2007年1月30日星期二

Lose Weight, Gain Money

clipped from: www.livingonadime.com
10 Ways to Lose Weight and Gain Money
by Jill Cooper
  • Eat smaller portions. The less food you eat, the less food you have to buy which means the less money you spend on food.

    • Walk more. I have a grocery store 2 1/2 blocks from me. Shame on me for driving there especially when I only need one or two items. I can't even use being in a hurry as an excuse because it takes me the same amount of time to walk as to drive. Stop complaining about gas prices and start walking.
    Stop paying someone else to do your work. Start doing your own yard work and housecleaning. You don't think you have time? Use that hour you would have worked out at the gym each morning to do your house work or yard work. Not only do you save the money you are paying someone to do these things, but you don't have to pay to go to the gym. Don't think you can lose weight cleaning your house? Trust me. If you are doing these things properly you will lose weight.
    Stop going out to eat as much. Not only does it cost so much less to eat at home but you can control how much you eat and what you are eating better. How often do you eat everything they give you in a restaurant just because you don't want to waste money?
    Take the kids to the park instead of the movies. It doesn't cost a thing to go to the park and you get exercise. Plus there is the added benefit of actually talking and playing with you kids instead sitting staring at a movie.
    Drink water and not pop (or sodas). We all know it. Pop is just empty calories with no benefit. Why spend the money or pack on the extra inches?
    That goes for Lattes too. It costs much less to just have a regular cup of coffee from home and is much less fattening. Save the lattes for a special treat or dessert.
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    16 Things That Took Me 50 Years To Learn

    clipped from: www.askmen.com
    16 Things That Took Me 50 Years To Learn
    January 27th, 2007
    AskMen.com Rates This Joke: 8/10

    1- You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight-savings time.

    2- You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

    3- The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

    4- The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.

    5- There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.

    6- There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

    7- People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

    8- If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

    9- The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

    10- If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He will not use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

    11- You should not confuse your career with your life.

    12- A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

    13- No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

    14- When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

    15- Your friends love you, anyway.

    16- Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
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    Atheist Quotes

    clipped from: www.delawareonline.com
    I cannot believe in a God who wants to be praised all the time.
    -Friedrich Nietzsche

    I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.
    -Stephen Roberts

    I still say a church steeple with a lightning rod on top shows a lack of confidence.
    -Doug McLeod

    Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
    -Epicurus

    Science is like a blabbermouth who ruins a movie by telling you how it ends! Well I say there are some things we don't want to know! Important things!
    -Ned Flanders

    Men never commit evil so fully and joyfuly as when they do it for religious convictions.
    -Blaise Pascal

    So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.
    -Bertrand Russell

    Praying is like a rocking chair-- it'll give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere.
    -Gypsy Rose Lee

    We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.
    -Gene Roddenberry

    If a church sign says it, then it must be so:

    http://shortthorts.blogspot.com/2006/10/fun-with-church-signs.html
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    IdiomSite

    clipped from: www.idiomsite.com
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    6 Key Social Skills

    6 Key Social Skills
    Social skills are arguably the most important set of abilities a person can have. Human beings are social animals and a lack of good social skills can lead to a lonely life, contributing to anxiety and depression. Great social skills help you meet interesting people, get that job you want, progress further in your career and relationships.

    Happily, like any skill, social strategies and techniques can be learned…

    The main social skills are as follows:

    1) The ability to remain relaxed, or at a tolerable level of anxiety while in social situations

    Regardless of how skillful you are in social situations, if you are too anxious, your brain is functioning in way unsuited to speaking and listening. In addition, if your body and face give the unconscious message that you are nervous, it will be more difficult to build rapport with others.

    2) Listening skills, including letting others know you are listening
    3) Empathy with and interest in others' situations

    A major part of social anxiety is self consciousness, which is greatly alleviated by focusing strongly on someone else. A fascination (even if forced at first) with another's conversation not only increases your comfort levels, it makes them feel interesting.

    4) The ability to build rapport, whether natural or learned

    Rapport is a state of understanding or connection that occurs in a good social interaction. It says basically "I am like you, we understand each other". Rapport occurs on an unconscious level, and when it happens, the language, speech patterns, body movement and posture and other aspects of communication can synchronise down to incredibly fine levels.

    Rapport is an unconscious process, but it can be encouraged by conscious efforts.
    5) Knowing how, when and how much to talk about yourself - 'self disclosure'
    6) Appropriate eye contact
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    2007年1月28日星期日

    A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope

    Reconsidering Star Wars IV in the light of I-III

    If we accept all the Star Wars films as the same canon, then a lot that happens in the original films has to be reinterpreted in the light of the prequels. As we now know, the rebel Alliance was founded by Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa. What can readily be deduced is that their first recruit, who soon became their top field agent, was R2-D2.

    Consider: at the end of RotS, Bail Organan orders 3PO's memory wiped but not R2's. He wouldn't make the distinction casually. Both droids know that Yoda and Obi-Wan are alive and are plotting sedition with the Senator from Alderaan. They know that Amidala survived long enough to have twins and could easily deduce where they went. However, R2 must make an impassioned speech to the effect that he is far more use to them with his mind intact: he has observed Palpatine and Anakin at close quarters for many years, knows much that is useful and is one of the galaxy's top experts at hacking into other people's systems. Also he can lie through his teeth with a straight face. Organa, in immediate need of espionage resources, agrees.

    For the next 20 years, as far as 3PO knows, he is the property of Captain Antilles, doing protocol duties on a diplomatic transport. He is vaguely aware of the existence of the princess but doesn't know much about her. Wherever 3PO goes, being as loud and obvious as he always is, his unobtrusive little counterpart goes with him. 3PO is R2's front man. Wherever they land, R2 is passing messages between rebel sympathisers and sizing up governments as potential rebel recruits - both by personal contact and by hacking into their networks. He passes his recommendations on to Organa.

    Yoda is out of the picture by this stage, using the Force-infused swamps of Dagobah to hide himself from Vader and the Emperor. Or something. He is meditating on the future and keeping in touch with Obi-Wan via the ghost of Qui-Gon Jin, which as comm systems go has the virtue of being untappable. Obi-Wan, on Tattoine, keeps in touch with Bail Organa and the other Rebel leaders by courier, of which more later.

    As Star Wars opens, R2 is rushing the Death Star plans to the Rebellion. R2, not Leia. The plans are always in R2. What Leia puts into him in the early scene is only her own holographic message to Kenobi. Leia's own mission, as she says in the holographic message, is to pick up Obi-Wan and take him to Alderaan - or so she thinks. Actually, her father just wants her to meet Kenobi, which up to this point she never has. There's a reason for that.

    Obi-Wan has spent the last 20 years in the Tattoine desert, keeping watch over Luke Skywalker and trying to decide on one of the three available options:
    A) If Luke shows no significant access to the Force, then leave him alone in obscurity
    B) If Luke shows real Force ability, then consider recruiting him as a Jedi. The rebellion needs Jedi. Now.
    But, if Luke shows any signs of turning out like his father, then C) sneak into his house one fine night and chop his head off. With great regret but it'll save a lot of trouble later on.
    Knowing this to be the case, Bail Organa (perhaps at the insistence of his wife) has found excuses not to send Leia to Ben for assessment of Jedi potential, largely for fear of option C.

    To be fair to all concerned, Leia has shown no overt signs of a link to the Force. Luke on the other hand has. In his home-built hotrod aircraft, with no formal fighter pilot training and no decent instrumentation, Luke can regularly score centre-hits on 2-metre targets in complicated zero-altitude maneouvres. Until he attends the briefing on Yavin, Luke has no way of knowing that hardened combat pilots would consider that nearly impossible. To him it's easy. Obi-Wan, who saw Anakin's performance in the Pod Race, is nervous.

    Much of Obi-Wan's behaviour in this film, and Yoda's in the next, can best be understood if they are frankly scared to death of what Luke might become. (Ben is also scared that he himself will make all the same mistakes he made with Anakin.)

    Now, with the existence of the rebellion at stake, Bail Organa has finally told Leia to go see Obi-Wan and has sent her along with R2. The original plan would then be for Obi-Wan (with optional Luke and/or Leia in tow) to leave his exile and take the Death Star plans to Yavin, where they can be put to use. R2 (with Leia if Ben doesn't want to take her) would then carry on to Alderaan to maintain the cover story. The original plan does not survive contact with a large Imperial Star Destroyer.

    R2 and 3PO bail out in an escape pod, landing in vaguely the right area of Tattoine, where R2's first priority is transport. He arranges to be captured by a group of Jawas and, once on board their transport, he makes a deal with them (possibly using emergency funds stored about his person) to take him where he wants to go. The Jawas refuse to go directly to Kenobi for fear of marauding Sandpeople but they agree to R2's second request : transport to the Skywalker farm. They even get to keep the purchase price if they can sell R2 and 3PO there. The Jawas shake on it and go through with the plan.

    Seeing 3PO fail to recognise the farm where he worked for 10 years gives r2 a moment's amusement but, as soon as possible, he gets away and heads for Kenobi. Luke and 3PO follow, which may or may not have been part of the plan.

    On first seeing R2, Obi-Wan has a twinkle in his eye and calls him "my little friend". Well, he is. However, when Luke wakes up and says that R2 claimed to be owned by an Obi-Wan Kenobi, he blandly says "I don't seem to remember ever owning a droid." Ben has in fact owned several but the remark is aimed at R2 and translates as "You keep quiet. I'm not about to tell him everything just yet." Obi-Wan thinks fast and tells Luke a version of his past that does not involve a father who became a dark lord of the Sith. He wants to examine Luke a lot more closely before he risks telling him the real truth.

    Although the Death Star plans need to get to Yavin as soon as possible, Obi-Wan needs to make one more diversion first. If the Empire knows that Leia is a Rebel leader, then they also know about her father and the whole Organa family may need immediate evacuation. Fortunately, before coming to Tattoine, R2 had already arranged transport, which is waiting at Mos Eisley, under the command of the Rebellion's other chief field agent and espionage asset. Chewbacca.

    20 years earlier, Chewbacca was second in command of the defence of his planet. He's there in the tactical conferences and there on the front lines and is a personal friend of Yoda's. When he needed reliable people to join the embryonic Alliance, who else would Yoda turn to but his old friend from Kashykk? Given his background, there is no way that Chewie would spend the crucial years of the rebellion as the second-in-command to (sorry Han) a low-level smuggler. Unless it's his cover. In fact, Chewie is a top-line spy and flies what is in many ways the Rebellion's best ship.

    The Millenium Falcon may look like a beat-up old freighter but it can outrun any Imperial ship in normal space or hyperspace, hang in a firefight with a Star Destroyer or outmaneouvre a dozen top-of-the-line TIE fighters. It's a remarkable feat of engineering and must have cost a colossal fortune to build. How does Han come to own a ship like that? He only thinks he does, actually it's Chewie's. Half-way through RotS, we see the Falcon landing at the Senate building on Coruscant. If it's the same ship (which of course it is) then it was the personal transport of one of the senatorial delegations - a much more likely source to commission its design. That delegatino must have later joined the Rebellion and given it the use of the Falcon. In fact, if the delegation is the one from Kashykk, then the ship may have belonged to Chewbacca as early as RotS.

    Han is Chewie's front man. It's much better, and safer for him, if he doesn't know what's really going on. Chewie used to work with Lando Calrissian in a similar way but Lando wanted to settle down, so Chewie arranged for him to lose the Falcon in a card game to Han Solo, an even better choice as partner. Han and Chewie's working method is pretty much what we see in the cantina scene: Chewie make the contacts and sets up the deals, then turns them over to Han who haggles over the price and gives the final yea or nay. This lets Chewie wander the seamy underside of the galaxy pretty much at will, making contacts, gathering and passing information with no-one was the wiser, especially not Han.

    Chewie persuaded Han to do business with Jabba the Hutt so he could make regular runs to Tattoine, where Chewie could pass messages between Kenobi and Organa. When R2's urgent message came through only days before, the only way for Chewie to get back to Tattoine in time was to make the "mistake" that forced Han to dump his cargo to avoid capture. As a down side, this led to Solo's getting a death mark out on him from Jabba the Hutt. Chewie was a bit upset about the need for that but figured they weren't going to be dealing with Tattoine for much longer.

    En route to Alderaan, R2 and Chewie play stop-motion chess. This is the latest in a series of games they've played over the year in the back rooms of space stations and cantinas across the galaxy, but this is the first time they've done it in front of their respective straight men, so they put on a big show.

    Then it all goes wrong again. Alderaan is gone and the Falcon is caught and brought aboard the Death Star. Only Han, Luke and 3PO don't know just how much trouble they're in but Obi-Wan has a plan and seems confident (but Jedi always do). Soon afterwards, R2 finds Leia in the detention cells and shouts that they have to rescue her, to which Chewie can only agree. If Vader learns he has a daughter, then they're all in deep trouble, so Chewie does his bit to persuade Han to go along with Luke's plan.

    Then, on the verge of escape, Vader himself turns up only yards from both of his children, one of whom is leaking Force all over the place. Obi-Wan stages a distraction by letting himself die and go into the Force while the others escape. At this point, Chewie suddenly realises that he's been left in charge, not only of the Death Star Plans and the survival of the Rebellion but of the secret son and daughter of Darth Vader. With the Organas and Kenobi all dead, only Chewie, R2 and Yoda know who Luke and Leia are. And only Ob-Wan knew where Yoda has been hiding. Chewie is stressed out by the responsibility and R2 (who keeps making crude jokes about the whole affair) is being no help at all.

    Chewie's first problem is what is happening between Luke and Leia. With a psychic link they can feel but don't understand, thrown together in a life-or-death escape, they are looking at each other with a sparky intensity that Chewie gradually recognises as Romantic Tension. He's no expert on human relationships but Chewie is fairly sure that that's Wrong, so he does the only thing he can under the circumstances - he throws Han at her. Han is at first not interested but after a while starts to warm to the idea with an intensity that gives Chewie new worries.

    When they reach Yavin, Han decides to take the money and run and Chewie decides to go with him. Looked at in cold light, it's for the good of the Rebellion. Even if Yavin is destroyed, there'll be one agent who knows what's going on who can try and put something back together, but he doesn't feel good about it. When Han decides to turn around and join the attack, Chewie is all for it.

    Han and Luke get medals but Chewie doesn't. Actually, Leia offers him one but Chewie turns it down. He got one of those things from Yoda about 20 years ago, but there's no way he can tell her that.

    As the film ends, the three founders of the Rebellion are all gone. Bail Organa is dead, Yoda is out of contact and Obi-Wan's ghost can only talk to other Jedi. (So that would be Yoda then.) Thus, the field leadership of the rebellion has just been turned over to the daughter of Darth Vader. Chewie is really hoping that someone with an official rank greater than hers will get here real soon before he has to think really seriously about option C.

    © Keith Martin 2005
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    Why Horses are Better Than Men

    1. You can ride a horse all day.
    2. A horse doesn't care what you look like.
    3. A horse is always happy to see you.
    4. A horse doesn't care if you've ridden a different horse before.
    5. You can ride a horse all month long.
    6. You can leave a horse out all night and know where it's been.
    7. Horses don't get drunk.
    8. Horses don't wonder where you've been.
    9. Horses don't care what you wear.
    10. If a horse pisses you off, you can sell it.
    11. You can ride a black horse and nobody will care.
    12. You can own more than one horse.
    13. A horse doesn't care if you get drunk.
    14. Horses don't watch football.
    15. You can share a horse with a friend.
    16. Horses don't leave the toilet seat up.
    17. Horses don't let others ride without your permission.
    18. Horses don't ever promise to call.
    19. A horse won't leave you for another horse.
    20. A horse can't get you pregnant.
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    麥當勞與星巴克

    說到麥當勞與巴菲特也曾有一段歷史
    曾經一度麥當勞列為巴菲特的重要持股之一
    擁有該公司4.3%市值超過12億美元的股權
    不過很可惜不像可口可樂與吉列刮鬍刀
    最終成為該公司不可或缺Inevitable的永久持股
    巴菲特在1997年將他在麥當勞的部份全數出脫
    其原因頗讓人玩味
    個人歸納出兩個理由
    第一個理由很直接
    因為麥當勞是全世界最大的不動產投資商
    雖然這使得該公司獲利倍增
    但巴菲特對於公司將資源過度擺在房地產上頭
    感到不能認同
    第二個理由很特別
    巴菲特曾表示
    美國人可以一天不吃麥當勞
    卻不能一天不喝可樂或刮鬍子
    這是相當重要的一點
    另外巴菲特與查理孟格相當鍾愛旗下公司
    乳品皇后(International Diary Queen)所賣的聖代
    且對於麥當勞模仿它但卻不倫不類的產品相當感冒
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    誰是世界最好的咖啡廳？誰是世界最棒的速食餐廳？其實這個答案是眾說
    紛紜的，不過倘若我們以品牌價值來做判斷，根據新出爐的美國商業週刊
    的「全球品牌排行榜」來看，麥當勞排名第九名、星巴克排名第八十八名
    ，所以星巴克與麥當勞稱得上全世界最好、最有名的連鎖咖啡廳與速食餐
    廳。
    其實我這篇文章並不是在幫麥當勞或是星巴克做宣傳，在這篇文章的後面
    各位也絕對找不到任何漢堡與咖啡的折價券，但是這兩家公司的創立過程
    真的十分有趣、而且有非常值得我們深思的神奇巧合，且讓我們翻開星巴
    克與麥當勞的發跡史吧！
    先問您一個簡單問題，麥當勞漢堡是由一個名字叫做麥當勞的人所創立的
    嗎？讓您想個幾秒鐘。

    答案是：「沒錯！麥當勞的確是由兩位叫做麥當勞的先生所創立的，他們
    是兄弟，大哥叫做莫瑞斯‧麥當勞、小弟叫做理查‧麥當勞，莫瑞斯大哥
    與理查小弟在1930年在洛杉磯以東鳥不生蛋的地方開設了世界第一家麥當
    勞。」
    不過倘若麥當勞兄弟創立了麥當勞，從此過著幸福、快樂、稱霸世界的日
    子，那我又何苦要多此一舉問您這個問題呢？因為事實上麥當勞不是由麥
    當勞兄弟所「一手搞大」，因為真正的麥當勞之父是瑞‧克羅克（Ray Kroc）。
    克羅克原來是奶昔機器的業務員，在1955年的一次偶然的機會下，他突然
    發現業務報表上出現一個異常數字，居然有一家叫做麥當勞的餐廳一口氣
    跟他們公司訂購了八台奶昔機器（一般店面了不起買個一、兩台而已），
    於是乎，好奇的克羅克便動身前往洛杉磯，一睹這家訂購了八台奶昔機器
    的神奇餐廳。
    到了麥當勞餐廳之後，克羅克立刻嚇了N大跳，於是在麥當勞餐廳的金色
    拱門下開始哼唱起麥當勞小調：「歡樂口味就在麥當勞.」，也立下了要
    擴張麥當勞的雄心壯志。
    第二天，一路哼唱著麥當勞小調的克羅克雀躍地去找這家店的老闆：麥當
    勞兄弟，沒想到卻踢到一塊大鐵板，因為當年那家僅此一家、別無分號的
    麥當勞餐廳一年就可以賺上十萬美金，已經讓麥當勞兄弟非常地滿足，根
    本不想接受克羅克那個「遍地都是麥當勞」的瘋狂建議。
    不過克羅克也不是省油的燈，運用業務員的精神不停地ㄌㄨ著麥當勞兄弟
    ，最後麥當勞兄弟終於答應克羅克幫他們販售麥當勞連鎖店的加盟權利，
    但是這個談判條件並不是很好，比較有利於翹著二郎腿、數鈔票的麥當勞
    兄弟，而不利於當年已經五十三歲的克羅克。
    雖然「僅此一家、別無分號」的麥當勞餐廳是相當成功的、但是變成第二
    家、第三家、第N家連鎖店卻不是一件容易的事情，必須由克羅克一步一
    步自己來建立制度，而且根據合約的條文，連鎖店的作業費用與行銷費用
    也是由克羅克來支付，所以對於「過了五十歲才轉業」的克羅克是非常地
    辛苦！可想而知，克羅克的老婆也是受不了自己老公「年過半百才開始創
    業」的老番顛舉動，於是從麥當勞連鎖店創業之初，克太太就不停地跟克
    羅克吵架，最後在克羅克五十八歲的時候，結束了為期三十九年的婚姻。
    不過翹著二郎腿、數鈔票的麥當勞兄弟在克羅克「賠了夫人（離婚）、又
    折兵（公司接近破產）」犧牲奉獻的當頭上，居然還偷偷地出售加盟權給
    克羅克的商場敵手，讓克羅克非常地生氣、實在不想再跟麥當勞兄弟繼續
    玩下去。
    沮喪的克羅克左思右想、一直想著要如何才能擺脫討人厭的麥當勞兄弟？
    是不是應該將麥當勞漢堡改成克羅克漢堡呢？原本的麥當勞小調改成「歡
    樂口味就在克羅克」？不過克羅克忍住心中百般的賭爛，往理性的地方思

    考，因為當時麥當勞漢堡已經有兩百多家的規模，如果因為自己的賭爛，
    而貿然改成克羅克漢堡，最後的下場一定是比現在的「賠了夫人、又折兵
    」更慘！
    於是克羅克做出了人生最大的賭注，跟一些學校基金與退休基金借了兩百
    七十萬美元，把麥當勞這個商標全部買斷（註：目前麥當勞的商標價值高
    達兩百五十三億美金），趕走令克羅克賭爛萬分的麥當勞兄弟，並且開始
    成立讓麥當勞反敗為勝的房地產租賃公司。
    就從1961年開始，克羅克冒著身敗名裂、債台高築的危險，借錢請麥當勞
    兄弟滾蛋之後，克羅克就成為名符其實的麥當勞之父，而且從此之後麥當
    勞的業績就開始扶搖直上，就克羅克創業十週年之時，美國已經有了七百
    多家麥當勞漢堡，而且麥當勞的股票也堂堂上市，變成大家搶購的熱門股
    票。
    之後的麥當勞故事，大家應該都很清楚！麥當勞馬不停蹄地在世界開設了
    幾萬家的麥當勞漢堡店，創造了無數的速食奇蹟，也使得麥當勞成為世界
    公認的美國文化象徵。在克羅克去世的一年（1985年）之後，麥當勞被紐
    約證券交易所納入了道瓊工業指數（註：只有三十家公司可以納入道瓊指
    數），這時麥當勞不折不扣成為美國企業的巨人。
    接下來我們來聊聊跟麥當勞極為雷同的星巴克故事，故事的主人翁叫做霍
    華蕭茲，這是一個足足晚了麥當勞三十年的創業故事。
    霍華蕭茲跟克羅克一樣，原本都是業務員，也是從自己的業務報表上面一
    個異常的數字而展開了這段創業故事。
    在1981年，霍華蕭茲突然發現西雅圖居然有家星巴克咖啡店跟他們公司訂
    購了很多的滴泡式咖啡壺，而且訂購數量比西雅圖當地的知名百貨公司還
    多，好奇的霍華蕭茲覺得事出必有因，於是便千里迢迢地從紐約殺到了西
    雅圖一探究竟。
    到了西雅圖星巴克咖啡、喝下第一杯星巴克咖啡之後，霍華蕭茲就跟1955
    年的克羅克一樣，立即驚為天人、不能自己，霍華蕭茲認為與星巴克的咖
    啡相比、美國人所喝的咖啡簡直是馬尿、是污水！所以霍華蕭茲當下就決
    定放棄一切、投入星巴克，讓美國人告別喝劣質咖啡的時代，迎向如同上
    帝所調配的星巴克烘焙咖啡時代！
    不過1981年的星巴克咖啡並不是現在我們耳熟能詳的連鎖咖啡廳，而是一
    家成立十年、專門販賣烘焙咖啡豆的迷你連鎖店。霍華蕭茲回到紐約之後
    ，馬上辭去了高薪的工作、在親朋好友的嚴重質疑下，立即投入了星巴克
    的行列中。
    霍華蕭茲跟麥當勞之父：克羅克不同，克羅克是幫麥當勞兄弟販賣加盟權
    ，而霍華蕭茲卻是選擇直接進入星巴克上班、擔任行銷經理的職位。

    在霍華蕭茲加入星巴克行列的兩年後，某次的義大利米蘭之行，霍華蕭茲
    又開始對米蘭擁有一千五百家咖啡廳的濃縮咖啡文化驚為天人！所以他開
    始對於星巴克只賣咖啡豆、而不賣咖啡的經營方向產生極大的懷疑，而與
    公司的同事、股東們發生極大的爭執。
    星巴克的元老們認為星巴克應該要堅持咖啡豆零售的本業，不應該變成咖
    啡廳，而霍華蕭茲則鼓吹引入米蘭的義式咖啡廳文化、應該立即將星巴克
    轉型成咖啡廳。
    經過了兩年的不停爭論，一直想賣咖啡的霍華蕭茲終於跟只願賣咖啡豆的
    星巴克分道揚鑣，冒險地借了一筆錢去開義式連鎖咖啡店（註一），這家
    由霍華蕭茲創業的咖啡廳叫做每日咖啡廳（ I1 Giornale，很難發音的義大利文，如果有人
    可以正確地發音，霍華蕭茲就會放一大串鞭炮以示慶祝
    。）
    跟克羅克的悲慘創業故事不同的是：幸運的霍華蕭茲在創業之初，星巴克
    的元老們不但沒有扯後腿、而且還鼎力相助、擔任霍華蕭茲的咖啡顧問。
    不過跟絕大部分的創業故事一樣，霍華蕭茲也是為了資金周轉的問題而尷
    尬萬分。
    霍華蕭茲自行創業了兩年之後，開設了三家不錯、但還沒開始賺錢的每日
    咖啡廳，但是這時霍華蕭茲一直難以忘懷的星巴克咖啡居然在這個時候要
    拍賣、而且開價還頗高、遠遠超過霍華蕭茲的能力範圍！不過霍華蕭茲仍
    然跟克羅克一樣，冒著身敗名裂、債台高築的危險，借了一筆大錢買下了
    星巴克，並且將自己的每日咖啡廳改名為「星巴克咖啡廳」。
    接下來的星巴克故事，我也不必再多說了，從此之後，星巴克馬不停蹄地
    在世界開設了兩千餘家的星巴克咖啡廳，創造了無數的咖啡奇蹟，星巴克
    讓美國人告別了喝馬尿、喝污水的劣質咖啡時代，也使得星巴克成為新興
    的美國文化象徵。在2001年8月星巴克還成為世界品牌價值成長最快速的
    企業，成為咖啡界不折不扣的看板企業。
    麥當勞與星巴克的故事告訴我們什麼呢？您有沒有想過克羅克跟霍華蕭茲
    原來都不是麥當勞與星巴克的初創者、甚至這兩家公司的原始創意與精神
    都不是出自於他們之手。但是當克羅克看到了麥當勞兄弟所創立的麥當勞
    餐廳，他立即就想要把麥當勞從美國西岸開到東岸，讓大家享受麥當勞的
    歡樂口味。霍華蕭茲喝到了星巴克的咖啡，也立即想讓美國西岸到東岸的
    人們通通可以享受到星巴克的精緻咖啡。這就是他們的創業熱情，即使創
    業的創意是別人的，但是他們卻能將麥當勞與星巴克發揚光大！
    我們可以不用像克羅克、霍華蕭茲那麼地傑出、也可以不用像克羅克、霍
    華蕭茲承擔著如此艱苦的創業風險。但是我們可以仿效他們的精神，多
    意生活上、工作上的一些小發現、小感動（像他們兩人都是從業務報表上

    的異常數字而展開這段創業旅程），或許我們可以不用創業，但是我們可
    以去尋找一家讓我們感動的公司與行業去上班、去服務，我們也可以投資
    一家曾經讓我感動的公司。
    想想看四十六年前，克羅克踏入麥當勞餐廳的那句話：「他媽的，麥當勞
    漢堡真棒！又快速、又好吃、價格又便宜！」、二十年前，霍華蕭茲喝下
    第一杯星巴克咖啡脫口而出：「Cow！原來我以前喝的咖啡是馬尿、是污
    水」之後所展開的創業故事，就值得讓處於不景氣時代的我們玩味再三！
    註一：星巴克之父：霍華蕭茲是在籃球俱樂部的朋友幫助下，才借到第一
    筆創業基金，而無奇有偶的是：麥當勞的克羅克是在高爾夫球俱樂部的朋
    友幫助下，才賣出最初的加盟權，所以奉勸各位讀者朋友有事沒事應該多
    參加一下運動俱樂部！除了健康的理由之外，搞不好還可以像霍華蕭茲與
    克羅克一樣，可以獲得一些不錯的機會呢！
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    2007年1月25日星期四

    Choosing the right sunglasses for your face

    Getting the Right Fit


    The sunglass size should be in proportion with the face size. This means that smaller sunglasses are best for smaller faces; larger sunglasses for larger faces. The frame shape should contrast with, that is, be the opposite of, the shape of the face.

    These tips must not be taken as rules but they can help you to choose your right frame.

    So let's start ...

    Oval face

    Almost any style works for oval face. Experiment with the latest looks, such as wraparounds or shields. Square shaped frames with gently rounded edges and higher temples also look good on an oval face.

    Frame suggestions : Any frame shape

    Round face

    Frames should make the face appear longer and thinner. In general, look for frames equal to or slightly wider than the broadest part of the face. Minimize the curves and add definition with soft, angular, rectangular styles or double brow styles. Higher temples will create a longer profile. Sunglasses with brow bars also pull the eye upward, making the face appear longer.

    Frame suggestions : Wider frames with angular / rectangular styles

    Diamond shape

    This face shape has wide or high cheekbones with a narrow forehead and chin. Oval sunglasses will soften the contour of the face, although softly curved square frames will work as well. Make sure the styles are no wider than the top of the cheekbones.

    Frame suggestions : Oval, Square, Rimless

    Square face

    This face shape consists of a strong jawline, a broad forehead and wide cheekbones. Reduce the angles with soft, curvy styles that will give the face some definition such as cat-eye styles. The classic ovals also works well for this face shape.

    Frame suggestions : Oval, Round, Cat Eyes

    Oblong face

    Widen and shorten the face with sunglass styles that do not extend beyond the widest part of the face. Round or square shapes will look great on this face. Frames with short horizontal and long vertical lines also work. Decorative or contrasting temples add width to the face.

    Frame suggestions : Round, Square

    Triangle shape

    This face has a narrow jaw and a wide forehead. Soften the lower portion of the face by accenting the eye area. Styles such as cat- eyes should angle outward at the top corner and be wide enough to balance the jawline. You can also try metal frames with rimless bottoms.

    Frame suggestions : Frames with a Straight Top Line, Cat Eyes

    Related articles

    Click here to Read more articles

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    2007年1月24日星期三

    15 Principles to Creating What You Want

    clipped from: www.businesspipeline.com
    1. Never compromise your integrity for anyone or anything.

    2. Don't try to be all things to all people. Learn to say no politely and pleasantly , but immediately and firmly.

    3. Never wait for something to happen; make it happen! Do it now!

    4. Do not be overwhelmed by the tasks before you. Don't try to do everything; just do something.

    5. To accomplish your objective, first begin. Secondly, concentrate exclusively on the project at hand. Third, don't stop.

    6. Let circumstances dictate your priorities; let priorities determine your actions.

    7. Focus your efforts on the root of the problem. Don't expend energy on peripheral issues that are not crucial to producing results.

    8. For maximum effectiveness, do only what you do best and let others do the rest.

    9. Concentrate on long-term, permanent solutions rather than stop gap measures.

    10. Don't waste time telling people what you are doing or what you are going to do. Results have a way of informing the world.

    11. Don't make promises you can't keep; once made, keep them.

    12. Don't be tempted to take the easy way out. Have the self-discipline to do the right thing rather than the instinctive thing.

    13. Don't become lax; play every point as though it were matching point.

    14. You are not through until you have dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's.

    15. Avoid premature celebrations. You are not through till the check has cleared the bank.

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    10 Goals Worth Pursuing

    clipped from: www.goalsguy.com


    1.

    Personal Development


    The single best investment any of us can ever make is in our own personal growth and development. The accumulation of knowledge means everything to your future.


    2.

    Excellent Physical Health


    Your body impacts everything you do. Take good care of it through proper nourishment, exercise and rest.


    3.

    Rest, Relaxation and Renewal


    We must take good care of ourselves without feeling guilty.


    4.

    Building a Loving Family


    Family is the emotional core of our lives. We should make constant deposits into everyone's emotional bank account.


    5.

    Intimate Relationships With Your Friends


    Surround yourself with nourishing friends. Share yourself with them and let them share themselves with you.


    6.

    Involvement In Your Community


    The definition of a life well lived must include a commitment to serving others.


    7.

    Excellence in Your Work


    Develop a reputation for excellence. A sincere commitment to excellence is a noble goal.


    8.

    Financial Freedom


    Money is important. Exercise wisdom in all your financial dealings.


    9.

    A Comfortable, Loving Home


    The single biggest investment most of us will ever make should be comfortable and lined with love.


    10.

    Peace of Mind


    There is no substitute for peace of mind. Everything you do either supports it or takes away from it.


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    33 things you never knew had names

    clipped from: www.canongate.net

    33 Names of Things You Never Knew had Names

  • AGLET - The plain or ornamental covering on the end of a shoelace.
  • ARMSAYE - The armhole in clothing.
  • CHANKING - Spat-out food, such as rinds or pits.
  • COLUMELLA NASI - The bottom part of the nose between the nostrils.
  • DRAGÉES - Small beadlike pieces of candy, usually silver-coloured, used for decorating cookies, cakes and sundaes.
  • FEAT - A dangling curl of hair.
  • FERRULE - The metal band on a pencil that holds the eraser in place.
  • HARP - The small metal hoop that supports a lampshade.
  • HEMIDEMISEMIQUAVER - A 64th note. (A 32nd is a demisemiquaver, and a 16th note is a semiquaver.)
  • KEEPER - The loop on a belt that keeps the end in place after it has passed through the buckle.
  • KICK or PUNT - The indentation at the bottom of some wine bottles. It gives added strength to the bottle but lessens its holding capacity.
  • LIRIPIPE - The long tail on a graduate's academic hood.
  • MINIMUS - The little finger or toe.
  • NEF - An ornamental stand in the shape of a ship.
  • OBDORMITION - The numbness caused by pressure on a nerve; when a limb is `asleep'.
  • OCTOTHORPE - The symbol `#' on a telephone handset. Bell Labs' engineer Don Macpherson created the word in the 1960s by combining octo-, as in eight, with the name of one of his favourite athletes, 1912 Olympic decathlon champion Jim Thorpe.
  • RASCETA - Creases on the inside of the wrist.
  • ROWEL - The revolving star on the back of a cowboy's spurs.
  • SADDLE - The rounded part on the top of a matchbook.
  • SCROOP - The rustle of silk.
  • SNORKEL BOX - A mailbox with a protruding receiver to allow people to deposit mail without leaving their cars.
  • SPRAINTS - Otter dung.
  • TANG - The projecting prong on a tool or instrument.
  • WAMBLE - Stomach rumbling.
  • ZARF - A holder for a handleless coffee cup.
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    No wonder english is so hard to learn

    clipped from: www.whosoever.org

    No Wonder English Is So Hard To Learn

    • We polish the Polish furniture.

    • He could lead if he would get the lead out.

    • A farm can produce produce.

    • The dump was so full it had to refuse refuse.

    • The soldier decided to desert in the desert.

    • The present is a good time to present the present.

    • At the Army base, a bass was painted on the head of a bass drum.

    • The dove dove into the bushes.

    • I did not object to the object.

    • The insurance for the invalid was invalid.

    • The bandage was wound around the wound.

    • There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

    • They were too close to the door to close it.

    • The buck does funny things when the does are present.

    • They sent a sewer down to stitch the tear in the sewer line.

    • To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

    • The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

    • After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number.

    • I shed a tear when I saw the tear in my clothes.

    • I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

    • How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

    • I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt.

    Back To The Table of Contents

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    Ten cognitive distortions that mess you up

    clipped from: www.spiritsite.com

    The Ten Forms of Twisted Thinking

    All-or-nothing thinking

    You see things in black-or-white categories. If a situation falls short of perfect, you see it as a total failure. When a young woman on a diet ate a spoonful of ice cream, she told herself, "I’ve blown my diet completely." This thought upset her so much that she gobbled down an entire quart of ice cream!

    Overgeneralization

    You see a single negative event, such as a romantic rejection or career reversal, as a never-ending pattern of defeat by using words such as "always" or "never" when you think about it. A depressed salesman became terribly upset when he noticed bird dung on the windshield of his car. He told himself, "Just my luck! Birds are always crapping on my car!"

    Mental filter

    You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively, so that your vision of all reality becomes darkened, like the drop of ink that discolors a beaker of water. Example: You receive many positive comments about your presentation to a group of associates at work, but one of them says something mildly critical. You obsess about his reaction for days and ignore all the positive feedback.

    Discounting the positive

    You reject positive experiences by insisting they "don’t count." If you do a good job, you may tell yourself that it wasn’t good enough or that anyone could have done as well. Discounting the positive takes the joy out of life and makes you feel inadequate and unrewarded.

    Jumping to conclusions

    Magnification

    Emotional reasoning

    You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reject the way things really are: "I feel terrified about going on airplanes. It must be dangerous to fly." Or "I feel guilty. I must be a rotten person." Or "I feel angry. This proves I’m being treated unfairly." Or "I feel so inferior. This means I’m a second-rate person." Or "I feel hopeless. I must really be hopeless."

    "Should statements"

    Labeling

    Personalization and blame

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    7 Things To Help Ease Depression

    clipped from: aaknowledge.com

    7 Things You Can Do Immediately To Ease Depression

    1. Get out now and walk fifteen minutes. It will get your feet moving and help you feel you are at least able to do something.

    2. Go immediately and be with someone who loves you. It will give you the feeling that you are wanted.

    3. Religious? Say a prayer. Ask God to help you get through this.

    4. Think of a situation, a place where you were very happy. Visualize yourself in that situation once more.

    5. Power of suggestion can do wonders. Say to yourself, "I think I can get better. I have to take it step by step. I will work my way out of this."

    6. Go out and buy a plant, or some flowers. Having something living in your house makes you feel more alive.

    7. If possible, get outside in the sunshine. If it's not possible, turn on some bright lights. Sunshine and bright light are known to make people happier.

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    Health is in your head

    clipped from: www.getrichslowly.org

    Lauren helped me see the barriers I had created: “I can’t eat breakfast because I don’t have time”, “I need to eat all of the leftovers”, “It’s too cold and wet to exercise”. These barriers still exist, but now I recognize them for what they are. And I’ve learned something: 80% of wellness is mental. Just as with personal finance, physical fitness is about overcoming mental barriers.

    Most people think that coaching is bull. It’s amazing how much money people will spend on diet books, fad equipment, diet pills, and the like — and never budge an inch. I just talk to my clients. They drop 10, 20, even more pounds of weight, plus they retain the weight loss and make life changes they never thought possible. But it is they who do the work and they who take the glory. I know you understand the value of getting rich slowly but carefully. It’s the same with fitness and lifestyle changes — the good stuff is slow, but it sticks.

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    How to Get People to Like You

    clipped from: mysticeye.info
    Learn to remember names. A name is very important to someone. If you don’t take the time to learn someone’s name, it indicates that you’re not interested in him or her. When someone remembers your name, it gives you the feeling that you are interesting or important.
    Be easy going and natural. When you are stiff, reserved or unresponsive, you unconsciously build up a barrier. But when you are easy going and natural it is easy for people to like you.
    Be interesting. Have something to talk about that people find interesting or stimulating. This way people want to be with you.
    Don’t have a big ego. If you give the impression that you know it all, that you are superior, you make it hard for people to like you. Be normally humble.
    Do some self-study and get rid of negative attitudes. People can consciously or unconsciously pick those up and they might find it irritable to be around you.
    Always look for the positive qualities in a person. Getting people to like you is merely the other side of liking them.
    Try to build up someone’s ego. Make compliments. Congratulate upon someone’s achievement, or express sympathy when they are in sorrow or if they feel disappointed. The ego is a sacred thing; every human being has the desire to feel important. When you deflate someone’s ego, you are wounding him deep inside.
    Give strength to people, support them. Help them to be stronger and they will give you affection.
    Whether you like to admit it or not, we want people to like us. If someone tells you that he does not really care if people like him or not, he simply is not being honest. The longing to be liked is one of our deepest desires. We want to be popular, we want people to speak nothing but good of us and we want to have affection of the people around us. It is in our human nature.
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    Top Ten Time Wasters

    Time Management - Top 10 Time-Wasting Mistakes

    1. Not setting clear, specific, time-bound goals--and then reviewing them regularly. You can't hit a target if you don't have a target to hit.
    2. Not having a plan or strategy to achieve your goals. As they say, any path is fine if you don't know where you're going.
    3. Ignoring important areas of your life simply because they are not in crisis. Neglect costs more time down the road than simple maintenance along the way.
    4. Letting short-term emergencies and instant gratification activities consume your time instead of investing some of it in longer-term activities like building relationships, long-range planning, and caring for your physical and mental health.
    5. Being disorganized. This might seem obvious, but many people don't realize just how much time they waste looking for things.
    6. Not taking time for rest and rejuvenation. The wise woodcutter always takes time to sharpen his saw.
    7. Thinking that good time management will limit your creativity and freedom. Freedom must co-exist with structure. Life without structure is chaos.
    8. Not delegating--or simply refusing--low-value demands on your time.
    9. Forgetting to ask yourself, "Do I even WANT to spend my time doing this, and if so WHY?"
    10. Using a daily to-do list as your primary planning tool. To-do lists tend not to discriminate between the important and the unimportant. Even prioritized to-do lists don't do more than emphasize the most urgent tasks. Important things like exercising, spending quality time with your family, or nurturing business relationships rarely ever make it onto the to-do list.
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