Ebay and Purina: Easy Money!

Hello friends I am here with another great way to make money from home. This one does involve spending some money and it takes a couple of weeks before you get the envelope full of checks, but it does work. You see, companies run promotional deals on their products. Coca-Cola uses points, Marlboro uses “miles”, and other companies use similar types of points. Fortunately, the requirements for redeeming any of these points are usually beyond reach for any normal consumers, so they just combine all of their points and sell them on the Internet.

You can buy promotional points from various companies on eBay. I am sure there are many other sites of this nature that sell them, but just use that one as an example. We will use Purina Animal Food Company for this example. Purina has “weight circles” on the packaging, and the payment you can get for redeeming them is 7,000 points pays you $70. Here is a link to the Purina Weight Circle claim form. Using the form is easy, simply fill it out and mail your points in with it. In about 3 weeks you will get an envelope full of checks. There will be ten checks for seven dollars each, for a total of $70. Now how much will this cost to get started?

Look at the eBay results for “Purina Weight Circle”, and you will see that you can get about 1200 pounds for close to $50. When a pound is worth about 10 points depending on the brand on the weight circle could be more or less, you would see that 1200 pounds is 12000 points. Each point is worth a penny, but you can only change hem in at 7,000 point increments. So you would essentially be paying $50 for $120.

Eventually the one you just learned about will end, but now you are aware of a real way to make money. You have just learned that you do not have to get in the stock market in order to be an investor.

Windows 8 Features

Windows 8 is awesome! In order to look at exactly how awesome it is, we need to look at how far computer technology has come over the last few years. Over 60% of the computers that are being used in this day and age are mobile. Desktop personal computers are old news in a world where things like laptops, net books, notebooks, tablets, cell phones, and slates are the usual tools. This is possible because almost every device is capable of some sort of wireless networking. It is also no surprise that there are many different sizes and types of monitors, like small monitors; wall mounted ones; and even television sets that are capable of accessing the Internet. Technology has also let the amount of storage these machines use multiply by thousands of times, and now it seems that storage is moving to the cloud. Processors with multiple cores and powerful on-board graphics come in most computers shipped from the factory, when not very long ago these kinds of things only seemed possible in the latest science fiction movies.

The current generation of cellular phones combines many of these technologies, and this has significantly changed the way people view the entire aspect of computing. Apps give powerful new ways to connect with others, and share almost anything with the simple push of a button. Now, operating systems are designed to be centered on the people that use them, instead of the technology that is used to run them. Microsoft has noticed these changes, and is adapting to their environment. Their answer to the new computing environment is dubbed: Windows 8.

Windows 8 has all the basic necessities addressed in Windows 7 like speed, reliability, security, and compatibility. There is no doubt that Windows 7 operating system is Microsoft’s finest work, but it did not come without the Vista mistake. Windows 8 is designed to enhance Windows 7, while giving more features, longer battery lives, improved startup speed, while still offering the newest security features. Windows 8 is also designed to be compatible with many different kinds and types of chipsets. One of the greatest things about Windows 8 is it also expands the touch screen capabilities that come with Windows 7.

If you like to build apps and websites, then Windows 8 is going to be your favorite operating system to date. This is because the developers give you the same tools that they used to design the program. This will let you create the highest quality web apps possible. Then you can sell your app in the Windows Web Store, if it meets certain requirements. This alone can make you a very rich person. To sum it all up, Windows 8 was designed for you!

If you want to take a test drive of Windows 8, you can do that for free! Click the link for basic instructions on where to download and how to install the Windows 8 Developer Preview.

Kepler 22b: New Planet Discovery

Kepler 22b is a new planet that has been found in a different solar system. It has the same temperature as our home planet, the Earth. The temperature is optimal for supporting life, and the main thing that supports our type of life, which is water. It is still unknown what the planet Kepler is made of, and if it has water on it, but the blue tint to the planet is a good sign that there is water on Kepler 22b.

The planet was discovered by NASA telescopes, and is identified as an Earth like planet that orbits a star that is similar to our Sun. Going to visit the planet will prove to be quite difficult, at this time, as the planet is about 600 light years away from us. That is six hundred years, traveling at the speed of light. Also, since it takes 600 years for the light to reach us from the planet, then who is to say that the planet is even still there and was not wiped out by some asteroid.

The discovery of this planet comes just in time for the current doomsday fears of 2012. Maybe there will be books and movies about Kepler, and people will make millions of dollars promoting them. However, just because we do not currently have the technology to travel at the speed of light, I believe we will have it in a few short years. Of course, since the Mayan calendar ends next year, and therefore, so does the world, we might not be here to see it happen.

If the Earth starts getting attacked by asteroids and aliens, I want to be able to say "beam me up Scotty" all the way to a new beautiful home planet of Kepler 22b, but the name would have to be way cooler for it to catch on, don’t you think?

Make the Best Tamales

My sister makes the best tamales in the world and shared her recipe with me. She uses authentic corn husks, tamales masa mix, a can of Salsa Verde with tomatillos and a bag of dry chile peppers, and she has a 16 qt tamale steamer good for making up to 7 dozen tamales at a time!

Here is a copy of the authentic recipe provided by Maseca and used by my sister to make the real GOOD Tamales! There are many ways of making different tasting tamales. All the popular fillings range from vegetables, beans, beef, pork, chicken, and seafood. There are even versions of sweet, fruit-filled dessert Tamales. You name it, you can make a great tamale out of it.

Here is a breakdown of the easy steps she takes to make these muy bueno tamales!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

6 cups Maseca corn masa mix for tamales

6 cups Chicken broth

1 cup corn oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 large rotisserie chicken

2 cans Salsa Verde or tomatillo sauce

1 bag corn husks

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the corn husks in warm water until soft.

2. Blend with an electric mixer Maseca corn masa mix for tamales, corn oil, salt, baking powder and the chicken broth to obtain a consistent mixture.

3. Shred the chicken and marinate in the green salsa or tomatillo sauce (whichever you use). Then, spread masa evenly over the corn husks, and spread a spoonful of marinated chicken on top of the masa (this is the trick to not drying them out).

4. Fold the sides of the corn husk to center over the masa so that they overlap to make along the package.

5. Fold the empty part of the husk under so that it rests against the side of the tamale with a seam.

6. Place the tamales in tamale steamer and cook tamales for 35-40 minutes. Check every 20 minutes. The tamales are cooked when they separate easily from the corn husk.

There you have it. there is how to make the best tamales in the world. But you might have a hard time finding the things to make them.. especially the steamer pot. Well, luckily, the same site she got the recipe from, also has a whole kit for making tamales. The pan is a little expensive, but it makes lots of tamales at a time. You could even sell them to your friends or other people you know. People on construction sites usually will buy all of your tamales at lunch time. OK, her The Deluxe Tamale Making Kit came from mexgrocer, and I tell you what, it was well worth it. They even offer a ten percent discount if you enter a code "MEXITEN" when you are in the checkout.

Thanks for reading, I'm off to some great eating!

SOPA and PIPA: Website Strikes

Wikipedia was not available yesterday, and it was not a glitch. It was a political protest against U.S. plans to pursue the violation of intellectual property rights sanctions on the network, with the “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA), and “Protect Intellectual Property Act” (PIPA). "The sites are on strike," says a member of the protest movement against SOPA and PIPA with the United States, who wants to regulate the violation of copyright laws.

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act, a law against Internet piracy) and PIPA (Protection of Intellectual Property Act) will be debated in the House of Representatives, which will then be taken to the Senate, who wants to throw bolt the violation of intellectual property rights. These measures that want to pass are against "intellectual property theft." This not only means copies of music, movies, books, or software: but also the use of protected works and other items that... contain part of the protected work.

To combat the violation of the copyright laws in foreign websites, Internet providers must observe the entry of addresses. The law allows justice to go against the provider’s websites and punished. But there are techniques, such as those used by dissidents in China or Iran to circumvent Internet censorship.

Search engines will also be forced to remove from its pages, links to offending foreign websites, five days after the order of the prosecutor. The Google search engine also is against the rules SOPA: in the U.S., the logo of the famous search engine yesterday was covered by a black curtain.

Despite numerous requests from Internet activists in the blackout are also involved commercial Internet providers because of economic interests. "SOPA and PIPA is a badly designed set of laws that do not lead to the main objective (to stop the violation of copyright) and it severely damages the Internet, which is free," added the Wikipedia team to explain their 24 hour blackout.

Home Improvement: Skirting Choices

When thinking about different ways to put skirting around your house, you need to think about what the actual job of the skirting is. Skirting has a few different responsibilities including the obvious ones like keeping animals from under your house, and keeping the floor temperatures warmer in the winter. To get the best return on your investment, you should keep those things in mind when considering the different possibilities.

There are also decorative aspects to consider when choosing the kind of skirting you plan on using. You want to pick something that will make your house look better, and that will not make it stick out like a sore thumb. There are many different things you can use for skirting. The most popular choices for skirting are wood, vinyl, and metal. Though each material has its own advantages and disadvantages, you should go with the choice that best fits your needs. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of materials you can use to skirt your house.

Wood skirting looks very nice, and can match up with almost any house. It is also easy to maintain by painting or sealing the wood, but paints and sealers are not cheap and the maintenance costs should be considered when planning to skirt your house with wood. Since it is much thicker than the other popular choices, wooden skirting will provide the best kind of insulation for the bottom of your house, too. Because it is much thicker though, it is heavy, and not very easy to work with. Think about if you had to do something under the house and how easy it would be to move the skirting. Even though wood is a personal favorite for many, there are other materials to use.

Vinyl skirting is very simple to install, lightweight, and affordable. Because it is so thin and lightweight, the “insulating factor” is not as good as you would get with other materials. Another good thing about vinyl siding is it requires very little maintenance, and will not rot away as fast as wood or metal. It can also be recycled, making it the top choice for those who care about the environment.

Metal skirting is more expensive than vinyl siding, and can even offer the same (or even better) resistance to rotting away when compared to vinyl or wood siding. If you decide to go with a metal skirting material, make sure it is made of a non ferrous metal, so it does not rot away. Non ferrous metals are the ones that a magnet will not stick to. Lightweight metal panels can be removed and replaced fairly easily if there are any repairs need to be done under the house, also.

So now you know a few of the most popular material choices, and a little bit about the good and bad things about using each one. Hopefully you have enough information to make an informed decision on which type of skirting to put around your house. Though that choice is completely up to you, one thing that all of these materials have in common is that when used and installed properly it that they can enhance the beauty of your house, as well as aid in lowering your utility bills when it comes to heating and cooling.

Human Resources: Technology

The only reason why people are not extinct is because of their ability to adapt to their environment. In the discipline of technology, businesses should definitely keep up with current technology, or face extinction themselves. Web site designers need the latest programs for building websites. Film editors need the latest copies of the film editing software that they use. A plumber that sticks a camera in the drain pipe to find where the roots are coming in has to have a highly sophisticated piece of equipment. As you can see, technology comes in many different shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, so do the different kinds of problems that come with the technology. Not to mention the extra training that needs to be done when a new type of technology is introduced into the company… checks and balances.

Keeping up with technology helps everything go faster and easier, but face it, sometimes Technology has problems. Computers glitch, programs crash, servers go down, and mice chew wires. Lucky for you, the IT department comes in to help fix the problem. People who work in this discipline will have computer service types of knowledge and experience. Some will know hardware, and others will know software. From time to time, there will need to be some outsourcing of IT, and that is a security threat. So all good managers should also have a good working knowledge of the technology they use so they can be as effective as possible, and be able to fix most types of common problems that come up with the particular type of technologies that they work with.

The object of this series is to explain Strategic Human Resource Management as well as Strategic Human Resource Planning in an easy to follow way. You can become familiar with reading Strategic Human Resources Management Disciplines Overview. If you are a manager or want to be a good manager, then you should be familiar with each of these disciplines: Benefits; Business Leadership; Compensation; Consulting; Diversity; Employee Relations; Ethics & Sustainability; Global HR; Labor Relations; Organizational & Employee Development; Safety & Security; Staffing Management; and Technology. Then everything is put together in the final conclusion, where you are shown how to use Strategic Management Skills in order to put it all together and become a successful manager for any business.