Wednesday, September 29, 2010

BK Pizza Burger

Heart attack in a bun
If the picture is not reason enough to not eat the new $12.99 Burger King pizza burger here are some stats that might change your mind:

Nutritional amounts per serving (total of 6 servings per pizza burger): 

  • 2,530 calories
  • 144 grams of fat
  • 59 grams of saturated fat
  • 3,780 milligrams of sodium (more than twice the recommended daily allowance for adults
The pizza burger is only available at the Times Square, NY BK restaurant at the moment. What's great is that it comes in a pizza and the ingredients include four Whopper patties (only?), pepperoni, mozzarella, marinara sauce and Tuscan pesto sauce.
 
You want fries with that?

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Essential Manners for Men

Put the toilet seat down...or else
Guys, in the event you do not know how to behave, Peter Post of the Emily Post family created this guide just for you!

We asked Peter Post for the top five mistakes that men make. Here’s what he had to say:

Men can screw up in a lot of places in their lives and, frankly, they can probably get away with it. But here are five essentials which raise the hackles on the backs of the peoples’ necks. Guard against these issues and your life will take a turn for the better.
1. Table manners. For whatever reason people judge people by their table manners. Eat like a slob, people will think of you as a slob. 
And, if you want one table manner above all others to be careful about: don’t chew food with your mouth open. It’s disgusting.

The fact is eating is really a social activity, a time when we join a special someone, our family, friends, co-workers, prospects or clients in a setting where we can talk and have a good time. So focus on the people you are with, think about making their experience with you the very best possible. And then act accordingly. You can bet they’ll want to be with you again.

2. The toilet seat. Raise it to do your business and then put it back down.
 
Here’s why. Look at that rim the next time you go. Would you want to sit on it? Neither does she.
So you think, “Hey, why doesn’t she put it down and share the load.” Because if it’s the middle of the night or she forgets to look, she’s the one that’s sitting on it, and honestly, I wouldn’t want to have to face her afterwards. Neither do you.

It’s simply a matter of being considerate. Anyway, why let something like this potentially turn her off to you. It doesn’t make sense. Put it down.

3. Speaking of being inconsiderate, avoid actions that put people around you down.
Like failing to introduce your significant other to people you are talking to at a party. Instead, let the others know you’re proud to be with her. Or like hogging the remote and watching only what you want to watch on TV.

Do those little things that make her smile when she thinks of you. Like putting dishes in the dishwasher instead of leaving them on the table or in the sink. Like cleaning out the sink after you shave. Like opening the car door for her or holding her coat for her or standing when she approaches the table in a restaurant.
4. Looking vs. staring. You know what I’m talking about.
That head snapping stare doesn’t impress anyone you are with. It’s a matter of focus. If an attractive woman happens by while I’m with my wife, to be sure I notice her. But I don’t let my noticing interfere with the focus of my attention which remains on my wife. The minute my focus shifts to the person I’m looking at, then I’m staring, and I’m going to have a problem.

5. What your mother always tried to teach you; say “please” and “thank you.”
It sounds trite, but it’s some of the best advice you’ll ever get. Think of it this way:
When you say “please,” you turn a demand into a request. When you say “thank you,” you turn expecting someone to do something into appreciating what someone is doing for you. People like to be asked to do something and people really like being appreciated.

Where does this work for you? Everywhere. It’s not just at home. It’s with your friends as well. And it’s with your co-workers, prospects, clients, and suppliers. It’s with your children. You can’t expect them to do the things you ask of them if you don’t model the behaviors yourself.

Saying “please” and “thank you” costs you literally nothing, yet it can make the people you are with think very highly of you and want to do things for you and want be with you.

That’s it. Five little things you can work on to improve your relationships at home with friends and special people, and at work. Bottom line: that’s what etiquette is really about. Knowing what to do and say to build great relationships. I think we all want to be liked, we like to be liked. Etiquette will help us to leave an impression of, “What a great guy he is. I really like being with him.”

Emily Post's Attire Guide

Don't know what to wear? Emily Post can help. Here are her suggestions (the words in italics are mine, the rest are from the site):

White Tie Event
Men:
  • Black tailcoat, matching trousers with a single stripe of satin or braid in the US; two stripes in Europe or the UK
  • white piqué wing-collared shirt with stiff front
  • white vest
  • white-colored (e.g., mother of pearl) studs and cufflinks
  • white bow tie
  • white or gray gloves
  • Aurora is ready for a white tie event
  • black patent shoes and black dress socks
 Women:
  • Formal (floor length) evening gown
 Black Tie Event
 Men:
  • Black tuxedo jacket and matching trousers
    formal (piqué or pleated front) white shirt
  • black-colored (e.g., onyx) studs and cufflinks
  • black bow tie (silk, shiny satin or twill)
  • black cummerbund to match tie, or a vest
  • dressy suspenders to ensure a good fit (optional)
  • black patent shoes and black dress socks
  • no gloves.
  • In summer or on a cruise: white dinner jacket, black tuxedo trousers plus other black tie wardrobe.
 Women (excuse the redundant words in the descriptions):
  • Formal (floor length) evening gown
  • dressy cocktail dress
  • Your dressiest little black dress
Creative Black Tie (whatever this means)
Men: 
  • Tuxedo combined with trendy or whimsical items, such as a black shirt or a matching colored or patterned bow tie and cummerbund
Women:
  • Formal (floor length) evening gown
  • dressy cocktail dress
  • your dressiest little black dress
  • fun or unique accessories (like a rainbow wig?)
Black Tie Optional
Men: 
  • Either a tuxedo (see 'Black Tie' above) or
  • Dark suit, white shirt, and conservative tie
  • dressy leather shoes and dark dress socks
 Women:
  • Formal (floor length) evening gown
  • dressy cocktail dress
  • a little black dress
  • dressy separates

Semiformal Events
Men: 
  • Dark, business suit
  • matching vest (optional)
  • dress shirt
  • conservative tie
  • dressy leather shoes and dark dress socks
Women:
  • Short afternoon or cocktail dress
  • a little black dress
  • long dressy skirt and top
  • dressy separates
 Festive Attire (usually for the holidays)

Men:
  • Seasonal sport coat or blazer in color of choice, and slacks
  • open-collar shirt
  • dress shirt and optional "festive" or holiday-themed tie (like the tie with LED Christmas trees)

Women:
  • Cocktail dress or
  • long dressy skirt and top
  • dressy pants outfit or separates
  • a little black dress
  • feature holiday colors and accessories
Business Formal 
Men:
  • Dark business suit
  • matching vest (optional)
  • dress shirt
  • conservative tie
  • dressy leather shoes and dark dress socks
Women:
  • Suit
  • business-style dress (What? No more dressy cocktail dresses?)
  • dress with a jacket
  • stockings (optional in summer)
  • heels, low or high
Business Casual
Men: 
  • Seasonal sport coat or blazer with slacks or khakis
  • dress shirt with optional tie, or casual button-down shirt
  • open-collar or polo shirt
  • loafers or loafer-style shoes and socks
Women:
  • Skirt, khakis or pants
  • open-collar shirt, knit shirt, or sweater (no spaghetti straps or decolleté)
  • casual-style dress
Dressy Casual 
Men:
  • Seasonal sport coat or blazer and slacks
  • dress shirt, casual button-down shirt
  • optional tie
  • open-collar or polo shirt
Women: 
  • Dress
  • skirt and dressy top
  • dressy pants outfit
  • nice jeans and dressy top
Casual


Men:
  • Khakis or good jeans (clean, no holes)
  • cargo or Bermuda shorts—depending on occation and climate
  • plain t-shirt (no slogans), polo shirt, or turtleneck
  • casual button-down shirt
  • sweater
  • loafers, sneakers (with or without socks), or sandals
Women: 
  • Sundress
  • long or short skirt
  • khakis or nice jeans
  • shorts (depending on occasion and climate)
  • plain t-shirt (no slogans), polo shirt, or turtleneck
  • casual button-down blouse


Friday, September 17, 2010

Response to 2010's Hurricane Karl

The fault of rap music?
Hurricane Karl is a major storm that is flooding the streets in some part of Mexico. The first comment to MSNs report on the incident follows:

"Oh, here we go....
We are all gonna die, the sky is falling, dogs and cats living together.....
These hurricanes are here for one simple reason. They have been agitated by the collective sounds of rap music coming from the US. Why else would God allow this visitation by mother nature? It's rap music...... and possibly McDonalds whose truly at fault." ~Delayne

The rest of the comments are not much different, but this one really made me laugh hard.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Delta will not accommodate disabled man

Delta fails when it comes to helping the disabled.
My husband and I are gearing up for a cross-country trip in the future. Whenever my husband flies, we request bulkhead seats because he is disabled (mobility issue) and he requires the extra space that these seats offer (because of his height and a chronic pain issue with damaged nerves). The airlines, so far, has changed our itinerary two times.

For the latest flight change, I called Delta to confirm our seat assignment for a 5.5-hour flight because we had special seat assignments to accommodate my husband’s disability for the previous flights before they were changed. I was told by a Delta supervisor (Carrie, agent # H9) that there are no bulkhead seats on the aircraft. So I asked what the next option is, and was told that there is a row designated for “disabled seating.” The difference in these seats is “nothing.” I explained my husband’s situation to the supervisor and told her it is crucial that he have the extra room, and that other airlines have given us first class seats to accommodate the disability when bulkhead seats were not available. I even told her that I would not mind sitting in coach as long as my husband was accommodated. The Delta supervisor said the only way she would give my husband first class seats is if we paid the difference. I then asked her how Delta accommodates disabled passengers who require the extra room when there is extra room available on the plane, but no bulkhead seats. The answer: they don’t. I had no choice but to get the “disabled row” seats.

Well, Delta, this is a big FAIL.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Boring business cards

Now that I have to buy my own business cards I try to make them cool-looking so people keep them rather than throw them away. Seriously, how many business cards have you thrown away or not taken because they looked boring?

This model airplane company figured out how to do their business card right. The pieces in the card pop out so you can make a miniature airplane.


See a video of the assembly.

What to do if you cannot draw well

This is such a good idea! The artist paints on people and takes their photo. The result is the look of a painted portrait. Genius! Time to get some paint...