]

Rwanda First Country in the World to Ban the Plastic Bag

deliciousday — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:39:43 +0000

In 2007 the City of San Francisco banned the plastic bag — so did the entire African Country of Rwanda. At the time of the plastic bag ban Rwanda did not have a domestic manufacturer of a reusable option, but the Rwandan government and people viewed banning [...]

Organic & Cheaper than Local: The Man Who is Changing How We Eat

deliciousday — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:27:16 +0000

Mike Lieberman lived in New York. His organic apples were from Chile. While at the store one day it dawned on him that organic food transported 5000 miles, although perhaps better for his health in the short term, was an environmental catastrophe in the long run. Suddenly, Mike’s tiny New York City fire escape became [...]

Twisted Man Loses Job

deliciousday — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:43:20 +0000

Last August Brock Coffman lost his job. Tired of the corporate world Brock decided to exit the rat race and recreate the pretzels he had enjoyed in Bavaria — in Denver. He began perfecting recipes in September. In December his pretzels were in his first Denver area brewery. Here is a bit of his story.

[...]

The Woman the Plastic Industry Can’t Beat

deliciousday — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 17:24:28 +0000

Emily Utter was instrumental in getting the City of San Francisco to ban plastic bags. Now she works on staff with Bag It The Movie to help other cities and towns do the same. In spite of the plastic and chemical industries millions of dollars and best efforts, Emily and the [...]

1890s Light Bulb Outlasts Today’s Bulbs 100+ Years (and Counting)

deliciousday — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:09:50 +0000

A light bulb built in 2012 will last for 1000 hours. A light bulb built in the 1890s has been on in a Livermore California Fire Station for over 970,000 hours (and is still going).

Here is a bit of its story as told by Dick Jones retired engineer and member of the Livermore Centennial [...]

A Couple on Infertility, Three Kids 17 Months Apart & Life as A Stay At Home Dad

deliciousday — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:18:06 +0000

After three years of trying to get pregnant, Chris and Kerri were expecting twins. The twins, born 12 weeks early, would remain in the hospital for almost three months. When they finally came home, it made the most sense for Chris to stay at home with them and for Kerri to go back to work. [...]

A Psychic on Communicating with Spirits, Seeing Ghosts & Never (Ever) Using Ouija Boards

deliciousday — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 07:55:03 +0000

Cookie will tell you that all children have psychic abilities until about the age of 7 and then they ‘close’. The difference between Cookie and the vast majority of us is she never ‘closed’. She now uses this ability to provide guidance to others and to communicate with the other side.

Here is a bit [...]

The Man Who Lost His Job and Decided to Make Denver Some Beer

deliciousday — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:28:42 +0000

Scott Witsoe was unexpectedly laid off from his job. Faced with the idea of looking for a new one or seeing what he could do with his passion for brewing beer, he chose the latter. Almost a year to the day later he has a nanobrewery up and running, a tap room for customers, beer [...]

A Mother on Finding Happy & the Best Decision She Ever Made

deliciousday — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:28:37 +0000

Meagan is an attorney, turned stay at home mom with two daughters, 3 and 1. She read a piece I recently wrote with another mother and emailed me to talk about her perspectives on pregnancy and motherhood. [...]

Angkor Wat, Cambodia {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:06:58 +0000

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia is one of my favorite places in the world. 75 square miles of 100+ carved stone ruins dating back to the 9th century in various states of repair. If you find yourself in Southeast Asia we highly suggest a week long pass and bicycles because this place is enormous [...]

The Woman Whose Diet Got Her Pregnant

deliciousday — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:54:18 +0000

At 31, doctors told Joy Hawk she was infertile. Determined to be a mom, Joy went through a two year in vitro fertilization (IVF) process which allowed her to give birth to her daughter, a small baby girl very near failure to thrive. After doctors discounted Joy’s questions about the possibility of her daughter’s health [...]

The Really Big, Very Small Plastic Problem Crushing Our Oceans

deliciousday — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:46:42 +0000

Dr. Marcus Eriksen will quickly tell you the island of plastic in Pacific, the size of Texas, is a story created by the media. Then he will tell you – the problem is actually much worse.

Eriksen studies and leads expeditions through the plastic pollution in our oceans. Eriksen, so dedicated [...]

Best Street Food in The World {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:12:14 +0000

Bangkok Thailand has some of the absolute best food in the world. Not only is it the best – it is made on the streets and it costs but a few dollars. If you should ever find yourself in Bangkok, or anywhere in Thailand for that matter, do yourself a favor and dont be scared [...]

The Man Who Got 28,000+ Facebook Followers (in 18 Months)

deliciousday — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:54:08 +0000

Isaac Hinds has been in the fitness industry for over 12 years. He started as a fitness and body building participant and fan. He evolved his passion into building websites for athletes and then into body building and fitness photography. In 2004 he started hardbody.com. A year and a half ago he created [...]

A Very Honest (and Very Funny) Woman on Hating Pregnancy & the Unspoken Stories of Motherhood

deliciousday — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:00:10 +0000

A year and a half ago Kate* gave birth to her daughter. She will not hesitate to tell you she hated being pregnant. She also doesn’t hesitate to tell you what so few will, the enormous frustrations, guilt and changes required to be the mom she wants to be.

Here is a bit of [...]

The Most Fun Place On Earth {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:36:57 +0000

In the tiny, communist, underdeveloped country of Laos, along a stretch of The Nam Song River is a place of almost unimaginable fun. How can we put it? It’s a gigantic adult playground with free shots of whiskey, tolerated drug use, no rules, no police, huge dangerous toys at the bars and some of the [...]

The Woman Who Cured Multiple Sclerosis

deliciousday — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:08:18 +0000

In 1998 Kristen was 27 years old. She was a triathlete, a mountain biker, a skier and a surgical scrub tech. She was visiting her parents when an emergency trip to the hospital ended with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. For over five years she attempted to cope with the intermittent and debilitating symptoms (exacerbations) [...]

Krishna Party {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:31:20 +0000

With so many different religions claiming India as their homeland - there is always something being celebrated somewhere in India. We stumbled upon a particularly friendly group of Krishnas in New Delhi celebrating what we thought they said was Friendship Day. It was a mid-day street parade thru hopelessly crowded streets. Music, dancing, flower showers, face paint, it [...]

Blinded, Brain Injured & Better Than Ever

deliciousday — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:27:06 +0000

Maria Ross was 35. Her life was insanely busy. Unknown to her there was a small bulge in a blood vessel, known as an aneurysm growing in her brain. On August 4th, 2008 it ruptured. Here is a bit of her story.

Where were you when your aneurysm ruptured?

The month prior to it happening [...]

The Man Who is Growing Detroit. Literally.

deliciousday — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:56:28 +0000

Jeff Klein moved to Detroit 15 years ago. He moved there for music. He quickly found himself immersed in Detroit’s agriculture and landscape scene. A decade and a half later he is a voice and leader within this community. In April, he will be opening Detroit’s first and only farm, garden and landscape supply facility [...]

Hug a Tiger Time Everybody {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:15:03 +0000

Do you have the arguably idiotic and highly improbable dream of hugging a tiger? I do and come to find out, The Tiger Kingdom in northern Thailand makes tiger hugs happen. It’s awesome! Their job is to take care of tigers and they take their jobs seriously. The intoxicating beauty and allure of these majestic [...]

A Gay Woman on Giving Birth to Her Daughter, Her Parents Voting Against Her & ‘Staggering’ Discrimination

deliciousday — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:38:39 +0000

Lane knew her whole life she would be a mom. At 22 years old Lane divorced her husband. Six months later she came out. Nine years later she and her wife Melissa are raising their one and a half year old daughter. Here is a bit of her story.

What were your general concerns of [...]

Driver’s Ed: Southeast Asia Style {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:13:08 +0000

Road Trip! As It Is takes you through Southeast Asia the way Southeast Asians do it … on a moped. So buckle up (figuratively), strap on your helmet (optional) & forget everything you learned in drivers training. There are no rules, signals, stop lights, speed limits, max cap or police out here.

Top 10 Photos: Driving [...]

Over Dressed & Over Drunk: A Day at The Melbourne Cup {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:20:59 +0000

It’s the annual Melbourne Cup Horse Races. Think Kentucky Derby but way bigger. So big in fact the Aussies have made it a public holiday. As it turned out the actual horse racing seemed to be of little consequence – it’s time to get dressed up and get hammered. An adult prom under the guise of [...]

The Woman Who Made $10,000 on Etsy (in 2 months)

deliciousday — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:49:19 +0000

Kristen was born an artist and educated a marketer. When her son was born she wanted out of the corporate 9 to 5.

After trying different things, she decided to start a business selling her art. The first four months sales were bleak. Then she got the idea to make handcrafted signs. Two months later [...]

In the Land Where Muslims Welcome You by Paying for Your Bus Tickets: 8 Months in Africa

deliciousday — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:59:36 +0000

Anushka and Eric got married in May 2010. Their honeymoon? A one year trip around the world with eight of these 12 months spent traveling 23 countries in Africa. In eight months they would travel through the majority of the West, East and Southern African countries. Their favorite places may surprise you. Here is a [...]

Homemade Rockets – Make It Rain {Weekly Top 10}

deliciousday — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:12:40 +0000

Some people wait for the rain, pray for the rain or dance for the rain — the people of Vang Vieng, Laos shoot big ass homemade rockets at the sky for it. And what goes best with shooting massive homemade rockets at the sky to onset the rainy season? Drinking and dancing of course.

Top [...]

10 People, 10 Resolutions that Weren’t in The Crapper on January 15th

deliciousday — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:12:06 +0000

10 everyday people, 10 goals, 10 incredible stories of deciding (and succeeding) in living better.

1. Lose weight – The survey asked two questions:

1) On a scale of 1 – 10 how happy would you say you are / were in [...]

Three People She Didn’t Know, One Car and an 8500 Mile Road Trip

deliciousday — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:24:04 +0000

The Mongol Rally is from London to Mongolia. It is an unsupported, unguided, save your own ass — trip of a lifetime. The purpose? To see if you, your teammates and your 1.2 liter car can make it and to raise money for charity.

The first time Sherry Ott heard of it she was hooked. [...]

A Psychologist’s Thoughts on Infidelity, What No One Tells Parents & How Technology is F’ing Up Relationships

deliciousday — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:44:18 +0000

Dr. Stephanie, is a licensed psychologist in private practice. She has helped many different clients overcome a number of personal hurdles. I spent an hour talking to Dr. Stephanie about both the issues she discusses most frequently these days and her thoughts on some of the more challenging aspects of relationships.

Here is a bit [...]

The Man Who Plays Matchmaker Between Owners of Villas & Those Wanting to Stay There (For Free)

deliciousday — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:41:49 +0000

Andy Peck was looking for a place to write. He thought somewhere aesthetically pleasing and free of charge sounded nice. When he found a multi-million pound Spanish mountain retreat and neither him nor the owners could believe their luck, he thought he might be able to make a business out of this.

Here is a [...]

The Man Who Decided to Move to Cambodia (And 2.5 Weeks Later Lived There)

deliciousday — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:36:33 +0000

Craig planned to go on vacation to Cambodia for about three weeks. While he was there, he

was having such a great time he extended his trip by a few days. He was only back in the United States for a few weeks before he decided he was [...]

From Colorado Ski Bum to Wisconsin Organic Farmer

deliciousday — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:06:53 +0000

Rufus Haucke was a chair lift operator in Winter Park, Colorado. Over time, he found himself gravitating towards gardening and thoughts of his family farm. In 2004, when his father put the family farm up for sale, Rufus decided to give it a go.

Here is a bit [...]

The Woman Who Doesn’t Eat Like a Carnivore or a Vegetarian (and Lost 20 lb. Because of It)

deliciousday — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:37:45 +0000

For 16 years Catherine has studied, worked and lived food. I have yet to meet research she is unaware of, a health issue she can’t provide dietary advice for or a recipe she can’t fix. Five years ago she decided to be a vegetarian. Two years ago [...]

The Couple Who Went to India (And Really Didn’t Like It)

deliciousday — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:14:58 +0000

Diane and Blair sold everything and went traveling. About seven months into their trip they went to India. They planned to stay for months. After three weeks they wanted to leave.

Here is a bit of their story.

How was it that you decided to go to India?

Diane: Basically on the name [...]

Give this Man 4 Hours of Your Life & You Will Never Smoke Again

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:53:42 +0000

Frank Oden was a heavy smoker for 30 years. When hypnosis helped him kicked this three decade long habit, Frank’s entire life changed. In 2005, after three years of training, Frank opened a private hypnotherapy practice. In the last 6 years, he has used hypnosis, combined with his [...]

The Woman Whose Job It is To Get You To Leave Yours

deliciousday — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:36:45 +0000

Sherry Ott wants Americans to take a break from their jobs to travel. She wants people to do this so badly she has co-founded an organization to make it happen.

Here is a bit of her story.

What do you think are the hurdles associated with either quitting [...]

The Couple Who Slept in A Tent (In Sub-Saharan Africa) For 4.5 Months.

deliciousday — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:01:55 +0000

Most people go to the beach for a week in the summer. Mike Valigore & Kelly Hatch went to Sub-Saharan Africa — for 4.5 months.

While the rest of us were sipping mojitos in lounge chairs, Mike and Kelly were getting charged by elephants, swimming with great white [...]

Best Around the World Travel Budgeting Resources

deliciousday — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:39:23 +0000

Asia

Detailed Budgets on Long Term Travel throughout Asia
http://jooiworld.com/articles/asia-travel-expenses.php

Excellent breakdown of costs (include pre-trip expenditures) for 11 months of travel in Southeast Asia and Europe. Trip was taken 2008 – 2009.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tAYujkKyosYAkcknBD-nOZA&output=html

Excellent breakdown of costs (include pre-trip expenditures) for 11 months of travel in Southeast Asia and [...]

The Couple Who Mastered the Art of the Permanent Vacation

deliciousday — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:01:30 +0000

The original plan was to retire early. Then, Betsy Talbot’s brother had a heart attack. And a close friend, a brain aneurysm.

Betsy and her husband Warren, suddenly had a new perspective on life.

The longest vacation they had ever been on was a week. They decided they [...]

McOptimism

deliciousday — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:44:32 +0000

Karma Cards

deliciousday — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:15:20 +0000

Rejected Therm-a-Rest Logo

deliciousday — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:28:20 +0000

One of the Few Ways Europe & The US are Just A Little, Teeny, Tiny Bit Different

deliciousday — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:32:24 +0000

Wedding Cards 2.0

deliciousday — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:24:23 +0000

“G” is for Globalization

deliciousday — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:35:24 +0000

Annual Report — Really, really pretty paper. Really, really bad news.

Executive Leadership Team — CWTFO’s

Filing Chapter 11 – Dear Wall Street, All is cool with us. Only little change is we just realized it is wayyyyy easier not to pay our bills.

“Not that I am [...]

McForecasting

deliciousday — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:12:45 +0000

Top 10 Taglines Rejected by Vegas Tourism

deliciousday — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:34:43 +0000

#1) Not married? You will be. Married? You won’t be.

#2) Sleeping is for pussies and/or for those who don’t feel like paying for one.

#3) Two nights expenses? A teeny, teeny bit more than the GDP of Gambia.

#4) Dear Mexico, We know you have that [...]

P is for “Push Back”

deliciousday — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:59:11 +0000

A short list of workplace terms and definitions to help you hit the ground running in demonstrating and leveraging your value add.

Due diligence — All in favor say ‘Aye’?

“I think we need to take a step back.” — Dear Project Team, Welcome to ‘Operation Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, Ain’t Eva Gonna Happen.’

Commute — [...]

Top 10 Taglines Rejected by Vail Tourism

deliciousday — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 04:07:58 +0000

#1) 99% of our population — male, 0% of our population — sober.

#2*) Seven miles wide, 5400 acres deep, 3,000 onesie sightings per day.

#3) Cost of pizza at Two Elks Lodge = $4/slice + the 6000% eat here or choose to starve tax.

#4) Sit back and relax — your entire vacation is [...]

I is for “I am Gonna Have to Escalate”

deliciousday — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:37:44 +0000

A short list of workplace terms and definitions to help you hit the ground running in demonstrating and leveraging your value add.

“For now, let’s put that idea in the parking lot.” — “How about we bury that thought right over here in ‘The Dumb Fucking Idea Graveyard’?”

Internal Communications — Intended to inform employees [...]

10 Things I Think About to Distract Myself from Committing Commute-icide

deliciousday — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 23:40:50 +0000

#1. Texting while driving? Totally illegal. Crafting emails, entering 89 numbers to dial into a conference call and updating your Facebook status? All good.

#2. The shoulder of the road? Never driven on. Close the shoulder of the road? Traffic backed up for 6 miles.

#3. The school across the street from my house? Never [...]

N is for “Not Client Facing”

deliciousday — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:32:51 +0000

A short list of workplace terms and their unspoken definitions to help you get the inside track on demonstrating and leveraging your value add (or something like that).

“You should take that offline.” – Could you shut your yapper? Like now.

cc: — Don’t say I didn’t tell you so.

Legal – [...]

12 Travel Tips for Americans (and Others Who Are Travel-Challenged)

deliciousday — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:07:19 +0000

#1. If you don’t have to go snorkeling for dinner and/or worry about your children stepping on landmines on their way home from school — allow yourself to be (a little) ripped off by those who do.

#2. Do you see people in urban environments in your own country wearing wicking shirts, pants that zip [...]

Lucia De Giovanni – Winner of the Zack Arias “Give the Gift of Encouragement” Contest

deliciousday — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:51:08 +0000

Recently I nominated Lucia De Giovanni and her Life Project for an $1100 photo package from the Zack Arias “Give the Gift of Encouragement” Contest. Of the over 500 entries — this is one of ten selected. What was submitted re: Lucia’s badassness can be read below.

……………….

I write this from the coffee shop [...]

An Open Letter to the Qdoba Human Resource Homeys

deliciousday — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:59:49 +0000

Dear Qdoba Human Resource Homeys,

I am hoping in between Conflict Management training and prepping performance plans you could let me in on something.

Over the last say, 6 or 7 years, I have visited many of your “Mexican” “grills” scattered throughout the Denver Metro Area. In a pinch, hung over out of my mind [...]

L is for “Leaving Early”

deliciousday — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:23:30 +0000

A short list of workplace terms and definitions to help you hit the ground running in demonstrating and leveraging your value add.

Managing Expectations — You know that thing you want? You aren’t getting it. Ever.

Cut-Backs — Bye, bye free bagel Friday

Team Building –- Guess whose ass is going bowling?

In Late – [...]

S is For “Sexual Harassment”

deliciousday — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:23:30 +0000

A short list of workplace terms and definitions to help you hit the ground running in demonstrating and leveraging your value add.

BCC: See the shit I have to deal with??

Compliance – An entire department dedicated to monitoring the shredder.

Conflict of Interest – A policy that states “Hey Mr. CEO Guy, You know [...]

A Woman Who Died and Was Brought Back to Life

deliciousday — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:04:08 +0000

In 1993, Julie was driving to have dinner with her sister when a teenager ran a red light and went through her driver side door. She was hit so hard that the majority of her brain stem severed from her head. When she arrived at the hospital she had no blood pressure or brain activity. [...]

A Year Ago Today Was My Dad’s Last Day of Life….

deliciousday — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:48:02 +0000

A year ago today was the last full day of my dad’s life. When he woke up that morning he had no idea this day would be his last. My dad did not die from a long-term or terminal illness. He died in a terrible accident – while on vacation.

This picture of me [...]

A 57 Year Old Woman Who Never Thought About Marriage (Until Now)

deliciousday — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:42:47 +0000

Jean is 57. She has never been married and never had children. She never thought about being marriage or having a life partner until now.

Here is a bit of her story.

Did you consciously choose not to marry and not to have children, or is that the way that your life played out?

It’s [...]

A Woman Who Lived 3000 Miles Away From Her Husband (For 4 Years)

deliciousday — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:16:06 +0000

Patricia had a two-year job contract in Paris. It was a great opportunity for her, but not for her husband. They decided she would move to Paris while he stayed in Toronto. Four months after returning to Toronto, her husband moved to San Francisco — for two years.

Here is a bit of her story…

[...]

A Wedding Planner Who Reveals the Signs of Good and Bad Weddings (and Couples)

deliciousday — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:05:54 +0000

As a wedding planner Robyn Bruns of Red Letter Event Planning helps create the perfect day for Chicago couples. In doing so, she learns a quite a bit about the bride, the groom, and their tastes in flowers, venues and entrees. Sometimes, however, she learns things about couples and their future marriage that perhaps they [...]

A Woman Without Kids & Has Strangers Call Her Selfish Because of It

deliciousday — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:30:59 +0000

There was a time when Betsy thought she was supposed to have kids, but never a time when she really wanted them. In her 20′s she made the decision to not have children of her own. She is comfortable with her decision. Others are not. When birth control [...]

A Woman Who Didn’t Want Children (and Had Surgery to Make Sure Of It)

deliciousday — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:12:19 +0000

In kindergarten, Anne remembers asking herself if she would rather be born a boy or a girl. Her five year old mind was reluctant to choose boy as such a choice would require her to go to war and kill people. But, being a girl she reasoned would [...]

A Woman Who Won’t Marry (the Man She Has Been with for 20 Years)

deliciousday — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:41:24 +0000

Tammy and Kyle have been in a relationship for twenty years. Together they have two daughters, run a business and own property. Tammy describes Kyle as “the person she loves most in life,” yet she never wants to marry him.

Here is a bit of her story.

Why have you never married?

In my mind [...]

A 54 Year Old Woman Who Chose to Never Have Children

deliciousday — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:23:25 +0000

Deb is in her mid-fifties. She retired at 45. She is now an artist living with her husband in the mountains of Colorado. Over thirty years ago she decided not to have children. Now three decades later she is defying the adage of “you will regret not having kids when you are older.”

Here is [...]

A Woman Who (along with Jimmy Carter and the Pope) Is Trying to Get Her Brother Off Death Row

deliciousday — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:08:22 +0000

In August 1991, Troy Davis was convicted and sentenced to death row for a crime he maintains he did not commit – the 1989 murder of Mark MacPhail, a Savannah police officer. During Davis’ trial neither a weapon nor any physical evidence were ever provided. Davis was found guilty based solely on the testimony [...]

A Woman Who Did Nude Modeling to Heal Her Body Image Issues

deliciousday — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:36:35 +0000

Sarah has worked in nude modeling on and off since the 80’s. She did it to put herself through college and to later support herself as she started her own therapy practice. Money was not the only reason she did this – she also used nude modeling to [...]

A Phone Sex Goddess

deliciousday — Sat, 16 May 2009 08:51:28 +0000

Charlene got started in the phone sex industry 27 years ago when she responded to an ad that read, “Conversationalist. Adult Talk. Work from Home.” She makes about $5 for every 15 minutes she spends talking and listening to phone sex addicts, guys who want to have sex with their mothers and guys who are [...]

A Mother Coping with The Death of Her 9 Year Old Daughter

deliciousday — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:05:11 +0000

In 1994, at the age of 20 Nicole gave birth to a daughter with a heart disease in which life expectancy was three years. Nine and a half years later, Nicole’s daughter Kassie lost the fight to Hypoplastic Left Ventricle Syndrome while she laid next to her in their apartment. Few people would judge Nicole [...]

An Iraq War Veteran with PTSD Who Believes “Support our Troops” Stickers are B.S.

deliciousday — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:20:31 +0000

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is diagnosed in veterans, victims of terrorist attacks, rape, kidnapping, torture, abuse, plane crashes and violent assault. The symptoms and side effects of PTSD include among other things, flashbacks, loss of interest in life, emotional detachment, outbursts of anger, intense distress and at times, [...]

A Man that Moved from Ghana to the U.S. with $20 (total)

deliciousday — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:19:42 +0000

Since childhood Kofi wanted to see the United States. His ultimate arrival would be preceded by the murder of his brother and followed by both a love of his new country and a deep frustration over the prejudice he found…in the most unlikely of places.

Here is a bit of his story.

How was [...]

A Woman Who Duct Taped Her Door Shut to Prevent Herself From Leaving the House Wasted and After 21 Yrs. of Drinking, Decided to Get Sober

deliciousday — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:33:01 +0000

Rebecca is a dear, dear friend of mine. When we met, we became quick friends. I have never known her to be anything other than supportive, trustworthy, lovable and fun. In my opinion, the questions I asked are somewhat common things to wonder when you are not familiar with alcoholism. Her responses, however, were [...]

A Sniper from Vietnam that Went MIA (On Purpose)

deliciousday — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:40:29 +0000

Ken went to Vietnam the way many did — involuntarily. For a large part of the year and a half he was there, the U.S. military decided he was to be a sniper. Someone whose sole job was to psychologically dismantle the enemy, to play mind games with them, to instill fear in them — [...]

A Prostitute Working in Amsterdam’s Red Light Distritct

deliciousday — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:39:45 +0000

Amsterdam’s Red Light district consists of street after street, alley after alley lined with windows occupied by women of every age, ethnicity and body type. After six months of witnessing this, I had to know how it worked. How they worked. What these women in the windows thought. What they did. What they didn’t do. [...]

A White Peace Corps Volunteer in Zimbabwe During Land Reformation

deliciousday — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:25:49 +0000

Carley wanted to teach in Africa. The Peace Corps wanted her in Zimbabwe. Mugabe wanted her (and every other white person) out.

Here is a bit of her story.

Zimbabwe is going through a lot these days. What was it like when you were there?

I was there in late 1999 – early 2000. Zimbabwe [...]

An Open Letter to the Starbuck’s Intern Guy

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:39:06 +0000

Hey Dude,

First things first – nice work landing the Starbucks gig. That will undoubtedly look stellar on the CV come graduation time. Much better than schlocking pizza slices all summer, wouldn’t you say? You will have to find a nifty way to spin “Spent whole summer cutting and pasting customer feedback into an Excel spreadsheet”, [...]

A Cross Dresser / Transvestite

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:36:33 +0000

Michiee’s very tall and extremely slender body is one that women envy and men as he tells me, yes, even the straight ones, find themselves enamored by. It would take an effort not to love him. In fact, in the few hours I spent with him I quickly realized it was hard for almost everyone [...]

A Prostitute Working in Amsterdam’s Prostitution Information Center

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:35:12 +0000

I have spent the last 5 months walking, running and stumbling past the “women in the windows” in Amsterdam’s Red Light District. The questions that ran through my head were never ending and never answered. One day, I just had to stop and ask. This is what [...]

Monica Lewinsky’s Dad: Dr. Bernard Lewinsky

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:33:33 +0000

Somewhere, somehow, and probably more than once – you have screwed up – big time. As doing so is practically a prerequisite to adulthood, it is likely that many of your super sized screw-ups occurred at a relatively young age.

Now, imagine if just one of those coming [...]

Melissa Bank: Author of A Girl’s Guide to Hunting & Fishing

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:32:07 +0000

Melissa Bank has struck again. Five years after the enormously successful Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing she has delivered her second book, The Miracle Spot. With the heart and humor that fans have grown to love, Bank brings us Sophie Applebaum, a young woman from Surrey, Pennsylvania whose misadventures in love, life, career [...]

The Cheapest, The Most Expensive and Every Country in Between for Travel

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:27:00 +0000

According to the information on lonelyplanet.com, below is the list of is the average cost for one night accommodation and three meals per day in every* place in the world. The amounts below reflect average costs** for the cheapest possible options that would be available in the respective countries.

229 North Korea $407.00 228 Antartica [...]

Cheapest Countries in Europe for Travel

deliciousday — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:24:58 +0000

According to lonelyplanet.com if you are on the super budget European travel plan or just don’t feel like blowing your (financial) wad — these are the cheapest* countries in Europe for travel.

1. Armenia / Belarus
Cheapest Accommodation: $5 – $20
Cheapest Meal: $1 – $3
Average cost per day: $18.50

2. [...]