from http://zenhabits.net
Last week when I wrote about things to do at work when you’re bored out of your skull, a number of readers wrote about having the opposite problem: they’re too busy to be bored.
Some of them seemed a bit overwhelmed by their workdays, and so I decided to share ways to create a more peaceful workday.
One where you can allow yourself to be more relaxed and happier. The first step is the realization that you are in control of your day. You can create the perfect workday, if you’re willing to start from scratch.
Click Here to Continue Reading " 17 Unbeatable Ways to Create a Peaceful, Relaxed Workday "
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
How Much Money Does It Cost To Open A Bar?
from http://www.knowledgeisforce.com/
Have you ever thought of opening your own bar where you can treat your friends with free drinks and have great party listening to good music everyday, enjoying life? I'm sure some of us surely want to do that considering that being in a bar setting is not only very enjoyable but it can also be a very lucrative business if you know what you're doing.
Did you however know that almost 80 percent of all bars end up bankcrupt. If your business cannot survive the first 5 years, you're out of business. Most bars couldn't even survive the first 6 months! You need to consider your monthly costs, salaries, stocks, inventories, you get the idea.
Click Here to Continue Reading "How Much Money Does It Cost To Open A Bar?"
Have you ever thought of opening your own bar where you can treat your friends with free drinks and have great party listening to good music everyday, enjoying life? I'm sure some of us surely want to do that considering that being in a bar setting is not only very enjoyable but it can also be a very lucrative business if you know what you're doing.
Did you however know that almost 80 percent of all bars end up bankcrupt. If your business cannot survive the first 5 years, you're out of business. Most bars couldn't even survive the first 6 months! You need to consider your monthly costs, salaries, stocks, inventories, you get the idea.
Click Here to Continue Reading "How Much Money Does It Cost To Open A Bar?"
Sunday, February 24, 2008
10 Things Your Tax Preparer Won't Tell You
By Janet Paskin
1. "A big name doesn't always mean better service.
"Roughly 135 million Americans file tax returns, and of those, two-thirds pay for help. While solo acts like CPAs and so-called enrolled agents have plenty of clients, almost 20% of taxpayers go through a big franchise like H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt or Liberty Tax Service to get their refund — last year an average $2,255 per return.
Problem is, tax preparation and advice depend on the preparer, and in a system of franchises, that means thousands of seasonal employees and limited quality control. The results can be dangerous.
When staffers from the Government Accountability Office went undercover to get returns done by the big chains, they found "nearly all of the returns prepared for us were incorrect to some degree," according to the report.
Worse yet, recently filed lawsuits allege that the owners of 125 Jackson Hewitt franchises cost the government $70 million in tax fraud and created an environment "in which fraudulent tax-return preparation is encouraged and flourishes," according to the Department of Justice.
Jackson Hewitt says it stands behind its compliance procedures as well as its nationally standardized educational curriculum.
Click Here to Continue Reading "10 Things Your Tax Preparer Won't Tell You"
1. "A big name doesn't always mean better service.
"Roughly 135 million Americans file tax returns, and of those, two-thirds pay for help. While solo acts like CPAs and so-called enrolled agents have plenty of clients, almost 20% of taxpayers go through a big franchise like H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt or Liberty Tax Service to get their refund — last year an average $2,255 per return.
Problem is, tax preparation and advice depend on the preparer, and in a system of franchises, that means thousands of seasonal employees and limited quality control. The results can be dangerous.
When staffers from the Government Accountability Office went undercover to get returns done by the big chains, they found "nearly all of the returns prepared for us were incorrect to some degree," according to the report.
Worse yet, recently filed lawsuits allege that the owners of 125 Jackson Hewitt franchises cost the government $70 million in tax fraud and created an environment "in which fraudulent tax-return preparation is encouraged and flourishes," according to the Department of Justice.
Jackson Hewitt says it stands behind its compliance procedures as well as its nationally standardized educational curriculum.
Click Here to Continue Reading "10 Things Your Tax Preparer Won't Tell You"
Friday, February 22, 2008
Why You Should Buy Now
By Rich Greifner
You know the famous Warren Buffett adage, "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy only when others are fearful"?
Well, consider these quotes from some of the most respected names on Wall Street, and tell me which emotion you think is most prevalent in the market today:
The stock market has spooked even the most experienced of investors, but Buffett's words still ring true: It's time to get greedy
Click Here to Continue Reading "Why You Should Buy Now"
You know the famous Warren Buffett adage, "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy only when others are fearful"?
Well, consider these quotes from some of the most respected names on Wall Street, and tell me which emotion you think is most prevalent in the market today:
"I think we are going to have a doozy of a recession."-- Julian Robertson
"I don't think there is much upside over the next few months ... the mess just keeps spreading."-- Edward Yardeni
"The situation is much more serious than any other financial crisis since the end of World War II."-- George Soros
The stock market has spooked even the most experienced of investors, but Buffett's words still ring true: It's time to get greedy
Click Here to Continue Reading "Why You Should Buy Now"
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
New Vodkas: Players in Boom Market
From The American Mixologist
These are the best of times for distilled spirits. Over the past five years, sales in the United States have risen 17.5% to 176.6 million, 9-liter cases, this according to Adams Handbook.
Vodka continues to lead the charge, growing another 6.7% last year, now accounting for 27.5% of all spirits sold in the country. Vodka has solidified into a fully mature category.
The upper echelon products are spoken of with the same reverent as older spirit categories.
The big story line in 2006 and into this year is the steady stream of premium and super-premium vodka brands flooding into the marketplace.
Click Here to Continue Reading "New Vodkas: Players in Boom Market"
These are the best of times for distilled spirits. Over the past five years, sales in the United States have risen 17.5% to 176.6 million, 9-liter cases, this according to Adams Handbook.
Vodka continues to lead the charge, growing another 6.7% last year, now accounting for 27.5% of all spirits sold in the country. Vodka has solidified into a fully mature category.
The upper echelon products are spoken of with the same reverent as older spirit categories.
The big story line in 2006 and into this year is the steady stream of premium and super-premium vodka brands flooding into the marketplace.
Click Here to Continue Reading "New Vodkas: Players in Boom Market"
Sunday, February 17, 2008
How To Make A Million Before You Turn 20
By Melanie Lindner
While their peers were out making trouble, these young achievers were making bank.
Forever in search of the secrets to entrepreneurial success, we peeked into the inspirational lives of five whiz kids who built million-dollar enterprises before the age of 20.
Continue reading "How To Make A Million Before You Turn 20"
While their peers were out making trouble, these young achievers were making bank.
Forever in search of the secrets to entrepreneurial success, we peeked into the inspirational lives of five whiz kids who built million-dollar enterprises before the age of 20.
Continue reading "How To Make A Million Before You Turn 20"
Friday, February 15, 2008
Activities that Increase Abundance
From http://www.millionaireinside.com/
You now know what NOT to do if you want to avoid creating more lack, and you’ve learned some simple mental and emotional techniques that can help attract more abundance into your life.
Today I’d like to share a few tips about physical actions that can begin attracting more abundance into your life.
1) Do what you love. The more time you spend feeling GOOD, the more positive emotion you contribute to the creation of your life. This is true in relation to your financial situation, but also ALL other areas of your life.
Be sure to make a habit of doing the things you really LOVE to do. This can be everything from creative pursuits to reading inspiring books; spending quality time with friends and family, and making your own self-care a high priority.
If it makes you feel light, happy, fulfilled and relaxed, do it as often as possible!
2) Open gateways for prosperity to enter your life. Are you doing everything you can to help the universe send more money your way? Or are you disallowing abundance by refusing to take action?
The universe can find many ways to boost your abundance, but it can do so much more easily if YOU take action to invite greater opportunities!
Possible action steps might include: applying for a better paying job, networking with successful people, sharing your talents and skills with the world, and anything else that will create an opening for abundance to enter your life.
Most importantly, do these things without attaching specific expectations to them. Instead, allow the actions themselves to be fun and enjoyable. Do them because you enjoy doing them, without expecting them to pay off in any other way.
When you do this, you are “allowing” lots of great things into your life – including money and abundance in many forms.
3) Don’t worry about the “how”. We’re so used to trying to figure everything out on our own that it can be hard to detach from “how” abundance will come to you. Don’t try to brainstorm money-making activities or focus obsessively on how to bring in more money.
Instead, let the universe work on your behalf. Decide how much money you’d like to have in the immediate future, and then ask the universe to lead you to the best opportunities for attracting it.
Not only will you discover better opportunities than you could hunt down on your own, you’ll probably enjoy them much more too!
These three steps may seem very simple, but they hold great power because they send a strong message to the universe that you are ready, willing and open to receiving greater abundance into your life – without grasping desperately at it.
You now know what NOT to do if you want to avoid creating more lack, and you’ve learned some simple mental and emotional techniques that can help attract more abundance into your life.
Today I’d like to share a few tips about physical actions that can begin attracting more abundance into your life.
1) Do what you love. The more time you spend feeling GOOD, the more positive emotion you contribute to the creation of your life. This is true in relation to your financial situation, but also ALL other areas of your life.
Be sure to make a habit of doing the things you really LOVE to do. This can be everything from creative pursuits to reading inspiring books; spending quality time with friends and family, and making your own self-care a high priority.
If it makes you feel light, happy, fulfilled and relaxed, do it as often as possible!
2) Open gateways for prosperity to enter your life. Are you doing everything you can to help the universe send more money your way? Or are you disallowing abundance by refusing to take action?
The universe can find many ways to boost your abundance, but it can do so much more easily if YOU take action to invite greater opportunities!
Possible action steps might include: applying for a better paying job, networking with successful people, sharing your talents and skills with the world, and anything else that will create an opening for abundance to enter your life.
Most importantly, do these things without attaching specific expectations to them. Instead, allow the actions themselves to be fun and enjoyable. Do them because you enjoy doing them, without expecting them to pay off in any other way.
When you do this, you are “allowing” lots of great things into your life – including money and abundance in many forms.
3) Don’t worry about the “how”. We’re so used to trying to figure everything out on our own that it can be hard to detach from “how” abundance will come to you. Don’t try to brainstorm money-making activities or focus obsessively on how to bring in more money.
Instead, let the universe work on your behalf. Decide how much money you’d like to have in the immediate future, and then ask the universe to lead you to the best opportunities for attracting it.
Not only will you discover better opportunities than you could hunt down on your own, you’ll probably enjoy them much more too!
These three steps may seem very simple, but they hold great power because they send a strong message to the universe that you are ready, willing and open to receiving greater abundance into your life – without grasping desperately at it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Bartending - Whats It All About?
By: Michael Russell
Becoming a bartender is entering into a job unlike any other. For whilst most careers tend to be at a frenetic pace in the corporate world, bartending is in fact a career that you can have flexibility with.
Now on the surface bartending may appear to be quite simple, in fact bartending is not for everyone. But for others it is the absolute ideal job for various reasons. For example, bartending is a great way for college students to make some money through full or part time employment.
For others, it is an ideal part time job to supplement their income. And finally for some, it is a full time career, which can bring substantial earnings once tips are taken into consideration. So ultimately bartending can be a professional trade, it just depends on the kind of bartender you want to be.
To bring it down to it’s most basic level, a bartender is someone who make and serve drinks in a bar, hotel or restaurant. Their salaries vary, but on average bartenders can earn $20-$30/hr and more in wages and tips.
It is possible for people starting out in bartending to earn a couple of hundred per shift. To do this you really need to have good social and networking skills.
For instance you need to be able to adapt to different situations depending on the type of person being served, as it is this understanding that will improve your chances of getting good tips to boost your wages.
Ultimately if you become a bartender with the good social skills and can make your job look slick and easy with a bit of flair, you will be able to find good paying jobs in diverse parts of the entertainment and hospitality industry.
One of the best ways to accomplish this, as with any profession, is to get some training. As with any industry, to be of value as a bartender, then basically strong job skills and depth of training will make you a valuable asset to any company.
As like any corporate company or business, when a bar hires, they are looking for people who are not only going to fit in, but have a solid background and can do the job properly and professionally.
Also, if you are just starting, getting some bartender training will greatly improve your chances of getting hired, as corner bars with on-the-job training these days, are few and far between as they want to take on staff who can hit the ground running.
Some of the training classes you can attend will cover all aspects of the job, and are typically a 40-hour training class were you can make drinks using coloured waters and take an exam at the and to be certified.
Once you have trained as a bartender, then the world is your oyster as bartenders can find bartending jobs worldwide in restaurants, hotels, airports and so on, and what this means is that you will never be short of work.
So, although not for everyone, bartending is a great career that is totally different from the grueling and hectic pace of the corporate world. And whist it is still hard work, bartending is a job unlike any other because it is just so different, and this makes it a fun and exciting career.
And one of the keys to being a great bartender is to get good at networking and social skills, as being a good bartender is heavily dependent on making relationships with total strangers in less then five minutes.
Becoming a bartender is entering into a job unlike any other. For whilst most careers tend to be at a frenetic pace in the corporate world, bartending is in fact a career that you can have flexibility with.
Now on the surface bartending may appear to be quite simple, in fact bartending is not for everyone. But for others it is the absolute ideal job for various reasons. For example, bartending is a great way for college students to make some money through full or part time employment.
For others, it is an ideal part time job to supplement their income. And finally for some, it is a full time career, which can bring substantial earnings once tips are taken into consideration. So ultimately bartending can be a professional trade, it just depends on the kind of bartender you want to be.
To bring it down to it’s most basic level, a bartender is someone who make and serve drinks in a bar, hotel or restaurant. Their salaries vary, but on average bartenders can earn $20-$30/hr and more in wages and tips.
It is possible for people starting out in bartending to earn a couple of hundred per shift. To do this you really need to have good social and networking skills.
For instance you need to be able to adapt to different situations depending on the type of person being served, as it is this understanding that will improve your chances of getting good tips to boost your wages.
Ultimately if you become a bartender with the good social skills and can make your job look slick and easy with a bit of flair, you will be able to find good paying jobs in diverse parts of the entertainment and hospitality industry.
One of the best ways to accomplish this, as with any profession, is to get some training. As with any industry, to be of value as a bartender, then basically strong job skills and depth of training will make you a valuable asset to any company.
As like any corporate company or business, when a bar hires, they are looking for people who are not only going to fit in, but have a solid background and can do the job properly and professionally.
Also, if you are just starting, getting some bartender training will greatly improve your chances of getting hired, as corner bars with on-the-job training these days, are few and far between as they want to take on staff who can hit the ground running.
Some of the training classes you can attend will cover all aspects of the job, and are typically a 40-hour training class were you can make drinks using coloured waters and take an exam at the and to be certified.
Once you have trained as a bartender, then the world is your oyster as bartenders can find bartending jobs worldwide in restaurants, hotels, airports and so on, and what this means is that you will never be short of work.
So, although not for everyone, bartending is a great career that is totally different from the grueling and hectic pace of the corporate world. And whist it is still hard work, bartending is a job unlike any other because it is just so different, and this makes it a fun and exciting career.
And one of the keys to being a great bartender is to get good at networking and social skills, as being a good bartender is heavily dependent on making relationships with total strangers in less then five minutes.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The New You For The New Year (Part 2 of 4)
From LifeSkill Institute, Inc
Setting The Sails For Change
(Learnings and Personal Adjustments)
Look at your present situation. Examine all aspects of your life: spiritual, physical, personal, family, professional, financial, emotional, relationships, social, community and so on. Take each aspect and ask the following questions:
1. What were my goals for this year?
2. Am I happy with my performance this year?
3. If so, Why?
4. If not, Why not?
5. What could I have done to improve my performance?
6. What will I not do again?
7. What must I do to improve my performance next year?
8. What will happen if I do improve my performance next year?
9. What will happen if I don’t improve my performance next year?
Take a sheet of paper for each aspect of your life. Write the aspect being studied at the top of the page and answer the above nine questions with respect to that particular aspect.
Once you have answered the above nine questions - in writing, you should have a good idea of what you must do in each area of your life to make this year the way you want it to be. This is the basis for the learnings and personal adjustments you must make.
The first basic learning is that you can’t wait until the New Year arrives to start working on it. You should always “Face the Facts.” Regularly review and evaluate where you are in each aspect of your life.
Determine the learnings and personal adjustments you must make right now. Write them down on a separate sheet of paper for frequent review.
The second basic learning is that you must take full responsibility for all aspects of your present life in order to change them. This is your “wake up call.”
If you keep doing what you’ve always done,
You’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.
Once you take full responsibility for every aspect of your life, you can ask yourself,“What were the thoughts, habits, and associations that brought about the results I am now experiencing?
For example, your challenge may be tardiness. You are always late for everything. Ask yourself, “What happens when I am late?” Write it down. “What For example, your challenge may be tardiness.
You are always late for everything. Ask yourself, “What happens when I am late?” Write it down. “What does not happen when I am late?” Write that down also. List what happens when you are on time.
Which is better? Rather than blaming other people, circumstances, or conditions for your present situation, take responsibility for finding a ways to overcome in spite of them.
Don’t waste time fighting alligators.
Drain the swamp.
The third basic learning is for things to get better, you must get better. Recognize and acknowledge your situation. Determine the areas you need to work on to get better. Commit to do the work. Do it until it is done.
If you don’t fix it,
it will stay broken.
A Libation for Growth and Improvement
Please Universal Creator
Help me to be better than I have been.
Help to be as good as I can be.
Help me to be as great as you want me to be
As-Shey, As-Shey, As-Shey
Setting The Sails For Change
(Learnings and Personal Adjustments)
Look at your present situation. Examine all aspects of your life: spiritual, physical, personal, family, professional, financial, emotional, relationships, social, community and so on. Take each aspect and ask the following questions:
1. What were my goals for this year?
2. Am I happy with my performance this year?
3. If so, Why?
4. If not, Why not?
5. What could I have done to improve my performance?
6. What will I not do again?
7. What must I do to improve my performance next year?
8. What will happen if I do improve my performance next year?
9. What will happen if I don’t improve my performance next year?
Take a sheet of paper for each aspect of your life. Write the aspect being studied at the top of the page and answer the above nine questions with respect to that particular aspect.
Once you have answered the above nine questions - in writing, you should have a good idea of what you must do in each area of your life to make this year the way you want it to be. This is the basis for the learnings and personal adjustments you must make.
The first basic learning is that you can’t wait until the New Year arrives to start working on it. You should always “Face the Facts.” Regularly review and evaluate where you are in each aspect of your life.
Determine the learnings and personal adjustments you must make right now. Write them down on a separate sheet of paper for frequent review.
The second basic learning is that you must take full responsibility for all aspects of your present life in order to change them. This is your “wake up call.”
If you keep doing what you’ve always done,
You’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.
Once you take full responsibility for every aspect of your life, you can ask yourself,“What were the thoughts, habits, and associations that brought about the results I am now experiencing?
For example, your challenge may be tardiness. You are always late for everything. Ask yourself, “What happens when I am late?” Write it down. “What For example, your challenge may be tardiness.
You are always late for everything. Ask yourself, “What happens when I am late?” Write it down. “What does not happen when I am late?” Write that down also. List what happens when you are on time.
Which is better? Rather than blaming other people, circumstances, or conditions for your present situation, take responsibility for finding a ways to overcome in spite of them.
Don’t waste time fighting alligators.
Drain the swamp.
The third basic learning is for things to get better, you must get better. Recognize and acknowledge your situation. Determine the areas you need to work on to get better. Commit to do the work. Do it until it is done.
If you don’t fix it,
it will stay broken.
A Libation for Growth and Improvement
Please Universal Creator
Help me to be better than I have been.
Help to be as good as I can be.
Help me to be as great as you want me to be
As-Shey, As-Shey, As-Shey
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Forming an Abundance Mind-Set
From http://www.millionaireinside.com/
By now you should have a solid understanding of the ways you’ve been creating lack in your life, and the activities and habits that only make it worse.
Today we’re going to cover how to develop an abundance mind-set so you can stay focused on attracting greater prosperity into your life.
An abundance mind-set is pretty much the opposite of a lack mind-set, and it’s easy to switch from one to the other – with a little conscious choice.
There are three main steps I’d suggest in order to create an abundance mind-set:
1) Give all of your attention and energy to abundance. Remember in a previous email I said you needed to avoid contributing energy and emotion to lack? Now you’ve got to start giving all the energy and emotion you can to abundance!
Here’s how: As often as you can, keep aware of the abundance surrounding you. Look at your home and all the possessions within it, and marvel at how wealthy you really are. Feel grateful for all you have, and affirm that more is on the way.
Also be sure to notice abundance in the world around you. See how nature blooms and grows so effortlessly, and gaze in awe at store shelves that are loaded with anything you could ever want! Abundance is everywhere if you simply open your eyes to it!
2) Believe it’s possible to have more than you can imagine. You’re probably used to thinking of your financial situation in very limited ways. You earn money from a job or business, but you can’t see any other way for money to come to you.
Acknowledge daily that the universe has UNLIMITED options for sending more money into your life. Decide on a sum of money you’d like to receive in the near future, and then begin affirming that it is on the way to you.
Don’t worry about HOW it will arrive. Just believe that it will find a way to enter your life.
3) Expect to receive. Your expectations are very powerful! If you expect to have a limited amount of money, that’s exactly what will happen. Instead, start expecting more money to come to you from many different sources.
Affirm daily, “Today I expect great things to happen! Money, success and abundance in all forms will find their way to me effortlessly and quickly!” Then be on the lookout for great opportunities – and grab them when they arrive!
Do you see how easy it is to shift your focus from lack to abundance now? It’s really just a matter of what you choose to focus on and invest in emotionally. However, there are also specific actions you can take that will help too. We’ll cover those in the next lesson.
By now you should have a solid understanding of the ways you’ve been creating lack in your life, and the activities and habits that only make it worse.
Today we’re going to cover how to develop an abundance mind-set so you can stay focused on attracting greater prosperity into your life.
An abundance mind-set is pretty much the opposite of a lack mind-set, and it’s easy to switch from one to the other – with a little conscious choice.
There are three main steps I’d suggest in order to create an abundance mind-set:
1) Give all of your attention and energy to abundance. Remember in a previous email I said you needed to avoid contributing energy and emotion to lack? Now you’ve got to start giving all the energy and emotion you can to abundance!
Here’s how: As often as you can, keep aware of the abundance surrounding you. Look at your home and all the possessions within it, and marvel at how wealthy you really are. Feel grateful for all you have, and affirm that more is on the way.
Also be sure to notice abundance in the world around you. See how nature blooms and grows so effortlessly, and gaze in awe at store shelves that are loaded with anything you could ever want! Abundance is everywhere if you simply open your eyes to it!
2) Believe it’s possible to have more than you can imagine. You’re probably used to thinking of your financial situation in very limited ways. You earn money from a job or business, but you can’t see any other way for money to come to you.
Acknowledge daily that the universe has UNLIMITED options for sending more money into your life. Decide on a sum of money you’d like to receive in the near future, and then begin affirming that it is on the way to you.
Don’t worry about HOW it will arrive. Just believe that it will find a way to enter your life.
3) Expect to receive. Your expectations are very powerful! If you expect to have a limited amount of money, that’s exactly what will happen. Instead, start expecting more money to come to you from many different sources.
Affirm daily, “Today I expect great things to happen! Money, success and abundance in all forms will find their way to me effortlessly and quickly!” Then be on the lookout for great opportunities – and grab them when they arrive!
Do you see how easy it is to shift your focus from lack to abundance now? It’s really just a matter of what you choose to focus on and invest in emotionally. However, there are also specific actions you can take that will help too. We’ll cover those in the next lesson.
Friday, February 08, 2008
The Cocktailian: The intinerant mixologist earns his keep by shaking and stirring
By Gary Regan
I'm not against the concept of singing for my supper, though if you ever heard me belt out a bawdy number in the wee hours of the morning you'd no doubt wonder who would feed me for such a performance.
Rather than insulting the ears of my hosts, I'm more likely to make drinks for them. I arrive at dinner parties armed with a bottle or two of pre-mixed cocktails and a shaker, make a few drinks for the assembled mass, then proceed to eat to my heart's content.
It's not a bad ploy. The payoff for mixing drinks got better last year when, in early December, I spent a night at the Prague Hilton. "Here's the deal, Gary," Václav Sochor, my connection in the Czech Republic told me.
"Your room is free if you create a new cocktail for the hotel." Václav, a journalist in Prague, knows how to strike a deal. What I wasn't prepared for, though, was having to create the drink on the spot in front of an audience who turned out to see some American guy who was supposed to know what he was doing behind a bar.
Creating new drinks can take days. First the liqueur doesn't work with the base spirit, then the lemon juice needs to be replaced by lime juice, then the bitters, well, you get the picture. It's just not the kind of thing you do for onlookers.
I'd made a commitment, though. I showed up and gave it a shot. Using the tack of taking an established drink and pimping it into something new, I used the formula for a French drink, the Rose, as my template.
The Rose calls for two parts dry vermouth, one part kirsch (an eau de vie made from cherries) and just a few dashes of raspberry syrup. There was no kirsch on hand at the Hilton, but there was a good bottle of grappa behind the bar, so I employed it as the spirit in my new drink.
Instead of raspberry syrup I used Becherovka, a Czech herbal liqueur of which I'm quite fond. Herbal liqueurs tend to ring my bell, and this one comes bearing a rich aniseed backdrop that reminds me of certain candies from my youth.
Two dashes didn't cut it, though. I added two more. And two more. On my fifth attempt at the drink I managed to pull it off, and Marketa, the head of marketing who had agreed to my room-for-a-drink deal, was visibly relieved.
She stood at the back of the now impatient crowd, and I saw her look of concern change slowly into a smile. I added a spot of grenadine to the shaker, just to make the drink look pretty in pink, strained it into a chilled cocktail glass, added a twist of lemon, and handed it across the bar for the crowd to sample.
My ordeal, though, wasn't quite over. "What's it called?" yelled one of the onlookers.
Darn. This was something I could have figured out beforehand, but it never came to mind. I stood behind the bar waiting for inspiration.
And inspiration was sent to me. "It's the Marketa Cocktail," I said. Marketa smiled. I made Václav buy dinner.
The Marketa Cocktail
Makes 1 drink
2 ounces dry vermouth
1 ounce grappa
1 ounce Becherovka liqueur
2 dashes grenadine
1 lemon twist, for garnish
Instructions: Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full of ice and add all of the ingredients. Stir for approximately 30 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add the garnish.
Gary Regan is the author of "The Joy of Mixology" and other books. E-mail him at wine@sfchronicle.com.
I'm not against the concept of singing for my supper, though if you ever heard me belt out a bawdy number in the wee hours of the morning you'd no doubt wonder who would feed me for such a performance.
Rather than insulting the ears of my hosts, I'm more likely to make drinks for them. I arrive at dinner parties armed with a bottle or two of pre-mixed cocktails and a shaker, make a few drinks for the assembled mass, then proceed to eat to my heart's content.
It's not a bad ploy. The payoff for mixing drinks got better last year when, in early December, I spent a night at the Prague Hilton. "Here's the deal, Gary," Václav Sochor, my connection in the Czech Republic told me.
"Your room is free if you create a new cocktail for the hotel." Václav, a journalist in Prague, knows how to strike a deal. What I wasn't prepared for, though, was having to create the drink on the spot in front of an audience who turned out to see some American guy who was supposed to know what he was doing behind a bar.
Creating new drinks can take days. First the liqueur doesn't work with the base spirit, then the lemon juice needs to be replaced by lime juice, then the bitters, well, you get the picture. It's just not the kind of thing you do for onlookers.
I'd made a commitment, though. I showed up and gave it a shot. Using the tack of taking an established drink and pimping it into something new, I used the formula for a French drink, the Rose, as my template.
The Rose calls for two parts dry vermouth, one part kirsch (an eau de vie made from cherries) and just a few dashes of raspberry syrup. There was no kirsch on hand at the Hilton, but there was a good bottle of grappa behind the bar, so I employed it as the spirit in my new drink.
Instead of raspberry syrup I used Becherovka, a Czech herbal liqueur of which I'm quite fond. Herbal liqueurs tend to ring my bell, and this one comes bearing a rich aniseed backdrop that reminds me of certain candies from my youth.
Two dashes didn't cut it, though. I added two more. And two more. On my fifth attempt at the drink I managed to pull it off, and Marketa, the head of marketing who had agreed to my room-for-a-drink deal, was visibly relieved.
She stood at the back of the now impatient crowd, and I saw her look of concern change slowly into a smile. I added a spot of grenadine to the shaker, just to make the drink look pretty in pink, strained it into a chilled cocktail glass, added a twist of lemon, and handed it across the bar for the crowd to sample.
My ordeal, though, wasn't quite over. "What's it called?" yelled one of the onlookers.
Darn. This was something I could have figured out beforehand, but it never came to mind. I stood behind the bar waiting for inspiration.
And inspiration was sent to me. "It's the Marketa Cocktail," I said. Marketa smiled. I made Václav buy dinner.
The Marketa Cocktail
Makes 1 drink
2 ounces dry vermouth
1 ounce grappa
1 ounce Becherovka liqueur
2 dashes grenadine
1 lemon twist, for garnish
Instructions: Fill a mixing glass two-thirds full of ice and add all of the ingredients. Stir for approximately 30 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add the garnish.
Gary Regan is the author of "The Joy of Mixology" and other books. E-mail him at wine@sfchronicle.com.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Examining Different Ways to Save for College
Adapted From: Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies
If you haven't yet started your family or if your children are still very young, you should consider how best to save money to fund your children's college education.
Beyond financial aid and scholarships, there are ways to start saving now so that you have the money available when your children graduate from high school. Accumulating assets in your name has very little negative impact on your child's ability to qualify for federal financial aid.
However, should you decide to accumulate money in your child's name, approximately 35 percent of those assets will be deemed available to pay for college costs, and financial aid will be reduced accordingly.
So keep most or all the money you save for your child's college education in your own name if you expect your scholar to qualify for financial aid.
Education Savings Accounts
If you're within the income limits, you can contribute up to $2,000 per year to a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) for each child under the age of 18. Anyone with income of less than $95,000 ($190,000 if married filing jointly) may contribute.
Contributions aren't tax-deductible; however, the earnings grow tax-free and remain tax-free as long as they're used to pay for qualified education expenses. You can open an ESA with a bank, mutual fund company, or any other financial institution that offers traditional IRA accounts.
Look first to low-cost, no-load (no commission) mutual fund companies. Education Savings Accounts are considered assets of the parent when determining financial aid eligibility. However, there are a lot of benefits, such as tax-free earnings, that far outweigh the negative impact on financial aid qualification.
529 plans
Section 529 qualified tuition savings plans have evolved into one of the most attractive college savings programs available today. Just like ESAs, 529 plan assets accumulate tax-free, and if your child uses them for qualified education expenses, the withdrawals are tax-free, too.
You can invest $100,000 or more in a 529 plan, and you have no limitation based on your income. The 529 plans are state-sponsored programs. If your state offers good 529 plans, you may be able to deduct all or a portion of your contributions on your state income tax return.
Savingforcollege.com offers information and resources about all 529 plans; pay particular attention to the plans offered through your state. When determining eligibility for financial aid, 529 plans are considered assets of the parent.
Series EE and I Savings Bonds
You can purchase up to $30,000 (face amount) of either Series EE or Series I Savings Bonds per year. They're issued by the U.S. government, but you can buy them through local banks or through Treasury Direct for as little as $25. Savings bonds may appeal to you if you're looking for a very low-risk investment.
You receive no tax deduction for this investment; however, the interest on savings bonds is tax-free if the bonds are redeemed to pay for qualified education expenses and your income doesn't exceed the federal limitations in the year of redemption.
If you haven't yet started your family or if your children are still very young, you should consider how best to save money to fund your children's college education.
Beyond financial aid and scholarships, there are ways to start saving now so that you have the money available when your children graduate from high school. Accumulating assets in your name has very little negative impact on your child's ability to qualify for federal financial aid.
However, should you decide to accumulate money in your child's name, approximately 35 percent of those assets will be deemed available to pay for college costs, and financial aid will be reduced accordingly.
So keep most or all the money you save for your child's college education in your own name if you expect your scholar to qualify for financial aid.
Education Savings Accounts
If you're within the income limits, you can contribute up to $2,000 per year to a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) for each child under the age of 18. Anyone with income of less than $95,000 ($190,000 if married filing jointly) may contribute.
Contributions aren't tax-deductible; however, the earnings grow tax-free and remain tax-free as long as they're used to pay for qualified education expenses. You can open an ESA with a bank, mutual fund company, or any other financial institution that offers traditional IRA accounts.
Look first to low-cost, no-load (no commission) mutual fund companies. Education Savings Accounts are considered assets of the parent when determining financial aid eligibility. However, there are a lot of benefits, such as tax-free earnings, that far outweigh the negative impact on financial aid qualification.
529 plans
Section 529 qualified tuition savings plans have evolved into one of the most attractive college savings programs available today. Just like ESAs, 529 plan assets accumulate tax-free, and if your child uses them for qualified education expenses, the withdrawals are tax-free, too.
You can invest $100,000 or more in a 529 plan, and you have no limitation based on your income. The 529 plans are state-sponsored programs. If your state offers good 529 plans, you may be able to deduct all or a portion of your contributions on your state income tax return.
Savingforcollege.com offers information and resources about all 529 plans; pay particular attention to the plans offered through your state. When determining eligibility for financial aid, 529 plans are considered assets of the parent.
Series EE and I Savings Bonds
You can purchase up to $30,000 (face amount) of either Series EE or Series I Savings Bonds per year. They're issued by the U.S. government, but you can buy them through local banks or through Treasury Direct for as little as $25. Savings bonds may appeal to you if you're looking for a very low-risk investment.
You receive no tax deduction for this investment; however, the interest on savings bonds is tax-free if the bonds are redeemed to pay for qualified education expenses and your income doesn't exceed the federal limitations in the year of redemption.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Activities that Intensify Lack
From http://www.millionaireinside.com/
Are you starting to feel a shift in your financial situation yet? If not, be sure to keep choosing the positive emotions as often as possible. It may take a little time to notice changes taking place, but the end result is well worth it!
Today we’re going to cover some destructive habits and activities that contribute to lack, and offer helpful suggestions for turning them around.
To start, I’d like to ask you a question: How do you treat your money? If money was a person in your life, would he or she feel honored and loved; or abused, neglected and disrespected? Ouch.
If you’re like most people, your relationship with money could probably use a little tender loving care. Attracting more money into your life means learning to treat money with respect and kindness.
I know, you’re thinking, “What, respect and kindness for an inanimate object? Why?”
Because money is NOT an inanimate object at all! It is energy, remember? Even more importantly, it is a projection of YOUR energy.
That means it is a part of you, and it has a life and intelligence all its own. If someone treated you the way you treat your money, you probably wouldn’t stick around for more abuse, would you? Money won’t either.
Therefore, it is crucial to avoid these habits and activities where your money is concerned:
Excessive spending
Excessive debt
Reckless disregard for the importance of money
No savings plan
Financial disorganization
Poor planning
You see, the problem isn’t that you don’t have enough money. The true problem is that you are not managing your money in a way that attracts more of it! Here are the best things you can do to begin honoring your money (and attracting more!).
1)Begin a savings plan immediately. It doesn’t matter if you can only spare a dollar or two each week, but begin setting aside money into a savings account right away. And do not touch that money for ANY reason!
This step is very important because it puts you into the mind-set of “having money” – even if the amount you have isn’t a lot yet. The more you do this, the wealthier you’re going to feel as you remember that you’re not “living on the edge”.
2)Avoid spending money on anything that doesn’t contribute VALUE to your life. Do you really need that cute purse when you’ve already got a closet full of them? Do you really need more “toys” that will only gather dust when you tire of them in a few weeks?
Instead, begin spending your money on things that will help you to grow and deepen as an individual. Buy books to expand your knowledge. Invest in business courses or career development programs.
Better yet, begin contributing money to investment programs so it can grow and eventually work FOR you. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the occasional treat. You can still enjoy nice things, but be very choosy about what they are and how often you buy them.
3)Get organized. If you haven’t balanced your checkbook in ages, or you have no idea how much debt you have, figure it out and create a plan for paying it off. The point of this exercise is not to make you feel bad, but to take responsibility for your financial situation.
Trust me - you’ll feel much better when you have a clear understanding of where you stand right now, and a solid plan for getting somewhere better. Those should keep you busy for awhile!
Remember, you don’t have to do everything all at once. Starting small is okay. Eventually it all adds up! Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Are you starting to feel a shift in your financial situation yet? If not, be sure to keep choosing the positive emotions as often as possible. It may take a little time to notice changes taking place, but the end result is well worth it!
Today we’re going to cover some destructive habits and activities that contribute to lack, and offer helpful suggestions for turning them around.
To start, I’d like to ask you a question: How do you treat your money? If money was a person in your life, would he or she feel honored and loved; or abused, neglected and disrespected? Ouch.
If you’re like most people, your relationship with money could probably use a little tender loving care. Attracting more money into your life means learning to treat money with respect and kindness.
I know, you’re thinking, “What, respect and kindness for an inanimate object? Why?”
Because money is NOT an inanimate object at all! It is energy, remember? Even more importantly, it is a projection of YOUR energy.
That means it is a part of you, and it has a life and intelligence all its own. If someone treated you the way you treat your money, you probably wouldn’t stick around for more abuse, would you? Money won’t either.
Therefore, it is crucial to avoid these habits and activities where your money is concerned:
Excessive spending
Excessive debt
Reckless disregard for the importance of money
No savings plan
Financial disorganization
Poor planning
You see, the problem isn’t that you don’t have enough money. The true problem is that you are not managing your money in a way that attracts more of it! Here are the best things you can do to begin honoring your money (and attracting more!).
1)Begin a savings plan immediately. It doesn’t matter if you can only spare a dollar or two each week, but begin setting aside money into a savings account right away. And do not touch that money for ANY reason!
This step is very important because it puts you into the mind-set of “having money” – even if the amount you have isn’t a lot yet. The more you do this, the wealthier you’re going to feel as you remember that you’re not “living on the edge”.
2)Avoid spending money on anything that doesn’t contribute VALUE to your life. Do you really need that cute purse when you’ve already got a closet full of them? Do you really need more “toys” that will only gather dust when you tire of them in a few weeks?
Instead, begin spending your money on things that will help you to grow and deepen as an individual. Buy books to expand your knowledge. Invest in business courses or career development programs.
Better yet, begin contributing money to investment programs so it can grow and eventually work FOR you. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the occasional treat. You can still enjoy nice things, but be very choosy about what they are and how often you buy them.
3)Get organized. If you haven’t balanced your checkbook in ages, or you have no idea how much debt you have, figure it out and create a plan for paying it off. The point of this exercise is not to make you feel bad, but to take responsibility for your financial situation.
Trust me - you’ll feel much better when you have a clear understanding of where you stand right now, and a solid plan for getting somewhere better. Those should keep you busy for awhile!
Remember, you don’t have to do everything all at once. Starting small is okay. Eventually it all adds up! Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Friday, February 01, 2008
The Importance Of Bartender Training
From Next Generation Bartending School
I have been working as a bartender for just shy of a decade. I started at the lowest rung on the bartender ladder and worked my way up. I finished my stint bartending as a manager. As a manager, I got see more resumes then I could ever imagine.
When it came to the nitty gritty of hiring a particular bartender, those with some kind of formal training on their resume got at least as far as an interview.
Having industry experience as a bartender, I knew that while not every bartending school was created equal at least they taught some skill that could be verified.
A crucial part of being a good bartender is instilling confidence in your employer, in so far as being able to do the job well.
Sticking Your Bartender Foot In The Door
I have been working as a bartender for just shy of a decade. I started at the lowest rung on the bartender ladder and worked my way up. I finished my stint bartending as a manager. As a manager, I got see more resumes then I could ever imagine.
When it came to the nitty gritty of hiring a particular bartender, those with some kind of formal training on their resume got at least as far as an interview.
Having industry experience as a bartender, I knew that while not every bartending school was created equal at least they taught some skill that could be verified.
A crucial part of being a good bartender is instilling confidence in your employer, in so far as being able to do the job well.
Sticking Your Bartender Foot In The Door
Now that being said, it is an out and out fallacy that any bartender candidate should rely on their training to get a job. Bartender training is a foot in the door tool; it gets you the interview.
I have met some really qualified bartenders that I would never hire, but their bartender training got them as far as an interview. Bartender training also means that you have some tools to actually do the job.
This is another critical aspect of getting hired - as I mentioned before. Being a trained bartender means that you will be familiar with bar set up, pouring, liquors, and basic mixology. All skills that you need to keep the job once you get it.
The point is that the skill the bartender training endows, provides an entry into the industry and the basics to keep you there. Once there, your bartender training will help you keep your job.
The bottom line is that bartender training is a vital way to get and maintain your bartending job.You should take bartender training seriously. If you are interested in learning more about professional quality bartender training, click the link below.
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