Six Little Secrets

There are always little secrets that you can learn to help
you in life. These are the "insider tips" that might improve
your health, save you money, or give you more influence over
others. Here are six of them you can put to use today.

Highway Toll Secret

The passes (such as E-ZPass) that allow you to quickly
bypass the normal toll booths do more than just speed up
your trip. They also can result in a speeding ticket or be
used to track your movements. Some states are issuing
tickets if you travel too quickly between tolls, and the
information recorded has even been subpoenaed in civil
lawsuits, including divorce cases. If you want more privacy,
you may want to have more than one pass, and alternate their
use, or occasionally just use the regular toll booths.

A Little stock broker Secret

When opening a stock trading account, especially with a
discount broker, check for conflicts of interest. Ask if
they are paid for "order flow" (they may use other
terminology). Some brokers are paid to direct your orders to
a particular "specialist" on the trading floor. This means
they aren't necessarily getting you the best price. Verify
that they always execute your trade at the best price
available.

Better Beer

Here is a little insider's secret from the beer industry. In
numerous blind taste tests, researchers found that draft
beer tastes better to most people than the bottled version
of the same brand of beers. Why do they order a bottle then?
Apparently, that bottle in front of them is a matter of
identity for consumers ("I'm a Bud man"). Also, for some, it
is so they don't appear cheap. The bottom line is that
unless announcing to the world your brand of beer is
important to your identity, why not drink the better beer
for less money?

Low Fat Isn't Always Low Fat

To comply with FDA rules, a product that is advertised as
"low fat" must have 3 grams or less of fat per serving. The
FDA rules, however, do not specify what a "serving" is. If
the serving size chosen by the manufacturer happens to be a
fourth of the amount you typically eat, then you are may
actually be getting 12 grams of fat per serving. Look at the
size per serving listed on the package, and consider what
amount you'll actually eat at once.

Secrets Of Influencing Others

Salesmen trained in subliminal techniques watch for any
words, phrases or expressions that a person repeatedly uses,
and then uses those same words and phrases to influence the
customer and make the sale. For example, if a person often
says, "I see," or "I can understand that," he'll start a
sentence with, "You can see how..." or "You can understand
how..."

Try it. If you hear an acquaintance say "that makes sense,"
several times, try saying, "You can see how this makes
sense," when you want to gain agreement on a point. Or try
it to get your children to cooperate. Using a persons own
words creates rapport. The person feels that you are more
like him or her, and that you can be trusted. This is a
simple but effective persuasion technique.

Getting Insurance Claims Paid

Many insurance companies have a policy of denying claims if
there is any possible way to do so. They count on the fact
that most people will not challenge the denial. If you do
challenge it, they will often then pay the claim. Get your
records in order, make a clear case for why they should pay
the claim, and hint at legal action if they don't. I once
had a %2,700 medical claim paid a year after the deadline
for filing the claim had passed. Persistence, and having a
lawyer write a letter is what did it. Some little secrets
can be worth a lot of money.

Six little secrets from six areas of life. Did you know any
of these?

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Top Attractions in Cologne

The Cologne Gothic Cathedral which has been given the status
of UNESCO world heritage site took over 600 years to build
and is a chief attraction for tourists to this city.
Tourists can view the treasures placed in the historic
vaulted chamber. Most tourists prefer to get a good view of
Cologne by climbing the 509 steps to the observation
platform. While in Cologne Germany, you can also visit the
house of 4711, the Original Eau-de-Cologne. Another chief
Cologne tourist attraction is Glockengasse, located in the
city centre, just opposite the opera house.

Tourists are generally happy to have a drink of beer at a
pub in the Altstadt (old town). The local beer called
?Kolcsh? is a pale fermented beer that has been brewed in
the Cologne Metropolitan area. An attraction worth a look is
the Roman-German Museum. Here you can see some Roman
antiquities belonging to the first through to the fourth
century. Most visitors to the museum are quite fascinated by
the 230 foot long mosaic showing Dionysus, the Roman God of
wine.

The Cologne Carnival is famous world wide for its colorful,
joyous celebration and attracts nearly one million visitors.
Known as The Three Mad Days it marks the end and climax of
Cologne Carnival. Merrymaking begins on the streets at Alter
Markt on the preceding Thursday before the beginning of
Lent. Huge processions pass through the streets the next
Sunday, watched by thousands of people. The main highlight
is on Monday known as the Rose Monday (Rosenmontag). This is
the day of the big Carnival procession with the three chief
Carnival figures ? Prince, Peasant and Maiden.

The Cologne Gothic Cathedral which has been given the status
of UNESCO world heritage site took over 600 years to build
and is a chief attraction for tourists to this city.
Tourists can view the treasures placed in the historic
vaulted chamber.

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Home Brewing: The Art of Making Your Own Beer

Drinking beer is very popular around the world. In Germany
where the oldest and grandest beer festival is held in late
September and the first week October, hundreds of home
brewing enthusiasts bring their home brew beer into the city
of Munich. Home brew beer competitions are one of the
highlights of Octoberfest. For lots of people in Germany and
the United Kingdom, the yearly home brew beer competition is
part of a great tradition where the art of brewing beer at
home is passed on from generation to generation.

The process when you home brew beer isn't as difficult as
you might think, but it does require some special
ingredients and processes. The first step is to make the
wort, which is the magic liquid that will eventually become
your beer. Wort is made when you boil a large amount of
water with a small amount of grains or malt that are
combined in a mesh bag. This is just like making coffee or
tea - you steep them in a filter or bag instead of adding
them to the water. The grains you use are important when
you home brew beer, because different types of grains will
produce a different flavor or type of beer. You can find
your grains or malt are easily available online or at your
local home brewing retailer.

The next step when you home brew beer is to take out the
grains and continue to boil this wort with more water added.
Then you add some hops. Hops will add the flavor and aroma
to your beer. When you add the hops to your home brew beer,
you want to do it exactly according to what your recipe
calls for. When you boil the hops too long, your beer will
taste bitter, and if you boil too short a time, it will be
too sweet.

When your wort has finished boiling and has cooled, you put
this into a fermenting container. When you home brew beer,
you will need two fermenting containers because later you
will transfer this liquid from one container to the other.
You will also add a beer yeast to this mixture; the yeast
will react to the sugars you produced when you boiled your
grains or malt, this is what becomes alcohol. This mixture
when allowed to sit for a few days or a full week then
produces your great tasting beer.

Obviously when you home brew beer there are some other small
steps and additional ingredients and additives you will
porobably need, but this is the basic process. Boiling
flavored water, add yeast to it and allow it to sit for a
time in order to steep properly and produce alcohol. If you
think that it sounds easy to home brew beer, you're right.
And once you get the process down, you may find that this is
probably the most enjoyable hobby you've ever taken up.

Learn The Basic Principles of Home Brewing

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Alcohol, foods and weather condition implied in Rosacea
flushing

All alcohol types are fermented and cause facial flushing.
But red wine and beer are most dangerous as they are not
further distillated and trigger facial allergic redness in
Rosacea sufferers. Alcohol pumps out water from the cells,
leads to dehydration and causes blood vessels to dilate. It
is also a good calorie resource, very rapid metabolized and
the quick digestion triggers an increased blood flow.

To avoid flushing in rare conditions of alcohol consume,
patients with Rosacea must only drink fresh beer without any
conservants and light beer with lower content of
carbohydrates. In case of wine consume, choose white wine
only, as red wine is highly rich in carbohydrates,
preservatives and causes the worst redness reaction. The
best way to prevent flushing is till avoiding alcohol in all
cases.

Patients with Rosacea should choose small amounts of
whiskey, vodka or gin and water instead of sweetened mixes
that stimulate the cardiovascular system. Gin is however
less dangerous; all drinks should be mixed with water.

Cigarette smoking produces facial redness due to the oxygen
consumption causing blood vessel dilatation. Smoking
triggers the occurrence of teleangiectasie, high blood
pressure and mineral deficiencies.

Hot baths and showers cause flushing due to vasodilatation.
If you prefer warmer water to open pores, clean them up or
simply for relaxation; do not forget to later lower the
water temperature to trigger vasoconstriction.

Cold weather conditions cause vessel dilatation in Rosacea
sufferers as they go into a warm environment from cold outer
weather. In cold air the heart pumps more rapid to preserve
the inner temperature and the extremities tend to cool off.
When they get into a warm room facial area and extremities
tend to flush as the heart is still in n alert mode. Rosacea
patients are advised to wear facial masks in cold exposures
and slowly change the temperature in the environment
permitting the body to adapt its functions.

The facial redness caused by a food allergy debuts with a
red nose, red cheeks or ears. This can act like warning
signs for patients; they must immediately change their
eating habits to reduce facial symptoms as well as
gastrointestinal ones, headaches, sinusitis or fatigue.
Carbohydrates, calories and sweets are especially guilty for
causing facial redness. Other substances contained in food
can also act harming in case of Rosacea: vinegar, fruit
juice, tomatoes, spicy food, pepper, meat marinades, cheese,
chocolate, yogurt, vanilla and many others. All this
products cause facial flushing due to vasodilatation or
because of allergic reactions. Stimulants like caffeine,
teas and alcohol stimulate the nervous system leading to
even worse redness reactions.

All alcohol types are fermented and cause facial flushing.
But red wine and beer are most dangerous as they are not
further distillated and trigger facial allergic redness in
Rosacea sufferers. Alcohol pumps out water from the cells,
leads to dehydration and causes blood vessels to dilate. It
is also a good calorie resource, very rapid metabolized and
the quick digestion triggers an increased blood flow.

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Cerveza en Mexico

Beer and Mexico are practically synonymous?the light brews
at least. The list of big names resonate old-world Hispania
and are notorious outside their country of origin?Bohemia,
Corona, Dos Equis, Modelo Especial, Negro Modelo, Pacifico,
and Tecate.

Long-touted as a haven for the best beers of the world, the
educated beer-connoisseur or casual drinking can correct and
probably re-direct you to a more appropriate aisle.

But that does not necessarily discount Mexico from the arena
of good brews.

There are a few beers with fairly recognizable names that
come in a few other strains that are unfamiliar to other
countries because, well, they can't be exported.

• Corona Familiar - Comes in a quart and is stronger
than normal corona, carrying a discerning taste that, in my
opinion, is a little more inviting than its namesake.

• Corona Cerveca de Barril - Again, much better than
regular Corona. A similar, but not too similar, taste to
Corona Familiar except sold in smaller, "Mickey" bottles.

• Noche Buena - Made by Dos Equis and only shows its
face around the Winter holiday season. Dark, Rich flavor
that can not be exported beyond the Mexican border.

Whatever your taste?Pilsner, IPA, Stout, Lager?sampling a
beer that has been freshly bottled is unlike an import; the
difference is in the taste.

Beer and Mexico are practically synonymous?the light brews
at least. The list of big names resonate old-world Hispania
and are notorious outside their country of origin?Bohemia,
Corona, Dos Equis, Modelo Especial, Negro Modelo, Pacifico,
and Tecate.

Technorati Tags : corona taste modelo mexico

Stag Weekend in Budapest ? the Thrill of Horse Racing

Budapest, with its perfect blend of eastern and western
cultures, is the best locale for a stag weekend. Referred to
as the ?Paris of the East?, this stag weekend venue will
provide you with all that you can ask for - beautiful
landscapes and undulating hills on one side, and shops,
restaurants, markets and exciting nightlife on the other.
The Pilis Mountains provide an ideal location for all sorts
of adventure sports and rally driving stag activities. If
you feel fatigued after some hectic stag weekend activities,
you can definitely visit one of the numerous outdoor thermal
spas to relax yourself. Filled with bars, pubs, clubs,
restaurants and open-air dance clubs, Budapest is the best
place for spending your stag weekend.

Stag Do in Budapest ? Bet it up at the Traditional Tracks

From quad biking, paintball, horse racing, five a side
football matches to thermal baths and bacchanalian spa,
Budapest is filled with stag weekend activities. One of the
most exciting stag weekend activities in Budapest is the
thrill of Horse Racing at the traditional Hungarian
racetracks. More attractive than the actual horse racing is
the price at which you can buy a can of beer ? this stag
venue is the best place for extremely cheap beer and liquor.

This is one of those stag weekend activities where you get a
chance to place your bet. Bet it up at the traditional
racetracks of Hungary. Sit at the gallery and watch the fun
as the horses perform carriage and gallop racing for you.
Remember to keep your fingers crossed; you may even win the
bet!

Don?t worry about your stomach; there is constant supply of
food available to purchase on-site. Chillisauce makes sure
that this stag weekend of yours turns up to be the best stag
weekend you ever had. You will be provided with
transportation, a proper guide and rounds of beers.

The Benefits of a Stag Do in Budapest

Chillisauce, after years of fine-tuning, live, eat and
breathe stag dos thus making your stag weekend in Budapest a
perfect one. The horse racing in Budapest is one of the best
stag weekend activities; as it absorbs you completely in the
game, and makes you feel one with the game. Apart from
providing a steady supply of beer and entertainment, this
stag weekend activity relieves your mind and cheers you up
from the core of your heart.

Budapest, with its perfect blend of eastern and western
cultures, is the best locale for a stag weekend. Referred to
as the ?Paris of the East?, this stag weekend venue will
provide you with all that you can ask for - beautiful
landscapes and undulating hills on one side, and shops,
restaurants, markets and exciting nightlife on the other.

Technorati Tags : weekend budapest racing activities

The Most Wanted German Food and Recipes

German food is synonymous with meat, especially red meat,
which is seen in almost every restaurant and hotel. The next
most available food item is the sausages, which can be
grabbed even while walking down the street. Even if some
other item is ordered, it comes along with the sausage
packed with it, since it is found in abundance.

If a person wishes for something lighter, he or she can get
the dish made from duck with new potatoes, cabbage and a
flavored sauce. There are steaks served with spring
vegetables that have a wonderful taste. Dishes with wild
mushrooms, crayfish and river eels are special dishes of
Germany, particularly Berlin.

Potato soup is the food item that appeals to everyone as is
the pork knuckle along with cabbage. Although beer is the
most popular drink in Germany, French wines are also
available everywhere and are taken by the Germans regularly.
Beer is made by the Germans themselves and that is done
well, too.

The most popular of beers is the Lagers, which may come from
a bottle or from a tap. Berliner Weiss Mit Schuss is a brand
of beer which is bright in color and has an unparallel
taste. A lighter version of this beer is Berliner Weiss beer
and is a newly fermented one, which gives a sour taste to
the beer. If not anything else, the taste of this beer is
sure to attract the visitors to Germany.

The German food uses meat of all forms like the deer, bear,
antelope, wild boar and moose but only in a clean, lean,
defatted form. This meat is used in five different kinds of
summer sausages. It is also ground or canned for future use.
The sausage is rest in mild brine for around six days to
keep them moist and then smoke them to perfection. This is
done to preserve moisture and flavor.

The German food is characterized by bratwurst, knackwurst,
weisswurt, schnitzel and many other German authentic foods.
All these items are used using traditional spices and
authentic seasonings, with no fillers or additives or MSG to
maintain the natural flavor and fervor. Along with the
sausages, the cases are filled with liverwursts, salamis,
ham and sandwich and of course, the meat. In addition,
imported and domestic cheese are also used. Black forest ham
is a specialty that is being used by the Germans.

The German food utilizes cabbages, chocolates, curry
ketchups, mustards, spices, soups and mush more. For those
busy people who do not find time, some of the restaurants
have ready made frozen selections which can be heated and
used at home to have a good German meal. Such food can be
got by even making a phone call, fax or by visiting the
website, without any shipping costs and in good shape,
packed neatly.

German foods offer the best delight to our taste buds. Check
it out here for the best and most wanted German foods and
recipes.

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Banned Beer Labels and Santa's Butt

Winter is an important time for micro- and craft-brewers.
The colder months mean that the heavier beers sell better,
and beer aficionados love their holiday-themed beverages.
The heavy ales and porters ? beers that warm the drinker ?
lead to sales spikes in the winter. For one of their special
holiday beers, Ridgeway brewers had Gary Lippencourt paint
them a Santa.

Lippencourt painted a warm image of Claus; the jolly man is
sitting atop a large beer barrel (or "butt" in industry
lingo) with his back to the viewer, a stein in one hand, and
his famous list in the other. The painting wasn't meant to
cause controversy. No, it was meant to be a clever visual
pun, perhaps bringing a chuckle, and hopefully sell some
beer. The man's face had been synonymous with Christmas and
giving and holiday cheer for decades. Santa, or his visage,
would be everywhere and on everything following
Thanksgiving. It seemed like everything from Coca-Cola to
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade would have a Santa in
2006. Well, everything except for one of the Ridgeway beers
that Dan Shelton of the Shelton Brothers was trying to
import into a pair of American states. The label for
Ridgeway's Santa's Butt Winter Porter, which had the
Lippencourt Santa, was officially banned by the state liquor
authorities of New York and Maine.

For Dan Shelton, and for the Ridgeway beers he imports from
England, this wasn't the first holiday beer that he'd had
blocked. A year prior, Connecticut had barred him from
selling two Ridgeway ales which had a mischievous elf on the
label. Connecticut's reasoning, the same reason which was
paraphrased by New York and Maine, was that depicting such
images appealed to children, and could lead to an increase
in underage drinking.

Though he had acquiesced in 2005, Shelton was not going to
let two states ruin Christmas in 2006. According to his
logic, the iconic images of Santa Claus, elves, and reindeer
appealed to smaller children, not those likely to buy his
beer. Dan stated firmly that his beer wasn't even remotely
marketed at underage drinkers, nor many of those of legal
age. To put it bluntly, Dan's beer is expensive, with the
importer quoting in a press release that the average prices
are "about five or six bucks a bottle." No, what seemed to
be happening was various state liquor authorities were
picking on the proverbial little guy. As Shelton himself put
it, banning his beer due to Santa being on the label was
"just an easy way to appear to be doing something about
[underage drinking] without actually doing something about
it."

While the Shelton Brothers distribution company let
Connecticut slide previously, New York and Maine would not
be so lucky. Dan Shelton retained Albany-based attorney
George Carpinello to bring suit against New York. Carpinello
was a sound choice; less than a decade ago he had championed
a similar case all the way to the Federal Court of Appeals.
The ruling from that case set the precedent Dan was banking
on ? beer labels were protected as artistic statements under
the First Amendment. Though states were granted the right to
regulate alcohol sales, denying a product based simply on
the label was constitutional infringement.

In Maine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union (MCLU) helped the
Shelton Brothers file suit against the Maine Bureau of
Liquor Enforcement (MBLE) on those very same grounds.
Through the course of that December, it looked like Dan
Shelton and Santa would have a pair of very hot court cases
on their hands. Or would have, if Carpinello's case hadn't
been so sound the first time around.

New York, the first to ban the beer label that year, was
also the first to fold. The state's official statement came
out on the heels of a press release by the Shelton Brothers
after retaining Carpinello. New York State Liquor Authority
stated that the label had originally been banned at a "staff
level". When it was reviewed by the New York State Liquor
Authority General Counsel, it passed without issue.

Maine took a bit longer, perhaps waiting for the lawsuit to
be fully filed, perhaps examining the evidence, or maybe
they were just waiting for fallout from New York's reversal.
Either way, on December 22, 2006, the Maine Bureau of Liquor
Enforcement mailed Shelton to inform him of their decision
to reverse the ruling against Santa's Butt Winter Porter.
Dan was out of the country at the time, so he didn't receive
the news until after the holiday season, but it did prove
his point. While beer lovers consider what's in the bottle
to be art, the federal government considers the art to be
the outside.

Santa Claus and beer aren't usually found together, which
may be part of the reason this beer label was banned. Find
out how Santa and his butt were asked not to turn the other
cheek.

Technorati Tags : santa shelton label maine

Funny Christmas Gifts Are A Welcome Holiday Gift

Funny Christmas gifts are always welcome holiday gift.
Weather it is for a office gift exchange or that practical
joker on your list funny Christmas gifts are always fun to
give and receive. As the holiday's approach you will find a
wide verity of funny Christmas gifts and gag gifts. If you
are not sure what to get the person that loves to laugh
there are a lot of choices out there for them.

You can find some very funny tee shirts online for most any
occasion or interest. Political tee shirts are a big item
and there are some funny tee shirts that come straight from
some stand up comics acts.

If the funny gift is for someone that is on a diet the
refrigerator lock up is a funny idea. Funny aprons are a
great idea for the comic cook in the family .

There are fake lottery tickets, and fake parking tickets and
prank car magnets that can make for a fun gag gift. If you
are looking for classic gag gifts there are the prank mixed
nuts and whoopee cushion. Fake chewing gum and electric
shocking pens. Do you have a beer drinker on your list get
them the beer can wraps that make the beer can look like a
soda.

There are tattoo sleeves that slip on and off for a wacky
gift and silly baby pacifiers that make the baby look very
funny. Maby a giant inflatable bug will be the right gift
for some one you know or a classic magic trick.

Of course there are plenty of gifts with a bathroom humor
theme, far to many to get into here. Some are very funny and
some are just plane disgusting.

If you have a political junkie on your list this is a great
year them. There are all kinds of political gag gifts such
as the George Bush and Hillary toilet bowl brushes, the
Obama bobble head doll and action figures. There are plenty
of gag gifts that poke fun at both sides of the isle.

This year we hope you have a wonderful holiday season. As
you can see there are a lot of ways to add laughs to the
season with these funny Christmas gifts.

Funny Christmas gifts are always welcome holiday gift.
Weather it is for a office gift exchange or that practical
joker on your list funny Christmas gifts are always fun to
give and receive. As the holiday’s approach you will find
a wide verity of funny Christmas gifts and gag gifts. If you
are not sure what to get the person that loves to laugh
there are a lot of choices out there for them.

Technorati Tags : funny gifts there christmas

Whatever the Size of Glasses, Coasters are Available!

Coasters should be an important part of decorating a room or
for an event in order to offer your furniture the protection
it needs from the water that drips from drink glasses.
Coasters keep the water from running onto the furniture or a
tablecloth and causing an unsightly stain. Many people don?t
consider this aspect of decor, but when you do place a set
of coasters on your coffee table it adds immensely to the
ambiance. The presence of such a set also gives the guests a
subtle hint that you would like them to place a coaster
under their drinks.

Where drinks are accentuated by serving them in the
appropriate glasses, coasters can accentuate a room by
adding a splash of contrasting color. You may want to choose
small round coasters that look dainty and just the right
size for a cocktail glass. Most coasters accommodate a wide
range of glass sizes, but you can use different ones for
different occasions. If you are enjoying a cold beer in a
beer stein, there are large square drink coasters to use for
this reason.

As your guests sip their drinks from the glasses, coasters
can become conversation starters. A simple image of a beach
or palm trees may inspire the thoughts of being on a warm
sandy beach while the snow is swirling outside your window
and put your guests at ease. It may cause them to reminisce
about vacations they have had to such parts of the world
where these scenes are common. Such coasters could also
serve to remind you of a vacation that you will remember
forever. Beverage coasters containing photos of your
children and grandchildren will definitely lead to a
conversation about these important people in your life.

When they are used for different sizes of glasses, coasters
don?t all have to be of the same size or the same design.
You can have a set of coasters on your coffee table and
several others on end tables or other places in the room for
guests to use. Children love coasters of Disney or cartoon
characters and since you can have these in unbreakable
materials you don?t have to worry if they decide to play
with them.

For a casual gathering such as having friends over to watch
the football game, when you are gathered in the rec room
with your glasses, coasters of wood or leather are well
suited for this informal occasion. These coasters reflect an
informal theme while still adding a touch of classiness to
the d?cor. For another gathering in the same room, you may
want to change the cocktail coasters to something a little
more elegant, such as glass or sandstone.

If you want the best protection from water dripping from
glasses, coasters made from natural porous material will
give you what you need. The liquid seeps into the stone,
which is well able to hold up to ? cup of liquid, which will
then evaporate naturally into the air. The cork backing on
the back will keep the stone from scratching the furniture
and the textured surface will prevent the glasses from
sticking to the coasters. All you have to do to keep these
coasters clean is to wipe them off with a damp cloth from
time to time to help preserve their absorbent qualities.

When they are used for different sizes of glasses, coasters
don?t all have to be of the same size or the same design.
You can have a set of coasters on your coffee table and
several others on end tables or other places in the room for
guests to use. Children love coasters of Disney or cartoon
characters and since you can have these in unbreakable
materials you don?t have to worry if they decide to play
with them.

Technorati Tags : coasters glasses these guests