10/22/2007 - Brad SlavinBrad Slavin

Brad Slavin

10/22/2007

Disaster Preparedness for Businesses

San Diego is on fire, there are eight wild fires that have been burning with zero percent containment for more than twelve hours. I am writing this on my laptop with a Bluetooth connection to the internet from a downtown evacuation site. This was a mandatory evacuation that covered our office and my house.

There are dozens of people around me who packed their cars earlier this morning with their most prized personal items, documents, family and pets. It seems that most people have been able to get out. I am very thankful that the City of San Diego responded as quickly as it did.

While I am sitting here, I am getting calls from clients who are panicked about their servers, data and corporate information. Most of them are out of the direct path of the fires but the concern is universal when it comes to disaster planning.

The disaster recovery plan for our office kicked into effect at about 6:30 this morning. We went through this about three years ago so we were up to date and current on our plan. Our employees knew what to do. But don’t assume that everyone in your office knows what to do in a disaster. For our office we had a conference call at 7 a.m, and we contacted each employee by 7:30 to confirm their status. Our critical business records are in secure fireproof storage and our servers are backed up remotely, so we are 100% covered off site for any system disasters.

We use BackupRight.com Our servers are backed up each night and we could be up in about four hours even if the office burned to the ground.

Brad Slavin

Amazing Customer Service – sleepinnovations.com

So about a month ago I ordered a King size memory foam mattress from Costco. I had gone online and read all of the reviews, the overall consensus was that it was the most amazing sleep ever.

The bed was shipped in a box weighing about 150 pounds and after I lugged it up the stairs, the excitement began. The opening of the box and the removal of the mattress is one of the most incredible processes that I have seen.

You cut through a sealed bag and air just wooshes into the bag and the bed starts to expand towards it full size. I let the bed expand for about 96 hours before touching it and other than a hump in the center the bed expanded completely without any inflation issues with the corners. I installed the mattress on a new eastern king size platform. Moving this 150 pounds by yourself is not recommended, but I was able to muscle it into place.

After buying a new set of sheets, I was ready for my first nights sleep on the bed. Climbing onto the mattress was really, I mean REALLY comfortable and it did not take me any time to get used to it. The first nights sleep and honestly every subsequent sleep was unbelievable.

So if the sleep was amazing, why did you return the bed? Honestly thats a touchy subject so I have embedded a Youtube video.

Memory Foam Sex Sex on a Foam Mattress

So now that you know sex on a memory foam mattress sucks. If you are in any way athletic or like changing it up the imprints that mold support your body for sleep, screw you up for sex. I liken it to playing tennis on a grass or clay court when you are used to playing on a standard court. Its not better or worse, its still tennis but it is not really played the same way. There would be a huge learning curve and I was just not willing to take the time.

I have read that a number of people are cool with memory foam mattress sex, but I am not one of them. I like a little more support and bounce. Just personal preference.

Sooooooo, I thought that it was going to be a problem to return the mattress – one because it is not “new” and that it weights 150 or so pounds. I know that it came in a small box but once it was inflated, there is just no way for me to get this to my local Costco.

Brad Slavin

The Worlds On Fire

With San Diego burning,

I am reminded of a song by the Housemartins called The Worlds On Fire. Growing up the Housemartins and the Beautiful South were one of my favorite bands of all time.

I had the opportunity to see the Beautiful South about a year ago at the HOB in San Diego.

San-Diego-Fire-2007

There’s a couple sunbathing on a freshly mown lawn in England
It’s a house with a view and all you see is green and blue for miles
The local Vicar has pretended that the church is well attended this morning
As he wanders without purpose to the Sunday Service he smiles
{Oh-ho!} What a beautiful morning
{Oh-ho!} What a beautiful day
{Oh-ho!} What a sickening feeling
It took this long to make it, now we’re throwing it away

Now, I was told not to play with fire
I said, look out Church the flames grow higher
I said, watch those flames lick that spire
I said, look our Church the falmes grow higher
{The World’s on Fire}

There’s a curtain closed early in an upstairs room in England
There’s a couple misbehabving when they should’ve been praising Sunday
And there’s a bounce in a walk and the neighbours stop to talk for hours
And when eyebrows are raised at the next song of praise come Monday

{Oh-ho!} What a beautiful morning
{Oh-ho!} What a beautiful day
{Oh-ho!} What a sickening feeling
It took this long to make it, now we’re throwing it away

Now, I was told not to play with fire
I said, look out Church the flames grow higher
I said, watch those flames lick that spire
I said, look our Church the falmes grow higher
{The World’s on Fire}

The world’s on fire!

Brad Slavin

On the big picture

“it’s the big-picture generalists who will predict, innovate, and rise to power fastest??? Catch this blog at Links for 20 October 2007 | Life Optimizer

Brad Slavin

Tim Ferriss tips on 4hww

The key tips from 4hww available at Our 4-Hour Workweek: 4-Hour Workweek Tips From Tim Ferriss