Web Watch » How To

How to perform the “Perfect Handshake” according to math experts, and other handshaking stats

web gangsta — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:00:47 +0000

Howie Mandel doesn’t shake hands.

Donald Trump tries not to shake hands.

World leaders are judged on who they shake hands with, and who shakes hands (or not) with them.

Yes, shaking hands is definitely an art, and the folks at CHEVROLET UK wanted to figure out exactly how to shake hands the right way, as a good solid handshake is often the key to closing a new car sale.

So they came up with THE GUIDE TO THE PERFECT HANDSHAKE, and even commissioned a university professor to come up with a mathematical equation to putting that perfect handshake together.

PH (Perfect Handshake)= √ (e^2 + ve^2)(d^2) + (cg + dr)^2 + π{(4^2)(4^2)}^2 + (vi + t + te)^2 + {(4^2 )(4^2)}^2

where each of the twelve letters in the equation represent the primary measures needed to convey respect and trust to the handshake recipient.

(e) is eye contact (1=none; 5=direct). Ideal value = 5
(ve) is verbal greeting (1=totally inappropriate; 5=totally appropriate). Ideal value = 5
(d) is Duchenne smile – smiling in eyes and mouth, plus symmetry on both sides of face, and slower offset (1=totally non-Duchenne smile (false smile); 5=totally Duchenne). Ideal value = 5
(cg) completeness of grip (1=very incomplete; 5=full). Ideal value = 5
(dr) is dryness of hand (1=damp; 5=dry). Ideal value = 4
(s) is strength (1= weak; 5=strong). Ideal value =3
(p) is position of hand (1=back towards own body; 5=other person’s bodily zone). Ideal value = 3
(vi) is vigour (1=too low/too high; 5=mid). Ideal value = 3
(t) is temperature of hands (1=too cold/too hot; 5=mid). Ideal value = 3
(te) is texture of hands (5=mid; 1=too rough/too smooth). Ideal value = 3
(c) is control (1=low; 5=high). Ideal value = 3
(du) is duration (1= brief; 5=long). Ideal value = 3

It should go without saying that handshakers should avoid the following, which lead to bad handshaking:

sweaty palms
don’t squeeze too hard or offer a “dead fish”
don’t prolong the handshake to the point where the two of you would be considered as holding hands
don’t run the Perfect Handshake math in your head as you’re about to shake hands with someone

If you follow the 12 Perfect Handshake steps listed in the equation, you should be able to successfully avoid these TOP TEN HANDSHAKE TURNOFFS, as reported in a handshaking survey:

Sweaty palms (38% of respondents said it was their top handshaking turn-off)
Loose grip / limp wrist (35%)
Gripping too hard (7%)
Not making eye contact (5%)
Shaking too vigorously (4%)
Shaking for too long (4%)
Standing too close (2%)
Shaking with the left hand (2%)
Not shaking for long enough (1%)
Hot hands (1%)

Some other handshaking statistics include:

73% of British respondents said handshaking is an important social gesture
People in London shake 5.4 hands per week on average
On average, men shake 6.2 hands per week, while women shake just 2.6 hands per week.
32% of women said they didn’t shake any hands in a week, compared to just 6% of men who were similarly lacking in handshaking experience.
17% of men and 2% of women reported to be frequent handshakers, considered to be more than 10 times a week
42% of men said that the “dead fish”/loose grip and limp wrist were the worst handshake offenses. 50% of women disliked sweaty palms the most.
57% of men said they enjoyed shaking hands. Only 29% of women said they liked it as well.

And the current longest handshake world record was set on November 21, 2009 – it lasted 15 hours, 30 minutes and 45 seconds. As long as you don’t mind holding hands with someone for that long, that should be a relatively easy record to break for anyone willing to give it a shot.

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Why is there ice in the urinal? (and other bathroom sanitation ideas)

web gangsta — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 23:00:17 +0000

Toilet Time Targets for Potty Training

Female Web Watch readers should seldom have reason to enter the men’s room in public places (Jimmy Buffet concerts being a notable exception, where even Ally McBeal’s co-ed bathroom seems quaint in comparison).

But it they did happen to wander into the men’s room in their favorite watering hole – no pun intended – they may see that some businesses feel that it is important to dump a few bags of ice into the urinals for the evening.

All of which brings up the inevitable question as the ladies return from their trip: WHY IS THERE ICE IN THE URINALS? Heck, even the vertible New York Times decided to get in on the action by writing about ICE-FILLED URINALS in a travel article a while back.

The most obvious answer is that ice in the urinal helps prevent the dreaded splashback.

Another reason is that when men see ice in the urinal, they don’t feel the need to flush. The melting ice helps drain the urine out without needing to run additional water through, so there is less water usage overall.

Other possible reasons given for putting ice into a urinal are that the excess cold discourages drain flies, and that the cool air in the urinal helps prevent the area from becoming stinky.

But the most popular reason given is best summed up from this conversation that Web Watch overheard a friend and his wife having the other day:

She: You know how some places put ice in the urinals?
He: In the men’s room? How do you know this?
She: I’ve seen pictures.
He: Right, you’ve–
She: I’VE SEEN PICTURES. (pause) So why is that?
He: Do you want the REAL answer or the COMFORTING answer?
She: …comforting?
He: It reduces splashback, which is more sanitary and substantially reduces the odor.
She: That’s the comforting answer?
He: Yup.
She: What’s the real answer?
He: Guys like making ice melt with their pee.

It’s true.

Ice in the urinals is fun to melt, thereby causing users to aim better. It’s no different from just placing a STICKER OF A FLY IN THE URINAL to give peeing men something to aim at.. which, according to the UrinalFly sales material, helps keep a public men’s room up to 85% cleaner than if the fly was not in the urinal.

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Got at least $12,000? Book THE DAN BAND for your next party. GREEN DAY will cost you a little more

web gangsta — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:00:59 +0000

More Gigs Now: Concert Booking Secrets of Successful Musicians

Web Watch last covered how much money it would take to book an artist for a private party many years ago.

Since then, the list of available artists has changed… as have the prices that they’ve charged.

So we felt that now was just as good a time as any to revisit the topic and present a selection of booking information we’ve found that can help you BUDGET AN ARTIST BOOKING FOR A PRIVATE EVENT.

Here is a sampling of approximate costs that you can expect to pay at a minimum if you decide to throw an exclusive private party and want a big-name artist or speaker to come and perform for you and your drunk friends at your house:

ADAM RICHMAN from MAN VS FOOD: $10,000+
Olympic Gold Medalist APOLO OHNO: $60,000+
The Fonz – HENRY WINKLER: $25,000
American Idol Judge KARA DIOGUARDI: $15,000-$25,000
Former NBC news anchor TOM BROKAW: $110,000+
SNL cast member DARRELL HAMMOND: $35,000-$40,000
Actor/comedian DAVID CROSS: $20,000
Comedian/AFLAC duck voice - GILBERT GOTTFRIED: $15,000
JERRY SEINFELD: between $250,000-350,000
From various movies, such as THE HANGOVER, THE DAN BAND – $12,000-15,000
VILLAGE PEOPLE: $25,000+
BRUCE HORNSBY: $35,000++
CHEAP TRICK: $35,000
BEN FOLDS: $45,000
THE BLACK EYED PEAS: $350,000+
GREEN DAY: $500,000++
HARRY CONNICK JR.: $100,000 +++
ASHER ROTH: $20,000
COOLIO: $20,000
JASON DERULO: $25,000-30,000+
KELIS: $25,000-30,000

As always, actual costs may be higher or lower depending on what you’re situation is and what you’re offering the artist — who knows, maybe they’ll show up at your wedding for free…all you have to do is ask.

UPDATE: The Dan Band is listed above as $12-15k. Apparently, it all depends on what you want. ACCORDING TO AN EMAIL THAT THEIR MANAGER SENT, the 7-piece band will run $15-25k while the 3-piece band is the $10-15k range. Of course, travel expenses for the band and their crew are not included. If you just want a personalized video, that runs a relatively paltry $1,500.

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Not succeeding at online dating? Maybe you’re doing it wrong…

web gangsta — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:00:14 +0000

Sex, Lies, and Online Dating

Since WEB WATCH WROTE ABOUT WRITING THE PERFECT ONLINE DATING MESSAGE, Web Watch has spoken with many people who have tried the online dating game.

Some we have spoken with are quite pleased with the results, having married their online hookup just like they show you in those advertisements and infomercials.

Others use online matchmaking services as a supplemental pool to their traditional dating environs. Their philosophy is that they will have a better chance of finding a compatible mate if they cast their dating net out far and wide and utilize all potential avenues. Sure, there have been plenty of misses along the way in their online dating experiences, but there have been some good times as well.

And there’s the third group that hasn’t had much luck with their online dating experience for whatever reason.

(An amusing side note: one friend of Web Watch who had registered for an online dating service in the past continues to receive emails from that service, encouraging them to sign back up for another go-around. One recent email happend to contain the dating profile of another one of Web Watch’s friends. This seems like the perfect time to remind our Web Watch readers to always remember to check your dating profile privacy settings if you don’t want your profile emailed out to strangers that aren’t officially signed up to receive your profile from the service.)

If you fall into that last group of unsuccessful online daters, perhaps this is a case of “it’s not me, it’s you”, and you should take the time to REVIEW YOUR ONLINE DATING PROFILE FOR THESE “DON’T DO THIS” ONLINE DATING TIPS:

The screen name or profile has “princess” in it. Really, this is email and profile name 101, and applies to online dating sites just like it does to the email address you put on your resume for that dream job you’ve always wanted.
My favorite book is “insert weird or offensive choice here”. You can never go wrong with pop culture-favorite titles by John Grisham or Michael Crichton. Heck, even a.a.milne or J.K. Rowling would work here. Freakonomics or other mainstream non-fiction is good, too. Just don’t go off the deep-end with your profile information. And no, the “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition” is not considered a “book”.
Listing that you drink “daily” or do drugs “daily”. Really. If you feel the need to list “drugs” or “alcohol” as an activity, the “daily” is pretty much implied.
Putting that you “definitely” want kids. It’s always a good idea to be upfront with a potential partner as to where you stand on children. Heck, they may have some of their own that they haven’t mentioned yet. But “definitely” is a bit of a buzzkill. No need to emphasize it if you don’t have to.
It says on your profile that you created your own religion. ’nuff said.
I’m 21 years old and I have 3 kids. Hear that sound of tires squealing away from you? That’s a hint.
Listing watching porn as a hobby. Just like in the good porn, the use of euphemisms is encouraged. Try saying that your hobbies include “surfing the Internet”, “online art critic”, or “Google SafeSearch Moderator”. Try not to be too obvious until you know the potential daters a bit more.

But online dating profiles isn’t all that bad. When done right, you can really go far in making a great first impression.

Here are some of the things that you should do to really MAKE YOUR ONLINE DATING PROFILE STAND OUT:

Use lots of pictures. Good ones, with you smiling and having fun. These will show off that you know how to have a good time.
Be funny. Funny always works. But don’t overdo the funny – too much funny won’t be able to carry throughout the entire first date, and you don’t want to scare them off by turning into That Guy (or Gal) Who Can’t Shut Up.
Spellcheck your damn profile. You don’t want it to look like it was written by your third grade cousin

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10 Epic Pop Culture Fails

web gangsta — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:00:31 +0000

How to Write Linkbait

10 Epic Pop Culture Fails is an example of a linkbait headline.

LINK BAIT IS A TERM USED BY INTERNET MARKETERS to indicate a type of writing that is used to generate interest in your subject matter. Basically, anything that you write that can get people blogging about what you’ve written, discussing it on forums, watching it on TV, buying your magazine, posting on social websites like del.icio.us — all can be categorized as “link bait”.

Tabloid newspapers and local TV news programs during sweeps week use link bait all the time with their sensational headlines and feature story teases — anything to keep the reader or news viewer to stay plugged in to catch the story is what they’re after… even if the final story really has nothing to do with what the tease headline originally was.

But writing creative and interesting story headlines can be difficult at times.

That’s where the LINK BAIT GENERATOR comes in to help out. If you’re looking for a sensational headline to tease an upcoming story, the Link Bait Generator can help you out. As an example, here are 10 free feature story ideas that Web Watch obtained from the Link Bait Generator:

15 must-see websites about healthcare reform
Is online privacy treated unfairly in the USA?
7 ways Batman could cure cancer
5 amazing things you probably didn’t know about Google
How to sound like Justin Bieber
Religion and the occult
10 reasons why Miley Cyrus is a genius
5 life lessons learned from killer robots
8 ways heroin could help you survive a zombie attack
9 reasons why Ron Paul resembles a crazy roman emperor

You see, it’s all about mixing and matching popular search phrases (like “ninjas”) with an assortment of adjectives and nouns. It’s your basic grammar and vocabulary 101 course.

So if you use the generator to create a catchy title for you, be sure to post what it is (and where you used it) in the comments below…

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How to accurately map the state of Michigan to your hand

web gangsta — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:00:25 +0000

World Map Wallpaper

We all know that your right hand (palm up) is the Internationally Known Map of the state of Michigan.

But everyone always points to the wrong part of the hand when saying where they are from, whether it be Detroit, Midland, Flint, Kohler, or Battle Creek.

Everyone is always a little bit off.Well, thanks to the folks at STRANGE MAPS, a site dedicated to archiving all sorts of interesting real and fascinating fictitious maps found in various media, we now have the ULTIMATE OVERLAY OF MICHIGAN FOR USE AS A PALM MAP.

So lay your right hand out in front of you, palm up, and take a tour through your instant portable map of Michigan with Web Watch:

The area of the thumb, separated from the other fingers by Saginaw Bay, is actually known as… The Thumb.
The bottomest part of the bay, corresponding with the webby part of your hand between your thumb and index finger is Bay City
The tip of your pinkie is Northport, on the Leelanau Peninsula.
The tip of your middle finger is Mackinaw City, Michigan’s most popular tourist attraction

The site also includes how to incorporate your left hand as the Michigan Upper Peninsula. All of this is handy in case your GPS ever craps out on you as you’re driving up to the Great White North.

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Popping pimples is good for your mental state – so here are five steps to squeezing that zit

web gangsta — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:00:48 +0000

Pimple Patrol

You’ve had ‘em growing up. You’ve probably had one or two last week.

A pimple, zit, blemish, whitehead, blackhead, cyst, or other piece of acne on your face, shoulders, back, or butt. Sometimes it’s due to a nasty ingrown hair, sometimes it’s just because your skin is a zit factory.

But did you know that some doctors say that POPPING YOUR ZITS CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU?

Laura Cooksey, an aesthetician at a California acne clinic says that “pimple popping offers instant gratification. People find it pleasurable the way that having your legs waxed is pleasurable. It can be uncomfortable and sort of nasty — we’ve all been grossed out when the pus hits the mirror — but you’re doing something that can help you toward your goal of clearer skin.”

And Dr. James Fulton from the American Academy of Dermatology says that popping zits “…definitely can be helpful… as long as you know the right way to do it.”

Which is why Web Watch would like to share these FIVE TIPS ON THE PROPER WAY TO POP A PIMPLE:

After a hot shower to loosen and soften the skin, disinfect a sharp thin needle with rubbing alcohol.
Gently prick the pimple’s surface.
Take two tissues and wrap your index fingers with them.
Squeeze from the sides, confidently but gently, using a down-and-in motion. Don’t force it. If the pimple is ready, it’ll pop. If it doesn’t, leave it be. Be sure to stop if clear fluid or blood starts to come out.
Continuing to work at a lesion that is not ready to be popped can lead to scarring.

Rest assured, you’re not the only one who is popping away at your face or back. It’s just not something people talk about in public… or is it?

For your viewing pleasure, you can always visit the website POP THAT ZIT -- a website devoted to sharing videos of pimple popping prowess.

That’s where you’ll find such delightful videos as “THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ZIT” (like the one below):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf8G-c_eAhs

or perhaps a video of a a poolsize pimple extraction is more of what you’re looking for?

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The key to a happy marriage is the equal division of housework

web gangsta — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:38 +0000

Secrets of a Happy Marriage

The new “Dad”-related website, MANOFTHEHOUSE.COM conducted a survey that asked over 1,000 dads about how they felt their home-oriented responsibilities were going.

What they found was 91% OF DADs SURVEYED SAID THAT THEY HAVE A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER HOME RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR SPOUSE WHEN THEY SHARE CHORES EQUALLY.

Some of the other findings from the study are:

73% get fulfillment out of taking care of their children
68% are fulfilled by being the financial provider
63% are fulfilled with a successful relationship with their partner.
Only 51% said that having a successful career was their source of fulfillment

The MAN OF THE HOUSE website was created to provide fathers an online resource to turn to for dad-type things.

48% of married dads enjoyed learning how to do new things around the house (such as cooking, or home repair)
35% wanted to learn advanced home renovation, 33% wanted basic home repair advice, and 33% wanted to know about landscaping and gardening.
Other dads said that they needed assistance with other parenting-oriented tasks, such as back-to-school shopping (41%), talking to their children about important stuff (39%), or planning family travel (37%).

The top three things that dads turn to the Internet for more information on include technology (60%), food or cooking (55%), and home repair (53%).

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The World’s Fastest Game of Monopoly: 21 seconds

web gangsta — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:00:21 +0000

Monopoly Casino Slot Machine Game

If you have ever been to Las Vegas, then you should be familiar with one of the most popular slot machine game themes ever made: Monopoly. (Yes, the ubiquitious Wheel! of! Fortune! games are a more popular theme, but that’s a different article for a different day).

And when it comes to playing Monopoly – playing the Monopoly-themed slot machine is certainly one way to say that you have played the World’s Fastest Game of Monopoly.

But you would be incorrect, as the slot machine is not the board game, and when it comes to talking smack about Monopoly, it’s all about the board game.

So, Web Watch readers, we ask you this question: assuming you play exactly by the listed rules in a standard set of Monopoly, WHAT IS THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME THAT A MONOPOLY GAME CAN BE PLAYED?

The answer? 21 seconds.

There are a few assumptions made by the originators of this thought, but the concept works out. The whole idea is to have Player One – through the luck of the dice on their first turn – buy Park Place and Boardwalk, and then buy enough houses to place three houses on Boardwalk. Then, the unfortunate Player Two goes bankrupt after receiving the “Advance to Boardwalk” card on their next turn.

Some commenters have pointed out that a game could be over even faster if the official Property Auction rules were used. In this scenario, Player One lands on Baltic Avenue on their first roll, but chooses not to buy it – which sends the property to auction. Player Two – for whatever silly reason they decide to do this – bids against Player One for the property to the point of having their entire bankroll invested in that Purple property. Then Player Two rolls and ends up pulling the “Pay School Tax” card on their first turn, bankrupting them.

Hey, it’s unlikely, but it could happen.

Which brings up an interesting question. Now that you’ve read the OFFICIAL MONOPOLY RULES, what are your own MONOPOLY HOUSE RULES that you play with? Post yours in the comments below…

No auctioning of properties
Players must go around the board once before buying a property
All Community Chest and Chance fees and penalties go in the middle of the board; whoever lands on Free Parking gets the kitty.
The kitty starts with a $500 bill
Hotels can be purchased without buying houses
There are unlimited houses/hotels, and you can build as many hotels on a single property as you want (doubling or tripling the rent).
Houses/hotels can be built in any fashion – no need to build evenly across your Monopoly’d properties.
Everything gets rounded up to the nearest $5. This eliminates the $1 bill

And the ever-popular variation on a theme – if you have two different Monopoly boards available and want to play a really long game one weekend, just take the two boards and put them figure-8 style, with the GO properties overlapping each other. Move around the boards in a figure-8 direction, but start the game by sending half the players around board 1, and the other half around board 2 so everyone has an equal shot at the Big Money properties.

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What to do when you have a stinky co-worker

web gangsta — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:00:37 +0000

Many years ago, Web Watch had a co-worker that was, for all intents and purposes, a bit eccentric. For today’s story, we’ll refer to him as “Steve”.

Steve was great at his job. He was always receiving work-related accolades, and was regularly the “go-to” person who could figure out anything. Yes, Steve was definitely in the running to be The Model Employee.Except for one problem.

Steve didn’t like to take himself or the workplace as seriously as those around him did.

He lived a simple life, renting a barely furnished one-room shack (it was literally a shack by the side of the road). He had practically no material needs – he even gave all of his unnecessary possessions away one weekend for no reason whatsoever. He didn’t own a car, and would walk the three miles to and from work each day, no matter the weather. We would drive past him on our commute and offer to give him a ride, but he never accepted, claiming that the walk was spiritual and necessary.

Yes, Steve was definitely out there.

Remember the part about not having many material needs? That included having an adequate rotation of clothes as well. Steve would go from work out to the smokey bars and clubs in the same clothes, and then continue to wear those clothes to the office the next day. Web Watch even remembers a time that Steve came into work with his suit coat having some crusted vomit on it from the night before (whether our memory of this particular incident is correct on this fact or not will not get in the way of the story – we share it merely to paint an appropriate picture for our Web Watch readers).

And then one day, in the middle of a heat wave one summer, Steve decided to put the company and his co-workers to a test.

He decided – for no reason whatsoever – to see how long he could go without showering before someone said something to him.

And Steve didn’t change any of his habits as part of this test. He continued to walk to work in the heat, wearing his suit coat. He continued to go out to clubs until all hours. He continued to smoke like a chimney.

We all noticed something was up by the end of the first week, and while we may have talked amongst ourselves about the situation, nobody said anything to Steve.

It was the second week when Steve really began to get ripe. You could smell him from a distance away. You could smell him from another room. Meetings were getting to be a bit unbearable.

Until finally, Steve’s manager pulled one of Steve’s office friends aside and said, “You really need to talk with him.”

And so they did. And that’s when Steve said that he was just doing his own social experiment. The next day, he (and his clothes) were appropriately clean and we didn’t have a repeat of that situation again.

While a true story, it seemed appropriate as a lead-in to the question of the day: HOW TO INITIATE A CONVERSATION ABOUT PERSONAL HYGIENE AT WORK.

According to Lily Garcia, a human resources expert, the best way to handle this is exactly what ended up happening to Steve: you have to directly address the issue.

Of course, Lily goes the managerial route where you try to be politically correct and not hurt anyone’s feelings. This is an appropriate approach, as there may be health or other physical reasons why an employee’s stench is stinking up the workplace that are unavoidable and embarrassing to the smelly person.

The important thing to do in these cases is to reassure the employee that their job is not in peril, but they need to clean up their act a bit (no pun intended) in order to make their co-workers and the workplace more comfortable. On the other hand, Lily continues, if the employee becomes hostile and defensive during the conversation – that could ultimately result in job loss.

Yes, being a manager requires walking a fine line, but hopefully telling someone on staff that they smell to high heaven is one of those conversations that you will rarely have.

So what ever happened to Steve? To be honest – we seem to have lost track of him. Last we had heard, he had moved to Dublin to open a taco stand (seriously!), but we don’t know what has happened since. Yes, Steve may have marched to his own drummer, but he’s one of those people that you really want to know how things turned out.

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How To Legally Change Your Name (guess what Jack Roy and Chaim Witz have in common)

web gangsta — Tue, 25 May 2010 23:00:28 +0000

The Name Change Kit for Brides

Changing your name can be a difficult process, whether it be for business, professional, or personal reasons.

Jack Roy, like other FAMOUS NAME-CHANGING CELEBRITIES, felt that he would find greater success by changing his name to Rodney Dangerfield.

But changing one’s name is not something to be taken lightly. Not when LORD JESUS CHRIST can be hit by a car (yes, he changed his name). That’s why you might want to check out the NAME CHANGE FORMS site for name change laws in different states.

Yes, Web Watch is pointing to a service that you may be able to handle yourself, but at least they offer a “one-stop shop” of all the state requirements that you should be aware of.

For example, in New Mexico you can change your name if you are over 14 years old. Wyoming requires two years of residency. And Tennesse says that you can’t change your name if you’ve been convicted of first or second degree murder.

See? It pays to be prepared.

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Improve yourself with TWO-MINUTE RULE and the THREE-MINUTE RULE

web gangsta — Sun, 23 May 2010 23:00:06 +0000

Stopwatch

Sometimes, all it takes to break out of a slump – whether it be marketing or designing a new product, or just getting out from under a deluge of emails in order to proceed along the rest of your day – is to apply some new rules to your life. Today, Web Watch would like to introduce you to the TWO MINUTE RULE and the THREE MINUTE RULE.

The TWO MINUTE RULE is a simple way to instantly become more productive.

Anything that will take two minutes or less, you should do immediately.

The Two Minute Rule can apply to anything – from housecleaning to clearing your your email box. What this will do is clear your desk/mind of all the petty items that individually are easy to dismiss, but can become a bother if you (a) let them stack up into a giant task that needs to be dealt with via other means, or (b) frees you up to concentrate on the remaining Big Picture items that will take a significant amount of time to complete.

Dean Acheson, WHO CAME UP WITH THE TWO MINUTE RULE, figured out that the best way to determine if some activity qualified under the Rule was to rephrase the question appropriately. Instead of asking “how quickly can you get this done?” and then deciding whether or not to proceed, he put a definitive timeframe on the question: “Can this be done in two minutes or less?”

Now, in the real world, the “two minutes or less” can be a bit arbitrary – sometimes the actual time it will take will be 5 minutes, or even 10. But the essence is the same – is the activity something that can be knocked out fast and cleared off the to-do list?

Applying the “2 Minute Rule” may lead to some questions on proper execution. For example, what do you do if you start out with good intentions, but the task really does end up taking longer than two minutes to complete?

Simple: set the task aside and put it back on the to-do list so it can be prioritized properly against the other things that need to be done. Either your estimation skills are off, or the task really is more complicated and needs more attention paid to it. The point is that you don’t want to spend any more time than absolutely necessary in order to complete the task at hand.

As for dealing with a long list of two-minute items that may seem daunting when you have other, more pressing tasks? Trust us on this – being able to get rid of a few low-priority items will make it easier to handle the other ones. And if one two-minute task leads directly into another one? Apply the same two-minute process to the new tasks as well, or add the subsequent tasks to your to-do list if they will take longer.

All in all, you should find yourself just whipping through those task lists and email inboxes with ease and authority.

Which brings Web Watch to the THREE MINUTE RULE. There are actually two similar ones that you will want to consider:

The THREE MINUTE CONVERSATION RULE
The THREE MINUTE OBSERVATION RULE

The “3 Minute Rule” for conversation is quite simple: it takes three minutes to successfully engage a stranger in conversation. This applies to salespeople, blind dates, company social events, or even neighborhood picnics — anywhere you may run into a stranger where you want to strike up some talk. After the first minute, people will begin to let their guard down and open up a bit… and if you can make it last three minutes, then you should have something.

With regards to the other THREE MINUTE RULE, this really applies to judging how people react to change in their environment, marketing a new product, or creating a solution to an unforeseen problem. Just ask the target what they were doing for the three minutes immediately before, and the three minutes immediately after their task at hand.

An oft-used example of this is observing shoppers at a grocery store, walking around without a shopping cart and holding their purchases in their hands as they approach the checkout lane. Some people say that they don’t use a grocery cart in order to limit the number of items that they buy on any given shopping trip. Others say that they do this because they really only came in for one item and don’t need a cart at all.

But if you ask the shopper at the checkout lane what they were doing for those three minutes immediately beforehand, it is likely that they’ll tell you that they were in the back of the store and didn’t feel like walking back up to the front of the store to get a cart or basket to continue their shopping with their hands free.

The conclusion on this was for some grocery stores to start putting carts and shopping baskets in the back of the store for people to grab if they found themselves with their hands full. Stores that did this found that their sales did increase, as it provided those shoppers who were just running in for one item the ability to easily pick up more than they expected to.

All because someone bothered to ask about what the shopper was doing in the previous Three Minutes.

So think about how you can apply the Three Minute rule to your own situation – what improvements can you make by thinking about what you are doing three minutes before you do something, and three minutes after?

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How to Train your Bird to Talk

web gangsta — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:00:55 +0000

The Farmer Says

Animals can say the darndest things.

Here are some videos that prove just that.

THE CHICKEN SONG

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtJLVy6uymk

LOKI THE PARROT CUSSES

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM4psg9QOnk

Another cursing parrot

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsHPE6uYWCo

So now that we’ve seen some parrots do some talking, it’s time to take a look at some of the things that you should do to TRAIN YOUR BIRD TO TALK.

Start by repeating simple words over and over.
Speak with emphasis and enthusiasm, perhaps in a sing-song or lyrical way that mimics a bird-like sound.
Repetition is good. Try to associate specific phrases with specific actions

And remember, it’s not just birds that can talk. Check out this talking dog:

MISHKA THE TALKING HUSKY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM

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Are you an Asker or a Guesser?

web gangsta — Sat, 15 May 2010 23:00:08 +0000

20 Questions

Are you an ASKER or are you a GUESSER?

If you’ve ever travelled to Las Vegas (or Biloxi, Atlantic City, Tunica, or any of the many gambling places in between), you should be familiar with the “comp” system.

Everyone knows about the free drinks that casinos give you just for gambling, but many casual gamblers are left wondering how to get more – show tickets, free buffets, limo pickup at the airport, etc.

The obvious answer is that the player simply needs to gamble more money and spend more time in the casino – and eventually, if you’re lucky, a casino host will magically appear at your elbow and offer you anything your heart desires (if only you’ll continue playing those black and purple chips for a few more hours).

But for the casual gamer – someone who bets the red $5 chips carefully and cautiously – getting those extra freebies takes a little more work.

You have to take the initiative and ask for them.

Some people — the ASKERS — have absolutely no problem asking for all sorts of stuff because the fun is in the gathering of anything that’s free. Some would call these folks “moochers”, “freeloaders”, or “prize pigs” — while others would simply refer to them as opportunists, taking control of a situation and turning it to their advantage for whatever perceived gain there is to be had.

Just like on prom night, they may be turned down. But a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while, and that’s enough to keep them going on.

The GIVERS, on the other hand, will anticipate the giving of such items and make it appear – however subtly, that the offer is being given away via freewill. There was no need to ask for anything when it is being given. The target may not even know that they are being targeted by a GIVER… the target will just give what is needed to the GIVER.

The end result between the ASKER and the GIVER is the same – both parties will end up receiving said benefit. The difference is how each approaches the situation and obtains what they want. The Asker is more direct and blunt; the Giver is more discreet and manipulative. Askers work well with other Askers; Guessers work well with other Guessers.

They just don’t work well with each other.

So back to the original question: which one are you, and which is the better one to be in the Big Picture?

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Introducing “The Penazzle” (Vajazzling has officially jumped the shark)

web gangsta — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:00:34 +0000

Nads for Men

Remember a few months ago when WEB WATCH WROTE ABOUT HOW TO VAJAZZLE YOUR VAJAYJAY?

Seems like since we wrote that article and Jennifer Love Hewitt continued to brag about her own vajazzle experience, a lot of women have since taken the step to make themselves prettier down there with a few extra crystals and glue – some have even resorting to using stick-on earrings.

It’s become a business unto itself to the point where an enterprising web developer even came up with their own voting website called RATE MY VAJAZZLE. Web Watch shouldn’t have to tell you that this site qualifies 100% as NSFW.

And as vajazzling has become more mainstream, comedians have started to joke more often about the vajazzle trend with such bits as THE TOP TEN REASONS TO VAJAZZLE YOUR HOOCHIE, including:

You want to disguise your crotch acne, and those pesky ingrowns need to be covered.
Because this is the only bling you can talk him into buying you.
Vajazzling is mom’s best friend. You want to dress your vag for the video of birth of your baby. Covers c-section scars too!
It’s been so long since you had sex, your vajayjay is hungry for ice cream on Saturday nights, too.
You like to go against current trends..

However with all that attention so fast, it seems that vajazzling has officially jumped the shark.

What started out as a cute lark for young college coeds to decorate their bodies in fun and interesting ways has transcended into other – and dare we say – darker and more unlikely places.

That’s right – we’re talking about men wanting to join the vajazzle craze and want to do THE PENAZZLE.

Yes, we’re talking about men affixing rhinestone studs to their units. One would think that the manly way to do it would be with a hot glue gun, soldering iron, arc welder, or a good old-fashioned staple gun. But no – just a tiny dab of Elmer’s glue and a tweezer to delicately afix the colored crystals to the package is all that’s done.

Why couldn’t men leave well enough alone and let the women have something all to themselves that they could call their own? Men had to insist on doing everything that women could do, and turning it into something that’s completely unnecessary. Next thing you know, men will want to start wanting to cuddle after sex, or just spend the night talking instead of watching the ball game.

If it matters, readers of COSMOPOLITAN magazine agree with Web Watch. In a recent poll, only 12% of the readers surveyed said that they thought the penazzle was sexy, while 25% thought it was unusual but didn’t have an opinion one way or the other. It was the overwhelming majority of 61% that said they wouldn’t give their man any attention until those penazzled crystals were scrubbed off.

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Award-Winning recipe for Cinco de Mayo Guacamole with Blue Cheese and Bacon (inspired by Food Network Best Thing I Ever Ate)

web gangsta — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:00:10 +0000

Guacamole Kit

Friends of Web Watch have a large-scale annual Cinco de Mayo party featuring a salsa competition. We’ve been lucky enough to have walked away a prize every year with various takes on salsa, so when this year’s invitation indicated that there would be a guacamole competition instead (“to shake things up a bit”), we took that on as a challenge.

Because, let’s face it, guacamole really isn’t all that hard to make. It’s making prize-winning guacamole that people will declare as “the best thing I ever ate” that takes a little bit more effort.

So a few weeks ago, we were watching Food Network’s BEST THINGS I EVER ATE (“Totally Unexpected”). Web Watch readers will remember this show as introducing us to Zarela’s Arroz con Crema y Poblanos, and each episode shows us some of the more interesting things that restaurants are doing with food.

In this episode, the Food Network personalities were talking about foods that they never would have though to combine that totally surprised them. So when Iron Chef Michael Symon mentioned that one of his favorite surprising foods was the Guacamole with Sage, Bacon, and Bleu Cheese from Lopez Southwestern Kitchen in Cleveland, Web Watch knew that we might have a chance of winning the competition yet again if we could take that concept and make it our own.

So we did.

And we won. Here is what we came up with – enjoy!:

Guacamole with Bacon and Blue Cheese

3 avocados

2 strips hickory-smoked bacon, crumbled

1/4 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese, crumbled and room temperature

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1 roma tomato, finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 fresh lime or 1/2 package of True Lime

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Tabasco brand hot sauce, garlic flavor (to taste)

cumin powder, to taste

chipolte chili powder, to taste

Durkee Six Pepper Blend, to taste

Combine onion, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic in a bowl. Mix well, cover, and sit in refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.

Chop 1 avocado into small chunks. Add to bowl with other ingredients

Mush remaining 2 avocados and add to bowl. Fold into mixture.

Add blue cheese and bacon crumbles. Fold again — try not to stir the guacamole up too much, as you want to maintain the firmness of the avocados as much as possible.

Add Tabasco, chipolte powder, cumin powder, and Six Pepper Blend to taste. Fold in as necessary

Squeeze 1/2 lime or add True Lime over mixture. Fold in again.(Why use one over the other? Some people think that the lime juice makes the guac a little more soupy, while the True Lime keeps the guac a bit drier. Your mileage may vary, but we’ve never had a problem with our guac being too watery from lime juice.

This guacamole tastes great by itself, but it is awesome when combined in steak fajitas.

But we couldn’t let a guacamole-related post get by this year without including THE GUACAMOLE SONG:

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You only need to learn four chords to write The Perfect Pop Song

web gangsta — Sat, 01 May 2010 23:00:34 +0000

Rock-n-Roll Camp for Girls

Web Watch knows the secret to writing The Perfect Pop Song.

Aside from what Web Watch has already told you about The Perfect Pop Song, if you are really serious about wanting to be a song writer, it all boils down to this — all you really need to know is that EVERY POP SONG EVER WRITTEN HAS USED ONLY FOUR CHORDS.

It’s more of a progression, really, as it depends on what key you’re working in.

If you’re dealing with pop in the key of E-Major, then you’re looking at chords E -- B -- C#m -- A.

Want the key of C instead? Then you’re going to go C -- G -- Am -- F.

(Try it -- whip out your iPhone or Android and fire up your handy guitar app. We know you have one handy. That’s okay, take your time… we’ll wait for you.)

As long as your chords are in the I – V – vi – IV progression, you’re fine. Other song styles have other progression sets, such as “Country Rap” using the three chord progression I -- IV -- V -- I (which would be E -- B -- A -- E or C -- G- F -- C if we’re using the keys shown above).

Play around with different sets and keys until you find the one you like. The point is that you won’t need more than four chords to make The Perfect Song.

You might not think that this holds true -- but watch these videos that explain how it seems like Every Song Ever Written seems to have been written with the exact same chords:

Rob Paravonian

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

AXIS OF AWESOME, ver 1

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I

AXIS OF AWESOME, ver 2

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1fQ1P4Mwlc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I

Some of the songs featured in the above videos that all use the same chord progressions include:

Vitamin C -- Graduation
Aerosmith -- Crying
Coven -- One Tin Soldier
Blues Traveler -- Hook
Green Day -- Basket Case
Matchbox 20 -- Push
Bush -- Machinehead
U2 -- With or Without you
Natalie Imbruglia -- Torn
Avril Lavigne -- Sk8er Boy
Twisted Sister -- We’re not gonna Take it
Better than Ezra -- Good
Bob Marley -- No Woman no Cry
Beatles -- Let it be
Journey -- Don’t Stop Believing
James Blunt -- You’re Beautiful
Alphaville -- Forever Young
Jason Mraz -- I’m Yours
Mika -- Happy Ending
Alex Lloyd -- Amazing
The Calling -- Wherever You Will Go
Elton John -- Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Maroon 5 -- She Will Be Loved
The Last Goodnight -- Pictures of You
Crowded House -- Fall At Your Feet
Kasey Chambers -- Not Pretty Enough
Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Under the Bridge
Daryl Braithwaite -- The Horses
Marcy Playground -- Sex and Candy
Men At Work -- Down Under
A-Ha -- Take On Me
Eagle Eye Cherry -- Save Tonight
Toto -- Africa
Beyonce -- If I Were a Boy
The Offspring -- You’re Gonna Go Far Kid
Pink -- U and UR Hand
Lady Gaga -- Pokerface
Aqua -- Barbie Girl
The Fray -- You Found Me
30h!3 -- Don’t Trust Me
MGMT -- Kids
Five for Fighting -- Superman

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Out of other options? Why not sell your soul to the devil? (Here’s how!)

web gangsta — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:00:26 +0000

Satan Loves You

It turns out that everything you could possible want to do online, is available nowadays.

The latest trend?

SELLING YOUR SOUL TO THE DEVIL, ONLINE.

Yes, it’s true – the Internet really has made getting things done more convenient. Before, you had to wait by the side of the road and playing a fiddle before the devil tracks you down to take a bet that you won’t regret. But now, selling your soul to the devil is just another online transaction.The official contract states the obvious legalese that’s required these days: you relinquish ownership of your immortal soul blah blah blah give to him the rights and privileges yadda yadda. And in return, you will possess substantial sums of money, fulfillment of all lusts, and destruction of all that opposes you — and as an added bonus, for every person you get damned and dead, you will live an additional two years and a day.

It’s all just boilerplate these days, you know the drill.

But it’s the OPTIONAL PACKAGES that really seal the deal:

A night of play and fantasy: allows for movie stars and fashion models to be used as playthings
Tickets to the annual international Black Mass and Satanic Orgy. Featuring you as a celebrity guest. Silk pillows and goblets of wine? Sounds like a kick-ass party!
Membership to the Secret Vatican Council
and much, much more…

There used to be a framed memento commemerating the sale of your soul available for $3, but the address seems to have been misplaced.

Oh well, we’re sure it will turn up eventually. After all, you have all of eternity to find it.

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How to Dress Like Justin Bieber (and why anyone would want to do so)

web gangsta — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:00:20 +0000

Justin Bieber Wall Art

If you’re a fan of JUSTIN BIEBER (and these days, who isn’t?), then one of the more popular things that his fans like to do is DRESS LIKE JUSTIN BIEBER.

(What? You don’t know who Justin Bieber is? Then you need to read the JUSTIN BIEBER GUIDE FOR OLD PEOPLE before continuing on…)

Justin’s look all has to do with dressing simply and with the occasional splash of color. Some of Justin’s outfits have consisted of:

black jeans, black long-sleeve shirt, a white belt, and a lime green scarf.
blue jeans, red t-shirt, gray light jacket with the sleeves rolled up, and some sort of metal necklace
gray straight jeans, black t-shirt, purple-and-black plaid shirt.
Sometimes, it’s as easy as LOOKING AT A PICTURE and then SEEING WHAT JUSTIN’S WEARING. (For once, Wiki Answers has gotten this question correct on the first try)

See, you probably already have this stuff in your closet already. Just don’t be afraid to rock the accessories, or listen to the haters over at Yahoo Anwers who tell those who ask how to dress like Justin to “go back in time and not hit puberty, then wear a baseball hat, put a hoodie on, and wear your pants really low. Voila! We have Justin Bieber”.

In a FASHION-ORIENTED INTERVIEW THAT JUSTIN BIEBER DID WITH VMAN magazine, he says that his fashion sense really didn’t start coming together until he signed his deal and started working on his music in Atlanta as he “built up my swagger”. The magazine calls Justin’s style “…something of a Hotlanta edge”.

If you’re the type of person who likes to play with dolls, feel free to try the JUSTIN BIEBER DRESS-UP DOLL.

But maybe you don’t have any trouble at all looking like Justin. Maybe you’re already told by all your friends that you should go into the celebrity impersonation business. Perhaps you need to check out LESBIANS WHO LOOK LIKE JUSTIN BIEBER and submit your picture to the site. Sadly, the site also asks for photos of Justin when he’s looking “cute as f”, so you have to sift through all the Justin Bieber photos to get to the real dopplegangers.

In any case, whatever you decide to do should be okay. One 15-year-old fan said that all Justin does is “he dresses like the kids dress nowadays“.

So where does all this “DRESS LIKE JUSTIN BIEBER” craze come from? Well, it really is no different from any other pop star trend in the past. (Remember your collection of FRANKIE SAYS RELAX tshirts that you wore in the 80′s?) According to a study by Tim Kasser, psychology department chair at Knox College, ADOLESCENT GIRLS IDOLIZE MALE CELEBRITIES because it gives them a safe object to practice romantic relationships with. Also, girls who idolized celebrities were more experienced daters and had closer attachments with boys their same age. Unfortunately, these same girls also were more materialistic and more susceptible to commercialism.

Not worried about being sucked into a commercial culture? Then here are some bonus videos that Web Watch found just for you:

How to Dress like Justin Bieber

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC7yzfM5E08

How to Dress Like a Rock Star (behind-the-scenes Justin Bieber shoot)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-DugeOsNbg

Justin Bieber Fashion Police at the Grammys

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGml_ksC1Ss

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Just in time for the Kentucky Derby: The Ultimate Bourbon Ball Recipe

web gangsta — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:00:35 +0000

The Kentucky Derby Museum Cookbook

Next week is the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

And if you’re like Web Watch, you will be tuning in to watch the race with friends – holding a mint julep in one hand, and a racing form in the other… all while trying to see the race through the forest of giant Kentucky Derby hats worn by the ladies in the room.

But Kentucky isn’t know just for this long-running horse race.

No, Kentucky is also known for bourbon.

So if you’re going to host or attend a KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY on race day, you may want to make something bourbon-related. You know, just because.

So here is an authentic Kentucky recipe that a friend of Web Watch obtained from a friend of theirs and sent in just for the occasion. We made these bourbon balls, and can attest that they are a huge hit:

Ultimate Bourbon Balls
Ingredient List:

1 Cup Vanilla Wafers. Crushed

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp Cocoa

2 Jiggers Bourbon

1-1/2 Tsp White Corn Syrup

Instructions:

Mix all above ingredients together.

Shape into balls

Roll balls in powdered sugar

Look how simple this is. If Web Watch can make ultimate bourbon balls that other people rave about, then you can too.

Update:. Thanks for writing in. Yes, we know it’s a duplicate post. We liked it so much the first time, we had to post it again.

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Little known NASA fact: astronauts can propel themselves in space by peeing in different directions

web gangsta — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:00:32 +0000

Astronaut Costume

Here’s a LITTLE KNOWN NASA FACT that you won’t often hear on any space-oriented TV show or VIP tour: astronauts can propel themselves through space by using their pee as a propulsion method.

It’s true.

Web Watch has already shared with you WEB WATCH’s FAST FART FACTS, where we learned that a fart travels out the body at up to 7 MPH.

And, since we know that for every motion there is an equal and opposite reaction, an astronaut can move through space on farts. Granted, it wouldn’t be a very effective way of moving around, but it could work for extremely short, non-directional distances.

Peeing, on the other hand, offers some things that farts can’t: power, duration, and direction. Using all three attributes of a common bathroom break, an astronaut can pee themselves around in any direction with an effective burst of speed. Of course, if they were to pee themselves around the space station or in orbit, they would also be wasting valuable drinking water or replacement oxygen, according to astronaut Jerry Linenger. No pee is wasted on the space station, apparently.

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Number one on our list of “Things to do before 30″? Have $10,000 in savings

web gangsta — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:00:11 +0000

A Frog’s Eye View of Life’s Great Lessons

Floating around the Internet are any number of THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU TURN 30. This list, for example, includes the following:

Write a book
Start a budget
Volunteer in a developing country
Enjoy a really expensive bottle of wine
Learn to play the guitar
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
Learn to scuba dive
Take a road trip
Eat fearlessly
Teach a child to do something
Cook like Mom and Dad
Go skydiving
Read the Bible
Get a tattoo
Learn to sail
Kick your worst vice
Buy some adult toys for yourself
Begin an investment portfolio
Build your own website
Go to a psychic
Go deep-sea fishing
Run a marathon
Pay off all your debt
Go on a yoda/meditation retreat
Join an improv troupe
Learn a new language
Learn to swing dance
Bluff your way into a job you’re totally not qualified for
Go on an African safari
Go on a pilgrimage

And all the items on this list are certainly fine goals that one should strive to achieve at some point in their life, but considering how many of these are iterations of the same themes — “learn to” and “go to” with some risk-taking thrown in, a list like this really has no practical matter as a guide of THE TYPES OF THINGS ONE REALLY SHOULD HAVE DONE BY THE TIME YOU’RE 30.

Have $10,000 stashed away in a savings account. We’re not talking about money you have in investments, CDs, bonds, or other money-placements — we’re talking in addition to all that. Maximize your 401k, pay off all your debt — these are givens in today’s society. The real key is whether you have an emergency cushion of easily-obtainable cash to protect yourself when times get rough or if you need to make a purchase that’s just a little out of your normal comfort zone. Some financial advisors say that your emergency fund should cover between three and six months worth of expenses. Having $10,000 in a savings account, readily available, should qualify for most people.
Maintained a steady job for at least five years. We know that not everyone is going to get their dream job right our of college. But if you can’t hold a job with the same company for five years sometime between the ages of 20 and 30, then you’ve either picked the wrong career or the wrong industry. There’s nothing wrong with changing jobs or career choices midstream, and we understand that there is always the possibility of extended unemployment or child-raising that could keep you out of the job market for an extended period of time. So do the best you can to earn your five-year-pin.
Travel. Find the time to travel. Day trips, road trips, long weekends – whatever it takes to see the rest of the country and the world at whatever comfort level you have. Whether it be travel for work or pleasure, or travel involving moving at least 60 miles away from home – the goal is to experience how other areas live and not be tied down to a specific city or area. By surrounding yourself with different people or different cultures/beliefs/lifestyles – you’ll find yourself growing more as a person than if you stayed isolated and living in a proverbial bubble.
Surround yourself with friends. Sure, family will always be there for you, but make sure you have a support group of friends and neighbors that you can count on to be there for you as well (and you for them). Who knows? Perhaps in that large circle of friends, you may find the love of your life. You certainly don’t stand a chance of finding your life’s love sitting around with family or waiting for the single Avon Lady to ring your bell.

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Bartenders ignore you on purpose. Here are some tips to make that drink come faster

web gangsta — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:00:47 +0000

Bartender Warning

Web Watch knows the best way to get a drink at the bar: Tip noticably well on the first round.

Even if the drinks are free, such as at an open-bar wedding, you should tip big when you have the opportunity to do so and be noticed. A $20 bill at the right time early in the evening will do wonders for you later at night. Perhaps a heavier pour, speedier service, an extra drink made available after the bar is “officially” closed for the evening.

All for $20.

We already knew the power of the tip, but there are MORE TIPS THAT GUARANTEE THAT A BARTENDER WILL PAY ATTENTION TO YOU AT THE BAR. Here are some of the others:

Know what you want to order before the bartender approaches you. If the bartender has to spend time babysitting you, that’s time away from helping other thirsty customers.
Don’t call the bartender by a nickname. Calling the bartender “Dude” doesn’t get you a drink any faster, my friend.
Don’t stand at the server station. Sure, it may be convenient for you, but it’s not convenient for anyone else.
Be a regular. Web Watch knows that being a bar regular pays off in divendends (especially if you tip often and well). There’s a bar that we frequented almost daily many (many) years ago, and the bartenders and wait staff who have moved elsewhere still remember us and treat us better at their new locations. The theme song from CHEERS holds true – being someplace “where everyone knows your name” really is like being with family.

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Tips to Help Avoid Being Laid Off. Number one on the list? Don’t give them a reason to do so

web gangsta — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:00:35 +0000

Eight steps to follow when you’re fired or laid off

If you’ve ever worked at a company where there’s even a hint of a threat that layoffs could be coming, you need to make sure that you’ve worked your way into a position where there is as little of a chance that your name would be written down onto The List of Those To Be Let Go as possible.

That’s right – in order to not give them a reason to lay you off, you need to lay the groundwork ahead of time by following at least these TIPS FOR HELPING TO AVOID GETTING LAID OFF.

It goes without saying – be good at your job. If you can, be the best at doing your job compared to the other people around you. The company would prefer to keep The Best workers over The Mediocre ones. Don’t be the slacker in your group.
Show up 5 minutes early. Being seen at work for more hours than the boss doesn’t necessarily mean that your work is better than other employees – but if you can be counted on to be there when the boss isn’t, then you may be seen as turning into “the go-to person” just because you’re available. Being asked to work on special projects are always worthwhile for career advancement.
Don’t gossip. Sure, gossip is fun and there’s nothing wrong with socializing with your co-workers. A light-hearted friendly workplace is always preferable to one that is not, especially if you spend more time in the office than you do at home. But gossip never leads anywhere productive, and those who gossip may not be trusted with vital information. What’s that old saying, “loose lips sink ships”?
Be the peacemaker. Learn to negotiate and manage projects through consensus. Playing office politics isn’t always fun, but ensuring that everyone is one the same team makes work easier for everyone. There isn’t anything wrong with playing devil’s advocate and taking the opposite side of a discussion, but the people who regularly question authority and cause projects to stall will not always find themselves on the “keep” side of the layoff equation.
Share information. Everyone wants to be “in the know”. So bring people into the fold and teach them what you have stored up in your noggin. Withholding information for your own personal gain may give you short-lived satisfaction, and could make you out to not be the team player you thought you were.
Make other people look good. Especially your boss. And your boss’ boss. And the other members of your team. Your job should be to help everyone advance, not just yourself. Scratch their back by throwing a well-deserved kudo their way, and they’ll scratch yours with proper credit for your work too.

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Some tips for extending your cellphone battery life

web gangsta — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:00:31 +0000

Emergency Portable Cell Phone Recharger

It has happened to Web Watch, and we’re sure it’s happened to you: you’re hanging out with your friends all weekend and you forget to plug your phone in to recharge, and now you’re stuck in a situation where your phone is on it’s last battery display bar and you still have 5 hours to go before you can get to your charger.

Sure, you can use a Duracell emergency recharger that you happened to have stashed in your glove box — but how many of us have bothered to pick one of these up the last time we were out running errands?

Still, here are some things that you can do temporarily that will REALLY EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR CELL PHONE BATTERY until you can track that charger down.

Keep the phone out of your pocket. The cooler you can keep your phone by keeping it away from your hot ass or other body parts, the longer the battery will last
Turn off 3G unless you’re actively needing it. 3G sucks up a lot of power compared to the other networks you’re roaming on.
Turn off any unnecessary services. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, push email – you know the ones. Really, you’re on a 500-mile roadtrip and you need Wi-Fi active in the car? Really?
Turn off any remote notifications that you really don’t need for the time being. Yes, we’re talking to you, Mr Twitter-freak and Ms Facebook-addict.
Turn down your screen brightness. It’s better to have a phone that’s working for two more hours with 10% screen brightness, than a phone that dies after 5 mins because you need the colors to be super bright while you call your mom.
On a Blackberry, aside from the above tips, use the ESC key to close the browser and keep it in the holster whenever possible.
On an iPhone, the above tips still apply. But you’ll also want to reset your battery at least once a month by running it all the way to 0% and charging back to 100%.

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