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How To Win At Pub Quizzes (Without Cheating!)

Feb 2012

The traditional pub quiz has been a mainstay of entertainment for many decades now, and it provides a fun night for all concerned. Although there is often a lucrative first prize for the winning team, many people take part purely for the opportunity to socialise with friends and perhaps to show off their levels of general knowledge.

However, if you’ve ever aspired to be a member of the winning side, there are a few tips which can help you. There is no magic formula, of course, but there are ways to increase your chances of victory. I can’t guarantee complete success, but I can offer you a little encouragement that might make you some much-needed cash.

1. Diversity is everything:
The most important factor in choosing the members of a successful quiz team is diversity. If all of you know everything about sports but nothing about history, you are going to struggle. Therefore, make sure you have a wide circle of knowledge and interest. Many quizzes have a music round included, and for that you may need to have members from different age groups. It’s all very well if you remember The Beatles, but you may not know much about Lady Gaga.

2. Read the papers:
Many quiz compilers will include a question or two about current affairs, so in the day or two beforehand you should pay particular attention to the news reports on the TV and radio, and keeping up to date via the newspapers is also a good idea. A good knowledge of members of the cabinet, the top songs in the charts, recent celebrity deaths and last weekend’s football results could make the difference between winning and losing.

3. Go with your instinct:
When a question is first asked, many quizzers will have an instant recognition of what they perceive to be the correct answer, only to talk themselves out of it by the time they put pen to paper. While this can be successful sometimes, it can also add some unwanted confusion. Therefore, if you are torn between two viable answers, the chances are your first reaction will be the correct one.

4. Don’t overdo the alcohol:
Alcohol and pub quizzes go hand in hand, of course, and I’m not suggesting for a moment that anyone has to stay on the mineral water for the evening. However, it’s a simple fact that your judgement will be hampered by too many beers or wines. Exercising caution could bear fruit if you manage to remain focused on getting the right answers time after time.

David Rice lives in the UK and is a keen fan of pub quizzes. He likes to have an advantage over other teams, but he would never use spy gadgets to view their answers.

Category: Society & Culture Leave a Comment

SEO Clerks Site Review

Nathaniel

Feb 2012

I was sent an email today asking for my views on a site seoclerks.com which is kind of like fiverr.com but aimed at SEO and without the purchase price being stick on $5. The SEO Services offered range from $3 to $1,000. It can also be subscription based, instant downloads and multiple quantity orders.

I quite liked the idea of the site and some of the jobs on sale (only some of them as I work in SEO and didnt think all the jobs where worth the money, but thats something that you will have to decide as each site has its own needs when it comes to SEO and so you may not have as higher standards as me when it comes to what jobs, links and articles etc, that you are happy to pay for).

Anyway on with the review

As I noted above, this site has a very similar layout and feel to it as fiverr.com and looks to have a number of quality users on it who are offering some very good value links and services which could help both low competition keywords and high competition keywords depending on what you are after, but you will need to look into the jobs before you buy as this post is about seoclerks.com in general and not the overall quality of jobs people offer on the site.

Now Im off to create an account on the site in order to possible order some links (not FB likes though as I don’t believe in buying those because I personally would rather have real likes from real users that enjoy my blog).

Also keep an eye open for my user name on the site (NathanielB) as I will likely be adding some of my SEO services to seoclerks.com at discount prices because I think its a great way to get my name around a little more. Plus with such a good Alexa ranking the site should be getting a good amount of traffic and so I hope to get some sales

I will be in contact with the site owners to try and find out some more details such as traffic information and pricing for transaction fees, withdrawal fees and if they charge to add money to your account.

Over a good looking site which should be a great resource for both people looking to offer SEO services and those looking to buy SEO services with its Affordable SEO.

Category: Most Popular Leave a Comment

Give Your Business a Boost in Three Easy Steps

sally_p

Feb 2012

In an increasingly competitive market place, your company will need to stand out from the crowd in order to succeed. How can this be achieved, and how can you ensure that your business goes from strength to strength, even during difficult economic times? If you are in need of some inspiration to help give your business a boost, there are three simple yet effective ways to enhance your company’s prospects. You may not have considered these options previously, but by getting creative and trying something a little different, your company could enjoy some fantastic rewards.

Invest in a New Website

Whether you are a retailer, service provider, or simply have a product which you want to market, where better than the internet? The first place consumers will look for services and products is online, and by not having an online presence your company will seriously restrict its ability to attract and secure new business.

Investing in a creative web design from a professional team could really pay off in the long run. As well as providing your customers with an initial point of contact, your website will enable you to establish your brand online and convey the unique selling points of your business. Retailers could even invest in an eCommerce website to enable them to take advantage of a whole range of new sales opportunities. The possibilities are endless when creating a new website for your company – as are the benefits that a creative web design could have for your business.

Try a New Advertising Campaign

To complement your new website, why not organise a creative new marketing campaign to raise the profile of your company? For a marketing method which works in conjunction with your company’s website, why not try your hand at social media? This is a great way to network with new and existing clients, and could open up new avenues of business that you hadn’t previously considered. Retailers can also use social media to spread the word about great deals or special offers, whilst competitions are a popular and effective way to increase traffic to your website and give your business a further boost.

Don’t Forget IT Support

Communication is an essential part of business success, and investing in a reliable IT system can enable your company to develop and network efficiently. Whether you are looking to outsource every aspect of IT support to an outside company, or you are simply looking for a little extra help for your own in-house team of specialists, a well-established and professional IT support company can provide the assistance you need.

Look for a firm who can offer a comprehensive range of IT services, and your business can enjoy an IT system which it can rely on. Consider how much of your operation is computer-based, and it is easy to see why IT support is so important for modern businesses. From server and network monitoring to online backup services and disaster recovery, an IT support specialist will have the expertise required to provide a wide range of reliable and effective IT solutions which will make your operation run much more smoothly.

When you are looking for a slightly different way to enhance the way your company operates, follow these three easy yet effective steps and your business could enjoy a real boost.

This guest post was written by Hayley Francis on behalf of Online Support, who are an expert provider of professional and reliable IT support London which can help your company to fulfil its potential.

Top Tips for Graduates

Harpreet

Feb 2012

Completing your last few exams at college or university and starting to think about what’s next is daunting and scary for everyone. You spend years and years preparing for your end of year exams yet there’s not much help or support at school to prepare you for the transition into employment. Here are some useful tips to make the transition a little less daunting:

Get clarity

All our lives we’re asked what do you want to be when you grow up and every time we answer it is always something different. But now is the time to really think hard about what you want to do as a career so you know exactly what you are looking for when you begin your job search. Think about what your key skills are and what you enjoy doing and then go do your research and experiment until you find the direction in which you want to go.

Begin early

Start your search as early as possible. Once you are in your final year of education start thinking seriously about what you want to do when you leave. A lot of graduate jobs begin in September so start applying for them now because the later you leave it the harder it’ll be once you finish education. Employers also don’t like to see big chunks of gaps in your CV where there are months that are unaccounted for. You will need to fill in these gaps with work experience or internships, which can often be unpaid.

Use available resources

There are lots of places to begin your search such as university careers service, job sites, job agencies and job fairs. Networking can also give you a foot through the door by asking friends and family if they have any opportunities where they work. Also join social sites as more and more people are being offered interviews after simply tweeting and connecting with employers online.

Be flexible

The more adaptable you are the more chances you will have of finding work. So being flexible about the location, how much you will get paid and the type of work, will give you an advantage. So for example being able to relocate is beneficial as you can then apply for jobs in Manchester, Birmingham or London, which gives you a wider range of opportunities.

Finally, you need to really get yourself motivated and commit to your job hunt. You will need to discipline yourself and keep striving until you’ve found the right job for you. It will take time and everyone will face rejection along the way especially with the job market being so competitive. But stay positive, determined and do not give up as all the hard work will be worth it in the end.

Category: Education and Employment Tags: Jobs, Jobs in Manchester, Monster Jobs Leave a Comment

A Swimming Pool For The Long Hot Summer?

Nathaniel

Feb 2012

Do you think we might be on for a long hot summer? Well if you do then maybe now is the time to start thinking about buying that swimming pool you have been promising yourself for the past couple of seasons. Winter may not seem the ideal time to buy, but it is. This is because traditionally whilst it is a quiet time for people selling pools, they are also just beginning to stock up on swimming pool kits for the spring rush.

So this means that not only will they have a wide range of pool kits in stock but they should also be offering good deals on them.

These days, sadly, one of the benefits we have of global warming is longer, hotter summers, meaning that many more people are buying swimming pool kits to keep cool in summer. That said a swimming pool also offers many other benefits, such as being a great place to keep fit in, and they are also ideal for family parties in summer.

I mention swimming pool kits, that is because the highest proportion of swimming pools sold are not now ones built in the ground, such as the classic block and liner construction, but above the ground pools, all of which come in kit form.

These above ground kits can cost less than a £30 for a small model, rising to a few hundred pounds for a larger kit. Even the very large steel sided pools cost less than £2,000. This means that buying some form of above ground pool is now within reach of most families, and if you do not wish to use them all year round, coming in kit form they can be disassembled even faster than they are assembled, packing down in to a small enough size to easily fit in to a shed or a loft.

Assembly of these pools is very easy and even the largest of rectangular frame set pools can be erected by two people in just a few hours.

Or you could opt to spend a few pounds more to keep cool and invest in a wooden sided swimming pool, or even go the whole hog and buy a metal liner pool. Whilst both of these cost more, they will look more professional once fitted, and yet can still be easily installed by the average DIY person over the course of a long weekend.

So do not wait until summer, start searching for your ideal swimming pool today.

Chris Miles is the Director at Splash and Relax, the leading supplier of Swimming Pools products in the UK. Splash and Relax specialise in Above Ground Swimming Pools from major brands worldwide.

Category: Sports and Recreation Leave a Comment

The Appeal Of Price Drop Auctions

Nathaniel

Feb 2012

Two questions for you: -

Do you like winning a bargain at an online auction?

Do you like the thrill of holding your nerve when bidding for something?

If the answer to both these questions is yes. Then it is very likely that the price drop auction will appeal to you.

Only a couple of years ago all online auctions were based on the eBay format of the highest bidder wins and many still are. However in the past 12 to 18 months a new range of innovative auction formats have appeared on the Internet.

Firstly there was the appearance of the penny auction, which was won by the person bidding the lowest unique amount for an item. These have proved very popular as all items in these formats are new items, so no more worrying about whether the sellers description was right or not. As the objective is to bid the lowest amount and not the highest they are proving very popular, and have resulted in brand new cars being won for under £500. To enter you buy credits and use one credit per bid and you can bid as many times as you want.

However there is an exciting new format called the price drop auction, which be warned can become highly addictive but great fun to participate in.

The way it works is quite simple, so let us take this example. A brand new item such as an iPad will be listed with a starting price of £400. To take part in the price drop auction you then buy a number of credits, the amount of which is up to you and your budget, you then use up one credit to place a bid to see the current price. If you like the price you have the opportunity to buy it at the current price shown immediately, but you must do so within 10 seconds of the price being displayed.

If you are too slow in making a decision or just do not like the current price then you miss out on buying the item at that price.

However after you have viewed the price but not accepted it, the price drops again, and when the next person places a bid, views the price but chooses not to buy it, it then drops again. This means the more people bidding the lower the price will drop, and eventually someone will see the iPad’s price drop to a bargain £150 and buy it.

This means that it can very much be case of holding your nerve as you keep entering bids to see what the current price has dropped to, but hold your nerve too long and you will miss out! But this is what makes price drop auctions great fun.

Join RazItUp today for free and enjoy all the benefits of Bidding Websites and becoming a member at one of the UK’s best Online Auction Sites!

Category: Auctions and Shopping Leave a Comment

Getting the Most Out of Your Holiday

sally_p

Feb 2012

Going on holiday is a relaxing experience that will whisk you away from life’s worries and stress. There is so much to choose from when thinking about a holiday, from where you want to go, to whether you will choose from the vast range of hotels or holiday homes to stop in. It is always best to take stock and plan every step of your holiday before rushing and booking the first deal that pops up on you Google web search.

Research

Firstly do your research, if it’s a family holiday stopping in a quaint countryside home in the middle of nowhere will end up a nightmare for you and your children. Going abroad? Don’t just assume it’s going to be glorious sunshine for the duration of your holiday, check the local weather reports and see when the monsoon season is.

It’s good to always be flexible with the holiday you are looking for; you can get some very good last minute deals on hotels, holiday homes. Doing research into travel arrangements is always worthwhile also, sometimes using trains instead of driving can work out cheaper, but also less hassle (no getting stuck on the motorway) however it will restrict you slightly when you are on holiday, so remember these key details. If you’re going abroad it can also work out cheaper to use a ferry instead of a plane (great for those with nerves about flying!) it will normally take slightly longer to get there, but can add to the overall holiday experience.

Plan

So you’ve done your research, you’ve found your ideal holiday destination and have booked your accommodation and travel. Now it’s time to sit down and plan the holiday itself. Don’t have a solid day to day schedule of all the activities you’re going to do, this will only lead to you panicking to keep on track with everything you’ve planned.

So many of us return from our holidays and get stressed out because we have spent too much and end up scrimping for months after, a simple way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to plan a rough budget before you go. Have an idea of how much money you are taking away with you and then you can distribute it over the holiday period to ensure you don’t have the unnecessary stress upon your return.

Another key element to remember when planning your holiday is to think about the language, you don’t have to go mad and be fluent but learning some key phrases will help you immensely when you are stuck in a non-English speaking town searching for the nearest toilet!

Enjoy Culture

So many of us go abroad and stay in all-inclusive resorts, don’t get me wrong they are great value for money, but for a lot of us it means we don’t travel away from the resort at all. Utilise the features that you are paying for, like all inclusive meals, but do get away from the resort to explore the culture of the country you are stopping in. And whilst you are out of the resort exploring, it is sometimes best to try and avoid overly tourist areas. You can really get a feel of a place if you head down to that little village on the edge of the city, and more often than not the locals will be pleased to have some new faces to show you around their home. You can get some great deals on beautiful holiday homes away from the tourist areas; this will really put you at the heart of the culture and ensure you have a truly amazing holiday. When it comes to food, it can be a tricky one to please when on holiday. Don’t have chips with every meal, try some of the local delicacy (this is where all-inclusive resorts are
good, you can try food that you may not like and not have to spend a fortune on it!)

Relax

It sounds obvious but do spend time relaxing on holiday. With most of the population now owning smart phones that do everything for you; it is difficult to take yourself away from your responsibilities and cares. If you can I would advise leaving your phone at home, it will take away the temptation to just send those few emails back to the office to make sure everything is ok. If you can’t bear to leave it at home leave it at your hotel or holiday homes when you go out on day trips.

Finally enjoy your holiday!

Written by Sally Powell, on behalf of Stonehills, providers of quality holiday homes in UK and Europe.

Category: Holidays and Celebrations Tags: holiday homes Leave a Comment

Why become a spanish interpreter

julie

Feb 2012

Spanish is a language which is being used a lot more in business than it used too. It is one of the most spoken languages is South America. It is also a language spoken in Europe which shows it is important to be fluent in spanish if you which to make business with spanish-speaking countries. If you don’t have time to learn spanish you can hire a professional spanish interpreter which will help you in your everyday job to exchange with spanish people.

Becoming a spanish interpreter will ask you a lot of knowledge of both language spanish and english (if you want to become a spanish/english translator). But you’ll also need good knowledge of the spanish culture to make sure you understand all the hidden sense of each sentence.

A good spanish interpreter will also be able to understand the other language which are spoken in Spain: Galician, Basque or Catalan. Castilian is the language people commonly name Spanish.

As an interpreter you’ll have to be able to quickly understand both parties to translate what is said. That’s why you usually need to be fluent in both language so you don’t make any pronunciation mistakes which might lead to a total misunderstanding of what you are saying.

To become an interpreter you usually need to have a diploma in the language you wish to become translator. A bachelor’s degree is usually needed (or a master if you are targeting a highly specialized field of interpretation). Once you have accomplished this you can also look for specialized certification and then look for a translation agency.
They will be very practical for you as a beginner. Becoming a freelance translator can is usually harder if you don’t have the right network to help you. Plus you won’t have much experience to show your employer whereas a translation agency will provide you the correct experience. A lot of companies are hiring Spanish interpreter but also turkish translator

Category: Business and Finance Tags: interpretation, translation Leave a Comment

Bid For A Bargain

Nathaniel

Feb 2012

If you are looking to get a bargain online then you, like many other people, may turn to an online auction site such as the industry leader eBay for inspiration.

Indeed for many people online auctions can become addictive as we all love getting a bargain and these sites fulfill this human desire.

However sometimes the “Bargain” you get arrives in the post, only for you to find it not as described or in some cases, not even working. You can complain to the seller, but as the goods you bought will most likely be secondhand you have virtually no rights under UK law. So that bargain auction purchase can prove to be not such a “Bargain” after all.

Also when you take part in an eBay style auction it can get so competitive that people actually end up bidding more than the item would cost new. Now that is okay if the item is no longer being made and is thus unique and collectable, but if you can still readily buy the item in the shops then to pay more than you would in a shop is crazy, but you see this happening time and again in online auctions.

So if you really want to bid for a bargain online, and you would like the security of getting a new item then why not consider entering the World of penny auctions?

Whilst being relatively new to the Internet this concept is proving a hit the World over with it being one of the most rapid growing types of auction on the Internet today.

With a penny auction then all of the items being offered for auction are brand new, so no secondhand goods to worry about, and the good sites also offer free delivery of the item to the winning bidder, even Worldwide in some cases!

This removes a big headache for the winning bidder as a TV could cost a lot to ship.

Also with a penny auction the concept is different as the aim is to bid as low as possible, so there is no risk of bidding more than the item is worth. So no danger of auction fever catching you out.

Indeed penny auctions are the source of some great bargains as it is actually the lowest unique bid that wins the auction, so in general this keeps the auction price far lower than a “Normal” auction.

So if you want to bid for a bargain then look in to trying a penny auction today.

Join RazItUp today for free and enjoy all the benefits of Bidding Websites and becoming a member at one of the UK’s best Online Auction Sites!

Category: Auctions and Shopping Leave a Comment

Thumb And Gate Latch Handles

Nathaniel

Feb 2012

In this modern world it is sometimes things from the past which can change the complete appearance of a dwelling. There is a strong market in door handles that were originally designed and built in years gone by. That does not mean that the handles are old but excellent copies and reproductions can be bought from the good door handle suppliers and fitted to the modern doors. Care must be taken in keeping to the feel of the era from whence the handles were original in vogue but there are many older houses where the design will fit right in. There are also many modern houses that have been built to older designs that can easily be adapted to the door handles of yesteryear. The typical range of thumb and gate latch furniture can be used in many cases and there are some excellent designs on the market. The fact that they run by the name thumb and gate does not mean they are for gates only.

A typical Suffolk latch has a design in which the lever pivots from one end and is held from dropping away by a loose holder and it fixes the door onto the frame by lifting the lever and dropping in the latch. The design was first in operation a couple of centuries ago but the present design can easily be fitted to many doors.

A traditional kitchen will benefit fully from such a fitting. The system is easy to secure and will provide a safe fixing, it is useful to note that it is particularly effective for young children because these latches are fixed quite high on the door and are not easy for the very young to operate even if they can reach, therefore keeping them within the confines of the room. This range of door furniture can be cast iron although nowadays is often forged or stamped out from steel blanks. The materials are strong and there is little or no wear though they may need some decoration in due time.

It is quite usual to see this type of door furniture come in a set or of a standard design for different types of handles. Therefore if the door handle on the main door is like this then it is also possible to find a smaller set of the same design, which will fit the kitchen cupboards. The kitchen cupboard handles, except perhaps for a larder or broom closet, could have a set of pull handles of a similar shape and appearance.

The Door Store, the UK independent door specialists have a wide range of products from Sadolin wood stain to Franke Sinks as well as internal and external doors and handles.

Category: DIY Home Improvements Leave a Comment

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Archive for » February, 2012 «

How To Win At Pub Quizzes (Without Cheating!)

SEO Clerks Site Review

Give Your Business a Boost in Three Easy Steps

Invest in a New Website

Try a New Advertising Campaign

Don’t Forget IT Support

Top Tips for Graduates

A Swimming Pool For The Long Hot Summer?

The Appeal Of Price Drop Auctions

Getting the Most Out of Your Holiday

Research

Plan

Enjoy Culture

Relax

Why become a spanish interpreter

Bid For A Bargain

Thumb And Gate Latch Handles

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