Anyone with a home office, computer or kids in need of school supplies is most likely familiar with a store called OfficeMax. The company was founded in April 1988 and the first OfficeMax store opened in Cleveland, Ohio in July of that same year. The superstore chain now has over 900 locations in the United States and Mexico with just about every kind of office supply item you’d ever need from electronics, furniture and software to post-its and pencils.
Over the years, OfficeMax has taken on business ventures with several well-established companies such as Hewlett-Packard. Their goal is to provide consumers with the highest rated state-of-the-art services and products.
In addition to their partnership with Hewlett-Packard, another undertaking OfficeMax took on was a business venture with the Earthlink internet provider service in 2001. The two companies decided to hook up and market a wide variety of internet services to focus on the small business customer. As a result of this enterprise, Earthlink became the preferred provider of internet services to OfficeMax’s customers. Web hosting, dial-up and broadband connectivity are some of the Internet services the two companies offer by what OfficeMax refers to as ‘an interactive store-within-a-store’. They have made it available at all of the OfficeMax locations and online through the Business Services area of OfficeMax.com.
OfficeMax's chairman and chief executive officer, Michael Feuer said basically, that they chose EarthLink because of it strong customer focus. OfficeMax was further impressed by Earthlink’s operation because they stand behind their customer service commitment and constantly offer new technology to help small business customers become more efficient and effective. Additionally, EarthLink agreed to and continues providing training to OfficeMax employees on concepts that are designed to provide both of their customer bases with awareness and accessibility to the latest internet services.
OfficeMax and Earthlink view their combined business venture a win/win opportunity for both the companies and their customers. Earthlink feels that through their agreement with OfficeMax, they will be achieving a solid, retail-level method for reaching millions of small business customers. Both corporations also have the opportunity to provide their customers with new services they can use for accessing the internet which will increase productivity for their businesses.
Whether you are a small business owner, home-based professional or regular, all-American family with office and computer supply needs in addition to internet services, you can depend on OfficeMax for quality products and services. Check them out at www.officemax.com.
American Success Story: Office Max Part 2
Baccarat History and American Baccarat Rules
If we put aside the black ties, the velvet curtains and the overall exclusive atmosphere, baccarat is one of the simplest casino games around. In addition, baccarat is a beatable game with a low house edge, which makes it one of the best bets you can make! Here you can read about baccarat history and learn how to play the game.
Both the American and European versions of baccarat and the French Chemin de Fer are late developments of the Italian game called baccara, which means zero in Italian. The origins of baccara go back to an old Etruscan myth. According to the myth, a blonde virgin had to toss a nine sided die to decide on her destiny. If the die landed on eight or nine, she would have to fulfill her destiny and become a priest. If the die landed on six or seven, she would be forbidden to participate in any religious activity. If the die landed on any other number, the virgin had to walk into the sea.
The Italian game baccara was popular among French aristocracy during the end of the 15th century. Baccara had evolved to the European version of baccarat, which is still played in European casinos today as well as the French variation of baccarat known as Chemin de Fer, which is mainly played in casinos in France. The American version of the game was introduced to Nevada casinos in the 1950s by Francis Tommy Renzoni, who imported the game from Havana.
Baccarat still carries an aroma of aristocracy and exclusivity. In American casinos, baccarat is played in a separated area of the casino, hidden behind velvet curtains. Baccarat players are usually dressed up and the betting limits are higher comparing to other table games. In order to attract the medium budget players, a lower limit version of baccarat, called mini baccarat, was invented. Mini baccarat is played on a smaller table, inside the casino gambling area with lower betting limits than baccarat.
How to Play Baccarat
Baccarat is played with 3 dealers and up to 12 or 14 players. Baccarat is usually played with 8 standard card decks. Aces valued as one, face cards and ten cards valued as zero, and the rest of the number cards worth their face value. The suit has no meaning. The object of the game is to get as close to 9 as possible.
The play begins by all players, including the dealer, placing their bets either on the player, the banker, or on a tie. Traditionally, the dealer bets on the banker. The dealer can be the house dealer or one of the players. After everyone has placed their bets, the dealer gives two cards to each player and to the banker.
The score of each hand is calculated as the sum of the two cards minus the left digit. For example, if the sum of the two cards is 15, the score would be 5. The decision whether to deal a third card is determined by a set or rules and it is not up to the player or the dealers decision.
If the score of the players hand is 9 or 8, he wins
If the score of the dealers hand is 9 or 8, it is a tie
If a players score is 7 or 6, he can be dealt a third card
If a players score is 5 or less, he has to receive a third card
If a player gets a third card and the score of the dealers hand is 2, 1 or 0, he must draw a third card
If the score of the dealers hand is 3 and the players third card is any value but 8, he must draw a third card
If the score of the dealers hand is 4 and the players third card value is between 2 and 7, he must draw a third card
If the score of the dealers hand is 5 and the players third card value is between 4 and seven, he must draw a third card
If the score of the dealers hand is 6 and the players third card is 6 or 7, he must draw a third card.
If the score of the dealers hand is 7, he cannot draw a third card.
American Consumer Opinion
An online survey company that offers participants a chance to win a cash drawing for completing quick, fun surveys and actual cash (between $50 to $250) for completing more extensive, in depth surveys that they refer to as "focus groups." The site contends that focus group participants generally do not make less than $50.
To join American Consumer Opinion, you need to click on to www.jobslover.com. This will bring you to the site's home page where you can sign up for the site. After you complete the questions, a confirmation link will be sent to your e-mail address under the name of "Ann Parks." The site warns that many of these e-mails end up in your bulk or spam folder, so if you are interested in receiving e-mails from the site, you should add the name "Ann Parks" to your e-mail address book.
American Consumer Opinion has been around for about 10 years. It's a legitimate site, but, unfortunately, does not offer a lot of money. There are several pros and cons to joining American Consumer Opinions:
Pros:
- The site is open to international residents. You don't have to live in the United States to participate and there is no age limit, although since many of the surveys pertain to work and other adult-oriented activities, teenagers will find the questions boring;
- There is a steady flow of both short surveys and longer questionnaires available to participants;
- Your information is private; they will never try to sell you anything, spam your mailbox with ads or telephone you.;
- The site has been around a long time and is respected in the marketing community.
Cons:
- There is no guarantee of earning anything for completing the short surveys, only an opportunity to win cash in a monthly drawing. To date, I haven't won anything. Only one person wins each month and the winner receives $250;
- You don't get to pick which surveys you want to complete, you'll receive them by e-mail;
- There are times when the site goes "down" in the middle of your survey, which means you have to take the entire thing over again. The reason the American Consumers give for this is that the site is experiencing "too much traffic." But it is extremely frustrating.
The company performs research for a variety of corporations around the world, including fast food chains, railroad corporations and airlines.
One creative way to make money with this site, instead of merely participating in the surveys, is to become an affiliate of the company. This can be done by filling out a form via e-mail and asking to have a banner, or link posted to your website. The company pays 75 dollars for every person who joins the site when clicking on to your ad.
If you have an independent website or blog, this is an easy way to make a few extra dollars as the amount paid to affiliates is considerable as compared to other companies that offer the same incentive. But the person has to sign up to join the site, not simply click on the ad. Once you have accumulated $75 in affiliate fees, the company will send you a check. Monies paid to affiliates are made on a monthly basis.
On a scale of one to ten, I'd have to rate this site a five. It's not a big money maker, but is totally legitimate, private and, using the affiliate program, is a painless way to make a few extra dollars online.
Adsenselover and Picmoney is the only best resource for making money online with real easy ways, you can work at home and start your own most profitable online business at home with google adsense program with top paying ready made web sites with very low cost , it is the best way to earn money online instantly and fast , people are making some more money with paid survey online, and data entry based business by free affiliate program opportunity , so, just visit picmoney and adsenselover to have your own Money Making Empire Online.
American Success Story: Office Max
A very popular resource for purchasing office supplies such as computers, furniture, hardware and software in addition to copy and print services and much, much more is a store you’ve undoubtedly heard of called OfficeMax. OfficeMax came onto the retail scene in 1988 and has since grown from a single outlet to one largest office products superstore chains in the country.
OfficeMax actually materialized into the largest American office products superstore in operation in terms of the number of stores they opened and their vast geographical coverage. In January 1997, OfficeMax set a national record by exceeding $3 billion in sales making them the fourth company in United States history ever to achieve that amount of success in less than nine years.
It all began on April 1, 1988 in Cleveland, Ohio when OfficeMax was founded by Michael Feuer, its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, along with seven other of the company’s associates. The first store opened its doors to the public in Cleveland on July 5th of the same year and by the end of that year, there were a total of three stores in the suburban Cleveland area.
The year 2000 was huge for OfficeMax because during that time, the company implemented their Enterprise Resource Planning software which is the largest program of this type. The software was designed for use in American retailing to provide real-time, integrated information throughout their organization. Also during 2000, OfficeMax combined eCommerce business, catalog operations and its commercial sales groups into what they now call their OfficeMax.com / Direct Business Unit.
OfficeMax also gives back to the communities that helped them achieve their success. In 2000, The OfficeMax Charitable Foundation was established to donate more than $300,000 for worthwhile causes. One foundation the company sponsored was a National Kids N Need Resource Center Cleveland, Ohio which was the first of its kind.
Through its partnerships with companies like Hewlett Packard and introductions of its FurnitureMax, CopyMax and TechMax ventures, OfficeMax provides the public with complete, state-of-the-art services through all of its associations with a supply chain network and high-tech computer system. Presently, you can find an OfficeMax store just about anywhere you travel in the United States. They have over 900 convenient locations throughout America which include operations in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In 1996, they opened their first international store in Mexico and by the year 2000, a total of 27 OfficeMax (OfficeMax de Mexico) stores were open for business there.
Go to www.officemax.com to find out more about the history of this company and also the extensive products and services they have to offer.
American Teens Still Mean Business
For the fourth consecutive year, "Businessperson" has been cited as the most popular career choice for American teens.
That's one of the key findings of an annual survey of teenagers on topics such as career expectations and their opinions about the world of business. The study, the 2006 Junior Achievement Worldwide Interprise Poll on Kids and Careers, also revealed that for the first time in the seven-year history of the survey, salary expectations for young women are on a par with those of young men.
Since first being measured in the 2003 poll, male salary expectations for most jobs have tended to exceed earnings anticipated by female teens. However, in this year's version, the highest earnings expectations for frequently cited careers, such as business, law, entertainment or medicine, are split fairly evenly between genders.
Over the past four years, the top- 10 career selections have remained fairly constant. "Businessperson" has been the most popular career choice overall for the last four years the poll has been conducted; this year it was selected by 8.7 percent.
"Teacher" was the second-highest selection, chosen by 7 percent, moving past "Doctor," a consistent first or second choice in previous years, which came in third with 6.2 percent, tied with "computer field."
Another difference in this year's responses is that female teens appear to be drawn to careers that require more education, and this year they are more confident than males that they can obtain their ideal careers.
The survey showed that just over three-quarters of young women polled-78.2 percent- said they were "definitely" or "pretty sure" they would obtain their ideal job, compared to just over 65 percent of male teens.
Job shadowing is one way teens form their career expectations. Once again this year, JA Worldwide is sponsoring its yearlong Job Shadow initiative, where students venture into the workplace for a day, hosted by adult mentors who teach them about the "world of work."
JA Worldwide is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and entrepreneurship. Today, it reaches approximately four million students in the United States, plus more than three million students worldwide.
The Proud Black American Soldier
The legacy of military valor and achievement by African Americans is truly a source of pride for African Americans in all walks of life. But the changes the military has undergone to accept the presence of black men in uniform has very much mirrored the struggles for integration in society at large.
The history of truly heroic achievements by African American soldiers is just as honorable as any in military history. They include…
* March 3, 1770 – The first American to die in the Revolutionary war was a black soldier by the name of Crispus Attucks. He was killed when British soldiers fired on a peaceful gathering in Boston, Massachusetts starting the war that lead to America’s independence.
* In World War II – Vernon J. Baker took leadership in attacking dug in German machine gun emplacements destroying six and killing twenty six German soldiers. He received the Congressional Metal of Honor for his bravery.
* December 7, 1941 – During the horrendous Pearl Harbor attacks, a black galley cook by the name of Dorie Miller on board the USS West Virginia rushed to the deck as his fellow soldiers lay wounded and dying all around him. He valiantly took control of the machine gun emplacement on the deck and repelled the dive bombers keeping them from further killing and injuring his comrades in arms. For his courage, Dorie Miller received the first Silver Star of World War II.
These are just a few of the hundreds of stories of courage and outstanding service to country made by black men throughout America’s history. Within the military, racial prejudice has long gone by the wayside because when men stand side by side in battle, they are brothers first, fellow soldiers second and people of race a distant third if at all. Battle has a way of equalizing all men and real soldiers know that. So the military has been an opportunity to cultivate equality and acceptance because it is a culture where being a good solider is always more important than any petty prejudices any man might carry.
But it took longer for the military as an institution to catch up with what soldiers new instinctively on the battlefield – that all men are equal when they are brothers in arms. Finally on July 26, 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order Number 9981 which stated in no uncertain terms what the U.S. Military’s policy was concerning racial segregations…
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.
We can be grateful for courageous leadership such as President Truman’s and for the leadership of the military establishment to set the tone for the eventual social condemnation of segregation. While it is regrettable that American has had to sustain an army to battle her enemies over the centuries, there is no question that the high ethical and moral conduct that is needed for military men to perform in combat follows those men into society when their service to their country is through.
And that is one of the many reasons that the desegregation of the military dictated that not only would racism no longer be tolerated by the American military, it would soon be viewed as ignorant and unacceptable in American society as well. While there is still work to be done to make that dream a reality, accomplishments such as these we have discussed lay the groundwork for a better world of integration for all American citizens.