Crazy World

PRODUCTIVITY AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

2014-01-05T21:13:00.001+00:00

European Parliament in session .....
according to the time sheets all members are present....
The reality is they all clocked-in in the morning and then went about their personal affairs !

European Parliament in session. These photos must be circulated… time and again and again.. ...

PRODUCTIVITY AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT… THEIR SALARIES ARE 12,000 EUROS A MONTH !

12,000 A MONTH

AND YOU, YOU HAVE TO WORK UNTIL YOU DROP

OF STRESS… UP TO THE AGE OF 60-

OR OLDER !

These people above give directives,

to fill their pockets! .

AND WE ARE FORCED TO VOTE FOR THEM

They're not the dummies !

WE ARE!

The King Eusébio saying how he wants his funeral to be! Incredible and h...

2014-01-05T19:50:00.001+00:00

2014 World cup groups

2013-12-06T18:23:00.002+00:00

GROUP A
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Brazil	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Croatia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mexico	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cameroon	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP B
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Spain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Netherlands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Chile	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Australia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP C
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Colombia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Greece	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Côte d'Ivoire	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Japan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP D
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Uruguay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Costa Rica	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
England	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Italy	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP E
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Switzerland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ecuador	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
France	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Honduras	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP F
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Argentina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bosnia-Herzegovina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Iran	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nigeria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP G
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Germany	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Portugal	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ghana	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
USA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

GROUP H
Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Belgium	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Algeria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Russia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Korea Republic	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Spain to open vs. Netherlands

COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil -- World champions Spain will open their title defence at the 2014 World Cup play with a rematch vs. Netherlands while host country Brazil will kick off vs. Croatia, it was determined after the draw ceremony which opened with a tribute to Nelson Mandela.

Brazil are in Group A along with Mexico, and Cameroon; Spain were drawn in Group B with Chile -- who they also faced en route to lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010 -- and Australia as well as the Dutch.

Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan and Greece are together in Group C. South American champions Uruguay, Euro-2012 finalists Italy, Costa Rica and England are in a highly competitive Group D. Switzerland, Honduras, Ecuador and France are in Group E.

Argentina, Nigeria, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina are in Group F. Bosnia-Herzegovina -- the only debutant nation at next year's finals -- will play their first ever World Cup match against Argentina.

Group G looks set to be this tournament's 'Group of Death' as it contains Germany, Ghana, United States and Portugal. Belgium, South Korea, Algeria and Russia complete the draw by forming Group H.

Mexico will play their first match against Cameroon while the United States will take on their 2010 second-round conquerors, Ghana, in their opener.

In Group D, Italy will start against England, who they defeated in a penalty shootout at Euro 2012 before losing to Spain in the final.

The United States will play Ghana, Portugal and Germany in what looks to be the toughest group.

Making their seventh straight World Cup appearance, the Americans were drawn into Group G and will open on June 16 in Natal against Ghana, who eliminated the Americans from the last two World Cups.

With the longest travel schedule of any World Cup team at almost 9,000 miles, the U.S. meet Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo on June 22 in the Amazon rainforest city of Manaus.

The Americans close their group on June 26 in Recife against Germany, who beat the U.S. in their 2002 quarterfinal meeting.

None of the previous seven World Cups held in the Americas, starting with the first edition in Uruguay in 1930, was won by a European team.

A film shown at the start of the ceremony showed Mandela at the final of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and other images from the life of the anti-apartheid campaigner and former president, who died Thursday at 95. A minute's silence was then held to honour Mandela

2014 FIFA WORLD CUP MAP

THE NEW CONSTELLATION

2013-12-04T19:47:00.000+00:00

VERTU REVOLUTION GATHERS PACE WITH CONSTELLATION LAUNCH

Vertu launches the new Constellation smartphone; handmade in England, combining premium materials and contemporary styling
Launch supported by ‘extraordinary’ advertising campaign, shot by leading fashion photographer, Kristian Schuller
Launch follows 12 months of transformation at the world’s foremost luxury mobile phone manufacturer
Constellation available in stores from October 2013, priced from €4,900

Vertu Constellation

Constellation is a modern smartphone that combines all of Vertu’s expertise in fine materials, craftsmanship, technology and services. Its sleek, contemporary form has been designed and engineered to appeal equally to male and female customers.

Vertu Chief Executive Officer, Massimiliano Pogliani, said: “This is a vibrant time for Vertu. This is our second major product launch of 2013 and it helps define a clear segmentation strategy which identifies distinct product lines in the Vertu portfolio. This will broaden Vertu’s appeal, attracting new customers to the brand as well as increasing the choice for our existing global customer base.”

Vertu’s Head of Total Product Offering, Ignacio Germade, said: “Constellation moves Vertu design into a contemporary realm. When we created VERTU Ti, we used a very elegant design language that visually connects to our heritage and that gives the product a timeless quality. Conversely, in Constellation, we have designed a modern, minimal phone that is sleek and understated. While Constellation takes Vertu in a new design direction, materially it embodies everything for which the brand has become renowned – tactile materials, outstanding engineering and craftsmanship and modern technology.”

Sapphire crystal is a well-established part of the Vertu story. Constellation uses a 5.1 inch piece – weighing more than 100 carats – to cover the entire front of the phone and under which sits a 4.3 inch 720p high definition screen. The sapphire is resistant to scratching from anything other than diamond, ensuring that the screen remains virtually flawless throughout the life of the phone.

Surrounding the sapphire crystal is an engineered grade 5 titanium casing, a material two and a half times stronger than stainless steel yet only half the weight. It is the durability and lightweight nature of grade 5 titanium, coupled with its immaculate finish once polished, that makes it a perfect material for Vertu handsets.

Constellation is swathed in high quality calf leather. Vertu has carefully selected the finest hides available from the Alps region of Europe, working with a tannery with more than 150 years’ experience. Constellation will launch in five exquisite colours that make stunning use of the single piece of leather used - Cappuccino, Black, Orange, Mocha and Raspberry.

Technically, Vertu Constellation offers everything for the modern smartphone user: Android™ 4.2 Jelly Bean, Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ dual core 1.7 GHz CPU, 32GB of internal memory, 13MP rear-facing camera with full HD video (1080p), a front-facing Skype™ compliant 1.3MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC.

Constellation also features a portfolio of melodic ringtones especially composed for Vertu and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The portfolio also includes a set featuring English bird song. All of these ringtones benefit from Vertu engineers’ meticulous approach to mobile audio engineering, resulting in unparalleled acoustic clarity. Constellation also features uplink noise cancellation software, as well as aptX® support, which guarantees superior playback quality when streaming audio to Bluetooth® headphones or speakers.

Alongside Constellation’s comprehensive technical offering, sits Vertu’s range of exclusive services, grouped as Vertu LIFE and Vertu CERTAINTY.

Vertu LIFE offers customers a personalised selection of exclusive privileges and unrestricted access to elite events available directly on device. Features include complimentary entry to the most exclusive Private Members’ Clubs around the world, access to invitation-only events and closed-door shopping experiences.

Vertu CERTAINTY protects the customer, their Vertu phone and their data through best-in-class technology and expert partners. This includes encrypted communications in partnership with Silent Circle, global Wi-Fi access via iPass, personal and corporate security with Protector Services Group and anti-virus by Kaspersky.

A full technical specification is provided under the heading "Specification".

Vertu Campaign

Vertu Constellation will be supported by a vibrant new global advertising campaign. The campaign has been designed to play on Vertu’s English heritage, use of fine materials, hand craftsmanship, technology and the brand’s unique service offering. Shot by renowned photographer Kristian Schuller, the campaign imagery focuses on extraordinary scenes that reference specific aspects of the Vertu brand.

Vertu Chief Executive Officer, Massimiliano Pogliani, said: “The new campaign marks a fundamental change in Vertu’s advertising. It is reflective of our own confidence as well as our desire to clearly express the extraordinary world that we create for our customers. The rich imagery shines a light on a fantasy landscape that captures the imagination but also frames rational aspects of our brand, such as our meticulous craftsmanship and our carefully curated services.”

The campaign, VERTU EXTRAORDINARY, was created by London based CHI & Partners, who were appointed by Vertu as its lead creative agency in July 2013.

Vertu – October 2012 to October 2013

Vertu has now operated for a year as a stand-alone company following its purchase by EQT this time last year. Constellation marks the second major product launch for the company in this period. A number of senior management changes have also been made during the last 12 months.

Massimiliano Pogliani, formerly Vertu’s Chief Marketing Officer, was appointed Chief Executive Officer in June. Also in June, Jonathan Sinclair joined Vertu from Jimmy Choo as Chief Operating Officer.

Massimiliano Pogliani said: “It has been a very busy period for all of us at Vertu as we have reshaped the business, equipping it for a stronger, brighter future. There have been changes across the core of the business following the sale of the company and we have taken the same, innovative approach that we use in our product development to every area of our operation. In particular, we have worked on our manufacturing processes where we need to balance the artisan world of the luxury industry with the fast-paced world of mobile technology. This is a period of positive transformation for the company, during which we are defining our future product range, streamlining our global operation and ensuring that we are continually developing the luxury mobile category in the most relevant way for our customers.”

Pogliani continues: “Vertu is on an incredible journey that sees us build on our heritage while fundamentally reshaping our brand for the future. Vertu was born of a pioneering spirit, a simple idea that the mobile phone – today, the most ubiquitous of devices – could be something more than it currently is. At Vertu we are continuing to innovate with our materials and services and combining these elements with stylish, contemporary design and modern technology. We will continue to place our consumers at the heart of our company and our thinking, working to ensure that every aspect of their Vertu experience is extraordinary, from our retail environments to the on-device experiences and to the products themselves. I am proud to be leading the brand at such an exciting time.”

Vertu pioneered the luxury mobile phone category with the launch of the iconic ‘Signature’ phone in 2002. Since then it has dominated the category that it created, despite competition from many larger brands over the years. Each phone is handmade in a state-of-the-art facility in Hampshire, England, and on completion is signed by the craftsman that created it – an indication of the passion, pride and dedication that goes into each product.

THE NEW CONSTELLATION

Using social media networks to search for criminals

2013-12-04T18:15:00.001+00:00

Hunting criminals on Facebook

Police in Lower Saxony are using social media networks to search for criminals. State interior ministers are discussing whether to introduce the new investigation method nationwide - but there are potential problems.

The message begins with the salutation "Dear Investigation Supporter." Then comes the case – "Missing 10-year-old girl" - followed by a notice to "kindly contact the central criminal office."

The public search via Facebook can now begin. Once posted, the call for support spreads quickly throughout the social network; it can expect to be reposted more than 400 times.

The use of Facebook since March 2012 by police in Lower Saxony could soon become reality in the other German states as well, if Michael Neumann, Senator of the Interior with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Hamburg, has his way.

"We can no longer ignore social networks like Facebook," said Neumann at the annual fall conference of state interior ministers in Osnabrück.

Lower Saxony leading the way

State justice ministers have already studied the issue - but they remain divided.

The German states of Hesse and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also allow the use of social networks to hunt down criminals, but Lower Saxony is leading the pack. More than 170,000 people regularly follow the “Lower Saxony Police Investigation” Facebook page. They are eager to help by commenting, spreading news and, ideally, providing concrete evidence.

Police investigators are encouraging the public to engage with them on Facebook

Uwe Schwellnus, a spokesman with the Lower Saxony criminal police department, calls the new investigation method an "absolute success" with obvious benefits. "It can happen quickly that unknown offenders draw huge public attention leading to useful information," he told DW.

So far, Lower Saxony investigators have posted 160 information requests. How many of these have actually resulted in successful investigations isn't known.

The idea of using posts instead of posters is in sync with today's media usage. Traditional media channels such as radio and newspapers, for instance, struggle to reach young people. And that's what has prompted police to pursue new approaches to inform them and seek their help.

The procedure is initiated in the same way: The public prosecutor must always approve the Facebook investigation.

No way back

But as convincing as the new investigation method may sound, it does have its critics. A key problem is that German criminal law doesn't allow private services to be used for public investigations. Facebook servers are privately owned and operated.

Legal Internet expert Solmecke wams of potential pitfalls when using Facebook for police investigations

Moreover, once something is posted, the content belongs to Facebook and can't be deleted. Unlike a poster on a wall, which can be removed, a Facebook post remains stored on a server. There's no way back.

Police in Lower Saxony have found a way to work around the issue: Photos and personal data are published not directly on Facebook but on police servers, and are deleted after an investigation has been completed.

But experts warn that his approach doesn't solve all legal data privacy issues. For instance, when sharing a link, Facebook automatically grabs the photo even if it is stored on a supposedly secure police server. The photo can surface on the social network even without a reconstructed investigation photo being directly posted.

Internet legal expert Christian Solmecke warns that the practice needs to be closely examined. Technical details, he says, make the decisive difference between what is right or wrong.

Concerns about misuse

Using Facebook to support investigations is controversial not only because of data privacy issues, but also because of the network's ability to disseminate information. The spreading of a posted photo can develop an undesired momentum. Critics, for instance, warn of Internet investigations being misused to launch hate campaigns.

There have been cases of denunciation, police in Lower Saxony admit. However, they state that mean or objectionable comments are immediately deleted. Comments are monitored around the clock.

Facebook, by comparison, can't be so easily controlled. There have been repeated instances of digital persecution. A flurry of posts, for instance, followed the arrest of a man who had allegedly killed a girl, with messages like "Lock him up" and "Let's stone the pig." The man turned out to be innocent. Those who posted the messages calling for vigilante justice were subsequently punished.

So is this the future of criminal investigation? Justice ministers and interior ministers have not yet agreed on the use of social media in searching for criminals and missing people - but Facebook users have already made up their minds. They're "liking" the new investigation methods, with smileys and comments like "Great, good to hear," and "Thumbs up for the whole concept!"

Flying car of the future | euronews, hi-tech

2013-12-04T17:50:00.001+00:00

Flying car of the future | euronews, hi-tech

Apple Patents Face Recognition Tech

2013-12-03T13:06:00.002+00:00

Apple Recognition Tech

Apple has been issued a patent by the USPO today (via AppleInsider) that describes a system for using facial recognition and detection on a mobile or desktop computing device. This could work a lot like the Android face unlock option, which has been criticized before for its fallibility, but is also designed to prompt activity and use facial expressions as input for controlling the device.

This could be used to not only protect data on an iPhone in a locked state, but also determine how much information is shared on the lock screen for a user. So if a person is receiving a call and their iPhone recognizes them (determined by a number of factors, including skin tone, vectors, feature distance and size, etc.) then it'll display caller ID and information from the user's contacts app. If it's not someone the phone has listed as a user of the device, it'll block all that data.

Likewise with emails or messages, it could scrub the content of any actual info until there's a positive recognition match for a phone's rightful user. In a desktop computing context, the recognition could be used to analyse a user's behaviour over time as they sit in front of their Mac, determining when to trigger certain actions like screen savers, or enter a movie mode, or switch audio devices to prepare for a Skype call, for instance.

Apple has just acquired PrimeSense, the Israeli firm that helped created the original Microsoft Kinect's motion sensing capabilities, so it's tempting to link the two, even though the Apple patent far pre-dates that subsequent deal. Still, Apple has shown that it places a premium on innovation that helps users access their device more securely and more conveniently with the introduction of the iPhone 5s fingerprint sensor, and this could provide a way to allow users more access to things like Siri from the lockscreen, without the privacy compromises that come along with some of the assistant's more useful convenience features.

Portugal up to fifth in the latest FIFA rankings

2013-12-03T10:31:00.000+00:00

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Sweeden

Cristiano Ronaldo's match-winning goals for Portugal in World Cup play-off matches against Sweden lifted his country to No. 5 in the monthly FIFA rankings.
Portugal's 1-0 and 3-2 wins fuelled a nine-place jump in the standings published Thursday as rivals played only friendly matches, which score fewer points in the calculations.
FIFA set World Cup seeding for the Dec. 6 draw from October rankings so play-off teams would not gain unfair advantage.

Spain leads an unchanged top four with Germany, Argentina and Colombia following, respectively. Uruguay is sixth, and No. 7 Italy swaps with No. 8 Switzerland, which was seventh for one month to clinch seeded status.
Netherlands is ninth and host Brazil rises one to No. 10. Seeded Belgium falls six places to No. 11, and is now the lowest-ranked of the eight seeds.
Following a friendly draw with Scotland and loss to Austria, the United States drops one to No. 14, and CONCACAF rival Mexico used its home-and-away playoff wins against New Zealand to rise four places to No. 20.
Ivory Coast is the highest ranked African nation, remaining at No. 17, and Iran is best of the Asian confederations teams, rising four to No. 45. Long-time leader Japan fell four to No. 48.
Australia, No. 59, will be the lowest ranked of the 32 World Cup draw teams next week.
Spain maintained its clear points lead despite scoring zero for its 1-0 defeat by South Africa last week in a friendly. FIFA counted the result in the calculations despite Spain using seven substitutes, one more than the maximum allowed for an officially recognized match. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina replaced Victor Valdes, who was injured in the second half.
''FIFA have taken into account that both teams had agreed on the conditions of the match and submitted the necessary documentation prior to the match in order for FIFA to confirm it as an `A' international,'' the governing body said.

A golden ticket for wealthy Chinese

2013-12-03T10:01:00.002+00:00

Portugal is rolling out the red carpet to discriminating Chinese buyers, where they are stabilising property prices that have dropped by nearly a third during a deep recession that has accompanied the euro-zone country's international bailout.

Lisbon: A dream home in Portugal is becoming a golden ticket for wealthy Chinese, where property assets can also yield a prized residence permit allowing them to travel and do business across Europe.
One year ago the Portuguese government launched a programme to attract wealthy investors, and the results are now beginning to bear fruit.

For the purchase of a home or apartment of at least 500,000 euros ($700,000) which is to be kept for at least five years, investors will receive a Portuguese residence permit.
Only obliged to spend seven days per year in Portugal, the holders of these residence permits may travel and work throughout Europe without a visa within the Schengen area of countries.
Chinese account for the overwhelming majority of investors in the scheme, followed by Brazilians, Russians and Angolans.

The scheme is similar to those in place in a number of other European nations, and data released last week by the foreign ministry showed that 356 of these residence permits issued so far have brought 222 million euros in investment.

Now that the programme is up and running, the increase in investment is expected to be swifter, said Luis Lima, head of the Portuguese real estate agent association.
More than 300 new requests for permits are under review, which would take the total investment to 600 million euros, he estimated, and "the requests are almost always accepted," he said.
In a single week last month, 15 million euros was invested, according to government figures, a rate which if sustained would take annual investment to nearly 800 million euros.
And companies are adapting to the rich newcomers. Lisbon real estate agency Casa em Portugal hired Yansi Xu solely to better serve Chinese clients.
"They are almost all businessmen. I have sold them seven houses in two months," said the 34-year-old, taking a break from tapping frenetically at his computer.

One client is a 35-year-old businessman who with his wife plans to move into a modern apartment near the Luz stadium in Lisbon's Benfica neighbourhood, so their young son can go to an English-language school in Lisbon.
The Chinese education system is "too demanding" for the child, Lima said, so the parents would prefer him to be educated in Europe.
Another advantage, said the realtor, is space.
"For 500,000 euros clients can buy an apartment with four rooms at 130 square metres (1,400 square feet) in Benfica, while in Beijing or Shanghai that is the price of a two-room space of 60 square metres," he said.
Gateway to Europe
Most Chinese investors do not aim to make Portugal their home, but want to use the visa to conduct business in other European countries, which they can visit freely within the Schengen area of 26 countries, which excludes Britain and Ireland.
"As a general rule, Chinese buyers are looking for new or renovated homes that they can rent out at a higher rate," said lawyer Raquel Cuba Martins, whose firm helps Chinese clients navigate Portuguese bureaucracy.
There are two other ways of obtaining a 'golden visa': investing a billion euros ($1.36 billion) in Portugal or creating 10 new jobs for its economy. But the property route, says Martins, is by far the most popular, with around 80 percent opting for it among her clients.
Outside the capital, Chinese investors are also attracted by Cascais, a seaside resort town near Lisbon, and houses on the southern Algarve coast.
Offices on the Avenida de Liberdade, equivalent to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, are also highly sought-after, with prolonged haggling over the price an expected part of the exchange.
"Golden visas now represent 20 percent of our sales," said Valdemir Lopes, commercial director at the estate agency ERA Expo, which offers apartments in the ultramodern Parque das Nacoes complex in Lisbon.

The country has enacted a series of austerity measures including painful job, pension and salary cuts to receive funds under the 78-billion-euro rescue agreed with the EU and IMF in May 2011.
The country's economy has contracted by more than 4 percent since the crisis began, with property prices declining by some 30 percent.

Parties and events at the Forest Park Hotel

2013-10-31T18:09:00.000+00:00

Parties and events at the Forest Park Hotel

Parties and events at the Forest Park Hotel
Here at The Forest Park we pride ourselves on our reputation as one of the leading venues in the area for wedding receptions, dinner dances, awards ceremonies, charity fundraisers and private dinners.
With the capacity to hold intimate dinner parties from 10 guests or receptions for up to 300, why not contact our Event Manager on 23 57 57 who will be happy to discuss your individual requirements to make your event truly unique. Visit our website for more details : www.forestparkhotel.net

Parties and events at the Forest Park Hotel

Christmas at the Forest Park Hotel

Christmas at the Forest Park Hotel, check our menus on:

www.forestparkhotel.net

Guernsey Forest Park Hotel

2013-09-19T14:49:00.003+01:00

The Forest Park Hotel is located just under a mile from Guernsey airport and 3 miles from St Peter Port with only half a mile from the south coast cliffs with their stunning views and cliff path walks.

Single rooms as well as twin or double rooms are available. We also cater for families by having family rooms, which are larger and more spacious than our standard rooms.
At the Forest Park, our suites come fully furnished with a bedroom and a living room. They overlook the garden and complimentary flowers and fruits form part of the warm welcome you receive. The suites are ideal for honeymoon and other special occasions.
All our rooms are en-suite with tea/coffee facilities, radio and television (freeview), all are equipped with hair dryer and telephone. Ironing and laundry facilities are available including dry cleaning if required. To help parents with young babies, we have a baby-sitting service.
At the Forest Park we are proud of our room service with a generous menu and great quality.
Other facilities include Boarding games, a large pool table and by arrangement Tennis, Golf, Horse Riding and Bicycles
Wheelchair access, Ground floor room for people with special needs, free Wi-Fi in the lounge, A large private parking area for cars and buses, naturally free of charge, a team of genuinely friendly staff, for whom nothing is too much trouble and room service is just some of our facilities.
The Hotel is central to most amenities on the island and is on the main road with a bus stop on our door step!

We want to be one step ahead of our guests’ wishes and preferences. So we’re always keen to feature new ideas, offers and products. As they say:
“Anyone who’s not always trying to be better, won’t be any good!”

http://forestparkhotel.net

https://www.facebook.com/guernseyforestpark

https://twitter.com/guernseyhotel

A bit of fun

2012-08-23T20:27:00.000+01:00

France chooses a new president during tough times

2012-05-06T17:49:00.001+01:00

PARIS (AP) — France voted in a presidential run-off election on Sunday that could see Socialist challenger Francois Hollande defeat incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy by capitalizing on public anger over the government's austerity policies.

The election outcome will impact efforts to fight France's debt crisis, how long the nation's troops stay in Afghanistan and how France exercises its military and diplomatic muscle around the world.

Hollande voted in his electoral fief of Tulle, in central France. Live television coverage showed the 57-year-old politician shaking hands and chatting with voters on his way into the polling station.

"It's going to be a long day," Hollande told reporters gathered to watch him vote. "It's up to the French people to decide if it's going to be a good day," he said.

Sarkozy, accompanied by first lady and former supermodel Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, voted at midday in Paris' 16th arrondissement. Scores of television cameras surrounded the couple, and members of the public could be heard chanting "Sarkozy! President!" But Sarkozy, 57, chose not to speak on live TV.

Six European countries were holding elections for various levels of government Sunday.

Aside from France, they include Greece, where the results of a parliamentary vote are seen as critical to the country's prospects for pulling out of a deep financial crisis felt in world markets. A state election in Germany and local elections in Italy were seen as tests of support for the national government's policies. Serbia and Armenia also were holding elections.

The outcome of the French presidential vote could weigh heavily on talks about the European debt crisis.

Hollande has promised more government spending and higher taxes — including a 75-percent income tax on the rich — and wants to re-negotiate a European treaty on trimming budgets to avoid more debt crises of the kind facing Greece. That would complicate relations with Germany's Angela Merkel, who championed the treaty alongside Sarkozy.

Under Sarkozy, France pledged to rein in its spending while the rest of 17 countries that use the euro embark on a strict period of belt-tightening. In France, that has included programs designed to reduce government employment.

Sarkozy, disliked by many voters for his handling of the economy and brash personality, promised he could produce a surprise victory on Sunday. Speaking on Europe-1 radio Friday, he said much will depend on whether French voters bother to cast ballots in an election that polls have always predicted Hollande would win.

Turnout was a suprisingly high 79 percent in the first round April 22, and polls suggested that Sarkozy's best chance of an upset would come from even greater voter turnout Sunday.

Interior Ministry figures suggested voters were turning out in greater numbers than in the April 22 first round. At 5 p.m. (1500 GMT or 11 a.m. EDT), turnout was nearly 71.96 percent, up from 70.59 percent at the same time two weeks ago.

Polling stations opened in mainland France at 0600 GMT (2 a.m. EDT) Sunday, a day after voting got under way in France's overseas territories. Preliminary results in the French election are expected around 1800 GMT (2 a.m. EDT) Sunday.

French law bars the publication of results before all polling stations have closed to avoid swaying the outcome, and the fine for doing that is euro75,000 ($98,145). Still, many expect Sunday's election results to be leaked early via Twitter or other online methods, as they were during the first round two weeks ago.

Asked Friday what he would do if he loses, Sarkozy said simply: "There will be a handover of power."

"The nation follows its course. The nation is stronger than the destiny of the men who serve it," he said. "The fact that the campaign is ending is more of a relief than a worry."

Hollande was benefiting from anti-Sarkozy fervor, with some voters saying their choice was more a vote against him than one for Hollande.

Stephanie Debaye, 32, said she was voting for "the departure of Nicolas Sarkozy."

"On behalf of my compatriots, I felt quite insulted. He was so aggressive. I hope things will calm down," Debaye said outside a polling station in Paris.

Another Paris voter highlighted this anti-Sarkozy vote, saying she's backing Hollande, even though his program is "suicidal."

"He'll raise the minimum wage, increase civil servants. But France is already in debt," said Florence Macrez. His fiscal reform project will only increase the pressure especially on the middle class, she added.

Nearby the Socialist Party headquarters in central Paris, Sunday morning churchgoers said the next president must focus first on fixing France's sputtering economy.

"We hope that the next president will fix the economical position of France which was not properly handled by the previous president," said Dominique Grange, a retiree.

In a sign of the attention the campaign has attracted, Google's home page in France was redesigned with one of its ever-changing "doodles" devoted to the election.

In Hollande's town of Tulle, residents who got up early to vote offered mixed messages about him. He has been a local official and lawmaker for years in the town and its surrounding Correze region.

"I don't know if he's capable of being president. I just don't know because here we just bump into him on the street. With us, he's like that," said Lydia Sobieniak, 65, a former factory worker, outside the polling station where Hollande was voting shortly after it opened.

"It's going to be hard. Whoever it is (who wins) ... there will be no miracles," said Sobieniak, who added that Hollande helped her get a contract job in education in 2004 after she left her private sector job.

Hollande beat Sarkozy by about half a million votes in the first round of voting on April 22, which saw 10 candidates competing for the job of running this nuclear-armed country with a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council for the next five years.

Hollande urged his followers against complacency. "Victory is within our grasp!" he said in a rousing rally in the southern city of Toulouse on Thursday night.

Polls released Friday and Thursday showed the gap between the candidates shrinking but results still solidly in Hollande's favor. The polls were carried out after the candidates' only debate Wednesday night, which Sarkozy had hoped would be the knockout blow he needed.

Hollande has received the support of a prominent centrist who won 9 percent of the vote in the first round of presidential elections, Francois Bayrou. Bayrou said Thursday night he would not give his voters specific guidance for Sunday's vote — but that he will cast a ballot for Hollande.

Bayrou criticized Sarkozy's campaign rhetoric as too violent. Sarkozy has sought to lure far-right voters who supported anti-immigrant candidate Marine Le Pen in the first round.

Sarkozy kept it up anyway Thursday at a big campaign rally in Toulon.

"We don't want different tribes, we don't want ethnic communities to turn in on themselves, we don't want (non-citizen) immigrants to vote," he said.

Critics of Sarkozy have often faulted him for his brash style, alleged chumminess with the rich, and inability to reverse France's tough economic fortunes and nearly double-digit jobless rate.

Sarkozy Loses elections ?! FOR SURE !!

2012-05-06T17:20:00.001+01:00

Francois Hollande will be the first Socialist president in nearly two decades, marking a leftward shift at the heart of Europe and making Nicolas Sarkozy the region's 11th leader to be toppled by the economic crisis.

Buoyed by a tide of anger at Sarkozy's inability to rein in rampant unemployment during his five-year term, Hollande was between four and eight points ahead in final opinion polls for Sunday's vote, which takes place alongside a Greek parliamentary election expected to punish leading parties for economic misery.

A wide margin of victory would give Hollande more authority to pursue his promise to push back a wave of unpopular German-inspired austerity in Europe, which brought hundreds of thousands of protestors onto the streets across the region last week, by refocusing on growth-orientated policies.

Hollande cast his vote for the presidential runoff in the central town of Tulle, where he was mayor for seven years, shaking hands and kissing voters, many of whom he knows personally. "I am confident. I am sure," he told Reuters as he ate later in a local restaurant packed with Tulle residents.

Sarkozy was greeted by cheering crowds when he arrived to vote at a school in an up-market Paris neighborhood close to the home of his wife Carla Bruni, a former supermodel. "We are going to win" chanted supporters as the conservative leader briefly clasped the hands of well-wishers.

With 46 million people registered to vote, polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and were due to close in most places at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT). They shut two hours later in big cities.

Figures published by the Interior Ministry showed 30.7 percent of registered voters had cast their ballot by midday (1000 GMT) despite wet weather in much of France, topping the 28.3 percent at the same stage of the first round on April 22.

Reliable projections of the result based on a partial count will be published once the last polling stations close. Media that publish exit polls or partial results in France before then risk fines and legal action.

Hollande, a mild-mannered career politician, has held a steady lead for weeks after outlining a comprehensive program in January based on raising taxes, especially on high earners, to financespending and keep the public deficit capped.

As much as his own program, he is benefiting from anti-Sarkozy sentiment due to the incumbent's brash personal style and to anger about the same economic gloom that has swept aside leaders from Britain to Portugal.

"It will be close, much closer than polls have shown," said Moana de la Maisonneuve, 41, a commodities sales manager who voted for Sarkozy but was pessimistic about his chances. "The tough thing for Sarkozy is that people are focusing on his personality, rather than his policies."

SARKOZY NEEDS MIRACLE

Despite shaving a couple of points off Hollande's lead in the last days of a frenetic campaign, Sarkozy's own aides privately admit it would require a miracle for him to turn the odds in his favor and clinch a second term.

"I'd say he has one chance in six," a member of Sarkozy's inner circle told Reuters on condition of anonymity shortly before campaigning drew to a halt on Friday.

BNP Paribas economist Dominique Barbet said that uncertainty about the election outcome was extremely low.

In Paris's Bastille square, a flashpoint of the 1789 French Revolution and the Socialists' traditional gathering point for electoral celebrations, crowd barriers were already laid out in anticipation of an Hollande victory.

"Both Sarkozy and Hollande would be capable managers of the French economy but Sarkozy has created too much discord ... That is why I voted Hollande," said photographer Gilles Leimdorfer.

In Greece, where angry voters were expected to punish mainstream parties for supporting IMF-backed austerity, French overseas voters voiced hope that a Hollande victory would temper Germany's drive for budgetary discipline which many say is driving a number of euro zone countries into recession.

"Enough is enough. There is too much austerity," 72-year-old Maria said, voting for Hollande at the consulate in Athens.

Sarkozy launched his campaign late and swerved hard to the right as he tried to win back low-income voters that polls show have ditched him for either the radical left or extreme right.

His aggressive rallies and promises to rein in immigrant numbers, crack down on tax exiles and make the unemployed retrain as a condition of getting benefits did not reduce Hollande's lead. Sarkozy surprised many by failing to land a knockout punch on his rival in a televised debate.

In two further blows in the last days of the race, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who came third in the first round with 17.9 percent, and centrist Francois Bayrou, who came fifth with 9.1 percent, refused to endorse Sarkozy.

ECONOMIC CREDENTIALS

The election comes at a crucial time for the euro zone as France, Europe's No. 2 economy, is a vital partner for Berlin in safeguarding the single currency bloc's future.

If Hollande is elected, joining a minority of left-wing governments in Europe, he wants to renegotiate a budget discipline treaty signed by 25 EU leaders in March. Berlin has made the pact a pre-condition of aid for struggling states.

The Socialist plans to visit centre-right Chancellor Angela Merkel within days of the election to discuss his ideas.

German relations aside, France is grappling with feeble growth and 10 percent unemployment, a gaping trade deficit and high state spending that is straining public finances and was a factor in Standard & Poor's removing its triple-A credit rating.

While financial markets are warming to Hollande's growth agenda, given growing support for it elsewhere in Europe, he would need to reassure them quickly about his economic plans as fears resurface over the euro zone's debt woes.

French 10-year bond yields fell to 2.87 percent on Friday, a level not seen since early October. Yet French debt could remain vulnerable to selling pressure, as markets and credit rating agencies wait to be convinced of his fiscal credentials.

While economists want Hollande to trim over-optimistic growth forecasts and impose spending cuts, political analysts fear this would be difficult with left-wing voters hoping he will raise the minimum wage and reverse a recent sales-tax rise.

Little known outside France, Hollande would soon have his diplomatic skills tested if he wins, with a Chicago NATO summit due in late May and a Group of 20 summit in Mexico in late June. The former Socialist Party chief has never held a ministerial post.

"He can take the commitment he has shown here to France. I know he can," said Madame Champeil, 73, a retired postal worker in Tulle, adding with tears in her eyes: "The worst thing about this election is sadly, if he wins, we won't see him anymore."

iPhone killer - Samsung Galaxy S III: Is it really an iPhone killer?

2012-05-06T14:41:00.002+01:00

Samsung Galaxy S III: Is it really an iPhone killer?

It's been hailed an 'iPhone killer' and the 'best smartphone ever made' - so can the Samsung Galaxy S III live up to the hype?

The keenly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S III

The S III boasts a whopping 4.8 inch high definition screen and runs the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

The screen itself is designed to dwarf the iPhone's 3.5 inch high quality Retina display and opts for rival Super AMOLED technology to create the sharpest and most crisp images and colours.

But within hours of it being launched, the S III screen size had already split opinions, with some pundits arguing it was way too big for a phone. Others disagree, believing it will boost the quality of portable entertainment apps in the future.

The Galaxy doesn't have it all its own way either. Other notable iPhone rivals like the newly-released HTC One X has had decent reviews and acclaim, something that alongside the S III means Apple's handset and iOS software could be about to see its biggest challenge to date.

According to analysts Ovum, smartphones are the fastest growing segment of the mobile phone market, with ownership set to reach 1.7 billion handsets worldwide by 2017.

It is unsurprising, but none-the-less significant that Ovum's predictions show Android will become the dominant operating system over the next five years. Given that the iPhone is the only mobile to run iOS, it was never going to sustain the No1 position.

However, with Windows Phone and BlackBerry suffering hard times, Android does looks set to reap the benefits.

Adam Leach, principal analyst at Ovum, said: "Android will dominate the smartphone market over the next five years.

"While Apple has defined the smartphone market since it introduced the iPhone in 2007, we’re now seeing a sharp rise in the shipment volumes of Android, signalling its appeal to leading handset manufacturers."

In 2010, Android handsets represented just 17% of smartphones but last year that had risen to 44% with its share set to hit 48% in 2017. In 2017, it is said iOS will account for 27%, up from 23% in 2011.

This duopoloy could spell bad news for the other players in the market but Mr Leach does predict Windows Phone will grow and establish itself firmly over the next five year cycle.

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III - due to hit the streets on May 30 - is though a massive boost for Android, whether people choose to own that phone, or are simply encouraged to explore the software on another manufacturer's handset or one of Samsung's large Android range.

Ernest Doku, technology expert at uSwitch.com, isn't sure the Galaxy S III will be enough on its own to hit Apple too hard.

He said: "The S3 has some commendable new features but despite its Apple-esque, near-global launch I don't think this phone is set to be an iPhone killer. An iPhone maimer maybe, but not a killer. "

The Galaxy range has in the past showed Samsung is able to produce the kind of forward-thinking smartphones that leave Apple playing catch-up.

[Related Story: Apple iPad outmuscles Android in global tablet sales]

But with both companies releasing their devices months apart, it simply creates months of rumour and spin until ultimately, the newer handset has just enough up its sleeve to trump the other and steal the headlines and plaudits back.

For example, while the Galaxy has an 8 megapixel camera like the iPhone 4S, and the HTC One X, much is being said of its intelligent front-facing lens and voice controls.

Samsung say its "main USP" is to "enhance the interaction between the device and its owner".

In short that means using the front camera to recognise a person's eyes are looking at the screen. This stops it from turning off. It's clever, but is it a killer feature?

The 'S Voice' system also aims to surpass Apple's Siri speech controls. You'll be able to tell it to snooze the alarm. But only a full-on test of the device in the coming weeks will prove just how good the voice recognition is for every day life.

Apple's Siri suffered from negative feedback over how useful it really is, despite a much-hyped launch.

Andy Griffiths, Managing Director of Samsung UK and Ireland, said: "Our aim with the Galaxy S III was to develop the best smartphone ever made, and by focusing on creating a unique user experience through superior hardware and enhanced usability we believe we have done just that.

"The Galaxy S III is packed with smart features that enable it to understand and respond to our actions providing the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experience."

Other features include the 'S Beam' to share files fast simply by touching another S III phone, HD video recording from the front camera and NFC technology, potentially for mobile payments, to future-proof it for when this takes off in Britain.

The Samsung Galaxy S III will be sold by all the major UK mobile phone networks with many already taking pre-orders.

Andrew Harrison, CEO of Carphone Warehouse, said: "Anticipation surrounding the Samsung Galaxy SIII launch has been huge, it’s one of the biggest launches of the year and marks an exciting and innovative new stage in the smartphone market."

Stuart Miles, of Pocket-Lint.com, added: "Samsung has achieved so much over the last couple of years going from a relativity small mobile phone player to the only one powerful enough to challenge Apple.

"The Samsung Galaxy S III has the ability to control the top end of the market, but Apple still hold all the chips when it comes to delivering what the everyday man needs.

"But the battle is far from over with plenty more handsets still set to challenge Samsung and the S III."

101 Home Business Opportunities

2012-05-05T23:49:00.000+01:00

101 Home Business Opportunities

1. Miniature Models of Local and Historical Interest - Models of local buildings, especially with those with some significant historical interest, or miniature statues of people with local or national appeal will always have a large and interested market. Make moulds from latex, then produce and colour plaster models and sell through local shops, craft shops and at collectors’ fairs and flea markets.

2. Craftsman-made Jewellery – There is always a demand for Designer Jewellery. The more unusual the better if made from local stones such as Whitby Jet or even from beach pebbles or local shells. These would sell better to the local tourist trade. Sell through gift and souvenir shops, car boots, collector’ fairs and flea markets.

3. Selling Paper Ephemera - This is a grand name given to paper collectables: tickets, adverts, magazines, books, stamps, advertising inserts, old billheads, letterheads etc. The older the item the more collectible it is likely to be. These items are in great demand by collectors’ fairs, antique fairs and through the post to clientele attracted via advertisements in book collectors, ephemera and stamp collectors’ magazines.

4. Toys, Dolls, Trains etc – Many traders make a good lining from specialising in those collectors items sometimes known as ‘juvenalia’. The collectors turn to these specialists when they want to dispose of collections thereby ensuring the adequate flow of stock. The specialists are the ones collectors consider first when seeking to increase or improve upon their own collections.

5. Selling Books – Either sell all books cheaply which comes your way or specialise in books on such subjects as local history, biographies or specialist subjects, eg dogs, railways and so on. Sell at local car boot fairs or through the post by means of lists or advertisements placed in book collectors’ magazines. Alternatively, allow customers to view your stock in your home, by appointment.

6. Selling Curios – Curios fall within the scope of ‘collectables’ are as the name suggest, items that are just a little bit different to what might usually be available in bulk. How often have we seen really unusual items at car boot fairs where we have to say, “what is it?” “What does it do?”

7. Writing Letters To The Press – Here lies a very potentially lucrative opportunity. Most magazines and newspapers offer cash rewards, for reader’s letters, jokes, anecdotes, snappy letters and so on. Study your target publication with care. Some prefer short snappy letters, some choose family orientated subjects. Some magazines cater for the woman independent of family strings. Whatever you feel you could write about, assess the publications’ preference, see how much they offer and go for it.

8. Greeting Card Verses – Greeting Card producers in Britain and overseas are interested for new writers of good verses for their cards. Some humorous, some of the risqué variety. Others require what can only be described as sentimental slush. Study several cards from producers within your preferred type and send at least half a dozen examples of your work to each. Explain that these are only samples and not for publication unless accepted by the card supplier.

9. Preparing Curriculum Vitae – A CV. consists simply of the biographical details, both personal and career-related of persons wishing to change jobs. If you have a computer, you will probably have it already set up as a wizard and all you have to do is fill in the details supplies by the client. This could be an ongoing service as it can be updated for an extra charge and very little effort if kept safe on disc.

10. Invent a Game – Monopoly, Rubik Cube and Trivial Pursuits are amongst the most popular games and pastimes of today. None can have disappointed their designers in terms of the handsome dividends they provided. Each game must be unique – not a variation of other games. The secret is to create something different then contact the games companies but making sure in this case you has Patent Pending.

11. Cherished Number Plates – Many drivers seek number plates different from those of fellow drivers whether for investment purposes or sell for reasons of pure ‘snob’ value. Recent auctions of numbers by the Government have yielded massive profits, sometimes one sale making the vendor many thousands of pounds richer. Government lays down extremely straightforward regulations for transfer. Alternatively, you could act as a broker for individuals who do not want the hassle of searching themselves. Charging a brokers fee.

12. Accommodation Address Services – This business can be operated from home or from small business premises. Look at advertisements in the ‘Exchange and Mart’ from people offering a similar service. Some busy people will pay you to collect and forward their mail at regular intervals.

13. Making Video Films – The cost of digital or video cameras is still quite expensive and therefore inhibits many families capturing those rare moments in their children’s lives: parties, first steps, sports days, first school and so on. So here we have a great business opportunity, providing a service much in demand for some ‘never to be forgotten’ occasions, weddings birthday parties, anniversaries and many other occasions. If you keep your prices reasonable, you should always have offers of work coming in.

14. Party Plan - Almost everything can be sold via the medium of the house party where clients /friends gather together to enjoy tea and cakes then later watch a demonstration of the products of offer. Items are ordered usually at the party with payment being made when the goods arrive some time later. The hostess will require some worthwhile gift or percentage of the takings as her reward for assembling potential customers and providing the venue and fare for the party. We are talking large profits for these companies such as Kids Wear, Lingerie, jewellery and many others.

15. House and Pet Sitting – This is a service whereby the client’s home, possessions and pets are safeguarded and cared for during their absence. The service may be one of total surveillance by actually living on the premises or may be a partial service involving daily visits where all signs of absence are removed. Plants may be watered and domesticated pets cared for. Alternatively a dog-walking service only could be offered. In order to come to a mutual financial arrangement, you must supply references and an hourly rate agreed upon depending on the clients needs.

16. Calligraphy – This is the grand name for the even grander art of beautiful hand writing and printing. We see swirling flows of lettering created by hand with the aid of special pens and inks eg adorning menus in the better eating establishments, certificates, formal invitation, signs notices, doorplates. This demands a thorough professional effort. A good idea would be to supply a small portfolio of some of your work and send or visit some of these establishments.

17. Sandwich Service – Not all offices and workplaces have suitable canteen or food vending services for their employees and not all within easy distance of shopping facilities. Here lies the opportunity for the enterprising business man or woman to operate a sandwich delivery service, preferably one offering unusual fillings, perhaps also providing a lunchbox which is then retrieved the following day. This service could be offered with a telephone ordering service to be in, say by 10.00am for same day delivery.

18. Party Catering – Almost all of us enjoy house parties, dinner party’s even children’s parties. Not all of us relish the thought of long hours preparing for the event and then find we are too tired to enjoy ourselves. Someone can undertake the preliminaries on our behalf, leaving us to enjoy the party free from hassle. This is a must worth paying for.

19. Growing Herbs – An easy one this! Not requiring much in the way of time and attention. It is a moneymaking proposition that could easily survive alongside other ventures. Fresh herbs are much in demand as an alternative to the dried out tasteless variety we find in bottles and jars on the supermarket shelves. Grown in little pots, they can be sold to supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, even direct to the public.

20. Growing and Selling Houseplants – Here we have a product in constant demand by old and young alike, whether for their own use or else as gifts for the vast majority who like to adorn our homes with a natural form of ornamentation. Usually you will need a selection of mother plants from which your cuttings are taken before being replanted in the small pots from which they will be sold. A follow on to this idea is to RENT larger plants to businesses for their reception areas. You would charge rental and tend to the plants on a regular basis.

21. Slush Money – Here we have a business opportunity that caters for an almost insatiable need for anything by which to preserve our cherished memories. So we find baby’s first shoes enshrined forever in a coating of bronze, silver or gold. Embroidered cushions on which wedding rings are placed for blessing and picture frames adorning sealed containers where precious rare items are displayed. I heard of one businessman who made framed containers each of which contained a ragged piece of rock – but not just any rock – these were pieces of the Berlin Wall.

22. Craft Clothes – Here we find the entrepreneur catering for the demands of the fashion conscious and those wanting something different or just something that needs no loudspeaker to scream ‘money’. Handcrafted clothes of the better variety are hugely popular amongst the more affluent sectors of society often for snobbish reasons. Whether if is for an adult or child, it is no big deal for someone to spend several hundreds of pounds on that hand made, hand painted, hand embroidered garment which absolutely guarantees that no one, but no one will have anything similar.

23. Discretion Buyer – Basically, a discretion buyer is one who undertakes the purchase on behalf of a person who, for reasons of his or her own, prefers to remain anonymous. The most obvious example of such a service is the auction house where agents for the true buyer bid often-massive sums. At other times for reason of security.

24. Bulk Buying and Splitting – Wholesalers of all types cater for those who require items in bulk: be they shopkeepers, offices, large businesses etc. How nice therefore for all of us to take advantage of the often massive price reductions such bulk buying allows. Anyone willing to purchase in bulk and split, offering the item at a price still lower than shop prices will find a ready market amongst small businesses, car boot traders, nurseries and many more. Items can range from stationery to small toys, party tableware, and kitchen item ad infinitum.

25. Video Picture Print Outs – Recently at a village show I saw droves of people congregating in one tiny corner of the marquee and curiosity being what it is, I decided to find out why. The stall consisted of a video camera with which the stallholder took portraits of his customers. The image was then transferred to a printer that churned out a likeness very similar to that of photograph. At £3 a go (at the time of writing this), money was rolling in.

26. Photograph Copying and Repairing – Following on from the above. –If you have a computer and a scanner, you can copy old photos including sepia and you can then sell just the copy on its own or place the copied photo in a presentable frame. I found that as a present, my daughter’ just loved the enlarged brown photograph of the grandmother she had never seen. These old photographs can also be repaired which cost a little bit more.

27. One-Off Gift Service – Here we aim to make a customer of every single person who ever needs to buy a gift by offering something unique and highly appropriate. Think for example of businesses currently offering without competition in this fantastic market delivering bottles of champagne to the recipient; delivering teddy bears with a message and the recipient’s name embroidered on the front; providing story books with the child’s name and those of his or her friends and pets incorporated in the text. You could set yourself up as a broker with a personal touch giving the customer what they want for a price.

28. Teaching Computers – Many of us especially those of us who never learned computer technology at school and don’t wish to sit in a class of young whiz kids, would like ‘one to one’ lessons. You would have to be patient and begin right from the beginning. This would be very rewarding and you could charge on an hourly basis either on your computer or the clients’ computer. This is one business, which spread from word of mouth if you are good at it.

29. Computer Diagnosis – Following on from the above; Similar to teaching computer basics, there is a great demand for help when things go wrong. I once succeeded in wiping clean three disks, which had taken me three months to produce. I threw them away! I learned later that the information was not lost. It could have been retrieved. If I had known and had I the information to hand for retrieving 3 months work to me, I would have paid well.

30. Story Books – Not just a Christmas but at all times of the year, there is an advertisement placed in many publications whereby the brilliant originator of this idea offers a service he discovered almost by accident. Typing out stories on his computer, he decided to enter his child’s name instead of that of the heroine; the compliments came along with requests for similar items for other children. With your own stories you too could benefit.

31. Correspondence Club – ‘Lonely in a Crowd’ they say and never was a truer statement uttered if the number of advertisements we find placed in the press by people wanting to contact others for friendship or to share a common interest is anything to go by. There is a need to facilitate the coming together of thousands of currently isolated individuals who share this common need or interest. This is where the astute business person comes into play acting as a middleman and who often does little more than co-ordinate, collate and distribute details relating to activities and interests of members.

32. Dating Agency For Middle Aged People - There is also the possibility of setting up an agency specifically for the middle aged group of men and women and would be specifically designed for that age group. I am sure there are a lot of still very lively older people who would like to meet a partner but don’t know where to meet. One idea would be to set up tea dances or have sequence dancing lessons or line dancing lessons.

33. Pub & Hotel Décor – With the advent of wine bars, nightclubs and private clubs, the landlord or owner must now make his establishment that much more inviting. A suggestion is to offer blown-up sepia photos of the pub and its environment in earlier days, sepia photos of ‘regulars’ perhaps with a printed write-up of their achievements, framed early advertisements for alcoholic beverages, framed collections of old beer mats and beer labels and so on.

34. Secretarial Bureau- If you have a computer with word processing software, you can run your own profitable secretarial agency doing such tasks as document preparation, desktop publishing, database management, and bookkeeping and stationary production. Your customers would be small businesses, students, and professional services. authors. Send out a flyer to all small enterprises offering your services. When you have a response, go and see the client and take some work already done to show in a portfolio. Accuracy, dependability and being discreet are topmost. You could

35. Nappy Delivery – Delivering boxes of nappies to the customer’s door. Delivering nappies in bulk to the door saving the parent the cost and inconvenience of travelling with a new baby. Prices would be competitive since you could buy the nappies in bulk and actual cost to the customer was very little higher than the cost of the same products bought in the shops. The Rent a Nappy principle applies also to other personal services for example: Rent a Nanny, Rent a Mrs Mopp and Rent a Gardener and many more where there is a need. You charge for the nappies supplied and a small delivery charge. For delivering the nappies a small fee for delivery could be charged. Put flyers in Doctor’s surgeries, community health centres, hospitals, play groups but asking permission first.

36. Dog Training Classes – We are a nation of dog lovers or so it is said and many of us loving our pets as we do, want them to be well behaved if only for their own safety in the world outside of the home. So we take them to classes and are willing to pay considerable sums for the privilege of having someone teach us and our pets how to behave, Normally classes consist of anything up to 50 owners and their pets each paying a small sum at the opening of each session. Possibly at the end of all sessions offering a certificate to declare they have been trained up to a standard of acceptable behaviour.

37. Running a Nursery - Unlike many other countries, Britain falls short of providing childminding facilities, which would enable parents to re-enter the workforce. Individual child minding facilities take a huge chunk from the parents’ wage and often a private nursery catering for several children at the same time can cut the cost to the parent. There are of course standards set in respect of all facilities for child care; standards with which you must familiarise yourself before attempting to enter this lucrative field of business – ask your local Social Services department for information.

38. Compiling Crosswords – Crosswords are surprisingly easy to produce with a little practice and many books on the subject of writing will guide you through the basic techniques. As an adjunct to producing crosswords for the many markets requiring the services of the compiler, there is the opportunity to provide ‘personalised’ crosswords for clubs, as presents or for individual use and so on. I have seen advertisements from people offering to create a crossword incorporating words appropriate to the person who will receive the end result as a gift including such as a name, pets, occupation, interest and hobbies.

39. Bygones – Nostalgia is always a winner in the business world at least. Ho how I wanted one of those red telephone kiosks sold off when the yellow designs came into being. Sadly I was not one of the many hundreds of people able to afford one. Juke boxes are another ‘biggie’ in both physical and financial terms, a are old cars, vans, particularly those with advertising signs once used outside shops and now a collectors item in their own right.

40. Origin of Names – Along with a growing need to learn about our family ancestors, there is an insatiable interest in learning more about the origins of family surnames. Anew computerised system has been introduced into one or two city and town centres, a business that as yet has been grossly under exploited. From several huge volumes of surnames, the individual locates that which he or she is interested in. The eventual printout is offered to the customer on a parchment like paper with old English lettering. For an additional charge, the document could be framed behind non- reflective glass. What a great present!

41. Telling The Future - Without a glass ball and not looking like Gypsy fortune teller, there is a great revival taking place in the grand old art of predicting the future. I was amazed when walking in my local town centre, to see a man telling fortunes by means of access to a computer on his mobile stall. He was predicting the fortunes of passers by hand printouts produced when they placed their palms flat on the computer scanner. The fortune was actually told by the computer and interpreted by the businessman in charge. The customer received a computer print out, full prediction details and verbal interpretation. If the number of satisfied smiles coming away from that stall was anything to go by, I think this is another business well worth consideration by the entrepreneur looking for something a little bit different. To find the computer programs for this and other new ideas, consult your electric stores, phone software companies or buy a computer magazine.

42. Bookkeeping – The bookkeeper’s skills will always be highly valued especially for small businesses or sole traders. With accountants charging high rates for similar services you would be in high demand either on a temporary basis as the tax year draws to a close, or on a permanent part-time basis. All your bookkeeping could be put on computer and stored.

43. Swop Shop Agency – Collectors of such things as stamps, postcards, coins, books and a great many other items often find themselves with many duplicate items in their collections. The business idea here is to act as middleman for the exchange of such items charging a fee of course for each transaction. There are many things people would like to swop, not all of them falling into the category of collectables. Household good, baby furniture, school books/degree books and further examples we simply sometimes find no further use for. Someone able to offer a ‘SWOP’ service whereby we can offload or exchange items must surely be in great demand by all of us after getting established.

44. Office Trouble Shooter – If you have been in office management or administration, there is a need out there for the small businesses that believe it or not can make a profit but have no idea of administration. The Accountants charges per hour spiral out of control when invoices have been know to be thrown in cardboard boxes! This is a rewarding challenge and could last from a few days to weeks or longer. You would charge by the hour and re-organise the office including the sacking or taking of staff to improve the efficiency of the company. This is one business idea we have actually enjoyed ourselves. Hourly rate is up to you and has to be negotiated.

45. Family Trees Especially for Expats – In Government records, parish registers, graveyards and in many other places, are segments of information which when located and pieced together offer an extremely accurate and interesting profile of one’s family history. A problem presents itself, which precludes many, a man or woman from researching his or her family history – TIME! Time in many of our lives is an extremely scarce commodity and other demands allow insufficient to undertake often-painstaking research. This is where you come in as a specialist and highly paid researcher. Many people abroad want to find their roots but distance is the problem. This would be very lucrative if you could advertise on the Internet or newspapers abroad. Australia, Canada etc.

46. Painting & Decorating – Not everyone including myself most definitely do not relish the thought of donning rags every year or so, retrieving dried up brushes from the garage from last year and setting about the arduous task of decorating the home. So here’s your chance all of you who actually enjoy wielding pant brushes and rollers.

47. Odd Job Man For Pensioners – I know of many elderly people who need small jobs doing desperately such as fitting back a curtain that has dropped down, fixing a window lock or even changing a bulb or changing the batteries in a smoke detector. These jobs are so small that they cannot get qualified people to attend. If you are retired and fairly fit, and charge a reasonable call out fee. No job too small being your motto, you would be kept very busy. Oh by the way, a friendly smile and chat would also be appreciated. No charge….

48. Graphology – Graphology is the art of analysing a person’s character from a piece of writing he or she provides. Certain strokes of the pen, swirls at the end of words, pressure of the writing all have some deep and until expertly interpreted hidden meaning. It is the job of the graphologist to interpret the reasons behind certain styles and peculiarities of writing. A few years ago, no one with the possible exception of our American cousins would dream of paying someone for such an analysis. Today however, the technique has developed a great deal of credibility and the services of a good graphologist are much more in demand especially in the work place where many employers now view the art as an essential staff recruitment tool. You can teach yourself graphology by studying from library books or it can be done using a computer with software. Again consult software manufacturers for purchase of a program. It could take less than half an hour to analyse a person’s handwriting with the software. This makes an idea birthday gift.

49. Keep Fit – We are all getting more health conscious as we seek to ward off illnesses, overweight, depression and the effects of growing older. Few of us though want to put a great deal of effort into the process. Not for us the long hours of playing squash, jogging or the gym. But give us a little exercise class and having fun to music, that’s a different matter entirely. Arrange a community hall or premises where a group can meet (just like Weight Watchers do) and let the music roll. Charge an entrance fee and hold the sessions as often as they are wanted. I went along to a large Town Hall not long ago to do line dancing and found I couldn’t gain entry. It was full! It seemed inside there was over 200 people all paying £3 entrance charge for a couple of hours. Even paying for use of the Town Hall, that was still a tidy profit for one person. There is Salsa dancing, Line dancing, Afternoon tea dances anything that you are good at.

50. Speed Dating – Speed dating is exactly that. Find a venue, advertise weeks ahead for bookings. There is a room set up with tables where the lady sits with her card to mark and the men move from table to table every three minutes on a signal. The man has a card and each mark down whether they would like to communicate later. If the venue were set in a pub or hotel then mingling later would be an advantage. Some have even offered sit down meal at a restaurant, which has to be included in the price. Sounds very clinical but it is apparently all the rage at the moment because it is said we can tell in the first few minutes whether we like someone or not. It has to be a booked venue, as there has to be the same number of men as women. Click on the WWW and search for speed dating to get more ideas.

51. Child Minding Service – With suitable qualifications, you could do this on your own by employing others to work for you while taking a fee. To get started you will need qualified staff. Make a list of suitably qualified people who you can call on at short notice. Advertise locally and build up a list of quality child minders. Your service will spread by world of mouth quite quickly.

52. Debt Counselling - Become a debt counsellor. If you are good with money and you have people skills, this could be a good opportunity to help others who are useless at money management.

53. Homebuyers Search – One of the problems when you see a house you like is; what are the neighbours like? Are there any teenagers terrorising the neighbourhood? What are the schools really like? Are there any problems with pollution? Traffic? A good extra income could be made by offering a service which will give a detailed report for a set fee and report on any good and bad points to the homebuyer. This is a business, which would be very simple to operate. Check with estate agents for houses being sold, as the vendors will obviously be buying another house and could possibly use your services.

54. Be a Home Help – You could start an agency (you would need good reference checks for others working for you). Have others to go out and do cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping and general household duties. You keeping a percentage of the hourly rate or you could actually go out and do the job yourself. You could pick and chose the hours you wish to work. This service could be for busy, elderly, or disabled people. Advertise in your local press or put adverts in newsagents. Everyone reads those small adverts. Also, visit your local Social Services department and let them know you are available.

55. Shop For Others – Set up and run a shopping service. This is a simple idea if you don’t mind shopping for those who are ill or housebound. You would need a few clients to make some money. Having a car would be a good advantage. Build up a weekly round of about 10 to 12 clients and set up a minimum charge.

56. Bed and Breakfast – If you live in a tourist area and you have a couple of spare rooms or more then this could make you some money. You would need to supply an efficient breakfast with bathroom access, a clean and comfortable bed. Provide tourist information literature and advertise in B & B Guides as well a putting signs outside or in your front window.

57. Excursions Trips At Home or Abroad For Fans – Organise excursions for sports fans such as football matches, motor racing events, tennis tournaments. Find the venues for dancing venues, line dancing Salsa etc. Advertise in the local newspapers.

58. Buy & Sell Old Telephones – There is a lot of fondness for old style telephones. Go to auctions and car boots and buy up old phones and set up as a supplier of old or novelty phones. Your profit could be as high as 150% depending on your purchase price.

59. Fit Close Circuit Security Cameras in Homes – There is a huge call for security these days either for the home or for businesses. Now that cameras are so small and easily fitted and while crime and vandalism is still out there, there is a great potential for a fit and honest person to make this business very lucrative. For all new up to date equipment, check Exchange and Mart, Business Magazines or Yellow Pages.

60. Cine to Video Transfer Service – This is not too difficult and with good equipment there are few overheads in operating this type of business and profits can be good.

61. Buy and Sell Personalised Number Plates - Private number plates are very popular here in the UK. Begin by buying plates at auction and resell while advertising for more plates. Check the transfer regulations and get to know the documentation required. Have a look on the Internet to check price guides, what sells and what doesn’t. Some plates can be worth a small fortune. Start with one and advertise it in the Loot free and then start to build up a selection for sale. Advertise in Exchange and Mart, Loot and Autotrader.

62. Grow House Plants - If you have an extra room or space, have an interest in houseplant and like growing them from cuttings, here is a way you can make extra cash. Sell them to businesses, offices, and shops and even start a stall at car boots and keep your prices below shop prices. Get established and build up your stock.

63. Buy and Renovate Old Cottages – If you have some money to invest, buy and renovate old cottages in need of repair. On completion, rent them out during the holiday season. Property rarely drops in value providing it is maintained in good state of repair. Property auctions are the best place to look for likely bargains. You need to bear in mind that the type of property you are looking for needs to be in a suitable location and large enough to accommodate at least five or six people.

64. Telephone Service – If you live in the city, you could charge business people for the use of your telephone by answering their calls with a real person at the other end of the phone. This service is useful to small mail order businesses or sole traders who have just placed an advert in a newspaper or magazine and expects a lot of calls. Operating this service would involve taking down messages, names and addresses and in a professional manner. For this you would charge a monthly fee and postal costs incurred to send on the messages.

65. Laundry Service – Start a mobile laundry service. This would involve building up a regular round of customers who would require their laundry to be collected sometimes in the same day. Obviously a car or van would be necessary. This is a useful service for busy people who don’t have the time and also the elderly or disabled. Charge by weight, colour, how many washes and your time and petrol.

66. Ironing Service - Combine this with the above laundry service or just offer the ironing. Ironing is one of the most unpopular chores and a lot of people would be glad to have it done for them. Charge as above. Ring around similar services and check out prices.

67. Start a Karaoke Business – The karaoke machine is a means of livening up parties and functions. With a mobile karaoke machine plus a good selection of music, you should get lots of bookings. You need energy, determination and an outgoing personality to make this business work. It is not only profitable but great fun and will liven up your social life. See Exchange & Mart for equipment. Advertise your service in the local press and Yellow Pages or Thompson Local.

68. Tutor - Become a tutor in a subject you are very good at such as English. No investment needed and you can do it from your home or the clients’. It would be best if you have a degree, professional qualification or other acceptable qualification for credibility. Teaching experience is very useful and also having practicable knowledge.

69. Breed and Sell Pedigree Pups – If you are an animal lover and have suitable kennel space, breeding certain types of dogs with good pedigrees can be profitable as well as an enjoyable way to make a spare time income. Certain breeds sell for hundreds of pounds. Check the pet section of Exchange & Mart. There are initial costs to consider including purchasing the grown bitch and dog, feeding and vets fees. The well being of the pups is paramount. This business idea should be looked into with care but if you like animals, this would be a very pleasant way of making money.

70. Buy and Sell Golf Equipment – Lots of people are taking up golf for the first time as a new sport. Others have to give it up due to time restriction. Whatever the reason there are always people wanting sell their old clubs, golf bags, carts and accessories. Providing their equipment is in good condition and available at the right price, there is no reason why someone like you who could strike a bargain, buy and re-sell these goods for a profit. Start by using the Free ads in Loot in the ‘goods wanted’ and ‘goods for sale’ classified adverts.

71. Facial Cosmetics – Start a business selling beauty products. Produce your own brand name. You can obtain supplies direct from selected manufacturers, (see Yellow Pages or Internet) preferably in bulk and package them in containers with your own brand label. Sell by party plan, mail order or factory agents. Take care that there is no illegal contents in the beauty products. If you package them in an ‘olde-worlde’ type of promotion, you could be the next Estee Lauder. I seem to remember the Beauty Shop began in a small way. Good Luck. I like this one! Let us know if you take off. We want to know.

72. Fit Telephone Extension – Supply and fit telephone extension leads. This would be a simple service offering people a way to add extra phones in extra rooms from their existing phone line. Also consider supplying new phones, answering machines etc buying them at cost and making a profit and expanding your profit. Advertise in the local paper and make business cards and flyers.

73. Wedding Planner – Set up a business that organises all the services required for a wedding including the church service, wedding car and photographer, reception, music and catering would be all arranged by you. You would need good organisational skills, a good knowledge of Wedding Etiquette and an ability to listen. Have top quality business cards printed with a brochure showing your services and costs.

74. Set up Antique Fairs – Organise antique fairs. An interest in antiques would be desirable but necessary. Hire a function room in a hotel or church hall or in a big enough space. Advertise the first fair in the local newspaper well ahead of date and ask sellers to book in advance. This gives you enough time to see if there is enough interest. When it is set up, you charge the sellers’ a fee, the entrants a nominal small fee. Always agree on a reduced rate for rent of the hall or room in advance and only agree it will go ahead after you find you have enough interest. Most halls or large rooms are only too glad to rent the room, which would have possibly stayed empty. Place a large notice board outside the hall to catch everyone’s attention.

75. Remove Graffiti – Start a business that removes graffiti. Contact in the first instance, your local council, housing associations, or private individuals with graffiti. Then find your nearest supplier of industrial cleaning materials and equipment. Advertise your services to government bodies and community housing association.

76. Set Up A Cleaning Service For Businesses – You can either set up an agency to supply staff for cleaning offices, warehouses or do it yourself. Just the simple cleaning materials can be used along with industrial vacuum cleaners and floor polishers. Start small with just the cleaning and vacuuming. Start by contacting small business units by post with a small flyer. There are quite a lot of business parks around. Contact your local Business Links and leave them your details.

77. Be A Website Designer/ Instructor – If you are a computer buff with a good eye for design, there is a huge opportunity at this time for competent web designers to make a good living designing websites for businesses. A good grasp of html, java and cgi scripting is essential. An understanding of the ecommerce is also necessary. The process of design has been made easier by software packages such as Dreamweaver, Adobe Go Live and NetObjects Fusion. If you are really good, you could offer a one to one training in Web Design at an hourly fee.

78. Start Up A computer Club - Start a computer Club up in your area and meeting once a week or month. This could cover a 30-mile radius. Start by hiring a room in a pub on a quiet night, FREE (the publicans like to get the drinkers in and to sell beer). Put notices in Colleges, Universities, and free ads section of the LOOT for Clubs and Societies. Get everyone together and they will mix and talk about what interests them. Sometimes they could bring along new computer ideas or programmes to show the other members. Sometimes, giving talks on various subjects. You arrive early and take their membership fee as they arrive. You charge whatever you feel is about right. If you end up with over 50 members to start with within the first month and you charged £3 admission, well we are talking £150 and no charge to pay for the room. That is just an estimate. You have to decide. Good Luck.

79. Detective Agency – Be a private Investigator. You could earn hundreds of pounds a day carrying out tasks such as surveillance, fraud, staff absenteeism, fraudulent insurance claims, matrimonial enquiries, finding missing persons, deliver summonses, mystery shopping, internal theft etc. Start and organise a Detective Agency. You can work from your home. You would need your own transport, business cards, and brochure describing what you can offer. You would also have to be very professional and discreet. Find out more from you local library.

80. Photography – Earn extra money from photographs. You could sell old photographs that you already have lying around the house. You don’t have to be a professional photographer and if you are in a position to take photographs, you could take pictures of castles, cars, churches, pets and animals, holiday resorts, landscapes. You could sell them on to travel agents, owners of the castles/homes, churches. You could get a list of buyers from The Photo Buyers Directory for UK price £9.95 A Walton & Associates. Web site - www.homebusinessopportunities.co.uk/g.o/evesforum

81. Travel Writer and Photographer – Anyone with a few basic writing skill, backed with a desire to travel and tell stories about their adventures and experiences, take a few photographs, can take trips abroad every year or even travel the world FREE if charge and have money to bank at home. Even with limited experience, surprisingly few consider thinking they will have to be well travelled themselves or have to finance trips abroad with no guarantee their work will sell. In fact, most writers can operate perfectly well and profitably sometimes without leaving home working purely from experience and photographs gained from genuine friends and travellers or gathered from books and research. Worldwide markets are desperate for travel features and photos and will pay very well indeed, often £100 for a very few words frequently with an advanced payment to help you fund your journey. If you don’t want to travel abroad, many publications at home and abroad buy material relating to Britain. This is just the tip of the iceberg! Even if a simple letter or snapshot is all you can manage at the beginning. Just study any of the glossy magazines and check how many are travel related. “Write Around The World FREE ! “ gives you all the information and guidance you need to get started in this profitable hobby and profession right from the day you receive this manual through your letterbox. You might find yourself in demand from not just publishers and editors but academics, hoteliers, importers and travel agents and many others offering you money up front for doing simple jobs for them on your travels. “Write Around The World FREE! “ will really help and advise you. £14.95 + 14 day money back guarantee.

82. Mystery Shopper – Be a mystery shopper, get paid to shop and keep everything you buy free. Most mystery shoppers start because it is fun and they like to get freebies, enjoy holidays and being paid to comment on their purchases. You could earn £35, £100, £200 an assignment or more! Lots of work to go around. £24.95 + 14 day money back guarantee Log on to

83. The National Home-Workers Directory – including the home-working book. This is a sought after Publication listing the actual names and addresses of hundreds of British companies who are constantly looking for men and women of all ages nationwide for the following areas of genuine paid work. Manual, clerical, telephone answering, research, typing, writing, computing, knitting, agency work available full or part time. All the essential information you need is brought to you in The National Home-workers Recruitment Directory £14.95. To find out more about the directory, go to:

84. Writing For Money – If I gave you £1 for every word you wrote, how much would your write? “ Writing 4Money” will show you how you can write from your home and get paid for it. I should know it’s possible. In a matter of one hour, I can put together a short article and submit it to a publication and get paid over £100. You don’t need to be a literary genius to earn a serious income writing and selling your articles, poems, short stories and other types of writing. There is someone willing to pay you for almost subject that interests you. For free information and details write to Writing4Money, 16 Curlew Gardens, Dumfermline KY11 8GF or email your name and address to: writing4money@e-mile.co.uk

85. Leaflet Distribution – Many firms and businesses advertise their services and goods by means of leaflets and brochures delivered to selected addresses/ Post Office charges often present them with high processing cost. A leaflet distributor dealing with several client workloads at the same time can offer a much lower cost to the customer. Your services can be advertised locally or nationally and can attract much repeat custom if costs are kept competitive and an efficient standard maintained.

86. Sewing Repairs and Dressmaking – Those who can sew and are able to do dressmaking or mending/alterations can find their services in great demand. My son asked me to take his new trousers to be lengthened as he is very tall but when I asked the shop how much it would cost, I was told £12. Shocked at the cost, I took the trousers home and altered them myself and it took exactly 12 minutes. I hate sewing and I am only trying to point out that small alterations can bring in a good remuneration and ongoing repairs and alterations for those of you who like sewing; it would bring in good money.

87. Researcher – There are times when we all need information not readily available to us. Whether we need it sufficiently to pay someone to gather this information on our behalf is another matter. Often this is the case and customers will pay well for information they can’t find or don’t want to collect for themselves. For many private individuals, it is an easy matter to visit the library to find the information required. For others it is all too time consuming and often boring particularly when other demands take priority. In this category, we find writers, market analysts, and larger firms, advertising agencies, television programmers to name but a few. Here is an opportunity for someone who likes digging and delving and to actually spend all day amongst reference books of the local library. Send a brochure to all who might need your services. If you send out a hundred and only 5 respond, you are on your way.

88. Specialist Gift Service – Birthday memorabilia. Locate original newspapers of the actual birth-dates. Original framed horoscopes from the day. Even a framed advertisement from the year of ones birth. With the exception of the newspaper service, this is a greatly un-exploited area within the field of specialist gift services.

89. Biorhythms – Biorhythms are cycles that rule our minds, bodies and emotions. Life it is said goes through a series of rhythms and the patterns of ups and down have a great influence on the functioning of the body and its emotions. Cycles can be positive or negative and critical periods can be identified enabling the persons to whom they apply, to take extra care on certain occasions. It sounds complicated doesn’t it? It is actually extremely easy to chart and analyse biorhythms of any individual at any time of their life. It is no wonder now that the science has gained a high degree of credibility, that businessmen, sportsmen, students and politicians are but a few of the groups to have their biorhythm charts compiled before making any important decisions. You can offer your services privately or by post and the whole are can be easily learned from books in your library.

90. Key Cutting – This seems to be a dying art. Many are the times I have searched for a key cutter in my area. Everyone needs extra keys cut at some time. Whether it is house keys or a spare set of keys for the car. A key-cutting service will always find cus tomers particularly if your prices are competitive. Ideally you should provide your service in a busy central location. Perhaps from a small booth in a department store or shopping centre or supermarket. Even a fast turnaround mail order serves is a possibility in which case you could work from home. Success would depend on the amount of business you receive in relation to advertising costs. Check the Internet and trade directories for suppliers of equipment.

91. Letting Agency – With house sales virtually closed off to first time buyers, renting are on the increase. Start your own letting agency offering to find the tenants, following up references and setting up agreements. You can easily run this from home full or part time. For help and advice in setting up your own agency contact: Southcourt Property Management - 010 7635 0555 and ask for a free info pack. Please mention Forum of Entrepreneurs when phoning.

92. Nursing Agency – Every day we watch the news stories highlighting the major nursing shortages. Little do we know how much Health Trusts and other organisations pay for agencies to bridge the shortfall? £1 Billion was spent in 2003 on agencies and that’s just the NHS sector. There is also the private nursing home and residential homes too. A nurse who works for the NHS gets paid approx. £8 -£10 per hour. A registered nurse who works for an agency gets paid £16 - £48 per hour. So more staff are leaving the NHS and other poorly paid organisations to work for agencies, thus the agencies have lots of on-going work. To get a HOW TO GUIDE “Run Your Own Nursing Care Agency”, this will give you the basic information for your next step to a rewarding and challenging career. Send £5.99 cheque or postal order payable to Mr N Butfield,Torleaven, West Looe Hill, West Looe, Cornwall PL13 2HP asking for a copy of “Run Your Own Nursing or Care Agency” and include your name and address and telephone number.

93. Celebrity Autographed Photos – You can obtain celebrity autographed photos for free and sell them for £50 to £300 per photo. Signed photographs of celebrities can be worth hundreds. Collectors pay excellent money for them. Collecting and selling autographed photo’s is a very interesting and up to now, little known way of making money with very little effort. Find out whose photo’s are most valuable and quick ways to sell your photographs, how to triple the number of photo’s you receive from one celebrity, a list of specialist dealers and auctioneers where you can sell your photographs. Lastly, a directory of hundreds of movie, TV, sport and pop stars with their addresses. For example: Muhammed Ali £175, Madonna £300-£500, Pamela Anderson £95, Jennifer Aniston £85, Teddy Sherringham £50, Alan Shearer £65, Jon Bon Jovi £135, Liz Hurley £120, Pierce Brosnam £125, David Duchovny £95, Hugh Grant £70, Tom Cruise £80, Al Pacino £155. All this in a copy of “How To Receive Celebrity Autographs Free and sell for Cash”. £9.95 14 day money back guarantee.

94. Computer Training For The Over Sixties – Can you use a computer with Microsoft basic Word, Publisher? Are you able to use the Internet? Do you have lots of patience? If yes to all, here is a way to make money and help older people who are frightened of computers and will not go to Colleges etc for fear of being taught by a computer whiz kid. The first thing you have to teach them is, ‘how to switch the computer on. I have a friend aged 74 who had been going to college to learn basic computer skills and hadn’t progressed at all but with a couple of hours on my computer and lots of patience on my part, she was sailing ahead. If this were an option you would like to follow up, you would either have clients calling at your home or calling to theirs if they have a computer. Charge by the hour and advertise in your local paper or newsagents. This service will spread very quickly by word of mouth.

95. Selling Computers – Make money selling computers. If you know how to assemble computers, you could put together standard computers for novices, which would be very suitable for first time buyers like pensioners and students. Assemble a computer with Windows up from 98 with Internet connection. Advertising your computers at colleges and Universities would go down well especially for students wanting to write their theses. Work out how much you have paid out and add on quite a good profit. Look in computer magazines for second-hand computers and gauge the price. It would be a good idea to include a second hand printer and monitor.

96. International Service Agency – Internet operated help agency for Brits living abroad and wanting help and advice on jobs, housing and health, tax, weather and all aspects of helping them make it an easy ride moving back home. I knew of an agency, which helped Britons in South Africa to get home. It found houses in the part of the country they wanted, contacted lots of employment agencies for them, sent in their CV. Found out about schools, doctors etc. This is a very interesting service as it can apply to all British patriots who would like to return home and have lost touch. Not only that, they have probably forgotten any knowledge they have of this country now and you would be taking a lot off their mind by doing all the searches for them. Charges would be at a very good rate per hour plus all your expenses involved. Places to advertise could possible be National Daily or ‘The Lady’ magazine

97. Organic Coffee Shop – Sandwich Delivery – Organic food and drinks are now on the increase and will loom larger and larger as time goes on. Open a small coffee shop only selling organic food and drinks. If you don’t want to go to the expense of premises, sell organic sandwiches and drinks to offices and large companies. Decide on what you are going to sell and make up a list. Send a flyer out to lots of companies and ask them to phone you before 10-00 with their order. You deliver between 11-30 and 1-30. Get in at the beginning with organic foods.

98. Design a Newsletter – Pick a subject that you are interested in for example you could be interested in horses, stamps, holidays, hobbies etc anything you know others would be interested in. Design a newsletter putting down interesting facts and advertise it in the Buy & Sell or local newspaper. Charge of a few pounds a copy to cover your costs at first. Before long you would have lots of interested clients all wanting to put their ideas in your newsletter. You then build up a good circulation and make a website for others to communicate with you. The more unusual the hobby, the more you are likely to expand.

99. Picking Items At Car Boots, Selling Them at Auction –I can honestly say that this is one I personally like. I have for example bought a large fax/copier at a car boot for a £1. The seller didn’t want to take it home! I found it in working condition so I put a free advert in the LOOT and sold it for £25 within 5 days. I have bought many items at car boot sales for buttons and sold them on for a large sum. Jewellery, some antique brooches, old telephones, anything that catches your eye which you think may be valuable or of interest to a collector. I once bought a very old two-way phone, which was used by telephone engineers long ago. It was still in its wooden box, which they used to take out with them for repairs. It was dirty and had spiders in the box but I sold it in the LOOT (again) for £120. The fact is, not only are you getting up early on a Sunday morning and getting fresh air, you are looking for anything unusual for a small amount and hoping to sell it a good profit. Enjoy looking and enjoy selling even more!

100. Van Driver – Hire you as a driver with van. No job too small. Local or distance. Be fully insured. Single items, friendly service, pick up small items no trouble. Be reasonable and leave a business card because if you can be all of the above, word will spread and you will have plenty of work. You could leave your card with social services offering help for the elderly with small pick-ups or removals that large removal companies don’t want. Leaving a reference would be a good idea. Also the same with ‘Help the Aged’, ‘Age Concern’, would be a good idea. Charge what you think fit for your time, van and petrol. If you are not sure, telephone around other vans for hire to get an idea of the rate

Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1 - Didier Drogba wins FA Cup final for Chelsea against Liverpool

2012-05-05T19:35:00.000+01:00

- Chelsea lifted the FA Cup at Wembley thanks to goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba. The Brazilian opened the scoring after just 11 minutes when he latched on to a long ball from Juan Mata and fired past Pepe Reina. Drogba scored Chelsea's second shortly after the break, becoming the first player to hit the net in four FA Cup finals. Andy Carroll pulled one back and thought he had levelled with a header that Petr Cech superbly clawed away.

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Chelsea survived a Liverpool fightback to lift the FA Cup for the third time in four years, Andy Carroll's excellent second half goal setting up a close finish but not quite turning the game. The Liverpool centre-forward thought he had done exactly that with a powerful header from Luis Suárez's cross 15 minutes later that Petr Cech appeared to claw back from across the line, but though the Liverpool bench celebrated prematurely in the manner of Fabio Capello in Bloemfontein, referee Phil Dowd let play continue, correctly as it turned out, since the immediately available replays did not establish that the ball had crossed the line. From Cech's position it was possible to assume it might have, though there was no incontrovertible evidence, as was the case with Frank Lampard's disallowed equaliser against Germany.

Two of the FA Cup sub-plots did not even start the game. Didier Drogba's excellent Wembley scoring record saw him preferred to Fernando Torres, left on the bench against his former club, where he was in close proximity to Andy Carroll, whose late goal against Everton put Liverpool into the final.

After an opening 10 minutes that were cagey even by cup final standards, the game burst into life with a goal before either side had constructed a proper move. Jay Spearing gave the ball away to Juan Mata on halfway and paid a heavy price for his carelessness when the Chelsea forward raced away to supply Ramires, who held off José Enrique with surprising ease to beat Pepe Reina at his near post with a confident early shot. The goalkeeper could perhaps have done better but appeared wrong footed and could not get his hands to the ball, ending up deflecting it into the net off his leg.

Liverpool appeared stunned, and Steven Gerrard was lucky to get away with a scything tackle on Mata before Suárez attempted a shot from the halfway line and missed the target so badly the ball went out for a throw. If it was not quite the lightning strike with which Roberto Di Matteo stunned Middlesbrough after a matter of seconds in 1997, the present Chelsea manager must have been satisfied to take an early lead and prevent Liverpool attempting to choke the game.

Liverpool still played quite cautiously after going behind, with Suárez an isolated figure up front and Craig Bellamy not quite functioning as a link between midfield and attack. On the rare occasions they did threaten the Chelsea penalty area, Suárez and Stewart Downing were both guilty of giving the ball away again, and though Gerrard made a couple of typically determined runs he was not in the game enough to exert any sort of control. Gerrard hurt himself in a challenge with John Obi Mikel just before the interval, for which the Chelsea defender rather harshly collected the game's first yellow card; the ball was there to be won and Mikel did not seem to deliberately try to make contact with his opponent.

Chelsea were comfortable enough as the interval approached but not producing much in the way of attacks. A hopeful long shot from Drogba was about the sum of their attempts to increase their lead, and Reina did not have another save to make in the first half, which could have ended all square had Suárez been able to take advantage of a sharp chance that came his way from a header by Jordan Henderson. The Uruguay striker was well placed in front of goal but was not expecting the ball and could only manage a header that went harmlessly wide. Liverpool were looking no more likely to score than Chelsea, though at least they ended the first half going forward.

Amusingly, during the interval, the first-half highlights on the big screen featured nothing from Chelsea except the goal that had put them in front. Liverpool featured more often, which was an odd but accurate reflection of an uneventful 45 minutes. Gerrard began the second half with a surging run into the Chelsea area, only to end up on the floor in a vain attempt to win a penalty. Chelsea responded by going straight down the field to score their second, Drogba scoring his eighth goal at Wembley to keep up his record of scoring on major occasions. The move was a familiar one, though it still seemed to take Liverpool by surprise. Frank Lampard threaded a carefully weighted diagonal pass forward for Drogba to take, turn, and find Reina's bottom-left corner with a low shot before Martin Skrtel could close him down, not that the defender, with his back to the Chelsea player, managed a particularly good job of attempting to close Drogba down.

Suárez brought a save from Cech as Liverpool tried to hit back, and Kenny Dalglish sent on Carroll for Spearing after 55 minutes to beef up their attacking presence. Liverpool chasing the game was exactly what Chelea wanted them to do, and Salomon Kalou should have done better than miss the target after an hour when he had players in support on either side of him. Drogba was in the process of launching an extravagant strike from 30 yards out when Suárez put his foot in the way and brought him down. From the free-kick, Lampard tried his luck from the same distance but shot wide, as did Drogba from closer range on the next Chelsea attack.

Just as it began to look as if Chelsea would be able to increase their lead at will, Liverpool made a game of it with a fine goal from their much-maligned substitute. Carroll's goal was much better than the one he scored in the semi-final, in fact he finished with such conviction he almost made his £35m fee look reasonable. Controlling the ball in the area then sending John Terry first one way then the other, the centre-forward made space for a shot with his left foot and crashed the ball past Cech in front of the Liverpool fans. Dalglish's side enjoyed their best spell after that, playing with real self-belief and managing to bring Bellamy more into the game, though when Gerrard galloped onto a Carroll knock-down and attempted what would have been the most spectacular of equalisers, he could not keep his shot down and the ball nearly ended up in Wembley's second tier.

Chelsea were suddenly having to do all the defending, as Suárez saw a shot tipped round a post and Carroll headed over, and at least a game that had failed to produce any excitement in the first half had turned into an absorbing contest. Carroll's goal-line controversy added further spice to the mix, and the Liverpool substitute came closer than anyone to taking the game into extra-time in the closing seconds, when it took a terrific block from Terry to stop his goal-bound shot. On this evidence, Carroll might not just be worth £35m, he might be worth a whole game.

_________________________________________________________________________________

MATCH FACTS

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires (Meireles 76), Mikel, Lampard, Kalou, Drogba, Mata (Sturridge 90).

Subs not used: Turnbull, Essien, Torres, Malouda, Ferreira.

Goals: Ramires 11, Drogba 52.

Booked: Mikel

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Spearing (Carroll 55), Henderson, Downing, Gerrard, Bellamy (Kuyt 78), Suarez.

Subs not used: Doni, Maxi, Carragher, Shelvey, Kelly.

Goal: Carroll 64

Booked: Agger, Suarez

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)

Att: 89,102

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tips For Small Business Owners

2012-05-05T18:21:00.002+01:00

Being a small business owner can be rewarding in many ways but can be frustrating as well. Trust me, I know first hand! Unlike many small business owners out there, I was thrown into this lifestyle without really thinking about whether or not this was a good choice. You know the saying, “If I only knew then what I know now?” Well, that was me! I love saying that statement now to myself.

Leadership is important in your business whether you have 1 employee or over 50 employees. Hopefully, these tips will help you on how to be a good leader for your business if you are not already. All of these tips can’t be done just once, you need to practice them daily or weekly or monthly. Repetition of each task will get you in a routine and make your business run smoother.

Tip One: Work on your Business, Not in It

This actually sounds pretty ridiculous because you should know how to do the majority of aspects in your business. This means that you need to focus on your future plan and how your business is going to move forward and grow. You are the mastermind of starting your business. You can’t stop thinking and growing just because you are now open.

Sometimes it is a lot easier to focus on the day-to-day operations of your business because I am sure you know it best, but you are not helping your business this way. What did you hire staff for if you are just going to let them sit on their backsides and play games on their phones all day. You need to work on your five and ten-year plans and what steps you need to do to get there.

By working your business and not in it, your business will eventually be able to run itself. As an owner, you need to be able to take a vacation or if you need to leave for an emergency and not have to worry about whether the business will run itself or fall apart without you.

You should be able to leave at any given time and your business should sail smooth. It is very gratifying as an owner to not worry about your business when you are not around. It means you have done your job and have led your employees to be efficient and independent thinkers.

Tip Two: Have a Plan and Work It

Now that you know what your future goals are going to be for your business, don’t forget about the actual business. I know I said don’t focus on the day to day operations but it is important to find out how each department in your business is doing. Check on the inventory and assess your business on a regular basis.

Work this into your short-term goals. Don’t let the business slip out from under your fingers because you were looking at your long-term goals. At the same though, don’t micromanage every little detail. Practice your plan and make it work.

Tip Three: Find a Mentor

Wow, this is an important tip! Find someone you trust, is patient and who has success in a similar business as yours. You need to be able to bounce off ideas or call them with questions. I’m glad my mentor was patient. There would be times when I would call my mentor five or more times a day and even at all hours of the night.

I wouldn’t go this far if I was you, but I had a great relationship with mine. After getting scolded for waking her up, she was more than helpful. The trick to finding a good mentor is finding one that wants you to succeed. This makes all the difference in the world.

Tip Four: Keep an Eye on the Future

We briefly talked about long-term goals. I always told myself to look for the light at the end of the tunnel during hard days or think about that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This is important as well because there will be frustrating and long days. Remember why you started the business in the first place and to look forward to brighter days. If you have this attitude you will have more light days than darker ones.

A positive attitude is crucial in succeeding in your business. There would be days when I would have 20 clients needing my attention all at once. Remembering why I was in the business and what my goals were helped me get through the day and focus on my future. Thomas Fuller said “All things are difficult before they are easy.” That is definitely true.

Tip Five: Honesty and Integrity

I cannot stress enough how important honesty and integrity is in the business world. I know we have all heard word of mouth is the best advertisement. Well, not if it is negative. If you say you are going to deliver your product at a certain day and time, then do it.

Unfortunately, life happens and sometimes you can’t make your deadline. That usually isn’t a problem if you are honest with your customer. Tell them why you cannot make the deadline. They will appreciate your honesty even though it was not when you initially told them, but they will more than likely return to your business because you treated them with integrity.

They go hand in hand and can go a long way in your business. This doesn’t sound like it would be hard to practice being honest but if you’ve helped someone learn the piano, then you know that paying attention to detail and communicating with your customers takes the same effort, it’s just like learning to read music for the piano. Consistent practice is very important.

Tip Six: Pay Yourself

For heavens sake, pay yourself! I cannot stress this enough. We all go into business to make money, right? Well, how are you going to make money if you aren’t paying yourself? It will become harder and harder to stay positive when you aren’t paying yourself. There would be months when I wouldn’t pay myself because I always needed something else for the business. You are always going to need something new. Make it wait and pay yourself.

I mentioned earlier about practicing these tips and how it is similar to learning to play an instrument. When you are learning to play an instrument you practice the movements and notes in a slow and methodical manner to make sure you are practicing it correctly.

Practicing all of these leadership tips is very similar. Imagine learning to play the piano and you have to practice every day. Eventually you will be able to play with speed from all of the repetition, just like you will be able to run your business much smoother because you have practiced every day.

Internet Explorer - Microsoft Warnings

2012-05-04T18:43:00.000+01:00

Microsoft is warning all users of its Internet Explorer web browser to immediately apply the latest security patch as a precaution against malicious hacker attacks.

As part of its Patch Tuesday releases, the company shipped a high-priority IE update (MS12-010) which covers four documented vulnerabilities that could be used in drive-by downloads with minimal user action.

The update is rated “critical” for Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8, and Internet Explorer 9 on Windows client machines and Microsoft expects to see reliable exploit code published with the next 30 days.

The most severe vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted web page using Internet Explorer, Microsoft warned.

The IE patch addresses the vulnerabilities by modifying the way that Internet Explorer handles content during copy and paste processes, handles objects in memory, and creates and initializes strings.

The company is also urging Windows users to pay special attention to MS12-013, a critical bulletin that fixes a flaw that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted media file that is hosted on a website or sent as an email attachment.

From the bulletin:

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the msvcrt DLL calculates the size of a buffer in memory, allowing data to be copied into memory that has not been properly allocated. This vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted media file. If a user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system.

Microsoft also noted that any application that uses msvcrt.dll could be affected by this vulnerability, meaning that some third-party applications may also be vulnerable.

17 Osama bin Laden documents released

2012-05-04T18:31:00.001+01:00

It appears that Osama bin Laden didn’t encrypt any of his computer files. If he had, U.S. authorities probably wouldn't have been able to do much after confiscating them from his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

U.S. officials have previously described the cache as the single largest collection of senior terrorist material ever obtained. It includes digital, audio and video files, printed materials, recording devices, as well as handwritten documents. It’s not clear what percentage of the overall material is being made public, but we can presume the majority will remain classified for security purposes and the rest will not be released because they have limited value.

Now, 17 of the 6,000 documents seized during the raid on Osama Bin Laden’s hideout just over a year ago have been made available. Found on the hard drives of five computers and 100 storage devices (USB sticks, memory cards, and other discs) after U.S. Navy Seals killed the terrorist chief, they are now are being made public for the first time.

The 17 documents have been released in their original Arabic (.zip) versions and in English translations (.zip). The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point website has provided the following summary:

This report is a study of 17 de-classified documents captured during the Abbottabad raid and released to the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC). They consist of electronic letters or draft letters, totaling 175 pages in the original Arabic and 197 pages in the English translation. The earliest is dated September 2006 and the latest April 2011. These internal al-Qa`ida communications were authored by several leaders, most prominently Usama bin Ladin. In contrast to his public statements that focused on the injustice of those he believed to be the “enemies” of Muslims, namely corrupt “apostate” Muslim rulers and their Western “overseers,” the focus of Bin Ladin’s private letters is Muslims’ suffering at the hands of his jihadi “brothers”. He is at pain advising them to abort domestic attacks that cause Muslim civilian casualties and focus on the United States, “our desired goal.” Bin Ladin’s frustration with regional jihadi groups and his seeming inability to exercise control over their actions and public statements is the most compelling story to be told on the basis of the 17 de-classified documents. “Letters from Abbottabad” is an initial exploration and contextualization of 17 documents that will be the grist for future academic debate and discussion.

The original documents range from two pages to 49 pages in length. They of course don’t reveal everything about al Qaeda, but they do provide an unfiltered look at the terrorist group. The last document is dated just a week before the raid on the Abbottabad compound. It discusses the Arab Spring, and potential ways to exploit it.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, an employee of a corporation, or a terrorist mastermind, encryption is a must-use tool. That being said, I agree with Sophos, which doubts many will shed a tear over Osama bin Laden’s poor security practices.

Guernsey Smugglers Restaurant, Grill & Cocktail Bar - Comments

2012-01-27T23:28:00.000+00:00

Guernsey Smugglers Restaurant, Grill & Cocktail Bar - Comments:

'via Blog this'

Facts and Figures about Greece, HARD TO BELIEVE!

2011-11-09T20:42:00.006+00:00

GREECE

... it's hard to believe!
The Greeks, dears, are a peripheral poor people country that are suffering the hardships of an international crisis increased by the hands of the perfidious Merkel.
It's time to get out of this superficiality, realizing that the Greeks have faults in the office, which were not serious and are not to be.
The Greeks took the logic of "acquired rights" to the dementia, to the lack of shame.
Include facts unheard.

Examples of this are immense lack of seriousness, namely:

1 - In 1930, a dried up lake in Greece, but the welfare state keeps the Greek Institute for the Protection of Lake Kopais, which, although dried in 1930, still has, in 2011, dozens of employees dedicated to its preservation.

2 - In Greece, the unmarried daughters of civil servants are entitled to an annuity after the death of the mother / father-a civil servant.
Receive 1000 euros per month - for life - just because they are daughters of deceased civil servants.
There are 40,000 women in this record that cost the exchequer 550 million euros a year.
After a year of chaos, the Greek government is not over it completely.
What you want is to make this subsidy only until 18 years ...

3 - In a public hospital, there is a garden with four (4) shrubs.
Now, to take care of these shrubs the hospital hired forty-five (45) gardeners.

4 - In an act of management very "social" (to the supplier), the Greek hospitals pace-makers buy four hundred times (400) more expensive than those that are acquired in the NHS.

5 - There are six hundred (600) occupations that may require retirement at age 50 (women) and 55 (men).
Why?

Within this role, we have hairdressers, TV presenters, musicians wind instruments ...

6 - The entire working class get 15 months wages per year

7 - The Occupational Pensions 4,500 employees, amounting to 16 million euros per year, continued to be deposited, even after the elderly die, because the family did not inform the states.

8 - You get to the point that, they only pay the premiums for some insurances when they could to enjoy them!

9 - Greece is the European Union country that spends in military terms, in relation to GDP (2009 data). The triple of Portugal!

10 - There are official cars of the state administration who have 50 drivers.
Each new appointee to a position three or four drivers names you trust, but they are not allowed to redundancies in the civil service, so they will keep the previous salary.

On Monday, 27/06, the Prof.Marcelo, added another to the list.
He said: "In Greece, about 90% of the land does not have a record.
Now I say: you know what that means?
It means that owners do not pay taxes.
I had heard that the Greeks did not pay taxes ..
Now, the great state revenue comes from taxes.
This means that the public treasury of the Greek state is empty, totally empty.
EU millions served during all these years, to maintain the standard of living reached by the Greeks.

No wonder we have already crashed 115 billion and now they need more 108 billion.

Happens only once every 823 years

2011-10-12T16:15:00.000+01:00

Apparently 2011 is kind of a unique year.

Let me explain.

There are four unusual dates - 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11 and 11/11/11.

The month of October has 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Saturdays. This only happens every 823 years.

The craziest thing of all is this: take the last two digits of the year you were born and add the age that you turn in 2011. The result will be 111. For everyone. Trust me, I have tried everyone I know.

I was born in 1968 and I'm turning 43 this year. 68+43=111

Tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs

2011-10-09T10:28:00.000+01:00

This is undoubtedly one of the best I have seen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Have a fun filled day. PORK CHOPS

In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cub's, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species, will take on the care of a different species. The only 'orphans' that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops??

Take a look...

Now, please tell us ........?

Why can't the rest of the world get along??

Steve Jobs, the man in his own words

2011-10-06T13:54:00.000+01:00

Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder, has died. Here are his thoughts on everything from design to the internet and death itself

Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder and technological visionary, was well known for his words as well as his creations. Here are some of his thoughts over the past 25 years.

In this roundup, we’ve collected some of the most inspiring Steve Jobs quotes.

Thank you Steve.

On life

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
– Stanford commencement speech 2005

On Macintosh

"I don't think I've ever worked so hard on something, but working on Macintosh was the neatest experience of my life. Almost everyone who worked on it will say that. None of us wanted to release it at the end. It was as though we knew that once it was out of our hands, it wouldn't be ours any more.

"When we finally presented it at the shareholders' meeting, everyone in the auditorium stood up and gave it a 5-minute ovation. What was incredible to me was that I could see the Mac team in the first few rows. It was as though none of us could believe that we'd actually finished it. Everyone started crying."
– Playboy magazine 1985

On customers

"There's nothing that makes my day more than getting an e-mail from some random person in the universe who just bought an iPad over in the UK and tells me the story about how it's the coolest product they've ever brought home in their lives. That's what keeps me going. It's what kept me five years ago [when he was diagnosed with cancer], it's what kept me going 10 years ago when the doors were almost closed. And it's what will keep me going five years from now whatever happens."
- AllThingsD Conference, 2010

On technology

"We think the Mac will sell zillions, but we didn't build the Mac for anybody else. We built it for ourselves. We were the group of people who were going to judge whether it was great or not. We weren't going to go out and do market research. We just wanted to build the best thing we could build.

When you're a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you're not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You'll know it's there, so you're going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through."
– Playboy magazine 1985

On motivation

"That's been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."
– Business Week 1998

On money

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful … that's what matters to me."
– Wall Street Journal 1993

On internet start-ups

"The problem with the internet start-up craze isn't that too many people are starting companies; it's that too many people aren't sticking with it. That's somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations. That's when you find out who you are and what your values are.

"So when these people sell out, even though they get fabulously rich, they're gypping themselves out of one of the potentially most rewarding experiences of their unfolding lives. Without it, they may never know their values or how to keep their newfound wealth in perspective."
– Fortune magazine 2000

On design (1)

"Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it's really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn't what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it's all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don't take the time to do that."
- Wired magazine, 1994

On design (2)

"In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service."
– Fortune magazine 2000

On Apple

"My position coming back to Apple was that our industry was in a coma. It reminded me of Detroit in the 70s, when American cars were boats on wheels."
– Fortune magazine 2000

On innovation

"Innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10.30 at night with a new idea, or because they realised something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem. It's ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea.

"And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We're always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important."
– Business Week 2004

On home computing

"The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it to a nationwide communications network. We're just in the beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most people – as remarkable as the telephone."
– Playboy 1985

On desktop computers

"The desktop computer industry is dead. Innovation has virtually ceased. Microsoft dominates with very little innovation. That's over. Apple lost. The desktop market has entered the dark ages, and it's going to be in the dark ages for the next 10 years, or certainly for the rest of this decade.

"It's like when IBM drove a lot of innovation out of the computer industry before the microprocessor came along. Eventually, Microsoft will crumble because of complacency, and maybe some new things will grow. But until that happens, until there's some fundamental technology shift, it's just over."
– Wired magazine 1996

On instinct

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
– Stanford commencement speech 2005

On work

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
– Stanford commencement speech 2005

“Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

“We’ve gone through the operating system and looked at everything and asked how can we simplify this and make it more powerful at the same time.”

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

“I want to put a ding in the universe.”

“I was worth over $1,000,000 when I was 23, and over $10,000,000 when I was 24, and over $100,000,000 when I was 25, and it wasn’t that important because I never did it for the money.”

“The Japanese have hit the shores like dead fish. They’re just like dead fish washing up on the shores.”

“Unfortunately, people are not rebelling against Microsoft. They don’t know any better.”

“Bill Gates‘d be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger.”

“The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste. They have absolutely no taste. And I don’t mean that in a small way, I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don’t think of original ideas, and they don’t bring much culture into their products.”

“My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”

“We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.”

“Click. Boom. Amazing!”

“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

“Why join the navy if you can be a pirate?”

“A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.”

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

“Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview.
So, in the end, it’s ultimately based on your gut. How do I feel about this person? What are they like when they’re challenged? I ask everybody that: ‘Why are you here?’ The answers themselves are not what you’re looking for. It’s the meta-data.”

“We’ve had one of these before, when the dot-com bubble burst. What I told our company was that we were just going to invest our way through the downturn, that we weren’t going to lay off people, that we’d taken a tremendous amount of effort to get them into Apple in the first place – the last thing we were going to do is lay them off.”

“I mean, some people say, ‘Oh, God, if [Jobs] got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble.’ And, you know, I think it wouldn’t be a party, but there are really capable people at Apple.
My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so that’s what I try to do.”

“It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do.
We just want to make great products. (I think he means “insanely great products!“)”

“So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, argue with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know – just explore things.”

“When I hire somebody really senior, competence is the ante. They have to be really smart. But the real issue for me is, Are they going to fall in love with Apple? Because if they fall in love with Apple, everything else will take care of itself.
They’ll want to do what’s best for Apple, not what’s best for them, what’s best for Steve, or anybody else. (this actually reiterates my oft-repeated mantra of “ubiquitous evangelism” in companies)”

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”

“Our DNA is as a consumer company – for that inpidual customer who’s voting thumbs up or thumbs down. That’s who we think about. And we think that our job is to take responsibility for the complete user experience. And if it’s not up to par, it’s our fault, plain and simply.”

“That happens more than you think, because this is not just engineering and science. There is art, too. Sometimes when you’re in the middle of one of these crises, you’re not sure you’re going to make it to the other end. But we’ve always made it, and so we have a certain degree of confidence, although sometimes you wonder.

I think the key thing is that we’re not all terrified at the same time. I mean, we do put our heart and soul into these things.”

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life.

Life is brief, and then you die, you know?

And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.”

“Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.”

“So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll come work for you.’ And they said, ‘No.’ So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet.”

“The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh. My job is to create a space for them, to clear out the rest of the organization and keep it at bay.”

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

“I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”

“I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.”

“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.”

“I’ve always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do.”

“It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much.”

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.”

“Insanely Great!”

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

“It’s rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing.”

“I feel like somebody just punched me in the stomach and knocked all my wind out. I’m only 30 years old and I want to have a chance to continue creating things. I know I’ve got at least one more great computer in me. And Apple is not going to give me a chance to do that.”

“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”

“The products suck! There’s no sex in them anymore!”

“The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament.”

“If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it’s worth — and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago.”

“You know, I’ve got a plan that could rescue Apple. I can’t say any more than that it’s the perfect product and the perfect strategy for Apple. But nobody there will listen to me.”

“Apple has some tremendous assets, but I believe without some attention, the company could, could, could — I’m searching for the right word — could, could die.”