Buy Low Sell High

Pop quiz time (relax it's easy)!

What's is the first rule of any investing?
Buy low and sell high. (See I told you this was easy).

Question two: What are the three most important things to note when buying Real Estate?
Location, location, location.

Why am I quizzing you today? Because as Congress debates the size of the rebate check they want to send you as part of their 'stimulus package,' I have a suggestion if you decide to take matters into your own hands and make some real green.

You have no doubt all heard of the current sub-prime lending mess and how housing sales are slumping. But savvy investors will tell you look which direction 99 percent of people are moving and then move in the opposite direction. 

Here's something you may want to think about: Did you know the number of single-family homes listed for sale in Las Vegas dropped from 23,494 in November to 22,005 in December according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors? Also, the median price for condos is down 5.1% compared to last year while sales of Las Vegas condos are up 14% from just a year ago.

So it might be of interest for you to check out ONE Las Vegas. ONE Las Vegas is a village of residential lifestyle condominiums. The 19.5-acre master plan contains both private residential towers and residential-friendly retail amenities such as a boutique hotel, 6,800-square-foot health club and spa, and multiple dining venues intermingled with additional residential towers along Las Vegas Boulevard. Their ambitious five building community is well underway and selling ample units.

ONE Las Vegas can be found on the web at http://www.one-lasvegas.com.

From the Oh Wow Department

Kai Ryssdal's final note ... (Marketplace January 29, 2008)

The Pabst Brewing Company is trying to rehabilitate one of its dilapidated brands. Sales of Colt 45 malt liquor hit 2 million barrels a year back in the 1980s. It's down to less than half that now after complaints that sales were targeted at the poor and minorities.

So Pabst is trying to tap into a new market with hip slogans and a Web campaign. And by putting all the art on what look to be brown paper bags.

Barbie Tarrot

18      The Moon      Galadriel from The Lord of the Rings
Often associated with goddesses, women's rites, force and renewal, with negative aspects of fear, deception and danger, The Moon is almost always female and mysteriously powerful. Galadriel is not quite a goddess but she is immortal, wise, mysterious and not a little terrifying.

More: http://www.littlereview.com/meg/tarot/barbietm.htm

I See You

[glasses]

Why do eyeglasses have to cost so much? Is it the insurance companies that are driving up the prices? Well fret no more becaus thanks to ZenniOptical.com you can now get stylish prescription glasses online. A huge selection of frames: single vision lenses, sunsensor (potochromic)lens, tinted sunglasses, bifocals and progressive lenses.

What's their secret to Low Prices? Zenni only sell their own manufactured frames direct to the customer, with no middlemen and virtually no advertising budget.

So get them while they last and thank them for sponsoring this post when you do, you won't be sorry!


Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!

Please Explain the Downtown San Jose Parking Fees to Me

[San Jose]

As mentioned below, we went to the movies last night. The garages are now charging if you come in after 6pm, but they also charge if you leave after 6pm, regardless of the time you entered.

I know it's only $2 and we got a validation card from the Camera Cinema anyway but then we got to the garage at 6:05 and tried to ask the man working there and he said it was already free - no validation required.

All very confusing.

New Talkswitch Phone System Distributor

Just announced over the wire services: TalkSwitch®, a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative telephone systems for small and multi-location businesses, announced that SOHO PBX Consulting, a Dallas-based specialist in telephony products, has been recognized as an official TalkSwitch distributor.

Wholesale Talkswitch IP PBX

OTTAWA, ON and DALLAS, TX – TalkSwitch®, a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative telephone systems for small and multi-location businesses, today announced that SOHO PBX Consulting, a Dallas-based specialist in telephony products, has been recognized as an official TalkSwitch distributor.

In that capacity, SOHO PBX Consulting will offer technical support, order fulfillment and logistical expertise to TalkSwitch resellers across the Southwest and other markets. The company will leverage its expertise to increase awareness and expand TalkSwitch market share in the small business community.

“This company has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with TalkSwitch, earning platinum-level partner status,” said Steve Fatula, SOHO PBX Consulting. “Now we’re moving in an exciting new direction. As a true TalkSwitch distributor, we’ll be dealing solely with TalkSwitch resellers, using our expertise to help them increase sales and improve their business. With the ability to do business across the country, we’ve evolved into a valuable resource for resellers, offering prompt delivery, exceptional customer support, and no minimum order requirements.”

TalkSwitch resellers that choose to order from SOHO PBX Consulting will continue to receive all the benefits they currently enjoy from TalkSwitch, including access to an exclusive reseller portal that offers sales and marketing tools, exclusive partner technical and sales webinars, and the TalkSwitch &You reseller program.

“For a company to succeed it needs to work with quality partners,” said Jan Scheeren, President and CEO, TalkSwitch. “The team at SOHO PBX Consulting has a solid understanding of the TalkSwitch product line, an understanding of the unique challenges faced by small businesses, and the expertise to deliver top-level support and service to our customers and reseller partners alike. We congratulate Steve and his team, and look forward to our continuing success.”

TalkSwitch telephone systems are true hybrid IP PBXs ideal for businesses with 1 to 64 telephone users per office location. TalkSwitch systems come complete with all the features and call handling capabilities a small business needs, and they provide connections to both the traditional as well as IP networks. Going even further than that, each local extension on a TalkSwitch system can be configured as either analog or IP. TalkSwitch systems are the most owner-friendly on the market, allowing for simple configuration and system maintenance.

“We’re thrilled to make TalkSwitch the only phone system we carry,” adds Fatula. “We’re TalkSwitch experts and we offer a wide range of products that compliment those systems. From 3rd party IP telephones, to music-on-hold and messaging services, we offer everything needed to get the most out of a TalkSwitch system. We look forward to helping our partners bring the best small business phone system on the market to businesses across the country. ”

Resellers looking to purchase through SOHO PBX Consulting can visit http://www.sohopbxconsulting.biz to sign up.

About SOHO PBX Consulting
SOHO PBX Consulting Inc. is a US-based specialized distributor of TalkSwitch PBX phone systems. As a platinum TalkSwitch partner, SOHO PBX Consulting sells to VARs, Internet resellers, and local dealers in all areas of the United States. Offering a range of hardware and software products to compliment your TalkSwitch system, SOHO PBX Consulting continues to play a vital role in helping small businesses compete. With extensive knowledge of TalkSwitch systems, SOHO PBX can help with positioning and sales into vertical markets. For more information, please visit www.sohopbxconsulting.biz, or call toll free 1.866.415.0674.

Check out our sponsor (and check out their blog as well).

What I Watched This Week-end

27 Dresses (2008)

"After serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman (Heigl) wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister's side as her sibling marries the man she's secretly in love with."

A very cute film and 'Easy on the Eyes'. Plus, any film that can use the line, 'Likes caulk,' deserves to be seen at least once.

X-Files Improv [!] in Cardiff

19 April, 8pm

19 April, 8pm
Tickets £12 (Reductions Available)

X-Files Improv with Dean Haglund
Age guidance 12+

Dean Haglund played computer geek Langly for nine seasons of cult sci-fi series The X-Files. In  this new show premiered to great acclaim at the Edinburgh festival 2007, Haglund improvises a new X-Files episode at each performance, based on audience suggestions.

The resulting mayhem will delight fans of the long-running series and those who've never seen a single episode alike.

" Stupidly funny...Haglund's amiable quick wit making this a must for fans and good clean fun for everybody else"
**** The List

Aggressive & On Your Side

If you need help with the law you don't always have the luxury of finding the best law firm for you, so why not take some time now and make a note of the Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney | California Felony Misdemeanor DUI Specialists. Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP: Criminal Defense Lawyers with Over 50 Years Experience in Southern California Courtrooms.

When the stakes are high, don't you want a top 5% U.S. law firm, one know for specializing in all criminal & DUI defense matters? So if you happen to be in trouble and in the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino or Riverside Judicial Districts remember our sponsors name: Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin (keglawyers.com).

Colour of Love

"You've heard it for years: the rumor that green M&Ms are supposed to be an aphrodisiac. Well Mars, the company that makes M&Ms, is hoping to cash in on that urban legend. The company has come out with bright green bags of nothing but green M&Ms as the Valentine's Day retail season heats up."

My question – when did this urban legend start?

Our President, revealed

[Bush]

In a wonderful bit of irony, Harpers.org has a piece from their 'No Comment' department about G. W. Bush's self-described favorite painting, W.H.D. Koerner's 1916 work, “A Charge to Keep”.

“I thought I would share with you a recent bit of Texas history which epitomizes our mission. When you come into my office, please take a look at the beautiful painting of a horseman determinedly charging up what appears to be a steep and rough trail. This is us.”

Long story short, it was created to illustrate a Western short story entitled “The Slipper Tongue,” published in The Saturday Evening Post. The story is about a smooth-talking horse thief who is caught, and then escapes a lynch mob in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. The illustration depicts the thief fleeing his captors. In the magazine, the illustration bears the caption: “Had His Start Been Fifteen Minutes Longer He Would Not Have Been Caught.”

In It To Win It

Well, it's is almost February and that means two things in America. Number one, you should be getting (or maybe you already got) your form W-2 in the mail. Yes, the mighty “Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement” where for once a year you get to see in black and white your total wages paid to you and the taxes that were withheld from you. And the other thing? Valentine's Day is but a scant two weeks away, time to once again prove to that significant other of yours just 'how much you love them.'

What's that you say? You just did that for Christmas? You haven’t even paid those bills off yet and have you seen just how little I make? Well sport, it's time to do it again. And some advice: this time, why not get them what they really wanted and they didn't get on December 25th before they go get it themselves.

Hang on, for Valentine’s Day 2008 you have a secret helper in your corner – Overstock.com's "Game O Love" from January 25th to February 11th where you can register to win Valentine's Day presents for your sweetheart. Just head on over, sign in and get started. You can also pre-register and have them remind you when the Game O Love starts.

Pick out something nice, maybe even something you normally wouldn’t because you couldn’t afford it, cross your fingers and if you are the big winner you will be the hero to your sweetie (and all their friends – even better). So, in the name of our sponsor, visit today and enter Overstock.com's Valentine's Day Game!

Bland, Very Bland

[James Bond]



The new James Bond film, the 22nd Bond adventure, will be titled, "Quantum of Solace".

Daniel Craig is returning as Agent 007, picking up where 2006's "Casino Royale" left off, with Bond contemplating revenge after his betrayal by his true love, Vesper Lynd.

Filming began at Pinewood Studios earlier this month. Location shooting is planned in Austria, Italy and Panama. Judi Dench returns as the MI-6 boss M and Mathieu Amalric ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") plays the villain. Additions to the cast include Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko as mysterious Bond girl Camille.

"Quantum of Solace" is due to open in Britain and the United States on November 7.

The title comes from a 1960 collection of James Bond short stories collectively titled "For Your Eyes Only" and containing "From a View to a Kill", "For Your Eyes Only", "Quantum of Solace", "Risico" and "The Hildebrand Rarity".

Tell Your Representative to Put Polar Bears First

The message below was sent to you from:

http://www.polarbearsos.org

This letter urges concerned Americans to come to the rescue of
the Alaskan polar bear, which is facing extinction due to global
warming and is now threatened by the more immediate danger of
oil development being rushed through by the Bush Administration.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Friend,

By speaking out today, you can help save Alaska's polar bears
from the threat of toxic oil spills.

The Bush Administration is trying to rush through the sale of
oil and gas leases in prime polar bear habitat -- the Chukchi
Sea off of Alaska -- before the polar bear can win protection
under the Endangered Species Act.

Please join us in supporting legislation -- the Markey bill --
that would reverse the go-ahead for this dangerous sale.
Otherwise, the Alaskan polar bear, which is already facing
extinction as global warming melts its sea ice habitat, would
face the more immediate threat of a toxic oil spill.

There is no proven method of cleaning up oil spills in the
Arctic's icy waters -- and there is virtually no way for
oil-covered polar bears to survive.

Please speak out now to put polar bear protection ahead of oil
and gas development.

Go to http://www.PolarBearSOS.org/takeaction_polar_bears

Thank you for speaking out at this critical time.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

A First From Netflix

This came in the afternoon eMail from Netflix. Can't say that I have ever seen this message before much less having to send the film from so far away.

They ways of those in Los Gatos are strange to us mortals.

Shipping update TERRY JONES' BARBARIANS: DISC 1 was not available at your local shipping center. Instead, we will be shipping this movie from Columbia, MO on the next business day. As usual, you will receive a movie shipped email confirming the shipment. -The Netflix Team

Starbucks Tests $1 Cup, Free Refills

[cheap, Starbucks]

Heard this this morning on NPR and now I see it in the Wall Street Journal:

Starbucks Corp., the company that popularized the $4 cup of coffee, is testing a $1 cup and free refills of some of its offerings.

The Seattle coffee giant is experimenting with selling the $1 "short" brew in the Seattle area, spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil confirmed.

The eight-ounce short size isn't on Starbucks's menu but has long been ordered by in-the-know patrons. Typically, a short, brewed coffee would sell for around $1.50, although that can vary by several cents depending on the store. Starbucks is also testing the offer of free refills for traditional-brewed coffee in the Seattle area.

The refill issue was one of the things I missed from Caribou Coffee in Chicago.

Real Estate Agent Software

Looking for an easy to use real estate software package or know someone who is? Well if you are an average real estate agent, then AgentOrganizer could be the answer. Unlike other software packages that say they are designed for real estate agents, AgentOrganizer is a snap to use. But don't just take my word for it, go and download a free fifteen day trial version and see how you can easily organize you contacts, listings, buyers, finances, appointments, and tasks. It will also let you easily create flyers, letters, and perform mailmerges, all with the ease that comes from using one of the best tools available. As an added bonus, AgentOrganizer (unlike other software that usually charge a subscription fee EVERY month) is just a one time purchase of $149.

Real estate software doesn't have to be slow and painful to use and as the market tightens up, don't you want to have every advantage over your competition? Give them a try and you'll see why I let them sponsor this post.

$200K But Think of the Frequent Flier Miles You'll Earn

[Virgin Space]

The new designs for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane and WhiteKnightTwo mothership were unveiled in New York today and msnbc has the scoop.

SpaceShipTwo is designed to carry six passengers and two pilots into space, with enough headroom to allow for free floating. More than 100 people are already in line for spaceflights, at a cost of $200,000 per person, and Rutan expects there to be thousands more. [...] Virgin Galactic has been saying that passenger flights could start in the 2009-2010 time frame.

C'mon Baby Guide My Files

[web hosting choice]


Having a difficult time choosing the right web host for your personal or business site? Why not let Web Hosting Choice help? They offer an advertisement-free guide to help you find web hosting plans that will work no matter if you are a small site or want to establish a large e-commerce website.

With options to do a quick search on price, storage and bandwidth or, for the more demanding, there's an advanced search page that allows you to pick every single feature you could want from your future web host. There's also a helpful FAQ section to round out the offerings. Web Hosting Choice is quite the useful resource, and I am happy to let them sponsor this review.

Actor Heath Ledger Is Found Dead

Ripped from NYTimes:

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon apartment in Manhattan owned by the actress Mary-Kate Olsen, according to the New York City police. Signs pointed to a suicide, police sources said. Mr. Ledger was 28.

Sadly my first thoughts was 'Mary-Kate owns a brownstone' and 'Did they finish the batman movie'?

Million Dollar Suggestions Free

[free]

McDonald's you should open a 'World of McD' (like Coca Cola has the 'World of Coca Cola') so people in the US can sample what's on offer from the various localized versions of McDonalds.

On that note, please enjoy this picture of the menu board at a McDonalds in India.

Did you notice the lack of any beef?

Got Site? Get Found!

[Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)]

Today, thanks to search engines Google, Yahoo! and Ask, you can find just about anything on the web from the proverbial Soup to Nuts. But after doing a search, how many of us look beyond the first (or maybe the second) page of results? I know I rarely do and so do precious few others so even if your web site has been indexed it may still be invisible to the very people that want to find you and want to reach out to.

This is where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes into play and the good people at First Rate can help. As one of the most experienced companies in Australasia they will get you the free traffic you want and need. And while they may have started as a SEO company, they can help you with much more:

Search Engine Marketing (SEM): do you know how much to pay search engines to appear at the top of the search results in the 'sponsored listing' area? First Rate has 13 Qualified Google Adwords experts on its staff and manages over 1,000,000 paid clicks per month for its clients.

Email Marketing: Let First Rate manage your mailing lists – send newsletters, offers and surveys to a registered membership. Email strategy, template design, list growth tactics and an outsourced newsletter production and reporting service.

They can also help you with Performance Marketing, banner ads, reporting and even web design and development (making sure your site has all the technology and features in place to support a wide range of online marketing and site conversions.)

Starting making the kind of money you want from your web site, let First Rate help. This has been a sponsored review.

Got Site? Get Found!

[<Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)]

Today, thanks to search engines Google, Yahoo! and Ask, you can find just about anything on the web from the proverbial Soup to Nuts. But after doing a search, how many of us look beyond the first (or maybe the second) page of results? I know I rarely do and so do precious few others so even if your web site has been indexed it may still be invisible to the very people that want to find you and want to reach out to.

This is where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes into play and the good people at First Rate can help. As one of the most experienced companies in Australasia they will get you the free traffic you want and need. And while they may have started as a SEO company, they can help you with much more:

Search Engine Marketing (SEM): do you know how much to pay search engines to appear at the top of the search results in the 'sponsored listing' area? First Rate has 13 Qualified Google Adwords experts on its staff and manages over 1,000,000 paid clicks per month for its clients.

Email Marketing: Let First Rate manage your mailing lists – send newsletters, offers and surveys to a registered membership. Email strategy, template design, list growth tactics and an outsourced newsletter production and reporting service.

They can also help you with Performance Marketing, banner ads, reporting and even web design and development (making sure your site has all the technology and features in place to support a wide range of online marketing and site conversions.)

Starting making the kind of money you want from your web site, let First Rate help. This has been a sponsored review.

Disney World Testing Nintendo DS Tour Guides

[Disney]

I don't have a Nintendo DS but this strikes me as quite cool:

"The Walt Disney World resort is currently testing the use of the Nintendo DS as a Wi-Fi-enabled interactive guide, map and informational tool for guests attending the park.

Initial details of the program were provided through members of WDWMagic via an instructional pamphlet, which is mirrored here."

As posted from ShackNews

Words I Thought I Would Never Type

I hope you are sitting down as I am just as shocked as you are.  Snuggle Bear Bear Revolution is a banner ad that mimics Dance Dance Revolution and is rather addictive.

Extra points because I know this game would cause E@UCD to break out in hives – something about that Bear just gives him the willies.

Additionally: who knew there was a whole blog devoted to banner ads and their creation....

Enjoy your Friday, people!

Coupon Chief Has the Cure

[CouponChief.com]

Oh, hi teens! (Can you tell I have been watching Tim Stack in 'Son of the Beach'?)

It has come to my attention that the posts that actually refer to the 'cheap' part of this blog's title have been a tad lacking of late. Well today I shall rectify that with some links that if they will not actually put money into your pocket at least they will help kep some of it in there!

How? With Coupon Chief and their repository of online codes and coupons. Just in time for Groundhog day, President's Day or Valentine's Day (hint hint).

What blogger, let's use me as an example, wouldn't like to give someone:

• all the pictures from Christmas printed and delivered right to the door thanks to a Snapfish coupon?
  
• that slide scanner courtesy of a great Best Buy deal?
  
• and to make sure no one is left out, some discount toys and treats thanks to a PETCO coupon?

Be like me and let Coupon Chief be your one stop coupon deal and discount resource!

Fire Alters SJ Commute

[Porter-Stock]


Standing from the essentially the front of E&O Trading company you can now see through the Porter-Stock building to St. Joseph's Cathedral.

The Mercury News is now reporting the building will be torn down. VTA Light rail is replaced with a bus until at least tonight.

New Movie Thursday (it would seem)

[X-Files]

Interior Hallway,, walking toward camera

Mulder: Have you seen the MacBook Air?
Scully: (sighing) Mulder, not another theory.
Mulder: It's so ... thin. Who on this Earth can make a computer that thin without alien tech?
Scully: Um - are you forgetting Steve Jobs?
Mulder: So you agree with me then?

First Look at the New 1701

Moviephone has a sneak peek at the 'new' Enterprise. ("the first photo released from the eagerly anticipated 'Star Trek' film, directed by J.J. Abrams and due in theaters this December.") Go check out the whole enchilada over at their site. Cast photos as well but I think you all know who the real star of the show is going to be.

Still not 100% on board with Winona, but in for a penny in for a pound. BTW: Star Trek The Animated Series is shockingly not as bad as I had thought. Disk 2 really picks up in quality.

The Number You Have Reached

[sleep number beds]

You know it is still Winter when 'the cat' switches from her standard 'interested in what her people are doing but no so much as to have to follow you everywhere' mode to the one where she is upstairs on the bed before we are and after a brief, respectful pause, stands on your head and pillow to be let under the blankets. Not just anywhere under the blankets, mind you, but preferably outside edge on what I like to call 'my side'. In a pinch she will settle for between us but not if she can wake me up to get her way.

I know we are no doubt spoiling her something horrible but as they saying goes, 'she's a cat,' and how much can she really be spoiled? Besides, she's an only child and who else can we spoil?

As flattering as it is to be her "horizontal favourite" (I would be a distant second as her daylight favourite), the fact that this plays nightly in our aging Queen sized bed does make for some uncomfortable nights and the mattress ads in the daily paper getting increasing scrutiny. One of us (I won't say who) thinks that the Local Department Store would be a good place to buy but I am still curious about a Sleep Number air bed. I remember N & H praising theirs (and finding out they had the same 'Sleep Number' = kismet!), and since we have a huge difference in pillow firmness (I like a soft pillow, others not so much), maybe our mattress should reflect the same aesthetic?

Besides, how can I resist a bed that has a "Digital Numeric Inflation System to allow you to adjust the softness or firmness of the mattress with the simple push of a button." There are mattresses available that allow one to adjust each side of the mattress separately, so no more compromises, just good sleep. This was a sponsored post but with the long weekend coming up, I think there will be a shopping trip in our future.

For only $20 More

[MacBook Air]

This made me smile a bit, but the red string made me laugh.


Sorry no direct link to the source, came via a friend. Apologies to the original creator for the lack of link-back.

For discussion: Was the creator an early buyer of a iPod Touch, hence the $20 surcharge comment? (Am I the only one old enough to remember when you could download (for free) each MacOS update from v1 to 6(?) via their FTP server?

many-hands-make-light-work

There are about 20 million unique tags on Flickr today. So what if we could lend this wonderful power to some of the huge reference collections around the world? What if you could contribute your own description of a certain photo in, say, the Library of Congress' vast photographic archive, knowing that it might make the photo you've touched a little easier to find for the next person?

Well… you can.

Announcing The Commons.

The first incarnation of The Commons is a pilot project created in partnership with The Library of Congress. The Library has an enormous photo catalogue, containing over a million photos. The Library team has chosen about 1,500 photos each from two of their more popular collections to show on Flickr.

The $20 Upgrade

OK, I promise no more PR spin today, 3 is enough, right? That being said I this was a little gem tossed in with all the announcements at MacWorld yesterday:

Apple® today announced a major software upgrade for the iPod® touch, making the best iPod into even more—the world's best Wi-Fi mobile device. iPod touch customers already have the most advanced mobile web browser in the world with Safari™, and now Apple is adding five more great mobile applications—Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes. The iPod touch software upgrade also includes new features such as Web Clips, a customizable home screen and beginning today, the ability to watch iTunes® Movie Rentals. New iPod touch products shipping from the factory will include the software upgrade and existing iPod touch customers can get the software upgrade for $19.99 by purchasing and downloading it from iTunes.

The emphasis is mine but doesn't this like another early adopter tax from Steve and Company. They really seem to be hitting the 'got to have it first' crowd hard these days. I guess I shouldn't be too crabby - I am am the last person to buy anything in the first couple of months, so why not let the Paris Hilton set pay for the lion's share of the Research and Development budget.

More News You Can Use

[Cydcor Names President]

CYDCOR Names President
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (December 11, 2007) – CYDCOR, the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams, recently named Jim Majeski President of CYDCOR. Prior to this role, Majeski held the position of CYDCOR Senior Vice President of Business Development.

“Over the course of the past 13 years, Jim has played a central role in making CYDCOR the success it is today. His leadership, ability to forge long-lasting client relationships and fuel the growth of our network of sales offices, has contributed to CYDCOR in innumerable ways. As President, he will lead CYDCOR at an even more significant level,” CEO Gary Polson said.
Majeski joined the company in 1994 and is credited with taking CYDCOR global, leading business development in Germany, Spain and the UK. He oversees all client relationships which include Fortune 500 companies, some of which became clients more than a decade ago. In addition, Majeski has continued to meet clients’ needs through increasing CYDCOR’s network of independent sales offices from zero to more than 200 today.

“We have built an outstanding reputation with our clients and in the industry. The biggest and best global brands are choosing CYDCOR and our network of sales offices to represent them. As President, I look forward to the explosive growth CYDCOR will experience in the near future,” said Majeski.
Most recently, Majeski and Polson obtained additional capital from institutional investors to fuel business expansion and the pursuit of channel and geographic opportunities. Both Majeski and Polson have financial as well as ownership stakes in the company.
Prior to joining CYDCOR, Majeski served as director of business markets at MCI and president of the International Marketing Group. Majeski has more than 20 years of experience in corporate sales, management and strategic brand marketing, and is currently on the Board of Directors of Pennsylvania State University and St. Thomas University.
About CYDCOR, Inc.
CYDCOR, Inc., is a leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams to a diverse client base of companies in a range of industries, including telecommunications, office products, retail energy and financial services. CYDCOR works with a network of independently owned corporate licensee (ICL) sales offices providing clients with access to more than 2,500 sales professionals and 200+ offices in North America. The privately held company is based in Westlake Village, California.
For more information about CYDCOR, log on to www.cydcor.com.

Cydcor has sponsored this posting.

The Horror: 2 Bad Tastes Go Together

Now this is my personal opinion so feel free to disagree, heck feel free to buy me one and try and talk me into drinking it, if you can but frankly this scares me:

one of the hottest new products to hit markets in California and Texas cities, followed by tremendous success in Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska, Budweiser & Clamato Chelada and Bud Light & Clamato Chelada will arrive in convenience stores, supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide today. (14 January)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I like black licorice and once ate an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's "Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream," but I would have to be really thirsty to even crack the top of one of these.

Enjoy the remainder of your lunch hour.

Friday Night (hi)Lights

[High School Sports]


Back in the Dark Ages when I was in High School, we used to have a thing called a phone tree to get the word out about practice times. Pictures from he game - well you had to hope that the photographer for the school paper didn't focus on the other team's cheerleaders or leave the door unlocked to the darkroom and have someone walk in and ruin the entire roll.

Well, time have changed and the internet has reached down to the High School football and High School basketball team.

So, are you or your High School kids searching for a social network for school sports? Then search no more and surf to TAKKLE! Developed to help high school athletes succeed, TAKKLE will let you / them check in with favorite groups, check practice schedules, and post highlight photos & videos.

TAKKLE can also help great coaches find great athletes - never an easy trick! - so instead of scanning box scores in local newspapers, TAKKLE will undoubtedly become the most valuable resource for college recruiters (and remember Mom and Dad, with recruitment comes scholarships) with full access to complete game statistics, as well as photos and videos for hundreds of thousands of individual athletes and teams from coast to coast.

But mostly, TAKKLE is poised to be a home for all the fans, friends, and parents and alumni of high school athletes and athletics around the country. TAKKLE will empower them to track the progress of their favorite players and teams, receive those up-dates on stats and games, check profiles of players, view videos and photos from recent games as well as post comments and add ratings. Who needs overpaid and underperforming player like our local 49ers when you can watch the game in its purest form.

Check it out and grab your favourite screen name before everyone gets on board and start talking - you may just find some of your old teammates while you are there and you can see how today's kids are playing as compared to your own glory days. This has been a sponsored review.

24th Anniversary Macintosh

[Mac512, 24th Anniversary Macintosh]

A Macintosh 512k upgraded to run OS X by replacing the innards with a modern Mac Mini. Somehow the cleverness of this guy all but restores my faith in the Macintosh 'religion'. Somebody in Cupertino should make their current crop of engineers take a class from this guy and remind them that the Tesla Roadster is sexy but it is the Toyota Prius that is shipping, is affordable and is the real game changer.

Something In the Air? More Like Something In the Kool-Aid(R)

The Macbook Air :

1. No user-replaceable battery. When you are getting your iPhone battery replaced you can have Apple get a battery for this thing, too, Mr. Moneybags.
2. All the ports you really need: a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, and a micro-DVI. Apparently I don't 'need' to back up my camera or camcorder or use Firewire external hard drives, nor connect to hotel room ethernet.
3. When you need to install software on MacBook Air from a CD or DVD, a new feature called Remote Disc lets you wirelessly use or "borrow" the optical drive of a Mac or PC time to start depending upon the kindness of strangers? 
   
4. Starting at $1799

Hey Steve, have you seen the $399 ASUS Eee?

NETFLIX: New! Watch instantly on your PC

Just don't expect to use this feature if you have a Macintosh!
	As part of your current Netflix subscription, you have the option to watch some movies and TV episodes from the Netflix library instantly on your PC at no additional charge. Now, we've made it unlimited! So watch instantly on your PC when you want, and as often as you want. Select from our separate, smaller library of over 6,000 familiar movies and TV episodes available to watch instantly. - Your friends at Netflix