The Authentic Bartender Blog

5 Reasons Why It's a Good Idea to Call in Sick

2009-11-18T20:48:00.001-04:00

by Sarah Jio

Do you dread calling in sick? Whether it's the fear of a judgmental boss or just concerns about missing out on important happenings, health experts want to put you at ease.

There are times when making the call is a must. Confused about whether staying home is a good idea? Here are five signs that a sick day is in order...

According to a recent Glamour.com poll, only 21 percent of readers say they make a point to stay home when they're sick. The rest of you do sometimes or not at all.

Guys! The world will not end if you stay home and a.) rest and recover so you can get well again, and b.) prevent the spread of your germs to others.

But, I know it can be confusing about whether a sick day is in order--especially at 6 a.m. Here are five signs, from the experts at WebMD, that you need to make the call to your boss and head back to bed:

1. If you wake up feel pretty icky with a sore throat and the sniffles (which weren't there yesterday). Health experts say that the first few hours/days of a virus tend to be the most contagious, so spare your co-workers your germs and keep your sneezy self at home until the following day.

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Why Voice Problems Shouldn't be Ignored: 5 Tips for Dealing With Hoarseness

2009-11-18T20:32:00.002-04:00

By January W. Payne

Hoarseness is an annoyance that many people tend to ignore, but any persistent abnormal change in the voice--including a breathy, raspy, or strained quality--should be evaluated by a doctor, experts say.

And the onus may be on you to ask for a voice evaluation, as a new study finds that primary care doctors often don't examine their patients for voice problems.

"What people should know is that a little hoarseness can be the sign of a big problem," says Richard Rosenfeld, professor and chairman of otolaryngology at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., and one of the authors of clinical practice guidelines for treating hoarseness that were published in September in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Voice problems affect about 30 percent of people in their lifetimes, and these issues can limit productivity in the workplace and damage quality of life. In the new study, researchers asked primary care physicians how often they routinely evaluate patients for problems with their voices.

Just a third of the 271 primary care doctors surveyed reported doing regular evaluations for voice problems, and about 1 in 5 said they never evaluate patients for voice disorders.

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How Much Training Is Required To Obtain The Job As A Bartender?

2009-11-18T20:23:00.000-04:00

i’m really interested in being a bartender and want to go to bartending school.but before i completely focus on that i want to get some info about it.
it is easy or hard to find a job in this feild or what?
what would be my salary and benefits?

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7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat

2009-11-17T19:47:00.003-04:00

From Mercola.com

Tim Ferriss of The Four Hour Work Week has posted an exclusive excerpt from Drs. Michael and Mary Eades’ newest book, The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle.

The two doctors note that no matter how the story spins from the denizens of the anti-fat camp, one piece of their advice remains staunchly constant: “You should sharply limit your intake of saturated fats.”

But will saturated fats really increase your risk of heart disease and raise your cholesterol? In a word, no. In fact, humans need them, and here are just a few reasons why:

1) Improved cardiovascular risk factors

Saturated fat plays a key role in cardiovascular health. The addition of saturated fat to the diet reduces the levels of a substance called lipoprotein (a) that correlates strongly with risk for heart disease.

Research has shown that when women diet, those eating the greatest percentage of the total fat in their diets as saturated fat, lose the most weight.

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Asset Allocation Update: Global Economic Outcome Boils down to U.S. Consumer

2009-11-17T19:02:00.002-04:00

From LOM Global Perspectives

Personal consumption in the U.S. makes up over 70 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, a significant global factor since the U.S. accounts for nearly 25% of the world’s GDP. The actions of the U.S. consumer, as measured by the personal savings rate, are therefore vital to the future of the global economy.

In the LOM Investment Policy Committee’s view, an increase in the U.S. personal savings rate will likely lead to a double dip recession as consumers hunker down and spend less. On the other hand, a decrease in the personal savings rate could lead to a boom for the economy and equity markets but will cause inflation.

LOM believes that this unknown factor, the U.S. consumer’s propensity to save, for the next 4 to 6 months will be the essential data in forecasting equity, bond, currency, and commodity price movements.

Our strategy for the next quarter will be to push aside the bulk of the “noise” from economic data and instead focus carefully on the U.S. consumer. In addition to published numbers, we will examine raw data, surveys, and make observational inferences.

At this time, the LOM Investment Policy Committee is leaving its strategic asset allocations unchanged. However, we anticipate updating our recommendations as we gain further insight into the behavior of the U.S. consumer.

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There's more to bartending than just serving

2009-11-17T18:43:00.002-04:00

By Amy Ebersole

It’s good to know at least one job is benefiting from the economy: Bartending. As many San Diego State students can vouch, not having money won’t stop them from drinking. Whether looking for a part-time job to make some extra cash or just a fun way to meet new people, bartending is a reasonable option.

There is one rule — every bartender must be at least 21 years old. Having that covered, there are different routes to getting into this career such as bartending school, knowing the right people or going through a restaurant.

“It’s been my experience that either bartending school is a scam, or at the very least it’s unnecessary,” Nicole Novak, a bartender, talent buyer, coordinator and event planner for U-31 Cocktail Lounge & Bar in San Diego, said. “I don’t know any bartenders that went to school.”

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Buffett, Gates tell students worst is behind us

2009-11-12T20:37:00.002-04:00

By Tali Arbel

Capitalism is still alive and well, say the world's two richest men, despite lingering shocks from the longest, deepest recession since the Great Depression.

"The financial panic is behind us," said famed investor Warren Buffett, who recently made what he called an "all-in wager" on the U.S. economy by acquiring railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe. "The bottom has come in stocks. Don't pass on something that's attractive today."

Sitting facing each other in an auditorium filled with nearly 1,000 cheering people at Columbia University in New York, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Microsoft founder Bill Gates fielded questions from Columbia Business School students on the recession, investing and what's the next Microsoft.

We proved that we can make mistakes," said Gates. "But the fundamentals of the system, a marketplace-driven system where we invest in education and a great infrastructure for the long-term, that's continued." Even in the country's "darkest hour," he said, American businesses were still innovating.

"Last fall was really blindsiding," Buffett said later. Still, "I did not worry about the overall survival of our economy."

The worst recession since the 1930s may be over, but the recovery isn't expected to be strong enough to stem job losses and get businesses hiring again. Employers shed a net total of 190,000 jobs in October, a government survey showed Thursday. It was the 22nd straight month of losses. And the unemployment rate jumped last month to 10.2 percent, a 26-year high.

The last time the economy saw a net gain in jobs was in December 2007.

Buffett also commended the Bush administration's actions last September, saying "only the government could have saved things" after the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered a freeze-up in credit markets and panic on Wall Street.

In the future, however, Buffett said "there should be more downside to the head of any institution that has to go to the federal government to be saved for reasons of the greater society. And so far, we have been better at carrots and sticks in rewarding CEOs at the top. But I think some more sticks are called for."

The two endeared themselves to the audience with tips. Buffett exhorted students to "marry the right person" and said, "The worst investment you can have is cash."

Gates, meanwhile, said he sees big opportunities in environmentally friendly energy and medicine.

"Capitalism is great," he said.

Gates wore a suit and tie, flashing the inner red lining of his jacket as he walked to his chair. Buffett, who earned a master's degree from Columbia in 1951, wore a sweater with the Columbia insignia.

Students in the audience said they were glad the two were so confident about the economy.

"That probably weighs a lot to a lot of people to hear Buffett say we're out of the crisis," said Andrea Basche, an Earth Institute student at Columbia.

There were at first reassurances that the U.S. economy had not collapsed since the last time the two sat in front of a student audience, in Nebraska in 2005.

Antiviral drug found to reduce severity of Mononucleosis

2009-10-20T22:28:00.002-03:00

By Shari Roan

Mononucleosis, the curse of high school and college students, doesn't have to bring social and academic lives to a screeching halt, researchers say. Instead, the disease can be treated to shorten the duration of the illness and reduce the chance of transmission.

In a study presented Sept. 14 at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Francisco, University of Minnesota researchers found that students who receive an antiviral medication early in the course of the illness become less sick than those offered the standard advice to rest for several weeks.

The results are similar to a previous study by the same researchers on a different antiviral drug. But whether doctors embrace treatment of mononucleosis may depend on how they view the illness.

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'Sonic' toothbrushes may not clean up better than manual ones

2009-10-20T22:11:00.002-03:00

By Chris Woolston

Your first toothbrush probably didn't come with a user's manual. You picked the thing up, put it in your mouth, moved it across your teeth in a vaguely up-and-down fashion, and called it good.Old-school toothbrushes are still the norm in medicine cabinets everywhere.

Dentists hand them out for free by the ton, and stores sell them for a few bucks apiece. Rotary brushes powered by AAA batteries that cost $10 are another popular option.

But scan those store shelves, and you can find "sonic" toothbrushes that take oral hygiene to a new level of technological sophistication, not to mention a new stratosphere of price.

But do you really need to spend more than $100 for a decent toothbrush?

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The Fear of Cognac De-Mystifying the World’s Noblest Brandy

2009-10-20T22:01:00.002-03:00

From The American Mixologist

Cognac is an intimidating subject for nearly all of us. After all, it’s French, expensive, and the names are hard to pronounce. Most of us are uncomfortable even talking about it lest we unwittingly reveal an utter lack of savior-faire.

Yet, cognac is arguably the noblest of brandies and typifies the height of elegance and sophistication. With our society firmly entrenched in a return to pleasure and small indulgences, consumer interest in cognac has never been higher.

Fear of cognac is an understandable syndrome. There are roughly 175 producers of cognac, each with widely differing styles. These cognac houses produce a variety of different grades of cognac, many of which eschew the accepted designations—e.g. VS, VSOP, XO—for more colorful and elaborate names, further adding to the general confusion.

There are hundreds of labels of cognacs roaming the planet, no two sharing exactly the same characteristics.

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Secrets Of The Self-Made 2009

2009-10-14T14:26:00.001-03:00

by Melanie Lindner

Business tips are a penny a dozen. A billionaire's playbook for success: priceless. We asked eight of the wealthiest self-made members of the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans to weigh in on 22 topics, from universal health care to the right amount of vacation.

These guys have horrendous schedules and a lot on their minds, but for the most part, they were willing to share.

One lesson is clear: If you want to make serious cake, start a business. Of the 400 titans on our list, 274 are self-made--up from 270 last year. Six of the top 10 spots on the Forbes 400 belong to entrepreneurs (as opposed to those born into wealth). Their combined net worth: $166.5 billion.

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Turn Small Savings Into a Big Nest Egg

2009-10-14T14:19:00.001-03:00

by Marv Dumon

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the personal savings rate of Americans has ranged between -1% and approximately 4% between the years 2005 and 2009.

Americans' nonchalance was reflected in the negative savings rate of fiscal 2005, which occurred as people reduced their savings and delved further into debt in order to purchase goods and services.

Although the savings rate had rebounded to 6% by May of 2009, as global financial crisis forced many consumers to adopt more cautious spending habits.

Despite the about-face in consumer spending habits, in many cases, the attempt at saving proved too little, too late. Read on to find out why you need to save no matter what the economic climate.

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How to Stock a Home Bar

2009-10-14T13:56:00.002-03:00

From pubkit.com

Stock a great home bar with these essential liquors and alcoholic mixers. Explore the types of alcohol a home bar requires with these tips from anaward-winning bartender in this free bartending video.

Expert: Babz Zerillo Bio: Babz Zerillo has been bartending for the past five years at martini lounges, private clubs and bars. She was the bartender of the month in April 2006 for The Pulse Lifestyle & Entertainment magazine.

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Secrets Your Dentist Doesn't Want You To Know

2009-10-06T17:57:00.002-03:00

Posted by: Dr. Mercola

Here are the secrets your dentist may not want you to know -- but you need to know to get the best care possible:

Secret #1: Your dentist may not be as educated as you think.

Dentistry has changed a lot since your dentist graduated from dental school. There have been major advances in most materials used in fillings, bonding and root canals.

If your dentist is not actively engaged in continuing education, it is unlikely that he or she is keeping up with these developments.

Secret #2: Your dentist may not have the latest technology.

Digital x-ray: Dentists who do not have digital x-ray equipment are practicing in the dark ages. Digital x-rays use less radiation than film. They are easier to read and the ability to manipulate contrast makes diagnosis more accurate.

Ultrasonic Cleaning: Ultrasonic instruments vibrate plaque and calculus off your teeth, even in areas below your gums. It is much more comfortable than old-fashioned hand scraping.

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Rules For Post-Recession Investing

2009-10-06T17:52:00.002-03:00

by Rob Gordon and Jason Whitby

Despite the pundits' pronouncements of green-shoots or signs that the economy is on the mend, many investors remain scarred and understandably sensitive to the previously unimagined threats to capital market stability.

In many cases, not only have they reduced their equity exposure to levels that will not help them beat inflation, many have pulled out of the publicly-traded markets entirely, and remain on the sidelines.

Return to Investing

If you are planning to retire on the assets you have accumulated or are accumulating, you need to get exposure to the equities markets and you need to do that sooner rather than later. Global equities markets work and you deserve your share of the positive long-term returns they generate.

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Coffee Service On-the-Rocks Spells Added Profits

2009-10-04T14:06:00.002-03:00

From The American Mixologist

Coffee is one of the highest profit items in the house, usually generating higher margins than liquor, beer or wine. Yet most of us pay little attention to our coffee service, content to let the staff adequately service the demand.

Times have changed, however, and coffee’s unprecedented popularity has opened new opportunities to tap into this phenomenal trend.

Coffee is brewed using boiling water and served piping hot. The boiling water is necessary to extract the coffee essence from the beans. Serving it while still hot is a convention, one born out of the desire to capture the coffee’s freshly brewed flavor.

But there is an entire realm of coffee service that challenges this convention and explores the creative possibilities of serving coffee at the opposite end of the temperature spectrum—freshly brewed and icy cold.

There are considerable operational benefits to serving iced coffee, not the least of which is selling coffee in the summer months. While you’re at it, why not sell iced espresso or cappuccinos? There are loads of creative options, as well as numerous applications for iced coffee behind the bar.

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The Road Map For Increasing Your Tips

2009-09-29T20:59:00.002-03:00

From The American Mixologist

Let’s face it, one of the great things about bartending is getting tipped. They’re like financial pats on the back. Tips make a good night that much better and a bad one much more tolerable.

When bartenders reach the point where they no longer appreciate getting tipped, I think it’s probably time for them to get out from behind the bar.

Tips are also something of a financial health barometer for a bar and therefore a legitimate managerial concern. For one thing, when bartenders are earning sizeable amounts of gratuities, they presumably won’t be as likely to put their jobs in jeopardy by ripping off the house.

Although it is speculation and I appreciate that exceptions abound, incidence of internal theft can be expected to drop when bartenders are well compensated for their efforts.

Another reason to be mindful of staff gratuities is that guests rarely reward blasé service or lackluster cocktails. Going through the motions doesn’t equate to attentive service and inadequate drinks are an affront.

So unless your establishment attracts an unusually generous crowd, a staff that hauls in good tips is likely one that understands their primary missions.

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4 dumb financial moves in the recession

2009-09-21T10:35:00.002-03:00

By Marilyn Kennedy Melia

You can almost hear the collective slaps to the head.

This recession has brought to light dumb money management practices, forcing just about all of us to confront our financial foibles.

Maybe, for instance, you're one of the ones who panicked and sold during the market bottom. Or, you believed housing prices were guaranteed to rise.

The federal government is tapping behavioral economists -- experts on why we humans make the money judgments we do -- to help devise regulations so that people don't take on unaffordable mortgages and to help them understand their actual credit card fees.

But these efforts just scratch the surface. Here are four common mistakes that surfaced during this economic turmoil, and fixes that we can put in place to prevent ourselves from making the same costly error again:

4 recession regrets

1. Not having emergency reserves.
2. Panicking over the market collapse.
3. Investing in the "sure" thing.
4. Ignoring the fine print.

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13 Things a Burglar Will Never Tell You

2009-09-21T10:26:00.001-03:00

Posted by: Dr. Mercola

The information for this comes from crime experts and convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. Here’s what a burglar won’t tell you:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love the flowers -- they tell me you have taste, and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they
have.

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A Ride on the Wild Side

2009-09-21T10:15:00.002-03:00

By: Emily Hanna Mayock

Minneapolis and safari – not two words you often think of together. But that is just what the minds behind the bars at W Minneapolis–The Foshay and other venues around the city have in store with the Twin Cities Cocktail Safari, which started in July.

On the tour, safari-goers hop in a limousine from Renee’s Royal Valet Limousine Service to sample signature drinks at four of the participating bars: W’s Prohibition and The Living Room, La Belle Vie, Chambers Hotel, Barrio and Solera.

All bars involved are connected in some way to real estate magnates Ralph and Ryan Burnet, “our little family, so to speak,” explains Brian Johnson, general manager of The Living Room and Prohibition.

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10 Reasons Why Exercise is Good for Your Weight

2009-09-19T15:23:00.002-03:00

Posted by: Dr. Mercola

A recent Time magazine article, "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin," is misleading at best. Exercise is critical to losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight, especially when paired with healthy eating habits.

Countless studies, numerous experts who study exercise, and the millions of people who have lost weight all attest to the fact that working out works.

1. Exercise zaps belly fat

Regular moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise has the greatest impact on reducing abdominal fat -- the dangerous fat that increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

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Top 5 Books For Young Investors

2009-09-19T15:14:00.002-03:00

by Marv Dumon

It's imperative for young adults and professionals to start investing early. One of the main reasons for doing so is to obtain the power of compound interest; by holding long-term investments, one can allow his or her assets to generate more returns. Investing just a few years earlier could translate to tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of additional funds for your retirement nest egg.

But while it is important to invest early, it is also important to invest wisely. Let's take a look at five classic investing books. They can provide indispensable business and finance insights for young investors - and they're a good read, too!

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" (2000) by Robert Kiyosaki

This classic is a must-read for young investors. Kiyosaki's view is that the poor and middle class work for money, but the rich work to learn. He stresses the importance of financial literacy, and presents financial independence as the ultimate goal and a way to avoid the rat race of corporate America.

The author points out that while accounting is important to learn, it can also be misleading. Banks label a house as an asset for the individual, but because of the required payments to keep it, it can really be a liability in terms of cash flow. Real assets add cash flow to your wallet.

Kiyosaki advocates investments that produce periodic cash flow for the investor while providing upside in terms of equity value. Real estate and stocks that provide dividends are viewed favorably.

The author advises that America's educational system is designed to keep people working hard for the rest of their lives and that the school system does a poor job of teaching people to create enough wealth so they won't have to work anymore.

Kiyosaki also highlights the importance of tax planning. (For more suggested readings, check out 10 Books Every Investor Should Read.)

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Potions with Pizzazz

2009-09-19T15:07:00.002-03:00

By: Kelly Magyarics

When molecular mixology hit the scene a few years ago, isomalt and soy lecithin gained a place on some shelves right next to gin and bitters, and emulsifiers and Cryovac machines joined cocktail shakers and Hawthorne strainers as bars became indistinguishable from laboratories.

This subset of bartending — an offshoot of molecular gastronomy — gives cocktailians the chance to flex their muscles and highlight more complex textures and flavors in drinks, providing both a wow factor for guests and a high level of showmanship for operators.

Admittedly, some of these tipple techniques can be intricately esoteric, requiring expensive or difficult to obtain ingredients and equipment, as well as a great deal of experimentation. But several others exist that are simple to introduce.

Though the trend has leveled off a bit, an impressive number of bartenders still are using scientific innovation to drive traffic and sales. We asked some proponents of molecular mixology for tips on employing easily impressive elements into any bar environment.

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Selling Your Home In A Down Market

2009-09-17T02:33:00.002-03:00

by Glenn Curtis

In a declining real estate market where supply outstrips demand, a person can generally sell a house faster by lowering the price. But there are other ways to enhance a home's attractiveness besides lowering the asking price. If you're looking to sell your home in a cooling real estate market, read on for some tips on how to generate interest and get the best price possible.

Differentiate From the Neighbors In order to attract attention and to make your home more memorable, consider custom designs or additions, such as landscaping, high grade windows or an updated Timberline roof.

This can help improve the home's aesthetics, while potentially adding value to the home. Any improvements should be practical and use colors and designs that would appeal to the widest audience.

In addition, they should compliment the home and its other amenities, such as building a deck or patio adjacent to an outdoor swimming pool.

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Seeing the economy through wrong lenses

2009-09-17T02:25:00.002-03:00

From LOM Global Perspectives

The deep global recession from which we are currently recovering came as a surprise to the majority of Wall Street analyst, as well as central bankers and academic economists. It is not too difficult to nail them to the wall, because their assertions have been widely recorded in print and the general media.

There was an astonishing degree of complacency right on the eve of the downturn, even as danger signs increased. Now, herd behaviour is very common in this line of business, and this was particularly so after the experience of a long period of robust low-inflation growth.

Everybody bought into the model and it became an article of faith that the blue skies would continue, as people routinely discounted contrary evidence.

For the individual analyst, it is always safer to issue opinions close to the consensus than to stand apart from the crowd. Only occasionally will someone risk a radical departure from the reigning view, because the cost of getting it wrong may be higher than the temporary fame of being right.
Sticking your neck out may be a dangerous career move. Being wrong, along with the majority, is a safer bet than being wrong alone.

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