What's in a Name?
So we discovered yesterday that, through the wonders of common-law trademark, we're going to need to ditch my wife's brand identity.
She's fine in LA - but there's an existing business in Seattle whose logo and name are like a shitty version of hers. Unfortunately they've been in practice long enough to have earned the rights to their shitty logo and shitty name, and should my wife move her business (a $2500 process, just for the tax documents) without coming up with a new corporate identity, we are "diluting" their brand. So that sucks.
It's entirely possible I'd seen them and subconsciously modeled our shit on theirs. It's just begging for improvement, which is pretty much what my wife's brand is. She's good enough that if you google (common noun) (common verb) you get her business. Whereas theirs is (common noun) (adjective) (adjective) (noun) (adjective) (noun) but two of those five words are synonyms for my wife's noun'n'verb so we're pretty much fucked.
To be clear - I'm delighted that "common law trademark" is a thing. It's protective of all the right things. I just wish I'd discovered it myself (I did an exhaustive trademark search and found nothing and assumed we were okay). And to be clear - this is an opportunity to retrench, reconfigure and rebrand. Kind of a bummer that all we're taking north is an EIN, though.
So in pursuit of new identities, we went hunting last night. Birth centers want to be welcoming - so "sanctuary" or "refuge" or "haven" are great choices, and all COMPLETELY taken. So then you start looking for synonyms of "house" and they're all awesome.
- "The Birth Hole"- "The Birth Shack"
...all of which go very well with the logo our (extremely talented and witty) web designer suggested.
So then you go down the list of north-westy things. Trillium Birth. Taken. Cedars birth. taken. Puget Sound anything. Taken. So you start leafing through plant spotting guides for the Pacific Northwest and you discover that this beautiful and unassuming little plant, all 5 centimeters of it:
...is called NAKED BROOMRAPE.
(someone hates the fuck out of that plant)
And that's about where you try on "Naked broomrape birth center" for fun, roll off the couch, recognize that there aren't many combinations of words more likely to grenade one's business than "Naked Broomrape (anything)" and decide you should go to bed, it's midnight, you're drunk.
And then your daughter wakes you up at 6am.
First Breath Birth Center
Green Apple Birth Center
Clear Water Birthing center
Soft Mountain Birth Center
l'enfant Birth Center
balai viol Birth center
renaissance birth center
Serenity Birth Center
Arya Birth Center
Melody Birth Center
Harmony Birth Center
Off the top of my head
Hmm. Pretty interesting re: Common Law Trademark. A distantly related case is my wife's business. Turns out there is a shop with an identical name out in CA. Sometimes her accounts ship her merchandise to us by mistake.
Anyway, we're looking at expanding online, and I wonder how that affects the geographical component of CLT...hmm.
What constitutes a "geographical market", vis-a-vis CLT? For those purposes is "Greater Seattle area" the market of interest? I suppose with a birth center one could make an argument that anywhere more than a 30 minute drive probably isn't an overlapping market. Not sure it's defensible, but then, CLTs aren't super defensible to begin with, so far as I can tell.
Edit: I think the video has fuckall to say about CLT, because it's from the USPTO, and they don't want to encourage anyone to go that route, as it isn't a great option for businesses or attorneys.
That logo looks like someone is installing a lampshade over a pregnant woman.
Have you considered more descriptive / abstract names? A word that sounds comforting because it looks like comforting words but doesn't mean anything.
P.S. Maybe this neat lil' PDF can help a bit.
Not only am I going to scrutinize that neat li'l PDF like I'm gettin' paid, but through reciprocal work I've ended up getting a $1500 digital strategy workshop for free, as well as consulting with the guy who runs it. So all is not lost, despite the fact that our company is about to be... something else.
More drinking shall be necessary, methinks.
I've never been a fan, actually. If I'm going to mix Kahlua I'll generally throw a little tequila in it and drink it on the rocks. Otherwise I'll drink it on the rocks. If I want a milkshake I'll drink a milkshake.
(I never want a milkshake)
I recognize that my disdain for White Russians upsets the Dude-like order of the Coen brothers universe, but I've never cared much for the Coens either.
The Internet tells me it's called a " Brave bull".
I call it "tequila and kahlua."
They also want silver tequila. I usually use whatever rotgut I have on hand, which is often Cazadores, occasionally Hornitos.
- And that's about where you try on "Naked broomrape birth center" for fun, roll off the couch, recognize that there aren't many combinations of words more likely to grenade one's business than "Naked Broomrape (anything)" and decide you should go to bed, it's midnight, you're drunk.
But you'd have an excuse to put this in a commercial.
If you can't pull a name out of plants or rivers, how about caves? Ape Cave Births is... not worse than Naked Broomrape Birth Center.
Two of the last three weeks have been vegetarian for me. Out of those three weeks, I've only had meat three of the days. This is much easier than I thought, and will get even easier once farmers markets open back up.
Alright, I'm going to do it. I'm going vegetarian. However, I will eat some fish on occasion. So I guess that's referred to as pescatarian, right?
You want to join me in this quest and hold each other accountable?
I'm in for now, it's been 8 days already but I'm some point I'm going to have to eat the meat in my freezer to avoid throwing it out.
rezzeJ want to add this to the goals thread?
I haven't had meat since I posted my comment. Granted, it's not been too long, but I'm solidly in.
Is this something you've thought about and that comment spurred your on to go through with it? Or was it more spontaneous?
I need more vegetarian recipes. One day I'll remember to take pictures of what I'm cooking and actually enter a #grubski.
I had been thinking about it for over a year. My wife is a vegetarian, so being a "pescatarian" makes sense. I'll still have enough options at restaurants etc. and I eat vegetation at home almost always anyways.
It looks neat !
Did you follow some instructions ? I might want to do the same thing but I wouldn't know where to start.
Kinda made it up as I went, with help from a couple friends. They're solid walnut, 2" thick, so they're very heavy. They need to be supported very well. So, what I did was to put 1/2" lag screws into the studs, then I cut off the head with a hack saw. Effectively then, I made solid posts sunk about 3" into the stud. They can hold a lot of weight. Next, I drilled 5/8" holes in the edge of the shelves, and slipped them over the lag screws. One of the shelves was a little loose, so I put a couple set screws in the bottom of the shelf. That's the only hardware that's exposed, but it's very minimal.
It was a little difficult, just because the lag screws have to be screwed in very square and very level. It takes two people for that reason. Also, the holes in the shelves have to be square. Other than that, it's pretty simple. Tools required are an electric drill, a chop saw (you could get away with a hand saw if you don't mind your arm getting tired, or you could have your hardware store cut them), a hack saw, a level, a socket wrench, and the various drill bits.
Here's a better daylight photo.
Yesterday, while biking home, I read this snippet from a Lucebert poem on a poster:
ik draai een kleine mooie ritselende revolutie af
en ik val en ik ruis en ik zingLectures have started a week ago, and in just these eight days or so I've started 2 regular courses, 2 honours courses, my bachelor thesis, I've started running >15km a week, I'm starting lifting weights to become fitter. I've been asked to become treasurer for the club I care about most, and I'm gonna compete in an Esri competition which -if I win of course- might get me a week to San Diego for free. Also, I found a masters degree that sounds really interesting, I hope it will live up to my expectations.
All in all I'm really stoked to see what the next months will bring!
Every line represents one bike trip made with Citibike in Manhattan and Brooklyn on July 1st of last year. The line appears when someone starts biking and disappears when the bike has been returned to a station.
What I've basically created is a Python script that reads the original data, extracts the start and endtime and draws a line between them with the accompanying coordinates. Then, it creates a layer for every frame in ArcGIS and exports all the frames as a PNG so I can load it into my video editor. Now that I have my workflow actually working, I can improve the design so it'll hopefully make more intuitive sense as to what you're looking at.
I got a great postcard today from TheGreatAbider16. It discussed at some length The Great Lebowski.
I also went out to the Community Garden and dropped off my compost. While I was there composting, I composed a postcard to thenewgreen and sent it off to NC.
I'm a little sad that I couldn't get it together to write a hush poem for yesterday's #todayswritingprompt. After reading coffeesp00ns contribution, all I could think of was Anne Frank hiding in an attic and everyone going hush whenever the Nazis showed up.
It's pretty cold here (70F or 21C). That's actually fantastic. What am I doing indoors? I'm leaving.
_refugee_'s IRC a few days ago was somewhat surreal. The hubski junior units were on talking excessively about buttholes. When I showed up it was all, like, hush hush lil's here, but they just couldn't seem to change the topic. While hubski itself can appear ego and superego, IRC is all id. whatever that means (I don't actually know) and today, it looks like mc has been reading Ezekial -- What's happening to the boutique? I'll go look at the ocean.
Keep those cards and letters coming!!
I did my 50th meditation session today. With a streak of 27 days! Thats 14 hours of meditation! According to this study , my white-matter connectivity is improving. I don't know if this is due to the meditation, but I am feeling much better than a few months ago. Its going up again!
I spent the last few days preparing my applications. I am writing a letter of purpose for the first time and its horrible. It seems weird to talk so good about myself, somehow. First application will be sent this Saturday. Next one the following week. I decided to first apply for "safe" things. And once that is done, go for the more interesting stuffs.
Next weekend is Karneval. I live in Düsseldorf, one of the 3 cities where Karneval is celebrated excessively in Germany. They block the whole old city and everyone is drunk. After 4pm, the city should be avoided! Drunk people everywhere, puke, shit, piss, not fun ><
Which is why I am escaping and going to visit my friends in the south, excited for the weekend :)
I've been doing so much reading I feel like if you split my head open it would be full of pages. A little of the Meditations, but primarily texts on medical anthropology, medical history, epidemiology and other related topics, and it's doing a little damage. Last night for example I was finishing the book I quoted for the quotesporn thread, and it was focusing on child-rearing techniques in rural Ireland. HOLY SHIT I HAVEN'T FELT THIS BAD FROM READING IN YEARS! Basically, Irish infants are left on their own for large percentages of the day, not in contact with their mother, or anybody else, left unsoothed when they cry, and are basically neglected except for diaper changes and feeding. This is because 'coddling' a child is understood to cause weakness, both physically and mentally.
I let this shit get to me too much. This book was written in the 70's, and rural Ireland is drastically different now, because so many of the people who were living the way that was described in the book are just dead now, or else moved into the city or a hospital. But I still had to take a break to collect myself after finishing my outline of child-rearing practices.
Looking forward though, I've been very productive so far this week, I'll continue to do so. I'm already grossly over-prepared for my first round of exams and I'm making good progress on my research project.
- I've been doing so much reading I feel like if you split my head open it would be full of pages.
I fear I've lost my effective ability to sit and read a book, fiction or not, for leisure. Are there particular steps you take to sink in for a good reading session? to stay focused? I can't tell if my problem comes from being too wired or too tired; I either lose focus or fall asleep.
And, on that note, does anyone else ever find themselves reading pages and pages of text and then stopping, reflecting, and realizing you weren't paying attention at all, you have no idea what you've been reading?
- Are there particular steps you take to sink in for a good reading session? to stay focused?
Instrumental music, something to be sipping on.
- And, on that note, does anyone else ever find themselves reading pages and pages of text and then stopping, reflecting, and realizing you weren't paying attention at all, you have no idea what you've been reading?
Happens all the time. I read stupid fast so I'm not worried about re-reading stuff.
- And, on that note, does anyone else ever find themselves reading pages and pages of text and then stopping, reflecting, and realizing you weren't paying attention at all and have no idea what you've been reading?
Begin forcing yourself to read 100 (or if you're feeling the time constraints these days, 50, 25) pages a day of something. Or, you know, 10 pages a day of several somethings. You'll go a week, look back, and suddenly have finished a book or two. It's a wonderful feeling. Your day will start to feel incomplete without some reading. You'll stop wasting so much time (you may think you're busy -- and probably you are, somewhat, but I'm not sure how busy anyone can truly be in high school when compared to college/grad school) ... e.g. how long did you facebook today. Etc. Remember the thread about not immediately opening your computer when you get home from school/work? I usually clean my kitchen, but sometimes I pick up a book.
Worked for me, and while I'm not quite still reading 100 a day, I'm reading much more than I was before I tried that little experiment. I largely regained my ability to sit and read.
I don't have a source, but I have also read that something similar is being suggested for some babies. Specially ones that never stop crying you you put them down.
My aunt had a child a few months ago. She never put her down. She has to carry her all the time until she falls asleep. The moment she wakes up, she cries. Then my aunts carries her again and all is well.
It's one thing to never put your child down, it's another thing entirely to deny their basic needs for physical contact because you're afraid of raising a pansy.
The author was talking about her aid work in sub-saharan africa, and how malnourished infants, who had LOST ALL INTEREST IN EATING would still cling with all of their might to whomever gives them the littlest bit of attention.
Watch this video, this is how important physical contact is to young social primates.
8bit somersaults into the room and then pops the Van Damme split on 'em.
Cleaned my desk and the area around it, as well as the area around my bed, and I feel much better and less nervous/more productive. My mom's clean-bug was planted on me without me looking, it would seem.
I've also gone a full week wearing my CPAP without taking it off in the middle of the night - a first in the couple months I've been wearing the thing. Cleaning it used to feel like a nuisance, but now it feels more like a "before I go to bed" ritual. Not bad.
I only have one exam-based class this year, which is nice. I hate tests, but I do like projects.
Oh, and I'm finally moving out of my shitty apartment and getting away from my shit roommates. Yeehaw.
Honestly now that I think about it, 2015 is looking pretty good. Awesome music coming out, games I'm excited about, The Avengers 2, Star Wars is coming back, I like my classes a lot more...knock on all the wood in your vicinity though.
EDIT: I just had this surreal moment where I realized I might have been on Hubski long enough at this point to repeat shit I've said about my life before on the website. Uh...let me know if that happens, I hate when I do that.
Edit 2: Forgot to mention I won Boulder Bingo yesterday:
Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure Machine. You wear one of these Bane-lookin masks:
And it opens up the airways that are partially closed when you have Sleep Apnea - when they're closed, they make you snore and wake up every couple of seconds.
It's uncomfortable at first, and you go to bed looking like Frankenstein's Monster, but you wake up feeling like a God, if you've never had a good night's sleep before.
How did you become aware you needed to be diagnosed?
Had difficulty paying attention in class or focusing on anything at all. Things that I found enjoyable I couldn't spend more than 10 minutes on without switching to something else. I was fidgeting like crazy all the time. I also started snoring like crazy.
Went to my doc, thought I had ADHD, got me a sleep study at the Children's Hospital, and the rest is history!
I lost weight wearing this thing. It's not a miracle-worker, but man it's awesome.
Sitting in the train. A passenger is caught without the correct ticket (only valid for IC not ICE trains), gets confronted, tries to explain himself, overreacts.
Passenger is a young (16/17? Year old) Tunisian guy.
Comes a drunk big guy, thinks he could solve the problem and pokes the passenger with his fingers into both eyes.
The situation escalates. Three additional passengers attack the Tunisian passenger. Tunisian passenger has a meltdown. Starts cursing. Threatening people with revenge in the name of Allah and pride.
The whole train is listening. I start hearing racist calls. "Take the scum out". "Send them back home". "Germany is going to shit".
I stand up, go talk to him, try to calm him down and understand what happened. He gets quieter but still cursing. I see that he is hurt. This eyes red and watering. He has his belt in his hand. Tried to fight back.
Police has been called. He gets off the next stop.
It's calm again. I am in my seat again. The Germans start talking. Racism bubbling out of the mouths of the older generation. The young passengers listening and nodding.
I stand up and explain the situation. Some people discuss that he should not have threatened and addressed people in that tone. I agree, and still ask them to get the whole picture.
They stop arguing, with stabbing comments, I have a feeling I didn't reach anyone.
The murmurs turn into whispers.
Racism still runs deep in our society. Specially in the old generation.
I fear such stories. They give the young generation a feeling that the world is black and white. Muslims, Jews, Christians. Them against us.
In a time where movements like PEGIDA are sprouting from nowhere and getting traction, such stories only add more hatred. I fear the future.
I wonder what would have happened if the guy who overreacted was a white "German" guy.
A guess, the passengers would have laughed, and said "he was drunk..." And continued playing candy crush.
There was a "mass murder plot" that was disrupted today in Halifax, NS. The news line continues to be "this was not a terrorist organization", but a group of "Murderous Misfits."
I continue to ask myself "If these people were brown, would they say the same thing?"
Without any great justification (except for the usual base-level of stress), I've been feeling really down lately. Things just haven't been going super well, and I'm letting things slide that I definitely shouldn't. I have this voice in the back of my head telling me that I need to get my ass in gear, and I'm listening to that voice, but I just can't fight back the feeling of dread I get when I think about doing anything on my to-do list.
I understand that feeling that you are describing. Sometimes, for me it feels like so much has mounted, and I have so much to do that it is overwhelming. But then I remember that old saying, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
I was at a seminar recently and they had someone there to speak to us about time management etc. Much of what she talked about was common sense, but that doesn't mean it's all that easily adopted, old habits die hard. One thing that many of us do, myself included is to create a list and then knock off the easiest things off the list first. What ends up happening is that we carry over to our next list the most difficult things and then the hardest things all start to mount. I'm going to attempt to start to knock off the hardest things from my list, and leave the easier things for later. Perhaps you could try this too? Good luck!
The secret to success is granularity.
Tonight, before you go to bed, write down a handful of things you will accomplish tomorrow. Don't go crazy; fill a post-it note with normal-sized text.
Tomorrow, after you've woken up, accomplish something on that list. It will give you the strength to go after the rest of your goals.
Tomorrow, when it's time for bed, look at what you've accomplished and what you have left to accomplish. Odds are you will have made a dent, no matter how tiny, on your "to do list."
I built a car from the frame rails up. As you might imagine, the to-do list had obnoxiously impossible tasks on it like "design and install brake system." However, "design and install brake system" is a half dozen subtasks (purchase tubing, select master cylinder, rebuild front brakes, rebuild rear brakes, bend tubing, etc) and when you take on those subtasks with a realistic point of view, you will get through it.
I'm suspiciously happy.
Everything seems so much brighter, I'm laughing at silly things I'd normally sigh at. I'm more motivated, confident and happy for what seems like no reason at all.
Not the first time this has happened, either. I'd been down for months previously twice, for what I'd thought to be social reasons, the most recent time everything got better even though nothing really changed and I'm starting to suspect something of the bipolar spectrum.
I have a few of the symptoms of mania as well. Maybe It's just a coincidence and I'm just happy.
Anyway, whatever the cause I'm happy, so that's good. :)
Heading to Ottawa for counselling appointment 4/5 towards HRT. gonna see my folks's new house too.
My bro is really down right now because his ankle is really bad. He's had a lot of problems with floating cartilage in the joint. He's going in to surgery number... 3? 4? in a few weeks, and he's really down about it.
The counselling is sort of a requirement for me to get a referral to an Endocrinologist, who can prescribe me HRT, or Hormone Replacement Therapy.
I hope my bro gets better soon too. His lack of mobility really gets him down.
I'm going to NYC for the first time ever this Friday, so I'm pumped right now! Believe it or not, I am 23 years old and have lived in New York State my whole life.
I have been to Chicago, Toronto, and Boston before, and enjoyed that. I don't know if I could live in a big city though. I certainly couldn't drive regularly in these cities, it would drive me insane. I recognize NYC is a different beast, we'll see how much I like it.
Just visiting or staying for a bit? I'd be happy to suggest some cool places to visit or eat (or drink)
I'm going for the weekend, it's a Valentine weekend trip with the girlfriend! She's been to the city before, so I'm mostly following her lead. We're going to Jekyll & Hyde for dinner saturday night. However, some suggestions would be appreciated if you don't mind, hopefully this won't be my only trip to NYC.