#33 Lucky Numbers Zero, One, & Two

Every day I see signs for the latest jackpot lottery. I know people win and most tickets start at $1. I rarely purchase one but when the jackpots get huge it's a tempation. I always accept whatever random numbers the machine chooses. I figure if I'm meant to win I only need $1 and the universe will conspire as to the rest. Some people have a whole routine when they purchase tickets. They spend a specific amount on specific numbers: family members birthdays, anniversaries, or just lucky numbers. Are numbers really lucky? I did some research on the significance of some numbers just to see:

Zero (0): did you know zero actually started out (and is still primarily used) as a concept rather than a number? Check out this article on the Origin of Zero http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=history-of-zero. Another interesting fact -  the original biblical Hebrew, ancient Aramaic nor later Greek nor Roman counting systems had a digit for zero.



One (1): here is wikipedia's information on the number: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_(number) One of the more interesting notes is the way 1 is used in the entertainment and sports industries. In Indian culture, according to http://www.indianhindunames.com/character-nature-traits-lucky-number-1.htm people who are number ones tend to be political leaders but with dependency issues.



Two (2): Good things always come in pairs, right? Here is an entire explanation of the number two in the Torah: http://www.betemunah.org/two.html . Number 2 indicates balance in Tarot.


2 is also a lucky Chinese number, according to Wikipedia, which says,
Two
The number 2 (二 or 两, Pinyin:èr or liăng) is most often considered a good number in Chinese culture. There is a Chinese saying: "good things come in pairs". It is common to repeat characters in product brand names, such as double happiness, which even has its own character 囍, a combination of two 喜. In Cantonese, two (jyutping: ji⁶ or loeng⁵) is homophone of the characters for "easy" (易) and "bright" (亮). In Northern China, the number, when used as an adjective, can also mean "stupid".^[1]




I could research and write about numbers and numerology all day and not find out everything. It is truly a fascinating topic. I'm a beautician, not a mathemetician, so I think I will stop here for now and continue to let the machines choose my numbers for me. Good luck with yours!

Forest of Fear!

http://www.renfair.com/forestoffear/index.html

Remember when I wrote about the New York Renaissance Faire? My kids and I had such a great time that we went twice. Well, now that October is here, the folks at the Faire have moved to the haunted house (the Slaughterhouse!) across the street.
I was fortunate enough to be offered free tickets for me and my oldest son. The creepy Phantom of the Opera organist warned me that the frights were too intense and scary for young children, but welcomed my 14 year old. My nephew also joined us. In fact, we made him walk in front so he would deal with the scary stuff and save us.
We arrived at about 9:30 pm on a rainy Sunday evening. There was a carnival atmosphere with brightly lit, spinning rides and lots of tents set up. Some of the tents sold gargoyles, wall hangings, and jewelry. One of the largest tents had a stage and seating inside. Three characters were on the stage looking for a victim volunteer to become a monster. Outside the tents scary creatures limped about, approaching unwary souls.
My son was so excited as he recognized the tallest of them all. Our friend the Creepy Bard had been transformed into a Victorian gentleman, albiet with a terrible scar, a blind eye, and skin that appeared to be rotting away. In his black wool cloak, knee high black boots, white frilly sleeved shirt and top hat, he appeared to be a 7 foot tall bat, swooping in uncomfortably close to guests, and growling a welcome to them.
I was actually nervous about entering the Slaughterhouse. I had not been in a haunted house since I was about 7 years old. At that one a witch stole me away from my parents and guided me into her brick wall oven. It was actually a little tunnel that had me quickly reunited me with my parents, but it was a scary enough experience that it took over thirty years and the mocking of a 14 year old to get me to go.
So we wound our way through the rope lined queue until we approached the front door of the house. We had to wait a minute to enter - groups are let in with some space between them. Inside the door waited a small sitting room. It was intentionally cluttered with all kinds of candlesticks, macabre artwork, frilly but dirty lacey things...everything crooked and off balance. And our exceedingly polite host matched the room, advising us of the rules in a deep Southern drawl.
The house was much, much bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. Every room had a theme, and every theme had victims. It seemed the designers had researched the top twenty fears that most people suffer from and made sure to display them at their worst. Surgeries gone awry in a bloody hospital room, cockroaches crawing on a wall on what feels like a collapsing bridge, very scary clowns, dolls come to life, damaged and deranged souls, a room of torture, and even a morgue (whose occupant screamed at us to "GET OUT!!"). Every actor made it a point to get uncomfortably close, invading my personal space to an intimate degree.
My nervous reaction to each interaction was to giggle. And I looked directly down at the floor. A lot. My son would just smile at each actor and say, "hello!". My nephew didn't say a word, but I did see him jump a couple of times.
One of the very last rooms contained a plunky, out of tune piano made to look like a pipe organ. The music was being played in a frenzy, the cloak spread out like a bridal train on the floor. My son looks at me and says, "His cloak is going to get all muddy with everyone walking through here. We should move it." And so we carefully tucked it around the perimeter of the organ so guests could walk through the room without stepping on the Phantom's cloak. He continued playing the entire time, completely ignoring us. We moved on to the last hallway leading to the exit. As I was about to step out, a black wing of wool blocked my way and I was staring into a face with a clouded over eye..."Come back again soon," he growled. And with manical laughter he disappeared.
My son had such a good time that he wants to audition for a haunted house next year. Oh, boy...

Thanks to everyone at the Forest of Fear for being such gracious hosts!

#31 Shopping for...kitsch?

I love cute things. I love gadgets. I love things that look like one thing but are actually functional as another. Recently I was in a store that had a water pitcher that looked like a set of Russian nesting dolls. The top of the doll came off and became a cup. The remaining bottom part was a water pitcher. Perfect for keeping by a bedside overnight. There was also a matching set of measuring cups. Both items were on the clearance rack at greatly reduced prices. Shoulda bought 'em. Here are some cute things I would love to have. A lot more of them are on one of my favorite store websites, www.thinkgeek.com

This is a carafe. The head comes off and becomes a drinking cup.

 I find this knife block strangely satisfying.

Measuring cups.

#30 Back to School

Oh, boy.  My oldest son, 14,  started high school last week. Security at the high school is much different than it was when I was in high school. One of the school policies is that all students that use a backpack must have one made of mesh or clear plastic. Apparently having the ability to see through the backpack is tantamount. I searched every store in my area and finally found a clear vinyl backpack at kmart for less than $20. It is not a fashionable backpack: it looks like something a person who is fond of wearing PVC would love. It is a very thick, firm, clear plastic with black seams. Kmart even offered a warranty for one year for an additional $2.99. But we are talking about a 14 year old high school freshman who has to deal with peer pressure about being cool. Of course, all his friends have to obey the same rule, so it's not like he's the only one. In the meantime, I've been looking at local stores to see if I can find a mesh backpack. I was amazed to see that regular backpacks can run upwards of $70! I was told to try some sporting goods stores. Other parents told me they tried and there was none left. So I went to my favorite store...the internet! Here is what I found:
This is JCPenney's website. They have a Jansport mesh backpack, available in a variety of colors, for $30.  http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/for-the-home/dorm-shop/bags-backpacks/jansport-mesh-backpack/prod.jump?ppId=1b8644b&navState=navState-:catId-:subcatId-:subcatZone-false:N-:Ns-:Nao-0:ps-24:pn-1:Ntt-mesh+backpack:Nf-:action-search&catId=SearchResults
Notice that even though the backpack is mesh, it's really not see-through. I'm having a hard time understanding how this makes my kid safer.
Now here is a website that offers a dozen different backpacks from a variety of different manufacturers: http://www.ebags.com/category/backpacks/f/mesh?sort=PriceLowToHigh Prices range from $10.80 for a small, over-the-shoulder type to $36. Better than I anticipated, but only because they are having a 20% off sale. Also, shipping is free for orders over $99.
I strongly suspect that a mesh backpack will not last under the wear-and-tear of heavy textbooks being hauled in them.
I'm also aggravated that the school thinks this is an effective security measure. In fact, in a school several years ago, a student contemplating suicide brought a rifle to school - in his guitar case. http://articles.mcall.com/2006-05-26/news/3667295_1_students-or-teachers-district-s-zero-tolerance-senior-prom My point is that if someone wants to sneak something into the school they will find a way and it seems silly to trust that see-through backpacks are going to solve this issue. A small gun can easily be hidden on a person, in a purse, or even between books.
One common theme among these incidents seems to be that the perpetrator was suffering. Either socially, romantically, psychologically, or a dangerous mixture of these. It seems these actions are almost unsuprising in a lot of cases. I don't know why ten people can suffer whatever life's cruelties offer and the next one cracks and does something to hurt people. Or why anyone would think hurting others is justified in the first place. Here are some recent statistics:
http://news.yahoo.com/school-shootings-weapons-crimes-2012-comparison-223400001.html

It makes me fear for my children's safety. And it makes me sad.

#29 Am I full yet?

As I've mentioned, our office is surrounded by a huge variety of restaurants, eateries, cafes, delis, and food vendors. I stopped in one of the local shops to pick up some milk for the office. At the counter was a display of Fullbars. I have never heard of this product but it looked like a low-calorie snack so I decided to try it.

Today is the day I am actually eating it. It is a 1.59 oz bar, so it's about the size of a large square brownie. The flavor I chose was Double Chocolate Cocoa Chip (have I mentioned I love chocolate?). Ok...it looks like a Rice Crispy treat with particularly large rice puffs. It has a very yummy, chocolately flavor. The bar is slightly sticky and very chewy.
Ok. So I kind of expected to be FULL. It did take the edge off my hunger but only for an hour or so. I think I would have been just as satisfied with a piece of fruit or any other granola type bar.
I'm a little bit disappointed because when I'm having a busy day I like having a quick snack food in my bag so I don't have to stop and buy a meal somewhere. Purchasing food at a restaurant tends to make me feel guilty because 1) I shouldn't be wasting the money, 2) the portions are way too big, and 3) I feel obligated to consume all of it since I paid for it. A great way to gain weight!
In conclusion I will say that if you enjoy food bars, you will enjoy this one. But it's not a meal replacement, it's a snack. An orange and a hand full of almonds would probably be a more satisfying and healthy choice.

#28 On Safety & Common Sense in a Salon

Last week I was asked by a salon professional for a list of ingredients in each of our products. When she first asked, I thought she was asking me for an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), the information sheet required by federal law that lists content, associated hazards and proper storage procedures.  She did not know what I was talking about. Every salon should have an MSDS for every product they use in the salon, from Windex to hand sanitizer to hair color and perm solutions. If your staff doesn't know what an MSDS then they should not be working on clients.

 Fortunately, all of our products have the ingredients clearly listed on the bottle, but I must say I am deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of her clients if anything should happen. Everyone who works in a salon has the right to know what chemicals they are being exposed to and what the risks are.

 I know I was taught about OSHA, MSDS, and Efficacy Labels while I was in beauty school.



If you don't know what these terms are, please educate yourself for the safety of yourself, your co-workers, and your clients.

http://search.usa.gov/search?affiliate=usdoloshapublicwebsite&query=salon OSHA regulations regarding salons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_safety_data_sheet
What is an MSDS?

On product labeling: http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/CosmeticLabelingLabelClaims/default.htm

Please take this seriously. Salon professionals and clients have been seriously injured or become ill from repeated exposures to normal, every day use of chemicals in the salon without proper steps being followed. Don't put yourself or your clients at risk!

#27 e-Cure Demo at Prestige Salon, NYC

Today Iaisha and I went to visit Prestige Salon http://hairsalonprestige.com/  here in NYC to demonstrate the amazing e-Cure Treatment. Our model had dry, porous, overprocessed hair:

 



Our model had been shampood with a clarifying shampoo and dried before we arrived. First, I saturated her hair with M-3.2 until it was dripping wet. 

Next, the S-series shampoo (our model loved the s-3 Sakura scent) gets mixed 50/50 with M-3.2 and shake until foamy and mixed. Massage this foam generously into the hair.

Cover the foamy hair with a plastic cap and place under the dryer for 10 minutes. While our model was sitting under the dryer, we demonstrated Pida, an exfoliant gel that gets massaged onto skin for about 30 seconds. After the massage, rinse off with a quick spritz of M-3.2. Pat dry and follow up with your favorite lotion. After our model tried it, everyone else wanted to try it too!

After ten minutes under the dryer, the hair gets sprayed with P-3.2, combed through to the ends. After 2 minutes, hair is rinsed until water runs clear. You can already see the smoother, healthier texture of the hair!  There is no conditioner added to the hair after the rinse. Her hair is this smooth and healthy

because it is now infused with moisture. After gently but thoroughly drying with a towel, the hair is sprayed with M-3.2 by itself as a blow-out spray. This is the only product used in the hair. No gel, no mousse, no shine spray, no hair spray.



Look at how smooth her hair is! It felt soft and silky to the touch.

As her blow-out progressed, everyone was impressed with the dramatic change in the condition of her hair.

Now scroll up to the "before" picture and look at the difference!

The after pics are amazing. Not only is her hair softer and full of shine, but wow her hair is full of body and movement. No more frizzy ends!Ready for a demonstration at your salon?