Everything Blog

Special Report: In austere times, can bribery be healthy?

2010-07-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Special Report: In austere times, can bribery be healthy?

Moira Christie has to ring the doorbell when she goes to visit friends these days. That’s a new thing for her. Until a few months ago, everyone knew she was coming because they could hear her hacking smoker’s cough from far down the street.

Read more on Reuters via Yahoo! News

10 tips for surviving a bridezilla

Everyone who’s been a bridesmaid knows the drill.

Read more on CNN

Blog - John Bell And The Nature Of Reality

2010-07-14T02:13:00.000-07:00

Blog – John Bell And The Nature Of Reality

Why have so few heard of one of the great heroes of modern physics? In 1935, Einstein and his colleagues Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen outlined an extraordinary paradox associated with the then emerging science of quantum mechanics.

Read more on Technology Review

TRIAL BLOG: Harry Coleman trial – Jury selection, Opening statements

Action News 5’s blog of the first day of testimony in the Harry Coleman trial.

Read more on WMCTV Memphis

BSoD - E14 part four -minix|linux interview w Andy Tanenbaum

2010-07-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

www.bsodtv.org www.bsodtv.org

Using Robot Lawn Mowers as Domestic Help

2010-06-17T01:53:00.000-07:00

by Dan Coulter

Using Robot Lawn Mowers as Domestic Help

The use of robots around the home to mow lawns, vacuum floors and manage other chores has surged up as more consumers prefer smart machines to handle their day to day activities without a need to attend to those machines.

A report, issued by the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe and the International Federation of Robotics at the end of 2003, said that out of total domestic robot sales 570,000 were robot lawnmowers and Sales of vacuum cleaning robots reached 37,000.

Fully automatic lawn mowers are designed to mow your lawn all by themselves. The Basic L200 Auto Lawn Mow model can mow an area of up to one third of an acre of lawn and then return home to recharge at the base station – all without human intervention and Auto Lawn Mow Evolution L200 model can handle over one acre of grass! Clean, effective and fully automatic, you can sit back and relax while the robot does all the work.

Robot Lawn mowers are environmentally Friendly- With global warming now being a major concern you can have peace of mind with these mowers. All Auto Lawn Mow models run on rechargeable Lithium ion batteries; and do not use petrol or burn oil like conventional lawn mowers.

Our Robot lawn mowers work very quietly, so you can program them to work in night while you sleep.

AutoLawnMow’s Robot Lawn Mowers are specially designed to cope with rainy weather. Rain Sensors in these robot lawn mowers alerts the robot to return to its docking station or stay in it’s docking station while it’s raining but on the other hand if you are using a simple electric lawn mower without a rain sensor, either you have to run yourself in rain to get your mower in shed or it will be useless.

Bump sensors in our robotic lawnmower protects the lawn mower from running over items that may be lying in the yard, hence increasing its life and efficiency.

Robot lawn mowers are a boon for People with allergy problems. Robot lawn mowers cut your grass while you sitting faraway, reading your favorite novel, and providing you with allergy relief.

World Record for Largest Dog Breed

2010-06-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

by terriseesthings

World Record for Largest Dog Breed

The holder of the world record for the largest dog breed is a Harlequin Great Dane by the name of Gibson. He is a familiar face for most of us, as many have probably caught any of Gibson’s previous appearances in such television shows as The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, the Montel Williams Show, Animal Planet’s Guinness World Record of Amazing Animals and Larry King Live; and in magazines like Parade Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, and Life Magazine.

Gibson may be truly busy with appearances left and right, but he sure has time to pursue another passion in his life: helping kids and adult cope with their medical conditions. Indeed, Gibson’s heart is as big as he is tall. He makes the rounds of hospitals with his owner Sandy Hall, to put smile on sick children and grown-ups’ faces and help them get through the healing process, by allowing himself to be petted and sometimes growling “I love you”—a hit among all the patients. When he is not out healing people’s hearts or appearing on television, Gibson spends his days relaxing in their Grass Valley, California, ranch with a goat, a horse and a puppy.

As of the moment, Gibson holds the record for being the world’s tallest dog, the world’s tallest therapy dog, and the world’s tallest Great Dane. He stands 42.6 inches tall at shoulder height, stretches up to seven feet and two inches on its hind legs, and weighs 180 pounds. When he was born on April 26, 2002, Gibson was the first to be born out of his mother’s first litter of 12. He was named after his musician owner’s favorite guitar. While he wasn’t remarkably big in the first few months, Gibson began to fill out at four months. By the time, he had large paws and a lot of skin hanging on his body such that people mistook him for a shar-pei, according his owner. When he was one year old, Gibson had grown to be 40 inches high—a height that was not normal even by Great Dane standards.

Gibson has since learned many different tricks and earned different recognitions since. Aside from being a title holder in the Guinness Book of World Records, this Harlequin Great Dane is also a holder of the AKC Dutchman Meistersinger Pedigree, a premier line of Great Danes from as far back as the late 1800s in Germany.

Aside from his ability to growl “I love you,” this certified therapy dog can also bite a regulation basketball and dribble it with his mouth. He recently co-authored with his owner a book entitled “Gibson Speaks,” which is about his life and experiences as the tallest dog in the world.

Early this year, unfortunately, Gibson’s front leg had to be amputated to prevent bone cancer from spreading to the rest of his body. The cancer was detected on the paw, but the veterinarians thought it best to cut the entire leg for Gibson’s safety. Despite this, Gibson has not lost his happy heart, or his title as the world’s tallest dog.

Looking for more information on what is the http://www.dogbreedhub.com most popular dog breed Visit http://www.dogbreedhub.com today to learn everything there is to know!

The worlds BIGGEST things from biggest dog to biggest revolver to biggest man…

Latest Hollywood script deals

2010-06-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

Latest Hollywood script deals

DreamWorks has picked up an action thriller pitch from John Hlavin, a writer and story editor on “The Shield.” Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the story is described as an internationally set heist movie.

Read more on Reuters via Yahoo! News

Summit picks up ‘Now You See Me’ spec

Summit is saying “I see you” to writers Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt. The company, one of the most active buyers in Hollywood, has picked up the duo’s spec “Now You See Me.”

Read more on The Hollywood Reporter

Summit Picks Up Heist Film Now You See Me

Summit Entertainment has picked up bank heist project Now You See Me from Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt, reports Variety . The film is set up with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci at their Kurtzman Orci Paper Products.

Read more on Coming Soon

Kurtzman & Orci Producing Magical Heist Film ‘Now You See Me’

Writers and producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci ( Fringe , Star Trek ) are producing an upcoming heist film involving magic, titled Now You See Me .

Read more on Screen Rant

McKinney Police Search For Serial Bank Robber

2010-06-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

McKinney Police Search For Serial Bank Robber

McKinney police are searching for a bank robber. On Saturday, June 5, the suspect robbed the Wells Fargo Bank on State Highway 121 and is believed to have committed at least four other North Texas bank robberies.

Read more on CBS 11 Dallas – Fort Worth

Suspected bank robber arrested after police chief shoots, misses

Fremont Police Chief Ronald Rawlings shot at a suspected bank robber four times Wednesday, without hitting him, before arresting the man.

Read more on WRAL.com Raleigh

Bank Robber Sought in NE Alabama

DeKalb County, Ala. Sheriff Jimmy Harris says they’re seeking a bank robber today. He said on Saturday around 10 am a man robbed the Heritage First Bank in Crossville, Ala.

Read more on WTVC Chattanooga

Personal Finance & Investing : How to Become Wealthy

2010-06-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

Becoming wealthy is a state of mind that differs with each individual and cannot be done without an investment strategy to obtain this goal. Become rich, either by living a comfortable lifestyle or through hard work and savings, with ideas from a futures and options floor trader in this free video on personal finance. Expert: Mark Griffith Bio: Mark Griffith has graduated in economics and philosophy at Clare College, Cambridge. He has been a futures and options floor trader at LIFFE (London International Financial Futures Exchange). Filmmaker: Paul Volniansky

Whats the greatest heist movie ever made?

2010-06-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Great Heist

Image by ecsuecsu

Whats the greatest heist movie ever made?

I’ve seen a quite a few heist movies, but i feel like the ones i’ve watched still miss something. I’m not gonna list the ones i’ve seen cuz i want YOUR opinion. and id definitely rent the ones people rate the highest. Thanks!

Oceans 11. Pretty cool, and has some great actors.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Robot Toy - Dynamic Virtual Automaton

2010-06-03T01:38:00.001-07:00

Robot dance off. visit: www.dva.co.uk

Lastest Bank Robber News

2010-06-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight – 1/6th scale The JOKER (Bank Robber version) collectable figure (18)

Image by Sevi_Lwa

San Jose bank robber chooses wrong getaway vehicle — light rail train

This was no run-of-the-mill bank robbery escape Tuesday in San Jose.With no getaway car waiting, the bank robber picked a novel way to try to elude police — a light rail train.

Read more on The Fremont Argus

Attempted bank robber being sought by Lansdowne, Upper Darby police

LANSDOWNE – Police are searching for an attempted bank robber Thursday afternoon. Multiple reports of a white male handing over a note to a teller at the Wachovia Bank on Lansdowne Avenue and implying that he had a gun.

Read more on News of Delaware County

Top 10 Reasons LeBron James Should Become a New Orleans Hornet

2010-05-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

Top 10 Reasons LeBron James Should Become a New Orleans Hornet

It seems these days that basketball writers, fans, executives, and even owners (I’m looking at you, Mr. Cuban) are making their pitch for why LeBron James should come to their cities. It is as though these guys don’t truly believe it is a foregone conclusion that LeBron is either headed to New York or Chicago. Okay, I’ll bite: LeBron James, there is only one destination for you this offseason …

Read more on Bleacher Report

Memorial Day weekend: Five things you should know about wine

Bobby Lee Lawrence, known to many in Las Cruces as the Southwest Wine Guy, and a popular teacher at the Southern New Mexico Wine Festival’s University of Wine, was killed May 9 in an auto accident in Arizona.

Read more on Las Cruces Sun-News

10 things you didn’t know about Super Mario Bros 2

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is all up inside us, and judging from our review – hell, everyone’s reviews – any notion you originally held that the game would be a simple 1.5 re-skin have been brought out behind the shed and shot in the face.

Read more on Games Radar

History's Greatest Heist: The Looting of Russia by the Bolsheviks

2010-05-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

History’s Greatest Heist: The Looting of Russia by the Bolsheviks

ISBN13: 9780300135589

Condition: NEW

Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Historians have never resolved a central mystery of the Russian Revolution: How did the Bolsheviks, despite facing a world of enemies and leaving nothing but economic ruin in their path, manage to stay in power through five long years of civil war? In this penetrating book, Sean McMeekin draws on previously undiscovered materials from the Soviet Ministry of Finance and other European and American archives to expose some of the darkest secrets of Russia’s early days of communism. Building on

Rating: (out of 5 reviews)

List Price: $ 38.00

Price: $ 29.32

Related The Greatest Heists Products

BSoD - E14 part four -minix|linux interview w Andy Tanenbaum

2010-05-26T23:00:00.000-07:00

www.bsodtv.org

TV Review: 'The Biggest Loser' finale recap: And the winner is...

2010-05-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

TV Review: ‘The Biggest Loser’ finale recap: And the winner is…

Mike began this season of The Biggest Loser as the heaviest contestant on the campus. Weighing in at 526, he seemed destined to be a 12th place finisher, or at least get eliminated by gameplaying contestants eager to pick up the final prize.

Read more on Entertainment Weekly

TV Review: ‘Biggest Loser’: And the winner is…

Image Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC Be careful, Biggest Loser fans. If you haven’t watched tonight’s finale, don’t click after the jump. Because you don’t want the result spoiled like a six-month old package of Yoplait.

Read more on Entertainment Weekly

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Augusta’s Biggest Loser Finale

Tuesday evening, NBC Augusta announced the winners of Augusta’s Biggest Loser.

Read more on NBC 26 Augusta

Lastest A Healthy Person News

2010-05-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Can healthy habits can turn into a harmful obsession?

(NBC NEWS) — A few months ago, Peggy Moe would never consider fast food, like Mexican take out. She’s orthorexic, a person so consumed by healthy eating, it actually makes them sick.

Read more on WGEM Quincy

God's Design for the Highly Healthy Person

2010-05-25T14:26:00.000-07:00

God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Person

A must-have family resource with the ten essentials of how to pursue wellness, cope with illness, and develop a plan to care for all the health needs of life.

Rating: (out of 1 reviews)

List Price: $ 14.99

Price: $ 2.95

Fast Healthy meals for busy people

Fast Healthy meals for busy people

Taste GREAT

Less then 15 minutes under and healthy

Please NOTE these are NOT RECEIPES for YOU TO GET YOUR POTS OUT AND COOK

THEY ARE FAST HEALTHY MEALS FOR BUSY PEOPLE

THEY ARE NOT FILLED WITH GREASE

THIS DIET RESULTED IN ME LOOSING WEIGHT BY NOT EATING CALORIE FILLED FAST FOOD

PLUS THESE MEALS TASTE GREAT !!!

Rating: (out of 1 reviews)

List Price: $ 0.99

Price:

Top10 of The most crazy tanks of all times wars

2009-01-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

1. T10 Sherman M4A2

2. Gasdynamic trawler "Progvev-T"

3. Schuman Armor slide

4. Concrete Tank T-34

5. An armored machine gun point of time the Finnish war Izhorskogo production plant.
There are no mechanisms, engine, transmission and even tracks - off anything that might break! Ideal tank - simple as the joy of victory and secure as a piece of steel.

6. The Italian gun of the First World

7. The American TV-"we-come-to-you-with-peace"-8

8. American Mine Exploder T1E3M1 "Aunt Jemima"

9. Jumping tank

10. Indian behemoth LVTH6

11 (bonus). Soviet TR-26TS

source

Google Chrome - download link

2008-09-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

If you want to download a new version of Google new web browser Google Chrome try http://dl.google.com/update2/installers/ChromeSetup.exe

If somebody download ChromeSetup.exe please write a comment to this post.

Alphabetical list most expensive domain name

2008-05-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

There is a list of most expensive domain names. If you have a unnecessary money you can buy one or more, for example tipsurf.com (it costs just $7,332,240)

auburnvet.com - $1,763,200
buyshoes.com - $1,300,000
callcash.com - $6,817,500
debtreliefusa.com - $1,072,000
evayadan.com - $1,220,200
fantasmas.com - $2,500,000
gogal.com - $4,971,200
halfmoon.org - $980,000
indianrailway.com - $6,064,800
jawa.com - $1,173,200
kidshub.com - $664,400
livecricket.com - $2,926,400
mymedicare.com - $4,146,000
nachat.com - $2,472,800
onerate.net - $1,079,600
pictureframeguide.net - $1,336,210
quranweb.com - $400,000
rctv.com - $3,000,000
showtv.net - $5,000,000
tipsurf.com - $7,332,240
understandable.com - $1,000,000
visitasgratis.com - $559,000
weightlose.com - $4,490,650
xogen.com - $942,200
yourcreditscore.com - $3,123,050
zdos.com - $955,000

To create this list was used site http://www.afternic.com.

Musical genres: Table sticking labels

2008-04-22T03:14:00.000-07:00

If the screaming guitars - Rock
If not yell - New Age
If you have a melody, and more than three instruments - Prog Rock
If fewer than three - Ballad
If classical melody - Art Rock
If somewhere heard this song, but not to remember where - Soundtrack
If, before the XIX century. -- Baroque
If folk from the UK - Folk Rock
If from North America with a banjo - Country
If from North America with a guitar - Blues
If from North America with a Electric - Blues Rock
If Soviet - Klezmer
If other places - Ethno
If something sing in an unknown language - World
If forgotten melody - Jazz
If you forget how to play music and the instruments that they have given - Avant-Garde Jazz
If there is no rhythm - Classical

The Tallest People in the World

2008-02-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

Xishun, 56, is a herdsman who towers 7 feet, 9 inches (2.4 meters). He is listed as Earth's tallest man in the Guinness World Records and won fame in 2006 when his long arms saved a dolphin's life.

All Leonid Stadnyk wants is a quiet, simple and inconspicuous life. But the 33-year old Ukrainian is just too tall for that.

At a height of 2.53 metres (8 feet 4 inches), Stadnyk may be the world's tallest man, and he keeps on growing.

The tallest woman in Asia, Chinese Yao Defen (R), and her friend sit at the entrance of her home in Shu Cha in eastern China's Anhui province March 15, 2006. Yao is 34 years old and 2.36 metres tall. [Reuters]

Sandy Allen. On the set of the TV show “AM Buffalo” with the worlds tallest Woman, Sandy Allen. Yeah, don’t we just look like two normal chicks sitting around and talking!

You live too long in Russia if...

2008-02-19T04:09:00.000-08:00

...you don't think things are that bad right now.
...you have to think twice about throwing away an empty instant coffee jar.
...you carry a plastic shopping bag with you 'just in case'.
...you say he/she is 'on the meeting' (instead of 'at the' or 'in a' meeting).
...you answer the phone by saying 'allo, allo, allo' before giving the caller a chance to respond.
...you save table scraps for the cats living in the courtyard.
…when crossing the street, you sprint.
…in winter, you choose your route by determining which icicles are least likely to impale you in the head.
...you are impressed with the new model Lada or Volga car.
...you let the telephone ring at least 4 times before you pick it up because it is probably a misconnection or electrical fault.
...you hear the radio say it is zero degrees outside and you think it is a nice day for a change.
...you argue with a taxi driver about a fare of 30 rubles ($2) to go 2 kilometres in a blizzard.
...you actually know and CARE whether Spartak won last night.
...you win a shoving match with an old babushka for a place in line and you are proud of it.
...you are pleasantly surprised when there is toilet paper in the WC at work.
...you look at people's shoes to determine where they are from.
...you are pleasantly surprised when there is real wine in the bottle of Georgian Kinzamaruli you bought in a kiosk.
...you notice that Flathead's cell phone is smaller than yours and you're jealous.
...your day seems brighter after seeing that goon's Mercedes broadsides by a pensioner's Moskvich.
...you are thrown off guard when the doorman at the nightclub is happy to see you.
...you're not sure what to do when the GAI (traffic cop) only asks you to pay the official fine.
...you wonder what the tax inspector really wants when she says everything is in order.
...you give a 10% tip only if the waiter has been really exceptional.
...you plan your vacation around those times of the year when the hot water is turned off.
...you are relieved when the guy standing next to you on the bus actually uses a handkerchief.
...you are envious because your expatriate friend has smaller door keys than you do.
...you ask for no ice in your drink.
...you go mushroom and berry picking out of necessity instead of recreation.
...you develop a liking for beetroot.
...you know what Dostoyevsky's favourite colour was.
...you start to believe that you're a character in a Tolstoi novel.
...you know seven people whose favorite novel is 'The Master and Margarita'.
...you change into tapki (slippers) and wash your hands as soon as you walk into ...your apartment.
...you take a trip to Budapest and think you've been to heaven.
...you start thinking of black bread as a good chaser for vodka.
...you drink the brine from empty pickle jars.
...you can read barcodes, and you start shopping for products by their country of production.
...you begin to refer to locals as nashi (ours).
…It doesn't seem strange to pay the GAI $2.25 for crossing the double line while making an illegal U-turn, and $35 for a microwaved dish of frozen vegetables at a crappy restaurant.
...your coffee cups habitually smell of vodka.
...you know more than 60 Olgas.
...you give your business card to social acquaintances.
...you wear a wool hat in the sauna.
...you put the empty bottle of wine on the floor in a restaurant.
...you are rude to people at the airport for no reason.
...you have to check your passport for an arrival-in-Russia date.
Remont (repair), pivo (beer) and nalivai (pour!) become integral parts of your vocabulary.
...you've been to Tallinn at least a dozen times for visas.
...you are curious as to when they might start exporting Baltika beer to your home country.
Cigarette smoke becomes 'tolerable'.
...you think metal doors are a necessity.
...you changed apartments 6 times in 6 months.
...you no longer feel like going to your 'home' country.
...you speak to other expats in your native language, but forget a few of the simplest words and throw in some Russian ones.
...you remember how many kilos you weigh — but forget how many pounds.
A gallon of gasoline or milk seems like a foreign concept.
...you no longer miss the foods you grew up with, and pass them up at foreign-owned supermarkets.
...you actually enjoy shopping at the rynok (market), and you think that Ramstore is the most advanced supermarket you've ever been to.
...you think that the Manezh is a real shopping mall.
...you try to pay a traffic fine on the spot and get arrested for attempted bribery.
...you look for kvas and kefir in the supermarket, and ask to buy half a head of cabbage.
...you see a car behind you with flashing lights and think it's some politician.
...you don't feel guilty about not paying on the trolleybus.
...you can sleep through a hangover without curtains on your windows.
The elevator aroma seems reassuring somehow.
...you no longer think washing clothes in the bathtub is an inconvenience.
...you can heat water on the stove and shower with it in less than 10 minutes.
...you do not take off that silly sticker on the sunglasses that you just bought.
...your sister writes to you about the best prime rib she's ever had and you can't remember what it looks or tastes like.
The sellers at the rynok start calling you by your patronymic only.
...you have had your clothes ruined by all the so-called Western style dry cleaners and have to start the cycle over again.
...you bring your own scale and calculator to the market to make sure the amount you are charged is correct.
...you know the Moscow Metro better than you know the subway system back home.
A weekend anywhere in the Baltics qualifies as a trip to the West.
...you start buying Russian toilet paper.
...you sit in silence with your eyes shut for a few moments before leaving on any long journey.
...you look in the mirror to turn away bad luck if you have to return home to pick up something you've forgotten.
...you catch yourself whistling indoors and feel guilty.
...you never smile in public when you're alone.
...you know the official at the metro station/airport/border post/post office/railway station etc. etc. is going to say nyet, but you argue anyway.
...you save tea bags of Yorkshire Tea brought over especially from home to use for a second cup later...
...you go back to England and notice how frosty, unemotional, unsentimental and cold the Brits are and long to return to the warm rush of the Russian dusha (soul).
…When that strange pungent mix of odours of stale sawdust, sweat and grime in the metro makes you feel safe and at home...
...you are in awe that after 3 days home your shoes are still clean.
...you get wildly offended when you are asked to pay at the coatcheck.
...you are afraid of offending someone by asking him or her what they do for a living.
…(For women) When you dress up in your best outfits for work and ride the metro.
When the word 'salad' ceases for you to have anything to do with lettuce.
When mayonnaise becomes your dressing of choice.
...you can recite in Russian all the words to all of tampon and chewing gum commercials.
…When you begin paying attention to peoples' floors and can distinguish the quality of linoleum and/or parquet, and thus determine social status, taste, and income e.g. embezzled, earned, pension, unpaid, etc.)
...you get excited when the dentist smiles and has all his own teeth.
...you can spark a debate by asking for a decent Mexican restaurant.
...you do all your shopping at kiosks.
...you voluntarily take a stroll in the park, Baltika beer in hand, on a sub-zero day.
When pulled over by a policeman, you pretend not to speak Russian and say Ya ne ponedelnik instead of Ya ne ponimayu on purpose.
...you pretend not to speak Russian when you walk in to a restaurant and ask to use their loo without buying anything.
When a streetcab tries to over-charge you, you turn the incident in to an example of how Russia is loosing its dignity in the eyes of the world.
...you are no longer surprised when your taxi driver tells you that before Perestroika he worked as a rocket scientist.
...you laugh at Russian jokes.
...you actually get these jokes.
...you actually spend time writing these jokes!
...you feel queasy when someone tries to shake ...your hand over a threshold.
...you continue to 'cross' the number 7 back at home.
...you think it's too hot, no matter what season ...you return home.
...you specify 'no gas' when asking for mineral water.
...you are dumbstruck back at home when high school or college students wait on ...you with a smile, reciting a 90 second spiel on the 'specials of the day' and display complete knowledge of the contents of each menu item...
...you realize that all the above and the other messages on this subject posted here are what you love about Russia, that you've been here long enough to feel at home and wonder whether you'll ever able to fit back in the old country...

The student has made a wooden bicycle

2008-01-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

Poor Canadian student Marco Facciola, on a shop class has planed a wooden bicycle. The most difficult was to cut a circuit, but he done this. Now he has a vehicle to go in school. Only it is not appreciable, that this bicycle had brakes. Let's hope that he will cut them on next lesson.

find here

Top 10 Funniest Linux BSoD

2007-12-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

Turns out that a LOT of airplanes you fly these days use Linux!

A Linux Kernel Panic during a presentation at a Linux Rally Event (Hello from Billy)!

Tim Horton's uses Linux! I bet they were told it would never crash like Windows! I'll have a large double double please!

Linux crash on a subway!

A smart phone goes down hard with a Linux Kernel Panic.

Nintendo DS Runs Linux!

A typical users computer that runs Linux. Linux has definitely crashed here.

Linux crashes in an airliner. This is great. Windows I'm used to seeing crash, but Linux... Not a good sign. This was taken on an Air Algerie Airbus A330

Just a guy.

More detailed close up of a Linux crash.

from here

8 most famous world clocks

2007-11-12T10:01:00.000-08:00

1) Undoubtedly Big Ben tops the list. Exactly with the first strike of Big Ben the entire planet sees a New Year in according to Universal Coordinated Time. In fact, the legendary Big Ben is the bell, the name of which is connected with interesting stories. The official version says that the bell was named in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall, the chief of the construction work. Being an impressively burly guy, the foreman was given the nickname Big Ben. The other version asserts that the bell gained its name from a boxerBenjamin Count who lived during the reign of Queen Victoria.

2) Then goes the Kremlin tower clock that was constructed in 1404. As the annals narrate the prototype of the Kremlin chimes was a clock with a mechanical figure of a man who stroke with a hammer into a bell. The ancient clock-face had no hands. Now the Kremlin tower clock rings the national anthem of Russia at midnight and at noon.

3) Speaking about the most unusual clock, the brick clock breaks all records. It is situated in Uzbekistan, one of the former USSR republics. It represents an extraordinary building that is called “world clock”. They consider that every year one brick falls off the walls of the building and when the last one falls down life on the earth will disappear.

4) Another example of the most uncommon clock is the one clock-face of which was made of the meteorite found in Greenland in 1897.

5) The biggest clock in the world is the astronomical one in St.Peter’s Cathedral in France. It was built in the 19 th century, its height is 12m, width – 9m, and it consists of 90000 parts.

6) The flower clock placed in “Rose building” in Hokkaido, Japan, has the biggest clock- face. It is 21 m in diameter and the length of the big hand is 8,5m.

7) The smallest watch is produced in Switzerland by the firm “Jeger le Cultr”. The length of the watch is a little more than 1 cm, the width – about 5cm, its weight is 7grams.

8) The most expensive watch was bought by an unknown person from South Africa in 1989. He paid 16 millions 4 thousand 392 pounds for “Caliber 89 ” (firm “Patek Philipp”). The most expensive pocket watch – not taking into consideration watch decorated with precious stones – is “Heaven at hand”, known to connoisseurs as “Packard”. It was manufactured in 1922 by “Patek Philipp” for James Packard, the American car magnate. The pocket watch had a gold frame. The peculiarity was that a perfect astronomical map was depicted on the enamel clock-face. The map showed the location of heavenly bodies over Packard’s native town – Woren, Ohio, USA – just in the same position that he could observe out of the window of his bedroom.

from here

The Biggest Watch in the World

2007-11-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

The oldest

The first mechanical clocks with the mechanism anchored were manufactured in China in 725 g. AD And Xing Liang and Lintszanem.

The oldest preserved in the world watches without the clock face are dated in 1386, or slightly before, and still continue to work. They are in the cathedral in Salisbury, England. In 1956, they restored. By the time they were over 498 years, served protikali citizens "and" a 500 million times.

Approximately to in 1335 Clock include WT Cathedral in Wales, United Kingdom. However, the man survived only their iron frame.

As in 1962 a copy was implemented semiugolnyh astronomical hours Giovanni de Doidi (1348 ... 1364).

The biggest clock

The largest in the world is astronomical clock in the cathedral of St. Peter, Beauvais, France, built in 1865 ... 1868 estimates. Consist of 90 thousand details of their height - 12.1 m, width-6.09 m, depth-2.7 m.

"Clock" Su-Sun built Kayfyne, China, in 1088 ... 1092 estimates. Had 20,3-ton bronze sphere armillyarnuyu to 1.52 tonnes of water. As in 1126 they moved to Beijing, installed on the tower height of 12.1 m, and is reported to history, they continued to work until in 1136

Clock size of 15.54 x 15.54 x 15.54 meters placed in the atrium and took in height 5 floors in the building "International garden plots" in Washington, USA. Controlled by computer, they go with an accuracy of 1 / 100 pp. Their weight-2 t. Highlights are 122 m neon tubes, for the installation of required 460 m where cable and wires. 12 light tubes at the base of machinery reported hours and minutes. Created sculptor John Seyferom, they also show time in the Sun zenith in 12 cities around the world.

The biggest Dial

The largest in the world Dial (diameter 21 m) from the flower hours set in the Rose Building "bidding" in the city of Hokkaido, Japan. Dial built Seiko company "for" company "and" Core Fudziso installed in June 1988, Length large arrows-8.5 m.

The largest in the world watches with 4 Dial posted on the premises of the company "Allen Bradlee" in Milwaukee, WI, USA. Each dial diameter of 12.28 m is, the length minute arrows - 6.09 m.

The biggest single-dial clock is octagonal clock "Beta" in Jersey, New Jersey, USA, with a diameter of 15.24 m and a length minute arrows 8.31 m. In 1989, they dismantled and moved from the building rekonstruiruemoy factory where they have been installed with in 1908 Plans to install them in new places.

Above all located hours from 4 Dial installed on the building "Williamsburg Savings Bank," in Brooklyn, New York, USA. They were at an altitude of 131 m.

Digital electronic clock with 2 Dial, rotating on the roof of a building "Teksas-bilding" in Fort Uerte, Texas, USA, are the size of 13.4 x 13.4 x 8.5 m.

The oldest pocket watch

The oldest clocks (portable chronometer) were made of iron around in 1504 Peter Genlaynom in Nuremberg, Germany.
The earliest watches

The first batch watch has been produced in in 1790 firm "Jacquet Droz and Lesho" in Geneva, Switzerland.

The biggest watches

"Clock" Suotch length 162 m, a diameter of 20 m, built by Thomas D. Feliu, were set 7 ... December 12, 1985 Building on the "Bank" in Madrid, Bilbao, Spain.

"The Clock" set by the Swiss pavilion at Expo 86 (May-October 1986) in Vancouver, Canada, weighed 35 tons and had a height of 24,3 m.

The biggest solar clock

The biggest solar clock "Samrat" Yangra have gnomona 27 m length and height of 36 m. They are built in in 1724 in Jaipur, India.

Top 10 Nobel Prize Winners In Physics

2007-10-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

List of Countries Nobel Prize Winners In Physics

USA 73
Germany 21
UK 21
France 12
Netherlands 8
Russia 7
Japan 4
Sweden 4
Austria 3
Denmark 3

from here

Most Nobel Prize by University from 1901 - 2002

Harvard University (MA, USA) - 28
University of Cambridge (UK) - 23
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Munich (Germany) - 18
Stanford University (CA, USA) - 17
University of London (UK) - 17
Mass. Institute of Techology (MA, USA) - 15
University of Chicago (IL, USA) - 15
Cal. Institute of Technology (CA, USA) - 14
UC Berkeley (CA, USA) - 14
Columbia University (NY, USA) - 12
Princeton University (NJ, USA) - 11

Russians erect the monument to a horse

2007-07-25T04:12:00.000-07:00

In the city of Voronezh which is situated in Central Black Earth area of Russia, build a monument to a horse. I even do not know what to say. It is necessary to look...

from here

The magic world of advertising

2007-06-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

The advertisement maker has told, how they shooted a roller of "Some" juice about the hedgehog.
Under the script the hedgehog should run up to an apple and at him to sniff.
Have got a hedgehog, have brought in studio. That, is clear a stub, was curtailed by a ball and lays. They already also persuaded him, and this apple enticed... The Zero on weight. The beast lays having curtailed, sometimes puts out a nose - and it is there and then turned off back.
Plagued they so some days, have then called to the familiar naturalist.
He speaks them: " Blow on him and will be unwrapped ". All right, have taken a hair drier, began to blow in a hedgehog - and the truth, is unwrapped and quickly escapes somewhere under furniture.
Began to run for a hedgehog, to direct to him by a hair drier. Expel him on an apple - the hedgehog bypasses it with disgust (unless it is not spat) and further runs.
Again call to the naturalist. That has heard and has burst out laughing: " the stub Is clear, hedgehogs in the nature do not eat apples. They eat meat. Smear to him this apple with forcemeat, whether that. To guzzle not begins, but though will become interested. " Have smeared - the hedgehog began to be late, at an apple to sniff. Bingo!!!
And here the final moment - final shootings of a roller. In one corner
Rooms the girl heat up a hair drier, in other someone drives on an apple a piece of crude meat. " Attention! The motor! " The girl on all fours runs for a hedgehog and blows to him in a bum a hair drier. A hedgehog, it is silent матерясь in the language, will get away from her, trying to be hammered under a case. She drives him on an apple.
Running by an apple, the hedgehog is late for a second and tries to lick off from it a slice of forcemeat. " It is shooted!" And in the TV all so is touching... (not mine)

Top 20 Greatest Rock'n'Roll Albums of All Time

2007-05-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

1. Tapestry - Carole King
2. Silk degrees - Boz Scaggs
3. Pearl - Janis Joplin
4. Sailing - Christopher Cross
5. Double Fantasy - John Lennon
6. Rumors - Fleetwood Mac
7. Tea for the tillerman - Cat Stevens
8. Dark side of the moon - Pink Floyd
9. Abbey road - The Beatles
10. Whos next - The Who
11. Led Zeppelin IV- Led Zeppelin
12. Machine head - Deep Purple
13. Hotel California - The Eagles
14. Abraxas - Santana
15. Eye in the sky - Alan Parsons
16. Toto IV - Toto
17. Sticky fingers - The Rolling Stones
18. Keys of the wonderland - Stevie Wonder
19. Diamond life - Sade
20. Point of no return - Kansas

Top 10 Tips for Choosing a Successful Diet Plan

2007-04-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Going on a new diet usually ranks about as high as going to the dentist.
You know you need to do it. But you procrastinate because your past experiences have been so unpleasant. Even torturous.
But there's one big difference between going to a dentist and going on a diet. The results from the dentist usually last.
So why don't the results of a diet usually last?
Because you have to eat several times every day. So if the only way to keep the weight off is a diet that seems as torturous as a trip to the dentist, is it any surprise most of us fail repeatedly?
I believe you'll have a greater chance for long-term success if you enjoy your weight loss program.
So here are my top 10 tips for choosing a successful diet plan:

1. You Have to Be Able to Live With Your Diet And Have a Life With It.
This is absolutely the most important tip.
If your diet seems like torture, if the food gives you no pleasure, if you're making yourself and everyone around you miserable, then you'll have trouble losing all the weight you want and keeping it off.
You have to make long-term changes in your eating habits to succeed with weight loss. So whatever you do to lose weight initially should be similar to how you keep it off.
That means you have to eat foods you enjoy. You have to be able to socialize at food-based events. You have to be able to enjoy life.

2. You Should Lose No More Than 2 Pounds a Week.
Sometimes, you may lose a little more at the beginning. But week-to-week, 2 pounds is enough. Anything more is unhealthy.

3. Your Diet Shouldn't Be Extreme in Any Way.
Unless your doctor advises you otherwise, it's unhealthy to eliminate entire food groups. A balanced diet provides vitamins and minerals to keep you strong.
So skip the diets with low-carb, all grapefruit, or whatever the latest fad is. Extreme diets usually don't work. At least not for very long.

4. You Should Have Minimal or No Hunger.
If you're losing only 1 or 2 pounds a week, you shouldn't experience tremendous hunger. Not if you plan your meals and snacks correctly.

5. You Should Have Lots of Food Choices.
There's no reason to restrict the kinds of food you eat week to week. I've never understood plans that say in Week 1, you can only eat these 10 foods. In Week 2, you can add another 5 foods. But if you gain weight, go back to Week 1.
If your diet doesn't work with every food from Day One, it's probably not going to work. Period.

6. You Should Be Able to Enjoy the Holidays.
If your diet doesn't build in holiday eating, you're going to do it anyway. You'll just ruin your diet.
That's why so many people start diets in January - after the holidays. Trouble is, the holidays always roll around later in the year. So you need to have a way to handle them.

7. Your Diet Has to Allow for Moments of Weakness.
Perfect diets are for perfect people. But there are no perfect people. So a perfect diet is destined to fail.

8. You Shouldn't Have to Exercise with the Diet To Lose Weight.
I'm not saying you shouldn't exercise. We all know exercise is healthy and it makes you feel good.
But the benefits of exercise should be a bonus. Not a necessary part of a diet plan.
After all, what if you become unable to exercise for some reason?
Or suppose you stop losing weight on your diet plan and you haven't reached a reasonable target weight. If the only way to start losing again is to exercise more, then the diet's not working.

9. You Should Get All the Information You Need When You Start the Diet.
If someone sells you a diet and you have to go back week after week to get more information, they're just trying to make money off of you. There's no reason why Week 1 should be substantially different from Week 9.
And when you pay your money, you should know what the entire diet system is about. How else can you evaluate if it's going to work for you?

10. You Should Control the Diet.
The diet shouldn't control you. By this, I mean that your diet should meet your needs and wants.
Strict rules just increase your chance of failure.
For example, if you like to snack in the evening, but your diet eliminates eating after 7PM, how are you most likely to fail on your diet?
That's right. By snacking in the evening.
But everyone has different needs and wants. So you have to be able to customize a diet to meet yours. Then you're more likely to succeed.
And of course, before starting any weight loss program, you should see your doctor to make sure your diet is right for you.

by Debbie Fontana
Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com

The 8 Myths About Creating Wealth

2007-03-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

by Nikola Grubisa

You have probably read or heard about various myths (these are the truths that are valid only for certain cases, but not in general) surrounding wealth and wealthy people, all of which hinder your quest for financial independence. Here are the most common and most destructive:

Myth No. 1: How much you earn depends on how hard you work

If this were true, then the physical, blue-collar workers, who have been working hard for years, would have been the wealthiest people on earth. Of course, this isn't true. They form most of the workforce and the vast majority of the middle-class.

If you witnessed your parents coming home tired from a long day's work in your youth, you probably learned that money wasn't a sufficient reward for all that effort. People who work "just" for the money often have debts because they comfort themselves with whatever they can buy, beautiful things they lack when working.

Myth No. 2: Being paid for something you enjoy isn't work and you shouldn't ask for money for doing something that is enjoyable.

Check this with millionaires. They all have so much money that they don't need to work anymore. Nevertheless, they work for other reasons, challenge, satisfaction, fullness of life, activity, fun ... and all are connected to a love for their work. If there was no joy in doing a certain task, they would do something else that would make them much happier and that enables them to realize their dreams.

In fact, if you don't enjoy your work, you will never become wealthy doing it! However, just because you enjoy your work doesn't mean you shouldn't get paid for it - in fact, that is the ultimate goal, to get paid for what you already enjoy so it never feels like you are at work!

Myth No. 3: You need to be in the right line of business to amass wealth

Do you think so? This must mean that all the people who are involved in the same business are millionaires. Of course, this isn't true. In each business there are winners and losers; winners abound, even in businesses that consist of distasteful (to most) or "impossible" work like sweeping the streets, collecting the trash, working in a factory, pumping gas, selling newspapers, etc. On the other hand, there are just as many "losers" in businesses like selling real estate, management or being a stockbroker.

Myth No. 4: You need the right education to make a fortune

Are the most educated people really the wealthiest? Not at all! In this case, university professors would be the wealthiest people on earth. Ask them about their salaries, if you get the opportunity. The truth is vastly different - the wealthiest people are those who can convert their knowledge (or education) into money, in the best possible way. They can be highly educated people (like inventors, scientists, etc.) or almost ignorant.

Being formally uneducated does not equate to poor performance on the job or the inability to form a strong enough vision to carry a person to success - they can easily be experts without having a formal education.

Myth No. 5: It used to be easier

Statistics show an increase in the number of millionaires in the world every year. Talking about the "good old times" only offers comfort and a convenient excuse. If you look around, you'll see there are people who behaved the same way in the "good old times" as they do now, yet their success has been recent. With technology and progress come new ideas, desires and needs and there are more business opportunities appearing daily to serve them.

Myth No. 6: I'm too old (young)

If you research the life stories of some of the most successful people, you'll see that this isn't true at all. Some became wealthy early in their lives (perhaps from the stock market), while others found their fortune in their old age. Ray Kroc, was more than fifty years old when he bought and made the first McDonald's.

Myth No. 7: I don't have enough money to start. You have to spend money to make money.

This is no different from any other excuse or "myth." Like the others, it's obvious this one isn't true either. Many have made their fortunes starting from scratch, living in an apartment or working out of their garage and yet, they developed business empires that are worth billions of dollars today. The other elements of success are far more important than having seed money to start a business.

But yes, often money helps and it certainly doesn't hurt. Like everything else discussed in other myths: it probably helps, but it is not always necessary.

Myth No. 8: I'll begin when I know everything

Do you believe that you will know everything someday? Or even that you'll know enough to ever be "really prepared now?" The more you learn, the more you see what you still need to learn. Success and obtaining wealth is a dynamic process. Even if you "could" come out of the gate knowing everything there is to know, some of those elements will change immediately and many will change rapidly. If you don't decide now, nothing will happen. Live and learn.

Some millionaires have even allowed themselves to go bankrupt and then (even faster) recreated their wealth, sometimes even greater than before. Money itself isn't the obstacle that is keeping you from being wealthy. If you're really good in your business, don't worry, because someone that will offer you money (a bank or business partner) will appear who will appreciate your talent knowing you are a very good investment opportunity. But you can't sit around waiting for this - make it happen.
Exercise "taking action" as much as you can. Make your workplace better or more efficient. After all, even if someone else signs your paycheck, you really work for you. Even if you are an employee in a large corporation - it isn't your corporation - but it is the only corporation through which you can prove what you are capable of right now.

All of us have what it takes to become a millionaire! Born winners, yet few of us know how to take advantage of and cultivate the possibilities hidden inside our own mind!

No one can ever grant you greater potential than your heart already holds…you need only discover its contents to find the one true path to your success in life. Born with the seeds to our success, the greatest decisions must always come from the inside! You will discover a new, deep well of fortune – yourself!

Four Tips On Saving Energy Year-round

2007-03-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

According to a recent report for the Energy Information Administration, natural gas users can expect to pay an average of $350 more this winter compared with last year, an increase of 48 percent. And those who heat with oil will pay an estimated $378, or 32 percent, more.

As a solution, the Alliance to Save Energy suggests energy efficiency, and the simplest place for consumers to start saving is at home.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimates that if each person increases the energy-efficiency in major appliances by 10 percent to 30 percent, it will release the demand for electricity by the equivalent of 25 large power plants.

Saving energy also saves money. By using energy-efficient products, the average household can save up to $400 per year on utility bills.

Here are some ways to save energy at home:

1. Weatherize your home. The gaps around the windows and doors in an average American house are the equivalent of a 3-by-3 foot hole in the wall. Caulk and weatherstrip to seal off these air leaks. This can save as much as 40 percent on your home's heating and cooling costs.

Stop air from escaping under doors with "sweeps" or "shoes" attached to the bottom. Use window putty to seal gaps around loose window panes.

Also, install foam gaskets behind all the light switches and electrical outlet covers. They help seal the holes created when the outlets and light switches are built into homes. Use child safety plugs to keep the cold air from coming in through the sockets.

2. Get a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats that have earned the Energy Star label help you save money and keep your home comfortable by automatically adjusting your temperature settings while you are asleep or away, saving you about $100 per year.

3. Consider zoning. In a typical two-story home, the upstairs can be up to 10 degrees warmer than the downstairs. One solution to help regulate uneven temperatures is a temperature control system that divides the house into separate zones, like those offered by Aprilaire.

These systems use multiple thermostats and dampers in the heating and cooling duct work that control temperature in separate areas to deliver conditioned air only to the part of the house that needs it.

4. Install a ceiling fan in the largest room of your house. This will allow you to lower the setting on your air conditioner by 3 to 6 degrees, which will save up to 25 percent of energy costs of home cooling.

In addition, you can save over $125 annually by replacing three old-style light bulbs with modern fluorescent twisters; setting your heat at 68 degrees in the winter and your air conditioner at 78 degrees in summer; and unplugging three appliances - or switching off a power strip full of plugs - when not in use.

By: Rick Young

Ho to guess if He or She Cheating On You ?

2007-03-29T03:42:00.000-07:00

Many people find that their relationship is not what it’s all cracked up to be. Many people find that they are no longer in love with the partner that they are with or have feeling for other people. While no one condones cheating, it does happen in many relationships.

Here are some tips on determining if your spouse or partner is cheating on you.

Many people find it hard to confront a person to find out whether they are cheating on them.

Cheating is one of the toughest issues to confront in a relationship. While you can always have your spouse followed by a private detective, that is not practical for most people.

Many people realize that a partner is cheating on them when they feel much less attention and there partner no longer spends time with them. There partner might now be out all evening long, working late everyday and gone at strange times during the week.

You might also consider that your partner is cheating on you when they dressing up and taking care of themselves much better but not spending anytime with you.

A guy that dresses up and smells nice only to go out with his male friends might raise a warning flag. If you are notice that your spouse or partner is spending large amounts of money but is not telling you on what or is receiving phone calls at all hours of the day and night that also might be a warning flag.

While cheating is never an easy topic to talk about, it is usually better to talk to your spouse early on rather than later if you would like to save your marriage or relationship. It is also helpful to consider professional counseling as well.

Everybody have to carry knife, passport and camera

2007-03-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

Always it is necessary to carry with itself: a knife, the passport and the camera. The knife is necessary, that redneckes have not take away the camera, and the passport - that cops have not take away a knife.

The knife should be such that redneckes were afraid it, and cops - are not.

The camera should be such to confuse colleagues-photographers phallic with a kind of its telephoto lens and to cause in cops associations with journalists.

The camera is necessary to make operative shooting redneckes which tried to take away it - for an identification because you have taken with yourselves a knife.

If old, iron and with a support - a knife it is possible to not take the camera.

If cops know you, the passport can be not taken. It either is not required, or will not help.

If redneckes you know, the knife can be not taken too. If they know, that you very abrupt or it is simply, the knife is not required, if know, that you a sucker - will not help.

If everyone know, that you the abrupt photographer, the camera it is possible to not take too. And so everyone know, that at you the status "guru" on a photosite and so on.

Here what great force - knowledge! It is possible to not drag with itself so much heavy and useless things.

Knife, certainly, the prioritiest subject as it has more than functions, than at the passport and photocamera, together taken. As at the camera and passports of function are partially duplicated: in the passport there is a photo, and the camera can sometimes replace the certificate of the press photographer.

At a knife and the camera, the truth, too is the general function, but good photographers it does not concern.

Five simple ways to boost self-productivity

2007-03-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

It is said that really good programmers are orders of magnitude more productive than the average ones. What makes this the case? And why isn’t this the case in other industries? I believe the answer lies in that computers are very good at automation. And good programmers know how to make computers do what they do best: that is, automate things. The best programmers are the ones who undersand this so well that they will not only solve the task they are directly working on, but learn to automate every step of the very process that leads them there. Here are some useful tips that may seem like common sense, except that most good programmers never go from good to great because of this.

1. Never look when you can search. This is a big one that irritates me to no end when I sit next to someone who is looking through a list of files. Why look when you can search? Even if you’re looking for one item in a list of ten, it is always faster to type three or four characters than to scan the list with your eyes. Unless of course you’re a really slow typer, in which case you might want to take a keyboarding class or choose a different profession. Most reasonable environments including the popular editors and IDEs offer at least some way to do inline completion-based searching. Hit the shortcut and type the first couple characters identifying what you’re looking for and you’re there.

2. Don’t repeat yourself. This is a big mantra today, but it applies to a lot more than programming. It’s a way of life. Are you typing the same thing over and over? Make a shortcut out of it. There are plenty of ways: shortcuts are often built into the programs that you use, learn them. Use operating system features to set shortcuts for things that don’t have them. On Unix, alias is your friend. Make two character mnemonic aliases for everything. Corollary: Never Mouse when you can Key. A good approach to learning built in shortcuts is every time you reach for your mouse, make a note of the shortcut key for the action you’re performing, and then let go of the mouse and execute the action from the keyboard. Then do it two more times.

By the way, if you’re not using Opera you’re probably missing out on the coolest keyboard automation ever. In Opera you can actually navigate to any link on the page instantaneously. Hit Ctrl+J to see a list of links, then just type the first few characters of the link name to get there. If you don’t understand how powerful this is, time how long it actually takes you to reach for the mouse, and click on a link vs this method. Opera also offers nice shortcuts for moving around links in a page like ‘a’ and ‘q’. And just a host of other stuff. Plus it’s blazing fast. Not like firefox claims to be, no Opera is actually fast. And it doesn’t crash and hog memory like Firefox. At least most of the time. Sorry to go off on a tangent here, I don’t mean to bash Firefox as it actually has a great suite of plugins for web development, but for me Firefox is a web development platform only, not a browser.

3. Learn a scripting language. Bash, Perl, Ruby, Python. Pick one and learn it. I learned Perl (for some value of learn) when I was in high school because I thought it was really groovy to squeeze into one line an entire world of code that no one could understand. Then I tried to use Perl for everything including writing object oriented code, which may have been a mistake. Well, I grew out of that phase but I still use Perl on occasion (once every couple weeks) to automate things in my life. Since I’ve started to use Ruby last January, I’ve also been trying to force myself out of the Perl habit and to write some system scripts in Ruby, because at least the word Ruby doesn’t scare people off as much as Perl. The truth is, it’s still possible to write maintainable Perl code. Just use a lot of comments :)

To be functional in Perl you don’t need to understand hash ties or Perl OOP (in fact, I would advise you stay away from that. Bless self, wtf :)?, you just need to know how to do basic IO with files and the console, learn the power of Perl’s datastructures such as infinitely deep hashes (hashes of hashes of hashes malkovich malkovich), and you’ll be well on your way. But if I was to advise someone just starting today, I’d say start with Ruby because you’ll be learning not only a great scripting language but also a powerful and extremely high level object oriented and functional systems language that’s probably going to rule the world in a couple years, soon as we get a proper VM. Just you wait :)

4. Learn an editor. I mean a real editor. Both vi and emacs are acceptable choices here. TextMate is becoming a real option as well, although it still sucks at moving around the document which both vi and emacs excel at (imho vi is better at this, but maybe I don’t know emacs as well). The only real option in efficient text motion in TextMate is to do Ctrl+S (inline search), which is passable but leaves a lot to be desired. [Edit: I take that back, TM apparently has emacs style keybindings.]

My personal preference is vim but that’s because I’m ultra impatient, and I can’t wait even a second for my editor to start up. I gave emacs a good try, honestly for a month or two I tried to use it, and I could get used to this religion if only it had less overhead in starting up. Plus vi is available pretty much on any unix terminal so that’s also nice. Corollary: Use that editor everywhere. Now that you know vi, type set -o vi on your bash command line. Now use vi to edit your command line. Instantaneous productivity boost of about 10x. If you’re an Eclipse junky, use the Vi plugin for Eclipse.

If you learn one thing in vi: learn to move around using the home row keys, skip words using w, b and change commands such as cw (change word), or ctA (change from current position until the next occurrence of A). This becomes second nature because you look ahead as you type the command to achieve efficiency. There are plenty of tutorials, use google or the built in vi help system.

5. Learn regular expressions. There is no excuse not to know at least the basics. You don’t have to be a regex guru, just be functional. It probably takes a lifetime of meditation to achieve true regex enlightenment. But spending an hour a day trying to use regexes will take you 80% of the way. Read the perlre manpages, that’s where I got my start. Learn to use regexes in your editor to search, on your command line for quick one off scripts, in your programs to do text manipulation.

None of these things are hard, they just take practice and dedication to become true habits. The most important way to turn them into habits is to establish a routine that forces you to apply one or more of these principles and ideas every day.

Top 10 Strangest and Extraordinary Watches

2007-03-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

Watches can be used for just about everything these days, from watching TV to learning Japanese, we’ve selected ten of the strangest (or coolest) for your enjoyment. Which ones are your favorites?

10. Linux-Powered Watch

Developed jointly by IBM and eMagin, this OLED Linux watch was ahead of its time. It basically had a host of PDA functions (phonebook, scheduler, picture viewer, etc.) and included a monochrome 640 x 480 VGA display.

[Source]

9. TV Watch

Bored? Just turn this TV watch on. It features a 1.5″ Color TFT Display and is good for 1 hour of playtime when fully charged. When placed in the docking station you’ll get up to 3 hours of playtime. This watch weighs just 45g.

[Source

8. Talking Japanese Watches

This strange watch that not only tells time but teaches you Japanese as well. At the press of a button, you can activate a built-in speaker which responds with the time in Japanese.

7. Morse Code Wristwatch

This watch has a built-in speaker that refracts the sound off your wrist and sounds out the time in morse code. Plus, it can also display he time in morse code via LED’s.

6. Hitachi AirSense Watch

Anyone who needs to measure the humidity, barometric pressure, or vibrations in a room should consider Hitachi’s AirSense watch. Its basically a portable atmosphere monitor that can be worn on your wrist. Geared towards professionals, this watch can transmit data to a wireless receiver which is than used as part of a larger monitoring network. The Hitachi AirSense is available now in Japan at the price of $800.

[Source]

5. Ultra-Violet Watch

Infinity Optic’s Ultra-Violet watch is like an optical illusion, you’ll see the same reflection many times over due to specially placed mirrors and electroluminescent coated hands.

â€œBy using mirrors, the electroluminescent coated hands and dots reflect over and over again in an Infinitive mannerâ€œ

[Source]

4. High-Tech Army Wristwatch

Tadiran Communications has developed new video communication technology that delivers real-time images taken by helicopters on to a 3-inch LCD display This wristwatch-style receiver gives solidiers an aerial view of the battlefield with video beamed directly from drones at 30 frames per second. For $50,00, you’ll get a receiver, transmitter, and battery.

“V-Rambo shortens the amount of time it takes to identify and strike a target,” he claimed. “Before it was minutes, 10 to 12 minutes. Now it’s a matter of seconds.”

[Source]

3. Backside Watch

The “Backside Watch” is an amusing piece designed by Open Concepts, its a watch that’s meant to be worn upside down.

“From one point of view this watch is not so comfortable for precise time measuring. If you put the watch on your hand and that brought you in good mood it means the life turned bright side to you!”

[Source]

2. The Camera Phone Watch

Telson’s TWC 1150 is the world’s first camera phone watch. It supports a RUIM card which can be used in GSM phones for international roaming. Other features include, a 256 color LCD, plug-in camera, Infrared wireless earpiece, speakerphone, stopwatch, and planner.

[Source]

1. Timeflex

Want to keep track of time but hate wearing bulky watches? Check out Timeflex, this nifty self-gumming watch sticks to your skin/clothes and can be rolled up like paper when not in use. Based on flexible screen technology, you control the menu via touchscreen. It’s powered by ultra small batteries that are invisible to the naked eye.

Honorable Mention -Louis Vuitton Twilight Watch

The Louis Vuitton Twilight Watch features 46 fluourescent blue sapphires on a mother of pearl dial to create a beautiful diamond studded silhouette of the Eiffel Tower that glows in the dark. It’s limited to just 20 pieces and available exclusively at the Champs-Elysees Paris store.

Honorable Mention - Seiko’s E-Ink Watch

Seiko’s remarkable watch features an e-ink display with touch sensitive buttons that are activated by simply pressing around the area. Its ultrathin and flexible design makes for a comfortable fit. The “Spectrum” is priced at $1,747.

[Source]

Honorable Mention - Digital Photo Frame Watch

If you can’t leave home without your favorite photos, check out this digital photo frame watch. It lets you store up to 26 photos and view them on a 94 x 64 resolution 1-inch LCD display. Transfer files using an easy to use USB interface. Unfortunately, it’s only compatible with Windows 98/2000/ME/XP systems.

[Source]

13 Places To Watch Online-TV For Free

2007-03-01T04:32:00.000-08:00

Here’s the a list of 13 Places To Watch TV For Free Online:

1. FreeTube (completely free alternative to cable television that lets you watch tv channels and TV shows online using just your browser.)

2. Hiveproductions (lists shoutcast tv streams.)

3. Tape it of the Internet (Over 2,000+ TV shows or 90,000+ episodes, including all the big shows like Lost, Prison Break, etc)

4. Streamic (More then 300 real TV channels to choose from including NBC, ABC, ESPN, BBC1 and many more, organized in categories and ranked by the site users)

5. TVlinks (A directory that amalgamates the most popular tv shows, cartoon & anime series.)

6. PPStream (Sports, movies - all in one please. Just choose a show from the list of available channels)

7. ABC (Watch popular shows like Lost, Desperate Houswives, Alias etc online)

8. PeekVid (Over 700 episodes of popular shows such as 24, Buffy, Desperate Housewives, Family Guy. Shows can be downloaded)

9. PPlive (a popular service for watching many foreign channels)

10. TV-Video (All the latest TV shows as they aired including 24, Smallville, Prison Break, Lost etc)

11. TVU Player (TVU is a nifty little player that offers users a variety of channels that can be used to watch normal TV or Sport. US channels are also found on this player.)

Update:

12. Chooseandwatch (It’s a free TV portal where you can watch more than 250 online TV channels. Some of them have to be good.)

13. Channelking (Channel King provides the best selection of free Internet TV channels. Free broadband TV channels from around the world enable you to watch TV from anywhere with broadband.)

from here

20 Most Happy Countries in the world

2007-02-20T02:33:00.000-08:00

The 20 most happy countries in the world.

Denmark
Switzerland
Austria
Iceland
The Bahamas
Finland
Sweden
Bhutan
Brunei
Canada
Ireland
Luxembourg
Costa Rica
Malta
The Netherlands
Antigua and Barbuda
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
The Seychelles

Some notable countries you don’t see in the list falls respectively at USA (23), France (62), China (82) Japan (90), India (125)

And the least happy countries are: Democratic Republic of the Congo(176), Zimbabwe(177), Burundi(178)

from here

100 Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)

2007-02-20T02:24:00.000-08:00

Microsoft windows keyboard shortcuts. You might know most of these shortcuts, but not all.

CTRL+C (Copy)

CTRL+X (Cut)

CTRL+V (Paste)

CTRL+Z (Undo)

DELETE (Delete)

SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)

CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)

CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)

F2 key (Rename the selected item)

CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)

CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)

CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)

CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)

CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)

SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)

CTRL+A (Select all)

F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)

ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)

ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)

ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)

ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)

CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)

ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)

ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)

F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)

F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)

SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)

ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)

CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)

ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)

Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)

F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)

RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)

LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)

F5 key (Update the active window)

BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)

ESC (Cancel the current task)

SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts

CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs)

CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs)

TAB (Move forward through the options)

SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options)

ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)

ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button)

SPACEBAR (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)

Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)

F1 key (Display Help)

F4 key (Display the items in the active list)

BACKSPACE (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

Microsoft Natural Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)

Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)

Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)

Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)

Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows)

Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)

Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)

CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)

Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)

Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)

Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)

Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)

Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds (Switch FilterKeys either on or off)

Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN (Switch High Contrast either on or off)

Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK (Switch the MouseKeys either on or off)

SHIFT five times (Switch the StickyKeys either on or off)

NUM LOCK for five seconds (Switch the ToggleKeys either on or off)

Windows Logo +U (Open Utility Manager)

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

END (Display the bottom of the active window)

HOME (Display the top of the active window)

NUM LOCK+Asterisk sign (*) (Display all of the subfolders that are under the selected folder)

NUM LOCK+Plus sign (+) (Display the contents of the selected folder)

NUM LOCK+Minus sign (-) (Collapse the selected folder)

LEFT ARROW (Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder)

RIGHT ARROW (Display the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first subfolder)

Shortcut Keys for Character Map

After you double-click a character on the grid of characters, you can move through the grid by using the keyboard shortcuts:

RIGHT ARROW (Move to the right or to the beginning of the next line)

LEFT ARROW (Move to the left or to the end of the previous line)

UP ARROW (Move up one row)

DOWN ARROW (Move down one row)

PAGE UP (Move up one screen at a time)

PAGE DOWN (Move down one screen at a time)

HOME (Move to the beginning of the line)

END (Move to the end of the line)

CTRL+HOME (Move to the first character)

CTRL+END (Move to the last character)

SPACEBAR (Switch between Enlarged and Nor mal mode when a character is selected)

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Main Window Keyboard Shortcuts

CTRL+O (Open a saved console)

CTRL+N (Open a new console)

CTRL+S (Save the open console)

CTRL+M (Add or remove a console item)

CTRL+W (Open a new window)

F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)

ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the MMC window menu)

ALT+F4 (Close the console)

ALT+A (Display the Action menu)

ALT+V (Display the View menu)

ALT+F (Display the File menu)

ALT+O (Display the Favorites menu)

MMC Console Window Keyboard Shortcuts

CTRL+P (Print the current page or active pane)

ALT+Minus sign (-) (Display the window menu for the active console window)

SHIFT+F10 (Display the Action shortcut menu for the selected item)

F1 key (Open the Help topic, if any, for the selected item)

F5 key (Update the content of all console windows)

CTRL+F10 (Maximize the active console window)

CTRL+F5 (Restore the active console window)

ALT+ENTER (Display the Properties dialog box, if any, for the selected item)

F2 key (Rename the selected item)

CTRL+F4 (Close the active console window. When a console has only one console window, this shortcut closes the console)

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation

CTRL+ALT+END (Open the m*cro$oft Windows NT Security dialog box)

ALT+PAGE UP (Switch between programs from left to right)

ALT+PAGE DOWN (Switch between programs from right to left)

ALT+INSERT (Cycle through the programs in most recently used order)

ALT+HOME (Display the Start menu)

CTRL+ALT+BREAK (Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen)

ALT+DELETE (Display the Windows menu)

CTRL+ALT+Minus sign (-) (Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

CTRL+ALT+Plus sign (+) (Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing ALT+PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.)

Internet Explorer navigation

CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)

CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)

CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)

CTRL+H (Open the History bar)

CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)

CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)

CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)

CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)

CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)

CTRL+R (Update the current Web page)

CTRL+W (Close the current window)

from here

Playing Video Games Improve Vision by 20 Percent

2007-02-09T03:05:00.000-08:00

Research says playing video games improves your bottom line on a standard eye chart

Video games that contain high levels of action can actually improve your vision, claim researchers at the University of Rochester. Their findings, which will appear in the journal Psychological Science, show that people who played action video games for a few hours a day over the course of a month improved by about 20 percent in their ability to identify letters presented in clutter—a visual acuity test similar to ones used in regular ophthalmology clinics.

"Action video game play changes the way our brains process visual information," says Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester. "After just 30 hours, players showed a substantial increase in the spatial resolution of their vision, meaning they could see figures like those on an eye chart more clearly, even when other symbols crowded in."

Bavelier and graduate student Shawn Green tested college students who had played few, if any, video games in the last year. "That alone was pretty tough," says Green. "Nearly everybody on a campus plays video games."

At the outset, the students were given a crowding test, which measured how well they could discern the orientation of a "T" within a crowd of other distracting symbols—a sort of electronic eye chart. Students were then divided into two groups. The experimental group played Unreal Tournament for roughly one hour a day. The control group played Tetris, a game the researchers believe is equally demanding in terms of motor control, but visually less complex than the shooter.

After about a month of near-daily gaming, the Tetris players showed no improvement on the test, but the Unreal Tournament players could tell which way the "T" was pointing much more easily than they had just a month earlier.

"When people play action games, they're changing the brain's pathway responsible for visual processing," says Bavelier. "These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it. That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life."

The improvement was seen both in the part of the visual field where video game players typically play, but also beyond—the part of your vision beyond the monitor. The students' vision improved in the center and at the periphery where they had not been "trained." That suggests that people with visual deficits, such as amblyopic patients, may also be able to gain an increase in their visual acuity with special rehabilitation software that reproduces an action game's need to identify objects very quickly.

from here

Top 10 Paying Careers

2007-02-06T08:49:00.000-08:00

By: Tony Jacowski

It is no secret that surgeons earn a hefty $189,590 annual salary on an average in the United States today. But the most unexpected news is the salaries of physicians' assistants whose yearly average annual salary is an astonishing $63,490. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that their minimum qualification is a college degree and in addition a mandatory accreditation course. It is interesting to know which jobs are the top 10 paying ones in America. There are many surveys producing different results. Although there are some minor differences, most of them agree at least 7 out of 10 times.

The Best Paying Jobs in The United States

Interestingly, surgeons scored 7 points over CEOs, whose average annual salary was $134,960. The skill and the complex nature of the work contributes to their high salaries. That they carry a student loan of upto $100,000 is another factor that contributes.

The top professions on the list is followed by anesthesiologists with $181,420, Obstetricians and gynecologists earning $179,640, Internists, general $158,350 and the list goes on. In 9th place are dentists, whose reported annual average earning is $133,350. With the exception of the CEO who stands at the 8th position in the list, the top professions are all dominated by medical and healthcare professionals.

Personal financial advisors may find a place in the list of top ten earners, were it not for the huge variation in their earnings. An extremely brilliant personal financial advisor may earn up to $145,000 but the lower end is a paltry $28,330. The high salary fluctuation is because of its high growth potential coupled with high economic growth and the educational index required by the job.

Medical scientists earn an average of $100,000, which may be a measly sum, considering their educational backgrounds (PhD & doctoral degrees). But they precede podiatrists ($94,500), lawyers ($91,920), optometrists ($88,100) and computer and information systems managers whose salaries are around $83,890.

Surprisingly, so many other jobs and careers pay significantly higher salaries than positions in federal and state governments. For example, take the salaries of judges, which are positions of high significance in the society, which are at a level of $79,540. This can be understood by looking at the enterprising nature of corporations that hire these professionals.

Let's, now take a look at the next top 10 paying careers in brief:

1.Pilots, co pilots and flight engineers $99,400pa

2.Marketing managers $78,410pa

3.Computer software and applications engineer $76,310pa

4.Biomedical engineer $70,520;

They are trained in biology as well as engineering and work to develop solutions to health problems.

5.Environmental engineer $67,620 They work to fight damages to environment

6.Computer systems analyst $67,520 Systems analysts ensure that organizations make the best of their technological resources

7.Database administrator $61,950

Database administrators create and manage large quantities of financial, inventory and customer data.

8.Physical therapist $61,560

9.Network systems and data communication analyst $61,250

10.Chemist $60,880

from here

Ten Best Ways to maximize your Workout Time

2007-02-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

When you’ve got a busy schedule crammed full of meetings and work, you don’t have time to mess around with your workout. You want to get the best results possible for the time you invest – the good news is that you can get extra benefits with just a few simple changes to your workout!

1. Keep proper form.
One of the most common mistakes in exercise is not maintaining the right form during the workout. Bad form can lead to muscle pain and stiffness but, more importantly, bad form prevents you from burning as many calories as you normally would. Maintain good posture during exercise and you’ll build more muscle faster!

2. Take giant steps.
During your cardio workout, take deep, wide steps to shape up your thighs and buttocks. By taking a larger step than normal, you require more effort from your muscles – more effort equals more strength and shapeliness. Short, shallow steps don’t place enough stress on the muscle to produce fast results, but when you change to bigger movements, you start to see serious muscle taking shape. The same concept is true for running as well: runners who take long, deep strides burn more calories and cover more distance than short-striders.

3. Listen to your breath
During a cardio workout, check your breathing to see how hard you’re truly working. If you can carry on a conversation with ease, it’s time to increase intensity. How to know when you’re at the right level? The general rule of thumb is that when you can sing the national anthem but need a breath after every phrase, you’re most likely at the appropriate level for your needs. You should never work out so hard that you can’t talk or begin to feel faint.

4. Double up your workouts.
Add weights to your cardio routine (or vice versa) and you can start to see results within three weeks! You really see the best of both worlds by using interval training. Interval training is highly effective because you introduce your body to a new challenge every five minutes or so. Traditional cardiovascular exercises focus on building aerobic capacity while weightlifting concentrates on increasing muscle strength. Combining the two into one interval training workout means you get benefits from both!

5. Add variety.
The fastest way to become disillusioned with your workout is to do the same thing over and over again, plus your body can become conditioned to the movements and fail to burn as many calories as you would like. Avoid all this by surprising your body with new and different challenges at least once a week. If you typically run several times during the week, try hiking at a nearby park. If you’re a Spinning devotee, take a Pilates class instead. The ultimate switch-up for most exercisers is swimming: an exercise that requires much more aerobic and muscle strength that imagined. Do a few laps in the pool and you’ll see what I mean.

6. Challenge yourself.
Set a goal for yourself every week that is beyond your normal effort. Try lifting weights that are five pounds heavier than you normally use, or walking three miles daily rather than two. Small goals like this are easily attainable and can make big changes in the results you see from your workout.

7. Introduce yourself to stretching.
Stretching is sometimes the crazy uncle of the exercise family – nobody really wants to talk about it, but the fact is stretching is key to getting more out of your workout. Stretching assists in muscle recovery from strenuous workouts and can prevent soreness that might stop you from working out. Your entire body feels more comfortable when you have strong, flexible muscles. Spending a few minutes when you wake up and again before and after your workout really add up in terms of flexibility.

8. Don’t exercise on an empty stomach.
Sure, it may seem efficient to work out when you haven’t eaten in hours but in reality it’s a bad decision. When your body’s fuel supply is low, you start feeling sluggish and slow – definitely not the ideal mood for a productive workout. An empty stomach does not equal more calories burned.

9. Snacks, not meals, provide the best fuel.
After dining at the all-you-can-eat buffet, you may feel like you should work out just to compensate for overeating, but don’t do it. Exercising on a full stomach can lead to cramps, upset stomach, and/or diarrhea because your body is trying to digest the meal and also provide you with energy at the same time. The best way to fuel your body without nasty side effects is to have a small snack 15 to 30 minutes before you exercise. Ideal snacks include foods with adequate carbohydrates: bread, cereals, and rice.

10. Drink plenty of water.
You’ve heard it over and over, but it really is true: water will help you lose weight. Water helps fill your stomach to stop hunger pangs and keeps you alert throughout the day. When you become dehydrated, your entire body slows down and works much less efficiently. Working out causes you to lose hydration through sweat, so it’s important to replace lost water after a workout.

We all run short on time these days but by incorporating one or more of these simple strategies you can maximize your workout time and see fantastic results fast!

Condoms stop climate change

2007-02-02T02:18:00.000-08:00

Condoms turn students onto climate change

New survey shows students think climate should be Government's biggest priority

A hard-hitting climate change advertising campaign showing condoms covering a coal station chimney, a car exhaust and aeroplane engine will be launched in universities across the country this month as part of Friends of the Earth's The Big Ask campaign.

The launch of the ad campaign coincides with the publication of a new survey which shows that the majority of students think that climate change should be the Government's biggest priority, with 95 per cent agreeing it is an important issue - ahead of issues such as the war in Iraq, terrorism and student loans.

The Friends of the Earth campaign, funded by DEFRA, will run as a series of poster and table top ads in 30 university campuses throughout England. The campaign also features a website www.climatesafe.co.uk where students can play an addictive on-line game of skill, involving a polar bear hurling ice cubes at a gas guzzling 4x4. As well as learning more about climate change, players will also be invited to enter a prize draw to win a pair of inter-railing tickets.

The campaign, urging `Protection against Climate Change', aims to highlight that solutions to climate change do exist and that students have an important role in tackling it. Students are an important audience, as many of them will be tomorrow's decision makers.

Although Friends of the Earth's survey shows high student recognition that climate change is a problem, research shows that those aged between 18 and 22 are the least informed about the solutions.

Friends of the Earth director, Tony Juniper, said:

“Climate change is the biggest threat the planet faces. But the solutions to tackle it, such as alternative energy sources and energy efficient technologies, already exist, and there is still time to act. It's encouraging that so many students recognize the importance of tackling climate change. Tomorrow's climate is today's challenge, and students have a crucial role to play in ensuring that we move towards a low-carbon economy.”
Survey

Over 700 students were questioned by The Student Panel, carrying out research for Friends of the Earth. The survey revealed that:
95 per cent agreed that climate change is an important issue (with 66 per cent “strongly” agreeing);
95 per cent agreed that there are things we can do to tackle climate change;
59 per cent agreed that Friends of the Earth is helping to tackle climate change

Students feel that not enough is being done to combat climate change. There were low satisfaction rating for action by Government (12 %), industry (7 %) and the public (8%).

Students also said that climate change should be the Government's biggest priority, ahead of terrorism, the war in Iraq, HIV and student loans.

from here

Good marriages are an urban myth

2007-01-24T07:36:00.000-08:00

by Laura Young

My husband and I have a perfect marriage.

There. I said it.

Now some of you may be inclined to roll your eyes or gag. Some of you may think I'm exaggerating, lying or suffering from some delusion. Some of you may feel like I'm bragging or insensitively flaunting my happiness in total disregard of all of those folks who don't have a partner or unconditional love in their lives.

In the past, I would have succumbed to the pressure, and believe me, it IS pressure, to keep my big mouth shut when I would hear folks talk about marriage, or the opposite sex. Regardless of whether I was sitting in the therapist chair talking to clients, on the phone coaching someone or sitting across from a friend at lunch, whenever the topic of marriage came up it I'd hear the litany, "We fight like everyone else." "It's never perfect." and the half-statements delivered with an eye roll and knowing glance, "You know...men...", "You know...women..."

When I was younger, if I voiced my objection to these sweeping statements, "Well, actually we don't fight." "My husband isn't like that at all." I would be met with, "How long have you been married?" "Five years." Then the smirk, "Oh, you're still babies...just you wait." Or if they would concede that we did have a good marriage it was always disregarded with comments like, "Well, you're LUCKY." And, many times I would be told outright, "I don't want to hear about your happy marriage. I'm married to a jerk."

So, you hear this enough and you learn to keep your trap shut.

Then, in a group last year, in the midst of a huge discussion about the perils and pitfalls of marriage one of the group members said, "I think good marriages are an urban myth."

I just couldn't let that go.

The FACT is, 13 years in, our marriage is getting better every year. It isn't blind luck and it certainly wasn't beginner's luck, this being a second marriage for both of us. It breaks my heart to see so many bad marriages out there. It really does. A true marriage is an amazing and beautiful bond. (I do include same sex relationships here, despite my earlier reference to the "opposite sex".) Because we have so very few models of healthy marriages out there, I'd like to share what I have come to appreciate and understand about what makes a marriage work in the hope that some nugget will help you establish, create or strengthen your own bond.

1. 'Til death do us part. WOW. Do people even promise that anymore? You can't promise this AND get a pre-nup. I'm sorry if I'm offending everyone out there, but I think entering into a marriage with an exit clause is destructive and dangerous. Nothing you could say will change my mind on this so hang on to those e-mails. The reality is TRUST is critical in a marriage. You can't trust someone AND ask for a dissolution agreement 'just in case'. If you need that, one or both of you is holding back or is seeing something that you should be paying attention to but are trying to ignore. Yes, many people have been horribly hurt and feel they need to protect themselves from future risk as a result. Exactly. You are entering in to a relationship with someone you fundamentally do not trust. If I'm in a partnership with someone that may well see me through illness and death, I want to know they are up for that. I need to know that they are capable of loving me even when it's painful.

Paul Simon says it this way in "Look at That":

Ask somebody to love you takes a lot of nerve.
Ask somebody to love you,
you've got a lot of nerve.

I couldn't agree more. Think about what you are agreeing to when you enter in to a marriage. I didn't the first time. I'm older and wiser now. I get it. So does my husband.

2. You are married to/marrying an individual. A finite individual. An evolving individual. An individual put on this earth to do certain things, learn certain things.

The reality is your partner is going to change. This is simply a fact. And it is a fact that each INDIVIDUAL has to figure out for themselves what this life is going to mean to them and how they want to walk their path. You have to get your ego out of the way and love your partner through their evolution. It is NOT your partner's responsibility to stagnate because you fear change. It is NOT your partner's responsibility to stay locked in a life situation (say, a miserable job) to maintain your status quo.

Once again I have to give it up for Paul Simon, in his most excellent CD, "You're The One":

Nature gives up shapeless shapes
Clouds and waves and flame
But human
expectation
is that love remains the same
And when it doesn't
we
point our fingers
and blame blame blame

This whole evolution thing is one that I have really come to appreciate in the
last 5 years. When I changed my career I put myself on a path that accelerated
my own personal evolution beyond anything I had ever experienced. And it scared me silly. I was one of those folks who feared growing apart from my husband. I didn't know how he would deal with my changing. In my first marriage my husband was overtly resistant to my growth and change, a predominant factor leading to our divorce. In fact, I have heard MANY stories of similar situations in other marriages...including threats of divorce when one or the other spouse showed signs of becoming too strong or too successful. The reality for me now is that my husband is incredibly secure and confident and master of his own ship. And he expects me to be master of mine. He didn't marry a deck hand. Not only does he accept, but he nearly insists that I run my ship through all kinds of uncharted waters and assumes my journey will change me in a myriad of ways. We both know where the harbor is but neither of us wants the other to spend life docked in stagnant water.

3. Your partner is capable of experiencing an entire array of emotions, many of which will have nothing to do with you. Not every emotion is a reflection of you or is something you have to fix. This is a biggie for women especially, but I see it in men as well. Your spouse is angry about work, you have to make them happy. Your partner is sad, you feel inadequate because you were sure you were the source of eternal happiness for them. You're partner doesn't like their career, you stay in one that you hate, too, until they get settled in something they enjoy.

One of the things I appreciate the most about my husband, and myself within this marriage, is that we really do understand that we have our own paths. We have both spent many years in the medical field and we are, by nature, participants in life, so we have seen many heartbreaking things. My husband works with disabled children, I worked with adults. When you agree to be present to life, fully present, you expose yourself to great pain and grief as well as joy. Seeing many people die over the years and being with people through dark days in their lives has brought home to each of us that, in the end, it is your own story you are writing. Love each other all you want, but all you really KNOW is that you will be there when you die. And maybe that's all. So, there is a fundamental loneliness to life, existentially speaking. Everyone you know today can be gone tomorrow. Look, we've all seen that happen in recent years in this country.

So, recognizing the truth of this enables Scott and I to have conversations, as fellow humans, about what the journey looks like from our respective paths. We can admit to each other that we are lonely sometimes without feeling like we are making a derogatory comment about our marriage. We can be frightened, or sad or grieving and allow each other that without feeling we have failed by not protecting each other from that experience. Being married doesn't mean that you can protect each other from life on its most rawly human level.

4. Respect each other's process. Not everyone copes with everything the same way you do. We all are impacted by life in different ways. What your partner does is not a reflection of you or on you. Here are a couple examples: I used to work in the same hospital with my husband though we never saw each other during the day. When work was over, I'd meet him at his office and we'd walk to the car together. Sort of. While I was wanting to walk with him and hear about his day, he would be racing 10 feet ahead of me. At first I took that personally (let's give it up for Don Miguel Ruiz!), but then I got my own ego out of the way and remembered that this man is running all day long all over the hospital while I was in one small suite. You can't just slam on the brakes! So, I allowed him that space to come down from his day and usually by the time we reached the car I had caught up with him and by the time we got home we were in sync. Had I made his process about ME, I would have been cranky, needy, demanding or some other version of annoying and then he'd have to fix me after a full day of work. That would just be creepy, and totally unnecessary.
On a few RARE occasions, I have seen my supremely kind and charming husband nearly pick a fight with beloved friends. I remember the first time this happened and I was mortified...he was debating on some taboo subject (you know, politics or religion) with a really mild-mannered 75 year old friend of ours. Now, I've been on the opposite side of Debate Boy a time or two myself and I have to say, it's intense! As a spouse, I felt apologetic...and wanted to distance myself from the situation. Again, my ego got in the way and part of me was concerned about the reflection of this on me. But then, I got a grip and realized that this man had been involved in a huge string of school conferences which were extremely contentious and he had to be the peacekeeper. So, of course, he had all this pressure built up that was about to make him explode. He needed a good old fashioned argument to decompress! So, once I got it, I laughed, let him go since our friend actually was keeping pace just fine. Even if our friend WAS offended in some way, which he wasn't in the least, it would have been between the friend and Scott to work it out. It wasn't about me. Narcissism is just never good for a marriage.

And NO, I have never done anything to make my husband wince, so we'll leave it at that.

Being committed to another doesn't mean you become the other. Lives combine but in healthy marriages they don't become absorbed one into the other. Celebrate each other. Embrace change. Encourage evolution. Remember where you end and they begin. In short, love each other as Other.

from here

Top Ten Arts Research Tools

2006-12-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

The resources listed below are a good starting point for research in the arts.

Art Abstracts
Provides abstracting and indexing for 313 leading international visual art serial publications, including periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins. Offers broad coverage of art topics, including advertising, archaeology, crafts, folk art, graphic arts, interior design, video, film, architecture, and art history. 1929 to the present.

ArtBibliographies Modern
Covers all aspects of modern and contemporary art, including performance art and installation works, video art, computer and electronic art, body art, graffiti, artists' books, theater arts, crafts, jewelry, illustration, and more, as well as the traditional fine arts of painting, printmaking, sculpture, and drawing. Abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, dissertations, and exhibition reviews.

ARTstor
ARTstor is a continually expanding image database covering architecture, painting, photography, sculpture, decorative arts and design, as well as archeological and anthropological objects. ARTstor's software tools allow the viewing and analyzing images through features such as zooming and panning, saving groups of images online for personal or shared uses, and creating and delivering both online and offline presentations. ARTstor draws from such collections as The Museum of Modern Art Architecture and Design, The Mellon International Dunhuang Archive, The Huntington Archive of Asian Art, The Carnegie Arts of the United States, The Illustrated Bartsch and The Image Gallery.

Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
The most comprehensive index to architecture maintained by the staff of the Avery Architectural Library at Columbia University. Late 1800's to the present.

Biography Resource Center
Biographical information on more than 165,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and across all subject areas.

Design & Applied Arts Index
References from more than 500 design and craft journals published 1973 to the present, and data on over 50,000 designers, craftspeople, studios, workshops, and firms. All areas of design and craft are covered, including industrial design, vehicle design, architecture, interior design, environmental design, computer aided design, furniture design, ceramics, glass, jewelry, metalsmithing, silversmithing, goldsmithing, fashion design, textile design, embroidery, graphic design, typography, multimedia design, illustration, book design, photography, advertising, marketing, retail design, packaging, exhibition design, theatre design, design and craft history, design and craft theory, ergonomics, design for disability, design for the elderly, design and craft education and design management.

Dictionary of Art
Provides extensive worldwide coverage of art, art styles, subjects, and media in addition to biographies of both Western and Non-Western artists, patrons, critics, and collections. Includes over 41,000 signed articles that provide bibliographic data and are usually illustrated.

Quick Multi-Database Search @ OhioLINK searches selected multiple databases simultaneously.

ProQuest dissertations & theses
Includes citations for dissertations ranging from 1861 to those accepted last semester; those published from 1980 forward include 350-word abstracts. Citations for master's theses from 1988 forward include 150-word abstracts. Titles represent authors from North America and Europe, with over a million titles in full text.

Research Library
Indexes more than 2,500 general interest and academic periodicals in all fields, and provides full text access to many of them. Indexing begins about 1970.

Scopus
Scopus is an abstract and citation database of research literature and quality web sources in the social and natural sciences. It includes over 15,000 peer-reviewed titles from more than 4,000 international publishers, including coverage of: 500 open access journals, 700 conference proceedings, 600 trade publications, and 125 book series. Scopus also covers 200 million quality web sources, including 12.7 million patents.

How to make a snowflake into 10 steps

2006-12-13T02:29:00.000-08:00

We make Christmas Snowflake without leaving the house or the office.
We only need: scissors, glue, paper, stepler and detailed instruction further (10 photos below)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Now we have a perfect Christmas gift!

source here

Creation Myths vs. Evolutionary Stories

2006-12-10T03:29:00.000-08:00

Blake’s vision vs. “Newton’s sleep,” or ... Would William Blake and Albert Einstein have been pals had they had a chance to meet?
By Joseph Smigelski

“I know of no other Christianity and of no other Gospel than the liberty both of body and mind to exercise the Divine Arts of Imagination.”
-- William Blake

“I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings.”
-- Albert Einstein

There is a great divide in this country where none should be. I’m talking about the perceived rift between science and religion. Many people believe that you are either on one side or the other. But it’s a misconception that sides even exist. There’s no real conflict, just one manufactured by manipulative ideologues who have a stake in perpetuating the division. Science and religion could peacefully coexist if people would try to understand both more fully.

George W. Bush, for instance, caters to Evangelical Christians and consistently misuses scientific data because he is afraid of losing support from the fundamentalist Religious Right. It fits his agenda to perpetuate an artificial split between science and religion.

But the Book of Genesis can coexist with the Big Bang Theory. Religious ideas often affect the scientific mind and vice versa. The famous French paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a Catholic priest. Albert Einstein was a philosopher, as well as a scientist, who based much of his thinking on the premise that God would not “play dice with the universe.”

In the Beginning

The origin of the universe has been of keen interest to mankind since time immemorial. Who hasn’t gazed up at the night sky and wondered at the innumerable shining specks in the immense blackness? Where did it all come from? And how did we human beings come to be?

The author(s) of the Book of Genesis pondered these questions, and the answer postulated was that “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” It was a simple and, for its time, a reasonable and satisfying explanation. Even today, it probably stands as the most comprehensible answer for most people. How many of us can approach a real understanding of the theories of modern cosmogony such as vacuum genesis and quantum genesis? Even for many scientists, the question of the origin of the universe is too much to take on. The astronomer Allan Sandage said in 1985,

If there was a creation event, it had to have had a cause. This was Aquinas’s whole question, one of the five ways he established the existence of God. If you can find the first effect, you have at least come close to the first cause, and if you find the first cause, that to him was God. What do astronomers say? As astronomers you can’t say anything except that here is a miracle, what seems almost supernatural, an event which has come across the horizon into science, through the big bang. Can you go the other way, back outside the barrier and finally find the answer to the question of why there is something rather than nothing? No, you cannot, not within science. But it still remains an incredible mystery: Why is there something instead of nothing?

Can we figure out the origin of the universe? According to Sandage, not within science. This is where William Blake comes in. “Did he who made the Lamb make thee?” Can man’s power of reason answer that question? Blake doubted it. He saw reason as a limitation on the mind--“Newton’s sleep.” Truth lies in the imagination, the power of vision; and the imagination comes up with a Creator. As Voltaire once said, “If God didn’t exist, Man would have to invent Him.”

Reason vs. Imagination

Reason vs. Imagination, head vs. heart, body vs. mind, flesh vs. soul: why the dichotomies? Why the separation of the temporal from the ethereal? Blake thought that such division was wrong. The body and the mind are not separate entities, but a complex gestalt of neurological impulses and sensory reactions all brought to life perhaps by the breath of God. Blake calls this marvelous phenomenon “the Human Form Divine.” Because the senses are as divine in nature as is the soul, they are not to be thwarted by reason. When we impede the senses through an exaggerated “reasonable” emphasis on abstinence, for instance, the result is frustration, anger, and turmoil.

According to Blake, the universe defined by reason is bleak, mechanical, “divided and measured,” burdened with iron laws. On the other hand, the universe created by the imagination is human in aspect. By depending too much on reason, at the expense of emotion and imagination, mankind binds itself in “the Net of Religion”:

And their children wept, and built
Tombs in the desolate places,
And formed laws of prudence, and called them
The eternal laws of God.

Laws of prudence. We know what Blake thought of prudence from reading his Proverbs of Hell: “Prudence is a rich ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.” Man forges his own chains when he creates his law-giving God. To melt those chains, man must look within himself, into the fires burning in his own divine body and soul. By trying to understand God with our intellect, with our reason, we separate the concept of God from the concept of man: we limit our chances of discovering God within ourselves.

Creation vs. Evolution

The question of the relationship between God and man is entwined with the questions surrounding man’s origin. Even today, 79 years after Clarence Darrow battled William Jennings Bryan in the famous Monkey Trial, a seemingly never ending debate rages in our courts and in our schools over whether we should believe the Book of Genesis or Charles Darwin.

Did God create man, or did man create God in order to explain the unexplainable? Or are both of these ideas correct? Many of us seem to need the concept of an ultimate Creator to shield us from the mind-boggling conundrum of our existence. In an essay titled “The Creation Myths of Cooperstown,” the renowned scientist Stephen Jay Gould wrote,

Stories about beginnings come in only two basic modes. An entity either has an explicit point of origin, a specific time and place of creation, or else it evolves and has no definable moment of entry into the world. Baseball provides an interesting example of this contrast because we know the answer and can judge received wisdom by the two chief criteria, often opposed, of external fact and internal hope. Baseball evolved from a plethora of previous stick-and-ball games. It has no true Cooperstown and no Doubleday. Yet we seem to prefer the alternative model of origin by a moment of creation [my emphasis].... Scientists often lament that so few people understand Darwin and the principles of biological evolution. But the problem goes deeper. Too few people are comfortable with evolutionary modes of explanation in any form.... One reason must reside in our social and psychic attraction to creation myths in preference to evolutionary stories—for creation myths ... identify heroes and sacred places, while evolutionary stories provide no palpable, particular thing as a symbol for reverence, worship, or patriotism.

The concept of evolution is both challenging and disturbing. Could the origin of our universe possibly be the result of a long series of events that were chaotic or governed by chance? Many people find such an idea shocking. It’s much more pleasant and reassuring to believe that God handled the entire job in six days. Yet the concept of evolution is infinitely richer and more expansive. It is much more wondrous to view the vast complex array of all that exists in the universe as a continually developing marvel which began eons ago as an infinitely simpler system than to bind oneself to the belief that God simply snapped his fingers and, presto, here we are.

The creation myth is limiting because, through it, man views himself as a creature subservient to God, instead of realizing that God is within the breast of man and is the life force that infuses all of existence. Nietzsche had to say that God was dead in order to impel us to realize the true depth of our humanity. Blake illustrates the emotional contrasts born of the two profoundly different concepts of origin in The Book of Urizen. (“Urizen” can be read and interpreted as “your reason.”)

The creation myth:

Lo, a shadow of horror is risen
In Eternity! Unknown, unprolific!
Self-closed, all-repelling: what Demon
Hath formed this abominable void,
This soul-shuddering vacuum?—Some said
“It is Urizen,” but unknown, abstracted
Brooding secret, the dark power hid.
Times on times he divided, and measured
Space by space in his ninefold darkness
Unseen, unknown! Changes appeared
In his desolate mountains rifted furious
By the black winds of perturbation.

Urizen divides creation, categorizes it, tries to contain the energy in perfect circles, as Blake depicts in his painting The Ancient of Days (see the image at the top of this article). But to categorize something is to put limits on it. If something is strictly defined, it can be nothing beyond the boundaries of that definition:

One command, one joy, one desire,
One curse, one weight, one measure,
One King, one God, one Law.

Evolution is messier, but infinitely more expansive, and endlessly full of potential for growth:

The serpent grew, casting its scales,
With sharp pangs the hissings began
To change to a grating cry.
Many sorrows and dismal throes,
Many forms of fish, bird, and beast
Brought forth an Infant form
Where was a worm before.

One can interpret Blake as an early champion of the theory of evolution!

Blake a Harbinger of Relativity

He can also be viewed as a harbinger of the other great scientific principle of our age, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. The following lines from Blake’s Jerusalem certainly surprised me the first time I saw them:

If Perceptive Organs vary, Objects of Perception seem to vary:
If the Perceptive Organs close, their Objects seem to close also.

Blake questioned the possibility of true objectivity. Modern scientists agree with him; they know that the very act of observing something influences the thing observed.

In a letter to his friend Thomas Butts, Blake included a poem that ended with these lines:

Now I a fourfold vision see,
And a fourfold vision is given to me.
Tis fourfold in my supreme delight
And threefold in soft Beulah’s night
And twofold Always. May God us keep
From Single vision and Newton’s sleep.

“Newton’s sleep” has been defined as “the preference of a mechanical view of the universe over a spiritual view.” But I have to be fair to Sir Isaac. He was aware that his scientific ideas might not have been all encompassing. He once wrote,

To myself I seem to have been only a little boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a smoother shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.

It seems also that Newton was not completely the hard and fast, nuts and bolts rationalist that we often imagine. Some years ago, very interesting and shocking material was found in a trunk full of Newton’s papers. According to author Timothy Ferris, the trunk contained “notes on alchemy, biblical prophesy, and the reconstruction from Hebraic texts of the floor plan of the temple of Jerusalem,” which Newton considered “an emblem of the system of the world.” This discovery compelled John Maynard Keynes to say, “Newton was not the first of the age of reason. He was the last of the magicians.”

We really got our feet wet (scientifically) in the “great ocean of truth” when Albert Einstein published his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905, seventy-eight years after the death of Blake. However, Blake’s “fourfold vision” could be interpreted as a prophetic notion of a multi-dimensional universe. In our limited, plain, everyday three-dimensional world, Newton’s laws of motion (which gave rise to the Deists’ conception of a clockwork universe) still stand as valid. His laws begin to fail to explain things when we delve into either the realm of the very small (sub-atomic particles) or the very large (the vast dimensions of outer space, traveling at speeds approaching that of light, etc.).

Scientists today speak seriously of parallel universes, shadow matter, supersymmetry, and other concepts that might seem to the layman to belong more in the field of science fiction than science. That Blake intuitively challenged the ultimate validity of Newton’s laws is quite remarkable. (I think that Blake would have gotten along quite nicely with Einstein who, by the way, firmly believed in God and also wrote poetry.)

Blake and Einstein Intuitive

Blake’s intuitiveness is very interesting. He seems to have somehow acquired knowledge from within himself that would have been impossible for him to gather from the world outside himself. To understand this concept, consider the following passage from David Hume’s Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (Section II, “Of the Origin of Ideas”), written in 1748:

Nothing, at first view, may seem more unbounded than the thought of man, which not only escapes all human power and authority, but is not even restrained within the limits of nature and reality.... And while the body is confined to one planet, along which it creeps with pain and difficulty, the thought can in an instant transport us into the most distant regions of the universe, or even beyond the universe.

Einstein was intuitive also, as well as being an acute observer of the external world. He did no physical experiments. He arrived at his theories by using his mind, a piece of paper, and a pencil (sometimes chalk and a blackboard). Ideas often sprang into this head as sudden bursts of inspiration. For example, his first insight into what he called “the key to a deeper understanding” of the equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass occurred in 1907. Einstein later referred to this as “the happiest thought of my life”:

I was sitting in a chair in the patent office at Bern, when all of a sudden a thought occurred to me: “If a person falls freely, he will not feel his own weight.” I was startled. This simple thought made a deep impression on me. It impelled me toward a theory of gravitation.

Blake and Einstein might have liked each other very much. Blake distrusted using reason by itself as a way toward understanding, and said that it is through emotion and imagination in conjunction with reason that we can find truth. Reason has its place, but it should not rule our emotions and our imagination. Instead, emotion and imagination should guide reason because within imagination lies the promise of personal salvation.

Joseph Smigelski teaches English in the California community college system.

Posted Sunday, August 22, 2004

Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings

2006-12-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of thousands — even millions — of dollars are spent every year by art patrons eager to own the world's most sought-after paintings. Find out a little more about this shortlist of Picasso's, Van Gogh's and more works from famous artists who still command the highest prices, what makes these paintings so special, and why they're worth so very much...

1. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt ($135,000,000)

The record-breaking sale - which followed a court order by the Austrian government to return the painting to Bloch-Bauer's heir - was the culmination of a years-long dispute over the painting looted by Nazis during World War II.

Painted by the art nouveau master Gustav Klimt in 1907, the portrait was purchased in 2006 by cosmetics heir Ronald S. Lauder.

2. Garçon à la Pipe by Pablo Picasso ($104,100,000)

Garçon à la Pipe was created during the artist's famous Rose Period, during which Picasso painted with a cheerful orange and pink palatte. The oil on canvas painting, measuring 100 × 81.3 cm (slightly over 39 × 32 inches), depicts a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand.

The record price auction at Sotheby's New York on May 4, 2004 was a bit of a surprise to art buyers, since it was painted in the style not usually associated with the pioneering Cubist artist.

3. Dora Maar with Cat by Pablo Picasso ($95,200,000)

Another big surprise followed in 2006, when this painting near doubled its presale estimate and fetched a record $95,200,000 at auction at Sotheby's on May 3, 2006.

Painted in 1941, Picasso's controversial portrait (one of his last) is sometimes described as an unflattering depiction of his mistress, Dora Maar, who was an artist/photographer and mistress of Picasso whose relationship lasted ten years during the 1930s and 40s.

4. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh ($82,500,000)

This painting by the Dutch Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh suddenly became world-famous when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid $82.5 million for it at auction in Christie's, New York. Saito was so attached to the painting that he wanted it to be cremated with him when he died. Saito died in 1996 ... but the painting was saved.

Vincent van Gogh actually painted two versions of Dr Gachet's portrait. You can view the other version, with a slightly different color scheme, at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

5. Bal Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir ($78,000,000)

Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre was painted by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1876. On May 17, 1990, it was sold for $ 78,000,000 at Sotheby's in New York City to Ryoei Saito, who bought it together with the Portrait of Dr Gachet (see above).

6. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens ($76,700,000)

This painting by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1611, is the only painting in this list which was not painted in the 19th or 20th century. It was sold to Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet for $ 76,700,000 at a 2002 Sotheby's auction.

7. Portrait de l'Artiste sans Barbe by Vincent van Gogh ($71,500,000)

Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe ("Self-portrait without beard") is one of many self-portraits by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. He painted this one in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in September 1889. The painting is a oil painting on canvas and is 40 cm x 31 cm (16" x 13").

This is an uncommon painting since his other self-portraits show him with a beard. The self-portrait became one of the most expensive paintings of all time when it was sold for $71.5 million in 1998 in New York.

8. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cézanne ($60,500,000)

This painting by Paul Cézanne, painted in ca. 1893-1894, sold for $60,500,000 at Sotheby's New York on May 10, 1999 to "The Whitneys". Whitney, born into one of America's wealthiest families, was a venture capitalist, publisher, Broadway show and Hollywood film producer, and philanthropist.

9. Femme aux Bras Croisés by Pablo Picasso ($55,000,000)

This work, painted in 1901, was a part of Picasso's famous Blue Period, a dark, sad time in the artist's life. The beautiful & various tones of blue are typical. The painting depicts a woman with her arms crossed staring at the endless nothing.

Femme aux Bras Croisés was sold for $55,000,000 November 8, 2000, at Christie's Rockefeller in New York City.

10. Irises by Vincent Van Gogh ($53,900,000)

Vincent van Gogh painted this at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in 1889, only one year before his death. In 1987, it became the most expensive painting to date. It was sold for $ 54,000,000 to Alan Bond and later resold to the Getty Museum.

Amazon.com Widgets

150 Cheap Places To Live

2006-12-04T01:40:00.000-08:00

by Rich Karlgaard

We've all heard about the wonders of the broadband Web. You can stream video, surf at lightning speeds, search for God-knows-what, get your e-mail in a blink. Here's what you may not know: It can let you live far richer than you probably live now.

Let me explain: For most of us, our biggest expense is the monthly mortgage payment that buys our house. The median house in America costs $210,000. Let's put in a new kitchen, redo the bathrooms and place the house in a good school district. Bingo, $300,000. For this money, you'll get a 2,300-square-foot house on a quarter-acre.

Does $300,000 sound cheap or expensive to you? Depends entirely on where you live, right? You'd say ridiculously cheap if you happen to live in Boston, New York, Washington, the Florida coasts or anywhere in California.

What if you want to live in a grander fashion? Say a 4,000-square-foot house on an acre.

What would that cost you? In Palo Alto, Calif., Greenwich, Conn., Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown or San Diego's La Jolla, easily $4 million. In just as lovely Bend, Ore., where the sky is blue and dry, the Deschutes River trout jump year round and Mt. Bachelor winter powder is bitchin’, maybe $700,000. You'll get more than an acre, too.

So 20th Century

So why haven't we all moved to Bend? Most of us, I contend, are trapped in old thinking, victims of pre-broadband Web stereotypes. Yes (one's thinking goes) I could "drop out of the rat race" and move to Bend. But the upgrade in lifestyle would cost me in other ways. Limited by the Bend salary rates, I would gain little financially. I might indeed drop my cost of living, but my paycheck would shrink, too. My chance for stimulating work could shrivel, as I find myself out of the professional loop. Worst of all, I’d feel isolated...even bored!

Ah, bunk! This is the 21st century, man! Today you can enjoy the best of both worlds:

1. Live where you want.

2. Get paid like you're in a big city

3. Never be isolated or bored.

Say you're a bright knowledge worker and have spent a decade or more in your industry, sharpening your skills, making the right contacts. You earn a decent salary on the metro coast, but those dollars just don't stretch like they used to. So you decide to shake off the costly coastal infrastructure and relocate to a cheaper rural region. But you maintain your ties to the larger metro area and pull down the same amount of money as you did when you were living in Profligate Corners. In other words, you still harvest your dollars from Silicon Valley, Washington and New York, but now you spend and invest them in Bend or Boise.

Congratulations! You are a true 21st century man or woman! You are a Geographic Arbitrageur! Thanks to computers, Fed-Ex, cell phones, but mostly the broadband Web, you can do this.

The Secrets Of The GeoArb

Not everyone is cut out to be a Geographic Arbitrageur, of course. It takes buckets of moxie and self-motivation to work hours (or even time zones) away from the big-dollar centers. It takes a certain knowledge and sophistication about how the big-dollar centers operate.

I have seen some professionals play the GeoArb game without ever having lived in the economic powerhouses, but it's rare. It helps enormously to have lived on the metro coasts, put in a few years, met people in your field face-to-face and established a professional reputation and a contact list.

In this century of high metro real estate prices and flattening paychecks, GeoArb could become a way of life for millions of knowledge workers. Suppose you lost your high-paying white-collar job in a big city. What would you do? File for unemployment? Probably not. Show up a bogus "jobs retraining" program and be taught by a social worker who knows little about the way business really works? No. In all likelihood you'd set up a home office and try your hand as a consultant. That's what some 300,000 Americans have done since 2000.

Here's the catch. Surviving as a freelance knowledge worker--where you sell your time--is extremely tough in high-priced joints like New York, California or Washington, especially if you are the sole family breadwinner. It is cruelly difficult to generate enough income to make your $4,000 per month mortgage payments, keep the cars and professional wardrobes up, take clients to dinner, maybe send the kids to private schools and try to save money.

Most competent freelancers past the age of 30 with big-city connections in fields such as product design, public relations, software and sales and marketing can make $100,000 per year if they put their minds to it. Trust me, it's not that hard to do if you're a pro and you're pulling those bucks from California or New York. What's hard for any freelancer to do anywhere on the planet is earn the second $100,000. Yet that second $100,000 is what your household needs to swing a comfortable middle-class family lifestyle in the metro coastal areas.

But $100,000 per year, or even $75,000, buys a nice life in smaller communities. Presto: Geographic Arbitrage.

What programmers do when space button does not work

2006-12-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Lamer:
Isaythespacebuttondoesnotwork

Programmer:
Use_the_underline

Programmer2:
UseTheShiftButtun

Delphi Programmer:
Not.a.shift.Use.Dots

C++ Programmer:
Lamers->Use->Arrows

Linuxoid:
Ihaveanyproblemwithspace

Perl Programmer:
print join("\x20",unpack("A1A2A7A3A6A2A*","Isaythespacebuttondoesnotwork"));

VB Programmer:
&I&also&do&not&have&problem&with&space

HTML Coder:
<phrase><word>Space</word><word>button
</word><word>sux</word></phrase>

PHP Programmer:$$Your$problems$are$to$kiddy;

.NET Programmer:
class space()
{
public void notneeded()
{
Console.WriteLine("Real"+"programmers"+"do"+"not"+"need"+"space"+"button");
}
}

thank for idea to Sivka

Top Ten Reasons Why a Vibrator Is Better Than a Man

2006-12-01T03:30:00.000-08:00

1. It keeps going, and going, and going.
A vibrator can keep going as long as it takes to satisfy you. All it needs is a power supply, and batteries are a lot cheaper and easier to get than Viagra.

2. You don’t have to worry where else it’s been.
Unless you picked it up at a yard sale, you won’t have to give a second thought to who else might have used your vibrator before you. And you won’t have to worry about your vibrator jumping in another woman’s pants when you’re gone, unless if you have a freaky roommate.

3. Vibrators can have more than one speed.
Most guys have two settings: full speed and off. Vibrators have variable controls and let you pick the pace and intensity.

4. A vibrator won’t ask you if it’s bigger than all other vibrators you’ve had.
Vibrators aren’t insecure about their size or ability, and don’t keep asking for reassurance. Big or small, they just get the job done.

5. A vibrator doesn’t roll over and snore.
A vibrator won’t finish before you and fall asleep. When you’re done with it, just shut it off and tuck it in your night stand drawer, then get a peaceful night’s rest with the bed to yourself.

6. It’s ready when you are, and only when you are.
With a flick of a switch, your vibrator is ready to give you pleasure. On the other hand, when you’re tired or have a headache, you won’t get in bed and find your vibrator turned on.

7. Vibrators are designed for your pleasure.
A penis is designed for procreation and male sexual pleasure, not to stimulate the clitoris and bring a woman to orgasm. A vibrator, on the other hand, was created with women in mind. Use the right tool for the job.

8. No germs and no sperm.
A vibrator can’t get you pregnant or give you an STD. You’ll never have to worry about birth control, condoms, or safe sex. If you like the feel of latex, slap a condom on for easy cleaning.

9. Vibrators don’t expect you to swallow.
You will never have to give your vibrator a blow job, much less swallow its cum or be made to feel guilty if you don’t.

10. Vibrators are easy to replace.
If your vibrator breaks, wears out, or is defective, it’s easy enough to buy another one. Of course, a guy is easy to replace, too, but you can’t order one online and get home delivery.

Honestly, I think that is a lesbians provocation

Top Ten coolest things seen with google earth

2006-11-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

Google Earth is the best free app on the net. get it free in google pack and you will never be sorry.

1. Capsized Cruise Ship Captured in Google Earth / Maps

2. KC-135 Caught Refueling C-5 Galaxy in Mid-Air in Google Earth!

3. Huge Scale Model of Disputed Border Region of China Found in Google Earth

4. Lancaster Bomber Caught Flying in Google Earth

5. Flying Car? Not Really

6. Nude Sunbather caught by google earth.

7. Firefox Crop Circle in Google Earth

8. Google Earth Las Vegas

9. Shipwrecks Around the Google Earth

10. See African Animals in High Resolution in Google Earth

Get Google earth free and join the see your house from space club.

Top Ten Grammar Errors that Haunt Web Pages

2006-11-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

By Robin Nobles

With all of this talk about content, don't you think it's time to have a frank discussion about grammar? Our Web sites are our online store fronts—our online images. If our sites are full of grammar errors, what does that say about the professionalism of our businesses?

The Internet tends to be a more relaxed atmosphere, so should we expect to see a more relaxed use of grammar on the Net?

No. Just because the Internet is a different publishing medium, and just because we've gotten a little lax in our editing or forgotten some of our grammar rules, that doesn't make it correct.

It's time to pay attention to our own Web pages and relearn some of the basic grammar rules that we may have forgotten along the way.

Let's look at what I consider to be some of the top grammar errors that haunt Web pages:

1. it's = it is

Example: It's perfectly okay to bring your dog to work at Google. (correct)
Example: It's goal is to increase productivity by 100 percent by the year 2007. (incorrect)

In example #2, replace it's with it is. It is goal is to increase productivity . . .

Doesn't work, so you know it's wrong. This is one of the most common errors I see, so comb through your Web pages for this one.

2. Web site (or page) vs. web site/page vs. Website/website (page)

The Chicago Manual of Style states that Web sites and Web pages are correct. After all, we're referring to the World Wide Web, so Web should always be capitalized. The book uses Web pages (sites) as two words.

Webster's New Dictionary of the English Language published in 2006 agrees with Chicago.

However, the online version of Chicago states, "But generally, I would recommend Web site for formal writing, but website for informal writing or friendly writing. Unless, of course, you prefer Web site even when you're being friendly."

Now let's look at it from a different slant. How do people search?

Capitalization doesn't matter, because the major engines aren't case sensitive at this point in time. However, if you're in an industry where your keywords contain Web site or Web page, you may want to use both variations (one and two words) on your pages, because people certainly search in both ways, no matter which is correct.

Think about your target audience and how they're searching. After all, you want a professional Web site, but your ultimate goal is to sell your goods and services.

TIP: The titles of books should be italicized.

3. Periods and commas: do they go inside or outside of quotation marks, or does it depend on the sentence?

Example: She said, "Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, just like this." (correct)
Example: This is "incorrect", because the comma is outside of the quotation marks. (incorrect) It should be: This is "correct," because the comma is . . .

4. E-mail vs. email, plus what is the plural of e-mail?

E-mail stands for electronic mail. According to Chicago, e-mail should contain the hyphen, and it doesn't have to be capitalized (E-mail).

Here's where it gets interesting. The American Heritage Dictionary considers e-mails to be the plural version of e-mail.

Chicago says that either is correct. After all, the plural version of mail is mail. Here are some examples straight from their Web site:

"How much e-mail do you get each month?"
"Send me some e-mails when you get a chance.

If e-mail is a keyword for you, you may want to include email on your pages as well. Again, remember your target audience and the words they will be using when searching for your products and services. Honestly, if I could make a prediction based on being an Internet person, it would be that e-mail evolves into email due to popular usage. Do you know anyone who uses e-mails? I sure don't!

5. SEOs or SEO's

This is one of those rules where I ran into some contradictory information. In The Wordwatcher's Guide to Good Writing & Grammar by Morgan S. Freeman, he states:

"How to form the plural of letters and numbers is a stylistic decision. There are no rights and wrongs, merely eye appeal. Some writers would write the plural of O.K. with no apostrophe, and follow suit with the plural of letters (the three Rs) and numbers (the 1930s). Others think the apostrophe makes for clarity (the three R's, the 1930's). Consider 'Hooray for the YMCAs.' Take your pick."

Chicago thinks differently. They believe that capital letters used as words that contain no interior periods can be made plural by simply adding an s. However, lowercase letters do require an apostrophe and an s.

However, every source agrees that if interior periods are used, an apostrophe is required, like Ph.D.'s.

My recommendation? Do whatever works for you and be consistent. Personally, my choice is SEOs.

6. Spelling spot check

receive (remember: i before e except after c)
all right (alright is not a word)
category
dependent
a lot (should always be two words)
cannot (preferred way to spell)

Visit yourDictionary.com for 250 of the most commonly misspelled words.

7. Hyphens

This is a confusing one—whether to hyphenate compound words, combine the words as one word, or use them as two words. As it states in Chicago, the best place to go for answers is the dictionary. Hyphens also depend on readability and trends, such as the trend from on line to on-line to online.

compound adjectives + noun—hyphenate when the adjectives appear before a noun but not if used after

Example: The newsletter contains the most up-to-date material in the SEO industry. (up to date is hyphenated because it is used as an adjective modifying the noun material)

Example: The material in the newsletter is kept up to date. (There's no noun following up to date, so it shouldn't be hyphenated.)

8. Additional spot check

Their vs. there vs. they're – Their is the possessive version (their house—not they're house); they're stands for they are; and there is a filler word.

Example: There goal is to give they're members the best online experience. (incorrect)

Example: Their goal is to give their members the best . . . (correct)

You vs. your vs. you're – Using the search function in your word processing program, search for you and make sure you didn't mean your.

Example: If your looking for the latest industry news, visit his blog. (incorrect)

Example: If you're looking for the latest industry news . . . (correct)

9. Singular vs. plural (getting close to ad nauseam by now)

Data vs. datum

Data is plural; datum is the singular version. So technically, if you're talking about multiple pieces of information, you'll need to use a plural verb:

Example: The research data are being collected as we speak. (correct)

If you're talking about one piece of data, the correct form is datum, the singular version. Example: The datum shows that the Yahoo! search engine visited the site during the last twenty-four hours. (correct)

However, popular usage has come into play. Because data is considered a mass noun, it is now being treated as either singular or plural except in formal writing and in the sciences. Because we are in the data industry, this is important to know.

Example: The research data is being collected. (correct)

10. Commas

When you read your content out loud, do you naturally pause at certain places? The best rule of thumb is to insert a comma in those places. Grammar can actually be quite logical.

Let's look at some common uses for commas:

a. To separate words in a list (apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes). Notice that I used a comma before the and. Grammar sources such as Chicago strongly recommend inserting the last comma. Here's an example from Chicago:
"I want no ifs, ands, or buts."

b. Introductory phrases and words. Use commas after introductory phrases and words, especially if a slight pause is needed.

Example: At the end of the day, he left the office.
Example: Therefore, the next SES Conference is in December.

c. To separate compound sentences. Use commas to separate compound sentences, which are sentences that could be divided into two separate and complete sentences. Example: Search engine optimization is both art and science, and it requires both creativity and technology to be successful.

The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)

2006-11-27T02:23:00.000-08:00

by Judy Rose

I have to share these “funniest analogies” with you. They came in an e-mail from my sister. She got them from a cousin, who got them from a friend, who got them from… so they are circulating around. My apologies if you have already seen them.

The e-mail says they are taken from actual high school essays and collected by English teachers across the country for their own amusement. Some of these kids may have bright futures as humor writers. What do you think?

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Top Ten Reasons NOT to Choose a College

2006-11-25T15:10:00.000-08:00

Deciding where to attend college is a huge decision because you will probably be spending the next four or more years there. Often times, students choose a college for all the wrong reasons and end up transferring to a different college or maybe even dropping out of school altogether. Don’t become one of those students. Here are the top ten reasons not to choose a college:

1. Your boyfriend/girlfriend is going there. Not to burst your love bubble, but chances are you are going to have many boyfriends/girlfriends after your high school relationship is over. Although you may be completely in love now and think you are going to spend the rest of your life with your current boyfriend/girlfriend, your life is really just beginning. Think of all the different people you are going to meet in college. You may get to college and realize that you want to be single so you aren’t tied down, or you may realize that you want to date someone else. Since you don’t really know if you are going to be with your current boyfriend or girlfriend forever, don’t choose a college just so you can be with that person. If you do, you may end up resenting him/her later.

2. Your best friend is going there. If you and your best friend want to go to the same college because you both like the courses and extracurricular activities that are offered, then that’s great. Just don’t choose a college solely because you want to go to school with your best friend. Going away to college means meeting a lot of new, unique people. If you choose a college so you can be with your friend, the two of you may spend everyday with each other, and you may not take the opportunity to meet other people and make new friends. Making new friends will help you grow as a person.

3. It’s a party school. While school should be fun for you at times, it is also a place for you to learn new ideas and earn a degree. If you want to succeed in life, you can’t spend all your time at school partying. You need to pick a school that is conducive to your educational needs and ignore the party schools.

4. The student body is attractive. Don’t choose a college based on how cute or pretty the students were during your campus visit. Chasing members of the opposite sex or having an attractive girlfriend or boyfriend will not help you get a college degree.

5. Your mom and dad are alumni. Don’t let either of your parents persuade you to go to their old alma mater if you don’t want to. You need to pick the college that is right for you. Your parent(s) may be disappointed at first, but he/she will get over it. You need to live your own life.

6. It has a good football team. Unless you want to be on the football team, don’t choose a college just because you like the team. While school spirit is important to have, you need to base your decision on what the school can offer you, in regards to academics, extracurricular activities, and so forth.

7. Your guidance counselor told you to pick it. Even though your guidance counselor may know quite a bit of information about a lot of schools, he probably doesn’t really know the whole you. While he can let you know which schools offer the major you are interested in pursuing, he doesn’t know your personal preferences. What if you don’t like the campus atmosphere at the college that your counselor picks? It’s best for you to take suggestions, research the schools, and then make a decision on your own.

8. The school is prestigious. Just because a school has the reputation of being prestigious, it does not mean that you are going to like it. What if the school doesn’t offer the major that you want? What if it doesn’t offer the extracurricular activity that you really want to be involved in? You need to consider aspects that are important to you when choosing a school instead of worrying about how whether or not it is a high-status school.

9. The tuition is low. Money is often a big factor when choosing a college, but keep in mind that a school that is more expensive may offer you a larger financial aid package with more gift aid (depending on your financial situation) than a school where the tuition is lower. Apply to the schools you really want to attend, including schools with high and low tuitions, and then compare their financial aid award letters in order to make a decision. Don’t forget that you can also get a student loan to help you pay for tuition.

10. It looks good in the guidebook. Do not choose a college without visiting the campus first. While guidebooks and virtual tours will help you narrow down your choices, it is important to visit your top two or three schools in person so you can get a feel for what the campus atmosphere is like.

When it comes to choosing a college, students can give many good and bad reasons why they picked a certain school. Instead of choosing a college for the reasons listed above, take the time to research schools and find out what they have to offer. You want a school that will get you well prepared for the future, as well as one where you feel comfortable.

from here

20 FireFox Extensions That Every Web Designer Should Know About

2006-11-23T03:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of 20 useful FireFox extensions that all web designers should know about.

Web Developer Toolbar

Brings most FireFox options to your tool bar. It allows for a quick disable of cookies, cache, JavaScript, and a ton of other things. This is very useful when making a login script.

AspellFox

It gives a spell check option when you right click in forms. I use this for WordPress, since it has no spell checker without a plugin.

RankQuest SEO Toolbar

SEO tool. It gives information on search queries including page rank. Check how your site ranks on Google with this tool bar.

OperaView

Yup weвЂ™ve all heard about IEView, so why not Opera view. This extension gives an Opera tab in your FireFox browser. Different browsers render things differently, so make sure you check in all browsers.

IEView

Yup had to include it. Same thing as OperaView except you can open a new tab with IE rendering.

Total Validator

Validate your code for XHTML compliancy, check for spelling errors, broken links, and even take a screen shot of your site with this extension.

SEO for FireFox

This extension directly adds more info into Google and Yahoo search results. Some things it adds are page rank, alexa rating, how many people link to you on Technorati, del.icio.us book marks, and much more.

HttpLiveHeaders

Directly edit your headers with this extension. You can capture, and POST back the headers youвЂ™ve sent and received. This is a great script to find out why your forms arenвЂ™t working.

View Cookies

View the current cookies for the site youвЂ™re browsing. Good plugin to check if the script youвЂ™re making is setting the proper cookie, for the correct time.

ViewSourceWith

Open images, js files, CSS, and HTML source files of a website in your favorite editor.

Performancing

Performancing for FireFox is a full featured blog editor that sits right in your FireFox browser and lets you post to your blog easily. You can drag and drop formatted text from the page you happen to be browsing, and take notes as well as post to your blog.

No-Referrer

If youвЂ™re trying to write a script that deals with referring information, this might be useful. It allows you to click a link without the browser having any referral information.

Load Time Analyzer

Load time analyzer gives detailed statistics on how your page loaded, and how long it took. After it’s done analyzing it produces a sleek graph of the results.

User Agent Switcher

Are you making a script that needs to know what kind of browser the person is using? Test if itвЂ™s working by changing your user agent.

EditCSS

EditCSS puts a side panel with your style sheet in it to allow for easy editing. It’s simple, but a very useful extension.

FireBug

Debug your code, including JavaScript and CSS.

MeasureIt

It renders a ruler across the page so you can measure the length of the object in pixels.

FireFTP

Turn your browser into an FTP client. Easily upload your new code, without a bulky FTP client.

ColorZilla

This extension is awesome. It gives you an eye dropper, so you can get the exact hex code of a certain color on a website. IвЂ™ve forgotten the hex color of banners on my site many times. This will come in handy sooner or later.

Copy as HTML Link

Copy as HTML instead of a normal hyper link. Makes posting links in your blog slightly easier. Not the best extension, but it should be mentioned on the list.

from here

10 Features You'll Find Only In Opera

2006-11-23T03:06:00.000-08:00

by googlesystem

Everyone says that Opera is an innovative browser, but most fail to say why. So I created a list of ten features that are really helpful in your everyday browsing and are available in Opera. Some of them are available in Firefox, if you download extensions, or in other browsers, so you may say they're not unique to Opera, but Opera used them first and they are a part of Opera's innovation.

Here's the list:

1. Page zoom
Some sites have almost unreadable font sizes, others have huge pictures. Opera zoom feature maintains the site integrity and allows you to view the site without losing the visual presentation.

2. Duplicate this tab
You visit a page and you want to read it later. For the moment, you want to go back to the previous one. What do you do? Copy the address of the page, create a new tab and paste the URL in the address bar. In Opera you just click Duplicate. The new tab will also duplicate the history.

3. Go to URL
You see a web address in a page, but it's not not hyperlinked. How do you visit the web page? You copy it and paste it in address bar, then press enter. In Opera, select the address, right-click and select "Go to URL".

4. Reload every 30 seconds
You go to a site that shows the live score of a baseball match and it doesn't reload periodically. So you'll have to press F5 every 30 seconds to see the score. In Opera, select "reload every 30 seconds".

5. Fit to window width
Nobody likes the horizontal scrollbar in a page, but some webmasters don't bother to view their sites at different resolutions. In Opera, select "fit to window width" to remove the horizontal scrollbar and shrink the content.

6. Rewind
You search for something at Google, discover a great site, you visit 20 pages from that site and then you want to go back to the search results. You can click Back 20 times or try to locate Google in the list next to the back button. Or you can just hit "Rewind" if you use Opera.

7. Nicknames for collections of sites
How do you visit you favorite sites? You bookmark them and then try to locate the sites in the Bookmars menu. Or you enter the first letters of the URL in the address bar. In Opera you can associate nicknames to sites or collection of sites. Picture this: type "news" and see your favourite news sites opening in their tabs.

8. Tab closing
You visit site A, open a link to site B in a new tab, but the tabs A and B aren't next to each other. If you close tab B, Firefox won't revert to the tab A. You'll see site C in a tab at the left of tab B. Opera shows the previous active tab.

9. Instant back
When you click Back, the browser tries to refetch the page. Opera shows the page from the cache, so the "Back" action happens instantly.

10. Crash recovery
Your browser crashes and you want to go back to the sites you were visting before the crash. In Firefox, you have to go History and open them one by one. Opera automatically saves last session so you'll see the tabs in the same order when you open the browser.

Top Ten Tips on how to become a Rockstar Programmer

2006-11-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

by Mikael Grev

You will notice that there are no micro coding tips&tricks below. No info on how to make a fast for loop or such. The tips I post is what I think you should do to learn how to learn those tricks for yourself. In all, this list is a little softer around the edges and goes mostly for the background things.

Most noticeably you will see things that are totally opposite to what most recognized people say about how to code. This is probably because there is actually a difference in target audience. This is about you , and how you should become a great coder, maybe even a rock star coder! They often say how you should do to write good and portable code that other coders can understand and maintain.

#1 Do development on a fast computer
Wicked fast even. Compiling should take at most a couple of seconds so that you do this often. In fact what is most important is how long it takes from you hitting that �Run Project� short key until your application shows up. The lesser the time the more you will run the application and the more keen you will be to try new things, which is how you learn. If running takes too long you will go for, not safer, but code you know to work, and you will evolve more slowly. A good advice is also to keep a crappy computer around for testing. Your GUI might feel snappy on your super fast developer monster machine, but your customers might not be so lucky as to have one of those.

#2 Use a big TFT screen
Code is talking to you in more than characters. With a bigger screen you will get more overview and this helps your right side brain into the game. You will see patterns more clearly and you can see the structure of a whole method and not just parts of it. You should have such a big screen that your methods will fit, in most cases, on one page. Eyes move fast, editor scroll panes do not. I use a 30 inch Apple CinemaDisplay and a 20 inch Dell rotated 90 degrees as a second debugging monitor.

#3 Learn your IDE
It matters less what IDE you use, today they are all above the good enough bar. Be ashamed every time you do something in a way you know you can do faster another way. Learn a new feature of your IDE until you have learned them all, or at least learned enough. Use short keys but don't over exaggerate. Be super lazy and create short cuts for everything you do. All to keep down the waiting time and minimizing the most important code-to-show time.

#4 Don't learn APIs too well
The APIs might change and/or you might start to use another API. Learn how to find information about the APIs really fast. Use your IDE for this where appropriate. Use JavaDoc for your own code and mount the JavaDocs in your projects for imported APIs. Knowing how to find information is good for everything, storing APIs in brainRAM is bound to get old. If for instance you don't use some sort of parameter help/completion you have a long walk ahead.

#5 Write smart cool compressed code constructs
And test them thoroughly! You will learn what works and what don't. You will evolve, not to use the smartest and coolest code, but in terms of knowing that smart code constructs is seldom the way of the rock star programmer, other than for showing off. Less code, in a smart way, means less to maintain. Over-smart code that is just for show will make your fellow code maintainers put "fart bags" on your chair just when the new super-hottie from the Rocket Scientists Department comes over to ask you a question (which would be a bad thing).

#6 Read books
You might be good at what you do, but knowing only that, whatever it may be, is seldom enough to really shine. Knowing enough about more fields than the field you are about to shine in is golden. Take for instance a GUI coder that knows nothing about databases. He might be almost useless since he can't interact with the guy doing the backing store, and so on. It takes as much effort to be 90% good in five fields than to be 99% good one one.

#7 Go back and enhance your old code
Not that it is sound from an economical point of view but because you learn oodles of things reading you own crap, which old code always is. Code gets rotten after a couple of years, it really does, since you evolve. If you can't find bad things in your old code you either already are a rock star programmer, or maybe more probable, hasn't evolved much lately.

#8 Eat your own dog food!
If you create APIs, create some applications using that API. If you create applications, ask your friends/wife(s)/husband(s)/children to try it. Don't say you did it; say that your crappy no-good overpaid work mate did it, so you get some honest feedback. Honest feedback is golden.

#9 Don't ask people for advice
Learn how to get that answer yourself instead, it is way more useful. Finding out how to get information about something is a value in itself and may pay you back more than the solution to the problem in the first place. Ask only if you must or if the question in itself is more a discussion and you are actually spreading information. Of course you shouldn't take this too literally, but I see lots of people asking pointless questions they could have found out faster by ten seconds of googling.

#10 Do micro benchmarks
But know that they are useless for almost all purposes in the real world. It will increase your knowledge about performance though, and next time you have a higher probability of choosing the fastest construct for new code. Don't do premature code optimization but learn how to write fast code from the start, without sacrificing readability.
#11 And last...
Eat right, exercise more, don't drink too much coffee, and all that other crap that matter more than you think, but you won't do because I said so.

Have you got things to share?

Cheers,
Mikael Grev

www.migcalendar.com and www.miginfocom.com

Top ten Tips on Saving Money

2006-11-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

Going hand and hand with an effective household budget is saving money on those things that you truly need. To start saving, take an inventory of your needs to see where you can shave the dollars. Begin with the biggest items first, where the most potential for savings is, and move down the scale to the less expensive items. A moderate savings on one of the big items (houses and cars) combined with savings on the smaller items (food, clothes, etc.) can reap a large reward in your total budget. The following are some thought starters:
General Tips

Distinguish between Wants and Needs: You will save a ton of money if you don't mistake wants for needs. Needs are pretty simple to identify--those items that are necessary to sustain: Shelter, food, clothing, transportation. Wants are those things that enhance or possibly improve our family life. A car is a need. Unless necessary for your business, a $40,000 Sport Utility Vehicle is a want, even if a lot of people don't see it that way. Have you ever heard (or said) "I absolutely need...?" when the actual meaning was "I really want?" This is not to suggest that you shouldn't be able to have the things you want--only that to delude yourself into believing that a want is a need--and busting your budget in the process--is a recipe for financial disaster.

Is less better? Perhaps it was due to the booming economy, perhaps "keeping up with the Joneses", maybe its ego, but for many of us, we often seem to insist on the biggest and the best, no matter what the cost. When a $15,000 new car may be more than acceptable, we stretch the seams of our budget to afford a $25,000 vehicle. We buy $25 shirts with $35 designer labels attached. We opt for the $100 dinner at the trendy restaurant when a $20 meal would have been just as delicious. Think about where you are spending the family money--and how--to see if there couldn't be savings found with minor changes in habits.

Try before you Buy: This goes a long way in helping to avoid the silly purchases of things you rarely or never use. Before you buy something, especially items with big price tags, borrow one, rent one or try one out before you plunk down the cash. If you are bored with it, or determine that it truly is not something you need before you buy it (and you will be on a certain percentage of items) you will definitely be bored with it, or find it not that necessary, after! Example: You feel that you absolutely must have a new Jet-Ski, at a cost of $4500 (and that is before financing and taxes). You go to the lake, rent one, and 45 minutes into a one hour rental you are saying, "geez, this is a long hour." Saved: More than $4500 (perhaps a year of college fees for the kid!)

Specific Tips
The Big Ones

House Mortgages. In all probability, your mortgage will be the largest single expense in your budget. Obviously, getting the best deal here is of ultimate importance. Not comparing could cost you thousands of dollars over the term of the mortgage.

Cars. For most families, the next biggest expense is their car(s). Mistakes made here can often be as costly (on a monthly basis) as mortgage miscues. Take a look at the vehicle(s) you presently own. Do you own too much vehicle for your needs? Do you have equity in a car that you no longer use frequently? Could you downsize and save money, not only in monthly payments but also in maintenance, insurance and operating expenses? With the vehicles that you do own, are you getting the best deal on your repairs, maintenance and insurance?

Food. Not only do you need to eat food to live, the expense of it for the average family can eat you alive! Since food is a necessary and recurring expense, just saving, for example, $20 a week on your purchases can convert to over $1000 in savings over the course of a year.
Try to plan in advance. By knowing what you need, you will be able to buy in larger quantities (almost always less expensive) and cut down on convenience food purchases (always more expensive).
If you use national brands, spend a little time clipping and using coupons. $1.50 invested in the Sunday newspaper could save you $20 or more at the checkout. Organize the coupons by type, so as you develop a shopping list you can make a notation if you have a coupon.
Consider store brands or generics. You may find the quality is equal to (and sometimes better than) the national brands, and store brands/generics are generally considerably less expensive.
When it is on sale, stock up. Of course this only applies to those items that you use on a regular basis. Stocking up on an item which you use once a year doesn't make sense (and robs you of spending money, not to mention shelf space).
Shop at the store that is the cheapest overall. Surveys have shown that there is sometimes as much as 10-15% difference on identical grocery orders at 2 different stores in the same area. If you spend $500 a month on groceries, that can equate to $600 to $900 a year in savings. Don't throw away your money just because it is your habit to shop at a certain store.

Clothing. Although many consumer items have actually reduced in price over the last few years (most notably, computer and electronic items) the cost of clothing has seen a continuing upward spiral. In addition, a purchase price that not too long ago bought a good quality garment now seems to buy virtually "throw away" clothing. With some planning, though, it is possible to maintain clothing purchases that are in line with your family budget.
Buy separates that coordinate. You can make numerous combinations with a few well matched items. For women, jackets, slacks, skirts and blouses can be mixed and matched to create many different outfits. Plus you can change the look of these outfits with accessories such as jewelry or scarves. Men's clothing offers a wide variety of separates that can be coordinated: blazers, slacks, shirts and ties can all be interchanged to create a versatile wardrobe with a minimum of expense.
Buy a season ahead. Buy next year's winter clothes at the end of this season and save. The styles won't change that much (if at all) and you will pocket a big difference in the price.
If you are "hard" on clothes, buy quality. Buying an $80 pair of shoes that will last saves money in the long run instead of having to buy 3 pairs of $35 shoes that don't hold up.
Stay away from trendy fashions. Stick with the basics. You can always be sure you clothing styles will last from year to year when you buy perennial stand-bys such as medium length A-line skirts and solid tailored blazers for women or neutral color shirts and tailored to semi-tailored sports coats for men.

Telephone. In most areas of the country, your local phone service is currently regulated and has a fixed price. The difference in long-distance costs, though, can be eye-opening. Many consumers simply stick with their current long-distance carrier because it is convenient and they feel that it would be a hassle to change. By shopping around, however, you may find some considerable savings that can really add up. We were able to find a plan that gives savings of about $16.75 a month and $200 a year, a fairly considerable amount. Switching over was simple and not time consuming--a pretty good return on time spent!

Comparisons. It used to be that comparison shopping was a long and drawn out process. Driving from one store to another or making numerous phone calls could be a real time waster. Even if you were able to make an adequate comparison, sometimes it wasn't worth the hours you needed to invest to get the comparison. The Internet has changed much of that. Now you can make quick comparisons on most items, usually within a matter of minutes. What would once have taken hours to accomplish now happens at the click of a mouse, a real time and money saver. Don't forget online resources. For example, a site such as Ebay could save a lot of money for a couple of reasons: First, you can make comparisons among a number of sellers and second, you may be able to find second-hand merchandise which can save you a bundle.

Travel. Price differences here can be enormous. The difference in costs on the same trip--same airline, same hotel, same car rental--between two travelers can run into the thousands of dollars. Take a little time to comparison shop to assure the best possible deal.

Top Ten Places to Build a Snowman

2006-11-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

10) Where prohibited by law.
9) Right smack in the center of I-95 during rush hour.
8) Next to the one your pet monkey built!
7) At the end of the line for the women's restroom looking as though its bladder is about to explode.
6) At the beach.
5) Near the equator.
4) Inside the phone booth with a receiver in hand.
3) Any third world country where a snowman is considered a religious symbol.
2) Outside the Taco Bell drivethru with a sign saying "FEED ME!"
1) In a hospital elevator with a sign saying "HELP ME I'M FROZEN INSIDE THIS SNOWMAN!"

28 Ways to Kill Your Neighbor

2006-11-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

by Ben Gleib

Lots of us want to kill our neighbors. Here’s how!

Push him down the stairs.
Poison his coffee.
Convince him he’s dying. I mean really convince him.
Encourage diseased hamsters to run amok in his apartment.
(I heard you could die from that.)
Stab him.
Make him watch any show on the Disney channel.
Watch an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries” with him. Then when it’s done, turn to him and say, “I wonder when they’re gonna solve your mystery.” When he gets freaked out, say your just kidding. Then when he relaxes again…Kill him with a broom.
Let a cat loose in his bedroom. (This works best if he has a cat allergy that is fatal.)
Hire a hitman.
Smile at him in a very creepy way for 30 consecutive hours until he kills himself.
If your neighbor is easily swayed by peer pressure, tell him all his friends just jumped off a bridge.
Push him off a bridge yourself. For this one, you can either
a) Follow him to a bridge. Or
b) Pick out a random bridge he might someday cross, and wait.
Put needles in his Halloween candy. Then go over to his house and continually say, “Man, that candy looks good! I’m full, but you should have some.”
Hire a prostitute to f*ck him to death. (This is only if you also kinda like him.)
Get him into a persistive vegetative state, and just bide your time. After several years, you will be allowed to pull the plug. Congress may get involved, but they won’t stop it.
Introduce him to Robert Blake.
Get into his apartment and leave banana peels EVERYWHERE!!!
Choke him to death.
Make him listen to nothing but Tori Amos and Avril Lavigne.
Send him to Iraq.
Replace his powdered sugar with Anthrax! (For $39.95 I’ll sell you a map to Anthrax selling farms. Or for $42.50, I’ll sell you a map to Anthrax selling farms and celebrity homes!)
Poke out his eyes with twisty straws.
Send him on vacation to Aruba.
Fill his apartment with water, and then unleash deadly eels.
(If he can’t swim, save money on the eels.)
Tell a street gang he called their bandanas gay.
Spray him in the face with death spray.
(Although this is bad for the environment.)
Take him bungee jumping, and tell him it’s really extreme if you don’t use the bungee.
Or, lastly, shoot him in the face.

Good luck everybody!

Afraid to Commit: Young Men Want to Wait on Marriage

2006-11-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

They want kids, houses and sex. And they want women, too -- but not in the form of wives. Not until they're older.

So says the latest study to probe the minds of America's young men, aged 25 to 33. The study found 10 reasons men won't commit -- from the ease of finding sex partners to the desire to avoid financial risks of divorce.

Men do want to marry and have children eventually, the study found, and men greatly value the institution of marriage. But they love their single life and experience few of the traditional pressures from church, employers or society that once encouraged them to marry. Then, too, living together gives men many of the benefits of marriage without the obligations, the study said. And society accepts cohabitation.

The authors of the study, called The State of Our Unions, said they were puzzled by their findings, based on face-to-face group interviews with 60 heterosexual men in Chicago, New Jersey, Washington, D.C. and Houston. The majority of the men are employed full-time with reported annual incomes between $21,000 and $35,000. Most have had some college or hold a BA. None of the men were married; three had children.

"Marriage is a fundamental social institution. It is central to the nurture and raising of children... and the 'social glue' that reliably attaches fathers to children," noted the authors in their 32-page report. "[Marriage] contributes to the physical, emotional and economic health of men, women and children, and thus to the nation as a whole."

10 Reasons Men Won't Commit

Reason 1: Men can get sex without marriage more easily than in times past. The men reported that meeting women is easy: at bars, through friends, at work, and on the Internet. Though men want to become friends with a woman before becoming seriously involved, casual sex, they said, is easy to come by.

Reason 2: Men can enjoy the benefits of having a wife by cohabiting rather than marrying. Men think living together is a good way to test out a marriage prospect. They also view living together as less risky than marriage. At the same time, the men in the study like the convenience of having a regular sex partner. And several said they appreciate the domestic benefits of cohabitation, and the ability to share expenses, but thought marriage unnecessary at this point in life.

Reason 3: Men want to avoid divorce and its financial risks. Men feel that their financial assets are better protected if they cohabit rather than marry. They also fear that an ex-wife will take financial advantage during settlement proceedings.

Reason 4: Men want to wait until they are older to have children. Although men understand that women worry about their biological clocks, they say they don't have to. And they don't want to be pressured into marriage by women who want marriage in order to have children.

Reason 5: Men fear that marriage will require too many changes and compromises. The men savor their freedom to enjoy hobbies, late nights out and freedom from extra financial burdens. They want to postpone absorbing extra responsibilities until they are on extra-solid footing in a number of areas.

Reason 6: Men are waiting for the perfect soul mate and she hasn't yet appeared. A soul mate, the men said, is a woman who accepts them just as they are and won't try to change them. The men said they don't want to settle for second-best. In some cases, the men even said they were living with a woman who was their version of a second-best partner. These men are continuing to hunt for the perfect soul mate.

Reason 7: Men face few social pressures to marry. Today's young men encounter few traditional pressures from religion, employers or society to marry. Some said they have been mildly teased from parents who want grandchildren, but most of the men said their parents are willing to help support them -- and even allow them to move back home -- until they are ready to marry.

Reason 8: Men are reluctant to marry a woman who already has children. Men said they feel badly if they establish a relationship with the children of a woman and then break up with the mother. They also want to avoid competition and conflict with the children's biological father. One man says that it is easier to date a woman with children if the father is entirely out of the picture.

Reason 9: They want to own a house before they get a wife. Men want to be financially "set" before they marry. For many men, this means home ownership should come before marriage. Most of the men interviewed are living with a parent, relative, roommates or girlfriends.

Reason 10: Men want to enjoy a single life as long as they can. Men fear losing their solitary pleasures by marrying, the study found. And they become accustomed to their own space and routines. They enjoy the freedom of not having to be responsible to anyone else.

Other Findings

The study also reached some additional conclusions. Among them:

Men believe it's best to become friends with a woman before asking her out on a date. Several said they are uncomfortable talking to strangers in bars and appreciate the benefits of a meaningful relationship that grows from friendship.
The men are generally opposed to having a romantic relationship with a woman who works in their place of employment.
The men want their wives to work outside the home. They think a wife who works will be a more interesting companion.
Though the support working wives, the men were less supportive of working mothers. The concensus among the men interviewed is that one parent should stay home or care should be provided by a relative.
The men were highly critical of divorce. But they feel that couples should break up if they fall out of love, even if kids are involved.
The men were not optimistic about the future of marriage as a lifelong commitment. They said people continue to change and grow and this makes it harder to stay married to one person for a lifetime.

What Men Are Saying

Here's the reaction we've received from men nationwide.

"You should have an article on why divorced men will not marry again. The responses would be very interesting. For example:

They've already been taken to the cleaners at least once by a prior wife.
If a woman has kids, she really has no use for a man. She's got the house, the BMW, the kids, and his support and alimony.
The women of today have taken the place of the man from yesteryear. They are today what they thought men were 40 years ago.
They run the risk of meeting a female divorce attorney.

I'm not bitter, just realistic."

"It is no surprise that young men are unwilling to commit to marry when their partners are willing to live with them and provide sexual and domestic services. The old and crude adage is still true: 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?'"

"First, let me say that the problem exists for both men and women. The single life has its challenges at any age (I'm 50), and I have had trouble meeting 'Ms. Right.' In the old European days, we had the infamous 'match maker' and now we have dating services, Internet dating, and of course 'Have I got a friend for you!' In all cases, it's a roll of the dice and requires a great deal of luck. It's a sad reflection on our society that there are so many of us out there, trying every possible way to meet the person that will fill that void."

"I'm tired of the b.s. that it takes to even try to find a good woman. In 90% of my prior relationships, I gave 110% to trying to forge a marriage. But that was only good for some half-hearted affection that soon disappears after the ring is brought forth. Then it's all about what she needs, or worse yet -- what her children need. I'm tired of trying to weed through the predatory women. It costs too much to the kind man's heart. So I quit."

"Most of the guys I know have watched their friends get married and see all the problems, arguments, and b.s. that married men go through. And then they see the divorce, alimony, and child support. Case in point is my own situation. I'll never marry again."

"You forgot this reason: Getting raked over the coals for child support should divorce occur. The current system does not judge each circumstance on a case-by-case basis, and guys usually end up having their financial lives destroyed. In my opinion, men should refuse to marry until the insanity of the legal system is removed."

"The article on single males slow to commit was straight on. My reasons are the same as the men you interviewed: I still believe my destined girl is out there; I do not want to deal with another man's children; and I am afraid of the financial impact of divorce."

What Women Are Saying

American women have strong feelings on the issue as well. Here's what they had to say.

"Am I the only woman for whom a husband is not a badge of honor? I have noticed the looks on faces of my more traditional friends when I say that I do not have to be married. I have been married, and it was not what they talk about in Hallmark cards. Fortunately, my current beau is a gorgeous and fun divorcee who is also marriage-shy. This may be the most in sync I have ever been with a man!"

"I have lived with my boyfriend for eight years. We share everything, but he will not take that last step and get married. If something was to happen to him today, I would be out in the cold. I have helped him establish a home, fixed it up, and take care of it, but my name is nowhere on anything."

"The article 'Afraid to Commit: Young Men Want to Wait on Marriage' makes all women sound like they are desperate to "hook" a man! It insinuates that this is all women live for and men have total reign over this. Please get with the times! "

from here

Top ten Friday online games

2006-11-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

After hard working week everybody wants to relax. There is a list of the best online games.

1) Battlefield 2
The best online shooter by far.

2) Guild Wars
Simply the best Free MMORPG today. Not quite as good as World of WarCraft game-play wise, but Guild Wars' lack of a subscription put its over the top in this category.

3) Half-Life 2 and Mods
Tops the original in nearly every way except Steam.

4) World of Warcraft
The best online game today that you have to pay for.

5) Half-Life 1 Universe (Counterstrike, DoD, TF, NS, and other mods)
The mod community continues to drive the popularity of this seemingly ancient first person shooter. Besides blockbusters like Counterstrike and Day of Defeat, popular mods like Natural Selection make Half-Life one of the greatest Internet games ever.

6) Diablo 2
Although this game looks ancient compared to some of its recent counterparts, the Diablo 2 community is still alive and well on Battle.net.

7) Unreal Tournament 2004
The best installment of this vaunted series thus far with tons of replay value, an extreme sports theme that really worked this time and the introduction of vehicles. Best of all, online game play is free.

8) Neverwinter Nights
You don't even have to like the original campaigns to enjoy countless hours of gaming bliss with NWN. Internet players are driving the value of this top RPG by making thousands of different modules for everybody to play. NWN also redefines the Online RPG genre by opening up the possibility of player-made MMORPGs.

9) BattleField 1942
Innovative online shooter that puts you right in the middle of World War II action with several other players acting either as enemies or allies. The ability to command a wide assortment of vehicles and act as one with other players puts this game near the top of the genre.

10) Sacred
Lacks the hardcore fan base of the Diablo series or even Dungeon siege but the developers continue to support this well-done retail online RPG with solid patches.

Top ten things you can do to Defend Oceans

2006-11-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

by GreenPeace

1. Become an Ocean Defender! Sign up and start taking action today. Get your friends to sign up too!

2. Urge politicians to support the creation of “no-take” marine reserves to protect marine ecosystems and restore fisheries.

3. Eat less fish, and ask questions about where the seafood comes from. What kind of fish is it? Where's it from, and how was it caught? Avoid fish that come from a depleted stock, were caught illegally, were caught with bottom trawling or were caught in a process that results in a lot of by-catch. Avoid farmed products such as prawns and salmon.

4. Help fight global warming, which is causing havoc to marine ecosystems from tropics to the Polar Regions. Reduce the use of private cars and use public transport (or bicycles) instead, switch to renewable energy sources, buy locally grown and produced food and goods, and avoid flying when possible. See our "12 steps" page for more tips on painless ways to save energy.

5. Reduce the amount of nutrients that flow into the ocean , causing algal blooms and dead zones in the seabed, by avoiding the excess use of fertilizers and by buying organically grown products.

6. Keep the oceans free of rubbish. Minimize your use of plastic – don’t use plastic bags, for example, and recycle as much as you can.

7. Reduce the poisons flowing into the ocean. Don’t use pesticides, and urge manufacturers and policy makers to phase out persistent pollutants like PCBs and chlorine.

8. If you buy tropical fish, make sure they were bred in captivity and not stripped from reefs. Tropical fish are often caught using cyanide or other destructive methods, and a huge proportion die before reaching the market. Ask at the pet shop.

9. Help save the whales! If you are from, or regularly visit, a pro-whaling country please let the government know that you are opposed to whaling and believe their position to be objectionable. If you are from, or regularly visit, an anti-whaling nation congratulate the government and also ask that they increase pressure to stop all whaling given the imminent possibility of a take-over of the International Whaling Commission by the pro-whaling lobby.

10. And last but not least - spread the word! Talk to friends and family about the problems - and the solutions – that impact our oceans. Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers calling attention to marine issues

Halloween: Facts And Misinformation

2006-11-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

The Halloween season of October 31 to November 2 each year is unique. It includes:

A Neopagan Sabbat:

Samhain, usually celebrated on or near the evening of October 31. It was originally a celebration of the final harvest of the growing season among the ancient Celts. It was also their new year celebration. Today, it is mainly celebrated by Wiccans and other Neo-Pagans

Three Christian holy days:

All Saints' Day (a.k.a. All Hallows' Day) on November 1. The holiday was first celebrated on 609-MAY-13 CE when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Virgin Mary. The date was later changed to November 1 by Pope Gregory III who dedicated a chapel in honor of All Saints in the Vatican Basilica. Pope Gregory IV (827-844) later extended the feast to the whole church. The Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate All Saints Day in the springtime -- the Sunday after Pentecost.

All Souls' Day (a.k.a. the Day of the Dead) which is normally celebrated on November 2. When November 2 is a Sunday, as it was for the year 2003, the celebration is held on the following Monday. This is a day for prayer and almsgiving in memory of ancestors who have died. Believers pray for the souls of the dead, in an effort to hasten their transition from Purgatory to Heaven. It is primarily celebrated by Roman Catholics. The day is believed to have been selected by "St. Odilo, the fifth abbot of Cluny...France because he wanted to follow the example of Cluny in offering special prayers and singing the Office of the Dead on the day following the feast of All Saints."

Some Protestants celebrate Reformation Day. This is the anniversary of 1517 October 31 CE, the day that Martin Luther's published his 95 theses. These were criticisms of beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic church, particularly related to the sale of indulgences. He is widely believed to have published them in a dramatic manner, by nailing them to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Actually, that never happened. He did write a letter to his superiors attacking the sale of indulgences; the 95 theses were merely appended to the letter. This triggered for the Protestant Reformation, leading to a decades-long war in Europe, enmity between Catholics and Protestants, and the fracture of Christianity into thousands of individual faith groups. A secular celebration, Halloween on the evening of October 31. In some areas, if October 31 falls on a Sunday, Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 30. Stores love Halloween. It is the festival when the largest amount of candy is sold. It is second only to Christmas in total commercial sales. The total sale of costumes, candy and other Halloween material reached almost $7 billion in 2003.

more info here

Top Ten Mistakes in a Zombie Film

2006-10-31T04:41:00.000-08:00

If you're going to survive a zombie outbreak, there are some things you will need to keep in mind not to do:

If you live anywhere near an industry that produces toxic waste of an unknown type, don't just sit around, move to a different town! This toxic waste will eventually somehow contaminate the area and turn everyone but you into cannibal zombies.
Do not read from any books written in blood and bound in human skin, or listen to any tapes made thereof. This has a tendency to cause zombies to appear.
If you pick a place to hide out, make sure that there are no dead people already inside, since they will eventually become zombies and attack you.
Don't try and reason with any zombies, just run. They may appear to be paying attention to you, but that is because they are actually trying to gauge the quickest way through your skull.
Don't use a blunt instrument if you have to fight zombies. This will only break a bone or two and make them mad. Projectile weapons are the most effective (but only if you can consistently hit the brain). Otherwise, chainsaws and lawnmowers have been known to work in a pinch.
If any of your friends die, don't just let them lie there (assuming that there's anything left). Make sure and shoot them in the head. Otherwise, they will rise again and somehow find you later when you least expect it, and you'll have to shoot them in the head then anyway.
If you are trapped by zombies with someone that you don't get along with, keep a close eye on that person. Experience has shown that conflict within a group of defenders can provoke irrational actions, leading to the demise of one or more of the group.
While trapped inside a building by zombies, don't go near the windows, even boarded up ones. The zombies will stand outside moaning quietly to themselves until you are right by the window, and then they will suddenly punch through it and grab you. The other zombies will try and distract you by pounding on the doors and walls, and saying "Braaaaaains".
If you have to run through a crowd of zombies, don't get too confident just because they have limited brain power and move slowly. Zombies have a death grip (no pun intended), and if you get too close to one, you'll regret it.
If you're trapped in a farmhouse by a zombie horde, don't just sit there waiting for rescuers. Use your spare time to make a big sign that says "DON'T SHOOT ME, I'M HUMAN!" so that said rescuers don't make a mistake when they see you.

The Top Ten Vampire Myths

2006-10-30T06:33:00.000-08:00

Most vampire myths come to us from the Dark Ages, when science was in its infancy and people looked to religion or superstition to explain the world around them. While many vampire myths have their basis in Christian orthodoxy, others represent imaginative interpretations of actual vampire behavior.

Vampires sleep in coffins
Source: this myth probably arose from gravediggers and others who observed vampires emerging from coffins and crypts.
Truth: if a vampire did spend the night in a coffin, it probably had nothing to do with sleeping preference. In the old days, many victims of vampire bites were interred while still in a vampiric coma. The truth is, vampires will sleep wherever they feel safe.

Garlic repels vampires
Source: most likely based on observation.
Fact: vampires have sensitive noses and can momentarily be driven off by pungent odors. However, this method of deterrence is unreliable and certainly won't work on an experienced vampire.

Crosses repel vampires
Source: Christian religion.
Fact: crosses have no effect on vampires.

Vampires are killed by driving a stake through their heart
Source: Christian religion.
Fact: because their blood is circulated by skeletal muscles, vampires can easily survive injuries to the heart.

Vampires burst into flames upon exposure to sunlight
Source: most likely based on observations of a vampire's extreme reaction to sunlight
Fact: sunlight renders vampires, with their hyperdilated irises, blind. It also causes neural pathways to fire randomly in the vampire brain, creating an extreme epileptic reaction. As dramatic as this reaction may appear, it will not be enough to start a fire.

Holy water burns the skin and flesh of vampires
Source: Christian religion.
Fact: holy water, or any water for that matter, has little effect on vampires (although vampires can be drowned).

Vampires prey on virginal women
Source: a reflection of Victorian-era fears over the sexual awakening of young women.
Fact: while vampires have a stated preference for the taste of young blood, they are not particular as to which gender provides it.

Vampires can fly
Source: observation of leaping vampires; association of vampires with bats.
Fact: while they do possess extraordinary leaping ability (vampires have been observed leaping over fences 20 feet high), vampires cannot fly.

Vampires turn into bats
Source: association of vampires with bats.
Fact: no, vampires cannot turn into bats.

Vampires are not visible in mirrors
Source: Christian religion. It was thought that a vampire, or any creature lacking a soul, would not produce a reflection in a mirror.
Fact: vampires are visible in mirrors, although interestingly enough, they are often quite discomfited by their own reflections.

Top 10 Haunting Halloween Cocktails

2006-10-29T08:29:00.000-08:00

From Colleen Graham

A lot of what makes Halloween what it is is the creation of a spooky atmosphere and anything and everything involved in a party can be converted from mundane to eerie very easily. Cocktails are no different. These haunting drinks are great ghastly additions to the Halloween theme: some are black as night while others have mysterious creatures hiding in the depths, all are a lot of fun.

1) Black Martini
Black is the signature color for All Hallows Eve so why not make your Martini match the occasion? If black raspberry or blackberry flavors are not your thing, try a regular Vodka Martini made with Blavod (a black vodka).

2) Dracula's Kiss
Here's a highball straight from Dracula's lips to yours. The red and black layers recreate the frightening atmosphere of a castle deep in Transylvania. At the door of this fortress smooth flavors of black cherry cola greet you and are accented with sweet grenadine that surges from the depths of the concoction.

3) Devil's Punch
Devilishly delectable, Devil's Punch is an indulgence one can't afford to miss. You can easily convert this recipe into a serving size for your whole party by keeping the ratios and serving it in a punch bowl.

4) Black Cat
Notoriously if a Black Cat crosses your path you had best be prepared for some bad things to come your way. Not so here. This hauntingly pleasing cocktail will have you looking around every corner in pursuit of the Black Cat and its cranberry-cherry cola flavors.

5) Ghostbuster
Boo! There's a ghost in your drink! Sure to be the hit of the party, this cocktail has a white ghost (Irish cream) floating inside an ectoplasmic mix of peach and melon liqueurs. It's fun and tasty, what more could one ask for?

6) Corpse Reviver
This cocktail is sure to wake the dead. The stunning combination of apple brandy and regular brandy with a hint of sweet vermouth make an excellent compliment to any spooky scene.

7) Vampire
Typically vampires are not to be messed with but in this instance you will be lured into submission. The blend of black raspberry and cranberry flavors are just as captivating as Dracula himself.

8) Zombie
You will be a Zombie if you have had one too many of these cocktails. The potent potable in question is a high-powered mix of three rums, the killer being a shot of high-proof rum. Masking all this intensity are some sweet flavors that can deceive you into drinking more than you should. Proceed with caution!

9) Swamp Water Surprise
Mysteries are hidden in the murky depths of this spooky cocktail. While it may not be the prettiest looking drink at the party it will turn some heads, just hope it's not Exorcist style.

10) Frog in a Blender
If you want a drink with unknown objects floating in it, here it is. Blending the ingredients for only a few seconds creates the look of a horrifying witch's brew complete with pieces and parts of green swamp creatures.

One Hundred Rules for NASA Project Managers

2006-10-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

By Altis

The Project Manager

Rule #1: A project manager should visit everyone who is building anything for his project at least once, should know all the managers on his project (both government and contractor), and know the integration team members. People like to know that the project manager is interested in their work and the best proof is for the manager to visit them and see first hand what they are doing.

Rule #2: A project manager must know what motivates the project contractors (i.e., their award system, their fiscal system, their policies, and their company culture).

Rule #3: Management principles still are the same. It is just that the tools have changed. You still find the right people to do the work and get out of the way so they can do it.

Rule #4: Whoever you deal with, deal fairly. Space is not a big playing field. You may be surprised how often you have to work with the same people. Better they respect you than carry a grudge.

Rule #5: Vicious, despicable, or thoroughly disliked persons, gentlemen, and ladies can be project managers. Lost souls, procrastinators, and wishy-washies cannot.

Rule #6: A comfortable project manager is one waiting for his next assignment or one on the verge of failure. Security is not normal to project management.

Rule #7: One problem new managers face is that everyone wants to solve their problems. Old managers were told by senior management—"solve your own darn problems, that is what we hired you to do."

Rule #8: Running fast does not take the place of thinking for yourself. You must take time to smell the roses. For your work, you must take time to understand the consequences of your actions.

Rule #9: The boss may not know how to do the work but he has to know what he wants. The boss had better find out what he expects and wants if he doesn't know. A blind leader tends to go in circles.

Rule #10: Not all successful managers are competent and not all failed managers are incompetent. Luck still plays a part in success or failure but luck favors the competent hard working manager.

Rule #11: Never try to get even for some slight by anyone on the project. It is not good form and it puts you on the same level as the other person and, besides, probably ends up hurting the project getting done.

Rule #12: Don't get too egotistical so that you can't change your position, especially if your personnel tell you that you are wrong. You should cultivate an attitude on the project where your personnel know they can tell you of wrong decisions.

Rule #13: A manager who is his own systems engineer or financial manager is one who will probably try to do open heart surgery on himself.

Rule #14: Most managers succeed on the strength and skill of their staff.

Initial Work

Rule #15: The seeds of problems are laid down early. Initial planning is the most vital part of a project. The review of most failed projects or project problems indicate the disasters were well planned to happen from the start.

Communications

Rule #16: Cooperative efforts require good communications and early warning systems. A project manager should try to keep his partners aware of what is going on and should be the one who tells them first of any rumor or actual changes in plan. The partners should be consulted before things are put in final form, even if they only have a small piece of the action. A project manager who blindsides his partners will be treated in kind and will be considered a person of no integrity.

Rule #17: Talk is not cheap; but the best way to understand a personnel or technical problem is to talk to the right people. Lack of talk at the right levels is deadly.

Rule #18: Most international meetings are held in English. This is a foreign language to most participants such as Americans, Germans, Italians, etc. It is important to have adequate discussions so that there are no misinterpretations of what is said.

Rule #19: You cannot be ignorant of the language of the area you manage or with that of areas with which you interface. Education is a must for the modern manager. There are simple courses available to learn computerese, communicationese and all the rest of the modern "ese's" of the world. You can't manage if you don't understand what is being said or written.

People

Rule #20: You cannot watch everything. What you can watch is the people. They have to know you will not accept a poor job.

Rule #21: We have developed a set of people whose self interest is more paramount than the work or at least it appears so to older managers. It appears to the older managers that the newer ones are more interested in form than in substance. The question is are old managers right or just old? Consider both viewpoints.

Rule #22: A good technician, quality inspector, and straw boss are more important in obtaining a good product than all the paper and reviews.

Rule #23: The source of most problems is people, but darned if they will admit it. Know the people working on your project to know what the real weak spots are.

Rule #24: One must pay close attention to workaholics—if they get going in the wrong direction, they can do a lot of damage in a short time. It is possible to overload them and cause premature burnout but hard to determine if the load is too much, since much of it is self generated. It is important to make sure such people take enough time off and that the workload does not exceed 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 times what is normal.

Rule #25: Always try to negotiate your internal support at the lowest level. What you want is the support of the person doing the work, and the closer you can get to him in negotiations the better.

Rule #26: If you have someone who doesn't look, ask, and analyze; ask them to transfer.

Rule #27: Personal time is very important. You must be careful as a manager that you realize the value of other people's time (i.e., the work you hand out and meetings should be necessary). You must, where possible, shield your staff from unnecessary work (i.e., some requests should be ignored or a refusal sent to the requestor).

Rule #28: People who monitor work and don't help get it done never seem to know exactly what is going on (being involved is the key to excellence).

Rule #29: There is no greater motivation than giving a good person his piece of the puzzle to control, but a pat on the back or an award helps.

Rule #30: It is mainly the incompetent that don't like to show off their work.

Rule #31: There are rare times when only one man can do the job. These are in technical areas that are more art and skill than normal. Cherish these people, but get their work done as soon as possible. Getting the work done by someone else takes two or three times longer and the product is normally below standard.

Rule #32: People have reasons for doing things the way they do them. Most people want to do a good job and, if they don't, the problem is they probably don't know how or exactly what is expected.

Rule #33: If you have a problem that requires additional people to solve, you should approach putting people on like a cook who has under-salted the food.

Reviews and Reports

Rule #34: NASA has established a set of reviewers and a set of reviews. Once firmly established, the system will fight to stay alive, so make the most of it. Try to find a way for the reviews to work for you.

Rule #35: The number of reviews is increasing but the knowledge transfer remains the same; therefore, all your charts and presentation material should be constructed with this fact in mind. This means you should be able to construct a set of slides that only needs to be shuffled from presentation to presentation.

Rule #36: Hide nothing from the reviewers. Their reputation and yours is on the line. Expose all the warts and pimples. Don't offer excuses—just state facts.

Rule #37: External reviews are scheduled at the worst possible time, therefore, keep an up-to-date set of business and technical data so that you can rapidly respond. Not having up-to-date data should be cause for dismissal.

Rule #38: Never undercut your staff in public (i.e., In public meetings, don't reverse decisions on work that you have given them to do). Even if you direct a change, never take the responsibility for implementing away from your staff.

Rule #39: Reviews are for the reviewed an not the reviewer. The review is a failure if the reviewed learn nothing from it.

Rule #40: A working meeting has about six people attending. Meetings larger than this are for information transfer (management science has shown that, in a group greater than twelve, some are wasting their time).

Rule #41: The amount of reviews and reports are proportional to management's understanding (i.e., the less management knows or understands the activities, the more they require reviews and reports). It is necessary in this type of environment to make sure that data is presented so that the average person, slightly familiar with activities, can understand it. Keeping the data simple and clear never insults anyone's intelligence.

Rule #42: Managers who rely only on the paperwork to do the reporting of activities are known failures.

Rule #43: Documentation does not take the place of knowledge. There is a great difference in what is supposed to be, what is thought to have happened, and reality. Documents are normally a static picture in time that get outdated rapidly.

Rule #44: Just because you give monthly reports, don't think that you can abbreviate anything in a yearly report. If management understood the monthlies, they wouldn't need a yearly.

Rule #45: Abbreviations are getting to be a pain. Each project now has a few thousand. This calls on senior management to know hundreds. Use them sparingly in presentations unless your objective is to confuse.

Rule #46: Remember, it is often easier to do foolish paperwork that to fight the need for it. Fight only if it is a global issue which will save much future work.

Contractors and Contracting

Rule #47: A project manager is not the monitor of the contractor's work but is to be the driver. In award fee situations, the government personnel should be making every effort possible to make sure the contractor gets a high score (i.e., be on schedule and produce good work). Contractors don't fail, NASA does and that is why one must be proactive in support. This is also why a low score damages the government project manager as much as the contractor's manager because it means that he is not getting the job done.

Rule #48: Award fee is a good tool that puts discipline both on the contractor and the government. The score given represents the status of the project as well as the management skills of both parties. The project management measurement system (PMS) should be used to verify the scores. Consistent poor scores require senior management intervention to determine the reason. Consistent good scores which are consistent with PMS reflect a well-run project, but if these scores are not consistent with the PMS, senior management must take action to find out why.

Rule #49: Morale of the contractor's personnel is important to a government manager. Just as you don't want to buy a car built by disgruntled employees, you don't want to buy flight hardware developed by under- motivated people. You should take an active role in motivating all personnel on the project.

Rule #50: Being friendly with a contractor is fine—being a friend of a contractor is dangerous to your objectivity.

Rule #51: Remember, your contractor has a tendency to have a one-on-one interface with your staff. Every member of your staff costs you at least one person on the contract per year.

Rule #52: Contractors tend to size up the government counterparts and staff their part of the project accordingly. If they think yours are clunkers, they will take their poorer people to put on your project.

Rule #53: Contractors respond well to the customer that pays attention to what they are doing but not too well to the customer that continually second-guesses their activity. The basic rule is a customer is always right but the cost will escalate if a customer always has things done his way instead of how the contractor planned on doing it. The ground rule is: never change a contractor's plans unless they are flawed or too costly (i.e., the old saying that better is the enemy of good).

Rule #54: There is only one solution to a weak project manager in industry—get rid of him fast. The main job of a project manager in industry is to keep the customer happy. Make sure the one working with you knows that it is not flattery but on-schedule, on-cost, and a good product that makes you happy.

Engineers and Scientists

Rule #55: Over-engineering is common. Engineers like puzzles and mazes. Try to make them keep their designs simple.

Rule #56: The first sign of trouble comes from the schedule or the cost curve. Engineers are the last to know they are in trouble. Engineers are born optimists.

Rule #57: The project has many resources within itself. There probably are five or ten system engineers considering all the contractors and instrument developers. This is a powerful resource that can be used to attack problems.

Rule #58: Many managers, just because they have the scientists under contract on their project, forget that the scientists are their customers and many times have easier access to top management than the managers do.

Rule #59: Most scientists are rational unless you endanger their chance to do their experiment. They will work with you if they believe you are telling them the truth. This includes reducing their own plans.

Hardware

Rule #60: In the space business, there is no such thing as previously flown hardware. The people who build the next unit probably never saw the previous unit. There are probably minor changes (perhaps even major changes); the operational environment has probably changed; the people who check the unit out in most cases will not understand the unit or the test equipment.

Rule #61: Most equipment works as built, not as the designer planned. This is due to layout of the design, poor understanding on the designer's part, or poor understanding of component specifications.

Computers and Software

Rule #62: Not using modern techniques, like computer systems, is a great mistake, but forgetting that the computer simulates thinking is a still greater mistake.

Rule #63: Software has now taken on all the parameters of hardware (i.e., requirement creep, high percentage of flight mission cost, need for quality control, need for validation procedures, etc.). It has the added feature that it is hard as blazes to determine it is not flawed. Get the basic system working first and then add the bells and whistles. Never throw away a version that works even if you have all the confidence in the world that the newer version works. It is necessary to have contingency plans for software.

Rule #64: Knowledge is often revised by simulations or testing, but computer models have hidden flaws not the least of which is poor input data.

Rule #65: In olden times, engineers had hands-on experience, technicians understood how the electronics worked and what it was supposed to do, and layout technicians knew too—but today only the computer knows for sure and it's not talking.

Senior Management, Program Offices, and Above

Rule #66: Don't assume you know why senior management has done something. If you feel you need to know, ask. You get some amazing answers that will astonish you.

Rule #67: Know your management—some like a good joke, others only like a joke if they tell it.

Rule #68: Remember the boss has the right to make decisions. Even if you think they are wrong, tell the boss what you think but if he still wants it done his way; do it his way and do your best to make sure the outcome is successful.

Rule #69: Never ask management to make a decision that you can make. Assume you have the authority to make decisions unless you know there is a document that states unequivocally that you can't.

Rule #70: You and the Program Manager should work as a team. The Program Manager is your advocate at NASA HQ and must be tied into the decision makers and should aid your efforts to be tied in also.

Rule #71: Know who the decision makers on the program are. It may be someone outside who has the ear of Congress or the Administrator, or the Associate Administrator, or one of the scientists—someone in the chain of command—whoever they are. Try to get a line of communication to them on a formal or informal basis.

Program Planning, Budgeting, and Estimating

Rule #72: Today one must push the state of the art, be within budget, take risks, not fail, and be on time. Strangely, all these are consistent as long as the ground rules such as funding profile and schedule are established up front and maintained.

Rule #73: Most of yesteryear's projects overran because of poor estimates and not because of mistakes. Getting better estimates will not lower costs but will improve NASA's business reputation. Actually, there is a high probability that getting better estimates will increase costs and assure a higher profit to industry unless the fee is reduced to reflect lower risk on the part of industry. A better reputation is necessary in the present environment.

Rule #74: All problems are solvable in time, so make sure you have enough schedule contingency—if you don't, the next project manager that takes your place will.

Rule #75: The old NASA pushed the limits of technology and science; therefore, it did not worry about requirements creep or overruns. The new NASA has to work as if all projects are fixed price; therefore, requirement creep has become a deadly sin.

Rule #76: Know the resources of your center and, if possible, other centers. Other centers, if they have the resources , are normally happy to help. It is always surprising how much good help one can get by just asking.

Rule #77: Other than budget information prior to the President's submittal to Congress, there is probably no secret information on a project—so don't treat anything like it is secret. Everyone does better if they can see the whole picture so don't hide any of it from anyone.

Rule #78: NASA programs compete for budget funds—they do not compete with each other (i.e., you never attack any other program or NASA work with the idea that you should get their funding). Sell what you have on its own merit.

Rule #79: Next year is always the year with adequate funding and schedule. Next year arrives on the 50th year of your career.

The Customer

Rule #80: Remember who the customer is and what his objectives are (i.e., check with him when you go to change anything of significance).

NASA Management Instructions

Rule #81: NASA Management Instructions were written by another NASA employee like you; therefore, challenge them if they don't make sense. It is possible another NASA employee will rewrite them or waive them for you.

Decision Making

Rule #82: Wrong decisions made early can be recovered from. Right decisions made late cannot correct them.

Rule #83: Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. It is also occasionally the best help you can give. Just listening is all that is needed on many occasions. You may be the boss, but if you constantly have to solve someone's problems, you are working for him.

Rule #84: Never make a decision from a cartoon. Look at the actual hardware or what real information is available such as layouts. Too much time is wasted by people trying to cure a cartoon whose function is to explain the principle.

Professional Ethics and Integrity

Rule #85: Integrity means your subordinates trust you.

Rule #86: In the rush to get things done, it's always important to remember who you work for. Blindsiding the boss will not be to your benefit in the long run.

Project Management and Teamwork

Rule #87: Projects require teamwork to succeed. Remember, most teams have a coach and not a boss, but the coach still has to call some of the plays.

Rule #88: Never assume someone knows something or has done something unless you have asked them; even the obvious is overlooked or ignored on occasion, especially in a high stress activity.

Rule #89: Whoever said beggars can't be choosers doesn't understand project management, although many times it is better to trust to luck than to get poor support.

Rule #90: A puzzle is hard to discern from just one piece; so don't be surprised if team members deprived of information reach the wrong conclusion.

Rule #91: Remember, the President, Congress, OMB, NASA HQ, senior center management, and your customers all have jobs to do. All you have to do is keep them all happy.

Treating and Avoiding Failures

Rule #92: In case of a failure:
a) Make a timeline of events and include everything that is known.
b) Put down known facts. Check every theory against them.
c) Don't beat the data until it confesses (i.e., know when to stop trying to force-fit a scenario).
d) Do not arrive at a conclusion too fast. Make sure any deviation from normal is explained. Remember the wrong conclusion is prologue to the next failure.
e) Know when to stop.

Rule #93: Things that fail are lessons learned for the future. Occasionally things go right: these are also lessons learned. Try to duplicate that which works.

Rule #94: Mistakes are all right but failure is not. Failure is just a mistake you can't recover from; therefore, try to create contingency plans and alternate approaches for the items or plans that have high risk.

Rule #95: History is prologue. There has not been a project yet that has not had a parts problem despite all the qualification and testing done on parts. Time and being prepared to react are the only safeguards.

Rule #96: Experience may be fine but testing is better. Knowing something will work never takes the place of proving that it will.

Rule #97: Don't be afraid to fail or you will not succeed, but always work at your skill to recover. Part of that skill is knowing who can help.

Rule #98: One of the advantages of NASA in the early days was the fact that everyone knew that the facts we were absolutely sure of could be wrong.

Rule #99: Redundancy in hardware can be a fiction. We are adept at building things to be identical so that if one fails, the other will also fail. Make sure all hardware is treated in a build as if it were one of a kind and needed for mission success.

Rule #100: Never make excuses; instead, present plans of actions to be taken.

The Top Ten Security Tips For Halloween

2006-10-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

By: Lonny

With autumn comes a time to relax and start enjoying quality family time. Halloween is one of those special occasions where parents and children can share unique and magical moments.

People are getting more concerned with potential threat and want to assure the maximal security for their loved ones.

Allow me to review with you the top ten recommendations to insure that you and your family spend a happy and safe Halloween. You can make a game or reviewing these recommendations with your children. Let\'s say they get one point for every recommendation they can guess or they can draw the recommendation they liked the most and you can post it on your refrigerator.

By observing these simple recommendations, you will be able to enjoy a fun and safe Halloween. Remember it is allowed for parents to disguise themselves as they are passing Halloween with their children. Although your children will pretend to be embarrassed about the fact that you are wearing a costume, they will secretly think you are the coolest parent. Just don\'t expect them to say it out loud to you!

Here are the top ten tips for a safe and fun Halloween, in random order:

1) It is better to wear make-up than wearing a mask, the visibility can be greatly reduced when wearing a mask, especially if the mask is not a perfect fit for the child.

2) It is always better to pass Halloween with an adult. This parent can stay in the street and will be very helpful to carry the extra bags. Seriously, in case of emergencies, an adult carrying a cellular phone can be of great help.

3) Wearing a bright costume is highly recommended. Although a black, dark costume can have its effect it can easily be missed out by passing cars. A costume in which it is easy to walk is also highly recommended. Smaller children tend to get tired fast at Halloween and can tumble and fall if their costume is too long.

4) Carrying a flashlight or a fluorescent necklace can be very handy and will make children more visible upon walking the streets in Halloween.

5) A child should never pass Halloween alone. Furthermore, even though most people are trustworthy, children should be informed to never go into any house upon Halloween night.

6) Upon passing Halloween, street signalization should still be respected. It is highly recommended to only cross streets at intersections and waiting for cars to go by. After all, although your children are wearing Superman and Spiderman costumes, this does not make then invincible against a car hit.

7) Reinforce to your children that they should never get into a vehicle unless it is yours.

8) When your children arrive from their Halloween treasure hunt, check their candies with them making certain that none contain suspicious matters. Most children will naturally limit themselves to a certain amount of candies. It is somewhat recommended to supervise their ingestion of candies so they don\'t get carried away and end-up regretting it.

9) It is recommended, upon passing Halloween in one street, to do one side and then the other. This way, the children only get to cross the street once, thus limiting the dangers.

10) If your children are older and want to pass Halloween in group and have forbidden you to tag along (it can happen), make sure you know their route and what time they plan on returning. In our modern days too, it is very easy to trust your children with a cell phone and keep contact this way. You do have to remind them to turn it on before leaving…

Top Ten Dumbest Secret Identities

2006-10-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

Article by Michael McDaniel

One thing that always gets to people who haven’t read comics before is the superhero genre’s use of the secret identity. They are used to secret identities for spies, a profession that specifically requires the need to be in the shadows and out of the limelight, but for superheroes, who constantly find themselves the center of the public’s attention, the idea of a secret identity defies their expectations. This is especially true of those heroes who wear little to no mask.

Yet the secret identity is a staple, and one that was created to help suspend disbelief for another staple, vigilantism. The secret identity has been under attack for a while now from within the comic world. Heroes are revealing themselves to the world (and we will no longer accept the extreme, note absurd, lengths writers will go to reverse the outing), but there are a few superheroes who have only hurt the cause of the secret identity over the years. These few, that have done so much to push away those unimaginative masses unable to suspend their disbelief any farther, are now named here in the Top Ten Dumbest Secret Identities.

10. Edward E. Nigma (Riddler) –

No one said that villains can’t be on this list, and there are certainly several on here, but the Riddler is acting as a representative of all those secret identities that are just too witty for their own good. The man’s name is ‘Enigma’ and is such a horrible pun that even as an eleven year old kid I hated it. A lot of the character’s problem’s now stem from his constantly shifting portrayal within the different Batman books. One book he’s a reformed P.I., the next he’s the ultra-campy Riddler of Frank Gorshin fame, and then he’s the creepy, insane Riddler of comic yore. This is within the same three month span too, pick a personality already!

9. Bruce Banner (Hulk) –

I struggled with the idea of putting him on here, but I couldn’t resist. I hate on Hulk/Banner a lot, but it is criticism born of my love for the character. The idea that Bruce Banner wouldn’t be a readily recognizable persona in the Marvel Universe is beyond inane, yet he isn't. The Hulk has been ‘rampaging’ across the globe for a long time for people to not know who Bruce Banner is. Oh, most people certainly know who his name but wouldn’t they have his face posted EVERYWHERE: “If you see this man then back up slowly without any sudden movements or irritable noises.”

8. Tony Stark (Iron Man) –

This is really one of the oddest stories in the history of secret identities. Iron Man has revealed his secret identity so many times over the years that any emotional or dramatic impact it might have had is now lost. Time and again Tony has had to have either a remote controlled Iron Man suit or his friend Rhodes act as Iron Man so that he can ‘re-prove’ his secret identity. It got old before it was even used.

The idea that he would pose as his own bodyguard is just silly. If it is illegal to do what he does then why is it suddenly more acceptable if the person doing it is a bodyguard? “No it’s ok officer, I’m a bodyguard. I watched an important training video at bodyguard school, just stand back.” What a pompous ass.

7. Sunspot from the future (Reignfire) –

Oy, this one is a bit more personal, I’ll admit that, but the horrible way it was handled had me pretty vexed. I hate being vexed. The story goes that Sunspot, real name Roberto, had developed an evil persona, or some such nonsense, that caused him to become the evil Reignfire. Cable went into his brain and shut the bad part down. End of story, and while it wasn’t that great it at least got the job done without too much confusion. This was Fabian Nicieza’s story and it was to be ended there.

Then John Francis Moore came in and mucked it all up. Reignfire was ‘discovered’ (retconed) to be a cellular construct that just happened to pattern itself after Supspot. To explain the already established ‘evil persona’ story, Moore created a mental link between the two. What a mess. Fortunately for all involved, Reignfire soon died off as most fans had had enough of that kind of goofy bullsh!t.

6. Prince Adam (He-man) –

In the beginning, there was He-Man, a master of the universe, and all was well. Then some twit thought it a good idea to give He-Man a secret identity, as if one was needed! What the hell did He-Man need to keep secret? He lived in a giant freaking castle and rode around on a green tiger! He was a master of the universe and didn’t need to hide from anyone.

Prince Adam was to become the secret identity of He-Man, and he would hold up his sword to become He-Man, later copied by Thundercats. This is an obvious case of someone burdening a perfectly fine character with attributes it doesn’t need. A secret identity for a roaming barbarian badass in the world of He-Man just doesn’t make sense. Like a Rolls Royce dealership in Lubbock, TX.

5. Logan/James (Wolverine) –

I’m so sick of all the continuity wrangling, flashback craze, and memory implant stupidity. Wolverine’s origin story was decent. Then we get a muddled and overly complex addition from
Daniel Way
, all for a book called Wolverine: Origins yet isn’t really about his origins so much as just his past.

Wolverine was a samurai, a black ops agent, an abused experiment, an X-Men, a lumberjack, and has had more wives than most Saudi princes, not to mention two kids. So much of the past has been retconed as fake that I’ve long ago lost track of what was real or not. I honestly stopped caring too. I don’t care about his past. I don’t care if he has one or not.

4. Magneto/Xorn Fiasco –

This is a similar story to the Sunspot one. Xorn was created by Grant Morrison and was always intended to be a cover for Magneto to infiltrate the X-Men for nefarious purposes. While I personally didn’t like this idea, it did make a modicum of sense and was at least plain to see that it had been the plan from the start.

Then an odd series of things happened as various writers were allowed to come in and make some random sh!t up. For one, Chuck Austen (I think) created a brother for Xorn because he liked the character that much. Well, if Xorn was really just a cover for Magneto then why the hell would he have a brother? And does anyone really want a weak copycat character? No.

Then it gets even worse. Brian Bendis recently has shown that Xorn was, in fact, really Xorn and not Magneto. He just used the persona of Magneto in hopes of uniting the mutant population. Xorn is now a bodiless spirit that is the collected consciousness controlling the leftover energies from the de-powered mutants. Got it? Yeah me neither and that’s why it’s a fiasco. The Morrison tale couldn’t be read any other way than with Xorn as a cover for Magneto. It was a good character but bringing him back in such trite fashion does no one any good.

3. Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) –

This secret identity has only recently become a problem. Green Arrow is DC’s Robin Hood persona who’s always had a leftists/anti-authority spin, fine so far. Then Oliver Queen ran for and won the position of Mayor for Star City. As the picture shows, Oliver Queen is the only man in the entire world who has a beard like that. He’s been protecting the streets of Star City as the Green Arrow for a longtime now, doesn’t anyone see the resemblance! How does he get away with it! I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!

2. Billy Batson (Captain Marvel) –

Billy Batson has grown up to become 14 or so, but he was originally a little kid. I’m talking six or seven here who had been transformed by the wizard Shazam into Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel is a Superman-esque hero and really doesn’t have much going for him beyond his little transformation trick from small kid into large, hulking man and back again. I’m sure it’s a great party trick, oh, the kid is SEVEN and he won’t be going to any parties. When he’s Captain Marvel he tends to act like an innocent adult, hmm, sounds a lot like Superman?

Maybe it was a decent idea in the 30’s when kids were stupid and played stickball in the streets, but nowadays kids need a little more. And no adult is going to identify with a seven year old. A realistic use of his powers would be for Billy to sneak into titty bars or rated R movies, not fight crime.

1. Clark Kent (Superman) –

Like so many of the number ones on my list, they are pretty obvious. Any comic fan not living in a fanboy echo chamber will have at least one friend who’ll complain about the ridiculous secret identity between Clark Kent and Superman. While Frank Quitely may do a decent job of covering it up in All-Star Superman, the fact remains that it is an anachronistic concept. People would notice the similarities and catch on.

As one of the most well known superheroes ever, it is a more a phenomenon that so many people have gotten over the absurdity of his identity than it is a wonder that Superman hasn’t shunted his Kent persona. By this point, it has become tradition for tradition’s sake and DC is more afraid of pissing off the die-hards who spend hundreds a year on Superman crap than actually take the risk of changing the character for the better.

Ten things you shouldn't buy new

2006-10-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Why waste money on shiny packaging and a fancy store when you can find it online and 'pre-owned' for a fraction of the cost? Here are your best buys.

By Liz Pulliam Weston

Few people really enjoy wasting their hard-earned money, but many of us do it every day by buying new. We could do our pocketbooks, and the environment, a big favor by opting to be the second owner of some of the stuff we buy.

Obviously, some things are best purchased new; lingerie pops to mind (see my companion piece, "10 things you should never buy used" for more). But lots of other stuff depreciates quickly while still having plenty of useable life left. Here are 10 items where the cost vs. use equation strongly tilts toward buying used.

Books, books, books. Now this is awkward, because I wrote a book. (Warning! Shameless plug ahead!) It's called, "Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future," and of course, I'd love for you to go out and purchase a new copy. (End of shameless plug.)

But the reality is that most books don't get read more than once, if that, and they're astonishingly easy to find used at steep discounts -- if not absolutely free.

Your local library, for example, may allow you to reserve titles online and then deliver them to your nearest branch for pick-up. Used book stores abound, both in your town and online. If you're looking for a potboiler to get you through your next cross-country flight, just stop by almost any yard sale and pick up four for $1.

Exception: Reference books you'll use again and again. For example, I bought a deeply-discounted copy of Cheryl Mendelson's excellent "Home Comforts." That was after checking the book out at the library and running up a small fortune in fines because I couldn't bear to part with it.

DVDs and CDs. Some online retailers, like MSN Shopping and Amazon.com, now surface used versions of many of the DVD movies they sell new. You can find similar deals for online CDs (yes, Virginia, some of us dinosaurs still buy CDs). Other good hunting grounds for purchase of used items: movie rental chains like Blockbuster; used record stores; yard sales.

Exception: When you simply must have the latest release by your favorite singer/director/actor, right now. It can take a few days or weeks for the used versions to show up, and perhaps a few months for the price to get discounted enough to compensate for the greater hassle you might face trying to return a defective or unsatisfactory purchase.

Little kids' toys. Parents know: it's all but impossible to predict which toy will be a hit and which will lie forlorn at the bottom of the toy box. So rather than gamble at full price, cruise consignment shops and yard sales for bargains. My husband's latest score: a plastic Push, Pedal 'N Ride Trike (retails for $28, he paid $10) that looks like new after a brief scrub.

Better than cheap, though, is free. Some parents set up regular toy-swapping meets, or you might be lucky enough to score hand-me-downs from friends and relatives.

Exception: Some parents get away with giving used toys for birthdays and holidays, but most of us (and our kids) have been fairly well brainwashed into believing that gifts should be purchased new. Try to opt, though, for classics, like sturdy wooden toys.

Jewelry. Fat markups on most gems (100% or more is fairly common) means that you'd be lucky to get one-third of what you paid at a retail store, should you ever need to sell.

So let somebody else get socked with that depreciation. Find a pawn shop that's been in business for awhile, get to know the owner and ask him or her for recommendations. Some readers have had good results buying via newspaper ads, but I'd want to take the piece to a jeweler for an appraisal first.

Exception: You want something custom-made. Even then, consider buying used stones and getting them reset.

Sports equipment. We may buy everything from badminton rackets to weight sets fully intending to wear them out, but too often they wind up collecting dust. Buy someone else's good intention and you'll save some bucks.

Happy hunting grounds: yard sales, newspaper and online ads, resale stores like Play It Again Sports.

Exception: Shoes, baseball mitts and anything else that will mold to the wearer's body. In addition, some people shun buying anything used if it has a motor, like a treadmill. They worry they won't get enough use out of the piece before it dies. Given how little use most such devices get before they're sold, though, you might want to take the chance.

Timeshares. You could call these a notoriously lousy investment if you could call them an investment at all, but you can't -- because what real investment is guaranteed to lose 30% to 70% right off the bat?

That is, unless you buy used. There's a huge number of folks who caved in to three hours of hard sell and are now desperate to dump their shares.

Exception: Some of the higher-end properties in exclusive resorts don't lose much value, and may offer benefits like frequent-flyer miles that could be worth the extra money if you buy from the developer. Before you buy, though, check resale values online; don't take an agent's word for how much depreciation to expect. Also, a relatively new type of expensive time share, called a fractional interest, may actually gain in value over time.

Cars. The average new car loses 12.2% of its value in the first year, according to Edmunds.com; on a $20,000 car, that's $2,440, or more than $200 a month. Some cars depreciate even faster, depending on demand, incentives offered and other factors.

Why not let someone else take that hit? Not only will you be able to save money (or buy more car), but you'll pay less for insurance. Cars are better-built and last longer than ever before, which means you're less likely to get a lemon. Companies like CarFax allow you to trace a car's history. Many late-model used cars are still under warranty, and a trusted mechanic can give your potential purchase the once-over to spot any problems. Take a look at the Used Car Research section of MSN Autos for a lot of great information.

Exception: You can pay cash and you really, really want that new-car smell.

Software and console games. Buy used, and you'll pay half or less what the software cost new. Console games like those for the Xbox and Sony PS2 that list for $50 new, for instance, can often be purchased used for $20 or less a year after release.

But it's more than just a matter of economy. Letting someone else be the early adopter also allows you to benefit from their experience. You'll find more reviews and information on software that's been out a year or more (and you won't be that far behind the leading edge). The bugs will have been identified along with any workarounds, although you may have to live with some problems that are fixed in later versions.

Exception: If you do a lot of work with graphics, multimedia or image editing and you have a newer, more powerful computer, you'll probably want the state-of-the-art version. Finally, some software restricts the number of computers on which it can be installed, which can make it difficult (but not impossible) to transfer the product license to a new owner.

Office furniture. Built to take a beating and last a lifetime, good-quality office desks, filing cabinets and credenzas are relatively easy to find even when a recession isn't cratering the local economy.

Exception: Some people balk at buying used chairs for the same reason they won't buy a used catcher's mitt -- it's had too many hours to mold to someone else's body.

Hand tools. Well-made tools with few or no moving parts -- like hammers, wrenches, shovels, hoes, etc. -- can last decades with proper maintenance and are relatively easy to find at yard sales. If you're not going to use a tool frequently, you may be able to rent it or borrow from a friend or neighbor rather than buying something else to clutter up your garage. (Some neighborhoods even run tool-sharing cooperatives.)

Exception: You're a hard-core do-it-yourselfer and you need power tools, especially cordless versions. These have a relatively limited life span and you may not know how much time they've got left. If the tool is cheap enough, of course, that may not matter, but most often you'll want to buy new if the power tool will get substantial use.

Top 13 Worlds Largest Diamonds

2006-10-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

KOH-I-NOOR ("Mountain of Light") is one of the worlds largest diamonds, it weighed in at 186 carats when it was first discovered *in 1304*. This oval shaped cut stone is believed to have been set in the famous peacock throne of Shah Jehan. Recut during the reign of Queen Victoria it now weighs 108 carats and forms part of the British Crown Jewels.
Cullinan I - also known as The Star of Africa was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, owner of the mining company, and currently claims the title of largest cut diamond in the world. Of all the worlds largest diamonds Cullinan I is the largest. It was cut by Asscher in Amsterdam, weighs 530.20 carats, and has 74 facets. The Cullinan now resides in the Tower of London and is set in the sceptre of King Edward VII.
The Excelsior *which means higher* is not only one of the worlds largest diamonds it is the second largest diamond ever found. It originally weighed 995.2 carats. The diamond was cut into ten pieces, the three largest weighing 158, 147 and 130 carats. These pieces were then cut into 21 gems ranging from 70 carats to less than 1 carat. An African mine worker found the diamond as he was loading his truck, he kept the find secret until he could safely turn it over to the mine manager who rewarded him with some money, a horse and a saddle.
Orloff - the worlds third largest cut diamond weighs 194 carats. It was once one of the eyes of the idol Sheringham, in the temple of Brahma, later it was acquired by the Shah Nadir who desired to own one of the worlds largest diamonds. In 1775 it was given to Catherine II. of Russia by Grigori Orloff, one of her ex-lovers, and has been called the Orloff since then.
The Great Mogul is one of the worlds largest diamonds. The rough diamond was discovered in the 17th century, weighed 793 carats and was named after Shah Jehan... builder of the Taj Mahal.
The Idols Eye is a famous pear shaped diamond, its polished size weighing in at 70.20 carats makes it one of the worlds largest diamonds. The name of the stone comes from the legend claiming that the Sheik of Kahmir stole it from an idols eye to pay the Sultan of Turkey a ransom for Princess Rasheetah.
Sefadu was found in Sierra Leonne in 1970 and is owned by American diamond company Lazare Kaplan. The uncut stone weighs 620 carats which easily makes it one of the worlds largest diamonds.
The Centenary, was discovered at the Premier Mine of South Africa on the 17th of July 1986 and joined the ranks of the worlds largest diamonds, it weighed in at 599.10 carats in rough form. Master-cutter Gabi Tolkowsky took almost three years to complete its transformation into the world's largest, modern-cut flawless diamond. The Centenary has 75 facets on top, 89 on the bottom and 83 on the girdle, for a total of 247 facets. It weighs 273.85 carats and now forms part of the British Crown Jewels.
The Premier Rose became one of the worlds largest diamonds when it was discovered in 1978. The diamond weighed 353.9 carats and was cut into three diamonds known as the Premier Rose family. All of them qualify to be one of the worlds largest diamonds. The largest of the three kept the name Premier Rose and now weighs 137.02 carats, is cut with 189 facets, and is the second largest pear shaped diamond in the world. It was sold in 1979 for $10,000,000.00.
The Regent another of the worlds largest diamonds was discovered in 1701 by an Indian slave near Golconda, it weighed 410 carats in the rough. Once owned by William Pitt, the English Prime Minister, it was cut into a cushion shaped brilliant of 140.50 carats and, until it was sold to the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France when Louis XV was a boy in 1717, was called The Pitt. It was then renamed The Regent and set in the crown Louis XV wore at his coronation. After the French revolution, it was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte who set it in the hilt of his sword. It is now on display in the Louvre as one of the worlds largest diamonds.
The Blue Hope another of the worlds largest diamonds was once owned by Louis XIV and officially designated the *blue diamond of the crown*. It was stolen during the French Revolution but showed up again in 1830 and was bought by Henry Philip Hope of London, the diamond was named after the new owner. The Blue Hope Diamond is believed to carry a curse, two of the owners had their entire family die just one year apart. It now resides in the Smithsonian in Washington where it is recognized as one of the worlds largest diamonds.
The Sancy is named after one of its owners Seigneur de Sancy, a French Ambassador to Turkey in the late 16th century. It was first owned by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who lost it in battle in 1477. He loaned it to the French king, Henry III, who wore it in the cap with which he concealed his baldness. Henry IV of France also borrowed the stone from Sancy, but it was sold in 1664 to James I of England. In 1688, James II, King of England, fled with it to Paris and it has never been found since. The Sancy weighed 55 carats making it one of the smallest of the worlds largest diamonds.
The Taylor-Burton diamond was found in the Premier mine in 1966, the rough stone weighed 240.80 carats. The famous diamond was purchased by Harry Winston who commissioned the stone cleaved into two pieces, the larger piece weighed 162 carats and was eventually cut into a pear shaped 69.42 carat diamond. It was later auctioned for $1,050,000 and named the "Cartier". The diamond was then purchased by Richard Burton and given to Elizabeth Taylor and renamed the Taylor-Burton. In 1978, following her divorce from Richard Burton, Elizabeth put one of the worlds largest diamonds up for sale to raise funds for a hospital in Botswana. The current owner is Robert Mouawad, President of the Mouawad Group.

Amazon.com Widgets

Biggest diamond out of this world

2006-10-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

By Stephen Cauchi

Confirming what the Beatles always knew, astronomers have actually found a diamond in the sky - directly above Australia. It is the biggest known diamond in the universe, in fact.

According to American astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, a white dwarf star in the constellation of Centaurus, next to the Southern Cross, has been found to have a 3000-kilometre-wide core of crystallised carbon, or diamond.

It weighs 2.27 thousand trillion trillion tonnes - that's 10 billion trillion trillion carats, or a 1 followed by 34 zeroes. The biggest earthly jewel is one of the British crown jewels, the 530-carat Star of Africa.

However, this cosmic jewel is hidden beneath a layer of hydrogen and helium gases, with the diamond core making up between 50 and 90 per cent of its mass. "It's the mother of all diamonds," said astronomer Travis Metcalfe, who led the team of researchers that studied the star.

"Some people refer to it as Lucy, in a tribute to the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

Known officially as BPM 37093, the star confirms a theory, first raised in the early 1960s, that cool white dwarfs should have a diamond core.

A white dwarf is what small stars, those up to about the size of the sun, turn into when they run out of nuclear fuel and die.

The intense pressures at the heart of such dead stars compress the carbon into diamond.

But confirming this theory has only been possible recently.

Lucy "pulsates", which means its light fluctuates at regular intervals. "By measuring these pulsations, we were able to study the hidden interior of the white dwarf, just like seismograph measurements of earthquakes allow geologists to study the interior of the Earth," Dr Metcalfe said.

"We figured that the carbon interior of this white dwarf has solidified to form the galaxy's largest diamond."

This means that other white dwarfs must also have diamond cores. Our own sun will become a white dwarf when it dies in 5 billion years. Two billion years after that, its ember core will crystallise as well, leaving a giant diamond in the centre of our solar system.

Vince Ford, a research officer at Mount Stromlo Observatory near Canberra, said astronomers, including Australians, had observed the star for more than eight years.

The star is about 50 light years away (500 trillion kilometres) - a fair distance as far as stars go. This means it is about 400 times too faint to see with the naked eye.

This story was found here:

How to become rich and wealthy

2006-10-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Problem:

Money! Money is always a problem. We have bills, college, cars, food, houses, and more that we have to pay for. Just when one bill is paid, another comes floating in. It can be nerve wracking, especially when a family or individual is tight on money.

So how does one become rich when money is tight?

Answer:

Time, patience, and sacrifice.

Oh, what, you wanted some secret formula to becoming a millionaire. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but unless you become a celebrity, inherit your family’s fortune, or win the lottery, becoming a millionaire is going to take a little work.

Time:

Time plays a huge factor. How old are you? If you are 24, then your chances of becoming rich by the time your 40 or 50 is much higher then if you are now 40. There are so many opportunities when you are young to invest, save, and manage then when you are 40 or 50.

The type of job you have also plays a role. If you are only pulling in $18,000 a year, then your chances of becoming rich will be much harder then someone pulling in $50,000 a year.

The idea behind this article doesn’t have to do with the type of job you have, it has to do with what you can do with your current situation to start allowing you to accumulate some wealth.

Patience

A million bucks won’t fall in your lap tommorow. You have to set things in motion and let time pass to see the results.

There is a great article on discussing how to save money by bringing your lunch to work versus eating out everyday.

If you are like me, you eat out 3 times a week, sometimes more. Well, at $7 per lunch, thats $21 spent very quickly.

Hello, Dollar! wrote a great article entitled Brown-Bag It to Half a Million

Here is an excerpt:

Brown-Bag It to Half a Million

“One of the ways I save money is by bringing my lunch to work four days a week. I’ll treat myself to lunch out one day each week, for variety and to hang out with my co-workers. It’s amazing how much this helps me save, and all of it goes straight into our savings account (a.k.a. our future).

But it can’t really be that much, can it? After all, take-out lunches are pretty cheap. Well, that’s true, they are, but let’s just do the math for fun.

I work in downtown San Francisco. On average, when I buy lunch, I spend $7. This includes an occasional sit-down lunch, but usually I get something to go and bring it back to the office.

When I bring lunch from home, it costs an average of $2 for a sandwich (my favorite is peanut butter and jelly), yogurt, and fruit (hey, this lunch-bringing has the side benefit of also being healthy!). Drinks are provided by my employer, so I don’t need to worry about that.

So let’s see, four days bringing lunch at $2 plus one day out at $7 equals $15 per week. Eating out every day would cost $35 per week, so I save $20. $20 a week! That’s over $80 a month — that covers my utility bills right there. Who couldn’t use that?”

I recommend reading the full article.

Thinking about this from a monthly basis, $20 doesn’t seem like a whole lot. However, if you save $20 per week for 50 weeks, you are looking at $1000.

Taking the cheap route for food is just one of the many ways one can save money. Another food/money combo is when you go to shop.

Sacrifice

In order to become rich, sacrifice is often one of the many methods to do it.

Let’s use the food/money combo again.

I would recommend going to Sam’s Club (for bulk purchases) or Walmart and buying non-name brand items. We are a very brand loyal and brand conscious society. However, by going with the store brand or some lesser known brand, you can often trim $0.50 to sometimes even $1 off individual items. Combine that with coupons when you can, and you can save quite a bit when grocery shopping. Again, short term, this doesn’t seem like alot of savings, but to become rich, you HAVE to think long term.

What about Smoking

You wanna save quite a bit of money per week, give those cigarettes a boot. There is absolutely no positive benefit that comes from a cigarette, whether its health or finances. Both drain you (physically, emotionally, and financially). You know that! Don’t play dumb.

The following example can be applied to ANYTHING you do in your life which is considered a waste of money, but I will use cigarettes as an example.

Your song walks up to you and asks you for a new bike. You reply with, “I’m sorry son, but we just don’t have the money right now”.

So the son is sad and walks away understanding that the family doesn’t have alot of money. Alot of families are in this position. However, how many families who are in low income brackets are smokers and drinkers? Specifically smoking. How many packs of cigarettes do you think the average parents go through in a week. Lets say the mother and father both smoke 1 pack a day. So 2 packs total per day.

According to Google Answers, the avg price per pack of cigarettes across all 50 states is $3.81

Ok, time for some math

$3.81 (price of a pack of cigarettes) X 2 (packs per day) = $7.62

That is PER DAY!

Ok, so we are talking about persistent smokers here. So lets do weekly, and it has to be 7 days a week because smokers don’t take days off.

$7.62 x 7 (days) = $53.34 / week

Time for the monthly expense

$53.34 x 4 (weeks) = $213.36

So, you are spending, per month, $213.36 give or take.

Now, lets try how much you spend in 1 year

$53.34 x 52 (weeks in a year) = $2773.68

So, if you are a consistent smoker and you or your family goes through only 2 packs per day, you are spending $2773.68 per year just on cigarettes which are going to kill you anyways.

So, when you look down at your son who wants a bike, something that will keep him active, healthy, and give him fun, and you say you don’t have the money, you really need to reassess you finances.

What about bills?

What type of things do you and the family spend money on? How many credit cards do you have?

My wife and I pay $65 give or take on our phone and DSL. The DSL is only $24.99, so we are forking out an additional $40 give or take just on our phone, which we rarely use. Granted, we have DSL, so we NEED a phone line, but there is no reason we should pay extra for things like Call Waiting, Caller ID, Long Distance because we typically spend our time on our Cell Phones. We could probably drop that bill to roughly $25-30 by stripping the extra’s out. That is an additional $120 per year.

What about credit cards?

Only spend the money that you actually HAVE. If you buy things on credit, your eventually going to get run over my the credit truck. College students are the most naive bunch of people on the planet and the easiest target when it comes to credit card companies. They offer you plenty of benefits for buying the credit cards, but they don’t teach you how to properly use them. So many students walk out of college $20,000 in debt.

The best advice is to get the extra cards you have paid off, and stick with only having 1 card for the whole family. Then, when you HAVE to use a credit card, only use it in emergencies. Get a Debit / Check card, that way, anything you pay for is based on money YOU ACTUALLY HAVE in your account.

My wife and I consistently get our credit card balances in the mail and they are $0, because we only use them in situations where our debit card will not cover the charge.

It IS good for your credit to have 1 credit card. Then, once a month, make a small purchase ($25-$50) and pay it off when the bill comes. This will show the credit card companies that you are paying off your card and your credit score will slowly increase.

Do you go out to movies often?

If your state is like ours, to attend an after 5pm movie, for two people, the cost is roughly $19. Throw in a couple drinks, some candy, and a popcorn, and you are looking at $35 give or take just for night at the movies.

Do this 3 times a month, and you are looking at $105 per month. The is just for 2 people. Include a family, and the price skyrockets.

Designate, 1 time a month, a movie night where the family goes to a movie. If you go to a movie BEFORE 5pm, you typically can save about $3 per ticket.

If you can get away with it, stop by a local convienence store prior to the movie and grab a few drinks and candy, then hide them while entering the theatre. This will save you roughly $15 just in food. Note: The above advice might be against theatre rules, so use at your own discretion. I take no responsibility if you get in trouble

Electricity

If possible, turn off lights when they are not needed. In fact, try to use the natural daylight for your light source until you must turn on lights. Electricity often is a troubling bill for any household, you might as well try and cut it down when possible.

This goes for running water as well. Try to run water ONLY when necessary. When you water your lawn, water it around 5 or 6pm when the sun is going down. If you water it during the middle of the day, the water will most likely evaporate before it can have any positive effect on your grass.

Investments

Just shedding bills, turning off lights, cutting down credit cards, and going to the movies once a month won’t necessarily get you “in the money”.

You have to invest your money. Alot of the money you SAVE doing the above examples should then be invested into either a savings account, mutual fund, or stocks and bonds. Let that money you have saved by cutting down on expenses be given an avenue to grow. Savings accounts typically have a low rate of growth, but they do give you more when its all said and done then what you put in. Stocks and bonds are always good for investments, but you must make sure you know what you are investing in. Never hop into a stock that is mentioned by a friend. Research yourself. Make sure you understand the company and what their future looks like. If you go for a mutual fund, make sure you find a trustworthy and reliable company to go through. With many mutual funds, you are telling someone what kind of value you want out of it, and then its THEIR job to buy and sell small bits of stock here and there to make your mutual fund grow. Several times a month, analyze your mutual fund and watch its growth and potential. If you don’t feel comfortable with the direction its taking, then speak with your broker to re-assess your current standings.

A good $20,000 investment into a mutual fund could possible have rewards of $500,000 in 20-30 years.

The key to investments, though, is to put your money in them and then walk away for a long period of time. The idea is to not invest and then pull the money out in 2 years.

Remember, saving money takes time, patience, and sacrifice to see the ultimate rewards.

I heard a story one time of a waitress who became a millionaire simply because she was so strict on how she spent money and what she invested in. If a waitress can accomplish that status, pretty much ANYONE can.

In Conclusion

To become rich, you have to take the time to understand what your financial status is, where you can save, where you can sacrifice, and then you have to be patient and wait. Waiting takes years, not months nor minutes.

Following the above is not a step by step process on how to become rich. It merely acts as advice or methods that can aid one looking to increase their ultimate net worth.

In summary:

Bring your lunch 4 times a week, and then eat out 1 time a week

Buy groceries in bulk and buy off-brand named items

Quit Smoking! Plain and simple.

Strip out bills you don’t need. Stop paying extra for things you barely use or do.

Go out to the movies 1 time a month. Take food and drinks from home or a convenience store if possible (note: use precaution, as I take no responsibility if you get in trouble)

Pay off your credit card bills and then leave yourself only 1 card. Use Debit/Check cards when possible.

Turn off lights when possible. Use water only when needed.

Invest extra money you have. Whether its savings, mutual funds, or stocks and bonds. Invest it!

I cannot stress enough the issue of investing your money. I am 24, and our parents when they were in their 20’s didn’t have all the investment opportunities we have today. If you are in your 20’s right now, you have a chance to make an incredibly bright future and retirement if you invest properly NOW!

Again, the above is not a road map to success. The items above are merely recommendations and advice that I have learned or gathered over the years or from reading helpful resources online. If you save money now, if you cut your bills now, you open yourself up to a great opportunity of becoming rich down the road.

As long as you have time, patience, and you are willing to sacrifice things, you can achive it.

from here

Tips for Avoiding Internet Scams, from the Internet Fraud Watch

2006-10-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

by fraud.org

Know who you’re dealing with. If the seller or charity is unfamiliar, check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau. Some Web sites have feedback forums, which can provide useful information about other people’s experiences with particular sellers. Get the physical address and phone number in case there is a problem later.

Look for information about how complaints are handled. It can be difficult to resolve complaints, especially if the seller or charity is located in another country. Look on the Web site for information about programs the company or organization participates in that require it to meet standards for reliability and help to handle disputes.

Be aware that no complaints is no guarantee. Fraudulent operators open and close quickly, so the fact that no one has made a complaint yet doesn’t meant that the seller or charity is legitimate. You still need to look for other danger signs of fraud.

Don’t believe promises of easy money. If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam.

Understand the offer. A legitimate seller will give you all the details about the products or services, the total price, the delivery time, the refund and cancellation policies, and the terms of any warranty.

Resist pressure. Legitimate companies and charities will be happy to give you time to make a decision. It’s probably a scam if they demand that you act immediately or won’t take “No” for an answer.

Think twice before entering contests operated by unfamiliar companies. Fraudulent marketers sometimes use contest entry forms to identify potential victims.

Be cautious about unsolicited emails. They are often fraudulent. If you are familiar with the company or charity that sent you the email and you don’t want to receive further messages, send a reply asking to be removed from the email list. However, responding to unknown senders may simply verify that yours is a working email address and result in even more unwanted messages from strangers. The best approach may simply be to delete the email.

Beware of imposters. Someone might send you an email pretending to be connected with a business or charity, or create a Web site that looks just like that of a well-known company or charitable organization. If you’re not sure that you’re dealing with the real thing, find another way to contact the legitimate business or charity and ask.

Guard your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Beware of “dangerous downloads.” In downloading programs to see pictures, hear music, play games, etc., you could download a virus that wipes out your computer files or connects your modem to a foreign telephone number, resulting in expensive phone charges. Only download programs from Web sites you know and trust. Read all user agreements carefully.

Pay the safest way. Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly. There are new technologies, such as “substitute” credit card numbers and password programs, that can offer extra measures of protection from someone else using your credit card.

Ten Greatest Robberies of all time

2006-10-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

Central Bank of Iraq (2003): Saddam took US$1 billion a day before the war
In March 2003, on several occasions beginning on March 18, the day before the United States began bombing Baghdad, nearly US$1 billion was stolen from the Central Bank of Iraq. This is considered the largest bank heist in history.

Approximately $650 million was later found hidden in walls in Saddam Hussein's palace by US troops. It is believed that this was the bulk of the stolen money. The remaining money is currently unaccounted for. Diyaa Habib al-Khayoun, general manager of the state-owned al-Rafidain Bank, claims that $250 million and 18 billion now worthless Iraqi dinars were also stolen, but by professional robbers unconnected to Saddam.

In March 2003, a hand-written note surfaced, signed by Saddam, ordering $920 million to be withdrawn and given to his son Qusay. Bank officials state that Qusay and another unidentified man oversaw the cash, boxes of $100 bills, being loaded into trucks during a five hour operation. Qusay was later killed by US troops in a firefight.

Boston Museum (1990): dressed as police officers, stole US$300 million worth in paintings
Hours after St. Patrick's Day festivities wrapped up in Boston on March 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers knocked on the security entrance side door of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum at 1:24 a.m. "The policy has always been that you don't open that door in the middle of the night for God. Why on this one night they opened the door no one can explain," Lyle Grindle, the museum's current head of security, told Access Control & Security Systems, a security industry trade publication. Grindle was not in charge of security at the time of the 1990 heist. Just minutes after letting them in, the guards quickly learned that the late night visitors weren't real cops. Though they apparently did not brandish any weapons, the intruders managed to overpower the two guards. They handcuffed the guards, bound them with duct tape and left them in the basement.

In the fewer than 90 minutes that followed, the bandits went through the museum's Dutch Room on the second floor and stole three Rembrandts, including the Dutch artist's only seascape, "Storm on the Sea of Galilee." It was one of several works the thieves savagely cut to release it from its frame, leaving ragged edges of the canvas behind in otherwise empty frames, which continue to hang in the museum to this day. Also taken from that room was "The Concert" by Vermeer, as well as a Chinese bronze beaker located near the Rembrandt. The thieves also apparently tried to steal a fourth Rembrandt but were unsuccessful. Nearby, they also made off with "Landscape with an Obelisk," an oil painting by Govaert Flinck that was until recently attributed to Rembrandt, Flinck's mentor. On the other side of the floor, the thieves went into the Short Gallery and ripped five Degas sketches from the wall. Feet away a bronze eagle that adorned the top of a Napoleonic flag was also pillaged. A Manet portrait, located in the museum's Blue Room on the first floor, capped off the list of works the thieves stole.

It is not known in what order the rooms were ransacked, since the thieves ripped out the surveillance tape before fleeing the museum with it. To this day, the small museum isn't able to collect insurance, since it carried no insurance policy at the time of the heist.

Knightsbridge Security Deposit (1987): requested to rent a safe deposit box, then subdued the manager and stole US$111 million
The Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery took place on 12 July 1987 in Knightsbridge, England, part of the City of Westminster in London. Two men entered the Knightsbridge Safe Deposit Centre and requested to rent a Safe deposit box. After being shown into the vault, they produced hand guns and subdued the manager and security guards.

The thieves then hung a sign on the street level door explaining that the Safe Deposit Centre was temporarily closed, whilst letting in further accomplices. They broke open many of the safe deposit boxes and left with a hoard estimated to be worth £40 million (equivalent to roughly US$66 million at the 1987 exchange rate; the inflation-adjusted value would be £63.6 million --$111 million-- as of 2005).

One hour after the robbers departed, one of the guards managed to escape his handcuffs to raise the alarm. Police forensic investigators at the crime scene recovered a fingerprint that was traced to the Italian Valerio Viccei. After a period of surveillance, Viccei and several of his accomplices were arrested during a series of coordinated raids on 12 August 1987 and later convicted of the crime. Viccei would later published a book on the robbery.

Kent Securitas Depot (2006): abducted the manager, then stole USD$92.5 million
The Securitas depot robbery was a robbery which took place in the early hours of 22 February 2006, between 01:00 and 02:15 UTC in England, an operation that succeeded in stealing the largest cash amount in British crime history. At least six men abducted and threatened the family of the manager, tied up fourteen staff members and stole £53,116,760 (about US$92.5 million or €78 million) in bank notes from a Securitas Cash Management Ltd depot in Vale Road, Tonbridge, Kent.

The manager of the depot, Colin Dixon, was abducted at about 18:30 on 21 February, apparently while driving his Nissan Almera to his home in Herne Bay. He was pulled over on the A249 just outside Stockbury, a village North East of Maidstone, by what he thought was an unmarked police vehicle due to the blue lights behind the front grill. A man approached him in high-visibility clothing and a police-style hat. The manager proceeded to get into the police imposter's car, thinking that he was a police officer, where he was then handcuffed by others in the vehicle. He was then driven west on the M20 motorway to the West Malling bypass where he was bound further, transferred into a white van and transported to a farm in an unknown location in west Kent.

As this was taking place, the manager's wife and eight-year-old son were being held hostage at their home in Herne Bay, after they answered the door to men dressed in police uniforms, who falsely informed them that the manager had been involved in a road traffic accident. They were then driven to the farm at which the manager was being held, where he was told at gunpoint that failure to cooperate could put him and his family in danger.

The depot manager, his wife and son were taken to the Securitas depot in Tonbridge at around 01:00, travelling in a plain white van, being held at gunpoint. At the depot, 14 members of staff were bound by robbers, armed with handguns and wearing balaclavas.

The heist came to an end at approximately 02:15, although it was still another hour before staff members, who had been tied up, managed to raise the alarm. Police officers arriving on the scene discovered staff, the manager and his family, bound but physically unharmed.

Great Train Robbery (1963): stole US$74 million without guns
The Great Train Robbery was the name given to a £2.3 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England.

The Royal Mail's Glasgow to London travelling post office (TPO) train was stopped by tampered signals. A 15-member gang, led by Bruce Reynolds and including Ronnie Biggs, Charlie Wilson, Jimmy Hussey, John Wheater, Brian Field, Jimmy White, Tommy Wisbey, Gordon Goody and Buster Edwards, stole £2.3 million in used £1, £5 and £10 notes — the equivalent of £40 million (US $74 million) in 2006.

Although no guns were used in the robbery, the train driver, Jack Mills, was hit on the head with an iron bar, causing a black eye and facial bruising. The assailant was one of three members of the gang never to be arrested or identified. Frank Williams (at the time a Detective Inspector) claims to have traced the man, but he could not be charged because of lack of evidence. Mills recovered fully from the attack and died in 1970 from leukemia.

Thirteen of the gang members were caught after police discovered their fingerprints at their hideout at Leatherslade Farm, near Oakley, Buckinghamshire. The robbers were tried, sentenced and imprisoned. Ronnie Biggs escaped from prison 15 months into his sentence, settling in Melbourne Australia, and later moving to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when police found out his Melbourne address. Charlie Wilson escaped and was living outside Montreal, Canada on Rigaud Mountain. In the upper-middle-class neighbourhood where the large, secluded properties are surrounded by trees, Wilson was just another resident who enjoyed his privacy. Only when his wife made the mistake of telephoning his parents in England was Scotland Yard able to track him down.

Banco Central in Brazil (2005): tunneled 255 feet up to the bank, then stole US$69.8 million
On the weekend of August 6 and August 7, 2005 a gang of burglars, suspected to be either the Gang of the Tattooed or Primeiro Comando da Capital, tunneled into the Banco Central in Fortaleza. They removed five containers of 50-real notes, with an estimated value of 164,755,150 reais (US$69.8 million, £38.6 million, €56 million). The money was uninsured; a bank spokeswoman stated that the risks were too small to justify the insurance premiums. The burglars managed to evade or disable the bank's internal alarms and sensors; the burglary remained undiscovered until the bank opened for business on the morning of Monday, August 8.

The Banco Central is a national banking institution charged with control of the money supply. The money in the vault was being examined to see if it should be recirculated or destroyed. The bills were not numbered sequentially, making them almost impossible to trace.

Three months earlier, the gang of burglars had rented an empty property in the centre of the city and then tunneled 78 meters (255 ft) beneath two city blocks to a position beneath the bank. The gang had renovated a house and put up a sign indicating it was a landscaping company selling both natural and artificial grass as well as plants. Neighbours, who estimated that the gang consisted of between six and ten men, described how they had seen van-loads of soil being removed daily, but understood this to be a normal activity of the business. The tunnel, being roughly 70 cm (2.3 ft) square and running 4 meters (13 ft) beneath the surface, was well-constructed: it was lined with wood and plastic and had its own lighting and air conditioning systems.

On the final weekend, the gang broke through 1.1 meters (3.6 ft) of steel-reinforced concrete to enter the bank vault. The bank notes weighed approximately 3,500 kg (approx. 7,700 lbs) and would have required a considerable amount of time and effort to remove.

On October 22 the body of the suspected mastermind, Luis Fernando Ribeiro, 26, was found 9 October on an isolated road near Camanducaia, 200 miles (320 km) west of Rio de Janeiro. He had been shot seven times and had marks on his wrists as if he had been handcuffed. Five men were arrested September 28 with about $5.4 million of the money and told the police they had helped dig the tunnel. So far, authorities have recovered more than $7 million but $63 million remains unaccounted for.

Northern Bank (2004): bank officials threatened to help steal US$50 million
The Northern Bank robbery was a large robbery of cash from the headquarters of the Northern Bank in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Carried out by a large, proficient group on 20 December 2004, the gang seized £26.5 million in pounds sterling, making it one of the biggest bank robberies in British history. The police and the British and Irish governments claimed the Provisional IRA was responsible (or had permitted others to undertake the raid), a claim vehemently denied by the Provisional IRA itself and the Sinn Féin political party. The robbery, and the allegations and counter-allegations surrounding it, threw the Northern Ireland peace process into crisis.

On the night of Sunday December 19, 2004 groups of armed men called at the homes of two officials of the Northern Bank, one in Downpatrick in County Down, the other in Poleglass, near Belfast. Masquerading as police officers, they entered the homes and held the officials and their families at gunpoint. Bank official Chris Ward was taken from Poleglass to Downpatrick, the home of his supervisor Kevin McMullan, while gunmen remained at his home with his family. Subsequently Mr McMullan's wife was taken from their home and held, also at gunpoint, at an unknown location. The following day both officials were instructed to report for work at the bank's headquarters at Belfast's Donegall Square West as normal. They did so, and remained at work after the close of business, and later in the evening they gave admittance to other members of the gang.

The robbers entered the bank's cash handling and storage facility. This held an unusually large amount of cash, in preparation for distribution to ATMs for the busy Christmas shopping season. Cash was transferred to one or several vehicles (possibly including a white "Luton" van) at the premises' Wellington Street entrance, and the gang fled. Shortly before midnight the gang holding the Ward family left, and those holding Mrs McMullan released her in a forest near Ballynahinch.

The haul included £10m of uncirculated Northern Bank sterling banknotes, £5.5m of used Northern Bank sterling notes, £4.5m of circulated sterling notes issued by other banks, and small amounts of other currencies, largely Euros and U.S. Dollars.

Brinks Mat warehouse (1983): broke into warehouse to find ten tonnes of gold bullion worth US$45 million
The Brinks Mat Robbery occurred on 26 November 1983 when six robbers broke into the Brinks Mat warehouse at Heathrow Airport, England. The robbers thought they were going to steal £3 million in cash; however when they arrived they found ten tonnes of gold bullion (worth £26 million). The gang got into the warehouse thanks to security guard Anthony Black, who was the brother-in-law of the raid's architect Brian Robinson. Scotland Yard quickly discovered the family connection and Black confessed to aiding and abetting the raiders, providing them with a key to the main door and giving them details of security measures. Tried at the Old Bailey, Robinson and gang leader Michael McAvoy were each sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for armed robbery. Black got six years, and served three.

Prior to his conviction McAvoy had entrusted part of his share to an associate John Perry. Perry recruited Kenneth Noye (who had links with a legitimate gold dealer in Bristol) to dispose of the gold. Noye melted down the bullion and recast it for sale. However the sudden movements of large amounts of money through a Bristol bank came to the notice of the Treasury who informed the police. Noye was placed under police surveillance and in January 1985 killed an officer he discovered in his garden. At the resulting trial the jury found him not guilty on the grounds of self-defence. In 1986 Noye was found guilty of conspiracy to handle the Brinks Mat gold, fined £700,000 and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Three tonnes of stolen gold has never been recovered. It is claimed that anyone wearing gold jewellery bought in the UK after 1983, is probably wearing Brinks Mat.

Dunbar Armored (1997): inside man steals US$18.9 million
The Dunbar Armored robbery is the largest cash robbery to have occurred in the United States. It occurred in 1997 at the Dunbar Armored facility in Los Angeles, California. The thieves made off with some 18.9 million U.S. Dollars.

The robbery was masterminded by Allen Pace, who worked for Dunbar as a regional safety inspector. While on the job, Pace had time to photograph and examine the company's Los Angeles armored car depot. He recruited five of his childhood friends, and on the night of Friday, September 13, 1997, Pace used his keys to gain admittance to the facility. Pace had timed the security cameras and determined how they could be avoided. Once inside, they waited within the staff cafeteria, ambushing the guards one by one. Pace knew that on Friday nights the vault was open due to the large quantities of money being moved. Rushing the vault guards, the robbers managed to subdue them before they could signal any alarms. In half an hour, the robbers had loaded millions of dollars into a waiting U-Haul. Pace knew exactly which bags contained the highest denomination and non-sequential bills. He also knew where the recording devices for the security cameras were located and took these.

The police immediately realized it was an inside job and closely examined Pace, but could find nothing. The gang worked hard to conceal their new wealth, laundering it through property deals and phony businesses. Eventually, one of the gang members, Eugene Lamar Hill, erred when he gave an unknowing associate a stack of bills still wrapped with the original cash straps. The associate went to the police and Hill was arrested. Hill soon confessed and named his associates. Allen Pace was arrested and sentenced to twenty-four years in jail. Only a fraction of the money was ever recovered. Some $10 million is still unaccounted for.

Lufthansa (1978): US$5.8 million at Kennedy Airport
The 1978 Lufthansa Heist was planned by Jimmy Burke (immortalized in Martin Scorcese's Goodfellas), an associate of the Lucchese crime family, and carried out by several of his associates. It all began when bookmaker, Martin Krugman, told Henry Hill (an associate of Jimmy Burke's) about millions of dollars in untraceable money. The money was flown in once a month and was the money exchanged by servicemen and tourists in West Germany and that it was stored in a cardboard vault at Kennedy Airport. The information had come from Louis Werner, who owed Krugman $20,000 in gambling debts and worked at the airport.

On December 11th, at 3.12 a.m. a guard, named Kelly Whalen, patrolling the cargo terminal, spotted a black Ford Econoline van pulling into a bay near a loading platform, for vaults. Whalen walked toward the loading bay, to investigate this peculiar appartion and was struck over the head with a .45 pistol. A wiry man in a black ski mask pulled his mask over his face as the blood began to pour from Whalen's wound. Another man grabbed Whalen's gun and thus disarmed him. Whalen was ordered, by the two men, to disarm the silent alarm, after he did this he was handcuffed behind his back. He saw a series of other men, all carrying rifles or pistols, running into the cargo terminal and then another man took his wallet and said that they knew where his family were and that they had men ready to visit them. Whalen nodded to indicate that he would co-operate with the thieves.

Another guard, Rolf Rebmann, heard a noise by the loading ramp and when he went to investigate, 6 armed, masked men forced their way in and handcuffed him. They then used a one of a kind key from Werner and walked through a maze of corridors to where the two other employees would be. Once these two had been rounded up two gunmen ventured downstairs to look for unexpected visitors and then the other men marched the employees to a lunch room, where the other employees were on a 3 a.m. break. The gunmen burst into the lunch room and brandishing their firearms they showed a bloodied Whalen as an indication of their intentions if anyone got out of line. They knew each employee by name and forced them onto the ground. They made John Murray, the terminal's senior cargo agent, call Rudi Eirich on the intercom. The robbers knew that Eirich was the only guard that night who knew the right combinations to open the double door vault. Murray was made to pretend, to Eirich, that there was a problem with a load from Frankfurt and told Eirich to meet him in the cafeteria. As Eirich approached the cafe he was met by two shotguns and he saw the other employees, bound and gagged on the cafeteria floor. One gunman kept watch over the 10 employees and the other 3 took Eirich, at gun point, down two flights of stairs to the double door vault. He later reported that the men were informed and knew all about the safety systems in the vault and they knew about the double door system, whereby one door must be shut or the other one can't be opened or the alarm will be activated. The men ordered Eirich to open up the first door, to a 10-by-20 foot room. They knew that if he opened up the second door he would activate an alarm to the Port Authority. Once inside they ordered Eirich to lie on the ground and they then began sifting through invoices and freight manifests to determine which parcels they wanted of the many similarly wrapped ones. Finally they began hurling parcels through, one nearly hit Eirich's head, he saw it kicked open and said that inside was stacks and stacks of cash. Around 40 parcels were removed and Eirich was made to lock the inner door before unlocking the outer door because this would trigger an alarm to the Port Authority office. Two of the gunmen were assigned to load the parcels into the vans while the others tied up Eirich. A man, without a ski mask on, burst into the cafeteria and was euphoric, he said to the other gunmen that they had the money in the vans. He was quickly told to put on his ski mask by the other thieves, however some of the employees caught a glimpse of his face. They were told not to call the Port Authority until 4:30 a.m., when the men left it was 4:16 a.m. according to the cafeteria clock and no calls were made until 4:30, when a report of $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels being stolen was made. The employees complied because they knew if the police caught the men they or their families would be harmed or even killed. The robbery took only 64 minutes and was the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil at the time.

Amazon.com Widgets

Five Ways To Spend A Billion

2006-10-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

by Betsy Schiffman

Contrary to popular belief, it's not impossible to spend a billion dollars. It's just not easy. The world's wealthiest can indulge in all sorts of hobbies, habits and passions that those of us with lesser means can only imagine. Our guide looks at five archetypical billionaire spendthrifts--the embezzler, the hopeless romantic, the diva, the fashionista and the kid at heart.

Embezzler

1. Embezzler hires Steven Spielberg (at a rate of $270,000 per day for 130 days) to direct upbeat public relations campaign after he is brought up on fraud charges. Cost: $35.1 million.

2. Campaign is critical success, but the judge isn't swayed. The embezzler is indicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. Donates office wing to future prison home. Cost: $7 million.

3. Upgrades prison gym to include Stairmasters, treadmills and satellite television, allowing inmates to enjoy HBO's Oz. Cost: $4 million.

4. Hires Wolfgang Puck to introduce line of prison meals; produces daily show for Food Network for which Wolfgang Puck cooks gourmet delights from prison-grade meat and vegetables. Show becomes hit. Net gains: $24 million.

5. Embezzler spends $132 million building and marketing a p2p (prisoner-to-prisoner) exchange platform, allowing inmates to exchange goods and services online. Embezzler donates generous "gifts" to warden, takes small percentage of each transaction. Sells platform to Internet Incubator CMGI (nasdaq: CMGI - news - people ) for $121 million. Revenue: $3 million in cigarettes, illicit drugs, pornographic magazines. Net loss after sale: $8 million.

6. Embezzler buys several small children to weep in court to gain judge's sympathy. He gets out early, moves to Mexico, buys beach villa and starts utility company. Cost: $73 million.

7. Hikes energy rates due to a "shortage." Dupes Mexican government out of a couple hundred million; sells DreamWorks the movie rights to his life story, and moves to the Bahamas where he occasionally leases out his mansion for political fundraisers. Net gains: $272 million.

Total Spent: Despite his spend-happy ways, embezzler comes out ahead with a paper profit of $168.9 million, due to creative accounting.

Hopeless Romantic

1. Builds replica of Eiffel Tower in backyard, uses it to propose to first two of four wives. (Eiffel Tower cost in 1889 was $1.5 million, adjusted for inflation, today's cost: $30 million.)

2. Hopeless romantic is also hopelessly insecure: Blows millions on bodily enhancements and research on herbal/pharmaceutical remedies to ensure bedroom activities remain satisfactory. Also covers bodily enhancements/upkeep expenses for significant others. Cost: $22 million.

3. Gets five "I Heart" tattoos for $50,000. Later has them removed. Buys four 7-carat pink diamond engagement rings (averaging $2 million each) Cost: $8 million.

4. Commissions Whitney Houston (at a rate of about $100,000 per day) to sing "I Will Always Love You" at all four weddings (cost: $400,000). Hires Ugly Kid Joe to sing "I Hate Everything About You" at divorce proceedings. Cost: $200, and four six packs of beer. Cost: $400,224.

5. Finally meets and marries woman of long-term dreams. She is tragically abducted, and disappears. Romantic obtains title to 50 acres in Antarctica where he commissions ice replica of Taj Mahal in tribute of his lost love. Ice tribute takes seven years; requires 5,000 workers/ice sculptors. Costs $400 million.

6. Still heart broken, billionaire leaves remaining millions to various centers for sexual and marital health research and matchmakers.

Total Spent: $1 billion

Diva
1. In order to fill an Olympic-sized pool with Chanel No. 5 ($250 per ounce), diva must spend $810 million. Frugality prevents her. She settles for annual Chanel No. 5 bath at $1.6 million a pop over 60 years: Cost $96 million.

2. Buys 15-carat blue-diamond necklace Harry Winston replicas of the Titanic necklace for herself; her two daughters and her lapdog. Cost: $80 million.

3. Goes through an average annual shoe budget of $1 million per year ($2,000 per pair) for 50 years; keeps eyebrow shaper/plucker, manicurist/pedicurist, hair colorist and stylist on 24-hour call for 25 years. Cost: $62.5 million.

4. Hires Michael Schumacher as driver ($67 million per year, $1 billion for 15 years); Andre Agassi as tennis coach ($18.5 million per year, $277.5 million for 15 years); and Brad Pitt as the "pool boy" ($24 million per year for one year). Cost: $1.3 billion.

5. Sues father-in-law to obtain greater share of late husband's fortune. Total cost for legal fees: $15 million.

Total Spent: $1.33 billion

Kid At Heart

1. Acquires the late Jim Henson's muppet shop ($140 million), where enthusiastic muppeteers immediately get to work redecorating the billionaire's home. The missus does not approve of toilet dressed as Kermit the Frog, and insists muppets be expelled from home. Billionaire agrees to build "world class" puppet theater. Muppets are not allowed to leave. Cost: $160 million.

2. Takes four kids on annual month-long retreat to Mall of America, where kids spend annual allowance of $1 million each on candy, sporting equipment, stuffed animals and video games. Kids end summer with annual stay at fat camp. Cost: $80 million over 20 years.

3. Private zoo, aquarium, electric train, skateboard ramp, movie theater and tram. Cost: $53 million. Cost for kids' Ritalin prescriptions: $30,000.

4. Lifetime supply of Ben & Jerry's (one pint per day) $70,000; lifetime subscription to Mad magazine ($1,500); lifetime supply of converse sneakers $3,000.

5. Relentlessly optimistic billionaire gets swept up in space travel dreams, and agrees to give away remaining fortune to group of college students trying to scientifically prove Roald Dahl's Great Glass Elevator really can travel space. Cost: $707 million.

Total Spent: $1 billion

Fashionista

1. Hard-nosed fashion mogul spends 12 years and several hundred million obtaining trademark for color "pink." Sues competing designers who use variations of color in spring collections; occasionally sues passersby whose use of the color he finds offensive. Total cost for legal fees: $332 million.

2. Hires and sends migrant workers to swamps across America to pick endangered Blue Jasmine flower. Uses flowers in bathroom wallpaper of country home. Fashionista decides wallpaper is too "rustic" and throws it out. Gets busted and fined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Pays hush money to keep story out of papers. Total cost: $24 million.

3. Fashionista loses 27 high-end platinum, sapphire-crystal face cellular phones (price: $19,450 each, $525,150 in total). Agrees to receive phone-chip implant. Decides last minute not to get implant because he wants a number that has "lots of sixes in it." Buys and loses ten more platinum luxury phones. Total telecommunications costs: $719,650.

4. Smokes two packs of cigarettes a day for 15 years (cost: $54,750). Quits. Fashionista fears lungs might look ugly naked, undergoes black market lung transplant in China for $250,000. Total Cost: $304,750.

5. Unmarried fashionista buys and freezes eggs of five favorite models ($2 million). Buys the two most beautiful orphans from all six continents ($6 million for brokers fees, travel and paperwork). Hires Julie Andrews as governess (gets discount since she won't sing). Total cost: $25 million.

6. In drunken moment of phony generosity, fashionista agrees to underwrite satellite Fashion Institute of Technology campuses in Mumbai and Indianapolis. Total cost: $400 million.

7. At a Paris fashion show, fashionista gets swindled by dashing young Nigerian man who claims to need his "urgent" help. Young man promises fashionista $12 million if he agrees to pose as next of kin to a deceased official who left $25 million behind in a frozen Nigerian bank account. Fashionista agrees, ends up losing $230 million in the scam.

Total Spent: $1 billion

Everything Blog

Special Report: In austere times, can bribery be healthy?

Blog - John Bell And The Nature Of Reality

BSoD - E14 part four -minix|linux interview w Andy Tanenbaum

Using Robot Lawn Mowers as Domestic Help

World Record for Largest Dog Breed

Latest Hollywood script deals

McKinney Police Search For Serial Bank Robber

Personal Finance & Investing : How to Become Wealthy

Whats the greatest heist movie ever made?

Robot Toy - Dynamic Virtual Automaton

Lastest Bank Robber News

Top 10 Reasons LeBron James Should Become a New Orleans Hornet

History's Greatest Heist: The Looting of Russia by the Bolsheviks

History’s Greatest Heist: The Looting of Russia by the Bolsheviks

BSoD - E14 part four -minix|linux interview w Andy Tanenbaum

TV Review: 'The Biggest Loser' finale recap: And the winner is...

Lastest A Healthy Person News

God's Design for the Highly Healthy Person

God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Person

Fast Healthy meals for busy people

Top10 of The most crazy tanks of all times wars

Google Chrome - download link

Alphabetical list most expensive domain name

Musical genres: Table sticking labels

The Tallest People in the World

You live too long in Russia if...

The student has made a wooden bicycle

Top 10 Funniest Linux BSoD

8 most famous world clocks

The Biggest Watch in the World

Top 10 Nobel Prize Winners In Physics

Russians erect the monument to a horse

The magic world of advertising

Top 20 Greatest Rock'n'Roll Albums of All Time

Top 10 Tips for Choosing a Successful Diet Plan

The 8 Myths About Creating Wealth

Four Tips On Saving Energy Year-round

Ho to guess if He or She Cheating On You ?

Everybody have to carry knife, passport and camera

Five simple ways to boost self-productivity

Top 10 Strangest and Extraordinary Watches

10. Linux-Powered Watch

9. TV Watch

8. Talking Japanese Watches

7. Morse Code Wristwatch

6. Hitachi AirSense Watch

5. Ultra-Violet Watch

4. High-Tech Army Wristwatch

3. Backside Watch

2. The Camera Phone Watch

1. Timeflex

Honorable Mention -Louis Vuitton Twilight Watch

Honorable Mention - Seiko’s E-Ink Watch

Honorable Mention - Digital Photo Frame Watch

13 Places To Watch Online-TV For Free

20 Most Happy Countries in the world

100 Keyboard shortcuts (Windows)

Playing Video Games Improve Vision by 20 Percent

Top ten famous robot video

Top 10 Paying Careers

Ten Best Ways to maximize your Workout Time

Condoms stop climate change

Good marriages are an urban myth

Top Ten Arts Research Tools

How to make a snowflake into 10 steps

Creation Myths vs. Evolutionary Stories

Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings

150 Cheap Places To Live

What programmers do when space button does not work

Top Ten Reasons Why a Vibrator Is Better Than a Man

Top Ten coolest things seen with google earth

Top Ten Grammar Errors that Haunt Web Pages

The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)

Top Ten Reasons NOT to Choose a College

20 FireFox Extensions That Every Web Designer Should Know About

10 Features You'll Find Only In Opera

Top Ten Tips on how to become a Rockstar Programmer

Top ten Tips on Saving Money

Top Ten Places to Build a Snowman