So if you’re serious about renting out your second home or condo, if you own a Bed and Breakfast and want to take it to the next organizational level and stop using pencil and print-out calendars then (in this day and age) computer software is where you’re going to be headed some time or another.  You just have to, it’s not really an option anymore.  If someone walks into your establishment and you’re writing things down on paper and erasing and re-writing and all that, you’re business is going to come off as half-ass and less than sub-par. 

It’s time to invest in a new fandangled flat-screen computer and put some reservation software on it.  And let’s keep the MAC freaks at bay here – you know with specialized software like this, PC is clearly the way to go.  But that’s besides the point.  Whether you own or operate a campground, motel, rent out your condo or house, or are starting your own B&B (an increasingly popular trend these days), you’re going to need appropriate reservation software so let’s just face that now and move on…the links below all go to the same place but I figured you’d feel better about yourself if you clicked on the one that applies to your situation so go for it!

It’s the little things that count…kind of. 

Well this is one very small step in using alternative energy sources whenever and wherever it’s possible.  For a measly $60 on Amazon you can score this little handy-dandy case and simply walk around and go about your daily life while the solar cells in this case gather energy from the sun and convert it to energy for your iPhone.  

It’s a fairly simple concept but it pays for itself and allows for countless very cool conversations.

If you’re looking at this article, you’re probably a total Photoshop nerd.  If so, you will definitely be interested learning the following strategies to give your own personal photos a very unique and artistic edge or your photography-related business will benefit greatly from these strategies that normal, everyday Photoshop users know nothing about… 

• how to manipulate a photographic image without loss of focus, enhancing color and edges, creating a lifelike watercolor look while preserving the essential elements of the image

• how to make your digital painting look like you’ve spent countless hours creating brushwork and texture by working with only a few Photoshop filters

• how to create the shimmering hues and values that great watercolorists use

• which filters to use and how to combine them to create the illusion of a handpainted watercolor picture

Definitely worth learning these skills if Photoshop is something you use regularly as a serious hobby or even in your business or line of work (ie: marketing, blogging, photography - weddings, band photos, etc.)

Cheers my photogenic friends!

 I’ve had a slow leak on the tire of my car for the last couple of months and I was driving it to gas stations that offered free air and filling the tire up whenever it was convenient OR once a week.  Then…I freaked out because I started having to fill the tire up every single day. 

So I looked online and found my solution and I thought I’d pass it on to ya’ll so you can benefit and refer anybody looking to fix a slow leak in their tire without having to buy a new tire or ALL new tires (which they’ll make you do if your tires aren’t brand-spanking new).  The product I bought for less than 10 bucks is called Fix A Flat and it works.  Check it out below and leave me a comment if you tried it and it worked. 

Fix A Flat saved me from buying new tires…

Definitely the most normal, everyday, practical article to ever make it onto this site.  I apologize if reading this article was the absolute boring, low-moment of your day!

Congress May Need to Fund Another Stimulus, Pelosi Says

Washington Post - ‎8 hours ago‎

By Lori Montgomery House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that the federal government may have to spend even more money to shore up the nation’s ailing economy, on top of the more than $1.6 trillion so far approved by Congress.

 …but don’t be fooled.  In the 1930s, the government came out of the Great Depression by spending money on the war and by doing so they created jobs and opportunities and sustained cash flow.  That is not what the liberals in office are doing now.  They are spending money like it’s 1985 and saying that’s it for the benefit of everyone and that we have to do it now. 

Let me just throw a couple numbers at you and let you get angry:

15% of the original stimulus bill will go directly to criminal, illegal immigrants.  Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against immigrants since that is the only reason I’m in America today but I do take up issue with crimminal, illegal immigrants as I would with any type of person who participates in illegal activity.

More than 50% of the voting population in America right now do not pay taxes.  This means that MOST of the people that will vote in the next election (and possibly more if we don’t figure out how to impeach Obama and get a non-socialist in there or at least someone who is pro-America) are unaffected by tax increases, decreases or really anything that has to do with financials.  What do I think?  Most of them will vote for whomever will give them the most money and whomever is the most popular.

As you have seen in the last couple of months, America is being taken by a socialist storm and it will absolutely destroy the capitalism of America.  This is a large problem that needs to be addressed.

Any ideas?

Click to see David Cook’s New Album

However, David Archuleta’s New CD is worth looking at listening to, making it officially better than David Cook’s though David Cook did end up winning last year’s American Idol because 30 year-old men decided miraculously to call in and vote in order to live there dreams vicariously through Cook causing the audience for the show to expand overnight from middle school girls to middle school girls AND thirty year-old men. 

Click to see David Archuleta’s New Album

To top it off, Archuleta’s CD is self titled!  How bad (in this case “bad” means GOOD) is that?!

The S&P 500 rose 4.0% in a volatile session, with all ten sectors posting a gain. Volume was slightly above average and on pace with Monday’s level.

General Motors and Ford outlined to Congress how the automakers would use $25 billion in loans from the government. Ford asked for a $9 billion loan, saying it will focus on more fuel efficient vehicles and downsize its dealer-base, among other initiatives, to reach at least breakeven by 2011. GM requested $12 billion in government term loans and a $6 billion line of credit in case the downturn persists. GM plans to start repaying the loans as early as 2011.

November U.S. auto sales results were dismal. On year-over-year basis, sales plunged 41% at GM, 31% at Ford, 47% at Chrysler and 34% at Toyota (TM 62.00, +3.44).

General Electric was the best-performing stock. The conglomerate said it expects fourth quarter earnings on the low end of its previous guidance, but this was better than many analysts had expected. GE also said it will keep its dividend unchanged in 2009. At Monday’s closing price, GE’s dividend represented a hefty yield of 8%.

The financial sector (+7.9%) outperformed following its 17% plunge in the previous session. Goldman Sachs (GS 65.10, -0.66), however, was a notable underperformer. The Wall Street Journal reported that Goldman is likely to report a net loss of as much as $2 billion in its later quarter, which would be five times worse than the consensus estimate.

In earnings news, Sears Holdings (SHLD 36.03, +4.19) and Beazer Homes (BZH 1.37, -0.13) posted larger-than-expected third quarter losses. Staples (SPLS 16.32, +1.20) reported a slightly higher-than-expected profit.

Separately, The Federal Reserve said due to the strains in the financial markets it will extend three liquidity facilities through April 30, 2009. The facilities aim to increase liquidity for asset backed commercial paper and financial firms.

Despite the gains in stocks, Treasuries advanced as investors speculated that the Federal Reserve will buy longer-term Treasuries. The 10-year note rose 15 ticks to send its yield down to 2.67%.

Oil prices had a volatile session, eventually falling 3.8% to $47.42, which is the lowest level since May 2005.

The S&P 500 dropped 8.9%, settling near its lows following a late session surge surge in selling interest. Volume was slightly above the year-to-date average. The decline was broad-based, with 498 of the components within the S&P 500 posting a decline.

The financial sector (-17.0%) got hit the hardest. Oppenheimer analyst Meredith Whitney said the U.S. credit card industry may cut credit lines by well over $2 trillion, or 45%, over the next 18 months, citing risk aversion, funding challenges and regulatory and accounting changes. Whitney’s opinion is well respected after she correctly predicted much of the turmoil on Wall Street.

Weakness in commodities (-3.6%), with oil dropping 9.5%, weighed on the energy (-10.3%) and material sectors (-9.8%).

In economic news, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the U.S. economy remains under stress despite the efforts of the Fed and other Policy makers. To help alleviate the stress, he laid out possible further policy actions, including lowering the fed funds rate, purchasing longer-term Treasuries or agency securities on the open market.

The latter comment, along with a flight-to-safety bid, sparked a rally in Treasuries, with yields of both the 10-year note and 30-year bond dropping too record lows. The 10-year note rose 48 ticks to yield only 2.75% and the 30-year bond rose more than four points to yield 3.23%.

The November ISM Index, a national manufacturing survey, declined to 36.2 from the October reading of 38.9. This was worse than the consensus estimate of 37.0 and, represents the most contraction in U.S. manufacturing since 1982. The survey shows continued signs of dropping prices, with the ISM Prices Paid Index declining to 25.5 from October’s reading of 37.0. The industrials sector dropped 8.5%.

The National Bureau of Economic Research announced that December 2007 marks the end of a 73 month expansion in the U.S. economy and the beginning of a recession. Assuming the U.S. is still in a recession, the duration of decline the peak to trough decline will surpass the recessions of 2001 (8 months) and 1990/1991 (8 months), marking the longest recession since 1981/1982 (16 months).

Black Friday sales were better-than-feared.  Depending on the research firm, sales were up between 2% and 7% year-over-year. However, there are concerns that the sales came at the expense of steep discounts and buying has since tapered off. Retailer stocks dropped 9.3%.

In the end, the S&P 500’s decline of 80 points erased nearly all of last week’s 96 point gain. The index is up 10.2% from its multi-year low reached on Nov. 21, and down 44.4% this year.