To my mind, Chicago is an unpretentious, art and architecture-forward, ethnic hodge-podge, whose stature has unfairly diminished with the boom of pretend cities like Houston, Denver and, er, um, Vancouver.  The region's decade long embrace of math rock and Jerry Springer didn't do it any favors, either.  But as this is written, the Chicago Cubs were in first place 100 years after their last title but just got swept in the first round of the playoff by my Los Angeles Dodgers, (Whoooooohooooooo!  Think Blue!)  Calatrava threatens topierce the skyline, usurping the Sears Tower by building the nation's tallest skyscraper the Spire; Devin Hester is still a Bear, and finally, there are beautiful young women, who maybe spend a bit too much time honing sketches of their next tattoo, around overy corner.

Donald trump made an appearance on the David Letterman show.  Dave asked him "What would you do if you lost everything and had to start over from scratch."  Without hesitating...Trump said "I would find a good network marketing company and get to work."  The audience, started to hoot and boo him.  He looked out at the audience and responded, "That's why I'm sitting up here and you are all sitting out there!"

• Step One:  Just call

I was just on my way out, and I had to stop and give you a call!

Hey I just met someone who is really high up in a travel company, he told me I might be able to let a couple of my friends start working with his company,  I don't know a lot about it but I'm going to find out more about it tomorrow,  I'm going to let you come with me, but you have got to dress in a suit, I'll be at your house at 6pm.  Okay...I'll see you tomorrow.

What is it?  We are going to find out tomorrow, trust me;  Just bring your great attitude and I will pick you up at 6pm. 

I'm not interested!  Of course you're not interested if you where interested you would be calling me,  I didn't ask if you where interested I asked if you had a suit, I'll be at your house at 6pm..be there!

Reminder:  Never beg, just sort.  Use phrases such as let me see what I can do, hopefully I can hook you up, and maybe I can let you come with me.  If they are a little negative, just say, "I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up, I might not be able to hook you up anyways." or "You might not qualify."  HAVE FUN!!!

How to sponsor people you look up to.

How to sponsor your peers.

• Step One:  Pique Interest

I was just on my way out, and I had to stop and give you a call!

I just met a guy who is really high up in a travel company; hopefully I'm going to start working with him, if this is as good as I think we might be making some pretty good money.  If I get in, I'll try to get you a position.  I got to go; I will give you a call as soon as I find out more.

What is it?  As soon as I find out, I'll call you.

• Step Two:  Pass (set an appointment)

Remember yesterday when I called you I said I was going to find out about that travel company. It is better than I thought, I might be able to introduce you to a guy I met high up in the company.  Do you have a suit?  He is in town tomorrow night, whatever you have going on, cancel.  I'll pick you up at 6pm.  Just bring your great attitude.

Reminder:  Never beg, just sort.  Use phrases such as let me see what I can do, hopefully I can hook you up, and maybe I can let you come with me.  If they are a little negative, just say, "I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up, I might not be able to hook you up anyways." or "You might not qualify."  HAVE FUN!!!

How to sponsor people you look up to.

How to sponsor people who look up to you.

• Step One: Pique Interest

I was just on my way out, and I had to stop and give you a call!  You know how I have a lot of respect for you.  I have just met someone who reminds me exactly of you, he is just like you except he is making a ton of money with a travel company.  I was thinking if you and him got together you guys could make a lot of money together.  If you would be interested I might be able to introduce you to him.  I have to go right now, but I'll give you a call to see if he can meet with you. 

What is it?  I don't really know much but this guy is making a ton of money, I'll see what I can do,  I'll call you.

• Step Two:  Pass

Remember yesterday when I called I told you about that guy I met who is making a fortune.  I told him about you; he said he might be willing to meet you and show you what he was doing. What would be better for you...Tuesday night or Wednesday night?  I'm sure you will dress in business attire amd bring your great attitude. I will pick you up at 6pm.  I'll see you then.

Reminder:  Never beg, just sort.  Use phrases such as let me see what I can do, hopefully I can hook you up, and maybe I can let you come with me.  If they are a little negative, just say, "I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up, I might not be able to hook you up anyways." or "You might not qualify."  HAVE FUN!!!

How to sponsor your peers.

How to sponsor people who look up to you.

This story is from The World's Leading Motivational Speaker...Les Brown

"A friend of mine was walking down the street in the city of New York.   As he was walking...a couple of people were soliciting him for their business.  One guy said, "Excuse me sir...can I shine your shoes?"  The man said, "Sorry, I'm busy...I'm in a rush...I don't have time."  And kept on walking.  Another guy said, "Excuse me sir...your shoes looks dusty...can I shine them?"  The man said, "No I'm busy...I'm in a rush...I don't have time."  And kept on walking.  As he was walking a young man approach him and counted "97...98...99...100" "Excuse me sir?  Today is my birthday and I thank God...a brand new year of life.  Every hundredth person that passes by my shoe shine stand, I offer that person a free shoe shine.  Would you give me that honor?"  The man said, "Why sure."  So he sat on the shoe shine stand and the young man shined his shoes diligently.  After he was finished.  The man got up and asked, "By the way...how much do you charge for a shoe shine?"  The young man said, "Only $5 sir."  The man said, getting money from his pocket, "It is your birthday...here's $10...keep the change."  As he walk away...the young man turned around and counted "97...98...99...100"

When I first heard this story...I was laughing my butt off.  

If you want to make it in any type of business today...You have to be creative.  Find out what successful people are doing and emulate it.  Find out what they're not doing and don't do it.

TRAVEL TIPS

How are car rentals outside the United States different from those here?

Every country has its own rules, but here’s a list of some items you may want to consider:

You may need an international driver’s license or permit in addition to your U.S. driver’s license. 
 

Some countries charge a fee for a permit that allows you to drive on their roads. 
 

The rental contract may not be in English. See if they have rental contracts or at least an explanation of contract terms available in English. Also, see if they will have any English speaking counter personnel available to assist you when you arrive. 
 

Your personal insurance or credit card coverage may not be valid or acceptable to the rental company, so you may need to purchase extra coverage. 
 

Most rental car fleets outside the U.S. are made up of much smaller cars. 
 

Many foreign rental fleets will have a large percentage of manual transmission automobiles. 
 

A car with air-conditioning may be considered an upgrade in some foreign fleets. 
 

Road signage may be in unfamiliar languages and the colors and shapes of those signs may be different than those in the U.S. 
 

The direction of the lanes may be opposite of those in the U.S. 
 

Road conditions may be considerably worse than those found in the U.S.
 

Gauges may only read in the metric system, 100 kilometers = 60 miles. 
 

Gasoline is usually considerably more expensive and is often sold by the liter, 3.78 liters =
1 gallon. 
 

Many countries have even higher taxes on rental cars than those in the U.S. 
 

Fuel prices are often considerably higher than those found in the U.S. 
 

Some countries have both a minimum and a maximum rental age.

If you are looking for the best place to rent a car at an affordable price....click here

I found an article from slate.com on Yahoo's front page about how people are making a tremendous amount of money blogging. If you are starting out a blog website...you definitely want to read this.



Last week, the blog search engine Technorati released its 2008 State of the Blogosphere report with the slightly menacing promise to "deliver even deeper insights into the blogging mind." Bloggers create 900,000 blog posts a day worldwide, and some of them are actually making money. Blogs with 100,000 or more unique visitors a month earn an average of $75,000 annually—though that figure is skewed by the small percentage of blogs that make more than $200,000 a year. The estimates from a 2007 Business Week article are older but juicier: The LOLcat empire rakes in $5,600 per month; Overheard in New York gets $8,100 per month; and Perez Hilton, gossip king, scoops up $111,000 per month.

With this kind of cash sloshing around, one wonders: What does it take to live the dream—to write what I know, and then watch the money flow?

From the perspective of someone who doesn't blog, blogging seems attractive. Bloggers such as Jason Kottke ($5,300/month) and the Fug girls ($6,240/month) pursue what naturally interests them without many constraints on length or style. While those two are genuine stars of the blogging world, there are plenty of smaller, personal blogs that bring in decent change with the Amazon Associates program (you receive a referral fee if someone buys a book, CD, etc. via a link from your blog) and search ads from Google. (The big G analyzes your site and places relevant ads; you get paid if people click on them.) Google-ad profiteering is an entire universe in and of itself—one blogger by the name of Shoemoney became famous (well, Digg-famous) when he posted a picture of himself with a check from Google for $132,994.97 for one month of clicks.

Read full article

I was online checking out some internet marketing sites and I came across 2 websites that are very interesting. Ashley Qualls started www.whateverlife.com when she was 15 and Carl Ocab started www.carlocab.com when he was 13. Their internet marketing websites are awesome! Whateverlife.com is a social marketing website for young girls where they can get layouts for their websites while Carlocab.com is a website where he teaches you how to make money through internet marketing. If you take a look at their websites…both are doing extremely well. Ashley is getting a tremendous amount of traffic to her site and Carl is #1 on Google search results for "Make money online." And they are young kids! I bet they are making more money than most adults do too. I understand that they have a lot of time in their hands. They don't have to go to work. They don't have to chase their kids running around. They're not in a marriage or any couple relationship (Let's hope they're not). They just go home from school and start working on their sites without worrying about paying for bills, doing laundry, or cooking dinner. But it's not how much time you have…it's what you do with the time that you have.

That's why when you combine your own travel company with internet marketing...you set your own hours and your own schedule so the time is so flexible, it doesn't go against to what you are doing right now.  It doesn't matter how much time you have whether you have 2 hours a week or 2 hours a day...we have all the tools you need to become successful.  Click here for more information.

Network Marketing is being taught at more than 200 colleges, including Harvard Business School. After extensive research into the network marketing industry, Harvard Business School developed three criteria that a network marketing company must have in order to make it a most desirable opportunity. 

They are:

1.  The company must be at least 18 months old - 90% of all network marketing companies that fail, do so in the first 18 months.

2.  The company must have a product that is both unique and highly consumable. Being unique in this case means the company has an exclusive product that can only be purchased from the company’s distributors. Having a product that is highly consumable means repeated sales, thereby guaranteeing customer loyalty versus a one-time sale and having to source new customers.

3.  It needs to be a ‘ground floor’ opportunity. Harvard Business School suggests that in order for the opportunity to qualify as ‘ground floor’, the number of existing distributorships should be less than of 1% of the population in the c ountry where the network company is operating. In the United States, this figure is equal to 1.5 million people. Harvard Business School also states that if there are less than 500,000 distributors, this presents a cutting opportunity. If the company has less than 100,000 distributors, Harvard Business School considers it to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Harvard Business School states there are four distinct stages of growth in a network marketing company. 

They are:

1. Foundation - This usually lasts approximately six months and is when a company develops its products and markets.

2. Concentration - This period lasts approximately 2 to 4 years from when the distributor network is started.

3. Momentum - This period lasts from 2 to 4 years also. This is when the company experiences phenomenal growth and distributorships’ businesses explode. It is during this period that the company virtually sweeps the nation. When a company’s sales reach $50 million, it reaches what is called ‘critical mass’ (sales go vertically right off the graph). Also, approximately 2/3 of the company’s growth of new distributors occurs during this period of time.

For example, when Herbalife reached $50 million, sales jumped to $151 million in only 12=2 0months and they added over 800,000 new distributors to their organization. Say an organization is producing a bonus cheque of $1000 per month. When the company reaches critical mass, distributors automatically experience a ten-fold increase in their earnings. In other words, $1000 per month becomes $10,000 per month. This is the reason for getting involved on the ground floor, so you will experience the benefits of explosive growth.

4. Stability - This period lasts for the life of the company. A network marketing company that is dedicated to the success of its distributors will experience longevity, thereby insuring that an active distributorship will realize continued earnings and growth.

Do you realize that you could be at the right place, at the right time with YTB?

 

Travel Tips:  Traveling with Baby

Choose carefully what you decide to bring to minimize baggage. You need something to transport baby, a place for baby to sleep and a car seat. 

 

Remember the small things like outlet covers to childproof a hotel room. Garbage-bag ties can double to gather drapes and cords. 

 

Carry on enough diapers, wipes and snacks for each child. Don’t forget extra outfits for babies and extra t-shirts for the adults! 

 

Try to book direct flights with no layovers. Lugging around all the baby gear is time consuming and tiring. If you must have a layover, try to give yourself enough time between flights. 

 

Bring cheap strollers for easy folding at security conveyor belts. Cheap umbrella strollers are also a good option as there is less to lose if something happens to it. 

 

Try packing fun, kid-distracting items, like DVDs, CDs and books (both old and new). Simple things like an old purse full of random items can keep a toddler busy for hours. 

 

Always pack a small first aid kit with necessities like a bulb syringe, thermometer and infant pain relief. Always keep your pediatrician’s phone number in your cell phone or wallet for easy access in case of an emergency. 

 

Try going out to nice, big lunches, as opposed to fancy dinners. Lunch time is usually less crowded and the food is prepared faster, giving you less time out with a tired, cranky baby.

 

Remember, it’s a vacation! Try going with the flow and laughing it off. Relax and have some fun!

EVERYONE...Loves to travel and everyone loves to save money!  Big trips, small trips, three day getaways, 14 day exotic adventures, trips by land, sea, or air, you name it...that is why travel is a $7 trillion a year industry and growing every day!

But the industry is changing.  Your most successful travel agencies are so longer the "brick and mortar" buildings of the past, but the "click and mortar" agencies of the future.

YTB is capitalizing on this paradigm shift and we invite you to come with us as we change the way the world travels!

Become the Referring Travel Agent for your Neighborhood

By becoming the Referring Travel Agent for 10 of your friends and family members, you can earn several hundred to a few thousand dollars by just handling their yearly vacations.

IMAGINE...60% of the commission earned from travel booked by you and your friends, neighbors, family and business associates on your site.

"This is awesome!  I booked our family reunion on my website and earned over $760.00.  Thanks YTB!

"Our 50th high school reunion is going on a Carnival cruise.  Not only did I earn $1,468.00 in travel commissions,  I'm going for free!"

"I draw on every opportunity to sell group cruises to friends and family.  In selling to that fixed market, I am able to earn high yields, in terms of commissions and renewed friendships.  I have booked several groups since joining YTB but my largest is an Alaskan cruise for a childhood friend.  When I found out thaat the commissions from that booking were almost $10,000 I just about fell over!"

"Five of my golf buddies and I took our wives to Las Vegas for a long weekend of golf and fun.  The $498 I earned in travel commissions more than paid for my golf.  WOW!"

You travel.  People you know travel.  Why give that business away...When it can be yours!  Your e-commerce equipped online travel agency allows you to earn up to 60% commission on:  Resort condos, vacation packages, group travel, airline tickets, all-inclusive resorts, last minute deals, cruises, tours, hotels, car rentals, rail tickets, and golf packages.  You also Make 60% commission on:  Restaurant reservations, set up golf tee times, have your luggage delivered, purchase travel insurance, book sightseeing tours, buy travel accessories, buy sports and concert tickets, and much more!

Find out how you can have your own "click and mortar" online travel agency by clicking here.

Okay...that's not me.  He's too tall.  If it was me...I'll be holding her by her legs.  But I wish it was.  This is one of the place where I want to go and take a picture just like this to put in my photo album.  It's The Arch at Cabo San Lucas.  Imagine just laying there, listening to the ocean...i would love to just put up a tent there and spend the night.  Or I could just go stay at one of the best resort in Cabo...and it's affordable too.  You can get all inclusive amazing hot deals for Cabo San Lucas packages here.

10.  Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, Maui 84.00:  Mahogany and rattan chic on Maui's ruggedly beautiful south shore.  The luau here is one of the island's most authentic.

9.  Sheraton Maui Resorts 84.13:  Kaanapali's first resort claims Maui's best ocean setting.  And that means beach activities, from morning dives to astronomer-led stargazing.

8.  Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club:  This mod hotel on Kalapaki Bay has Hawaii's biggest pool - shaped like a flower.

7.  Halekulani Hotel, Oahu 84.91:  A high style base (two Vera Wang-designed suites!) on Waikiki Beach.

6.  Westin Maui Resort and Spa:  85.32:  Inside, calm and collected.  Outside, aquatic uproar:  five pools, slides, waterfalls, and a broad swath of Kaanapali Beach, with scuba, parasailing, and snorkeling at coral-crusted Black Rock.

5.  JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa, Oahu 86.31:  A vast marina offers catamaran snorkeling and sunset sails.  Ashore, tots make mini volcanoes and hunt for crabs, while teens rev up with "hip-hop hula."  Everyone swims in a white-sand lagoon and spreads out in large, light-filled guest rooms.

4.  Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa, Maui 86.39:  Kids romp in a pool with seven slides and the world's only water-powered elevator.  Big folds hit the huge spa for hot wraps and gingersalt scrubs.

3.  Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa 89.96:  Parent yin/kid yang:  a calm river pool and spa in a lush garden, plus a 150-foot slide into the politely termed "active pool."

2.  Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea 90.07:  Hello, luxe.  Kids get their own robes, a menu with edamame, and a pool with a waterfall.  duo, the steak and seafood restaurant, is the place to spot movie stars.

and the top resort in Hawaii goes to.......

1.  Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui 92.80:  Brave a 140-foot waterslide, string orchids into leis, and golf with a view of mountains and ocean.  The 413 suites and 37 villas are a calm cove ultrasafe for kids.

Thayer allyson Gowdy: Travel and Leisure

10.  Ritz-Carlton Naples 83.23:  Classically posh guest rooms and top-notch service in two towers facing the Gulf of Mexico.  There's big-deal golf here, plus a gorgeous beach.  The Nature's Wonders program, for all ages, has nine aquariums, a butterfly garden, naturalist-led outings, and a lab with microscopes - just right for budding marine biologists.

8.  Disney's Polynesian Resort 84.72:  This South Pacific- style spread, with guest rooms in longhouses on a powder-soft beach, is where Lilo and Stitch would stay if their parents took them to Disney World.  The pool has a 40-foot-high volcano and cascading waterfalls.  The Magic Kingdom rises mirage-like on the other side of the Seven Seas Lagoon.

8.  Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa 84.72:  With gas lamps and wicker chairs, Disney goes high Victorian at its flagship Orlando hotel.  Victoria and Albert's restaurant, one of the best in Florida, serves a seasonal seven-course tasting menu.  And at 1900 Park Fare, the resort's buffet, Cinderella, Prince Charming, or a wicked stepsister may join your dinner table.

7.  Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress 85.00:  Located near the Orlando theme-park hubbub, the 1,500-acre spread has plenty of its own attractions: golf, tennis, horseback riding, and a walkway through a cypress reserve, where you just might spot a bald eagle.

6.  Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando 85.67:  Universal studios channels the cobble-stoned streets, cafes, and gelaterie of Italy.  Family suites come with bunk-bedded kids' quarters that connect to Mama and Papa's domain.  Best of all your key card works as a skip-the-line pass to Universal's rides - speedily reached from the hotel not by gondola, alas, but free water taxi.

5.  Disney's Beach Club Resort 86.00:  Crescent Lake is right outside your private terrace at this Orlando classic; that's Disney's Yacht Club next door.  The two resorts share a steak house, cafe, white-sand beach, and a sunny, eternal-summer vibe.

4.  Disney's Wilderness Lodge 88.33:  The national-park-style lodge even has Yellowstone-inspired geyser.  Take a ride on a pony or in a horse-drawn carriage.  At the adjoining Wilderness Resort &Campground, catch a campfire sing-along attended by Chip 'n Dale.  Around the corner is the Magic Kingdom.

3.  Disney's BoardWalk 88.53:  The time:1940.  The place: Walt Disney World's version of the Jersey Shore, complete with a boardwalk, surrey bakes, and saltwater taffy.  The rooms: think old-fashioned floral.

2.  Disney's Yacht Club Resorts 88.60:  Nautical-crisp digs on Orlando's Crescent Lake.  When you're not conquering the World, you can take out one of the resort's pontoon boats, or tackle the three-acre pool complex - climb a ship's mast to get to the top of the water slide.

1.  Disney's animal Kingdom Lodge 91.84:  From your balcony at this African-Themed Orlando lodge, you just might spot a giraffe, bongo, or wildebeest roaming the surrounding savannah.  And dinner stars Kenyan-coffee-braised short ribs and Swahili shrimp curry.  At dusk, don night-vision goggles and tour the grounds by open-air truck.  Don't miss the safari at the resort's companion Animal Kingdom theme park - the only Disney venue that really is a lion kingdom.

Tara Donne:  Travel and Leisure

20.  Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Alberta 81.86:  A sportsmen lodge on Jasper National Park's surreally green Lac Beauvert.  The cedar cottages and log cabins are ideal for family reunions.

19.  Charleston Place, South Carolina 82.20:  Explore Charleston by horse and carriage from this tot-friendly resort.

18.  Loews Coronado Bay Resort, California 82.50:  On an island across the bay from San Diego, the hotel is a world unto itself, with a marina and a walkway to Silver Strand State Beach.

17.  Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta 82.69:  Gaze out at the white-capped peaks of Banff National Park.  Ski packages include lift tickets, equipment rental, and lessons at three nearby resorts.

16.  JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, California 82.81:  A cool, contemporary golf and tennis retreat near Joshua Tree National Park.

15.  The Broadmoor, Colorado 82.90:  A grand 1918 Rocky Mountain resort with all the frills.

14.  Hotel Del Coronado, California 84.06:  Stay at the Victorian landmark or in one of the adjacent wood-floored cottages.

13.  Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa 84.38:  An outsize sandcastle designed in 1929 by Frank Lloyd Wright protege, with the Phoenix Mountain Preserve just out.

12.  The Ahwahnee, California 84.77:  Loyal clans return annually to this classic lodge in Yosemite.

11.  St. Regis Monarch Beach, California 84.80:  A Tuscan-style retreat on a pink-sand beach.

10.  Sea Pines Resort, South Carolina 84.91:  Amid a beach, dunes, and a golf course, guests live it up in roomy houses and at an inn.

9.  Williamsburg Inn, Virginia 85.00:  Colonial Williamsburg at its most regal - with lawn bowling and a spa.

8.  Sunriver Resort, Oregon 86.00:  This spread in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains has golf, tennis, biking, skiing (at Mount Bachelor), and even an observatory.

7.  Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta 86.01:  Banff National Park's 550-room lakeside confection.

6.  El Tovar Hotel, Arizona 86.21:  A storied century-old lodge on the Grand Canyon's South Rim.

5.  The Phoenician, Arizona 86.63:  Nine pools, three nine-hole golf courses, and a tennis center with four different court surfaces - all at the foot of Camelback Mountain.

4.  Enchantment Resort, Arizona 87.12:  Adobe lodgings surrounded by red-rock cliffs.  Leave the kids to their sand-painting while you get an aura cleansing.

3.  Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, California 89.03:  Beach-hued guest rooms and a serious spa, on a bluff between L.A. and San Diego.

2.  Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa 91.06:  Disneyland's choicest digs, done in traditional Craftsman style.  California Adventure Park is a turnstile away.

and the number 1 Resort in U.S. and Canada is........

1.  Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Colorado 91.50:  A rustic-chic lodge with ski-in, ski-out access to Beaver Creek Mountain - plus a ski nanny to take charge of the troops should you opt to steep in a vanilla-bourbon mild bath instead.

Tara Donne: Travel and Leisure