The best thing a business can do to help preserve itself during tough economic times is to find ways to save money. Since payroll is usually the largest expense of any business, this is where money saving comes into play most often through a decrease in staff.
For small companies or those just getting started that don’t have a lot of staff to begin with, this often isn’t a possibility since there is little fat to cut out of the payroll budget. For these companies, people have to get creative about how they reduce expenditures without compromising the core values of their business, whatever they may be.
It turns out Journyx has an opportunity right now for companies to take advantage of a creative way to save money. It begins with a free trial of their Journyx Timesheet software. For 45 days, your business can benefit from the chance to try out software that allows you to track time spent on different projects and estimate the time till completion, help you create invoices based upon this information and even aid in completion of payroll.
It continues when you realize that Timesheet is capable of handling everything from notes on projects to mileage employees need to be reimbursed for. It seems to cover all the bases!
Here’s hoping you remembered to file your taxes in a timely fashion since I forgot to remind you. But you’re responsible and I have faith that you did. So now all you need to do is sit back, relax and wait for that rebate check we’re all looking forward to to arrive in the mail. Or get direct deposited or whatever.
Some grocery stores are offering a 10 percent bonus if you give them your entire check to turn into gift cards. But I don’t want to spend ALL the money on groceries. And what if I don’t use them fast enough – will they start deducting money like so many of the gift cards now a days do?
I think I’ll use mine to buy gas. It should cover one complete fill up including the forbidden top off. Actually, with the price of gas right now, I better not top it off.
My son asks every day if he’s gotten any mail and by that he really means, “Are there any catalogs?’ I’m more than happy to give him the junk mail and he’s more than happy to accept, but if there’s a furniture catalog, it’s MINE. Just looking through one of those make me want a house with flowing drapes and bright open windows to showcase whatever furniture would look prettiest in my humble abode. I’m constantly redecorating in my mind and I get all my ideas from these tomes. He can have them when I’m done.
I am getting really good at diagnosing things. I date this back to when my mom had kidney stones and I diagnosed it as kidney related before she went to the emergency room. Then there was the time when one of my sisters had a problem with an unnamed organ that she wouldn’t want me to tell you about but I don’t know why because it’s not the organ you’re thinking of and I diagnosed the exact problem with her just telling me one piece of information. (I think that was vague enough, don’t you?)
To help me further my education, my kids have started throwing me curve balls. No more easy stuff like ‘stomach bug’ or ‘explosive diarrhea’. We have progressed to the world of ‘hand, foot and mouth disease’, ‘impetigo’ and (insert scary music here) ‘SCARLET FEVER’!
It’s getting to the point where my mother is freaking out because when she was a kid (before antibiotics) at least one of these was a killer disease. When I brought the kids home from the doctor’s office to brag about their random illnesses, she heard scarlet fever and dashed out. She called me from her home to find out the symptoms were so she would be able to figure out if she had it or not.
You’ll be pleased to know that so far she’s doing fine. And the kids are perusing the internet to find out how they can get Fifth Disease.
The more and more my blog goes along, the more and more I enjoy seeing the ups and downs of my Real Rank. Of course, I enjoy the ups of my Real Rank with great feeling where as the downs I only ‘enjoy’ in a complete lie sort of way. Kind of.
But wherever my rank is going, at least it’s going. As opposed to my page rank (read that in a snarky voice if you have one) which has never budged and will never budge because The Search Engine that Must Not Be Named says so. When I started blogging, I found out what page rank was just as that spanking went down and now months later, it’s obvious my blog has been sent to it’s room without dinner.
Or that’s how I’d feel if I didn’t have Izea Ranks to thank for my Real Rank. And I do, so thank you Izea. I know where my blog stands in the blogerverse (I think I used that term properly – and for the first time ever). And instead of being updated every few months, my rank is updated daily.
Obsessively, I’m looking forward to when my Real Rank reflects real time data – a nano-second by nano-second update. Though, that might be hard to read…. They could put it on a graph. I’d be able to tell when people are reading the blog because my rank would go up. When it goes down, I’d call friends and have them read my blog again so I could watch my Real Rank go back up.
And if you haven’t yet gotten a rank for your blog, then by default my blog ranks higher than yours! Whoo Hoo!!
My husband’s birthday is right around the corner. This is always a stressful situation for me. In my family, we make it easy: 3-4 months before our birthday we hand out a list of good ideas (that include the page number of the catalogue we saw it in if necessary). This happens at Christmas too.
Somehow, this method was omitted from my husband’s education. I am expected to THINK about what to get him and then get him what I THINK he will like. This is a recipe for disaster. Take, for example, the time I decided to buy him a guitar – he bought himself the EXACT SAME GUITAR!! And this was only about 2 or 3 months before Christmas. What kind of a person buys themselves a gift that close to Christmas? How am I supposed to get him a good gift when he’s out there all year long buying things he wants?
So now I shop last minute for him. It’s the method he uses when he shops for others and it seems to work out well. Now, instead of thinking “Fender Guitar, black” and try to wait for a sale, I think “electronics, whatever I find” and throw darts at the ad in the paper.
He always says nice things when he gets something electronic.
I just found out from cnn.com (the mother of all internet news sites) that I have what must be freakishly small hands.
They have an article where they discuss a study about survival rates of extremely premature babies. In the article they say these babies are often 10 or 11 inches long, “not much longer than an average adult’s hand”. At the longest spot, my hand is only 6 inches long. I might even be counting part of the wrist in that measurement.
I hope that their statement is just exaggeration at work. Or maybe their meaning is that 6 inches isn’t that much less than 10 or 11 inches, and that’s true in a relative sort of way But why not compare it to something closer in length to babies instead of giving me a complex? Say they are about the length of a human forearm or something.
Right after the final The Lord of the Rings movie was released a few years ago, a series of board games were released that followed the progression of each movie in a different board game. At the time I was very interested in all sorts of different games and very into The Lord of the Rings. The back of each box for each game showed all of the pieces, as usual, but also showed the unique board system that included three dimensional mountains and towers for the pieces to climb.
Alas, the game went out of print while I was away on business, and I was never able to play it.
Until last week when I managed to find all three games at my local used bookstore (I love those places). So far I’ve played The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Each player can move any of the many characters in the game. Every few places a card is flipped up for the character that crossed it. Additional boards and characters are added as the game progresses. The game is very straight forward with little strategy.
And that’s really the biggest problem. As the characters are moved around the maps of Middle Earth, things just happen to them. There is little control over what happens or who it happens to. There are also little consequences when these things happen. It is very difficult to gain points on purpose, so the winner is decided almost entirely by luck.
I played once with my friends. There were mixed reviews from them, but mostly negative. I played again with my sons, and they enjoyed playing one of the grown up games. I didn’t get the games that I was expecting, but they should be fun for the kids for a little while before they get too much older.
One continuing problem faced by everyone at some time in their life and by many people throughout their life is the battle against acne. If you’re looking for a natural acne treatment then Acnexus may be the all natural product for you. It features 26 all natural ingredients to fight acne and make your skin look great. There;s a money back guarantee and many testimonials on the site that talk of the wonders of this treatment.
If you were in grade school in the mid to late 80′s and especially if you had a Nintendo Entertainment System during that time period than you definitely know about two things. First, if your Nintendo is on the fritz, try blowing into the cartridge or the console. Second, The Legend of Zelda rocks because you can save your game.
Talk about your innovation.
The cartoon series soon followed and featured our hero, Link, trying to save the kingdom of Hyrule and win the heart (or hearts) of the princess, Zelda. (Come to think of it, Zelda isn’t the sexiest sounding name. Sounds too much like Helga.)
Looks like they’re finally making a movie out of this one too. (Be sure to check the release date at the end of the trailer)
A few weeks ago I ordered a pretty unique gift for my daughter. She’s just about to turn one, and I wanted something that was unique, personalized for her, and not too expensive. After all, does anyone really remember what they got on their first birthday. So I came across a website that features personalized gifts for children. Some of the products that the website has are personalized books that features your child in the book. Their name is printed right into the story.
The gift that I went with is a teddy bear that sings a song. Squeeze the bear’s tummy and the song begins to play. My daughter’s name is in the song, and the bear sings to her. The bear is very soft and cuddly. The button to start the song is easy for a child to push, they just have to give the bear a hug.
I can’t wait to wrap it up and see her open it on her birthday. As she gets older I can see this bear being her favorite toy because it knows her name and can sing a song to her.
I couldn’t believe how many different types of products that this website can personalize for you. You can include your child’s picture and name into a Dora The Explorer video, posters, comic books, and many different videos.
From the files of “That’s the Weirdest Thing I’ve Seen Today” comes this little youtube video of dancing girls. After getting over the initial strangeness of two girls with boxes on their heads, try to read the words as they are shown to you. Later on it will go too fast to read. Give it a few minutes to get going, and then they just go to town.
Earlier today I found a great website that will compare many different companies that offer auto insurance and give you all sorts of information to make the best decision as to which auto insurance company to go with. There are so many commercials out there today trying to get you to change your car insurance, when what you really need is more information, not talking ducks, lizards, or cavemen.
I finally got into Lost about a year and a half ago and have, for the most part, enjoyed the weird little science fiction fantasy Gilligan’s Island that is that television series. The show occasionally leaves me less than satisfied when it seems they go out of the way to avoid anything resembling an explanation of what’s going on, or when stuff happens that lead to more questions instead of more answers. Seriously, you can’t make people wonder about hundreds of little questions and then answer them all in the last episode, or even the last season. Continually adding new characters each season and then killing them off by the end of the season is a little annoying as well. It seems that more answers have been coming lately even if the “flash forwards” are getting a little old.
In celebration of all of the questions that remain unanswered, I give you a quick two minute summary of all four seasons so far.
My oldest son suffers from allergies so the doctor told us to give him one of those over the counter medications, run the humidifier in his room at night and use saline drops. You can make them at home but I think it’s easier to buy them at the store so they’re made properly like the Oasis Nasal Spray. Getting the spray means I don’t have to turn the poor kid upside down to help him out. On top of that, this particular product is made from Dead Sea salts which contain a lot of minerals that my stinky table salt does not and it ends up having the effect of easing inflammation.
April 10, 2008 — Oasis Nasal Spray and Wash is available for children and adults, providing a natural alternative to over-the-counter congestion medicine, prescription allergy medication, and allergy shots. Oasis products are made from Dead Sea salts, rather than the usual saline. Most commonly used, hypertonic saline is known to cause cilia damage in the nasal passages, which lowers your ability to fight off infection. Oasis helps in the maintenance and prevention of symptoms such as post-nasal drip, runny and stuffy nose, and sinus discomfort. Oasis has recently entered the consumer allergy fighting product line, providing consumers the benefit of relief without annoying side-affects. And unlike many over-the-counter and prescription nasal products, Oasis doesn’t cause dependency, so it’s safe for all ages.
Recently the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin did a study with 52 patients having a history of sinus related problems and compared them to 24 matched control subjects. They found that, “The group using nasal irrigation exhibited improved quality of life, less frequent symptoms, and used antibiotics and nasal sprays less often. They were compliant with nasal irrigation, liked using it, and suffered few side effects.” This nasal washing has become a trend among all age groups, and Oasis is filling the need with their all natural nasal products.
Oasis nasal products are currently available in ten states across America; soon expanding even more. Oasis’ unique formula consisting of all-natural Dead Sea salts has become a household name in many homes across the country; its healing properties proving to reduce inflammation, causing healthier nasal passages and cavities. With an abundance of over-the-counter and prescription nasal sprays on the market, Oasis values the opportunity as the industry’s exclusive provider of natural nasal products, to help consumers find a safer, more reliable way to treating their allergy and sinus problems.
Get in on the trend by using the newest and most popular nasal products. Help restore your health with Oasis nasal spray and wash.
About Oasis
Oasis Nasal Spray & Nasal Wash – A New Approach to Healthy Nasal Care
Oasis Nasal Spray is formulated with purified Dead Sea salt. The Dead Sea is the world’s lowest and most saline lake. Its 30% salt composition has proportionately more calcium, magnesium, bromine, and potassium and less sodium, sulfate, and carbonate than any ocean.
The Dead Sea salt solution is safer and better than saline spray in the treatment for allergies and sinus disorders because of its anti-inflammatory effect.
For more information, go to: http://www.oasisnasalspray.com.
Youtube Video
I’m determined to outlast my daughter in this potty training battle.
She says she’s to short to potty train. No, the argument of a 2 year old doesn’t always make sense, but you deal with what they give you so I tell her she’s a big girl.
She says she’s too scared to sit on the toilet. I give her a potty seat.
She says she’s doesn’t want to sit there. I say she can sit here.
I’ve decided that this MUST be done now just so I can save the $20/mo on diapers. And it’ll be strange to have two kids who are more than a year apart in age wearing the same size diaper which is where it looks like we’re going to be in about a week.
For too long now the most common measurement of the popularity of a website has been that issued by the main internet search engine. Every webmaster on the net can track the popularity of their site and see the number of visitors and page views and even which links people click on, but this has had little to do with the actual rank assigned to you. Let me tell you from personal experience that it is almost impossible to get the main internet search engine to notice you and give you some kind of rank.
For people in the blogging world having some sort of rank is vitally important to show others exactly how popular your site actually is. You may get to see all of the data that you want about your own site but showing that information to other people and comparing that info to the info on other blogs isn’t really feasible.
Enter IzeaRanks. This new system is designed specifically for the blogging community to rank the blogs that have signed up with the program. They monitor three basic pieces of information on all the blogs that have signed up. The number of unique visitors, the number of page views, and the number of links.
Instead of wasting all of your time trying to convince some faceless corporation that you have a popular and legitimate site with a blog, you can increase your rank by driving traffic to your pages. The best part is that you already want to do this anyway just to get more readers of your writing.
A few years ago I came across a fun little book in the bookstore that I read for a little while but put back without buying. It was Max Brooks’ “Zombie Survival Guide.” This book was a basic manual that logically stepped through everything that you needed to know about survived the coming zombie holocaust.
More recently, a friend recommended that I picked up the author’s newest addition to the zombie genre, “World War Z.” Very impressive. “World War Z” is a written account of the war against the zombies told from the perspective of dozens of survivors from all over the world and edited together by a post-zombie war politician that is seeking the truth about what happened during that dark time. The book is extremely effective in portraying the terror and helplessness that quickly spread around the world almost as quickly as the plague did. Brooks extrapolates from the current worldwide political scene to shape the zombie future. Every possibility or eventuality of the zombie is explored given the standard zombie myth as a starting point.
I found this book difficult to put down and look forward to Max Brooks’ next excursion into the world of the zombies.
One thing that I think every respectable company needs from Fortune 500 to the smallest of small businesses is a pen with the company name and logo on the side. Don’t advertise for the pen companies when you hand a client a pen, advertise for yourself. And while you’re at it, get some markers and highlighters with your company name and logo on it too. You can really put your company name on anything from a hat to a stadium, but start with personalized pens.
“Fear Nothing” by Dean Koontz starts with a very promising premise, but like much of Koontz’s work, I found that the execution of that idea quickly fell apart.
Christopher Snow is afflicted by a rare genetic disorder that prevents his cells from repairing damage down by ultraviolet light. He’s not an albino, but he must always avoid light. After his father’s death, he stumbles upon a series of increasingly strange events that take him deeper and deeper into the secrets of the town that he only sees at night.
The mystery and suspense and eerieness that fill the first few pages seems to quickly taper off. It quickly becomes obvious that our character will move from one strange occurrence to the next until the end of the book. The problem is that these occurrences just become less and less spooky and more and more feel like filler until the end of the book. Pages seem to fly by without much really happening. Every time someone is about to give information that the reader might want to know, that person either changes the subject, thinks better of it, gets killed, or the main character runs away.
Koontz’s books all seem to have strong starting points, but weak stories to fill the pages in between the setup and the payoff. Fear that.
