From LifeSkill Institute, Inc
1. Be honest with yourself.
Do not deceive yourself. Deceiving yourself is another way of pretending that everything is alright. When you are not honest with yourself, you totally defeat your quest for improvement and bury your potential self-image under layers of illusion and deception.
You are like the gardener who pretends that there are no weeds in the garden as he busies himself planting new flowers. One day he looks up from his planting and realizes that, in spite of all his efforts, the weeds have consumed his garden.
When you are not honest with yourself, you destroy your possibilities for growth and improvement. And, the weeds will consume your garden.
2. Develop your imagination.
Your imagination is the blueprint for your future reality. It is the first step in the creative process.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish;
but (they) that keepeth the law, happy (are they.)”
—Proverbs 29:18
What is “the law” referred to in the scripture? It is the Universal Law of Thought and Manifestation.
If you can think it, you can do it.
If you can visualize it, you can become it.
Through your imagination, nothing is impossible. Develop your imagination by reading stimulating material. Get involved with exciting, successful people who can expand your realm of experience.
Meditate daily and engage in artistic endeavors. See more possibilities in every experience and every relationship.
Once your vision—your thoughts about yourself and the world—is firmly grounded in your imagination, it cannot fail to be realized.
Where your imagination leads,
your reality will follow.
3. Be able to relax.
Relaxation is the key to stress reduction, and to mental and physical regeneration. Through relaxation you can communicate with your subconscious mind and tap into that well of universal knowledge, wisdom, energy, and understanding.
Without the ability to regularly relax, you can, over time, become victim to accumulated stress. This accumulated stress can lower your energy level, impede your judgment, and actually cause physical illness. Simple tiredness can distract your efforts and change the outcomes you experience in your endeavors.
4. Have that winning feeling.
The winning feeling is a strong positive attitude of accomplishment. It is reflected in the way you walk, talk, and act. When you have that winning feeling, people notice it and are attracted to you. They become quite willing to aid and assist you on your path to accomplishment.
Everyone loves a winner.
5. Cultivate good habits.
Habits are actions or behavior patterns that become automatic over time, through frequent repetition and consistency. Good habits are those which induce positive cycles of good health, proper rest, a balanced diet, regular exercise, and right thinking.
By developing good habits, you establish a harmonic relationship with all that’s good for you.
“Sow an act and you will reap a habit;
sow a habit and you reap a character;
sow a character and you will reap a destiny.”
—G. D. Boardman
“The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”
—Samuel Johnson
When you strip away all other excuses and explanations, where you are right now, whatever is going on in your life, positive or negative, is a direct result of your habits.
We make our habits, then our habits make us.
6. Aim to be happy.
Have a great sense of expectancy each day. Expect each day to be full of happiness. Experience each day from a perspective of happiness. Focus on the good and positive aspects of every moment.
What you focus on, through faith, will happen. When you face each day with a great sense of anticipation and expectancy, you become magnetized for the object of your expectations.
Expect happiness and be happy.
Monday, April 30, 2007
How Do You Get Rid of Acne? Prevention is the Best Solution
By: Chris Stinson
How do I get rid of acne is a question that many people ask, if you ask enough people you will get many different answers. The best way to prevent acne is to not get it in the first place.
Prevention of acne can be difficult in today's environment but doing a few simple things can lessen the chance of getting acne.In this article we will look at ways to prevent getting acne and simple step that you can take to stave off getting acne and keep it from spreading.
We will take a look at what to use to keep your face clean, what you should avoid, and what to do after certain activities.Keep your face cleanThe easiest and most practical way to avoid acne is to wash your face at least a couple of times during the day.
When washing your face make sure that you use a mild soap not something that is harsh as this can irritate the skin. Try not to scrub your face just gently run the soap over it and rinse it with water.
Wash your hair on a daily basis, if your hair comes in contact with your face not washing your hair will add oil to your face. There are several cleansers on the market today that can be used and are specifically for cleansing your face.
Two of the brands are Cetaphil and Neutrogena and they typically can be found at any major drugstore or grocery store.You can also use an antibacterial pad to cleanse your face as well, it may be a good idea to have some with you at all times.
What you should avoidIf you wear makeup wash her face before you go to bed. Not washing your face and leaving makeup on will clog your pores. If you use any type of lotion or sunscreen check the label and make sure that they say oil free.
Avoid applying any harsh chemicals to your face without first consulting your doctor. Applying a harsh chemical to your face may give you a reaction to the chemical and in turn may inflame and irritate your skin.
What to do after certain activitiesAfter exercising and working up a good sweat immediately go into the restroom and wash your face. Sweat has been known to clog pores and as you know clogged pores will result in acne.
There is much debate whether eating greasy food will cause acne but one thing is certain after eating greasy food you should always wash your hands. If you don't wash your hands just make sure that they do not come in contact with your face.
Preventing acne is an ongoing battle but if you follow the steps you will never have to ask the question again how do I get rid of acne. Acne can be a big problem and if you liked these tips and never have to ask again how do I get rid of acne try visiting http://good-reads.com/acne/acne/index.htm.com for more great tips
How do I get rid of acne is a question that many people ask, if you ask enough people you will get many different answers. The best way to prevent acne is to not get it in the first place.
Prevention of acne can be difficult in today's environment but doing a few simple things can lessen the chance of getting acne.In this article we will look at ways to prevent getting acne and simple step that you can take to stave off getting acne and keep it from spreading.
We will take a look at what to use to keep your face clean, what you should avoid, and what to do after certain activities.Keep your face cleanThe easiest and most practical way to avoid acne is to wash your face at least a couple of times during the day.
When washing your face make sure that you use a mild soap not something that is harsh as this can irritate the skin. Try not to scrub your face just gently run the soap over it and rinse it with water.
Wash your hair on a daily basis, if your hair comes in contact with your face not washing your hair will add oil to your face. There are several cleansers on the market today that can be used and are specifically for cleansing your face.
Two of the brands are Cetaphil and Neutrogena and they typically can be found at any major drugstore or grocery store.You can also use an antibacterial pad to cleanse your face as well, it may be a good idea to have some with you at all times.
What you should avoidIf you wear makeup wash her face before you go to bed. Not washing your face and leaving makeup on will clog your pores. If you use any type of lotion or sunscreen check the label and make sure that they say oil free.
Avoid applying any harsh chemicals to your face without first consulting your doctor. Applying a harsh chemical to your face may give you a reaction to the chemical and in turn may inflame and irritate your skin.
What to do after certain activitiesAfter exercising and working up a good sweat immediately go into the restroom and wash your face. Sweat has been known to clog pores and as you know clogged pores will result in acne.
There is much debate whether eating greasy food will cause acne but one thing is certain after eating greasy food you should always wash your hands. If you don't wash your hands just make sure that they do not come in contact with your face.
Preventing acne is an ongoing battle but if you follow the steps you will never have to ask the question again how do I get rid of acne. Acne can be a big problem and if you liked these tips and never have to ask again how do I get rid of acne try visiting http://good-reads.com/acne/acne/index.htm.com for more great tips
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saké it to them: Interest is growing in the premium varieties of the Japanese drink
By Stephen Beaumont
Saké: It’s a drink that everyone knows but few really understand. Which is a shame, since while the market for saké remains relatively small, it is growing at a tremendous pace, and not just in Japanese and sushi restaurants.
Importers of premium sakés have been experiencing sales growth for the past decade, and a quick glance at the ever-increasing number of books on the subject will show that interest is mounting at almost the same rate.
So what is saké? Well, let’s start with what it’s not. First off, it’s “sak-eh” rather than “sak-ee.” And while it’s commonly known as “rice wine,” it’s not technically a wine, which is, by definition, fermented from fruit. As a grain-based beverage, saké is similar to beer, but the production processes differ significantly.
The base of saké is, of course, rice, and the principal means of categorization for the beverage refers to how much of the huskier, outer material of the grain has been stripped away, or in saké terms, polished, before the rice is put to use.
Polish off at least 30 percent of the grain and the saké may be referred to as junmai or junmaishu; mill away at least 40 percent and you may call it ginjo or ginjoshu; and eliminate at least half the grain and it’s daiginjo or daiginjoshu.
The categorizations do not necessarily reflect the quality of the saké, except to the extent that as more of the grain is eliminated, the more delicate the flavor of the saké tends to be.
Each of those categories, however, is likely to boast more complex and developed flavors than futsushu, which literally translates to “ordinary saké” and applies to some three-quarters of all the saké produced in Japan.
A fourth classification, honjozo or honjozukuri, refers to a saké to which a small amount of pure alcohol has been added during the fermentation period. Nigori or nigorizaké is the name given to the loosely filtered saké that pours almost milky white.
Serving temperatures for saké vary considerably, from warm, which is generally best reserved for futsushu, to room temperature to slightly chilled. As saké authority John Gauntner, author of “The Saké Handbook,” says, premium saké is generally best presented slightly chilled.
When matching saké with food, it is a useful rule of thumb to partner delicate daiginjos with more gently flavored foods, such as poached whitefish or raw scallop.
More robust junmais and ginjos can be paired with bigger flavors, like toro—tuna belly—grilled chicken or tempuras. Spicy or heavily fried foods, and some red meats, may work well with nigoris.
Saké: It’s a drink that everyone knows but few really understand. Which is a shame, since while the market for saké remains relatively small, it is growing at a tremendous pace, and not just in Japanese and sushi restaurants.
Importers of premium sakés have been experiencing sales growth for the past decade, and a quick glance at the ever-increasing number of books on the subject will show that interest is mounting at almost the same rate.
So what is saké? Well, let’s start with what it’s not. First off, it’s “sak-eh” rather than “sak-ee.” And while it’s commonly known as “rice wine,” it’s not technically a wine, which is, by definition, fermented from fruit. As a grain-based beverage, saké is similar to beer, but the production processes differ significantly.
The base of saké is, of course, rice, and the principal means of categorization for the beverage refers to how much of the huskier, outer material of the grain has been stripped away, or in saké terms, polished, before the rice is put to use.
Polish off at least 30 percent of the grain and the saké may be referred to as junmai or junmaishu; mill away at least 40 percent and you may call it ginjo or ginjoshu; and eliminate at least half the grain and it’s daiginjo or daiginjoshu.
The categorizations do not necessarily reflect the quality of the saké, except to the extent that as more of the grain is eliminated, the more delicate the flavor of the saké tends to be.
Each of those categories, however, is likely to boast more complex and developed flavors than futsushu, which literally translates to “ordinary saké” and applies to some three-quarters of all the saké produced in Japan.
A fourth classification, honjozo or honjozukuri, refers to a saké to which a small amount of pure alcohol has been added during the fermentation period. Nigori or nigorizaké is the name given to the loosely filtered saké that pours almost milky white.
Serving temperatures for saké vary considerably, from warm, which is generally best reserved for futsushu, to room temperature to slightly chilled. As saké authority John Gauntner, author of “The Saké Handbook,” says, premium saké is generally best presented slightly chilled.
When matching saké with food, it is a useful rule of thumb to partner delicate daiginjos with more gently flavored foods, such as poached whitefish or raw scallop.
More robust junmais and ginjos can be paired with bigger flavors, like toro—tuna belly—grilled chicken or tempuras. Spicy or heavily fried foods, and some red meats, may work well with nigoris.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Drugs in Your Drinking Water May be Affecting Your Health
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
Pharmaceutical and personal care products, or PPCPs, are entering rivers from sewage treatment plants or leaching into groundwater from septic systems. The waterways in the United States contain residues of birth control pills, antidepressants, painkillers, shampoos, and many other chemical compounds.
The EPA has found these substances, called "emerging contaminants," almost everywhere that they have looked for them.The extent and consequences of human exposure to these compounds are unknown, according to a 2005 FDA review.
Scientists in a number of government and private agencies are trying to devise new ways to measure and analyze the compounds and their effects.A number of states have added pharmaceuticals to the list of hazardous household waste products, such as leftover paint and insecticides, that must be periodically collected for safe disposal.
Otherwise, there is a risk that leftover medications will be flushed down the drain.New York Times April 3, 2007 (Registration Required)The Ledger April 3, 2007
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Finally, the news media is getting around to looking at one of the little-discussed problems with the drug-addicted health care paradigm plaguing America:
How residues of drugs and personal care products are finding their way into the nation's water supplies, ending up as just one more environmental toxin.
Some of the potential concerns include:
Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water
Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses
Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa
Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply
People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combined
Three agencies, including the EPA, recommended patients only flush any leftover medicines down the drain "if accompanying patient information specifically instructs it is safe to do so."
But considering how little people pay attention to black-box warnings on drugs, I'm very skeptical anything will change soon.
One of the major concerns here -- how water-dwelling creatures are affected by varying low levels of such contaminants -- is a huge one that could produce effects so slowly science may not recognize the problem until it's too late to do anything about it.
The best thing you can do to protect your health and environment from drugs:
Take better responsibility for your health by seeking out safer treatments for your health ssues.
It is time you start Taking Control of Your Health!
Related Articles:
13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water
Five Common Toxic Metals to Avoid, and Where You'll Find Them
Is Your Bottled Water Really Clean?
Pharmaceutical and personal care products, or PPCPs, are entering rivers from sewage treatment plants or leaching into groundwater from septic systems. The waterways in the United States contain residues of birth control pills, antidepressants, painkillers, shampoos, and many other chemical compounds.
The EPA has found these substances, called "emerging contaminants," almost everywhere that they have looked for them.The extent and consequences of human exposure to these compounds are unknown, according to a 2005 FDA review.
Scientists in a number of government and private agencies are trying to devise new ways to measure and analyze the compounds and their effects.A number of states have added pharmaceuticals to the list of hazardous household waste products, such as leftover paint and insecticides, that must be periodically collected for safe disposal.
Otherwise, there is a risk that leftover medications will be flushed down the drain.New York Times April 3, 2007 (Registration Required)The Ledger April 3, 2007
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Finally, the news media is getting around to looking at one of the little-discussed problems with the drug-addicted health care paradigm plaguing America:
How residues of drugs and personal care products are finding their way into the nation's water supplies, ending up as just one more environmental toxin.
Some of the potential concerns include:
Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water
Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses
Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa
Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply
People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combined
Three agencies, including the EPA, recommended patients only flush any leftover medicines down the drain "if accompanying patient information specifically instructs it is safe to do so."
But considering how little people pay attention to black-box warnings on drugs, I'm very skeptical anything will change soon.
One of the major concerns here -- how water-dwelling creatures are affected by varying low levels of such contaminants -- is a huge one that could produce effects so slowly science may not recognize the problem until it's too late to do anything about it.
The best thing you can do to protect your health and environment from drugs:
Take better responsibility for your health by seeking out safer treatments for your health ssues.
It is time you start Taking Control of Your Health!
Related Articles:
13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water
Five Common Toxic Metals to Avoid, and Where You'll Find Them
Is Your Bottled Water Really Clean?
Friday, April 27, 2007
Make Money - Get Time - Entrepreneur Key To Success!
By Greg Nicholls
Because leverage of ones time is what sets Millionaires apart from the masses. Learning how to effectively leverage your time will move you in the direction to make money, millions, rather than tens of thousands and with less work. It IS easier to make $1,000,000 than it is to make $50,000.
You can choose to learn from success and be inspired because you know you can do it too; the path is already set, you can see for yourself. You can gain some benefit from simply sitting down and thinking about this topic for a while.
If you consider that millionaires often do not make an hourly wage or collect a salary, you can quickly understand that if you work for an hourly wage or collect a salary, you will likely never be one.
If you are a Doctor, a Lawyer, a Executive, you can earn a million dollars in time, but not even too many make a million dollars a year. So if the people that we look to as successful are not making a million dollars a year, than who is?
Entrepreneurs!
People that make money by leveraging themselves in business are the ones that make millions of dollars per year and they get time to live a life with style. OK, what is your time worth, really, what do you deserve to make? If you said less than $500 per hour, then you will never make a million dollars per year.
But wait, I said it is easier to make $1,000,000 than it is to make $50,000, so this is how:
Start a business of course, but before you do, find a business that will allow you to effectively leverage your time!
Look for a business that is easy enough to do, but very profitable and in some cases, can even be run without you going in every day. This is how you will make money and get time. There are many businesses out there that can fit the bill, lots of them, just look around!
I can recommend one that you can make money at, one that will allow you to get time and will provide you with the opportunity to learn. A business you can plug into and build on the side while you learn your business and replace your income.
Your business, with you working less hours, can make you hundreds of times more than your job simply because of leverage.
Most importantly you will want a business that will have a level of mentorship in it, you want to learn from someone that has done well in the same field, because trying to work out all the bits and pieces of putting a successful business together, can be very expensive if you do not have a mentor and will also just take longer for you to succeed.
This is leveraging on others experience! So now that you know, you can take action and put the whole thing together. If you are smart, you will do this right now, while you are inspired to.
Otherwise, you will likely be reading an article like this one, months or years from now, still hating what you do, wondering what what could have been. Take action now, get started today, make money, be the entrepreneur and get time back on your side! Because YOU Deserve Money!
Greg Nicholls 1-800-388-4563
Copyright © 2006 - Nicholls Enterprises - www.DeserveMoney.com
Find out how Greg Nicholls has achieved Financial Success by subscribing to the “Deserve Money Newsletter” for free. Visit http://www.DeserveMoney.com right now for all the details.
Greg is also known for teaching people a simple system on how to build a successful business while working from home; for more information about the business that brought home a 60-70 hour per week executive, who now makes more money on 1/3 the hours.
Contact Greg by email at info@DeserveMoney.com, or call his toll free number right now from anywhere in North America 24/7 at 1-800-388-4563, or from outside North America to Canada at +778-786-2287 to setup your appointment.
Greg Nicholls, a 36 year old Husband, Father & Entrepreneur will help you understand why you Deserve Money in your life and how to get it! To subscribe to his free weekly newsletter, visit http://www.deservemoney.com and begin to benefit from his inspiring insights today.
Because leverage of ones time is what sets Millionaires apart from the masses. Learning how to effectively leverage your time will move you in the direction to make money, millions, rather than tens of thousands and with less work. It IS easier to make $1,000,000 than it is to make $50,000.
You can choose to learn from success and be inspired because you know you can do it too; the path is already set, you can see for yourself. You can gain some benefit from simply sitting down and thinking about this topic for a while.
If you consider that millionaires often do not make an hourly wage or collect a salary, you can quickly understand that if you work for an hourly wage or collect a salary, you will likely never be one.
If you are a Doctor, a Lawyer, a Executive, you can earn a million dollars in time, but not even too many make a million dollars a year. So if the people that we look to as successful are not making a million dollars a year, than who is?
Entrepreneurs!
People that make money by leveraging themselves in business are the ones that make millions of dollars per year and they get time to live a life with style. OK, what is your time worth, really, what do you deserve to make? If you said less than $500 per hour, then you will never make a million dollars per year.
But wait, I said it is easier to make $1,000,000 than it is to make $50,000, so this is how:
Start a business of course, but before you do, find a business that will allow you to effectively leverage your time!
Look for a business that is easy enough to do, but very profitable and in some cases, can even be run without you going in every day. This is how you will make money and get time. There are many businesses out there that can fit the bill, lots of them, just look around!
I can recommend one that you can make money at, one that will allow you to get time and will provide you with the opportunity to learn. A business you can plug into and build on the side while you learn your business and replace your income.
Your business, with you working less hours, can make you hundreds of times more than your job simply because of leverage.
Most importantly you will want a business that will have a level of mentorship in it, you want to learn from someone that has done well in the same field, because trying to work out all the bits and pieces of putting a successful business together, can be very expensive if you do not have a mentor and will also just take longer for you to succeed.
This is leveraging on others experience! So now that you know, you can take action and put the whole thing together. If you are smart, you will do this right now, while you are inspired to.
Otherwise, you will likely be reading an article like this one, months or years from now, still hating what you do, wondering what what could have been. Take action now, get started today, make money, be the entrepreneur and get time back on your side! Because YOU Deserve Money!
Greg Nicholls 1-800-388-4563
Copyright © 2006 - Nicholls Enterprises - www.DeserveMoney.com
Find out how Greg Nicholls has achieved Financial Success by subscribing to the “Deserve Money Newsletter” for free. Visit http://www.DeserveMoney.com right now for all the details.
Greg is also known for teaching people a simple system on how to build a successful business while working from home; for more information about the business that brought home a 60-70 hour per week executive, who now makes more money on 1/3 the hours.
Contact Greg by email at info@DeserveMoney.com, or call his toll free number right now from anywhere in North America 24/7 at 1-800-388-4563, or from outside North America to Canada at +778-786-2287 to setup your appointment.
Greg Nicholls, a 36 year old Husband, Father & Entrepreneur will help you understand why you Deserve Money in your life and how to get it! To subscribe to his free weekly newsletter, visit http://www.deservemoney.com and begin to benefit from his inspiring insights today.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
There’s More Post-Premium Variety in the Tequila Category
From Nightclub & Bar
That’s your tequila IQ? If asked, could you explain the difference between an añejo and a reposado to a customer? And just what does the term blanco mean in the book of agave. It’s not just about ego.
It’s about revenues and profits in gaining an understanding of the fastest growing spirits category of them all. To know them is to be able to sell them. Customers appreciate owners and operators who can guide them in their study and enjoyment of fine tequilas.
Even if you know the category well, new tequilas in all price categories are being launched all the time, and there is always something to add to your storehouse of information about a given brand.
Agavero
‘A’ is not just for agave. It also stands for Agavero tequila, bottled at Los Camachines Distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, where the blue agave plant is grown. This officially designated region includes the state of Jalisco, parts of adjoining states and the town of Tequila, for which the spirit is named.
The master distiller begins the process by hand, blending his own select 100-percent blue agave reposado and añejo tequilas that have been separately aged in specially charred, white oak casks. The reposado tequila is aged for nearly a year and the añejo tequila for no less than two years. For more information, visit www.agavero.com.
Cabo Wabo
Cabo Wabo Tequila was brought to life in 1996 on the back roads of Guadalajara. Red Rocker Sammy Hagar joined forces with a small Mexican tequila maker that had been in operation since 1937.
Although some of the players have changed since the birth and rise of Cabo Wabo Tequila, it continues to be grown and handmade by a well-established tequila family with deep roots in the tequila fields of Jalisco.
Cabo Wabo Tequila maintains its smooth, no after-burn flavor by sustaining its respect of long-standing tequila-making traditions. The agave is baked in wood-fired adobe ovens and double-pot-distilled the old-fashion way for a rich, soul-warming taste.
The Red Rocker’s Reposado tequila is barrel-aged in oak casks for 4-6 months. For more information, visit www.cabowabo.com
Casa Noble
Casa Noble, too, is reverent to the mysticism and tradition of tequila. Its 100 percent Blue Weber Agave is grown on its own 3,000-acre estate; the tequila then is handcrafted using traditional methods of small batch production.
Tequila Casa Noble Crystal is a handcrafted, triple-distilled, 100-percent blue agave Blanco Tequila that has been recognized by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition with a double gold medal as one of the world’s finest tequilas.
Aged in French White Oak Barrels for one year, Casa Noble Reposado is a handcrafted, triple distilled, 100 percent blue agave tequila that has been described as smooth, sensuous and full-bodied and is packaged in a blue porcelain, handmade decanter.
Matured in French White Oak barrels for five years, Casa Noble Añejo has an exceptional bouquet and a deep golden color. The black porcelain decanter is decorated with accents and labels made of 18-carat gold, hand-painted by local artists.
Production is limited to 2,000 cases a year, making this a sought after item. For more information, visit www.casanoble.com.
Cazadores
Cazadores Tequila has a special aroma and well-defined taste that has won the Golden Star of International Quality in 1990 in Madrid, Spain, and the Grand Prize of America for Quality and Service.
The tequilas of Cazadores include Cazadores Blanco, an unaged, 100-percent blue agave tequila; Cazadores Reposado, another 100-percent blue agave tequila that is aged between two and 11 months, in new, small, American white oak barrels; and Cazadores Añejo, an 100-percent blue agave, aged no less than 12 months, in new, small, American white oak barrels. For more information, visit www.cazadores.com.
1800
From the Cuervo family of tequilas, 1800 tequilas are made from 100-percent blue agave from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. For each of the three unique tequilas — 1800 Silver, 1800 Reposado and 1800 Anejo — special care is taken with every step of the tequila-making process.
All aspects of the production process are monitored carefully to develop the rich flavors that 1800 tequila has to offer. For more information, visit www.1800tequila.com.
El Diamante Del Cielo
El Diamante del Cielo is produced in three different varieties: Añejo, Reposado and Blanco. The handcrafted tequilas feature 100 percent pure blue Weber agave grown exclusively in the optimal conditions found in the Jalisco region of Mexico.
Respectful of the heritage of tequila making, the agave is harvested by hand by authentic jimadors, a tradition passed from father to son in Mexico for centuries.
Cielo most recently captured four Double Gold Medals, one Gold and one Bronze Medal at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. For more information, visit www.handcraftedtequila.com.
Jose Cuervo
Made exclusively from hand-selected agave plants grown in the Highlands of ose Cuervo The Cuervo portfolio includes Jose Cuervo Gold; Jose Cuervo Black Medallion, a relatively new launch for mixing with a variety of cola cocktails.
Jose Cuervo Clasico, a silver premium mellowed in oak barrels; Jose Cuervo Tradicional, an 100-percent blue agave reposado tequila; Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, the top-of-the-line 100-percent blue agave tequila released by the Cuervo family on the 200th anniversary of the company’s founding in 1995 (its 12th release launched earlier this year).
And three unique flavors: Citrico, Oranjo and Tropina. For more information, visit www.cuervo.com.
El Tesoro
The El Tesoro tequila collection of El Tesoro Platinum, El Tesoro Reposado, El Tesoro Añejo and Paradiso Añejo reflect the craftsmanship, art and science of a by-gone era.
Master Distiller Carlos Camarena insists that the crushed fibers stay with the fermented liquid through the first distillation.
When El Tesoro comes off the second distillation at 80 proof, it is bottled in used bourbon casks from Kentucky and aged in the Camerena’s stone-lined, humidity-controlled cellars, deep underground.
These barrels are aged up to three years, resulting in a treasure of a tequila. El Tesoro received Double Gold medals for the entire El Tesoro collection at the 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
For more information, see your Beam Global Spirits & Wine distributor.
Juárez
Distilled at the Distiladora Gonzalez in the Jalisco region of Mexico, Jaurez has grown to become the No. 4 best-selling tequila brand in the United States. It also has the distinction of being the top-selling tequila in Mexico.
The product of fine, hand-selected agave plants, Juarez is distilled under direct supervision of the Mexican government to guarantee consistency and quality control. For more information, visit www.luxco.com.
Patrón
From the finest, most expensive Weber blue agave plants, grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, to the centuries-old distillation process, Patrón is produced with attention to detail.
It has been estimated that some 60 pairs of hands touch each bottle of Patrón in the distilling and manufacturing process.
Founded in 1989, Patrón’s exclusive line of tequilas includes Patrón Silver, a crystal clear, pure ultra-premium tequila; Patrón Añejo, a delicate blend of uniquely aged tequilas aged in small white oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months.
Patrón Reposado, aged in oak barrels for an average of six months to incorporate the fresh, clean taste of Patrón Silver with a hint of the oak flavor found in Patrón Añejo; and Gran Patrón. For more information, visit www.patronspirits.com.
Sauza
The Sauza portfolio includes Sauza Blanco, a premium, 51-percent agave, Silver tequila; Sauza Extra Gold, also a premium 51-percent agave tequila; Sauza Hacienda, a premium, 51-percent agave reposado tequila; Sauza Conmemorativo, a super-premium, 51-percent agave, añejo tequila.
Sauza Hornitos, a super-premium, 100-percent agave, reposado tequila; and Sauza Tres Generaciones (3Gs), a family of ultra-premium, 100 percent agave tequilas that includes plata, reposado and añejo tequila. For more information, visit www.sauzatequila.com.
Tarantula Tequila
Tarantula is a premium tequila at a Happy Hour price. McCormick Distilling followed in the steps of tequilleros; the Tarantula process employs fine yeast, classical ovens and copper stills.
The Plata possesses a crisp, distinctive taste of agave, and the Reposado is taken a step further, aged in choice oak barrels until achieving a smooth taste and amber color. For more information, visit www.mccormickdistilling.com.
Zircón Azul
Zircón Azul is smooth and has an exceptional flavor that makes it fine sipping tequila. From the fields to the processing plant, everything is done in the old-world way. Zircón Azul is produced and bottled in Arandas Jalisco, Mexico, using all natural products.
Zircón Azul is 100-percent reposado tequila aged in white oak barrels for flavor, color and smoothness. For more information, visit www.zirconazul.com
That’s your tequila IQ? If asked, could you explain the difference between an añejo and a reposado to a customer? And just what does the term blanco mean in the book of agave. It’s not just about ego.
It’s about revenues and profits in gaining an understanding of the fastest growing spirits category of them all. To know them is to be able to sell them. Customers appreciate owners and operators who can guide them in their study and enjoyment of fine tequilas.
Even if you know the category well, new tequilas in all price categories are being launched all the time, and there is always something to add to your storehouse of information about a given brand.
Agavero
‘A’ is not just for agave. It also stands for Agavero tequila, bottled at Los Camachines Distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, where the blue agave plant is grown. This officially designated region includes the state of Jalisco, parts of adjoining states and the town of Tequila, for which the spirit is named.
The master distiller begins the process by hand, blending his own select 100-percent blue agave reposado and añejo tequilas that have been separately aged in specially charred, white oak casks. The reposado tequila is aged for nearly a year and the añejo tequila for no less than two years. For more information, visit www.agavero.com.
Cabo Wabo
Cabo Wabo Tequila was brought to life in 1996 on the back roads of Guadalajara. Red Rocker Sammy Hagar joined forces with a small Mexican tequila maker that had been in operation since 1937.
Although some of the players have changed since the birth and rise of Cabo Wabo Tequila, it continues to be grown and handmade by a well-established tequila family with deep roots in the tequila fields of Jalisco.
Cabo Wabo Tequila maintains its smooth, no after-burn flavor by sustaining its respect of long-standing tequila-making traditions. The agave is baked in wood-fired adobe ovens and double-pot-distilled the old-fashion way for a rich, soul-warming taste.
The Red Rocker’s Reposado tequila is barrel-aged in oak casks for 4-6 months. For more information, visit www.cabowabo.com
Casa Noble
Casa Noble, too, is reverent to the mysticism and tradition of tequila. Its 100 percent Blue Weber Agave is grown on its own 3,000-acre estate; the tequila then is handcrafted using traditional methods of small batch production.
Tequila Casa Noble Crystal is a handcrafted, triple-distilled, 100-percent blue agave Blanco Tequila that has been recognized by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition with a double gold medal as one of the world’s finest tequilas.
Aged in French White Oak Barrels for one year, Casa Noble Reposado is a handcrafted, triple distilled, 100 percent blue agave tequila that has been described as smooth, sensuous and full-bodied and is packaged in a blue porcelain, handmade decanter.
Matured in French White Oak barrels for five years, Casa Noble Añejo has an exceptional bouquet and a deep golden color. The black porcelain decanter is decorated with accents and labels made of 18-carat gold, hand-painted by local artists.
Production is limited to 2,000 cases a year, making this a sought after item. For more information, visit www.casanoble.com.
Cazadores
Cazadores Tequila has a special aroma and well-defined taste that has won the Golden Star of International Quality in 1990 in Madrid, Spain, and the Grand Prize of America for Quality and Service.
The tequilas of Cazadores include Cazadores Blanco, an unaged, 100-percent blue agave tequila; Cazadores Reposado, another 100-percent blue agave tequila that is aged between two and 11 months, in new, small, American white oak barrels; and Cazadores Añejo, an 100-percent blue agave, aged no less than 12 months, in new, small, American white oak barrels. For more information, visit www.cazadores.com.
1800
From the Cuervo family of tequilas, 1800 tequilas are made from 100-percent blue agave from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. For each of the three unique tequilas — 1800 Silver, 1800 Reposado and 1800 Anejo — special care is taken with every step of the tequila-making process.
All aspects of the production process are monitored carefully to develop the rich flavors that 1800 tequila has to offer. For more information, visit www.1800tequila.com.
El Diamante Del Cielo
El Diamante del Cielo is produced in three different varieties: Añejo, Reposado and Blanco. The handcrafted tequilas feature 100 percent pure blue Weber agave grown exclusively in the optimal conditions found in the Jalisco region of Mexico.
Respectful of the heritage of tequila making, the agave is harvested by hand by authentic jimadors, a tradition passed from father to son in Mexico for centuries.
Cielo most recently captured four Double Gold Medals, one Gold and one Bronze Medal at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. For more information, visit www.handcraftedtequila.com.
Jose Cuervo
Made exclusively from hand-selected agave plants grown in the Highlands of ose Cuervo The Cuervo portfolio includes Jose Cuervo Gold; Jose Cuervo Black Medallion, a relatively new launch for mixing with a variety of cola cocktails.
Jose Cuervo Clasico, a silver premium mellowed in oak barrels; Jose Cuervo Tradicional, an 100-percent blue agave reposado tequila; Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, the top-of-the-line 100-percent blue agave tequila released by the Cuervo family on the 200th anniversary of the company’s founding in 1995 (its 12th release launched earlier this year).
And three unique flavors: Citrico, Oranjo and Tropina. For more information, visit www.cuervo.com.
El Tesoro
The El Tesoro tequila collection of El Tesoro Platinum, El Tesoro Reposado, El Tesoro Añejo and Paradiso Añejo reflect the craftsmanship, art and science of a by-gone era.
Master Distiller Carlos Camarena insists that the crushed fibers stay with the fermented liquid through the first distillation.
When El Tesoro comes off the second distillation at 80 proof, it is bottled in used bourbon casks from Kentucky and aged in the Camerena’s stone-lined, humidity-controlled cellars, deep underground.
These barrels are aged up to three years, resulting in a treasure of a tequila. El Tesoro received Double Gold medals for the entire El Tesoro collection at the 2005 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
For more information, see your Beam Global Spirits & Wine distributor.
Juárez
Distilled at the Distiladora Gonzalez in the Jalisco region of Mexico, Jaurez has grown to become the No. 4 best-selling tequila brand in the United States. It also has the distinction of being the top-selling tequila in Mexico.
The product of fine, hand-selected agave plants, Juarez is distilled under direct supervision of the Mexican government to guarantee consistency and quality control. For more information, visit www.luxco.com.
Patrón
From the finest, most expensive Weber blue agave plants, grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, to the centuries-old distillation process, Patrón is produced with attention to detail.
It has been estimated that some 60 pairs of hands touch each bottle of Patrón in the distilling and manufacturing process.
Founded in 1989, Patrón’s exclusive line of tequilas includes Patrón Silver, a crystal clear, pure ultra-premium tequila; Patrón Añejo, a delicate blend of uniquely aged tequilas aged in small white oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months.
Patrón Reposado, aged in oak barrels for an average of six months to incorporate the fresh, clean taste of Patrón Silver with a hint of the oak flavor found in Patrón Añejo; and Gran Patrón. For more information, visit www.patronspirits.com.
Sauza
The Sauza portfolio includes Sauza Blanco, a premium, 51-percent agave, Silver tequila; Sauza Extra Gold, also a premium 51-percent agave tequila; Sauza Hacienda, a premium, 51-percent agave reposado tequila; Sauza Conmemorativo, a super-premium, 51-percent agave, añejo tequila.
Sauza Hornitos, a super-premium, 100-percent agave, reposado tequila; and Sauza Tres Generaciones (3Gs), a family of ultra-premium, 100 percent agave tequilas that includes plata, reposado and añejo tequila. For more information, visit www.sauzatequila.com.
Tarantula Tequila
Tarantula is a premium tequila at a Happy Hour price. McCormick Distilling followed in the steps of tequilleros; the Tarantula process employs fine yeast, classical ovens and copper stills.
The Plata possesses a crisp, distinctive taste of agave, and the Reposado is taken a step further, aged in choice oak barrels until achieving a smooth taste and amber color. For more information, visit www.mccormickdistilling.com.
Zircón Azul
Zircón Azul is smooth and has an exceptional flavor that makes it fine sipping tequila. From the fields to the processing plant, everything is done in the old-world way. Zircón Azul is produced and bottled in Arandas Jalisco, Mexico, using all natural products.
Zircón Azul is 100-percent reposado tequila aged in white oak barrels for flavor, color and smoothness. For more information, visit www.zirconazul.com
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Business Ethics - High Ethical Standards In Business 100% Of The Time - 5 Principals Of Success
By Greg Nicholls
Business ethics maintained as a high standard in your business 100% of the time should not be an option, it should be your rule, a rule never to be broken!
Seems simple enough right? Then do it! Always!
OK, here is the thing; those of us that choose to operate with business ethics 100% of the time, never have too much to worry about.
If you are treating others the way you wish to be treated in business, then more times than not, you will be dealing with people that share the same principals.
This is as easy as remembering the truth; you always remember the truth, it is hard to remember a lie unless you are well practiced at it. So if this is you, please do not call me!
I was taught long ago that if you want to know the secret to building a long term and strong business, it has to be done with ethics.
So I would like to share with you 5 Principals of Success with the standard practice of business ethics:
1) You are who you do business with: If the person you are considering doing business with, or the person you are already doing business with is openly or seemingly un-ethical, then do not do business with them.
You are or will be compromising the future of your business if you go down this slippery slope.
2) Be fair and honest in your dealings: Ensuring that you always give a fair price and always honestly represent yourself, then down the road it will come back to you in either repeat or referral business.
3) Be up front: The customer will appreciate it and likely do more business with you if there are no surprises. Make sure that everything is disclosed and that there is nothing that a client could come back to you to say that they want there money back because you left something out.
4) Think like a customer: If you think this way, you will likely have a much better relationship with your customers; as there will be a greater understanding of what is expected in the transaction experience.
5) Be prepared to walk away: Part of maintaining high ethics is the willingness to walk away from potential business if it does not meet the utmost ethical standard. If the business is meant to be, then you will still get it, but on your terms.
I have been in business for many years and have seen many companies come and go. The ones that really stick around to do well are the companies with uncompromising business ethics that are managed by people that maintain high ethical standards 100% of the time.
Because YOU Deserve Money!
© 2006 Nicholls Enterprises - www.deservemoney.com
Find out how Greg Nicholls has achieved Financial Success by subscribing to the “Deserve Money Newsletter” for free. Visit http://www.DeserveMoney.com right now for all the details.
Greg is also known for teaching people a simple system on how to build a successful business while working from home; for more information about the business that brought home a 60-70 hour per week executive, who now makes more money on 1/3 the hours.
Contact Greg by email at info@DeserveMoney.com, or call his toll free number right now from anywhere in North America 24/7 at 1-800-388-4563, or from outside North America to Canada at +778-786-2287 to setup your appointment.
Greg Nicholls, a 36 year old Husband, Father & Entrepreneur will help you understand why you Deserve Money in your life and how to get it! To subscribe to his free weekly newsletter, visit http://www.deservemoney.com and begin to benefit from his inspiring insights today.
Business ethics maintained as a high standard in your business 100% of the time should not be an option, it should be your rule, a rule never to be broken!
Seems simple enough right? Then do it! Always!
OK, here is the thing; those of us that choose to operate with business ethics 100% of the time, never have too much to worry about.
If you are treating others the way you wish to be treated in business, then more times than not, you will be dealing with people that share the same principals.
This is as easy as remembering the truth; you always remember the truth, it is hard to remember a lie unless you are well practiced at it. So if this is you, please do not call me!
I was taught long ago that if you want to know the secret to building a long term and strong business, it has to be done with ethics.
So I would like to share with you 5 Principals of Success with the standard practice of business ethics:
1) You are who you do business with: If the person you are considering doing business with, or the person you are already doing business with is openly or seemingly un-ethical, then do not do business with them.
You are or will be compromising the future of your business if you go down this slippery slope.
2) Be fair and honest in your dealings: Ensuring that you always give a fair price and always honestly represent yourself, then down the road it will come back to you in either repeat or referral business.
3) Be up front: The customer will appreciate it and likely do more business with you if there are no surprises. Make sure that everything is disclosed and that there is nothing that a client could come back to you to say that they want there money back because you left something out.
4) Think like a customer: If you think this way, you will likely have a much better relationship with your customers; as there will be a greater understanding of what is expected in the transaction experience.
5) Be prepared to walk away: Part of maintaining high ethics is the willingness to walk away from potential business if it does not meet the utmost ethical standard. If the business is meant to be, then you will still get it, but on your terms.
I have been in business for many years and have seen many companies come and go. The ones that really stick around to do well are the companies with uncompromising business ethics that are managed by people that maintain high ethical standards 100% of the time.
Because YOU Deserve Money!
© 2006 Nicholls Enterprises - www.deservemoney.com
Find out how Greg Nicholls has achieved Financial Success by subscribing to the “Deserve Money Newsletter” for free. Visit http://www.DeserveMoney.com right now for all the details.
Greg is also known for teaching people a simple system on how to build a successful business while working from home; for more information about the business that brought home a 60-70 hour per week executive, who now makes more money on 1/3 the hours.
Contact Greg by email at info@DeserveMoney.com, or call his toll free number right now from anywhere in North America 24/7 at 1-800-388-4563, or from outside North America to Canada at +778-786-2287 to setup your appointment.
Greg Nicholls, a 36 year old Husband, Father & Entrepreneur will help you understand why you Deserve Money in your life and how to get it! To subscribe to his free weekly newsletter, visit http://www.deservemoney.com and begin to benefit from his inspiring insights today.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Five Signals of a Poor Self-Image
From LifeSkill Institute, Inc
In doing your own personal analysis of your self-image, there are certain keys or signals to look for:
1. Putting the blame on someone else.
By putting the blame for your own circumstances and situation on someone else, you avoid taking responsibility for what you have really done to yourself. If you do not take responsibility for your condition, you cannot change it, nor can you grow through it.
That which you cannot grow through,
you will go through again and again.
2. Running away from your problems.
When you are confronted with a problem or challenge, how do you respond? Generally, you can do one of four things: Flee It, Fight It, Forget It, or Face It.
It is only when you face your problems and challenges and consider them projects to be completed, that you grow stronger in faith and self-confidence. As your faith and confidence grows, your ability to handle greater problems and challenges improves.
3. Criticizing other people constantly.
Why do you criticize other people constantly? Is your criticism constructive and motivated by true care, concern and desire to help? Or, is it based on envy, jealousy, and thoughts of inferiority?
If your criticism is not positive—based on love, respect, and a sincere desire to help and improve another person—then it is not constructive criticism and it does harm not only to the other person, but also to your own self-image.
4. Waiting for someone else to solve your problems/challenges.
When you wait for someone else to solve your problems and challenges, you neutralize your own possibilities for learning and growing through experience. What keeps you from taking action when a problem or challenge presents itself?
Is it fear of failure that you won’t do the right things? Or is it fear of success that contradicts how you really feel about yourself? Whether it is the fear of failure or fear of success, it doesn’t matter since the result is the same—procrastination, inaction, and ultimately, failure.
5. Pretending that everything is OK.
When you pretend that everything is alright, actively ignoring your problems and challenges, you subconsciously accept the consequences that will surely result from your inaction.
You deceive yourself into thinking that there is no need for change or improvement, and develop a false sense of complacency. You eliminate virtually all possibility for personal growth and development. The nature of problems and challenges is that if they continue unresolved, they only get worse.
In doing your own personal analysis of your self-image, there are certain keys or signals to look for:
1. Putting the blame on someone else.
By putting the blame for your own circumstances and situation on someone else, you avoid taking responsibility for what you have really done to yourself. If you do not take responsibility for your condition, you cannot change it, nor can you grow through it.
That which you cannot grow through,
you will go through again and again.
2. Running away from your problems.
When you are confronted with a problem or challenge, how do you respond? Generally, you can do one of four things: Flee It, Fight It, Forget It, or Face It.
It is only when you face your problems and challenges and consider them projects to be completed, that you grow stronger in faith and self-confidence. As your faith and confidence grows, your ability to handle greater problems and challenges improves.
3. Criticizing other people constantly.
Why do you criticize other people constantly? Is your criticism constructive and motivated by true care, concern and desire to help? Or, is it based on envy, jealousy, and thoughts of inferiority?
If your criticism is not positive—based on love, respect, and a sincere desire to help and improve another person—then it is not constructive criticism and it does harm not only to the other person, but also to your own self-image.
4. Waiting for someone else to solve your problems/challenges.
When you wait for someone else to solve your problems and challenges, you neutralize your own possibilities for learning and growing through experience. What keeps you from taking action when a problem or challenge presents itself?
Is it fear of failure that you won’t do the right things? Or is it fear of success that contradicts how you really feel about yourself? Whether it is the fear of failure or fear of success, it doesn’t matter since the result is the same—procrastination, inaction, and ultimately, failure.
5. Pretending that everything is OK.
When you pretend that everything is alright, actively ignoring your problems and challenges, you subconsciously accept the consequences that will surely result from your inaction.
You deceive yourself into thinking that there is no need for change or improvement, and develop a false sense of complacency. You eliminate virtually all possibility for personal growth and development. The nature of problems and challenges is that if they continue unresolved, they only get worse.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Look to the villages
Beaujolais promise depth and complexity beyond the nouveau that many of us drink every fall
By Bill Daley
Beaujolais has become a wine identified with the fall, notably the third Thursday in November. That's the date the first wine of the just-ended season, the nouveau or primeur, is released with much fanfare around the world.
Yet the celebration and the celebrity surrounding simple, naive nouveau obscures a basic fact: There are plenty of far more interesting Beaujolais out there.
Look for the crus, bottles of Beaujolais named after 10 villages in this region of southern Burgundy. These are the villages in Beaujolais considered to make the highest-quality wines.
They are the ideal reds for spring and summer: lively, fresh, fruity -- perfect for Easter meals.
Gamay is the grape for Beaujolais, but as with all French wine, it's important to think location rather than type of grape. The more site-specific a wine label is, the higher the quality, price and customer expectations.
Sterling Pratt of Shaefer's in Skokie thinks the cru wines may be so identified by their respective villages, be it Brouilly, Moulin-a-Vent or Chenas, that the buyer of such wines may not even recognize them as Beaujolais, particularly nothing akin to nouveau.
That's why a promotional Web site like Licensed to Chill (licensedtochill.org) is so useful; it offers a clean, comprehensible guide to almost all wines Beaujolais.
These wines can be sorted into three large categories:
*A wine labeled simply as "Beaujolais" will be just a tad older and a bit more interesting than its nouveau cousin but you're still talking about a very uncomplicated, young wine. Drink as you buy it.
*"Beaujolais-Villages" is made from grapes gathered in 39 villages, according to "The New Wine Lover's Companion." More depth, yes, but this still is a very simple, fresh wine. Drink young, in about two years.
*At the top sit the crus. They are: Brouilly, Cote-de-Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-vent, Saint Amour and Regnie. The heftier crus, like Moulin-a-Vent, Julienas and Morgon, can age for up to a decade.
So important are these village names as appellations that some labels don't even bother with the word "Beaujolais" -- which may be a good thing.
There is customer resistance to the crus because of all the hype surrounding Beaujolais nouveau, according to Gregg Wilson of The Artisan Cellar.
"If only people would realize Beaujolais is still part of Burgundy," he said. "They're using gamay instead of pinot noir, but they're still getting those Burgundian notes."
Michael Scharber, co-owner of Kafka Wine Co., said the crus could be considered "Burgundy light." That can be a good thing for those American drinkers who appreciate the fruitier Beaujolais style as opposed to the sometimes fungal profile of classic Burgundy, he said.
"Beaujolais is a nice introduction," he said. "The flavor is fruity, not like a barnyard." Expect to find those fruity flavors more in the lighter-bodied crus, wines like Brouilly, Chiroubles and Regnie.
What to serve with a cru Beaujolais? Many choices exist for this food-friendly wine. In their book, "What to Drink with What You Eat," Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page offer these as top matches: charcuterie (cold cuts), grilled or roast chicken, pork, salads and sausages. Oh, bacon and burgers work too.
Kevin Reed, general manager at Chicago's Brasserie Jo, suggests Nicoise salad or fish, especially salmon. In summer, the restaurant always keeps chilled bottles handy for patio patrons, he said.
Why chill Beaujolais?
"There's a violet aroma in the wine that you don't get if it's too warm," Scharber said. "The tannins are so soft you need to firm them up. Chilling will do it."
- - -
It takes a village ... or 10
Just how site-specific wines can be was made clear when the Good Eating tasting panel sampled one wine from each of the 10 cru villages of Beaujolais.
Though all Beaujolais is made from the gamay grape, the expression changed from bottle to bottle, maker to maker.
Nearly half the wines come from one producer, Georges Duboeuf, who can probably take credit for popularizing Beaujolais in the United States and, indeed, around the world. (The wines were not scored because the panel was sampling across the spectrum of cru styles. The wines are listed in traditional order of intensity from lightest to heaviest.)
2005 Georges Duboeuf Brouilly
From the largest of the Beaujolais cru villages, this red has a fresh cherry flavor deepened with just a touch of earthy terroir. One taster reported a hint of cinnamon on the finish. $10
2005 Georges Duboeuf
Chiroubles
Pleasantly tart, with notes of violets, black pepper and mint layered under the fruit flavor. Tannins are noticeable. $11
2005 Georges Duboeuf Regnie
Created in 1988, Regnie is the youngest of the Beaujolais cru designations. Flavors of cherry, berry and mushroom seasoned with a shot of smoke. Astringent finish. $9
2004 Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly
From grapes planted on the side of Mont Brouilly, this red had plenty of ripe fruit flavors, with touches of cinnamon and earth. The taste is far cleaner and sweeter than the herbaceous nose suggests. $16
2005 Trenel Fleurie Clos des Moriers
Sporting a classic cherrylike Beaujolais aroma, this wine tempers the fruit with intriguing notes of pepper, leather and earth. The profile is deeper, more serious than the lighter styles. $19
2005 Clos de la Brosse Saint-Amour
Wines from this cru are popular around Valentine's Day. This particular bottling has some astringency to counter the clean fruit flavor. $15
2005 Jacky Janodet Chenas
Colored a brilliant ruby red, this wine had a nose ripe with cherry and black pepper. These aromas translate to flavor, spiced with a little black pepper and a touch of violets. $13
2005 Georges Duboeuf Julienas
Velvety, with lots of deep cherry fruit flavor underscored by a definitely "green" herbal tone. $13
2005 Sarl Marcel Lapierre Morgon
Don't let the light color fool you. This wine had a vibrant profile, heady with cherry, mint and black pepper. A classic Beaujolais. $20
2005 Georges Duboeuf Moulin-a-Vent Domaine de la Tour du Bief
A wine built for aging up to a decade, this red had plenty of tannins overlaid with notes of black cherry, spice and mint. $13
-- B.D.
Sources: These wines may or may not be in stock at your local store; inquire first. At least one was found at these stores: Binny's Beverage Depot stores, Kafka Wine Co., UnCork It, Howard's Wine Cellar, Sal's Beverage World stores. Prices may vary and are rounded off.
By Bill Daley
Beaujolais has become a wine identified with the fall, notably the third Thursday in November. That's the date the first wine of the just-ended season, the nouveau or primeur, is released with much fanfare around the world.
Yet the celebration and the celebrity surrounding simple, naive nouveau obscures a basic fact: There are plenty of far more interesting Beaujolais out there.
Look for the crus, bottles of Beaujolais named after 10 villages in this region of southern Burgundy. These are the villages in Beaujolais considered to make the highest-quality wines.
They are the ideal reds for spring and summer: lively, fresh, fruity -- perfect for Easter meals.
Gamay is the grape for Beaujolais, but as with all French wine, it's important to think location rather than type of grape. The more site-specific a wine label is, the higher the quality, price and customer expectations.
Sterling Pratt of Shaefer's in Skokie thinks the cru wines may be so identified by their respective villages, be it Brouilly, Moulin-a-Vent or Chenas, that the buyer of such wines may not even recognize them as Beaujolais, particularly nothing akin to nouveau.
That's why a promotional Web site like Licensed to Chill (licensedtochill.org) is so useful; it offers a clean, comprehensible guide to almost all wines Beaujolais.
These wines can be sorted into three large categories:
*A wine labeled simply as "Beaujolais" will be just a tad older and a bit more interesting than its nouveau cousin but you're still talking about a very uncomplicated, young wine. Drink as you buy it.
*"Beaujolais-Villages" is made from grapes gathered in 39 villages, according to "The New Wine Lover's Companion." More depth, yes, but this still is a very simple, fresh wine. Drink young, in about two years.
*At the top sit the crus. They are: Brouilly, Cote-de-Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-vent, Saint Amour and Regnie. The heftier crus, like Moulin-a-Vent, Julienas and Morgon, can age for up to a decade.
So important are these village names as appellations that some labels don't even bother with the word "Beaujolais" -- which may be a good thing.
There is customer resistance to the crus because of all the hype surrounding Beaujolais nouveau, according to Gregg Wilson of The Artisan Cellar.
"If only people would realize Beaujolais is still part of Burgundy," he said. "They're using gamay instead of pinot noir, but they're still getting those Burgundian notes."
Michael Scharber, co-owner of Kafka Wine Co., said the crus could be considered "Burgundy light." That can be a good thing for those American drinkers who appreciate the fruitier Beaujolais style as opposed to the sometimes fungal profile of classic Burgundy, he said.
"Beaujolais is a nice introduction," he said. "The flavor is fruity, not like a barnyard." Expect to find those fruity flavors more in the lighter-bodied crus, wines like Brouilly, Chiroubles and Regnie.
What to serve with a cru Beaujolais? Many choices exist for this food-friendly wine. In their book, "What to Drink with What You Eat," Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page offer these as top matches: charcuterie (cold cuts), grilled or roast chicken, pork, salads and sausages. Oh, bacon and burgers work too.
Kevin Reed, general manager at Chicago's Brasserie Jo, suggests Nicoise salad or fish, especially salmon. In summer, the restaurant always keeps chilled bottles handy for patio patrons, he said.
Why chill Beaujolais?
"There's a violet aroma in the wine that you don't get if it's too warm," Scharber said. "The tannins are so soft you need to firm them up. Chilling will do it."
- - -
It takes a village ... or 10
Just how site-specific wines can be was made clear when the Good Eating tasting panel sampled one wine from each of the 10 cru villages of Beaujolais.
Though all Beaujolais is made from the gamay grape, the expression changed from bottle to bottle, maker to maker.
Nearly half the wines come from one producer, Georges Duboeuf, who can probably take credit for popularizing Beaujolais in the United States and, indeed, around the world. (The wines were not scored because the panel was sampling across the spectrum of cru styles. The wines are listed in traditional order of intensity from lightest to heaviest.)
2005 Georges Duboeuf Brouilly
From the largest of the Beaujolais cru villages, this red has a fresh cherry flavor deepened with just a touch of earthy terroir. One taster reported a hint of cinnamon on the finish. $10
2005 Georges Duboeuf
Chiroubles
Pleasantly tart, with notes of violets, black pepper and mint layered under the fruit flavor. Tannins are noticeable. $11
2005 Georges Duboeuf Regnie
Created in 1988, Regnie is the youngest of the Beaujolais cru designations. Flavors of cherry, berry and mushroom seasoned with a shot of smoke. Astringent finish. $9
2004 Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly
From grapes planted on the side of Mont Brouilly, this red had plenty of ripe fruit flavors, with touches of cinnamon and earth. The taste is far cleaner and sweeter than the herbaceous nose suggests. $16
2005 Trenel Fleurie Clos des Moriers
Sporting a classic cherrylike Beaujolais aroma, this wine tempers the fruit with intriguing notes of pepper, leather and earth. The profile is deeper, more serious than the lighter styles. $19
2005 Clos de la Brosse Saint-Amour
Wines from this cru are popular around Valentine's Day. This particular bottling has some astringency to counter the clean fruit flavor. $15
2005 Jacky Janodet Chenas
Colored a brilliant ruby red, this wine had a nose ripe with cherry and black pepper. These aromas translate to flavor, spiced with a little black pepper and a touch of violets. $13
2005 Georges Duboeuf Julienas
Velvety, with lots of deep cherry fruit flavor underscored by a definitely "green" herbal tone. $13
2005 Sarl Marcel Lapierre Morgon
Don't let the light color fool you. This wine had a vibrant profile, heady with cherry, mint and black pepper. A classic Beaujolais. $20
2005 Georges Duboeuf Moulin-a-Vent Domaine de la Tour du Bief
A wine built for aging up to a decade, this red had plenty of tannins overlaid with notes of black cherry, spice and mint. $13
-- B.D.
Sources: These wines may or may not be in stock at your local store; inquire first. At least one was found at these stores: Binny's Beverage Depot stores, Kafka Wine Co., UnCork It, Howard's Wine Cellar, Sal's Beverage World stores. Prices may vary and are rounded off.
Powerful Natural Sweetener You Probably Know Nothing About
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
A West African berry called Synsepalum dulcificum, only slightly better known as the miracle fruit, has a powerful natural property:
Anything you consume for about an hour after eating one tastes sweet, even substances as diverse as goat cheese and rich stout beer.
A protein in the miracle fruit binds to a patient's taste buds, altering the tongue's sweet receptors so they activate when more sour foods are eaten. Experiments intended to genetically engineer the properties of the miracle fruit have largely failed.
The miracle fruit is a bit better known in Japan, as it's sold in freeze-dried, canned and tablet forms there. The movement has spread somewhat stateside, with a modest number of American growers selling cutting and seeds so folks can grow their own plants, as the berries are highly perishable.
With all the concerns about completely unnatural sweeteners like Splenda, you may want to learn more about this amazing berry.
I found it very interesting that when a pair of entrepreneurs tried to create a powder and tablet based on this natural fruit called miraculin in 1974, the FDA ruled it was a food additive, requiring years of testing that very effectively scuttled any commercial use of it.
No surprise, considering that was the same year the agency approved the dangerous, artificial sweetener aspartame.
The same thing has happened to a number of other natural sweeteners, such as Stevia. The FDA tends to take the bizarre view of calling time-tested natural products dangerous until proven otherwise, and untried artificial sweeteners safe until shown to be deadly.
This becomes a little less surprising when you learn who pays the FDA's bills. They're in the pocket of big business, and the makers of artificial sweeteners don't want competition.
Sad but true.
You can be assured if this natural sweetener starts to catch on, the FDA will find some lame excuse to ban it so that it will not compete with artificial sweeteners.
Related Articles:
Sugar and Cancer -- http://www.mercola.com/2000/oct/8/sugar_cancer.htm
The Not-so-Sweet Reality Behind Artificial Sweeteners -- http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/31/artificial_sweeteners.htm
Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World -- http://cmsadmin.mercola.com/forms/sweet_misery.htm
A West African berry called Synsepalum dulcificum, only slightly better known as the miracle fruit, has a powerful natural property:
Anything you consume for about an hour after eating one tastes sweet, even substances as diverse as goat cheese and rich stout beer.
A protein in the miracle fruit binds to a patient's taste buds, altering the tongue's sweet receptors so they activate when more sour foods are eaten. Experiments intended to genetically engineer the properties of the miracle fruit have largely failed.
The miracle fruit is a bit better known in Japan, as it's sold in freeze-dried, canned and tablet forms there. The movement has spread somewhat stateside, with a modest number of American growers selling cutting and seeds so folks can grow their own plants, as the berries are highly perishable.
With all the concerns about completely unnatural sweeteners like Splenda, you may want to learn more about this amazing berry.
I found it very interesting that when a pair of entrepreneurs tried to create a powder and tablet based on this natural fruit called miraculin in 1974, the FDA ruled it was a food additive, requiring years of testing that very effectively scuttled any commercial use of it.
No surprise, considering that was the same year the agency approved the dangerous, artificial sweetener aspartame.
The same thing has happened to a number of other natural sweeteners, such as Stevia. The FDA tends to take the bizarre view of calling time-tested natural products dangerous until proven otherwise, and untried artificial sweeteners safe until shown to be deadly.
This becomes a little less surprising when you learn who pays the FDA's bills. They're in the pocket of big business, and the makers of artificial sweeteners don't want competition.
Sad but true.
You can be assured if this natural sweetener starts to catch on, the FDA will find some lame excuse to ban it so that it will not compete with artificial sweeteners.
Related Articles:
Sugar and Cancer -- http://www.mercola.com/2000/oct/8/sugar_cancer.htm
The Not-so-Sweet Reality Behind Artificial Sweeteners -- http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/31/artificial_sweeteners.htm
Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World -- http://cmsadmin.mercola.com/forms/sweet_misery.htm
Friday, April 20, 2007
Do You Deserve Money?
By Greg Nicholls
If you are like most people, you do not feel that you "deserve money". The simple fact is that most people are broke. Most people are broke because they do not feel that they deserve money.
Now, people in lack of money figure they "want", "need" and "would really like" money, but they do not feel that they "deserve money" it and that is exactly why they do not get money.
OK, maybe now you are thinking, "I deserve money...right?" Well, here is the thing, if you have the thought that "It takes money to make money", or "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer", or "Money is the root to all evil", then you do not deserve money...well, maybe not yet, but there is hope for you.
There are two sides to every coin (like my analogy using money?); people can look at money as good or bad and often times people look at money as bad to justify why they do not have any.
I don't know, maybe someone with money or someone that was thinking of making money was with someone that did not have any and did not have any plans to make any what they thought about having lots of money and they gave off one of the lame excuses as suggested in the previous paragraph.
Why do you deserve money? The answer is simple...because you deserve money! Look, making money is simply the result of exchanging your efforts or ideas for money.
There are a zillion ways to make a million dollars and most of them are quite fun ways to make money and therein lies the key! If you are willing to learn how to have fun, make money and teach others to do the same, then it should end up being easy to make the money for you.
Start with this; how much money would you like to have, then ask yourself how much money do I currently deserve doing what I am doing now? If the answer is not 10-20 times more, then you are not doing the right thing to attain the amount that you would like to have. Time to change...
OOOOH...Change...is the word "change" scary to you? If it is, then you do not deserve money! Broke people are afraid of change. Change is natural and should be embraced by everyone.
If we do not embrace change in our life then we are accepting where we are. If you are happy with what you are making and like where you work, then go out and buy your boss a gift basket, sit down, be quiet and stop complaining about your finances.
If you are in fact willing to accept change, then get out there, read some books, develop yourself personally, set "S.M.A.R.T." goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) that are 30, 60 and 90 days out, then simply accomplish all of them. Allow yourself to fall in love money and the idea to have more. Then promise yourself that you will attain these goals no matter what.
Then...
You will deserve money and it will come to you!
If you are like most people, you do not feel that you "deserve money". The simple fact is that most people are broke. Most people are broke because they do not feel that they deserve money.
Now, people in lack of money figure they "want", "need" and "would really like" money, but they do not feel that they "deserve money" it and that is exactly why they do not get money.
OK, maybe now you are thinking, "I deserve money...right?" Well, here is the thing, if you have the thought that "It takes money to make money", or "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer", or "Money is the root to all evil", then you do not deserve money...well, maybe not yet, but there is hope for you.
There are two sides to every coin (like my analogy using money?); people can look at money as good or bad and often times people look at money as bad to justify why they do not have any.
I don't know, maybe someone with money or someone that was thinking of making money was with someone that did not have any and did not have any plans to make any what they thought about having lots of money and they gave off one of the lame excuses as suggested in the previous paragraph.
Why do you deserve money? The answer is simple...because you deserve money! Look, making money is simply the result of exchanging your efforts or ideas for money.
There are a zillion ways to make a million dollars and most of them are quite fun ways to make money and therein lies the key! If you are willing to learn how to have fun, make money and teach others to do the same, then it should end up being easy to make the money for you.
Start with this; how much money would you like to have, then ask yourself how much money do I currently deserve doing what I am doing now? If the answer is not 10-20 times more, then you are not doing the right thing to attain the amount that you would like to have. Time to change...
OOOOH...Change...is the word "change" scary to you? If it is, then you do not deserve money! Broke people are afraid of change. Change is natural and should be embraced by everyone.
If we do not embrace change in our life then we are accepting where we are. If you are happy with what you are making and like where you work, then go out and buy your boss a gift basket, sit down, be quiet and stop complaining about your finances.
If you are in fact willing to accept change, then get out there, read some books, develop yourself personally, set "S.M.A.R.T." goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) that are 30, 60 and 90 days out, then simply accomplish all of them. Allow yourself to fall in love money and the idea to have more. Then promise yourself that you will attain these goals no matter what.
Then...
You will deserve money and it will come to you!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
An Alternative Asthma Treatment
by Sven Ullmann
If you suffer from asthma or if you are particularly diagnosed with allergic asthma, it may seem that at times even the treatment or treatments that you are receiving through conventional sources can seem as sometimes they are somewhat experimental.
The process normally starts by you taking one medication and see how it works. Then you talk to your doctor about how the medicine affected you and he might refer you to take something else that will elevate some other aspect of your symptoms, until together you find what medications works and what doesn’t and in what combination they should be used and at what dosage they should be taken.
The next step will be that you go through a series of tests and diagnosis to determine what you are actually allergic to and how that factor can be controlled or eliminated.
It is important that during the screening process that you keep in mind that the doctor is trained in the medical process of elimination and he or she fully understands the effects of the drugs that he or she is screening you for.
So when you finally find the treatment that works best for you and your schedule treatment is having more noticeable positive effects, you might be led to believe that further trails might even bring you more relief than what you are experiencing now.
"We started using http://www.dramatic-asthma-relief.com/ with our youngest son in May of 2001, and he hasn’t had to use his inhaler since. I recommend Susan’s method for anyone with asthma or allergies who would like to try a non-drug approach."
In this case, you might want to start thinking about the natural or alternative medicines that you might have heard of. What can be the problem, they are only natural herbs?
Natural herbs such as these are used in cooking everyday and you are perfectly fine, they haven’t bothered you. Before brewing up herbal or conventional medicine in a cup of tea, you should think twice.
Herbal medicines are very powerful and some can even have toxic side effects and some may have a negative reaction to the current medicines that you are currently taking.
An herbal derivative that goes by the name of Opium can kill you just by you taking a spoon full of it. This point is made to point out the potential for strength and potency in herbal medicines.
Do not stop taking the medicine that your doctor has given you unless you sit down and have a serious talk with him first. The herbal medications could work but they also are not as good as the medications that your doctor has prescribed for you.
You can buy herbal remedies at the drug store for bad breath and it might actually work but it is not going to work as good as a tooth brush and some dental floss will.
However, no one has ever dies from bad breath. Basically, the point that you should take is that no matter what you hear about herbal treatments you should always consult with your doctor and let her or him explain what exactly the medication is that you are thinking about taking, so that they can let you know what is in it and how it will affect your body.
You will find that there are other complimentary or alternative medicine therapies out there and as long as you talk with your doctor first there are some that have no risk at all.
One type you will find that has no risk at all is acupuncture. The only actual risk of acupuncture is that you may have to walk around with some sore spots on your body that is as long as you continue to take your prescribed medicine as you were told.
If you are considering experimenting with food avoidance it is also important to let your doctor know what you are doing so that if you begin to suffer from malnutrition he knows what it is coming from.
If you are someone that suffers from food allergies it is also important and wise that you have a medical professional supervise and document your food elimination program.
At times, if you are a severe asthma patient you can feel desperate and might put you to the point that you will be willing to try anything. However, it can not leave you isolated and unable to so the things that you like to do.
Many asthma patients have often found relief from group therapy. Many asthma sufferers enjoy the fact that they are able to talk to someone who has the same problems is always a help and you can do it with no risk at all and there are no side effects of being around a couple of friends.
So basically there is no need for you to underestimate the power of positive thinking as part of your treatment and before you think about consuming any type of herbal concoction make sure that you talk to your doctor first to make sure that everything is alright.
Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs http://www.deservedhealth.com - information on health for you and your family. Read more about http://www.deservedhealth.com/alternative-asthma-treatment/ . Get our health newsletter here: http://www.deservedhealth.com/newsletter
If you suffer from asthma or if you are particularly diagnosed with allergic asthma, it may seem that at times even the treatment or treatments that you are receiving through conventional sources can seem as sometimes they are somewhat experimental.
The process normally starts by you taking one medication and see how it works. Then you talk to your doctor about how the medicine affected you and he might refer you to take something else that will elevate some other aspect of your symptoms, until together you find what medications works and what doesn’t and in what combination they should be used and at what dosage they should be taken.
The next step will be that you go through a series of tests and diagnosis to determine what you are actually allergic to and how that factor can be controlled or eliminated.
It is important that during the screening process that you keep in mind that the doctor is trained in the medical process of elimination and he or she fully understands the effects of the drugs that he or she is screening you for.
So when you finally find the treatment that works best for you and your schedule treatment is having more noticeable positive effects, you might be led to believe that further trails might even bring you more relief than what you are experiencing now.
"We started using http://www.dramatic-asthma-relief.com/ with our youngest son in May of 2001, and he hasn’t had to use his inhaler since. I recommend Susan’s method for anyone with asthma or allergies who would like to try a non-drug approach."
In this case, you might want to start thinking about the natural or alternative medicines that you might have heard of. What can be the problem, they are only natural herbs?
Natural herbs such as these are used in cooking everyday and you are perfectly fine, they haven’t bothered you. Before brewing up herbal or conventional medicine in a cup of tea, you should think twice.
Herbal medicines are very powerful and some can even have toxic side effects and some may have a negative reaction to the current medicines that you are currently taking.
An herbal derivative that goes by the name of Opium can kill you just by you taking a spoon full of it. This point is made to point out the potential for strength and potency in herbal medicines.
Do not stop taking the medicine that your doctor has given you unless you sit down and have a serious talk with him first. The herbal medications could work but they also are not as good as the medications that your doctor has prescribed for you.
You can buy herbal remedies at the drug store for bad breath and it might actually work but it is not going to work as good as a tooth brush and some dental floss will.
However, no one has ever dies from bad breath. Basically, the point that you should take is that no matter what you hear about herbal treatments you should always consult with your doctor and let her or him explain what exactly the medication is that you are thinking about taking, so that they can let you know what is in it and how it will affect your body.
You will find that there are other complimentary or alternative medicine therapies out there and as long as you talk with your doctor first there are some that have no risk at all.
One type you will find that has no risk at all is acupuncture. The only actual risk of acupuncture is that you may have to walk around with some sore spots on your body that is as long as you continue to take your prescribed medicine as you were told.
If you are considering experimenting with food avoidance it is also important to let your doctor know what you are doing so that if you begin to suffer from malnutrition he knows what it is coming from.
If you are someone that suffers from food allergies it is also important and wise that you have a medical professional supervise and document your food elimination program.
At times, if you are a severe asthma patient you can feel desperate and might put you to the point that you will be willing to try anything. However, it can not leave you isolated and unable to so the things that you like to do.
Many asthma patients have often found relief from group therapy. Many asthma sufferers enjoy the fact that they are able to talk to someone who has the same problems is always a help and you can do it with no risk at all and there are no side effects of being around a couple of friends.
So basically there is no need for you to underestimate the power of positive thinking as part of your treatment and before you think about consuming any type of herbal concoction make sure that you talk to your doctor first to make sure that everything is alright.
Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs http://www.deservedhealth.com - information on health for you and your family. Read more about http://www.deservedhealth.com/alternative-asthma-treatment/ . Get our health newsletter here: http://www.deservedhealth.com/newsletter
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Personal Development - Why Is It Important?
By Greg Nicholls
We did not come with an instruction manual and the people that taught us what we know very likely did not have one either. Research has been done to assist you in understanding how to attain true health, wealth and happiness.
When I was first introduced to the world of personal development, I was one of those people that said "yeah right". I fought the idea, but my reason for looking in the first place was more compelling than the reason (lack of belief in doing it) not to do it.
Working on understanding how you tick is not a fun thing to do at first, because you can tend to focus on all the things that are wrong with you.
You have to be willing to accept the fact that you are not perfect and could improve in a number of places. The good news is you also have just as great an opportunity to focus on the good that you have in you too.
Good personal development, that is personal development that allows you to develop personally over time, will take you on a tour of your mind, usually over about 90 days.
Part of the trick is to stay with it, after all, you went to school to learn how to learn for 12 years, you may have gone to college to learn specialty skills for 2-5 years or more.
The point is you will not understand yourself over night, it will take 90 days just to break into your mind and learn how to operate it and a lifetime to master it.
Have you ever taken the time to assess your good and bad points, understood the background to some of your "bad habits", thought that you are supposed to be wealthy? If not, why not?
Everything we do is based on "beliefs", beliefs are things that we develop over time, some of them are based on fact, some are based on fiction, while others are based on someone else's beliefs.
For example, we know that if you touch a stove-top element when it is hot, you will get burned. Maybe you learned this yourself and experienced the pain or you learned this from someone else that told you.
Another example could be that you believe you will never be wealthy because either someone told you, or you have experienced it that way so far and have just given up. Shame on you!
Bill Gates, one man, has made over 50 Billion dollars and he is not the only one; he did it from nothing more than an idea. If he believed it when people told him that he could never be a Billionaire, he never would have become one.
Bill Gates is a Billionaire because he is a student of personal development; he has learned how to set goals, visualize them and attain them by understanding how his mind works.
Freedom is a belief that most of us do not really understand, one would initially think that freedom would not have any limits or costs. Well, wake-up, if you live like most go and go to a job every day, you are only as free as the distance you can go away from your job so you can be back on time tomorrow.
Now, living Beyond Freedom is a lifestyle that most of us do not believe is possible. Here is the think, there is a life out there that you deserve to have, it can be found in yourself, you just need to know where it is hiding.
Living Beyond Freedom will bring you into a whole new world, a world where you can attain true health, wealth and happiness.
So, go find some books, programs, etc. and begin to create the life you know you deserve. If you need some help finding the right ones, contact me and I will get you to the place that I know is best.
We did not come with an instruction manual and the people that taught us what we know very likely did not have one either. Research has been done to assist you in understanding how to attain true health, wealth and happiness.
When I was first introduced to the world of personal development, I was one of those people that said "yeah right". I fought the idea, but my reason for looking in the first place was more compelling than the reason (lack of belief in doing it) not to do it.
Working on understanding how you tick is not a fun thing to do at first, because you can tend to focus on all the things that are wrong with you.
You have to be willing to accept the fact that you are not perfect and could improve in a number of places. The good news is you also have just as great an opportunity to focus on the good that you have in you too.
Good personal development, that is personal development that allows you to develop personally over time, will take you on a tour of your mind, usually over about 90 days.
Part of the trick is to stay with it, after all, you went to school to learn how to learn for 12 years, you may have gone to college to learn specialty skills for 2-5 years or more.
The point is you will not understand yourself over night, it will take 90 days just to break into your mind and learn how to operate it and a lifetime to master it.
Have you ever taken the time to assess your good and bad points, understood the background to some of your "bad habits", thought that you are supposed to be wealthy? If not, why not?
Everything we do is based on "beliefs", beliefs are things that we develop over time, some of them are based on fact, some are based on fiction, while others are based on someone else's beliefs.
For example, we know that if you touch a stove-top element when it is hot, you will get burned. Maybe you learned this yourself and experienced the pain or you learned this from someone else that told you.
Another example could be that you believe you will never be wealthy because either someone told you, or you have experienced it that way so far and have just given up. Shame on you!
Bill Gates, one man, has made over 50 Billion dollars and he is not the only one; he did it from nothing more than an idea. If he believed it when people told him that he could never be a Billionaire, he never would have become one.
Bill Gates is a Billionaire because he is a student of personal development; he has learned how to set goals, visualize them and attain them by understanding how his mind works.
Freedom is a belief that most of us do not really understand, one would initially think that freedom would not have any limits or costs. Well, wake-up, if you live like most go and go to a job every day, you are only as free as the distance you can go away from your job so you can be back on time tomorrow.
Now, living Beyond Freedom is a lifestyle that most of us do not believe is possible. Here is the think, there is a life out there that you deserve to have, it can be found in yourself, you just need to know where it is hiding.
Living Beyond Freedom will bring you into a whole new world, a world where you can attain true health, wealth and happiness.
So, go find some books, programs, etc. and begin to create the life you know you deserve. If you need some help finding the right ones, contact me and I will get you to the place that I know is best.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Popping The Top Off The World of Sodas
From The American Mixologist
They are effervescent, flavorful and Americans love them. Sodas and carbonated beverages play an integral part of everyday life in this country. Imagine an office building or public venue without a soda vending machine. Not a chance; it could incite mayhem.
No one need convince Nick Cantenella how popular sodas are. He’s the managing partner of Bertolini’s, a chic and authentic trattoria located in the Forum Shops of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
At a restaurant where cappuccinos, lattes and espresso rule supreme, Italian sodas are have recently been surging in sales at Bertolini’s. These effervescent gems are slightly sweet iced drinks made with club soda, three-ounces of Torani syrup and a float of whipping cream.
“We serve our Italian sodas in classic 14-ounce pilsener glasses. The drinks are not only extraordinarily delicious, they’re attractive and highly marketable,” says Cantenella.
“We’ve created table cards to promote the Italian sodas with a picture of the drinks and a listing of the flavor options. We also market them in our food menu. It’s really impressive how well they sell.”
A part of the Morton’s Restaurant group, the fare at Bertolini’s offers the estimated 45,000 people a day who stroll by the venue upscale brick oven fired pizzas, clam linguini and chicken scaloppini.
Cantenella estimates that Bertolini’s sells 1,000 to 1,500 Italian sodas a month, up to 2,000 in the summer months. Favorite flavors include cherry, grape, piña colada and raspberry. Reasonably priced at $4.25, they represent a sizeable revenue source.
Creating Soda Pop Classics
Among the advantages to marketing Italian sodas is their simplicity and creative potential. The concoction is little more than ice, soda water and a measure of one or more flavoring syrups; brands such as Monin and Torani.
The delicate flavoring dissolves immediately into the seltzer, transforming it into a marvelously light soda. Flavored syrups are readily available in different flavors ranging from fruits and spice to nuts and classic dessert recreations
While Italian sodas are typically prepared with a single flavored syrup, an effortless way of devising an alcohol-free smash is to use syrups in combination.
Classic taste pairings include kiwi/lime, watermelon/blueberry or coffee/chocolate, although these barely scratch the surface of what’s possible.
Some may want to also upgrade the water used in the drink from club soda to bottled mineral waters such as San Pelligrino and Perrier for the club soda.
The specialty Italian sodas at Bertolini’s are topped with a layer of whipping cream, which sweets, adds substance and greatly enhances the drink’s appearance.
“Our guests use the long straws to gently swirl the whipping cream into their drinks. It’s fun to do and creates a great looking drink,” adds Cantenella.
Another creative twist is hoisting a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet into the concoction. The melting of flavors and textures, the melding of cold, creamy ice cream or sorbet and flavor-charged soda make an Italian Float a sublime experience.
Fortunately for us, Italian sodas know no creative limitations. The Italian Cream Soda is made with equal parts of passion fruit and watermelon syrups, a fill with a highly carbonated mineral water—Perrier fits the bill—and a heaping scoop of French vanilla ice cream.
Try pairing a soda made with a hearty black cherry syrup with a layer of raspberry sorbet, or a coffee-flavored soda with vanilla ice cream.
Whether judged on taste, panache, or profit margin, Italian sodas are one of the finest things that can be drunk through a straw.
They are effervescent, flavorful and Americans love them. Sodas and carbonated beverages play an integral part of everyday life in this country. Imagine an office building or public venue without a soda vending machine. Not a chance; it could incite mayhem.
No one need convince Nick Cantenella how popular sodas are. He’s the managing partner of Bertolini’s, a chic and authentic trattoria located in the Forum Shops of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
At a restaurant where cappuccinos, lattes and espresso rule supreme, Italian sodas are have recently been surging in sales at Bertolini’s. These effervescent gems are slightly sweet iced drinks made with club soda, three-ounces of Torani syrup and a float of whipping cream.
“We serve our Italian sodas in classic 14-ounce pilsener glasses. The drinks are not only extraordinarily delicious, they’re attractive and highly marketable,” says Cantenella.
“We’ve created table cards to promote the Italian sodas with a picture of the drinks and a listing of the flavor options. We also market them in our food menu. It’s really impressive how well they sell.”
A part of the Morton’s Restaurant group, the fare at Bertolini’s offers the estimated 45,000 people a day who stroll by the venue upscale brick oven fired pizzas, clam linguini and chicken scaloppini.
Cantenella estimates that Bertolini’s sells 1,000 to 1,500 Italian sodas a month, up to 2,000 in the summer months. Favorite flavors include cherry, grape, piña colada and raspberry. Reasonably priced at $4.25, they represent a sizeable revenue source.
Creating Soda Pop Classics
Among the advantages to marketing Italian sodas is their simplicity and creative potential. The concoction is little more than ice, soda water and a measure of one or more flavoring syrups; brands such as Monin and Torani.
The delicate flavoring dissolves immediately into the seltzer, transforming it into a marvelously light soda. Flavored syrups are readily available in different flavors ranging from fruits and spice to nuts and classic dessert recreations
While Italian sodas are typically prepared with a single flavored syrup, an effortless way of devising an alcohol-free smash is to use syrups in combination.
Classic taste pairings include kiwi/lime, watermelon/blueberry or coffee/chocolate, although these barely scratch the surface of what’s possible.
Some may want to also upgrade the water used in the drink from club soda to bottled mineral waters such as San Pelligrino and Perrier for the club soda.
The specialty Italian sodas at Bertolini’s are topped with a layer of whipping cream, which sweets, adds substance and greatly enhances the drink’s appearance.
“Our guests use the long straws to gently swirl the whipping cream into their drinks. It’s fun to do and creates a great looking drink,” adds Cantenella.
Another creative twist is hoisting a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet into the concoction. The melting of flavors and textures, the melding of cold, creamy ice cream or sorbet and flavor-charged soda make an Italian Float a sublime experience.
Fortunately for us, Italian sodas know no creative limitations. The Italian Cream Soda is made with equal parts of passion fruit and watermelon syrups, a fill with a highly carbonated mineral water—Perrier fits the bill—and a heaping scoop of French vanilla ice cream.
Try pairing a soda made with a hearty black cherry syrup with a layer of raspberry sorbet, or a coffee-flavored soda with vanilla ice cream.
Whether judged on taste, panache, or profit margin, Italian sodas are one of the finest things that can be drunk through a straw.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sixty Percent of Americans See Recession Ahead
From NewsMax
NEW YORK –- Most Americans are expecting a recession in the next year and a large number describe their own finances as "shaky", according to a recent survey conducted for the Los Angeles Times and financial news wire Bloomberg.
Despite current relatively strong economic readings — the unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in March, one of the lowest readings since 2001, and wage growth is outpacing price increases — the poll of 1,373 adults found that 60 percent of those surveyed said recession was somewhat or very likely within the next year.
In addition, 35 percent said their personal finances were "shaky." That's up from 30 percent who gave that answer on an earlier survey in March, and 28 percent in January.
The April figure is the second-highest reading for those with that view of their own finances since the survey began in the early 1990s.
According to one news source, many economists who are concerned about a recession have said that consumers' worries about the declining value of their homes could be a factor that forces them to cut back on spending and tip the overall economy into recession.
Interestingly though, the survey showed that a third of those polled predicted home values in their neighborhood would increase in the next six months, about twice as many who expect a price decline. The rest of the respondents said values would hold steady.
Consumer spending is responsible for more than two-thirds of the country's economic activity, so consumer worries about the risk of a recession and their own personal finances can become their own drag on the economy, a news source opined.
NEW YORK –- Most Americans are expecting a recession in the next year and a large number describe their own finances as "shaky", according to a recent survey conducted for the Los Angeles Times and financial news wire Bloomberg.
Despite current relatively strong economic readings — the unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in March, one of the lowest readings since 2001, and wage growth is outpacing price increases — the poll of 1,373 adults found that 60 percent of those surveyed said recession was somewhat or very likely within the next year.
In addition, 35 percent said their personal finances were "shaky." That's up from 30 percent who gave that answer on an earlier survey in March, and 28 percent in January.
The April figure is the second-highest reading for those with that view of their own finances since the survey began in the early 1990s.
According to one news source, many economists who are concerned about a recession have said that consumers' worries about the declining value of their homes could be a factor that forces them to cut back on spending and tip the overall economy into recession.
Interestingly though, the survey showed that a third of those polled predicted home values in their neighborhood would increase in the next six months, about twice as many who expect a price decline. The rest of the respondents said values would hold steady.
Consumer spending is responsible for more than two-thirds of the country's economic activity, so consumer worries about the risk of a recession and their own personal finances can become their own drag on the economy, a news source opined.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Marketing Is Education, Education Is Marketing
By Greg Nicholls
This really sums it up in a nutshell because when you look at it, the only reason why we are bombarded with advertising is because when we move through our life and require something that a marketer has been hammering on us with, we will instantly pick up on their marketing phrase.
Example: if you are thirsty... _____ is it!
Example: if you are hungry... our _______ is open 24 hours.
Example: if you want healthier fast food... _________, eat fresh.
In order for you to be able to fill in the blanks, you needed to be educated on them first, so when it came time to eat or drink, the first answer is the one they have programmed you with.
This is no different with the national chain repair shop, or the mobile phone provider with thousands of people standing behind you. The funny thing is you are already connecting who I am describing with my general description.
That is awesome and should certainly demonstrate to you that Marketing is Education and Education Is Marketing.
Now, to apply this to your business, figure out some attributes that people could and should be educated on so when they think about something that relates to your business, they will think about you.
Write about it in a Blog, Ezine Article, Podcast, Newsletter, etc. and get it out there. The internet will take care of the first three and the fourth one can be fed names and emails from the first three.
Why choose the methods I just described?
The reason is that the major search engines are always searching out the most current and relevant information on subjects that people are looking for information on. These search engines have become smarter now as they gather more information on our searching habits.
It is now to the point that if you type in "rich green lawn" in a search engine, you will find responses like "...Everyone wants a healthy green lawn, and typically in our consumer society ...
Add some lime if needed, and a phosphate-rich fertilizer..." or "...Thicken your lawn and repair those bare spots with CANADA GREEN, a fine grass seed mixture that grows healthy, rich, green grass. ..."
Some interesting attributes of each of the searches, is the ones on the top are educating your about how you can have a "rich green lawn" not just a bunch of cheap plugs of keywords/phrases.
They are providing education along with a solution to your problem or answer to your question.
The information will be the best when it is not found just anywhere on the internet, but if you have some specialized knowledge about how to do it better, faster, cheaper and you share this information with the general public in vague terms, still demonstrating that while the person you are marketing to has more information now, but that you, the marketer are still the expert, they will still come to you for more information.
In other words, be of service to people and they will be of service to you, but do it with the mindset of truly assisting people to attaining their goals without expecting anything in return.
Greg Nicholls has a great amount of experience in many facets of marketing and advertising. "Having owned four businesses, I know that marketing and advertising is the most important components, next to a rock solid business plan and product." - Greg Nicholls
If you have a large or small business and desire to learn some hot and exciting know-how and get it all from Greg Nicholls in one place, visit http://www.EffectiveMarketing101.com, go there now.
The first step to developing a successful business is to take care and control of your marketing; if nobody knows who you are, then who will buy from you?
This really sums it up in a nutshell because when you look at it, the only reason why we are bombarded with advertising is because when we move through our life and require something that a marketer has been hammering on us with, we will instantly pick up on their marketing phrase.
Example: if you are thirsty... _____ is it!
Example: if you are hungry... our _______ is open 24 hours.
Example: if you want healthier fast food... _________, eat fresh.
In order for you to be able to fill in the blanks, you needed to be educated on them first, so when it came time to eat or drink, the first answer is the one they have programmed you with.
This is no different with the national chain repair shop, or the mobile phone provider with thousands of people standing behind you. The funny thing is you are already connecting who I am describing with my general description.
That is awesome and should certainly demonstrate to you that Marketing is Education and Education Is Marketing.
Now, to apply this to your business, figure out some attributes that people could and should be educated on so when they think about something that relates to your business, they will think about you.
Write about it in a Blog, Ezine Article, Podcast, Newsletter, etc. and get it out there. The internet will take care of the first three and the fourth one can be fed names and emails from the first three.
Why choose the methods I just described?
The reason is that the major search engines are always searching out the most current and relevant information on subjects that people are looking for information on. These search engines have become smarter now as they gather more information on our searching habits.
It is now to the point that if you type in "rich green lawn" in a search engine, you will find responses like "...Everyone wants a healthy green lawn, and typically in our consumer society ...
Add some lime if needed, and a phosphate-rich fertilizer..." or "...Thicken your lawn and repair those bare spots with CANADA GREEN, a fine grass seed mixture that grows healthy, rich, green grass. ..."
Some interesting attributes of each of the searches, is the ones on the top are educating your about how you can have a "rich green lawn" not just a bunch of cheap plugs of keywords/phrases.
They are providing education along with a solution to your problem or answer to your question.
The information will be the best when it is not found just anywhere on the internet, but if you have some specialized knowledge about how to do it better, faster, cheaper and you share this information with the general public in vague terms, still demonstrating that while the person you are marketing to has more information now, but that you, the marketer are still the expert, they will still come to you for more information.
In other words, be of service to people and they will be of service to you, but do it with the mindset of truly assisting people to attaining their goals without expecting anything in return.
Greg Nicholls has a great amount of experience in many facets of marketing and advertising. "Having owned four businesses, I know that marketing and advertising is the most important components, next to a rock solid business plan and product." - Greg Nicholls
If you have a large or small business and desire to learn some hot and exciting know-how and get it all from Greg Nicholls in one place, visit http://www.EffectiveMarketing101.com, go there now.
The first step to developing a successful business is to take care and control of your marketing; if nobody knows who you are, then who will buy from you?
Saturday, April 14, 2007
What's really in that wine?
New federal labels may tell us more than we want to know.
By Corie Brown
Ever wonder what goes into a bottle of wine? The story winemakers love to tell on the bottle label is one of a mystical alchemy of climate, soils, ancient practices and long traditions.
Wine labels tend to focus on romance; the small amount of government-mandated information includes the percentage of alcohol, a warning against consuming wine when pregnant or driving, and a disclosure of sulfites.
It might be disenchanting if the label also listed the chicken, fish, milk and wheat products that are often used to process wine.
And it would be hard to maintain the notion that wine is an ethereal elixir if, before uncorking, consumers read that their Pinot Noir or Syrah contained Mega Purple (a brand of concentrated wine color), oak chips or such additives as oak gall nuts, grape juice concentrate, tartaric acid, citric acid, dissolved oxygen, copper and water.
The mention of bentonite, ammonium phosphate and the wide variety of active enzymes used to make some wines would end the romance.
Federal regulators are considering revamping the rules governing wine labels, and if changes are made, the information revealed may surprise many wine buyers.
Additives that supplement what nature failed to provide in an individual wine -- tricks of the trade that winemakers rarely talk about -- could soon be listed in detail on the labels.
The wine industry, through the Wine Institute, the industry's chief lobbying arm, is opposing the regulatory changes. But could new regulations be good news for consumers?
Wine industry consultants familiar with the subject are divided on the question.
Supporters, such as Leo McCloskey, president of Enologix, a Sonoma, Calif.-based wine consulting company that has analyzed the chemical composition of 70,000 wines, say the best wines don't rely on additives. If ingredients were listed on wine labels, the finer wines would stand out.
"The wine industry is completely unregulated," he says. "It would be so useful to have labels that detail everything in a wine. It would tell the consumer what they are drinking."
But critics of the federal initiatives say ingredients labels would make widely accepted winery practices unnecessarily controversial.
"Why freak out the ignorant when we are adjusting something that is already there in the wine?" says Clark Smith, chairman of Vinovation Inc., a Sebastopol, Calif.-based wine industry "fix-it shop."
Smith uses additives of all kinds to turn unsuccessful batches of wine from his 1,200 winery clients into salable products. On the labels of the wines he makes, under his own Wine Smith label, he discloses whether he has used wood chips for mellowing or if he's brought down alcohol content using a controversial process known as reverse osmosis.
But, Smith says, most of his clients don't share his attitude of openness, and he sees no harm in keeping consumers in the dark.
Links to additives
Widely accepted processing practices account for some of the additives in wine. Fining -- the practice of using animal proteins such as egg whites to remove impurities -- can result in some of those proteins remaining in the wine.
The aging of wine in oak barrels adds not only oak tannins but also can leave traces of wheat paste used to make the barrels.
Animal proteins (chicken, fish, milk) and wheat are examples of allergens potentially present in wine that would be listed under new requirements now being finalized by federal regulators.
Questions remain about how to detect these allergens and how much of a particular allergen needs to be present to warrant listing it on the label.
The rules for wine, however, are all but certain to be enacted in the next few months to satisfy allergen labeling rules for all foods and beverages mandated by Congress in 2004.
There is a separate federal initiative on a slower track to list all of the ingredients in a wine as well as the calorie, fat and carbohydrate counts. Proposed ingredient and nutrient rules are expected to be released later this year for public comment.
Because nearly all processed foods and beverages are required to disclose ingredients and their nutritional values, why aren't they already listed on wine labels?
Blame the different policies of different regulatory agencies. The Food and Drug Administration considers ingredient disclosure a health issue, but the FDA isn't directly responsible for regulating alcoholic beverages.
That's the job of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, a division of the Treasury Department. The last time the Treasury Department pushed for ingredient labels on alcoholic beverages was in the 1970s during the Carter administration.
But by the time the regulations were ready to be finalized, President Reagan was in the White House. The regulations were rescinded by executive order before they could go into effect.
The 2004 congressional mandate requiring allergen labeling specifically includes alcoholic beverages.
Once the door for label rule changes was opened, consumer groups led by the Center for Science in the Public Interest pressed the TTB to revive the 1970s idea of ingredient disclosures on wine labels.
Proposed rules to that effect are expected to be published for public comment later this year.
The wine industry is seeking an exemption from the allergen labeling act, says Wendell Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute. As for the broader ingredient labeling, Lee says, "We oppose mandatory ingredient and nutrient labeling.
When you are forced to convey information that we don't see as useful, it doesn't justify the cost of testing and label modification. It's $5,000 just to redesign a label."
Allergens are a health issue. Congress has decided that people who are highly allergic to milk, fish, chicken and wheat, the only major allergens that are legally allowed in wine, need to be warned.
The Wine Institute argues that there's no way to prove the allergens are present in wine. At the same time, there is no way to prove that they aren't.
Removing tannins
Milk, fish and chicken products are introduced to wine as fining agents. Albumen from egg whites, milk proteins and isinglass, from sturgeon bladders, may be added to wine to remove tannins, reducing excessive astringency.
Fining also clarifies by separating out residual grape solids and yeast. The animal proteins attach to these solids, sink to the bottom of the tank or barrel and are left behind, says Gordon Burns, co-founder of ETS Laboratories in St. Helena, a leading wine industry testing laboratory.
"Is there some slight trace of these agents left in the wine? It is very difficult to detect," Burns says.
Because there are no minimal standards for allergens, one molecule remaining in a tank of wine is considered as harmful as a bucketful of them. "The rule is going to keep labs like mine in business," he asks, "but for what?"
The allergen labels are a marketing nightmare, Lee says. To prove the allergens don't exist in wine, the industry needs to develop a simple, inexpensive test for their presence.
But no one now knows how to do that. As it stands, he says, "If a winery uses allergens in fining, then they are going to have to put them on the label."
How many wineries fine their wines? Nearly everyone does some kind of fining, Burns says. It is part of the winemakers' craft and art.
Wheat could be an issue for high-quality wines aged in oak barrels. The paste used in oak barrels contains wheat flour. It's possible that traces of wheat end up in all barreled wine, but it is not something that has been monitored.
The other ingredients allowed to be used in wine made in the United States are spelled out in federal regulations.
In general, each country has its own rules on additives. The celebrated wine regions of France have traditionally struggled to produce grapes with enough sugar.
So, in France, it's OK to throw beet sugar into the grape juice before fermentation to enhance the flavor.
California typically produces wine grapes with high sugar levels. Adding sugar isn't allowed, but adding water during fermentation is OK. In France, however, it is not allowed.
At first glance, it appears that the United States has taken a purist approach to winemaking. Beyond the yeasts and enzymes used to vinify wine, and the sulfur dioxide used to preserve it, with rare exceptions American vintners may use only grapes and grape derivatives in their wine.
Over the years, however, the wine industry has deconstructed wine grapes into their various parts, as well as discovered other ways to reproduce the essence of what comes from grapes.
The parts are concentrated into additives used to enhance whatever is lacking in the wine produced by an individual winemaker.
Mega Purple is one of the more notorious additives. Anil Shrikhande, vice president of research and development for Constellation Wines, which manufactures it, says Mega Purple is 100% grape juice concentrate from grape varieties known as Rudy Red, Central Valley and Royalty. Although it is intensely sweet, it is used primarily to add color. It comes in white, pink, red and purple.
Introduced in 1992, Mega Purple is sold to various food processors as a natural coloring agent. Twenty percent of the 50,000 gallons produced each year is sold to the wine industry, Shrikhande says.
Then there are the flavor enhancers -- grape juice concentrates from particular grape varietals -- Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc. The concentrates, made by several companies, add varietally specific flavors and sugars.
Enhanced flavor
Powdered and liquid tannins may be sprinkled into wines to enhance flavor and structure. Oak chips can be thrown into wine vats for a jolt of oak flavor without spending the time and money on barrel aging.
There are several powdered acids that can be added when the natural acids are missing.
A fashionable additive is oxygen, which is pumped into wine slowly enough to be absorbed. Such "micro-oxygenation" can speed up the aging process, particularly in red wine, in a way that captures more color and creates finer, softer, less astringent tannins, says Vinovation's Smith, a proponent of the technique. Often, these wines are easier to drink at an earlier age.
"We can only use additives that supplement what is already in the wine, or what is conventional, like oak extractions," Smith says. "And you can't make wine without exposing it to the oxygen in the air."
Winemakers can add tartaric, citric and malic acids and still be operating as purists because acids are found in grapes, Smith says. Enzymes that come from a wide variety of sources can be added because their job is to help the yeast to ferment the wine.
"For all of the posturing about terroir, very little wine sells because it is distinctive," Smith says. "Additives are cosmetics. They are supposed to enhance, improve a wine. [Wine enhanced this way is like] a beautiful woman whose makeup is invisible.
It's the clumsiness of the winemaker who is using the additives that is the problem." Those wines end up tasting "tarted up," he says, instead of improved.
McCloskey of Enologix sums it up. "A great wine is obvious. It doesn't need any additives."
However, any winemaker who doesn't control what's happening in his vineyard is using additives in his wine, McCloskey says. "When you can't create the value in the vineyard, you have no choice but to create it in the winery.
"The industry lives and breathes on the story of being a natural product. But there is a lot of fast food in wine."
The problem with listing additives, says Lee, the Wine Institute general counsel, is it could change consumer perception of all wines. "Wine would look engineered instead of natural," he says.
By Corie Brown
Ever wonder what goes into a bottle of wine? The story winemakers love to tell on the bottle label is one of a mystical alchemy of climate, soils, ancient practices and long traditions.
Wine labels tend to focus on romance; the small amount of government-mandated information includes the percentage of alcohol, a warning against consuming wine when pregnant or driving, and a disclosure of sulfites.
It might be disenchanting if the label also listed the chicken, fish, milk and wheat products that are often used to process wine.
And it would be hard to maintain the notion that wine is an ethereal elixir if, before uncorking, consumers read that their Pinot Noir or Syrah contained Mega Purple (a brand of concentrated wine color), oak chips or such additives as oak gall nuts, grape juice concentrate, tartaric acid, citric acid, dissolved oxygen, copper and water.
The mention of bentonite, ammonium phosphate and the wide variety of active enzymes used to make some wines would end the romance.
Federal regulators are considering revamping the rules governing wine labels, and if changes are made, the information revealed may surprise many wine buyers.
Additives that supplement what nature failed to provide in an individual wine -- tricks of the trade that winemakers rarely talk about -- could soon be listed in detail on the labels.
The wine industry, through the Wine Institute, the industry's chief lobbying arm, is opposing the regulatory changes. But could new regulations be good news for consumers?
Wine industry consultants familiar with the subject are divided on the question.
Supporters, such as Leo McCloskey, president of Enologix, a Sonoma, Calif.-based wine consulting company that has analyzed the chemical composition of 70,000 wines, say the best wines don't rely on additives. If ingredients were listed on wine labels, the finer wines would stand out.
"The wine industry is completely unregulated," he says. "It would be so useful to have labels that detail everything in a wine. It would tell the consumer what they are drinking."
But critics of the federal initiatives say ingredients labels would make widely accepted winery practices unnecessarily controversial.
"Why freak out the ignorant when we are adjusting something that is already there in the wine?" says Clark Smith, chairman of Vinovation Inc., a Sebastopol, Calif.-based wine industry "fix-it shop."
Smith uses additives of all kinds to turn unsuccessful batches of wine from his 1,200 winery clients into salable products. On the labels of the wines he makes, under his own Wine Smith label, he discloses whether he has used wood chips for mellowing or if he's brought down alcohol content using a controversial process known as reverse osmosis.
But, Smith says, most of his clients don't share his attitude of openness, and he sees no harm in keeping consumers in the dark.
Links to additives
Widely accepted processing practices account for some of the additives in wine. Fining -- the practice of using animal proteins such as egg whites to remove impurities -- can result in some of those proteins remaining in the wine.
The aging of wine in oak barrels adds not only oak tannins but also can leave traces of wheat paste used to make the barrels.
Animal proteins (chicken, fish, milk) and wheat are examples of allergens potentially present in wine that would be listed under new requirements now being finalized by federal regulators.
Questions remain about how to detect these allergens and how much of a particular allergen needs to be present to warrant listing it on the label.
The rules for wine, however, are all but certain to be enacted in the next few months to satisfy allergen labeling rules for all foods and beverages mandated by Congress in 2004.
There is a separate federal initiative on a slower track to list all of the ingredients in a wine as well as the calorie, fat and carbohydrate counts. Proposed ingredient and nutrient rules are expected to be released later this year for public comment.
Because nearly all processed foods and beverages are required to disclose ingredients and their nutritional values, why aren't they already listed on wine labels?
Blame the different policies of different regulatory agencies. The Food and Drug Administration considers ingredient disclosure a health issue, but the FDA isn't directly responsible for regulating alcoholic beverages.
That's the job of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, a division of the Treasury Department. The last time the Treasury Department pushed for ingredient labels on alcoholic beverages was in the 1970s during the Carter administration.
But by the time the regulations were ready to be finalized, President Reagan was in the White House. The regulations were rescinded by executive order before they could go into effect.
The 2004 congressional mandate requiring allergen labeling specifically includes alcoholic beverages.
Once the door for label rule changes was opened, consumer groups led by the Center for Science in the Public Interest pressed the TTB to revive the 1970s idea of ingredient disclosures on wine labels.
Proposed rules to that effect are expected to be published for public comment later this year.
The wine industry is seeking an exemption from the allergen labeling act, says Wendell Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute. As for the broader ingredient labeling, Lee says, "We oppose mandatory ingredient and nutrient labeling.
When you are forced to convey information that we don't see as useful, it doesn't justify the cost of testing and label modification. It's $5,000 just to redesign a label."
Allergens are a health issue. Congress has decided that people who are highly allergic to milk, fish, chicken and wheat, the only major allergens that are legally allowed in wine, need to be warned.
The Wine Institute argues that there's no way to prove the allergens are present in wine. At the same time, there is no way to prove that they aren't.
Removing tannins
Milk, fish and chicken products are introduced to wine as fining agents. Albumen from egg whites, milk proteins and isinglass, from sturgeon bladders, may be added to wine to remove tannins, reducing excessive astringency.
Fining also clarifies by separating out residual grape solids and yeast. The animal proteins attach to these solids, sink to the bottom of the tank or barrel and are left behind, says Gordon Burns, co-founder of ETS Laboratories in St. Helena, a leading wine industry testing laboratory.
"Is there some slight trace of these agents left in the wine? It is very difficult to detect," Burns says.
Because there are no minimal standards for allergens, one molecule remaining in a tank of wine is considered as harmful as a bucketful of them. "The rule is going to keep labs like mine in business," he asks, "but for what?"
The allergen labels are a marketing nightmare, Lee says. To prove the allergens don't exist in wine, the industry needs to develop a simple, inexpensive test for their presence.
But no one now knows how to do that. As it stands, he says, "If a winery uses allergens in fining, then they are going to have to put them on the label."
How many wineries fine their wines? Nearly everyone does some kind of fining, Burns says. It is part of the winemakers' craft and art.
Wheat could be an issue for high-quality wines aged in oak barrels. The paste used in oak barrels contains wheat flour. It's possible that traces of wheat end up in all barreled wine, but it is not something that has been monitored.
The other ingredients allowed to be used in wine made in the United States are spelled out in federal regulations.
In general, each country has its own rules on additives. The celebrated wine regions of France have traditionally struggled to produce grapes with enough sugar.
So, in France, it's OK to throw beet sugar into the grape juice before fermentation to enhance the flavor.
California typically produces wine grapes with high sugar levels. Adding sugar isn't allowed, but adding water during fermentation is OK. In France, however, it is not allowed.
At first glance, it appears that the United States has taken a purist approach to winemaking. Beyond the yeasts and enzymes used to vinify wine, and the sulfur dioxide used to preserve it, with rare exceptions American vintners may use only grapes and grape derivatives in their wine.
Over the years, however, the wine industry has deconstructed wine grapes into their various parts, as well as discovered other ways to reproduce the essence of what comes from grapes.
The parts are concentrated into additives used to enhance whatever is lacking in the wine produced by an individual winemaker.
Mega Purple is one of the more notorious additives. Anil Shrikhande, vice president of research and development for Constellation Wines, which manufactures it, says Mega Purple is 100% grape juice concentrate from grape varieties known as Rudy Red, Central Valley and Royalty. Although it is intensely sweet, it is used primarily to add color. It comes in white, pink, red and purple.
Introduced in 1992, Mega Purple is sold to various food processors as a natural coloring agent. Twenty percent of the 50,000 gallons produced each year is sold to the wine industry, Shrikhande says.
Then there are the flavor enhancers -- grape juice concentrates from particular grape varietals -- Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc. The concentrates, made by several companies, add varietally specific flavors and sugars.
Enhanced flavor
Powdered and liquid tannins may be sprinkled into wines to enhance flavor and structure. Oak chips can be thrown into wine vats for a jolt of oak flavor without spending the time and money on barrel aging.
There are several powdered acids that can be added when the natural acids are missing.
A fashionable additive is oxygen, which is pumped into wine slowly enough to be absorbed. Such "micro-oxygenation" can speed up the aging process, particularly in red wine, in a way that captures more color and creates finer, softer, less astringent tannins, says Vinovation's Smith, a proponent of the technique. Often, these wines are easier to drink at an earlier age.
"We can only use additives that supplement what is already in the wine, or what is conventional, like oak extractions," Smith says. "And you can't make wine without exposing it to the oxygen in the air."
Winemakers can add tartaric, citric and malic acids and still be operating as purists because acids are found in grapes, Smith says. Enzymes that come from a wide variety of sources can be added because their job is to help the yeast to ferment the wine.
"For all of the posturing about terroir, very little wine sells because it is distinctive," Smith says. "Additives are cosmetics. They are supposed to enhance, improve a wine. [Wine enhanced this way is like] a beautiful woman whose makeup is invisible.
It's the clumsiness of the winemaker who is using the additives that is the problem." Those wines end up tasting "tarted up," he says, instead of improved.
McCloskey of Enologix sums it up. "A great wine is obvious. It doesn't need any additives."
However, any winemaker who doesn't control what's happening in his vineyard is using additives in his wine, McCloskey says. "When you can't create the value in the vineyard, you have no choice but to create it in the winery.
"The industry lives and breathes on the story of being a natural product. But there is a lot of fast food in wine."
The problem with listing additives, says Lee, the Wine Institute general counsel, is it could change consumer perception of all wines. "Wine would look engineered instead of natural," he says.
Friday, April 13, 2007
How to Write a Business Plan in Five Steps.
By: Dave Miller
People often ask "What makes a good business plan?" Or, "How do I make my plan attractive to lenders and investors?".
The simple answer is that lenders and investors (I'll call them "readers" from here on out) are looking for good deals. A good deal is one that offers the reader a reasonable rate of return for the risk assumed.
The complete answer is that you should write a plan that a reader will want to read and then get it to reader(s) who are looking for your type of project and levels of risk and return.
This article deals with the first part of the equation - how to write a business plan that readers will want to read.
Readers want plans that clearly, accurately and completely allow them to make an initial determination about the project. Here are the steps needed to write that plan:
To borrow from the real estate industry, the three most important things about a business plan are research, research and research. While other things are important (even critical), ultimately your plan will live or die on the quality and completeness of your information.
For that matter, you're about to risk your time and financial future on a project - how much information do you want to have? Step one:
1. Become expert in your project. Learn everything possible about:
a. The customers to whom you will sell (your market).
b. The competition.
c. The actual costs of operating your business (get quotes).
d. The actual results of similar projects.
e. Your industry.
f. The project's physical location(s) and it's impact (if any) on the project.
g. The people who will be key to the project.
If you've followed the above, you've now got a mound of research - sticky notes, web pages, reports, quotes, etc., etc. But, what does it all mean? Step two:
2. Analyze. (Hopefully) when you first got the idea for your project there was a sense of excitement and a feeling that this is a sure winner. Now is the time to see if your feelings were well founded.
With a critical eye, do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis on your project. Determine what you are able to do to capitalize on the S and O and minimize the W and T.
Steps one and two may have changed somewhat your sure winner feelings - which is good. (If not, you either have hit upon the next sliced bread or you need to redo the preceding steps).
Presuming that your research and analysis shows a worthwhile use of your time and money (and that of your readers) move to step three:
3. Forecast. This is where the rubber meets the road. Using your research and analysis you will now tell your readers that "this is what will happen to the money". You'll do it with accounting forecasts called pro forma statements.
Provide either three or five years of statements with (generally) the first year done monthly, the second and third done quarterly and (if included) the last two years done annually. In all events, include:
a. Operating statements.
b. Cash flow forecasts.
c. Balance sheets.
Optionally include:
d. Various ratios (loan to value, debt service coverage, etc.)
In addition to the above, you should usually include a Source and Use of Funds showing where the source of the initial capital and on what it will be spent.
By this point you're either sure you have a winner (differing from a sure winner in that you recognize the obstacles but are prepared to work through them) or you are going back to the drawing board to rethink your project. If you have a winner, step four is:
4. Write the plan. Obviously, you need to be able to use good grammar and spelling. You should be clear, concise and complete. Fill your plan with compelling facts gleaned from your research.
Do not avoid the W and T from your SWOT analysis, rather, describe in detail how you will deal with them. Avoid platitudes and your own opinions - everyone knows that you like the idea, readers need facts to determine if they like it.
Try to keep your answers as short as possible while still giving complete information. With the exception of the Executive Summary, keep your answers somewhat dry and factual - short, sweet and to the point.
The Executive Summary, on the other hand, is where you sell the sizzle. It is here that you make the claim that yours is a dynamic project that deserves full consideration. You need to compel your reader to read your plan and tell them why you are excited about the project.
There are likely as many ways to compile a business plan as there are authors of them. A sample outline is at http://www.fundableplans.com/sample_business_plan.pdf . (It requires Adobe Reader to view and includes our logo which is not included in our plans.) You will want to attach to your plan copies of documents referenced in it and historical data on the business (if it is not a startup).
You've now done the lions share of the work leaving only step five:
5. Review and revise. The review should be first by the author(s) and then by trusted advisors - the more people that you can get to review your plan the more likely you are to find any problems before they are found by a reader.
Follow the preceding steps and you will have a business plan that will get read and, hopefully, funded. If you have any questions about business plans, please feel free to contact us at plan_help@fundableplans.com.
Author about:
Dave Miller is a business consultant with 27 years experience writing business plans. He is also the creator of FundablePlans business plan software.
People often ask "What makes a good business plan?" Or, "How do I make my plan attractive to lenders and investors?".
The simple answer is that lenders and investors (I'll call them "readers" from here on out) are looking for good deals. A good deal is one that offers the reader a reasonable rate of return for the risk assumed.
The complete answer is that you should write a plan that a reader will want to read and then get it to reader(s) who are looking for your type of project and levels of risk and return.
This article deals with the first part of the equation - how to write a business plan that readers will want to read.
Readers want plans that clearly, accurately and completely allow them to make an initial determination about the project. Here are the steps needed to write that plan:
To borrow from the real estate industry, the three most important things about a business plan are research, research and research. While other things are important (even critical), ultimately your plan will live or die on the quality and completeness of your information.
For that matter, you're about to risk your time and financial future on a project - how much information do you want to have? Step one:
1. Become expert in your project. Learn everything possible about:
a. The customers to whom you will sell (your market).
b. The competition.
c. The actual costs of operating your business (get quotes).
d. The actual results of similar projects.
e. Your industry.
f. The project's physical location(s) and it's impact (if any) on the project.
g. The people who will be key to the project.
If you've followed the above, you've now got a mound of research - sticky notes, web pages, reports, quotes, etc., etc. But, what does it all mean? Step two:
2. Analyze. (Hopefully) when you first got the idea for your project there was a sense of excitement and a feeling that this is a sure winner. Now is the time to see if your feelings were well founded.
With a critical eye, do a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis on your project. Determine what you are able to do to capitalize on the S and O and minimize the W and T.
Steps one and two may have changed somewhat your sure winner feelings - which is good. (If not, you either have hit upon the next sliced bread or you need to redo the preceding steps).
Presuming that your research and analysis shows a worthwhile use of your time and money (and that of your readers) move to step three:
3. Forecast. This is where the rubber meets the road. Using your research and analysis you will now tell your readers that "this is what will happen to the money". You'll do it with accounting forecasts called pro forma statements.
Provide either three or five years of statements with (generally) the first year done monthly, the second and third done quarterly and (if included) the last two years done annually. In all events, include:
a. Operating statements.
b. Cash flow forecasts.
c. Balance sheets.
Optionally include:
d. Various ratios (loan to value, debt service coverage, etc.)
In addition to the above, you should usually include a Source and Use of Funds showing where the source of the initial capital and on what it will be spent.
By this point you're either sure you have a winner (differing from a sure winner in that you recognize the obstacles but are prepared to work through them) or you are going back to the drawing board to rethink your project. If you have a winner, step four is:
4. Write the plan. Obviously, you need to be able to use good grammar and spelling. You should be clear, concise and complete. Fill your plan with compelling facts gleaned from your research.
Do not avoid the W and T from your SWOT analysis, rather, describe in detail how you will deal with them. Avoid platitudes and your own opinions - everyone knows that you like the idea, readers need facts to determine if they like it.
Try to keep your answers as short as possible while still giving complete information. With the exception of the Executive Summary, keep your answers somewhat dry and factual - short, sweet and to the point.
The Executive Summary, on the other hand, is where you sell the sizzle. It is here that you make the claim that yours is a dynamic project that deserves full consideration. You need to compel your reader to read your plan and tell them why you are excited about the project.
There are likely as many ways to compile a business plan as there are authors of them. A sample outline is at http://www.fundableplans.com/sample_business_plan.pdf . (It requires Adobe Reader to view and includes our logo which is not included in our plans.) You will want to attach to your plan copies of documents referenced in it and historical data on the business (if it is not a startup).
You've now done the lions share of the work leaving only step five:
5. Review and revise. The review should be first by the author(s) and then by trusted advisors - the more people that you can get to review your plan the more likely you are to find any problems before they are found by a reader.
Follow the preceding steps and you will have a business plan that will get read and, hopefully, funded. If you have any questions about business plans, please feel free to contact us at plan_help@fundableplans.com.
Author about:
Dave Miller is a business consultant with 27 years experience writing business plans. He is also the creator of FundablePlans business plan software.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
3 Major Rules for Well Rounded Success!
By Greg Nicholls
In today's business and economy, is there a risk in being self employed? Absolutely! Is there a greater benefit (financially) in being self employed? Absolutely!
The fact is that nothing worth fighting for is risk free and being self employed is the only true way to become financially free. If you are satisfied with your "lot in life" then find another article to read. If you want to know what it takes to become successful in life, then read on.
Most countries are based on Free Enterprise, yet this simple concept seems to be generally lost.
Since the industrial revolution where more and more people were needed to build the countries infrastructure, jobs have become a replacement for free enterprise.
You see, some entrepreneurs got greedy and decided to brain wash potential entrepreneurs into thinking that there is "security" in having a job rather than owning your own business.
They want you to think that it is easier to work for someone than to own your own business. They want you to think that you need to have some sort of special education to be an entrepreneur. HOGWASH!
Listen, if you have desire to succeed, you can succeed. If you have the will to learn how to run a business, you can succeed. If you wake up in the morning and feel like you have been sold down the river for a "title" in your job and want to break free of this modern form of slavery, you can succeed.
Hundreds of Thousands of people died for us to have the freedom of choice, so we can benefit from Free Enterprise.
Please do not confuse the word "Free", as I am sure that the families of those that died for freedom think it there was anything "free" about it. We have a duty to honour the lives they gave so we can live in a country that sponsors freedom of choice.
Now, there are rules in todays' Business and Economy, but they are in favour of the Entrepreneur:
Understand this there are 3 major rules for understanding how to ultimately succeed in business as an entrepreneur; income taxes are structured in favour of the entrepreneur, the banking system is structured in favour of the entrepreneur and the laws of money are in favour of the entrepreneur.
So this does not mean that you have to come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars to start a franchise, or millions of dollars to buy an established business. Instead, you can simply start to work from home and be self employed. I do not care what type of business you choose, just get started!
As I stated above, income taxes are structured in favour of the entrepreneur, so you will pay less in income taxes because you are running a business from your home, even if you do not make any money at first, as long as you show an effort to do so in the beginning, you will in essence make money by saving money on your income taxes.
The good news is, you can do this part time, while you still work your job, this way you are still making money while you build your business, this will lessen your risk and your income taxes.
Again, the banks like entrepreneurs because entrepreneurs like to borrow money to go out and take chances, so they can make interest off of your business loan (by the way, interest is a write-off), but they will want you to be in business for a little while.
With that being said, they will loan you money against your assets (House, Car, Investments, etc.) so be sure to use what you have to your favour.
The law of money is in favour of the entrepreneur and comes in two parts; consider them two very strong magnets, if they are far enough apart from each other and neither of them are moving, then nothing happens.
Now, imagine one magnet is you and the other magnet is money; take some time to research where the money is and begin to move towards it.
At first you may be the only one of the two moving, but as you continue to demonstrate your desire to move closer to money, something really cool happens...it begins to move to you too!
Eventually the money will be so attracted to you; it will be hard to shake it off so long as you continue to focus towards it. Just as easily as you attracted it, you can repel it too, by simply turning away from it, then it will push away from you.
So, get started in todays' Business and Economy, be a self employed entrepreneur and work from home! There are many business opportunities out there and tons of money to be made. It will not be without risk, and it will not be without some hard work, but it is possible for you to do if you have desire to succeed.
Because YOU Deserve Money!
Greg Nicholls
© 2006. Nicholls Enterprises - www.deservemoney.com
Find out how Greg Nicholls has achieved Financial Success by subscribing to the “Deserve Money Newsletter” for free. Visit http://www.DeserveMoney.com right now for all the details.
Greg is also known for teaching people a simple system on how to build a successful business while working from home; for more information about the business that brought home a 60-70 hour per week executive, who now makes more money on 1/3 the hours; contact Greg by email at info@DeserveMoney.com, or call his toll free number right now from anywhere in North America 24/7 at 1-800-388-4563, or from outside North America to Canada at +778-786-2287 to setup your appointment.
Greg Nicholls, a 36 year old Husband, Father & Entrepreneur will help you understand why you Deserve Money in your life and how to get it! To subscribe to his free weekly newsletter, visit http://www.deservemoney.com and begin to benefit from his inspiring insights today.
In today's business and economy, is there a risk in being self employed? Absolutely! Is there a greater benefit (financially) in being self employed? Absolutely!
The fact is that nothing worth fighting for is risk free and being self employed is the only true way to become financially free. If you are satisfied with your "lot in life" then find another article to read. If you want to know what it takes to become successful in life, then read on.
Most countries are based on Free Enterprise, yet this simple concept seems to be generally lost.
Since the industrial revolution where more and more people were needed to build the countries infrastructure, jobs have become a replacement for free enterprise.
You see, some entrepreneurs got greedy and decided to brain wash potential entrepreneurs into thinking that there is "security" in having a job rather than owning your own business.
They want you to think that it is easier to work for someone than to own your own business. They want you to think that you need to have some sort of special education to be an entrepreneur. HOGWASH!
Listen, if you have desire to succeed, you can succeed. If you have the will to learn how to run a business, you can succeed. If you wake up in the morning and feel like you have been sold down the river for a "title" in your job and want to break free of this modern form of slavery, you can succeed.
Hundreds of Thousands of people died for us to have the freedom of choice, so we can benefit from Free Enterprise.
Please do not confuse the word "Free", as I am sure that the families of those that died for freedom think it there was anything "free" about it. We have a duty to honour the lives they gave so we can live in a country that sponsors freedom of choice.
Now, there are rules in todays' Business and Economy, but they are in favour of the Entrepreneur:
Understand this there are 3 major rules for understanding how to ultimately succeed in business as an entrepreneur; income taxes are structured in favour of the entrepreneur, the banking system is structured in favour of the entrepreneur and the laws of money are in favour of the entrepreneur.
So this does not mean that you have to come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars to start a franchise, or millions of dollars to buy an established business. Instead, you can simply start to work from home and be self employed. I do not care what type of business you choose, just get started!
As I stated above, income taxes are structured in favour of the entrepreneur, so you will pay less in income taxes because you are running a business from your home, even if you do not make any money at first, as long as you show an effort to do so in the beginning, you will in essence make money by saving money on your income taxes.
The good news is, you can do this part time, while you still work your job, this way you are still making money while you build your business, this will lessen your risk and your income taxes.
Again, the banks like entrepreneurs because entrepreneurs like to borrow money to go out and take chances, so they can make interest off of your business loan (by the way, interest is a write-off), but they will want you to be in business for a little while.
With that being said, they will loan you money against your assets (House, Car, Investments, etc.) so be sure to use what you have to your favour.
The law of money is in favour of the entrepreneur and comes in two parts; consider them two very strong magnets, if they are far enough apart from each other and neither of them are moving, then nothing happens.
Now, imagine one magnet is you and the other magnet is money; take some time to research where the money is and begin to move towards it.
At first you may be the only one of the two moving, but as you continue to demonstrate your desire to move closer to money, something really cool happens...it begins to move to you too!
Eventually the money will be so attracted to you; it will be hard to shake it off so long as you continue to focus towards it. Just as easily as you attracted it, you can repel it too, by simply turning away from it, then it will push away from you.
So, get started in todays' Business and Economy, be a self employed entrepreneur and work from home! There are many business opportunities out there and tons of money to be made. It will not be without risk, and it will not be without some hard work, but it is possible for you to do if you have desire to succeed.
Because YOU Deserve Money!
Greg Nicholls
© 2006. Nicholls Enterprises - www.deservemoney.com
Find out how Greg Nicholls has achieved Financial Success by subscribing to the “Deserve Money Newsletter” for free. Visit http://www.DeserveMoney.com right now for all the details.
Greg is also known for teaching people a simple system on how to build a successful business while working from home; for more information about the business that brought home a 60-70 hour per week executive, who now makes more money on 1/3 the hours; contact Greg by email at info@DeserveMoney.com, or call his toll free number right now from anywhere in North America 24/7 at 1-800-388-4563, or from outside North America to Canada at +778-786-2287 to setup your appointment.
Greg Nicholls, a 36 year old Husband, Father & Entrepreneur will help you understand why you Deserve Money in your life and how to get it! To subscribe to his free weekly newsletter, visit http://www.deservemoney.com and begin to benefit from his inspiring insights today.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Drinking up, for the health of it
By Bill Daley
Word that red wine is good for you has been around ever since "60 Minutes" famously aired a report on "The French Paradox" in 1991.The CBS television news magazine examined the question: How could the French eat all that fatty, egg- and cream-rich food and not suffer the kind of heart disease we Americans do?
Regular consumption of red wine was part of the answer, the show declared.
Red wine sales shot up dramatically.
Ever since, scientific studies have emerged linking consumption of red wine with good health and aging. Last November, a study sponsored by the Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging found that adding resveratrol, a compound found in nuts, grapes and red wine, to the diet of aging, overweight mice had a beneficial impact on their health and survival.
"The findings are the first to demonstrate that resveratrol, an activator of a family of enzymes called sirtuins, could affect the health and survival of mammals," the institute reported.
OK, so that's good news for overweight mice, but what about the rest of us?
The institute notes that much still has to be done to determine resveratrol's safety and effectiveness in humans.
The verdict also is out with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association. Both institutions point out the health risks of drinking alcohol and urge moderate consumption, if at all.
The American Heart Association defines "moderate" as one to two drinks (4 ounces of wine) per day for men and one drink per day for women. Those who don't drink shouldn't be swayed to start by the claim of health benefits, the association insists.
All this is sage advice, but Americans seemed to have jumped at the viniferous possibilities. A bounce in red wine sales was noticed immediately after the mice study findings were issued.
Red wine sales grew by 8 percent in just four weeks, according to an ACNielsen report issued in December.
"It certainly appears that the weight of favorable red wine press, on the heels of the Harvard Medical School report, impacted consumer choice within the wine category," Danny Brager, vice president of client service for ACNielsen's Beverage Alcohol Team, said at the time.
ACNielsen has continued to watch red wine sales figures and it's clear from the numbers that the increase was no mere blip on the charts. A just-released report shows red wine sales continue on a "healthy roll."
Red wine trailed white wine in terms of sales growth through last October; then the trend reversed. But couldn't some of that growth be due to the natural shift in taste toward red when the weather gets cold?
Brager said ACNielsen factored in a seasonal shift to red wine by comparing sales figures for the same 16-week period going back a number of years.
While red wine's dollar share has grown over this period, which runs through mid-February, every year since 2003, the ACNielsen study found the share jumped from 51.6 percent in 2006 to 52.9 percent in 2007. The increase was only 0.5 percent to 2006 from 2005.
The red wine drinker also "skews older, and to more affluent communities," according to ACNielsen.
That's not necessarily news to Brager, who said the mainstay of the wine trade has been older consumers. What ACNielsen is doing now is following up on anecdotal evidence that younger people aged 21 to 34 are choosing wine and spirits in lieu of beer.
Certainly Brager finds that his wife is encouraging him to drink more red wine.
"I just think with more weight behind these stories, it [the possible health benefits] plays in the back of people's minds," he said. "And it comes out when they're standing in front of a shelf or are about to order something."
Increasing red wine sales is no surprise to Gladys Horiuchi, communication manager for the San Francisco-based Wine Institute, a trade group. While news reports on red wine and health may play a part, she also thinks another element is involved: Taste.
"The American consumer is simply becoming more sophisticated and knowledgeable about wine," she said. "They may start out with whites and blushes, but as their taste matures, they are probably trying many of the classic wines, many of which happen to be red."
Word that red wine is good for you has been around ever since "60 Minutes" famously aired a report on "The French Paradox" in 1991.The CBS television news magazine examined the question: How could the French eat all that fatty, egg- and cream-rich food and not suffer the kind of heart disease we Americans do?
Regular consumption of red wine was part of the answer, the show declared.
Red wine sales shot up dramatically.
Ever since, scientific studies have emerged linking consumption of red wine with good health and aging. Last November, a study sponsored by the Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging found that adding resveratrol, a compound found in nuts, grapes and red wine, to the diet of aging, overweight mice had a beneficial impact on their health and survival.
"The findings are the first to demonstrate that resveratrol, an activator of a family of enzymes called sirtuins, could affect the health and survival of mammals," the institute reported.
OK, so that's good news for overweight mice, but what about the rest of us?
The institute notes that much still has to be done to determine resveratrol's safety and effectiveness in humans.
The verdict also is out with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association. Both institutions point out the health risks of drinking alcohol and urge moderate consumption, if at all.
The American Heart Association defines "moderate" as one to two drinks (4 ounces of wine) per day for men and one drink per day for women. Those who don't drink shouldn't be swayed to start by the claim of health benefits, the association insists.
All this is sage advice, but Americans seemed to have jumped at the viniferous possibilities. A bounce in red wine sales was noticed immediately after the mice study findings were issued.
Red wine sales grew by 8 percent in just four weeks, according to an ACNielsen report issued in December.
"It certainly appears that the weight of favorable red wine press, on the heels of the Harvard Medical School report, impacted consumer choice within the wine category," Danny Brager, vice president of client service for ACNielsen's Beverage Alcohol Team, said at the time.
ACNielsen has continued to watch red wine sales figures and it's clear from the numbers that the increase was no mere blip on the charts. A just-released report shows red wine sales continue on a "healthy roll."
Red wine trailed white wine in terms of sales growth through last October; then the trend reversed. But couldn't some of that growth be due to the natural shift in taste toward red when the weather gets cold?
Brager said ACNielsen factored in a seasonal shift to red wine by comparing sales figures for the same 16-week period going back a number of years.
While red wine's dollar share has grown over this period, which runs through mid-February, every year since 2003, the ACNielsen study found the share jumped from 51.6 percent in 2006 to 52.9 percent in 2007. The increase was only 0.5 percent to 2006 from 2005.
The red wine drinker also "skews older, and to more affluent communities," according to ACNielsen.
That's not necessarily news to Brager, who said the mainstay of the wine trade has been older consumers. What ACNielsen is doing now is following up on anecdotal evidence that younger people aged 21 to 34 are choosing wine and spirits in lieu of beer.
Certainly Brager finds that his wife is encouraging him to drink more red wine.
"I just think with more weight behind these stories, it [the possible health benefits] plays in the back of people's minds," he said. "And it comes out when they're standing in front of a shelf or are about to order something."
Increasing red wine sales is no surprise to Gladys Horiuchi, communication manager for the San Francisco-based Wine Institute, a trade group. While news reports on red wine and health may play a part, she also thinks another element is involved: Taste.
"The American consumer is simply becoming more sophisticated and knowledgeable about wine," she said. "They may start out with whites and blushes, but as their taste matures, they are probably trying many of the classic wines, many of which happen to be red."
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Things Which Affect Your Self-Image
From LifeSkill Institute, Inc
The most important aspects of the self-image are generally developed in the first stage of life. Once this self-image is fully established, all subsequent stages are built on and filtered through it.
In fact, all changes in life begin with your self-image, and take place through changes in the feelings, emotions, and attitudes that it represents.
The three main things that effect your self-image are:
1. Thoughts, emotions, and feelings developed in the
education stage of your life, particularly your early
childhood—conception through age 7.
2. Environment.
3. Associations.
Thoughts, Emotions, and Feelings
In the first seven years of life, children develop the basic system of values that will take them through life.
It is during this period that the child learns and develops emotions and feelings of fear and reward, pain and pleasure, love and lack of love, guilt, blame and shame, praise and discouragement, curiosity or lack of interest, persistence or discouragement, respect or disdain, manners or crudeness, courtesy or callousness, and other positive or negative emotions and feelings.
Young children are sponges for thoughts, emotions and feelings. They thrive and blossom on good teaching, good thoughts, good feelings and positive emotions.
Yet, they have no defense against bad teaching, bad thoughts, negative feelings, and negative emotions. At this young age, a child’s ability to discern and discriminate the good from the negative has not yet fully developed.
Whatever thoughts, teachings or experiences that young children are exposed to, go straight into their subconscious and conscious minds. They make a permanent impact upon a child’s emotional and feeling nature.
This is the crucible in which a child’s personal value system is molded. Unfortunately, a young child has virtually no defense or options in this education experience.
But, it is on this emotional and feeling foundation that the rest of your life is built. Give thanks if it was a good and positive foundation. Get busy if it wasn’t.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and
when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
—Proverbs 22:6
It is these feelings and emotions that become associated with your thoughts as your self-image develops. Unless they are changed in later years, these feelings and emotions, developed as a child, guide and, to a large extent, determine your life experiences.
Environment
Your environment is a strong influence upon your self-image because it is a source of validation and confirmation.
Suppose you have a poor self-image, and you live and work in a run-down area, in a poorly maintained home, in an otherwise negative environment. What does that negative environment do other than confirm your negative self image?
When you are exposed to a particular environment, if you remain in it for a period of time, you take on some of the characteristics and properties of that environment.
If your self-image contradicts and conflicts with the characteristics and properties of your environment, you are confronted with three choices:
1. Change the environment.
2. Change your self-image.
3. Leave the environment.
Associations
Association brings about assimilation. John Lavater, a noted Swiss theologian, beautifully captured this thought, saying:
”Frequent intercourse and intimate connection
between two persons make them so alike, that
not only their dispositions are molded
like each other, but their faces and
tones of voice contract a similarity.”
You should primarily associate only with those persons who possess the traits and characteristics that complement the positive aspects of your self-image.
Such positive associations will greatly enhance your own development, and help confirm and establish the vision, emotions, and feelings you have about yourself.
The most important aspects of the self-image are generally developed in the first stage of life. Once this self-image is fully established, all subsequent stages are built on and filtered through it.
In fact, all changes in life begin with your self-image, and take place through changes in the feelings, emotions, and attitudes that it represents.
The three main things that effect your self-image are:
1. Thoughts, emotions, and feelings developed in the
education stage of your life, particularly your early
childhood—conception through age 7.
2. Environment.
3. Associations.
Thoughts, Emotions, and Feelings
In the first seven years of life, children develop the basic system of values that will take them through life.
It is during this period that the child learns and develops emotions and feelings of fear and reward, pain and pleasure, love and lack of love, guilt, blame and shame, praise and discouragement, curiosity or lack of interest, persistence or discouragement, respect or disdain, manners or crudeness, courtesy or callousness, and other positive or negative emotions and feelings.
Young children are sponges for thoughts, emotions and feelings. They thrive and blossom on good teaching, good thoughts, good feelings and positive emotions.
Yet, they have no defense against bad teaching, bad thoughts, negative feelings, and negative emotions. At this young age, a child’s ability to discern and discriminate the good from the negative has not yet fully developed.
Whatever thoughts, teachings or experiences that young children are exposed to, go straight into their subconscious and conscious minds. They make a permanent impact upon a child’s emotional and feeling nature.
This is the crucible in which a child’s personal value system is molded. Unfortunately, a young child has virtually no defense or options in this education experience.
But, it is on this emotional and feeling foundation that the rest of your life is built. Give thanks if it was a good and positive foundation. Get busy if it wasn’t.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and
when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
—Proverbs 22:6
It is these feelings and emotions that become associated with your thoughts as your self-image develops. Unless they are changed in later years, these feelings and emotions, developed as a child, guide and, to a large extent, determine your life experiences.
Environment
Your environment is a strong influence upon your self-image because it is a source of validation and confirmation.
Suppose you have a poor self-image, and you live and work in a run-down area, in a poorly maintained home, in an otherwise negative environment. What does that negative environment do other than confirm your negative self image?
When you are exposed to a particular environment, if you remain in it for a period of time, you take on some of the characteristics and properties of that environment.
If your self-image contradicts and conflicts with the characteristics and properties of your environment, you are confronted with three choices:
1. Change the environment.
2. Change your self-image.
3. Leave the environment.
Associations
Association brings about assimilation. John Lavater, a noted Swiss theologian, beautifully captured this thought, saying:
”Frequent intercourse and intimate connection
between two persons make them so alike, that
not only their dispositions are molded
like each other, but their faces and
tones of voice contract a similarity.”
You should primarily associate only with those persons who possess the traits and characteristics that complement the positive aspects of your self-image.
Such positive associations will greatly enhance your own development, and help confirm and establish the vision, emotions, and feelings you have about yourself.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Start Losing Weight Today!
By: Abigail Franks
There's no real secret to losing weight other than eat less and exercise more. I can almost hear a lot of your say; "But I have no time to exercise!"
This isn't entirely accurate because there are lots of exercising opportunities if you only think outside the box.
Consider these few ideas.
1. Park your car the farthest away from the store or mall. A few extra steps will go a long way to adding some great exercise to your daily life.
It never ceases to amaze me when people will continue to circle a parking lot looking for a close parking space so they can go into an exercise club. We all need to be aware of exercising opportunities that will get us away from sitting behind a desk in front of a computer and out and about.
2. Take the stairs. Look for opportunities to use stairways, instead of elevators and escalators. Stairs are a good cardiovascular workout can be found in any building higher than one floor.
If you work in a multi-story building and cannot climb all the stairs to your office, start with one or two flights and work up from there. The key point is to start today that exercise to your life
3. Do your own vacuuming and housecleaning. If you're like most of us and have children, you've no doubt outsourced some of the more mundane housecleaning chores like vacuuming.
Consider taking that job back, as part of your exercise routine. Think about it, moving an object back and forth across the carpet offers a good exercise for your upper body.
Simply vacuum one room using your right hand then switch to the left in the next room. Add to this that you'll no doubt be bending to pick up stuff left by the kids, and you have a good opportunity for exercise.
4. Gardening is another exercise that shouldn't be ignored. Mowing the lawn, like vacuuming inside the home, can give a great mini workout.
Adding little things like these exercise opportunities to your life can help increase your metabolism and generally make you feel better. No matter what the weight loss program were diet plan you prefer, all require exercise for success.
Every extra activity that you add to your daily routine will help burn calories. Burned calories translate into more weight lost over the same period of time.
The adage to simply eat less and exercise more is the basis for all weight loss plans and programs. Although many products have been designed that promise fast and easy weight loss, they only work to help support the eat less and exercise more mantra.
Don't make the mistake of wanting to lose weight without the commitment to make the changes necessary in your lifestyle. 95% of the people who are successful with their weight loss program that do not work on the lifestyle changes will end up gaining all their weight back.
If this is you, don't become discouraged or disillusioned. Maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment that many of us work at daily.
If you cheat on your diet or your weight loss isn't what you expected for the week, or you just took that close in parking space, don't beat yourself up about it. Successful dieting is long term in one day does not a failure make
Abigail Franks has done extensive research into weight loss and what works. Find out valuable information about a weight loss diet program and successful weight loss
There's no real secret to losing weight other than eat less and exercise more. I can almost hear a lot of your say; "But I have no time to exercise!"
This isn't entirely accurate because there are lots of exercising opportunities if you only think outside the box.
Consider these few ideas.
1. Park your car the farthest away from the store or mall. A few extra steps will go a long way to adding some great exercise to your daily life.
It never ceases to amaze me when people will continue to circle a parking lot looking for a close parking space so they can go into an exercise club. We all need to be aware of exercising opportunities that will get us away from sitting behind a desk in front of a computer and out and about.
2. Take the stairs. Look for opportunities to use stairways, instead of elevators and escalators. Stairs are a good cardiovascular workout can be found in any building higher than one floor.
If you work in a multi-story building and cannot climb all the stairs to your office, start with one or two flights and work up from there. The key point is to start today that exercise to your life
3. Do your own vacuuming and housecleaning. If you're like most of us and have children, you've no doubt outsourced some of the more mundane housecleaning chores like vacuuming.
Consider taking that job back, as part of your exercise routine. Think about it, moving an object back and forth across the carpet offers a good exercise for your upper body.
Simply vacuum one room using your right hand then switch to the left in the next room. Add to this that you'll no doubt be bending to pick up stuff left by the kids, and you have a good opportunity for exercise.
4. Gardening is another exercise that shouldn't be ignored. Mowing the lawn, like vacuuming inside the home, can give a great mini workout.
Adding little things like these exercise opportunities to your life can help increase your metabolism and generally make you feel better. No matter what the weight loss program were diet plan you prefer, all require exercise for success.
Every extra activity that you add to your daily routine will help burn calories. Burned calories translate into more weight lost over the same period of time.
The adage to simply eat less and exercise more is the basis for all weight loss plans and programs. Although many products have been designed that promise fast and easy weight loss, they only work to help support the eat less and exercise more mantra.
Don't make the mistake of wanting to lose weight without the commitment to make the changes necessary in your lifestyle. 95% of the people who are successful with their weight loss program that do not work on the lifestyle changes will end up gaining all their weight back.
If this is you, don't become discouraged or disillusioned. Maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment that many of us work at daily.
If you cheat on your diet or your weight loss isn't what you expected for the week, or you just took that close in parking space, don't beat yourself up about it. Successful dieting is long term in one day does not a failure make
Abigail Franks has done extensive research into weight loss and what works. Find out valuable information about a weight loss diet program and successful weight loss
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Control Your Creditors And Pay Off Your Debt - Yes You Can
By Greg Nicholls
A few years ago I figured my family would be better off if I was killed in a car accident as my life insurance would pay off all our bills and my wife would be able to pay off the house.
Looking back on this I realize just how desperate things seemed. I was up to my eyeballs in debt and could not make all of my monthly commitments, then, the phone started to ring and the bills turned different colors - it was the "Collection Department".
Well, I thought that was bad; after a few months of them calling, it got worse. My creditors had sold my debt to a Collection Company who had me on speed dial.
I was a guy in sales who had good and bad months, only at the time, I was in a bit of a dry spell and the collection calls did not make my life any easier. They would call me at home, at work and on my mobile phone.
I began to think that my only option was to claim bankruptcy, or as I said before, get killed in a car accident or something, so the insurance paid off.
THERE IS A STRATEGY TO GET OUT OF DEBT!
A friend of my suggested something simple and also helped me understand a bit of how the collection companies work:
Collection Companies are in the business to make money, they either make money off of interest, are paid a percentage of the collection, or a combination of the two.
They are hired by the company that you owe money to, because the Collection Companies methods are very harsh and typically get results.
The Collection Companies will threaten your credit bureau (big deal) they will mentally try to beat you down, they will try anything that they can to get money out of you.
Here is the thing, many people have just decided that they do not want to pay and are playing just as many games with the Collection Companies as they are playing with those that owe money. If this is you and you are just playing games, leave this page now.
If you go bankrupt, you lose AND they lose; the collection company makes no money and the company that you owe money to has to write off your debt as a business loss.
Here is the solution - Develop a Win-Win:
Figure out what you can afford to pay per month, for three months in a row, without having to settle with eating the Kraft Dinner box before your next pay check...$10, $25, $50, $100, then figure out what the number could be the following three months.
Try to make the number twice as much for the second period (example: Three months worth of post-dated cheques for $25, followed by three months of post-dated cheques for $50)
Then, YOU call the Collection Company (not when they call you to beat on you for money) and TELL THEM what you are going to pay them; they won't like it, but THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT IT!
If you are showing a "reasonable effort" to pay back your debt, they have to leave you alone and accept the money. Six months is more than enough time to get a better job, start a business, or whatever and will likely be enough time to get generally back on your feet.
Now, if you are not able to completely stand the monthly bills after six months, then, call them up an tell them what you are going to do next. By the way...this works with the banks and car companies too, but probably three months at the max.
The point is, as long as you demonstrate to them that you will be regular in your payments and that the payment amount will go up over time, they will leave you alone.
If they decide to strike your credit, this is not nearly the hit you will get on your credit report if you claim bankruptcy. In fact, showing future creditors that you worked your way out of debt instead of going bankrupt will earn you bonus points.
A few years ago I figured my family would be better off if I was killed in a car accident as my life insurance would pay off all our bills and my wife would be able to pay off the house.
Looking back on this I realize just how desperate things seemed. I was up to my eyeballs in debt and could not make all of my monthly commitments, then, the phone started to ring and the bills turned different colors - it was the "Collection Department".
Well, I thought that was bad; after a few months of them calling, it got worse. My creditors had sold my debt to a Collection Company who had me on speed dial.
I was a guy in sales who had good and bad months, only at the time, I was in a bit of a dry spell and the collection calls did not make my life any easier. They would call me at home, at work and on my mobile phone.
I began to think that my only option was to claim bankruptcy, or as I said before, get killed in a car accident or something, so the insurance paid off.
THERE IS A STRATEGY TO GET OUT OF DEBT!
A friend of my suggested something simple and also helped me understand a bit of how the collection companies work:
Collection Companies are in the business to make money, they either make money off of interest, are paid a percentage of the collection, or a combination of the two.
They are hired by the company that you owe money to, because the Collection Companies methods are very harsh and typically get results.
The Collection Companies will threaten your credit bureau (big deal) they will mentally try to beat you down, they will try anything that they can to get money out of you.
Here is the thing, many people have just decided that they do not want to pay and are playing just as many games with the Collection Companies as they are playing with those that owe money. If this is you and you are just playing games, leave this page now.
If you go bankrupt, you lose AND they lose; the collection company makes no money and the company that you owe money to has to write off your debt as a business loss.
Here is the solution - Develop a Win-Win:
Figure out what you can afford to pay per month, for three months in a row, without having to settle with eating the Kraft Dinner box before your next pay check...$10, $25, $50, $100, then figure out what the number could be the following three months.
Try to make the number twice as much for the second period (example: Three months worth of post-dated cheques for $25, followed by three months of post-dated cheques for $50)
Then, YOU call the Collection Company (not when they call you to beat on you for money) and TELL THEM what you are going to pay them; they won't like it, but THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT IT!
If you are showing a "reasonable effort" to pay back your debt, they have to leave you alone and accept the money. Six months is more than enough time to get a better job, start a business, or whatever and will likely be enough time to get generally back on your feet.
Now, if you are not able to completely stand the monthly bills after six months, then, call them up an tell them what you are going to do next. By the way...this works with the banks and car companies too, but probably three months at the max.
The point is, as long as you demonstrate to them that you will be regular in your payments and that the payment amount will go up over time, they will leave you alone.
If they decide to strike your credit, this is not nearly the hit you will get on your credit report if you claim bankruptcy. In fact, showing future creditors that you worked your way out of debt instead of going bankrupt will earn you bonus points.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Stunning garnishes, handcrafted mixes, the freshest ingredients: Try these bartender tricks at home.
By Jenn Garbee
As we stand at our bar stations for the first drill, I take a final survey of my arsenal -- a four-button soda shooter, half a dozen juices and mixers, glassware and a shelf full of liquor. I'm ready.
"Kamikaze!" shouts Dan Mackey, instructor and owner of Pacific Bartending School in Torrance. I pull out a Boston shaker and try to remember what's next.
I'm at the school's introductory class to learn cocktail basics, but I'm also here on a personal quest.
There's something missing in the cocktails I'm making at home -- they're not on par with the tantalizing concoctions at so many restaurant lounges these days, where the specialty cocktail lists can be more fun to peruse than the dessert menu.
Surely there's something professional mixologists know that I can pick up -- a technique or two that will turn my cocktails from ho-hum to spectacular.
So I not only sign up for this bartending class, but also seek advice from top mixologists including Ryan Magarian, a consultant to restaurants such as Table 8; Joseph Antonishek, executive chef at Minx in Glendale; and Tim Wilson of the Wolfgang Puck restaurants.
I even apprentice myself for an afternoon at Dominick's restaurant in the same way aspiring chefs try to arrange for stages (free labor in exchange for instruction) at restaurant kitchens.
What I discover is that making a great cocktail nowadays means internalizing three basic principles. First, a good bar, like a good kitchen, is stocked with the best possible ingredients, not only peak-of-season produce, but also homemade staples.
Second, simple tools used properly allow you to make the most of those ingredients. And finally, going the extra mile with thoughtful, well-chosen garnishes can make a cocktail memorable.
Whether it's tomato juice for the Bloody Marys you're serving at brunch or mint for the updated mojitos you're making for a March Madness party, always "use the best you can afford, just like when you're cooking," says Wilson, who oversees the mixologists at Cut, Spago and other Wolfgang Puck restaurants.
"You've heard it all before, but it's so true, especially in cocktails with very few ingredients."
That means just-squeezed citrus juices for margaritas and sours -- lemon and lime juice prepared no more than two hours ahead, orange and grapefruit squeezed up to a day before serving. The fruit itself should be fresh too, and should not have been refrigerated.
"I tell all my clients to start with a big bowl of fresh fruit, if nothing else," says Magarian, whose recent revamp of Table 8's cocktail menu introduced a Brazilian pomegranate caipirinha made with hand-pressed Persian lime juice.
In recent years, house-made staples have replaced commercial mixes in the best bars, and there's no reason the home bartender's pantry shouldn't follow suit. Making your own sour mix, grenadine and cocktail onions is easy and can be done several days ahead.
For sour mix, combine equal parts fresh squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup. With the sugar, it's more stable than pure juice and can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Use it in recipes and also for balancing a drink that's a touch too sweet.
Make your own grenadine once and you'll be amazed at the difference between the sticky-sweet bright red commercial stuff and the real thing, a tasty and useful mix of fresh pomegranate juice and simple syrup.
And given that a cocktail onion is the only difference between a Gibson and a martini, it's worth making your own with sherry vinegar and juniper berries.
With my ingredients gathered (not forgetting best-quality spirits), I turn to gleaning some truths about bartending tools from the pros. In Mackey's class, one of the most important lessons I learn is how to use a Boston shaker, the simple combination of a metal tumbler and a pint glass favored by professional bartenders.
They're fast, efficient and inexpensive, so even at home you can have several on hand as you mix up different cocktails.
Shake things up
Pour ingredients and ice into the tumbler, invert the glass on top and lightly tap the bottom of the glass to seal. Position the shaker over your shoulder -- holding firmly with your palm to maintain the seal -- and give it a vigorous 10- to 15-second shake.
Tap the shaker to break the suction (never tap the pint glass or it will shatter) and strain the mixture into a serving glass.
One afternoon, when the lunch crowd has thinned, I spend a few hours behind the bar at Dominick's in West Hollywood with Lawrence Rudolph, general manager, and Brandon Bossert, manager, the resident mixologists.
Cocktails at Dominick's are made -- la minute: Juices are squeezed directly into the serving glass and garnishes are cut to order.
Rudolph and Bossert approve of my newfound penchant for pristinely fresh fruit juice and are even happier to learn I've mastered the Boston shaker. They suggest I take both concepts a step further and use a serving glass instead of a pint glass with the metal shaker, showing me how to muddle (i.e. mash) fruit in the same glass.
"The really cool thing about a Boston shaker is you can muddle in whatever glass you're using to serve the cocktail. So when you strain the drink back into the same glass, you get even more flavor from the oils already in the glass," Rudolph says.
Bossert demonstrates by muddling lime, mint and simple syrup in the serving glass, pouring the fruit and herbs into the metal tumbler, adding rum and shaking. He pours the shaken mixture back into the serving glass and adds fresh ice.
Muddlers are another indispensable but inexpensive bar tool. Choose one with a long handle so it's easy to reach inside the glass. The head should be flat and have a large surface area.
Press down firmly on the muddler several times to release the oils -- the aromas will let you know it's happening -- and extract the most flavor. Avoid using metal teaspoons because the spoon pierces the ingredients, making them bitter.
A few tips on garnishing round out my introduction to bartending technique. At home, the best strategy is to serve a few house cocktails, allowing you to plan a few creative garnishes that play up or complement the ingredients in each drink.
"It's really the same concept as garnishing a dessert," says Antonishek of Minx, who tops a lemon lavender martini with a sprig of lavender or a pear martini with sliced pear.
"Garnishes should stay true to the flavors you're working with in the cocktail." Bossert and Rudolph like to use dried fruit garnishes for their concentrated flavor and jewel-like colors, such as the dried honey tangerine slices floated atop a tangerine martini.
The dried fruit plumps up slightly and you can take tangy liquor-infused bites as you sip.
Cocktail onions
Total time: About 45 minutes Servings: Makes 2 to 4 dozen
Note: From "Raising the Bar" by Nick Mautone
Ingredients
1 pound pearl onions
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
24 juniper berries
12 peppercorns
6 allspice berries
1 6-inch piece fresh rosemary
1 dried chile de arbol
1 cup dry vermouth
1. Place the onions in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let stand for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Using a paring knife, trim the root ends and peel off the thin outer skins.
2. Add the vinegars, salt, sugar, mustard seed, juniper berries, peppercorns, allspice berries, rosemary and chile to a medium saucepan, stir to combine and bring to a boil.
3. Add the onions, reduce the heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Simmer larger cocktail onions (24 per pound) 2 minutes more. Allow the onions to cool in the liquid.
4. Stir in the vermouth. Transfer the cooled onions and liquid to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the onions to marinate for at least 24 hours before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Each large onion: 9 calories; 0 protein; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 233 mg. sodium.
Grenadine
Total time: About 15 minutes Servings: Makes 1 1/2 cups
Note: Use 100% pure pomegranate juice with no added sugars, such as the Evolution brand. To make a simple syrup, heat equal parts sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; cool.
Ingredients
8 ounces unsweetened pomegranate juice
6 ounces simple syrup
In a medium saucepan, bring the pomegranate juice and simple syrup to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
It shouldn't reduce too much or get syrupy; it should be just concentrated enough to give a little texture to the drink. Cool; store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Each tablespoon: 15 calories; 0 protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium.
As we stand at our bar stations for the first drill, I take a final survey of my arsenal -- a four-button soda shooter, half a dozen juices and mixers, glassware and a shelf full of liquor. I'm ready.
"Kamikaze!" shouts Dan Mackey, instructor and owner of Pacific Bartending School in Torrance. I pull out a Boston shaker and try to remember what's next.
I'm at the school's introductory class to learn cocktail basics, but I'm also here on a personal quest.
There's something missing in the cocktails I'm making at home -- they're not on par with the tantalizing concoctions at so many restaurant lounges these days, where the specialty cocktail lists can be more fun to peruse than the dessert menu.
Surely there's something professional mixologists know that I can pick up -- a technique or two that will turn my cocktails from ho-hum to spectacular.
So I not only sign up for this bartending class, but also seek advice from top mixologists including Ryan Magarian, a consultant to restaurants such as Table 8; Joseph Antonishek, executive chef at Minx in Glendale; and Tim Wilson of the Wolfgang Puck restaurants.
I even apprentice myself for an afternoon at Dominick's restaurant in the same way aspiring chefs try to arrange for stages (free labor in exchange for instruction) at restaurant kitchens.
What I discover is that making a great cocktail nowadays means internalizing three basic principles. First, a good bar, like a good kitchen, is stocked with the best possible ingredients, not only peak-of-season produce, but also homemade staples.
Second, simple tools used properly allow you to make the most of those ingredients. And finally, going the extra mile with thoughtful, well-chosen garnishes can make a cocktail memorable.
Whether it's tomato juice for the Bloody Marys you're serving at brunch or mint for the updated mojitos you're making for a March Madness party, always "use the best you can afford, just like when you're cooking," says Wilson, who oversees the mixologists at Cut, Spago and other Wolfgang Puck restaurants.
"You've heard it all before, but it's so true, especially in cocktails with very few ingredients."
That means just-squeezed citrus juices for margaritas and sours -- lemon and lime juice prepared no more than two hours ahead, orange and grapefruit squeezed up to a day before serving. The fruit itself should be fresh too, and should not have been refrigerated.
"I tell all my clients to start with a big bowl of fresh fruit, if nothing else," says Magarian, whose recent revamp of Table 8's cocktail menu introduced a Brazilian pomegranate caipirinha made with hand-pressed Persian lime juice.
In recent years, house-made staples have replaced commercial mixes in the best bars, and there's no reason the home bartender's pantry shouldn't follow suit. Making your own sour mix, grenadine and cocktail onions is easy and can be done several days ahead.
For sour mix, combine equal parts fresh squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup. With the sugar, it's more stable than pure juice and can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Use it in recipes and also for balancing a drink that's a touch too sweet.
Make your own grenadine once and you'll be amazed at the difference between the sticky-sweet bright red commercial stuff and the real thing, a tasty and useful mix of fresh pomegranate juice and simple syrup.
And given that a cocktail onion is the only difference between a Gibson and a martini, it's worth making your own with sherry vinegar and juniper berries.
With my ingredients gathered (not forgetting best-quality spirits), I turn to gleaning some truths about bartending tools from the pros. In Mackey's class, one of the most important lessons I learn is how to use a Boston shaker, the simple combination of a metal tumbler and a pint glass favored by professional bartenders.
They're fast, efficient and inexpensive, so even at home you can have several on hand as you mix up different cocktails.
Shake things up
Pour ingredients and ice into the tumbler, invert the glass on top and lightly tap the bottom of the glass to seal. Position the shaker over your shoulder -- holding firmly with your palm to maintain the seal -- and give it a vigorous 10- to 15-second shake.
Tap the shaker to break the suction (never tap the pint glass or it will shatter) and strain the mixture into a serving glass.
One afternoon, when the lunch crowd has thinned, I spend a few hours behind the bar at Dominick's in West Hollywood with Lawrence Rudolph, general manager, and Brandon Bossert, manager, the resident mixologists.
Cocktails at Dominick's are made -- la minute: Juices are squeezed directly into the serving glass and garnishes are cut to order.
Rudolph and Bossert approve of my newfound penchant for pristinely fresh fruit juice and are even happier to learn I've mastered the Boston shaker. They suggest I take both concepts a step further and use a serving glass instead of a pint glass with the metal shaker, showing me how to muddle (i.e. mash) fruit in the same glass.
"The really cool thing about a Boston shaker is you can muddle in whatever glass you're using to serve the cocktail. So when you strain the drink back into the same glass, you get even more flavor from the oils already in the glass," Rudolph says.
Bossert demonstrates by muddling lime, mint and simple syrup in the serving glass, pouring the fruit and herbs into the metal tumbler, adding rum and shaking. He pours the shaken mixture back into the serving glass and adds fresh ice.
Muddlers are another indispensable but inexpensive bar tool. Choose one with a long handle so it's easy to reach inside the glass. The head should be flat and have a large surface area.
Press down firmly on the muddler several times to release the oils -- the aromas will let you know it's happening -- and extract the most flavor. Avoid using metal teaspoons because the spoon pierces the ingredients, making them bitter.
A few tips on garnishing round out my introduction to bartending technique. At home, the best strategy is to serve a few house cocktails, allowing you to plan a few creative garnishes that play up or complement the ingredients in each drink.
"It's really the same concept as garnishing a dessert," says Antonishek of Minx, who tops a lemon lavender martini with a sprig of lavender or a pear martini with sliced pear.
"Garnishes should stay true to the flavors you're working with in the cocktail." Bossert and Rudolph like to use dried fruit garnishes for their concentrated flavor and jewel-like colors, such as the dried honey tangerine slices floated atop a tangerine martini.
The dried fruit plumps up slightly and you can take tangy liquor-infused bites as you sip.
Cocktail onions
Total time: About 45 minutes Servings: Makes 2 to 4 dozen
Note: From "Raising the Bar" by Nick Mautone
Ingredients
1 pound pearl onions
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
24 juniper berries
12 peppercorns
6 allspice berries
1 6-inch piece fresh rosemary
1 dried chile de arbol
1 cup dry vermouth
1. Place the onions in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let stand for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Using a paring knife, trim the root ends and peel off the thin outer skins.
2. Add the vinegars, salt, sugar, mustard seed, juniper berries, peppercorns, allspice berries, rosemary and chile to a medium saucepan, stir to combine and bring to a boil.
3. Add the onions, reduce the heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Simmer larger cocktail onions (24 per pound) 2 minutes more. Allow the onions to cool in the liquid.
4. Stir in the vermouth. Transfer the cooled onions and liquid to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the onions to marinate for at least 24 hours before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Each large onion: 9 calories; 0 protein; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 233 mg. sodium.
Grenadine
Total time: About 15 minutes Servings: Makes 1 1/2 cups
Note: Use 100% pure pomegranate juice with no added sugars, such as the Evolution brand. To make a simple syrup, heat equal parts sugar and water over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; cool.
Ingredients
8 ounces unsweetened pomegranate juice
6 ounces simple syrup
In a medium saucepan, bring the pomegranate juice and simple syrup to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
It shouldn't reduce too much or get syrupy; it should be just concentrated enough to give a little texture to the drink. Cool; store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Each tablespoon: 15 calories; 0 protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 mg. sodium.
Friday, April 06, 2007
A little saving can create a big nest egg
By EILEEN ALT POWELL
The nation's savings rate has fallen to the lowest level since the Great Depression, a negative 1 percent last year. That means many Americans are spending more than they take home in wages from their jobs.
For many, the problem might be not knowing how to get started saving, and not understanding that putting just a bit of money away now can go a long way toward making sure a family has an emergency fund, will be able to buy a house and can fund a comfortable retirement.
"I have always argued that saving just $5 a day can change your life," said David Bach, a financial adviser who is author of "The Automatic Millionaire" and other investment books.
Put $5 a day — about $150 a month — into an account that yields a 10 percent annual return and after 40 years, you've got more than $940,000, Bach said. Put away $10 a day, and the nest egg can grow to nearly $1.9 million.
But there are many Americans who think they don't have even $5 to spare.
Bach says they have it; they just have to find it.
"It's what some people spend in a day on coffee or bottled water or cigarettes," Bach points out.
He's dubbed it "the latte factor" and argues that if people cut back on their spending just a bit — that is, forgo a latte a day — they can get on a savings track.
The America Saves campaign, a program backed by more than 1,000 nonprofit, government and corporate groups, each February renews its efforts to get more people to save, especially low- and middle-income families.
The goal, said Nancy Register of the Washington, D.C.-based Consumer Federation of America, is to convince families "that you don't have to be rich to build wealth."
To that end, the campaign's Web site at www.americasaves.org has strategies to build an emergency fund, buy a car or accumulate the down payment for a home.
America Saves makes it clear that it's OK to start small. Among its "found money" tips are:
Cutting soda consumption by a liter a week saves $6 a month, or $72 a year
Bringing lunch to work saves $3 a day, or $720 a year
Eating out two fewer times a month saves $30 a month, or $360 a year
Paying credit card bills on time to avoid late fees saves $25 a month, or $300 a year
Ronald W. Roge, who heads a wealth management firm in Bohemia, N.Y., says people often overlook the obvious when they are trying to start saving.
"I throw my change at night into a jar, an old pipe tobacco jar," he said. "By the end of the month, it's often filled up — and there's $40 to $60 in there."
Or, people living paycheck to paycheck might try to get a savings program going when they get their next raise, Roge said.
"Say you get a 5 percent raise so you're going to get an extra $100 at the end of the month," he said. "Put at least half of that into savings."
If it doesn't sound like a lot, he points out that it's $50 you weren't saving before — and $600 a year toward that nest egg.
Roge and Bach emphasize that saving is easier if it's automated — that is, if people automatically have money taken out of their paychecks or checking accounts every month and put into a savings account.
"It's a habit not to save," Roge said. "Try putting the money aside for three or four weeks, and it will become a habit to save."
Bach encourages people to "pay yourself first." That is, transfer money into your savings account at the beginning of the month, not at the end, when there might be nothing left to save.
If it's for retirement, have it automatically transferred into a company-sponsored plan, such as a 401(k), Bach said. If it's for other purposes, have it moved regularly into one of the high-interest online accounts, such as those run by EmigrantDirect.com or INGDirect.com, he said.
And Bach emphasizes that people shouldn't let debt keep them from starting to save.
"If you pay down debt only, it's a negative thing," Bach said. "People get disillusioned and they stop."
Instead, he suggests, people should take the money they free up each month and put half toward debt and half toward savings.
"As you start building savings, you get to take advantage of compound interest, so it starts to grow sooner," he said. "And you also get the psychological boost of seeing yourself make progress."
The nation's savings rate has fallen to the lowest level since the Great Depression, a negative 1 percent last year. That means many Americans are spending more than they take home in wages from their jobs.
For many, the problem might be not knowing how to get started saving, and not understanding that putting just a bit of money away now can go a long way toward making sure a family has an emergency fund, will be able to buy a house and can fund a comfortable retirement.
"I have always argued that saving just $5 a day can change your life," said David Bach, a financial adviser who is author of "The Automatic Millionaire" and other investment books.
Put $5 a day — about $150 a month — into an account that yields a 10 percent annual return and after 40 years, you've got more than $940,000, Bach said. Put away $10 a day, and the nest egg can grow to nearly $1.9 million.
But there are many Americans who think they don't have even $5 to spare.
Bach says they have it; they just have to find it.
"It's what some people spend in a day on coffee or bottled water or cigarettes," Bach points out.
He's dubbed it "the latte factor" and argues that if people cut back on their spending just a bit — that is, forgo a latte a day — they can get on a savings track.
The America Saves campaign, a program backed by more than 1,000 nonprofit, government and corporate groups, each February renews its efforts to get more people to save, especially low- and middle-income families.
The goal, said Nancy Register of the Washington, D.C.-based Consumer Federation of America, is to convince families "that you don't have to be rich to build wealth."
To that end, the campaign's Web site at www.americasaves.org has strategies to build an emergency fund, buy a car or accumulate the down payment for a home.
America Saves makes it clear that it's OK to start small. Among its "found money" tips are:
Cutting soda consumption by a liter a week saves $6 a month, or $72 a year
Bringing lunch to work saves $3 a day, or $720 a year
Eating out two fewer times a month saves $30 a month, or $360 a year
Paying credit card bills on time to avoid late fees saves $25 a month, or $300 a year
Ronald W. Roge, who heads a wealth management firm in Bohemia, N.Y., says people often overlook the obvious when they are trying to start saving.
"I throw my change at night into a jar, an old pipe tobacco jar," he said. "By the end of the month, it's often filled up — and there's $40 to $60 in there."
Or, people living paycheck to paycheck might try to get a savings program going when they get their next raise, Roge said.
"Say you get a 5 percent raise so you're going to get an extra $100 at the end of the month," he said. "Put at least half of that into savings."
If it doesn't sound like a lot, he points out that it's $50 you weren't saving before — and $600 a year toward that nest egg.
Roge and Bach emphasize that saving is easier if it's automated — that is, if people automatically have money taken out of their paychecks or checking accounts every month and put into a savings account.
"It's a habit not to save," Roge said. "Try putting the money aside for three or four weeks, and it will become a habit to save."
Bach encourages people to "pay yourself first." That is, transfer money into your savings account at the beginning of the month, not at the end, when there might be nothing left to save.
If it's for retirement, have it automatically transferred into a company-sponsored plan, such as a 401(k), Bach said. If it's for other purposes, have it moved regularly into one of the high-interest online accounts, such as those run by EmigrantDirect.com or INGDirect.com, he said.
And Bach emphasizes that people shouldn't let debt keep them from starting to save.
"If you pay down debt only, it's a negative thing," Bach said. "People get disillusioned and they stop."
Instead, he suggests, people should take the money they free up each month and put half toward debt and half toward savings.
"As you start building savings, you get to take advantage of compound interest, so it starts to grow sooner," he said. "And you also get the psychological boost of seeing yourself make progress."
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Do You Ever Take Time To Think?
By Greg Nicholls
Sometimes we do much too little thinking and way too much doing; do you ever take time to think?
Think about it!
I know you are probably saying to yourself, "I think I think, no, I am sure I think...I think?
Alright.
It is easy to take action on someone else's suggestions, it is easy to be in agreement all the time, however if you are thinking like the masses, you will get the results of the masses.
We are taught to "look busy", "just do it", "throw enough mud at the wall and some will stick" and all that is fine, but if you are not trusting yourself to come up with your own ideas, on what to be busy doing, throwing mud at the wall will get you to age 65 and broke.
We have been so conditioned to not think, that we are likely going to make the wrong decision, so it is "safer" to just conform and do what you are told to do and everything will be alright.
C-mon...think about it.
Really, this next part might piss you off a little, but if you are honest with yourself, you will know it to be true. There is a statement that is so brutally honest that most people will just brush it off at first, I would challenge you to act otherwise, to take personal responsibility for it.
You are exactly where you are in your life, good or bad, as a result of your best thinking.
Ouch!
Yes, let the pain sink in a bit, let the denial stew for a bit, then throw it out.
You ARE exactly where you are in your life, good or bad, as a result of your best thinking.
So, if you are saying to yourself; "Oh, it is because I have a crappy boss, wife, history, I grew up in the wrong neighborhood, I do not have a great education because my parents could not put me through university, blah, blah blah.
The one person at the scene of every crime, the one person that could have come up with a solution if he/she really THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
Ahhhh!
If you really thought about it.
Ever heard the one; "hind sight is always 20/20?"
Yea, well, foresight is possible, no hind sight required, if you choose to believe in yourself enough to think about a solution to your future challenges before they even have an opportunity to challenge you.
Woah!
Now, do not think for a moment that I am talking about predicting the future, rather understand that we can map out the future of each decision we are going to make and always make the right one.
Yes, there is a trick to doing this.
Well, not a trick really, more of an understanding; it is understanding the principles that are behind every decision that we make and knowing that the outcome of every decision we make is based on the principles that we hold near and dear to each of our hearts.
This next paragraph is really important for you to read twice.
If you maintain the set of principles that you currently manage and do not introduce principles that are based on the outcomes or results that you desire to have, then you will continue to get what you have always got up until now. This will repeat over and again until you die.
There is hope.
Learning the principles of success is simple, but it is not necessarily easy. When you introduce new principles to your life, no matter how good they are, your old principles will try to hold the ground that they fought so long and hard to obtain.
The only way out is to form habits of the principles of success.
Know this, every person and I mean every person that practices the principles of success are able to think clearly because they know that every decision they make, every thought they think will be based on good, solid, principles of success.
This thinking will be done free and clear of doubt, free and clear of fear, free and clear of every limiting belief (the things that have actually been holding you back from your greatness for so long) that has ever existed in your life because you KNOW that your outcome is always based on the principle that the thought was based on.
So you see, if your thoughts were based on lousy principles, given to you by broke people that did not know any better, then you are likely going to end up just like them, broke.
Now comes the real tough part.
Do you just close this article and never think about it again, or do you seek out and find the books, tools, resources and teachers that will guide you and teach you the principles of success.
Do you ever take the time to think? Well, I would suggest you take some time right now and start to think about what you just learned because going forward, you now know that it is up to you to get the result you desire and if you don't, it was because of your best thinking.
If you liked this article and believe and you think that it is time for you to introduce the principles of success into your life, but are wondering how you can do that in the quickest way possible.
Get in touch with Greg, he teaches the principles of success through a 90 day program. You can work with Greg 1 on 1 to develop a habit out of the principles of success. Visit his website at http://www.CoachedToSuccess.net take action on your future, starting right now.
Sometimes we do much too little thinking and way too much doing; do you ever take time to think?
Think about it!
I know you are probably saying to yourself, "I think I think, no, I am sure I think...I think?
Alright.
It is easy to take action on someone else's suggestions, it is easy to be in agreement all the time, however if you are thinking like the masses, you will get the results of the masses.
We are taught to "look busy", "just do it", "throw enough mud at the wall and some will stick" and all that is fine, but if you are not trusting yourself to come up with your own ideas, on what to be busy doing, throwing mud at the wall will get you to age 65 and broke.
We have been so conditioned to not think, that we are likely going to make the wrong decision, so it is "safer" to just conform and do what you are told to do and everything will be alright.
C-mon...think about it.
Really, this next part might piss you off a little, but if you are honest with yourself, you will know it to be true. There is a statement that is so brutally honest that most people will just brush it off at first, I would challenge you to act otherwise, to take personal responsibility for it.
You are exactly where you are in your life, good or bad, as a result of your best thinking.
Ouch!
Yes, let the pain sink in a bit, let the denial stew for a bit, then throw it out.
You ARE exactly where you are in your life, good or bad, as a result of your best thinking.
So, if you are saying to yourself; "Oh, it is because I have a crappy boss, wife, history, I grew up in the wrong neighborhood, I do not have a great education because my parents could not put me through university, blah, blah blah.
The one person at the scene of every crime, the one person that could have come up with a solution if he/she really THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
Ahhhh!
If you really thought about it.
Ever heard the one; "hind sight is always 20/20?"
Yea, well, foresight is possible, no hind sight required, if you choose to believe in yourself enough to think about a solution to your future challenges before they even have an opportunity to challenge you.
Woah!
Now, do not think for a moment that I am talking about predicting the future, rather understand that we can map out the future of each decision we are going to make and always make the right one.
Yes, there is a trick to doing this.
Well, not a trick really, more of an understanding; it is understanding the principles that are behind every decision that we make and knowing that the outcome of every decision we make is based on the principles that we hold near and dear to each of our hearts.
This next paragraph is really important for you to read twice.
If you maintain the set of principles that you currently manage and do not introduce principles that are based on the outcomes or results that you desire to have, then you will continue to get what you have always got up until now. This will repeat over and again until you die.
There is hope.
Learning the principles of success is simple, but it is not necessarily easy. When you introduce new principles to your life, no matter how good they are, your old principles will try to hold the ground that they fought so long and hard to obtain.
The only way out is to form habits of the principles of success.
Know this, every person and I mean every person that practices the principles of success are able to think clearly because they know that every decision they make, every thought they think will be based on good, solid, principles of success.
This thinking will be done free and clear of doubt, free and clear of fear, free and clear of every limiting belief (the things that have actually been holding you back from your greatness for so long) that has ever existed in your life because you KNOW that your outcome is always based on the principle that the thought was based on.
So you see, if your thoughts were based on lousy principles, given to you by broke people that did not know any better, then you are likely going to end up just like them, broke.
Now comes the real tough part.
Do you just close this article and never think about it again, or do you seek out and find the books, tools, resources and teachers that will guide you and teach you the principles of success.
Do you ever take the time to think? Well, I would suggest you take some time right now and start to think about what you just learned because going forward, you now know that it is up to you to get the result you desire and if you don't, it was because of your best thinking.
If you liked this article and believe and you think that it is time for you to introduce the principles of success into your life, but are wondering how you can do that in the quickest way possible.
Get in touch with Greg, he teaches the principles of success through a 90 day program. You can work with Greg 1 on 1 to develop a habit out of the principles of success. Visit his website at http://www.CoachedToSuccess.net take action on your future, starting right now.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
SELF-IMAGE
From LifeSkill Institute, Inc
How you see yourself in your own eyes determines what you get out of life. Self-image is your own conception of yourself. It is the mental and emotional picture you hold in your own consciousness of who you are, what you are, and what you represent.
Your self-image is important because it is the starting point of your life experiences. The image you hold of yourself is like a great vase into which all your life experiences are poured and blended.
If your self-image is a small, limited conception of yourself, based on ignorance, fear, doubt, and insecurity, then all of your experiences will be filtered through these same negative emotions.
On the other hand, if your self-image is based on knowledge, love, courage, respect, faith, and confidence, your life experiences will be filtered through these same positive emotions.
Self-image determines your capacity to give, receive, and interact with the life experiences and possibilities that confront you. Your self-image is like a magnet, attracting or repelling like or unlike qualities into your life experience.
You attract thoughts, people, and experiences which are congruent with how you think and feel about yourself. If you want to attract the good health, wealth and happiness that you desire and dream about, then you must develop a self-image that is compatible with and supports these very thoughts, namely good health, wealth, and happiness.
A nice example of how the self-image works is this:
One question that appears on just about every job application is: What salary and benefits are you expecting to receive? Many prospective employers give a lot of weight to how this question is answered. Subconsciously, most people will answer with a figure that indicates their own assessment of what they bring to the position.
A figure below what the position is worth is often a tip-off that the applicant has a low assessment of their own skills and would probably not be a good employee.
A figure too high above what the position is worth might indicate a lack of knowledge about the position itself. If you’ve done your homework and know the deal, you should be able to set a figure at the high end of what the position is worth, plus just enough fluff to get some attention.
However, let me warn you. Be prepared to answer the question that will surely come - “Why do you feel that you would be worth 2 zillion dollars to this company?”
Have a well researched, well thought-out, well presented, logical, and intelligent reply. You will probably get the position on your terms, consistent with your self-image.
How you see yourself in your own eyes determines what you get out of life. Self-image is your own conception of yourself. It is the mental and emotional picture you hold in your own consciousness of who you are, what you are, and what you represent.
Your self-image is important because it is the starting point of your life experiences. The image you hold of yourself is like a great vase into which all your life experiences are poured and blended.
If your self-image is a small, limited conception of yourself, based on ignorance, fear, doubt, and insecurity, then all of your experiences will be filtered through these same negative emotions.
On the other hand, if your self-image is based on knowledge, love, courage, respect, faith, and confidence, your life experiences will be filtered through these same positive emotions.
Self-image determines your capacity to give, receive, and interact with the life experiences and possibilities that confront you. Your self-image is like a magnet, attracting or repelling like or unlike qualities into your life experience.
You attract thoughts, people, and experiences which are congruent with how you think and feel about yourself. If you want to attract the good health, wealth and happiness that you desire and dream about, then you must develop a self-image that is compatible with and supports these very thoughts, namely good health, wealth, and happiness.
A nice example of how the self-image works is this:
One question that appears on just about every job application is: What salary and benefits are you expecting to receive? Many prospective employers give a lot of weight to how this question is answered. Subconsciously, most people will answer with a figure that indicates their own assessment of what they bring to the position.
A figure below what the position is worth is often a tip-off that the applicant has a low assessment of their own skills and would probably not be a good employee.
A figure too high above what the position is worth might indicate a lack of knowledge about the position itself. If you’ve done your homework and know the deal, you should be able to set a figure at the high end of what the position is worth, plus just enough fluff to get some attention.
However, let me warn you. Be prepared to answer the question that will surely come - “Why do you feel that you would be worth 2 zillion dollars to this company?”
Have a well researched, well thought-out, well presented, logical, and intelligent reply. You will probably get the position on your terms, consistent with your self-image.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Green Zebra’s nonalcoholic cocktail and food pairings let even teetotalers indulge
By Gary Regan
Pity the designated driver. Not because he or she can’t partake of a little tipple—if we need alcohol in order to enjoy ourselves it might be time to take a break for a while—but wouldn’t it be nice if whoever takes on the task of ferrying friends around from bar to bar had something interesting to drink while the rest of the crowd quaffs their cocktails?
Sadly, that is seldom the case. Unless Tim Lacey, beverage director for the Spring Restaurant Group in Chicago, happens to be in charge of things, that is. The Spring Restaurant Group is made up of three restaurants in the Windy City: Spring, Custom House and Green Zebra. At Green Zebra, a vegetarian restaurant, Lacey has devised a range of imaginative nonalcoholic drinks.
“I was looking to create different flavor combinations for our guests,” Lacey says. “With some of the cocktails, I’d like them to experience a nonalcoholic drink that pairs as seamlessly with food [as wine does]. With others, I just wanted people to enjoy a good, unique drink without the alcohol.”
The vegetarian menu offerings at Green Zebra in Chicago attract a more health-conscious clientele that appreciates the restaurant’s extensive list of inventive, nonalcoholic cocktails, such as the iced hibiscus tea, says beverage director Tim Lacey.
The nonalcoholic cocktail menu at Green Zebra is not only inventive; it’s also pretty extensive.
Guests have a choice of house-made root beer; dill lemonade, in which fresh dill is muddled with simple syrup, lemon juice and water; iced hibiscus tea; walnut soda made with toasted walnuts, brown sugar and orange zest soda; carrot ginger ale made with a mixture of spicy ginger syrup, sugar and water and topped with club soda and a splash of carrot juice; and the Ménage à Clove, which includes three drinks that all call for cloves in their recipes.
Designated drivers, people staying away from alcohol for various health reasons, and abstainers alike must be in heaven when they see the wide variety of drinks at Green Zebra.
“Customer response has generally been one of pleasant surprise that we even offer them,” Lacey says.
“And I think they’re pretty appreciative of the variety of the menu. I don’t think that there’s much excitement to be found in the standard-issue sodas and juices offered at most bars, and the nondrinking public gets that, at least intuitively.
There are a finite number of combinations for orange, grapefruit and pineapple juices, and there’s no reason that people who can’t drink, or choose not to drink, should suffer from palate boredom. That’s what gets people excited about these drinks.”
Initially, the nonalcoholic drinks menu was devised as a way to offer pairings with the tasting menu to diners who choose not to drink alcohol. “The veg-friendly nature of Green Zebra means we have a more health-conscious clientele than at the other restaurants,” Lacey says.
“So we ran with the assumption that there was an audience for the nonalcoholic cocktails [and] luckily, the gamble paid off.” Lacey is no newcomer to the bar side of restaurant life.
He spent a decade in the business waiting tables and tending bar, culminating with a year as wine director at Trio, the acclaimed Evanston, Ill., restaurant that closed its doors last year after a highly successful 12-year run.
Pity the designated driver. Not because he or she can’t partake of a little tipple—if we need alcohol in order to enjoy ourselves it might be time to take a break for a while—but wouldn’t it be nice if whoever takes on the task of ferrying friends around from bar to bar had something interesting to drink while the rest of the crowd quaffs their cocktails?
Sadly, that is seldom the case. Unless Tim Lacey, beverage director for the Spring Restaurant Group in Chicago, happens to be in charge of things, that is. The Spring Restaurant Group is made up of three restaurants in the Windy City: Spring, Custom House and Green Zebra. At Green Zebra, a vegetarian restaurant, Lacey has devised a range of imaginative nonalcoholic drinks.
“I was looking to create different flavor combinations for our guests,” Lacey says. “With some of the cocktails, I’d like them to experience a nonalcoholic drink that pairs as seamlessly with food [as wine does]. With others, I just wanted people to enjoy a good, unique drink without the alcohol.”
The vegetarian menu offerings at Green Zebra in Chicago attract a more health-conscious clientele that appreciates the restaurant’s extensive list of inventive, nonalcoholic cocktails, such as the iced hibiscus tea, says beverage director Tim Lacey.
The nonalcoholic cocktail menu at Green Zebra is not only inventive; it’s also pretty extensive.
Guests have a choice of house-made root beer; dill lemonade, in which fresh dill is muddled with simple syrup, lemon juice and water; iced hibiscus tea; walnut soda made with toasted walnuts, brown sugar and orange zest soda; carrot ginger ale made with a mixture of spicy ginger syrup, sugar and water and topped with club soda and a splash of carrot juice; and the Ménage à Clove, which includes three drinks that all call for cloves in their recipes.
Designated drivers, people staying away from alcohol for various health reasons, and abstainers alike must be in heaven when they see the wide variety of drinks at Green Zebra.
“Customer response has generally been one of pleasant surprise that we even offer them,” Lacey says.
“And I think they’re pretty appreciative of the variety of the menu. I don’t think that there’s much excitement to be found in the standard-issue sodas and juices offered at most bars, and the nondrinking public gets that, at least intuitively.
There are a finite number of combinations for orange, grapefruit and pineapple juices, and there’s no reason that people who can’t drink, or choose not to drink, should suffer from palate boredom. That’s what gets people excited about these drinks.”
Initially, the nonalcoholic drinks menu was devised as a way to offer pairings with the tasting menu to diners who choose not to drink alcohol. “The veg-friendly nature of Green Zebra means we have a more health-conscious clientele than at the other restaurants,” Lacey says.
“So we ran with the assumption that there was an audience for the nonalcoholic cocktails [and] luckily, the gamble paid off.” Lacey is no newcomer to the bar side of restaurant life.
He spent a decade in the business waiting tables and tending bar, culminating with a year as wine director at Trio, the acclaimed Evanston, Ill., restaurant that closed its doors last year after a highly successful 12-year run.
It was there, under the guidance of owner Henry Adaniya, where Lacey first began to raid the chefs’ refrigerators and pantries, learning about the potential of unconventional ingredients and experimenting with nonalcoholic cocktails and house-made sodas.
Shawn McClain, a partner in Green Zebra with Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky and her husband, Peter Drohomyrecky, was named “Best Chef Midwest” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, so diners here are obviously treated to a great all-around experience.
If you’re the designated driver tonight, and you happen to be anywhere close to Chicago, I’d suggest you point the car in the direction of the Green Zebra.
Monday, April 02, 2007
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