Consumer

Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Replacing Entourage with Outlook

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This news was released last year, but I, and perhaps you, are just hearing it for the first time.   Here’s the August 2009 article I found on MacWorld. Click Here.

If you’d like a peak at a snapshot of what Outlook will look like, click Here.   Clicking on the snapshot will enlarge it.

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The pain of a canker sore can be excruciating.  This natural-based topical remedy will help resolve it within hours to a few days. Canker Sores Begone™

Groupon.com, Hot New Site (Think BIG Discounts & YOUR City)

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I’m a major consumer, an information junkie – yet apparently one of the last to know about Groupon.com.  Wildly popular, they’ve been featured on…

I wasted no time.  The deal for the day in Orange County, California where I live was a spa offering a European Facial and a 45 minute Swedish massage for $59, 50% off the regular cost. Needed the facial, wanted the massage. I jumped on it.

Sampling offers:   Restaurants, cooking classes, recreational events,  bus trip to Las Vegas, 5 hour sportfishing plus rod and meal, all day pass to family fun center, rock climbing lessons, hot air balloon ride and picnic – and it goes on and on.

Is this cool or what?  And strangely fun. Watch a video to see how Groupon works.
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Does over-exposure to sun and wind cause you cold sore eruptions?  Nip it in the bud with a few dabs of topical, herbal Cold Sores Begone™.  Cold sore prevented!  Buy HERE.

Could You Use A Great Purse Organizer?

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I found one at Bed, Bath & Beyond!   Go here and watch the demo video.


You’ll kick yourself when you get the next cold sore, knowing Cold Sores Begone™ would have prevented the entire outbreak with a drop or two at the ‘tingle’.  What are you waiting for?  Unless you enjoy pain and embarrassment……

Five Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive

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1.  Don’t offer too many choices.  Whether it’s the number of products you offer or the number of plans you allow your employees to choose from, sometimes  you can offer too many choices, which often frustrates people.  Companies offering a small number of retirement plans have far greater enrollment than companies that offer a large number of plans.

2.  Request active commitments.  Ask in a way that elicits an active response.  One common mistake restaurants make when taking phone reservations is ending the call by saying “Please call if you have to cancel.”  By changing that line to “Will you please call if you have to cancel?” (followed by a pause for an answer), one restaurant owner reduced his no-show rate from 30 percent to 10 percent.

3.  Argue against self-interest.  Trust is a critical component to persuasion.  The surest way to be perceived as honest is to admit to a small weakness in your argument, product or business immediately prior to communicating the strongest pro argument.

4.  The threat of loss is more persuasive than the potential for gain.  Instead of telling your audience what they stand to gain from taking your advice or buying your product, tell them instead that they stand to lose out on an opportunity if they don’t take your advice or buy your product.

5.  Make people feel as if they’ve already made progress toward a goal.  A car wash offering a loyalty card nearly doubled customer retention by changing their offer from “Buy eight washes, get one free” to “Buy 10 washes, get one free–and we’ll start you off by crediting you for two washes.”


Excerpt from the book Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (Free Press, 2008), by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin and Robert B Cialdini, reveals 45 additional effective strategies to make you more persuasive. Available at Overstock.com, $10.10, $2.95 S&H.

The Coolest, Free, Online Teleprompter for Vlogs, Phone Presentations

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Use your computer as a teleprompter for vlogs, sales calls, phone presentations, and for college students calling home explaining the importance of attending a concert they don’t have money for.

Extremely easy to use.  Just cut and paste script into teleprompter screen.  CUEPROMPTER.COM

Thanks to financial therapist and money makeover artist, Lora Sasiela of Financially Smitten for bringing this site to my attention.

What I Listen to All Day Everyday (Hint: Lounge Standards)

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I have a very wide range of interest in music, but the genre I gravitate to most, creating an immediate ambiance that all’s right with the world, are the standards. Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Streisand, Al Martino, Ray Charles, Patti Page, Ella Fitzgerald – and celebrities who sing the standards – Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Steve Tyrell, Diana Krall, and Jane Monheit.

I listen to Martini in the Morning, an online radio show available 24/7.  It lightens up anything I’m doing – working at my business, folding laundry, cleaning the dishes, organizing the garage.

Add  Martini in the Morning  to your toolbar so with one click, you’re in heaven.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to listening to what’s on now – The Very Thought of You with Tony Bennett and Paul McCartney (duet).  Ahhhh……now that’s MY kind of music.  And it’s free.

Tip: You’re given several choices from which to click – I use High Quality FM Audio/PC or Mac

Don’t Let a Cold Sore Ruin Valentine’s Day When It’s So Easy to Prevent!

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The mouth conveys beauty and sensuality, especially with close physical contact……unless you have a cold sore.

If you’re prone to cold sores, you probably know they’re triggered when your immune system is compromised by lack of sleep, stress and emotional upsets, irritation or pain in or around the mouth, like a dental procedure or having a lip line tatoo.   Too much sun or wind exposure are common causes too.

What to do about it?  You know the drill – get enough quality sleep, eat healthy and include plenty of fruits and vegetables high in anti-oxidants, handle your stress with the plethora of ways to do it – exercise, yoga, meditation, contemplative music, breathing techniques, self-hypnosis.

There’s no shortage of relaxing, soothing, meditative videos on YouTube.  This is my all time favorite calming video, A Good Day,  5-1/2 minutes long.

So, you feel the dreaded ‘tingling’ sensation somewhere on the lips.  Now what?  Some people like applying a used but cooled tea bag. The next one is, how should I say it….ok, gross, that’s what it is, but a few folks have sworn to me it works – apply some of your ear wax. I warned you! LOL! Others like to take L-lysine or a prescription drug, such as Valtrax, but may miss the short window to use it if you’re away from home.

Another option is a topical remedy I invented for myself over 20 years ago, now commercially known as Cold Sores Begone™.  It’s non-toxic, safe for children of any age, and best of all, it prevents the eruption altogether.  The ingredients contain herbs known for their anti-viral properties, so at the tingle, apply a few drops, and bingo, infection aborted, you’re good to go.

It’s packaged in an unbreakable, pocketsize bottle to always keep with you just in case. Cold Sores Begone™ is available at many health food stores across the U.S., including Whole Foods Market and other regional chains (ie Sprouts, Henry’s Marketplace, Chamberlin’s).  There are advantages to purchasing it on my website or calling my office (888-877-6315).  The price is the same, $11/btl, the shipping is a flat fee, only $2 (and included in the refund if you don’t like the product for any reason). Also:

  • Saves time
  • Saves money on gas
  • If outside California, no sales tax
  • Ships immediately

So, go out there and have a cold sore-free Valentine’s Day; in fact, better, a cold sore-free life!

10 Things Not to Buy in 2010

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Consumers should expect to see more revolutionary products replacing old mainstays. In media, DVDs, books, newspapers and magazines will continue to lose ground to services like in-home movie rentals and gadgets like the Amazon Kindle.

In big-ticket items, the push for energy efficiency will continue to influence consumer decisions on cars and home upgrades.  As a result, some consumer products appear poised for a dip in sales, which could be a prelude to obsolescence. Here are 10 things not to buy in 2010, according to SmartMoney.com.