Starting a Business – Looking Into It

The other day I was sitting listening to all the drama and commotion happening at work, and I realized, even though I have a few affiliate sites that are bringing in a little income, it seems that I am still working extremely hard. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the hard work; the thing is that all my hard work is making someone else look good, and make more money.

Now, if I could only channel that energy towards something that is mine, maybe I could start making more money. Now, I have bills to pay and they won’t wait for anyone, so I need to have some consistent income coming in, at least for now…so my thing is yes my affiliate sites are working, but like I said before they take time to build…so I need to find something I can start on my own…a physical business. I personally would like to open up a night club, but that of course takes a bit more money than what I have now. Now, this may sound weird, but I thought about two things…for now. I thought maybe selling cardboard on the side and donating Plasma…yah that’s weird…Plasma, but some places…depending will give up to $240 a month…not sure all the details, but I am going to find out and once I do, I will definitely post about it.

Anyhow, so the later of the things I mentioned above, the cardboard and Plasma selling…I thought maybe the two things combined, might be able to produce about, maybe $1000 a month….if I am able to locate enough cardboard to sell and of course if they pay $240 for the plasma as they mention in their ads. Anyhow, the thing is I would do this only for a short period of time, actually use the money or the part I won’t get taxed on…and invest it…in a few things I have. Or wait, maybe I could accumulate enough alongside what I am saving now…and maybe try and see about opening a night club or investing in one.

I don’t know…I am sure I am like many - many others, we are swimming upstream and it is getting extremely hard to get out or get to where we would like to get. I just feel like sometimes I am simply going to have to work for the rest of my life…no real retirement for me in the horizon…something that is becoming more and more of a possibility for my future. Sad is in-it? To think, I have been working hard since I was about 8 years old…saving…the first time it was all gone was when I first got married…I ended up paying off all of my wife’s debt…which was a lot…I did it, so we could start a life together debt free…together…build…well that went out the door…after she decided to well…I won’t go there…that’s not what this post is about.

Anyhow…so I have been thinking and looking…at some business for sale and there are a few, but I would really like to open up a night club....yah I am stuck on that night club thing…but…anyhow. I have been looking I am crossing my fingers, looking hard, searching, reading, analyzing every options available and maybe one will pop-out to me and allow me to direct all of my energy I have towards profit…but for me. With things looking grim around my day job it has become a bit tense and even though they might tell me that I am safe, it still makes me wonder, when it will be my turn. So, while I can I am searching right now to add some additional income only to provide a cushion…in case. My affiliate sites are doing their thing…don’t get me wrong, it will be nice in say 10 years to have that little extra income coming in with out any effort…or minimum effort on my part. I know it sounds far away…but 10 years before you know it…do sneak up on you.

So for now, I am looking to see if I can start a physical business, whether it is a night club, restaurant, or Beauty Salon maybe something will pop-out to me.

My Perspective:
I understand that things are tough for everyone, and I understand many folks have families that need attention, so your time is precious. But I have to suggest that finding a few minutes out of the day…whether it is 10 minutes a day or 15 minutes every other day…making time to build something on the side or something that is all yours…should be apriority right up there with your family…because eventually we all get old, it gets tougher to work and maybe those are not the reasons…but maybe you want to enjoy your golden years…or at least some years after having to work so long so hard…you deserve it and you kids deserve your presence when they get older, married and with children. I am not trying to sale you any of the affiliate sites I have…but I am saying to search and believe me some affiliate sites do work…you just need to sit down and research all the options and of course take it slow and never forget there is no such thing as a quick rich scheme…time is all you have and the right path and most importantly “Patience”. So get out there and find that extra 100, 200 or even 1000 dollars a month income…generated by something other than your normal job. It is there.

Thanks for reading till next time Latino Man signing off.

Office Lust

Man….I have make this quick post…I am like going bananas over an office co-worker. I know….I know…it never leads to anything good, well wait it does…but sometimes, well you know. Anyhow…it really isn’t about a dating –relationship thing. It is more of an incredible Lust thing…I mean…I am really certain all of us even those that keep it to themselves have come across a co-worker or friend that you think, “Man I could Eat that Up”….Put a Little BBQ Sauce and work it like a rib…geez.

Anyhow, so there is this co-worker that, well to put it plain and simple is totally hot, I mean it’s one of those hot things that even just her voice is hot, her smiles is outstanding and her body is so freaking awesome that well..Ok…I need to bring it down…I think I will need a cold shower after this post…LOL. Anyhow, so…yah we casually exchange smiles and pleasantries, but other than that…business as usual. The thing is…let me say…I isn’t.the only person on the floor that thinks as I o…there are even a few women that thinks she is hot…now wait and the thing si…and I don’t mean this in a bad way, but dam she is a great worker…well at least I think so.

The thing is that…you know…maybe a drink after work…a happy hour…nothing out of the ordinary…but…I guess it is best to keep it at a distance and well enjoy the scenery. Because let me say one thing…I mean wow…seriously. You know though the thing is I am sure with everyone having a different flavor, she might not be for everyone…but this is my blog and my post…so for me she is SO HOT….OMG…I can’t stop…ok…I stopped.

Anyhow, I thought about sharing this and man…it was good to do so, sort of a relief. Now, for me to try and provide a perspective on this; well…it could be one-sided…but here it goes.

My Perspective:
If you’re single, why not, but seriously…I honestly suggest you don’t, office flings never workout…well for most of them…there are a few I seen make it through. I think it should be more of a eye candy thing…something to look forward to when you get to work and leave it at that.

Thanks for reading, till next time Latino Man singing off.

Picking Your Battles

You know I guess this topic isn’t anything new, I am sure it’s been posted and even talked about in conversations. But, I realized the other day that after several occurrences or crazy things that have happened over the past several month have build up to one final incident…bringing to realize that dam…there are some things in life, well in our everyday life that we simply cannot change; And it isn’t one of those things where people say, “I am stuck between a rock and a hard place”, because it isn’t that at all.

I could seriously start from the beginning, but that would go as far back as nearly 3 years ago and it would seriously be a lot of repeat content, but mostly things that I am sure others are going through…anyhow. My thing is after a discussion with my someone I had…it all hit me like a brick. Now, I think it was all those little things that were building up and I just was ignoring…well…all it took was one more thing and BAM, it all came tumbling down at once. And you know this is something that we do with pretty much everything in our lives…I think we see and hear those little nagging things and we simply ignore them hoping they will go away, but eventually, maybe a week later or maybe 10 years later…it all hits you at once.

The thing is why, is it that we as humans prefer to go through all these things and not listen to our parents….I mean I am sure there are parents out there that want to teach their kids about things…and what to avoid and so on…but they simply don’t listen and well…struggle through life. It isn’t after they get married, have kids and live a while…that they realized that, “Dam why didn’t I listen to my parents?” I don’t get it, but it will never change…it is a part of our evolutions, our cycle of life...and it seems it can’t be broken…now there might e a few that get out and move ahead, write books, become famous and yet even with that…kids never listen.

So, back to my case, or issue or reason for this post, you see. Like any parent we try to teach our kids, we try and explain, provide the tools for them to become better people. Of course with that, comes some yelling, some grounding, or taking away of privileges or other things, but I come to realize that it simply doesn’t work…nothing does. You yell, you ask, you ground and they might do it for a day or might listen to you for that one time…that someone offers them a cigarette or alcohol…but then they simply break down…of course with the help of their peers…those kids that you wished your kids never met...but they do. And in the meantime…your blood pressure, your cholesterol your health begins to dwindle away…and your golden years become the “Black” years…nothing really to look forward to except health issues, money issues and more than likely relationship issues.

So, after getting hit with this HUGE reality check, since I was told that by a realistic person…a person that doesn’t dream, because dreams don’t pay the bills or buy $500 dollar shoes…opps…sorry…but after that reality check…my body felt as if a weight was lifted…I didn’t care anymore…now wait…I care about my children, their education, their well being and most importantly that they are successful, but I can’t force something onto any one, adult or child something they simply don’t want, but I can show them the good things that will come with hard work, getting an education, keeping healthy…as compared to not doing any of those things…you can show them. The thing is then you begin to pick the battles, the things that have a very good chance to be changed.

Such as having your child keep their room clean…nope, don’t bother, don’t get upset, but every once in a while ask them to clean their room in a firm voice…that’s all…but if 90% of the time their room is dirty…so be it. Your friend, sister-n-law, or whom ever…has issues with men or women, but you know it is them with the problem…you can’t change them, don’t get upset, yes you love them but is your health really something you can put in front of those with problems they simply don’t want to change…you can’t change them, but you can simply listen…but don’t worry…something you simply can’t change…let it go.

You have people that are dreamers and are always looking for that opportunity to get financial secured, you might know someone, but just because you believe or think that things are impossible, doesn’t mean that it cannot be accomplished and if that individuals is a dreamer…so be it…why in the world would you want o have health issues or get upset or anything if you can’t change them…yah you love them and you don’t want them to blow their inheritance, but you can listen and provide some advice…but don’t get upset, let it go.

If you actually sit down at a table and layout all the things that bring stress, anger, or other negative feelings…you will see that most of them are simply things you cannot change and if you approach them as though they are what they are and don’t let them get to you…you will be able to reduce the list or things to a few things that then you can concentrate on working them out.

The thing sis, that we are all aware of this old saying, but it is so true when you think about it, “Pick Your Battles”. And you will see a better you….which is what is important here…”YOU”, because if you think about it, how many people count on you and if anything happens to you…how many people will it affect…they need you around…so my suggestion here is…get some alone time, write out all the things that make you tense, angry, stressed and so one and begin choosing those that you simply cannot change, they are not life threatening and cross it off. Before you know it, the list will be manageable and “Your” health will be yours.

I am probably preaching…but with such a hit to my self-worth or self…I thought heck let me share.

My Perspective:
If you have dreams, keep them alive…but of course make sure you research what you want to do before going in head-over-heals…and loose your shirt. It’s ok to take some advice from others, but if they become negative remarks, ask them kindly to with-hold their comments…if they care about you…they will understand, but no one and I mean no one should bring down your dreams, you aspirations…or whatever you personally feel is important to you. Believe me you will have many, many reality checks through out your life…and some will be small and some will be HUGE, life changing…just remember with everything that is going on around us…don’t take on the little things in life…believe me, you will eventually understand why I am saying that, but why not take the advice now so you don’t wreck your health now…only saying.

I know, we all want to learn on our own, we want to be first time parents, first time this and that, but if you had someone that went through the same thing or path…come on there is nothing wrong with just listening to the advice they might have…something out of it might feel right and work for you…but never allow someone to put you down on your dreams…if they don’t like them then don’t share it with them…there are others that will more than likely feel enthusiastic about them as much as you…but always research…always research before jumping into anything.

Thanks for reading, till next time Latino Man signing off.

Complimenting Women – Getting Offended

The other day, on a Sunday, I went to a local sports bar just after work; I wanted to catch up on the days games and of course see a little of the Sunday night football before heading home…well…in a casual and relaxed atmosphere, as much as possible since it was Football season.

Anyhow, so while I was there a group of guys sat next to me and were pretty much already drunk, so anyhow through out there stay, which was three pitcher’s of beer, they were giving the waitress a tough time, lots of flirting, which I am sure they are use to it, but then they began getting a little –w hats the word – lude…I guess, they were asking for her number telling her to turn around and show them her ass-etc, and you with all that going on she was holding up pretty good, she kept serving and just smiling.

Well they ended up leaving, since one said that they weren’t getting any action here they were going to leave, the thing is that they did not leave her a tip. As she was cleaning up she mumbled and made a little complain to me about them…I smiled and said sorry…as I was saying sorry for all men in particular.

Now the thing I forgot to mention that while she was serving them she kept coming over and pouring me my beer and cleaning and smiling, even though she was not my waitress, which I thought was nice of her. Any so, as she walked away, I thought to myself that she worked hard she deserves a tip for talking the crap from those guys, so I stopped her as she walked by and gave her a $20 dollar bill…well guess what…she got offended. She took it, but then she never again stopped by my sit and didn’t even look my way as she did before. I was dumb-founded. I was thinking to myself maybe she took it offensively since maybe I gave her …I don’t know…all I know is…I am pretty sure she took offense.

Before I go on, just so you know the waitress I had pretty much never stopped by once, but I left her a $20 dollar tip from a $48 dollar bill…ok…so I tipped good when I see the waitress or waiter working hard, I tip great when they treat me a little extra…I think it is fair.

So, as not to get away from the actual topic here…do you think she got offended by me tipping her and not the actual guys? I am not a kid, and I have seen a lot in my life and experienced a lot and I am completely fair when it comes to tipping, I have worked in the Customer Service Industry and I know all about it…so I try and understand those that work hard and sometimes count on those tips. But I also understand that without the client they will not get tips…so it needs to go both ways…meaning – kindness-.

This brings me to a similar topic…that relates to getting offended. My experience has told me that now-a-days women get easily offended if a man even looks at them a little weird. I mean it is tough enough for a guy to try and compliment a women on how they look and not having to think about the retaliation they might get from the women is bad enough for men not to say anything and of course then the women gets offended because the guy didn’t say anything. It’s hard to understand…now I am sure that women experience the same thing from men…not saying, but my post is about my experience so I will talk about what I think and experience.

So, if a guy, like myself sees a beautiful women and smiles…there is a huge percentage that she will not smile back and even a bigger percentage that she will get offended. Now, you might get a few ladies that will smile and of course after a few times, possible pick up a conversation…nothing wrong with that…simply making small talk. Now, I know that not all women are the same and of course not all men either, but 97 percent of each group pretty much takes to that side. Now, it could also be due to age group, the younger aged men and women might feel more like untouchable, as we get older though…I see that many, not all men and women welcome the compliments, gestures, in good taste, that come their way. Maybe it is experience, maybe it is maturity…I don’t know.

My Perspective:

Life gives us enough problems that we need to worry about all the little things, such as receiving a tip from a stranger that maybe you were not waiting on. Don’t automatically assume they expect something in return, if you ask, you might be surprised they were only trying to be nice, if they happen to be rude / crude, then you simply thank them and walk away. Don’t take immediate offense to a kind gesture, just because.

As for compliments, yah guys, just like girls can get a little crude when they see a beautiful women or good looking man; take the whistling the “I love you’s”, the “You want to be mother/father of my children” and of course other hilarious pick-up lines just as they are…”Lines”…nothing more. So for them young folks out there, and what I mean is those under 35…if a guys whistles, howls, gestures – from a distance – just smile, take it in stride…don’t get offended. Of course no man or women should ever cross the line…meaning using offensive words, or touching…that is crossing the line. Window shopping is ok…admiring the goods is ok, stating they look good is ok.

I truly appreciate your time in reading my Blog and remember don’t worry about the little things, there are enough bigger things to worry about…and like life might throw things our way…sometimes they are pretty big…but take it one step at a time, one at a time.

Till next time Latino Man signing off.

5 Things You Think Work, But Actually Don't
by Matt Brownell

Thursday, October 6, 2011
Provided by Main St

Most people are well aware of the placebo effect as it pertains to medicine. The idea is that simply thinking that a treatment will cure your symptoms is sometimes enough to make that treatment take effect. For instance, a patient who thinks he's taking Advil for a headache may see his headache go away even if he's swallowing a sugar pill meant to look like a painkiller. The effect is powerful enough that control groups in scientific studies of a treatment's effectiveness will be given a dummy treatment to control for the effect.

But the placebo effect is by no means limited to medicine. In our daily lives we constantly encounter situations where products or services don't work as promised. Yet far from stomping off to complain to someone, we instead come away convinced that the button we were pressing was doing exactly what it said it would. If a button says it will close the elevator doors but doesn't appear to have the desired effect, we still find a way to convince ourselves that it was doing what it said it would.

"Don't assume self-delusion is always willful or conscious," says David McRaney, author of You Are Not So Smart, a book about self-delusion. "We often engage in something called confabulation, which is basically making up a story we can believe in to explain away behavior we don't understand... We are very good at pattern recognition, and whether or not we have the story correct as to what is causing the pattern, we naturally learn to associate cause and effect."

In other words, if the button says it will close the elevator doors, and the elevator doors don't close until we've been pushing it for 20 seconds, we still manage to convince ourselves that our actions brought about the outcome. It's just like the guy who takes the sugar pill labeled "Advil" — when the headache goes away on its own after a couple of hours, he convinces himself that it was the pill that did the trick.

Here a few examples of how this phenomenon affects us on a daily basis.

The Elevator "Close Doors" Button

Let's start with the most obvious example: That pesky "close doors" button on the elevator. It's a fairly well-established fact that on most elevators it's what essentially amounts to a dummy button.

But it's not as if elevator manufacturers are installing an extra button just to give you an illusion of control. Indeed, McRaney says the button can be activated, but only by certain people.

"The close buttons don't close the elevator doors in most elevators built in the United States since the Americans with Disabilities Act," explains McRaney. "The button is there for workers and emergency personnel to use, and it only works with a key."

Sure, they could put a sign on the panel explaining the situation to elevator riders, but as McRaney points out, it's hard to justify the time and money it would take. And besides, we'd probably keep pressing it anyway, convinced that this time it will work.

"HD" TV

We're not suggesting that HD TVs aren't really high-definition, though the various technical terminology might make it hard to determine just how good the picture quality really is. But for some people, simply seeing the "HD" label on the TV is enough to convince them that the picture is better, even if they don't have the proper connection or they're not watching an HD channel. Simply being told that it's an HD picture is enough to convince them that the picture is better, and it isn't until their grandkids come over and show them how to find the HD channels that they realize they'd been deluding themselves.

This isn't just anecdotal, though. Dutch scientists conducted a study in 2009 in which 60 people were shown an identical video clip on identical TVs. However, half of them were told that the clip would be in high-definition, and the scientists even attached an extra-thick cable to the back of the TV to complete the charade. The control group was told to expect a normal DVD image.

Afterwards they were asked to describe the picture quality. You can imagine which group thought it was watching the nicer picture.

Of course, at this point HD TVs are ubiquitous enough that most people know when they're seeing a high-definition picture or not. And as one of the scientists explained to New Scientist magazine, the gap between standard definition and high definition is smaller in Europe than it is in the U.S., so it wouldn't be as effective here.

Still, it's a good reminder that an assurance that something is "high quality" doesn't just make it more likely that you'll buy the product — it may also subtly influence your enjoyment of it.

Walk Signal Buttons

Many cities and towns have buttons at crosswalks that allow a pedestrian to speed up the arrival of a walk signal. And in many places, they do exactly what they promise to do.

But not everywhere.

The City of New York admitted several years ago that most of the "push button, wait for walk signal" buttons were no longer active, having long ago been replaced by automated systems that keep all the lights on a set timer. That makes them placebo buttons just like the close door buttons on an elevator.

"Just as with the elevators, it would be expensive to replace or remove all of the non-functioning buttons or to inform the public through some sort of media campaign," explains McRaney. "There is no obvious harm in letting the people in your town keep impotently jamming crosswalk buttons."

And many people will keep pushing away — perhaps a holdover from a time when they remember the buttons working, or perhaps because occasionally they'll get lucky and the light will change right after they push.

Again, in many municipalities these buttons actually do work. In 2008, an investigation by Canada.com found that there weren't any such placebo buttons in Victoria, Canada, though city officials admitted that the buttons varied in effectiveness.

Butt-Toning Shoes

In the case of elevator and walk signal buttons, there's no deliberate deception involved — technology just changed, and nobody bothered to inform the people who were still pressing away in vain. But sometimes you have the classic case of a company making claims that it can't back up.

Case in point: Reebok was just ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to pay $25 million in refunds for claiming that its "toning" shoes would strengthen and tone the thighs and butts of people who wore them. The FTC also banned the company from making similar claims in future advertisements.

The decision is a potential shot across the bow of other companies marketing similar shoes, whose rounded soles supposedly make your thigh and butt muscles do more work as you walk. Despite the big claims by companies like Reebok and Skechers, some experts are skeptical; USA Today last year quoted a professor of medicine who called such claims "utter nonsense" and suggested that their only effect could be to destabilize the Achilles tendon.

Despite these doubters, many customers are quite pleased with their purchase. In a statement responding to the FTC decision, a Reebok spokesman insisted that the company had received "overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from thousands of EasyTone customers." And while that's probably a bit of corporate over-exaggeration, we don't doubt that many customers did indeed come away feeling like the shoes had improved their butt. Maybe the shoes really did the trick. Or maybe they just thought it did.

Office Thermostats

We hate to break it to you, but big companies aren't just going to let a chilly employee crank the heat up whenever he or she pleases. But if they simply locked the thermostat or put the controls out of reach, the employees would constantly complain.

The solution: A thermostat that doesn't actually do anything but placate the chilly masses.

"In many offices the controls on the wall don't do anything," says McRaney. "Some bosses and landlords feel like they can't trust people not to fiddle with the temperature all day and thus cost them money, so they install dummy thermostats which give people the illusion of control. They work really well, as most people fool themselves into believing they feel the change."

When pressed, most technicians tasked with installing the devices admit that they're merely window dressing. A 2003 investigation by The Wall Street Journal quoted one HVAC technician who estimated that 90% of office thermostats were completely fake (though other technicians gave lower estimates).

We haven't seen any study confirming that people feel warmer after fiddling with these props. But let's be honest: If they didn't work, offices wouldn't bother installing them.

My Perspective:

It's amazing at some of the things that you can learn, now that we have such easy access to informaiton and of course those that are willing to share. Thanks for reading till next time Latino Man signing Off.