We've come a LONG way Baby!! Take a trip back in time (for those of you who are old enough to remember back then)

Some strategic guesses at trends we will be talking about a year from now:

• Search: Companies will find that their search results will be increasingly influenced by users’ social network interactions, making the effective use of social media portals even more important for branding, customer service and connecting to customers online.

   

• Mobile: Social media through the mobile web will grow in importance and influence as the open-source Android operating system eclipses the iPhone and becomes the dominant mobile phone platform.
• Hardware: Tablet computers will outsell laptops and desktops.
• Web: Web apps will become the dominant means companies will use to connect with consumers as the Internet becomes more cluttered and slow.
• Search: The broader PR industry will recognize the vital importance of search as a tool to support the spreading of brand awareness and message distribution in both traditional media, the blogosphere, and social media vehicles.
• Social media: A backlash will build against the proliferation of social media sites. Sites that enable mobile, social and rich media aimed at specific niches will emerge as the most useful and popular.
• Web: The final death of microsites as a means of reaching consumers.
• Media: 4G and tablet computing will finally push print off the ledge and begin a process that will further reconfigure how people get information.
• Media: Try as media might to create a need for them, not enough people will get excited enough by exotic TVs like 3D TV to buy one.
• Web: The term Web 2.0 will be taken out, shot in the backyard and buried next to the hot tub. No one will miss it.

Now, what are your predictions for the year?

 

And the last one... is my favorite!

Web: The term Web 2.0 will be taken out, shot in the backyard and buried next to the hot tub. No one will miss it.

This little video took alot of work and editing.... it's wonderful!

Enjoy! ...and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings!

Now I've seen it all!

There's a Top 20 for just about any topic ...but when I saw this I couldn't believe it. Here are 20 really tacky or weird Nativity sets from Cats to Chickens and Ducks to Dogs.

Tis the season to be jolly... hope you get a laugh (or a gasp) out of these!  (Click the title for the link)

Southern Living magazine has ranked the 20 best restaurants in Atlanta, giving its top slot to Decatur favorite Leon’s Full Service.

The magazine praised the restaurant’s Bacon in a Glass, fries served with horseradish mayo and fresh bread with radishes and butter.

The top 20:

1. Leon’s Full Service
2. Ru San’s
3. Livingston Restaurant + Bar
4. Rhodes Bakery
5. LottaFrutta
6. Rosebud
7. Café Intermezzo
8. Flip Burger Boutique
9. Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
10. Taqueria Del Sol
11. King of Pops
12. Highland Bakery
13. The Atlanta Cupcake Factory
14. Antico Pizza Napoletana
15. Paolo’s Gelato
16. Aria
17. Souper Jenny
18. Sotto Sotto
19. Sweet Auburn Bread Company
20. SweetWater Brewing Company

Click here for the more detailed list.

Excellent! A great lesson for all of us!

Later this month a law will come in place that you will no longer be able to be charged on overdraft fees by your bank unless you opt in to their program. This means the banks are going crazy trying to market this new overdraft service and their main way of trying to get us helpless consumers to sign up is by pulling the “we can save you embarrassment” card!

By this I mean. If you are in a store and you try to buy something on debit and you don’t have the cash in your account, without protection your card could get declined and you will have to face the embarrassment of walking out of the store without the items.

Photo: KatB Photography

My article is not specifically about the banks but about the emotion they are targeting. Much of the economic crisis could have been averted if people didn’t pretend to be rich. Every time you take a loan you are being given the ability to afford and live a lifestyle that you just can not afford. I think it is time to stop.

Stop pretending to be rich today!

Now is the time, no more use of overdrafts, no more using credit card to go out with your friends a week before pay day. You need to start acting like you can afford what you can genuinely afford.

I understand that you probably have a mortgage, a credit card debt, maybe some loans and an overdraft. Isn’t that all a drag?

The aim to stop pretending is to stop adding to these and start paying them off. It is hard that you have to refuse some social events and in some ways change your social life as well as your day to day spending habits but trust me the weight it relieves to start acting like what you really are is well worthwhile.

Much of the key to getting on the right track lies in simply simplifying your life. Here are a few easy tips to start.

Start cooking gourmet at home – Gourmet cooking at home takes a lot of work but it’s a fun journey and although even home cooking can be expensive you can create superb meals (especially Italian food) on a reasonable budget if you choose your recipes wisely. If you eat out a lot to socialize you will find you can regain the same feeling by having people over. Ask everyone to bring a separate part of the meal such as wine, desert and snacks.

Stop buying new clothes and start buying used – It’s so easy to spend $100′s on clothing every month and this could well be where the pretending rich spend the most on their credit cards. Clothing can be a quick addiction but it’s easy to break. Firstly you should assess and see how much of your clothing you actually wear. Just look at the amount of cash in your wardrobe gathering dust! If clothing really is your passion then you can still get a monthly fix by visiting Goodwill or Salvation Army stores.

Talk about it - Tell all your friends what you are doing. This will help them stop pressuring you to live their overspending life but you may also find a few team mates to help you along.

Start volunteering - It’s easy to spend because you are bored. So why not volunteer on a Saturday afternoon or a week evening. Doing something you care about is a great way to feel good without spending cash and you may meet some great new friend.

These are just a few random tips. Cutting your expenses is more than just planning it takes a change in mind set too. You have to face up to how much money you actually have and accept the lifestyle you can lead.

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This is a great article... I just had to share it!