David McCleary

In 2008 I was selling bassoons in Ocean City, NJ. Spent a year marketing Easter candy worldwide. Was quite successful at getting my feet wet with mannequins in Las Vegas, NV. Spent childhood exporting junk bonds in Miami, FL. In 2009 I was consulting about accordians in Ohio. Managed a small team licensing saliva in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

David McCleary
This Could be the Best EPL

Four Reasons This Could be the Best EPL for Years

The fact is you very rarely get a poor season in English soccer’s top tier. This season, however, is shaping up to be one of the best for a long time, and not just at the top, but throughout the 20-strong division. It is never easy betting on the Premier League, with every game being competitive, every week throwing up shocks and parlay wreckers. This season has already made fools of most pundits, from what they were predicting just a few short weeks ago. So what are the key battles that will make the 2022/2023 season so special?

The race for the title

In the summer most were predicting a two-horse race between Manchester City and Liverpool, with the vast majority siding with Guardiola’s City to win their third successive title. While Liverpool have had a very poor start, City have been strong, if not quite as imperial as in previous seasons. The performances – and results – of North London rivals Tottenham, and in particular, Arsenal, has been nothing short of a revelation. Time will tell whether either or both can maintain that form late into the season, but all the signs at the momentare that there is a very good chance they will. Conte has been there before, and knows what it takes to be successful in the EPL. Moreover, now he has a side that plays in the way he, and they, are comfortable with. Arteta meanwhile, has been slowly building a team in the mould of Manchester City, where of course he learnt the ropes under Pep.

The demolishing of the “big four”

Arsenal and Spurs’ renaissance is good news for the neutral, and even better news for their respective fans, but it is a huge blow to those clubs who considered themselves to be a top four club. Suddenly Chelsea, Todd Boehly’s Chelsea, under new manager Graham Potter, and Liverpool have their work cut out to book that vital Champions League spot. West Ham have not kicked on from where they were last season, but should improve and will be confident of storming up the table. Brighton have been a revelation, but it will be fascinating to see if they can carry on in the same vein without Potter. Even Brentford may have a say in the top seven, six, or even higher. We will get to Manchester United shortly, but they are not out of the running for a European place either. Realistically there are eight sides all with a genuine chance of getting fourth spot. It isn’t that long ago when the top four were nailed on before a ball was kicked.

Manchester United and Liverpool

Theatre of Dreams has witnessed
The Theatre of Dreams has witnessed too many nightmares of late, but ten Hag appears to have turned things around

When Erik ten Hag took over at Old Trafford, he must have known the enormity of the task that faced him. A month into the job, it looked like it was an even bigger mission than he thought. The former Ajax man has turned it around,however, and suddenly, though they are far from the finished article, United are looking a threat for the top four.

Jurgen Klopp would have known that any dropped point is a hammer blow to regaining the title. His Liverpool dropped seven points in the first three matches, and already the title looks beyond them. It will be fascinating if they can recover enough to show they are not a spent force or if the period when they were capable of going head-to-head with City really is over.

The battle for survival

Always a fight every bit as intriguing as that at the other end of the table, the relegation battle looks like it will again go to the wire, and again involve sides whose ambitions would have been far more ambitious in August. Leicester, Aston Villa, Southampton and Everton will all be worried about the drop, while new boys Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Fulham have had mixed success, Fulham being another one of the surprise success stories of the season so far.

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Cool Websites to Visit Today If You Want To Kill Boredom

Do you ever stare at your screens and get tired of visiting the same websites again and again? Say no more because the internet is a place where you can find the hidden treasures of content, just waiting for you to come exploring. Of course, there are platforms like Instagram and TikTok, but you can only scroll on them for so long before things start to get a bit dull, not to mention; repetitive. 

However, we have found some pretty cool websites for you to visit today so you can kill boredom (or waste time), and rest assured, these sites will grab hold of your attention and not let you go for hours on end. 

Before we take a look at our list, let us make sure that you have the right tool to access them. Websites of all sorts work more efficiently if your connection is uninterrupted and fast. We know that you are looking for a good time, not the one that makes you want to throw your phone against the wall. 

Therefore, networks like Cox Internet® make sure that you get to enjoy the world of the internet, the way it is meant to be. With this connectivity, you can surf the world wide web and kill time as much as you want without having to worry about speed or unstable connections. You can learn more about it by contacting the around-the-clock available customer support agents on Cox en Español and get all the information you need regarding speed, plans, packages, and installation process. 

Having said that, here are some fun, cool, and interesting websites you can visit today to kill boredom. 

  1. Boil the Frog

Spotify is fun and all but how about you let Boil the Frog create a playlist for you by putting two artists together? You can insert the names of artists of your choosing in the bars given at the top of the page, and then it will make a playlist consisting of their bangers for you. 

(BRB, time to create a playlist of all the hits by Beyoncé and Lady Gaga!)

  1. The Wayback Machine

Want to know what BuzzFeed looked like back in the early days? Well, here is a fun way for you to find out. The Wayback Machine lets you see what your favorite websites used to look like at different periods of time. 

You can simply type in a URL, choose the date and it will provide you a screenshot of the website from the date of your choosing. 

  1. Zoom Quilt 

Okay, we have to admit, we are guilty of visiting this website one too many times. After all, who does not have a curiosity about how hypnotism works? And we are always down to get hypnotized whenever the possibility arises. 

Zoom Quilt shows you a picture that keeps zooming in for who knows how many times to reveal new pictures. FYI, there is no apparent end to it. 

  1. Flight Radar

Seeing every plane that is in the sky currently is truly fascinating and Flight Radar lets you get access to this mind-blowing technology. You can open this site and it will immediately collect data from your location and show you all the planes that are in the sky at any given moment. 

You can click on each plane to know more about its information, where it is headed, and the flight number. Moreover, the website gives you the option to choose any location from the map and any airport to check out the current flights up in the air in that particular region. 

  1. Geoguessr

Looking to test how good your geographical knowledge is? Check out Geoguessr. This guessing game is played by using Google maps as it virtually drops you in a random place and then you have to guess the location.

There are several clues for you to pick up on like the language of streets sign. The game is completely free to play but you can also sign up to play it in a challenge mode. 

  1. Hacker Typer

You have to admit, hackers do look super cool while pounding the keyboard away and writing codes to get inside anyone’s device or PC. Now, not everyone can do that (obviously!) but you sure can open this website, and type away gibberish for it to seem like you are creating codes to break into the computer of your enemy. 

Sounds fun, right?

Don’t wait any longer and make your dreams of acting like a hacker come true with Hacker Typer. 

  1. Scream Into the Void

Annoyed at your coworkers and want to take out your outrage? Scream Into the Void is just the perfect place for you. This website allows you to type anything, and get it all out of your system and once you hit the “scream” button, it throws it out into the void. 

Just a heads up, use your headset before hitting the “scream” button. 

Wrapping Up

The Internet is truly a fascinating place as it hosts endless cool and fun websites for you to visit. It gives you information on things you have always wondered about but never had any clue where to look for them. With so many options out there, you don’t need to settle for the same three apps you jump from one after another. If you are bored out of your mind and have absolutely nothing to do, then check out the websites we have mentioned in this article and enjoy the world of the internet the way it is meant to be.

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Two of Nate Diaz greatest victories in the UFC

Two of Nate Diaz’s greatest victories in the UFC

UFC 279 brought to an end Nate Diaz’s contractual obligations with the UFC, and boy did he bow out with a bang. His fourth-round victory over Tony Ferguson was a sensational performance and he proved that – despite being 38 years of age – he still has plenty left in the tank. Online bookmakers such as William Hill, which provide betting and free offers on UFC matchups, had made Stockton’s finest an underdog for his recent bout, but he delivered when it mattered the most, just as he always does.

The recent event from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was a strange one. Diaz didn’t just beat Ferguson, one could say he also beat Khamzat Chimaev. The Swedish Monster was originally scheduled to face off with the California native however, he couldn’t make it passed the scales, coming in a staggering EIGHT pounds over the welterweight limit. Diaz certainly sees it that way. In an explosive and expletive-filled interview from the ceremonial weigh-ins the night before the big fight, he said that he believed Chimaev was “scared” of him after being “punked” by Diaz and his crew at the press conference the day before. He would then finish off by saying that Real G’s come from California, America. And on this performance, it’s hard to argue with him.

The fourth-round victory over Ferguson – which came via a guillotine choke when El Cucuy shot for a takedown – brought to an end a stellar 15-year career with the company. In this time, Diaz has fought 26 times, winning 15 and losing 11. His two pay-per-view main events with superstar Conor McGregor generated a whopping three million buys, good enough for third and fifth on the all-time list of highest-grossing UFC PPVs.

Diaz – who announced his arrival into the organization by winning season five of the ultimate fighter – will leave as a legend. And some of his matchups have also reached legendary status. Let’s take a look through Nate Diaz’s greatest victories in the UFC.

UFC 196 – Nate Diaz def. Conor McGregor

Six years ago at UFC 196, Conor McGregor had just become the biggest star – not just in the UFC – but perhaps on the planet. After his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo three months prior – which secured the UFC Featherweight Championship –  the Irishman was granted his wish by head honcho Dana White. He booked his prize asset to face Rafael Dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Had The Notorious One won that bout, he would have become the first fighter in company history to hold two champions in different weight classes simultaneously.

As was the case with Aldo though, Dos Anjos pulled out of the fight citing a broken foot. Step up, Nate Diaz.

The self-proclaimed West Coast Gangster took the fight with McGregor on 11 days’ notice at a new weight limit of 170 lbs, rather than the originally planned lightweight limit of 155 lbs. Fans across the globe were salivating at the prospect of the pair going at it, both verbally and physically. And they weren’t about to be disappointed. At the press conference announcing the new bout, the pair didn’t waste any time. McGregor would do his best to rile up his opponent, referring to him as Nick’s little bro and commenting on Diaz’s work in the community, poking barbs such as “he makes gun signs with the right hand and animal balloons with the left hand.”

Diaz would respond as you would expect, explosively. More barbs were traded back and forth, but fights aren’t won in press conferences, they’re won in the Octagon. And that’s where Diaz truly showed what he is made of.

Despite absorbing a huge amount of punishment in the opening round – a round which finished with Diaz wearing a crimson mask so to speak – Stockton’s finest was still standing, much to the disbelief of McGregor. He would continue to pour it on at the start of the second round, but Diaz would weather the storm, and when his opponent began to slow down, he would step it up. He began to press the action and McGregor retreated, and when Diaz smashed his opposite number with a huge one-two, he was wobbled. McGregor shot for the takedown, but Diaz – a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt – would show his superiority on the ground, flattening McGregor out and sinking in the rear naked choke. “HE TAPPED, HE TAPPED” exclaimed color commentator Joe Rogan. And just like that, Diaz had turned the world on its head.

UFC 241 – Nate Diaz def. Anthony Pettis

Conor McGregor would of course get his victory back over Diaz five months on at UFC 202, securing a razor-thin majority decision victory. And while the victor that night would go on to successfully defeat Eddie Alvarez to become the first ‘champ-champ’ in company history, as well as box Floyd Mayweather for a bucket full of cash, the loser would not fight again for another three years.

In August 2019 at UFC 241, everyone’s favorite West Coast gangster would return, and he would do so against one of the greatest fighters in the history of the lightweight division, Anthony Pettis. ‘Showtime’ defeated a murderer’s row of opponents en route to securing the title back in 2013 and while six years later he wasn’t the same force to be reckoned with, he was still one of the most talented fighters on the roster.

Diaz however, coming off a three-year layoff, hadn’t missed a step. He would enter the Octagon to a thunderous reception and he would not disappoint his fans at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

He took the fight to Pettis in a three-round war, and while his opponent had his moments, Diaz was the better man on the night. His output and high-quality boxing skills, as well as his superior height and reach, were more than Pettis could handle. Diaz would comfortably win two of the three rounds on all three scorecards and receive a deserved unanimous decision victory.

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6 Effective Ways to Lower Your Internet Bill

Who does not like saving extra bucks every month? Monthly bills are always daunting, no matter how much you try to cut the costs there are always some charges that sneak into our bills that cause them to hike, and especially is the case with our internet billing. Of course, you can also opt for the ever-affordable CenturyLink prices that keep such worries at bay for your telecom bills. However, we have got the solution for you, as we have put together a guide for you comprising of the effective ways that can help you lower your internet bill. Are you ready to find them out? 

Continue reading this piece to find out all you need to know about these effective methods. 

  1. Negotiate the Cost with Your Provider

Your greatest option for reducing your internet bill is to negotiate. Whether you are getting new services from an internet service provider, or are already a customer, you just have to contact the customer service department of the company and negotiate for a lower price. Here your sleek skill of negotiation will come in handy. Our tip for you is to draw meaningful comparisons with other providers or inquire about ongoing deals and discounts applicable to your account. You can certainly lower your cost with this method. 

  1. Get The Internet Data You Need

There are occasions when we fail to recognize our fundamental needs and wind up acquiring goods or services that we don’t require. In these situations, we frequently fail to consider the long-term, which results in consequences down the road. Therefore, it’s critical to assess your internet or phone usage to see whether you’re overpaying. This can greatly reduce your expenses and prevent you from squandering a lot of internet bandwidth.

  1. Use Your Own Equipment

For the usage of their equipment, several internet service providers charge a monthly rent. You will be required to pay this price if you don’t have your modem or router. As a result, you’ll have to pay even more for home internet, which might cost you hundreds of dollars over several years.

Buying your equipment is one method to get around this. One will cost money upfront, but this shift could result in significant financial savings. 

  1. Enrollment in Federal Assistance Programs

There are several FCC-backed programs offered by internet providers. You might be eligible for free or significantly discounted internet if your household is enrolled in specific federal assistance programs. These include:

Public Housing (HUD)Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
National School Lunch Program (NSLP)Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)Pell Grant
Senior/Veteran Government AssistanceCommunity Eligibility Provision of the NSLP
  1. Look Out For Promotions

By acquiring your service online, almost everyone can enjoy the simplest internet discount available. An ISP will typically forgo the installation or activation fees if you do an online transaction. If you don’t have an internet connection right now, you could try to haggle over the phone for this reduction. Alternatively, you can use a secure wireless connection on your phone to place an order for service or ask a friend you can trust if you can use their Wi-Fi.

Keep a look out for more bargains if a holiday is approaching.

Closing Remarks

It is always best to know your internet requirements and get a plan that fits those needs, as you will not end up paying more for the services that you do not even need. 

Your internet cost can be decreased with the aforementioned few simple methods, such as lowering your download speed, purchasing your router and modem, and comparison shopping always wins. You might think these were tricky, but trust us when we say that these are your only best ways out of cutting down your internet bill charges.

So, deploy these methods strategically to get the most effective results.

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Money Management Tips for Improving Your Finances in Las Vegas

How do you build money, confidence and reduce anxiety? It’s easy as all you need is money management tips for improving your finances in Las Vegas. Finding ways to manage your money better—and your mindset—could help; here’s what you need to know. 

Speak With a Financial Advisor

If you don’t have one already, speak with a financial counselor. They can help get your finances in order and develop a plan for you to follow. Many banks and credit unions offer free financial counseling services if you’re unsure where to start.

As you find an excellent financial advisor, check out their credentials, experience, and fees. Then, ask about the financial goals you hope to achieve and what services they would recommend to help you get there. For more information, read our guide on how to choose a financial advisor.

Create a Budget and Track Your Spending

Budgetary plans keep you on the right track regarding financing control. This will help you become more aware of where your money is going and what areas you can cut back on.

To get started, list out all of your income and expenses for a month. Then, compare your spending to your income and see where you can make adjustments. For example, if you’re spending more than you’re bringing in each month, you’ll need to find ways to reduce your expenses.

Save for Emergencies

Being on the safe side of urgent expenses is always a good thing. This can only be possible when you develop a good saving culture. This will help you avoid going into debt if something unexpected comes up.

Start by opening a savings account and setting aside some money each month. Then, once you have a decent amount saved up, you can start investing it so it can grow over time.

Pay Off Your Debt

It’s essential to pay the debt off as quickly as possible if you have debt relief for Las Vegas residents. The sooner you can get rid of your debt, the less interest you’ll have to pay.

There are a few different ways to pay off debt. You can either focus on paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first, or you can focus on paying off the debt with the lowest balance first. Make sure you stick to whatever method you choose until all of your debt is paid off.

Start an Investment Plan

Investing is a great way to grow your money over time. If you’re not sure where to start, speak with a financial advisor or use an online tool like Betterment to get started.

When you’re investing, it’s essential to think long-term. This means you shouldn’t sell your investments if the market drops. Instead, hold onto them and wait for the market to rebound.

Buy Durable Things

This means investing in quality items that will last for years instead of cheap items that need to be replaced often. Sometimes, it’s easy to compromise on quality, especially when the prices are welcome. However, a good buyer is the one who knows what matters.

For example, instead of buying a new wardrobe every season, invest in a few key pieces you can wear yearly. Similarly, instead of buying a new car every few years, invest in a quality vehicle that will last for ten years or more. Thus, be a good review render whenever you’re doing the shopping.

Sharpen Your Bill Payment Accuracy

Paying your bills on time helps you avoid late fees and keep your credit score in good shape. Set up automatic payments or reminders in your calendar to ensure you consistently pay your bills on time. That way, you’ll never have to worry about missing a payment again.

You can reach your financial goals by following the right money management tips for improving your finances in Las Vegas. Just remember to stay disciplined and stay the course, even when things get tough. You can get your finances on track with a little effort and enjoy a bright financial future.

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Open Enrollment in a Pandemic Affected World

Seriously, is there anything this pandemic hasn’t affected? Everywhere you look, businesses are tussling with this new business environment, even as many restrictions are being lifted – for now. And some changes appear to be here to stay. 

For example, many employees will continue to work remotely.  In fact, at some companies, up to 80% of employees work from home. As a result, digital transformation efforts are being stepped up. After all, such employees need technological support.

Because workforces are increasingly spread about, HR now must reimagine traditional programs such as open enrollment (OE) and rework their launch plans. With that n mind, here’s how to handle open enrollment in a pandemic-affected world.

What is Open Enrollment?

This is an annual period wherein employees can freely enroll in a health insurance plan that is otherwise subject to restrictions. Also, during this period, people can change their plan selections.

Usually, open enrollment is a big deal for organizations. Over the years, the event has become increasingly digital as technology has gained a foothold. Still, there are usually in-person events such as health fairs, open enrollment seminars, and even face-to-face meetings with HR. 

All of that benefits communication now must be virtual. 

Reimagining a Virtual Open Enrollment Experience

Benefits Info

Face it, that long, text-dense information packet about employee benefit programs doesn’t work as well in a digital format. Think about other online content your people digest. It’s generally short, snappy, and bite-sized. Perhaps you need to re-jigger your OE info in a similar fashion. Use blurbs, pull-quotes, and easy-to-interpret graphics. You can keep your webinars or online presentations – just make them shorter,  more focused and as interactive as possible.

Communications

For your open enrollment season to be a success, you’ve got to communicate. 

Big time. 

You don’t want to overwhelm your employees with emails. As it is, of the 5.4 million emails U.S. organizations generate annually, employees deem more than 40% unimportant. 

Still, what’s most important is that information is presented across a variety of digital platforms, including Slack, intranet portals, SMS, and, yes, email. Consider using texts for reminders, even.

If you have a newsletter or other established company messaging, use that for your OE messages as well. And don’t completely forsake the “snail mail” approach. With so many employees working from home, this is a sensible method. This means family members can read the literature too.

Personalized Messaging

It used to be that an employer settled on OE messaging and sent that out to all employees. But such general, generic messaging is not exactly enticing. You should consider breaking down key demographics at your organization – age, location, education level, etc. – and craft messaging just for them, all while keeping the gist of what you want to say. 

Adjust Measurements

In this tight labor market in which recruitment and retention are paramount, it’s never been more important for you to reach everyone about health benefits. So, as you communicate, you need to be able gauge how you’re doing. That means putting in place appropriate measurement strategies to assess how your people are receiving your communications. This is particularly important now since, if something in the content needs to be changed, you can easily do that since everything’s digital

So, yes, open enrollment is a pandemic-affected world is subject to transformation. But look at the disruption as an opportunity. After all, weren’t you digitizing HR anyway? Now, you can get it just right. And, if you need help with your transformation as well as your benefits strategy, we recommend the leading global health and benefits consultant Mercer for its breadth of experience and expertise.

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Artificial Intelligence and the Circular Economy: Assessing the Impact

A group of technologies is collectively referred to as AI. It deals with software systems and models that mimic human cognitive processes like learning and reasoning. Unlike more traditional software, which is preprogrammed and deterministic, AI software can learn from experience.

Giving machines intelligence or consciousness in the same ways humans do not necessarily constitute artificial intelligence (AI). It simply means that a certain issue or class of things can be done by the machine. By performing tasks involving abilities like pattern recognition, prediction, optimization, and recommendation generation using data from videos, images, audio, numbers, text, and more, AI aids in problem-solving. In this article, we will give you an insight into artificial intelligence and the circular economy. 

Circular Economy and the Role of Artificial Intelligence

Circular businesses generate revenue by offering services rather than selling physical goods, they rethink traditional producer-consumer relationships, value creation activities, and value chain structures, and ecological and social considerations support their overall business culture and philosophy.

The circular economic system has improved gradually since the industrial revolution, most recently with the help of digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). To make circular business models more competitive, similar methods could be used more frequently.

Need For Artificial Intelligence and the Circular Economy

Tragically, many manufacturers believe that the throwaway culture will greatly increase their profits. Consider the case of phones, whose makers intentionally shorten their products’ useful lives to boost profits from this rapidly expanding market. A complete transformation is required to change the industry’s mindset toward a circular economy.

According to estimates, there will be billions of devices will come to use by 2025. Systems for information and communication are being covertly incorporated into the objects we use every day, including Television sets, vehicles, phones, equipment, and even buildings. By using data analysis, fault detection, recall, and repair, the technology used for these things could be used to improve their performance.

Uses Of Artificial Intelligence In The Current Economy

For sustainable growth of an economy, it is essential to go digital. Artificial intelligence and a circular economy can help shape the economy in a better and more stable way.

Waste treatment is already successfully utilizing Artificial intelligence, using sensor-based devices on bins to increase the efficiency of waste collection and transportation. Robotic sensors can identify and classify various recyclable waste items, and Artificial intelligence systems can also produce better analytical data.

An enormous and largely untapped opportunity is to recognize the possibilities of fusing AI with the idea of a circular economy. Humans could fundamentally transform the market to make it viable for future generations by utilizing one of the most significant technological advancements in recent times.

Benefits Of Artificial Intelligence and the Circular Economy

The circular economy will create new jobs, promote innovation, improve the environment, and result in a net benefit of trillions of dollars.

The concept of circular economy is not new, but putting it into practice has proven to be more challenging. Growth is no longer dependent on our limited resources in a circular economy. Its fundamental tenets prevent waste pollution, encourage natural material regeneration, bind economic realities that necessitate real and readily available technologies, are applicable across industries, and allow revenue-enhancing business strategies supporting growth.

Without human intervention, apart from the initial programming of issues that need to be solved, it can determine the best solutions to complex problems. AI can assist us in:

  • Quicker learning
  • Recognize difficult issues
  • Sorting and arranging voluminous data
  • Come up with solutions to issues

An Approach to Understanding the Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Businesses significantly impact the environment; thus, changing the industrial sector might be a major step towards becoming more environmentally friendly. There are numerous businesses with professionals and specialists who help businesses become sustainable.

You can conduct research online to identify businesses that assist businesses in being sustainable and eco-friendly. When you’ve chosen a service provider, make sure to get in touch with them as soon as possible using the phone number and email address listed on their website.

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