Phew! I honestly look at my calendar and my head hurts! I have so much on the go, and today I was reminded of it! My husband and I were chatting about how busy I am, and he listed off all the things I do on a weekly basis. My heart started racing, my breathing increased…the walls started caving in! (okay, maybe not THAT dramatic!!) As I sat there thinking about it, the perfectly amazing voice of Jesus Christ said ‘hey, at least you are busy doing things that are fun!’ SO right. My breathing returned to normal. I prayed for more opportunity in certain areas, and those prayers have been answered. I need not look at all of this as stress.

99% of the time we bring the stress of life onto ourselves…we take on things we do not need to. Instead of dedicating to yet another “thing,” dedicate instead to family, friends and Christ. If you are too busy, cut back, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

This verse is about a king who is blessed! As a king, he has many responsibilities and tasks, but listen to what this says about him and put yourself here too. THIS applies to you! Just because you are a mom, teacher, friend, etc etc doesn’t mean your life must be stressed, go-go-go, and crazy!!

Psalm 21

“You gave him exactly what he wanted;
      you didn’t hold back.
   You filled his arms with gifts;
      you gave him a right royal welcome.
   He wanted a good life; you gave it to him,
      and then made it a long life as a bonus.
   You lifted him high and bright as a cumulus cloud,
      then dressed him in rainbow colors.
   You pile blessings on him;
      you make him glad when you smile.
   Is it any wonder the king loves God?
      that he’s sticking with the Best? “

Ladies, stick with the Best, the God who made you and adores you. Don’t let anything get in the way.

-Christa

Hier geht es an Bord: Über die bpcc – wie alles sich zutrug, die aktuelle Kolumne “Einmal Kaffee, bitte” und das versprochene goodie für die dinner-auction-Leser und Leserinnen. So sehen die beiden Kaffeegourmets Caroline Maras und Annika Poloczek übrigens aus:

Viel Spaß beim Lesen! Hier gibt es jetzt erstmal einen Kaffee …

Es war ein paar Tage recht ruhig im dinner-auction-blog, aber heute geht es weiter. Und zwar mit unseren neuen Kolumnistinnen in unserer Kaffeekolumne. Denn ab heute schreiben die beiden verwegenen Piratinnen der Black Pirate Coffee Crew – Caroline Maras und Annika Poloczek – in unserem coffee break. Im ersten Beitrag werden sie uns spannend und vor allem kompetent über die richtige Zubereitung von Espresso, Cappuccino und Latte macchiato berichten. Für unsere Leser und Leserinnen halten die beiden Schwestern ein Goodie bereit, also aufgpasst

Doch bevor ich die Kolumne jetzt veröffentlich, möchte ich mich auch an dieser Stelle ganz herzlich bei unserem Besuch aus Österreich für die tollen zwei Tage bedanken. dinner-auction goes Austria – seit kurzem gibt es uns ja auch in Österreich, das ja zu den besten Gastronomieländern der Welt zählt. Gegenseitiges Kennenlernen und Erfahrungsaustausch war Devise, ein Business-Meeting sollte es werden. Und war es auch! Aber wir haben uns gleich ausgesprochen gut verstanden und so war nach herzlichem Hallo und Erzählen bei Kaffee und Kuchen war klar, fine dining und ein Streifzug durch Berlins Gastronomien steht jetzt auch auf dem Programm. Nach einem arbeitsintensiven, aber kreativ-produktiven Nachmittag haben wir uns dann auf den Weg in den Prenzl-Berg gemacht. Hier ein paar Impressionen des Abends: (hm … wie bekomme ich die Fotos aus meinem Handy raus, Moment) So:

Na, das ist etwas klein, später kommen bessere Fotos dazu. Aber jetzt erstmal unseren coffee-break veröffentlichen. Viel Spaß beim Lesen

Reprinted from NY Times, Small Business

The Latest Entrepreneurial Fantasy Is Selling Cupcakes

 

Courtesy of Lovely Confections Bakery  Lovely Confections Bakery in Denver has to sell 2,800 cupcakes a month to cover expenses.

Move over restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts. A new fantasy seems to have taken hold for people who long to own their own business: the cupcakery.

You’re the Boss: Are Cupcakes a Viable Business?

There is no Cupcake Manufacturers Association keeping count, but anecdotal evidence indicates that stand-alone cupcake shops have been spreading not just in the acknowledged cupcake meccas of New York and Los Angeles but also in Boston, Denver, Austin, Tex., and lots of smaller places. Nationwide, cupcake sales, according to the market research firm, Mintel, are projected to rise another 20 percent over the next five years at a time when other baked goods are expected to grow in the single digits.

“Cupcake Wars,” a series pilot in which four bakers vie to create the most interesting concoctions, will soon have its debut on the Food Network. “Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes” (Clarkson, Potter), a collection of 175 recipes, was published in June, and spent 11 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. And the most popular of the cupcake blogs, Cupcakestakethecake, is visited by some 9,000 people a day. At least a dozen blogs chronicle each new flavor — from bacon to s’mores — as well as the best frostings, the quirkiest decorations and the newest twists (so far, the meatloaf cupcake with mashed-potato frosting seems to have been contained within Chicago).

New York’s Magnolia Bakery, which helped set off an earlier cupcake craze when its treats appeared in a “Sex and the City” episode, is now expanding operations into Los Angeles, where its $3 red velvets and devil’s foods will compete with the chai lattes and ginger lemons of Sprinkles Cupcakes, which is based in Beverly Hills but has owner-operated shops in six other cities and plans to open in far-flung locales like New York, London and Tokyo.

“Cupcake stores are taking the place of ice cream stores,” said Adam Borden, whose Baltimore-based venture capital firm, Bradmer Foods, specializes in food-focused enterprises. “Cupcakes aren’t seasonal like ice cream, and they appeal to people who want the authentic experience. They have an allure based on nostalgia.”

All of which suggests a couple of questions: How many cupcakes do you have to sell to pay the rent? And are cupcakes a viable business? These are still very early days in the Great Cupcake Rush, but the answers appear to be, respectively, a lot and maybe. (What do you think? Click HERE to leave a comment.)

Thus far, there seem to be four basic cupcake business models:

The Chain

Founded by two married former investment bankers, Charles and Candace Nelson, Sprinkles is looking to grow. The couple spent two years working on their recipes before opening their Beverly Hills location in 2005. “You have to have a great product, brand and location and then it can be very scalable,” said Mr. Nelson.

Sprinkles is slated to open three more stores next year. Seventy percent of its business comes from walk-ins, so location is crucial. Mr. Nelson declined to say whether the individual stores or the company as a whole had achieved profitability, but he did say that Sprinkles had a 20-year business plan and was committed to the long haul.

Click Here to read the entire article.

My guilty pleasure is to read people get riled up about other peoples opinions.  Many people online think they are right and it is their job to ‘enlighten’ the rest of the population who they either think is ignorant or troll because the different view points. 

I think people would get further in their conquests if they gave facts with valid sources (this doesn’t include blog entries for sources).  Then leave those with different opinions alone to digest the new information and make their own assessment.  Hey if they still do not agree move the fuck along. 

It is not some personal attack on your beliefs if someone doesn’t agree.  A lot of people take it personal if you give a view point that makes them uncomfortable.  They then will write comment after comment stressing how wrong you are and it insulting and you MUST AGREE RIGHT NOW THAT YOU ARE WRONG, THEY ARE RIGHT. 

Sometimes I think people argue online and impose their view points to make it a reality.  We all met someone like that.  They will ask for the community’s opinion to then start arguing with every commenter till they get the RIGHT answer.  Why even ask for others view points if you already have your own set view?  Some call it fishing to ‘educate’ but I think these people are insecure and have a bug up their ass.   

The reality of online debate is that people are bored and have nothing better to do then argue.  I share in these same interests of wasting time online except it is usually laughing at the bunch of you who get in these intense squabbles about dumb shit. 

There is turmoil boiling due to the economy right now and many blow steam online.  Suddenly their problems at home are sourced to what you said online.  You must have written it because you knew they be reading it and it would hurt their feelings.  Your significant other, boss, coworker, friend or family member pissed you off and now you are loaded online with all sorts’ bad vibes. 

Main thing, they are online and no one can see their face.  So they are not insecure to impose their view points or bite off your head because you do not think the same way they do.  The practice of tolerance is absent online.  So the next time someone is butt sore about your opinion please just LOL and move along.

.

.

‘The man from earth’ é um filme de orçamento baixíssimo. Ele é praticamente uma peça de teatro bem filmada, coisa que me agrada muito nestas produções: a sensação de que a história foi filmada num fôlego só e que o roteiro prevalece sobre os ‘enfeites’.

O download dele é legal, o próprio diretor deu carta branca aos internautas.

Busquem e assistam, vale a pena.

Meire

]]> http://precariousdeluxe.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/spotted-precarious-coffee-break/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:56:12 +0000 precariousdeluxe http://precariousdeluxe.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/spotted-precarious-coffee-break/

“a coffee break is a daily social gathering for a snack and short downtime practiced by employees in business and industry” says wiki.
///
it’s important to keep this social routine even if you’re out of job.
///
(with a precarious yet classy mug)

Whole people go to work

Employers are of two minds when it comes to Facebook at work. One view is that it is a great time-waster and should be removed to an employee’s personal time. That view has much traditional merit because workers are paid for productivity. Productivity is part of the social compact we agree to when stepping across that corporate threshold.

Another view is to encourage employees to use their relationship-building tools to advance the cause of the corporation—much like United Health Group invited their employees to lobby congress (mind you, on a “completely voluntary” basis) against reform which could hurt the company’s bottom line. Of course, spouting company talking points in a Facebook news feed sounds even more plastic and lifeless than it usually does in a news article.

Is there a third-way, an alternative that lies somewhere between an outright ban and a manipulative directive? I put this question to a class of college juniors and seniors studying writing in organizations—people who swim in social media all day every day. One woman suggested the typical 5-10 minute coffee break as an opportunity for social networking. In fact, that has always been the traditional purpose of that break: connecting with people over a cup of joe. Generally those breaks have not been work related. Facebook and Twitter and the like mean that now those breaks are taken with friends scattered across the planet rather than colleagues in the next cube.

Of course employees access Facebook and Twitter all day without approval from their employers. But this third way suggests these conversations and relationship-building activities can be good for the company. Not only does limited corporate approval give a nod to employees as whole people who bring their whole selves to the workplace, it also recognizes that connections and communication are life-giving interactions that help a person deal with difficulty—wherever that difficulty happens to come from.

Granted, not every job can allow this. I’d rather my air traffic controller not check Facebook while we’re flying through a crowded airspace. But a lot of jobs have room for connections and communication. Let’s publicly recognize that connections and communication are a good thing.

###

Oh no he didn’t take the 18.4-inch Acer Aspire 8940G notebook to the local coffee shop. Oh yes he did, and it’s been an adventure from the get-go. First up, I had to find a bag at Mobile Tech Manor that the giant laptop would fit in and close. I must have tried 5 or 6 bags before I realized that if I ignored the special laptop pouch within a giant Targus backpack I have and put it in the main compartment, that it would then fit and close.

Then I had to haul the 10+ pound notebook to the car, and to the coffee shop without breaking my shoulder. Once inside the shop, I had to pass over many tables until finding one that was big enough to actually handle the giant laptop. Once that was done I was all set, and I’m working away with this gorgeous screen. Battery life is looking to be between 2.5 and 3 hours, not bad for such a powerhouse with an 8-cell battery.

The keyboard is delightful, it is a cross between a chiclet style and a “real” keyboard. The keys are flat, but have full travel unlike chiclet keys. Having a 10-key on board is taking me back to the old desktop keyboards, and it’s useful as can be. I am successfully fighting the urge to fire up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, that would be too much for the crowded shop. It sure would be fun, though.

Gute Neuigkeiten für das coffee-break! Ich freue mich wirklich sehr, dass wir für unsere Kaffeekolumne die beiden Kaffeegourmets der Black Pirate Coffee Crew gewinnen konnten – nicht nur, weil wir alle drei auf eine lange Zeit im schönen Freiburg zurückblicken . Ab kommender Woche werden also die beiden Schwestern Caroline Maras und Annika Poloczek im coffee-break neben Herrn Sager tiefe Einblicke in die Welt von Kaffeegenuss und -kultur geben. Das wird die Kolumne um spannende Themen, wertvolle Tipps und ein kleines Goodie für die dinner-auction-Community bereichern. Lieben Dank einmal auf diesem Wege an die beiden verwegenen Unternehmerinnen Schön, gemeinsam in See zu stecken und Kaffeeschätze auf zuspüren!

P.S. Ich frage mich schon seit einiger Zeit, wie das Femininum von Gourmet ist … Gourmette? Allerdings ist das Französische auch nicht wirklich frauenfreundlich, warum sollte es also eine weibliche Entsprechung zu Gourmet geben

Der Siegeszug des Kaffees begann im Orient. Doch von der ersten Erwähnung in den Schriften des Heilkundigen Ibn Sina im Jahre 1015 bis zur vielbeworbenen Krönung ist viel passiert. Ich erinnere mich lebhaft und vor allem dankbar daran, als die italienische Kaffeekultur Anfang der Neunziger  nach Deutschland rüberschwappte. Immerhin wurde das Kännchen Kaffee durch Cappuccino und Latte Macchiato abgelöst und La dolce Vita nahm in Form von Straßencafés, in denen man stundenlang in der Sonne sitzen konnte, Gestalt an – welch ein Genuss, Lebensgefühl de luxe! Kurze Rede, langer Sinn: im coffee-break schreibt Kaffeeröster Alexander Sager aktuell über den erwähnten Siegeszug. In der neuen Kolumne geht es um die orientalische Frühgeschichte des Kaffees. Interessant!

Wer Herrn Sagers superschöne Auktion ersteigern will, muss sich derzeit etwas gedulden, hoffentlich stellt er sie bald wieder ein. Es gab Kaffee und selbstgebackenen Kuchen direkt im Café von Herrn Sagers Kaffeerösterei und Gourmetkaffee zum Mitnehmen. Echt ein tolles Angebot! Ich gebe hier auf jeden Fall Bescheid, wenn es soweit ist. Und sonst: Einfach selbst mal bei Herrn Sager anklopfen

Einen schönen Tag allen Lesern und Leserinnen!

I had an appointment early this afternoon and once that was over I stopped in the local brew shop for some caffeine to get some work done. I decided small and light was the order of the day, so today I’ve got the loaner Viliv S7 convertible UMPC along for the ride. It’s working pretty well — I’m even getting used to the super-small keyboard. I am touch typing, although slowly and surely. I decided to snap a pic of the rig before the Droid decides to screw up the auto-focus again.

Apoco y no estan apetitosos.
Morgan

I grew up always feeling like I had to be something. I have a famous baseball playing uncle, my grandpa was a very successful photographer, my other uncle a musician for a famous singer…and with a maiden name like mine, being so original and italian I felt like the pressure to be great might never go away. This pressure didn’t come from the family name, but from the examples set before me. I wanted to be great for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to be great not because I wanted to, but because I felt I HAD to or frankly, I wasn’t good enough.

Each person has at least one thing, if not many things that they are good at. For some, its art, design, or photography, being a great mom, friend or cook! If we are not careful, sometimes the “I’m better than you” attitude can make our talents disgusting to everybody else.

In the past year, I’ve really had to let go of the expectation to be “great.” I’ve learned in a big way that I am not here to live up to anyones expectations, nor to be better than anybody, and I don’t have to be in charge all the time! That is a hard one for the leader in me!

My life…everything I am good at because of Christ’s master design belongs to HIM. The glory goes to HIM. Promotion comes from HIM. If we as women honor Christ with our talent, the reward will be great!

“Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read just by looking at you. Christ himself wrote it–not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives..” 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 (the msg)

Wow. Our lives are a letter representing the author!

Here is a challenge for you; If you are diligently practicing within your talents or gifts, find someone in the same area, let go of the yearning you have to be the best, and promote them!

“All you who fear God, how blessed you are! How happily you walk on His smooth, straight road! You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming. Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!”  Psalm 128 (the msg)

Fear Him, put Him first, and then you will enjoy the blessing!

-Christa

Segue:

I Encontro Monárquico do Vale do Paraíba:

Para pagamento até 20 de novembro:
Encontro com coffee-break e jantar R$ 55,00
Encontro com coffee-break, sem jantar R$ 40,00

Para pagamento após 20 de novembro:
Encontro com coffee-break e jantar R$ 60,00
Encontro com coffee-break, sem jantar R$ 45,00

Pagamento por meio de depósito bancário:
Banco Real  Ag.  0984  Conta 005402  em nome de Jean A. Tamazato
CPF  183.381.918-76
Banco Bradesco Ag. 0195-3  Conta 0125626-2  em nome de Fabio W. Casagrande   CPF 144.872.918-10

Favor informar o nome completo, data e valor depositado para monarquiavale@gmail.com
Recomendamos o depósito com valor diferenciado para facilitar na identificação  (centavos)
Guarde os dados do depósito até receber nossa resposta confirmando sua inscrição.

LOCAL DO EVENTO: Gavea Hotel de Taubaté/SP >>> Av.Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira 380 , Taubaté – SP.
Site para informações: www.gaveahotel.com.br

PROGRAMA

14h30   Recepção e credenciamento

15h00

Os 200 Anos da Família Real no Brasil

Prof. Geraldo Winter

Sócio da Winter Consultores e editor do boletim Herdeiros do Porvir
- Intervalo para café

15h40

Titulares do Império na cultura vale-paraibana e gastronomia regional.

Prof. Ocílio Ferraz

Sociólogo, membro da Academia Brasileira de Gastronomia

16h40 Coffee-break

17h10

Ação Monarquista no Brasil

Dr. José Guilherme Beccari

Advogado e presidente do Pró Monarquia

18h00

Geopolítica brasileira

Sr. José Carlos Sepúlveda da Fonseca

Pesquisador e editor do Radar da Mídia

Lançamento de livros:

19h00 Encerramento feito por D. Bertrand de Orleans e Bragança

Aguardo todos vocês neste grande evento!!!

TWITTER: michellyribeiro

Skype: michelly.antunes.ribeiro

Orkut: Michelly Ribeiro

ICQ: michellyribeiro

Pra ouvir mais alto do que o nível de stress no qual a pessoa se encontra