I’m feeling so blessed to have my cousin visiting this week. It was so gorgeous out today, normally I would have just stayed in, but instead we went across the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Baker Beach (I hadn’t been in 5+ years) and drove down the Great Highway. The views were absolutely stunning, esp. of the vast shimmering ocean water with sailboats from the bridge. Air temperature was perfection, with just a slight humid sea breeze.

Watching her reactions to things helped me appreciate the city all over again. For example, wondering what all the overhead lines were for (electric bus power lines). Stuff I see daily but don’t register as being unique anymore! I imagine this is what raising children must be like. Getting to experience the fun all over again, deepening and enriching your own experience.

On another note, I also have to say that giving up my habit of implied or forced monogamy has made me infinitely happier than I have ever been in my relationships. I’m much less a head case and just enjoying the (slow) process of getting to know my boy friends as time goes on. It really wasn’t serving me to commit to relationships that weren’t first grounded in friendship, trust, time, and experience. And this way I get to taste more flavors before settling, a priceless bonus that I am madly enjoying. Guess 30s really is prime time, haha.

Day 22: Still doing all eye exercises. Did near/far at night before bed. Did not leave house today except a couple hours in morning to drive to drop off C at school and attend a meeting. Used low correction glasses.

Day 23: Wore real glasses at comedy improv. Felt way too sharp at first but eyes adjusted after 15 mins or so. I feel like I might have some slight improvement in vision coming, but probably less than one point. Will be very curious to get my eye exam results in about a week!

You may have heard this week about the Anonymous hacktivist group that hacked into BART’s website and published name, phone numbers, addresses and emails for some 2400 BART customers (in retaliation to BART’s anti-protest moves). This had a lot of public transportation riders worried about their information security (http://mashable.com/2011/08/15/bart-anonymous-attack/).

Wouldn’t it be nice to offer peace of mind to your employees/contractors, so that in case of an identity theft they would have attorneys on-call and 50 hours of an investigator’s time to completely restore their identity?

So today was not my proudest day. Somehow I managed to do no eye exercises today, despite going out in public blind again. My goal was 3×100 near/far exercises. Ug. Back on the horse tomorrow I guess.

My motivation in general was really poor today. Plus side? Met a reaaaaaly cute bartender :-) <3 <3

True story:
When I tried to e-file my tax return this year, TurboTax came back with an ominous message: “Duplicate return, e-file not accepted.” I was told to mail in my return instead. What?

Later did I learn, this is one of the biggest growing areas of identity theft: Someone works under your SSN and files a return before you do! How you find out? “Duplicate Return”!

If you have credit monitoring or Identity Theft coverage with your major bank, they will not handle this situation for you. You need more protection.

While I’m on the subject, have you heard about the newest disturbing area of identity theft? MEDICAL identity theft. Someone gets your insurance card, gets their UNIVERSAL FREE HEALTH CARE in your name, which then messes up YOUR health records. I got my wallet stolen last year on MUNI with my Kaiser card in it. This is serious stuff.

Identity theft victims spend anywhere from 30-330 hours restoring their own identity records after a breach. Do you have this kind of spare time? Or hair to be pulled?

With PPL Identity Theft Shield, a licensed investigator with Kroll, the world’s leading risk consulting company (renowned for its legacy of investigative and forensics experience: hired by the Kuwati government to track down Saddam Hussein’s assets, also helped find Enron’s assets), will be assigned to your case and will spend 50 hours restoring your identity on your behalf.

I am a subscriber to Pre-Paid Legal Services, but I didn’t sign up for their Identity Theft Shield product right away. I liked the idea of calling a lawyer anytime I needed to, but I didn’t think identity theft was that big of a risk. It is! Unfortunately, it won’t cover a pre-existing condition, so let my situation inform you that you need to have this protection in place ahead of time.

We have the best value in the marketplace and a truly unique product with investigative restoration services. One subscription protects your whole family and children, starting at $10.95/month in combo with our legal plans, or $13.95/month as a stand-alone product.

Get all the facts, then I invite you to sign up here asap (like I just did): www.prepaidlegalsf.com

Stay yourself!

Cheers,

Christina McKinstry
legalsf at gmail.com
415.215.5126

Last month’s mailing: http://www.eachlittlemystery.com/category/ppl/

http://www.prepaidlegalsf.com <- look at our plan details

http://whatifwe.buildlastingsuccess.com <- company overview (aka, a company about to become a household name. $1Billion just invested in PPL by Mid-Ocean Partners)

We have dual natures. We are self-serving, competitive Darwinian egoists, and we are community-dependent social animals.

Our government in the USA, the world’s newest experiment in freedom and democracy, reflects both of these natures.

FDR said: “Capitalism is where the greediest of men do the greediest of things, for the good of the people.”

But alongside capitalism, a game which comes naturally to our lower natures, we also support socialist systems, so that our collective wealth can feed back into the group as a whole to keep the society strong.

We collectively support a government through taxes, which funds schools, fire and police departments, unemployment and health services for the poor and elderly, builds roads, and provides incentives for families and businesses to make decisions which benefit the community. It does not do this perfectly.

Capitalism must be tempered by proper socialism if it is to survive long-term. Just as an individual human cannot act independently of his community without consequence, nor can businesses.

I find it interesting as I go around San Francisco educating people about Pre-Paid Legal Services (PPL), how many times I hear “Well, I am well-connected to enough lawyers, so I don’t need that. My lawyer friends will help me with any issue I have, no matter how small, and I rarely pay full price if at all.”

If this is you, then you already intuitively get why networking and services like PPL are so valuable.

PPL has created a network of lawyers who are willing to “help out” their “friends” in the network. “Trust” is created, not by weekly meetings and 1-on-1’s (both awesome things!), but by consistently paying small membership dues, and by submitting feedback to the law firms over the past 39 years about how well they are treating our clients.

Most people who join (and stay in) networking groups like BNI become quite well-connected in the local community. That’s the reason for joining. But how many people do you know are not as well-connected as you?

Your favorite BNI lawyer friends should be your first referrals, obviously. The trust is already there. But when you don’t have the right legal connection for your friends/family/clients in the city, or your lawyer can’t help your friends/family/clients with issues in other states around the country, think of the PPL network!

At $26/month for our basic plan ($17/month for our standard plan), getting connected to a lawyer is easy and affordable (and necessary) for every working American, and every small business (no-contract plans starting at $40.50/month).

Thanks for listening, and happy networking! Let’s get everyone connected!

Christina McKinstry
legalsf at gmail.com
415.215.5126

http://www.prepaidlegalsf.com <- look at our plan details

http://whatifwe.buildlastingsuccess.com <- company overview

http://www.facebook.com/christinamargaret <- connect with me (You can find me also on Google +)

I don’t understand why people do drugs. I’m pressing on my sore eyeballs right now and I see thousands of beautiful fractal patterns in moving fluorescent colors exploding from one point, like they’re little light boxes flying away. The other eye gives me a different show, like a black and white checkerboard print with morphing dark globs expanding and contracting. While making love or listening to music, I can close my eyes and see beautiful landscapes and amazing color combinations, light shows, movement like I’m flying or driving really fast, or feel emotions swirl and move all over my body. My dreams and pre-dream states always entertain and trip me out. I don’t know. I guess I just don’t really need drugs :-)

Had a really cool discussion with my 18-yo housemate about travel, and how, when in another country, it is wise to do as the Romans do when in Rome.

She offered an insightful analogy about how you are a different person even when you hang out at a friend’s house, particularly if they live with their family. There are different customs, attitudes, and house rules to live by.

Ravyn left this morning for her first international voyage: three weeks in Ireland. Bon voyage!

I’m having some feelings tonight that my only regrets in life will be that I did not laugh with enough people, ask enough questions, care enough, massage enough tight muscles, make love enough, or savor enough wonderful foods, drinks, herbs, and landscapes.

The more I receive the more I crave. Life is good.