So....You've made a Social Network connection! Is it now time for a First Face to Face?

The World we live in, today, is interconnected now that Social Media has become the new way to make friends. You can get introduce by a friend who has a friend who has a friend that is 1,300 miles away, and you hit it off!
So you’ve been spending a little time on a social Networking site. There’s been a wink and a couple of messages, and you’re ready for your first eye to eye meeting...... 
NOT so fast!  In anticipation of this big moment, there are some things you can do to prepare. Time is on your side, use it wisely. While meeting a new person for the first time is nerve-wracking, taking these steps can make the experience easier and worthwhile. 

Consider doing Skype. Skype (www.skype.com) is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a small fee, using a debit-based user account system. Many Mac computers have a built in feature called Photo Booth that allows users to Skype right from their desk. The advantages to Skyping are numerous. You can see what the person looks like and how they sound, and because you can see some background, you can also get a sense of how they live (or work).  
By far the sweetest way to get a man interested is flirting with him. When he calls you and asks you what you are doing, tell him a little white lie. In a sexy voice, tell him you're doing the dishes in a "French maid outfit." Or Tell him you decided to wear that little black negligee he would love to see you in just for this conversation. Of course, he won't believe you, but he'll be left imagining the picture you painted for him with your words. Got a camera phone? NO, NO, NO sexting! Take a photo of you in your favorite pose and send it to him during his 10 o'clock meeting the next morning (just make sure he is not in  the meeting to discuss his promotion). DO NOT, I repeat Do NOT take pictures with you wearing your Niece's Wedding dress, and ask him "how do I look?" This may cause a panic and you  may never hear from him again. 

Talk on the phone. While some people prefer to skip this step because they’re afraid they may rule a person out just because they don’t like their voice, experienced  daters insist this step is essential. Why? Because talking is something you’ll be doing on your date, and if you can’t talk to the person on the phone, chances are you’ll have even less to say to them face to face.

Here is Your opportunity to have a sensual encounter over the phone! Surprise the person on the other end with a bit of sexy flirting and leave thoughts of you fresh in his mind, or go a little further and really excite him.  I won't be telling you how to have phone sex like they do in the movies..... Instead, I'm inspiring you to use your own personality and sexuality to get the man interested in you over the phone. Adding a bit of sensuality to your phone conversations allows the man freedom of imagination.
Now we are talking for a few days, so lets meet! Maybe it's time for a little Background check just to be safe.
Ladies you Choose a good meeting place.  You want a meeting place that’s public but is also semi-private, quiet area where you can comfortably chat. The best spots are a coffee shop or a restaurant, some place busy enough you’re not alone with a stranger, but at a booth or a table that’s not smack in the midst of a crowd. The first time you meet is how you start to know each other. Don’t pick a place too lively and boisterous or you’ll have to shout!     I'm a baritone, so I like sounding as close to Barry White as possible which is impossible if I'm shouting.  

Pick a meeting time that’s good for about an hour. No matter how swimmingly things are going, first meets shouldn’t last for no more than an hour. Meet for cappuccino or a soft drink after work. No alcohol... If there’s no chemistry or you hate the way he looks, you can leave after 20 minutes. That’s fair enough. Or you can have him thinking you have to get home to your young triplet kids .... Which will turn him off and you will not have to tell him you are not interested.

Choose a meet-up spot that’s not too far away from where You live. Most people cite geographic distances they’re willing to travel in search of a future mate. Do you really want to drive more than an hour to meet someone you’ve only talked to on the phone or Skyped with? Select a location relatively equidistant from where you work or live. Time is precious. So’s gasoline. But if you have a real connection then he will be willing to fly 1,300 miles to meet you in person. 

Always meet the person somewhere you are familiar with. Don’t let him pick you up or suggest an exotic Island you've never been to. For reasons that should be obvious, never let someone you don’t know see where you work or live. If things go well, this is information you’ll reveal at some point, always arrive and leave on your own. 

You can always plan that exotic Vacation after you have a better picture of where this new relationship is going.    Try reading some other related Post:

 If you see a Vacation that interests you, just pick "Flights, Hotels or Cruise lines."

Spice up your life a bit! “ While we ponder when to begin it becomes too late to do. ”  

Always Make a Great First, Second and Third Impression.

HOW good is Your grip on your money goals today?

I think the simple answer actually lies in something Dale Carnegie said about goal-setting in his book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." While it is true that most people don't succeed because they don't have clearly defined goals, some people fail to make progress because they have too many. So here is my humble analysis of this year's roller coaster ride. Some of us simply bit off more than we could chew and lacked the focus to follow through on any of them. 

A quick story: 
I remember this clearly like it was yesterday. A few years ago I drove 15 miles to a mall that had a Sale on items I just had to have. When I got there I realized the quality of the stuff was not what I wanted. So while there I remembered I needed a small item, which was on sale for only $1.50.  So, I used a $20 bill to pay of it, which left me with a ten dollar bill, a five, three singles and two quarters change.... On my way out the door, I had the bag, a receipt, and my change in my hand.  As I was trying to put my change away, my hands were cold because it was winter, I missed my pocket and all of a sudden, I saw the five bills fluttering in the wind and scattering across the parking lot.  I lunged for the closest bill, which happened to be a  single $1 the two quarters rolled under a car.  Then it occurred to me–If some of these bills are going to be blowing away beyond my reach, I’ll be better off just pursuing the ten dollar bill, first.  If the others blow away, it won’t be as great a loss.  As it turned out, I was able to retrieve all five bills, but not the quarters I wasn't about to wait until someone rolled their car out of the parking slot to go back and pick up my 2 quarters..... So the $1.50 item cost me $2.  The moral of the story is, don’t go chasing down five things, when you’re better off just nailing the one that has the most value.  That was not what I did when I drove 30 miles round trip wasting gas to save money on a sale item I didn't need.    I often ran around chasing a bunch of goals back in the day and never succeeded in grabbing onto what was most important until way later (improper time management.) This brings the following quote to mind.

~Oscar Wilde~  “ Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. ”  

My favorite goal-setting experiences: 

• Back around the time I was about to graduated from NYIT..... This, by the way, was when we had $4 -$5 gasoline prices with gas-rationing and cars lined for blocks and blocks waiting to pump a half a tank of gas. Basically Wall street was going crazy much like it is now. I started getting prepared for a move by sending out 100 resumes.  I learned during my University years that you always need to move before you become desperate!  So, I created the opportunity to have "choices."  About 20 businesses responded, no less than 10 were real possibilities. I picked a Consulting Technology Company that relocated me to Chicago.  I continuously built upon lesson after lesson, winding up with a 30+ year career in my chosen field. Computer careers were the way of the future back then, no different than today.
• While I as pursuing my chosen career (studying every night until 3:00am) I earned a really valuable entry-level spot at a Wall Street Law firm. But after 4 years, of wearing a suit and tie for a little more than  minimum wage, I bolted from that dead-end job. I knew I was never going to become a lawyer, so why waste anymore time. The prospects of a brighter career in my field was exhilarating. So I set a monetary goal that I thought was really aggressive.   I was making $22k at the first rung of the ladder, so I set a goal to double my income in 5 years.  I wound up tripling it, in that amount of time by moving from job to job and two cities while  gaining valuable experience.
• After moving to my last city, built a new house and felt I should  settle into a stable job I got hit with a new challenge.  I heard through the grapevine that my employer, a large multinational corporation, was going to let a few of my coworkers go due to a merger of 2 divisions (wasn't sure if I was on the list or not, but I wasn't about to wait around to find out.)  My wife happened to be pregnant with my first son.  Getting laid off at that point would have cut me off from a good income and my family insurance package, leaving us uncovered during an important time when we needed insurance.  When I was conveying my fears about this to my wife, she said, “Well, what are You going to do?"   That was all she had to say to turn on the tiger inside me. I called a headhunter and started the search, I successfully avoided the impending lay-off by jumping ship before anyone else in my department even knew about the layoff plans. I found another job that paid better and I negotiated getting insurance benefit on my start date ( which usually took 90-days.)

So, those three examples point to three elements of successful goal setting that was my experience. I believe then as I do now that I have a 6th sense. But the most important thing was I learned  3  important points:

1. Have passion for your goal.
2. Have a measurable goal. 
3. Be consistent and persistent.

YOUR goals are more likely to be met if they are grounded in a mindset of abundance, rather than a mindset of lack. i.e. Turn your thoughts over from a mindset of lack into a mindset of abundance. If you have financial goals, don’t obsess over the debt you have right now.  Think instead about the money you do have, the income you can project, the natural ability you have to earn more money.  This is the horse you want to ride into battle. Rather than harboring thoughts like “I’m not ready to make a move  now, I'll wait until things get better to start making my future beautiful,”  realize the future now.  Believe you can make it  beautiful  now.  Be prosperous in your mind now.  Your mental approach to a worthwhile goal should not be to take you from lack to plenty.  It’s to simply manifest what is already there, hidden inside, ready to bloom, ready for you to simply snatch up as it floats in the wind. 
If you wait for the World markets to stabilize it will be too Late to plan your next move.  


Oh, by the way. I no longer drive 30 miles round trip to buy anything, because: the price of gas + the wear and tear on my car + the price of the Item + rearranging my time to purchase the new item = Waste of time. 
It's simpler to find it online and compare quality and prices and have it shipped to me. I spent most of career making it possible for businesses to connect directly to the consumer, so I intend to benefit from my hard work by using the technology. Most importantly I'll save my energy and time for things much more important.
Which is Creating greater Value for the future.   

One last note: I did drive 800 miles to a new city to start my career, and I drove 1,300 miles to another city for a better life. 

If you see a Vacation that interests you, just pick "Flights, Hotels or Cruise lines."

Visit the only Two destinations in One trip in the Caribbean

Dutch                                                    French

Christmas kicks off the peak travel season in the Caribbean,  and this busy period lasts through Easter weekend. And by far, the most popular dates within this range are the last 10 days of December. For many, the year-end holidays are a perfect time to relax and recharge at a beautiful beach resort,  time to book is now for air and hotel rooms during this popular travel time.

Click on map to Sample the destination - AA BlackAtlas.com 

 

Here are a few tips to help you increase your chances of success in your search for a holiday escape:

1. Depart and return on a weekday.
2. Plan on at least six or seven nights, as many resorts require minimum stays during the holidays.
3. Stay flexible in your choice of hotels while you shop for a deal.
4. Book soon, and no later than the end of September.

There is limited availability of rooms that accommodate more than two people, so families and groups needing triples and quads should book immediately and may still have to consider multiple rooms.

If you are more interested in finding a bargain than in vacationing over the holidays, the three weeks between Thanksgiving week and the week of Christmas are a naturally slower periods with some of the lowest prices of the year. You'll find the same great weather but significantly lower rates and fewer guests.

Get started on your vacation planning.

Fights

SXM is the airport code for both the Dutch side and the French side of the Destination. 

Shopping for plane tickets will never rank among life's greatest pleasures. 

But with Hipmunk, it's no longer among the most tedious. This slick site lets you search for flights across major airlines, giving you easy-to-scan results in a grid sorted by agony ("a combination of price, duration and number of stops"). 

Nice touches include an icon that highlights flights with wi-fi, and there are iPhone and iPad apps that let you use the service on the go.

Hotels & Villas

Click on this sight    just enter St. Maarten in the search field. To flip through some pictures click on Gogobot this sight will also give you some reviews by people who visited the Island. Pick Philipsburg the shopping Mecca of the Eastern Caribbean. Pick Simpson Bay The party strip of the Island.

Pick Orient Bay for water sports and clothing optional sun bathing. Pick Marigot for the French flavor.

Still can't find what you are looking for then try Tripadvisor,  for activities and Other interest click here.

Cruise lines

St. Maarten has the best Cruise arrival terminal in the region. The largest cruise ships in World visit weekly.

Are you looking for a cruise vacation at an unbelievably low price? Since 1984, Vacations To Go has helped more than two million travelers save hundreds of millions of dollars on discount cruises!

The  is a complete listing of last-minute cruises on the world's best cruise lines. Check it out now, and if you see a cruise vacation there that interests you, don't delay! Average availability is less than 7 days and many cruises sell out within hours of listing.

If you prefer to book further in advance, or if you have a specific cruise line in mind, click  now. You'll find a treasure trove of early bird discounts, two-for-ones and other cut-rate promotions, on every cruise line in the world.

Picture yourself on the  "Friendly Island"  we await  your visit.

How do we... Climb Out Of A Rut?

First, I would like to thank my favorite comedian CHRIS ROCK for providing YouTube videos which I used as links to add humor to some of the key points in this blog.

Fly Birdie Fly!
Looking at the world from an airplane can change your whole perspective, especially if you know a lot about the place you are flying over. You’re not feeling the blues....  anymore, because you are getting away from it all, at least for a little while. This is a good thing unfortunately not everyone can fly off in the wide blue yonder, when they need a break.
So why can't you feel this way all the time? Simple "Familiarity Really Does Breed Contempt" People's intuition is that learning more about a new acquaintance or environment will lead to greater dislike. In fact, on average, we like other people less the more we know about them.
The same applies to living in the same country, neighborhood, street and house.
Why do you feel like you’ve definitely lost some of your enthusiasm for life, and your usual ability to “snap out of it” just isn’t making the grade. The NEWS is always "BAD news" this economic ride is like riding in the back of a pickup truck driving over a very bumpy road with craters.
We can start talking about "Change" but to fix what is wrong require first a Break in the Routine.

People, we are creatures of habit.
We have a good reason for always waking at the same time, making coffee, reading the newspaper or watching our favorite programs. But the same patterns over and over again can create a loss of spontaneity. Change one thing in your daily routine: watch a different show, drink tea instead of coffee, search different websites, take an alternate route home.  Personally I'm a water person, so I like to look at the beach and the blue skies over the ocean, but rainy days brings back the blues. Which brings me to the next point.

How do we the "People" Get  things Moving?
Countless studies show that exercise bumps up energy and mood by releasing the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. You don’t have to join a gym and exercise to the max--just a simple walk outdoors, bike ride or swim can brighten your mental. Can this be the problem in what is wrong with Government, are they to often stuck in the same state of mind? Well they are human, we think,  if they are like us then they are stumbling over their feet because they are sitting too long listing to their colleagues who are just as clueless as they are, just rambling on and on.Worst yet, their colleagues may have a Bart Simpson state of mind. Dropping banana peels all over the floor as "I got you" traps.

Lets start by Tidying Up. Clean up the mess, FIRST.
Often when we’re in a rut, our environment gets pretty messy. We just don’t have the energy to put things away and stuff just piles up. But when our environment is messy, it’s a reminder that a beautiful life is out of reach. Make it a point to clean up. Something as simple as making your bed, folding your clothes, or organizing papers on your desk can boost your mood. Add fresh flowers, OK, send those to someone else not yourself (its better to give, they will send flowers to you if you deserve them.) Governments need to cleanup their mess more now than ever, they...... created it. They got stuck in a rut, and decided they need a break but didn't cleanup the mess before they took a recess. What are the rest of us to do? We are powerless to "change" what Government did. We can start thinking about future elections but until that time comes we need to deal with what we have..... Put your priorities in order, this is all we ask.

Get Rid Of  Bad Habits. OOOOh, This a tough one!
Sleeping late? Still smoking? Biting your nails? Over-eating or indulging in too much sugar? Taking control of just one bad habit will make you feel better about yourself. If you need help, join a support group or ask a friend to remind you when you’re slipping back to a bad habit. HaHa,  someone with B.A.D. initials understand this best. You are constantly reminded everyday not to  live up to your initials or your alleged deeds in the past.
Here is an example: When People do bad things...... Governments have laws in place so they can and will put you in jail. But when Government do stupid things, which turns out to have bad results, the rest of population suffers..... Government officials (financial) checks are not delayed they go directly to their accounts on time, their pirks are still in place, their life style is better than 80% of the country. So lets get real here, if your bad habits cause... you to sneeze and get the sniffles..... the rest of us need emergency Red cross services.

Try Changing The Way You Look.
Opting for a different hairstyle or color, wearing another shade of lipstick, or buying a new outfit, will raise your level of confidence and joie de vivre. This works If You Are A Woman, we men don't have that option. If we are growing bald, aging at Star-trek warp speed we can't just hit the brakes and suddenly have a make over. This is also the case in Government...... They can't have a makeover on a dime. They have to do proper housekeeping, First. They have to  make sure the kids (us) are fed. By the time  Government does all that dancing and adjusting their budgets .....the day is almost over. So it becomes tomorrow, tomorrow, this will get fixed tomorrow, things will get better tomorrow. The problems is no one believe that...... Members of Governments don't really believe that themselves. We "the poeple" are PAYING attention to your posture and how you are standing on our aching backs, You..... ask us to trust you, so you can stand up straight and do the right things, but we feel that its a trick. So we become more and more pessimistic and start thinking about Financial depressions and unemployment percentages or worst yet start Hating those who have Rolex watches.  You Need To "CHANGE" Your Bad Habits. Don't ask us to accept the things you are doing when we are the ones who are being hurt by it, YOU have to be willing to "change" things so that we can believe in CHANGE. 
But in the end we all need to take responsibility for what is happening right now.
The SxmPerspective is talking about all Governments in this blog if you just add the name of your country in front of the word Government you will see that they all are mirror images of  poorly functioning governments... 
One last point on Leadership double talk.   Chris Rock on Confused leaders