Cold coffee-who woulda thought

"What is the last thing that your patrons taste/drink before leaving a restaurant ?" And if you do not believe me go out there and watch. Nearly everybody will toss back that last cold cup of coffee before leaving their table, therefore it is vitally important that your coffee tastes wonderful hot, warm or cold.

Now how can you be sure that your coffee tastes good.

STEP ONE : CLEAN the EQUIPMENT

Cleanliness is more important than godliness, therefore ensure that you not only clean your bowls every night (there must be a joke in that line somewhere), and your coffee supplier can give you urn cleaner to really clean them occasionally, or run them through the dishwasher. DO NOT FORGET THE BREW BASKET. This will be dirtier than everything else, so once again ensure that there is no oily residue, plus clean the showerhead, and the area around it. If you have an urn or dual system, ask your coffee supplier to come in and train/educate your staff on how to properly clean the equipment.

STEP TWO: CALIBRATE the EQUIPMENT

Many times I go into a restaurant to find the brewer is short-potting (no this is not a gardening term), and the remedy can be very simple. Adjust the timer or float mechanism. BUT, maybe the equipment is short potting because the water line (including the filter/strainer) or machine or showerhead is clogged with lime, or some other gunk. Cleaning and maybe de-liming is necessary. Remember that if your brew time is too long, your resulting (revolting) coffee will be bitter, with a burnt after-taste. It’s rather like drinking coal tar - although I must admit I cannot remember the last time I knocked back a shot of coal tar.

Also, ensure that the water coming out of the showerhead is at the correct temperature, too cold and you will underextract, too hot and we start going down the coal-tar path again. A simple thing to check (use an oral thermometer, not a r...... one), and then adjust the temperature on the thermostat as necessary.

STEP THREE : WATER

A cup of coffee is 98% (approx) water, so if your water tastes lousy, your coffee will taste lousy. So test your faucet water by comparing it to the taste of a bottle of filtered water. And if necessary, put in a proper water filtration system. Remember your ice, soda, and cooking will all taste better.

STEP FOUR : YOUR COFFEE/COFFEE SUPPLIER

The people responsible at your coffee roaster will cup (taste) coffees through the temperature range, right down to room temperature - specifically to address the question at the top of this page, and to ensure that the coffee tastes good even when its been sitting for a while in your coffee cup. The coffee cupper (and by the way the best tea tasters, coffee cuppers, and wine sommeliers are all women, this is because physiologically God built a woman’s mouth differently to a man, and women have much better taste buds than men ) will cup and blend the coffee so that the taste profile always remains the same. People do not want surprises when they first wake up, least of all in their coffee cup at 7am, therefore the job of cupping and blending is one of the most difficult in the world. Mind you, most people don’t want a surprise in their martinis about 12 hours later, so once again tasting and blending is vital.

Having determined that your coffee supplier/roaster (hopefully one and the same company) can roast and blend coffee well, lets look at packaging, and the whole bean versus fractional pack/ground coffee debate.

Your coffee supplier is loaning you brewing equipment, and if you want to do a whole bean programme (no that is not a spelling mistake), they will lend you a portion control/doser grinder. Now the grinder they lend you will be a proper commercial grinder, costing about $700. But just consider that your roaster uses a grinder where the blades alone cost upwards of $15,000, and your roaster is checking the degree of grind several times a day with very expensive and sophisticated equipment. Therefore what chance do you have with a $700 grinder of achieving a consistent grind? And just remember that your brewed coffee quality will vary enormously with the vagaries of heat and humidity playing havoc with the coffee particle size coming out of your grinder. Or you can buy fractional packs, which have been nitrogen flushed to remove oxygen and preserve freshness.

A doctorate in nuclear engineering is not required to understand that fractional packs will always produce a better, and more consistent brew than a whole bean programme. The difference between local/regional coffee roasters is not in the roasting. Anyone can set themselves up as roaster. Even you. Buy some green beans and toss them into your hot air popcorn popper, and Voila you have air-roasted some coffee. And provided you didn’t cremate them, they probably smell wonderful. No, the difference in coffee roasters is how they buy the coffee, where they buy their coffee, how they blend the coffee, and most importantly (and this is really where the women are separated from the girls/ politically correct phraseology) how they pack the coffee.

Coffee’s enemies are heat, oxygen, light and humidity. Therefore coffee that does not arrive in your restaurant in foil/film wrapped, hermetically sealed bags will lose its freshness within a day or two. BUT, packing equipment is very expensive to buy and run, and this where the difference lies between a roaster dedicated to ensuring freshness in your patron’s coffee cup, and one who does not have what it takes.

And now dear readers to summarize :

Correctly clean and calibrated coffee brewers (try saying that after drinking a couple of martinis)

Clear, pure, and great tasting water.

Good fresh coffee, from a hermetically sealed portion/fractional pack.

Follow these simple rules and your clients will leave with a smile instead of a grimace.

Some differences between bluetooth and infrared

f you are not sure about Bluetooth and what it is, perhaps we can enlighten you a bit. To be sure, it has nothing to do with being unhappy with the market your dentist did when he last cleaned your teeth.

What Bluetooth is is a terrific ppiece of technical knowledge that helps to bring with it the promise of freedom from cables along with the simplicity in networking that has yet to be matched by LAN. It can and is used in a variety of electronic devices, the most familiar to most people being the cellular phone. For more information on audio devices, please go to foraudio. com.

Unlike infrared technology, Bluetooth isn't a line of sight method and it provides ranges of up to 300 plus feet. It uses very low power which means it is ideal for integration into tiny battery powered devices. To put it short, the applications with Bluetooth are virtually endless.

In the essential and profitable marketplace of wireless and handheld devices, the closest competitor to Bluetooth is infrared. Infrared holds many key interesting features, although the line of sight it provides doesn't go through walls or through obstacles like that of the Bluetooth technical knowledge. Therefore, it's application in the workplace are limited.

However, the greater range and radio frequency (RF) of Bluetooth make it much suseptible to interception and attack. For this very reason, infrared has yet to be dispensed with completely and is considered by many to be the complimentary technical skill to that of Bluetooth. And the main reason for that is that infrared has inherent security isssues due to its line of sight. Another major differentiation between infrared and Bluetooth is in the data rates. Infrared can have data rates of up to 4 MBps, which provides very fast rates for data transfer, while Bluetooth only offers 1 MBps. Although there are a few disadvantages, Bluetooth still remains the best for short range wireless technical skill.

Is Bluetooth difficult for a non-technical types? Not really. Once you have been around Bluetooth for a while, you'll find yourself right at home with the use and application of the technical know-how. All you need to do is play around with it, and read books or manuals whenever you get the chance. In no time at all you'll be a professional in the vast world of Bluetooth wireless.

Bluetooth currently has hundreds of devices, making it the best wireless solution in the world. With additional devices comingout daily, you can bet that Bluetooth will be around for a very long period of time.

Bluetooth has several positive features and one would be completely hard pressed to find downsides when given the current competition. The only real downsides are the data rate and security, but if those things are not urgent to you in your application, it's difficult to beat.

Las supersticiones en los casinos

La mayorнa de los jugadores casino siguen una cultura de las apuestas que es muy personal. Estas consisten en ciertas creencias, supersticiones, objetos, vestimentas y hбbitos que deben o no deben hacer a la hora de jugar. Es importante tener un procedimiento en el casino para poder apostar con mбs seguridad. Prуximamente te presento una serie de hбbitos y creencias respetadas por muchos jugadores profesionales. Son solo lo que algunos dicen que es cierto, no necesariamente lo son.

La primera es entrar y salir por la misma puerta del casino, lo cual es creнble que traiga buena suerte. Sin embargo, algunos creen que trae mala suerte hacerlo.

Otra de las creencias es a la hora de jugar a los Dados, es importante soplarlos antes de tirarlos en la mesa del juego. Dicen que puede traer buenos resultados.

En el pуquer, dicen que jugar una carta que se cayу al piso durante el juego no es conveniente, y puede traer mala suerte. Usar vestimenta negra puede traer mala suerte en el casino.

Los objetos de la suerte tambiйn son parte de la cultura de los casinos. Estos sirven para acompaсar a los jugadores en los juegos trayendo buena suerte. La pata de conejo, muсecos de peluche, una foto de un familiar querido, una piedra, o trйbol de cuatro hojas son algunos de los clбsicos objetos de la suerte.

Las piedras de la suerte estбn clasificadas por meses. La de Enero es Granate, Febrero Amatista, Marzo Aguamarina, Abril Diamantes, Mayo Esmeralda Junio Perla, Julio Rubн, Agosto Olivino, Septiembre Zafiro, Octubre Уpalo, Noviembre Topacio, y Diciembre Turquesa.

Jugar con dinero de otros jugadores dicen que trae buena suerte. Sin embargo, otros creen que apostar con su propio dinero es mбs conveniente.

En el casino, las supersticiones de donde jugar, donde sentarse, son muy importantes. Por ejemplo, elegir la mesa en donde apostaras tu dinero generalmente es la misma. Los jugadores tienen su mesa habitual que les ha traнdo muy buena suerte en el pasado. El asiento tambiйn es de respectiva importancia. Sentarse cerca de alguien quien creas que te traerб suerte es muy comъn, tanto como sentarse cerca de alguien quien no confнas no es recomendable.

La vestimenta es parte de las costumbres de los jugadores. En general dicen que vestir de negro no es conveniente, sin embargo la mayorнa de los jugadores lucen traje negro.

Muchos, tienen sus nъmeros de la suerte escogidos. El 7 es considerado uno de los mбs comunes, mientras que el 13 no trae buena suerte. Tampoco se acostumbra dejar dinero arriba de la mesa de juego, porque quiere decir que el jugador gano demasiado y suficiente.

Sin duda, todas estas costumbres son muy subjetivas y depende en lo que uno cree o no cree. Pero si lo crees, es mejor que lo hagas!

Can you get free treatment for bipolar disorder

Unfortunately, many people with bipolar symptoms are unable to get the treatment, medications and support they require due to financial difficulties. There is an option, however.

Some people with bipolar disorder receive medication and/or psychosocial therapy at no charge by volunteering to participate in clinical studies (clinical trials). Clinical studies involve the scientific investigation of illness and treatment of illness in humans.

Clinical studies in mental health can yield information about the usefullness of a medication or a combination of treatments, the efficacy of a behavioral intervention or type of psychotherapy, the reliability of a diagnostic procedure, or the success of a prevention method.

Clinical studies also guide scientists in learning how illness develops, progresses, lessens, and affects both mind and body. Millions of Americans diagnosed with mental illness lead healthy, productive lives because of information discovered through clinical studies.

These studies are not always right for everyone, however. It is important for each individual to consider carefully the possible risks and benefits of a clinical study before making a decision to participate.

In recent years, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has introduced a new generation of "real-world" clinical studies. They are called "real-world" studies for several reasons. Unlike traditional clinical trials, they offer multiple different treatments and treatment combinations.

In addition, they aim to include large numbers of people with mental disorders living in communities throughout the U. S. and receiving treatment across a wide variety of settings. Individuals with more than one mental disorder, as well as those with co-occurring physical illnesses, are encouraged to consider participating in these new studies.

The main goal of the real-world studies is to improve treatment strategies and outcomes for all people with these disorders.

In addition to measuring improvement in illness symptoms, the studies will evaluate how treatments influence other important, real-world issues such as quality of life, ability to work, and social functioning. They also will assess the cost-effectiveness of different treatments and factors that affect how well people stay on their treatment plans.

The Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) is seeking participants for the largest-ever, "real-world" study of treatments for bipolar disorder. To learn more about STEP-BD or other clinical studies, see the Clinical Trials page on the NIMH Web site at nimh. nih. gov, visit the National Library of Medicine's clinical trials database at clinicaltrials. gov, or contact NIMH.

How lazy linking can boost your online profits

Every webmaster knows that highly targeted traffic can be converted into online earnings but for most online entrepreneurs, acquiring visitors is a huge challenge.

One of the best ways to ensure a steady flow of targeted traffic to your website is by ranking high in the search engines for particular keywords and key phrases that define your business. Backlinks are one of the vital tools that can help you rank higher – but you don’t have to spend hours each day on trading links manually.

The alternative comes from automated link exchange software and directories. Websites offer you such opportunities like getting links from other webmasters who have joined the same program. A few examples of these link exchange directories are:

o Gotlinks. com

o Linkdiy. com

One of the most interesting offers on the market today is, however, automated linking, which follows the same “lazy linking” theme but also creates extra incentive for it’s members: when someone signs up, they get a 50% monthly commission from everyone who signs up under them.

o MyLinkMachine. com

Lazy linking versus manual link exchanges

One of the cons associated to automated linking websites is that you don’t have so much control over who your link partners are and on the status of your backlinks. While this was a real problem a few years ago, when the links were directed to your site in bulk and you had absolutely no way of filtering them, today all great automated link exchange websites offer 100% control over your link partners.

In other words, you can filter out website link exchange partners that are not related to the topic your website is on (this is really important with the search engines, who want to see backlinks from related websites).

Since this major argument against automated link exchanges has been eliminated, we are mostly left with the benefits:

* Save time – since everything is automated, you don’t have to check your email, get the code from a link partner, go into your web editing software, do the exchange and then send confirmation to the other webmaster. With link directories like MyLinkMachine. com, the website does all that for you.

* Get more link partners – it’s so much easier to find link partners in a common area such as the link exchange directories, rather than emailing individual webmasters who might not even be interested in an exchange.

* Get more links than you could ever get with manual link exchange – the truth is that manual link exchange demands a lot of time and patience, not to mention an excellent organizational skill to manage all your link exchanges.

Automated link exchanges eliminate all these difficulties and it will only take you minutes to accomplish what a manual link exchange campaign would take at least a few hours.

Listening devices aid plumbers wild life lovers

There are all types of listening devices available on the market today. The can be as large as a twenty inch parabolic dish, as small as a wristwatch, or even as small as a matchstick lapel microphone.

Listening devices have many more uses than just surveillance work, too. Listening devices such as the Bionic Ear have been used for magnifying animal sounds for personal safety, recording bird calls for nature photography, and were even used during Desert Storm. You can even use listening devices with your recorder to make fantastic recordings as gifts.

Some listening devices can be added onto a camera or DVR system. Other devices can accurately pick up sound from as far as three hundred yards. Listening devices can increase sound up to thirty decibels and record with concert-hall quality sound. There are other listening devices called concrete microphones or electro-acoustic receivers that can pick up minute vibrations like those given off by a bomb, and professional plumbers can even use them to locate leaky pipes in the foundation of homes. Naturally, they can also be used to identify voice leakage and their sources in a room, as well. They can detect vibrations in virtually any solid surface whether it’s steel, glass, concrete or wood.

One of the best uses for listening devices is to amplify sound for the hearing impaired. These listening devices can pick up sound from as far away as one hundred yards, and they are small enough to fit into a woman’s purse or a man’s shirt pocket. One of the best features about these listening devices is that they minimize feedback and scratchiness and weigh as little as three ounces.

Jamaica s all-inclusive resorts leaders in destination weddings

Long before destination weddings were the rage, couples were quietly flying down to Jamaica for romantic beachside ceremonies. The all-inclusive resorts on the former British island have been catering to wedding – and honeymoon – couples for decades and have perfected the destination wedding to an art form. The island's resorts range from the casual to the elegant to the slightly risquй. Consider one of the following for your wedding or honeymoon:

Sandals Resorts

With seven resorts on Jamaica, guests of Sandals can enjoy the historic south shore of the island, active Montego Bay, or the casual atmosphere and seven-mile white sand beach at Negril. These couples-only resorts include everything: accommodations, all meals, premium drinks, golf, land and water sports, scuba, transportation to and from the airport, and all tips and taxes.

One of the innovators in destination weddings, Sandals offers a wide range of options for bridal couples and each couple is assisted by a designated wedding planner. The basic Sandals wedding package, which is free to couples staying seven nights or longer, includes a picturesque location for the ceremony, a marriage license and all of the necessary documentation, one 5"x7" wedding photograph, a wedding officiant, a wedding cake, a Champagne and hors d'oeuvres reception for four, flowers for the bride and groom, a gourmet honeymoon dinner, and breakfast in bed the morning after the wedding.

Additional features may be added, including music, additional flowers, and additional photography. Sandals also has an exclusive agreement with Preston Bailey, party planner to the stars, and offers three of his elegant coordinated wedding packages.

SuperClubs

SuperClubs operates a diverse collection of Jamaican resorts, each with their own emphasis and flavor. All resorts include accommodations, meals, drinks, land and water activities, scuba, tennis, golf, use of the fitness facility, transportation to and from the airport, and taxes all in one price.

SuperClubs has been hosting destination weddings for over 30 years and each of the company's resorts has onsite wedding planners to assist with all of the special details. SuperClubs also offers a free basic wedding package to couples staying at least three nights at one of their resorts. The basic package includes the marriage license, preparation of all the necessary documentation, minister fees, recorded music for the ceremony, witnesses if necessary, Champagne, a decorated wedding area, a wedding cake, flowers for the bride and groom, a candlelit dinner for the bride and groom, and breakfast in bed for the wedding couple on the morning after the wedding.

SuperClubs in Jamaica all have their own personality. These resorts include:

• The Grand Lido - The flagship of the SuperClubs brand, the Grand Lido Resort sits on 22 acres of tropical gardens at the edge of Negril's famous Seven-Mile Beach. The resort is a consistent award-winner and holds the AAA four-diamond distinction.

• Hedonism II – The somewhat risquй Hedonism II bills itself as a modern Garden of Eden. Among its many features, the relaxed and casual resort boasts two beaches – one of which is "clothing optional."

• Negril Beach Villa – This self-contained Spanish-style villa, located right on Negril's Seven Mile Beach, is ideal for housing the entire wedding party. The villa comes with its own cook, gardener, and butler to cater to your every need.

The lush tropical landscape and friendly people of Jamaica make the island an ideal honeymoon or wedding destination. Enjoy its many beaches, shopping for unique art and crafts, and the singular – and spicy – Jamaican cuisine.