By Judy Foreman, Health Sense
Coffee drinkers, rejoice! The heavenly brew, once deemed harmful to health, is turning out to be, if not quite a health food, at least a low-risk drink, and in many ways a beneficial one. It could protect against diabetes, liver cancer, cirrhosis and Parkinson's disease.
What happened? Lots of new research, and the recognition that older, negative studies often failed to tease apart the effects of coffee and those of smoking because so many coffee drinkers were also smokers.
"Coffee was seen as very unhealthy," said Rob van Dam, a coffee researcher and epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health. "Now we have a more balanced view. We're not telling people to drink it for health. But it is a good beverage choice."
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Read this over coffee -- Go ahead: That cup of joe won't hurt you, the latest research says. It might even help you.
Charlie Munger's got a billion words of wisdom
By Kathy M. Kristof
About an hour before Charlie Munger, the Oracle of Pasadena, is set to speak, the pilgrims start filling a ballroom at the Pasadena Civic Center. I am one of them. As I settle in, I meet Imelda McCarthy, retired and "a bit over 21," who is here from Dublin, Ireland, and attending with her 34-year-old son, Darrach, who lives in West Los Angeles.
Bush Helzberg, an investment manager, flew in with his wife from Kansas City, Mo. Michael McGowan, author of "The Guide to Gold," comes every year from just down the street in Pasadena.
The 85-year-old Munger, round, balding, wearing a nondescript suit, is vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. of Omaha, the company chaired by Warren Buffett.
Technically, this is a shareholders meeting for Wesco Financial Corp., a Pasadena company that's chaired by Munger and 80% owned by Blue Chip Stamps, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. But that part of the event, held May 6, was adjourned in less than five minutes.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
About an hour before Charlie Munger, the Oracle of Pasadena, is set to speak, the pilgrims start filling a ballroom at the Pasadena Civic Center. I am one of them. As I settle in, I meet Imelda McCarthy, retired and "a bit over 21," who is here from Dublin, Ireland, and attending with her 34-year-old son, Darrach, who lives in West Los Angeles.
Bush Helzberg, an investment manager, flew in with his wife from Kansas City, Mo. Michael McGowan, author of "The Guide to Gold," comes every year from just down the street in Pasadena.
The 85-year-old Munger, round, balding, wearing a nondescript suit, is vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. of Omaha, the company chaired by Warren Buffett.
Technically, this is a shareholders meeting for Wesco Financial Corp., a Pasadena company that's chaired by Munger and 80% owned by Blue Chip Stamps, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway. But that part of the event, held May 6, was adjourned in less than five minutes.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Profiting From The Renaissance Of Gin
From The American Mixologist
Americans are rediscovering the affordable elegance and unrivaled complexity of premium gin. Crafted according to a secret blend of aromatics, every brand is endowed with an engaging personality as individually distinctive as DNA, which explains why no two smell or taste the same.
Enticing as well is that they’re a rarefied lot, an exclusive club with the fewest number of premium brands, making each a singular commodity representing a particular house style.
The character differences between the brand lie in how they’re made.
The most widely produced type is London Dry Gin, a term that now refers to a style rather than a geographical reference. They’re produced in two stages. First, a fermented mash of cereal grains are distilled in specially designed gin stills. The highly rectified, neutral spirit is then redistilled with the introduction of botanicals.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Americans are rediscovering the affordable elegance and unrivaled complexity of premium gin. Crafted according to a secret blend of aromatics, every brand is endowed with an engaging personality as individually distinctive as DNA, which explains why no two smell or taste the same.
Enticing as well is that they’re a rarefied lot, an exclusive club with the fewest number of premium brands, making each a singular commodity representing a particular house style.
The character differences between the brand lie in how they’re made.
The most widely produced type is London Dry Gin, a term that now refers to a style rather than a geographical reference. They’re produced in two stages. First, a fermented mash of cereal grains are distilled in specially designed gin stills. The highly rectified, neutral spirit is then redistilled with the introduction of botanicals.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Saturday, May 30, 2009
How to Spend Like a Frugal Millionaire
Kimberly Palmer
Saving thousands while still spending.
Millionaires make up just 2 percent of the population. They get a bad rap during recessions for being wasteful with their money and are frequently used as examples of excess. It's the millionaires that you don't see that you can learn from in times like these.
I call them the frugal millionaires and interviewed 70 of them to uncover ways we can all be smarter with money. Nearly 70 percent of the economy is based on consumer spending. To keep the economy going we need to keep spending but not waste money in the process.
This is where the frugal millionaires come in. They've been smart with their money all along and haven't lost it all and had to remake it. These are the kind of people you want to learn from when it comes to spending your money.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Saving thousands while still spending.
Millionaires make up just 2 percent of the population. They get a bad rap during recessions for being wasteful with their money and are frequently used as examples of excess. It's the millionaires that you don't see that you can learn from in times like these.
I call them the frugal millionaires and interviewed 70 of them to uncover ways we can all be smarter with money. Nearly 70 percent of the economy is based on consumer spending. To keep the economy going we need to keep spending but not waste money in the process.
This is where the frugal millionaires come in. They've been smart with their money all along and haven't lost it all and had to remake it. These are the kind of people you want to learn from when it comes to spending your money.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
No Outsourcing Here: How to Train for the Best American Jobs
by Patricia Cecil-Reed
White and blue-collar jobs alike have felt the sting of outsourcing in recent years, as companies send jobs overseas to countries where the labor can be performed more cheaply.
There are plenty of excellent professions that are not going anywhere, and in fact are expected to grow considerably over the next seven years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Below are some of the best, in terms of salary and job growth, along with information about how to train for these careers.
Education Administrator, Elementary or Secondary School
While online education is an increasingly popular option for college-level students, younger students still need live teachers, and live teachers require supervision by education administrators.
Career Training: A master's degree in education administration or educational leadership, plus related experience in a field such as teaching or school administration, is the most common route to becoming an education administrator.
Average Annual Salary: $82,120. Job Outlook: 12 percent growth is expected between now and 2016. Some of the most secure jobs will be for public school administrators, since public schools are funded by public tax dollars.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
White and blue-collar jobs alike have felt the sting of outsourcing in recent years, as companies send jobs overseas to countries where the labor can be performed more cheaply.
There are plenty of excellent professions that are not going anywhere, and in fact are expected to grow considerably over the next seven years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Below are some of the best, in terms of salary and job growth, along with information about how to train for these careers.
Education Administrator, Elementary or Secondary School
While online education is an increasingly popular option for college-level students, younger students still need live teachers, and live teachers require supervision by education administrators.
Career Training: A master's degree in education administration or educational leadership, plus related experience in a field such as teaching or school administration, is the most common route to becoming an education administrator.
Average Annual Salary: $82,120. Job Outlook: 12 percent growth is expected between now and 2016. Some of the most secure jobs will be for public school administrators, since public schools are funded by public tax dollars.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Useful Tips About The Bartending School
from http://www.needcareerchange.com/
The bartending icons that most people associate with barkeeps are usually portrayed as either exciting and romantic or boring and stupid; examples range from Tom Cruise in Cocktail to Moe in The Simpsons.
Most people would be surprised to find that instead of running the gamut at the far ends of these two extremes, bartending is really more of a middle of the road career. If you enjoy interacting with people, then you might be interested in attending a bartending school to learn about how to do it right.
Do your homework and check into one of the best bartending schools available, based on tuition and skills taught.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The bartending icons that most people associate with barkeeps are usually portrayed as either exciting and romantic or boring and stupid; examples range from Tom Cruise in Cocktail to Moe in The Simpsons.
Most people would be surprised to find that instead of running the gamut at the far ends of these two extremes, bartending is really more of a middle of the road career. If you enjoy interacting with people, then you might be interested in attending a bartending school to learn about how to do it right.
Do your homework and check into one of the best bartending schools available, based on tuition and skills taught.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Friday, May 29, 2009
9 Secrets to Online Bargain Hunting
By Cindy Waxer
The Internet can serve as an excellent source for bargains, from heavily discounted designer shoes to free shipping on best-selling books. And right now, the timing couldn't be better.
"This is an excellent time to (find online bargains) because of the economy," says Barb Webb, author of "The Mom's Guide to Earning and Saving Thousands on the Internet."
"Companies are trying to get your business, your attention and your money so they're offering a lot of coupons, deals and reduced pricing."
The trick is knowing just how and where to find fantastic deals in cyberspace. Deciphering today's price comparison Web sites, e-mail newsletters and coupon codes can be daunting.
Fortunately, by following a few simple steps, you can take advantage of the best deals online. Here are nine secrets to finding online bargains.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The Internet can serve as an excellent source for bargains, from heavily discounted designer shoes to free shipping on best-selling books. And right now, the timing couldn't be better.
"This is an excellent time to (find online bargains) because of the economy," says Barb Webb, author of "The Mom's Guide to Earning and Saving Thousands on the Internet."
"Companies are trying to get your business, your attention and your money so they're offering a lot of coupons, deals and reduced pricing."
The trick is knowing just how and where to find fantastic deals in cyberspace. Deciphering today's price comparison Web sites, e-mail newsletters and coupon codes can be daunting.
Fortunately, by following a few simple steps, you can take advantage of the best deals online. Here are nine secrets to finding online bargains.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Don't Go for the Goners
By Alyce Lomax
I have a feeling it's been terribly difficult for many individual investors to avoid the temptation to snap up shares of well-known companies that are trading in penny stock range.
If you're one of them, I implore you: Don't give in to that temptation without doing your homework, and sometimes even admitting that you're taking a gamble. Most of those beaten-down stocks are beaten down for a darn good reason.
The macroeconomic climate right now is brutal. Massive deleveraging is nothing to mess around with. Many companies will be blown right out of the water. Not only did many consumers have too much debt, but many companies did, too. It's a terrible brew of nastiness.
And now that consumers are dealing with plunging asset values, untenable debt, and increasing job losses, many companies' sales are understandably pinched, making it more difficult to service their own debt or borrow more to fund their operations. It's a domino effect, and it's ugly.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
I have a feeling it's been terribly difficult for many individual investors to avoid the temptation to snap up shares of well-known companies that are trading in penny stock range.
If you're one of them, I implore you: Don't give in to that temptation without doing your homework, and sometimes even admitting that you're taking a gamble. Most of those beaten-down stocks are beaten down for a darn good reason.
The macroeconomic climate right now is brutal. Massive deleveraging is nothing to mess around with. Many companies will be blown right out of the water. Not only did many consumers have too much debt, but many companies did, too. It's a terrible brew of nastiness.
And now that consumers are dealing with plunging asset values, untenable debt, and increasing job losses, many companies' sales are understandably pinched, making it more difficult to service their own debt or borrow more to fund their operations. It's a domino effect, and it's ugly.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Bartending School Is it For You?
Cocktail
Bartending has been portrayed by the media as running the gamut from exciting, as in movies like Cocktail, to not so thrilling, as in the bartender Mo in the Simpsons. As with any other job, a bartending job has its ups and downs, but it really depends on the person who is pursuing the career.
A bartending school is a great idea for someone who is looking to make bartending into a full time occupation. Bartending services run the gamut from just pouring beers in a local tavern, all the way to working in posh restaurants and knowing how to mix drinks.
Finding the best school to attend to learn how to bartend is very important; you need to know what your options are.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Bartending has been portrayed by the media as running the gamut from exciting, as in movies like Cocktail, to not so thrilling, as in the bartender Mo in the Simpsons. As with any other job, a bartending job has its ups and downs, but it really depends on the person who is pursuing the career.
A bartending school is a great idea for someone who is looking to make bartending into a full time occupation. Bartending services run the gamut from just pouring beers in a local tavern, all the way to working in posh restaurants and knowing how to mix drinks.
Finding the best school to attend to learn how to bartend is very important; you need to know what your options are.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How I'm Grabbing 20% Dividend Yields
By Selena Maranjian
There are a lot of very exciting dividend yields out there right now. In fact, of the companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges that pay out dividends, over 1,200 -- or over 40% -- currently have yields above 5%.
But when yields are unusually high, you often can't trust them. In a market like this, it can sometimes be hard to predict whether a company's future earnings will support future dividend payments. And if they won't, well, those high dividends are likely to end up on the cutting room floor.
Even the long-term dividend payers aren't immune. Wells Fargo, Dow Chemical, Motorola, and International Paper have all cut their dividends lately -- all of them stable, long-term blue chips.
Don't despair, though, because there are still ways to achieve high dividend yields relatively safely.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
There are a lot of very exciting dividend yields out there right now. In fact, of the companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges that pay out dividends, over 1,200 -- or over 40% -- currently have yields above 5%.
But when yields are unusually high, you often can't trust them. In a market like this, it can sometimes be hard to predict whether a company's future earnings will support future dividend payments. And if they won't, well, those high dividends are likely to end up on the cutting room floor.
Even the long-term dividend payers aren't immune. Wells Fargo, Dow Chemical, Motorola, and International Paper have all cut their dividends lately -- all of them stable, long-term blue chips.
Don't despair, though, because there are still ways to achieve high dividend yields relatively safely.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
How Grapes Protect Your Heart
From Mercola.com
A diet enriched by grapes may prevent the downhill sequence of heart failure after years of high blood pressure. A study suggests that grapes may prevent heart health risks beyond the simple blood pressure-lowering benefits that come from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
The heart-healthy benefits of grapes may be the result of the phytochemicals (naturally occurring antioxidants) activating a protective process in the genes that reduces damage to the heart muscle.
Researchers studied the effect regular table grapes had when added to the diets of rats. After 18 weeks, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet powder had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
A diet enriched by grapes may prevent the downhill sequence of heart failure after years of high blood pressure. A study suggests that grapes may prevent heart health risks beyond the simple blood pressure-lowering benefits that come from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
The heart-healthy benefits of grapes may be the result of the phytochemicals (naturally occurring antioxidants) activating a protective process in the genes that reduces damage to the heart muscle.
Researchers studied the effect regular table grapes had when added to the diets of rats. After 18 weeks, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet powder had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Responsible Adult Beverage Service….Who’s Responsible?
Article By: Nightclub and Bar
Whether we like it or not, responsible adult beverage service has become and will remain a necessary part of your beverage operations.
We can argue about the need for it; the costs associated with it; the time allotted for the training of it; and even whether to use an “off the shelf” or “customized” training program to implementation it.
All good arguments to have, but the fact remains that all of our hostesses/hosts, servers, bartenders and managers must be trained on how to identify a guest that is, or soon will be, over the limit and needs to be cut off. The tough part has always been who is going to do it and how it’s going to be done.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Whether we like it or not, responsible adult beverage service has become and will remain a necessary part of your beverage operations.
We can argue about the need for it; the costs associated with it; the time allotted for the training of it; and even whether to use an “off the shelf” or “customized” training program to implementation it.
All good arguments to have, but the fact remains that all of our hostesses/hosts, servers, bartenders and managers must be trained on how to identify a guest that is, or soon will be, over the limit and needs to be cut off. The tough part has always been who is going to do it and how it’s going to be done.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Want to Lose Weight? Try Vegetable Juice
From Mercola.com
Drinking at least one glass of low-sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight dieters lose more weight.In a study, adults who drank at least 8 ounces of vegetable juice as part of a diet lost 4 pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but did not drink the juice lost only 1 pound.
The vegetable juice drinkers also significantly increased their intake of vitamin C and potassium, while decreasing their overall carbohydrate intake.It's possible that vegetable juice helps reduce appetite.
In addition, vegetable juice drinkers are more likely to get the recommended 3 to 5 servings of vegetables daily.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Drinking at least one glass of low-sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight dieters lose more weight.In a study, adults who drank at least 8 ounces of vegetable juice as part of a diet lost 4 pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but did not drink the juice lost only 1 pound.
The vegetable juice drinkers also significantly increased their intake of vitamin C and potassium, while decreasing their overall carbohydrate intake.It's possible that vegetable juice helps reduce appetite.
In addition, vegetable juice drinkers are more likely to get the recommended 3 to 5 servings of vegetables daily.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Asthmatics: Have You Tried this Yet?
From Mercola.com
New research provides evidence for a link between vitamin D insufficiency and asthma severity. Serum vitamin D levels in more than 600 children were inversely linked to several indicators of allergy and asthma severity.
While previous studies have suggested that vitamin D may affect how airway cells respond to treatment with inhaled steroids, this is the first study of vitamin D and disease severity in children with asthma.
Children with lower vitamin D levels were significantly more likely to have been hospitalized for asthma in the previous year, tended to have airways with increased hyperreactivity, and were likely to have used more inhaled corticosteroids -- all signifying higher asthma severity.
These children were also significantly more likely to have several markers of allergy, including dust-mite sensitivity.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
New research provides evidence for a link between vitamin D insufficiency and asthma severity. Serum vitamin D levels in more than 600 children were inversely linked to several indicators of allergy and asthma severity.
While previous studies have suggested that vitamin D may affect how airway cells respond to treatment with inhaled steroids, this is the first study of vitamin D and disease severity in children with asthma.
Children with lower vitamin D levels were significantly more likely to have been hospitalized for asthma in the previous year, tended to have airways with increased hyperreactivity, and were likely to have used more inhaled corticosteroids -- all signifying higher asthma severity.
These children were also significantly more likely to have several markers of allergy, including dust-mite sensitivity.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
COCKTAILS | Beyond the Caipirinha
Article By: Nightclub and Bar
The Caipirinha may be the first thing that comes to mind when bartenders and mixologists think of cachaça, but the feisty Brazilian spirit offers opportunities to concoct cocktails beyond that traditional favorite. To learn more, Nightclub & Bar checked in with Tony Abou-Ganim, The Modern Mixologist.
NCB: What should be known about cachaça when approaching it as a cocktail ingredient?
Abou-Ganim: Perhaps most important thing is that cachaça is a category of spirit. It’s often referred to even on cachaca bottles as Brazilian rum, but it’s its own spirit. You need to grasp that it’s the national spirit of Brazil, it’s the third most consumed spirit in the world — behind vodka and sochu — and is produced from fresh pressed cane.
Oh, and we need to make sure guests can pronounce cachaça and Caipirinha, which means we need to be able to pronounce them correctly.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The Caipirinha may be the first thing that comes to mind when bartenders and mixologists think of cachaça, but the feisty Brazilian spirit offers opportunities to concoct cocktails beyond that traditional favorite. To learn more, Nightclub & Bar checked in with Tony Abou-Ganim, The Modern Mixologist.
NCB: What should be known about cachaça when approaching it as a cocktail ingredient?
Abou-Ganim: Perhaps most important thing is that cachaça is a category of spirit. It’s often referred to even on cachaca bottles as Brazilian rum, but it’s its own spirit. You need to grasp that it’s the national spirit of Brazil, it’s the third most consumed spirit in the world — behind vodka and sochu — and is produced from fresh pressed cane.
Oh, and we need to make sure guests can pronounce cachaça and Caipirinha, which means we need to be able to pronounce them correctly.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Dirty Little Secrets of Sunscreen & Bug Spray
From Mercola.com
You may be one of those people for whom summer is far too short!
But like it or not, most of you only have a few short months to enjoy the great outdoors in most of the continental US. Why waste it dealing with the two most vexing hassles of the outdoor summer season?
After spending six or more months stuck inside buildings under cover from rain, snow and sleet, you rush out and spend all day on a Saturday or Sunday in the sun. Not only is the golf course beckoning, but so is yard work, the kids' sporting events, and the grill.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
You may be one of those people for whom summer is far too short!
But like it or not, most of you only have a few short months to enjoy the great outdoors in most of the continental US. Why waste it dealing with the two most vexing hassles of the outdoor summer season?
After spending six or more months stuck inside buildings under cover from rain, snow and sleet, you rush out and spend all day on a Saturday or Sunday in the sun. Not only is the golf course beckoning, but so is yard work, the kids' sporting events, and the grill.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Ridiculous Ideas That Made People Millions
by Katie Adams
Have you ever watched an infomercial or seen an item in a department store and thought "I could have thought of that!" Have you wished you had invested money early in a blockbuster invention?
Learn the stories behind some (seemingly) ridiculous ideas that have made inventors and investors very wealthy, and find out what you, as a potential investor, should look for and consider before putting up capital for a potential funding opportunity.
The Koosh Ball
You've may have never heard of Scott Stillinger but somewhere in your home or office you probably have one of his inventions – the Koosh ball, which made millions of dollars.
Stillinger came up with the idea for the Koosh ball when he tied rubber bands together to create a smaller, easier-to-catch ball for his young children in 1987.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Have you ever watched an infomercial or seen an item in a department store and thought "I could have thought of that!" Have you wished you had invested money early in a blockbuster invention?
Learn the stories behind some (seemingly) ridiculous ideas that have made inventors and investors very wealthy, and find out what you, as a potential investor, should look for and consider before putting up capital for a potential funding opportunity.
The Koosh Ball
You've may have never heard of Scott Stillinger but somewhere in your home or office you probably have one of his inventions – the Koosh ball, which made millions of dollars.
Stillinger came up with the idea for the Koosh ball when he tied rubber bands together to create a smaller, easier-to-catch ball for his young children in 1987.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
More People Bellying Up for Bartender School
by: Ryan Kath
They are bellying up, not to have a drink, but to learn how to pour one. Rows of liquor bottles filled with colored water instead of the real stuff adorn the Kansas City School of Bartending at 521 Cherry, near several downtown establishments.
Doug Willis, who has 25 years of industry experience, is helping students learn the tricks of the trade. Lately, the stools at the classroom bar have been filled with more regularity.
Owner Beth Merrill estimates enrollment has jumped more than 20 percent during the past year. Other Professional Bartending Schools of America show a similar spike.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
They are bellying up, not to have a drink, but to learn how to pour one. Rows of liquor bottles filled with colored water instead of the real stuff adorn the Kansas City School of Bartending at 521 Cherry, near several downtown establishments.
Doug Willis, who has 25 years of industry experience, is helping students learn the tricks of the trade. Lately, the stools at the classroom bar have been filled with more regularity.
Owner Beth Merrill estimates enrollment has jumped more than 20 percent during the past year. Other Professional Bartending Schools of America show a similar spike.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Monday, May 25, 2009
America's Best Bargain Cities --- Try these places if you want to get the most for your money
by Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Nearly a decade ago, after making a donation to a volunteer-run radio station in Austin, Texas, local librarian Red Wassenich was asked why he chose to support a broadcaster with a penchant for playing strange crooner music. "Because it keeps Austin weird," he said.
Since then, the phrase "Keep Austin Weird" has become the city's official rallying cry against the establishment of large chain stores near mom-and-pop shops--and, more generally, for maintaining the city's eccentric feel.
The city may be weird, but perhaps more redeeming is that it's also a bargain to live there: Austin is the place where people pay the least to get the most. "Austin has always been really different from the rest of Texas," says Wassenich, 59.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Nearly a decade ago, after making a donation to a volunteer-run radio station in Austin, Texas, local librarian Red Wassenich was asked why he chose to support a broadcaster with a penchant for playing strange crooner music. "Because it keeps Austin weird," he said.
Since then, the phrase "Keep Austin Weird" has become the city's official rallying cry against the establishment of large chain stores near mom-and-pop shops--and, more generally, for maintaining the city's eccentric feel.
The city may be weird, but perhaps more redeeming is that it's also a bargain to live there: Austin is the place where people pay the least to get the most. "Austin has always been really different from the rest of Texas," says Wassenich, 59.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Happiness Is ... Being Old, Male and Republican
By Robert Roy Britt
Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.
Happiness is a complex thing. Past studies have found that happiness is partly inherited, that Republicans are happier than Democrats, and that old men tend to be happier than old women.
And even before the economy got nasty, seniors were found to be generally happier than Baby Boomers. Some of that owes to the American Dream being lived by past generations, while Boomers work two jobs and watch the dream whither.
In times like this, it's clear how age can have its advantages. While not all seniors are weathering the recession well, for many the impact is much less severe than it is for younger people.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.
Happiness is a complex thing. Past studies have found that happiness is partly inherited, that Republicans are happier than Democrats, and that old men tend to be happier than old women.
And even before the economy got nasty, seniors were found to be generally happier than Baby Boomers. Some of that owes to the American Dream being lived by past generations, while Boomers work two jobs and watch the dream whither.
In times like this, it's clear how age can have its advantages. While not all seniors are weathering the recession well, for many the impact is much less severe than it is for younger people.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Recession good for bartending schools
By Doug Page
Tonjia Hogan and Nancy Brown lost their jobs. Now they are taking on the new profession as bartenders, a job they hope may be a little more recession-proof.
“When times are good, people go out to celebrate,” said Craig Glick, owner of the Professional Bartending School of Dayton where the women are learning the trade. “When times are bad, they go out and celebrate anyway.”
Or as Hogan said, “Now I can go into a bar and make money instead of spend money.”
Hogan was laid off from Reynolds & Reynolds after 11 years. She needs the income now and hopes to land a job at a hotel.
“I really don’t want to work in a bar with 21- or 22-year-olds. I’ve got two of those at home,” she said, laughing. “I came here because I don’t know if I ever could go back to the corporate world.”
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tonjia Hogan and Nancy Brown lost their jobs. Now they are taking on the new profession as bartenders, a job they hope may be a little more recession-proof.
“When times are good, people go out to celebrate,” said Craig Glick, owner of the Professional Bartending School of Dayton where the women are learning the trade. “When times are bad, they go out and celebrate anyway.”
Or as Hogan said, “Now I can go into a bar and make money instead of spend money.”
Hogan was laid off from Reynolds & Reynolds after 11 years. She needs the income now and hopes to land a job at a hotel.
“I really don’t want to work in a bar with 21- or 22-year-olds. I’ve got two of those at home,” she said, laughing. “I came here because I don’t know if I ever could go back to the corporate world.”
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Twitter Obliterates Facebook
By Tim Beyers
Facebook is a great service that I've been using for a while now, but it loses to Twitter for one simple reason: Whatever my friend Rick Munarriz may tell you, Facebook stinks at delivering ads.
Not quite adding it up
Some of the ads that appear on my Facebook profile page are perfectly fine. One, from Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), offers me business-banking services -- not bad, since I'm a self-employed writer. Another, from Target, asks that I help decide which causes will receive a portion of its corporate largesse.
Also not bad, because I have the "Causes" application attached to my Facebook profile.
Sadly, these are the exceptions. Other ads ask me if I'd like "auction leather furniture" or advice for buying a fixer-upper home -- nonsense, since we've been in our current house for 10 years.
Still other ads are regionally appropriate, aimed at me because I live in suburban Denver, but the content is off: I've no doubt David Byrne is a genius, but I never was and still am not much of a Talking Heads fan. You'll find none of Byrne's work in my iLike feed. So why is Facebook pitching me to buy tickets for a local appearance?
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Facebook is a great service that I've been using for a while now, but it loses to Twitter for one simple reason: Whatever my friend Rick Munarriz may tell you, Facebook stinks at delivering ads.
Not quite adding it up
Some of the ads that appear on my Facebook profile page are perfectly fine. One, from Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), offers me business-banking services -- not bad, since I'm a self-employed writer. Another, from Target, asks that I help decide which causes will receive a portion of its corporate largesse.
Also not bad, because I have the "Causes" application attached to my Facebook profile.
Sadly, these are the exceptions. Other ads ask me if I'd like "auction leather furniture" or advice for buying a fixer-upper home -- nonsense, since we've been in our current house for 10 years.
Still other ads are regionally appropriate, aimed at me because I live in suburban Denver, but the content is off: I've no doubt David Byrne is a genius, but I never was and still am not much of a Talking Heads fan. You'll find none of Byrne's work in my iLike feed. So why is Facebook pitching me to buy tickets for a local appearance?
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
TARP's Next Victim: Small Banks
By Morgan Housel
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced a plan to provide small, community banks with additional TARP funds, using the proceeds from bigger banks that are tying their brains in knots trying to repay their own TARP funds as soon as legally possible.
... Hooray?
Sure, I don't think anyone will argue that community banks are being unduly neglected. When AIG (NYSE: AIG), Citigroup (NYSE: C), and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) can snap their fingers and demand hundreds of billion of dollars, while community banks are left to fend for themselves, the double standard that exists between those "too big to fail" and "too small to care about" is huge.
Also, many of these small community banks successfully avoided the absurdly stupid practices that buried their megabank peers six feet under. They also serve thousands of small and midsized businesses that may be locked out of the lending market.
If anyone seems worthy of a little boost, it's them. Right?
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced a plan to provide small, community banks with additional TARP funds, using the proceeds from bigger banks that are tying their brains in knots trying to repay their own TARP funds as soon as legally possible.
... Hooray?
Sure, I don't think anyone will argue that community banks are being unduly neglected. When AIG (NYSE: AIG), Citigroup (NYSE: C), and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) can snap their fingers and demand hundreds of billion of dollars, while community banks are left to fend for themselves, the double standard that exists between those "too big to fail" and "too small to care about" is huge.
Also, many of these small community banks successfully avoided the absurdly stupid practices that buried their megabank peers six feet under. They also serve thousands of small and midsized businesses that may be locked out of the lending market.
If anyone seems worthy of a little boost, it's them. Right?
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Implementing A Measured Defense
From The American Mixologist
The harsh reality is that bars are often nickled and dimed into submission, and it often happens with every flick of the wrist.
The problem is that lax or nonexistent controls invariably lead to bartenders over-pouring or under-pouring the liquor portions in drinks. Each negatively impacts your guests, and both have serious consequences.
For example, adding an extra ¼ ounce of spirits to a cocktail whose recipe calls for an ounce results in the drink’s cost percentage jumping 20%.
After the fifth time it happens, you’ve essentially lost a drink’s worth of product, as well as the sales proceeds it would have generated. More problematic is that each drink now contains 20% more alcohol.
In today’s .08 society, most people are acutely aware of how much alcohol they can safely consume and therefore they set limits for themselves. Over-portioning alcohol in drinks places the public at risk and increases an operator’s legal liability.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The harsh reality is that bars are often nickled and dimed into submission, and it often happens with every flick of the wrist.
The problem is that lax or nonexistent controls invariably lead to bartenders over-pouring or under-pouring the liquor portions in drinks. Each negatively impacts your guests, and both have serious consequences.
For example, adding an extra ¼ ounce of spirits to a cocktail whose recipe calls for an ounce results in the drink’s cost percentage jumping 20%.
After the fifth time it happens, you’ve essentially lost a drink’s worth of product, as well as the sales proceeds it would have generated. More problematic is that each drink now contains 20% more alcohol.
In today’s .08 society, most people are acutely aware of how much alcohol they can safely consume and therefore they set limits for themselves. Over-portioning alcohol in drinks places the public at risk and increases an operator’s legal liability.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Smart Moves to Fix Your Portfolio
By Dan Caplinger
A lot of investors have taken a look at their portfolios during the past year and realized that they've made huge mistakes that cost them a lot of money.
Whether you've hired a financial planner to advise you on what changes to consider or you're tackling the problem on your own, you may find that you need to make some big moves to get your investments back into shape.
Yet before you simply chuck everything you own and start over, think twice. A rash decision could have a huge impact on your portfolio -- and you may end up making a bad situation even worse.
Digging in the dirt
When you're just getting started with your investing, putting together a new portfolio from scratch simplifies things a lot. All you have to do is pick which investments interest you and decide how much to invest in each of them.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
A lot of investors have taken a look at their portfolios during the past year and realized that they've made huge mistakes that cost them a lot of money.
Whether you've hired a financial planner to advise you on what changes to consider or you're tackling the problem on your own, you may find that you need to make some big moves to get your investments back into shape.
Yet before you simply chuck everything you own and start over, think twice. A rash decision could have a huge impact on your portfolio -- and you may end up making a bad situation even worse.
Digging in the dirt
When you're just getting started with your investing, putting together a new portfolio from scratch simplifies things a lot. All you have to do is pick which investments interest you and decide how much to invest in each of them.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Bernanke Spies the Bottom
By Amanda B. Kish, CFA
It's been a long time coming, but hope is running high that the economy may be thinking about a recovery.
While we're anything but out of the woods just yet, the chorus of voices singing the tune of not-too-distant recovery has been getting support from some prominent places.
A light at the end of the tunnel
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke recently said, "We are hopeful that the very sharp decline we saw beginning last fall through early this year will moderate considerably in the near term and we will see positive growth by the end of the year."
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
It's been a long time coming, but hope is running high that the economy may be thinking about a recovery.
While we're anything but out of the woods just yet, the chorus of voices singing the tune of not-too-distant recovery has been getting support from some prominent places.
A light at the end of the tunnel
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke recently said, "We are hopeful that the very sharp decline we saw beginning last fall through early this year will moderate considerably in the near term and we will see positive growth by the end of the year."
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Bar Menus --- Keep Guests In Chairs and Cash In Your Till
From The American Mixologist
There is an industry adage that suggests the most expensive seat in your restaurant is the empty one. Keeping warm bodies in seats is best accomplished by exceeding guest expectations, which is exactly the intended function of a well designed bar menu.
"Maintaining a balanced focus between food and beverage is fundamentally important to attaining success in the restaurant business,” contends Bill Main, chairman and CEO of Bill Main and Associates, a leading restaurant consultancy.
“No restaurateur would force guests to guess what specials are being offered out of the kitchen, yet many do just that when it comes to the bar. The rationale for marketing a drink menu is the same as that behind featuring a food menu.”
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
There is an industry adage that suggests the most expensive seat in your restaurant is the empty one. Keeping warm bodies in seats is best accomplished by exceeding guest expectations, which is exactly the intended function of a well designed bar menu.
"Maintaining a balanced focus between food and beverage is fundamentally important to attaining success in the restaurant business,” contends Bill Main, chairman and CEO of Bill Main and Associates, a leading restaurant consultancy.
“No restaurateur would force guests to guess what specials are being offered out of the kitchen, yet many do just that when it comes to the bar. The rationale for marketing a drink menu is the same as that behind featuring a food menu.”
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Looking towards an economic recovery in the US
From LOM Global Perspectives
Risk aversion is declining and investors are feeling more comfortable about the outlook. Of course, a depression-like outcome was always highly unlikely. But the uncertainty and associated fear factor was at such a high level that people were willing to believe in the possibility of awful scenarios.
This is an unusual recession with characteristics that mark it as quite different from any experienced in the past. Reasonably, it follows that one should also expect the recovery to have features that will distinguish it from previous economic rebounds.
The crisis of the financial system, which is now easing, was the most severe since the nineteen thirties and has been experienced in every corner of the world. And, of course, the relatively high degree of integration of the global economy has resulted in a synchronised recession that, according to the IMF, is the first one since the Second World War.
Little wonder, then, that the policy response has also been massive.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Risk aversion is declining and investors are feeling more comfortable about the outlook. Of course, a depression-like outcome was always highly unlikely. But the uncertainty and associated fear factor was at such a high level that people were willing to believe in the possibility of awful scenarios.
This is an unusual recession with characteristics that mark it as quite different from any experienced in the past. Reasonably, it follows that one should also expect the recovery to have features that will distinguish it from previous economic rebounds.
The crisis of the financial system, which is now easing, was the most severe since the nineteen thirties and has been experienced in every corner of the world. And, of course, the relatively high degree of integration of the global economy has resulted in a synchronised recession that, according to the IMF, is the first one since the Second World War.
Little wonder, then, that the policy response has also been massive.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Become A Millionaire
by Steven Merkel,CFP®, ChFC
"You have to buy real estate!" Now how many times do you hear that during a real-estate bubble? If you take this advice, it may be wise to ask yourself if you have too much money tied up in your home and not enough in savings.
With all the talk of a diminishing social security system, the need to save more for retirement seems inevitable. So, let’s look at some of the options for building that million you need to retire in style.
Where Are Our Savings?
If you have a great deal invested in your house, remember, listed homes and other property can take anywhere from two weeks to more than a year to sell. Ask any agent who sold homes back in the 1980s, when prime interest rates were averaging over 11%!
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
"You have to buy real estate!" Now how many times do you hear that during a real-estate bubble? If you take this advice, it may be wise to ask yourself if you have too much money tied up in your home and not enough in savings.
With all the talk of a diminishing social security system, the need to save more for retirement seems inevitable. So, let’s look at some of the options for building that million you need to retire in style.
Where Are Our Savings?
If you have a great deal invested in your house, remember, listed homes and other property can take anywhere from two weeks to more than a year to sell. Ask any agent who sold homes back in the 1980s, when prime interest rates were averaging over 11%!
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Benefits to Going to a Bartending School
By Kathleen Neves
Before I became an instructor, I didn't really know anything about bartending schools. I gained my entire bar experience while working behind the bar. Since I started teaching, I have seen just how beneficial attending a bartending school can be.
Teaching has helped me correct some of the old, bad habits I had picked up over the years as well as learn a thing or two about bartending. Even after six years of bartending, there is always something new to learn.
There are some bartending schools out there that give all schools a bad name, so you just have to do your research. I work for the San Francisco School of Bartending (SFSOB). We offer lots of services that many other schools don't.
For one, all of our instructors are working bartenders. We emphasize our lessons that we teach through our own personal stories of working behind the bar. It doesn’t make sense to learn how to bartend from someone who has never worked behind a real bar in their life.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Before I became an instructor, I didn't really know anything about bartending schools. I gained my entire bar experience while working behind the bar. Since I started teaching, I have seen just how beneficial attending a bartending school can be.
Teaching has helped me correct some of the old, bad habits I had picked up over the years as well as learn a thing or two about bartending. Even after six years of bartending, there is always something new to learn.
There are some bartending schools out there that give all schools a bad name, so you just have to do your research. I work for the San Francisco School of Bartending (SFSOB). We offer lots of services that many other schools don't.
For one, all of our instructors are working bartenders. We emphasize our lessons that we teach through our own personal stories of working behind the bar. It doesn’t make sense to learn how to bartend from someone who has never worked behind a real bar in their life.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Bright Spot in Downturn: New Hiring Is Robust
by Steven Greenhouse
Everyone knows the grim news — unemployment in the United States has jumped to 8.5 percent, a 25-year high, and is racing toward double digits. Since November, the nation has lost more than three million jobs.
But not everyone knows the brighter side to the equation: deep in the maw of the deepest recession since the Great Depression, millions are still being hired.
So, while 4.8 million workers were laid off or chose to leave their jobs in February, employers across the country hired 4.3 million workers that month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Everyone knows the grim news — unemployment in the United States has jumped to 8.5 percent, a 25-year high, and is racing toward double digits. Since November, the nation has lost more than three million jobs.
But not everyone knows the brighter side to the equation: deep in the maw of the deepest recession since the Great Depression, millions are still being hired.
So, while 4.8 million workers were laid off or chose to leave their jobs in February, employers across the country hired 4.3 million workers that month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
If Money (or the lack of it) is a problem for you or the people you love then here's help!
By Brian Norris
We all need principle-based methods for personally managing money. We need to become empowered by the money we're already earning. Whatever you're earning now is more than enough to start your journey towards financial freedom.
Master these 15 principles...
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
We all need principle-based methods for personally managing money. We need to become empowered by the money we're already earning. Whatever you're earning now is more than enough to start your journey towards financial freedom.
Master these 15 principles...
- You are valuable. You deserve to expect a premium price for your time, products, services or expertise.
- Personal spending can be very emotional and ultimately addictive. Learn how to manage your addiction and keep your emotions in check by choosing to go into a buying freeze during emotional crisis.
When you monitor where you spend and when you spend your money, you tame it. Organizing your finances lets you create more money and more free time in the future (when you want it the most).
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Jobs Bartending Information
By Jeff Meier
There are many people who dream of becoming a bartender and finding great jobs bartending. Before these people can achieve this dream they will need to learn everything that they can from bartending schools.
Once the training period is over it will be necessary for you as a new bartender to get some jobs bartending. These types of jobs are very easy for the skilled bartender – even if they are a novice to get. To get this far in the jobs bartending offers you will need to have other skills under your belt.
These types of social bartending skills can be learned from bartending schools and colleges. After graduations these colleges and bartending schools can help place you in some of the best bartending jobs in the field of hospitality.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
There are many people who dream of becoming a bartender and finding great jobs bartending. Before these people can achieve this dream they will need to learn everything that they can from bartending schools.
Once the training period is over it will be necessary for you as a new bartender to get some jobs bartending. These types of jobs are very easy for the skilled bartender – even if they are a novice to get. To get this far in the jobs bartending offers you will need to have other skills under your belt.
These types of social bartending skills can be learned from bartending schools and colleges. After graduations these colleges and bartending schools can help place you in some of the best bartending jobs in the field of hospitality.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Monday, May 18, 2009
Make $50K Your First Year -- 7 Lucrative Fields That Don't Require an Advanced Degree
by Kara Wahlgren, ClassesUSA.com
We all have to work our way up the corporate ladder, and that typically means paying dues in a low-paying, entry-level gig. But if you cringe at the idea of working for peanuts, don't panic -- you don't need an M.D., J.D., or Ph.D. after your name to command a sizeable salary on day one. In these lucrative fields, even the rookies collect a healthy paycheck.
Web Designer
What it is: Can't stop surfing your favorite social networking site or online store? Thank the company's Web designer. Designers are responsible for mapping, coding, and maintaining sites for their clients. The position requires exhaustive technological know-how earned oftentimes from a Web design degree program and a creative eye -- and if you have both, the payout is rewarding.
What it pays: According to Salary.com, the average base salary for an entry-level designer is $50,555.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
We all have to work our way up the corporate ladder, and that typically means paying dues in a low-paying, entry-level gig. But if you cringe at the idea of working for peanuts, don't panic -- you don't need an M.D., J.D., or Ph.D. after your name to command a sizeable salary on day one. In these lucrative fields, even the rookies collect a healthy paycheck.
Web Designer
What it is: Can't stop surfing your favorite social networking site or online store? Thank the company's Web designer. Designers are responsible for mapping, coding, and maintaining sites for their clients. The position requires exhaustive technological know-how earned oftentimes from a Web design degree program and a creative eye -- and if you have both, the payout is rewarding.
What it pays: According to Salary.com, the average base salary for an entry-level designer is $50,555.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Business Musings From Woodstock for Capitalists
by Scott Patterson and Alistair Barr
Here are some highlights of Warren Buffett's and Charles Munger's remarks at the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shareholder meeting this past weekend.
Mr. Buffett on Newspapers
Mr. Buffett has long held himself out as a newspaper man. As a child, one of his first jobs was delivering newspapers. An Omaha newspaper Berkshire owned, Sun Newspapers, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 based in part on a tip Mr. Buffett provided. One of Berkshire's biggest investments in the 1970s was the Buffalo News, which it still owns.
But his view on the future of the newspaper industry is dismal. "For most newspapers in the United States, we would not buy them at any price," he said. "They have the possibility of going to just unending losses."
What Can You Learn From Randy Durnal?
From The American Mixologist
You know your day is starting off on the wrong foot when the crew from “60 Minutes” shows up on your doorstep. The same must be true if you’re in court, seated at the defense table and you see Randy Durnal take the stand for the plaintiff. Case closed, take out your checkbook.
Durnal is the country’s most respected and widely relied upon standard of care expert. In the area of dram shop litigation, he is a tenacious investigator and a credible, highly persuasive witness.
Having testified in over 500 liquor liability cases, Durnal’s reputation is well justified. “I have nothing against the industry, in fact I’ve testified on behalf of many licensees who served liquor responsibly,” says Durnal.
“But I’m a family man and in most of the cases I work the licensees and their employees were grossly negligent and had failed to institute adequate measures to mitigate their liability. I confess that I have no sympathy for licensees who get people drunk and turn them loose on an unwitting public.”
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
You know your day is starting off on the wrong foot when the crew from “60 Minutes” shows up on your doorstep. The same must be true if you’re in court, seated at the defense table and you see Randy Durnal take the stand for the plaintiff. Case closed, take out your checkbook.
Durnal is the country’s most respected and widely relied upon standard of care expert. In the area of dram shop litigation, he is a tenacious investigator and a credible, highly persuasive witness.
Having testified in over 500 liquor liability cases, Durnal’s reputation is well justified. “I have nothing against the industry, in fact I’ve testified on behalf of many licensees who served liquor responsibly,” says Durnal.
“But I’m a family man and in most of the cases I work the licensees and their employees were grossly negligent and had failed to institute adequate measures to mitigate their liability. I confess that I have no sympathy for licensees who get people drunk and turn them loose on an unwitting public.”
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Thursday, May 14, 2009
One of My Favorite Calming Strategies for Stressful Times
From Mercola.com
You're barraged continuously by these claims -- day in and day out.
Those flashy health and wellness promises you see on television, on the web, or in print ads -- the ones that seem too good to be true... and most of the time, they are.
You're barraged continuously by these claims -- day in and day out.
Those flashy health and wellness promises you see on television, on the web, or in print ads -- the ones that seem too good to be true... and most of the time, they are.
From miracle diet plans and wonder pills claiming to help you lose double-digit pounds in only days...
To those sensational "aches and pains" remedies that promise you'll feel like a teenager again in just 15 minutes...
And now scientists are working on a pill that allows you to skip exercising all together... yet gain the same benefits...
8 Excellent Web Resources for Startups
From Mercola.com
1. The Netsetter
The Netsetter is a fairly new, but very interesting and informative blog aimed at a particular subset of startups -- web-based businesses.
2. VentureBeat
VentureBeat is a blog for those who are interested in private business and venture capital. It doesn’t so much teach you how to run a business as it provides information that might inform your decisions.
3. How to Change the World
How to Change the World is the blog of Guy Kawasaki, a well-known figure in the online community of entrepreneurs. The blog covers everything from generating buzz for your business and products to what you should and shouldn’t include in your resume.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
1. The Netsetter
The Netsetter is a fairly new, but very interesting and informative blog aimed at a particular subset of startups -- web-based businesses.
2. VentureBeat
VentureBeat is a blog for those who are interested in private business and venture capital. It doesn’t so much teach you how to run a business as it provides information that might inform your decisions.
3. How to Change the World
How to Change the World is the blog of Guy Kawasaki, a well-known figure in the online community of entrepreneurs. The blog covers everything from generating buzz for your business and products to what you should and shouldn’t include in your resume.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Words of Wisdom From a 97-Year-Old Physician
From Mercola.com
At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. He has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing since 1941.
He has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one Living Long, Living Good that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself:
Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. Hinohara says we all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. He believes that we can keep that attitude as adults, too, and that it's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. He has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing since 1941.
He has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one Living Long, Living Good that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself:
Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. Hinohara says we all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. He believes that we can keep that attitude as adults, too, and that it's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
7 Great Side Jobs for Extra Cash
by Cherie L. Berkley, PayScale.com
Strapped for cash? Many people are in these trying times. With growing unemployment, salary cuts, and the rising cost of living, plenty of Americans are seeking additional avenues to increase cash flow. Check out these seven hot side jobs that can be done around your 9-to-5 and with skills you may already have.
1. Dog Walker. Even in a recession people don't skimp on their furry loved ones. Therefore, being a dog walker can be an easy sell, especially for other people who need to work two jobs to make ends meet.
The double bonus here is you can get great exercise while racking up extra bucks. You can also walk dogs before or after your full-time job. Dog walker median salary per hour: $16.29.
2. Handyman. No matter where the economy stands, things still break that must be fixed. When you are good at fixing things, word travels fast. It's possible to make a small mint fixing cars, installing shelves, building fences, or doing home electrical and plumbing jobs.
Keep in mind that some of these gigs may require attaining certain licenses and certifications. But, just consider how much a full-time car mechanic or a plumber charges. Even if you discount your rate, the pay is still good, and customers feel like they got a deal.
From painting to step-building, there are plenty of household jobs many people can't do or simply don't want to. Handyman median salary per hour: $17.33.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Strapped for cash? Many people are in these trying times. With growing unemployment, salary cuts, and the rising cost of living, plenty of Americans are seeking additional avenues to increase cash flow. Check out these seven hot side jobs that can be done around your 9-to-5 and with skills you may already have.
1. Dog Walker. Even in a recession people don't skimp on their furry loved ones. Therefore, being a dog walker can be an easy sell, especially for other people who need to work two jobs to make ends meet.
The double bonus here is you can get great exercise while racking up extra bucks. You can also walk dogs before or after your full-time job. Dog walker median salary per hour: $16.29.
2. Handyman. No matter where the economy stands, things still break that must be fixed. When you are good at fixing things, word travels fast. It's possible to make a small mint fixing cars, installing shelves, building fences, or doing home electrical and plumbing jobs.
Keep in mind that some of these gigs may require attaining certain licenses and certifications. But, just consider how much a full-time car mechanic or a plumber charges. Even if you discount your rate, the pay is still good, and customers feel like they got a deal.
From painting to step-building, there are plenty of household jobs many people can't do or simply don't want to. Handyman median salary per hour: $17.33.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Beat the Recession with a Bartender Job
by: Brian J Walker
Have you ever considered a career as a bartender? You can be a bartender at a restaurant, a club, a hotel, or pool hall. With the economy struggling like it is at the present moment, now is not the time to just sit around and do nothing.
With a bartending job, you can make the money that it takes to get through this recession, and still have some leftover to spend on yourself. Just by working part time, some bartenders are able to double their day job income. As a beginner you can expect to make around $150 per shift, on average.
The great part about becoming a bartender is that you do not need any prior experience, no matter what you have heard in the past. The truth is that you more than likely already possess all of the skills necessary to become a bartender.
Once you have made the decision to pursue a job in this field, then you will need to write a bartending specific resume that displays your relevant job skills.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Have you ever considered a career as a bartender? You can be a bartender at a restaurant, a club, a hotel, or pool hall. With the economy struggling like it is at the present moment, now is not the time to just sit around and do nothing.
With a bartending job, you can make the money that it takes to get through this recession, and still have some leftover to spend on yourself. Just by working part time, some bartenders are able to double their day job income. As a beginner you can expect to make around $150 per shift, on average.
The great part about becoming a bartender is that you do not need any prior experience, no matter what you have heard in the past. The truth is that you more than likely already possess all of the skills necessary to become a bartender.
Once you have made the decision to pursue a job in this field, then you will need to write a bartending specific resume that displays your relevant job skills.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Protecting Wall Street interests
From LOM Global Perspectives
The Obama administration continues to muddle through, in its handling of extensive problems in the financial system - - despite the fact that the gravity of the situation calls for rapid and decisive action. It demonstrates the hollowness of the promise of change that the president made during the election campaign last year.
Evidently, the presence of power structures and longstanding liaison between Wall Street and government has made it difficult to implement changes in policy. Those of us who have studied Machiavelli’s writings were, of course, never convinced that words about change would be translated into action.
Of course, oligarchic power structures prevail in many countries and the US is hardly unique in this respect. Just to take an example, in France the liaison between the state bureaucracy and the corporate world is very close.
Normally, in a deep crisis, such as the present one, the oligarchy is forced to make adjustments and take a hit, though there may be squabbling among different factions about which one pays the highest price. Indeed, this has been the outcome of previous crises in other countries.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The Obama administration continues to muddle through, in its handling of extensive problems in the financial system - - despite the fact that the gravity of the situation calls for rapid and decisive action. It demonstrates the hollowness of the promise of change that the president made during the election campaign last year.
Evidently, the presence of power structures and longstanding liaison between Wall Street and government has made it difficult to implement changes in policy. Those of us who have studied Machiavelli’s writings were, of course, never convinced that words about change would be translated into action.
Of course, oligarchic power structures prevail in many countries and the US is hardly unique in this respect. Just to take an example, in France the liaison between the state bureaucracy and the corporate world is very close.
Normally, in a deep crisis, such as the present one, the oligarchy is forced to make adjustments and take a hit, though there may be squabbling among different factions about which one pays the highest price. Indeed, this has been the outcome of previous crises in other countries.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
How Low Will Real Estate Go?
By Matt Woolsey
Two weeks ago, Joyti Goundar, an agent at Redfin, a residential real estate brokerage, entered a bid of $420,000 for a three-bedroom, 1,625-square-foot La Crescenta home outside of L.A., listed at $299,000.
When she lost the bid, she wasn't surprised. In July of 2008, Goundar bid $559,000 for a two-bedroom Arcadia house, also outside L.A., listed by Wells Fargo for $459,900. That one received 105 bids, driving the price up to $628,000, according to Los Angeles County records.
"Sellers want to generate a bidding war, and it's working," she says. So does this mean Southern California prices have reached bottom? Not by a long shot. Even with the bidding wars, prices aren't nearly as high as they were at the peak of the real estate boom. Values plummeted 31% in the L.A. metro area in 2008, according to the National Association of Realtors.
And values still have a long way to go. Based on historical balances of employment, housing sales, income, lending availability, foreclosures and vacancy rates, all dating back to 1982, home prices in the Los Angeles metro area still have 29% further to fall, according to Moody's Economy.com.
The best real estate deals, it seems, are yet to come.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Two weeks ago, Joyti Goundar, an agent at Redfin, a residential real estate brokerage, entered a bid of $420,000 for a three-bedroom, 1,625-square-foot La Crescenta home outside of L.A., listed at $299,000.
When she lost the bid, she wasn't surprised. In July of 2008, Goundar bid $559,000 for a two-bedroom Arcadia house, also outside L.A., listed by Wells Fargo for $459,900. That one received 105 bids, driving the price up to $628,000, according to Los Angeles County records.
"Sellers want to generate a bidding war, and it's working," she says. So does this mean Southern California prices have reached bottom? Not by a long shot. Even with the bidding wars, prices aren't nearly as high as they were at the peak of the real estate boom. Values plummeted 31% in the L.A. metro area in 2008, according to the National Association of Realtors.
And values still have a long way to go. Based on historical balances of employment, housing sales, income, lending availability, foreclosures and vacancy rates, all dating back to 1982, home prices in the Los Angeles metro area still have 29% further to fall, according to Moody's Economy.com.
The best real estate deals, it seems, are yet to come.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Monday, May 11, 2009
How to Write a Bartending Resume
by: B Williams
An essential step to getting your first bartending job is writing a good bartending resume. To write an effective bartending resume you want to take the skills you have learned on other jobs and translate them into bartending skills.
This isn't as difficult as it may sound and it could be the difference that gets you that interview, where you will earn the job. Let's take a look.
Every job experience teaches up a new set of skills. Even if the job you are currently in doesn't seem to have any lessons if you look hard enough you will find them.
One skill you see often on resumes is the ability to talk to people, or the characteristic of being a people person. Translated into a bartending school this could presented as using advanced upselling techniques to increase the profit per customer visit.
Bar managers love when their bartenders understand the value of upselling, it is a skill you need to make sure they know you have.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
An essential step to getting your first bartending job is writing a good bartending resume. To write an effective bartending resume you want to take the skills you have learned on other jobs and translate them into bartending skills.
This isn't as difficult as it may sound and it could be the difference that gets you that interview, where you will earn the job. Let's take a look.
Every job experience teaches up a new set of skills. Even if the job you are currently in doesn't seem to have any lessons if you look hard enough you will find them.
One skill you see often on resumes is the ability to talk to people, or the characteristic of being a people person. Translated into a bartending school this could presented as using advanced upselling techniques to increase the profit per customer visit.
Bar managers love when their bartenders understand the value of upselling, it is a skill you need to make sure they know you have.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Finding a financial road map
By Kelly Barron and Ann Marsh
Nearly a year ago, Alicia Cardenas knew it was time to take drastic action to prevent her fragile financial condition from crumbling into dust. She struggled to make monthly payments on her high-interest adjustable-rate mortgage, and often wound up at a payday loan store to get money to buy groceries and gas up her dusty, 7-year-old minivan.
She lost sleep fretting about losing her home, where she lives with her three children and 80-year-old mother. For help, she turned to Money Makeover, a monthly feature in The Times. "It was the best thing I ever did in my life," said a now-relaxed Cardenas, 46, sitting in the sunny dining room of her North Hollywood home.
With help from Los Angeles financial planner Jennifer Hartman, Cardenas staved off foreclosure by negotiating a more manageable fixed-rate mortgage. She also created a household budget, slashed her expenses and started tracking her spending. In the process of fixing her finances, Cardenas found peace of mind."I'm not panicked anymore," she said.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Nearly a year ago, Alicia Cardenas knew it was time to take drastic action to prevent her fragile financial condition from crumbling into dust. She struggled to make monthly payments on her high-interest adjustable-rate mortgage, and often wound up at a payday loan store to get money to buy groceries and gas up her dusty, 7-year-old minivan.
She lost sleep fretting about losing her home, where she lives with her three children and 80-year-old mother. For help, she turned to Money Makeover, a monthly feature in The Times. "It was the best thing I ever did in my life," said a now-relaxed Cardenas, 46, sitting in the sunny dining room of her North Hollywood home.
With help from Los Angeles financial planner Jennifer Hartman, Cardenas staved off foreclosure by negotiating a more manageable fixed-rate mortgage. She also created a household budget, slashed her expenses and started tracking her spending. In the process of fixing her finances, Cardenas found peace of mind."I'm not panicked anymore," she said.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Friendlier skies -- Airfares are so cheap, bringing a friend is cheaper than an extra bag
By Jennifer Waters
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- If there's a silver lining to the economic woes that have stopped most consumer spending in its tracks, it's this: Spring and summer airfares are amazingly cheap.
Indeed, fares are so cut-rate right now that it could cost more to fly two bags from Chicago to Minneapolis than to transport one person.
A flight during traditional work hours between those two cities was available on American Airlines last week for $88 round-trip. Bring two bags along and you'll pay an extra $100 round-trip.
At $88, that fare calculates roughly to a dirt-cheap 3.3 cents per air mile between Chicago O'Hare and Minneapolis-St. Paul International. Driving -- on land miles, of which there are more -- would cost about 10 cents a mile if gasoline averaged about $2 a gallon.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- If there's a silver lining to the economic woes that have stopped most consumer spending in its tracks, it's this: Spring and summer airfares are amazingly cheap.
Indeed, fares are so cut-rate right now that it could cost more to fly two bags from Chicago to Minneapolis than to transport one person.
A flight during traditional work hours between those two cities was available on American Airlines last week for $88 round-trip. Bring two bags along and you'll pay an extra $100 round-trip.
At $88, that fare calculates roughly to a dirt-cheap 3.3 cents per air mile between Chicago O'Hare and Minneapolis-St. Paul International. Driving -- on land miles, of which there are more -- would cost about 10 cents a mile if gasoline averaged about $2 a gallon.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Tips and Trick for Female Bartenders
by: Brian Walker
A bartender is a temporary pharmacist with a limited inventory, unknown. Bartending is a profession that has unique characteristics. In turn, a successful bartender will need to have unique characteristics as well.
In the bartending beauty pageant of life, Ms. Congeniality will always wear the crown. Sure, being gorgeous will always help and grab attention. Keeping the attention is the trick.
Personality is the single most important quality a great bartender will possess. Being easy to talk to, non-judgmental, a good listener and generally a nice person will take you very far.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
A bartender is a temporary pharmacist with a limited inventory, unknown. Bartending is a profession that has unique characteristics. In turn, a successful bartender will need to have unique characteristics as well.
In the bartending beauty pageant of life, Ms. Congeniality will always wear the crown. Sure, being gorgeous will always help and grab attention. Keeping the attention is the trick.
Personality is the single most important quality a great bartender will possess. Being easy to talk to, non-judgmental, a good listener and generally a nice person will take you very far.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
10 Secrets of Millionaires' Money Management
By Kimberly Palmer
It turns out millionaires are just like us--but they have a lot more money. When asked about their secrets to success, they don't cite anything magical or rare, but rather the steady application of wise investing strategies, hard work, and, believe it or not, a degree of frugality. Here are 10 secrets of millionaires' money management:
Start early to avoid financial pitfalls. Adrian Cartwood, 49, author of the blog How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years, made his fortune by living frugally while he built his technology-related business. People often get into trouble, he says, by racking up personal debt early on, which acts as a big drag on their earnings.
"Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; these are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there," he says.
Believe that you can do it. Before investing in real estate and becoming a millionaire, Alan Corey, author of A Million Bucks by 30, read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires as he could find. He says he was searching for a common characteristic that could help him in his own quest.
"What I found was they all had an incredible self-belief that they would be financially successful," he says. Corey says that embracing that level of self-confidence helped him get to the top.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
It turns out millionaires are just like us--but they have a lot more money. When asked about their secrets to success, they don't cite anything magical or rare, but rather the steady application of wise investing strategies, hard work, and, believe it or not, a degree of frugality. Here are 10 secrets of millionaires' money management:
Start early to avoid financial pitfalls. Adrian Cartwood, 49, author of the blog How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years, made his fortune by living frugally while he built his technology-related business. People often get into trouble, he says, by racking up personal debt early on, which acts as a big drag on their earnings.
"Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; these are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there," he says.
Believe that you can do it. Before investing in real estate and becoming a millionaire, Alan Corey, author of A Million Bucks by 30, read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires as he could find. He says he was searching for a common characteristic that could help him in his own quest.
"What I found was they all had an incredible self-belief that they would be financially successful," he says. Corey says that embracing that level of self-confidence helped him get to the top.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The art of haggling is making a comeback
By Herb Weisbaum
Haggle over the price? Are you kidding? I couldn’t do that, I’d feel foolish. Does this sound like you? If you want to save money, you’d better get over it. The old art of haggling is making a comeback.
And in this economy many companies, big and small, are willing to negotiate to make the sale. "It works so well," says Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of Shop Smart magazine. "It doesn't work every time, but my philosophy is: If you don't ask, you don't get. And when you get, you can save hundreds of dollars."
Freeman gave me this personal example. When shopping for shoes, she told the salesperson she would buy three pairs if she could get a 15 percent discount. Not only did she get the deal on the shoes, but the salesperson gave her 15 percent off the blouse she was buying.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Haggle over the price? Are you kidding? I couldn’t do that, I’d feel foolish. Does this sound like you? If you want to save money, you’d better get over it. The old art of haggling is making a comeback.
And in this economy many companies, big and small, are willing to negotiate to make the sale. "It works so well," says Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of Shop Smart magazine. "It doesn't work every time, but my philosophy is: If you don't ask, you don't get. And when you get, you can save hundreds of dollars."
Freeman gave me this personal example. When shopping for shoes, she told the salesperson she would buy three pairs if she could get a 15 percent discount. Not only did she get the deal on the shoes, but the salesperson gave her 15 percent off the blouse she was buying.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Twelve Unforgettable Gins
From The American Mixologist
The resurgent popularity of gin is surely a sign that we are evolving as a society. Legions of parched Americans, disenchanted with vodka’s austerity and carnival-like parade of flavors, are finding sanctuary in gin’s affordable elegance and unrivaled complexity.
Crafted according to a secret blend of aromatics, every brand is endowed with an engaging personality as individually distinctive as DNA, which explains why no two premium gins taste the same.
The most telling distinction between brands is the irresistible nature of their bouquets. An exceptional gin makes its presence immediately known with an outpouring of fresh, celery-crisp aromas elicited from botanicals such as juniper berries, citrus peels, herbs, roots and spice.
The effect is mesmerizing and lingers on the mind like an unforgettable perfume.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
The resurgent popularity of gin is surely a sign that we are evolving as a society. Legions of parched Americans, disenchanted with vodka’s austerity and carnival-like parade of flavors, are finding sanctuary in gin’s affordable elegance and unrivaled complexity.
Crafted according to a secret blend of aromatics, every brand is endowed with an engaging personality as individually distinctive as DNA, which explains why no two premium gins taste the same.
The most telling distinction between brands is the irresistible nature of their bouquets. An exceptional gin makes its presence immediately known with an outpouring of fresh, celery-crisp aromas elicited from botanicals such as juniper berries, citrus peels, herbs, roots and spice.
The effect is mesmerizing and lingers on the mind like an unforgettable perfume.
Click Here to Continue Reading This Post
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
