Crescent City Gal

Swallowtails and Posters - An Experiment

2011-06-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

This is my Poster Store - it has all the lovely Butterfly Posters that I wanted to include on my Squidoo Lens that documents my encounter with a Black Swallowtail Butterfly. I called it "The Case of the Purloined Parsley." If you love posters or butterflies, check out all the terrific items below!

<p>&amp;amp;lt;A class="APCAnchor" HREF="http://affiliates.allposters.com/link/redirect.asp?AID=1578704897&amp;amp;amp;amp;PSTID=4&amp;amp;amp;amp;LTID=16&amp;amp;amp;amp;lang=1"&amp;amp;gt;Buy Posters at AllPosters.com &amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;gt;</p>

Crescent City Gal is almost a reality ...

2011-04-08T17:21:00.001-07:00

At long last I have begun the process of creating my "personal brand" as the Crescent City Gal. It's been a LONG time in the making, but today marks the day I've finally started getting my stuff together with a clear vision of what I want to achieve.

I have a facebook profile just for Squidoo and IM: CCGAL on Squidoo

I have my Twitter account with the same e-mail now: CCGAL on Twitter

My Squidoo profile, which I pruned down is here: CCGAL on Squidoo

And, of course, I've included Posterous in this mix: CCGAL on Posterous

Best of all ... they all have the same email address AND the same avatar, for brand recognition, which I have been sorely lacking.

My objective as the Crescent City Gal is to highlight people, places, and a few special things I find along the way.

Crescent City is a small town on the Pacific northwestern coast of California. I have several Squidoo lenses about my hometown and things around it, and they have done rather well on Squidoo. In fact, my top lens is about the drive through trees of northern California. Recently, my home town was hit for the 3rd time with a tidal wave, or tsunami, which totally wiped out the harbor.

I've also got quite a few lenses about people who live and work "behind the redwood curtain" as I like to call it.

For example, Richard Martin from Brookings, Oregon (just a few miles north of Crescent City) makes some of the most beautiful pottery I've ever seen. So I have two lenses about his art: Horse Hair Pottery and Agateware.

Crescent City's economy is sluggish at best, so this little town can use all the publicity it can get. I'd like to think that in some small way I can help my hometown a bit. Perhaps I'll eventually be able to teach people "behind the redwood curtain" how to promote their arts and businesses online. Until then, I'll just continue to build lenses and write blog posts and keep learning what works and what doesn't.

My Gut Was Right

2011-03-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is what I hope is the final chapter in the Road Show Saga. My gut was absolutely correct.

We finally got 50% of what we were promised, and were told that an error had been made and that we were not going to get the full payment. So we're being shorted $1,100, which in my book is a big chunk of change. Is it worth going to small claims court over? I haven't decided yet. There's more to that story than I can share right now ... but essentially the confectionery company may be hanging the middle man out to dry, and I'm not sure I want to squeeze him for funds because he made the same mistake I did and trusted the confectionery company. *sigh* I'm not cold hearted enough, I guess, even for $1,100.

I did decide, however, that I am not going to do any further business with either the middle man's company or the confectionery company, and I alerted both of them by email this morning. The representative from the confectionery company, with whom I spoke this morning, was rude and condescending on the telephone to me. I had another "AHA!" moment and became convinced that I was being manipulated, bullied, and probably laughed at behind my back. There are too many good companies with good products that I can sell for to make any amount of money worth allowing someone to treat me that way. That's true even if we would get paid what we were promised on time - and I'm not even close to certain that anybody will get what they are promised.

After the email was received, that same person called and inadvertently affirmed that I have made the right decision for my future well-being.

All that remains now is that we have to return some property of theirs that they had insisted we keep ... sad puppy selling, I realize in retrospect ... and then I'm done with them forever.

After I sent the email, I felt as though a HUGE weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Just one more affirmation of the rightness of my decision.

In some ways, my decision to leave this confectionery company was a lot like a battered woman leaving an abusive relationship. I'm really proud of myself for standing up and walking out before the abuse got any worse. In fact, I think I'm going to take myself out to celebrate! Yay Me!!!

So ... bottom line is ... although there are many opportunities for selling products, I cannot recommend doing road shows to sell fudge. Especially if they want everything to be oral only, and are unwilling to give you a written contract that spells out your compensation.

Should I listen to my gut in this situation?

2011-03-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a situation where you hoped your gut was wrong, but feared horribly that it was right? I'm in one of those right now, and I think the best way to work it out in my head is to write about it.

I'm not going to mention any names at this time, but will refer to the parties by their descriptions.

So back in January, we answered an ad in a niche specific newsletter I had a paid subscription for, and was hired for a road show selling a confection in a popular Texas grocery store for the 2 weeks before Valentine's Day. No written contract, just a bunch of email and phone calls, but enough to establish a contract for employment under Texas law.

During the show, we encountered several situations where the hiring party was less than forthcoming with words and deeds despite having been directed by the confection company to do certain things to help us. Each item taken alone could be attributed to any number of things, stupidity included, but when taken all together a pattern of duplicity seems to emerge. So the hairs on the back of my neck begin to rise, and I start to wonder if he's going to pay us. That thought wouldn't have entered my mind except that he kept making grandiose statements, that just sounded like he was setting us up to be conned.

Fast forward a bit, and the "I'm sorry, they didn't pay me so I can't pay you" emails start coming. So I start doing a little digging, and I really don't like what I'm seeing.

I report this non-payment issue to the niche specific newsletter in which I had found the advertisement, and noted that prior to paying for the first show this entity was already advertising for a second go round. I thought I was sending in an anonymous report, so that if this happened a second time, the newsletter would have some idea of what the scam was if it turned out to be a scam. However, that was not what happened.

The editor simply forwarded my email to the advertiser, which opened up an entirely new can of worms. The advertiser contacted the confection company and, if my contact there can be believed, apparently stated that I had written derogatory comments on the web about them. Well, I had stated that I could not in good conscience recommend that anyone work for either company because at the time of the writing, I didn't know if I was looking at an anomaly or a ponzi scheme to pay previous road show attendants.

Then I get another email from him asking me to remove his last name from my web site, citing that it was to protect his wife from an ex-spouse. I thought that odd, because the advertiser's web site appears to be incorporated, and I know that incorporation papers are a matter of public record. So my BS alarm went off again, and I did a little more digging.

The incorporation papers are from the state of Wyoming, but the person's name is not on them. The location listed on the incorporation papers is a multi-biz office, much like a mailboxes etc. sort of place. Curious, yes?

So I go back through the emails, and the address that we could mail our w9s to is another one of those operations, with a listing for a mail forwarding service in Florida.

Our original agreement was for 25% of the gross sales, and the hiring entity's website originally stated that. Today I noticed that it has been reduced to 20%. Is this ominous? I think yes.

So I dig a little deeper. The website was purchased via GoDaddy (I already knew that because I'd checked it early on in our relationship, before he had actually uploaded a website) and was purchased in November of 2010 for 3 years. Registered using domains by proxy, which normally isn't all that bad but in this situation feels kinda sleezy as this saga unfolds.

The entity has changed phone numbers multiple times already - the reason being given that they tracked the responses from multiple numbers.

Now the confection company has told me that they are sending the money to this individual on Monday, and I am wondering big time if we are going to receive everything we earned, or even if we'll get anything at all.

The Texas Labor Laws that I've been reading indicate that our being classified as independent contractors won't fly, and that what we actually did was work as temporary employees. I won't push this issue if we get paid next week, but my gut is really concerned that we won't. However, the point I want to make is that by contracting with us, the company entered into an obligation to pay us whether the confection company paid the staffing company on time or not. I don't even want to get in to not withholding and remitting FICA taxes, because that's eventually gonna bite that company in the proverbial derriere without my help.

Reasoning it out, though, here we have a fellow who incorporated in January of this year, in the state of Wyoming, with a different name on the paperwork than the one he's using with us, who bought his website just a couple months prior to that, is doing his best to remain totally anonymous, and who seems to not have had the funds or line of credit to cover his obligations to his employees when his house of cards came tumbling down when the confection company didn't pay as agreed. Now he's all worried about an obscure little website I built where I've laid out what has transpired in chronological order, documenting the non-payment, and mentioning his full name exactly twice.

I just don't believe his story as to why he wants his last name expunged from my site. He says his name is rare enough that his wife's ex-husband has managed to stalk them on the web ... but it's not all that rare, and there are literally dozens of people with his last name who have a footprint on the web.

I just do not trust this guy or his so called company. Something just feels very, very wrong.

What do you think?

Keep the "girls" supported ..

2011-03-01T17:28:00.001-08:00

For the "girls" only - there's a great Playtex Bra Sale going on over at JustMySize.com

Just click the link below the picture to check it out.

Playtex Bra Sale: Get bras as low as $14.99 at JustMySize.com. Offer valid through 4.10.

SouthWestern EVERYTHING!

2011-01-31T05:36:00.001-08:00

I have been to their Wholesale Warehouse in El Paso - it is amazing.

This is one of the places at which I purchase product for resale.

Highest Quality at Low Low Prices!

If you love Southwestern Style, this is an amazing company. Check them out!

Helpful Note re posterous

2011-01-29T07:15:00.001-08:00

If you want to link an image to a specific url, sending the image from your computer via e-mail isn't going to cut it. Although the post will LOOK right, the image will be uploaded to posterous, and the link to the image on your auto-post sites will all be linked back to the posterous image.

Still playing around with posterous - just wanted to share that quickly with my subscribers.

Hope it helps.

R U Broke Because U want 2 B?

2011-01-28T10:48:00.001-08:00

You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead

Larry Wingert calls himself, among other things,

"The Pit Bull of Personal Development"

and an

"Irritational Speaker"

I think those are pretty good descriptions. He pulls no punches, so I like to call him a "kick-ass" kinda guy.

I don't always agree with everything he says - because I've raised a disabled child as a single mom not by choice, and I KNOW how hard life can be - but most of the stuff he says is true to some degree.

He really calls it like he sees it, and he sees it pretty clearly. If you're tired of hearing the same old, same old self-help stuff, maybe it's time for you to meet Larry ... he's not the cable guy, but he CAN help you "getter done!"

Click Here to buy "You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead"

You're Broke Because You Want to Be is also available for your Kindle.

Click Here for the Kindle Edition

Total Site Management

2011-01-28T10:16:00.001-08:00

In a hurry to see?

Click Here!

There are some things that neither Squidoo nor WordPress can do.

Yes, I've finally come to the realization that I really DID make the best choice when I bought XSitePro, and got the upgrade to XSitePro2. (Too bad I got distracted by Squidoo and WordPress.) Time for me to get back into building sites using the software that's best for what I want to do.

Is it time for YOU to rethink your online strategy? Do you want something that will build pages quickly (lots of templates) and even upload them to your server so you can forget about needing a separate .ftp software?

I could write for hours, but I'll save the rest for some eZine articles.

In the meantime, check out this software - it's not super cheap, but it sure beats paying for a premium wordpress theme, in my opinion.

Click Here to Learn More!

Income Opportunity - House Sitting!

2011-01-27T09:07:00.001-08:00

Have you ever been a house sitter? Have you ever needed a house sitter?

If you answered yes to either question, this may interest you:

Click Here to learn more about Housesitting!

Thinking of buying this ...

2011-01-26T17:52:00.001-08:00

You can get a Ten Buck Discount by trying to leave the page. That's only $27 and they say there's an 8 Week Money Back Guarantee. clickbank is good about enforcing money back guarantees.

Taco Bell Lawsuit - That's a Big Beef with the Beef!

2011-01-26T15:41:00.001-08:00

There's a lot of controversy about that class action lawsuit that has been filed against Taco Bell.

Learn more and voice your opinion here on the "Hey Monkeybrain" Squidoo lens on this topic, located at

http://www.squidoo.com/taco-bell-beef-lawsuit

Playing With Posterous

2011-01-24T23:41:00.001-08:00

So I've heard a lot of good stuff about using Posterous to promote your Squidoo lenses. I set up my Posterous account a LONG time ago, but just haven't used it. This is a test post to see how it works. I've made three new lenses today: http://www.squidoo.com/vending-for-fun-and-profit

http://www.squidoo.com/workamping

http://www.squidoo.com/the-hidden-reality-parallel-universes-and-the-deep-laws-of-the-cosmos

My next lens was going to be about how to crochet socks ... I even took a picture. :D

Southwestern Jewelry!

2011-01-24T20:34:00.000-08:00

I just discovered El Paso Saddleblanket Company has Southwestern Jewelry available on the web. I have had the opportunity to visit their wholesale showroom in El Paso twice now, although I was interested in the canvas totes at the time and pretty much ignored the jewelry. This is an example of their banner - if I've done this correctly, it will link to their bracelets page. Check them out! (I signed up to be an affiliate - but I am also hoping to purchase for resale at the next event I vend at.)

Creating a Buzz? Or Just Being A Jerk? Your Call.

2010-11-06T16:50:00.001-07:00

There's an interesting situation happening over on Tiffany Dow's blog today. It's the sort of thing I love to analyze.

So a short synopsis is in order. A fellow by the name of Dan Brock did a product launch for something he called "Deadbeat Super Affiliate" and he asked Tiffany to give him her honest review. I seem to recall him saying words to the effect that it was ok for her to rip him apart, 'cause he could take it.

So she started her review process, and put it up on her site as a product she was endorsing as an affiliate while she was working through the process. Part of the fun of Tiffany's blog is that she actually DOES what a program says to do, and evaluates whether or not it's workable for her target market. So it happened that she had an audience following her every move. She had people who went ahead and bought it to work through with her, and others (like me) who were watching from the sidelines.

Some purchasers posted opinions of the purchasing process, and expressed some disappointment and/or disapproval of certain parts.

Next thing you know, Dan's on her blog chewing out THE CUSTOMERS who had DARED to suggest they were unhappy with something.

Oh, wow. Wrong thing to do to a customer. Crescent City Gal: Public Verbal Abuse as a Business Practice = FAIL

Even MORE wrong to do to a customer on a public platform. Crescent City Gal: After Three and a half years, it's goodbye.

Worst Wrong Thing To Do on Tiff's Blog.

If you know Tiffany Dow at all, you know she's like a mama bear when it comes to her customers. Dan poked Mama Bear with a big, sharp, stick and ... well, you really gotta go read this to get the full impact. I don't want to spoil your fun.

Dan Brock Responds to Review and I Cancel Mine

When all is said and done (and we know that more is ALWAYS SAID than DONE) no matter where you are or what you're doing, there is an instant between stimulus and response in which we get to choose our reaction. OK, not always - I don't mean police officers or soldiers or people who are suddenly confronted with a life or death situation where instinct has to take over, but in situations like the ones listed here. Really. Don't belittle your customers. Ever. For any reason.

They might be small potatoes to you now ... like I was to those two marketers who lost my business ... but one day down the road, that person you belittled today might be in a position to help or harm your business, and they will most assuredly remember how you made them feel. I know I remember.

So I'll say it again. Keep your words sweet because you never know when you might have to eat them.

Be Kind. Be Honest. Have Integrity.

Now if you haven't already done so, go read Tiffany's Blog.

Who DOESN'T Love Saving Money? I know I do!

2010-11-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

How did I go so long without realizing that my Squidoo Buddy Veronica Bright writes a great blog with nifty thrifty tidbits and free sample links? Guess I just wasn't paying attention ... to my great loss. Sure glad I finally found this:

Thrifty Home

Hope you find it helpful!

Buddy, can you spare a dollar ... for Kidney Research & to help someone in need?

2010-10-26T17:35:00.001-07:00

Read the whole story here, then follow the link to donate. Even if you can only spare a buck, that's a dollar well spent.

Thanks.

Sal's Not So Secret Ramblings: Nobility Isn't Reserved For the Rich - Kim's Story

New Trophy & Five New SquidBoo Lenses

2010-10-23T22:52:00.001-07:00

I almost missed the window of opportunity on the new monster trophy, so I had to work fast to create my Five New Squid-Boo lenses:

Play With Your Food for Halloween

belle of the ball over six feet tall
dress for success like a chef
Candy Corn Crafts
Halloween Sounds & Special Effects

Next year I need to start earlier.

Kindle is Kool

2010-10-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Kindle is on sale at amazon for cheap. I should break down and buy one, I guess.

How To Knit Socks Using Two Circular Needles

2010-10-18T15:05:00.001-07:00

This is my review of the book I used to learn to knit socks; and it has information about my favorite knitting needles, as well. If you've ever wanted to learn to knit socks but were intimidated by the idea of using several double point needles, this is the book that will walk you though the process. I should warn you, though, that once you make that first pair, your friends and family may badger you without mercy for hand knit socks. Make yourself the first few pairs; tell them you have to knit socks for a year before you're allowed to give any away.

How To Knit Socks Using Two Circular Needles

I would never have been able to knit socks without discovering Cat Bordhi and her book: Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles: a Manual of Elegant Knitting Techniques and Patterns

A Pleasant Side Effect of The Tier One Challenge

2010-10-15T12:09:00.001-07:00

The internal traffic is helping this lens - it's in Tier Two!

Lens Rank on 10-12-10

Lens Rank on 12-13-10

Lens Rank on 12-14-2010

Lens Rank on 12-15-2010

Last, but not least, the Lens Itself:

Tier One Challenge

How Many Things Does YOUR Husband Do RIGHT? Check This List ...

2010-10-14T20:37:00.001-07:00

Life gets in the way sometimes. We get so caught up in the hassles and frustrations of living, that it's easy to forget how many things we adore about our husband or wife. Squidoo Lensmaster JollyvilleChick built a little reminder lens to showcase the many things she loves and appreciates about her husband. I think we could all benefit from a reminder like this. As I read her list, I realized how lucky I am, too, and how many little things my husband does that make my life so much nicer. This is a feel good lens, for sure.

❤ 40+ Things My Husband Does Right

Squidoo Tier One Challenge

2010-10-12T17:08:00.001-07:00

The Challenge is being documented here: Tier One Challenge

These Are The Lenses In The Challenge:

Horse Movies for Family Entertainment

The Goddess Athena Trivia Quiz

File Folder Math

Nokia X6 Touchscreen Theme, Software, Download, Specifications, Application, Price Review

❤ 40+ Things My Husband Does Right

Cute Cartoon Hedgehog Gifts Cards and Calendars

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book

The Effects of Music

Traditional Books vs eBooks

Best Mindfulness Books

How To Track Visitors To Your Amazon aStore

Mini Albums - Toilet Paper Rolls Scrapbooking

Harry Potter Lego Sets

Dinosaur Coloring - Raah!

Nigella's Ultimate Intense Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Bulova Ladies Watches

Hibiscus Tea or Agua de Jamaica

How To Use Yoga Props: A Yogi's Best Friend

A Dream Trip to Disney World

How to Write Your Memoir

Top 5 Sleep Tips for Infants and Toddlers

Amateur Website Design

Animal Group Names

Scotty Bowman

HOPE YOU WILL VISIT THESE LENSES!

New Challenge in the Squid Forum Today

2010-10-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

Long story short, lensmasters are competing to see who can take a tier 3 lens (one with a lens rank of over 10,000) and boost it into the top Tier, which is a lens rank of 2,000 or less. (Lower numbers = higher lens rank). As of this writing, we've got 22 people participating, with one lens each. Part of the process of increasing lensrank is getting traffic, and that's how I'm trying to help. I've made a "home page" lens for the Challenge, and all the lenses in the running are there, just waiting for your visits, squid likes, and comments. Do visit and say hello to each of the lensmasters - they will greatly appreciate your presence, and you might just find a lens or two that rocks your world.

Click here and have fun! Tier One Challenge

Better Late Than Never - I Finally Volunteered to be a Squid Angel

2010-10-11T16:13:00.001-07:00

Although many lensmasters have volunteered for this duty with only a few months under their belt, it has taken me two full years to feel comfortable volunteering to be a Squid Angel. It's harder than it looks. So far I've found quite a few interesting lenses, and my list is nearly as eclectic as my own interests. You can follow my progress on my Angels Blessing Lens: Lens Blessings by CCGAL 2010

Thanks for visiting!