By John Rosevear
Do you know what gets me about the recent stock market blowup?
Somebody out there made a bundle off it. I know, it's hard to believe. Most folks' retirement account balances are way down.
Every single stock mutual fund (all 11,579 of them) is down this year, and highfliers from Akamai (Nasdaq: AKAM) to Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) -- and that's just the beginning of the alphabet -- are way off their recent highs.
But somewhere out there are investors who made money this year. Lots of money, in some cases. Many are professionals, of course -- hedge fund managers and others with access to sophisticated tools and strategies -- but others are just ordinary individual investors like you and me.
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Wednesday, December 31, 2008
How to Spot a Great Company
By Selena Maranjian
To become a savvy stock evaluator, you must master a multitude of skills. It's undeniably important to hone your quantitative kung fu by familiarizing yourself with financial statements such as the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. But the qualitative side of the business -- the strengths and weaknesses that lie beyond the numbers it reports -- are no less crucial.
So what should I look for?
Good management is the first virtue Fools should seek in a business. How up-front and honest are a company's leaders? How much faith do you have in them? In good times and bad, look for a company whose earnings reports are free from hype or excuses, and whose managers are equally candid about their business's strengths and weaknesses.
Competitive advantages are also critical; some of the best companies have a sustainable edge over their competition. eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY), for example, has such a huge base of users that it would be incredibly difficult for an upstart rival to attract eBay-sized amounts of traffic.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
To become a savvy stock evaluator, you must master a multitude of skills. It's undeniably important to hone your quantitative kung fu by familiarizing yourself with financial statements such as the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. But the qualitative side of the business -- the strengths and weaknesses that lie beyond the numbers it reports -- are no less crucial.
So what should I look for?
Good management is the first virtue Fools should seek in a business. How up-front and honest are a company's leaders? How much faith do you have in them? In good times and bad, look for a company whose earnings reports are free from hype or excuses, and whose managers are equally candid about their business's strengths and weaknesses.
Competitive advantages are also critical; some of the best companies have a sustainable edge over their competition. eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY), for example, has such a huge base of users that it would be incredibly difficult for an upstart rival to attract eBay-sized amounts of traffic.
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The Worst Is Yet to Come
By John Rosevear
Great rally we're having, isn't it? In the past month, the S&P 500 has risen from around 750 to right around 900 before falling back slightly. Right now, you've got a nice neat 15% gain. Think we're through the worst of it?
Think again.
My magic crystal ball doesn't work any better than anyone else's, but if I had to guess, I'd say we'll be back down near the lows before winter ends. Consider:
Great rally we're having, isn't it? In the past month, the S&P 500 has risen from around 750 to right around 900 before falling back slightly. Right now, you've got a nice neat 15% gain. Think we're through the worst of it?
Think again.
My magic crystal ball doesn't work any better than anyone else's, but if I had to guess, I'd say we'll be back down near the lows before winter ends. Consider:
- Reality -- and more pessimism about the economy -- may set in after the Obama administration takes office and optimism gives way to the sober understanding that the new team's economic solutions will take time to work, and will be expensive.
Along the same lines, the recession has hit Wall Street and the upper echelons of corporate America very hard, but the serious pain is just starting to filter down to Main Street. That process will intensify over the next few months.
These Are the Market's 10 Best Stocks
By Tim Hanson
The best stocks? Is that really what I'm going to write about after a year in which the S&P 500 dropped by more than 40%? It is, actually, because you learn pretty rapidly in this business that the best way to make money in the market is to invest for the long term and recognize that volatility is part of the ride.
And when you commit to the long term, you find out quickly the stocks that offer the best returns today aren't the well-known, widely owned names such as Intel and General Electric.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Before I can get to the takeaway, I have to show you the data. And the data is a simple list of the top-performing stocks of the past 10 years. I compile this list at the end of every year, and every year it yields the same fascinating insight:
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The best stocks? Is that really what I'm going to write about after a year in which the S&P 500 dropped by more than 40%? It is, actually, because you learn pretty rapidly in this business that the best way to make money in the market is to invest for the long term and recognize that volatility is part of the ride.
And when you commit to the long term, you find out quickly the stocks that offer the best returns today aren't the well-known, widely owned names such as Intel and General Electric.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Before I can get to the takeaway, I have to show you the data. And the data is a simple list of the top-performing stocks of the past 10 years. I compile this list at the end of every year, and every year it yields the same fascinating insight:
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Monday, December 29, 2008
10 Dangerous Everyday Things in Your Home
Mercola.com
Household consumer products injure 33.1 million people in the United States every year. These incidents cost $800 billion in related expenses from death, injury or property damages. And many scientists are starting to believe that, in particular, the chemicals found in a wide variety of the goods you use every day may be more toxic than previously thought.
Here are 10 of the most common products that may be hazardous to your health:
10. Mothballs
Since moths chew holes through clothing and other textiles, people pack away these stinky repellents to kill them. But studies on one active ingredient in some repellents, paradichlorobenzene, found that it can cause cancer in animals.
Other types of moth balls use naphthalene, which after prolonged exposure can damage or destroy red blood cells, and which can also stimulate nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
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Household consumer products injure 33.1 million people in the United States every year. These incidents cost $800 billion in related expenses from death, injury or property damages. And many scientists are starting to believe that, in particular, the chemicals found in a wide variety of the goods you use every day may be more toxic than previously thought.
Here are 10 of the most common products that may be hazardous to your health:
10. Mothballs
Since moths chew holes through clothing and other textiles, people pack away these stinky repellents to kill them. But studies on one active ingredient in some repellents, paradichlorobenzene, found that it can cause cancer in animals.
Other types of moth balls use naphthalene, which after prolonged exposure can damage or destroy red blood cells, and which can also stimulate nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
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Frugality is the New Black
By Linda Lowen
I have a sneaky secret. The most fetching items in my wardrobe - though new to me - aren't new. I am comfortably middle class, yet I frequently visit thrift and consignment stores for second-hand pieces from manufacturers I couldn't otherwise afford. Usually I keep my mouth shut about this.
But earlier this week, while shopping at an off-price overstock outlet store, a woman behind me in the checkout line raved about my coat. I turned to her and admitted that it came from the consignment shop down the street. "It was new with tags," I said in a low confessional tone, "and it retailed for $375 and..." here I paused for dramatic effect, "I got it for $59."
Why am I baring my bargain-hunting soul to a complete stranger? Because after years of being unfashionable and déclassé, frugality is finally back in style. I got over my "ewww...other people's clothing!" squeamishness years ago, after hearing a National Public Radio interview with a young woman - the scion of a famous family whose surname graced a chain of major department stores in the 1950s and 60s.
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I have a sneaky secret. The most fetching items in my wardrobe - though new to me - aren't new. I am comfortably middle class, yet I frequently visit thrift and consignment stores for second-hand pieces from manufacturers I couldn't otherwise afford. Usually I keep my mouth shut about this.
But earlier this week, while shopping at an off-price overstock outlet store, a woman behind me in the checkout line raved about my coat. I turned to her and admitted that it came from the consignment shop down the street. "It was new with tags," I said in a low confessional tone, "and it retailed for $375 and..." here I paused for dramatic effect, "I got it for $59."
Why am I baring my bargain-hunting soul to a complete stranger? Because after years of being unfashionable and déclassé, frugality is finally back in style. I got over my "ewww...other people's clothing!" squeamishness years ago, after hearing a National Public Radio interview with a young woman - the scion of a famous family whose surname graced a chain of major department stores in the 1950s and 60s.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tough All Over -- Navigating Tough Economic Times
From Nightclub & Bar
Rising gas prices, double-digit airfare increases, soaring worldwide demand on basic commodities and financial institution uncertainty all have combined to create one of the most challenging times the restaurant industry has ever faced.
In an environment of uncertain economic direction, many operators are faced with significant financial challenges coming in more than one direction.
Understanding those challenges and how to prepare best and meet each one of them presents an opportunity to leaders of independent and chain restaurants to survive the current conditions and ultimately strengthen their businesses through a variety of best practice leadership and management.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Rising gas prices, double-digit airfare increases, soaring worldwide demand on basic commodities and financial institution uncertainty all have combined to create one of the most challenging times the restaurant industry has ever faced.
In an environment of uncertain economic direction, many operators are faced with significant financial challenges coming in more than one direction.
Understanding those challenges and how to prepare best and meet each one of them presents an opportunity to leaders of independent and chain restaurants to survive the current conditions and ultimately strengthen their businesses through a variety of best practice leadership and management.
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Sunday, December 28, 2008
Making Money Online During A Recession
By: Michael Homan
is time that we attack an issue that may be on the minds of many. And that is making money online during a recession. Is this really a good time to dwell into money making opportunities for the newbie? I will try and answer this question in this article.
In case your wondering who I am and how I know anything, let me give you a very brief, but thorough background on myself. My name is Michael Homan. I started online as a individual wanting to sell their acrylic and oil paintings. In the background I was working on learning graphic design in which I still do today.
To make a long story short, I eventually gotten into Multi-level Marketing. At that time I was still new to things like Internet advertising and marketing. I started to follow a marketing guru that was in the business of selling health products. This guy had a bunch of marketing courses, notebook binder, cassette tapes, and video. The company made this guy look like a genius.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
is time that we attack an issue that may be on the minds of many. And that is making money online during a recession. Is this really a good time to dwell into money making opportunities for the newbie? I will try and answer this question in this article.
In case your wondering who I am and how I know anything, let me give you a very brief, but thorough background on myself. My name is Michael Homan. I started online as a individual wanting to sell their acrylic and oil paintings. In the background I was working on learning graphic design in which I still do today.
To make a long story short, I eventually gotten into Multi-level Marketing. At that time I was still new to things like Internet advertising and marketing. I started to follow a marketing guru that was in the business of selling health products. This guy had a bunch of marketing courses, notebook binder, cassette tapes, and video. The company made this guy look like a genius.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
How to Instantly Boost Your Creativity and Your Happiness
By: Sandra P. Martini
It wasn't long ago when a friend asked me what I was tolerating in my life.Tolerating? Me? I have a husband I adore and who adores me, 5 fabulous pets, a house we're comfortable in, supportive friends and family and a business which fulfills me while allowing me to help others.
What could I possibly be tolerating? You see, I was working on a project that I just couldn't get my hands around and I couldn't figure out why. I was enthused about the project, just blocked somehow.
So I sat down with pen and paper to make a list of everything I was tolerating (although that seemed like a strong word to me). In 15 minutes, I had over 100 items.I was shocked. Even more shocking, once I made a list (I hadn't even done anything with it yet), my creative juices started flowing again.
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It wasn't long ago when a friend asked me what I was tolerating in my life.Tolerating? Me? I have a husband I adore and who adores me, 5 fabulous pets, a house we're comfortable in, supportive friends and family and a business which fulfills me while allowing me to help others.
What could I possibly be tolerating? You see, I was working on a project that I just couldn't get my hands around and I couldn't figure out why. I was enthused about the project, just blocked somehow.
So I sat down with pen and paper to make a list of everything I was tolerating (although that seemed like a strong word to me). In 15 minutes, I had over 100 items.I was shocked. Even more shocking, once I made a list (I hadn't even done anything with it yet), my creative juices started flowing again.
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Boost your Bottom Line
CONTROLLING YOUR TILL -- How having the wrong buttons on your cash register can cost you $1000s a year
One of the most widely used cash control systems used in your business is your cash register. Depending on the specification of your particular system, it will be used to account for all cash takings for your business, keep a record of all users, record transactions which were later refunded, store details of your purchases and may even allow you to reconcile your stock on hand to perform a stocktake.
But by far the most common use is simply as an advanced cash drawer, where a report at the end of the night lists all calculated takings by department and payment method and this is then used to balance with your actual takings.
But however advanced your system may be when it comes to technology, thousands of dollars are lost each year to businesses who have not considered the importance or the implications of the correct layout of buttons and functions on their cash register.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
One of the most widely used cash control systems used in your business is your cash register. Depending on the specification of your particular system, it will be used to account for all cash takings for your business, keep a record of all users, record transactions which were later refunded, store details of your purchases and may even allow you to reconcile your stock on hand to perform a stocktake.
But by far the most common use is simply as an advanced cash drawer, where a report at the end of the night lists all calculated takings by department and payment method and this is then used to balance with your actual takings.
But however advanced your system may be when it comes to technology, thousands of dollars are lost each year to businesses who have not considered the importance or the implications of the correct layout of buttons and functions on their cash register.
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Thursday, December 25, 2008
How to Become an Accidental Billionaire
By Austin Edwards
Sometimes the best way to learn is to simply watch the masters, and then mimic what they do. But what if you're looking to learn how to "accidentally" turn $1 million into $1 billion -- and in just 35 years? And despite this brutal market?
Accidental billionaire?
In that case, I'd suggest you dig through your back issues of Forbes. About 10 years ago, the magazine ran an article about an "accidental billionaire" named Franklin Otis Booth Jr.
In the early 1960s, Booth tried to buy a printing company that contracted with The Los Angeles Times.
The deal fell through, but he became good friends with the lawyer working on the case.
After discovering they had similar investment philosophies, they partnered up to build a 40-unit condo complex in Pasadena, Calif. -- and managed to double their money in just two years.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Sometimes the best way to learn is to simply watch the masters, and then mimic what they do. But what if you're looking to learn how to "accidentally" turn $1 million into $1 billion -- and in just 35 years? And despite this brutal market?
Accidental billionaire?
In that case, I'd suggest you dig through your back issues of Forbes. About 10 years ago, the magazine ran an article about an "accidental billionaire" named Franklin Otis Booth Jr.
In the early 1960s, Booth tried to buy a printing company that contracted with The Los Angeles Times.
The deal fell through, but he became good friends with the lawyer working on the case.
After discovering they had similar investment philosophies, they partnered up to build a 40-unit condo complex in Pasadena, Calif. -- and managed to double their money in just two years.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Start Getting Rich Now
By John Rosevear
Suppose I told you that you could have millions of dollars by the time you were 70 with very little effort and sacrifice on your part -- without winning the lottery. What would you say? Probably something like, Uh, dude, have you looked at the news in the last three months?
Yeah, I have. It's not good out there right now. But suspend disbelief and think about it with me for a minute. Imagine the warm sun on your face, a quiet morning sometime in your future. You left work for good a few years ago, and now you're sitting outside sipping your coffee after a restful night's sleep.
A quick glance at your investment accounts draws a smile -- you've got millions of dollars, more than enough to fund anything you might want to do for the rest of your life.
What will you do today? You can do just about anything you can imagine -- you're living the life of the independently wealthy.
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Suppose I told you that you could have millions of dollars by the time you were 70 with very little effort and sacrifice on your part -- without winning the lottery. What would you say? Probably something like, Uh, dude, have you looked at the news in the last three months?
Yeah, I have. It's not good out there right now. But suspend disbelief and think about it with me for a minute. Imagine the warm sun on your face, a quiet morning sometime in your future. You left work for good a few years ago, and now you're sitting outside sipping your coffee after a restful night's sleep.
A quick glance at your investment accounts draws a smile -- you've got millions of dollars, more than enough to fund anything you might want to do for the rest of your life.
What will you do today? You can do just about anything you can imagine -- you're living the life of the independently wealthy.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
5 Must-Dos for Surviving 2009
By Dan Caplinger
2008's almost over, and shell-shocked investors can hardly wait to put it behind them. Yet while you might think things can't get any worse in 2009, you still need to keep your guard up.
The past year taught us a lot of painful yet valuable lessons.
In order to make sure we don't repeat some of the investing mistakes that caused such huge losses this year, let's take a moment and review what we learned the hard way in 2008.
Lesson 1: The stock market is still cyclical.
After five years of positive returns for the markets, investors got complacent and thought the good times could last even longer. Yet repeatedly, the market sent shares in sectors that climbed too high crashing down to earth.
Financial stocks make the most obvious example of this phenomenon, having plummeted after the end of a multiyear run of strong performance. But it's not just financials that have acted this way.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
2008's almost over, and shell-shocked investors can hardly wait to put it behind them. Yet while you might think things can't get any worse in 2009, you still need to keep your guard up.
The past year taught us a lot of painful yet valuable lessons.
In order to make sure we don't repeat some of the investing mistakes that caused such huge losses this year, let's take a moment and review what we learned the hard way in 2008.
Lesson 1: The stock market is still cyclical.
After five years of positive returns for the markets, investors got complacent and thought the good times could last even longer. Yet repeatedly, the market sent shares in sectors that climbed too high crashing down to earth.
Financial stocks make the most obvious example of this phenomenon, having plummeted after the end of a multiyear run of strong performance. But it's not just financials that have acted this way.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Should we attend bartending schools ?
Bartending is one of the few job skills always in demand, and portable worldwide. Even though Bartending is one of the oldest known professions, the skills and knowledge required changes constantly. That is why if you have little to no bartending experience I would suggest attending bartending school.
Do your homework when selecting a bartending school. The best way to do that is to compare all of the bartending schools in your area. Not all are what they are cracked up to be, and you should find one with a low student to teacher ratio. Ask to see the classroom, and pick the one that, to you, best simulates a bar environment.
Here are a few things you can expect to learn at a good bartending school: Basic bar setup, glassware, basic bar ingredients, the art of mixing, equipment handling, speed , memory training, customer service tips and tricks, private party hosting, and employment tips.
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Do your homework when selecting a bartending school. The best way to do that is to compare all of the bartending schools in your area. Not all are what they are cracked up to be, and you should find one with a low student to teacher ratio. Ask to see the classroom, and pick the one that, to you, best simulates a bar environment.
Here are a few things you can expect to learn at a good bartending school: Basic bar setup, glassware, basic bar ingredients, the art of mixing, equipment handling, speed , memory training, customer service tips and tricks, private party hosting, and employment tips.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
4 Key Steps for Economic Recovery
By Chuck Saletta
With his recent rate cut to just about 0%, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has run out of bullets. Upon firing that last round, he predicted that the economy would remain weak for quite some time.
It's a pity he feels that way, especially since there's a simple, four-step plan that will do wonders to help get our economy back on track.
Step 1: Restore the Rule of Law
Perhaps the most devastating part of this financial crisis took place when Washington Mutual collapsed. When it handed WaMu's assets over to JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), the FDIC trampled on the very important bankruptcy concept of "Absolute Priority."
By shafting debt holders' claims in the deal, the government sent a very clear message that it was a bad idea to loan any money to companies that needed the cash.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
With his recent rate cut to just about 0%, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has run out of bullets. Upon firing that last round, he predicted that the economy would remain weak for quite some time.
It's a pity he feels that way, especially since there's a simple, four-step plan that will do wonders to help get our economy back on track.
Step 1: Restore the Rule of Law
Perhaps the most devastating part of this financial crisis took place when Washington Mutual collapsed. When it handed WaMu's assets over to JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), the FDIC trampled on the very important bankruptcy concept of "Absolute Priority."
By shafting debt holders' claims in the deal, the government sent a very clear message that it was a bad idea to loan any money to companies that needed the cash.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
How to Avoid A Scam
By Ben Popken
Can you spot a scam? Take our quiz to find out.The economic crisis has left many Americans deep in debt and looking for a deal-or a savior-to get them through tough times. But instead of a white knight, many are getting a shady scammer.
Inspired by the headlines, con artists slap new stories on old tricks, preying on the financial fears and desperation of hardworking citizens. After all, when you're drowning, you're interested in what the guy who claims to be selling life preservers has to say. Here, some of the newest and newsiest ploys to avoid.
Bank failures, mergers, and takeovers have left depositors wondering, Is my money safe?
Scam: You receive an e-mail that says, "Do not let the financial markets' collapse affect your life. Protect yourself by clicking on the link below right now." This is the latest twist on the classic phishing scam: The link goes to a fake Web page that looks like your bank's. If you log in to update your account information, as requested, you've handed the keys to your account over to an identity thief.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Can you spot a scam? Take our quiz to find out.The economic crisis has left many Americans deep in debt and looking for a deal-or a savior-to get them through tough times. But instead of a white knight, many are getting a shady scammer.
Inspired by the headlines, con artists slap new stories on old tricks, preying on the financial fears and desperation of hardworking citizens. After all, when you're drowning, you're interested in what the guy who claims to be selling life preservers has to say. Here, some of the newest and newsiest ploys to avoid.
Bank failures, mergers, and takeovers have left depositors wondering, Is my money safe?
Scam: You receive an e-mail that says, "Do not let the financial markets' collapse affect your life. Protect yourself by clicking on the link below right now." This is the latest twist on the classic phishing scam: The link goes to a fake Web page that looks like your bank's. If you log in to update your account information, as requested, you've handed the keys to your account over to an identity thief.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Wine buyers are sobered by Wall Street meltdown
By Jerry Hirsch
In most years, store manager Diana Hirst considers herself lucky if she can snag six bottles of $265 Araujo Napa Valley cult Cabernet Sauvignon to stock in her Costa Mesa wine shop.This year she can get dozens -- a sign of how the Wall Street meltdown is rippling across the alluvial fields of Napa Valley to the chalky limestone vineyards of Champagne in France.
Sales of high-end wine are plummeting, wine merchants say, and once-rationed top California Cabernets are in ample supply. The coveted 2005 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild from Bordeaux is languishing on store shelves for $549. That's an astronomical price for less than a liter of fermented grape juice but only half of what it sold for just a few months ago.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
In most years, store manager Diana Hirst considers herself lucky if she can snag six bottles of $265 Araujo Napa Valley cult Cabernet Sauvignon to stock in her Costa Mesa wine shop.This year she can get dozens -- a sign of how the Wall Street meltdown is rippling across the alluvial fields of Napa Valley to the chalky limestone vineyards of Champagne in France.
Sales of high-end wine are plummeting, wine merchants say, and once-rationed top California Cabernets are in ample supply. The coveted 2005 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild from Bordeaux is languishing on store shelves for $549. That's an astronomical price for less than a liter of fermented grape juice but only half of what it sold for just a few months ago.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Monday, December 22, 2008
Understanding ID Theft: Info for Consumers, Businesses, Organizations
The FTC estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year, so chances are high that you or someone you know has fallen victim to what has become one of America’s fastest-growing crimes.
While there are no guarantees as far as prevention, there are certain steps every consumer can and should be taking – before and after the fact – to greatly reduce their potential risk.
ID theft expert Brian Lapidus, chief operating officer of Kroll’s Fraud Solutions, has unique frontline experience helping today’s businesses and consumers safeguard against and respond to data breaches.
Below he offers some important advice that every consumer should know about protecting themselves from the damages of fraud. At Kroll, Lapidus oversees a highly-skilled team that includes veteran licensed investigators specializing in supporting breach victims and restoring individuals' identities to pre-theft status.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
While there are no guarantees as far as prevention, there are certain steps every consumer can and should be taking – before and after the fact – to greatly reduce their potential risk.
ID theft expert Brian Lapidus, chief operating officer of Kroll’s Fraud Solutions, has unique frontline experience helping today’s businesses and consumers safeguard against and respond to data breaches.
Below he offers some important advice that every consumer should know about protecting themselves from the damages of fraud. At Kroll, Lapidus oversees a highly-skilled team that includes veteran licensed investigators specializing in supporting breach victims and restoring individuals' identities to pre-theft status.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
How to Improve Your Luck
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
For centuries, people have recognized the power of luck. To investigate scientifically why some people are consistently lucky and others aren't, Richard Wiseman advertised in national periodicals for volunteers of both varieties.
Four hundred men and women from all walks of life responded.Over a 10-year period, Wiseman interviewed them, asked them to complete diaries, questionnaires and IQ tests, and invited them to his laboratory for experiments.
He found that lucky people get that way by applying some basic principles:
• Seizing chance opportunities
• Creating self-fulfilling prophecies through positive expectations
• Adopting a resilient attitude that turns bad luck around
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
For centuries, people have recognized the power of luck. To investigate scientifically why some people are consistently lucky and others aren't, Richard Wiseman advertised in national periodicals for volunteers of both varieties.
Four hundred men and women from all walks of life responded.Over a 10-year period, Wiseman interviewed them, asked them to complete diaries, questionnaires and IQ tests, and invited them to his laboratory for experiments.
He found that lucky people get that way by applying some basic principles:
• Seizing chance opportunities
• Creating self-fulfilling prophecies through positive expectations
• Adopting a resilient attitude that turns bad luck around
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Are You On The Same Page As Your Staff?
From The American Mixologist
Get a new car and you get an owner’s manual. Get drafted into the NBA or NFL and they’ll give you a play book. Get hired as a bartender or food server and you’ll likely get a handshake, three training shifts and photocopies of house policies.
Is that all you give to your employees? And yet, employing someone is fraught with legal ramifications. Make a mistake and you could find yourself on the wrong end of a civil lawsuit or in front of the National Labor Relations Board, where nine out of ten employees leave victorious.
Suits for wrongful discharge, sexual harassment and racial discrimination are among the most prevalent employment-related litigation with judgments averaging in the six-figure range. The first line of legal defense is a comprehensive and well-structured employee handbook, one that clearly defines the employees’ job descriptions, areas of responsibilities and all of the operation’s policies and procedures.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Get a new car and you get an owner’s manual. Get drafted into the NBA or NFL and they’ll give you a play book. Get hired as a bartender or food server and you’ll likely get a handshake, three training shifts and photocopies of house policies.
Is that all you give to your employees? And yet, employing someone is fraught with legal ramifications. Make a mistake and you could find yourself on the wrong end of a civil lawsuit or in front of the National Labor Relations Board, where nine out of ten employees leave victorious.
Suits for wrongful discharge, sexual harassment and racial discrimination are among the most prevalent employment-related litigation with judgments averaging in the six-figure range. The first line of legal defense is a comprehensive and well-structured employee handbook, one that clearly defines the employees’ job descriptions, areas of responsibilities and all of the operation’s policies and procedures.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Sunday, December 21, 2008
In Lean Times, Online Coupons Catching On
by Claire Cain Miller
On the Internet, nothing travels faster than a tip on how to score a bargain. Especially in an economic downturn.
With online retail sales falling this month for the first time, Internet merchants are offering steep discounts to anyone willing to punch in a secret coupon code or visit a rebate site for a "referral" before loading up their virtual cart.
Shoppers obsessed with finding these bargains share the latest intelligence on dozens of sites with quirky names like RetailMeNot.com, FatWallet.com and the Budget Fashionista. And more consumers than ever are scanning the listings before making a purchase at their favorite Web site.
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On the Internet, nothing travels faster than a tip on how to score a bargain. Especially in an economic downturn.
With online retail sales falling this month for the first time, Internet merchants are offering steep discounts to anyone willing to punch in a secret coupon code or visit a rebate site for a "referral" before loading up their virtual cart.
Shoppers obsessed with finding these bargains share the latest intelligence on dozens of sites with quirky names like RetailMeNot.com, FatWallet.com and the Budget Fashionista. And more consumers than ever are scanning the listings before making a purchase at their favorite Web site.
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Doomed Stocks You Should Avoid
By Richard Gibbons
The amazing thing about this market is that there are so many cheap stocks. The problem with this market is that there are so many companies that could really blow up on investors.
Your investing success in the next year will be largely determined by your ability to sniff out and avoid losers. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for stocks you should avoid.
Speculative companies
Right now, you should avoid money-losing businesses, companies that need high growth to justify their high earnings multiples, start-up companies that are dependent on the growth of new markets, and other speculative stocks.
Right now, you can find solid, blue-chip stocks that are undervalued by unprecedented amounts. If you can buy a stock that should be trading at double or triple the price, why would you want to risk your money on a stock with less probable gains? In such an environment, speculative bets just don't make sense.
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The amazing thing about this market is that there are so many cheap stocks. The problem with this market is that there are so many companies that could really blow up on investors.
Your investing success in the next year will be largely determined by your ability to sniff out and avoid losers. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for stocks you should avoid.
Speculative companies
Right now, you should avoid money-losing businesses, companies that need high growth to justify their high earnings multiples, start-up companies that are dependent on the growth of new markets, and other speculative stocks.
Right now, you can find solid, blue-chip stocks that are undervalued by unprecedented amounts. If you can buy a stock that should be trading at double or triple the price, why would you want to risk your money on a stock with less probable gains? In such an environment, speculative bets just don't make sense.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
When one wine won't do
By S. Irene Virbila
My parents weren't really wine drinkers, more your classic martini types, but for holiday dinners they -- and any guests -- drank wine. For me, as a kid and later a teenager, setting out the wineglasses used only at Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed almost ceremonial.
Since my mom and dad didn't know a thing about wine, I took on the job of deciding what they should buy. Neither Robert Parker nor any of the other wine gurus were on the scene yet, but I remember reading somewhere that Riesling was a good match for turkey and that Wente Grey Riesling was one of California's best. And so that's what we bought.
Though it turns out Grey Riesling wasn't a true Riesling (it's actually the French grape Chaucé Gris), here I am in 2008, thinking about wines for turkey day and zeroing in on Riesling for one of the wines.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
My parents weren't really wine drinkers, more your classic martini types, but for holiday dinners they -- and any guests -- drank wine. For me, as a kid and later a teenager, setting out the wineglasses used only at Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed almost ceremonial.
Since my mom and dad didn't know a thing about wine, I took on the job of deciding what they should buy. Neither Robert Parker nor any of the other wine gurus were on the scene yet, but I remember reading somewhere that Riesling was a good match for turkey and that Wente Grey Riesling was one of California's best. And so that's what we bought.
Though it turns out Grey Riesling wasn't a true Riesling (it's actually the French grape Chaucé Gris), here I am in 2008, thinking about wines for turkey day and zeroing in on Riesling for one of the wines.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Now Is the Time to Invest and Get Rich
By Anand Chokkavelu
Not my words. Those were Warren Buffett's. Back in 1974. He turned out to be right.
Earlier this decade, he warned about the insane valuations during the Internet bubble and the dangers of derivatives. Right and right.
A month ago, he wrote an op-ed piece in The New York Times urging investors to start buying stocks, specifically American stocks. Aside from his recent shopping spree on behalf of his company, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A), he has started buying up American stocks for his personal account.
Certainly, we should follow his lead, right? Not so fast.
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Not my words. Those were Warren Buffett's. Back in 1974. He turned out to be right.
Earlier this decade, he warned about the insane valuations during the Internet bubble and the dangers of derivatives. Right and right.
A month ago, he wrote an op-ed piece in The New York Times urging investors to start buying stocks, specifically American stocks. Aside from his recent shopping spree on behalf of his company, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A), he has started buying up American stocks for his personal account.
Certainly, we should follow his lead, right? Not so fast.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Seeing The Market Through The Trees
by Andrew Beattie
There are two competing theories in the financial world - the Random Walk Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis. In the random market you can spread the financial section of the Washington Post on the floor and toss pennies on it, picking the stocks that a penny lands on, and expect the same results as a professional stock picker.
In the case of an organized market, you can choose stocks based on a system of valuations and, coupled with a world of full disclosure, come out ahead of the penny tossers. The theories clash and the debate rages, but with a little help from 20th-century physicist Erwin Schrödinger and a cat in a box, we'll learn that both theories are correct and incorrect, depending entirely upon your vantage point.
Read on to learn how the market is just like a cat in a box, and how the entire history of the market can be viewed as a massive forest with investors nothing more than short-sighted insects crawling across its surface. It's going to be a wild adventure.
There are two competing theories in the financial world - the Random Walk Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis. In the random market you can spread the financial section of the Washington Post on the floor and toss pennies on it, picking the stocks that a penny lands on, and expect the same results as a professional stock picker.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
There are two competing theories in the financial world - the Random Walk Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis. In the random market you can spread the financial section of the Washington Post on the floor and toss pennies on it, picking the stocks that a penny lands on, and expect the same results as a professional stock picker.
In the case of an organized market, you can choose stocks based on a system of valuations and, coupled with a world of full disclosure, come out ahead of the penny tossers. The theories clash and the debate rages, but with a little help from 20th-century physicist Erwin Schrödinger and a cat in a box, we'll learn that both theories are correct and incorrect, depending entirely upon your vantage point.
Read on to learn how the market is just like a cat in a box, and how the entire history of the market can be viewed as a massive forest with investors nothing more than short-sighted insects crawling across its surface. It's going to be a wild adventure.
There are two competing theories in the financial world - the Random Walk Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis. In the random market you can spread the financial section of the Washington Post on the floor and toss pennies on it, picking the stocks that a penny lands on, and expect the same results as a professional stock picker.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Kiddie Cocktails - They're Not Just For Breakfast Anymore
From The American Mixologist
I confess that when I was younger I didn't quite get it. I mean why would a restaurant develop a beverage campaign directed exclusively to kids? Now that I've joined the ranks of Baby Boomers with kids, however, I get it.
Any restaurant that makes the dining experience special for my kids has got a loyal friend in me. Special to my daughters means being served a great looking, great tasting drink in a sensational looking glass that mom and dad wouldn't make for them at home.
If generating good will isn't motivation enough, there's also the little matter of generating more profits. While most of these small fry specialties will retail for less than their adult counterparts, they deliver relatively the same amount of gross profit.
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I confess that when I was younger I didn't quite get it. I mean why would a restaurant develop a beverage campaign directed exclusively to kids? Now that I've joined the ranks of Baby Boomers with kids, however, I get it.
Any restaurant that makes the dining experience special for my kids has got a loyal friend in me. Special to my daughters means being served a great looking, great tasting drink in a sensational looking glass that mom and dad wouldn't make for them at home.
If generating good will isn't motivation enough, there's also the little matter of generating more profits. While most of these small fry specialties will retail for less than their adult counterparts, they deliver relatively the same amount of gross profit.
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Marketing Top-End — It’s Not As Involved As You Might Think
From The American Mixologist
Whiskey aficionados thrive on discovery. Expanding their palates, experiencing new tastes quickly becomes a driving fascination. Whiskey is a spirit of enormous depth, dimension and complexity.
The large variety of ultra-premium whiskies allow people to make personal statements about what they drink and affords them the opportunity of becoming connoisseurs and aficionados of their own making.
Within each major category of whiskey—Irish, Canadian, Scotch and American—there is considerable growth in the top-end brands. Distillers around the world have kicked out all the stops and are producing super-premium versions of their trademark labels, essentially the epitome of their crafts.
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Whiskey aficionados thrive on discovery. Expanding their palates, experiencing new tastes quickly becomes a driving fascination. Whiskey is a spirit of enormous depth, dimension and complexity.
The large variety of ultra-premium whiskies allow people to make personal statements about what they drink and affords them the opportunity of becoming connoisseurs and aficionados of their own making.
Within each major category of whiskey—Irish, Canadian, Scotch and American—there is considerable growth in the top-end brands. Distillers around the world have kicked out all the stops and are producing super-premium versions of their trademark labels, essentially the epitome of their crafts.
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Stock your bar for a cost-effective party
By Zak Stambor
It wouldn't be the holidays without holiday parties. But with pocketbooks tightening and year-end bonuses becoming relics of the past, who wants to spend hundreds of dollars stocking their bar with brand-name top-shelf alcohol?
Fear not. Putting together a quality bar doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, said Peter Vestinos, mixologist at Chicago's Sepia restaurant.The best way to cut costs, he said, is to steer clear of the big names, like Grey Goose Vodka and Tanqueray London Dry Gin.
To do so without sacrificing quality, find a trusted salesperson at a well-stocked independent liquor store, describe exactly what you're looking for and provide a price point that you're looking to stay within.
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It wouldn't be the holidays without holiday parties. But with pocketbooks tightening and year-end bonuses becoming relics of the past, who wants to spend hundreds of dollars stocking their bar with brand-name top-shelf alcohol?
Fear not. Putting together a quality bar doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, said Peter Vestinos, mixologist at Chicago's Sepia restaurant.The best way to cut costs, he said, is to steer clear of the big names, like Grey Goose Vodka and Tanqueray London Dry Gin.
To do so without sacrificing quality, find a trusted salesperson at a well-stocked independent liquor store, describe exactly what you're looking for and provide a price point that you're looking to stay within.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Thursday, December 18, 2008
9 Wonderful Ways to Get Started in the World of Personal Productivity
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
It’s easy to get lost in the world of personal productivity. It’s a jungle of information and not all of it makes sense. Here you’ll find a few of the blogs and books you should read to get a grip on it all, if you’re serious about getting this part of your life under control.
Blogs
1. Lifehack -- Lifehack provides a whole bunch of great information and helps hundreds of thousands of people get their productivity under control.
2. Lifehacker -- Often confused with Lifehack thanks to the difference of only a syllable in name, Lifehacker is actually quite a different site. It’s filled with a stream of tips, tricks and software recommendations that can help you make life a little bit easier.
3. Zen Habits -- Leo Babauta, a former Lifehack contributor, runs Zen Habits, a site that discusses all sorts of things in all areas of personal development. His productivity advice is sound and his writing is engaging.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
It’s easy to get lost in the world of personal productivity. It’s a jungle of information and not all of it makes sense. Here you’ll find a few of the blogs and books you should read to get a grip on it all, if you’re serious about getting this part of your life under control.
Blogs
1. Lifehack -- Lifehack provides a whole bunch of great information and helps hundreds of thousands of people get their productivity under control.
2. Lifehacker -- Often confused with Lifehack thanks to the difference of only a syllable in name, Lifehacker is actually quite a different site. It’s filled with a stream of tips, tricks and software recommendations that can help you make life a little bit easier.
3. Zen Habits -- Leo Babauta, a former Lifehack contributor, runs Zen Habits, a site that discusses all sorts of things in all areas of personal development. His productivity advice is sound and his writing is engaging.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Your Once-in-a-Lifetime Investing Opportunity
By Chuck Saletta
"Panic" might be too weak a word for what's going on out there. It's not just that the stock market has been affected -- the far larger lending market has seized up as well. Banks don't want to lend to each other, much less those of us out here in the real world, and the bond markets remain off-limits to all but the strongest of borrowers.
And all of that is leaving everyone terrified. The long-term future simply doesn't matter all that much to a company that risks oblivion in the next week if it can't roll over its maturing debt or cover tomorrow's margin call.
The companies hit hardest by this mess have been the ones that were built on the presumption of easy, cheap, and unlimited credit. Homebuilders like Centex (NYSE: CTX) are in a world of hurt, and even the strongest automobile titans like Toyota (NYSE: TM) are feeling the impact of the credit crunch.
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"Panic" might be too weak a word for what's going on out there. It's not just that the stock market has been affected -- the far larger lending market has seized up as well. Banks don't want to lend to each other, much less those of us out here in the real world, and the bond markets remain off-limits to all but the strongest of borrowers.
And all of that is leaving everyone terrified. The long-term future simply doesn't matter all that much to a company that risks oblivion in the next week if it can't roll over its maturing debt or cover tomorrow's margin call.
The companies hit hardest by this mess have been the ones that were built on the presumption of easy, cheap, and unlimited credit. Homebuilders like Centex (NYSE: CTX) are in a world of hurt, and even the strongest automobile titans like Toyota (NYSE: TM) are feeling the impact of the credit crunch.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Learn About Bartending
Setting up your own bar is actually quite easy to do. There are however, a few things that good bartenders need to know to run a bar efficiently. In order for a bar to succeed, you’ll need to have the basic wines, liquors, and spirits - along with the right equipment.
Although these things are essential, bartenders also need the proper technique for mixing drinks and cocktails as well. With bartending, the location of the bar is very important. The bar should be placed in an area that is easy to reach and provides plenty of space behind it.
There should be plenty of room for glasses and drinks, along with a chair or two as well. The bartender has to learn the area behind the bar, and know everything about it. Bartenders need to know their area well - and how to perform their mixing duties when business heats up.
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Although these things are essential, bartenders also need the proper technique for mixing drinks and cocktails as well. With bartending, the location of the bar is very important. The bar should be placed in an area that is easy to reach and provides plenty of space behind it.
There should be plenty of room for glasses and drinks, along with a chair or two as well. The bartender has to learn the area behind the bar, and know everything about it. Bartenders need to know their area well - and how to perform their mixing duties when business heats up.
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
How to Create a Nation of Millionaires
By Chuck Saletta
Perhaps the best-kept secret when it comes to investing is that time¸ not cash, is the most important asset you can put to work for you. Just a little bit of cash, socked away for a long while, has the potential to grow into a substantial amount of wealth.
Given enough time invested, even a person of modest means can retire with a million dollars or more.
This chart shows just how powerful of an ally time can be for someone targeting retirement at age 70 with a cool million, simply by earning the market's long-run 10% historical average returns:
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Perhaps the best-kept secret when it comes to investing is that time¸ not cash, is the most important asset you can put to work for you. Just a little bit of cash, socked away for a long while, has the potential to grow into a substantial amount of wealth.
Given enough time invested, even a person of modest means can retire with a million dollars or more.
This chart shows just how powerful of an ally time can be for someone targeting retirement at age 70 with a cool million, simply by earning the market's long-run 10% historical average returns:
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Make a Healthy Breakfast, Get Flat Abs!
You've heard it again and again, so I'm not going to lecture you (again!) on the importance of eating a big, healthy breakfast, even though 53 percent of you say it's the meal you're most likely to skip, a recent Self.com poll shows.
Instead I'll let research give you the nosh-in-the-A.M. nudge. A 10-year study in the journal The Lancet shows that people who eat a morning meal take in fewer calories overall and less saturated fat throughout the day than serial (or should I say "cereal") skippers. What's more, breakfast lovers also have flatter abs and a lower risk for heart disease.
Faced with these facts, it's hard to argue against the rise-and-dine approach. My favorite breakfast is nonfat Greek yogurt with fruit and a handful of granola, which is easy to grab and eat on the go. Of course, there are lots of other options, depending on what you're craving.
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Instead I'll let research give you the nosh-in-the-A.M. nudge. A 10-year study in the journal The Lancet shows that people who eat a morning meal take in fewer calories overall and less saturated fat throughout the day than serial (or should I say "cereal") skippers. What's more, breakfast lovers also have flatter abs and a lower risk for heart disease.
Faced with these facts, it's hard to argue against the rise-and-dine approach. My favorite breakfast is nonfat Greek yogurt with fruit and a handful of granola, which is easy to grab and eat on the go. Of course, there are lots of other options, depending on what you're craving.
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Tips On Shaking Up The Classics
From The American Mixologist
Don’t think that just because a recipe hasbeen around for more than a century that there’s no room for improvement. Consider if your will the venerable Old Fashion. Several revamped versions of this timeless classic have snuck into the contemporary limelight.
About the most ingenious twist on the ageless standard is called the Santa Anita Old Fashion, which combines muddled fresh raspberries, an orange slice, simple syrup and bitters toaccompany the bourbon.
The addition of the raspberries adds a zesty flavor not found in the original. The effect is sensational.The Georgia Old Fashion is appropriately named. Its recipe substitutes a fresh peach slice for the orange slice in the muddled base mix.
The flavor of the peach and bourbon is an unbeatable combination. Which raises the question—why hasn’t anyone thought of it before?Why indeed. For those with the natural desire to not leave well enough alone, here are some creative suggestions on how to turn any of these five classic cocktails into a one-of-a-kind specialty of the house.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Don’t think that just because a recipe hasbeen around for more than a century that there’s no room for improvement. Consider if your will the venerable Old Fashion. Several revamped versions of this timeless classic have snuck into the contemporary limelight.
About the most ingenious twist on the ageless standard is called the Santa Anita Old Fashion, which combines muddled fresh raspberries, an orange slice, simple syrup and bitters toaccompany the bourbon.
The addition of the raspberries adds a zesty flavor not found in the original. The effect is sensational.The Georgia Old Fashion is appropriately named. Its recipe substitutes a fresh peach slice for the orange slice in the muddled base mix.
The flavor of the peach and bourbon is an unbeatable combination. Which raises the question—why hasn’t anyone thought of it before?Why indeed. For those with the natural desire to not leave well enough alone, here are some creative suggestions on how to turn any of these five classic cocktails into a one-of-a-kind specialty of the house.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
When one wine won't do
By S. Irene Virbila
My parents weren't really wine drinkers, more your classic martini types, but for holiday dinners they -- and any guests -- drank wine. For me, as a kid and later a teenager, setting out the wineglasses used only at Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed almost ceremonial.
Since my mom and dad didn't know a thing about wine, I took on the job of deciding what they should buy. Neither Robert Parker nor any of the other wine gurus were on the scene yet, but I remember reading somewhere that Riesling was a good match for turkey and that Wente Grey Riesling was one of California's best. And so that's what we bought.
Though it turns out Grey Riesling wasn't a true Riesling (it's actually the French grape Chaucé Gris), here I am in 2008, thinking about wines for turkey day and zeroing in on Riesling for one of the wines.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
My parents weren't really wine drinkers, more your classic martini types, but for holiday dinners they -- and any guests -- drank wine. For me, as a kid and later a teenager, setting out the wineglasses used only at Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed almost ceremonial.
Since my mom and dad didn't know a thing about wine, I took on the job of deciding what they should buy. Neither Robert Parker nor any of the other wine gurus were on the scene yet, but I remember reading somewhere that Riesling was a good match for turkey and that Wente Grey Riesling was one of California's best. And so that's what we bought.
Though it turns out Grey Riesling wasn't a true Riesling (it's actually the French grape Chaucé Gris), here I am in 2008, thinking about wines for turkey day and zeroing in on Riesling for one of the wines.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Monday, December 15, 2008
Fast Workouts That Really Work!
Provided by: SELF.com
I love my long training runs, but most days carving out more than an hour to work out just isn't in the cards. And when my schedule is really crammed, shoehorning a sweat session seems next to impossible.
Luckily, the fantastic fitness team at SELF let me in on a little secret: You can get an hour's worth of fitness and calorie burning in 20 short minutes. Yes, I was skeptical at first, but this fat-blasting routine is as ultraeffective as it is speedy, and the secret lies in high-intensity spurts of energy.
Here's how to do it:
• Pick any cardio you like (running, swimming, the elliptical trainer). Warm up for 2 minutes at a moderate pace, then sprint for 30 seconds at the highest intensity you can muster.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
I love my long training runs, but most days carving out more than an hour to work out just isn't in the cards. And when my schedule is really crammed, shoehorning a sweat session seems next to impossible.
Luckily, the fantastic fitness team at SELF let me in on a little secret: You can get an hour's worth of fitness and calorie burning in 20 short minutes. Yes, I was skeptical at first, but this fat-blasting routine is as ultraeffective as it is speedy, and the secret lies in high-intensity spurts of energy.
Here's how to do it:
• Pick any cardio you like (running, swimming, the elliptical trainer). Warm up for 2 minutes at a moderate pace, then sprint for 30 seconds at the highest intensity you can muster.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The Little Known Risks of Working From Home
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
Working from home has its advantages. No need to shower, shave or even dress; traffic jams are minimized to dodging laundry in the hallway; and then there's the Judge Judy break at four.
Yet with such fringe benefits come disadvantages and dangers few employers are taking seriously and few employees understand, such as the stress of working daylong in front of a computer in what could be an ergonomically undesirable setting, injuries from household hazards, expectations of being available around the clock, or working alone without colleague interaction and, dare we imagine, without computer tech support.
What are the Risks?
Thousands of fires each year begin in the home office for a variety of reasons, according to data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System. A primary cause is overtaxed electrical systems, as telecommuters jam the electrical cords for fax, printer, computer, lamp and space heater into a single socket.
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Working from home has its advantages. No need to shower, shave or even dress; traffic jams are minimized to dodging laundry in the hallway; and then there's the Judge Judy break at four.
Yet with such fringe benefits come disadvantages and dangers few employers are taking seriously and few employees understand, such as the stress of working daylong in front of a computer in what could be an ergonomically undesirable setting, injuries from household hazards, expectations of being available around the clock, or working alone without colleague interaction and, dare we imagine, without computer tech support.
What are the Risks?
Thousands of fires each year begin in the home office for a variety of reasons, according to data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System. A primary cause is overtaxed electrical systems, as telecommuters jam the electrical cords for fax, printer, computer, lamp and space heater into a single socket.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Profiting From Your Own Market Research
From The American Mixologist
Clearly, success greatly depends on knowing
who your clientele is, understanding their wants
and desires and then somehow finding a way of
providing it for them.
While you already probably know who is coming
into your establishment, demographic shifts do
occur. Sometimes the changes happen slowly,
almost imperceptibly.
Other times the changes to
the make-up of your clientele can occur rapidly.
For example, a new business complex opens
nearby or a manufacturing plant down the road
goes out of business.
Perhaps a new road is
completed that makes your establishment more
accessible.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Clearly, success greatly depends on knowing
who your clientele is, understanding their wants
and desires and then somehow finding a way of
providing it for them.
While you already probably know who is coming
into your establishment, demographic shifts do
occur. Sometimes the changes happen slowly,
almost imperceptibly.
Other times the changes to
the make-up of your clientele can occur rapidly.
For example, a new business complex opens
nearby or a manufacturing plant down the road
goes out of business.
Perhaps a new road is
completed that makes your establishment more
accessible.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Sunday, December 14, 2008
How Yeast Can Create Havoc in Your Life and How to Address it
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
If you think you may be suffering from a yeast-related problem, keep reading. My free special report, available for download below, will teach you how to identify Candida overgrowth and, more importantly, how to overcome it.
Millions of people are currently fighting a battle against a single-cell fungus they cannot see. This fungus belongs to a family of yeasts called Candida albicans, and under normal circumstances it’s a harmless part of your skin, intestines, and for women, your vagina.
But Candida cells develop rapidly, and if your system is out of balance from eating unhealthy foods, taking certain prescription drugs, fighting an illness, and more -- Candida can quickly grow out of control. The result is an astounding array of health problems that can rob you of energy and interfere with your ability to enjoy life.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
If you think you may be suffering from a yeast-related problem, keep reading. My free special report, available for download below, will teach you how to identify Candida overgrowth and, more importantly, how to overcome it.
Millions of people are currently fighting a battle against a single-cell fungus they cannot see. This fungus belongs to a family of yeasts called Candida albicans, and under normal circumstances it’s a harmless part of your skin, intestines, and for women, your vagina.
But Candida cells develop rapidly, and if your system is out of balance from eating unhealthy foods, taking certain prescription drugs, fighting an illness, and more -- Candida can quickly grow out of control. The result is an astounding array of health problems that can rob you of energy and interfere with your ability to enjoy life.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Ways to relieve stress
By Marnell Jameson
While not every stress reduction technique suits everyone, any incremental change -- a little more exercise, a little more sleep, a little deep breathing and a few more nights out with friends -- will help.
Get moving
Evolution has conditioned us to respond to stress as a physical threat, which is why our bodies produce hormones that prepare us to flee from trouble or fight back physically. However, running or punching usually isn't appropriate in our daily routines, so those hormones accumulate. This is where exercise comes in.
Initially, an intense workout is a stressor, boosting the heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline. But regular exercise leads to lower baseline heart rates, lower blood pressure and lower stress hormone levels when at rest. This makes occasional surges of stress easier to handle.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
While not every stress reduction technique suits everyone, any incremental change -- a little more exercise, a little more sleep, a little deep breathing and a few more nights out with friends -- will help.
Get moving
Evolution has conditioned us to respond to stress as a physical threat, which is why our bodies produce hormones that prepare us to flee from trouble or fight back physically. However, running or punching usually isn't appropriate in our daily routines, so those hormones accumulate. This is where exercise comes in.
Initially, an intense workout is a stressor, boosting the heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline. But regular exercise leads to lower baseline heart rates, lower blood pressure and lower stress hormone levels when at rest. This makes occasional surges of stress easier to handle.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Bartending Qualifications: The Top Five Mandatory Skills
by Jim Hofman
Bartending is one of the most flexible careers in the world. People are often drawn to bartending because of the income potential, varied hours, and the demand for bartenders from cities to small towns and everywhere in between. No matter where you live, chances are great there are bartenders employed within minutes of your home.
It’s no wonder then why so many people want to bartend. But what exactly are the qualifications of a successful bartender? This is where things get a little hazy. This is not as simple as an accountant needing an accouting degree or a truck driver needing a particular level of drivers lisence.
Conversely, the qualifications of an ideal bartender require a bit of soul searching on the part of the individual.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Bartending is one of the most flexible careers in the world. People are often drawn to bartending because of the income potential, varied hours, and the demand for bartenders from cities to small towns and everywhere in between. No matter where you live, chances are great there are bartenders employed within minutes of your home.
It’s no wonder then why so many people want to bartend. But what exactly are the qualifications of a successful bartender? This is where things get a little hazy. This is not as simple as an accountant needing an accouting degree or a truck driver needing a particular level of drivers lisence.
Conversely, the qualifications of an ideal bartender require a bit of soul searching on the part of the individual.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Stress reduction: Why you need to get a grip and how
By Marnell Jameson
Stocks are falling. Companies are handing out pink slips. Home values are collapsing. Financial icons are folding.And Americans' stress is rising. The 2008 Stress in America survey, conducted by the American Psychological Assn. and released in October, found that stress levels have increased significantly over the last two years, particularly in the last six months.
Money and the economy top the list of concerns.Among 2,500 participants from across the country, 81% said money was a significant cause of stress, up from 73% in 2007 and 59% in 2006. Worries about other economic issues also increased.
Between April and October, worries about work jumped from 62% to 67%; concerns over housing costs rose from 56% to 62%; and job stability woes increased from 48% to 56%.
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Stocks are falling. Companies are handing out pink slips. Home values are collapsing. Financial icons are folding.And Americans' stress is rising. The 2008 Stress in America survey, conducted by the American Psychological Assn. and released in October, found that stress levels have increased significantly over the last two years, particularly in the last six months.
Money and the economy top the list of concerns.Among 2,500 participants from across the country, 81% said money was a significant cause of stress, up from 73% in 2007 and 59% in 2006. Worries about other economic issues also increased.
Between April and October, worries about work jumped from 62% to 67%; concerns over housing costs rose from 56% to 62%; and job stability woes increased from 48% to 56%.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tips for Finding Employment in Hard Times
By Colleen Paulson
We can all agree that times are tough. Everywhere I turn, it seems that more companies are cutting jobs across the board. It's not just General Motors (NYSE:GM - News) and Ford (NYSE:F - News) anymore; everyone from Starbucks (NasdaqGS:SBUX - News) to Sun Microsystems (NasdaqGS:JAVA - News) to Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) is announcing massive layoffs at all levels.
If you're gainfully employed, you're probably relieved it's not you. But if your company isn't among those that have had to slash jobs, I'm sure you at least know someone who has been affected.
As a professional resume writer, I'm particularly interested in career development and the job search in general. I come in contact with all types of people, from Gen Yers just starting out to baby boomers looking for a job to carry them through to retirement.
Of course, it can be especially tough to find a job in economic times like these. But there are some methods that can help you navigate through the madness, and I'd like to share some outside-the-box tips for finding a job today.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
We can all agree that times are tough. Everywhere I turn, it seems that more companies are cutting jobs across the board. It's not just General Motors (NYSE:GM - News) and Ford (NYSE:F - News) anymore; everyone from Starbucks (NasdaqGS:SBUX - News) to Sun Microsystems (NasdaqGS:JAVA - News) to Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) is announcing massive layoffs at all levels.
If you're gainfully employed, you're probably relieved it's not you. But if your company isn't among those that have had to slash jobs, I'm sure you at least know someone who has been affected.
As a professional resume writer, I'm particularly interested in career development and the job search in general. I come in contact with all types of people, from Gen Yers just starting out to baby boomers looking for a job to carry them through to retirement.
Of course, it can be especially tough to find a job in economic times like these. But there are some methods that can help you navigate through the madness, and I'd like to share some outside-the-box tips for finding a job today.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Risk & reward: Pinot pioneers lead the way as winemakers find success in Oregon's Willamette Valley
By Bill Daley
NEWBERG, Ore.--No one back in the 1960s, especially the experts down in sunny California, thought wine grapes could grow this far north in the Willamette Valley's cool climate. It took a loose band of young viticultural pioneers to prove them wrong.
These innovators were struck by how the region had climactic properties akin to the French province of Burgundy. The Willamette Valley is crossed by the 45th parallel, that imaginary line halfway between the equator and the North Pole linking some of the world's great wine regions.
Burgundy lies just to the north of that line of latitude. So, Oregon winemakers decided to plant Burgundian grapes, notably pinot noir, and see what happened.
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NEWBERG, Ore.--No one back in the 1960s, especially the experts down in sunny California, thought wine grapes could grow this far north in the Willamette Valley's cool climate. It took a loose band of young viticultural pioneers to prove them wrong.
These innovators were struck by how the region had climactic properties akin to the French province of Burgundy. The Willamette Valley is crossed by the 45th parallel, that imaginary line halfway between the equator and the North Pole linking some of the world's great wine regions.
Burgundy lies just to the north of that line of latitude. So, Oregon winemakers decided to plant Burgundian grapes, notably pinot noir, and see what happened.
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Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Your 2009 Recession Survival Guide
by Kimberly Palmer
So you think it's bad news that a recession has been "officially declared"? (Turns out, it started back in December of last year.) Puh-lease. First of all, it shouldn't be news to anyone that the economy has been in the tank for a while.
Unemployment has been climbing (from 4.4 percent in March 2007 to 6.5 percent now), and the stock market has been plummeting (down roughly 40 percent so far this year). Ouch!
Second, the recession announcement by the National Bureau of Economic Research can be a handy catalyst for action.
Now that there's not a shadow of a doubt that the economy is terrible, you can look ahead to 2009, make smart plans to weather the downturn, and--if you're savvy--figure out how to take advantage of the tough times we'll be facing all next year:
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
So you think it's bad news that a recession has been "officially declared"? (Turns out, it started back in December of last year.) Puh-lease. First of all, it shouldn't be news to anyone that the economy has been in the tank for a while.
Unemployment has been climbing (from 4.4 percent in March 2007 to 6.5 percent now), and the stock market has been plummeting (down roughly 40 percent so far this year). Ouch!
Second, the recession announcement by the National Bureau of Economic Research can be a handy catalyst for action.
Now that there's not a shadow of a doubt that the economy is terrible, you can look ahead to 2009, make smart plans to weather the downturn, and--if you're savvy--figure out how to take advantage of the tough times we'll be facing all next year:
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Where To Find Real Work At Home Jobs
By Mark Molina
If you have spent any time at all online looking for a real work at home job, and you know how hard it is to do. There are ways around that, however, and dealing directly with the company is much better than doing online searches. There are businesses willing to hire people to work for them rather than having them come to work every day.
Some of these could include outside salespeople, customer service, telemarketing, website design, blogging, ghost writing, insurance people, service people, and so on. In many cases these are performance-based pay or commission based pay jobs. A lot of these are part-time and do not offer any benefits.
However if you were to visit the website Tjobs.com you will find more and more companies that are hiring people to work from home, and offering benefits such as health insurance, vacation pay, and retirement benefits.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
If you have spent any time at all online looking for a real work at home job, and you know how hard it is to do. There are ways around that, however, and dealing directly with the company is much better than doing online searches. There are businesses willing to hire people to work for them rather than having them come to work every day.
Some of these could include outside salespeople, customer service, telemarketing, website design, blogging, ghost writing, insurance people, service people, and so on. In many cases these are performance-based pay or commission based pay jobs. A lot of these are part-time and do not offer any benefits.
However if you were to visit the website Tjobs.com you will find more and more companies that are hiring people to work from home, and offering benefits such as health insurance, vacation pay, and retirement benefits.
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Top 10 Views From The Trenches
From The American Mixologist
As the adage goes, “when a man with money meets
a man with experience, the man with experience
ends up with the money and the man with the
money ends up with the experience.”
Working behind a bar is a great way to gain
insight into the food and beverage experience. Life
in the trenches comes with a fabulous view.
You see and hear just about everything that can be seen or
heard. We’ve polled our experts and come up with
a list of the most important things for bartenders
to heed when slugging it out in the trenches.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
As the adage goes, “when a man with money meets
a man with experience, the man with experience
ends up with the money and the man with the
money ends up with the experience.”
Working behind a bar is a great way to gain
insight into the food and beverage experience. Life
in the trenches comes with a fabulous view.
You see and hear just about everything that can be seen or
heard. We’ve polled our experts and come up with
a list of the most important things for bartenders
to heed when slugging it out in the trenches.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Monday, December 08, 2008
No Outsourcing Here: Jobs That Are Staying Put
by Kelly McCarthy, EarnMyDegree.com
For U.S. businesses seeking to cut costs, outsourcing is an increasingly popular practice. Jobs initially sent offshore were mostly manufacturing jobs, but nowadays employers are taking advantage of all types of cheap labor overseas.
Invest Wisely
You didn't spend years getting an education only to lose your livelihood to foreign workers. The monthly wages they earn wouldn't pay your cable bill here in the U.S. That's why it's imperative that you carefully research your chosen degree area prior to investing loads of time and money.
It Doesn't Matter What Color Your Collar Is
Blue collar, white collar -- Nearly all industries can be affected by outsourcing. Any company looking to save money is likely to investigate what savings can be had by moving some (or all) of their labor needs to a foreign country.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
For U.S. businesses seeking to cut costs, outsourcing is an increasingly popular practice. Jobs initially sent offshore were mostly manufacturing jobs, but nowadays employers are taking advantage of all types of cheap labor overseas.
Invest Wisely
You didn't spend years getting an education only to lose your livelihood to foreign workers. The monthly wages they earn wouldn't pay your cable bill here in the U.S. That's why it's imperative that you carefully research your chosen degree area prior to investing loads of time and money.
It Doesn't Matter What Color Your Collar Is
Blue collar, white collar -- Nearly all industries can be affected by outsourcing. Any company looking to save money is likely to investigate what savings can be had by moving some (or all) of their labor needs to a foreign country.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
7 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Life
Amy Fontinelle
Are you worried about how a recession might affect you? You can put your fears to rest because there are many everyday habits the average person can implement to ease the sting of a recession, or even make it so its effects aren't felt at all. In this article, we'll discuss seven ways to do just that.
No. 1: Have an Emergency Fund
If you have plenty of cash lying around in a high-interest, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured account, not only will your money retain its full value in times of market turmoil, it will also be extremely liquid, giving you easy access to funds if you lose your job or are forced to take a pay cut.
Also, if you have your own cash, it won't be an issue if other sources of backup funds dry up, such as a home equity line of credit.
No. 2: Always Live Within Your Means
If you make it a habit to live within your means each and every day, you are less likely to go into consumer debt when gas or food prices go up and more likely to adjust your spending in other areas to compensate.
Debt begets more debt when you can't pay it off right away - if you think gas prices are high, wait until you're paying 29.99% annual percentage rate (APR) on them.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Are you worried about how a recession might affect you? You can put your fears to rest because there are many everyday habits the average person can implement to ease the sting of a recession, or even make it so its effects aren't felt at all. In this article, we'll discuss seven ways to do just that.
No. 1: Have an Emergency Fund
If you have plenty of cash lying around in a high-interest, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured account, not only will your money retain its full value in times of market turmoil, it will also be extremely liquid, giving you easy access to funds if you lose your job or are forced to take a pay cut.
Also, if you have your own cash, it won't be an issue if other sources of backup funds dry up, such as a home equity line of credit.
No. 2: Always Live Within Your Means
If you make it a habit to live within your means each and every day, you are less likely to go into consumer debt when gas or food prices go up and more likely to adjust your spending in other areas to compensate.
Debt begets more debt when you can't pay it off right away - if you think gas prices are high, wait until you're paying 29.99% annual percentage rate (APR) on them.
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Bartending Certification: Goldmine Or Waste Of Time?
By Jim Hofman
There's an obvious appeal to the bartender. He or she is, at any given moment, a social director, a friendly ear, or simply the person who delivers your drinks with a smile. A great bartender is one of a bar's greatest assets, often bringing in a consistent crowd of regulars who enjoy stopping in and adding to the bottom line.
Bartenders themselves have a unique advantage, all things being equal. In the right establishment, an effective bartender can earn full time wages working part time hours. It's not unusual for these hardworking barkeeps to take home several hundred dollars per shift.
As a result, the bartending profession is viewed with great respect and is a desired occupation for many.
Breaking In To The Bartending Profession
Very frankly, the best way to land a bartending job is to have direct experience as a bartender. Of course, this is a classic Catch 22. Most establishments strongly prefer to hire experienced bartenders since the bar business brings in the most profit.
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There's an obvious appeal to the bartender. He or she is, at any given moment, a social director, a friendly ear, or simply the person who delivers your drinks with a smile. A great bartender is one of a bar's greatest assets, often bringing in a consistent crowd of regulars who enjoy stopping in and adding to the bottom line.
Bartenders themselves have a unique advantage, all things being equal. In the right establishment, an effective bartender can earn full time wages working part time hours. It's not unusual for these hardworking barkeeps to take home several hundred dollars per shift.
As a result, the bartending profession is viewed with great respect and is a desired occupation for many.
Breaking In To The Bartending Profession
Very frankly, the best way to land a bartending job is to have direct experience as a bartender. Of course, this is a classic Catch 22. Most establishments strongly prefer to hire experienced bartenders since the bar business brings in the most profit.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Learning to Run Your Business
By David Bullock
Learning how to run your business is one of the hardest lessons to learn. Many times we are working someone else’s business and not our own business. We may have false expectations for outcomes and exercise bad judgment in anticipating how long the process is going to take.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone…believe me. These are common and very big mistakes that keep people running in circles for years. Let’s take a step backward, though, and look at things through a wider lens.
Sometimes the simplest things show us the greatest lessons… This past weekend my little girl learned to ride her bicycle. It was one of the happiest moments in her life and one of the proudest in mine.
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Learning how to run your business is one of the hardest lessons to learn. Many times we are working someone else’s business and not our own business. We may have false expectations for outcomes and exercise bad judgment in anticipating how long the process is going to take.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone…believe me. These are common and very big mistakes that keep people running in circles for years. Let’s take a step backward, though, and look at things through a wider lens.
Sometimes the simplest things show us the greatest lessons… This past weekend my little girl learned to ride her bicycle. It was one of the happiest moments in her life and one of the proudest in mine.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
How To Make Better Decisions About Your Business
By David Bullock
Let’s face it…the decisions you make for your business will make or break it.
Basic questions like these don’t require creative thinking but they do require critical thinking; you know, that “logic and systematic thinking” that we learned about many years ago but didn’t pay attention to because it was so boring.
As a business owner, this “boring stuff” may be your best bet in regards to making good decisions about the next steps for your business…
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Let’s face it…the decisions you make for your business will make or break it.
What is the next project?
Where do I spend?
Where do I cut back?
Where to advertise and promote?
Who to hire?
When to start, wait, stop?
Who to talk to next?
Should I expand the product line?
Basic questions like these don’t require creative thinking but they do require critical thinking; you know, that “logic and systematic thinking” that we learned about many years ago but didn’t pay attention to because it was so boring.
As a business owner, this “boring stuff” may be your best bet in regards to making good decisions about the next steps for your business…
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Holiday beers: something to celebrate
By Rob Kasper
Now that Thanksgiving is upon us, it is OK to drink holiday beers.I have a confession: Some of us have already started.
A little over a week ago, in a move that some might equate with opening the presents before Christmas, I was among a panel of tasters who gathered in a back room at the Wine Source in Hampden, popped the tops off 60 bottled winter beers and "peeked" at what the next weeks of beer drinking have to offer.
The short answer is a lot of good stuff. The Belgians work wonders with sugar and yeasts in their beers. The Americans, an ever inventive lot, delight us with their bigger but balanced brews. And the English deliver toasted and roasted delights.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Now that Thanksgiving is upon us, it is OK to drink holiday beers.I have a confession: Some of us have already started.
A little over a week ago, in a move that some might equate with opening the presents before Christmas, I was among a panel of tasters who gathered in a back room at the Wine Source in Hampden, popped the tops off 60 bottled winter beers and "peeked" at what the next weeks of beer drinking have to offer.
The short answer is a lot of good stuff. The Belgians work wonders with sugar and yeasts in their beers. The Americans, an ever inventive lot, delight us with their bigger but balanced brews. And the English deliver toasted and roasted delights.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Saturday, December 06, 2008
10 Things That Are Going Right
Never in modern memory have Americans been so gloomy about their future. A record 90% of registered voters say the country is seriously off on the wrong track, according to the most recent ABC News poll.
Whispers of a recession at the beginning of 2008 have turned into a full-blown financial panic, despite unprecedented intervention from Washington and other capitals around the world. A long economic slump lasting well into 2009 looks quite likely.
But take heart. The editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance and Kiplinger's forecasting put their heads together and came up with ten things going right these days. See if you agree:
1.Oil Loses Its Swagger: With the U.S. and global economy hurting, oil prices have dropped 50% in just three months, from $147 a barrel in July to the $75 range. Remember $80-$100 fill-ups at the pump? The national average for a gallon of gasoline is down to $3.10, from $4.11 in March, and should stay in the $3.00-$3.50 range through next year. Prices for home heating oil and natural gas are also headed lower this winter than last.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Whispers of a recession at the beginning of 2008 have turned into a full-blown financial panic, despite unprecedented intervention from Washington and other capitals around the world. A long economic slump lasting well into 2009 looks quite likely.
But take heart. The editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance and Kiplinger's forecasting put their heads together and came up with ten things going right these days. See if you agree:
1.Oil Loses Its Swagger: With the U.S. and global economy hurting, oil prices have dropped 50% in just three months, from $147 a barrel in July to the $75 range. Remember $80-$100 fill-ups at the pump? The national average for a gallon of gasoline is down to $3.10, from $4.11 in March, and should stay in the $3.00-$3.50 range through next year. Prices for home heating oil and natural gas are also headed lower this winter than last.
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Top Spots to Live Very Well on Less
by Matt Woolsey with Jacqueline Detwiler
Though the worldwide economic crisis has hit wallets hard, don't expect the self-proclaimed masters of the universe to stop living the lifestyle they've grown accustomed to. Instead, deposed chief executives and investment analysts from Wall Street to City London are likely wondering where they can get the most bang for their golden parachute buck.
To find the cheapest places to live extremely well, we measured a basket of premium luxury goods and their prices in eight financial capitals: London, Paris, Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
A one-bedroom suite at the Four Seasons costs $4,450 a night in New York versus $1,029 a night in Hong Kong. A kilo of Petrossian caviar costs $11,750 in Paris versus $16,500 in Dubai. One dozen Turnbull & Asser shirts are a modest $3,400 in London but $4,035 in Tokyo.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Though the worldwide economic crisis has hit wallets hard, don't expect the self-proclaimed masters of the universe to stop living the lifestyle they've grown accustomed to. Instead, deposed chief executives and investment analysts from Wall Street to City London are likely wondering where they can get the most bang for their golden parachute buck.
To find the cheapest places to live extremely well, we measured a basket of premium luxury goods and their prices in eight financial capitals: London, Paris, Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
A one-bedroom suite at the Four Seasons costs $4,450 a night in New York versus $1,029 a night in Hong Kong. A kilo of Petrossian caviar costs $11,750 in Paris versus $16,500 in Dubai. One dozen Turnbull & Asser shirts are a modest $3,400 in London but $4,035 in Tokyo.
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Friday, December 05, 2008
Millionaires Focus on Freedom
by Jay MacDonald
Want to get to the top financially? Take advice from those who are already there.
At a glance
Name: Keith Cameron Smith Hometown: Ormond Beach, Fla. Education: Calvary Christian Academy, Ormond Beach, Fla.
Career highlights:
Financial guru Keith Cameron Smith, author of the best-selling "The Spiritual Millionaire" and himself a self-made millionaire at age 33, invested $100,000 and two years of his life to meet face-to-face with some of the world's wealthiest people to learn what makes them tick.
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Want to get to the top financially? Take advice from those who are already there.
At a glance
Name: Keith Cameron Smith Hometown: Ormond Beach, Fla. Education: Calvary Christian Academy, Ormond Beach, Fla.
Career highlights:
Author of the national best-seller, "The Spiritual Millionaire" and "The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class"
Entrepreneur and self-made millionaire at age 33
Hosted "Flames of Truth," a motivational radio program, for five years
Hosts seminars and teaches success principles to individuals, churches and companies across America
Financial guru Keith Cameron Smith, author of the best-selling "The Spiritual Millionaire" and himself a self-made millionaire at age 33, invested $100,000 and two years of his life to meet face-to-face with some of the world's wealthiest people to learn what makes them tick.
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5 Secrets to Staying Thin Through the Holidays
If you’re anything like the average American, you’re nearly a pound heavier after Thanksgiving than you were the day before. That’s because you just ate your way through the most calorie-riddled day of the year.
Between breakfast, snacks, drinks, desserts and the feast itself, the average person consumes more than 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving - more than twice your recommended intake.
Now here's the worse part: Between now and New Year's, you’ll eat on average an extra 600 calories per day!
That means gaining an addition six pounds heading into the new year - if you're not careful. Here are 5 fitness secrets that will not only help you shed that Turkey Day bloat, but will keep you lean and fit throughout the holidays.
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Between breakfast, snacks, drinks, desserts and the feast itself, the average person consumes more than 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving - more than twice your recommended intake.
Now here's the worse part: Between now and New Year's, you’ll eat on average an extra 600 calories per day!
That means gaining an addition six pounds heading into the new year - if you're not careful. Here are 5 fitness secrets that will not only help you shed that Turkey Day bloat, but will keep you lean and fit throughout the holidays.
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The Christmas Survival Guide for Bartenders - 7 Essential Tips you NEED to know going into the BUSIEST TIME of the Year!
From Bartender Confessions
Welcome to December! The GREATEST month you will EVER see as a Mobile Bartender. If you have properly marketed yourself and your business, you will have clients kicking down your door on their hands and knees PLEADING with you to book ‘em.
Your Fridays, Saturdays and even some weekdays will all be booked with corporate parties and Holiday get-togethers. And of course, it all ends on New Year’s with a BANG.
With the economy the way it is right now, I want to give you an Insurance Policy that will GUARANTEE you a financially successful December that will fatten your pockets with some extra dough that you can spend on some Christmas Shopping!
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Merry Christmas with Drink Recipes and More from The Authentic Bartender
Welcome to December! The GREATEST month you will EVER see as a Mobile Bartender. If you have properly marketed yourself and your business, you will have clients kicking down your door on their hands and knees PLEADING with you to book ‘em.
Your Fridays, Saturdays and even some weekdays will all be booked with corporate parties and Holiday get-togethers. And of course, it all ends on New Year’s with a BANG.
With the economy the way it is right now, I want to give you an Insurance Policy that will GUARANTEE you a financially successful December that will fatten your pockets with some extra dough that you can spend on some Christmas Shopping!
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Merry Christmas with Drink Recipes and More from The Authentic Bartender
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
20 Tips for Home Safety - Is Your Home A Safe Haven?
How safe is your home from common hazards such as falls, fires and poisonings? You may be surprised to find that hazards exist inside nearly every American home. According to the National Safety Council, more than 33,000 deaths and 8 million injuries happened in the home last year. In fact, more injuries occur in the home than in the workplace and from motor vehicle crashes combined.
Tips for a Safe Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most commonly used rooms in the home, and it is also among the most dangerous. Each year more than 18,000 injuries are related to the kitchen range alone. Here are three tips to help you eliminate hazards in the kitchen.
Tip #1 - Turn pot handles away from the stove front.
Turning handles in so they don't hang over the front edge of the stove minimizes the risk of tipping pots over or having curious children pull them off the stove. Don't position handles over another burner either, as hot handles may catch fire or burn someone who touches the handle.
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Tips for a Safe Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most commonly used rooms in the home, and it is also among the most dangerous. Each year more than 18,000 injuries are related to the kitchen range alone. Here are three tips to help you eliminate hazards in the kitchen.
Tip #1 - Turn pot handles away from the stove front.
Turning handles in so they don't hang over the front edge of the stove minimizes the risk of tipping pots over or having curious children pull them off the stove. Don't position handles over another burner either, as hot handles may catch fire or burn someone who touches the handle.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
7 Fantastic Internet Hoaxes
By Alice LaPlante
Admit it. Even you, a savvy veteran e-mail user, have fallen for one or more of these Internet rumors. Or, even if you weren't quite sure of the veracity of a particular story or photograph, you e-mailed it to your friends to amuse/warn them, or to see what they thought.
Don't be embarrassed, you're not alone. Despite our increasing technological sophistication, we seem to be as susceptible as ever to people determined to make suckers of us. After all, Internet hoaxes play on our human, not technical, vulnerabilities.
These hoaxes use social engineering to trick people into doing what they otherwise wouldn't do," said Patrick Runald, chief security advisor for F-Secure, an Internet security firm. Graham Cluley, a senior security analyst with Sophos, a London-based security vendor, agreed.
"The most successful hoaxes have been the ones that people had a real compulsion to forward. These things can't travel unless humans participate. And, unlike anti-virus software, we haven't found a way to upgrade the human brain," said Cluley.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Admit it. Even you, a savvy veteran e-mail user, have fallen for one or more of these Internet rumors. Or, even if you weren't quite sure of the veracity of a particular story or photograph, you e-mailed it to your friends to amuse/warn them, or to see what they thought.
Don't be embarrassed, you're not alone. Despite our increasing technological sophistication, we seem to be as susceptible as ever to people determined to make suckers of us. After all, Internet hoaxes play on our human, not technical, vulnerabilities.
These hoaxes use social engineering to trick people into doing what they otherwise wouldn't do," said Patrick Runald, chief security advisor for F-Secure, an Internet security firm. Graham Cluley, a senior security analyst with Sophos, a London-based security vendor, agreed.
"The most successful hoaxes have been the ones that people had a real compulsion to forward. These things can't travel unless humans participate. And, unlike anti-virus software, we haven't found a way to upgrade the human brain," said Cluley.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
New Classy Cocktails Crafted With Fortified Wines
From The American Mixologist
It sure must have been one heck of a party. As the story goes, during the presidential race of 1876, New York socialite and wealthy heiress Jenny Jerome held a campaign function for candidate Samuel Tilden at the famed Manhattan Club.
Jerome, soon to become Lady Randolph Churchill and mother of Winston, requested a special cocktail be created for the event.What the staff devised consisted of rye whiskey, Angostura bitters and Italian (sweet) vermouth.
Like a spark to tinder, the cocktail swept through New York society. The drink that we now know as the Manhattan literally became the toast of the town. It’s said that financial mogul J. P. Morgan drank the cocktail every day at the end of trading on Wall Street.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
It sure must have been one heck of a party. As the story goes, during the presidential race of 1876, New York socialite and wealthy heiress Jenny Jerome held a campaign function for candidate Samuel Tilden at the famed Manhattan Club.
Jerome, soon to become Lady Randolph Churchill and mother of Winston, requested a special cocktail be created for the event.What the staff devised consisted of rye whiskey, Angostura bitters and Italian (sweet) vermouth.
Like a spark to tinder, the cocktail swept through New York society. The drink that we now know as the Manhattan literally became the toast of the town. It’s said that financial mogul J. P. Morgan drank the cocktail every day at the end of trading on Wall Street.
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