Indie Wolf

In a shocking scientific study, credible sources have concluded that a rising number of celebrities are flocking to the adorable gold idol we all know and love: Uncle Buddha. Far from being cloaked under red robes and Japanese symbols, Buddhism counts many of Hollywood’s top actors among its ranks including Orlando Bloom, Angelina Jolie, and Uma Thurman. Even singers Sting and Alanis Morisette are a part of the Asian sensation.

But Buddhism isn’t just for the entertainment industry; when Laker’s coach Phil Jackson and Apple CEO Steve Jobs aren’t busy dominating their respective fields, they also claim Buddhism as their faith of choice.

And as the ace of personal branding Tiger Woods demonstrates, the choice to pursue enlightenment is probably a good PR move, as Buddhists have not been publicly involved with witch hunts, attempted genocide, or molesting children.

But you don’t have to be the top dog in your field to be a member of this exclusive club, just ask Keanu Reeves!

Many companies–especially smaller businesses–have doubts when it comes to record retention and how long they should keep those documents. It can get confusing, irritating, and cluttered. But here is a great chart that goes through how long each type of document should be stored. Take a look by clicking here.

Being cooped up during the winter is fine by me. But when summer comes, the last thing I want to do is sit inside all day.  So, in order to appease my raucous desire to not have to be stuck here in my “cell”, I’ve thought of the three best jobs in the summertime:

1. Lifeguard: What could be more perfect than getting paid to sit outside and soaking up the rays? If I didn’t have all these bills to pay, I would take a pay decrease and become a beach lifeguard.
2. Truck Driver: Not what you expected, right? But just think about it. By getting local truck driving jobs, you can get paid to drive around and actually see what the day is like–unlike getting that one single window in the office which doesn’t open and is too high for you to look out of.
3. Anything Other Than Office Work: It’s true. Basically, anything that you can enjoy the warm weather would be a great job.

What do you consider being the best summer job for you?

Being put on hold is not uncommon these days. It is actually quite the usual occurrence. Practically all service related industries put their patrons on hold. From cable companies to toilet repairmen, we are all exposed to that familiar elevator-like on hold music. But what is one place you would expect or at least hope they wouldn’t put you on hold? 911? Yeah well, at least that’s what I thought. However I was shocked to learn the contrary.

While picking out some pretty nectarines at my local grocery store last night, a man beside me suddenly collapsed and started having an intense seizure. He was mouthing foam and had also hit his head as he fell down. I had never witnessed such a terrifying scene. As I rushed to his side, I saw that he had started to bleed and I knew there had to be some serious head trauma. People around the store immediately started to gather around us and I quickly dialed 911. After about five or six rings, an operator finally picked up. Before I could even begin to explain the situation, I was told I was going to be put on hold. WHAT?! This was a life-threatening situation! How can they put me on hold? By then I was seriously freaking out. I yelled for someone else to call 911 and a little blonde lady did. Fortunately they answered after a couple of rings and she explained the situation. Paramedics and firemen arrived on scene in minutes and transported the man to the hospital.

Can you imagine being put on hold when calling 911? I don’t want to discredit 911 operators but isn’t it their JOB to answer the phone and soothe panic-stricken callers? Well, maybe they had a little emergency of their own. Regardless, all I know is that the next time I have to call 911, they better answer their phone!

My younger sister is graduating from high school pretty soon, and I have decided to host a fabulous dinner party for her. I’m going to pull out all the stops for my baby sister with a semi-formal dinner with all the family and close friends. I’ve even found a china replacement piece so that my china set will be complete and ready for the dinner. Today’s goal is to find recipes for fantastic hors d’oeuvres. And who know what tomorrow’s goal will be. Maybe finding a great dress! Can’t go wrong there.

It’s coming; it sneaks up every year, doesn’t it? But this year, I am prepared ahead of schedule–for the first time in my life. My dad loves to be out in nature–especially the mountains. He loves to fish, hike, and anything and everything else that you can do in nature. This year I am getting him…wait for it, wait for it….drum roll…..a reservation at an Arizona bed and breakfast. I looked online at some of the scenery of the mountainous part of Arizona, and it is incredible! My dad is going to love it!

When you think of summer what comes to mind? Outdoor activities, sunshine, or you dad throwing his back out because he is trying to keep up with his kids? Well, that is what comes to my mind. This summer, I think my dad might be going through a mid-life crisis. He wants to be young again (but then again, who doesn’t?). He doesn’t want to admit that because of his age he is slower than he used to be. In a few weeks, I am going home to visit for my youngest sister’s high school graduation…and I plan on bringing my pops home something that just might help him in his “forever young” endeavors–essential oils. This way, when he strains a muscle, pulls something he never knew existed, or just can’t seem to forget the age of his body, he can use balsam fir essential oil and douglas fir essential oil to relieve some of the muscle soreness.

So, I was on the airplane flying back from Hawaii and I was looking through the on-flight catalogue and stumbled upon some of the most obscure products. Products that literally made me stop and laugh out loud. The following are just a few of what I found…

Gator grip bath mats (real gator skin… ok it’s not real, but pretty cool!)

Big foot garden sculpture (can you say scary!?!)

Bee hat (looks like a regular hat, but wait, a net comes out of the top for handy insect protection!)

Giant Ten Commandments tablet (they’re huge!)

Lawn aerator sandals (they strap onto your shoes and you literally walk around your lawn to aerate it)

Cruizin’ cooler (you actually sit on your cooler and peddle it around)

Poop Freeze (spray on your dog’s poop and it freezes it to -62 degrees so that you can easily pick it up and dispose of it)

Hilary Clinton nut cracker (looks just like her!)

Who comes up with these things to sell? I guess what I really want to know is WHO BUYS THEM!?!

The Sony Cyber-shot 

With 8.1 megapixels, a 3.5″ LCD screen, and 31 MB of internal memory…this red little beaut is my new favorite toy. I take it virtually everywhere I go lest I miss the perfect Kodak moment (ironic since it’s a Sony). I point, shoot, and capture endless awkward encounters, embarrassing situations, and tender moments. Yes, I am the epitome of camera happy and I’m sure all my friends and family would be elated if I gave it a rest. But where’s the fun in that? I want my hard-drive filled to the brim with pictures that document every passing day - not to mention, I won’t be this slender and good-looking forever, right? Just kidding…sort of. So as for my product review, I would recommend the Cyber-shot to anyone…especially those as technologically inept as myself. I’ve had trouble figuring out cameras in the past (as pathetic as that sounds), but the Cyper-shot and its features are relatively simple to use. Not to mention its sleek design, compact size, and aesthetic appeal.

Next on my list…upgrade my data backup. How sucky would it be to lose all those pictures I so tirelessly collected?

You know you’ve seen those houses online or on TV where they store anything and everything. These pack-rats usually have disgustingly cluttered houses–and surprisingly enough, it seems to be pretty common. But none of them that I’ve seen trumps my grandpa’s house. Take a look:

Yes, these are real pictures! That is my step brother examining the mess.

Not only is my grandpa a pack-rat, but he loves to sell things online. And he hasn’t yet discovered dropshipdesign. I tried to explain to him that he doesn’t need to keep all his product that he sells in his house. He can use a dropshipper and not have to store any of it! But of course, he is set in his ways. Apparently it works for him. Oh, Grandpa…