Wednesday, December 29, 2010

General Sherman

I have always been fascinated by the leaders of the Civil War, not just the North, but also the South. In this instance, I am highlighting General Sherman, who has a reputation of steamrolling the south, basically leaving a path of destruction as he moved deeper south towards the end of the war.

In the end, he did rout out the enemy, and took Atlanta and later Savannah. I thought it was interesting that he held to his convictions about war, which he basically said is "Hell". He did not glorify war at all. He realized that destruction and cruelty were part of the war and that war itself could not be refined.

I think I would characterize General Sherman as a wise man, who used strategy, and stern measures to complete his objectives. 
















Sunday, December 26, 2010

Who was St. Nick?

Thought I would share an interesting story about St. Nicholas. One of the interesting things is that the story of St. Nicholas has survived so long. St. Nicholas a 4th century Bishop of Myra.  He was reputed to have worked many miracles and is the patron saint of many different groups. I was simply amazed at the number of works he accomplished in his life, and that he had such an impact on the lives others.
This is a short article about St Nick that I found, but also I provide a link to Wikipedia as it is a very detailed account of his life.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

A Charlie Brown Christmas

One of the most memorable parts about growing up was watching Charles Schultz' "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Many of you probably remember this wonderful program and story. Do you remember the music?

There are two very famous pieces in the program, performed by Vince Guaraldi. One of the instrumentals is called "Linus and Lucy", and other one is called "Christmas Time is Here". I never knew anything about the composer, and just recently learned it was Vince Guaraldi.  Linus and Lucy is such a catchy song, just about everyone remembers it.

Anyway, I wanted to share an article about the composer that I recenty read. I think this is another story of persistence, which has kind of the been the theme of this and last article I posted.

We all need to remember to keep on keeping on, even in the face of many obstacles.

Check out the Vince Guaraldi Website here: http://www.vinceguaraldi.com/

Or pick up the music for "A Charlie Brown Christmas from Amazon."


From an article adapted from PETE BARLAS, Posted 12/22/2010

Vince Guaraldi made a habit of beating the odds.He overcame the effects of a broken home, the Great Depression, a wartime sickness, a near-debilitating injury and early career misfires to become one of the world's most acclaimed jazz composers and pianists prior to his death at age 47.

Although Guaraldi (1928-76) appeared on more than 50 albums as solo artist and sideman, he is perhaps best known for providing the music for 16 Peanuts cartoon TV specials that aired from 1965 and 1976.

Guaraldi's instrumental compositions such as "Linus & Lucy" and "Christmas Time Is Here" pumped up "A Charlie Brown Christmas," the first holiday TV special from Peanuts creator Charles Schultz. Those tunes keep the Charlie Brown show alive at Christmas to this day, says Lee Mendelson, Peanuts' executive producer and former Guaraldi collaborator.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Sir Francis Drake - A lesson in persistence

Sir Francis Drake, that name sounds vaguely familiar if you have studied any history of England and its mighty naval fleet of the 1500 and 1600's. Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world and the key leader in destroying the dreaded Spanish Armada.
Francis Drake never gave up, he is a true lesson in persistence. See, he failed on a voyage, and it cost him dearly. He never forgot that failure, and he used it as his weapon and reason for much of what he did and accomplished.
The Spanish destroyed one of the ships he sailed, but he survived. He was financially held responsible for the loss of several ships, however, he never forgot the loss. He vowed to recover the loss from the Spaniards, and made it his business to go after the wealth they were shipping from South America and other places. Eventually, he conquered enough and accomplished enough to be knighted.
Now, he is not the perfect example of a person engaged in 100% legitimate activities, but you gotta respect the man for persistence and seriously knocking out one of the greatest naval fleets ever (that of the Spanish Armada).

Monday, December 20, 2010

Abraham Lincoln, one of the truly great leaders of all time

Lincoln was one of the best leaders of all time. I have studied his actions, especially how he dealt with the war. He was a chess player no doubt and studied much about the opponent, and knew what he ultimately had to do. He had hired many Generals to do the work, however, it was only General Ulysses S. Grant that got the job done because he undestood that it wasn't about pushing Lee out of the area, it was about decimating him. If he did not, he would not have won the war and the great US of A, may have been two countries. Notice how Lincoln gives all of the Generals a chance, but it was the General from Illinois who truly understood only a complete victory over Lee would win the war.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Leadership

I am always trying to become a better leader, and trying to learn as much as I can. I have been doing some research on this subject and foung the following article on Leaderrship from Karlene Sugarman that sums up leadership quite succinctly.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Hundreds of articles on line for internet marketing

I happened to stumble upon this website the other day. It literally has hundreds of links and articles about Google, Adsense, blogs, business ideas, Adwords, etc.

The ideas are assembled from all places on the web and they are all free. Take a look, you can spend time learning a lot about how the internet and making money online works.

Here is the link:

http://www.myhomeincome.co.uk/

Hexbugs - Another great toy for Christmas

Hexbugs - have you heard your children talk about these yet? Hexbugs are micro sized robotic "bugs' that come in an array of colors and types. It is where nature meets science. The micro-robots are designed and manufactured by Innovation First Labs. The "bugs" are designed to look and behave like a real bug.

The Nano is actually a very cool little robot that uses the physics of vibration to propel itself along and explore its environment. It runs, it skitters in all directions, it flips over and then pops back on its feet. This things are really amazing little toys for around $10.

Chech out the Nano - it has 8 legs and comes in a few different colors. Enjoy.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Site Build It

Okay, I have done some research on how to create websites and montetize them. The best way I can see, and for the one of the lowest investments considering the tools offered is site build itm(SBI, SiteBuildIt, or SiteSell).

They offer a 90 day money back guarantee, plus a methodology for creating an information generating web site. I have decided to give them a try. I will keep you all posted on how it works out.

Check out Site Sell yourself

The basic premise is that it takes BAM;  brains, action, and motivation. Then, add in their unique methodology to create content, market it and monetize it, and you have created a true online business. I am looking forward to creating some value for people, and will let you know of the process and how successful it is. I hope the $299 is worth it. If anything, the investment is worth it, just to learn what they can teach.

Best of luck to you all.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg was named person of the year. Mark as many of you know or didn't is the founder of Facebook. It is interesting that he started Facebook as a college project during a course he was taking on artificial intelligence.

I have to say, for me, Mark is right up there with the founders of Google and Groupon. The young man stumbled upon something that became sucessful far beyond his wildest dreams and imagination. I use Facebook and really enjoy the application. I read my friends posts and view their pictures; I liken it to a newspaper that only contains information about people I know.

Anyway, way to go Mark, I hope that Facebook continues to develop and that you lead even more people to connect to it in even more interesting ways.

Friday, December 03, 2010

More information about making money with Google Adsense

FrIs it easy?

The real answer is that to get started with this, you do need to do a lot of research. But, does seem to be truth in the fact that you can make money online with Google.

So far, the basic rules are as follows:

1. Do some research - use a search engine, and search for terms related to making money with websites. There is a wealth of free information.

2. Read any blog or free report you can get your hands on. Here is a link to a free report.

Free e-book on making money with a website

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Google makes bid for Groupon

This is an amazing story of entrepreneurship and how new companies can change the landscape. It is no small task to go from a start up to being worth $6 Billion dollars in 2 years. Groupon seemed to come along at the right time - consider the economic climate where everyone is looking to save money.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Wikileaks Next Target: "A Big US Bank"

Stay tuned.....big bank leak coming out.


Wikileaks Next Target: "A Big US Bank"

Retail Growth for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Christmas season 2010

Reports out from the news sources I follow are reporting a .3% increase versus the same time last year for Black Friday sales. This is not a large increase, but it is higher than last year. Part of the issue, is that retailers pulled in volume earlier this year by offering more deals starting in early November.  We shall wait and see

Sunday, November 28, 2010

SWEA OC Julmarknard - Christmas Fair - Costa Mesa, CA

Well, we spent a wonderful afternoon today going to the annual SWEA organizations Christmas, or Jul as they say in Swedish,  festival.  The event was from 11-3PM and had all kinds of interesting things to see and browse.

Todays message from Mariner's Church

Heard a great message this morning from Mariners, Jeff Pries. Todays message focused on finding out what it is we rely on. Well we can rely on ourselves, we can rely on money, material possessions, etc.

When everything is going well, we feel safe, when we don't have it, we scratch and claw to try to get it back. Essentially, it is the battle for dependence, God or our stuff. Think about the quote from Mark 10:17-22.  It basically describes the wealthy man who comes to Jesus and asks what he must do. Jesus tells him to give away all of his things and wealth, and come follow him.  Of course the man is crestfallen, and does not carry through with the advice - he just cannot release his things and truly trust Jesus.

Last weeks message at Mariner's Church

Just wanted to share a quick message, about last weeks message at Mariners. Two things that really cam up:

1.  Wanting what you have.   Which means, wanting what God has poured out into your life.  If you think you will be happy by having something else, more money, more house, more material possessions, those people who are in those spots, will tell you, happiness is not here, it over there, and so on. So the bottom line is be happy where you are.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator Review

I need to tell you about this product. It is amazing, it can take an ordinary bottle of wine and turn it into a very silky smooth beverage that you would think came from a more expensvie bottle of wine.

The process of using the Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator is simple - open the bottle of wine, let it breathe a second, then take the bottle and Vinturi, and pour it into the glass.

Then of course, enjoy the wine. You will definitely taste the difference. Try a glass without funneling through the Vinturi, and one with the funnel.

It is worth the price.

Thank you to my Wife

Sometimes, my wife reads my blog, sometimes not. In case she does, I would just like to say thank you for doing all that you do, and for really creating a wonderful family and home.

Thank you so much also for the wonderful holiday meal you created this Thanksgiving, it all turned out so wonderful!

Love your husband.

A fun craft for the kids - making a gingerbread house

I have a great idea for anyone with little kids. If you live in a state with Trader Joes, think about picking up a Gingerbread House. The cost is about $7, and is a great way to spend time putting it together.



The most complicated part is the is whipping up the egg white, which if you do by hand like I did, takes about 10 minutes.  The Gingerbread house is from German and has that precision quality feel.  The only thing I would add, is more candy: chocolate M&M's, gummy bears, etc.  Oh yeah, you also will need a way to spread the frosting. I used a ziplock baggy with a small hole cut in the corner to apply it to the edges.

Here is a picture showing the finished product and a link from Amazon if you cannot find it at Trader Joes:

Create-a-treat Gingerbread House Kit, Deluxe Model, (Decorative Outer Case As Seen in Picture)

I have also posted a link to the article on Article Dashboard:
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/A-Great-Way-To-Spend-Time-With-Your-Kids-Creating-A-Gingerbread-House/2112577

Top 10 Christmas Gifts for 2010

The top 10 Christmas Gifts for this year:

1. The Amazon Kindle - the product is a great for reading on the go, and of course it has the best pricing on books and magazines.
Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, 6" Display - with New E Ink (Pearl) Technology

2. The book series from Stieg Larsson, the author from Sweden, about an eccentric woman, and a book writer. You will be sucked into this story, it is a real page turner.
Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy Bundle: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Rock Ballads - Strum and Sing

I want to tell all of the beginning to intermediate guitar players about a great book I came across for learning to strum and sing some very popular guitar songs.

My friend Mark brought the book over last week and we had a great time strumming and singing along to almost every song in the book. In fact we played some of them twice!

The reason the book is so good, in my opinion, is that it shows you the exact number of measures, indicated with a slashed line, that one needs to play for each line in the verse, chorus, bridge, intro and outro.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Sports Book Betting - Is It For Real?

Take a look at this website. Claims from a PhD in statistics, from an Ivy League college back East. I was certainly compelled to look into his system, and you should see the testimonials. I thought about trying it myself, just haven't had the time!

Decide for yourself.....

Link to the website:
Click Here!

Here is an article written about him:
John Morrison is perhaps the most admired and well-known sports betting persona of these days. As its proof, there is huge number of individuals who became fascinated with this type of sport; they even want to pursue and follow the kind of life he has. The technology today made things easier for them; now it is easy and simple to search for the information they need because they can obtain and access the information using the internet. In addition to that, any information about him is made easy to get for most individual.

If you think that your interest is captured by him, then it would be great carry out research about him right now. Aside from informative articles as well as forums in the internet, reading online reviews about particular topic like him is also a great chance to know him. The reviews are capable of providing clearer insights to who he really is; with it, you can also know if he is worthy of your time and efforts.

The Internet houses several reviews and you can find them easily; therefore, there will be no reason for you to search elsewhere. Searching through the internet is probably the most convenient and easy option for you to make as well as the other individuals interested with him. You have to keep in mind that he is a well-known champion and there are numerous John Morrison sports betting reviews available online that you can use at your disposal.

If you execute your search for the right reviews online, you will stumble upon a number of websites offer articles focusing on the John Morrison sports betting reviews. With so many websites as your choices, you can visit some, read some of the reviews and then confirm which of this will accomplish your needs.

Starting your online search as early as possible gives so many benefits. Hence, carry out your search now everything about him so that you can harness the benefits of knowing him as well as the chance to deeply know him more. By reading the relevant reviews, answers to your question will be met and you will learn more new things.

So what more are you still waiting for? Go online now and see just how beneficial things are actually for you when you research online about this topic other than elsewhere.

John Morrison sports betting reviews are all over the Internet, you can read them easily. Because there are so many websites offering reviews about him, you will get the chance to know him more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angel_V._Eguizabal

Fun in Orange County California

If you are looking for a fun thing to do, and you are either visiting or live in the Orange County area, please consider renting a boat in Newport Beach. For a very reasonable price, you and your loved ones, be it girlfriend, wife, and or children, can rent either a gas or electric boat.

We rented a gas powered boat, which had a maximum speed of about 5 knots, and 6 passengers. We were able to get the boat at 4:00PM and cruised around the harbor for about 1 hour. The cost was reasonable because it was a groupon and only cost about $25.00 dollars.

The $25.00 was totally worth it, because we saw an amazing California sunset, and spent a romantic evening on the water.

Highly recommended that you try this out.

Turkey Soup Recipe

Try this recipe with your left over turkey:

Serving Size:
4 Bowls

Ingredients:

•2 tablespoons olive oil
•1 onion sliced
•4 cloves garlic smashed and diced
•2 carrots, peeled and sliced into half moons
•2 celery stalks washed and sliced
•1/4 cup celery leaves, diced
•1 quart stock, vegetable, turkey, or chicken
•2 cups dried egg noodles or 1 cup of brown rice
•2 cups shredded turkey
•4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
•1/4 cup minced herbs, such as parsley or sage
•salt and pepper to taste

How to make:
In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, and saute until the onions are soft, roughly 7 minutes. Add the stock and bring everything to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Add the turkey and egg noodles, and cook until the noodles are tender, 15-20 minutes. Check the salt and pepper levels, add the apple cider vinegar, celery leaves, and herbs. Serve with a garnish of herbs or celery leaves.

Enjoy!

What to do with left over Thanksgiving Turkey

What can one do with left over turkey?

1. Make Turkey sandwiches - add sliced turkey, cheese, bread or rolls and your favorite condiments.

2. Make Turkey Casserole - be creative, use the leftover green beans, and add other ingredients as necessary.

3. Make Turkey Salad - like chicken salad, this is a great way to left over turkey.

4. Make a Turkey Pot Pie - get some pillsbury crust, and add the turkey and other ingredients.

5. Make turkey soup - get some broth, add turkey, and other left over ingredients. Use the bones for even more flavor.

6. Make a sandwich called the "Pilgrim", take bread, stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey, and gravy. Heat and serve. Delicious!

I am sure there are other creative ways to use Thanksgiving Turkey - what are your favorites?