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Pregnancy Miracle is an ebook that shows women become pregnant

Women who are looking for options to help you get pregnant may have stumbled on a book called Miracle Pregnancy. However, they have an important question about this book Pregnancy Miracle. Does it work? Before answering this question, let me explain what this book is.

Pregnancy Miracle is an ebook that shows women become pregnant. It is only a guide. This is a real system that if followed, can help to get pregnant quickly and naturally, regardless of any fertility problems you may have or how old they are. So, does it work? This is a true story.

More than 7 years, Beth had been trying to conceive. During this time, had spent thousands of dollars on expensive infertility treatments. She had three cycles of IVF and intrauterine insemination attempts were unsuccessful after several attempts. I was not looking at a good Beth.

However, by mistake, happened to come across the book Pregnancy Miracle. After reading the book and following the guidelines as directed, found herself holding a positive pregnancy test after only 5 weeks. She was able to conceive naturally without any drugs or medical procedures just by doing what is mentioned in the book.

The book cost less than $ 40 and was able to help you get pregnant. He spent thousands in fertility treatments that do not involve much success. He spent seven years trying to conceive and once you have this book, she was able to conceive in 5 weeks. Therefore, miracle pregnancy book ... Does it work? I think we pretty much have the answer if you've read all the way to the end of this article. The answer is quite clear.

Get Started in Jewelry Design: These Books Will Show You How

The jewelry making techniques are fairly simple, but the art involved requires an understanding of basic design concepts in order to succeed. Take a course in jewelry design at a local art school or continue with the Ed is great, but if that is not possible, or if you want to expand their knowledge of jewelry design beyond the scope of their instructor, then a or more of these books will give you a great start.

Author Elizabeth Olver has both the subject of jewelry design and its readers seriously in his book The Art of Jewelry Design: From concept to reality (North Light Books, 2002). The book combines detailed hand-drawn illustrations and dramatic color photographs with the solids content includes essential design tools, the stages of the design process, the various elements of jewelry design and creative concepts involved in jewelry design success. Creative concepts, as defined by Olver and are listed in the table of contents of the book are "organic, geometric, abstract, narrative, figurative, symbolic, fashion icons, the series well," and "sculpture". This book will help you find your own style of jewelry making based on a sound understanding of the design.

If your taste in jewelry accounts runs the Book of Accounts: a practical guide and inspiration for beads and jewelry making, by authors Janet Coles and Robert Budwig (Simon & Schuster, 1990), covers the basic design concepts jewelry with pearls and presents detailed instructions for a variety of projects. The book also contains many photos and descriptions of a multitude of accounts and covers the entire process involved in creating earrings, bracelets, necklaces and brooches decorative.

More basic, but very funny, The Art of Making Jewelry by Deborah Krupenia, Tammy Powley, Jessica Wrobel and (Thunder Bay Press, 2005), covers the tools and materials used in the manufacture of jewelry, including glass standard metal and ceramic supplies, and more unusual materials such as paper and paper mache. The book provides specific instructions for a wide range of projects using a variety of techniques, and profiles of twenty renowned jewelry artists and their work.

Each book illustrates the basic techniques, but then takes them in very different directions, resulting in a wide range of artistic styles that can act as a source of inspiration for budding jewelry designer. Each one in particular offers strong technical knowledge of the jewelry, which together provide an excellent introduction to the creative range available in this unique art form.

Free Jewelry is a Real Thing - Jewelry Home Show Hostess Success Tips

The representative of the jewelry sale will it sound easy to do, and presenting a program of home jewelry can be simple, but if you want to maximize sales, and therefore, the amount of free jewelry that you can gain from the series, then you will find the following checklist useful.

SELECTION OF A DATE AND TIME

The date and time of your party jewelry can help increase sales. A month or two months before graduation, Christmas or any holiday gift you can take your guests are already in the mood for shopping. Book a spectacle fit for the winter holidays can be difficult, however. I attended a jewelry show in early October, and reserve all the time available for delivery on vacation and had been taken, so plan early if you want the extra boost of Christmas and holiday jewelry sales . If you happen to be at a party by the pool in July, do not delay, book in November or December show then!

The day of the week and time must also be considered. During football season, a celebration of Sunday afternoon may be time very well, with many women who want to escape from his armchair athlete men-folk for a couple of hours. Super Bowl Sunday might be an exception to this example. Saturday is often "mission day" for women who work at the end of the afternoon, around the cocktail hour might be the right time. Part 3:00 pm or 4:00 may be the last stop before going home to prepare for the night. Saturday night can also be a good time for a party, depending on the mix of customers to invite. If your guests are available during the weekday, morning jewelry shows your home can be a welcome break from the routine.

Usually the duration of a game is two hours. Your friends may want to stay up late, however, the sales staff have to pack up and go home after a couple of hours and, in general, two hours is enough time for everyone to explore, test samples of jewelry, and place orders.

DEFINE YOUR ROLE AS HOST

Once you have booked your jewelry home party show, take a few minutes for yourself and to define its role. Some sales representatives will provide you invitations, postcards and a guide on how to prepare for his show. When the invitations are delivered, the hostess is expected to address and mail your invitations. At a recent party Silpada jewelry, the sales rep said she only needed the guest list and addresses, and her address and send the invitations. This is less work and more convenient for the hostess, and the representative can build your mailing list at the same time.
You are encouraged to promote your next party. Do you feel comfortable doing so. Not everyone was PT Barnum.

Build a list of INVITATION

The guest list needs careful thought, especially with something like the jewelry, which for most people is a luxury, not a necessity. Although there is no obligation to buy, once a visitor arrives and begins to be seen, the expectation of an order to grow, and not all jewelry displays offers the symbolic element, affordable for everyone.

If you know someone who is looking for a source of income, and which seem suitable for sale, then you might want to attend to learn more about joining the company as a sales associate. This can benefit the homeowner, because many companies reward the hostess with additional products or credits if someone signs in as a result of his show.

Draw the names of many places in your social network, including co-workers, church friends, co-teaches, book group partners, neighbors, relatives, friends, quilting circle, PTA parents or day care, etc.. A mixture of people add interest to all. Wait about 30 percent of your guest list to attend your party, so encourage your guests to bring a friend. It is also a good idea for order catalogs out. The sales associate if the supply of catalogs for jewelry and forms you need.

PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SHOW AND FOOD TIPS

In general, the RSVP date on a home program of jewelry is 2-3 days before the event. This will give the homeowner time to clean house, shop and prepare foods and beverages. In planning what to serve, the following guidelines may be helpful. Keep the food easy to eat in one or two bites. They serve food that requires a fork and plate. If both hands are occupied, guests can not be treated in jewelry and active
look at the screen. Let your guests a Bitesize brownie pop, cookies and carrot sauce and continue shopping!

Do not give sticky foods, people also will be handling the jewelry, and you do not want to gum up with sticky glaze buffalo sauce.

Try a new recipe - if it is a success, then you will have the opportunity to hear the praise and help with the conversation. If the recipe is a failure, will have leftovers to feed the dog.

If appropriate to do so, the wine offers a tip punch or cocktails such as Mimosas, cosmopolitan, or Peach Bellini. Hot cider with rum would be a welcome drink on a winter afternoon. They offer these as well as coffee drinks, tea and soft drinks will help guests relax in what could be a stressful situation. It also adds a festive atmosphere. It's a good idea to limit the availability of alcoholic beverages.

Display Location

When deciding where to display the jewelry at home, keep in mind that food, as usual, will attract guests. If you have an open kitchen / family room, having food in the vicinity of the display of jewelry is very simple. If the room is best suited for the presentation of jewelry, then threw his food in that room, with tables and coffee table food and beverages, and a folding table set jewelry. You could work in reverse, and centralize food, while the spread of jewelry around the room, but you could invite theft and presents a logistical challenge for the sales staff. The main thing is to keep the flow of traffic moving to and from food and jewels to keep your guests on their feet and active, and less likely to find a corner of a long chat updating.

LIGHTING

Proper lighting is very important for jewelry sales. Make sure there is enough light to see the details, colors and jewels from the jewelry on display, and allow guests to see clearly when testing samples of jewelry. The next time you are shopping in a store, boutique, gallery or museum shop, take note of the lighting, because it can provide a good model for your party.

MIRRORS

Mirrors are a welcome tool in a show of jewelry. It is likely that the sales associate know and have a mirror standing on the display table, but it is wise to have another close or be sure to welcome your guests to use the bathroom or hallway mirror. Mirrors help sell jewelry, so make sure buyers see how beautiful you are using a necklace or earrings.

Placing Orders

When it comes to ordering, your guests and the sales staff need privacy, so they created a space in a separate room or in a corner where there isn'ta table or desk and a couple of places to sit. This will allow discreet operation.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

The work as a flight attendant goes a little beyond the opening of his home and offering good spirits. Try to keep people focused on jewelry, though side conversations are taking place. Staying near the jewelry and keep the conversation around that area will help people stay close. No need to actively sell the product, but do what you can to prevent the establishment of a sales associate afloat in a social iceberg. A not very loud live music can help with mood, as with any party.

DOOR PRIZE SUGGESTIONS

Often, during the presentation of stand-up of the company and the jewelry, the sales staff will provide a door prize to break the ice. As a good hostess, with a small non-perishable items on hand in case of accident will be well appreciated by the sales representative as well as the guest. I attended a party where the prize of the door had melted the chocolate in a day unusually warm. The sales rep quickly recovered with a cleaning cloth to produce, however, the homeowner might want to consider a backup point-to-hand as a small packet of tea or coffee, or a small bottle of hand lotion.

However, a little planning and logistical considerations earn rewards brilliant jewelry sales strong.

TIPS FOR SALE ASSOCIATE

Trust - make sure that the line is being offered a guarantee without problems.

Be on time. Do not overstay your visit.

It has more of a mirror.

Having a flexible screen plan to adapt to many different scenarios that they face. Keep it simple so you can assemble and disassemble in a short period of time.

We will gladly take some of the jewels of its product line.

Dress well. Do not wear perfume, many people suffer from allergies, and the perfume can aggravate.

Keep your presentation brief and to the point.

We try to offer some elements of cash and carry basis for those who do not want to wait for an order of arrival. This may mean having to store a small amount of inventory, but if they are moderately priced, best sellers, then it will not hold for long.

Bring your own folding table to ensure they have adequate viewing space.

Bring a lamp so that you can be sure you have enough lighting in the right place. Maybe a screen can be used for hanging jewelry, and add light to the room.

Offering ideas for gambling games can boost sales. Not everyone has a knack for mixing the complementary jewelry. If you can make it easier, sales increased most likely yours.

Offer an incentive to book a show, while at the party. Be sure to reward the hostess for reservations made at the fair.

Check out the game a day early to ensure the provision of venue.

Are you limited to the sample at home, or business / work some places that are willing to consider? People who work appreciate the opportunity to buy during your lunch hour. This is especially true for those who can not leave their building during breaks. The medical community and schools are two examples.

TIPS jewelry manufacturer

The construction of her jewelry well enough so that you can confidently offer a warranty with no problems.

If your jewelry is one-of-a-kind, consider offering some limited edition pieces. Your customers want to buy something special, although it costs a dollar or two more.

Be sure to offer the symbol jewelry item easily accessible. The ideal would be to design a piece of each category that you make.

Buy your parts from reliable suppliers. Want to sell as many of its most popular items as possible. A reliable source of supply can provide components when you need them.

Knowing your sales associates. You want to be sure you are representing your company and appreciate knowing that their principal.

Keep simple and attractive packaging. File boxes with as hot stamped logo or name on the label is appropriate.

If you have a catalog, the images show the actual size and easy to see.

Make sure your pricing formula ensures that the models are well compensated for their time.

Consider offer fundraising options for the program. Nonprofits of all parties need to save time, opportunities to raise capital for their programs.

Do not forget to thank the host after their show at home. Through its sales associate who has been a guest in their home.

Dating Advice Book: 'Secrets of Natural Attraction' Helps You Get Any Woman

The secrets of natural attraction advice book dating was written to help any man out there to learn to be attractive to women. Many children have difficulty women approach, and when they do, they end up caught the attention of women.

Fortunately, this dating advice guide was created to help kids who struggle with these situations. The book's author, John Alanis, was once in the position of those who can not seem to get a date with a pretty girl. Now, however, must reject women. With this book of dating tips, you want to show the ease with which this can be done.

John Alanis starts with teaching readers the different ways that you should not try to attract women. You will be surprised how many of these errors than men. These are common ideas that kids think that working to get the attention of a woman, but they are actually hurting your chances of getting an appointment. Many of these will earn the label of being just a "nice guy" no one is really interested in. If you learn to avoid mistakes in this book of dating tips, you can increase your ability to get women to be noticed you.

The secrets of natural attraction guide dating advice also mentions the need to build "systems of attraction." This means positioned to attract the attention of females, without much effort. Most work is done in advance, and you can receive "residual" is about women long after they have laid the initial groundwork. There may be some maintenance involved too, but nothing too difficult for you to manage.

Basically, all you want is yourself up seems to be the "authority figure" on the rest of the men in the room. This book dating advice can show you how to do this quickly and easily. Not only this dating advice book will teach you how to make women approach him, which also shares what to do when the first "hello" is spoken.

There are things you should do if I want to drive away the lady. You will have to take the right steps to secure a date and make sure she appears. Also, make sure that she is the kind of girl for you, and this can be done at the initial meeting. Think about what you look for in a woman long before they start to take interest in you to make this an easy process. If you've been looking for the best ways to attract women, the secrets of natural attraction book is right for you.

Finding a woman who is interested in you and it is not impossible. This dating advice book that comes with all the necessary steps to continue to have a lot of women who want to spend time with you.

Sitting Pretty bids farewell

After nearly four years of blogging, I’m officially retiring Sitting Pretty. Since 2006 my posts have always first appeared over at Queercents before being published here. As life gets busier, I’m less motivated to maintain this blog for the mere sake of archiving my personal content.

If you’re still interested in following along, then you can read my posts at this link or feel free to bookmark it here:


http://www.queercents.com/author/nina/


Or better yet, just subscribe to the Queercents feed and you’ll be able to read my posts along with the growing number of Queercents writers… We’re here, we’re queer and we’re not going shopping without coupons!


Be well and prosper.

Happy ending to Fertility and Finances category

Fertility treatments: $15,600

Sperm donor and other fees: $5,000


Three IVF procedures: $34,400


Deciding to Adopt: $30,000

Becoming a parent: Priceless


Since many of you followed our story (fertility and finances) over the last couple of years, I wanted to let readers know that our darling newborn arrived on Monday. His name is Sam. We’re home now and everyone is healthy, happy and eating every three hours.


Spending $85,000 never felt better.


Photo credit: stock.xchng.

Ten Money Questions for Cooper Smith

Cooper Smith is the editor-in-chief & publisher of Gay List Daily, a snarky, but superbly useful e-zine that boasts daily editions. I’ve dubbed it the DailyCandy for homosexuals. Cooper, who leads a public relations firm in his spare time, is the master at getting the word out on all things gay.

After all, just look at his Queercents endorsement: “Did you know that when the economy is down, booze sales go up? Shake yourself a martini and log on now!” Spot on suggestion! Now, we’ve turned the spotlight around and asked for his comments on all things money. List away…


Mosey on over to Queercents to read more or catch other interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

Equity Line of Credit: Seek Other Financial Shelter

“As long as the music is playing, you’ve got to get up and dance.” – Charles O. Prince, III, former CEO of Citigroup

Earlier this year, the HELOC on our Newport Beach home was reduced to practically nothing and the line on one of my rental properties was suspended completely. Both notices came as a result of the decline in home values.


I could argue that our house in Newport still has equity – covering at least, if not more, than the original amount of the equity line. In order to reinstate it, we would need to hire Citibank’s exclusive appraiser (LSI) at our cost – which back then was quoted at $750. But even if I went through this whole process, Citibank could rescind the reinstated credit line at any time according to the terms of the agreement since property values continue to decline.


After I wrote those posts, the blogosphere quickly took me to school about other people’s money. While I never used these lines of credit, I considered them part of my “peace of mind” strategy. That said, it’s nearly a year later and despite the warnings, I’m still here, paying my mortgage in Newport and on my rental properties.


So when the latest “your line of credit has been suspended” letter arrived the other day, I half glanced at it - out of curiosity - and to understand the current reasons. This HELOC (for $21,000 – and never used) was on a single family home I purchased in 2002 for $136,000. Recent / comparable sales in the neighborhood are in the $180,000 to $200,000 range. I owe $101,000 on the property – I have equity. But that’s not the problem.
This time they’re placing the blame – not on declining property values – but on Lehman Brother’s:
Dear Customer,

GreenPoint Mortgage Funding, Inc. services your home equity line of credit, which was sold to Lehman Brothers, Inc. some time ago. As the servicer, GreenPoint is responsible for temporarily advancing draws against your line of credit.


Lehman Brothers’ recent bankruptcy has created a situation where GreenPoint is not being reimbursed for those draws, making it imprudent for GreenPoint to continue advancing the funds. As a result, your line of credit has been suspended.


We appreciate how well you have managed your account, and we sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.
The reckless days of lending are finally over although the letter ended with this provision:
We may still allow line advances in cases of extreme financial hardship. If you believe you qualify, or it you have any question, please contact us at…
I’m sure GreenPoint will be getting a lot of calls this week. Of course, not from me. My peace of mind is banked in other places these days. What about you? Feel free to comment over at Queercents.

Photo credit: stock.xchng.

Life Insurance: More dependents, more premium

“The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works is the family.” – Lee Iacocca

With the birthmother due in mid-December, our baby’s arrival is just around the corner. We saw her over the long weekend and if looks are the last signal, then it could be any day now. Jeanine and I came home and blitzed the house in final preparation.


We’re geared up: Yesterday, a friend stopped over with her 7-month-old and when it came time to change her diaper we took the nursery for a trial run. Our set up worked perfectly and appears to be adequately equipped. One diaper down!


There are a few other loose ends… mostly the kind that involve paperwork. Upping our life insurance policy is one of them. When I was single, I never carried life insurance because I had enough in savings to cover the final expenses to put me in the ground.

After Jeanine and I purchased our current home, we became more financially intertwined (thus dependent on each other) and this is when we first bought life insurance policies. It was term insurance… don’t get snookered into buying whole life. After all, the purpose of life insurance is really just to keep a person financially afloat if his or her partner passes on. Life insurance is meant to buy someone time… preferable enough time to cut expenses or find another partner that would bring in the missing income. Jeanine likes to remind me that the additional income scenario sounds better to her than cutting expenses. Apparently, we are all replaceable!


Now with the baby on its way, this topic seems even more important and begs the question: how much insurance do we need? Just like with retirement calculators, there are different formulas for figuring out the right amount. Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar writes:

If you have child dependents, though, that’s when you really need good life insurance coverage. Take out a sheet of paper, find your last Social Security benefits statement, and do this calculation: calculate 90% of your salary, subtract your dependent Social Security benefit from that, then divide that amount by 0.08. That number is roughly what you should have in life insurance if you have any dependent children.

Here’s an example. Freddy has a wife, a child, and an $85,000 a year job. His Social Security statement reveals that his dependent benefit is about $11,000 a year. So Freddy calculates 90% of his salary ($76,500), subtracts his dependent’s benefits (leaving $65,500), and divides that amount by 0.08 to get $818,750 in term life insurance.
Using Trent’s method, my calculation is three times more than the policy I currently have today. And Jeanine’s policy is half the amount that I have. We figured since I travel worldwide for my job, there is a greater risk of tragedy for me (e.g. consider the recent events in Mumbai). Jeanine dislikes talking about these matters… but I’m practical and a realist and it actually makes me feel less uneasy about the unknown knowing that we have planned properly. For Jeanine… this conversation just leads to the hebejebes.

But it’s really important to discuss and take action; especially now that we have this tiny bundle of joy completely dependent on us. Yes, we’re under insured and I’ll be calling our State Farm rep this week. That said, the amount we need is varies widely depending on the person dishing out the advice. For example, Suze Orman suggests:

Most people should get a 20-year level term policy that has a value equal to 20 times the amount of annual income your family needs to live securely.
Twenty times my annual income? Other personal finance authors say at least 8 times your annual income. So what’s the right amount? I’m curious to learn what other parents have done so please feel free to comment below.

In closing, I was searching GetRichSlowly for J.D. Roth’s take on this topic and found this guest post that came with a different reminder:

You are more likely to get sick during your working years than you are to die during the same period, so take care of that first.
So this means I should really be thinking about my disability insurance first or at least in parallel. How much disability insurance do we need? Is the offer that I get from employer enough? Probably not, since short-term disability benefits are typically better than the long-term ones. One more thing to add to the list of baby preparation… but it’s a list I’m happy to make! We are so excited about the arrival of our little dependent. Life is good… even when it requires paying for more insurance!

Photo credit: stock.xchng.

Buy Nothing Day: Spend a Day without Spending

It’s that special day of the year – the day after Thanksgiving! Some call it Black Friday. Others call it Buy Nothing Day:
Though rushing to the mall or local CrapMart the day after Thanksgiving has become trad for millions of Americans, many Americans spend Black Friday boycotting shopping altogether in protest. Buy Nothing Day — promoted since the early 1990s by the zany culture jammers at Adbusters — has become a holiday for anti-consumerist folk who enjoy taking a stand against all the shopping and spending that inevitably produces lots of debt, trash and disappointment (that American Apparel hoodie didn’t really fix the interminable gnawing feeling in your soul, now did it?)
More info can be found at the Adbusters web site:
Now in its 17th year, Buy Nothing Day is celebrated every November by environmentalists, social activists and concerned citizens in over 65 countries around the world. Over the years, Buy Nothing Day (followed by Buy Nothing Christmas) has exploded into a global movement, inspiring the world’s citizens to live more simply and buy a whole lot less.

Designed to coincide with Black Friday… the festival takes many shapes, from relaxed family outings, to free, non-commercial street parties, to politically charged public protests, credit-card cut-ups and pranks and shenanigans of all kinds. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending.
I can’t think of a better way to confront the economic meltdown head-on – buy nothing! Today. And tomorrow we’ll try to buy less than we did yesterday.

I will be buying nothing today. Will you? Feel free to comment over at Queercents.


Image credit: rogerwendell.com.

Happy Recession: Layoffs in the blogosphere

Because your Tumblr and Tweets, while clever, will not pay your bills.” – the folks at SixApart.com, creators of TypePad.

Big blogs, little blogs, straight blogs, gay blogs… apparently, the economy has taken its toll on the viability of online journalism. Thankfully, we write about money here at Queercents. Traffic is up. I wonder why.


But traffic alone isn’t an indication of a healthy business. Believe you me. As example, take The New York Times… Just this week, I read the news that one of my favorite bloggers, Marci Alboher, keeper of its Shifting Careers column at NYTimes.com was laid off from her non-job:

Earlier this month I learned that The Times had decided to discontinue this blog. Suddenly, so many of the things I report and write about have been thrown right onto my own doorstep.

…the decision was made in response to the economic realities of the media industry, which is a polite way of saying that newspapers are in difficult financial shape.
I count Marci as a professional friend; inviting me to guest post, not once, but twice, and the only time my mother gave me an attagirl for my writing efforts. I’m sure it had more to do with seeing The New York Times logo two inches above my head than the quality of my guest posts… mom remains a hard sell with my queer content at Queercents. So thanks, Marci!

But admiration doesn’t pay the bills as Marci recently learned. And damn, that seems unfair.


Another site hit hard last week was OurChart.com. From the editor, Grace Moon:

According to the LGBT News site the Advocate.com, “word came down Friday afternoon that OurChart.com will be shutting off all content effective immediately. Editor Grace Moon notified the staff of contributors and bloggers via e-mail on Friday afternoon. Moon said in the e-mail that the entire staff had been let go and that Friday would be her last day.”

You gotta love it when personal messages become public. Yesterday, I did indeed send out a personal email to all of the contributors of OurChart to let them know of the abrupt termination of my employment and their contributions to OC.


Almost a year ago I was hired by OurChart to be its managing editor. At the time the site, which had begun as a social networking space, was moving towards creating a more robust editorial component. I had previously worked for six years in the trenches of print, creating and managing Velvetpark Magazine. Moving from print to digital was totally illuminating. I realized that online content is actually a cacophony of live conversations that echo across the interwebs like yodelers on the Alps.
Her farewell continues on: catch it at VelvetPark or Bilerico where it seems to be the big news in queer media.

Aside from some of our favorite online personalities being forced to shift to other gigs, the real story continues to be the economy. And writers are feeling the pinch. Perhaps, it’s a good time to pick up a copy of My So-Called Freelance Life by Michelle Goodman or take SixApart up on its TypePad Journalist Bailout Program:

Hello, recently-laid-off or fearful-of-layoffs journalist! We’re Six Apart (you know us as the nice folks who make Movable Type or TypePad, which maybe you used for blogging at your old newspaper or magazine) and we want to help you.
Click over quickly, since their offer will end long before the recession. Now back to the business of Queercents. In an email exchange with the Marci mentioned above, I was bemoaning these challenging times and she replied:
“I see the quandary with Queercents. Figuring out a sustainable revenue model for these content vehicles is quite the conundrum.”
I love any writer that can pack sentences with words like quandary and conundrum. It’s just a bummer that Queercents is smack dab in the middle of it. So while I’m not announcing any layoffs there – after all, we’re all thankless volunteers – please take this time to stop by Queercents and give your favorite contributor an attaboy or attagirl or attaqueer as we prepare for our short Thanksgiving break. They all love comments. Yours truly, included.

Happy Recession. We’re all in this together!


Photo credit: stock.xchng.

Ten Money Questions for Peterson Toscano

Ex-gay survivor and queer quirky Quaker, Peterson Toscano is a theatrical performance activist. His one-person show about how he tried to de-gay himself for a number of years is now available on DVD.

As some of you might know, therapy and residential treatment programs cost money… and Peterson spent a lot of coin before moving beyond the ex-gay movement. That being said, he’s paid a price for his activism too.


Mosey on over to Queercents to read more or catch other interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

Review: How to Profit from the Coming Rapture

The Rapture is coming, the Rapture is coming! Oy!

This Christmas, I’ve found the perfect book for my family’s white elephant gift exchange. It’s called: How to Profit from the Coming Rapture… a snarky, how-to manual about where and when to invest when the world comes to an end. Of course, I’m the only one in my Christ-like clan that will need this advice since the gays are guaranteed (along with the Jews!) to be left behind.

Speaking of Jews, Ellis Weiner and Barbara Davilman, authors of the bestselling Yiddish with Dick and Jane, put this little investment gem together (may I call it a bible?). If you grew up in a church that thrived on “end times” storytelling, now is the time to finally profit from all those Sunday night altar calls. If you need me to explain what an “altar call” is, then you might not fully appreciate this book’s humor. And it is classified as humor… at least according to the Library of Congress Cataloging system. My family is not laughing, but they are praying for me. Why?


Because the Rapture is indeed coming! And this means only one thing to me: investment opportunities! Weiner and Davilman are here to teach us:

… how to exploit the inevitable demise of the world in order to make a tidy profit. Sure, the rivers and seas will run with blood, locusts will swarm, mountains will move all over the place, and famine will strike. But for the five billion of us left behind, the post-Rapture world will be a time of even more unique investment opportunities.
And teach they do. But first, take the test to find out if you’re ready for the Rapture? It’s a short questionnaire that quickly weeds out the Armageddon lightweights: “I’m thinking of a number between 665 and 667. What is it?”

But don’t take my word for it. I leave you with a better review of the book than I could possibly write:

A hilarious, light read marked with a snarky matter-of-fact attitude, “How to Profit from the Coming Rapture” dances carefree on the line of offensive. Throughout, our doomsday experts are either feigning seriousness and dread over what the book of Revelations foretells by remarking unabashedly how distressing, terrible, etc. it will be, or reminding us that, regardless of how ridiculous the prophecies (horses with lions’ heads and snakes’ tales, stars made of wormwood falling to the planet and one third of vaguely everything being destroyed) may sound, they must be true because they’re all actually in the Bible — and cited. So it’s not really blasphemous, just caustically mocking.
Feel free to laugh all the way to the bank. Of course, you’ll need the Mark of the Beast to open an account. But don’t fret; the book has all these important steps covered. Go forth and profit!

Giveaway Alert: I have two copies to giveaway. Head over to Queercents and tell me why you’re going to be Left Behind and I’ll select the best two comments and mail out the book. By the way, you get bonus points for naming the Anti-Christ. Hint: Madonna is not the Anti-Christ, at least not over there at that fine blog!


Image credit: How to Profit from the Coming Rapture.

When celebrities fly coach (or at least on a commercial airline).

“Come fly the Friendly Skies.” – United Airlines commercial, circa 1987

Diddy isn’t the only celebrity flying commercial these days. In the past 2 months, I’ve seen Eva Mendes, Ron Howard, Paula Abdul and Carson Kressley – either inflight or at the airport.


I think Brian Grazer was traveling with Ron Howard, but I couldn’t tell for sure. It’s a big no-no to gawk in the Admirals Club VIP lounge; but apparently he was enjoying the complimentary salad bar while bypassing me and that lovely platter of warm goat cheese crostini.


Jeanine was with me on that trip. We were returning from vacation (and my year-end mileage run) and I remember thinking, wow; times must be tough. While some might argue that Ron Howard isn’t exactly A-List, he is at least a thousand times richer than Carson Kressley (sorry, Carson!) and yet, here he was flying with the masses out of JFK. It reminds me of the time that Glenn Close had a middle seat on JetBlue!


Are all these celebs feeling the economic crunch just like the rest of us? The LA Times thinks so:

Stars really are just like us. Celebrities and other VIP types increasingly are bypassing snazzy fuel-guzzling private jets for something less glamorous, maybe even flying — can you believe it? — coach.

Sean “Diddy” Combs recently made a splash on the Internet when he waved his coach-class ticket for a video camera and greeted surprised fellow travelers on an American Airlines flight, complaining that lofty fuel costs had grounded his private jet. Combs’ publicists later said that the video was a spoof to dramatize high oil prices and that, since Combs was only a part owner, the jet was never actually grounded.


For the rest of us, the high cost of flying has wiped the smile off the friendly skies, propelling a wholesale lowering of expectations among travelers…


Even though oil is well off its record highs, bringing the U.S. average gas price for self-serve regular to about $3.05 a gallon, the average price of the high-octane fuels used by small aircraft is about $5.35 a gallon but can cost nearly $9 at some airports, according to AirNav.com, which provides data to help pilots plan flights.
It continues on, so click over to learn why Michelle Williams (the former Destiny’s Child member) isn’t ashamed to be flying with the people these days. Of course, they’re not all flying coach.

Eva Mendes was snuggled into a business class window seat; adequately buffered by her entourage on a direct flight from JFK to Rome until she signed autographs 30 minutes before landing. Until then, I didn’t even realize it was her…although I remember making a note to self when the skinny girl declined the warm mixed nuts. Size zeros always pass on the nuts.


I’ve been traveling for work for over a decade and I’ve seen more celebs in the last few months than in all my-road-warrior-years combined. What do you think? Is it really a sign of the times or just chance?
Feel free to comment over at Queercents.

Photo credit: stock.xchng.

Ten Money Questions for Nina Poon

Over the last 25 years, Kenneth Cole and his advertisements have been topical and relevant to our ever-changing world. His recent campaign continues to raise social awareness and the exquisite Nina Poon is front and center when it comes to this non-uniform thinking. As a transgender model, makeup artist and illustrator, she has a few things to say about money and a-wear-ness!

Mosey on over to Queercents to read more or catch other interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

Frequent Fliers: The Year End Mileage Run

“The glamour of the frequent-flier award has faded.” – Anonymous

Last year, I was 2,602 miles shy of Executive Platinum status on American Airlines so I did a mileage run. What’s a mileage run? Travel novice, listen up! A mileage run, as articulated by Wikipedia, is:
A paid airline trip designed solely for gaining maximum frequent flyer miles and/or points for no other reason than to gain the miles and/or points… Another common reason to take a mileage run is to (re-)qualify for an elite level. Suppose that in a particular frequent flyer program, 70,000 yearly miles are required for Platinum status. If a person calculates that his or her business travel will net them only 65,000 miles, they might be tempted to take a mileage run in order to cover the difference and re-qualify for elite status. Indeed, such requalification may very well net the person much more frequent flyer miles the following year.
Why does elite status matter? Executive Platinum is the Holy Grail for frequent flyers and provides perks and benefits that a true road-warrior can appreciate. For me personally, it was all about the eight (yes 8!) System-Wide Upgrades (VIP Upgrades) that can be used to move me from coach to business class on international flights. I have plenty of 500-mile upgrades in my account (31 to be precise), but these are valid on domestic flights only and I rarely get to use them.

What did my mileage run cost me last year?
$850 – and if you divide $850 by 14 months (I was guaranteed Executive Platinum status through the end of Feb 2009), this comes to $60.71 per month. Was it worth it? You betcha! I was able to use 7 of the 8 VIP Upgrades and believe you me… there is nothing like flying business class to Europe or Asia.


Would I do it again?
Um, I just did! This year I figured out in October (based on the rest of my work travel) that I was going to be shy about 5,000 miles in hitting elite status. So I immediately canceled an Award ticket that I had booked for our vacation to Spain (we went a couple of weeks ago) and purchased the equivalent. This cost about $1,200 and while Jeanine thought this seemed like a total waste of money, I argued again, that $1,200 divided by 14 months (since I’m now guaranteed Executive Platinum status from Jan 1, 2009 to Feb 28, 2010) equals $85.71 per month. I like to look at things as part of my monthly budget and that’s a small amount to pay for use of those 8 VIP Upgrades.


What “personal” expenses are you willing to incur in order to make your job a bit more comfortable? Feel free to comment over at Queercents.


Further Reading:

The Art of the Mileage Run
Mileage Run Turtorial

hoto credit: stock.xchng.

Ten Money Questions for David Hauslaib

David Hauslaib is the twentysomething guy behind Jossip and Queerty. While he might not have as many URLs as Nick Denton or the name recognition of Perez Hilton; he’s got youth, good looks, a proven track record and time on his side as he makes his mark on the World Wide Web. All this makes for good money fodder in this week’s Ten Money Questions.

Mosey on over to Queercents to read more or catch other interviews in the Ten Money Questions archive.

Review: The Frugal Duchess by Sharon Harvey Rosenberg

“A good home must be made, not bought.” – Joyce Maynard

The theme in Sharon Harvey Rosenberg’s first book, The Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money is really about missed opportunity, in particular; the dream home that got away from her. This home (referred to as the Dream House throughout) is in Miami and sold for $425,000 in the mid-1990s. After a decade of double digit appreciation, it was listed in March of 2007 for $2.6M. I suspect today, Rosenberg could snatch it up for an easy $1.9M, but that’s another story.


With the foundation in place by Chapter Three, I was eager to learn if frugality had landed her in the Dream House, so I skipped to the end just to find out. Spoiler alert: She’s still in her three-bedroom apartment but writes:

No I don’t have a house, but I’ve given my children the deed on dreams, frugal living, and hard work. And with those gifts, I can live comfortably on my balcony because I already have a dream home in South Beach.
Okay, so apparently the Frugal Duchess is no Rich Dad. And I have to admit, it was a bit of a let down as I made my way back to Chapter Three. After all, what’s the point of all this frugal living if you’re still paying rent?

But then I cooled my real-estate-owning / rental-property-buying / positive-cash-flowing jets, and settled into the next several chapters. Why? As a fellow blogger, I like Rosenberg. Plus, she’s Jewish and as we all know here in Hollywood, Jews are famously accepting of the Gays. From the start, Rosenberg has been extra supportive of our efforts at Queercents. She’s always one of the first bloggers to reply back with warm words when I send out what seems to be a monthly press release. That courtesy goes a long way in my book. The least I could do was keep reading hers. And I’m glad I did… here’s why:


Her tales of grandmothers, parents and a penny-wise Aunt Norma read more like The Secret Life of Bees than a book about frugality. Rosenberg shines in her storytelling… making this more of a money memoir and easy read. She offers an authentic voice; dishing out advice for the struggling spendthrift by revealing her gravest mistakes:

It took me awhile to stop believing that some fairy, angel or magical g-dmother would sprinkle my bank account with pixie dust or leave a stack of gold bricks under my pillow while I spent the night dreaming. I wish that I could tell you that I gave up such fantasies during my twenties. But here’s the truth: I didn’t find my brain until I was 30. In fact, if I could write off any decade in my life, I would probably write off my 20s. At 18, I should have just taken a 12-year-age deficit, refinanced my youth and then fast-forwarded to 31.
That’s when I became smarter about money.
This is also the age when she married a man ten years her junior; a tidbit that rings of How Stella Got Her Groove Back (you know, that movie they’re always playing on Lifetime with Angela Bassett)? Yes, Rosenberg is all woman; and comes full circle with useful tactics to silence her shopping gene.

Because of this, I’m not exactly her target audience. I hate to shop. Perhaps it’s because a Size 10 doesn’t necessarily feel like “retail therapy” when you’re standing in front of the dressing room mirror. But Rosenberg (a Size 0) is a shopper at her core and much of the book deals with saving money and how to avoid shopping pitfalls. So if you’re a consumer, then this book is for you!


That said, I doubt Trent at The Simple Dollar is much of a shopper either; and yet he pulled out twelve of his favorite frugal tips from the book. There are a ton of lists and guides in Rosenberg’s money memoir and you will likely find a few favorites to enhance your savings plan.
For me personally, the part of her story that I could identify with most was her early career yearning to be a six-figure-salary, on-air broadcaster:
Driven by ego and money, I tried to transform myself into an anchorwoman. I took voice lessons. I bought new clothes. I found a hair dresser who could transform my hair (frizzy tight, tight curls) into a shiny straight helmet of hair. But that made-for-TV makeover didn’t really work for me. In the world of 1980s Barbie doll anchorwomen, I was a little Bratz doll – not yet ready for prime time.
It’s that age-old idea that you have to spend money to make money. Just make sure you have the money to spend in the first place. If not, then get on Rosenberg’s band wagon. She’s saving money and I suspect she’ll be in that Dream House long before the film version of the Frugal Duchess story makes its debut on Lifetime.

Final note: Typically, I give away the books that I review over at Queercents, but this one I’m sending on to Andrea Cecile. She’s writing our Turning Shoppers into Savers series (of course, it was linked to by the Frugal Duchess. Thanks Sharon!) and I think she will really enjoy this book. Perhaps, she just might pass it on when she’s finished. Why? Well, isn’t that the frugal thing to do? Enjoy!


Image credit: The Frugal Duchess.