The Bush administration neoconservatives who urged the overthrow of Saddam Hussein also pushed for a policy that could have led to a nuclear showdown between China and the U.S. over Taiwan, a top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell says.
Lawrence B. Wilkerson, the U.S. Army colonel who was Powell's chief of staff through two administrations, said that "neocons" in the administration quietly encouraged Taiwanese politicians to move toward a declaration of independence from mainland China, Jeff Stein reports in Congressional Quarterly.
China has repeatedly warned that such a move would provoke a military strike. The top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan at the time, Douglas Paal, backs up Wilkerson's account, which is being strenuously disputed by former defense officials.
Back in 1971, in an agreement between President Richard Nixon and Chairman Mao Zedong, the U.S. agreed that there is only "one China" — with its capital in Beijing.
But a number of conservative Republicans continued to voice support for Taiwan as an anticommunist bastion long after their own party leaders and U.S. businesses embraced the communist regime, Stein observes.
"With the election of George W. Bush in 2000, some of Taiwan's most fervent allies were swept back into power in Washington, particularly at the Pentagon, starting with Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld," he writes.
"They included such key architects of the Iraq war as Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, Douglas Feith, the undersecretary for policy, and Steven Cambone, Rumsfeld's new intelligence chief, Wilkerson said. President Bush's controversial envoy to the United Nations, John Bolton, was another."
Wilkerson asserted that while Bush publicly continued the one-China policy, the Pentagon neocons were quietly encouraging Taiwan's pro-independence president, Chen Shui-bian.
"The Defense Department, with Feith, Cambone, Wolfowitz [and] Rumsfeld, was dispatching a person to Taiwan every week, essentially to tell the Taiwanese that the alliance was back on," Wilkerson said.
Referring to pre-1970s military and diplomatic relations with the U.S., "essentially to tell Chen Shui-bian, whose entire power in Taiwan rested on the independence movement, that independence was a good thing."
Wilkerson said Powell would then dispatch his own envoy to tell Taiwanese national security officials to ignore what they'd been told by the Defense Department.
"This went on," he said of the pro-independence efforts, "until George Bush weighed in and told Rumsfeld to cease and desist [and] told him multiple times to re-establish military-to-military relations with China."
Those relations had been suspended in early 2001 after China forced a U.S. reconnaissance plane down off Vietnam. Feith is among the former officials who dispute Wilkerson's allegations, saying they "are not even close to being accurate."
And Rumsfeld's former spokesman Lawrence DiRita told Stein that Wilkerson's claims were "completely ridiculous" and "just crazy." But diplomat Paal told Stein: "In the early years of the Bush administration, there was a problem with mixed signals to Taiwan from Washington."
Editor's Note:
War with Iran? Six Days of Hell .
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The Top Considerations in Joining a Network Marketing Business
By: Michael Rupkalvis
The popularity of network marketing in America commenced some forty years ago. And, with the recent rise of the internet, the presence of network marketing income opportunities has increased dramatically.
So with this tremendous variety of possible businesses to select from, what are some of the things the novice to network marketing should consider when making his decision?
Notwithstanding the marketing claims of instant success, you are going to have to work hard in any business endeavor in order to achieve your desired results. Network marketing is no exception.
So you should ask yourself: Can I commit the time necessary to make this business opportunity succeed? Do I really believe in the products I'll be selling? If you cannot answer yes, you are unlikely to be successful.
An important issue that is often forgotten in the excitement of signing up for a new business opportunity is whether the company will make available to you, on an ongoing basis, the sales materials and brochures to help you in your efforts to sell the company's products.
You should also find out upfront what training program they will be providing to you, and whether you will have someone to go to should any issues arise.You should do some research about the products.
Is there a good sized market for them? How are they priced compared to competing products? Are existing customers for the products happy with them? If the products are not of good quality, well-priced and sought after, no amount of effort on your part is likely to prove successful.
Also, do some research about the company itself. Try to find out how many years they have been operating. Are they just getting off the ground or do they already have a large base of satisfied customers?
Of course you should carefully examine the compensation structure being offered. In order to be able to build a nice residual income, you should be reasonably satisfied that you will be able to create a decent sized downline beneath you.
Another important issue to examine is how long the network marketing program has been operating. A new program gives you the chance to get in on the ground floor, but it is less certain to prove successful than a well established one.
Conversely, with a mature program it may prove more difficult to build your downline. Try to speak with some other people who have recently joined up and see how they are making out. It is imperative that you review the company's contract in detail, before you sign.
Be very sure of the financial commitments youll be making. Will you have to make ongoing monthly payments? Monthly minimum purchases of products? If you are not happy, can you terminate the contract without any penalty?
With a small amount of luck you should be able to find a network marketing opportunity that meets most of the requirements set out above. Keep focused on the most important points.
Look for a business that excites you and whose products have a ready market; where you'll be given marketing and training advice as you need them; which has a good compensation structure; that gives you a reasonable chance to build your own downline; and where your financial obligations can be met without undue strain.
Michael Rupkalvis oversees a blog and website chronicling his experiences with a new network marketing program, ITV Ventures. The opportunity provides its representatives with hot leads from interested viewers of ITV's thousands of monthly televised infomercials.
The popularity of network marketing in America commenced some forty years ago. And, with the recent rise of the internet, the presence of network marketing income opportunities has increased dramatically.
So with this tremendous variety of possible businesses to select from, what are some of the things the novice to network marketing should consider when making his decision?
Notwithstanding the marketing claims of instant success, you are going to have to work hard in any business endeavor in order to achieve your desired results. Network marketing is no exception.
So you should ask yourself: Can I commit the time necessary to make this business opportunity succeed? Do I really believe in the products I'll be selling? If you cannot answer yes, you are unlikely to be successful.
An important issue that is often forgotten in the excitement of signing up for a new business opportunity is whether the company will make available to you, on an ongoing basis, the sales materials and brochures to help you in your efforts to sell the company's products.
You should also find out upfront what training program they will be providing to you, and whether you will have someone to go to should any issues arise.You should do some research about the products.
Is there a good sized market for them? How are they priced compared to competing products? Are existing customers for the products happy with them? If the products are not of good quality, well-priced and sought after, no amount of effort on your part is likely to prove successful.
Also, do some research about the company itself. Try to find out how many years they have been operating. Are they just getting off the ground or do they already have a large base of satisfied customers?
Of course you should carefully examine the compensation structure being offered. In order to be able to build a nice residual income, you should be reasonably satisfied that you will be able to create a decent sized downline beneath you.
Another important issue to examine is how long the network marketing program has been operating. A new program gives you the chance to get in on the ground floor, but it is less certain to prove successful than a well established one.
Conversely, with a mature program it may prove more difficult to build your downline. Try to speak with some other people who have recently joined up and see how they are making out. It is imperative that you review the company's contract in detail, before you sign.
Be very sure of the financial commitments youll be making. Will you have to make ongoing monthly payments? Monthly minimum purchases of products? If you are not happy, can you terminate the contract without any penalty?
With a small amount of luck you should be able to find a network marketing opportunity that meets most of the requirements set out above. Keep focused on the most important points.
Look for a business that excites you and whose products have a ready market; where you'll be given marketing and training advice as you need them; which has a good compensation structure; that gives you a reasonable chance to build your own downline; and where your financial obligations can be met without undue strain.
Michael Rupkalvis oversees a blog and website chronicling his experiences with a new network marketing program, ITV Ventures. The opportunity provides its representatives with hot leads from interested viewers of ITV's thousands of monthly televised infomercials.
Three Stops in Philadelphia
By Stephen Beaumont
Ah, springtime in Philadelphia! What is it, anyway, that draws me to this delightful city every April or May? Oh ya, that's right, that would be Monk's Café, where I always seem to end up hosting a beer dinner around this time.
Still, there is a lot to be said for the joys of being in the eminently walkable City of Brotherly Love when the sun climbs higher in the sky and the buds begin to appear on the cherry trees. Especially when there are new and interesting bars, restaurants and brewpubs to visit, as is surprisingly often the case.
My first stop on arrival this time out was the Tria Fermentation School, an admirable effort opened last fall by Jon Myerow, owner of the nearby Tria Café.
Operating on the theory that an educated customer is a happy, and loyal, customer, Jon started the school as an agent to promote the knowledge and understanding of what he calls "the fermentables" - beer, wine and cheese - which just happen to also be the specialties of the house at Tria Café.
Although no class was in session - turns out I had just barely missed a staff training class - Jon did show me around the small but highly functional classroom and introduced me to his sommelier, Michael McCaulley, with whom I had a good-natured sparring match over the relative merits of beer and wine with cheese.
I left impressed with not only the months-old facility these men had created, but also the dedication showed by each towards the furthering of beer, wine and cheese culture - in a city that's already pretty much at the leading edge for North America, no less!
Education notwithstanding, though, all that talk about "fermentables" can build a powerful thirst in a man, so it was off the Old City district for me, and a visit to the brand new Triumph Brewing Company brewpub.
Now, truthfully, I can't really say that I headed to the Old City specifically to visit Triumph, primarily because I didn't know it had opened.
But as it turned out, the place had been up and running for about two weeks by then and a full slate of beers was available on tap. Given the thirst factor involved, my immediate inclination was to grab a pint of the Kellerbier.
Kellerbier, as any fan of Teutonic brew will know, is unfiltered lager, as ideally illustrated by the superlative St. Georgen Bräu of Buttenheim, Germany.
At its best, a good keller will refresh as only a moderately bitter lager can, sealing the thirst quenching deal with a light tang of yeast, and for the mood I was in, it was an ideal choice…providing, of course, that the new Triumph was up to the task.
Which, I'm very please to say, it was. In fact, I'm hard pressed to come up with a better beer I can remember tasting at a brewpub that new, so clean was its character, quenching its palate and satisfying its oh-so-slightly-yeasty body.
Whereas I'm used to brewpubs taking a few tries to get a new beer right, Triumph's Jay Mission nailed this one from the get-go, and spying him grabbing a bite at the end of the bar, I wandered over to tell him so.
Obviously pleased to find someone agreeing with him and his staff, Mission admitted that the Keller had quickly emerged as a house favorite when construction of the premises was still underway. "We'd finish work for the day," he said, "And immediately it would be, 'Okay, let's have a Kellerbier!'"
As tempting as it was to return to the Kellerbier following that first pint, I instead opted to try some of the brewery's other offerings and found more successes, although none so exemplary as the Keller.
The Chico Ale, an obvious homage to that iconic California pale ale with the green label, struck me as a beer headed in the right direction, if not necessarily there quite yet, while the Porter was, I thought, just as a porter should be: easy on the roast, not too full bodied, possessing a pleasing touch of fruitiness.
All considered, beers that bode very well for the future of the brewpub.
Taking my leave of Triumph, I walked back across town to Monk's to check on preparations for the next night's beer dinner - a real treat, by the way, highlighting a quartet of excellent beers from Michigan and pairing them quite delectably with, believe it or not, Michigan cuisine - before heading onward to the three-year-old Tria Café.
Tria's mandate is as apparent as it is simple: Take the best in cheese and offer it alongside the best in wine and beer. There is a separate food menu, which in the cold light of the Internet today, I will admit, actually looks quite good.
But even though it was by then well past dinnertime, I had been jonesing for beer and cheese pairings since my Fermentation School visit hours earlier, and finding myself a spot at the bar directly in front of the cheese carver, I was determined to feed my craving.
While Tria won't normally rate at the top of most lists of Philly beer destinations - tough as it is to draw attention in a city where there also stands Monk's, The Standard Tap, Eulogy, The Grey Lodge and probably a dozen other laudable beer destinations - it definitely deserves more recognition than it currently receives.
At a modest eight taps and twenty or so bottles, the beer list may be small, but Myerow's passion for the stuff is evident in the care with which he manages his constantly changing selection and the eccentricity of many of his choices.
And besides, any place where you can partner draft Allagash Curieux with a perfectly matured Tête de Moine, as I did, or a bottle of Saison Dupont with a brilliantly pungent cow's milk cheese from Québec, Chaput Grand Foin, has to be worth a prominent place on any city's beer map. Even if the big print on that map says "Philadelphia."
Ah, springtime in Philadelphia! What is it, anyway, that draws me to this delightful city every April or May? Oh ya, that's right, that would be Monk's Café, where I always seem to end up hosting a beer dinner around this time.
Still, there is a lot to be said for the joys of being in the eminently walkable City of Brotherly Love when the sun climbs higher in the sky and the buds begin to appear on the cherry trees. Especially when there are new and interesting bars, restaurants and brewpubs to visit, as is surprisingly often the case.
My first stop on arrival this time out was the Tria Fermentation School, an admirable effort opened last fall by Jon Myerow, owner of the nearby Tria Café.
Operating on the theory that an educated customer is a happy, and loyal, customer, Jon started the school as an agent to promote the knowledge and understanding of what he calls "the fermentables" - beer, wine and cheese - which just happen to also be the specialties of the house at Tria Café.
Although no class was in session - turns out I had just barely missed a staff training class - Jon did show me around the small but highly functional classroom and introduced me to his sommelier, Michael McCaulley, with whom I had a good-natured sparring match over the relative merits of beer and wine with cheese.
I left impressed with not only the months-old facility these men had created, but also the dedication showed by each towards the furthering of beer, wine and cheese culture - in a city that's already pretty much at the leading edge for North America, no less!
Education notwithstanding, though, all that talk about "fermentables" can build a powerful thirst in a man, so it was off the Old City district for me, and a visit to the brand new Triumph Brewing Company brewpub.
Now, truthfully, I can't really say that I headed to the Old City specifically to visit Triumph, primarily because I didn't know it had opened.
But as it turned out, the place had been up and running for about two weeks by then and a full slate of beers was available on tap. Given the thirst factor involved, my immediate inclination was to grab a pint of the Kellerbier.
Kellerbier, as any fan of Teutonic brew will know, is unfiltered lager, as ideally illustrated by the superlative St. Georgen Bräu of Buttenheim, Germany.
At its best, a good keller will refresh as only a moderately bitter lager can, sealing the thirst quenching deal with a light tang of yeast, and for the mood I was in, it was an ideal choice…providing, of course, that the new Triumph was up to the task.
Which, I'm very please to say, it was. In fact, I'm hard pressed to come up with a better beer I can remember tasting at a brewpub that new, so clean was its character, quenching its palate and satisfying its oh-so-slightly-yeasty body.
Whereas I'm used to brewpubs taking a few tries to get a new beer right, Triumph's Jay Mission nailed this one from the get-go, and spying him grabbing a bite at the end of the bar, I wandered over to tell him so.
Obviously pleased to find someone agreeing with him and his staff, Mission admitted that the Keller had quickly emerged as a house favorite when construction of the premises was still underway. "We'd finish work for the day," he said, "And immediately it would be, 'Okay, let's have a Kellerbier!'"
As tempting as it was to return to the Kellerbier following that first pint, I instead opted to try some of the brewery's other offerings and found more successes, although none so exemplary as the Keller.
The Chico Ale, an obvious homage to that iconic California pale ale with the green label, struck me as a beer headed in the right direction, if not necessarily there quite yet, while the Porter was, I thought, just as a porter should be: easy on the roast, not too full bodied, possessing a pleasing touch of fruitiness.
All considered, beers that bode very well for the future of the brewpub.
Taking my leave of Triumph, I walked back across town to Monk's to check on preparations for the next night's beer dinner - a real treat, by the way, highlighting a quartet of excellent beers from Michigan and pairing them quite delectably with, believe it or not, Michigan cuisine - before heading onward to the three-year-old Tria Café.
Tria's mandate is as apparent as it is simple: Take the best in cheese and offer it alongside the best in wine and beer. There is a separate food menu, which in the cold light of the Internet today, I will admit, actually looks quite good.
But even though it was by then well past dinnertime, I had been jonesing for beer and cheese pairings since my Fermentation School visit hours earlier, and finding myself a spot at the bar directly in front of the cheese carver, I was determined to feed my craving.
While Tria won't normally rate at the top of most lists of Philly beer destinations - tough as it is to draw attention in a city where there also stands Monk's, The Standard Tap, Eulogy, The Grey Lodge and probably a dozen other laudable beer destinations - it definitely deserves more recognition than it currently receives.
At a modest eight taps and twenty or so bottles, the beer list may be small, but Myerow's passion for the stuff is evident in the care with which he manages his constantly changing selection and the eccentricity of many of his choices.
And besides, any place where you can partner draft Allagash Curieux with a perfectly matured Tête de Moine, as I did, or a bottle of Saison Dupont with a brilliantly pungent cow's milk cheese from Québec, Chaput Grand Foin, has to be worth a prominent place on any city's beer map. Even if the big print on that map says "Philadelphia."
Friday, June 15, 2007
How Can You Be Sure You Don’t Already Have Cancer?
By Dr. Russell L. Blaylock
NewsMax isn’t known for being "alarmist". However, not long ago, Dr. Russell Blaylock (our resident health expert and medical editor), brought something to my attention that instantly made me forget about the other 97 things I needed to think about and deal with that day.
And I believe you’ll see why, once you read the words that jarred me from my daily routine… and stopped me in my tracks:
Recent medical studies have proven that some cancers (especially of the prostate and breast) can lie dormant inside your body for 10 to 40 years BEFORE THEY ARE EVER DIAGNOSED!
Continue reading "How Can You Be Sure You Don’t Already Have Cancer?”
NewsMax isn’t known for being "alarmist". However, not long ago, Dr. Russell Blaylock (our resident health expert and medical editor), brought something to my attention that instantly made me forget about the other 97 things I needed to think about and deal with that day.
And I believe you’ll see why, once you read the words that jarred me from my daily routine… and stopped me in my tracks:
Recent medical studies have proven that some cancers (especially of the prostate and breast) can lie dormant inside your body for 10 to 40 years BEFORE THEY ARE EVER DIAGNOSED!
Continue reading "How Can You Be Sure You Don’t Already Have Cancer?”
Drug-Free Cholesterol Reduction
By: Michael Rupkalvis
Heart disease is thought to be our Number 1 killer, as it is estimated that just under 1,000,000 of our countrymen die from heart disease each year.
Reducing cholesterol levels in particular LDL, the "bad cholesterol" (that forms plaque in our arteries that can then block blood flow to the heart and the brain) - can significantly aid ones cardiovascular health.
Greater than normal levels of cholesterol are caused by either the liver itself producing too much cholesterol, or more often an improper diet that centers too much on animal products (both dairy and red meat).
What specifically should be done to lower your cholesterol?Non-dietary elements can play a role. Lets look at these first.
These include getting some natural sunshine daily and maintaining a regular regime of exercise of around 30 to 45 minutes duration, such as walking, bike riding or swimming, to help strengthen your cardiovascular systemas a whole.
Also, you should try to lose any excess pounds that you are carrying around on your body. Just burning off ten pounds can have a noticeable impact on your cholesterol. And, of course, both alcohol consumption and smoking should be eliminated or at least minimized as much as possible.
For alcohol, men should restrict themselves to two drinks per day, and women just one.More important perhaps is focusing on your diet. Make sure you drink at least 6 glasses of water each day.
Reduce the quantity of dairy and animal foods you eat on a regular basis to less than 10% of your daily calories. Try to eat lean meat and skim milk. Some types of fish, including tuna, halibut and cod, contain a lot less cholesterol than does red meat.
Other fish products such as mackerel and salmon have high levels of beneficial acids that can aid your cardiovascular health. Try to eat more foods containing dietary fiber, as well as fruits and vegetables (fresh) and stay away from hydrogenated oils and fried foods.
Well now set out a few of the natural foods we can eat to help lower cholesterol. The fiber contained in whole grain foods may aid in preventing the cholesterol contained in the foods we ingest from entering into our bloodstream.
You should choose pastas and breads made from whole grains, and switch to brown rice. Try to eat a lot of sprouts, nuts and seaweed as well.Some vitamins may be very useful specifically C, B6 and E.
Other natural supplements that can be useful in reducing cholesterol include garlic , carnitine, pantothine, soy, grape seed and chromium. These increase the levels of HDL (good cholesterol), which has a positive effect.
Both plant sterols and Omega-3 fatty acids are also contributors to the health of your heart. Another food generally regarded as lowering cholesterol levels are blueberries. And try to drink every day a nice blended natural fruit drink mixed with soy protein and spirulina.
While following the above guidelines on a daily basis should help most people in reducing their cholesterol to normal levels, some may still require either a medication or a natural supplement.
Be sure to consult your medical advisor if you find your high cholesterol levels are not being helped by exercise and dietary modifications.
Michael Rupkalvis manages the www.lifeventures.com web site, which includes a unique blog about his activities with the ITV Ventures opportunity. One of the products offered is Lipistat , an all natural supplement designed for normalizing cholesterol levels.
Heart disease is thought to be our Number 1 killer, as it is estimated that just under 1,000,000 of our countrymen die from heart disease each year.
Reducing cholesterol levels in particular LDL, the "bad cholesterol" (that forms plaque in our arteries that can then block blood flow to the heart and the brain) - can significantly aid ones cardiovascular health.
Greater than normal levels of cholesterol are caused by either the liver itself producing too much cholesterol, or more often an improper diet that centers too much on animal products (both dairy and red meat).
What specifically should be done to lower your cholesterol?Non-dietary elements can play a role. Lets look at these first.
These include getting some natural sunshine daily and maintaining a regular regime of exercise of around 30 to 45 minutes duration, such as walking, bike riding or swimming, to help strengthen your cardiovascular systemas a whole.
Also, you should try to lose any excess pounds that you are carrying around on your body. Just burning off ten pounds can have a noticeable impact on your cholesterol. And, of course, both alcohol consumption and smoking should be eliminated or at least minimized as much as possible.
For alcohol, men should restrict themselves to two drinks per day, and women just one.More important perhaps is focusing on your diet. Make sure you drink at least 6 glasses of water each day.
Reduce the quantity of dairy and animal foods you eat on a regular basis to less than 10% of your daily calories. Try to eat lean meat and skim milk. Some types of fish, including tuna, halibut and cod, contain a lot less cholesterol than does red meat.
Other fish products such as mackerel and salmon have high levels of beneficial acids that can aid your cardiovascular health. Try to eat more foods containing dietary fiber, as well as fruits and vegetables (fresh) and stay away from hydrogenated oils and fried foods.
Well now set out a few of the natural foods we can eat to help lower cholesterol. The fiber contained in whole grain foods may aid in preventing the cholesterol contained in the foods we ingest from entering into our bloodstream.
You should choose pastas and breads made from whole grains, and switch to brown rice. Try to eat a lot of sprouts, nuts and seaweed as well.Some vitamins may be very useful specifically C, B6 and E.
Other natural supplements that can be useful in reducing cholesterol include garlic , carnitine, pantothine, soy, grape seed and chromium. These increase the levels of HDL (good cholesterol), which has a positive effect.
Both plant sterols and Omega-3 fatty acids are also contributors to the health of your heart. Another food generally regarded as lowering cholesterol levels are blueberries. And try to drink every day a nice blended natural fruit drink mixed with soy protein and spirulina.
While following the above guidelines on a daily basis should help most people in reducing their cholesterol to normal levels, some may still require either a medication or a natural supplement.
Be sure to consult your medical advisor if you find your high cholesterol levels are not being helped by exercise and dietary modifications.
Michael Rupkalvis manages the www.lifeventures.com web site, which includes a unique blog about his activities with the ITV Ventures opportunity. One of the products offered is Lipistat , an all natural supplement designed for normalizing cholesterol levels.
Real Alcohol-free Bartending
By: Michael Russell
Alcohol free cocktails, or “mocktails” as they are sometimes called, are quite trendy in spas and fitness clubs, but they are present on the menu lists of many bars too. As people become more and more aware of the importance of a healthy living, this doesn’t come up as a surprise.
And bartenders agree: bartending without alcohol is as fun and fulfilling. To create an alcohol free drink that wows the clients is not always an easy task.
Some juices just don’t match together, and sometimes the wrong blends (different juices with milk for example) have undesired secondary effects (stomach acidity, stomach ache, etc).
What bartenders learnt is that pregnant women and drivers who still want to look cool particularly prefer alcohol-free cocktails.
Because when they are bartending they use traditional cocktail glasses, it’s hard for the outsiders to say whether you drink an alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail. As you’ll learn below you can even “fake” a margarita and no one can tell the difference (unless they taste the drink).
A very tasty mocktail to enjoy Saturday nights (or any other night, for that matter) is the Saturday Night Shake, made of half a cup peanut butter, half cup chocolate syrup, 1-cup cold milk and 2 scoops vanilla ice cream.
The ingredients need to be mixed in a blender for a few seconds. Then pour into a chilled highball glass and enjoy. And if you love your margaritas, don’t worry: the bartenders came up with a Mocktail Margarita!
You’ll need lime juice, lemonade concentrate, confectioner’s sugar, crushed ice, club soda, lime slices and coarse salt. The mocktail is not so easy to prepare, and it needs time to reach to its fullest aroma.
Mix one-cup confectioner’s sugar with 5-6 cups crushed ice, 12 oz lemon juice and 12 oz lime juice, and then freeze the mixture for about 30 minutes (from time to time stir the mixture, to prevent it from freezing into hard blocks of ice).
After 30 minutes, take 2 cups of this mixture and pour it into a blender, add 1-cup soda club and mix for a few seconds. Prepare your margarita glass by dipping the rim in coarse salt, as you do when you prepare traditional margaritas.
Then pour the blended mix and garnish with lime slice. Well, this is not so simple, it is time-consuming but it is also very tasty and refreshing; the perfect drink for a hot summer night.
Plus, by drinking it instead of traditional margaritas, you avoid those harsh morning after. Everyone knows that margaritas give the nastiest hangovers.
Last, but not least, here’s a bartending alternative to the famous Bloody Mary: Virgin Mary. Made of 3 ounces of tomato juice, ½ ounce of lemon juice, a drop of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce plus a celery stalk to garnish the mix.
Pour the ingredients over ice in a highball glass mix well and add spices to enhance the taste. If the drink is cold enough you’ll not even miss the taste of the vodka. One bartending tip: the Virgin Mary is a great hangover remedy.
The mixture is rich in vitamin C, both from tomatoes and lemon juice. The drink will help stop the urge for more alcohol. Don’t drink Bloody Mary, as many advise.
The thing that helps cure the hangover is the tomato juice and not more alcohol. When you have a hangover, if you drink more alcohol, you only stress your liver.
Alcohol free cocktails, or “mocktails” as they are sometimes called, are quite trendy in spas and fitness clubs, but they are present on the menu lists of many bars too. As people become more and more aware of the importance of a healthy living, this doesn’t come up as a surprise.
And bartenders agree: bartending without alcohol is as fun and fulfilling. To create an alcohol free drink that wows the clients is not always an easy task.
Some juices just don’t match together, and sometimes the wrong blends (different juices with milk for example) have undesired secondary effects (stomach acidity, stomach ache, etc).
What bartenders learnt is that pregnant women and drivers who still want to look cool particularly prefer alcohol-free cocktails.
Because when they are bartending they use traditional cocktail glasses, it’s hard for the outsiders to say whether you drink an alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail. As you’ll learn below you can even “fake” a margarita and no one can tell the difference (unless they taste the drink).
A very tasty mocktail to enjoy Saturday nights (or any other night, for that matter) is the Saturday Night Shake, made of half a cup peanut butter, half cup chocolate syrup, 1-cup cold milk and 2 scoops vanilla ice cream.
The ingredients need to be mixed in a blender for a few seconds. Then pour into a chilled highball glass and enjoy. And if you love your margaritas, don’t worry: the bartenders came up with a Mocktail Margarita!
You’ll need lime juice, lemonade concentrate, confectioner’s sugar, crushed ice, club soda, lime slices and coarse salt. The mocktail is not so easy to prepare, and it needs time to reach to its fullest aroma.
Mix one-cup confectioner’s sugar with 5-6 cups crushed ice, 12 oz lemon juice and 12 oz lime juice, and then freeze the mixture for about 30 minutes (from time to time stir the mixture, to prevent it from freezing into hard blocks of ice).
After 30 minutes, take 2 cups of this mixture and pour it into a blender, add 1-cup soda club and mix for a few seconds. Prepare your margarita glass by dipping the rim in coarse salt, as you do when you prepare traditional margaritas.
Then pour the blended mix and garnish with lime slice. Well, this is not so simple, it is time-consuming but it is also very tasty and refreshing; the perfect drink for a hot summer night.
Plus, by drinking it instead of traditional margaritas, you avoid those harsh morning after. Everyone knows that margaritas give the nastiest hangovers.
Last, but not least, here’s a bartending alternative to the famous Bloody Mary: Virgin Mary. Made of 3 ounces of tomato juice, ½ ounce of lemon juice, a drop of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce plus a celery stalk to garnish the mix.
Pour the ingredients over ice in a highball glass mix well and add spices to enhance the taste. If the drink is cold enough you’ll not even miss the taste of the vodka. One bartending tip: the Virgin Mary is a great hangover remedy.
The mixture is rich in vitamin C, both from tomatoes and lemon juice. The drink will help stop the urge for more alcohol. Don’t drink Bloody Mary, as many advise.
The thing that helps cure the hangover is the tomato juice and not more alcohol. When you have a hangover, if you drink more alcohol, you only stress your liver.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Responsibilities of an Internet Business owner
By Staffan Moritz
One of the major difficulties why people are
not able to succeed in their internet business
is because they lack the discipline!
Discipline to carry out the day to day tasks
that require you to take action even in the
midst of distractions.
Here are two very important tasks:
You have got to learn how to be your own boss
AND
You have to take responsibility for your actions
One of the biggest problems people have is they
do not take responsibility for their actions -
especially when they have the mindset of an
employee.
An employee does not have vested interest in
the bossesbusiness. They claim that they do
a fair day's work for a fair day's pay and
that is all they would do.
If you were to go to an ice cream parlor close
to it's closing time and try to buy lots of ice
cream, the first thing that goes through the
employee's mind is 'this would mean more work
for me.
It is closing time and I want to go home. It
makes no difference to me whether they buy or
not because I don't get an extra cent in my
pocket. That's the boss' problem."
A boss would think differently if HE/SHE were
the one scooping the ice cream. In the boss'
mind, he/she would be thinking, "If I open the
store past closing time, I could earn more money.
In fact, I would welcome that group of customers
with open arms because it would mean more business
for me.
They would praise me for outstanding service
(opening past the closing time) and they will
keep coming back to me or referring their
friends over."
The same rules apply online!
As an internet business owner, you must take
responsibility for your actions.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!
Never ever neglect this mindset.
One of the major difficulties why people are
not able to succeed in their internet business
is because they lack the discipline!
Discipline to carry out the day to day tasks
that require you to take action even in the
midst of distractions.
Here are two very important tasks:
You have got to learn how to be your own boss
AND
You have to take responsibility for your actions
One of the biggest problems people have is they
do not take responsibility for their actions -
especially when they have the mindset of an
employee.
An employee does not have vested interest in
the bossesbusiness. They claim that they do
a fair day's work for a fair day's pay and
that is all they would do.
If you were to go to an ice cream parlor close
to it's closing time and try to buy lots of ice
cream, the first thing that goes through the
employee's mind is 'this would mean more work
for me.
It is closing time and I want to go home. It
makes no difference to me whether they buy or
not because I don't get an extra cent in my
pocket. That's the boss' problem."
A boss would think differently if HE/SHE were
the one scooping the ice cream. In the boss'
mind, he/she would be thinking, "If I open the
store past closing time, I could earn more money.
In fact, I would welcome that group of customers
with open arms because it would mean more business
for me.
They would praise me for outstanding service
(opening past the closing time) and they will
keep coming back to me or referring their
friends over."
The same rules apply online!
As an internet business owner, you must take
responsibility for your actions.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!
Never ever neglect this mindset.
Start Saving with a Savings Account
By: Adam Heist
Everyone wants to be rich and in order to do so we have to be wise with our money. The first thing that we need to do is make sure we save some money every month.
This has to be a priority, and be treated like a bill to be paid and not something to be done with what is left over every month. If you try to save whatever is left over, you will not have anything to save.
Now the question arises how much should you save? That’s a topic for a different day however for the time being let me just tell you that general between 10-15% of earnings should consistently go into savings.
If you can maintain that kind of ratio then you are well on your way to financial success. Ofcourse, if you can manage to save more than that, please be my guest because that will mean you will reach financial freedom that much faster.
Now while you are going ahead and starting to save with the earnings of your first job you need to understand and decide your investment strategy. There are so many places to park you money that one can easily get lost.
You should conduct serious research in all the money instruments such as bonds, stocks, commodities or alternative forms such as art or coins for the more exquisite investors.In the meantime you will always have to handle a savings account.
This money might be something that is just left over or an account you use to accumulate a certain amount before your buy anything. In any case you ought to understand the important things regarding this.
Firstly, relax to know that savings accounts at federally insured depository institutions are protected by federal deposit insurance.
Now as different banks accounts offer different features there are a host of questions you need to check with your bank before you go ahead and start maintaining an account with them. Ofcourse you need to start with the interest rate.
If they can change the rate arbitrarily after you open the account? Do they pay differing rates of interest depending on the amount you have in the account? How often is the interest compounded? Then there is the other side of things and that is the fees.
Will you pay a monthly / quarterly fee to maintain the account? Will there be charges if the balance falls below a certain limit. In case of use with ATM’s is there any charge?So make sure to get all the facts before you open up your next savings account.
Adam Heist is an accomplished writer who specializes in loans related topics. For more information regarding candg home loan please drop by out site today http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/.
Everyone wants to be rich and in order to do so we have to be wise with our money. The first thing that we need to do is make sure we save some money every month.
This has to be a priority, and be treated like a bill to be paid and not something to be done with what is left over every month. If you try to save whatever is left over, you will not have anything to save.
Now the question arises how much should you save? That’s a topic for a different day however for the time being let me just tell you that general between 10-15% of earnings should consistently go into savings.
If you can maintain that kind of ratio then you are well on your way to financial success. Ofcourse, if you can manage to save more than that, please be my guest because that will mean you will reach financial freedom that much faster.
Now while you are going ahead and starting to save with the earnings of your first job you need to understand and decide your investment strategy. There are so many places to park you money that one can easily get lost.
You should conduct serious research in all the money instruments such as bonds, stocks, commodities or alternative forms such as art or coins for the more exquisite investors.In the meantime you will always have to handle a savings account.
This money might be something that is just left over or an account you use to accumulate a certain amount before your buy anything. In any case you ought to understand the important things regarding this.
Firstly, relax to know that savings accounts at federally insured depository institutions are protected by federal deposit insurance.
Now as different banks accounts offer different features there are a host of questions you need to check with your bank before you go ahead and start maintaining an account with them. Ofcourse you need to start with the interest rate.
If they can change the rate arbitrarily after you open the account? Do they pay differing rates of interest depending on the amount you have in the account? How often is the interest compounded? Then there is the other side of things and that is the fees.
Will you pay a monthly / quarterly fee to maintain the account? Will there be charges if the balance falls below a certain limit. In case of use with ATM’s is there any charge?So make sure to get all the facts before you open up your next savings account.
Adam Heist is an accomplished writer who specializes in loans related topics. For more information regarding candg home loan please drop by out site today http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/.
3 Little Ideas
From Nightclub & Bar
Easy Summer Promotions for The Months When Everyone’s Laid Back are just unfolding, and with these easy events, it is not too late to add a few extra pounds to your promotional line-up.
Each of these involves minor monetary investment, minimal set up and cleanup and tons of potential to make your patrons apt to leave comments on your MySpace page about the killer time they had in your bar last night.
Hamburger Bar
Fire up your grill in your kitchen, but give your line cook a break on Fridays during the summer months by setting up a hamburger bar.
Have a buffet table full of anything and everything one might want on a burger, and you should remember that being esoteric in your offerings really pays off in word-of-mouth advertising and hand-to-mouth patronage.
For instance, in New Zealand it is not uncommon to find a hamburger with Brie cheese, beets and carrots listed as the condiments. Offer up a large selection of exotic pickles, mustards and breads for your patrons.
Also, don’t forget to offer a vegetarian burger to ensure those sales as well. Have placement cards on the table for customers to fill out on what arrangement of condiments they put on their burgers that tasted best and post the most unusual, yet edible, on a board as a suggestion for the next week.
Design Our New Logo
If you aren’t set on your existing logo, or maybe it is just time for an update, this month long promotion is a great way to increase patronage during a summer month.
Advertise in the local paper, at city art galleries and on your MySpace page that the artist who enters the best “new” or “re-designed” logo for your venue will be rewarded at an unveiling party for the fresh design with a party for the artist and 25 of his or her closest friends on the last day of the month.
Pass out free T-shirts with the new logo the night of the party for each attendee and make sure to have stickers available as well.
Bar Olympics
This 3-part promotion can be hosted over an entire weekend or crammed into one crazy night. Have contestants sign up to participate in pairs of two.
Doing this inspires more people to join in the fun, since most people are willing to do just about anything if they have their best friend by their side.
1st Event: Tent Races
Contact a local camping store for sponsorship and have the reward for winning this heat be free camping gear or climbing lessons at the store. Have the paired-off team members race to see who can set up a camping tent the fastest in your parking lot.
The catch is, one member cannot touch the tent in any way, and the other member must do all of the assembly blindfolded.
2nd Event: Beer Knowledge
In this event, the pair of participants will work together to determine which beer is which in a blind taste test of 12 brews. Make sure to have the classic domestics and imports as well as a few local, well-known craft brews in your unmarked cups.
Give each team a list of the possible beers and have them mark their decisions by the corresponding number on each cup. The take-home prizes might include a trip for two to a nearby brewery or a 6-pack of each of the sponsoring beers tested.
3rd Event: Child of the 80s
Have your DJ play eight seconds of a song from the ‘80s. Each team is then required to write down the name of the song, the band who performed it and one other piece of information they might know, such as when it was released or to whom the lead singer was married.
Award three points for correct song titles, two points for the correct band name and one point for a good piece of gossip about either the band or the song.
The team with the most points at the end of the contest should be rewarded with prizes such as concert tickets or an acoustic guitar from a local music shop. Hand out ‘80s compilation CDs to the losers so that they can brush up for next year.
Easy Summer Promotions for The Months When Everyone’s Laid Back are just unfolding, and with these easy events, it is not too late to add a few extra pounds to your promotional line-up.
Each of these involves minor monetary investment, minimal set up and cleanup and tons of potential to make your patrons apt to leave comments on your MySpace page about the killer time they had in your bar last night.
Hamburger Bar
Fire up your grill in your kitchen, but give your line cook a break on Fridays during the summer months by setting up a hamburger bar.
Have a buffet table full of anything and everything one might want on a burger, and you should remember that being esoteric in your offerings really pays off in word-of-mouth advertising and hand-to-mouth patronage.
For instance, in New Zealand it is not uncommon to find a hamburger with Brie cheese, beets and carrots listed as the condiments. Offer up a large selection of exotic pickles, mustards and breads for your patrons.
Also, don’t forget to offer a vegetarian burger to ensure those sales as well. Have placement cards on the table for customers to fill out on what arrangement of condiments they put on their burgers that tasted best and post the most unusual, yet edible, on a board as a suggestion for the next week.
Design Our New Logo
If you aren’t set on your existing logo, or maybe it is just time for an update, this month long promotion is a great way to increase patronage during a summer month.
Advertise in the local paper, at city art galleries and on your MySpace page that the artist who enters the best “new” or “re-designed” logo for your venue will be rewarded at an unveiling party for the fresh design with a party for the artist and 25 of his or her closest friends on the last day of the month.
Pass out free T-shirts with the new logo the night of the party for each attendee and make sure to have stickers available as well.
Bar Olympics
This 3-part promotion can be hosted over an entire weekend or crammed into one crazy night. Have contestants sign up to participate in pairs of two.
Doing this inspires more people to join in the fun, since most people are willing to do just about anything if they have their best friend by their side.
1st Event: Tent Races
Contact a local camping store for sponsorship and have the reward for winning this heat be free camping gear or climbing lessons at the store. Have the paired-off team members race to see who can set up a camping tent the fastest in your parking lot.
The catch is, one member cannot touch the tent in any way, and the other member must do all of the assembly blindfolded.
2nd Event: Beer Knowledge
In this event, the pair of participants will work together to determine which beer is which in a blind taste test of 12 brews. Make sure to have the classic domestics and imports as well as a few local, well-known craft brews in your unmarked cups.
Give each team a list of the possible beers and have them mark their decisions by the corresponding number on each cup. The take-home prizes might include a trip for two to a nearby brewery or a 6-pack of each of the sponsoring beers tested.
3rd Event: Child of the 80s
Have your DJ play eight seconds of a song from the ‘80s. Each team is then required to write down the name of the song, the band who performed it and one other piece of information they might know, such as when it was released or to whom the lead singer was married.
Award three points for correct song titles, two points for the correct band name and one point for a good piece of gossip about either the band or the song.
The team with the most points at the end of the contest should be rewarded with prizes such as concert tickets or an acoustic guitar from a local music shop. Hand out ‘80s compilation CDs to the losers so that they can brush up for next year.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The top identity theft resources from ScamBusters.org
Since identity theft has been #1 on our Top 10 List of the Worst Internet Scams for the past several years, we created this Identity Theft Info Center to help you prevent identity theft, and to help people who are identity theft victims learn the best practices for recovering from identity theft.
Continue reading "The top identity theft resources from ScamBusters.org”
Continue reading "The top identity theft resources from ScamBusters.org”
Small Business Owners Marketing and Customer Service
By Adam Heist
Marketing can be time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be hugely expensive now, thanks to the Internet. By using e-mail and keeping in touch with your clients on a regular basis, you can increase your business without any mail costs.
One big problem for small business owners is the tendency to try to do everything themselves. You have to learn to lead and to develop other people. Also, it is worth the expense to hire an accountant, have a lawyer on call, and use other outside services.
If your business is at all profitable and worthwhile, you need time to develop your business. Whether you are in the food and restaurant business or writing e-books and marketing them, you need to devote your energy primarily to what makes your business function.
Take the time to socialize with business people. Even if you are doing the best kind of internet research possible, you have to get out there and talk to business people to know how to ask the right questions.
By going to classes and seminars you can learn new ideas and get a chance to network with both clients and vendors so you can both improve your business’ operations and also find more clients.
Business to business sales operations tend to accelerate more rapidly for small business people because the orders are larger than clients one by one. Going to a business associate’s Christmas or New Year’s party can be much more than an opportunity to get drunk on five martinis.
Once you are over 40-years-old, your acid reflux problems will probably preclude you from doing that in good conscience anyway. So get out there and talk about the real estate market, computer aids to business, or whatever relevant topics there are for you, and get some business cards.
You’ll feel a lot better about it later, and you won’t have a super hangover.Work on your customer service, it’s what keeps customers coming back.
Many small business owners spend huge amounts of time and money on advertising and public relations, but tend to neglect the important area of customer service.
When you fill an order on a mail-order or electronic information product, do you take the time to email the customer after the order to make sure that they are as satisfied as possible?
You can do this by an automatic e-responder, but often, a simple and short note that you compose is worth the effort.
Adam Heist is widely recognized as an expert in all loans related circles. Adam boasts over thirty years experience in personal finance related fields. Adam has appeared in many newspapers, and in article directorys and website across the internet. Visit us today at http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Marketing can be time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be hugely expensive now, thanks to the Internet. By using e-mail and keeping in touch with your clients on a regular basis, you can increase your business without any mail costs.
One big problem for small business owners is the tendency to try to do everything themselves. You have to learn to lead and to develop other people. Also, it is worth the expense to hire an accountant, have a lawyer on call, and use other outside services.
If your business is at all profitable and worthwhile, you need time to develop your business. Whether you are in the food and restaurant business or writing e-books and marketing them, you need to devote your energy primarily to what makes your business function.
Take the time to socialize with business people. Even if you are doing the best kind of internet research possible, you have to get out there and talk to business people to know how to ask the right questions.
By going to classes and seminars you can learn new ideas and get a chance to network with both clients and vendors so you can both improve your business’ operations and also find more clients.
Business to business sales operations tend to accelerate more rapidly for small business people because the orders are larger than clients one by one. Going to a business associate’s Christmas or New Year’s party can be much more than an opportunity to get drunk on five martinis.
Once you are over 40-years-old, your acid reflux problems will probably preclude you from doing that in good conscience anyway. So get out there and talk about the real estate market, computer aids to business, or whatever relevant topics there are for you, and get some business cards.
You’ll feel a lot better about it later, and you won’t have a super hangover.Work on your customer service, it’s what keeps customers coming back.
Many small business owners spend huge amounts of time and money on advertising and public relations, but tend to neglect the important area of customer service.
When you fill an order on a mail-order or electronic information product, do you take the time to email the customer after the order to make sure that they are as satisfied as possible?
You can do this by an automatic e-responder, but often, a simple and short note that you compose is worth the effort.
Adam Heist is widely recognized as an expert in all loans related circles. Adam boasts over thirty years experience in personal finance related fields. Adam has appeared in many newspapers, and in article directorys and website across the internet. Visit us today at http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Whether green, black, or red teas teas are piping hot
From The American Mixologist
We should all have futures as bright as the one ahead of tea. George Jage, president and founder of the World Tea Expo cites an industry estimate that sales of tea are expected to nearly double in the United States by the year 2010.
Geoff Alexander knows all to well how popular premium tea is becoming. He is the managing partner of Vong’s Thai Kitchen in Chicago, a restaurant in the Lettuce Entertain You portfolio and brainchild of internationally acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
“Here in Chicago we’re seeing tea shops opening at a rate that would impress even Starbuck’s,” says Alexander. “While the concept of our restaurant naturally makes people consider drinking premium teas, demand over the past year has exceeded all of our expectations.”
Vong’s Thai Kitchen may well be any tea enthusiasts dream come true. During January, the popular eatery held a wildly successful promotion celebrating the many dimensions of tea. The month-long festivities offer a graduate level perspective on how to creatively market tea.
Every Tuesday night during the month, Alexander set-up a table near the front of the restaurant on which he laid out an array of bowls containing ingredients used in blending tea, botanicals such as dragonwell, dried mangos, coconut and apples, various varieties of flowers, and loose green, red and black teas.
Guests interested in creating their own blends of teas specifically geared to their individual tastes could do so. A member of the restaurant’s staff would work with the guest lending guidance and offering advice.
Once the blend was created the products were placed in a silky mesh bag and served tableside.According to Alexander his guests found the presentation fascinating.
“It’s intriguing to look at the various ingredients used in premium blends of tea. The botanicals themselves are beautiful and highly aromatic. If you examine coffee beans, for example, they’re oily and largely similar in appearance. Not so with the tea. The ingredients reinforce the notion that drinking is a natural, holistic and essentially healthy thing to do.”
Alexander and staff also thought that it would be fitting to devise several cocktails that featured tea as ingredients. Both were extremely well received.
The Chamomile Mojito ($4.95) is prepared and served in a similar manner as the conventional recipe with the notable additions of lemongrass syrup and 1 1/4 ounces of Chamomile Citron Tea.
The Cosmo-Tea-ni ($5.95) is a satiny blend of Chambord, Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, a splash of cranberry juice, and Berries and Blossoms Tea. Every Saturday afternoon high tea is held at Vong’s Thai Kitchen.
It’s an elegant, well-attended affair that celebrates both tradition and the delights of tea. Guests are tempted with sumptuous Thai finger foods and a selection of exotic blends of tea from which to choose.
To answer any questions guests may have about a certain tea, the staff will bring out test tube samples with the contents of the blend so they can experience first hand the feel and aroma of the botanicals.
The weekly event is moderately priced at either $13 or $15 per person.Alexander and company regularly promote an assortment of bubble teas. These refreshing, attention-grabbing concoctions are made with iced tea, fresh fruit and either green or black tapioca balls.
Popular flavors include antaloupe, blueberry and watermelon. If Geoff Alexander’s perpetual smile and the demand for tables at Vong’s Thai Kitchen are any indication, tapping into the growing popularity of tea is simply good business.
We should all have futures as bright as the one ahead of tea. George Jage, president and founder of the World Tea Expo cites an industry estimate that sales of tea are expected to nearly double in the United States by the year 2010.
Geoff Alexander knows all to well how popular premium tea is becoming. He is the managing partner of Vong’s Thai Kitchen in Chicago, a restaurant in the Lettuce Entertain You portfolio and brainchild of internationally acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
“Here in Chicago we’re seeing tea shops opening at a rate that would impress even Starbuck’s,” says Alexander. “While the concept of our restaurant naturally makes people consider drinking premium teas, demand over the past year has exceeded all of our expectations.”
Vong’s Thai Kitchen may well be any tea enthusiasts dream come true. During January, the popular eatery held a wildly successful promotion celebrating the many dimensions of tea. The month-long festivities offer a graduate level perspective on how to creatively market tea.
Every Tuesday night during the month, Alexander set-up a table near the front of the restaurant on which he laid out an array of bowls containing ingredients used in blending tea, botanicals such as dragonwell, dried mangos, coconut and apples, various varieties of flowers, and loose green, red and black teas.
Guests interested in creating their own blends of teas specifically geared to their individual tastes could do so. A member of the restaurant’s staff would work with the guest lending guidance and offering advice.
Once the blend was created the products were placed in a silky mesh bag and served tableside.According to Alexander his guests found the presentation fascinating.
“It’s intriguing to look at the various ingredients used in premium blends of tea. The botanicals themselves are beautiful and highly aromatic. If you examine coffee beans, for example, they’re oily and largely similar in appearance. Not so with the tea. The ingredients reinforce the notion that drinking is a natural, holistic and essentially healthy thing to do.”
Alexander and staff also thought that it would be fitting to devise several cocktails that featured tea as ingredients. Both were extremely well received.
The Chamomile Mojito ($4.95) is prepared and served in a similar manner as the conventional recipe with the notable additions of lemongrass syrup and 1 1/4 ounces of Chamomile Citron Tea.
The Cosmo-Tea-ni ($5.95) is a satiny blend of Chambord, Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, a splash of cranberry juice, and Berries and Blossoms Tea. Every Saturday afternoon high tea is held at Vong’s Thai Kitchen.
It’s an elegant, well-attended affair that celebrates both tradition and the delights of tea. Guests are tempted with sumptuous Thai finger foods and a selection of exotic blends of tea from which to choose.
To answer any questions guests may have about a certain tea, the staff will bring out test tube samples with the contents of the blend so they can experience first hand the feel and aroma of the botanicals.
The weekly event is moderately priced at either $13 or $15 per person.Alexander and company regularly promote an assortment of bubble teas. These refreshing, attention-grabbing concoctions are made with iced tea, fresh fruit and either green or black tapioca balls.
Popular flavors include antaloupe, blueberry and watermelon. If Geoff Alexander’s perpetual smile and the demand for tables at Vong’s Thai Kitchen are any indication, tapping into the growing popularity of tea is simply good business.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Setting Up a Small Business
By: Adam Heist
It can be scary to set up your own business, even when you know what you’re doing. The statistics say that most new businesses fail during their first year of existence.
Businesses can fail because of inadequate planning, too much competition, not enough profit margin, or disagreements between partners, or owners and key employees. Many people need a lot of capital to start up a new business, since the business may not make money right away.
If fact, as in the well known cases of several Internet businesses, some operations can lose money for years, and still receive adequate investment to continue and grow, and make an eventual profit.
You may have to hire advisors, such as lawyers and accountants. True, you can and should read law books to find out in general and in many particular cases what are the laws regarding your business.
Likewise, you can manually, or using a computer program, organize basic accountant statistics for your business.
The problem is when you have to pay taxes, you need to properly organize your payroll taxes, sales tax, etc, and use all the tax deductions you are entitled to, and make sure that these are well-documented.
You may need other advice to get an adequate idea of business trends. In today’s speculative economy, the trend toward rapid rises of prices and types of businesses, and their subsequent collapse can be devastating especially for new businesses.
We have the recent example of the Internet bubble, which attracted huge amounts of capital in the late 1990s, and then went into a general collapse, as a speculative bubble that popped by early 2001. Many new business owners buy into a franchise.
The logic of this is that there is some security in investing in a name brand and business infrastructure that has some experience.
Some of the largest businesses in the United States have been able to keep growing by selling franchises around the country, and continually expanding the extent of their storefront operations.
Of course fees and capital investment are involved in setting up a franchise, and you must relinquish control over some decisions on how to present the business to the world. If you are interested in the type of franchise, as something you like to be involved in, whether it is car repair or fast food, this can be a good way to get into business quickly.
Adam Heist has helped many internet surfers since & also prides himself on over-delivering, why not stop by today and see why. http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
It can be scary to set up your own business, even when you know what you’re doing. The statistics say that most new businesses fail during their first year of existence.
Businesses can fail because of inadequate planning, too much competition, not enough profit margin, or disagreements between partners, or owners and key employees. Many people need a lot of capital to start up a new business, since the business may not make money right away.
If fact, as in the well known cases of several Internet businesses, some operations can lose money for years, and still receive adequate investment to continue and grow, and make an eventual profit.
You may have to hire advisors, such as lawyers and accountants. True, you can and should read law books to find out in general and in many particular cases what are the laws regarding your business.
Likewise, you can manually, or using a computer program, organize basic accountant statistics for your business.
The problem is when you have to pay taxes, you need to properly organize your payroll taxes, sales tax, etc, and use all the tax deductions you are entitled to, and make sure that these are well-documented.
You may need other advice to get an adequate idea of business trends. In today’s speculative economy, the trend toward rapid rises of prices and types of businesses, and their subsequent collapse can be devastating especially for new businesses.
We have the recent example of the Internet bubble, which attracted huge amounts of capital in the late 1990s, and then went into a general collapse, as a speculative bubble that popped by early 2001. Many new business owners buy into a franchise.
The logic of this is that there is some security in investing in a name brand and business infrastructure that has some experience.
Some of the largest businesses in the United States have been able to keep growing by selling franchises around the country, and continually expanding the extent of their storefront operations.
Of course fees and capital investment are involved in setting up a franchise, and you must relinquish control over some decisions on how to present the business to the world. If you are interested in the type of franchise, as something you like to be involved in, whether it is car repair or fast food, this can be a good way to get into business quickly.
Adam Heist has helped many internet surfers since & also prides himself on over-delivering, why not stop by today and see why. http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Six Qualities Every Goal Should Have
From LifeSkill Institute, Inc
1. It should be written, committed to, and shared.
Writing your goals helps you crystallize exactly what you want to accomplish. Write each goal in one or two sentences. If it takes you an entire page to write your goal, chances are that you will not be able to attain it.
A short, simple, concise goal statement is easier to think about, remember, and act on.
Once you have written your goal statement, read it aloud at least three times per day. Think about it constantly.
You must be committed to accomplishing each goal. Make a binding agreement with yourself that nothing and no one will stop you from attaining your goal. Give your time, efforts, expertise, resources, and anything else necessary to accomplish your goal.
Share your goal with someone special who understands and believes in what you are doing. Stay away from anyone who will discourage or criticize you. Very often, members of your own family and others close to you are the worst choices to tell about your goals.
Be sure that the people with whom you share your goals will not be jealous or envious. They should have important goals of their own to accomplish, and be well on their way to accomplishing them.
Remember that the purpose of sharing your goals is to establish accountability, and to obtain cooperation, assistance, and encouragement. Another perspective which offers knowledge, encouragement, and constructive criticism is also helpful.
2. It should be realistic and attainable.
One of the easiest ways to set yourself up for failure is to select improper goals. No goal is impossible, but it may be unrealistic at your particular state of development or at a given time. Make sure that your goals are realistic and attainable for you, based on where you are right now.
3. It should be flexible and reflect change.
Your goal is a statement and projection of your vision. However, as you begin to pursue your goal, external conditions and circumstances which are beyond your control may appear. Potentially, these things could prevent you from attaining your goal.
When this interference occurs, do not become discouraged or abandon your goal. Make the necessary changes and modifications to your goal, or to the manner of pursuing it. That will neutralize the condition or circumstance that is blocking your way.
4. It should be concrete and measurable.
Your goal must be definite and specific. Clearly define it in terms of your senses: How does it look, feel, smell, taste, and sound. See your goal in terms of size, color, location, movement, and any other characteristic or property that can be perceived by the senses.
If your goal is not concrete and clearly defined, you will probably not be able to attain it. Your goal is the outcome desired as a result of your organized efforts.
When the desired outcome—your goal—is unclear, then the energy and activities necessary to produce that outcome cannot be focused or directed effectively. Your goal must be measurable to determine its dimensions.
When a goal is measurable, you have a standard by which you can analyze it and estimate completion. If it is not measurable, it is extremely difficult to project when you will attain it, how far you have to go, or how much energy it will take.
Having a goal that is not measurable is like going on a car trip to an undetermined destination. You ride and ride, but never get there.
5. It should be extended to cover certain time periods.
You must set a definite time period in which to accomplish your goal. A definite time period gives you a standard by which to measure and regulate your performance. Take special care in establishing a proper time for accomplishing your goal.
This time period should be realistic in light of your particular level of skill, the time and resources you have available, time constraints of the goal itself, and benchmarks of past performance by yourself and others.
Putting a time component into your goal gives you a means by which to examine your performance and project your completion. If, based on monitoring your own performance, the projected time for completion is unreasonable or unacceptable, you can increase your efforts, modify your timetable, or even alter your goal accordingly.
6. It should be set in advance.
Your goal is a destination, the desired outcome of your endeavors. If it is not set in advance, then you cannot make plans, nor take effective steps to attain it. When you set your goal in advance, you give a particular orientation to your life and bring focus to your energy and to your thoughts.
1. It should be written, committed to, and shared.
Writing your goals helps you crystallize exactly what you want to accomplish. Write each goal in one or two sentences. If it takes you an entire page to write your goal, chances are that you will not be able to attain it.
A short, simple, concise goal statement is easier to think about, remember, and act on.
Once you have written your goal statement, read it aloud at least three times per day. Think about it constantly.
You must be committed to accomplishing each goal. Make a binding agreement with yourself that nothing and no one will stop you from attaining your goal. Give your time, efforts, expertise, resources, and anything else necessary to accomplish your goal.
Share your goal with someone special who understands and believes in what you are doing. Stay away from anyone who will discourage or criticize you. Very often, members of your own family and others close to you are the worst choices to tell about your goals.
Be sure that the people with whom you share your goals will not be jealous or envious. They should have important goals of their own to accomplish, and be well on their way to accomplishing them.
Remember that the purpose of sharing your goals is to establish accountability, and to obtain cooperation, assistance, and encouragement. Another perspective which offers knowledge, encouragement, and constructive criticism is also helpful.
2. It should be realistic and attainable.
One of the easiest ways to set yourself up for failure is to select improper goals. No goal is impossible, but it may be unrealistic at your particular state of development or at a given time. Make sure that your goals are realistic and attainable for you, based on where you are right now.
3. It should be flexible and reflect change.
Your goal is a statement and projection of your vision. However, as you begin to pursue your goal, external conditions and circumstances which are beyond your control may appear. Potentially, these things could prevent you from attaining your goal.
When this interference occurs, do not become discouraged or abandon your goal. Make the necessary changes and modifications to your goal, or to the manner of pursuing it. That will neutralize the condition or circumstance that is blocking your way.
4. It should be concrete and measurable.
Your goal must be definite and specific. Clearly define it in terms of your senses: How does it look, feel, smell, taste, and sound. See your goal in terms of size, color, location, movement, and any other characteristic or property that can be perceived by the senses.
If your goal is not concrete and clearly defined, you will probably not be able to attain it. Your goal is the outcome desired as a result of your organized efforts.
When the desired outcome—your goal—is unclear, then the energy and activities necessary to produce that outcome cannot be focused or directed effectively. Your goal must be measurable to determine its dimensions.
When a goal is measurable, you have a standard by which you can analyze it and estimate completion. If it is not measurable, it is extremely difficult to project when you will attain it, how far you have to go, or how much energy it will take.
Having a goal that is not measurable is like going on a car trip to an undetermined destination. You ride and ride, but never get there.
5. It should be extended to cover certain time periods.
You must set a definite time period in which to accomplish your goal. A definite time period gives you a standard by which to measure and regulate your performance. Take special care in establishing a proper time for accomplishing your goal.
This time period should be realistic in light of your particular level of skill, the time and resources you have available, time constraints of the goal itself, and benchmarks of past performance by yourself and others.
Putting a time component into your goal gives you a means by which to examine your performance and project your completion. If, based on monitoring your own performance, the projected time for completion is unreasonable or unacceptable, you can increase your efforts, modify your timetable, or even alter your goal accordingly.
6. It should be set in advance.
Your goal is a destination, the desired outcome of your endeavors. If it is not set in advance, then you cannot make plans, nor take effective steps to attain it. When you set your goal in advance, you give a particular orientation to your life and bring focus to your energy and to your thoughts.
The South of Italy rises again: Aglianico del Vulture takes its place on the global stage
By Mary Ewing-Mulligan and Ed McCarthy
Until recently, wines from Southern Italy, usually defined as south of Rome, hadn’t received much critical acclaim.
But now red wines made from the Aglianico grape, which grows mainly in the southern regions of Basilicata and Campania but also in neighboring Puglia, are starting to get the recognition they deserve.
Almost all of Basilicata’s Aglianico, which the Greeks brought there in the seventh century B.C., grows around Monte Vulture, an extinct volcano in the northwest corner of the region. In Campania, it grows around the village of Taurasi, near Avellino, not far from another extinct volcano in Pompeii.
Because Campania has a higher profile than that of the obscure, mainly mountainous Basilicata, more Taurasi wines have reached our shores. But Basilicata is slowly beginning to reach out to the rest of the world with Aglianico del Vulture.
Before Aglianico del Vulture became Basilicata’s first and only DOC wine in 1971, almost all of the region’s Aglianico grapes went to Puglia. Today, dozens of producers in Basilicata make Aglianico wines.
For many years, we saw only one or two Aglianico del Vulture wines in the United States. Today, there are at least 10.
--------------------------
WINE OF THE WEEK
2004 Terra dei Re Aglianico del Vulture “Vultur” (Basilicata, Italy)
The Terra dei Re winery is in Rionero, the heart of the Monte Vulture growing region for Aglianico. Grapes for the Vultur are harvested very high on the hillside slope, with some vineyards over 2,000 feet up, which contributes to the wine being only 12.5 percent in alcohol.
The 2004 Vultur is lean, dry and lively, and its substantial acidity is balanced with black cherry flavors. It’s quite delicious and a great value.
Wholesale price per one case of 12: $160; two cases, $144 per case
--------------
Standard Aglianico del Vulture wines age for a minimum of one year at the winery, and most of these young, basic wines stay in Basilicata. Aglianico del Vulture wines labeled Vecchio, meaning old, age for at least three years at the winery, and those labeled Riserva age for at least five years.
The Vecchio and Riserva Aglianico del Vultures are the most interesting and will age well, especially in good vintages like 1998, 1999 and 2001. The 2004 vintage also looks quite promising, but 2003 was quite hot and often overripe, as it was in most regions throughout Europe.
All Aglianico del Vulture wines are very dry and powerfully structured. They typically show aromas and flavors of blackberry and/or black cherry, but they need aeration in the glass to develop.
Aglianico ripens late and seems to thrive in soil enriched by lava deposits, with potassium and tufa—a porous stone containing calcium carbonate. Aglianico very much resembles Nebbiolo, the Northern Italian red grape that is the only variety used in prized Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
Both Aglianico and Nebbiolo grow successfully only in very limited areas. Wines made from both of these grapes are especially tannic and acidic when they are young and need several years of aging to soften. Wines from both of these varieties typically turn garnet in color with age.
Most wines made from Aglianico don’t require as much aging as Barolo or Barbaresco. We were enjoying some 2001 Aglianico del Vultures recently, and a 1998 that we drank was at its peak.
On the other hand, you cannot really appreciate 2001 Barolos right now; they’re just too hard and tannic. Nor are 1998 Barolos ready to drink. The other big difference is the price—famous Barolo wines generally cost at least twice as much as most Aglianico.
Until recently, wines from Southern Italy, usually defined as south of Rome, hadn’t received much critical acclaim.
But now red wines made from the Aglianico grape, which grows mainly in the southern regions of Basilicata and Campania but also in neighboring Puglia, are starting to get the recognition they deserve.
Almost all of Basilicata’s Aglianico, which the Greeks brought there in the seventh century B.C., grows around Monte Vulture, an extinct volcano in the northwest corner of the region. In Campania, it grows around the village of Taurasi, near Avellino, not far from another extinct volcano in Pompeii.
Because Campania has a higher profile than that of the obscure, mainly mountainous Basilicata, more Taurasi wines have reached our shores. But Basilicata is slowly beginning to reach out to the rest of the world with Aglianico del Vulture.
Before Aglianico del Vulture became Basilicata’s first and only DOC wine in 1971, almost all of the region’s Aglianico grapes went to Puglia. Today, dozens of producers in Basilicata make Aglianico wines.
For many years, we saw only one or two Aglianico del Vulture wines in the United States. Today, there are at least 10.
--------------------------
WINE OF THE WEEK
2004 Terra dei Re Aglianico del Vulture “Vultur” (Basilicata, Italy)
The Terra dei Re winery is in Rionero, the heart of the Monte Vulture growing region for Aglianico. Grapes for the Vultur are harvested very high on the hillside slope, with some vineyards over 2,000 feet up, which contributes to the wine being only 12.5 percent in alcohol.
The 2004 Vultur is lean, dry and lively, and its substantial acidity is balanced with black cherry flavors. It’s quite delicious and a great value.
Wholesale price per one case of 12: $160; two cases, $144 per case
--------------
Standard Aglianico del Vulture wines age for a minimum of one year at the winery, and most of these young, basic wines stay in Basilicata. Aglianico del Vulture wines labeled Vecchio, meaning old, age for at least three years at the winery, and those labeled Riserva age for at least five years.
The Vecchio and Riserva Aglianico del Vultures are the most interesting and will age well, especially in good vintages like 1998, 1999 and 2001. The 2004 vintage also looks quite promising, but 2003 was quite hot and often overripe, as it was in most regions throughout Europe.
All Aglianico del Vulture wines are very dry and powerfully structured. They typically show aromas and flavors of blackberry and/or black cherry, but they need aeration in the glass to develop.
Aglianico ripens late and seems to thrive in soil enriched by lava deposits, with potassium and tufa—a porous stone containing calcium carbonate. Aglianico very much resembles Nebbiolo, the Northern Italian red grape that is the only variety used in prized Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
Both Aglianico and Nebbiolo grow successfully only in very limited areas. Wines made from both of these grapes are especially tannic and acidic when they are young and need several years of aging to soften. Wines from both of these varieties typically turn garnet in color with age.
Most wines made from Aglianico don’t require as much aging as Barolo or Barbaresco. We were enjoying some 2001 Aglianico del Vultures recently, and a 1998 that we drank was at its peak.
On the other hand, you cannot really appreciate 2001 Barolos right now; they’re just too hard and tannic. Nor are 1998 Barolos ready to drink. The other big difference is the price—famous Barolo wines generally cost at least twice as much as most Aglianico.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Planning a New Business Explained
By Adam Heist
http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Planning to start a new business can be like a leap into the unknown. Obviously, if you want to start a new business, you should go into something that you are familiar with, or can find out about in a relatively short time.
Be sure to start a business in a field that your find enjoyable, since you may end up putting in 70 or 80 hours a week, not the usual 9 to 5. A business depends solely upon you, or your partner and colleagues.
Look into what competition there is in the area of your interest. Check out which way the market is trending in your business. In many types of investment businesses, stocks can go up or down depending on social and political factors, not only strictly money variables.
Likewise, the real estate business is very popular as a sole proprietorship type business, but is subject to value cycles and macro-economic factors.
There has been a tremendous increase in real estate values, with some spectacular increases in California, Northern Virginia, and New York City real estate, but an accelerating downtrend in prices set in sometime in 2005.
So, it can be increasingly difficult to plan ahead and create a solid new business. So, when you meet with new potential advisors to your business, you want to get an adequate business plan for the future, and avoid necessarily being sucked into the latest trend of the hottest business bubble being developed.
There can be a danger of speculative investors trying to rapidly dump their investments on unsuspecting people to get out of the market before it is too late for them. There are also various problems one runs into when running sole proprietorship.
If you are self-employed, you have to pay self-employment taxes. These taxes are to pay your entire Social Security, Medicare, and other taxes, since there is not the usual employer to pay half of these taxes for you.
You have to make an estimation of these taxes, and pay them on a quarterly basis in order to avoid penalties for paying taxes late. In some cases, income can be split among family members; if this helps you avoid a higher tax bracket.
You can deduct the income you reasonably pay them as a business expense. Other than that, the most important thing is to keep adequate records to use all the business deductions you are entitled to, and properly state your income.
You may also qualify for an “above the line” deduction for health care insurance expenses.
http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Planning to start a new business can be like a leap into the unknown. Obviously, if you want to start a new business, you should go into something that you are familiar with, or can find out about in a relatively short time.
Be sure to start a business in a field that your find enjoyable, since you may end up putting in 70 or 80 hours a week, not the usual 9 to 5. A business depends solely upon you, or your partner and colleagues.
Look into what competition there is in the area of your interest. Check out which way the market is trending in your business. In many types of investment businesses, stocks can go up or down depending on social and political factors, not only strictly money variables.
Likewise, the real estate business is very popular as a sole proprietorship type business, but is subject to value cycles and macro-economic factors.
There has been a tremendous increase in real estate values, with some spectacular increases in California, Northern Virginia, and New York City real estate, but an accelerating downtrend in prices set in sometime in 2005.
So, it can be increasingly difficult to plan ahead and create a solid new business. So, when you meet with new potential advisors to your business, you want to get an adequate business plan for the future, and avoid necessarily being sucked into the latest trend of the hottest business bubble being developed.
There can be a danger of speculative investors trying to rapidly dump their investments on unsuspecting people to get out of the market before it is too late for them. There are also various problems one runs into when running sole proprietorship.
If you are self-employed, you have to pay self-employment taxes. These taxes are to pay your entire Social Security, Medicare, and other taxes, since there is not the usual employer to pay half of these taxes for you.
You have to make an estimation of these taxes, and pay them on a quarterly basis in order to avoid penalties for paying taxes late. In some cases, income can be split among family members; if this helps you avoid a higher tax bracket.
You can deduct the income you reasonably pay them as a business expense. Other than that, the most important thing is to keep adequate records to use all the business deductions you are entitled to, and properly state your income.
You may also qualify for an “above the line” deduction for health care insurance expenses.
Goals
From LifeSkill Institute, Inc
A goal is the line or place at which a race or trip is ended. Goals are the stepping-stones that guide you to your vision of who you are, what you are about, and whatever you want to achieve. You may make a goal of anything you wish to accomplish.
Once you specifically define your vision of yourself—your better life—you should establish goals as the specific steps that will lead you to the realization of your vision. Goals provide excellent opportunities to build your self-confidence.
When you complete yourself with respect to a particular goal, by accomplishing it, you validate your own abilities and increase your self-confidence. As your self-confidence grows, so does your ability to successfully tackle more difficult goals.
Develop the habit of being goal-oriented. As your goals are accomplished, you grow and progress toward the vision of life you have for yourself. Where there are no goals to be systematically achieved, your vision of a better life cannot be realized.
Types of Goals
A goal is the line or place at which a race or trip is ended. Goals are the stepping-stones that guide you to your vision of who you are, what you are about, and whatever you want to achieve. You may make a goal of anything you wish to accomplish.
Once you specifically define your vision of yourself—your better life—you should establish goals as the specific steps that will lead you to the realization of your vision. Goals provide excellent opportunities to build your self-confidence.
When you complete yourself with respect to a particular goal, by accomplishing it, you validate your own abilities and increase your self-confidence. As your self-confidence grows, so does your ability to successfully tackle more difficult goals.
Develop the habit of being goal-oriented. As your goals are accomplished, you grow and progress toward the vision of life you have for yourself. Where there are no goals to be systematically achieved, your vision of a better life cannot be realized.
Types of Goals
There are basically three types of goals: immediate, intermediate, and long range.
1. Immediate goals: Goals that are closest, nearest, or next in order. These goals represent tasks or objectives that may be accomplished quickly or without a great deal of effort and planning.
Timewise, immediate goals may be accomplished in a day or so, or within a period of up to three months (1 to 90 days). There are three levels of immediate goals: Level I (1 to 30 days); Level II (30 to 60 days), and Level III (60 to 90 days).
2. Intermediate goals: Midrange between immediate and long range goals. Intermediate goals often require multiple steps and considerable planning for their completion. It usually takes the completion of a series of immediate goals to accomplish an intermediate goal.
Intermediate goals require more consistent and continuous direction in your life. They may be completed in ninety days to two years. There are three levels of intermediate goals: Level IV (90 days to 6 months), Level V (6 months to 1 year), and Level VI (1 to 3 years).
3. Long-range goals: These goals take the future into consideration. Often they are related to your life’s work, career, and professional objectives. Long-range goals require extensive planning, preparation, and execution.
They are consistent with and support your life vision or purpose. Your long-range goals are built on the consistent and continuous accomplishment of your immediate and intermediate goals.
They may require from three years to a lifetime for their completion and accomplishment. There are three levels of long-range goals: Level VII (3 to 5 years), Level VIII (5 to 10 years), and Level IX (10 years to a lifetime).
Graphically the relationship between the three types of goals may look like this:
Immediate Goal #1 *
Immediate Goal #2 * * * Intermediate Goal #1 *
Immediate Goal #3 *
Immediate Goal #2 * * * Intermediate Goal #1 *
Immediate Goal #3 *
*** Long Range Goal
1
Immediate Goal #4 * *
Immediate Goal #5 * * * Intermediate Goal #2 * *
Immediate Goal #6 *
Immediate Goal #4 * *
Immediate Goal #5 * * * Intermediate Goal #2 * *
Immediate Goal #6 *
Cucumber cocktails appeal to customers
Refreshing flavor of the newly fashionable fruit finds wide acceptance on bar menus
By PAUL FRUMKIN
The term “cool as a cucumber” has taken on a new meaning at both finedining and casual chain restaurants. While not regarded in the past as a particularly stylish ingredient by either front- or back-of-the-house trendmakers, the cucumber seems to have been stealthily reimaged as the latest darling of the cocktail set.
The newly fashionable cuke, which previously would be found tucked into a green salad or in its pickled persona as a sidekick to a sandwich, has emerged as the muse for a new generation of hip drinks with exotic names like Cucumber Passion, Tokyo Club and Zen Press.
“Restaurants and bars have been getting more creative with their cocktail lists, and cucumber has been showing up on a lot of lists,” says David Petrilli, co-owner of Copia in Boston. “It’s a nice, simple, clean ingredient. It’s not overpowering, and people have definitely taken a liking to it.”
Cucumber has been part of a bartender’s mise en place for years, but chiefly as a garnish for Pimm’s Cup, the British, gin-based cocktail.
Nevertheless, the widely cultivated fruit—it has seeds and develops from a flower—has had its horizons broadened over the past several years as it finds its way into an increasing number of trendy cocktails.
Gary Regan, beverage consultant, columnist for Nation’s Restaurant News and host of Ardentspirits.com, says he has seen it used in numerous drinks as bartenders experiment with ingredients once limited to the back-of-the-house.
“Cucumber is everywhere,” he says. “[Bartenders] have been experimenting with everything in the kitchen. They’re using cilantro and sage and tarragon, and cucumber is just one of those flavors that is well liked. It’s a nice, subtle flavor. It’s very fresh.”
The resurgent interest in gin drinks, which pair well with cucumber, also has contributed to the trend, Petrilli adds.
For example, Copia’s mixologist concocted a drink called Gin-Ginger, which combines a cucumber-and-rose-petal-infused gin with ginger beer and muddled cucumber and basil. The drink is served on the rocks with a cucumber slice and a basil leaf. It sells for $9.
Laura Cherry, the spokeswoman for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. and its newest concept, Taneko Japanese Tavern, also has observed an increase in the number of drinks featuring cucumber.
“It’s kind of a neutral flavor, but it adds a crispness to the drink,” she says.
P.F. Chang’s, which has nearly 100 U.S. outlets, introduced a specialty drink list last September that featured a popular cucumber-inspired cocktail called Zen Press. It includes cucumber-and-rose-petal-infused gin flavored with lemon grass syrup and muddled cucumber slices.
It is served on the rocks and garnished with mint and lime and sells for about $6.50 depending on the location. “The Press is a classic drink, but we serve it with a modern twist,” Cherry says. “The cleanness of the cuke together with the lemon grass is a perfect match.”
Cucumber also plays a key role in a cocktail called the Hibiya-tini, which is served at Taneko, which also is located in Scottsdale. The Hibiya-tini starts with muddled Japanese cucumber, fresh lime and shochu, a distilled alcoholic beverage.
The drink, which is served in a martini glass garnished with a slice of cucumber, sells for $9. “It’s incredibly refreshing,” Cherry says. Taneko, a Japanese “izakaya” pub-style concept that opened last October, offers four different shochu cocktails.
At The Double Seven, the ultrahip, cocktail-centric lounge in New York’s Meatpacking District, cucumber is a factor in two drinks, says co-owner Monika Chiang. The New Bitty, one of lounge’s most popular drinks, includes vodka, fresh lime juice, simple syrup and muddled cucumber.
The drink is served in a rocks glass with crushed ice and mint leaves. It sells for $16. A nonalcoholic version of the cocktail also is available. Cucumber is also an ingredient in another of the Double Seven’s popular cocktails, the Pimm’s Cup.
The drink calls for Pimm’s No. 1 and features muddled cucumber slices and seasonal fruit such as berries, ginger syrup, lemon-lime soda and a lime wedge or an orange wheel. It is priced at $16.
“Cucumber has been a great addition to the cocktail list,” Chiang says. “It’s not sweet, but lends a very refreshing taste.” Increasingly, chefs are working with mixologists to create new and interesting drinks that contain ingredients not previously found before in cocktails.
Nick Cutone, a bartender at The Metropolitan Club in Boston, says bar manager Trina Sturm and the bartending team worked with the restaurant’s new chef Todd Winer on the Tokyo Club cocktail.
That drink is made of cucumber muddled with kaffir lime leaf and shaken with grapefruit-flavored vodka, cranberry juice and lychee purée. It is topped with sparkling sake. “We got to talking about using some Asian ingredients and drinks, and decided that cucumber goes great with kaffir lime leaf,” Cutone says.
Tru in Chicago has begun offering a cucumber and sake martini on its cocktail list. The drink is made by first muddling peelings from an English seedless cucumber with lime juice. It is then shaken with ice and cucumber-infused gin.
The mixture is poured over sake in a chilled cocktail glass and served alongside a garnish of a cucumber slice with a small spoon of whitefish roe. Tru sells it for $16. Chad Ellegood, Tru’s sommelier, calls cucumber “a cocktail modifier that does not require sweetness, so it helps fill the nonsweet cocktail niche.
Also, it is refreshing. One guest commented that the cocktail reminded him of a spa.”
Cucumber factors into a popular drink at Patina Restaurant Group’s Brasserie in New York. Originally, the restaurant’s cucumber gimlet was introduced as a summer drink, but it proved so popular it was kept on the menu, said beverage director Tim Halbert.
The drink is prepared with cucumber-infused gin, fresh and bottled lime juice, simple syrup, and muddled cucumber slices. Served chilled with a slice of cucumber and a slice of lime, the gimlet is priced at $10.
The Cucumber Passion Martini has been popular at all three locations of Japonais—in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles—said the concept’s beverage director, Julio Burbano.
The recipe calls for kaffir lime vodka, passion fruit juice, and cucumber water, which is made from diced cucumber, water, simple syrup and lime juice. The ingredients are shaken vigorously and served in a martini glass with three slices of cucumber.
It sells for $12. Japonais also offers a sake martini with house sake, shochu and a cucumber slice. The drink also is priced at $12.
By PAUL FRUMKIN
The term “cool as a cucumber” has taken on a new meaning at both finedining and casual chain restaurants. While not regarded in the past as a particularly stylish ingredient by either front- or back-of-the-house trendmakers, the cucumber seems to have been stealthily reimaged as the latest darling of the cocktail set.
The newly fashionable cuke, which previously would be found tucked into a green salad or in its pickled persona as a sidekick to a sandwich, has emerged as the muse for a new generation of hip drinks with exotic names like Cucumber Passion, Tokyo Club and Zen Press.
“Restaurants and bars have been getting more creative with their cocktail lists, and cucumber has been showing up on a lot of lists,” says David Petrilli, co-owner of Copia in Boston. “It’s a nice, simple, clean ingredient. It’s not overpowering, and people have definitely taken a liking to it.”
Cucumber has been part of a bartender’s mise en place for years, but chiefly as a garnish for Pimm’s Cup, the British, gin-based cocktail.
Nevertheless, the widely cultivated fruit—it has seeds and develops from a flower—has had its horizons broadened over the past several years as it finds its way into an increasing number of trendy cocktails.
Gary Regan, beverage consultant, columnist for Nation’s Restaurant News and host of Ardentspirits.com, says he has seen it used in numerous drinks as bartenders experiment with ingredients once limited to the back-of-the-house.
“Cucumber is everywhere,” he says. “[Bartenders] have been experimenting with everything in the kitchen. They’re using cilantro and sage and tarragon, and cucumber is just one of those flavors that is well liked. It’s a nice, subtle flavor. It’s very fresh.”
The resurgent interest in gin drinks, which pair well with cucumber, also has contributed to the trend, Petrilli adds.
For example, Copia’s mixologist concocted a drink called Gin-Ginger, which combines a cucumber-and-rose-petal-infused gin with ginger beer and muddled cucumber and basil. The drink is served on the rocks with a cucumber slice and a basil leaf. It sells for $9.
Laura Cherry, the spokeswoman for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. and its newest concept, Taneko Japanese Tavern, also has observed an increase in the number of drinks featuring cucumber.
“It’s kind of a neutral flavor, but it adds a crispness to the drink,” she says.
P.F. Chang’s, which has nearly 100 U.S. outlets, introduced a specialty drink list last September that featured a popular cucumber-inspired cocktail called Zen Press. It includes cucumber-and-rose-petal-infused gin flavored with lemon grass syrup and muddled cucumber slices.
It is served on the rocks and garnished with mint and lime and sells for about $6.50 depending on the location. “The Press is a classic drink, but we serve it with a modern twist,” Cherry says. “The cleanness of the cuke together with the lemon grass is a perfect match.”
Cucumber also plays a key role in a cocktail called the Hibiya-tini, which is served at Taneko, which also is located in Scottsdale. The Hibiya-tini starts with muddled Japanese cucumber, fresh lime and shochu, a distilled alcoholic beverage.
The drink, which is served in a martini glass garnished with a slice of cucumber, sells for $9. “It’s incredibly refreshing,” Cherry says. Taneko, a Japanese “izakaya” pub-style concept that opened last October, offers four different shochu cocktails.
At The Double Seven, the ultrahip, cocktail-centric lounge in New York’s Meatpacking District, cucumber is a factor in two drinks, says co-owner Monika Chiang. The New Bitty, one of lounge’s most popular drinks, includes vodka, fresh lime juice, simple syrup and muddled cucumber.
The drink is served in a rocks glass with crushed ice and mint leaves. It sells for $16. A nonalcoholic version of the cocktail also is available. Cucumber is also an ingredient in another of the Double Seven’s popular cocktails, the Pimm’s Cup.
The drink calls for Pimm’s No. 1 and features muddled cucumber slices and seasonal fruit such as berries, ginger syrup, lemon-lime soda and a lime wedge or an orange wheel. It is priced at $16.
“Cucumber has been a great addition to the cocktail list,” Chiang says. “It’s not sweet, but lends a very refreshing taste.” Increasingly, chefs are working with mixologists to create new and interesting drinks that contain ingredients not previously found before in cocktails.
Nick Cutone, a bartender at The Metropolitan Club in Boston, says bar manager Trina Sturm and the bartending team worked with the restaurant’s new chef Todd Winer on the Tokyo Club cocktail.
That drink is made of cucumber muddled with kaffir lime leaf and shaken with grapefruit-flavored vodka, cranberry juice and lychee purée. It is topped with sparkling sake. “We got to talking about using some Asian ingredients and drinks, and decided that cucumber goes great with kaffir lime leaf,” Cutone says.
Tru in Chicago has begun offering a cucumber and sake martini on its cocktail list. The drink is made by first muddling peelings from an English seedless cucumber with lime juice. It is then shaken with ice and cucumber-infused gin.
The mixture is poured over sake in a chilled cocktail glass and served alongside a garnish of a cucumber slice with a small spoon of whitefish roe. Tru sells it for $16. Chad Ellegood, Tru’s sommelier, calls cucumber “a cocktail modifier that does not require sweetness, so it helps fill the nonsweet cocktail niche.
Also, it is refreshing. One guest commented that the cocktail reminded him of a spa.”
Cucumber factors into a popular drink at Patina Restaurant Group’s Brasserie in New York. Originally, the restaurant’s cucumber gimlet was introduced as a summer drink, but it proved so popular it was kept on the menu, said beverage director Tim Halbert.
The drink is prepared with cucumber-infused gin, fresh and bottled lime juice, simple syrup, and muddled cucumber slices. Served chilled with a slice of cucumber and a slice of lime, the gimlet is priced at $10.
The Cucumber Passion Martini has been popular at all three locations of Japonais—in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles—said the concept’s beverage director, Julio Burbano.
The recipe calls for kaffir lime vodka, passion fruit juice, and cucumber water, which is made from diced cucumber, water, simple syrup and lime juice. The ingredients are shaken vigorously and served in a martini glass with three slices of cucumber.
It sells for $12. Japonais also offers a sake martini with house sake, shochu and a cucumber slice. The drink also is priced at $12.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
You Don't Need to Win the Lottery to Become a Millionaire
What would you do if you didn't have to worry about money?
Would you spend more time with your children... or your grandchildren?
Take your spouse on that vacation you've both always wanted?
Get a bigger house... or maybe a smaller one in the country? Go back to school? Quit school?
Help your favorite charity? Go fishing?
Or maybe just take some time for yourself to relax...
You can do any of that -- or anything else you want to do. It is possible.
It may not happen overnight, but you can make it happen a lot faster than you think.
Continue reading "You Don't Need to Win the Lottery to Become a Millionaire”
Would you spend more time with your children... or your grandchildren?
Take your spouse on that vacation you've both always wanted?
Get a bigger house... or maybe a smaller one in the country? Go back to school? Quit school?
Help your favorite charity? Go fishing?
Or maybe just take some time for yourself to relax...
You can do any of that -- or anything else you want to do. It is possible.
It may not happen overnight, but you can make it happen a lot faster than you think.
Continue reading "You Don't Need to Win the Lottery to Become a Millionaire”
Go Global by Investing in Foreign Currencies
By Adam Heist
Since the dollar has fallen from 2002 many investors have opened their eyes to opportunities in foreign currency trading. Trading currencies can be strenuous as it is a 24 hour market and is always open somewhere.
Here are a list of advantages for those considering currency trading:-
1. Market Size
It is after all the largest financial market in the world with transactions of over $2 trillion occurring every day. That also means that is highly liquid and you can therefore enter or exit positions with ease.
2. Small Capital
One does not even have to have a large capital investment to start getting good returns. You can open an account for as little as $250 and work your way up from there.
3. Potential to Profit
This is something that excites every investor and the foreign exchange market has plenty to offer. Whether a bear market or a bull market, there is a chance to make some good money here by taking an appropriate position.
4. Tax Advantages
For all forex traders it does not matter whether you made your profit on a trade in 2 minutes or one month since you entered the trade. The tax consequences will be the same. So 40% of your profit will be taxed as short term capital gains and the balance 60% as long term capital gains attracting a tax rate of 15%.
5. Trading Hours
As this is a global market which is open 24 hours you can choose the time you want to trade in the market according to your convenience. So whether you work at day or go to school at night, the market is open when ever you are ready for it.
6. No Commissions
In this market the broker does not charge commissions as do stock brokers. Instead there is a pip spread which is the difference between the buy and sell price of the currency.
7. Leverage
This is one of the most attractive advantage for investors. It is normal to get a 1:100 leverage account. Therefore if you invest $1,000 you can then buy currencies up to the value of $100,000/- So even a 1% profit means $1000 which is 100% on your investment. While in normal circumstances it would mean just $10 on your $1000 as profit.
8. Guaranteed Stops
You can always predetermine the amount of maximum loss that you are ready to sustain and the system will automatically close the position accordingly. So unlike other circumstances, you don’t stand the chance to lose your shirt!
Happy Forex trading!
Having trouble finding the right information? Well take a look at Adam Heist's website. Take a quick look at abbey best loan for 25000 right now, and we are quite certian that you will not be let down http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/ .
Since the dollar has fallen from 2002 many investors have opened their eyes to opportunities in foreign currency trading. Trading currencies can be strenuous as it is a 24 hour market and is always open somewhere.
Here are a list of advantages for those considering currency trading:-
1. Market Size
It is after all the largest financial market in the world with transactions of over $2 trillion occurring every day. That also means that is highly liquid and you can therefore enter or exit positions with ease.
2. Small Capital
One does not even have to have a large capital investment to start getting good returns. You can open an account for as little as $250 and work your way up from there.
3. Potential to Profit
This is something that excites every investor and the foreign exchange market has plenty to offer. Whether a bear market or a bull market, there is a chance to make some good money here by taking an appropriate position.
4. Tax Advantages
For all forex traders it does not matter whether you made your profit on a trade in 2 minutes or one month since you entered the trade. The tax consequences will be the same. So 40% of your profit will be taxed as short term capital gains and the balance 60% as long term capital gains attracting a tax rate of 15%.
5. Trading Hours
As this is a global market which is open 24 hours you can choose the time you want to trade in the market according to your convenience. So whether you work at day or go to school at night, the market is open when ever you are ready for it.
6. No Commissions
In this market the broker does not charge commissions as do stock brokers. Instead there is a pip spread which is the difference between the buy and sell price of the currency.
7. Leverage
This is one of the most attractive advantage for investors. It is normal to get a 1:100 leverage account. Therefore if you invest $1,000 you can then buy currencies up to the value of $100,000/- So even a 1% profit means $1000 which is 100% on your investment. While in normal circumstances it would mean just $10 on your $1000 as profit.
8. Guaranteed Stops
You can always predetermine the amount of maximum loss that you are ready to sustain and the system will automatically close the position accordingly. So unlike other circumstances, you don’t stand the chance to lose your shirt!
Happy Forex trading!
Having trouble finding the right information? Well take a look at Adam Heist's website. Take a quick look at abbey best loan for 25000 right now, and we are quite certian that you will not be let down http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/ .
A New Way to Sell Wine
From Nightclub & Bar
Award-winning in several aspects of design, food and spirit, Mie N Yu in Washington D.C., has set new standards in the way they present their wine to customers. The restaurant now publishes a quarterly, 12-page, full-color wine magazine.
The magazine has replaced the old wine lists, and when patrons sit down, each person is presented with a personal copy that her or she may take home. “It all started because we were looking for a way to educate guests on how to pair wine with food,” says Associate General Manager David Troust.
“We began it a year ago, and the idea evolved into a magazine.” It is called Wine N Yu, and inside each issue, the bottles and wines by the glass are listed with advice on pairings, descriptions and even recipes by Chef Tim Elliott.
Articles by award-winning journalist Jennifer Rosen are also included, and each issue has more information than the previous. “At the start,” says Troust, “it was a big project for us. This is something that I have yet to hear of anyone else doing.
We reserved the domain names winenyu.com and winenyu.net, and I expect the magazine to expand.” In the most recent issue, there are even maps to show the locations of the specific vineyards of the wines available, and the project has pulled in advertisers.
“We have gotten a lot of calls from advertisers to get on board,” Troust says. Vendors are now buying ads in Wine N Yu to help sell their brands directly at the table.
Award-winning in several aspects of design, food and spirit, Mie N Yu in Washington D.C., has set new standards in the way they present their wine to customers. The restaurant now publishes a quarterly, 12-page, full-color wine magazine.
The magazine has replaced the old wine lists, and when patrons sit down, each person is presented with a personal copy that her or she may take home. “It all started because we were looking for a way to educate guests on how to pair wine with food,” says Associate General Manager David Troust.
“We began it a year ago, and the idea evolved into a magazine.” It is called Wine N Yu, and inside each issue, the bottles and wines by the glass are listed with advice on pairings, descriptions and even recipes by Chef Tim Elliott.
Articles by award-winning journalist Jennifer Rosen are also included, and each issue has more information than the previous. “At the start,” says Troust, “it was a big project for us. This is something that I have yet to hear of anyone else doing.
We reserved the domain names winenyu.com and winenyu.net, and I expect the magazine to expand.” In the most recent issue, there are even maps to show the locations of the specific vineyards of the wines available, and the project has pulled in advertisers.
“We have gotten a lot of calls from advertisers to get on board,” Troust says. Vendors are now buying ads in Wine N Yu to help sell their brands directly at the table.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Shop for a Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit
From Dummies eTips
When you’re in the market for a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit, you’re not obligated to apply only to the lender who holds your home mortgage. You can apply to any lender who does home equity lending.
So shop around for the best deal by using the following terms of credit to compare your options:
Annual percentage rate (APR): This is the cost of your borrowing expressed as a yearly rate. It includes fees and other costs that you must pay to obtain the credit.
Monthly periodic rate: Also referred to as a finance charge, this is the rate of interest you’ll be charge each month on your outstanding debt.
Fees: Fees are usually negotiable, but if you’re not in a strong financial position, you won’t have much bargaining power. Many home equity loans come with the fees built in.
The amount of your monthly payments: IF you start to fall behind in your payments because they are more than you can afford, your interest rate may increase. If you fall too far behind, you may lose your home.
Balloon payment: A balloon payment is a lump sum payment that you may owe at the end of a loan or when a home equity line of credit expires. If you can’t afford to make the payment, you risk foreclosure, even if you’ve made your monthly payments on time.
For more information like this, get a copy of Managing Debt For Dummies, by John Ventura and Mary Reed.
Related Articles
Separating Good Debt from Bad
Scoping Out Your Credit Score
Covering Common Mutual Fund Investment Mistakes
When you’re in the market for a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit, you’re not obligated to apply only to the lender who holds your home mortgage. You can apply to any lender who does home equity lending.
So shop around for the best deal by using the following terms of credit to compare your options:
Annual percentage rate (APR): This is the cost of your borrowing expressed as a yearly rate. It includes fees and other costs that you must pay to obtain the credit.
Monthly periodic rate: Also referred to as a finance charge, this is the rate of interest you’ll be charge each month on your outstanding debt.
Fees: Fees are usually negotiable, but if you’re not in a strong financial position, you won’t have much bargaining power. Many home equity loans come with the fees built in.
The amount of your monthly payments: IF you start to fall behind in your payments because they are more than you can afford, your interest rate may increase. If you fall too far behind, you may lose your home.
Balloon payment: A balloon payment is a lump sum payment that you may owe at the end of a loan or when a home equity line of credit expires. If you can’t afford to make the payment, you risk foreclosure, even if you’ve made your monthly payments on time.
For more information like this, get a copy of Managing Debt For Dummies, by John Ventura and Mary Reed.
Related Articles
Separating Good Debt from Bad
Scoping Out Your Credit Score
Covering Common Mutual Fund Investment Mistakes
Getting Insurance for Your Business is Worth It
By Adam Heist
Getting the proper insurance is a necessary expense in running your business. Various types of insurance policies are also extremely helpful in attracting and keeping good employees.
Everyone needs health insurance, and other types of insurance are helpful including life insurance, long-term care insurance, dental insurance and eye-care insurance.Your business itself can face many calamities that require proper insurance.
It’s just an additional expense you need to factor in. For example, whether your business is located in your house, an office, or another building, you need fire insurance and possibly flood and other types of disaster insurance.
This is collectively known as property and casualty insurance.Some of your jobs could be considered to cause your customers problems that cannot be solve by fixing an order or replacing an item.
If you are doing medical billing and your actions are believed to cause a major foul-up for your customer you could actually be sued. The same is true for various phases of the construction business, goods production business trucking and many other types of business.
Almost any type of business from goods distribution to maid service can be the subject of a killer lawsuit. If you obtain legal liability insurance, the policy will cover your expenses on lawyers up to a certain limit.
They also can give you coverage of any liability settlements you have to make, up to a previously agreed upon limit. Then there are other types of insurance that include damages to third parties in a professional capacity, when you are acting as an accountant, a doctor, etc.
This is general malpractice insurance, and in the medical field this is compulsorily. Business owners and key employees themselves are subject to sickness, accidents and death.
Whether your injury or death can be replaceable in terms of operating a business is one question, which cannot necessarily be dealt with purely in money terms.
However, if you are a sole proprietorship, if you are forced to close down your business, you or your heirs are personally responsible for all your businesses debt. You need insurance in the event of your death, illness or injury to prevent you or your estate from being totally financially wiped out.
To deal with this potential circumstance, you can buy life and disability insurance for yourself, or any other key employee, and name the business as the beneficiary of the policy.Adam Heist has been writing on the internet for many years now.
Adam currently works day and night on his website http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Getting the proper insurance is a necessary expense in running your business. Various types of insurance policies are also extremely helpful in attracting and keeping good employees.
Everyone needs health insurance, and other types of insurance are helpful including life insurance, long-term care insurance, dental insurance and eye-care insurance.Your business itself can face many calamities that require proper insurance.
It’s just an additional expense you need to factor in. For example, whether your business is located in your house, an office, or another building, you need fire insurance and possibly flood and other types of disaster insurance.
This is collectively known as property and casualty insurance.Some of your jobs could be considered to cause your customers problems that cannot be solve by fixing an order or replacing an item.
If you are doing medical billing and your actions are believed to cause a major foul-up for your customer you could actually be sued. The same is true for various phases of the construction business, goods production business trucking and many other types of business.
Almost any type of business from goods distribution to maid service can be the subject of a killer lawsuit. If you obtain legal liability insurance, the policy will cover your expenses on lawyers up to a certain limit.
They also can give you coverage of any liability settlements you have to make, up to a previously agreed upon limit. Then there are other types of insurance that include damages to third parties in a professional capacity, when you are acting as an accountant, a doctor, etc.
This is general malpractice insurance, and in the medical field this is compulsorily. Business owners and key employees themselves are subject to sickness, accidents and death.
Whether your injury or death can be replaceable in terms of operating a business is one question, which cannot necessarily be dealt with purely in money terms.
However, if you are a sole proprietorship, if you are forced to close down your business, you or your heirs are personally responsible for all your businesses debt. You need insurance in the event of your death, illness or injury to prevent you or your estate from being totally financially wiped out.
To deal with this potential circumstance, you can buy life and disability insurance for yourself, or any other key employee, and name the business as the beneficiary of the policy.Adam Heist has been writing on the internet for many years now.
Adam currently works day and night on his website http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Tipping the Scales: The Gratuities That Drive Bar Staff
From Nightclub & Bar
Minimum wage, on the clock, does not a happy staffer make. It’s those tips from satisfied customers that keep your waitstaff smiling, and it’s those customers who don’t tip who sour your staffers’ moods.
In this Buzztime Report, we asked bar patrons about their tipping practices. First, since those who run tabs during their visit might fashion their tips based on a percentage of the night’s check total, we asked guests what their usual tab total is.
Thirty-two percent answered that they end up with a tab in the $20-30 range, with those in the under-$20 and $30-50 representing 24 percent respectively. Only 19 percent spend more than $50 on the drinks themselves.
It might follow that upselling could increase the tip percentage. Maybe. But jump to the third question for a moment; 68 percent of patrons tip well based on good service. So, waitstaff looking for fat tips shouldn’t worry about selling a table one more drink or necessarily whether the check total is $20 or $40.
Instead, a dedication to top-shelf service could be the most effective route to high tips. Note that only 9 percent tip better just because the drinks they are buying are more expensive.
This reinforces that good service is the most important factor, and upselling patrons to higher priced drinks — though it will please the house — won’t necessarily increase the tip for the staffer.
Let’s go back to the second question, directed toward guests who pay cash as they go for each drink. Not surprisingly, a full 58 percent of respondents said that as a matter of course they tip $1 per drink.
Thirty-three percent tip more than $1 per drink, and only 10 percent had the guts to admit they don’t tip at all. Focusing on the majority who tip $1 per drink and the second largest group who tip more than $1, staff should remember the responses to the third question and go for good service.
Whether the guest is running a tab or paying by the drink, the gateway to a bigger tip is in the service.
Minimum wage, on the clock, does not a happy staffer make. It’s those tips from satisfied customers that keep your waitstaff smiling, and it’s those customers who don’t tip who sour your staffers’ moods.
In this Buzztime Report, we asked bar patrons about their tipping practices. First, since those who run tabs during their visit might fashion their tips based on a percentage of the night’s check total, we asked guests what their usual tab total is.
Thirty-two percent answered that they end up with a tab in the $20-30 range, with those in the under-$20 and $30-50 representing 24 percent respectively. Only 19 percent spend more than $50 on the drinks themselves.
It might follow that upselling could increase the tip percentage. Maybe. But jump to the third question for a moment; 68 percent of patrons tip well based on good service. So, waitstaff looking for fat tips shouldn’t worry about selling a table one more drink or necessarily whether the check total is $20 or $40.
Instead, a dedication to top-shelf service could be the most effective route to high tips. Note that only 9 percent tip better just because the drinks they are buying are more expensive.
This reinforces that good service is the most important factor, and upselling patrons to higher priced drinks — though it will please the house — won’t necessarily increase the tip for the staffer.
Let’s go back to the second question, directed toward guests who pay cash as they go for each drink. Not surprisingly, a full 58 percent of respondents said that as a matter of course they tip $1 per drink.
Thirty-three percent tip more than $1 per drink, and only 10 percent had the guts to admit they don’t tip at all. Focusing on the majority who tip $1 per drink and the second largest group who tip more than $1, staff should remember the responses to the third question and go for good service.
Whether the guest is running a tab or paying by the drink, the gateway to a bigger tip is in the service.
Friday, June 08, 2007
May Heaven Help America!!!
National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
Subject: National Continuity Policy
Purpose
(1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies.
This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency.
Continue reading "May Heaven Help America!!!”
Subject: National Continuity Policy
Purpose
(1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies.
This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency.
Continue reading "May Heaven Help America!!!”
Find Capital for your New Business
By: Adam Heist
Say you have started a sole proprietorship business, in which you use your knowledge and skills to earn an income. In the beginning, you need little investment except for a home office set-up. However, after some time in the business, you may want to expand.
You need to rent an office and hire employees. This will take a considerable amount of capital, which you may not have available simply by reinvesting profits from your business. If your business requires substantial amounts of plant and equipment, the necessary investment will be much larger.
On source of finance could be family and friends. They may be willing to buy shares if you have incorporated the business. Thus you can raise some capital by selling shares to acquaintances without making an IPO (Initial Public Offering).
If that is not sufficient capital, the next thing is to investigate what loans are available to you. The object is to obtain loans and investment capital, without creating undue interest payment burdens on your business.
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes funds available to non-profit organizations who then issue what are called micro-loans (under $35,000) to small businesses. These loans are relatively long term; they can be for up to six years.
You could also try to obtain bank loans. Getting money from bank is tough. They may want to loan money to you only on the basis of taking your accounts receivable, which are then paid to you at about 80 percent face value.
This is called factoring. Commercial bank loans are easier to get for businesses that have been around. New business that want a straight operating loan may be forced to put the equity of their home or other real estate owned up as security.
Other possibilities are taking cash advances from credit cards at introductory rates. This can get messy since it forces you to get new credit cards with introductory rates every six to twelve months and then transfer your credit card balances to the new cards.
An alternative capital source is to obtain credit card receipt advances. The lender will purchase your future MasterCard or Visa receipts. These loans can be for up to $100,000 and also include a 10 percent to 20 percent deduction of the face value of the receipts.
Another option is a business credit card, which has a credit line of up to $25,000 and is based on your personal credit, not your business.
Adam Heist is a freelance writer with many years of experience writing articles on bad credit personal secured loans related subjects. Take a few moments now to visit our site and see what we have in store for you. http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Say you have started a sole proprietorship business, in which you use your knowledge and skills to earn an income. In the beginning, you need little investment except for a home office set-up. However, after some time in the business, you may want to expand.
You need to rent an office and hire employees. This will take a considerable amount of capital, which you may not have available simply by reinvesting profits from your business. If your business requires substantial amounts of plant and equipment, the necessary investment will be much larger.
On source of finance could be family and friends. They may be willing to buy shares if you have incorporated the business. Thus you can raise some capital by selling shares to acquaintances without making an IPO (Initial Public Offering).
If that is not sufficient capital, the next thing is to investigate what loans are available to you. The object is to obtain loans and investment capital, without creating undue interest payment burdens on your business.
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes funds available to non-profit organizations who then issue what are called micro-loans (under $35,000) to small businesses. These loans are relatively long term; they can be for up to six years.
You could also try to obtain bank loans. Getting money from bank is tough. They may want to loan money to you only on the basis of taking your accounts receivable, which are then paid to you at about 80 percent face value.
This is called factoring. Commercial bank loans are easier to get for businesses that have been around. New business that want a straight operating loan may be forced to put the equity of their home or other real estate owned up as security.
Other possibilities are taking cash advances from credit cards at introductory rates. This can get messy since it forces you to get new credit cards with introductory rates every six to twelve months and then transfer your credit card balances to the new cards.
An alternative capital source is to obtain credit card receipt advances. The lender will purchase your future MasterCard or Visa receipts. These loans can be for up to $100,000 and also include a 10 percent to 20 percent deduction of the face value of the receipts.
Another option is a business credit card, which has a credit line of up to $25,000 and is based on your personal credit, not your business.
Adam Heist is a freelance writer with many years of experience writing articles on bad credit personal secured loans related subjects. Take a few moments now to visit our site and see what we have in store for you. http://enewhomeowner.co.uk/
Summer Beverages to Bring Customers in from the Sun
From Nightclub & Bar
The summertime is prime time for bars and clubs. As sure as the swallows return to Capistrano, customers come back to their favorite hangouts for a DeKuyper-enhanced Vodka Collins, a Cruzan-inspired Frozen Daiquiri or a Gran Gala premium Margarita when the mercury begins to climb in May.
The longer days and more relaxed lifestyles not only provide ample opportunity for patrons to frequent their favorite watering holes and to try new venues while on holidays, but the heat supplies all the promotional incentive that any thirsty customer requires to come in from the sun and cool off with a beverage.
As most of the spirits purveyors at the supplier level know only too well, the summer months also present a grand opportunity for all manner of spirits venues to introduce new brands and the cocktails that go with them to customers.
Perhaps it’s the more exotic settings that patrons find themselves in, or maybe it’s the Jimmy Buffett spirit of adventure coming right out of the jukebox, but patrons do seem more inclined to try new beverages and libations in the summer season than at any other time of the year.
Prettier in Pink
With instant sales gravitas by virtue of its selection as best new spirit in the United States for 2006 by Market Watch Leaders, the X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, a pink liqueur fusion of ultra-premium French vodka, Provence blood oranges, mango and passion fruits, already is posting tall sales in on- and off-premise channels around the country.
“We are looking at sales in ’07 of around 200,00, nine-liter cases,” says Mike Denehey, director of communications for Daucort Martin Imports, the firm that launched the spirit in 2005.
The New York spirits house also imports Jean-Marc XO Vodka and X-Rated Vodka. “Right off the bat, the color, which comes from the blood oranges, speaks to women,” Denehey says of the new addition and spirit distilled in Cognac, France.
Denehey says that the appeal of X-Rated Fusion Liqueur among female beverage consumers also is a product of the lower 34-proof alcohol by volume content. “That’s half of what a straight vodka or gin or rum would be,” Denehey says. “We did that deliberately. It is lighter, smoother and so easily mixable.”
Thus far, the biggest cocktail hit for the spirit has been the X-Rated Flirtini, made with one part X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, one part X-Rated Vodka, a splash of Contreau or Triple Sec and a splash of cranberry juice, served straight up in a Martini glass and garnished with lemon or lime.
In particular, the drink has connected with customers at Houlihan’s, Denehey says. “They put it on the menu last July as a summer drink special that turned out to be their most successful new cocktail launch in many years. Now, they have taken it across the country in all the Houlihan’s.”
Do the Bump
Operators out to quench patrons’ never-ending yen for new flavor in summer cocktails also are in luck, with two new launches from Beam Global Brands’ best-selling DeKuyper Pucker line of cordials and liqueurs.
The recently added DeKuyper Pucker Berry Fusion Schnapps is an open invitation for consumers to taste a triple burst of berry flavor in their various cocktails.
Introduced last August, Berry Fusion Schnapps delivers an explosion of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry, finishing with a sweet and sour sensation that already is finding a welcome reception on consumer palates.
“We continue to innovate our line of DeKuyper liqueurs, schnapps and cordials, creating new products to meet consumer demand and expanding flavor profiles,” says Chris Mahoney, senior brand director, DeKuyper.
“The Berry Fusion flavor is mixable, versatile and an ideal signature ingredient in a variety of cocktails.” Pucker Berry Fusion will be supported by a variety of marketing media and has been integrated into the current DeKuyper on-premise program, “Bump it Up!” Bump It Up! encourages consumers to start with a familiar cocktail (Vodka & Soda, Margarita, etc.) and Bump it Up! with a splash of any of the nine Pucker flavors.
As the best-selling line of cordials and liqueurs in the United States, DeKuyper also recently launched its flavor ode to the pomegranate in DeKuyper Pomegranate liqueur.
For customers who appreciate an eye-opening cup of coffee on a summer morning, there is also a new Kahlúa liqueur at the ready for coffee cordials in Pernod Ricard’s and Kahlúa’s recent Chocolate Latte launch.
Summer or winter, the appeal is a no-brainer. “In the past year, flavored coffee trends have exploded in the marketplace,” says Dolores Concepcion-Daniels, brand manager for cordials and prepared cocktails at Pernod Ricard USA.
“Kahlúa Chocolate Latte cocktails indulge our consumers’ taste for creamy, chocolate sweetness, while maintaining Kahlúa’s distinctive coffee essence.”
The summertime is prime time for bars and clubs. As sure as the swallows return to Capistrano, customers come back to their favorite hangouts for a DeKuyper-enhanced Vodka Collins, a Cruzan-inspired Frozen Daiquiri or a Gran Gala premium Margarita when the mercury begins to climb in May.
The longer days and more relaxed lifestyles not only provide ample opportunity for patrons to frequent their favorite watering holes and to try new venues while on holidays, but the heat supplies all the promotional incentive that any thirsty customer requires to come in from the sun and cool off with a beverage.
As most of the spirits purveyors at the supplier level know only too well, the summer months also present a grand opportunity for all manner of spirits venues to introduce new brands and the cocktails that go with them to customers.
Perhaps it’s the more exotic settings that patrons find themselves in, or maybe it’s the Jimmy Buffett spirit of adventure coming right out of the jukebox, but patrons do seem more inclined to try new beverages and libations in the summer season than at any other time of the year.
Prettier in Pink
With instant sales gravitas by virtue of its selection as best new spirit in the United States for 2006 by Market Watch Leaders, the X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, a pink liqueur fusion of ultra-premium French vodka, Provence blood oranges, mango and passion fruits, already is posting tall sales in on- and off-premise channels around the country.
“We are looking at sales in ’07 of around 200,00, nine-liter cases,” says Mike Denehey, director of communications for Daucort Martin Imports, the firm that launched the spirit in 2005.
The New York spirits house also imports Jean-Marc XO Vodka and X-Rated Vodka. “Right off the bat, the color, which comes from the blood oranges, speaks to women,” Denehey says of the new addition and spirit distilled in Cognac, France.
Denehey says that the appeal of X-Rated Fusion Liqueur among female beverage consumers also is a product of the lower 34-proof alcohol by volume content. “That’s half of what a straight vodka or gin or rum would be,” Denehey says. “We did that deliberately. It is lighter, smoother and so easily mixable.”
Thus far, the biggest cocktail hit for the spirit has been the X-Rated Flirtini, made with one part X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, one part X-Rated Vodka, a splash of Contreau or Triple Sec and a splash of cranberry juice, served straight up in a Martini glass and garnished with lemon or lime.
In particular, the drink has connected with customers at Houlihan’s, Denehey says. “They put it on the menu last July as a summer drink special that turned out to be their most successful new cocktail launch in many years. Now, they have taken it across the country in all the Houlihan’s.”
Do the Bump
Operators out to quench patrons’ never-ending yen for new flavor in summer cocktails also are in luck, with two new launches from Beam Global Brands’ best-selling DeKuyper Pucker line of cordials and liqueurs.
The recently added DeKuyper Pucker Berry Fusion Schnapps is an open invitation for consumers to taste a triple burst of berry flavor in their various cocktails.
Introduced last August, Berry Fusion Schnapps delivers an explosion of strawberry, raspberry and blueberry, finishing with a sweet and sour sensation that already is finding a welcome reception on consumer palates.
“We continue to innovate our line of DeKuyper liqueurs, schnapps and cordials, creating new products to meet consumer demand and expanding flavor profiles,” says Chris Mahoney, senior brand director, DeKuyper.
“The Berry Fusion flavor is mixable, versatile and an ideal signature ingredient in a variety of cocktails.” Pucker Berry Fusion will be supported by a variety of marketing media and has been integrated into the current DeKuyper on-premise program, “Bump it Up!” Bump It Up! encourages consumers to start with a familiar cocktail (Vodka & Soda, Margarita, etc.) and Bump it Up! with a splash of any of the nine Pucker flavors.
As the best-selling line of cordials and liqueurs in the United States, DeKuyper also recently launched its flavor ode to the pomegranate in DeKuyper Pomegranate liqueur.
For customers who appreciate an eye-opening cup of coffee on a summer morning, there is also a new Kahlúa liqueur at the ready for coffee cordials in Pernod Ricard’s and Kahlúa’s recent Chocolate Latte launch.
Summer or winter, the appeal is a no-brainer. “In the past year, flavored coffee trends have exploded in the marketplace,” says Dolores Concepcion-Daniels, brand manager for cordials and prepared cocktails at Pernod Ricard USA.
“Kahlúa Chocolate Latte cocktails indulge our consumers’ taste for creamy, chocolate sweetness, while maintaining Kahlúa’s distinctive coffee essence.”
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