The Authentic Bartender Blog

The 10 Commandments Of Investing

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:50:00 +0000

The biblical Ten Commandments were intended to act as a driver's manual for the road of life. "Thou shalt not kill." "Thou shalt not lie." These are life's version of the stop-at-the-red-light-and-advance-when-safe rules of the road.

In other words, they are all guidelines to keep people out of trouble. Because life's highways are full of potholes, blind turns and bad drivers, the investing world also suffers from scandals, scams and dishonest companies. Here are 10 commandments for the investing world designed to help keep investors - and their money - safe:

1. Thou shalt set clear goals.
If you don't have a purpose or a set of goals to guide your investment strategy, don't invest. This sounds harsh, but there are so many types, styles and flavors of investing that, without a particular destination, you will be lost at sea.(For more on this, read Investing With A Purpose and Investing 101: A Tutorial For Beginner Investors.)

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6 Ways To Save Money This Summer

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:41:00 +0000

The time between when the winter holiday splurging is paid off and when summer spending rushes in to fill the void is roughly 2.6 milliseconds. Ah, but what a joyous 2.6 milliseconds it is!

With yard maintenance bills, air conditioning costs and the children home from school, summer can ravage your wallet all over again. Fortunately, multiple summer bills mean there are multiple opportunities to save money.

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The Return of Romance — Daiquiris Roll Into the Limelight

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:17:00 +0000

From The American Mixologist

The daiquiri is the quintessential rum libation. No, we’re not talking about the syrupy-sweet, blended concoction that many establishments now serve, but rather the classic daiquiri, the drink that originated back in the ‘20s and ‘30s, when the island was renowned for having the most capable, professional bartenders in the world.

The daiquiri cocktail swept through the Caribbean and eventually the world like a blast of good news. Crisp, refreshing and amazingly delicious, the daiquiri is experiencing a resurgence in the United States that borders on the phenomenal.

This is a trend worth riding. It mirrors the booming popularity of rum, which has quietly become the hottest growth spirits category in the nation. The drink enjoys all of the attributes requisite for longevity. It’s easy to make well and loaded with exotic appeal.

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how to save a million dollars

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:59:00 +0000

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=how%20to%20save%20a%20million%20dollars&fr=fp-today&cs=bz&sado=1

Find the Best Place to Retire

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:57:00 +0000

http://www.usnews.com/business/best-places/to-retire/listing/search

Singular Sensations

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:54:00 +0000

By: Sean Ludford

bittersweet tooth? OK, it’s definitely a bittersweet tooth, and one of its telling symptoms is a love affair with a set of new, glamorous and swanky liqueurs. The spirits world is buzzing with chatter surrounding a handful of imaginative liqueurs that offer unique and exotic flavors.

Most notable are St-Germain, a complex and striking elderflower blossom liqueur, and Domaine de Canton, a ginger liqueur with a Cognac base. The amount of attention given to these liqueurs by mixologists and beverage insiders is vastly disproportionate to their sales.

While these spirits enjoy great popularity, the raw sales figures would leave a vodka brand manager contemplating a leap from a tall window. However, the creators of these new spirits are encouraged by their success.

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Is $1 Million Enough to Retire?

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:45:00 +0000

by Emily Brandon

Whether it is five or 25 years away, many of us share the same nagging question about retirement. How much money will I really need? Geri Pell, a senior financial adviser for Ameriprise, says the answer depends on where you live and what type of retirement lifestyle you hope to have. U.S. News asked Pell for some strategies to help figure out your retirement needs. Excerpts:

How do you know if you're saving enough for retirement?

Most people don't know. The only way you can know is by figuring out what kind of retirement you want and how much money you will need. Many people are feeling very out of control and people have more doubts and more fears.

Sitting down and making decisions and developing a plan takes so much stress away from people.

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Car Dealer Tricks to Watch For

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:34:00 +0000

By Jared Gall

We know. Not all car dealers are unscrupulous, and not all are going to take you to the cleaners. Among all the “Honest Bobs” out there walking the lots, many really are trustworthy.

But there is a simple reason so many people dread buying a new car: the potential for rip-off is astronomical, and common practices over the years have often justified consumers’ fears. If you catch a whiff of any of the scams below, be on alert.

Juggling the Four-Square

This isn’t really a trick, but awareness here is important for a buyer. When you sit down to negotiate, the salesman will pull out a “four-square” worksheet on which to work out the terms of the deal.

In the four quadrants of the sheet the salesman will record purchase price, down payment, monthly payments, and trade-in value.

He will fill in the sheet as you talk, working the deal like a shell game—if he thinks you are preoccupied with getting a fair deal on your trade in, he might give you a good price for that and then nudge your new-car purchase price north.

Take it slow, focus on one item at a time, and be sure you are comfortable with each individual aspect of your purchase.

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From Farm to Glass

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:28:00 +0000

By: Nightclub and Bar

Jon Smith has owned the small wine shop Cork & Bottle in New Orleans for nearly seven years. After the dry cleaners next door didn’t reopen post-Hurricane Katrina, he bought the space and added an adjoining wine bar called Clever.

The two spaces aim to take the snobbery out of wine shopping and sipping, and Smith, with help from bartender Kimberly Patton-Bragg, offers patrons organic wines and cocktails with interesting elements such as port, Lillet and fresh infusions of fruit.

The real twist? Some ingredients come from the parking lot.Each Thursday, Smith heads up a community farmers’ market in the parking lot outside Cork & Bottle and Clever. From mushroom growers to sweets bakers, area farmers and merchants attract crowds. Shoppers then stop in, have a wine tasting and buy locally grown produce.

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The Best Jobs in America's Green Movement

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:52:00 +0000

by Patricia Cecil-Reed, FindtheRightSchool.com

Of President Obama's $787 billion stimulus package, an impressive $40 billion will be spent on the creation of "green jobs," jobs that have a positive impact on the environment. This should come as great news to job seekers. Many are getting on board for a green career. Some facts you may want to consider:

Opportunities for green careers are growing, and can be found across the nation.
Contrary to popular belief, green jobs are not just for scientists and PhDs.
Many traditional jobs are being given a green makeover.
Building and manufacturing are popular sectors, but green jobs also include retail, science, and agriculture

The U.S. is currently seeing an expansion of two-year college programs focusing on green careers. Many students are betting on a boom in the green-collar job industry -- careers they can train for without a four-year degree.

With the right training, you can green your own career. Below are some of the most exciting green careers and information on how to train for them.

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America's Best-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:49:00 +0000

by Klaus Kneale, Forbes.com

It's a hard time for almost everyone right now, but it's especially hard for workers who don't have a college education. In 2008 the unemployment rate was 9% for people with less than a high school diploma, 5.7% for high school graduates, 2.8% for college graduates and 2% for people with doctorates.

Those numbers are all worse now, but they show that blue collar workers have been especially hard hit.

Still, there are blue-collar jobs out there in high enough demand to pay surprisingly well. We've put together a list of the 20 best paying ones. The numbers used for the list are drawn from the government's Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. They are based on data from 2008.

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Patrons Seek Selection

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:44:00 +0000

By: Nightclub and Bar

How many beers should you list on your menu? What about spirits brands? Wine offerings? How many are too many, and what’s too few? A recent online survey developed and executed exclusively for Nightclub & Bar by Next-Level Marketing/Nova Marketing yielded some insights on those very questions.

The survey of 1,000 adults ages 21 to 60 who had ordered a beer, wine or spirit drink at an on-premise establishment in the past 30 days was fielded in April and May.

The ideal number of beers appears to be between 10 and 15 brands, with consumers seeking the same breadth of wine selection, according to the survey. When it comes to spirits, the bigger the list the better: consumers responded that between 15 and 20 brands is the ideal number.

So if your beer list is scant, your spirits selection could be counted on one hand or your wine list reads like an epic, you may want to re-think your approach. Patrons want choices. Look for more consumer insights from the Nightclub & Bar consumer study in future editions of NCB First Round.

7 Lucrative Jobs from Obama's Stimulus Plan

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:11:00 +0000

by Carol Tice, PayScale.com

President Barack Obama's plan to get the U.S. economy going has a strong focus on creating jobs. Two of the bills he's recently signed, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Making Home Affordable program, provide funding that will create a wide variety of job opportunities with good salaries.

Better yet, many of these jobs don't require a four-year degree, so job-seekers may be able to move into these careers pretty quickly.

Here's a selection of some of the best-paying stimulus jobs:

Computer Security Specialist

A big chunk of the ARRA money is dedicated to health-care information-technology initiatives -- digitizing medical records so they're easier to transmit and share between doctors, hospitals and pharmacists.

Computer-security experts who can help keep electronic medical records locked away from computer hackers and other unauthorized users will be in high demand as the health-care sector modernizes, says Laurence Shatkin, author of "Great Jobs in the President's Stimulus Plan."

Other specialists will be needed to train workers on how to keep the data safe. A brief certificate program may suffice to get you started in this field, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says. "There's going to be a special role here of how to keep prying eyes away," Shatkin says. Median annual salary: $78,376

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Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Alzheimer's Disease?

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:09:00 +0000

From Mercola.com

There are several risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. An increasing number of studies link these risk factors with vitamin D deficiency. Dr. William B. Grant of the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC) suggests that further investigation of possible direct or indirect linkages between vitamin D and these dementias are needed.

Low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, depression, dental caries, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease, all of which are either considered risk factors for dementia or have preceded incidence of dementia.

For example, several studies have correlated tooth loss with development of cognitive impairment. There are two primary ways that people lose teeth: dental caries and periodontal disease. Both conditions are linked to low vitamin D levels.

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High-Tech Check

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:00:00 +0000

By: Michael Harrelson

Time was when a nightclub or bar’s best defense against underage individuals trying to get into their venue and partake of some adult libations was a no-nonsense bouncer with keen eyesight outside and a bartender or cocktail server inside with the wherewithal to ask for and carefully scrutinize an ID.

Today, both those folks are still crucial to the process, but their efforts are now supported by age identification technology that ranges from wristbands with a wire sensor that sends out a signal when tampered with to a scanner that can see in the dark.

Not only can high-tech systems for checking IDs prevent the underage crowd from crashing the party – which can result in fines and the possible loss of a valuable liquor license not to mention untold beverage revenues -- but they may also serve as the house’s best insurance against the subsequent jeopardy that comes with the youngster who might actually slip inside.

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Better sleep, better living

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:36:00 +0000

By Shari Roan

Sleep isn't just a chunk of time carved out to recharge for the following day. Increasingly, scientific evidence shows life and sleep are woven together like 800-thread-count sheets. How people fare during their waking hours has a lot to do with how they sleep -- and vice versa.

Income, employment status, relationship satisfaction and hobbies all affect sleep, according to research presented last week in Seattle at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. And sleep affects health, relationships and decision-making.

"Sleep is related to everything," said Michael Grandner, a fellow at the Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania.

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What Surprising Exercise Cuts Your Cancer Risk by 40 Percent?

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:29:00 +0000

From Mercola.com

Men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer, according to new research.The findings suggest that muscular strength is as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to protecting your body against deadly tumors.

A team of experts tracked the lifestyles of over 8,500 men for more than two decades. Each volunteer had regular medical check ups that included tests of their muscular strength.

The men who regularly worked out with weights and had the highest muscle strength were between 30 percent and 40 percent less likely to lose their life to a deadly tumor.

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Creating Cocktails for a Cure

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:05:00 +0000

By: Nightclub and Bar

Whether at-home drink makers or professional mixologists, everyone can enjoy making a cocktail creation for a good cause at the upcoming 2009 Ultimate Cocktail for a Cure Competition.

The competition, benefiting the breast cancer foundation Susan G. Komen for the Cure, runs through August 31, with the finals being held in Las Vegas in late September. Three divisions will encompass the competition: amateur, professional and Ultimate Bar Chef, which features a mystery ingredient and time limit for contenders.

Sponsors for the event are SENCE Rose Nectar, Hendrick's Gin, Absolut 100 Vodka, Grand Marnier, Milagro Tequila, Sagatiba Cachaca and Sonoma Syrups. All recipes must include SENCE Rose Nectar and at least one of the other sponsoring products.

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Plan To Retire Rich

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:36:00 +0000

by Roger Shorr

In matters of personal finance, retirement may be the single most important issue of our times. Surprisingly, far too few individuals do any meaningful planning for their golden years. Contributing to a 401(k) or IRA is important, but you must do more to ensure a financially successful retirement. Most investors should be seeking professional assistance in the development, implementation and monitoring of their plans.

Planning is the essential first step toward building a comfortable retirement. Planning can not only help you determine the amount of risk you must take to achieve your goals, but it can also help you from taking on too much risk.

As many investors know too well from the early 2000s' bear market, excessive risk can be devastating. As a result of excessive risk taking in technology stocks and other speculative investments, many who might otherwise have retired are still working. (Read about how to do this calculation in Determining Your Post-Work Income.) Let's take a look at the important process of planning, with a special focus placed on risk.

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Retire A Millionaire In 10 Steps

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:29:00 +0000

by Lisa Smith

Having a million-dollar portfolio is a retirement dream for many people. Making that dream come true requires some serious effort. While success is never a sure thing, the 10 steps outlined here will go a long way toward helping you achieve your objective.

1. Set the Goal

Nobody plans to fail, but plenty of people fail to plan. It's a cliché, but it's true. "Plan" is the leading self-help advice from athletes, business moguls and everyday people who have achieved extraordinary goals. (Read Plan To Retire Rich for additional insight into how to develop a course of action to achieve your goals.)

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Testing and Certifications Put the Bartender on a Path to Professionalism

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:20:00 +0000

By Livio Lauro

The move toward greater professionalism in bartending is everywhere today — it’s discussed on numerous blogs, written about in several new books and industry publications like this, and supported by countless training programs. Bartending skills are even judged and celebrated on reality TV shows. But what makes a bartender a professional?

Professionalism is derived from training, education and skills development, married with a commitment to excellence in execution and the ongoing expansion of knowledge among those involved in the discipline.

What really establishes a profession, however, is the creation of standards and implementation of testing to assure that individuals meet the standards. Without such standards and testing, the self-proclaimed bar-related titles commonly used today have little meaning, and bartenders will not achieve parity with their culinary counterparts in the eyes of the guest and the hospitality industry.

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Manifesting Goals and Wealth in Partnership with the Universe

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:07:00 +0000

From The Millionaire Inside

Manifesting wealth requires that we create a wealth mindset and generate goals that move us towards the wealth we desire. A sure way to set yourself up for failure is to create a goal that is too large — one that is impossible to achieve given your current resources. It is much smarter to divide your responsibilities.

Instead of trying to take on all of your goals on your own, why not ask for help from the universe? The universe can be a powerful partner in helping you achieve your manifestation goals.

By calling upon the universal power you are setting yourself up for success. Your partner, the universe, knows what is right for you and what can be achieved with ease and natural ability.

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A Secret Technique to Remove Derogatory Comments from Credit Reports

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:05:00 +0000

From The Millionaire Inside

As you can see from our pole results, many of you are concerned with your debt and how to get out of it. Credit card debt can destroy you financially. The major reason is the high interest rate. High interest rates are tied to the quality of your credit report.

A bad credit report is one that contains derogatory comments. Let’s talk about what “derogatory comments” are and a sly way to get them removed. A derogatory comment is an entry on your report that says you are not a good credit risk.

It is a big negative. Most people who are interested in lending to you (or are checking on your character) will look at the derogatory section of the credit report. Some of the most damaging information you will find in the derogatory section of the credit report concerns bankruptcies and foreclosures.

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Mojito Magic

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:37:00 +0000

By: Nightclub and Bar

The Mojito: It’s a drink that’s well-known and well-loved, and its traditional combination of white rum, sugar, lime, soda water and mint creates a refreshing concoction perfect for summer.

But now, many mixologists are revamping the Mojito, taking the tried and true method and adding their own twist – be it fresh produce, fruity flavors or even chocolate. Try the following recipes on your guests this summer, or let them inspire you to put your own signature spin on this Cuban classic.

Italian Mojito

Courtesy of Bar 888 at the InterContinental San Francisco
2 ounces Marolo Honey Infused Grappa
Fresh mint
Sugar
Fresh lime juice
Soda
Muddle mint, sugar and lime juice. Add ice and grappa, then shake and pour. Top with soda. Serve in a highball glass with a lime wedge garnish.

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Ten Cities With Rising Home Values

noreply@blogger.com (George Courtney) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:02:00 +0000

By Louis Jones

Think that no real estate market is safe? Believe it or not, there are cities where home values have held their own. Their economies are well diversified, and their population growth has been slow, keeping unemployment low and speculative building to a minimum.

Check out these ten cities that have seen an increase in median home value. Change in median home price is from the fourth quarter 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008, which is the most recent data from Fiserv Lending Solutions, a home-price research company.

1. Midland, Texas

Metro area population: 126,408Median home price: $172,60012-month change in home value: +10.4%Home value vs. national average: -4%Top employer: Midland Independent School DistrictUnemployment: 4.3%

Midland's rock bottom unemployment rate, fueled by the local education, oil, manufacturing and health care industries, limits foreclosures in the area. As in most Texas communities, the city’s conservative lending market helped it to largely avoid the subprime-mortgage bubble's burst.

The city, located about 50 miles east of the New Mexico border, is home to Midland College and was a childhood home to President George W. Bush.

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