This blog has moved to Wordpress. I’m an environmentally conscious writer/hairdresser with a heart. I may write fiction, non-fiction, and anything my clients talk about. Read my eBook novels, Mafia Hairdresser, and, The Glow Stick Gods or I'll cut you! MafiaHairdresser.com Watch for my non-fiction humor eBook, "50 Days of 50," and my How-To book: "Social Media for Stylists, Salons & Spas."
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Tuesday, October 11, 2011
National Coming Out Day
Check out Rob's book, Coming Out, an Act of Love. It's a book about coming out, in every way. Including going for your dreams that God gave you.
Here's another gift I got from the The Experience workshop. An inspiring song that makes me feel my power again, every time I listen to it. It's In Every One Of Us.
jon-david is an Experience graduate and is using his gifts and living his dreams. He's a blogger at TheLocalTourist.com. Read his novels, Mafia Hairdresser, and, The Glow Stick Gods. jon-david is a hairdresser at Joseph Michael's Salon & Spa and is happily in a relationship with David Cradduck--they have two dogs, Olive the, LabDoodle and Junebug, the Yorkie.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thank you, Carrie Fisher
In the acknowledgment section of my book, Mafia Hairdresser, I tell author actress, Carrie Fisher, "it was because of you that I became a writer." And this is true.
To my knowledge, I did not know Carrie Fisher in the sense that we ever exchanged words or thoughts. I'm not even sure if our eyes met or if she even paid the slightest amount of notice to me the many times our paths crossed. The reason that I'm not sure was that I was under the influence of many things, including youth and bashfulness, when we were both intermingling around the Hollywood party scene at the same time. Of course, I knew who she was, but I was a little twink of a hairdresser working for a mob couple and we got invited to all the same fancy shindigs where the coke was free and the Dom Perignon was on tap.
I loved watching Carrie Fisher, from afar, at those parties. She was captivating and funny and she was always making the men around her double over in pain from laughter. I do not know if she was under the influence of anything but a jacked-up magnetism, but I wrote a fictionalized interpretation of how I remembered the real Carrie in my first book; which also takes place in the 80s. I hope, one day, she reads my book and smiles. But I really want her to know that it wasn't until years later that she became my inspiration to become a writer. When her book, Postcards from the Edge, came out, I was so impressed at how effortlessly she came through the pages. It was like I was actually listening to the real Carrie Fisher that I used to eavesdrop on. The humor and stabbing wit in her book made me laugh out loud and her story told of the era of when I had also been at those wild parties. I thought, I talk like this, I can write like this and I think I can do this too. I had also lived through those Hollywood high-times and I had a story to tell as well.
Thank you, Carrie Fisher. You still inspire me.
Read all of Carrie Fishers books, Postcards from the Edge, Surrender the Pink, Delusions of Grandma, The Best Awful, Shockaholic, Wishful Drinking. And do go see her Broadway play, Wishful Drinking!
To my knowledge, I did not know Carrie Fisher in the sense that we ever exchanged words or thoughts. I'm not even sure if our eyes met or if she even paid the slightest amount of notice to me the many times our paths crossed. The reason that I'm not sure was that I was under the influence of many things, including youth and bashfulness, when we were both intermingling around the Hollywood party scene at the same time. Of course, I knew who she was, but I was a little twink of a hairdresser working for a mob couple and we got invited to all the same fancy shindigs where the coke was free and the Dom Perignon was on tap.
I loved watching Carrie Fisher, from afar, at those parties. She was captivating and funny and she was always making the men around her double over in pain from laughter. I do not know if she was under the influence of anything but a jacked-up magnetism, but I wrote a fictionalized interpretation of how I remembered the real Carrie in my first book; which also takes place in the 80s. I hope, one day, she reads my book and smiles. But I really want her to know that it wasn't until years later that she became my inspiration to become a writer. When her book, Postcards from the Edge, came out, I was so impressed at how effortlessly she came through the pages. It was like I was actually listening to the real Carrie Fisher that I used to eavesdrop on. The humor and stabbing wit in her book made me laugh out loud and her story told of the era of when I had also been at those wild parties. I thought, I talk like this, I can write like this and I think I can do this too. I had also lived through those Hollywood high-times and I had a story to tell as well.
Thank you, Carrie Fisher. You still inspire me.
Read all of Carrie Fishers books, Postcards from the Edge, Surrender the Pink, Delusions of Grandma, The Best Awful, Shockaholic, Wishful Drinking. And do go see her Broadway play, Wishful Drinking!
- jon-david is the self publishing author of Mafia Hairdresser, an 80s tale. (screenplay is finished too! and looking for an agent...)
- jon-david's second book, The Glow Stick Gods, about the 90s, is due out on all ebooks November 2011
- jon-david's third book, Murder, There's An App For That, is due out on eBooks November 2012
Monday, August 8, 2011
"You losers are going to hell, just sayin..."
I am always thankful that I have a never ending list of things to write about and, when I’m too tired to necessarily dig deep into a story or blog that I’m interested in, I let my Facebook Friends write a story for me.
This one comes from a co-worker/friend today. On his wall he wrote:
“Just saw a commercial for a Christian dating website, Christianmingle. You losers are going to hell, just sayin...”
2 people liked his post.
One person said, “Haha, Total Losers”
Of which my co-worker responded “Totally”
Another person said, “I already have my one way ticket so, I’m not worried.”
The last post was: “Christianmingle? w..t..F?!?!”
My immediate reaction was one of appall and I was also a little offended by his remark as well. Although I do not identify myself as a Christian, in a organized religion sense, I was christened in the Catholic church and I can understand how there came to be dating services for Christians looking for other Christians to date; just like there are Jewish dating organizations. And, even though I may have a huge difference of opinion where it concerns some Christian organization’s viewpoint on things like civil unions, gay rights, reproductive right etc, I would never slag the whole religion in general or the fact that they date. I think Christian people are pretty nice and I love them as much as my Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist friends. I hope they all get dates.
And then I got to thinking: Didn’t I have my Facebook friend in the Social Media Class that I taught at work? If he was there, why would he write something like that in a public format? Did my friend not know that some of his clients may be upset about such a statement? And, if even one of the salon’s clients had an issue with the statemement, I’m sure that statement would come back to bite him in the leg--if not get a talking to by management. I’m sure it’s not a thing to fire someone over, but I know I taught him that Facebook and anything online is not private. This guy is a sweet guy. And he’s funny, in person. Maybe it was just one of those flippant posts that he just didn’t think about too much? So I wrote him a personal one-to-one FB message. My tone was pretty straightforward.
Saw your post on Christian dating service and you saying they are going to hell. I know for certain that saying that anywhere, especially online, can and will be taken offensively and can be used against you--and, if you actually think about it, is not very smart. I suggest you take it off.
When I saw him make other posts and he didn’t take the offensive post off, I thought, what the heck: Let my friend write my next Social Media Blog.
I will say this one more time: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Linkin etc. is not you. It is an ongoing public discussion and you get to focus your content to what your “brand” is about. Unless you have a big bank account, a secure job and revenue stream, and you are willing to fight for any controversial statements that you make on these social media platforms, I suggest that you take another look at who’s looking at you.
I’m a writer who tells it like it is. I’ll fight for what I say online & admit when I’m wrong about what I’ve said. I’ll also stand up for anyone who is unnecessarily slagged whether they be Christians, daters, “looser,” or puppies.
“Buy my books, or I’ll cut you!” www.mafiahairdresser.com
This one comes from a co-worker/friend today. On his wall he wrote:
“Just saw a commercial for a Christian dating website, Christianmingle. You losers are going to hell, just sayin...”
2 people liked his post.
One person said, “Haha, Total Losers”
Of which my co-worker responded “Totally”
Another person said, “I already have my one way ticket so, I’m not worried.”
The last post was: “Christianmingle? w..t..F?!?!”
My immediate reaction was one of appall and I was also a little offended by his remark as well. Although I do not identify myself as a Christian, in a organized religion sense, I was christened in the Catholic church and I can understand how there came to be dating services for Christians looking for other Christians to date; just like there are Jewish dating organizations. And, even though I may have a huge difference of opinion where it concerns some Christian organization’s viewpoint on things like civil unions, gay rights, reproductive right etc, I would never slag the whole religion in general or the fact that they date. I think Christian people are pretty nice and I love them as much as my Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist friends. I hope they all get dates.
And then I got to thinking: Didn’t I have my Facebook friend in the Social Media Class that I taught at work? If he was there, why would he write something like that in a public format? Did my friend not know that some of his clients may be upset about such a statement? And, if even one of the salon’s clients had an issue with the statemement, I’m sure that statement would come back to bite him in the leg--if not get a talking to by management. I’m sure it’s not a thing to fire someone over, but I know I taught him that Facebook and anything online is not private. This guy is a sweet guy. And he’s funny, in person. Maybe it was just one of those flippant posts that he just didn’t think about too much? So I wrote him a personal one-to-one FB message. My tone was pretty straightforward.
Saw your post on Christian dating service and you saying they are going to hell. I know for certain that saying that anywhere, especially online, can and will be taken offensively and can be used against you--and, if you actually think about it, is not very smart. I suggest you take it off.
When I saw him make other posts and he didn’t take the offensive post off, I thought, what the heck: Let my friend write my next Social Media Blog.
I will say this one more time: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Linkin etc. is not you. It is an ongoing public discussion and you get to focus your content to what your “brand” is about. Unless you have a big bank account, a secure job and revenue stream, and you are willing to fight for any controversial statements that you make on these social media platforms, I suggest that you take another look at who’s looking at you.
I’m a writer who tells it like it is. I’ll fight for what I say online & admit when I’m wrong about what I’ve said. I’ll also stand up for anyone who is unnecessarily slagged whether they be Christians, daters, “looser,” or puppies.
“Buy my books, or I’ll cut you!” www.mafiahairdresser.com
Thursday, August 4, 2011
My Facebook Wall is my post and Ad for my book this week.
This was a Facebook feed. I offered my FB friends a free download to my book, Mafia Hairdresser. You see, I need as many people as possible to read it before book 2, The Glow Stick God is published in November. You can make use of the eBook download of my book too! Make sure you use code KY72M. It expires by 8/28/2011
www.smashwords.com
It’s the get-rich-quick 80s and a young hairdresser climbs the L.A. social-scene ladder to reach more than he bargained for by moonlighting for a cocaine trafficking couple. Cars made out of coke, Hawaiian vacations, glitzy clothes & a steady flow of money makes a fabulously dangerous lifestyle that
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Miracle Whip Contest--I don't qualify.
I saw on Twitter that Miracle Whip has a Youtube contest where you tell how Miracle Whip has helped or hindered a relationship of yours and you could win $25,000 for you wedding or divorce. That’s cute right?
Well, I hate Miracle Whip. So I cannot write a Youtube script that would ring true or be endearing, and I’m not getting married or divorced. But I have a Miracle Whip story that’s worth telling and it’s the reason that I still flinch and gag whenever I even think that Miracle Whip might be in a sandwich I’m about to bite into.
It was the 80s and I was traveling north on the 405 freeway from Long Beach, California, (where I lived) to Azusa, where I was finishing up Beauty School. I’m sure I was talking on my “brick” phone with one hand and eating my Jack in the Box breakfast sandwich with the other, while steering my ’68 Plymouth Barracuda with my knee and going 80 miles an hour with traffic. (I live in Chicago now and I miss driving alongside my fellow “pro” freeway drivers.)
About 2 miles up ahead was the 91 east to west onramp overpass to the southbound 405 and a huge freight truck was on it. The truck’s cargo must have been packed to the top of the refrigerated interior because, as it took the curve on the overpass, the whole truck, minus the driver in the cab, tipped over and fell onto all of the northbound lanes. Luckily, it was early morning in the middle of summer so as cars approached the freight compartment as it was falling they were able to avoid being crushed or hitting it. Not so lucky for people in cars like me who saw what was happing up ahead: we witnessed the top of the freight compartment popping off like a squeezed frozen juice container as it hit the pavement. Only no juice squirted out: just boxes containing thousands of jars of Miracle Whip. And those jars of white fluffy spread popped and broke and began to spew its sploof all over the freeway so the next “wave” of fellow Los Angelino fab drivers began to slip and slide all around like bumper cars at a carnival; only we were all such good drivers that we had slowed down by the time we came to the Miracle Whipastrophe that we never hit each other.
I had never had a problem with Miracle Whip before the incident. I usually bought Best Foods mayo but if Miracle Whip was in the house--I liked it just as well. But after I spent that whole summer smelling the sun cooked Kraft product in my car, it’s a wonder I have not had trauma therapy for that condiment calamity. That whole summer was spent washing and power washing the underside of my muscle car: in the wheel wells, the undercarriage, engine... Miracle Whip, I don’t qualify for your $25,000 but is it too late to ask for a new car?
Well, I hate Miracle Whip. So I cannot write a Youtube script that would ring true or be endearing, and I’m not getting married or divorced. But I have a Miracle Whip story that’s worth telling and it’s the reason that I still flinch and gag whenever I even think that Miracle Whip might be in a sandwich I’m about to bite into.
It was the 80s and I was traveling north on the 405 freeway from Long Beach, California, (where I lived) to Azusa, where I was finishing up Beauty School. I’m sure I was talking on my “brick” phone with one hand and eating my Jack in the Box breakfast sandwich with the other, while steering my ’68 Plymouth Barracuda with my knee and going 80 miles an hour with traffic. (I live in Chicago now and I miss driving alongside my fellow “pro” freeway drivers.)
About 2 miles up ahead was the 91 east to west onramp overpass to the southbound 405 and a huge freight truck was on it. The truck’s cargo must have been packed to the top of the refrigerated interior because, as it took the curve on the overpass, the whole truck, minus the driver in the cab, tipped over and fell onto all of the northbound lanes. Luckily, it was early morning in the middle of summer so as cars approached the freight compartment as it was falling they were able to avoid being crushed or hitting it. Not so lucky for people in cars like me who saw what was happing up ahead: we witnessed the top of the freight compartment popping off like a squeezed frozen juice container as it hit the pavement. Only no juice squirted out: just boxes containing thousands of jars of Miracle Whip. And those jars of white fluffy spread popped and broke and began to spew its sploof all over the freeway so the next “wave” of fellow Los Angelino fab drivers began to slip and slide all around like bumper cars at a carnival; only we were all such good drivers that we had slowed down by the time we came to the Miracle Whipastrophe that we never hit each other.
I had never had a problem with Miracle Whip before the incident. I usually bought Best Foods mayo but if Miracle Whip was in the house--I liked it just as well. But after I spent that whole summer smelling the sun cooked Kraft product in my car, it’s a wonder I have not had trauma therapy for that condiment calamity. That whole summer was spent washing and power washing the underside of my muscle car: in the wheel wells, the undercarriage, engine... Miracle Whip, I don’t qualify for your $25,000 but is it too late to ask for a new car?
jon-david is the author of, Mafia Hairdresser, available on all eBook formats and Smashwords.com. His second book will be on sale this fall and can be previewed with book 1.
Original Twitter post from @MiracleWhip
"Tell us how MW affects your relationship for a chance to win $25K for your wedding or divorce @ http://t.co/JrhSnEk. No purchase necessary."
"Tell us how MW affects your relationship for a chance to win $25K for your wedding or divorce @ http://t.co/JrhSnEk. No purchase necessary."
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
I'm a hairdresser who writes. Take your tech and shove it.
I've just wasted hundreds of dollars, many hours, months, stress and lots of karma points trying to apply tech blogger savvy to my writing. I have a damned good book to sell, Mafia Hairdresser, and I will do everything it takes to make sure that as many people read it as possible; BUT I am throwing in the towel trying to become a professional blogger to do it. By the way, this is my #TechWeek “tribute,” and my hats-off-to-bloggers, and my shitty apology to my BF & social media friends who said they’d love to help me.If you know me, I hang around a very cool group of Chicago social media specialists. They have thier own companies, are paid handsomely for thier blogging or Twitter services, and they have all learned how to utilize their posts to drive search engine rankings to thier benefits and connect with other bloggers. It is my understanding that WordPress is now the ultimate blogging application and that it is magic and a must for linking people to your product, profile and services. All my friends use it and they strongly recommended that I use it. It only took me two months to discover that it’s not a website or host and that my website’s builder is not compatible. I had to learn what a MySQL, SEO and figure out File Transfer Protocol (FTP) was and why I needed it. I also learned there is a whole inner-sanctum of WordPress users that remind me of the Dungeons & Dragons clubs of the past: I just don't want to learn how to delve into the different levels--I just want to play!
You’d think that I would have asked my friends for some help after I bought a hosting service from Bluehost to replace my GoDaddy service and couldn’t figure out a new dashboard. But my BF is an IT specialist. Not a website builder, mind you, but he knows a hellava lot more about how to build a website and move a blogging application into it. Well, it turns out, it was the last thing he wanted to do and I tortured the poor man for two months so, by the time I had time to start asking help from friends, I was so brain-fried and frustrated that I got my money back from Bluehost (they were sweet & I'll be back!) and trashed the idea of using the culty Wordpress application and now I dare anyone to console me or tell me that they’d be glad to help me until I cool down. “I will cut you,” may not just be my motto.
I have read Smashwords Marketing Guide and WordPress All In One For Dummies, and countless manuals on how to upload my book for Kindle and iBook formats. I am as savvy as I’m going to get right now and I'm going reject anymore tech related material that comes my way. This Bloggy Blogger Blogspot will have to suffice for a while and now I will blog once a week here. I will still blog weekly for The Local Tourist magazine under my Twitter handle @mafiahairdreser and, hopefully, bloggers will blog about me. It’s enough, right?
So now, my immediate to-do list: I have book 2, The Glow Stick God, to get ready to be available on eBooks, Smashwords.com and MafiaHairdresser.com. That means promotional videos, press, social media and cover design before November. I am also writing book 3, Murder There’s An App For That, about the murder of a good friend and the sometimes dark and funny side of being plugged in all the time being a “social media expert.” Yes, friends, I’m writing about you. But, if you’ve read, Mafia Hairdresser, or the preview to The Glow Stick God on the eBook version, you wouldn’t worry-I'm nothing but a pissy hairdresser & an ex-professional party boy who writes--AND I fictionalize the truth & I don’t like to hurt anyone with my writing except, of course, myself.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Description of Mafia Hairdresser
I need a short Description and a Long Description for my book.
Can you read these and tell me ANYTHING in the Comments? Open to suggestions.
It’s the get-rich-quick 80s and a young hairdresser climbs the L.A. social scene ladder to get more than he bargained for by moonlighting for a cocaine trafficking couple. Cars made out of coke, Hawaiian vacations, new clothes & lots of money makes a fabulously dangerous lifestyle that becomes murderous. Based on the author's own fabulous life. Book 1 of a series.
Southern California in the 1980s was the apex of the universe for the pauper-impaired. Dynasty, Madonna, designer-everything, mobile phones and cocaine ushered in the Me Generation’s appetite for addictive living. In Los Angeles, a young hairdresser named, Jessy, dressed for success and wanted to get rich quick and got more than he bargained for by moonlighting for clients like, Big-Don, who owned a chain of auto-repair shops and supplied drugs to the Hollywood elite. Big-Don’s wife, Claire, whose habit of employing young hairdressers for more than her fashion appetite gets Jessy hooked on more than a new lifestyle.
Jessy’s day-job, at an upscale salon, Beautious Maximous, becomes strained as his co-workers and employers try their best to keep the boy grounded despite the manager being the town’s “queen” of gossip and his friends having to deal with the oncoming age of compulsory condom-sex due to a new un-named plague.
This Mafia Hairdresser is gifted cars, clothing and coke. Vacations to Hawaii, attending music & movie industry parties, and all-you-can-snort cocaine from the mob couple only temporarily mask the fact that Jessy had become part of the crime family where there is no such thing as quitting or leaving. Must this Mafia Hairdresser resort to drugs, blackmail and a possible accidental manslaughter?
Mafia Hairdresser is Book 1 in series and based on the author’s own fabulously dangerous lifestyle.
Mafia Hairdresser is already available for Kindle. After these descriptions of the book are finalized, I'll be able to make the book available on all Ebook formats such and Nook and ibooks.
Can you read these and tell me ANYTHING in the Comments? Open to suggestions.
It’s the get-rich-quick 80s and a young hairdresser climbs the L.A. social scene ladder to get more than he bargained for by moonlighting for a cocaine trafficking couple. Cars made out of coke, Hawaiian vacations, new clothes & lots of money makes a fabulously dangerous lifestyle that becomes murderous. Based on the author's own fabulous life. Book 1 of a series.
Southern California in the 1980s was the apex of the universe for the pauper-impaired. Dynasty, Madonna, designer-everything, mobile phones and cocaine ushered in the Me Generation’s appetite for addictive living. In Los Angeles, a young hairdresser named, Jessy, dressed for success and wanted to get rich quick and got more than he bargained for by moonlighting for clients like, Big-Don, who owned a chain of auto-repair shops and supplied drugs to the Hollywood elite. Big-Don’s wife, Claire, whose habit of employing young hairdressers for more than her fashion appetite gets Jessy hooked on more than a new lifestyle.
Jessy’s day-job, at an upscale salon, Beautious Maximous, becomes strained as his co-workers and employers try their best to keep the boy grounded despite the manager being the town’s “queen” of gossip and his friends having to deal with the oncoming age of compulsory condom-sex due to a new un-named plague.
This Mafia Hairdresser is gifted cars, clothing and coke. Vacations to Hawaii, attending music & movie industry parties, and all-you-can-snort cocaine from the mob couple only temporarily mask the fact that Jessy had become part of the crime family where there is no such thing as quitting or leaving. Must this Mafia Hairdresser resort to drugs, blackmail and a possible accidental manslaughter?
Mafia Hairdresser is Book 1 in series and based on the author’s own fabulously dangerous lifestyle.
Mafia Hairdresser is already available for Kindle. After these descriptions of the book are finalized, I'll be able to make the book available on all Ebook formats such and Nook and ibooks.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Vote for Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society.
The Anti-Cruelty Society LOCAL CHARITY, Needs Area Support in Effort to Win $500,000 from Chase Community Giving.Did you know that the Anti-Cruelty Society is Chicago’s oldest and largest private animal welfare organization and helps OVER 50,000 pets and people every year? I adopted my cat, Yvett MewMew, from them and it’s the one of the best facilities and has the best trained staff.
Today the Anti-Cruelty has the chance to receive a much needed grant from the Chase Community Giving program running on the Facebook platform. And they will be just 1 of over 100 other non-profits reaching out for some of the 5 million being given to non-profits across America. Anti-Cruelty needs this money to pay for the transportation of over 3000 animals out of abusive situations and prevent cruel animal deaths in our community.
Won’t you help them receive this money? It’s so easy. Just go to http://www.anticruelty.org/vote and follow the directions or go to the Chase Community Giving page and "Like" their page and then ON THE LEFT SIDE OF PAGE YOU WILL SEE CHASE GIVING: visit The Anti-Cruelty Society's Chase Community Giving voting page to place your vote! You can only vote once for a charity.
Voting begins on Thursday, May 19 at 12:01 a.m. and ends Wednesday May 25 at Midnight..
More Help for Fine or Weakened Hair
If you know me as a hairdresser, you also know that I am the go-to guy if you have fine or weak hair. You know, the kind of hair that doesn’t seem to grow past a certain length? It’s always fly-away. Never shiny. And it’s the kind of hair that is often mistaken for dry hair and yet, if you load it up with moisturizers, it goes limp and looks like you’ve used olive oil for a styling product.
You also might know that I have, for years, used a little known product (among others) called, Emergencee, by Nexxus to help me bond a polymer to weak hair shafts in an effort to increase diameter, strengthen, add body and allow my clients to have longer hair. Well now I’ve found my new favorite product(s). It’s made by Kérastase, a French brand that the salon, where I work, just partnered with. I’ve been aware of the line for years but I had never worked in a salon that used it. But now I’m very impressed Kérastase and pleased to tell you about its treatments for fine or weakened hair and that it’s now available at Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa.
The entire staff was being given the in-salon product knowledge class where we got to work with the products and see, first-hand, what the treatments lines can do for our clients. These types of classes are great for stylists because we get to use the products on ourselves to touch, feel, work with and experience them before we even apply them to our daily repertoire of hair remedies for clients.
Since I don’t have any hair no one picked me to be their partner for trying out our new Kérestase treatments.
But I got the last laugh because I had the opportunity to see everyone else’s results from the different treatments for varied hair problems each staff member was asked to address. All of the results were instantaneous and substantial, from dry or curly-rebellious, to mature hair.
But the fine weakened hair of my friend & co-worker, (& part-time gorgeous model—she’s on the cover of my book!) Eileen was definitely the most dramatic. Eileen has the kind of hair that looks fine yet straight when it is blown out and flattened with a heating tool. It is long and appears to have body due to the blond demensional highlights. But when it’s freshly shampooed, it feels dry and tangles easily and no amount of conditioner seems to make it feel nice until most of the water is blown out of it. This is the exact type of hair that I used to coat up with the polymers or weightless oils so that can be thicker and not flimsy once it’s styled.
The stylist who did Eileen’s treatment shampooed her hair with Kérastase Bain De Force shampoo. It’s made specifically for hair that is weak or damaged (highlights!) and hair that doesn’t have a lot of elasticity (think: stretchy = bad). A good fine-hair shampoo will not over-cleanse the outer layer of the hair shaft but should leave a top-coat of protection and this one does just that. If a person has dry and weakened hair you would use Bain Age Recharge and Eileen could easily also have used this one too. Both are available for home use.
The in-salon treatment that was used on Eileen was called Concentré Age Recharge. It would cost a client $35 in our salon to have it done and it’s worth every penny. The stylist applied the strengthening liquid on her hair and suddenly her hair was smooth, shiny, radiant, and it looked like younger and naturally colored hair. But the proof was in the blow dry. Her hair was easy to blow dry and the length had bounce and shine.
How long will it last? I tell my clients that their treatment lasts as long as they keep on supporting what I did in-salon at their very own homes. That means using the right shampoo, hair masques, and strengtheners vs. moisturizers and/or thermal protectors. Everyone is different and has different lifestyles. For Eileen, she’ll use either of the shampoos I mentioned and Care Volumactive, an at-home conditioner.
I hope that you check out the Kérastase line. I’m going to be blogging more about the results I get in the future and I want to hear from you too.
jon-david is a professional writer as well as a Master Stylist at Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa.
You also might know that I have, for years, used a little known product (among others) called, Emergencee, by Nexxus to help me bond a polymer to weak hair shafts in an effort to increase diameter, strengthen, add body and allow my clients to have longer hair. Well now I’ve found my new favorite product(s). It’s made by Kérastase, a French brand that the salon, where I work, just partnered with. I’ve been aware of the line for years but I had never worked in a salon that used it. But now I’m very impressed Kérastase and pleased to tell you about its treatments for fine or weakened hair and that it’s now available at Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa.
The entire staff was being given the in-salon product knowledge class where we got to work with the products and see, first-hand, what the treatments lines can do for our clients. These types of classes are great for stylists because we get to use the products on ourselves to touch, feel, work with and experience them before we even apply them to our daily repertoire of hair remedies for clients.
Since I don’t have any hair no one picked me to be their partner for trying out our new Kérestase treatments.
But I got the last laugh because I had the opportunity to see everyone else’s results from the different treatments for varied hair problems each staff member was asked to address. All of the results were instantaneous and substantial, from dry or curly-rebellious, to mature hair.
But the fine weakened hair of my friend & co-worker, (& part-time gorgeous model—she’s on the cover of my book!) Eileen was definitely the most dramatic. Eileen has the kind of hair that looks fine yet straight when it is blown out and flattened with a heating tool. It is long and appears to have body due to the blond demensional highlights. But when it’s freshly shampooed, it feels dry and tangles easily and no amount of conditioner seems to make it feel nice until most of the water is blown out of it. This is the exact type of hair that I used to coat up with the polymers or weightless oils so that can be thicker and not flimsy once it’s styled.
The stylist who did Eileen’s treatment shampooed her hair with Kérastase Bain De Force shampoo. It’s made specifically for hair that is weak or damaged (highlights!) and hair that doesn’t have a lot of elasticity (think: stretchy = bad). A good fine-hair shampoo will not over-cleanse the outer layer of the hair shaft but should leave a top-coat of protection and this one does just that. If a person has dry and weakened hair you would use Bain Age Recharge and Eileen could easily also have used this one too. Both are available for home use.
The in-salon treatment that was used on Eileen was called Concentré Age Recharge. It would cost a client $35 in our salon to have it done and it’s worth every penny. The stylist applied the strengthening liquid on her hair and suddenly her hair was smooth, shiny, radiant, and it looked like younger and naturally colored hair. But the proof was in the blow dry. Her hair was easy to blow dry and the length had bounce and shine.
How long will it last? I tell my clients that their treatment lasts as long as they keep on supporting what I did in-salon at their very own homes. That means using the right shampoo, hair masques, and strengtheners vs. moisturizers and/or thermal protectors. Everyone is different and has different lifestyles. For Eileen, she’ll use either of the shampoos I mentioned and Care Volumactive, an at-home conditioner.
I hope that you check out the Kérastase line. I’m going to be blogging more about the results I get in the future and I want to hear from you too.
jon-david is a professional writer as well as a Master Stylist at Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
If you are anti-Social you will probably poo-poo Social Media
My friends and people I know and don’t know tell me all the time, “I don’t get Foursquare,” or, “I won’t waste my time on Facebook.” And I know there are cavernous voids in many people’s brains about Twitter and LinkIn and more. Unless you are like me and have learned what they are about, people simply don’t know what they don’t know about all of these “social platforms.”
Think of these platforms like walking into a room. If you walk into the Facebook room you are going to “see and hear” the friends whom you have accepted. You will get invitations and see pictures of them riding their bikes along the lake and you can also share whatever you like with them, including what restaurants you’ve been to and the charities that you are associated with. Over time you will know what to expect from each friend and they will get to know what you like presenting to them and if you like responding to their information. Are you are a church person? Do you play online games and like to interact with other gamers?
Twitter is like walking into the conversation room. There is much dialogue and information being furiously passed across the room. And the room for business conversations & connections is LinkIn. But every single platform has one thing in common: they are all social.
It’s not the unknown part of using social media that makes people pause from becoming participants; it’s the social part that intimidates. I’ve given up training my friends in social media because I find that everyone wants to put out information to prospective clients over social media platforms—but they don’t want to receive any input, invitations, requests or information from others. The social media specialists, like me, who have been using Twitter, Foursquare, Yelp, CitySearch etc. know thousands of people and have many connections. Who wouldn’t want to promote their restaurant, church, charity, political thoughts to thousands of people who might support their individual endeavors? The problem is that for you to put out your information into the room or conversation, you have to participate and “speak” as well as listen—people have to learn that you are here to stay and that you or you business has integrity--and you have to be willing to take the conversation offline as soon as possible.
The cardinal rule for any Social Media Specialist is to “take it offline” as soon as possible. Social is the first word and that’s exactly what we must try to do: We meet each other after our initial conversation in that room full of others, and it is offline where we learn how much we have in common and how much we can help each other. And, let me tell you, you will meet your new best friends whom you have the most things in common with. People may meet through a media platform by common interests and the relationships that are gained can nurture a business or a cause. Social Media is just a new way of taping into your community to mingle, prosper, help, create and change the world but it’s still about people. So, it’s really about connecting with people you’ve been trying to attract to you and that sounds personal and professional and very wise to me.
go to www.MafiaHairdresser.com to continue the “conversation.”
Think of these platforms like walking into a room. If you walk into the Facebook room you are going to “see and hear” the friends whom you have accepted. You will get invitations and see pictures of them riding their bikes along the lake and you can also share whatever you like with them, including what restaurants you’ve been to and the charities that you are associated with. Over time you will know what to expect from each friend and they will get to know what you like presenting to them and if you like responding to their information. Are you are a church person? Do you play online games and like to interact with other gamers?
Twitter is like walking into the conversation room. There is much dialogue and information being furiously passed across the room. And the room for business conversations & connections is LinkIn. But every single platform has one thing in common: they are all social.
It’s not the unknown part of using social media that makes people pause from becoming participants; it’s the social part that intimidates. I’ve given up training my friends in social media because I find that everyone wants to put out information to prospective clients over social media platforms—but they don’t want to receive any input, invitations, requests or information from others. The social media specialists, like me, who have been using Twitter, Foursquare, Yelp, CitySearch etc. know thousands of people and have many connections. Who wouldn’t want to promote their restaurant, church, charity, political thoughts to thousands of people who might support their individual endeavors? The problem is that for you to put out your information into the room or conversation, you have to participate and “speak” as well as listen—people have to learn that you are here to stay and that you or you business has integrity--and you have to be willing to take the conversation offline as soon as possible.
The cardinal rule for any Social Media Specialist is to “take it offline” as soon as possible. Social is the first word and that’s exactly what we must try to do: We meet each other after our initial conversation in that room full of others, and it is offline where we learn how much we have in common and how much we can help each other. And, let me tell you, you will meet your new best friends whom you have the most things in common with. People may meet through a media platform by common interests and the relationships that are gained can nurture a business or a cause. Social Media is just a new way of taping into your community to mingle, prosper, help, create and change the world but it’s still about people. So, it’s really about connecting with people you’ve been trying to attract to you and that sounds personal and professional and very wise to me.
go to www.MafiaHairdresser.com to continue the “conversation.”
Thursday, March 31, 2011
I don't see Breast Cancer.
This past weekend I had the pleasure of reuniting with one of my dearest gal-pals from High School. We were on the same weapon-wielding squad, sort of speak, in our senior year, and we had a great time, back then, so it was fun to catch up and embrace our friendship anew. I will not say how long it had been since we had graduated. I fear my body would finally succumb to gravity and hasten itself back to dust should I even utter my age to myself or to the public. Barbara was on the Banner & Saber team and I was on the Riffle twirling team at Glendora High school in Southern California. She carried the letters in front of the marching band and twirled actual (blunted) sabers when the band performed at competitions and halftime shows at football games. I was one of the six maniacs who tossed heavy mock-rifles around and the Riffles and Sabers were always intermingling our acts. At our high school the Saber girls had to be a certain height and, that year especially, they were all athletic and gorgeous. And we were the very first Riffle squad and most of us were on different athletic teams so we were treated like cheerleaders with guns. Not to mention: most of the band members were award-winning & talented musicians, as well as lunch-time parking-lot stoners, so all of us were not unpopular. We met at the famous Drake Hotel for high tea and Barbara, who had taken the trip from Glendora to Chicago with her sister, caught me up on her family and children and her husband’s business etc. My partner, David, and me, talked about our dogs and jobs and my book which was just published. Our time together reaffirmed our like and love for each other and I know we will be in touch and see each other again soon. When David and I got home, David mentioned how I had “side swept” the conversation when it was brought up that Barbara had just been treated for breast cancer. I told him that I would have talked about it if I felt that it was something she wanted to talk about, or if it interested me while I was enjoying her company, fancy scones and Chai tea. Now, don’t judge too fast here: You see, as I explained to David, I hear the words breast cancer almost every day in my line work. As a hairdresser, most of my women clients have come into contact with the subject, directly or indirectly in some form or fashion. I’m not shy to the subject but I think I know when someone wants to talk about it or not. In fact, Barbara, who was sporting a very cute short do at Tea asked if I liked it (loved!), and that’s when she told me she had just been able to grow some hair back after the loss of it due to radiation and chemo treatments. Frankly, I went straight to the gushing about her hair because it had only dawned on me, just then, that she always had had long hair in high school. What had she been waiting for to go short? Cancer? I said that too and she laughed and then the dis-ease subject did never surface again. In retrospect, I can only hope that Barbara knows that I am aware of what she has gone through. While I may not have had cancer I know all the steps she had to go through to be healthy and to be able to visit Chicago and I'm aware of the emotional toll her health journey has taken on her and her family. Feeling like I do not need to actually talk about the elephant in the room stems form being a haidresser. It's my job to see the person one is on the "inside." Not the outside nor what is litterally reflecting back to me in the mirror. I don't see hair, daily drama and certainly not cancer; and most people are not of the words they choose. I look and listen and then my job is to reflect back to my client the real person inside -- and I try to make the hair represent that too. At the Drake, I was talking to and enjoying my friend who had been living a great life and who, just recently, had battled cancer. She is the sum of her whole life and she is delightful.
If you ask me my age, I hope that you see the person on the inside, not the number. I can tell you that I’m a lucky guy who has never had a life threatening illness but I can support you if you do. I’m a great listener to whatever you are going through because I know, whether you make it through this lifetime to a ripe age, or get stopped in your tracks, I know you are the always-perfect timeless spirit-person on the inside and everyone is beautiful.
Now, If you'll excuse me, I’m going to call my friend, Barbara, right now, to ask her how she is doing. I won't be walking this year but I always give to my friends and clients who ask me. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is such a great event. "IN IT TO END IT" June 4th and 5th in Chicago http://www.avonwalk.org/chicago/ Go to the website for your city.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Event for Silver LEED certified Apartment Building, The Morgan at Loyola Station
Did you know that apartment buildings are more energy efficient than single family homes? By their very nature, cities can drain less energy on the energy grid than spread out suburbs. Think about it: shared wall-space divides, core heating & air, and four or less window walls exposed to the elements. But what if an apartment building goes for the SILVER! and decides to get a Silver LEED certification? You have a Green building that is actually %60 more efficient than a standard high-rise or apartment building. For those of you who read my last blog, it was all about what a LEED building is and how much goes into getting a certification.
Chicago’s latest Silver LEED building is none other than the luxury apartment building: The Morgan at Loyola Station.
Please join them for a celebration and check out their beautiful eco-friendly apartments March 9th.
Right off the Loyola Station Redline, this event “tweetup!” will host you with delicious bites from Steve's Deli and Burrito Beach, cocktails, and you can mingle with local businesses, such as, I-GO Car Sharing, Tricoci University, Red Mango, PopChips, Washme-Envigreen and Lynfred Winery. They will have fun giveaways for attendees.
RSVP at http://tweetvite.com/event/TheMorgan
And contact the Retail and Residential Leasing office at The Morgan at Loyola Station if you are interested in their elite apartment or retail space along with CVS & Five Guys Burgers & Fries. 773-465-9400
Friday, March 4, 2011
LEED
The LEED green building certification program encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better environmental and health performance.
Here is what they look at:
Sustainable SitesChoosing a building's site and managing that site during construction are important considerations for a project’s sustainability. The Sustainable Sites category discourages development on previously undeveloped land; minimizes a building's impact on ecosystems and waterways; encourages regionally appropriate landscaping; rewards smart transportation choices; controls stormwater runoff; and reduces erosion, light pollution, heat island effect and construction-related pollution.
Water Efficiency
Buildings are major users of our potable water supply. The goal of the Water Efficiency credit category is to encourage smarter use of water, inside and out. Water reduction is typically achieved through more efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings inside and water-wise landscaping outside.
Energy & Atmosphere
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use 39% of the energy and 74% of the electricity produced each year in the United States. The Energy & Atmosphere category encourages a wide variety of energy strategies: commissioning; energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, systems and lighting; the use of renewable and clean sources of energy, generated on-site or off-site; and other innovative strategies.
Materials & Resources
During both the construction and operations phases, buildings generate a lot of waste and use a lot of materials and resources. This credit category encourages the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials. It promotes the reduction of waste as well as reuse and recycling, and it takes into account the reduction of waste at a product’s source.
Indoor Environmental Quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend about 90% of their day indoors, where the air quality can be significantly worse than outside. The Indoor Environmental Quality credit category promotes strategies that can improve indoor air as well as providing access to natural daylight and views and improving acoustics.
Locations & Linkages
The LEED for Homes rating system recognizes that much of a home's impact on the environment comes from where it is located and how it fits into its community. The Locations & Linkages credits encourage homes being built away from environmentally sensitive places and instead being built in infill, previously developed and other preferable sites. It rewards homes that are built near already-existing infrastructure, community resources and transit, and it encourages access to open space for walking, physical activity and time spent outdoors.
Awareness & Education
The LEED for Homes rating system acknowledges that a green home is only truly green if the people who live in it use the green features to maximum effect. The Awareness & Education credits encourage home builders and real estate professionals to provide homeowners, tenants and building managers with the education and tools they need to understand what makes their home green and how to make the most of those features.
Innovation in Design
The Innovation in Design credit category provides bonus points for projects that use new and innovative technologies and strategies to improve a building’s performance well beyond what is required by other LEED credits or in green building considerations that are not specifically addressed elsewhere in LEED. This credit category also rewards projects for including a LEED Accredited Professional on the team to ensure a holistic, integrated approach to the design and construction phase.
Regional Priority
USGBC’s regional councils, chapters and affiliates have identified the environmental concerns that are locally most important for every region of the country, and six LEED credits that address those local priorities were selected for each region. A project that earns a regional priority credit will earn one bonus point in addition to any points awarded for that credit. Up to four extra points can be earned in this way. See the Regional Priority
I did not write any of the above. I wanted this posted on my Blog for reference. Go to
http://www.usgbc.org/ for more information.
And Congratulations to Hotel Felix and The Morgan at Loyala Station a Hotel and a fabulous new dwelling apartments which were designed for Silver LEED and achievements.
Here is what they look at:
Sustainable SitesChoosing a building's site and managing that site during construction are important considerations for a project’s sustainability. The Sustainable Sites category discourages development on previously undeveloped land; minimizes a building's impact on ecosystems and waterways; encourages regionally appropriate landscaping; rewards smart transportation choices; controls stormwater runoff; and reduces erosion, light pollution, heat island effect and construction-related pollution.
Water Efficiency
Buildings are major users of our potable water supply. The goal of the Water Efficiency credit category is to encourage smarter use of water, inside and out. Water reduction is typically achieved through more efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings inside and water-wise landscaping outside.
Energy & Atmosphere
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use 39% of the energy and 74% of the electricity produced each year in the United States. The Energy & Atmosphere category encourages a wide variety of energy strategies: commissioning; energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, systems and lighting; the use of renewable and clean sources of energy, generated on-site or off-site; and other innovative strategies.
Materials & Resources
During both the construction and operations phases, buildings generate a lot of waste and use a lot of materials and resources. This credit category encourages the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials. It promotes the reduction of waste as well as reuse and recycling, and it takes into account the reduction of waste at a product’s source.
Indoor Environmental Quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend about 90% of their day indoors, where the air quality can be significantly worse than outside. The Indoor Environmental Quality credit category promotes strategies that can improve indoor air as well as providing access to natural daylight and views and improving acoustics.
Locations & Linkages
The LEED for Homes rating system recognizes that much of a home's impact on the environment comes from where it is located and how it fits into its community. The Locations & Linkages credits encourage homes being built away from environmentally sensitive places and instead being built in infill, previously developed and other preferable sites. It rewards homes that are built near already-existing infrastructure, community resources and transit, and it encourages access to open space for walking, physical activity and time spent outdoors.
Awareness & Education
The LEED for Homes rating system acknowledges that a green home is only truly green if the people who live in it use the green features to maximum effect. The Awareness & Education credits encourage home builders and real estate professionals to provide homeowners, tenants and building managers with the education and tools they need to understand what makes their home green and how to make the most of those features.
Innovation in Design
The Innovation in Design credit category provides bonus points for projects that use new and innovative technologies and strategies to improve a building’s performance well beyond what is required by other LEED credits or in green building considerations that are not specifically addressed elsewhere in LEED. This credit category also rewards projects for including a LEED Accredited Professional on the team to ensure a holistic, integrated approach to the design and construction phase.
Regional Priority
USGBC’s regional councils, chapters and affiliates have identified the environmental concerns that are locally most important for every region of the country, and six LEED credits that address those local priorities were selected for each region. A project that earns a regional priority credit will earn one bonus point in addition to any points awarded for that credit. Up to four extra points can be earned in this way. See the Regional Priority
I did not write any of the above. I wanted this posted on my Blog for reference. Go to
http://www.usgbc.org/ for more information.
And Congratulations to Hotel Felix and The Morgan at Loyala Station a Hotel and a fabulous new dwelling apartments which were designed for Silver LEED and achievements.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Giving some Love to the Social Media Writers.
“A hairdresser who is a writer? That’s crazy!” That’s one of the tag lines I’ve seen written about me and I’ve even used the tag in my own pitch letters to media platforms to net additional comments and publicity for my writing. Additionally, I could use this tag line to add sparkle to articles I might write about many of my friends. All I’d have to do is take out the word, hairdresser, and replace it with “mommy,” or “tea peddler,” “refrigeration specialist,” “real estate agent,” or “environmentalist.”
We’ve all become writers. I believe it’s required of anyone who wants to succeed in business, whether you are an entrepreneur, a stay at home mom who wants to create a non-traditional revenue stream, or an employee who might be in a position to interact with customers via PR or social media.
I’m not going to tell anyone how to write or what to write. Because writing, for me, is mostly an artistic expression, when I have the time. The artistic writing is what I sell and what I would like to get attention for. It’s the “other” writing I want to talk about. It’s the writing and words we put together to get attention to sell our books, candles or TV shows and to “snare” new customers. We have all become writers; we write blogs, comment on each other’s websites and we tweet 140 characters--multiple times a day. Most of us use email and snail-mail to send our own press releases. I’m the only one who can keep up my personal informative & pithy Facebook updates. In this Information Age it’s key to keep the “content” going out “there” to keep our business in the minds of those people whom we are trying to reach and interact with.
This is a love letter to you, my fellow writers. Many times I get tired of blogging or writing press releases. I wasn’t born with a fondness for typing informational fliers to fellow staff members about book-signings or advice on how to be green. I do love to tweet. But it’s hard to keep it all up, isn’t it? Writing may or may not be a talent we possess. It may also not be our passion. Some of my friends are women with families & have a passion for children or tea. Or, like my friend, Mitch, has his own refrigeration repair business and loves specialty beers. And Lynne & Dr. Sarah have inspired passion for environmental issues. All of these people have businesses which encompass their passions and they also have blogs or books, and use Twitter and Facebook, to name a few, to make sure their business or passions makes them a good living. My hats off to all of us--just know that you are not alone.
I wish we could all hang out more, my writer friends and me. I think then that I wouldn’t feel so tired and alone in the writing that I do. For writing is a very lonely thing. We have to shutter out our friends and families, and even our goals and passions to do it. I want to hang out with all of you, have a beer, and tell you that I’m with you. Whenever you write, I’m doing the same thing. I feel glad to do it but it’s tiring and it’s not always my passion and I know I have to do it. I’m just like you and I know we all feel like we are juggling a million plates in the air to make sure our business, our voice, our books!, and all of our writings are heard, seen, and read. A hairdresser who is a writer? Yes. And sometimes I just want to be a hairdresser and sometimes I want to write books and write blogs. And sometimes I just want to know that someone else is out there doing the same thing as I am and that it makes you feel crazy too.
Please comment here if you like. Or you can tweet me up or even buy my book at www.mafiahairdresser.com
My first promo books will be signed and delivered by mid March! Whoo-hoo!
Love ya,
j-d
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Drinks: Vegas Bombs & Lemoncello Martini
Vegas Bombs
Everyone in Chicago seemed to know what this shot drink was except for me. I had them at McGee's the very first time and then served them at New Years. Warning: What happens after you drink a Vegas Bomb may not remembered. "What happens in Vegas..." Get it? And I guess it's not so smart to mix Red Bull with Vodka. We drank them anyway and most of us stayed up til 3 in the morning playing charades. We forgot to open the expensive champagne everyone had brought. We forgot to toast to New Years. And two guys completely forgot that they invited us all over for brunch, Jan 1st. I'm just saying. In fact, don't drink Vegas Bombs--ever. They must be a health risk. But here's the recipe anyway.
1 highball glass full of Red Bull (about 1/2 a large can)
1 shot glass filled 1/2 Peach Schnapps & 1/2 Jack Daniel's Whiskey
Drop the shot glass in the Red Bull and drink up! Even people who don't like Red Bull like this stimulating mind-erasing drink.
Lemoncello Martini
I got this one off the Internet and I liked it and served it at an Italian themed night at a friend's house.
3 fluid ounces vodka
1 fluid ounce limoncello
1 teaspoon simple *syrup (I use half of what recipe calls for simple syrup. Too sweet for me otherwise.)
lemon twist
Directions:
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
1 Fill a shaker with ice.
2 Add vodka, limoncello and simple *syrup.
3 Shake well and strain into oversized martini glasses.
4 Garnish each with a lemon twist.
5 Note: Simple *syrup is made by combining 2 parts granulated sugar with 1 part water. 6 Simmer, stirring, over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Snowmeggedon Super Bowl Sunday.
Winter. Snowmeggedon. Super Bowl Sunday. For me, these are a few of the events that make me stop my doings and disrupt the planned-out timeline to my goals. I think these events actually become the true markers in my memory so I can always recall what I was doing when these events occurred.
I’ll always remember snOMG (that’s “Snow: Oh My God”) as the day ALL of my clients cancelled a day in advance. It will be one of the favorite days of my life where me and my partner watched 5 episodes of Dexter, played with our three dogs, and we spent hours doing our separate “homework” while watching the blizzard begin to hit us on TV which intensified our excitement while actually seeing it and hearing it pummel our high-rise and wreack havoc on the streets below.
The next morning I woke up to an incredible sight. There were 10 foot snow drifts against buildings and snow so high that only tops of street signs and half of bus stops were visible. There were no people that I could see and there was barely any indication that anyone had been up that morning or had ventured outside because only our building’s sidewalk had been shoveled and there were not a lot of footprints or dog prints in the 20 inches of snow. Moving cars were non-existent because the snow plows could not keep up with the pure white stuff that whipped down from the sky and blanketed the cars that were parked on the curbs. The few cars that were in the middle of the street were abandoned and covered by snow as well. You’d think the dogs would have loved running wild in the middle of our usually busy intersection without leashes, but our morning walk/play time was a little exhausting for them because the shallowest snow was up to their necks.
As the dogs and I came in from our first foray into our winter wonderland, we passed Lisa, and Tom, my next door neighbors (on either side) on our floor. Lisa looked exhausted and was telling Tom that she didn’t get home till 3.a.m. that morning.
In my head, I was thinking, jon-david, you do not have anymore time to waste! You have a book to publish, you don’t even know how E-books work yet, you have to call Billy Dec and Carrie Fisher to ask them to review your promo copy book, the spare room is not going to paint itself and your writer’s ass is going to be a fat-ass if you don’t get to the gym today. Seriously: I had stuff to do and I hadn’t done very much, the previous day, during the blizzard, including make money. My goal oriented mind needed to get back on track. But the little voice in my head that makes sure that I actually enjoy my life of “doing and accomplishing” made me stop & listen. This was going to be a once in a lifetime story that Lisa wanted to tell and I wanted and needed to hear it.
Lisa was one of the few Chicagoan’s that worked past 3pm on blizzard day because new boss at her new job ignored the three days of news pre-warnings that was to prepare us all for the blizzard that actually became the 3rd biggest storm that Chicago had ever seen. He was obviously a man who didn’t listen to his little happy voice in his head very much; work had to get done, regardless of the weather warnings, so he made his employees stay at work. When Lisa finally left work, she had the foresight to call the city’s transportation department to ask which route to take home to Uptown. They said for her to take Lake Shore Drive, the 40 MPH “highway” that runs along Lake Michigan: the same lake that that every news agency had been saying to stay away from because of possible 25 foot waves which would ice-up and stop all roads it would come in contact with.
Well, Lisa was one of those unlucky people who were imprisoned in thier cars for 10 hours. Luckily, she had enough gas to keep her car running and she was finally plowed out only to drive all the way home to find our parking garage closed in drift. Her car was one of the ones in the middle of the street abandoned that I saw that morning. Here’s a YouTube video. It’s says it all.
I grew up in Southern California. It’s sort like its own one-season continent held together by freeways and ambition and it is mentally sectioned off into only five areas: L.A. basin, San Diego, desert, Orange County and Magic Mountain. There is no winter there and there is never going to be a Snowpocalypse. So there is never a forced opportunity to put aside the to-do list. I actually moved to Chicago to become a writer. My life as a salon owner in Long Beach was wonderful but there was no down time. It was: wake-up, run on along the beach, go to work, teach a class, go to a cocktail party, chamber meetings… And since it was always sunny, that “surf’s up—gotta go” attitude is always with you and you are outside, in the water, on your motorcycle or playing with your dogs outside all the time! I need angst. I need to stop and reflect. And I need a little friction to write about. I know my Chicago friends complain about being over the winters here, but listen-up people: it takes stamina to be sunshine happy, go-go-go all the time. Do you think you’d ever stay indoors to watch 5 episode of Dexter, or write books and blog or watch football indoors when you could be sitting on your back porch barbequing all the time? Speaking of sports—forget about it. Everyone in So. Cal. is apathetic when it comes to sports. We lost the Rams because no one went to see them—everyone is too busy achieving and being outdoors doing activities. Very few people support sports team there because no one, except me, is really from there anyway, so nobody gets attached to them.
So, today it’s Super Bowl Sunday and I double booked myself. Do we go over to Lisa’s? Or do I go to my buddy Mike’s because I kind of told him that his Glee party was not what I really wanted to do today and I reminded him that it was Super Bowl Sunday--so he switched it to a Super Bowl party.
And it snowed again! After the dogs’ morning play-time in the new snow, I soon realized that I wasn’t going to make it to church or finish my book’s screenplay or get anything else on my to-do list done. There won't be any time to get to the gym because by the time I finish this blog, my partner and I will have to have breakfast and spend a few moments together, before I have to make my way to work to do that one client from Indiana I had to reschedule from Blizzard Day—and then it’ll be time to start drinking beer and watch the game.
I will get my book out to Chicago and the whole world will be able to read it--someday. But I’ll always remember the time I began publishing my book because I did it during the big storms and the Super Bowl of 2011. Thank you, Chicago, I love your winters and the Bears, and the Cubs and Sox and Blackhawks and all of your sports teams. You make me stop and enjoy my friends and neighbors. I love you all. Hmmm, maybe my Indiana client cancelled today? I have a phone call to make.
I’ll always remember snOMG (that’s “Snow: Oh My God”) as the day ALL of my clients cancelled a day in advance. It will be one of the favorite days of my life where me and my partner watched 5 episodes of Dexter, played with our three dogs, and we spent hours doing our separate “homework” while watching the blizzard begin to hit us on TV which intensified our excitement while actually seeing it and hearing it pummel our high-rise and wreack havoc on the streets below.
The next morning I woke up to an incredible sight. There were 10 foot snow drifts against buildings and snow so high that only tops of street signs and half of bus stops were visible. There were no people that I could see and there was barely any indication that anyone had been up that morning or had ventured outside because only our building’s sidewalk had been shoveled and there were not a lot of footprints or dog prints in the 20 inches of snow. Moving cars were non-existent because the snow plows could not keep up with the pure white stuff that whipped down from the sky and blanketed the cars that were parked on the curbs. The few cars that were in the middle of the street were abandoned and covered by snow as well. You’d think the dogs would have loved running wild in the middle of our usually busy intersection without leashes, but our morning walk/play time was a little exhausting for them because the shallowest snow was up to their necks.
As the dogs and I came in from our first foray into our winter wonderland, we passed Lisa, and Tom, my next door neighbors (on either side) on our floor. Lisa looked exhausted and was telling Tom that she didn’t get home till 3.a.m. that morning.
In my head, I was thinking, jon-david, you do not have anymore time to waste! You have a book to publish, you don’t even know how E-books work yet, you have to call Billy Dec and Carrie Fisher to ask them to review your promo copy book, the spare room is not going to paint itself and your writer’s ass is going to be a fat-ass if you don’t get to the gym today. Seriously: I had stuff to do and I hadn’t done very much, the previous day, during the blizzard, including make money. My goal oriented mind needed to get back on track. But the little voice in my head that makes sure that I actually enjoy my life of “doing and accomplishing” made me stop & listen. This was going to be a once in a lifetime story that Lisa wanted to tell and I wanted and needed to hear it.
Lisa was one of the few Chicagoan’s that worked past 3pm on blizzard day because new boss at her new job ignored the three days of news pre-warnings that was to prepare us all for the blizzard that actually became the 3rd biggest storm that Chicago had ever seen. He was obviously a man who didn’t listen to his little happy voice in his head very much; work had to get done, regardless of the weather warnings, so he made his employees stay at work. When Lisa finally left work, she had the foresight to call the city’s transportation department to ask which route to take home to Uptown. They said for her to take Lake Shore Drive, the 40 MPH “highway” that runs along Lake Michigan: the same lake that that every news agency had been saying to stay away from because of possible 25 foot waves which would ice-up and stop all roads it would come in contact with.
Well, Lisa was one of those unlucky people who were imprisoned in thier cars for 10 hours. Luckily, she had enough gas to keep her car running and she was finally plowed out only to drive all the way home to find our parking garage closed in drift. Her car was one of the ones in the middle of the street abandoned that I saw that morning. Here’s a YouTube video. It’s says it all.
I grew up in Southern California. It’s sort like its own one-season continent held together by freeways and ambition and it is mentally sectioned off into only five areas: L.A. basin, San Diego, desert, Orange County and Magic Mountain. There is no winter there and there is never going to be a Snowpocalypse. So there is never a forced opportunity to put aside the to-do list. I actually moved to Chicago to become a writer. My life as a salon owner in Long Beach was wonderful but there was no down time. It was: wake-up, run on along the beach, go to work, teach a class, go to a cocktail party, chamber meetings… And since it was always sunny, that “surf’s up—gotta go” attitude is always with you and you are outside, in the water, on your motorcycle or playing with your dogs outside all the time! I need angst. I need to stop and reflect. And I need a little friction to write about. I know my Chicago friends complain about being over the winters here, but listen-up people: it takes stamina to be sunshine happy, go-go-go all the time. Do you think you’d ever stay indoors to watch 5 episode of Dexter, or write books and blog or watch football indoors when you could be sitting on your back porch barbequing all the time? Speaking of sports—forget about it. Everyone in So. Cal. is apathetic when it comes to sports. We lost the Rams because no one went to see them—everyone is too busy achieving and being outdoors doing activities. Very few people support sports team there because no one, except me, is really from there anyway, so nobody gets attached to them.
So, today it’s Super Bowl Sunday and I double booked myself. Do we go over to Lisa’s? Or do I go to my buddy Mike’s because I kind of told him that his Glee party was not what I really wanted to do today and I reminded him that it was Super Bowl Sunday--so he switched it to a Super Bowl party.
And it snowed again! After the dogs’ morning play-time in the new snow, I soon realized that I wasn’t going to make it to church or finish my book’s screenplay or get anything else on my to-do list done. There won't be any time to get to the gym because by the time I finish this blog, my partner and I will have to have breakfast and spend a few moments together, before I have to make my way to work to do that one client from Indiana I had to reschedule from Blizzard Day—and then it’ll be time to start drinking beer and watch the game.
I will get my book out to Chicago and the whole world will be able to read it--someday. But I’ll always remember the time I began publishing my book because I did it during the big storms and the Super Bowl of 2011. Thank you, Chicago, I love your winters and the Bears, and the Cubs and Sox and Blackhawks and all of your sports teams. You make me stop and enjoy my friends and neighbors. I love you all. Hmmm, maybe my Indiana client cancelled today? I have a phone call to make.
Friday, February 4, 2011
We are Green at Joseph Michael's Salon and Spa
I work at Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa and we are green. At least, as green as we can be. There isn’t a certificate or green seal of approval we could apply for, but I think we would qualify if there was one for our industry. We are learning how not to pollute and to be more sustainable every day.One of the basic and simplest of ways that we try to be sustainable is to recycle. We do a lot of hair coloring services in our salon which means that we throw away a lot of plastic hair color tubes/bottles and plastic developer containers. It would be criminal for any salon to not recycle these things. In Chicago, we have “single stream” recycling, which means that we don’t have to separate basics like plastic, glass, and aluminum. This makes it easy. In Cook County, every business is supposed to recycle, by ordinance, and any business not in compliance with a recycling program could be fined. Seeeee: Criminal!
Did anyone see Chris Rock’s film Good Hair? It’s a recommend and I bring this movie up because it’s about the human hair industry and how hair is “harvested” from the grower and then sewn into “weaves” and used as wigs, pieces and full heads of hair on other people. Talk about recycling! At Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa, we sweep all the hair we cut off our clients’ heads and we collect it and ship it to Matter of Trust, which uses this hair to dredge and clean up oil spills. Our clients’ hair is getting a second life!
We use washable cloth towels and washable rag mobs for all clean ups, which lets us avoid using paper towels and that can add up to saves trees. At home, I always use cloth napkins and I take home old and holey towels from work and I used them for my own floors and mess clean ups. (I have three dogs!) If you need some rags, just ask us. We would rather them be reused than throw them away.
If you like Bumble and Bumble Products, shampoos, conditioners, styling product: you are welcome to refill your product bottles at our salon and receive 10% off your refill. (We suggest that you call first to make sure your favorite product is one that we have the product to refill.)
Since we do a lot hair coloring in our salon, we ask that our stylist avoid wasting product. We all use grams when measuring color. This actually helps. 160 grams seems like a lot of color, but if we were using 5.7 ounces, which is the same amount… well, it’s a mental thing and it helps us not to use too much and then waste and throw unused color away. Which is another thing: we NEVER throw excess color or any food products down the drains. We know that the Chicago water system is overburdened as it is and to add chemicals or food down the drains only creates more stress on the system to have to remove these things. All waste and chemicals get scraped out of bowls and gets thrown into the trash before things are washed again.
And let me introduce our latest and best green effort, INOA hair coloring by L’Oreal. First of all: it rinses clear when we shampoo it off a clients head after processing. This means less chemicals slide down the drain! AND this permanent grey defying product has no ammonia in it. INOA = Innovation No Ammonia! No ammonia means no smell and no irritation. (More and more clients are becoming sensitive to hair color and I wrote about all that last year.)
I’m jon-david and I’m proud to work at
Joseph Michael’s Salon & Spa
1313 N. Ritchie Court
In the heart of the Gold Coast in Downtown Chicago
Check out my co-stylist’s profiles & find the stylist for you.
Follow me @mafiahairdreser and Joseph Michael’s @mychicagosalon
and buy my book, Mafia Hairdresser at www.mafiahairdresser.com/
and Joseph Michaels Salon & Spa
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Credit Card Fraud & The Elderly
I’ve heard that there was a lot of credit card theft and identity theft happening. Last year, someone, or some evil organization had, on two separate occasions, swiped my credit card information, and scammed money out of my checking account. But that’s totally boring compared to what I overheard a client tell one of my fellow stylists. (Yes, I listen! A lot!)
The client was an older lady: Gold Coast type, sweet, widowed, kids are grown up lawyers, three other residences, a maid she calls “her girl.” You get it. WELL, she shyly starts talking about a call she got the other night from a woman saying she was from the Credit Card Fraud Bureau and that one of her credit cards was being used at a Sears store, and the person using the card was using it at that very moment. But Gold Coast Widow says, “But my cards are right here in my possession!”
“We thought so,” says CC Fraud Bureau. And then CC Fraud Bureau tells the Gold Coast Widow that they are going to send the police straight to Sears to pick up the obviously thieving person using her duplicated credit card.
As the Gold Coast Widow was telling the story, she told her hairdresser that she is so completely embarrassed by the whole situation, especially with what she did next. (I love that people tell us everything! Everyone else’ job must suck boring.)
And this is what she did next. When the CC Fraud Bureau convinced Gold Coast Widow that all was going to be well, they both hung up only to have the CC Fraud Bureau call back ten minutes later. CC Fraud Bureau said that they caught the thief and wanted to know if she could send an undercover agent over to the Gold Coast to see the Widow’s credit cards; just to make sure that her credit cards were safe and to insure prosecution of the thief.
The Gold Coast Widow said that sounded acceptable, only she would meet the undercover in the lobby where there were cameras. When the undercover officer showed up, Gold Coast Widow asked to see his I.D.
“Ma’am,” he said smugly, “I don’t have I.D. I’m undercover.” And then she gave him her credit cards with her pin numbers when he asked for them!
I was not laughing at the end of the story, and the client was near to tears. The last thing I heard her telling the hairdresser was that she was very embarrassed but was not so embarrassed to say yes to a future TV interview to prevent this from happening again. I guess the police and media have been seeing this type of theft in Chicago for quite some time and they want to stop it.
And that is why I wrote about it. I’m just passing it along to you. If it can happen to her, it can happen to many others.
Epilogue: She was only out $50 because she called her son, the lawyer, after the obvious (to us!) theft. The police led her to call a local TV station. He told her she could help get the word out. I love her! The "undercover" was not visible on the lobby cameras. No one has been prosecuted or arrested in connection to this case yet.
click here for online detail on how to save elderly from credit card scam
And, don't forget to subscribe to this blog and by my first novel, Mafia Hairdresser, at http://www.mafiahairdresser.com/
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