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Attention, cruise fanatics! Tired of just lounging around on those hum-drum cruises? So are we. Fortunately, there are some new options out there. Good news: now you can book a cruise that blends adventure with relaxation. Check out some of these amazing cruises and explore the most beautiful parts of the world.

Western Caribbean

Experience the grandeur of the Western Caribbean on a 5-night cruise aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Century. See Miami, Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman.

The revitalized Celebrity Century was made with relaxation in mind. New accommodations include 314 new private verandas, 14 new Sky Suites and 174 new stunning Concierge-Class staterooms with beautiful fresh-cut flowers, top of the line bathroom amenities and even a full pillow menu.

The expert crew aboard this magnificent ship will help you and your family stay relaxed and entertained for the entirety of your cruise. Movie lovers will delight in first run film screenings. If live entertainment is more up your alley, there’s an abundance of music and dancing for your viewing pleasure. Whether you’d like to mingle with fellow passengers, catch a new summer flick or spend some quality time with your significant other in a plush stateroom, you’re sure to be completely satisfied on this one of a kind cruise.

During your cruise aboard Celebrity’s Century, you’re guaranteed to find the ideal mix of excitement and relaxation. This ship accommodates nearly every activity that you may be interested in. Enjoy a refreshing morning swim or unwind in the whirlpools. Or take advantage of the rejuvenating spa and sauna treatments. Be sure to capture the best moments in the Photo Gallery and Photo Shop. Enjoy jogging, golf, shopping, and a fully equipped fitness center.

Panama Canal

Excitement and leisure meet on a 14-night cruise aboard the fantastic Norwegian Pearl. Port stops include Los Angeles, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco, Puerto Quetzal, Puntarenas, Cartagena and Miami.

The magnificent Norwegian Pearl will win you over instantly. This brand new ship offers the very finest amenities and can accommodate even the most selective vacationers. Explore 12 amazing dining establishments, and 11 bars and lounges where you can mingle and let loose. And you won’t want to miss the bowling alley and rock climbing wall. These staterooms and suites offer the very best in comfort and serenity.

Europe

For the absolute ideal European tour, try a 7-day cruise aboard Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess. London, Brussels, Copenhagen, Helsingborg and Oslo are part of this exciting journey.

This mammoth 2,600-passenger Grand Princess ship features a cutting edge design with some of the most imaginative amenities available on a cruise ship. With a ship this size, passengers have limitless choices and possibilities.

Lisa VanDyke is a freelance writer who writes about several topics including cruise deals.

This remarkable ship offers a vast array of activities that are sure to please each and every passenger. If you’re ready for some serious head to toe pampering, you’ll find just what you’re looking for at the impressive spa facilities. Or, you can head to the deck for some invigorating sport and gym activities. Indulge in some retail therapy with luxury shopping boutiques. Lounge by one of the serene pools with simulated coral reefs. The options for fun, excitement and relaxation are endless.

Asia

Explore the rich culture and immense natural beauty of Asia on a 5-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas. You’ll experience the breathtakingly beautiful Hong Kong, Sanya, Hue and Hanoi.

This amazing cruise gives passengers an unforgettable showcase of one of the world’s most outstanding coastlines. Allow the serenity and immense beauty of this unique sector of the world wash over you as you soak in unforgettable views from the deck. This ship is filled to the brim with amazing entertainment and leisure activities. 18-hole miniature golf, four whirlpools and a Solarium with a sliding roof are just a few of the impressive options available.

Alaska

Alaskan cruises are world renowned for the alluring natural beauty they offer. One of the very best Alaskan cruise options is a 7-day cruise on the Coral Princess. Princess Cruises includes visits to Vancouver, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Whittier.

The Coral Princess is a decadent way to completely unwind and escape the grind of daily life. It offers a great selection of amazing dining options, such as specialty restaurants Sabatini’s Italian restaurant and the Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse, as well as a European-style casino, a classy cigar lounge and suave martini bar.

With all these options, there’s no reason why you’ll ever have to settle for a so-so cruise ever again. Smooth sailing to you. Ahoy!

Many novice smokers have embarrassed themselves trying to smoke a cigar with the same frantic, huff-and-puff energy that goes into cigarette smoking. But cigars aren’t cigarettes, any more than cheap beer is fine wine, and just as you’d never guzzle a fine Cabernet Sauvignon, you shouldn’t just inhale a cigar.

The first question to consider is, of course, the quality of the cigar. Handmade cigars are generally considered best. Machine-rolled cigars use scraps and bits of tobacco, rolled together, while handmade cigars use entire leaves, blended with specially-picked filler leaves to create a rich, full, subtle taste. Otherwise, remember the “wrapper rule”: cigars wrapped in darker paper will tend to be sweeter, while lighter wrappers often denote a drier taste.

The second question for many cigar smokers is whether to smoke with the band on or off. The bands, which wrap around the cigar and give the cigar’s brand name or manufacturer, was first introduced in 1850 by manufacturer Gustave Bock to set his high-quality Havana handmade cigars apart from knockoff brands. If you’re smoking in the UK, where smoking with the band on has long been considered gauche, a form of bragging, you’ll want to remove the band. Some smokers also collect bands, as a way of remembering all the different experiences they’ve had with cigars. Otherwise, it’s up to you.

The next step is to cut the cap of the cigar, which must be removed so that air can flow through. Most cigar fans have small guillotines, which cut right across the top of the cigar. (You can usually purchase one from the same place where you buy your cigars – or bum one from a friend.) Some smokers still bite off the top of cigars, an unappetizing and possibly unhealthy alternative. Cigar “punches” and “piercers” (or V-cutters) are also available. Choose the method that’s best for you, and keep your cutter sharpened.

How to light? Steer clear of paper matches, which will only stay live long enough to light a small portion of the cigar. You need a full flame that will cover the entire head of the cigar. Wooden matches may work, though it’s recommended that you let the sulphur burn off the tip of the match before lighting.

Butane lighters are free of odor and taste and are the favorite method for many smokers, as are “torch” lighters. Whatever you prefer, make sure you turn the cigar as you light it (“turn and burn,” experienced smokers say), so that the entire cigar is lit. Some aficiandos believe it’s a bad idea to let the flame touch the cigar and prefer to use a lit cedar strip, but many American smokers argue that this is just a bit of unnecessary European pretension.

Inhaling the smoke is unnecessary and dangerous. Once again, cigars are not cigarettes. You pull the smoke into your mouth and, like a wine taster, allow its flavor to saturate your palate, without allowing the smoke into your lungs. For this reason, cigar smoking is more taste-oriented and less harmful to your health than cigarette-smoking.

The taste of the smoke varies depending on the tobacco type and the sorts of flavors added by the makers, as well as the age of the cigar, the conditions in which it’s been stored, and many other factors. Regardless, the taste is richer, fuller and subtler than that of cigarettes, and many people who don’t enjoy cigarette-smoking have found that they like the taste or odor of cigars.

The cigar can be stopped from burning and “finished” later, though its taste quality quickly declines (like that of an open bottle of wine) the longer it’s left half-smoked. It’s a better idea to wait until you have time to fully savor the taste, beginning to end.

As for the aftertaste, try a drink containing citric acid (such as orange juice or lemon-flavored liqueurs), followed by a hard cheese and, eventually, a good tooth-brushing. (You’d be brushing your teeth anyway, right?) After-dinner mints can help, too.

Most of all, remember what worked this time. Cigar smoking – again, like wine – is a pleasure that should improve with age.

Starting up a new hobby can be intimidating. Going golfing for the first time with a bunch of guys who have been doing it for years can make a beginner feel self-conscious about his lack of prowess on the links. People just learning to play guitar will go for years refusing to play in front of others. Even someone learning to cook might be embarrassed to share a less than savory meal with his family.

Some people might not consider smoking cigars a hobby, but it certainly is a pastime and it has its own intricacies just like anything else. There are traditions and faux pas when it comes to smoking cigars that any old puffer at the country club will notice and call you out on in a heartbeat.

Good-natured as the ribbing may be, it can’t hurt to brush up on some cigar “do’s and don’ts” before you have a cigar among the aficionados. Included are some suggestions for classy cigars and accessories that will show off your sense of refinement and good taste.

1. It is not a race. Smoking a cigar should be a leisure activity. The best way to start is to smoke as if it is no big deal. Take your time and enjoy it.

The Ashton Magnum is a smooth and creamy cigar that is perfect for new smokers. The aroma and flavor is remarkably consistent so you won’t ever get a bad draw. Ashton Magnums are made from Dominican leaves and shade-grown Connecticut wrappers. It is truly a cigar to be savored.

2. Trim the end of your cigar with a cigar cutter. Don’t try to bite it off with your teeth. This may look cool in the movies but it will just leave you with an unsightly and decidedly uncouth mouthful of tobacco.

The Double Blade Stainless Round Cigar Cutter from Orleans is an inexpensive yet fully functional cigar cutter. In other words, it is perfect for beginners. It works with a dual-blade guillotine action, which ensures a shred-free cut. It is housed in a durable stainless steel case for a long lifespan.

3. Don’t grind out a cigar in an ashtray. Let it go out on its own. This is a handy technique for being able to re-light a cigar later on. It is also polite to not leave the smudged out remains of tobacco scattered around in an ashtray.

In your own home, it is also nice to have a relatively clean ashtray. The Flor De Gonzalez Ashtray is made of simple black porcelain with the company’s logo in the center. It is square with resting places for your cigar in all four corners.

4. If there is less than a quarter left, let it go out in an ashtray. When a cigar starts to get that short, it will begin to lose its flavor. Nothing gold can stay. When it gets to the ¼ mark, it is time to let it go.

Another practical and stylish ashtray is the Hexagon Crystal Cigar Ashtray from Orleans. It looks incredibly luxurious for its modest price. It has wide stirrups (that’s where the cigar rests) to accommodate bigger cigars and a deep bowl for plenty of ash.

5. Don’t show off. Nothing screams amateur more than someone who makes a big deal out of smoking a cigar. Cigar holders and fancy smoking techniques are the antithesis of the cool guy casually smoking a cigar. You are allowed to blow smoke rings though. That’s a cool trick that’s not overtly flashy.

The best way to look natural smoking a cigar is to find one that you enjoy. In the beginning, it is best to start with a milder cigar and work your way up to fuller flavors. The Montecristo #1 is a legendary Cuban-inspired cigar that is made in the Dominican Republic.

6. Don’t chew on it. You are not Peter Parker’s grizzled boss at the newspaper. You are not a grunt in World War II. Unless you are being shot at or trying to ruin Spider-Man’s good name, chewing on a cigar is just plain gross.

Fine cigars can be works of art and the Griffin’s Robusto Natural is not something that you chomp away at. It has a rich and mild taste that smokers of every level can enjoy.

7. Don’t ask for a light. Seriously, you are a cigar smoker now. You should be carrying your own lighter around. In the worst case scenario, ask the bartender for a pack of matches.

The refillable Xikar EX Windproof Flame Cigar Lighter is far more practical than it sounds. It looks good and is affordable without appearing cheap or flashy. It is a functional, fantastic lighter that gets your cigar lit. What else could you want?

8. Don’t be afraid to let it go out and re-light it later. If you have spent some money on a nice cigar, there is no need to smoke it all at once and no need to waste it. Just scrape the ash off and rotate it over a flame for a moment to catch it again.

The Davidoff Millienium Churchill is a full-bodied, hearty, Dominican cigar that you won’t want to let go to waste. These cigars are top-notch and have a complex blend of aromas and flavors. Don’t be afraid to let it go out and enjoy the rest later.

9. Take your time warming up the end before you light it. This prevents you from charring the tobacco.

The Vector Vulcan Triple Flame shoots out a powerful trident flame that will allow you to perfectly light your cigar without over-toasting it.

10.  Don’t smoke one after another. You are not chain smoking cigarettes here. Cigars are meant to be savored. Take your time and enjoy it. When it’s done, it’s done. Get on with your life for a while before having another.

If you find yourself enjoying your new pastime of smoking cigars, you are going to want to eventually invest in a humidor to keep them fresh. The Capri Humidor is a lovely, affordable way to keep your cigars tasting fresh for a long time.

Smoking cigars isn’t like smoking cigarettes. It is a hobby, not a habit. It is the difference between enjoying a fine glass of wine and slamming whiskey before noon. Take to heart these tips and smoke in moderation and you will be on your way in no time.

For those who do a lot of entertaining, it’s hard to come up with new party themes. But the recent popularity of cigars offers a great creative party idea for stressed-out would-be party hosts.

Putting together a good party is hard – and gets harder as you grow older. In college, it’s easy enough to satisfy your guests with, say, a bowlful of pretzels and a keg of beer, but friends burdened with adult responsibilities – a job to get up for, a child to raise – may not want to drive out to your place just for some stale salt-heavy snacks and a can or two of average quality beer. So you’ve got to come up with fun new ideas. But this gets stressful, complex, and sometimes expensive as well. After you’ve tried out your first two or three great inspirations, you may begin to burn out on entertaining all together.

But there’s hope. Try throwing a cigar-sampler party.

Cigars aren’t just your grandfather’s chosen indulgence anymore – they’ve grown increasingly popular during the past fifteen years or so. After bottoming out during the 1980s, cigars became the break of choice for a well-educated, younger demographic, even as other forms of smoking went into decline. They’re just luxurious enough to feel like the break you deserve, but, since they’re designed to be smoked slowly, one at a time, and in moderation (unlike cigarettes), they won’t break the bank. Their infinite differences in taste offer the pleasures of connoisseurship as well: experienced smokers learn to enjoy the differences between double claro cigars (light and generally dry-tasting, with very tan outer wrappers) and maduros (dark brown in color and sweetish), between the great cigars of Nicaragua and those of the Dominican Republic or Turkey. A cigar-themed party makes sense if your friends are smokers, and it also makes sense for those who aren’t (as long as, you make sure not to invite anybody who’s passionately anti-smoking or allergic to tobacco).

Here are some tips on throwing a cigar-themed party:

1) Buy a sampler or two of premium cigars, until you have enough to cover the number of planned guests. (Keep the guest list small – you’ll have better-quality interactions, and you’ll keep the party affordable.)

2) Cigar samplers are easy to buy online, but be careful. Some cigar stores “lead off” with a too-good-to-be-true deal – an inexpensive sampler labeled “premium.” Usually these cheap “premium” platters actually contain only a few top cigars, and are then rounded out with cigar pawns – cheaply-made knockoff cigars. Make sure that your sampler comes from a high-quality cigar shop or online store, and that you know what you’re getting.

3) Once you have your premium-cigar sampler, assign one cigar to each guest.

4) On the night of the party, serve simple snacks before you serve the cigars. (Cigars tend not to go well with ultra-creamy or rich foods.) Hard cheeses, dark chocolates, fruit, coffee, and fine red wines or beers are recommended. Remember – avoid anything too rich!

5) After folks have eaten and had a few drinks, bring out the cigars. Have everyone head outside with his or her assigned cigar and a drink; light everyone’s cigar, and tell them to smoke up. You’ll have given all your guests something new to talk about.

6) If desired, encourage your guests to bring their own cigars, which can be collected and served as part of a “second round” later. Guests could compare the tastes of their two assigned cigars. You could even encourage one of your guests to bring some non-premium cigars, even off-brand gas-station cigars, as a gaga – though only if you’re going for a second round of smoking!

Experienced cigar smokers will enjoy the chance to share their enthusiasm with others. New smokers and nonsmokers will be trying and enjoying something new.

Remember when lighting to cut the cap of the cigar, then, using a wooden match or a zippo lighter or other full flame (not a paper match), turn the end of the cigar in the flame a full 360 degrees until every part of it is lit. Remind your guests who haven’t smoked cigars before that they shouldn’t inhale – this isn’t a cigarette! Pull the smoke into your mouth and taste it thoroughly without allowing it into your lungs. Remember, it’s about the taste.

Any time I talk about writing articles, I hear people say things like “I don’t have the ability to write” or “I’m a really good writer but I have a hard time with procrastination.” Now, I don’t have a problem with the writing. I know I can write pretty well but I do have a problem with getting started and then finishing.

Of course, staring at my computer screen all day isn’t exactly my idea of a good time. Certainly, I’d much rather be carving waves or mountains. What would you rather do: toil away all day on your computer writing article after article or simply rewrite some high quality articles, tie them together, make them look like your own and then do whatever it is you like to do?

If any of the stuff above reminds you of the person that you see every morning in the mirror, then these four ways that you can profit from private label content are for you as are the other four in Part 2.

Here are four ways in which you can use private label content to easily make money:

1. Take the content, plug your affiliate links into the content and compile them into a spectacular little eBook.

I just love to use this little strategy Now, for instance, let’s say that you have a website that sells cigars. You buy private content about cigars that cigar aficionados would like then compile it into a mini eBook. Then load the eBook with links back to your website and encourage your customers to pass it along so that it will spread like a virus.

And you can take it a step further if you have a rebrander program. Don’t know what a rebrander is? With a rebrander, your affiliates can take your eBook and place their affiliate link to your store in it. This really is the essence of viral marketing because now it is easier and more profitable for your affiliates to promote your web site.

2. Make a solid report by culling some of the articles together and then give it away to promote your site. Also, if you use a rebrander, you can rebrand the report and allow your affiliates to promote your website by giving it away for free.

Of course, most salespeople know that it takes an average seven contacts with a customer before they will place an order. A few people will order the first time, but more often than not, you will have to contact them 4+ times before they will order. The small problem is that you need their email address because they’re not going to just hand it over… that’s way you give them the free report.

Well, the better the report the more trust you build with your customer and the more likely they become to open their wallet. I mean, let me ask you this: would a report with 25 articles in it make you happy? Damn straight you would!

3. Simply create a small niche content site and make money by placing Google Adsense on your website’s pages.

I love Google Adsense… it’s the easiest way to make money! Why? Because even a small little website with only five pages can make me $5-10 per day. You can make $36,000-73,000 by simply creating twenty little 5-page websites. A 25-page site can make me $25-50 per day… 365 days per year!

You do the math. A small little website + submitting your articles to article directories = $$$$. Simple. Awesome. Extremely lucrative. And with private label content… very little work!

4. With private label content packages, you get hundreds of articles across various niches every month so you can load up your articles to go out once a week and have a newsletter set for a year in advance.

Are you like me? Do you like to spend time setting something up all at one time so that you don’t have to deal with it for a year or two? Just so I never have to buy any for the rest of the year, I always buy two cases of toilet paper at Costco. Well, with private label content packages, you get hundreds of articles each month so you can do the same basic thing.

I mean, wouldn’t it be great to take the articles and put them together as an newsletter that goes out every single week like clockwork? Wouldn’t that be spectacular? Every day, money will flow into your bank account for work that took you one day months or years ago.

If you want to make money with private label content, then these four ways are an excellent starting point. Of course, these are not the only ways to make money from private label content. In fact, if you haven’t already done so, check out part 2 of this article. Just click on one of the links in the resource/bio box below!

Robert Frank’s book titled Richistan is about the lives of the new rich and those who make up the wealth boom occurring in the United States.  The book is 250 pages long and is fun to read.  While we know there are millions of millionaires in the world, Frank exposes them in completely new ways, from how they hire butlers to the silly ways in which they make their fortunes.  Frank gives us perspectives that we never think about when it comes to the self-made, rich population. 

To start the book, the author gives the reader an idea of just how many millionaires there are in the United States; about eight million as of 2003.  This number has risen drastically between 2003 and 2009.  He also goes on to define the term “Richistan,” and divides his new country into three different categories based on household net worth.  Lower Richistan consists of households worth $1 million to $10 million dollars.  Middle Richistan consists of households worth $10 million to $100 million dollars.  The elite Upper Richistanis consist of households worth $100 million to $1 billion dollars.  There are only several thousand households in the Upper Richistani category. 

Chapter one is titled, “Butler Boot Camp: Housetraining the New Rich.”  This chapter serves as a great introduction to the secret world of the new rich households.  Frank talks of butler boot camps, especially the boot camp held at the prestigious Starkey International Institute for Household Management.  Here, men and women train to simply run the households of millionaires and billionaires and get paid a ridiculous amount of money to answer to the wishes and needs of the super rich.  These butlers get paid anywhere from $75,000 dollars to well into six-figure territory.  They must know how to please the super rich, and tasks include washing high-end cars, rolling cigars, setting up home entertainment systems, and the usual services such as cooking and babysitting. 

Chapter two is titled, “The Third Wave: The Era of the Instapreneur.”  There are thousands of people who are becoming instant millionaires every year.  In fact, in 2005 there were about 227,000 new financial millionaires in the United States alone.  Robert Frank describes in this chapter the six ways that most people acquire their wealth and points out several individuals who have instantly made millions of dollars through development and sales of several large companies.  Jared Polis, for example, has developed more than a dozen companies and sold them all for more than a total of $600 million dollars. 

Chapter three is titled, “Making It: Ed Bazinet, King of the Ceramic Village.”  This chapter is devoted to those who have made fortunes in an unlikely manner.  One person mentioned in this chapter is Sydell Miller.  Ms. Miller operated a hair salon and developed a shampoo line called Matrix Essentials, which she was fortunate enough to sell to Bristol-Myers Squibb for a mere $1 billion dollars.  Then there is the chapter’s title man, Ed Bazinet, who created miniature ceramic houses and ended up mass producing them for department stores.  By taking a chance and producing his line of mini houses, he is worth over $100 million dollars.  This chapter gives you the feeling that anyone can be rich if you have the will and a good idea. 

Chapter four is titled, “Living It: Tim Blixseth.”  This chapter talks about those who love their work and make their work their life.  Men and women like Tim Blixseth do not seem to have the capability to relax; they are always thinking about business.  Tim may be on vacation or relaxing on his yacht, but he never stops working on his business.  Blixseth started in business at a young age by buying and selling timber to various other companies, and eventually started the Yellowstone Club, which charges $250,000 dollars to join and millions of dollars for the right to build a house on his land.  This ultra-exclusive club has members such as Bill Gates and Dan Quayle who want their own retreat where privacy is at a maximum.

Chapter six is titled, “Barbarians in the Ballroom: New Money vs. Old.”  Formal celebrations and balls are popular in the world of the ultra-rich.  People are invited and expected to attend, knowing that a large monetary donation to the charity of choice is mandatory.  The rich must donate large amounts of money and when they fail to donate, controversy arises.  Not only are people expected to donate up to millions of dollars at a time, but there is also controversy about who is allowed or nominated to be chairperson of these formal events.  The chapter goes on to discuss homes owned by Donald Trump and Sean Combs and how much property in various parts of the country can sell for.  This chapter is the least interesting of the book, but still gives good information on the world of the ultra-rich. 

Chapter seven is titled, “Size Really Does Matter: My Boat is Bigger than Your Boat.”  The seventh chapter is all about comparing the property and expenses of the rich versus the ultra-rich.  Mega yachts seem like standard property for a rich person these days, and boats are coming in huge sizes with all kinds of crazy options.  Some foreign leaders are having boats made that are about 500 feet long, costing over $200 million dollars to build.  The boats come with smaller boats, helicopter pads, dozens of hot tubs, swimming pools, theaters, gold-plated bathrooms, etc.  The author goes on to mention how millionaires compare cars, watches, and homes, and spend vast amounts of money just so they can have the biggest and the best. 

Chapter eight is called, “Performance Philanthropy: Giving for Results.”  This chapter is intriguing, and it discusses entrepreneurial charity.  People like Philip Berber who made a vast amount of money with an online stock trading company which he sold for nearly a half billion dollars, are finding new ways to spend their money.  Berber started Glimmer of Hope, a company which uses large amounts of money to help make the world a better place.  Other millionaires and billionaires like Michael Dell have donated millions of dollars to help Berber build schools, health clinics, waters wells, and vet clinics in countries where poverty is a severe issue.  Men and women like Berber and Dell have high hopes to heal the world and have taken the initiative to help fight poverty with the fortunes they have accumulated.

Chapter nine is titled, “Move Over, Christian Coalition: The New Political Kingmakers.”  The ninth chapter deals with the money that drives politics and campaigns.  This chapter presents how policymakers ask for money to fuel their campaigns and the differences between the techniques Republicans and Democrats use to find their much-needed money.  Four Democratic supporters in Colorado helped to elect their candidate to the House of Representatives.  Not only did this happen in Colorado and the House of Representatives, but it happens all the time in the race for President of the United States.  The Republican Party often gains large sums of money in a public manner while the Democratic Party often collects money from the ultra-rich in a more private manner.  This chapter shows that people will stop at nothing to have their candidate nominated into office, even if it means donating millions of dollars every year. 

Chapters ten and eleven are titled, “Worried Wealth: The Trouble With Money,” and, “Aristokids: We’ll Always Have Paris.”  These two chapters talk about the troubles that come with large amounts of money.  For example, more than half of America’s super-rich agree that money does not buy happiness.  Money can dominate their lives and leave little time for personal time with kids and spouses.  Money can cause such concern that millionaires have started meeting groups to discuss financial matters and meet with similar people in similar situations to get concerns out in the open.  Who better to talk about your millions of dollars with than other millionaires?  The final chapter of the book talks about the super rich children, or those who are in prime position to inherit fortunes.  Kids today are attending classes to learn about manners and living the high-life.  They also are being forced to learn about finances and what to do with millions of dollars so when they do inherit the money one day, they will not make unwise decisions and blow the money away like many of today’s celebrities and heirs/heiresses are doing. 

Overall, Richistan is an engaging and enlightening book about today’s new rich.  This book will keep you reading as you learn facts about the rich that you probably never knew.  The chapters about prestigious butlers and how “bigger is better” are especially interesting and will give you a great idea how millionaires and billionaires really live and spend their fortunes.  This book is rated 4.5 out of 5. 

To understand the concept behind the humidor, one must first be informed of the long-term effects of ageing on tobacco products. First, there is the effect of bloom. This is often mistaken for mold by less learned cigar smokers. Bloom will appear as a white powdery substance on the cigar. In all actuality, Bloom is a good aspect, as it is a sign of proper ageing. This actually intensifies the flavor of a good smoke. If you would rather, you can simply dust this off or, in some cases, simply blow it off, but most cigar aficionados would not.

Mold, on the other hand, does truly occur. Tobacco mold most often comes in the form of blue mold. It is a bluish colored fungus that grows on the outer wrapper of your cigar. If you find this, do not attempt to merely cut the mold off and smoke it anyway. This can be quite harmful to your health. As painful as it might be, simply throw that cigar away.

If properly aged, Mold will not occur, but Bloom will. A properly aged cigar is generally stronger and has a much more distinct flavor. Most people will only bother to age a high-profile smoke, such as a fine Cuban cigar.

Proper aging is done via the Humidor, the focus of this article. A humidor is a device designed solely for the purpose of creating the perfect environment in which to age a cigar. You see, aging a cigar in normal room environments leaves it prone to excessive temperatures, varying humidity’s and other environmental factors that can increase the possibility of the occurrence of mold.

A humidor allows the smoker to maintain a steady and ideal environment for the aging of the cigar. The ideal settings for your humidor are somewhere between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 65 to 75 percent, roughly.

Do you need a humidor? This all depends. If smoking a cigar is nothing more to you than a quick distraction, if you are content to smoke a cigar that is simply aged between the point of manufacturer to distributor then the answer is no. However, if you consider yourself to be a true connoisseur of fine tobacco, then your life will not be complete without a good humidor to age your cigars to perfection.

Some people prefer to make their own humidors. However, if you do not have the know-how to attempt this, you can find them for sale online anywhere between the prices of $20.00 to $1000.00. The cheaper ones do work, but as with all products, you generally get what you pay for. In the long run, it would be best to pay a little more for the better product.

Electric Cigarette Reviews

Are you looking for methods to give up smoking cigarettes by natural means? If the answer’s yes, then you probably already know of the fact that using cigarettes kills around half a million US residents annually. If you’re giving up not because of your health and well-being, it may be the fact that cigarette smoking will give you facial lines, discolours your pearly whites as well as fingers, and makes your hair and clothes stink. Those are the points that almost all cigarette smokers go with when giving up, but it really matters not why you are giving up. The one thing that matters is that you have chosen to quit.

Here’s one particularly wonderful piece of information: you will beat your reliance on nicotine. Once you do give up, general health will start to get better promptly. You’ll start to feel and look better, too. It truly is challenging to give up smoking cigarettes, but you can do it if you really put a lot of effort into it. Countless people before you have succeeded in quitting tobacco use, and yes, it needs a huge amount of strength of mind as well as discipline.

The reason why it’s so hard to kick the habit is because smoking cigarettes calms you down and when you are aiming to give up, you’re quite stressed out. Using tobacco helps to lessen minor pessimism and control anger. When you are consumed with stress, smoking a cigarette seems to cause you to be more easygoing. Electric Cigarette Reviews

Some things you may try to reduce your yearnings and annoyance as well as enhance your health and well-being are regular exercise and taking in fresh fruits and vegetables. You need to stay away from anything with sugars, caffeine and alcohol. Eating processed foods is also not a good idea. As soon as you give up using tobacco, it is very important to consume several salads everyday, and snack on a lot of saltless nuts as well as seeds.

You also ought to try out taking in vitamins A and E. These will aid in preserving the tissues and cells in the human body, and reduce the risk of cancer. Additionally, take in ascorbic acid on a regular basis since tobacco use depletes your body of this specific vitamin. Ascorbic acid will likewise aid in eradicating any toxins within your body from using tobacco.

Co-enzyme Q10 is extremely good to take while seeking to quit using tobacco in a natural way since it helps with detoxification and also makes your heart safeguarded. Magnesium and calcium will help with your nerves while trying to give up. Valerian and skullcap, plant-based options that are good for you, may also help to calm nervousness and also cut down on urges.

You might give some thought to hypnotherapy if you have previously attempted using vitamins as well as taking in healthy food and you’re still having trouble giving up. Many people have testified that following a few hour-long sessions, they don’t have nicotine urges anymore. Individuals have also named counseling and smoking programmes as methods that have been successful for them.

Once you finally choose to quit smoking cigarettes, you should pick out a certain time in your daily life wherein your stress threshold is small. This can help, but you’ll probably still have hankerings. When you’re developing intense yearnings, you may take a nap, indulge in a warm shower, take in fresh fruits, or do anything that will get your thoughts off of using tobacco. If you fail, it is okay; you may just try again. It is a long war that you are sure to overcome. Electric Cigarette Reviews

Electronic Cigarettes Review

A Long Time Smoker Speaks Out

For me smoking cigarettes is an addiction, an obsession. I have smoked most of my adult life. Sure-I quit several times-10 years being the longest period of abstinence. So if I could make it that long-what happened?

Well mostly it was a separation and ultimately a divorce that weakened my resolve.

We smokers make all sorts of excuses for continuing, but I am intelligent enough to realize that I’m just lying to my friends and family, and more importantly, I am lying to myself.

We smokers will grasp at any evidence that smoking is OK! My step-grandfather smoked a pack of unfiltered Camels for as long as I knew him. He was in his mid-nineties when he died-not of cancer or heart disease.

We can call the cause of death simply old age…

Now this is, of course, a pretty weak excuse for me since he wasn’t a blood relative, so I can’t claim any hereditary benefits. Electronic Cigarettes Review

I’m Really in The Nicotine Rut

My days all begin about the same way: During the week I drag my weary butt out of bed at 5:00 a.m., shower, dress and then walk the dog. All this time until I hook up Cindy’s leash I’m thinking about that first cigarette.

And so it goes throughout the day. Oh, I have cut back a bit. One pack usually lasts a day and a half. As I write this I often think of myself as a 73 year old idiot. But you see…I am addicted to nicotine.

Government at every level has come down on us smokers. Most places are off limits and smoking has been banned anywhere I go.

Is There Any Hope?

At times over the years I’ve been given something to hang onto. Medical science will come up with some new finding that gives me a glimmer of hope. But is there really any defense against the myriad health problems that smoking lays claim to? Quitting seems like medical science’s only solution.

A short time ago -in an email exchange, a lifelong friend said, “You’ve been smoking so long that it probably won’t make any difference if you did quit.” Unfortunately I tend to believe him.

So what is on the horizon for us smokers? The most recent flash of light came from a report I read about a very amazing discovery. I was researching material for an article I was writing on “free radicals.” The free radicals I speak of are not a bunch of 1960′s flower children who avoided prison. The free radicals in this case are inside our bodies and they are an enemy of our good health. Electronic Cigarettes Review

Overcoming objections is not hard. It is a simple matter of assuming the customer is going to buy and then solving their problem. In this article, I am going to give a true example of how a salesperson walked right past a sale they could have easily gotten using a some simple techniques for overcoming objections.

First, let’s set the scene for the true life example for overcoming objections.

Last Monday, which was the 31st day of August (I mention the date for a reason you will see) my wife and I decided to buy a new car and went to a dealership. The salesperson showed us three vehicles that would have been acceptable. One was the most luxurious model and we really liked it but said it was we couldn’t afford it. That left two vehicles. One of them had a bad order and we rejected it. But then…out of the blue…came the final crushing objection. My wife said that she doesn’t like the color of either of them. The salesperson tried to find other inventory in his computer and kind of lost our interest while he was lost in working the computer for a long time. Then, he brought his manager to see us. The manager was nice but also made no attempt to close us. When we left, my wife said she was disappointed that they didn’t try to sell us as she would have bought any of the three vehicles if they had made it easy for us to make the purchase. Let’s look at some of the approaches they could have taken that could have easily turned a disappointed hand shake into a sale.

It’s The Last Day Of The Month

As I mentioned, it happened to be the last day of the month. What if the salesperson had asked if we really liked the luxury model we thought was out of our budget? If we said yes, he could have said. “Look, today is the last day of the month. Our expenses for the month are all paid. Any money we make now is just gravy. Now is the time to make an offer and see if you can get the luxury model to fit in your budget. Pick a number in your heart that will make you happy and I’ll get the paperwork started.” You can also adapt this to the beginning of the month and the middle of the month, to Saturdays, evenings and mornings.

Let’s Talk About The Color

My wife didn’t like the color, but what if the salesperson had said, “I know you don’t like the color but let me ask. Is there a price that would make the color acceptable? I mean if you saved enough would you accept a color that is different than the one you were hoping for? How much would you have to save? I doubt it but let’s see if we can get it in that range. I’ll get the paperwork started.”

Let’s Talk About The Odor

One vehicle was rejected due to a string cigar odor. The salesperson just agreed with us that it was overpowering. What if he had said, “Carl, we have a great reconditioning department and we are great at odor control. In fact, we do all the police cars for the city. I am confident we can get that odor to completely disappear. I am going to write on the order that this purchase is subject to us getting the odor to you satisfaction or the purchase is null and void. I’ll’ get the paperwork started.”

The Loyalty Bonus

“Carl, normally you couldn’t get that luxury model in your price range but I see you bought your current vehicle here. I am going to try to get you a loyalty bonus that will make this vehicle affordable. I’ll get the paperwork started.”

Let’s Talk Paint

Carl, I understand that you wife dislikes the color, so I’m going to write here that the vehicle if to be repainted in the color of your choice at no additional charge. I’ll get the paperwork started”. Now this may or may not be possible but it will get the buyers to sign a contract and get the negotiations rolling.

The Coin Flip

A last ditch “Hail Mary” approach is to find out which one they are “leaning towards” and then say, “Tell you what, I’ll flip you for it. Heads you buy it, tails you walk away”. You flip a coin and you have a 50% chance.

If Your Daughter….?

“Carl, let me ask you, if your daughter was looking for a good vehicle from a good dealer and she saw the ones you saw today, what would you advise her to do?” Many customer will say, “I’d advise here to take the XXXX”

Would These Methods Work?

We have discussed seven ideas to get the sale. Would they work? They will work on some people and not on others. But we know for sure that they won’t work if they are not tried. In our true example, the salesperson and the manager failed to try and lost the sale. Be sure you have lots of ways to solve the customers’ problems and always assume that they are buying. It is easy to overcome objections if you just don’t give up and if you try to solve the customer’s problem.