kickin' the habit...

If you want to kick the habit of smoking, sure, you could stick on a patch, chew some gum, get hypnotized, become a pin-cushion with Acupuncture sessions, puff on a pretend cigarette that looks kind of like a tampon, or finance some of those expensive Chantix pills. Sometimes these programs work, sometimes they don't.

If you've tried everything, and are still itching to light up, there's a new program you might not know about...

Your Cell Phone.

Yes, technology now will deliver - via your cell phone - a conscience like that of a close friend; a virtual quit buddy that will be by your side, or on your hip, to help you through those rough times of anxiety and withdrawal. What will they think of next?

"Immediacy is one of the most critical parts of the program," said Jodi Kopke, media director at Colorado's State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP). "For someone to say they smoke at 7 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. and then to get a message right as they are about to get up and light up, that is so powerful."

Colorado's STEPP and Denver-based ad agency Cactus developed a message system on cell phones with an Internet quit program. Initially aimed at high school students in Colorado, the state hopes to soon share its fledgling FixNixer program as a technique for all age groups and geographies.

~ Michele Gershberg NEW YORK (Reuters)

Restaurant Design Service Online

My husband is an excellent cook - I call him Emeril, Jr when he gets all his dishes out to prep the meal. He should have gone to culinary school, I guess it's never too late. Anyway, he often talks about how he would like to open a restaurant, but the town we live in would probably not be the best place to start since most of the people here try to escape on the weekends. But, just up the road about 30 minutes away, there's a well-known, booming, golf/horse/retirement area called Pinehurst, NC that has several great, independent restaurants that are top shelf. I stumbled upon a website that specializes in Restaurant Design and bookmarked it in case we get ready to take the plunge. Thought I'd share since the restaurant industry is so difficult to be successful in, you really need industry professionals with experience to help with your business plan, strategy, concept and branding. Visit the Restaurant Design website for more information.


***This post sponsored by quantifiedmarketing.com***