Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.
George S. Patton

• US Government (federal)
• Municipal (local government)
• Corporate

Would those of you in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry.
John Lennon

SeatGuru's got you covered!

Lights out Guerilla radio
Rage Against the Machine

At this point you are in good standing if you are involved with podcasting. If by 2010 12.3 million households will be doing it, you should get on this now. Basically you download shows, playlists, stories, or any content from the net onto your mp3 player. Some sites to get you started:

• audioblogs
• ipodder
• podcastalley
• podcastnet

"A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking."
Jerry Seinfeld

Here are a few simple rules on wine etiquette:

1. Determine the proper temperature- as a rule of thumb white should be chilled and red served at room temperature
2. Time the uncorking- just like your boys, wine needs to breathe
3. Decant the wine- in addition to looking rather sophisticated and a bit ostentatious; it helps clear out impurities
4. Pour the wine- duh, but there are subtleties that will distinguish an amateur from a wine connoisseur
5. Use the right glass- although enjoyable, drinking out of the bottle in front of others is not recommended

My soul is in the sky.
— William Shakespeare, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Act V. Scene I.

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came."
John F. Kennedy

Know the lingo:

• Port- the left side of the boat when looking toward the front or "forward"; port has the same number of letters as the word left
• starboard- the right side of the boat, unless you are looking toward the back or "aft" then it becomes the left side of the boat, simple right...
• bow- the front
• stern- the back
• boom- a large metal pole that the main sail is attached to, unlike the
• mast, the boom is horizontal. You should duck when somebody yells, "coming about" because it means the boom is about to swing across the boat and is liable to knock you out and off the boat.

People care about their boats more than their children, to respect this try to wear non-marking shoes like Sperry topsiders.

Remember that big sail, or the "main sheet", acts like a wing and not a parachute. It may help to brush up on Bernoulli's principle and aerodynamics a bit. However, the small sail in front, or "jib", does work more like a parachute, simply scooping the wind.

If you choose to ignore this advice, then you better read up on how to talk like a pirate, everybody on boats speaks in this manner...

Here's the skinny on all the forks and knives, etc:

• It all starts with the dinner plate - dead center, 1 inch from the edge of the table
• forks on the left side
• knives on the right side...
• followed by the spoons (also on the right)
• desert fork and/or spoon above the plate facing opposite directions
• Wine/water glasses go to the right of the plate

On one hand you have the direct approach -- according to University of Minnesota psychologist Randall Gordon, Ph.D., if you're going to kiss up to your manager directly above you, then it's better to agree with his or her opinion and do favors. If your bold and want to kiss up to someone a few levels above you, compliments are your best bet.

Or, you can take the high road and be more genuine. According to USA Today, you can do the following as an alternative to overt ass-kissing:

• Make your boss look good
• Be a resource
• Ask intelligent questions
• Seek advice and feedback
• Be nice to everyone in the office

Hey Mister D.J. put a record on I wanna dance with my baby...
Madonna

After you find some song names that look promising, you can listen through iTunes, LimeWire, or BitTorrent (pick your poison).

"It is the greatest mathematical discovery of all time."
Albert Einstein

Einstein stumbled across the rule of 72 -- to figure out how long it takes your investment to double, divide the interest rate by 72. So if your savings account has a 4% interest rate, it will take 72/4 = 18 years to double.

All sounds useful, but the point is start saving now and get time on your side (maybe with a Roth IRA as we suggested in March).

The world is divided into people who do things and people who get the credit
Dwight Morrow

While the exact calculation is proprietary information here is a general breakdown to guide you in improving your score:
Payment history- 35%
Outstanding debt- 30%
How long you've had credit- 15%
Number of inquiries for your report- 10%
Types of credit you currently have- 10%

Other tips include keeping open old accounts, paying your bills on time, and reducing your balance. Focus on each of these things and your score will eventually get you one of these black beauties.

Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.
Aristotle

Friendster was one of the first social networking sites, where people discovered that connecting up online can make you feel popular. Eventually, Google came along with Orkut, but they were a little more exclusive with their invites. With TheFaceBook there is a good chance you'll know someone in common, since people are associated by university. Lately, MySpace has been getting popular -- enough to get its own Wikipedia article! With over 12 million profiles online, you're bound to find something in common with someone.