Funny Stuff is all around

Archive for August, 2008

Did you know that the US banned the distribution of alcohol during the 1920s? If you are well-informed of your history, you’d notice that that was the Jazz age. Can you imagine jazz without spin]booze|alcoholic drink[/spin]? How about a world without your favorite flask? Now that’s definitely a dark prospect. I’m glad I never lived to see that era.
It’s a good thing the authorities went back to their senses. Now we get to enjoy a night at the pub, drinking our preferred beer or brandy.

The Dry Forces

The dry forces were led by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the Anti-Saloon League. They argued that alcohol was responsible for a number of serious social problems, including child abuse and wife beating. Then the industrialists butted in. For one, Henry Ford was concerned about alcohol reducing labor productivity. The dry forces succeeded and thus, the ratification of the 18th movement. But that wasn’t for too long. There’s no preventing the silent public from fighting for their booze.

Failed Enforcement

The supporters of the prohibition made a mistake. They felt that a small administrative apparatus was enough to enforce the law, with the federal government setting up a team of only 2,500 agents. They proved themselves wrong, with bootlegging and smuggling going widespread.
And there was the issue of budget. The Congress appropriated only $5 million for enforcement. But the government later estimated that the enforcement would need $300 million.

A Few States Tried to Help

A number of states tried to contribute to the enforcement of the Prohibition. Vermont required identification of the source of alcohol for those who were found to be drunk. Indiana went as far as to ban the sale of hip flasks and cocktail shakers.

The Supply Kept Going

Speakeasies, rum runners, bathtub gin, moonshine, speakeasies and bootleggers made sure that there was a constant supply of alcohol. The total number of speakeasies went over that of the legal bars (those that operated before the Prohibition). And people at home learned to concoct their own wine and beer. It was also easy to get a doctor to authorize prescriptions for medicinal whiskey available at drugstores.

Noble Experiment

The Prohibition eventually proved itself to be nothing more than a noble experiment. Some even refer to it as the government’s misguided effort.

Pre-Prohibition Levels

Everything unavoidably went back to pre-Prohibition levels. And I’m certainly happy that I get to enjoy these sunshiny times. I get to carry my flask around without worrying about getting caught. My cigar flask is just too fabulous to be left in some closet. And I just love how flasks make for cheap groomsmen gifts. They’re heaven-sent for someone who attends a lot of weddings.
Bottom line is, I just can’t live without booze.

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You’re finally going to walk down the aisle. Now it’s time to attend to the details. Don’t just take it for granted. Believe me, I’ve been there, done that. Your groomsmen are not just a bunch of mannequins that you will put in display. They are actually there for a purpose.

The Groomsmen’s Role

The groomsmen are there to act as your usheres. They will take charge of the seating arrangements. More so, they are supposed to give you moral support, and assist you as you do the wedding preparations. This means that they have to have the heart for the role. That is, you want to choose groomsmen who are close to you and who truly care about you.

Know What You Want

Early on, you should already know what you want. List down all the characteristics that you require in your groomsmen. This will make it easier for you to choose among potential candidates.
And make sure that you choose those who will not only be there during the ceremony, but for the duration of the wedding preparations as well. You want to choose groomsmen who are willing to go out of their way to actually help you with your efforts.

Narrow Down Your Options

Take into consideration those who are closest to you. The most common choices are your own brothers, your fianc‚’s brothers, your close friends and other members of your kin.

Talk it Over

Make sure you talk things over with your fianc‚. Both parties should have a contribution in the final decision you make.

Stick to Your Guts

It’s okay to listen to everybody else’s advice, but you have to make sure that your own voice (and that of your fianc‚’s) is the loudest. Though some people might get offended in the process, you have to please your own selves the most. Besides, it’s simply impossible to please everybody.

Your Groomsmen Gifts

Make sure that you express your gratitude to your dear groomsmen. After all, they did get out of their way to be with you on this special milestone. One great way to do this is to go for groomsmen gifts that are extra special. It’s okay to go looking for cheap groomsmen gifts. You do have your wedding budget to consider. Do make sure that they are still in good taste.

For my wedding, I chose flasks for my groomsmen gifts. Since I could not afford the really expensive variations, I simply went shopping for a stainless steel flask with free engravings. Voila! I had personalized and classic, not to mention sophisticated, groomsmen gifts to give to the guys!

It’s fair to say that if you are reading this article then you already know that most of your laptop problems or errors are originated from the registry of your system. Have ever asked anyone how to go about cleaning the registry? Before cleaning up your system you have to know that there are two major causes of the errors which will affect your PC’s performance.

You can be caused to have an unclean registry if you don’t go through the process of uninstalling software when deleting it and this explains why you will often find unused files/data saturating your registry. You will notice how this affects your computer if it is something you perform regularly. An incompatible hardware driver is one of the possible causes of Registry Crash which could be a much greater problem. Forcing software to install despite an error message occurring during the installation could also be the problem. The problem known as blue screen of death may appear which is more serious.

Your computer will still slow down gradually even if you always carry out the process of keeping your registry clean and safe and you should be aware of this. Using your PC/laptop for months without ever carrying out routine maintenance makes this particularly likely to happen. Windows has its own maintenance programs such as disk defragmenter or disk clean up, which can certainly help you keeping your computer registry organized. Your computer should perform better by performing maintenance regularly although just because it is organized that does not necessarily mean clean. All of those unused files are kept together in a particular space of your disk when you carry out this routine maintenance regularly with windows tools. If maintenance is never performed on the system then these files are spread all over it.

Many registry cleaning software packages are available on the market to help you clean this essential part of your computer system. You may perform the scanning every day to make sure your computer never runs slow nor will you become frustrated with the constant errors again. Within some versions of registry software programs, many features are provided. It is more convenient for its users as it includes a built-in scheduler, junk file cleaner and more. You are advised not to make a buying decision too early because you might end up buying registry software that is not of the best quality and this can cause even more errors!

If you know a baby who’s about to turn one, then you know the feeling of not understanding what on earth you should buy him or her as a gift.

So would you be interested if I told you that within five minutes I could solve this problem for you? What about if I told you that you would be so happy with the purchase that you would get that warm feeling where you just know you have found the perfect gift? Looking for 1st birthday ideas - ok, please read on.

When buying a gift for a baby’s first birthday you should learn by hear some of the most important criteria that increase the likelihood that it will be a hit. The first thing you should realise is that really, you are buying for the parents, not the baby! Although you want to pick something that lullaby babies will enjoy, you still should remember that parents are your top priority when considering which present to choose. According to recent findings, the perfect gift possess the following features:

- Unique. If you walk into your local high-street retailer and pick up the first baby gift you see, the chances are that somebody else will have thought the same thing! Presenting the parents with a gift that someone else has already bought will be a real problem that no one would like to face.

- Personalised. This has been shown to give extra weight to the present because it demonstrates that you have put in the extra effort and thoughtfulness to find the perfect gift for the baby.  

- Well-packaged. Packaging is extremely important [spin]as|- no wonder - the[spin] first impressions count for everything. When it is seen and felt it should ooze with quality.

- Priced right. Buying cheap baby shower gifts for a baby is an absolute no no as you can tell them a mile off. It could be quite embarrassing if you attend the birthday celebrations because the gifts are usually lined up on a table next to one another! However, you may be surprised to learn that spending too much on a baby gift can also make the parents feel uncomfortable. Plus, it does not mean that a good gift must be expensive. As a guide, spending between £20-£30 has been shown to be about right.        

So what is this miracle gift we are offering? To whet your appetite a little more, I guarantee that the gift fulfils all of the above criteria. Furthermore, if you purchase this gift, it will bring tears to the parents’ eyes and you will receive a huge heart-felt thank you. I also guarantee that the gift will be the highlight of the first birthday celebrations. It will also be treasured for all the years to come as a family keepsake, being a precious reminder of the joyous birthday occasion. It will only take you five minutes to order but it will appear as if hours of your time has gone into finding it.

You are probably thinking this all sounds too good to be true and that this is just another flimsy internet  article designed for a manufacturer to sell a product that doesn’t deliver. However, you may also be thinking that the opportunity of finding the perfect gift may be too good to throw away on scepticism alone. Well, all I ask is that you spend 20 seconds of your time to click on the link in this page that takes you to the website of ‘Lullaby Babies.’  

Think about it, why would I make such radical promises if I thought, even for a second, that you wouldn’t be blown away by our product?

I promise you will not be disappointed.

I hated shopping for gifts items. It’s just so difficult to find a suitable gift for everyone; this is no longer the case. I was surprised to find Zippo lighters for almost every type of personality there is. It’s almost like a one-stop available shop.

Police - To Protect and Serve Black Matte Zippo Lighter - My dad’s a policeman, which makes this an ideal gift for him. More so, he loves black and likes to carry a good lighter with him. And well, he’s always been a Zippo enthusiast.

Bling Emblem High Polish Chrome Zippo Lighter - My brother believes he’s all that. Always wearing those baggy jeans and matching bling-bling, like he’s one of the black kids he hangs out with. Now who am I to oppose to that. But why, I even got him a personalized Zippo to match!

Medieval Cross Emblem Black Matte Zippo Lighter - My sister is the complete opposite. She scoffs at the idea of wearing jeans that are almost double her size. She likes them fitting and snug. Her style is mostly gothic. So she’s into petticoats, black boots, skinny leather jeans and dark make-up. And I have the perfect Zippo for her favored style!

Cadillac High Polish Chrome Zippo Lighter - And there’s my best friend who loves nothing more than to pamper his prized Cadillac truck. But why, I think he splurges more time with it than with his family, or his girlfriend for that matter.
This posh Cadillac Zippo is the perfect gift for him. It has never been easydifficult to find something special for him. He’s basically the type who’s got everything he might desire. Good thing Zippo’s got this settled for me.

Playboy Candy Raspberry Zippo Lighter - The special man in my life likes to refer to me as a Playboy bunny, he thinks that I have the perfect beach-blonde hair and bod. I used to hate it, like it was supposed to cross me or something. But not anymore, I find it rather amusing now. And what better way to show that than by giving him this naughty Playboy Zippo? It’s candy raspberry color makes it all the more representative of ME!

Satin Silver with Gold Accents Cigarette Case for King’s or 100’s with Lighter - And since he’s really special and I want to show him that I do take him seriously, I’m including this cigarette lighter case in the package. It’s a bit expensive but well-worth it!

Art is known to be a great way to burn time, it is fun and it helps develop creative skills and thinking. There are so many forms of art that anyone can easily find one to suit them. Art is always encouraged, especially at young ages, to help develop a person’s confidence and sense of identity. It also helps expand imagination which deals with producing innovative ideas that can even be very beneficial to mankind as a whole. Crafting, as an example, greatly benefits those who pursue it to become skilled with their hands. By using almost anything as craft supplies, it is sometimes possible to create a remarkable piece of art.

If you’re planning to buy new furniture, there’s one thing you can do that could potentially save you hundreds of dollars, if not thousands. That’s read reviews on everything from the specific furniture products and their manufacturers to the retailers and their customer service. By informing yourself as a consumer, you’re setting yourself up for big savings.

Keep reading to learn why you save money by reading furniture reviews before you buy and how you can find the best review resources.

So, why should I read furniture reviews before I buy?

The main benefit is to protect yourself against shoddy products and poor customer service. Furniture reviews help you learn about other consumers’ positive and negative experiences with a particular product or brand and, in turn, save money.

For example, let’s say you have your eye on a specific couch, but once you read the furniture reviews, you learn that it stains easily, the fabric comes loose after a few months, the legs are apt to scratch laminate floors and the manufacturer doesn’t stand behind its warranty. Had you not read the customer reviews, you would have been stuck with a couch you’d likely need to replace in under a year.

On the other hand, customer furniture reviews can point you toward great bargains through discounts, sales, and even occassional coupons to hook good values and pieces of furniture that are well-made and stand up to true consumer testing. They can also lead you to retailers that offer quality customer service, strong warranties and honest deals.

Great, but where can I find furniture reviews?

The best place to look for furniture reviews is online. Your first step should be a quick Google search for the product brand and name along with the words “review” or “reviews,” just to give you a quick overview of what’s available.

Next, try consumer review web sites like Customer Reports, a subscription based service, Yahoo Shopping or Epinions.com, which are free sites - or even retailers’ web sites that allow previous customers to post product reviews.

Try doing a search for your particular piece of furniture, or instead look for items that are recommended most frequently. You might find a great value bargain that you wouldn’t have looked for otherwise.

Finally, try simply asking your family, friends and neighbors. Chances are if they’ve had an overwhelmingly positive or negative experience with a brand name or retailer, they’ll tell you. Whether it’s a warning or a glowing recommendation, that information will help you save money.

It’s a waste to have the intelligence and skills to make it big, only to get hampered by unwanted procrastination. You don’t have to be a victim of this type of situation your whole life. Act now!
Here are some of the things I do to manage time better. Hope you learn from them.

I keep my inbox organized.

When I get an incoming message at my inbox, I file it to a folder right away. This spares me all the trouble of looking for the message that I need. And this allows me to save an unread message for later, and find it easily when I need it. And I get to move on to the more important thing I’m doing.

I cut down on my multitasking habit.

Multitasking is good. You can even call it a skill. But still, you should not overdo it. Too much multitasking can lead to decreased efficiency. Sometimes, effective time management comes from having the capacity to focus on one important thing and focusing your eforts towards it.

I take charge of the top-priority tasks first.

Before I even consider doing anything at all, I make sure that I have my top-priority task finished already. I would usually dedicate the first hour of the day working on it. Then I would move on to other less important tasks.

I stick to my schedule.

I set time for reading emails. I avoid reading them as they come, and responding to each and every one of them as if it was my obligation to do so. Unless the email is important and work related, I keep my responses on schedule. After all, people want predictable responses, not necessarily immediate ones.

And I avoid browsing too many sites. I keep my wanderings on schedule as they tend to eat up my valuable time.

I always keep track of time.

And what better way to manage time than to keep track of it? And keep track I do. Anybody should know it; by the way I have all sorts of collectible mantel clocks and unique wall clocks at home. You’d actually think I have a whole collection of them. But why, I even have world time clocks for my travels across the globe.

Okay, so here’s the confession. Everything mentioned here are on my wish list. I’m still struggling against procrastination. Well, at least I’m working on it.

The traditional learning style of classroom learning, seminars, books and CD’s offered by the leadership of these companies provides good information, but does not equate to success for most people.

Developing mastery in mlm takes discipline and a lot of hard work. There are 5 categories in network marketing that you will need to develop mastery in to be successful. They are Personal Growth, Customer Acquisition, Recruiting, Team Building, and Leadership.

The “how” is also very important, and interactivity in training helps you learn quicker and retain the information. mlm training needs to be interactive, fun, and engaging!

It is tough to make this interactive, however we will do our best here…

Since everything you do will duplicate, leading by example is a fundamental skill that is imperative to your success. Having a team in network marketing offers an unparalleled opportunity to practice, and duplicate what you learn with your team. Furthermore you will be given endless opportunities to challenge your downline to grow in a supportive and fun environment that is ideal for accelerated learning.

In this article we will focus on Leadership.

Here are some interactive questions we have created for you.

Question #1

To be successful in MLM you need…

A) to be innovative
B) to be coachable
C) to keep it a secret
D) a degree in business

If you like the question, share it with anyone you know in the mlm, network marketing or direct sales business. This question was created taken from the MLM training tool MLM The Game, think of the answer, re-read the question if you need to, and answer the question mentally.

The answer to the question is: B) to be coachable
Being innovative is likely to help you in life in many ways, mlm is all about following a system, a system designed for you to have success. This is one of the best things about network marketing, you don’t have to create your marketing plans or your other business systems. Keeping it a secret is obviously wrong, and another great thing about mlm is that there is no degree needed. To follow the system, you need to be coachable; this is one of the most important factors to your future success. Follow the system, it is ok to follow it in your own style, but follow it, and you will have the greatest chance in achieving the same success that the others who are using that system are having.

Question #2

To keep a person inspired and moving forward what do you do?

A) call them everyday
B) attempt to motivate them
C) tell them to “think positive”
D) show them how to let go of their fears

If you like the question, share it with anyone you know in the mlm, network marketing or direct sales business. This question was created by Jim Britt, and placed inside the MLM training tool MLM The Game, think of the answer, re-read the question if you need to, and answer the question mentally.

The answer to the question is: D) show them how to let go of their fears

No one likes to be bothered, so just calling everyday or multiple times a day will not motivate them or inspire them to move forward quicker. Attempts to motivate them may come off as working, and temporarily they may get excited, but they will revert back to their normal state after you leave.

Thinking positive is important, but not the entire answer. They must be able to let go of their fears, because it is our fears and past experiences that cause our challenges of today.

We encourage you to use question and game based learning for everything you do. Question based learning will engage more senses, and increase your retention of the information. This is the type of network marketing training that will engage your team.

Whenever you read a book, magazine, or article, get creative and create your own questions.

This is fun, and it will permanently transfer the information to your brain. This is also a fun way to engage your team. For extra fun, you can give away prizes for correct answers when you send out e-mail blasts with your questions, and continue to learn together!

There are a range of personal budgeting tips out there. In effect, the task of finding the right tips becomes more of a hassle as you get confused with much information on hand. Here are doable tips which could make personal budgeting less taxing.

The more simple approach you take to personal budgeting, the more likely you will be at sticking with it. At the end of the day it is about handling your personal budgeting instead of spending much time setting up of a system which may not be appropriate for your requirements.

Here are some personal budgeting tips:

Tip 1: Make it simple

You want to break your budget down in distinct categories as this will help you get everything organized and you will be able to see at a glance what you situation looks like. Do not get into complex lists. Just go with income, expenses, extra expenses, debt and savings to start with. If investment is part of your budget, then create a category for this item.

Keeping it simple will allow you to get organized and to stay organized. It will make it easier to see what is happening and you will avoid getting confused by an overload of information.

Tip 2: Assign estimates properly

One common flaw in budgeting is overshooting your expected income vis-à-vis your estimated expenses. You must be accurate. For any variations in your income and expenses, you have to ensure that your estimate can allow margin of errors.

As a role of thumb, always estimate a higher level of expenses and estimate a lower figure for your income.

Tip 3: Keep tabs on spending

Recording every cent of your expenditures for the course of two weeks can provide you an idea of your spending pattern. It is also the best way to [/spin]spot|identify|mark[/spin] overspending or needless spending.

Make sure to record every single penny you spend in your two week list. At the end go back and see where you can cut down and what needs changed.

Tip 4: Identify an appropriate recording period.

Most of the time personal budgeting advice tells you to record on a monthly basis. However, your situation may be different and a weekly budget may work best. Do what works for your situation.

Consider your income and how you get paid as to how you maintain your budget.

Personal budgeting is personalized in nature. What works for one person may not work for someone else Work out a budget that suits your requirements.