Saturday, March 15, 2008

The SF Flower and Garden Show

There's still time to check out the 2008 Flower and Garden show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco (March 12 - 16). Lots of amazing garden design ideas and displays plus plenty of unique garden accessories to take home with you.

For instance, artist Ross Spangler has created a selection of totally original and very beautiful garden path lights.



Or check out the selection of 18th and 19th century olive oil pots

Friday, March 7, 2008

It's Never Too Earlier to Think About Black Friday

Let's face it, in these tough economic times everyone can use a deal. If you are a fan of shopping for Christmas gifts on Black Friday then you should bookmark this site for 2008 thanksgiving specials. Things can get pretty hectic at these stores so you need to know what time they open and who has the best deals. When it gets closer to Black Friday 2008, they will be posting sale information complete with ad scans. If you think it’s too far away to remember to check back with their site, you can sign up and they’ll send you an email announcement when the latest Black Friday ads are posted (and Cyber Monday, too)

BestBuy is a great store to find the latest electronic gadgets and they really slash their prices on certain items for Black Friday. If you love the craziness of actually going to the store at 5 AM, you’ll be one up on the crowd by knowing exactly what TV, computer or camera is the hottest deal. Even better, save yourself the trip and order online.

And then there's Target. My grandmother would take us to the store a couple of days before the post Thanksgiving sale and let us scout out our desired items. She would pour over all of the newspaper flyers for the best deals but keeping track of everything was tough. Imagine if she had had access to a site like this that lists all the deals by store and category.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Divided We Fail

Blue Cross, my health insurance company, sent me a letter in February stating that my monthly payment was increasing by about $65 or nearly $800 for the year - this for major medical with a $2500 deductible. And this isn't the first increase. My premium has gone up about $500 a year for the past couple of years.

My friends in Canada pay about $600 a year for full coverage and they all complained loudly a few years back when massage was no longer covered. Granted it can take a long time to see a specialist or get a date for elective or a non emergency surgical procedure. But at least their health care is affordable. And Canadians don't have to declare bankruptcy because they are sick or have had a terrible accident and can't pay their medical bills.

We really all should be jumping up and down demanding affordable health coverage. This site discusses the issues debated by the current presidential candidates and their stand on health care. Plus they offer some thoughts on access to health care and some ideas as to what you can do regarding these issues.