Thanksgiving Inspiration

BOOKSHELF TOUR | 2016

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One & Two (Special Rehearsal Edition Script): The Official Script Book of the Original West End Production - Rowling, J.K.; Thorne, Jack; Tiffany, John

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One & Two (Special Rehearsal Edition Script): The Official Script Book of the Original West End Production - Rowling, J.K.; Thorne, Jack; Tiffany, John

It finally arrived:

About the Author

J.K. Rowling is the author of the seven Harry Potter novels, which have sold over 450 million copies and have been translated into 79 languages, and three companion books originally published for charity. She is also the author of The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults published in 2012, and, under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, is the author of the Cormoran Strike crime series. J.K. Rowling is making her screenwriting debut and is a producer on the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a further extension of the Wizarding World, due for release in November 2016.

Jack Thorne writes for theatre, film, television and radio. His theatre credits include Hope and Let The Right One In, both directed by John Tiffany, The Solid Life of Sugarwater for the Graeae Theatre Company, Bunny for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Stacy for the Trafalgar Studios, 2nd May 1997 and When You Cure Me for the Bush. His adaptations include The Physicists for the Donmar Warehouse and Stuart: A Life Backwards for Hightide. On film his credits include War Book, A Long Way Down and The Scouting Book for Boys. For television his credits include The Last Panthers, Don’t Take My Baby, This Is England, The Fades, Glue and Cast-Offs and the upcoming National Treasure. In 2012 he won BAFTAs for best series (The Fades) and best serial (This Is England 88).

John Tiffany directed Once for which he was the recipient of multiple awards both in the West End and on Broadway. As Associate Director of the Royal Court, his work includes The Twits, Hope and The Pass. He was the director of Let The Right One In for the National Theatre of Scotland, which transferred to the Royal Court, West End and St. Ann’s Warehouse. His other work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes Macbeth (also Broadway), Enquirer, The Missing, Peter Pan, The House of Bernarda Alba, Transform Caithness: Hunter, Be Near Me, Nobody Will Ever Forgive Us, The Bacchae, Black Watch, for which he won the Olivier and Critics’ Circle Best Director Awards, Elizabeth Gordon Quinn and Home: Glasgow. Other recent credits include The Glass Menagerie at A.R.T. and on Broadway and The Ambassador at BAM. Tiffany was Associate Director of the National Theatre of Scotland from 2005 to 2012, and was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-2011 academic year.

The Candidate's Speech Entrepreneurial yet Clueless on Foreign Policy and Statesmanship

I'm working on my computer overwhelmed by this candidate's acceptance speech which caught my attention for a few minutes to pause and listen.

Listening through, I remember when I hit 21 years old successful transform a start-up 2 years of ago to US$500,000 which back then was a lot of equity and stability for a micro cottage enterprise. I started with this as this was the arena how I got started to be a presidential appointee for the Youth and Young Entrepreneurs then. 

When I started that new role,  I have all these entrepreneurial ideals that I've tested in being successful as an entrepreneur. This speech tonight reminded me of this idealistic ideals I did have to start then especially when I entered the foreign affairs relationship as APEC Youth Representative and co-chair of then APEC Young Entrepreneurs Assn. 

During those years, I've to admit although some of my entrepreneurial skills and ideals were really essential I also learned a lot of what race, culture, foreign policy/relations as it relates to trade policies and governance. Likewise, I got a more better understanding why politicians have these so called platforms as when I started of course I just associated them with corruptions, dynasties and the like.

As I hear this speech tonight, my biggest concern as a struggling small independent business thinking back to my days and exposure to foreign policy is we cannot afford an individual that will be in the learning process and curve like me.

This country's liberal and urgent problems needs an experience statesman as we cannot afford for that person go through a training process. Of course, I don't mean to state that the other candidate my be the ideal person neither had we heard that other candidate's speech and platform.

Criticizing the starting from the the present policies does not give the message of what this candidate indeed brings to the table. However, I may be wrong just because I compared what I'm hearing to my personal experiences.

All I can say, let's hear what is there for the independent small businesses?

http://www.affordable-booskonline.com

Young Entrepreneur's Emerging Saga Then and Now

Under 18 and making serious $$$

What do billionaires Jeff Bezos, Mark Cuban and Richard Branson have in common?

They each started their first business before graduating high school.

Stories of 20-somethings launching start-ups from their dorm rooms seem to pop up everywhere, but it seems entrepreneurs are getting even younger.

While they aren't billionaires yet, these eight entrepreneurs under 18 years old are making a name for themselves—and some serious cash.

—By CNBC's Sarah Whitten

Posted 27 July 2015

This quote is barely a year old yet the principle that lies beneath goes back ages when entrepreneurs start on a early age. It goes way back then when we started the APYEA or APEC Young Entreprneur's Association in Ottawa, Canada in 1997 during the APEC Economic Ministerial Meetings leading to the Declaration during the Economic Leaders Meeting.

Thank God in the quote above are some names that were also in the helm of establishing their business empires so lol I don't feel that "old" in such sense. I guess nowadays it's already kinda hard to continue my discipleship on young entrepreneurship when I've graduated that age demographics. Yet, I still have the spirit, the mission, enthusiasm and most I still fell responsible in continuing the quest as my flagship site: http://www.affordable-booksonline.com  continues to exist with it's core mission built of my discipleship.

Continuing on the CNBC article above, here is my favorite part of the youngest millionaire at 7.

Sebastian Martinez

He's only 7, but he's already CEO of his own company and a philanthropist.

Sebastian Martinez's passion for collecting bright and zany socks turned into a business when his mother suggested he design his own. The result was a company called Are You Kidding which Sebastian started at age 5.

In 2014, Sebastian made $15,000 selling his specialty socks with the help of his director of sales and big brother Brandon Martinez.

Since January revenue has continued to grow. "We have been able to already reach the $15,000 that we made last year and are on track to double and hopefully triple our sales this year," Rachel Martinez, the president of the company and Sebastian's mother, told CNBC.

Are You Kidding teamed up with organizations like the American Cancer Society and the Live Like Bella Foundationlast year to raise more than $3,000 for cancer awareness. In April, the company partnered with The Hue Studio and donated 25 percent of all proceeds from its "Eye See You" sock sales to Discovery Arts, a charitable organization that brings art programs to children with serious illnesses.

My take on Sebastian and the new emerging young entrepreneurship keep up the spirit yet enjoy life to the fullest after all youth is the best part of growing up in life.

Alex Esguerra

The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time

The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time

How Diamond Makes A Retailer Want To Weep - Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News

How Diamond Makes A Retailer Want To Weep - Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News: Mimi Cruz is the manager of Salt Lake City's Night Flight Comics. A major figure in getting comic books into libraries over a number of decades, she has ma

What Lies Between Us, A Novel by Naomi Munaweera, New York Times Bestsellers

What Lies Between Us, a winner of the Regional Commonwealth Book Prize for Asia signifies similarity to a lot of Asian Americans having the culture within yet living the challenges of growing up as an American.

                         Like Ganga fulfilling the American dream of graduating from college, moving to a city like San Francisco, working as a nurse while reminiscing the scars from the past. After which a love story begins with Daniel yet secrets from the past haunts her until she finally commits the terrible dreaded act followed by her confession.

                         Author Nayomi Munaweera a foreign born Sri Lankan who grew up in Nigeria deficts the story of Ganga. Nayomi immigrated to the USA as a teenager and currently is resident in Oakland, California. 

                         Way back the days of ABAC @APEC, Asian literary award giving bodies really recognizes Asians that have exceeded notability. Nayomi's first novel then, "Island of a Thousand Mirrors" won the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize  for the Asian Region, was long listed for the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize, and was shortlisted for the 2013 DSC Price for South Asian Literature.

                          Her first novel was "The Beating heart of Island of Thousand Mirrors is not so much its human characters but Sri Lanka itself and the vivid, occasionally incandescent language used to describe this teardrop in the Indian Ocean" - The New York Times Book Review.

ADLE International - Livre-Rare-Book
http://www.affordablebooksonline.com
http://www.lifeandtimesofalexesguerra.com

Super Bowl 50 San Francisco

Super Bowl 50 invades San Francisco Bay Area.

It was a week of high profile and high security from the NFL Experience at the Moscone Center,  Super Bowl City at the Embarcadero to Levis Stadium in Santa Clara for today's Super Bowl 50 Sunday.

With thousands of people on these venues getting the 1st time Super Bowl feeling in San Francisco the NFL wants everyone to experience what Super Bowl.is about.

The first step on getting to the venues like Moscone Center is downloading the Road to 50 app simplying. the registration process to be able to participate in the activities like throwing a football, picture at the Lombardi trophy etc..

With Alicia Keys playing also at Super Bowl City leading to Game Day which is 8 hours as of writing this blog..

It's all about the feeling and experience of Super Bowl for all walks of life per the NFL.

State of the Nation : Obama's Farewell Writing History

Listening and yet blogging while Barack Hussein Obama delivers his last State of the Nation address, as any sitting President starts on his administrations successes. Watching these speeches on television over the years one thing I've noticed was a change on how the applause was on this congress. The Speaker of the House who sits by the Vice-President seem to be real serious including the Presidential Candidates Republicans on the audience. In saying this, it's the first time I've noticed there were not applauding when the rest are. Over the years as a gesture I remember everyone was applauding or standing.

The President touched a lot of points from the Economy, Unemployment, Auto Industry, HIV-Aids to even Cuba and Bin Laden. Although such audience gesture might indicate agree or disagree, we should looked at the facts of Obama's case. First and foremost he was the first sitting minority as President, he started with one of the hardest part - A Recession, a post Iraq invasion and a climate to redeem trust in the Presidency.

I do want to note the differentiation of then Senator to President Elect Obama as a political figure transcending to a realist commoner leader. From depending Social Security towards his fourth talking point about the future moving forward. Democracy he said goes into a haul distinguishes the difference of the rich and poor  reminiscing his greatest frustration. 

I remember in my year as APEC Youth Representative and the last year of Bill Clinton's Presidency, the similarity of both siting Presidents is this transformation of the true reality of what's going on in America.

Even as a private citizen openly active in youth and political affairs then and now as middle age, you start off with all the ideals that you want to accomplish and over time you augment things, you learn, deviate, mature and transcend your vision towards the real time factors and prevailing conditions.

One ideology I'm proud of is when we started ADLE International in 1998 with the vision of affordability we have endured this vision 18 years after. It's because more than ever what I've seen is that Obama's disparity on the gap between rich and poor really affects a lot of students. This is why till this day we have special promotional prices for textbooks, etc..

Do we make money on this special deals, not really but it's about the vision and mission of what we started and Entrepreneurship is a long development process which one should be looking at the long term results, customer loyalty, fulfillment and   brand recognition. 

As I finish writing this, Obama has just ended his farewell Sate of the Nation. My take, regardless on how history writes about Obama, a salute to a visionary realist the greatest minority President the United States ever had.

                                                                                                                                                                     Alex Esguerra                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Online Shopping Apps and Mobile Integration

Today's online shopping portal has totally evolved. From a world of auction listing bidding and winning to mobile apps integration. Added to it comes seamless e-commerce shopping carts powered by www.google.com, www.amazon.com, www.paypal.com, www.square.com and many more. Gone are the days you have to re run your credit cards or input the numbers manually then you get the continued decline messages even though you haven't  really use your credit line.

Online websites such as ours at Affordable Books have been undergoing reengineering as not only does it needs to be socially interactive and seamless it needs to be mobile device friendly.

Hence from the traditional html/css protocol and API integration we had to wake up and operate differently in this new age.

So when Affordable DVD's,
Affordable Electronics and Quality CD'S came live all of these platform integrations came to effect.  The truth is everything is Mobile nowadays.

So I guess the thing to think about is being mobile friendly on your online selling presence being easy user friendly and seamless.

Alex Esguerra  

Creating Millions of Customer Virtually Free Online

Today's online web marketing retail shopping has changed in terms of customer acquisitions and even retention.  Years ago when we were developing our first online storefront

Affordable Books on line there were so many facets in marketing it online. From Search Engine optimizations, ad-words and then emails using 3rd party channels seem to be so many task especially for an individual small operated business.

Then came the power of blogs which was indeed excellent in my case as I do a lot of writings and contributions ater APEC 1997. This blogger profile and our Wordpress were part of the first series which later duplicated and duplicated some of our traffic.

So to any aspiring new online wanna be my recommendation is optimized through blogging as not only you'll get a lot of opinions, ideas, comments and interactions it's also a way of really spreading your online presence and storefront.

Back then as mentioned in my previous blogs , my then branded name domain which I bought for $9.99 a year is now being sold for $2,300. The domain has so many back links and domain referrers in the world of SEO.

So today on top of the two blog sites, I try my best to write when I can at my life blog.

We are also blessed and fortunate to have duplicated our initial storefront.

Three of our other sites can be found at; Affordable DVD's, Affordable Electronics, and Quality CD's

There is also the influx of social media syndication's, feeds, RSS, pins and postings.

So to any aspiring online entrepreneur of 2016 you have a lot of tools and even free ones to indeed create customers virtually, You jus have to do your homework and as any endeavor you ahve to commit your dedication.

Alex Esguerra

Alexandria 2016 Fed hikes interest

http://wp.me/prqTA-K

Travel and Drive Time during Training

Drive Travel Time During an Employee new hire training  in California

A few years when we open a small pilot office in California and we had to hire an employee training was essential on the way we were doing business.

Some of the considerations we had to think off was will it be compulsory for that person, where will be held and how far commute will  that person have to do to get to the raining venue.

Looking at Federal jurisdictions for one travel time is not necessarily compensated and training hours may or may not be classified work.hours.

However after doing our research the State of California is more pro employee and supercedes Federal laws.

This meant that since the person is mandated to go to training and travel to the location both travel and training time are work time and must comply with overtime pay as well as most of the time it involves more than an 8.hour day.

A lot of other business owners or even HR generalist even from established companies tend to confuse these as they may have developed travel time policies generally tailored to Federal statutes.

Any small business owner operating in California should  be looking at both Federal and Stare laws to avoid any confusion which could be hefty penalties.

Alex Esguerra @ WordPress

https://alexesguerra.wordpress.com/

Independent Contractor Brand Ambassadors Mis-Classifications in California Trade Shows

 Major cities in the State of California hold a lot of Trade Shows for promotional and marketing of different companies. Recently there has been a proliferation of these exhibiting companies using third party staffing agencies for booth personnel and other promotional activities during these shows.

These so called third party staffing agencies still employ exhibition staff and brand ambassadors as independent contractors or W9 category which hopefully in the very near future the State of California will require these agencies to convert to W2 or employee categories for their personnel.

Some of the mis-classification violations in these marketing endeavors are these exhibiting companies requiring sales goals to independent brand ambassadors per hour, per day and at the end of these shows.  Sometimes there are so called apps to be downloaded, signed on and promotional codes to be redeem with such goals. In doing this the brand ambassadors are using their personal smart devices and internet data plans to achieved these goals and not even get reimbursed for the expenses.,

In addition, the exhibiting company interferes with contractor schedules when they think a scheduled individual does not hit the so called sales goal within the first hour the show opens. They also would dis-allocate the said person of whom might be scheduled in the next days by relieving him/her of the assignment and replaced by another person which they think might accomplished the said sales goal.

Likewise, the exhibiting company micro-manages the event entirely to their liking in spite of having independent contractors initially contracted to run the event. This extends to asking access and pictures of contractor's daily time and in out sign in sheet as well as sending the brand ambassadors home early when the show is slow even though they were scheduled to work at the end of the show hours. Before the start of the show the so called exhibiting company conducts a training session heavily emphasizing the sales goals required for the project.

In addition, exhibiting companies interferes with rest and meal breaks without even thinking that brand ambassadors are already working 10 to 14 hour shifts without receiving overtime compensation as they are not employee classified.

The sales goals are also micro-manage per hour by way of the exhibiting company communicating every hour, daily, end of the show and two weeks after when said sales goals are achieved or not. Some of these companies will even get back two weeks after questioning the validity of the emails generated integrity and validity.

There are so much violations that entails  in this industry and bottom line the brand ambassadors who just wanted the additional income as independent contractors does not deserved to be in such ordeals.

I will end by citing the excerpts from the National Federation of Independent Businesses with the categorization.

FACTORS: The Common Law Test consists of twenty factors. Not all of the factors need to be present in every case in order to make a determination about classification.The test merely weighs the existence of factors indicating a level of control against those factors showing independence. 1. INSTRUCTIONS a. Employee: provided with instructions from the business regarding when, where and how to perform the work. b. Independent Contractor: decides when, where and how to accomplish the services he or she is providing. 2. TRAINING a. Employee: receives training directly from the employer, demonstrating that the business wants the services performed in a particular manner. b. Independent Contractor: receives little or no training from the business, but rather, hiring is based on pre-existing proficiency or expertise in a particular line of work. 3. SERVICES RENDERED BY THE WORKER PERSONALLY a. Employee: personally performs any assigned duties. b. Independent Contractor: free to hire employees or subcontract tasks. 4. SET HOURS OF WORK a. Employee: works hours established by the employer. b. Independent Contractor: retains the ability to set own hours. 5. REALIZATION OF PROFIT OR LOSS a. Employee: receives pay for time and labor only without realizing any additional gain or sharing in the risk of loss realized by the company based on the worker’s services. b. Independent Contractor: personally stands to gain or to lose economically based on performance of his/her services. 6. TIME REQUIRED a. Employee: usually devotes his/her employment to the business; full-time employment could prevent the worker from engaging in other gainful employment. b. Independent Contractor: does not necessarily work solely for one business and remains free to pursue other projects. 7. DOING WORK ON EMPLOYER’S PREMISES a. Employee: performs services on the premises of the employer to the extent which the nature of the services requires the work to be done on the employer’s premises. If the business has the right to compel the worker to perform services at an alternative specified location, then the level of control remains the same. b. Independent Contractor: chooses where to perform the services. 8. ORDER OR SEQUENCE OF THE WORK a. Employee: required to perform services in the order set by the employer. b. Independent Contractor: retains the option of deciding the sequence in which the work is performed. The Common Law Test 2 In 2006, the IRS issued a revised test that consolidated the 20 factors into 11 factors, divided into three groups: (1) behavioral control, (2) financial control, and (3) the type of relationship between the parties. Functionally, this new test is very similar to the 20-factor test. IRS Publication 15-A lists the factors and is available at www.irs.gov/publications/p15a/ar02.html#d0e346.

 9. CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP a. Employee: a continuing, non-sporadic relationship exists between the business and the worker. b. Independent Contractor: free to perform a service and then move on to other projects. 10. HIRING, SUPERVISING AND PAYING ASSISTANTS a. Employee: may hire assistants only under the direction of the employer. b. Independent Contractor: free to hire, supervise and pay additional assistants or subcontractors as necessary. 11. INTEGRATION OF THE WORKER’S SERVICES a. Employee: services are integrated into the daily success and operation of the business. b. Independent Contractor: services provided do not substantially affect the overall success of the business. 12. ORAL OR WRITTEN REPORTS a. Employee: submits regular reports to the employer for whom the services are being performed. b. Independent Contractor: accountable for end results only and not necessarily required to provide regular reports. 13. PAYMENT METHOD a. Employee: paid by the hour, week or month. b. Independent Contractor: paid by the project or on a straight commission. 14. PAYMENT OF BUSINESS EXPENSES a. Employee: the business usually pays expenses for the worker. b. Independent Contractor: pays for own business and traveling expenses. 15. FURNISHING OF TOOLS AND MATERIAL a. Employee: receives tools and equipment from the employer. b. Independent Contractor: provides tools, equipment and materials. 16. SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT a. Employee: depends on the continued success of the business without taking on any investment in the working facilities or equipment. b. Independent Contractor: invests in facilities or equipment used to perform any services, showing that the worker is in business for himself/herself. 17. WORKING FOR MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS a. Employee: restricted, either explicitly or effectively, from providing services to several businesses at once. b. Independent Contractor: free to provide services to multiple, unrelated businesses at the same time. 18. AVAILABILITY OF SERVICE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC a. Employee: provides services to only one business. b. Independent Contractor: offers services openly to the general public. 19. RIGHT TO FIRE THE WORKER a. Employee: employer maintains the discretion to discharge a worker. b. Independent Contractor: may not be terminated as long as the performance proceeds according to the agreed-upon terms. 20. WORKER’S RIGHT TO QUIT a. Employee: generally has the right to terminate the relationship with the business at any time. b. Independent Contractor: must fulfill any contractual obligations or else risk liability for breach.

https://eventspeak.com/co-employment-liability-every-brand-agency-needs-know

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs13.htm

www.lifeantimesofalexesguerra.com

www.alex-esguerra.com

www.affordablebooksonline.com

New laws to take effect since 2013.

http://www.eventmarketer.com/article/staffing_storm
http://www.eventprostrategies.com/eventpro-strategies-ceo-jessica-stackpoole-discusses-worker-misclassification-and-eps-switch-to-w-2-in-event-marketer-magazine

A Great Parking App Start up Evolves

Seamless and Convenience Technology , a great idea from Chicago based Spothero.com
a less than 5 year old Start up invades metro San Francisco a commuter driven city with a great public transportation system and nowadays a niche for Car Sharing and Uber, Lyft riders

The greatest strength of Spot Hero which it should focus on a city like San Francisco is affordability and living to the concept of a guaranteed reserved parking spot with its pool of partner garages.

At the recent San Francisco Auto Show this last Black Friday madness, the company showcased for the first time which gave the venue of interfacing with new and current user customers. At their booth at Moscone Center North people flock with excitement to share they indeed got the reserved parking spot when the initial show attendees this year was approximately 12,000 on the first few hours of black friday rush.

Kudos to its 29 year old CEO Mark Lawrence whom I've monitored way back their Interactions with VC's..It's great to hear the new generation Young Entrepreneurs evolves niche marketing using applications technologies.

At the show the company offered a great $15 instant parking credit to new spot hero app users.

From hereon, my recommendation is living to the promise of continuously improving it's technology for its App, make the application. as  convenient even for consumers starting on smart phone devices and the great niche live to the promise of "Guaranteed Reserved Parking Spot" .  This promise will entail a lot of work and customer service but in the end a huge metropolis like San Francisco may be this company greatest potential having presence in 14 major cities compared to San Francisco based luxe valet of whom is only in 3 cities.

More wishes and as always this is the talent of young entrepreneurs being creative and consumer driven in focus.

Integrating success in a small business

Life and small business survival is like a chain. Sometimes it's the top part and sometimes it's the bottom. In the book "How do u integrate success" I wrote about the ultimate challenges that one can face and still "hope" for the best.


Integrating success is a chain of events that occur in one's entrepreneurial or everyday life. The key is learning from the mistakes and trying to start a new beginning towards renewed hope.

I recommend buying a copy of this book at: http://www.howdoyouintegratesuccess.com so that so can find out the different trials and tribulations I have personally gone through. Hopefully it will inspire you that nothing is impossible as long as we aim for it.

www.alex-esguerra.com
www.lifeandtimesofalexesguerra.com

Independence Day

Independence day brings to us memories of how we had achieve our freedom. This year is a challenging one due to the economic uncertainty. However, we should recognize this time to remember the people that had been helping to fight for our freedom and liberty.

So as we celebrate the fireworks display tonight, let us remember the blessings that we receive each day for independence.

Happy 4th of July.

www.alexesguerra.com

The hard facts of the financial crisis for disabled people

Living with a chronic illness and being disabled in times like today are not fun. Each day the stress pounds on how one would be surviving considering that the money coming in is not even enough.

What's worse is that some benefits from agencies are literally withheld or denied because of the lack of the money. Of course, there would be excuses about administrative requirements but the bottom line is that the poor, ill and needy are the ones who are experiencing the repercussions of the system.

The main goal must be to check and balance in government and agencies. There should be agencies that can really understand the real problems of the needy as to the vast administrative requirements of the law. This is the biggest thing that the needy people can rely on as after all as hope seems to be gloomy sometimes. https://adleinternational.wordpress.com www.alex-esguerra.com www.lifeandtimesofalexesguerra.com