Interior Layout and Set-up for the Home Office (2 of 4)
Standing in the space that will soon be your home office may feel a little strange at this point. Most likely, it just looks like a lot of work. But if you handle things right, it can be a fun and very rewarding experience.
Be honest with yourself about what you really need versus what you really want. These decisions will affect both the use of your space and your budget. A simple two-drawer metal filing cabinet from a department store costs under $50. A base on wheels can be purchased for about $15 and if you need more than two drawers, you can stack one cabinet on top of another. A wood lateral filing cabinet is a real find at under $250 and takes up almost three times the floor space. Make a list of all the things (not furniture) that will go into your office, and how each item can be kept. Very often offices end up with too many options for keeping the same items. Purchasing based on thought out needs will keep your costs down, maximize your space, and help keep you organized.
Make a plan of your office on a piece of graph paper. Draw each piece of furniture that you are contemplating, or have, on another piece of graph paper at the same scale -- for example, 4 squares = 1 foot. Cut the furniture out and play with the placement on the floor plan. Here are some tips for a successful layout:
> Do not have your computer monitor facing the window. The glare will be unbearable.
> To make the room look larger, locate the largest (especially the highest) furniture farthest from the door or entry.
> If you have a computer desk and another desk or work surface, try to have them back-to-back with about 2 feet in between, or in an "L" configuration so that you will only require one chair.
> A drawing/drafting table, or desk for doing detailed work of any sort, should have the window it's left if you are right-handed, or vice versa if you are a lefty. This will minimize shadows on your work.
> Use closets as storage space. Either wall-mount shelving or store bought storage cabinets work wonderfully. Keep books, extra office supplies and other such items accessible but out of your way.
It is a good idea to try to keep all computer-related things near the computer, telephone directories near the telephone, and so on. If this is not possible, set up a centrally located storage centre and pay extra attention to organizing it well.
In a home office, where space is really at a premium, creativity is the key. Not only can it help you save money, but it can add a personal touch to your office. A revolving spice rack with eight jars (about $25) is a perfect solution for storing paper clips, elastics, thumb tacks, staples... Mini clothes pins (about 15 for $1) can be strung on a cord and hung (on a wall, side of a desk...) to hold memos, thank you cards from clients, family photos, etc... A small black- or white-board near the phone for note taking can save you tons of paper each month -- plus when you get off the phone, you're more likely to rewrite your notes in the right place rather than misplacing small papers that you had scribbled on.
Poor planning and impulse shopping tend to be costly. For furniture and other large items, look into purchasing second-hand. For smaller items be sure to compare prices between office supply stores and large department stores. Smaller accessories can sometimes even be found in dollar stores. Most importantly, don't forget to look in your storage room, attic or basement for things that can be used in your office that you may have even forgotten you have!
A final note: If you are interested in purchasing second-hand items, or if you have things you no longer use and live in the Greater Montreal area, a booklet titled "The Reuse and Recycling Directory" is available at most city halls. It is published annually and it is organized by region, and lists which items which places buy, accept, sell, and more.
Look for Part 3 of this 4-part series: Style and Colour for the Home Office.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
ClickBank Questions
It would seem that Clickbank would provide more for their customers. Obviously, when it comes to internet marketing and affiliate programs, you could put it in your top 10 links. No other database of affiliate programs offers such a possibility for profit on either the affiliate side or the product creation site. And you can't beat the fact that the commissions from over 10,000 products get consolidated into one check. But there are still a few lingering questions that may get you thinking.
What is up with the site? I mean, a site shouldn't be overly complex. In fact, complexity can be a turn off. Then again, I have found more complex site templates from free sites. And it's not just that. How many of you Clickbank affiliates have found news about Clickbank or FAQ's about Clickbank on a forum, clicked the link and the FAQ is on the Clickbank domain. But, if you go to the Clickbank homepage, there is no link to the page you just visited.
I don't know about you, but if I were running a business, I would make sure that customers and vendors could get all of the information possible and not have to find out news through third party sources.
But, on the other hand, I can't complain. The checks do come in. I have never had to search for a customer service link on the site, because there has been no reason to. You make sales and you get a check. It's that simple and I have never found anyone who says otherwise.
Then you've got to wonder about the search feature. There is none. But why? For one reason, if Clickbank itself had a search feature, any internet user who is familiar with Clickbank clicking on an affiliate's hoplink could recognize this. They could then go to Clickbank and buy the product under their own affiliate ID at up to 75% off, which wouldn't matter much to Clickbank or the product seller, at least in the beginning. They still collect their cash.
But eventually, the product seller would notice a drop in sales. Affiliates would become less than satisfied with the results of all their hard work and stop working as hard to make sales that weren't coming in anyway. Therefore, there would be less advertising of the product in total. You can't underestimate the value of an affiliate army who are rewarded accordingly.
There are plenty of third party products available that will essentially build a search engine on a Clickbank affiliate's site for them.
Even without this, there are some out there who know what a Clickbank Hoplink looks like and just where to put their own Clickbank ID in order to make a commission for themselves.
Should the affiliates themselves be responsible for protecting their sales. I don't think so. Of course there are products that can help you protect your links, but shouldn't the responsibility rest on the product developer. Our heroes, the third-party software developers, come to the rescue again by providing software to do this for you, but only a few of the product developers selling through Clickbank rely on these products. This leaves a lot of affiliate out in the cold, relying on link cloaking to protect their sales.
I love when I sign up for an affiliate program and click the link assigned to me to test it out and I am delivered to the main page of the site. There is no "?hop=" behind the URL, just "www.mysite.com." This lets me know that my only job is to get the word out on the product and not become an expert on encryption just to make a sale. Just to let you developers know out there, it is also great not to create a link for affiliates from any page designed for sales. You've just defeated any work we as affiliates or you as a responsible marketer have done to save our commissions. Send the link after the sales if you want to but don't treat your affiliates like dirt by telling their lead that they can get a 50% discount by signing up for your affiliate program.
Another reason for product developers to check out link cloaking software: link popularity. If you use the conventional hoplink, Clickbank gets a link back to their site. If the affiliate has to encrypt the link himself, no one gets the link credit. If you buy one of these scripts, your affiliates will advertise a link that points to your site. Just something to think about.
Then there is sales notices. There are none. There used to be a time when Clickbank would send you an e-mail each and every time you made a sale. Spam? Only if you consider a check from the IRS junk mail. Personally, Clickbank could fill my inbox to the limits with notices like this. But this service is no longer there.
I don't want to even start with Clickbank's sales reports functions. Lets just say that they could be improved, a lot.
This is even another area where third party vendors lend a helping hand. You can create affiliate sales reports, profit reports, send e-mails to your customers, and even graph sales trends with such software. Some are scripts that you run on your site. These will send out a thank you e-mail, add the customer to your database and even activate an autoreponder to send out e-mails to your customers in the future. Others allow to have multiple products, multiple sites, and only one Clickbank account.
So what am I trying to say? Just that with the money you would think Clickbank is making, it seems that they could create a more elaborate, user-friendly site. Despite this, you can't beat Clickbank for high commissions and consolidated payments. In fact, some of the holes in the Clickbank system has allowed some innovative software developers to step in and provide very useful tools. Those who use Clickbank to sell their products should take notice and guarantee an effective affiliate sales force by at least checking these solutions out. In turn, they will be rewarded with more sales and affiliates who trust them.
It would seem that Clickbank would provide more for their customers. Obviously, when it comes to internet marketing and affiliate programs, you could put it in your top 10 links. No other database of affiliate programs offers such a possibility for profit on either the affiliate side or the product creation site. And you can't beat the fact that the commissions from over 10,000 products get consolidated into one check. But there are still a few lingering questions that may get you thinking.
What is up with the site? I mean, a site shouldn't be overly complex. In fact, complexity can be a turn off. Then again, I have found more complex site templates from free sites. And it's not just that. How many of you Clickbank affiliates have found news about Clickbank or FAQ's about Clickbank on a forum, clicked the link and the FAQ is on the Clickbank domain. But, if you go to the Clickbank homepage, there is no link to the page you just visited.
I don't know about you, but if I were running a business, I would make sure that customers and vendors could get all of the information possible and not have to find out news through third party sources.
But, on the other hand, I can't complain. The checks do come in. I have never had to search for a customer service link on the site, because there has been no reason to. You make sales and you get a check. It's that simple and I have never found anyone who says otherwise.
Then you've got to wonder about the search feature. There is none. But why? For one reason, if Clickbank itself had a search feature, any internet user who is familiar with Clickbank clicking on an affiliate's hoplink could recognize this. They could then go to Clickbank and buy the product under their own affiliate ID at up to 75% off, which wouldn't matter much to Clickbank or the product seller, at least in the beginning. They still collect their cash.
But eventually, the product seller would notice a drop in sales. Affiliates would become less than satisfied with the results of all their hard work and stop working as hard to make sales that weren't coming in anyway. Therefore, there would be less advertising of the product in total. You can't underestimate the value of an affiliate army who are rewarded accordingly.
There are plenty of third party products available that will essentially build a search engine on a Clickbank affiliate's site for them.
Even without this, there are some out there who know what a Clickbank Hoplink looks like and just where to put their own Clickbank ID in order to make a commission for themselves.
Should the affiliates themselves be responsible for protecting their sales. I don't think so. Of course there are products that can help you protect your links, but shouldn't the responsibility rest on the product developer. Our heroes, the third-party software developers, come to the rescue again by providing software to do this for you, but only a few of the product developers selling through Clickbank rely on these products. This leaves a lot of affiliate out in the cold, relying on link cloaking to protect their sales.
I love when I sign up for an affiliate program and click the link assigned to me to test it out and I am delivered to the main page of the site. There is no "?hop=" behind the URL, just "www.mysite.com." This lets me know that my only job is to get the word out on the product and not become an expert on encryption just to make a sale. Just to let you developers know out there, it is also great not to create a link for affiliates from any page designed for sales. You've just defeated any work we as affiliates or you as a responsible marketer have done to save our commissions. Send the link after the sales if you want to but don't treat your affiliates like dirt by telling their lead that they can get a 50% discount by signing up for your affiliate program.
Another reason for product developers to check out link cloaking software: link popularity. If you use the conventional hoplink, Clickbank gets a link back to their site. If the affiliate has to encrypt the link himself, no one gets the link credit. If you buy one of these scripts, your affiliates will advertise a link that points to your site. Just something to think about.
Then there is sales notices. There are none. There used to be a time when Clickbank would send you an e-mail each and every time you made a sale. Spam? Only if you consider a check from the IRS junk mail. Personally, Clickbank could fill my inbox to the limits with notices like this. But this service is no longer there.
I don't want to even start with Clickbank's sales reports functions. Lets just say that they could be improved, a lot.
This is even another area where third party vendors lend a helping hand. You can create affiliate sales reports, profit reports, send e-mails to your customers, and even graph sales trends with such software. Some are scripts that you run on your site. These will send out a thank you e-mail, add the customer to your database and even activate an autoreponder to send out e-mails to your customers in the future. Others allow to have multiple products, multiple sites, and only one Clickbank account.
So what am I trying to say? Just that with the money you would think Clickbank is making, it seems that they could create a more elaborate, user-friendly site. Despite this, you can't beat Clickbank for high commissions and consolidated payments. In fact, some of the holes in the Clickbank system has allowed some innovative software developers to step in and provide very useful tools. Those who use Clickbank to sell their products should take notice and guarantee an effective affiliate sales force by at least checking these solutions out. In turn, they will be rewarded with more sales and affiliates who trust them.
Use Shelves And Storage Units To Conquer All That Stuff!
(NC)Stuff! Stuff! Stuff everywhere! The clutter starts to overwhelm. However, life can by simplified and clutter tamed with a few organizational hints and a good shelving or storage system.
Planning. Determine the purpose and style of the unit. Will it be for display or storage? Units come in varying depths and lengths. Identify a location. Ample room for access once the unit is installed is important. Measure the space and determine how many shelves or what size of storage unit will be needed - what depth and how far apart shelves should be to accommodate the largest and smallest items in your collection.
Design. Blending various elements and breaking up long lines can make your work more interesting. Try arranging shelves around an important photo or piece of art. Get creative with graph paper and design something pleasing and functional.
Purchasing. Take your final ideas to the local hardware or home center. Everything needed should be readily available. Ask the store's professionals for help optimizing your design.
Layout. Save rework by doing layout prior to installation. Begin by identifying wall studs for secure placement of your system. The easiest way to locate studs is with an electronic stud finder, such as the Zircon StudSensor Pro SL-AC. It finds studs without guesswork and includes a new WireWarning safety feature so you won't accidentally nail or drill into live AC voltage.
Level and Plumb Installation. This is the final key to success. Anchor the system to the middle of each stud along the wall, checking to be sure that it is plumb (vertically straight) on the wall. Then make sure the slots are leveled precisely. One of the easiest ways to do that is with the new Zircon iLine that generates plumb and level lines in all four directions. This simple and affordable tool turns a once complicated task into child's play.
Final Touches. With the foundation of the unit level and plumb, all that's left is to position the shelves. Then create interest by personalizing the shelves with mementos and other items that add to the dcor as well as storage space.
For more information about Zircon's StudSensor Pro SL-AC, iLine, and other cutting-edge, electronic hand tools, check out the website at www.zircon.com or call 800-245-9265.
- News Canada
(NC)Stuff! Stuff! Stuff everywhere! The clutter starts to overwhelm. However, life can by simplified and clutter tamed with a few organizational hints and a good shelving or storage system.
Planning. Determine the purpose and style of the unit. Will it be for display or storage? Units come in varying depths and lengths. Identify a location. Ample room for access once the unit is installed is important. Measure the space and determine how many shelves or what size of storage unit will be needed - what depth and how far apart shelves should be to accommodate the largest and smallest items in your collection.
Design. Blending various elements and breaking up long lines can make your work more interesting. Try arranging shelves around an important photo or piece of art. Get creative with graph paper and design something pleasing and functional.
Purchasing. Take your final ideas to the local hardware or home center. Everything needed should be readily available. Ask the store's professionals for help optimizing your design.
Layout. Save rework by doing layout prior to installation. Begin by identifying wall studs for secure placement of your system. The easiest way to locate studs is with an electronic stud finder, such as the Zircon StudSensor Pro SL-AC. It finds studs without guesswork and includes a new WireWarning safety feature so you won't accidentally nail or drill into live AC voltage.
Level and Plumb Installation. This is the final key to success. Anchor the system to the middle of each stud along the wall, checking to be sure that it is plumb (vertically straight) on the wall. Then make sure the slots are leveled precisely. One of the easiest ways to do that is with the new Zircon iLine that generates plumb and level lines in all four directions. This simple and affordable tool turns a once complicated task into child's play.
Final Touches. With the foundation of the unit level and plumb, all that's left is to position the shelves. Then create interest by personalizing the shelves with mementos and other items that add to the dcor as well as storage space.
For more information about Zircon's StudSensor Pro SL-AC, iLine, and other cutting-edge, electronic hand tools, check out the website at www.zircon.com or call 800-245-9265.
- News Canada
Friday, September 14, 2007
Hurlocks Study: Praise verses Criticism
Research studies can be intellectual, academic, difficult to understand, and sometimes even irrelevant to our specific application. But there are other studies that can be very insightful and help us understand how better to do our job. There is one such study that I would like to discuss in this months column. The information is so timely and connected to managing others that I think we all need to read and think about what the researchers discovered. The unique part of this study is that the researchers were not studying adults, but rather children. I know this may sound strange to you; however, what we learn from the study can be directly related to managing adults. So dont get caught up thinking this study doesnt relate to your job because the subjects were children.
In this case the people studied were fourth and fifth grade students and the situation was how they performed in a math class. The variables introduced by the researchers were the type of feedback the students received after they took math exercises and quizzes.
Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock wanted to know what reactions there would be when fourth and fifth grade students received different types of feedback on their math performance. She specifically wanted to know if it was more effective to praise, criticize, or ignore students performance in math. And she wanted to know what would happen when students were subjected to each of those conditions. The outcome was to be decided by how many math problems each student had solved 2, 3, 4, and 5 days after receiving the different types of feedback.
For her study Dr. Hurlock divided the students into four groups. In the first group students were identified by name and praised in front of other students for their good performance. Students in the second group were also identified by name in front of other students, but they were criticized for their poor performance. Students in the third group were completely ignored, although they were in the classroom to hear the other students being praised or criticized. A fourth or control group was moved to another room after the first test. Students in this group took the same tests, but they received no comments on their performance whatsoever.
Now, here is what Dr. Hurlock learned. Students in the groups that were praised or criticized performed better after the first day. Then their performance changed dramatically. The students who were criticized showed a significant decline in their test scores, and by days 3 and 4, they were performing equally with students in the group that had been completely ignored.
By contrast, the students who were praised experienced a major improvement after the second day that was sustained through the end of the study. By the fifth day of the study, the group that received praise showed much better performance than the other groups.
Look at the accompanying graph to see the scores of the four groups. Its startling, isnt it? Wouldnt you think that the results of this study should be standard reading for every schoolteacher in America? Sounds like it, doesnt it? But there is just one problem. Dr. Hurlocks study was conducted in 1925, thats eighty years ago! Unfortunately, the study wasnt seen as important in 1925, and, therefore, hasnt changed much behavior in the classroom since. But the results are so convincing that I would like to draw a parallel to managing adults with praise, criticism or indifference.
Some managers believe that giving positive reinforcement to employees is an indication of managerial weakness. So in an attempt to appear strong and in command of the situation, they become masters of inflicting emotional pain through criticism, sarcasm or indifference. Those three tactics are called the Three Pillars of Contempt, because the most common reaction to being subjected to them is to feel contempt toward the perpetrator.
With an effective management development program (http://www.cmoe.com/management-development-program.html), school teachers and business leaders can discover that reinforcing positive performance with supportive feedback is far better than creating a contemptuous atmosphere with sarcasm, criticism or indifference. Like many things in managing others, how your employees perceive you is what really counts. Your intentions are nice and noteworthy, but they are actually irrelevant. As every psychology student learns, perception is reality. And because it is reality we must be concerned with how we come across to others; in other words, how others see our behaviors is more important that our intentions. To do otherwise is to be foolish and ineffective.
As a manager you need to be aware of the power of positive feedback along with the dangers of trying to motivate others or change behavior with the use of criticism, sarcasm or indifference. Positive reinforcement has been proved by Hurlocks study and many other studies to be the best method of getting your point across to others. It is unfortunate that so many managers havent been convinced of that fact. Watch your own style of giving feedback for the next few weeks. Monitor how much you offer praise as supportive feedback verses how often you lapse into the Pillars of Contempt. The first step in improvement is always awareness. Increase your awareness and then work to modify your style.
Research studies can be intellectual, academic, difficult to understand, and sometimes even irrelevant to our specific application. But there are other studies that can be very insightful and help us understand how better to do our job. There is one such study that I would like to discuss in this months column. The information is so timely and connected to managing others that I think we all need to read and think about what the researchers discovered. The unique part of this study is that the researchers were not studying adults, but rather children. I know this may sound strange to you; however, what we learn from the study can be directly related to managing adults. So dont get caught up thinking this study doesnt relate to your job because the subjects were children.
In this case the people studied were fourth and fifth grade students and the situation was how they performed in a math class. The variables introduced by the researchers were the type of feedback the students received after they took math exercises and quizzes.
Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock wanted to know what reactions there would be when fourth and fifth grade students received different types of feedback on their math performance. She specifically wanted to know if it was more effective to praise, criticize, or ignore students performance in math. And she wanted to know what would happen when students were subjected to each of those conditions. The outcome was to be decided by how many math problems each student had solved 2, 3, 4, and 5 days after receiving the different types of feedback.
For her study Dr. Hurlock divided the students into four groups. In the first group students were identified by name and praised in front of other students for their good performance. Students in the second group were also identified by name in front of other students, but they were criticized for their poor performance. Students in the third group were completely ignored, although they were in the classroom to hear the other students being praised or criticized. A fourth or control group was moved to another room after the first test. Students in this group took the same tests, but they received no comments on their performance whatsoever.
Now, here is what Dr. Hurlock learned. Students in the groups that were praised or criticized performed better after the first day. Then their performance changed dramatically. The students who were criticized showed a significant decline in their test scores, and by days 3 and 4, they were performing equally with students in the group that had been completely ignored.
By contrast, the students who were praised experienced a major improvement after the second day that was sustained through the end of the study. By the fifth day of the study, the group that received praise showed much better performance than the other groups.
Look at the accompanying graph to see the scores of the four groups. Its startling, isnt it? Wouldnt you think that the results of this study should be standard reading for every schoolteacher in America? Sounds like it, doesnt it? But there is just one problem. Dr. Hurlocks study was conducted in 1925, thats eighty years ago! Unfortunately, the study wasnt seen as important in 1925, and, therefore, hasnt changed much behavior in the classroom since. But the results are so convincing that I would like to draw a parallel to managing adults with praise, criticism or indifference.
Some managers believe that giving positive reinforcement to employees is an indication of managerial weakness. So in an attempt to appear strong and in command of the situation, they become masters of inflicting emotional pain through criticism, sarcasm or indifference. Those three tactics are called the Three Pillars of Contempt, because the most common reaction to being subjected to them is to feel contempt toward the perpetrator.
With an effective management development program (http://www.cmoe.com/management-development-program.html), school teachers and business leaders can discover that reinforcing positive performance with supportive feedback is far better than creating a contemptuous atmosphere with sarcasm, criticism or indifference. Like many things in managing others, how your employees perceive you is what really counts. Your intentions are nice and noteworthy, but they are actually irrelevant. As every psychology student learns, perception is reality. And because it is reality we must be concerned with how we come across to others; in other words, how others see our behaviors is more important that our intentions. To do otherwise is to be foolish and ineffective.
As a manager you need to be aware of the power of positive feedback along with the dangers of trying to motivate others or change behavior with the use of criticism, sarcasm or indifference. Positive reinforcement has been proved by Hurlocks study and many other studies to be the best method of getting your point across to others. It is unfortunate that so many managers havent been convinced of that fact. Watch your own style of giving feedback for the next few weeks. Monitor how much you offer praise as supportive feedback verses how often you lapse into the Pillars of Contempt. The first step in improvement is always awareness. Increase your awareness and then work to modify your style.
Building or Decorating Your Home Requires House Plans
There are some things to consider when creating plans for your home. There are two situations that call for plans or blue prints, either you are building a new home or decorating your present home. The types of plans required for either situation will vary depending on the extent of
your project.
When building a new home, there are several things you will want to consider carefully. The most obvious is where you are going to build your house. The climate will affect where you build. You wouldnt build an icehouse in the middle of the desert. You will want to determine what material you will want to use. Brick, wood, and cement are popular. In the southern states clay adobe houses are the norm. In the north and other areas brick, wood, and stone are options. The climate will influence this choice as well. In areas where there is cold weather brick and cement are used because they absorb and retain heat. In the south wood frame houses are built. The size of your lot will determine the size and type of house you want. You couldnt build a mansion on say a quarter of an acre. On the other hand a one bedroom, single floor home would look strange on a lot that is two acres or bigger. Whether your home has a basement could be important and that would depend on where you live.
If you are lucky to have a basement, it can house the laundry room and your gym equipment or be a playroom/guest room.
Now that you know where and what type of climate you will be building in it is time to think about the plans. Blueprints are or have been used to draw a linear picture of the house as you see it. Now however there are computer programs that will allow you to build your house in 3-D. There are also web sites online that will also allow you to build your house and see it in 3-D. Not only that but some sites will allow you to place your furniture. There are several kinds of technical drawings that are used to create plans for a new home. There are site plans that address coding issues, landscaping, location specifics, drainage (land contours), trees, set backs, and property lines. A floor plan is a design plan of the house, the layout of the rooms, and where the windows and doors. Another type of plan is building sections, which is a cross section of the house. It helps determine any issues, visualize your finished house and floor plans using section marks. Wall sections show the construction of one exterior wall where sections are indicated with section marks. Exterior Elevations include such features as porches and decks. They also show furniture, window and door locations, eave heights and roofing. Interior elevations show the lighting layout and ceiling conditions. Porches are another very interesting option; they can be enclosed, go all the way around the house. They can also be half-enclosed and half-open. They can be reminders of times past. A huge porch reminds me of my aunts farm years ago. Porches are great for extending family time and conversation while still being protected from the weather.
Decisions to be made are the size of each room, the number of rooms and the number of floors to be built. Will there be a basement or a fireplace, and where is the house going to sit on the lot. You could have a front yard or the house could be in the front of the lot with a yard in the back. You could also put it right in the center and have land all around.
The next consideration is whether you will have a contractor draw up the plans which will be an expense, or you can do them yourself. To do them yourself you will need a pencil or pen, scissors, a measuring tape, and graph paper with 1/4-inch boxes.
You will draw rooms to scale; one box per foot is good. Measure your rooms, doors, windows, heat and air cooling appliances. Draw the outlines of the rooms according to scale.
Measure your furniture (you only need to worry about length and width here) next and take another piece of graph paper. Draw out lines of your furniture, label them and cut them out. Use these pieces to set up the rooms. When you find an arrangement you like, you can make a more permanent drawing. On another sheet of graph paper draw a box for each wall. Scale your windows, doors, built-ins and other features.
Picking a floor plan is a process of answering some very important questions. Will this place be big enough or too big in a few years? Does your design fit in with the houses in the neighborhood? Does the design of the house fit in with the lot size and shape? Will the windows provide the best view and what windows will catch the sunlight in the morning and afternoon? Will changes need to be made or can changes even be considered? Are the rooms that will be used most of the time of adequate size? Expanding your house size could mean you need to sacrifice amenities or storage space. Do you have specialty rooms such as a craft room, an office, or a gym? An office can double as a guestroom. The trend now is toward creating a family area where there is room for each to do his/her own hobby or to be together watching movies or playing games. When all the decisions are made and the plans are all drawn you will be ready to build.
Suppose now, that you are purchasing an already built home or renting an apartment. Plans can be done in these situations as well. Most places will offer a floor plan for you to look at with the measurements of the space in the rooms. If this is not available you can draw your own plan.
You would need the same materials and the plan is fixed, you are limited to what is already there. Draw the outlines of each room according to scale. Take another sheet of graph paper and draw the outlines of your furniture. Label them and cut them out. You can move these pieces around till you find an arrangement you like. You might be limited with your television set because the outside antenna is in a certain spot.
Take another piece of graph paper and draw the wall sections of each room noting the windows, doors, and any heating or cooling appliance might be situated. You will have already placed your furniture so you will have a good idea of what your new home will look like. You can now decorate according to your tastes. In a rental home however, you might not be able to change wall colors or in rare cases hang pictures.
Planning for your home can be very exciting. You could be buying new furniture but you might want to consider the color of the carpets or the floors when you are choosing your pieces. A blue couch on a brown carpet does not exactly match. When planning for your home whether you buy or rent should be done carefully. Keep in mind your preferences, your limitations and if you are building, local zoning ordinances.
There are some things to consider when creating plans for your home. There are two situations that call for plans or blue prints, either you are building a new home or decorating your present home. The types of plans required for either situation will vary depending on the extent of
your project.
When building a new home, there are several things you will want to consider carefully. The most obvious is where you are going to build your house. The climate will affect where you build. You wouldnt build an icehouse in the middle of the desert. You will want to determine what material you will want to use. Brick, wood, and cement are popular. In the southern states clay adobe houses are the norm. In the north and other areas brick, wood, and stone are options. The climate will influence this choice as well. In areas where there is cold weather brick and cement are used because they absorb and retain heat. In the south wood frame houses are built. The size of your lot will determine the size and type of house you want. You couldnt build a mansion on say a quarter of an acre. On the other hand a one bedroom, single floor home would look strange on a lot that is two acres or bigger. Whether your home has a basement could be important and that would depend on where you live.
If you are lucky to have a basement, it can house the laundry room and your gym equipment or be a playroom/guest room.
Now that you know where and what type of climate you will be building in it is time to think about the plans. Blueprints are or have been used to draw a linear picture of the house as you see it. Now however there are computer programs that will allow you to build your house in 3-D. There are also web sites online that will also allow you to build your house and see it in 3-D. Not only that but some sites will allow you to place your furniture. There are several kinds of technical drawings that are used to create plans for a new home. There are site plans that address coding issues, landscaping, location specifics, drainage (land contours), trees, set backs, and property lines. A floor plan is a design plan of the house, the layout of the rooms, and where the windows and doors. Another type of plan is building sections, which is a cross section of the house. It helps determine any issues, visualize your finished house and floor plans using section marks. Wall sections show the construction of one exterior wall where sections are indicated with section marks. Exterior Elevations include such features as porches and decks. They also show furniture, window and door locations, eave heights and roofing. Interior elevations show the lighting layout and ceiling conditions. Porches are another very interesting option; they can be enclosed, go all the way around the house. They can also be half-enclosed and half-open. They can be reminders of times past. A huge porch reminds me of my aunts farm years ago. Porches are great for extending family time and conversation while still being protected from the weather.
Decisions to be made are the size of each room, the number of rooms and the number of floors to be built. Will there be a basement or a fireplace, and where is the house going to sit on the lot. You could have a front yard or the house could be in the front of the lot with a yard in the back. You could also put it right in the center and have land all around.
The next consideration is whether you will have a contractor draw up the plans which will be an expense, or you can do them yourself. To do them yourself you will need a pencil or pen, scissors, a measuring tape, and graph paper with 1/4-inch boxes.
You will draw rooms to scale; one box per foot is good. Measure your rooms, doors, windows, heat and air cooling appliances. Draw the outlines of the rooms according to scale.
Measure your furniture (you only need to worry about length and width here) next and take another piece of graph paper. Draw out lines of your furniture, label them and cut them out. Use these pieces to set up the rooms. When you find an arrangement you like, you can make a more permanent drawing. On another sheet of graph paper draw a box for each wall. Scale your windows, doors, built-ins and other features.
Picking a floor plan is a process of answering some very important questions. Will this place be big enough or too big in a few years? Does your design fit in with the houses in the neighborhood? Does the design of the house fit in with the lot size and shape? Will the windows provide the best view and what windows will catch the sunlight in the morning and afternoon? Will changes need to be made or can changes even be considered? Are the rooms that will be used most of the time of adequate size? Expanding your house size could mean you need to sacrifice amenities or storage space. Do you have specialty rooms such as a craft room, an office, or a gym? An office can double as a guestroom. The trend now is toward creating a family area where there is room for each to do his/her own hobby or to be together watching movies or playing games. When all the decisions are made and the plans are all drawn you will be ready to build.
Suppose now, that you are purchasing an already built home or renting an apartment. Plans can be done in these situations as well. Most places will offer a floor plan for you to look at with the measurements of the space in the rooms. If this is not available you can draw your own plan.
You would need the same materials and the plan is fixed, you are limited to what is already there. Draw the outlines of each room according to scale. Take another sheet of graph paper and draw the outlines of your furniture. Label them and cut them out. You can move these pieces around till you find an arrangement you like. You might be limited with your television set because the outside antenna is in a certain spot.
Take another piece of graph paper and draw the wall sections of each room noting the windows, doors, and any heating or cooling appliance might be situated. You will have already placed your furniture so you will have a good idea of what your new home will look like. You can now decorate according to your tastes. In a rental home however, you might not be able to change wall colors or in rare cases hang pictures.
Planning for your home can be very exciting. You could be buying new furniture but you might want to consider the color of the carpets or the floors when you are choosing your pieces. A blue couch on a brown carpet does not exactly match. When planning for your home whether you buy or rent should be done carefully. Keep in mind your preferences, your limitations and if you are building, local zoning ordinances.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Mars Attacks - More Often Than You Think!
Okay, before you think that I'm just another "alien freak", let me say that I don't mean that little green men from the red planet are on the warpath. The sort of "attack" that I'm referring to has to do with the very noticeable effects in your life whenever the planet Mars forms an "aspect" to one of the factors in your birth chart.
Have you ever had one of those days where you seemed
restless, perhaps even nervous, when you were impatient with others, when you couldn't sleep at night... and there didn't seem to be any obvious reason for your agitated state? Well, then you may well have been experiencing what is known to astrologers as a "Mars transit".
As you may already know, a birth chart is a map of the exact (to the degree and minute of arc) planetary positions on the date (and at the time and place) of your birth. One of the main techniques that we astrologers use to make predictions about the tendencies of a person's future is that of the so-called "transits". A transit occurs when a planet on a specific day/time (for example, right now) is passing over a degree of the zodiac that is in a specific angle to one of the important factors in your birth chart. Let's get more concrete. Suppose you were born on November 8 1955, at 9:48 am EST (as I was). The Sun in your birth chart is (as seen from the earth) in 15 degrees, 25 minutes of the sign Scorpio. Now, on Nov 6, 2005, the planet Mars is in 15 degrees Taurus: exactly 180 degrees from "your" Sun. An 180 angle is known as an "opposition", and is but one of the various aspects used in astrological work.
In order to interpret such an aspect, several things must be considered:
- The planet making the aspect (in this case, Mars)
- The planet (or other factor) in the birth chart receiving
the aspect (the Sun, in our example)
- The Nature of the aspect (in this case, of the opposition).
- Other considerations, such as the signs and houses these
planets occupy, other aspects that are present among the
factors in the birth chart, etc.
In our example, we'll simplify. An opposition is regarded as an aspect of tension, and often represents a challenge we have to face. As I write these lines, the planet Mars is in opposition to my Sun, and has been for several days - and I sure have noticed it! I've been busier than usual, teaching my students, working on different Internet projects, and have generally not had much time to just sit back and relax. This is often the case when Mars is in aspect to your Sun.
Also typical of Mars is, on occasion, accidents, or
experiencing pain of some sort. Well, a few days ago, one of my back teeth began to hurt. My dentist had warned me it was going to give me trouble some day (it already has several fillings in it), and I'm afraid that day has arrived. A toothache is a painful thing to have, as I'm sure many of you know, and in just a half hour, I'll be leaving for the dentist's to see whether the tooth can be saved, or must be extracted. In any case, the inevitable unpleasantness/pain associated with undergoing dental work is also typical of a Mars transit.
Nervousness, impatience and impulsiveness often occur under a Mars transit, so if you're experiencing such a time, I suggest you try to relax, take your time, drive more slowly than usual... for when under the influence of Mars, we tend to get ahead of ourselves, and this can, depending on the circumstances, lead to an increased risk of accidents.
How can you know when a Mars transit will be affecting you? Well, just about any good astrology program allows you to calculate transits. Our own "Omnicycles" program lets you do both your birth chart and transits (in graph form) for the weeks/months when Mars will be showing its influence most strongly in your future. There are also some astrology sites that let you calculate the positions of the planets for different time periods: use seach terms such as "astrology", "on-line ephemeris" (put this one in quotes), and "aspect" in Google to find sites that offer such a service.
Despite the occasional upsets that Mars transits can bring you, I should also mention the positive side. During these times, you will have more energy, and will no doubt be able to get a lot more done in your work, studies, etc. Take advantage of this trend: if you feel so "worked up" that you don't know what to do with all that excess energy, maybe it would be a good time to paint the porch, indulge in your favorite sport, or work it off in some other way. Just resist the temptation to do too much, or to tax your strength to the limit: be active, but don't take any unnecessary risks.
Since Mars can, in its worst manifestation, represent
violence, we can be pretty sure of one thing - If those little green men from that neighbouring red planet ever DO decide to attack and wipe us all out, it will probably happen when Mars is in a rather bad aspect to the Earth!
Okay, before you think that I'm just another "alien freak", let me say that I don't mean that little green men from the red planet are on the warpath. The sort of "attack" that I'm referring to has to do with the very noticeable effects in your life whenever the planet Mars forms an "aspect" to one of the factors in your birth chart.
Have you ever had one of those days where you seemed
restless, perhaps even nervous, when you were impatient with others, when you couldn't sleep at night... and there didn't seem to be any obvious reason for your agitated state? Well, then you may well have been experiencing what is known to astrologers as a "Mars transit".
As you may already know, a birth chart is a map of the exact (to the degree and minute of arc) planetary positions on the date (and at the time and place) of your birth. One of the main techniques that we astrologers use to make predictions about the tendencies of a person's future is that of the so-called "transits". A transit occurs when a planet on a specific day/time (for example, right now) is passing over a degree of the zodiac that is in a specific angle to one of the important factors in your birth chart. Let's get more concrete. Suppose you were born on November 8 1955, at 9:48 am EST (as I was). The Sun in your birth chart is (as seen from the earth) in 15 degrees, 25 minutes of the sign Scorpio. Now, on Nov 6, 2005, the planet Mars is in 15 degrees Taurus: exactly 180 degrees from "your" Sun. An 180 angle is known as an "opposition", and is but one of the various aspects used in astrological work.
In order to interpret such an aspect, several things must be considered:
- The planet making the aspect (in this case, Mars)
- The planet (or other factor) in the birth chart receiving
the aspect (the Sun, in our example)
- The Nature of the aspect (in this case, of the opposition).
- Other considerations, such as the signs and houses these
planets occupy, other aspects that are present among the
factors in the birth chart, etc.
In our example, we'll simplify. An opposition is regarded as an aspect of tension, and often represents a challenge we have to face. As I write these lines, the planet Mars is in opposition to my Sun, and has been for several days - and I sure have noticed it! I've been busier than usual, teaching my students, working on different Internet projects, and have generally not had much time to just sit back and relax. This is often the case when Mars is in aspect to your Sun.
Also typical of Mars is, on occasion, accidents, or
experiencing pain of some sort. Well, a few days ago, one of my back teeth began to hurt. My dentist had warned me it was going to give me trouble some day (it already has several fillings in it), and I'm afraid that day has arrived. A toothache is a painful thing to have, as I'm sure many of you know, and in just a half hour, I'll be leaving for the dentist's to see whether the tooth can be saved, or must be extracted. In any case, the inevitable unpleasantness/pain associated with undergoing dental work is also typical of a Mars transit.
Nervousness, impatience and impulsiveness often occur under a Mars transit, so if you're experiencing such a time, I suggest you try to relax, take your time, drive more slowly than usual... for when under the influence of Mars, we tend to get ahead of ourselves, and this can, depending on the circumstances, lead to an increased risk of accidents.
How can you know when a Mars transit will be affecting you? Well, just about any good astrology program allows you to calculate transits. Our own "Omnicycles" program lets you do both your birth chart and transits (in graph form) for the weeks/months when Mars will be showing its influence most strongly in your future. There are also some astrology sites that let you calculate the positions of the planets for different time periods: use seach terms such as "astrology", "on-line ephemeris" (put this one in quotes), and "aspect" in Google to find sites that offer such a service.
Despite the occasional upsets that Mars transits can bring you, I should also mention the positive side. During these times, you will have more energy, and will no doubt be able to get a lot more done in your work, studies, etc. Take advantage of this trend: if you feel so "worked up" that you don't know what to do with all that excess energy, maybe it would be a good time to paint the porch, indulge in your favorite sport, or work it off in some other way. Just resist the temptation to do too much, or to tax your strength to the limit: be active, but don't take any unnecessary risks.
Since Mars can, in its worst manifestation, represent
violence, we can be pretty sure of one thing - If those little green men from that neighbouring red planet ever DO decide to attack and wipe us all out, it will probably happen when Mars is in a rather bad aspect to the Earth!
Jack and Marsha - Constructive Conflict in Highly-Effective Teams
Whether it's two people working together or a team of people, conflicts can arise. The highly-effective team often produces a better result when everyone is willing to engage in constructive conflict on the work itself.
Even if trust exists and team members are willing to engage in constructive conflict, some people will naturally try to avoid conflict at all costs. Others will try to avoid emotionally charged conversations. Its useful for team members to fill out a DISC profile, voluntarily share their in-depth DISC reports with the team to surface these issues, and look for ways in which the team will encourage all members to participate productively. Lets look at an example of how sharing their DISC profiles helped Jack and Marsha in a work situation.
In this case, Jack assisted Marsha on a series of projects for which she was responsible. Jack has boundless energy, enjoys taking action and getting things done. Marsha is easygoing, enjoys working steadily, and doesnt like sudden change. Whenever Jack had an idea, hed thrust the idea on Marsha, try to get immediate feedback, and if it was approved Jack would launch right into it. This approach drove Marsha nuts, but she tried to avoid conflict and sometimes said yes under pressure but reversed her decision later. Periodically, Marsha would get frustrated and blow up at Jack for reasons Jack couldnt relate to.
Jack and Marsha each took a DISC profile and used a tool to build a comparison graph of their results. The graph showed both Jack and Marsha have high standards (high Conscientiousness), but the other three dimensions (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness) are opposites and the Dominance dimensions are polar opposites. Marsha realized that Jacks high D, her low D, and her indirect way of handling a high D was causing a problem. After they talked about it, Jack was able to redirect much of his high Dominance behavior and stretch his Steadiness behavior. He struggled to stretch his Influence behavior, but that gap didnt seem to bother Marsha as much. Marsha was also able to approach Jack more in his preferred style. Because Jack and Marsha gained insights into their own and each others behavior they were able to work out effective strategies for working together. Additionally, Jack took a listening profile and learned that his least used listening approach was the one that Marsha needed Jack to apply. Jack continues to redirect his D, stretch his S and stretch his listening style to accommodate Marsha which has lead to improved communication, less frustration and conflict, and a performance improvement from their team work.
Whether it's two people working together or a team of people, conflicts can arise. The highly-effective team often produces a better result when everyone is willing to engage in constructive conflict on the work itself.
Even if trust exists and team members are willing to engage in constructive conflict, some people will naturally try to avoid conflict at all costs. Others will try to avoid emotionally charged conversations. Its useful for team members to fill out a DISC profile, voluntarily share their in-depth DISC reports with the team to surface these issues, and look for ways in which the team will encourage all members to participate productively. Lets look at an example of how sharing their DISC profiles helped Jack and Marsha in a work situation.
In this case, Jack assisted Marsha on a series of projects for which she was responsible. Jack has boundless energy, enjoys taking action and getting things done. Marsha is easygoing, enjoys working steadily, and doesnt like sudden change. Whenever Jack had an idea, hed thrust the idea on Marsha, try to get immediate feedback, and if it was approved Jack would launch right into it. This approach drove Marsha nuts, but she tried to avoid conflict and sometimes said yes under pressure but reversed her decision later. Periodically, Marsha would get frustrated and blow up at Jack for reasons Jack couldnt relate to.
Jack and Marsha each took a DISC profile and used a tool to build a comparison graph of their results. The graph showed both Jack and Marsha have high standards (high Conscientiousness), but the other three dimensions (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness) are opposites and the Dominance dimensions are polar opposites. Marsha realized that Jacks high D, her low D, and her indirect way of handling a high D was causing a problem. After they talked about it, Jack was able to redirect much of his high Dominance behavior and stretch his Steadiness behavior. He struggled to stretch his Influence behavior, but that gap didnt seem to bother Marsha as much. Marsha was also able to approach Jack more in his preferred style. Because Jack and Marsha gained insights into their own and each others behavior they were able to work out effective strategies for working together. Additionally, Jack took a listening profile and learned that his least used listening approach was the one that Marsha needed Jack to apply. Jack continues to redirect his D, stretch his S and stretch his listening style to accommodate Marsha which has lead to improved communication, less frustration and conflict, and a performance improvement from their team work.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Career Success: Take Charge of Your Career
People react very differently to the waves of change that suddenly flood the work and marketplace. Some, who feel confused or unsettled struggle to keep their heads above water gasping for air. By contrast, others, who may not even like or agree with the changes, nevertheless accept them, get on with their lives and swim forcefully to their new destination. The following three tactics will help you mobilize your resources to take charge of their careers.
Fuel the Fire In Your Heart.
Live your life and career with intention. The key to sustained peak performance is discovering who you are, what you want in life, and then confidently pursue it. Remember, if you dont have your own mission or purpose get one, or otherwise, all you can do is sign up for someone elses. Remember, if you dont know where youre going, how will you know that youve arrived?
Start by develop a career line. Prepare a graph that outlines your career highs and lows from your first job to the present. What kinds of activities were you involved in during your highs - during your lows? Continue this getting to know yourself process by locating your inner energy source. What really gets the juices flowing for you? Is it challenge? Helping other? Being creative? Having authority? Making an impact? Whatever motivates you, write it on a card and look at it every morning.
During times of change and uncertainty, you must realize that its often your outlook or your attitudes--- what you bring to work, not what work brings to you---that determines your career success. Can you look at whats happening in the workplace and not take it personally? Can you accept the luck of the draw and move on? Can you bounce back on your own rather than allow yourself to wallow in negative emotions? You must learn to accommodate adversity. It can either break or build character. Which is it doing for you?
Forget Being the Lone Ranger.
Are you familiar with the saying: Its not what you know, .but who you know. Well in todays changing work world, the new saying is: Its not only what you know, its not only who you know, but, as important, its who knows you and your work.
First thing to do is to inventory your network. List all the key people in your career world. Are your contacts mostly within your area? Or are there linkages into different departments, divisions, subsidiaries? What about outside your company? What kinds of relationships do you have? Hi and Good by? Or Hi! What have you been doing? Develop relationships with a whole array of people. Its your ticket to career advancement and success.
Know and be known. Work groups or teams, not hierarchies, are now doing the real work in todays workplace. How are you going to find out about the latest hot project? How are key people going to know about you and your talents? An active network is the most effective tool fin this age of uncertainty. Realize that contacts are the bread of career life. In times of change, information and relationships are a source of power.
Dont Just Stand There, Do Something.
Recognize a successful career in not a spectator sport. Opportunities do not just get placed on your desk. Organizations will no longer provide you with clearly defined career paths. Dont be an absentee landlord and neglect your personal career management. Know what you want and actively seek it out. Take charge of your career. Remember, if you dont control your own destiny, no one else will.
Start by doing a career check up. Ask yourself: Where am I? Where do I want to go? What are some paths to get me there? What are possible barriers? What are my supports? What resources am I going to need? How will I get these resources? Failure to take charge of your career leaves you a victim of your own neglect and the changing workplace.
Always have several options in your back pocket. Focus on career contingency planning. Do you have a Plan A, a Plan B, and even a Plan C? What conditions could possibly change in your job; your company; or your industry? Do you have a clear idea where you could jump if unexpected roadblocks arise? Where else can you apply your skills and showcase your talents? A successful career is not fixed in stone, but is fluid and subject to change.
Remember, the Name of the Game Is Action.
Make sure your career goals are not stranded on a island called: Someday Ill........... If you want something, dont just think or talk about it. Figure out a way to make it happen. Set specific goals. Develop action plans. Have realistic timetables. Find the resources you need. Keep alive in todays rough seas and begin preparing for tomorrows raging waters.
People react very differently to the waves of change that suddenly flood the work and marketplace. Some, who feel confused or unsettled struggle to keep their heads above water gasping for air. By contrast, others, who may not even like or agree with the changes, nevertheless accept them, get on with their lives and swim forcefully to their new destination. The following three tactics will help you mobilize your resources to take charge of their careers.
Fuel the Fire In Your Heart.
Live your life and career with intention. The key to sustained peak performance is discovering who you are, what you want in life, and then confidently pursue it. Remember, if you dont have your own mission or purpose get one, or otherwise, all you can do is sign up for someone elses. Remember, if you dont know where youre going, how will you know that youve arrived?
Start by develop a career line. Prepare a graph that outlines your career highs and lows from your first job to the present. What kinds of activities were you involved in during your highs - during your lows? Continue this getting to know yourself process by locating your inner energy source. What really gets the juices flowing for you? Is it challenge? Helping other? Being creative? Having authority? Making an impact? Whatever motivates you, write it on a card and look at it every morning.
During times of change and uncertainty, you must realize that its often your outlook or your attitudes--- what you bring to work, not what work brings to you---that determines your career success. Can you look at whats happening in the workplace and not take it personally? Can you accept the luck of the draw and move on? Can you bounce back on your own rather than allow yourself to wallow in negative emotions? You must learn to accommodate adversity. It can either break or build character. Which is it doing for you?
Forget Being the Lone Ranger.
Are you familiar with the saying: Its not what you know, .but who you know. Well in todays changing work world, the new saying is: Its not only what you know, its not only who you know, but, as important, its who knows you and your work.
First thing to do is to inventory your network. List all the key people in your career world. Are your contacts mostly within your area? Or are there linkages into different departments, divisions, subsidiaries? What about outside your company? What kinds of relationships do you have? Hi and Good by? Or Hi! What have you been doing? Develop relationships with a whole array of people. Its your ticket to career advancement and success.
Know and be known. Work groups or teams, not hierarchies, are now doing the real work in todays workplace. How are you going to find out about the latest hot project? How are key people going to know about you and your talents? An active network is the most effective tool fin this age of uncertainty. Realize that contacts are the bread of career life. In times of change, information and relationships are a source of power.
Dont Just Stand There, Do Something.
Recognize a successful career in not a spectator sport. Opportunities do not just get placed on your desk. Organizations will no longer provide you with clearly defined career paths. Dont be an absentee landlord and neglect your personal career management. Know what you want and actively seek it out. Take charge of your career. Remember, if you dont control your own destiny, no one else will.
Start by doing a career check up. Ask yourself: Where am I? Where do I want to go? What are some paths to get me there? What are possible barriers? What are my supports? What resources am I going to need? How will I get these resources? Failure to take charge of your career leaves you a victim of your own neglect and the changing workplace.
Always have several options in your back pocket. Focus on career contingency planning. Do you have a Plan A, a Plan B, and even a Plan C? What conditions could possibly change in your job; your company; or your industry? Do you have a clear idea where you could jump if unexpected roadblocks arise? Where else can you apply your skills and showcase your talents? A successful career is not fixed in stone, but is fluid and subject to change.
Remember, the Name of the Game Is Action.
Make sure your career goals are not stranded on a island called: Someday Ill........... If you want something, dont just think or talk about it. Figure out a way to make it happen. Set specific goals. Develop action plans. Have realistic timetables. Find the resources you need. Keep alive in todays rough seas and begin preparing for tomorrows raging waters.
Public Speaking: Glossary U - Z
Upstage: The area of the stage farthest from the audience. Also to steal the focus of the audience from the intended main performer.
Venue: See Site.
View-graph: Alternate name for overhead transparency.
Wings: Extreme sides of the stage normally hidden from the audience by curtains or walls.
Wireless microphone: See Cordless microphone.
Whisper: Attention-gaining device where presenter speaks with extremely low volume to one audience member.
Workshop: An educational session lasting from one hour to many days. Usually includes hands-on practice in the particular skills being taught.
Upstage: The area of the stage farthest from the audience. Also to steal the focus of the audience from the intended main performer.
Venue: See Site.
View-graph: Alternate name for overhead transparency.
Wings: Extreme sides of the stage normally hidden from the audience by curtains or walls.
Wireless microphone: See Cordless microphone.
Whisper: Attention-gaining device where presenter speaks with extremely low volume to one audience member.
Workshop: An educational session lasting from one hour to many days. Usually includes hands-on practice in the particular skills being taught.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
What Your Competition Knows About Traffic
Need more traffic? There's a lot you can learn from spying on your competition. Your competition has traffic sources that you can easily swipe by following these steps.
Step One: Who should you spy on? You probably can name six to thirty online competitors. If not, you need to go through Google and Yahoo with the key terms you target. Who comes up? Write down everyone who has a business similar to yours, even if they aren't identical.
Now you need to figure out who you should spy on first. Begin with the most successful websites. How do you find them? It's easy with a couple tools.
The Google toolbar (toolbar.google.com) is essential for spying. The Google toolbar features a little bar labeled "PageRank." Depending on each site, this bar may be gray, white, or (usually) a combination of green and white. The more green, the higher Google ranks that page. To get an exact PageRank, put your cursor over the PageRank graph and hold it there. Your competitors with the highest PageRank are the ones you want to look at very closely.
You also want to spy on the competitors with the most traffic. To figure out the relative traffic position of your competition (compared to all web sites), go to alexa.com and download their toolbar. The Alexa toolbar will display a number for each website it?s traffic rank. The lower the number, the higher the traffic. (For example, Yahoo?s Alexa rank is 1, while Blockbuster?s is 2,220.)
Step two: Snoop through your competitor's log files to see which sites and search terms send them the most traffic. Is there a public stats tracker on your competitor's site? If so, check it out. If not, try typing in your competitor's URL with /stats.html and /stats/ on the end of it. Often times, web hosts put statistics here - without password protection. Still can't find your competitor's stats? Try Googling their URL and "statistics." It's a long shot, but sometimes statistics pages will turn up this way.
Step three: Look at who is linking to your competitor. The easiest way to do this is to run a backward link search in Google and Altavista. Simply type in link:http://www.yourcompetition.com (using your competitor's URL). You'll find most of the pages that link to your competitor this way. How do you know which links are the best? By using the Google toolbar. The pages linking to your competitor with the highest PageRank are the ones you should look to for links of your own.
To steal those links, email all the webmasters that are linking to your competitor without getting a link back in return. Figure out why they link to your competitor (good free content, subject fits site, etc), and give them a better reason to link to you. Chances are, most of these webmasters will give you a link as well.
Once you have these new sites linking to yours, positive changes in your Google ranking are likely. You may even overtake your competitor for your targeted search terms especially if you get links from spying on multiple sites. All from a little reconnaissance work and some emailing!
Need more traffic? There's a lot you can learn from spying on your competition. Your competition has traffic sources that you can easily swipe by following these steps.
Step One: Who should you spy on? You probably can name six to thirty online competitors. If not, you need to go through Google and Yahoo with the key terms you target. Who comes up? Write down everyone who has a business similar to yours, even if they aren't identical.
Now you need to figure out who you should spy on first. Begin with the most successful websites. How do you find them? It's easy with a couple tools.
The Google toolbar (toolbar.google.com) is essential for spying. The Google toolbar features a little bar labeled "PageRank." Depending on each site, this bar may be gray, white, or (usually) a combination of green and white. The more green, the higher Google ranks that page. To get an exact PageRank, put your cursor over the PageRank graph and hold it there. Your competitors with the highest PageRank are the ones you want to look at very closely.
You also want to spy on the competitors with the most traffic. To figure out the relative traffic position of your competition (compared to all web sites), go to alexa.com and download their toolbar. The Alexa toolbar will display a number for each website it?s traffic rank. The lower the number, the higher the traffic. (For example, Yahoo?s Alexa rank is 1, while Blockbuster?s is 2,220.)
Step two: Snoop through your competitor's log files to see which sites and search terms send them the most traffic. Is there a public stats tracker on your competitor's site? If so, check it out. If not, try typing in your competitor's URL with /stats.html and /stats/ on the end of it. Often times, web hosts put statistics here - without password protection. Still can't find your competitor's stats? Try Googling their URL and "statistics." It's a long shot, but sometimes statistics pages will turn up this way.
Step three: Look at who is linking to your competitor. The easiest way to do this is to run a backward link search in Google and Altavista. Simply type in link:http://www.yourcompetition.com (using your competitor's URL). You'll find most of the pages that link to your competitor this way. How do you know which links are the best? By using the Google toolbar. The pages linking to your competitor with the highest PageRank are the ones you should look to for links of your own.
To steal those links, email all the webmasters that are linking to your competitor without getting a link back in return. Figure out why they link to your competitor (good free content, subject fits site, etc), and give them a better reason to link to you. Chances are, most of these webmasters will give you a link as well.
Once you have these new sites linking to yours, positive changes in your Google ranking are likely. You may even overtake your competitor for your targeted search terms especially if you get links from spying on multiple sites. All from a little reconnaissance work and some emailing!
Exponential Search Engine Traffic Growth - The Beauty and Frustration of the Internet
The internet is structured in such a way as to facilitate explosive, exponential growth.
Most of us know about the internets explosive potential to make millionaires almost overnight through search engine traffic, and this potential is quite often what attracts many people to do business online.
The problem, however, is that we often dont realize the amount of hard work and dedication that it takes to actually see and experience this type of amazing and lucrative growth.
If we were to graph a websites traffic growth by the amount of effort put into the website (using various search engine optimization methods on page optimization, reciprocal linking etc), we would get an exponential curve.
As we can see from the shape of an exponential graph, exponential traffic growth requires a lot of initial effort with very few results at first.
Then after time, the search engine traffic growth begins to increase very rapidly, compounding exponentially with very little effort required to dramatically increase traffic.
Unfortunately, we are most used to thinking in terms of a linear graph when it comes to the amount of effort put in versus the results that we see.
What I mean by this is that typically we feel that we should be able to see an immediate increase in our search engine traffic growth, directly related to the effort that we put in, as it is with most other jobs.
In a linear growth situation (which is typical of most jobs), we can see that the more effort we put in, the more immediate results we see, so the growth/results (or lack thereof) would be seen immediately and would be directly related to the amount of effort put into the job.
However, this isnt the case with exponential growth on the internet.
If we refer back to an exponential growth graph of the amount of traffic growth for a website, we can clearly see that at the beginning stages of search engine traffic generation, there is often a lot more effort put out than actual results seen.
If we were to compare the linear and exponential growth graphs by overlaying them, we would quickly see the dramatic differences between the two graphs.
That being said, if we view search engine traffic growth as being linear instead of exponential - we would expect that if we were to increase our efforts, we would see immediate results in the amount of traffic that we get.
You can see where the problem lies.
If we start a website thinking that the amount of effort that we put into growing our search engine traffic will have a direct and immediate impact on the amount of traffic and growth that our website sees (the linear graph), but in reality, it is based on an exponential growth curve you can see how one could quickly become discouraged.
Think of exponential search engine growth as planting seeds and linear search engine growth as building a house. When you are building a house, you can see that the harder and longer you work, the quicker you see and experience the results. On the other hand, planting seeds often requires a lot of up front effort without a lot of results before you can get some growth. But when the seeds start growing, they grow and mature fairly quickly with a lot less effort than when you first planted them.
The exponential growth of the internet requires a lot more up front effort, which doesnt achieve much in the way of immediate results, in order to realize the super traffic growth with very little effort later on.
This is why so many people give up in the early phases of search engine optimization and traffic growth they simply dont see the results that they feel their effort should have earned them.
So they quit.
Unfortunately for them, if they had known that they were dealing with an exponential growth curve (not a linear growth curve), they may have endured long enough to reap the benefits and succeed in their online venture.
That being said, in addition to understanding what kind of growth environment we are in when we deal with the internet, we must also use the techniques for traffic generation that are best suited to take advantage of the explosive exponential growth that is available for us on the internet.
The internet is structured in such a way as to facilitate explosive, exponential growth.
Most of us know about the internets explosive potential to make millionaires almost overnight through search engine traffic, and this potential is quite often what attracts many people to do business online.
The problem, however, is that we often dont realize the amount of hard work and dedication that it takes to actually see and experience this type of amazing and lucrative growth.
If we were to graph a websites traffic growth by the amount of effort put into the website (using various search engine optimization methods on page optimization, reciprocal linking etc), we would get an exponential curve.
As we can see from the shape of an exponential graph, exponential traffic growth requires a lot of initial effort with very few results at first.
Then after time, the search engine traffic growth begins to increase very rapidly, compounding exponentially with very little effort required to dramatically increase traffic.
Unfortunately, we are most used to thinking in terms of a linear graph when it comes to the amount of effort put in versus the results that we see.
What I mean by this is that typically we feel that we should be able to see an immediate increase in our search engine traffic growth, directly related to the effort that we put in, as it is with most other jobs.
In a linear growth situation (which is typical of most jobs), we can see that the more effort we put in, the more immediate results we see, so the growth/results (or lack thereof) would be seen immediately and would be directly related to the amount of effort put into the job.
However, this isnt the case with exponential growth on the internet.
If we refer back to an exponential growth graph of the amount of traffic growth for a website, we can clearly see that at the beginning stages of search engine traffic generation, there is often a lot more effort put out than actual results seen.
If we were to compare the linear and exponential growth graphs by overlaying them, we would quickly see the dramatic differences between the two graphs.
That being said, if we view search engine traffic growth as being linear instead of exponential - we would expect that if we were to increase our efforts, we would see immediate results in the amount of traffic that we get.
You can see where the problem lies.
If we start a website thinking that the amount of effort that we put into growing our search engine traffic will have a direct and immediate impact on the amount of traffic and growth that our website sees (the linear graph), but in reality, it is based on an exponential growth curve you can see how one could quickly become discouraged.
Think of exponential search engine growth as planting seeds and linear search engine growth as building a house. When you are building a house, you can see that the harder and longer you work, the quicker you see and experience the results. On the other hand, planting seeds often requires a lot of up front effort without a lot of results before you can get some growth. But when the seeds start growing, they grow and mature fairly quickly with a lot less effort than when you first planted them.
The exponential growth of the internet requires a lot more up front effort, which doesnt achieve much in the way of immediate results, in order to realize the super traffic growth with very little effort later on.
This is why so many people give up in the early phases of search engine optimization and traffic growth they simply dont see the results that they feel their effort should have earned them.
So they quit.
Unfortunately for them, if they had known that they were dealing with an exponential growth curve (not a linear growth curve), they may have endured long enough to reap the benefits and succeed in their online venture.
That being said, in addition to understanding what kind of growth environment we are in when we deal with the internet, we must also use the techniques for traffic generation that are best suited to take advantage of the explosive exponential growth that is available for us on the internet.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Satellite TV: How Does This Actually Work?
Satellite TV is TV delivered by way of orbiting communications satellites located 37,000 km above the earth's surface. To start a Satellite TV we have to locate a transmitting antenna at an uplink facility. Uplink satellite dishes go towards the satellite on which its signals are transmitted to & are very large in diameter, say about 9-12 meters or 30-40 feet. This large diameter gives a perfect positioning & a clear signal reception at the satellite. The satellite signals are retransmitted to Earth through transponders with a different frequency.
Satellite TV is much similar to the broadcast TV. Satellite TV is a wireless system for delivering television programming directly to a viewer's house. But in broadcast TV the major problem is of range because due to Earth's curved surface the signal line of site is broken many times. The other problem which broadcast TV gives is that there is much interruption in signal or the picture is distorted in the viewing area. Satellite TV solves all these problems of the range, broadcast signals, etc.
As due to Earth's surface the problem comes in signal but as satellites are high in the sky, the coverage scope for the customers is much more. They transmit & receive radio signals through satellite dishes which are a sort of specialized antennas.
The first Satellite TV was relayed from Europe to the Telstar Satellite over North America in 1962.Canada's Anik I, launched in 1973, was the first domestic North American Satellite to carry television. When Satellite TV was launched in the market, home dishes converted a lot of space in yards. Everyone was dying hard to have their own dish. Satellite TV has gifted today's generation with thousands of entertainment channels. They cannot imagine the tedious stage of people before the launching of Satellite TV.
Satellite TV is not only popular in America but it is equally popular in other civilized countries around the world. It is not only a channel but is actually huge information resource which is a source of entertainment as well as an important source of education.
Satellite TV is the best source we can rely on for entertainment. It gives us variety of channels some filled with comedy, laughter and drama, some of sports which take up each and every type of port, some on cartoons, some on news taking in view the news of both, national as well as international news and moreover the most awaited movie channels. Even for children it is not only that they give cartoon films but they also give channels of general knowledge and educative information like Discovery Science, National Geography, etc. Satellite TV gives us a gala gift of music channels where we can listen to all types of favorites. Recent independent searches carried out came of a conclusion that Satellite TV is a far more better option than Cable TV because it is better to install a necessary equipment without paying rental for it rather than pay rental for Cable TV, which too is very expensive& see disturbed transmission &that too limited.
There are 3 choices of Satellite TV available in America: DirectTV, Dish Network & Voom. To buy Satellite TV equipment, you have a number of retailers offering you various types of schemes also. To make comparisons among all the retailers just be online & nave all sorts of information in front of you. There is tremendous competition in retailers as the graph of popularity of Satellite TV is increasing day by day. Thus you can enjoy a selective choice of package according to the need of your family.
Satellite TV is TV delivered by way of orbiting communications satellites located 37,000 km above the earth's surface. To start a Satellite TV we have to locate a transmitting antenna at an uplink facility. Uplink satellite dishes go towards the satellite on which its signals are transmitted to & are very large in diameter, say about 9-12 meters or 30-40 feet. This large diameter gives a perfect positioning & a clear signal reception at the satellite. The satellite signals are retransmitted to Earth through transponders with a different frequency.
Satellite TV is much similar to the broadcast TV. Satellite TV is a wireless system for delivering television programming directly to a viewer's house. But in broadcast TV the major problem is of range because due to Earth's curved surface the signal line of site is broken many times. The other problem which broadcast TV gives is that there is much interruption in signal or the picture is distorted in the viewing area. Satellite TV solves all these problems of the range, broadcast signals, etc.
As due to Earth's surface the problem comes in signal but as satellites are high in the sky, the coverage scope for the customers is much more. They transmit & receive radio signals through satellite dishes which are a sort of specialized antennas.
The first Satellite TV was relayed from Europe to the Telstar Satellite over North America in 1962.Canada's Anik I, launched in 1973, was the first domestic North American Satellite to carry television. When Satellite TV was launched in the market, home dishes converted a lot of space in yards. Everyone was dying hard to have their own dish. Satellite TV has gifted today's generation with thousands of entertainment channels. They cannot imagine the tedious stage of people before the launching of Satellite TV.
Satellite TV is not only popular in America but it is equally popular in other civilized countries around the world. It is not only a channel but is actually huge information resource which is a source of entertainment as well as an important source of education.
Satellite TV is the best source we can rely on for entertainment. It gives us variety of channels some filled with comedy, laughter and drama, some of sports which take up each and every type of port, some on cartoons, some on news taking in view the news of both, national as well as international news and moreover the most awaited movie channels. Even for children it is not only that they give cartoon films but they also give channels of general knowledge and educative information like Discovery Science, National Geography, etc. Satellite TV gives us a gala gift of music channels where we can listen to all types of favorites. Recent independent searches carried out came of a conclusion that Satellite TV is a far more better option than Cable TV because it is better to install a necessary equipment without paying rental for it rather than pay rental for Cable TV, which too is very expensive& see disturbed transmission &that too limited.
There are 3 choices of Satellite TV available in America: DirectTV, Dish Network & Voom. To buy Satellite TV equipment, you have a number of retailers offering you various types of schemes also. To make comparisons among all the retailers just be online & nave all sorts of information in front of you. There is tremendous competition in retailers as the graph of popularity of Satellite TV is increasing day by day. Thus you can enjoy a selective choice of package according to the need of your family.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Tracking For Profits
If you can't track it, don't do it.
Every high-performance venture needs a tracking system. A tracking system with well-designed metrics lets everyone know how well they are doing relative to their commitments. It is a guide to whether additional or extraordinary actions need to be taken.
It is one of the first things I set up with my business coaching clients because without a clear set of objective metrics it is hard for people to be clear about their results.
Establish intentions for your project, figure out the critical success factors, determine suitable measurements for each, and set performance targets for those measures.
For example, say your intention is to increase market penetration. The measure is your ventures sales divided by total sales in your market. Perhaps your current market share is 10% -- good, you have a benchmark, and your new target is 25% by the end of the year.
Thats objective, measurable, and thus... achievable.
Make someone accountable for your projects performance against each target.
Establish a timely tracking system for each metric, which easily gathers the necessary data.
Develop periodic interim performance targets, and a reporting structure to let everyone involved know how they are doing.
Your performance tracking systems can be kept with pen and paper, or they can be automated on your computer system. However you implement them, keep it simple and don't let the overhead of your tracking system become a burden of any kind.
Below is a very simple system I used to keep track of my page output while writing Faster Than The Speed of Change. It was kept on a computer spreadsheet, but could just as easily been pencil on graph paper. Whenever I was below the line I had catching up to do.
Start with 0 in the lower left corner, write units of measurement along the left axis, and dates of measurement along the bottom. Draw a straight reference line from 0 to your goal, and plot your performance against that goal. Of course the reference line need not be straight; set it up in whatever way reflects the time-relationship of your goals.
If you want to find out how you can set up a performance dashboard and completely systemize your entire business to make it "scalable and saleable" link to http://www.turnkeycoach.com
If you can't track it, don't do it.
Every high-performance venture needs a tracking system. A tracking system with well-designed metrics lets everyone know how well they are doing relative to their commitments. It is a guide to whether additional or extraordinary actions need to be taken.
It is one of the first things I set up with my business coaching clients because without a clear set of objective metrics it is hard for people to be clear about their results.
Establish intentions for your project, figure out the critical success factors, determine suitable measurements for each, and set performance targets for those measures.
For example, say your intention is to increase market penetration. The measure is your ventures sales divided by total sales in your market. Perhaps your current market share is 10% -- good, you have a benchmark, and your new target is 25% by the end of the year.
Thats objective, measurable, and thus... achievable.
Make someone accountable for your projects performance against each target.
Establish a timely tracking system for each metric, which easily gathers the necessary data.
Develop periodic interim performance targets, and a reporting structure to let everyone involved know how they are doing.
Your performance tracking systems can be kept with pen and paper, or they can be automated on your computer system. However you implement them, keep it simple and don't let the overhead of your tracking system become a burden of any kind.
Below is a very simple system I used to keep track of my page output while writing Faster Than The Speed of Change. It was kept on a computer spreadsheet, but could just as easily been pencil on graph paper. Whenever I was below the line I had catching up to do.
Start with 0 in the lower left corner, write units of measurement along the left axis, and dates of measurement along the bottom. Draw a straight reference line from 0 to your goal, and plot your performance against that goal. Of course the reference line need not be straight; set it up in whatever way reflects the time-relationship of your goals.
If you want to find out how you can set up a performance dashboard and completely systemize your entire business to make it "scalable and saleable" link to http://www.turnkeycoach.com
Camera Digital Technology - Sensors, Storage Space And Snapshot Sharpness
Camera digital technology: do you have to understand it to utilize it? Probably not, especially if you're using a consumer digital camera - a point-and-shoot - and you just want to get that holiday trip recorded for posterity...
On the other hand, it is quite useful to have a good grip on camera digital technology to get the best out of that little technological marvel!
For starters, it makes sense to know that the number of pictures you can take on your camera depends on the file format you select, and on your camera's storage capacity.
Camera digital technology generally works with two main formats, the JPG and the RAW file. The latter is for storing as much as possible original data per picture, to be adjusted later on a PC. The RAW format is of particular interest to professionals. RAW pictures often need nearly 10 times as much storage space as JPG files, so a casual photographer will generally choose to use JPG.
However, your camera might give you the option of selecting high quality JPG's or standard quality JPG's - the latter using less space, and mostly giving quite satisfactory results.
The camera will store the picture files on a card. A 256MB card can sometimes store more than 80 images of standard JPG size. If you're willing to spend more, new camera digital technology allows you to buy cards with 10 times more storage capacity.
Another aspect of camera digital technology which is useful to know about, is the way the images are captured. In stead of the film of well, film cameras, digital cameras have a silicon sensor with light-sensitive photosites (pixels) which capture the light information.
These sensors are often less precise than film when it comes to rendering detail in shadows and highlights. Camera digital technology therefore dictates that you should be careful not to "blow" your highlights. If they are not captured in the first place, you can't make any adjustments afterwards in your software processing.
To ensure you capture as much shadow and highlight detail as possible, and in a balanced way, camera digital technology offers you the use of a histogram. This handy tool is a little graph which indicates how the levels of brightness are distributed in an image. Many cameras show a histogram in real time, while you compose your image, giving you the opportunity to make exposure adjustments.
While digital camera lenses are essentially "old technology", it is useful to know that you can get excellent quality pictures from fairly inexpensive consumer cameras. This has once again to do with the sensor used in camera digital technology.
As the sensor in these point-and-shoots have a much smaller surface area than the 35mm film of a film camera, the former can get a much sharper and detailed image than a film camera with the same lens, due to the smaller focal area.
Camera digital technology has the major advantage of offering you stacks of opportunity to experiment with taking first-rate pictures, because you don't have to be concerned with the expenses relating to camera film.
So go out there and put the new camera digital technology to use!
Camera digital technology: do you have to understand it to utilize it? Probably not, especially if you're using a consumer digital camera - a point-and-shoot - and you just want to get that holiday trip recorded for posterity...
On the other hand, it is quite useful to have a good grip on camera digital technology to get the best out of that little technological marvel!
For starters, it makes sense to know that the number of pictures you can take on your camera depends on the file format you select, and on your camera's storage capacity.
Camera digital technology generally works with two main formats, the JPG and the RAW file. The latter is for storing as much as possible original data per picture, to be adjusted later on a PC. The RAW format is of particular interest to professionals. RAW pictures often need nearly 10 times as much storage space as JPG files, so a casual photographer will generally choose to use JPG.
However, your camera might give you the option of selecting high quality JPG's or standard quality JPG's - the latter using less space, and mostly giving quite satisfactory results.
The camera will store the picture files on a card. A 256MB card can sometimes store more than 80 images of standard JPG size. If you're willing to spend more, new camera digital technology allows you to buy cards with 10 times more storage capacity.
Another aspect of camera digital technology which is useful to know about, is the way the images are captured. In stead of the film of well, film cameras, digital cameras have a silicon sensor with light-sensitive photosites (pixels) which capture the light information.
These sensors are often less precise than film when it comes to rendering detail in shadows and highlights. Camera digital technology therefore dictates that you should be careful not to "blow" your highlights. If they are not captured in the first place, you can't make any adjustments afterwards in your software processing.
To ensure you capture as much shadow and highlight detail as possible, and in a balanced way, camera digital technology offers you the use of a histogram. This handy tool is a little graph which indicates how the levels of brightness are distributed in an image. Many cameras show a histogram in real time, while you compose your image, giving you the opportunity to make exposure adjustments.
While digital camera lenses are essentially "old technology", it is useful to know that you can get excellent quality pictures from fairly inexpensive consumer cameras. This has once again to do with the sensor used in camera digital technology.
As the sensor in these point-and-shoots have a much smaller surface area than the 35mm film of a film camera, the former can get a much sharper and detailed image than a film camera with the same lens, due to the smaller focal area.
Camera digital technology has the major advantage of offering you stacks of opportunity to experiment with taking first-rate pictures, because you don't have to be concerned with the expenses relating to camera film.
So go out there and put the new camera digital technology to use!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Orient Your First-time Web Site Visitor
Imagine spinning someone around so profoundly and for so
long that when you finally tell them to open their eyes,
they ask "Where am I?" not knowing if they are even on the
same continent they started from. When someone comes to
your web site from a search engine or through a link from
another site, it's like that for them. They may have little
or no context within which to understand your home page - or
another page deep within your site that they've landed on.
By imagining and engineering your site for that profoundly
disoriented visitor, you can add subtle clues and explicit
messages to your site that orient the person arriving at
your site from who knows where. You can do this without
"dumbing down" your presentation in any way, turning
confused visitors into converted ones.
For instance, while judging sites for the Webby Awards, I've
sometimes found myself at a home page about a city that
appears justifiably proud of itself for all that it's
achieved, yet I haven't a clue what state or province or
even what country that city is located in. It's easier to
appreciate what you're reading if you know that Kamloops is
in British Columbia, Canada and not in Scotland or New
Zealand.
Likewise, when people are searching for a service provider
and you do what you do only in a specific geographical area,
say so right on your home page. For instance, if you
provide emergency on-site technical support throughout
Southern Vermont, say so. You'll have fewer potential
clients clicking away in confusion and have fewer
inappropriate phone or email inquiries to deal with.
Sometimes the missing orientation pertains to your
profession rather than geography. For instance, I was once
sent to look at a site on "Japanese candlestick trading" and
found myself completely mystified. After reading a few
paragraphs, I gathered that this had something to do with
investing in the stock market, but even after I'd read the
whole page I didn't know what it had to do with Japan or
with candlesticks. How much nicer to include a sentence
like this not far into the home page: "Since its origin in
14th century Japan, this method of stock trading according
to candlestick-shaped patterns of price shifts on a graph
has..."
Another time I evaluated a site for a firm that did
"information protection" and "intellectual asset
management." Even after reading the entire site, I wasn't
sure what kinds of information or intellectual assets the
firm protected and managed. I checked with the head of the
firm, and my top two guesses were wrong. In fact, the firm
helps companies protect trade secrets, confidential company
information and intellectual property from theft or
inadvertent exposure. Again, be specific and clear so that
you let first-time visitors understand whether you offer the
expertise or product line that they're looking for.
These three site components help you provide clues to first-
time visitors to your site: the page title - the text that
appears in the top left corner of the browser; the site's
name and tag line, which normally appear as unifying
elements on every page; and the wording or text that
appears on the home page or other page. Explicitly or
through the accumulation of strong clues, make sure that
someone coming to your site without any advance warning of
what you do will feel oriented within their first 20 or 30
seconds.
Imagine spinning someone around so profoundly and for so
long that when you finally tell them to open their eyes,
they ask "Where am I?" not knowing if they are even on the
same continent they started from. When someone comes to
your web site from a search engine or through a link from
another site, it's like that for them. They may have little
or no context within which to understand your home page - or
another page deep within your site that they've landed on.
By imagining and engineering your site for that profoundly
disoriented visitor, you can add subtle clues and explicit
messages to your site that orient the person arriving at
your site from who knows where. You can do this without
"dumbing down" your presentation in any way, turning
confused visitors into converted ones.
For instance, while judging sites for the Webby Awards, I've
sometimes found myself at a home page about a city that
appears justifiably proud of itself for all that it's
achieved, yet I haven't a clue what state or province or
even what country that city is located in. It's easier to
appreciate what you're reading if you know that Kamloops is
in British Columbia, Canada and not in Scotland or New
Zealand.
Likewise, when people are searching for a service provider
and you do what you do only in a specific geographical area,
say so right on your home page. For instance, if you
provide emergency on-site technical support throughout
Southern Vermont, say so. You'll have fewer potential
clients clicking away in confusion and have fewer
inappropriate phone or email inquiries to deal with.
Sometimes the missing orientation pertains to your
profession rather than geography. For instance, I was once
sent to look at a site on "Japanese candlestick trading" and
found myself completely mystified. After reading a few
paragraphs, I gathered that this had something to do with
investing in the stock market, but even after I'd read the
whole page I didn't know what it had to do with Japan or
with candlesticks. How much nicer to include a sentence
like this not far into the home page: "Since its origin in
14th century Japan, this method of stock trading according
to candlestick-shaped patterns of price shifts on a graph
has..."
Another time I evaluated a site for a firm that did
"information protection" and "intellectual asset
management." Even after reading the entire site, I wasn't
sure what kinds of information or intellectual assets the
firm protected and managed. I checked with the head of the
firm, and my top two guesses were wrong. In fact, the firm
helps companies protect trade secrets, confidential company
information and intellectual property from theft or
inadvertent exposure. Again, be specific and clear so that
you let first-time visitors understand whether you offer the
expertise or product line that they're looking for.
These three site components help you provide clues to first-
time visitors to your site: the page title - the text that
appears in the top left corner of the browser; the site's
name and tag line, which normally appear as unifying
elements on every page; and the wording or text that
appears on the home page or other page. Explicitly or
through the accumulation of strong clues, make sure that
someone coming to your site without any advance warning of
what you do will feel oriented within their first 20 or 30
seconds.
Interior Design Style and Colour Use for the Home Office (3 of 4)
There are two ways that you can go about selecting the general decor of your home office: either follow the style that prevails in the rest of your home, or treat your office as an individual space. Choosing which way to go is a simple task requiring answers to only a few questions.
> Has your home been decorated in one style that is visible throughout?
> Is your office easily visible from other rooms/areas of your home?
> Does your work suggest a style of its own?
Based on the questions above, here are a few simple ways to help you easily achieve a pleasing decor in your home office.
If you are going to treat your office as a part of your home, using the same decor and style, your job is already half done. But remember, you don't have to use the exact colour scheme or mood. You can modify what you see outside your office to blend smoothly. For instance, you can reverse the main and accent colours; you can use the same colours but in different proportions; or a different level of formality. Because you are decorating an office, it is likely that you are going to want to treat the style differently than how it appears in other areas of your home, and this is normal. Don't be afraid to create a variation in the atmosphere -- it is only the general style you are aiming to respect.
For a home office that is open within an area of your home, you are going to have to be a little more cautious. In this case, you must respect the style seen around your office, but at the same time you should definitely aim to create a sense of separation between your work space and living space. Visual separation does not mean building a wall; it means creating a new environment within the existing one. Some ways of creating visual separation include changes in ceiling height and/or floor level (a step up or down); a room divider placed to look decorative rather than confining; colour changes such as reversing the main and accent paint colours used on the walls; and furniture placement.
Placing furniture in a way that the layout separates space is fairly simple, but don't forget to play with your ideas on graph paper first or else you may find yourself still rearranging while you should already be at your desk. Consider using a large bookshelf or storage cabinet as a room divider -- the back of it can be decorated with fabric, paint, a collage... or place furniture back-to-back to create the sense of two separate zones. Keep in mind while you are working on the layout that you don't want to feel that your office is, for instance, in the back of your basement -- it is at the back of the basement. Just as words can be played with, so can space.
A home office that is to receive a style of its own is a fun thing to work out. You should aim to have a bit of who you are visible in the decor, while creating a visual sense of what you do. This is not a cubicle in a large office complex -- this is your office. If you have a love of bold patterns, classic cars, angels... incorporate them into the decor even if they have nothing to do with what you will be doing in your office. At the same time, your office should say more about whay you do that "I work at a desk." What do you do at that desk? If you are in the computer business, have things around that suggest that, like an enlarged and framed comic strip that has something to do with computers. If your office is actually more of a workshop and you do clothing alterations, incorporate your supplies into your decor: display spools of thread in a rainbow-like pattern, hand a rod a few inches from a wall and drape some fabrics over it for an ever-changing backdrop. If you work in the travel industry, have a model plane suspended, and display items or pictures symbolic of some of your favorite destinations; if it won't get in your way, have a beach ball in your office, or make a "sandbox" to hang on the wall by gluing sand to the back of a shadow box and gluing small shells onto the sand.
When choosing the colours for your office, there are a few basic points to consider. Yellows, reds, and other very warm colours in large quantities can cause you to feel thirsty. Blue is very relaxing, but be careful not to choose a bland grey-blue that can actually lead to feeling tired or restless. The best way to go about selecting the colours for your office is to choose three colours; use one as a main colour (for instance on the walls), another as the main accent colour (visible in a pattern on a rug, drapes, desk accessories...), and the third as an accent colour appearing only in splashes here and there (such as flowers in a vase, a couple of photo frames...). At this point your colour scheme is set, and all you have to do is keep in mind some basic points of colour psychology. A dark ceiling will feel very low; mirrors and reflective materials make a space feel larger; too many colours, especially bold ones, can cause a feeling of clutter even if there is none.
A final point on the topic of colour and style: materials such as woods, stone, and metal can be incorporated into any colour scheme -- although they may affect the style, they will not clash. A natural pine desk will certainly give a different look than a mahogany one, but either will match any colour scheme; ditto for stainless steel and brass, and marble and concrete.
Look for the final article from this 4-part series on home offices: Lighting and Window Treatments for the Home Office.
There are two ways that you can go about selecting the general decor of your home office: either follow the style that prevails in the rest of your home, or treat your office as an individual space. Choosing which way to go is a simple task requiring answers to only a few questions.
> Has your home been decorated in one style that is visible throughout?
> Is your office easily visible from other rooms/areas of your home?
> Does your work suggest a style of its own?
Based on the questions above, here are a few simple ways to help you easily achieve a pleasing decor in your home office.
If you are going to treat your office as a part of your home, using the same decor and style, your job is already half done. But remember, you don't have to use the exact colour scheme or mood. You can modify what you see outside your office to blend smoothly. For instance, you can reverse the main and accent colours; you can use the same colours but in different proportions; or a different level of formality. Because you are decorating an office, it is likely that you are going to want to treat the style differently than how it appears in other areas of your home, and this is normal. Don't be afraid to create a variation in the atmosphere -- it is only the general style you are aiming to respect.
For a home office that is open within an area of your home, you are going to have to be a little more cautious. In this case, you must respect the style seen around your office, but at the same time you should definitely aim to create a sense of separation between your work space and living space. Visual separation does not mean building a wall; it means creating a new environment within the existing one. Some ways of creating visual separation include changes in ceiling height and/or floor level (a step up or down); a room divider placed to look decorative rather than confining; colour changes such as reversing the main and accent paint colours used on the walls; and furniture placement.
Placing furniture in a way that the layout separates space is fairly simple, but don't forget to play with your ideas on graph paper first or else you may find yourself still rearranging while you should already be at your desk. Consider using a large bookshelf or storage cabinet as a room divider -- the back of it can be decorated with fabric, paint, a collage... or place furniture back-to-back to create the sense of two separate zones. Keep in mind while you are working on the layout that you don't want to feel that your office is, for instance, in the back of your basement -- it is at the back of the basement. Just as words can be played with, so can space.
A home office that is to receive a style of its own is a fun thing to work out. You should aim to have a bit of who you are visible in the decor, while creating a visual sense of what you do. This is not a cubicle in a large office complex -- this is your office. If you have a love of bold patterns, classic cars, angels... incorporate them into the decor even if they have nothing to do with what you will be doing in your office. At the same time, your office should say more about whay you do that "I work at a desk." What do you do at that desk? If you are in the computer business, have things around that suggest that, like an enlarged and framed comic strip that has something to do with computers. If your office is actually more of a workshop and you do clothing alterations, incorporate your supplies into your decor: display spools of thread in a rainbow-like pattern, hand a rod a few inches from a wall and drape some fabrics over it for an ever-changing backdrop. If you work in the travel industry, have a model plane suspended, and display items or pictures symbolic of some of your favorite destinations; if it won't get in your way, have a beach ball in your office, or make a "sandbox" to hang on the wall by gluing sand to the back of a shadow box and gluing small shells onto the sand.
When choosing the colours for your office, there are a few basic points to consider. Yellows, reds, and other very warm colours in large quantities can cause you to feel thirsty. Blue is very relaxing, but be careful not to choose a bland grey-blue that can actually lead to feeling tired or restless. The best way to go about selecting the colours for your office is to choose three colours; use one as a main colour (for instance on the walls), another as the main accent colour (visible in a pattern on a rug, drapes, desk accessories...), and the third as an accent colour appearing only in splashes here and there (such as flowers in a vase, a couple of photo frames...). At this point your colour scheme is set, and all you have to do is keep in mind some basic points of colour psychology. A dark ceiling will feel very low; mirrors and reflective materials make a space feel larger; too many colours, especially bold ones, can cause a feeling of clutter even if there is none.
A final point on the topic of colour and style: materials such as woods, stone, and metal can be incorporated into any colour scheme -- although they may affect the style, they will not clash. A natural pine desk will certainly give a different look than a mahogany one, but either will match any colour scheme; ditto for stainless steel and brass, and marble and concrete.
Look for the final article from this 4-part series on home offices: Lighting and Window Treatments for the Home Office.
Friday, September 7, 2007
How to Use a Home Equity Line of Credit Calculator
Most home owners know that the lower the interest rate, the lower the monthly payments. But then the process may get a bit fuzzy. While your monthly payments may be the same every month, you are not applying the same amount to the principal of the loan. Your amortization will vary month to month. So, you will have to use a little math to determine how much equity you are actually gaining. Are you confused yet? If you are, dont worry. There is luckily a very helpful tool that will take the guess work out of home equity loans. Before you commit to anything, you should play around with a home equity loan calculator to determine how much you can borrow. There are many sites available online that give you free access to a wealth of tools and calculators.
What is a home equity loan calculator? Basically, it is a mathematical program that will ask for a few key pieces of information. It will then calculate how much you can borrow, and show you an example of what your amortization schedule would look like. Your lender may use a similar program to determine the amount that you can borrow against your home.
Once you find a home equity loan calculator, you will need to enter in a little bit of information. First it will ask you the value of your home. Typically, the more accurate this figure the more likely you are to get an accurate end result. Most appraisal companies will take private orders, so you can order an appraisal at any time prior to actually obtaining a loan. Prices vary by location, but you can expect to spend a few hundred dollars obtaining a report. Second, you will be asked the amount owed on your current mortgage. This should include any first or second mortgages that you may already have out. Consult your mortgage lender to find out the exact amount owed at the present time. From these two figures the program will determine how much equity you have in the home. You may also be asked for the loan to value ratio required. This is typically 80%, 90%, 100%, or even 125%.
Once you have these figures entered into the program, you are likely to receive a graphical representation of your results. You should receive a chart or graph outlining the amount that you could borrow at 80%, 90%, 100% and 125%, and your estimated monthly payment. It may also include a sample of your amortization schedule, so that you can see how much of your monthly payment is going toward the principal at any given point during the loan. The graph may also show how much you could borrow if you the value of your home was more or less than your appraised value. This can be useful if you are using a ballpark figure or plan to make some improvements to the home in the near future.
The first step in obtaining a home equity loan should be researching your options. A home equity loan calculator is an excellent tool to compare and contrast different loan products and determine how much you will have to pay each month.
Most home owners know that the lower the interest rate, the lower the monthly payments. But then the process may get a bit fuzzy. While your monthly payments may be the same every month, you are not applying the same amount to the principal of the loan. Your amortization will vary month to month. So, you will have to use a little math to determine how much equity you are actually gaining. Are you confused yet? If you are, dont worry. There is luckily a very helpful tool that will take the guess work out of home equity loans. Before you commit to anything, you should play around with a home equity loan calculator to determine how much you can borrow. There are many sites available online that give you free access to a wealth of tools and calculators.
What is a home equity loan calculator? Basically, it is a mathematical program that will ask for a few key pieces of information. It will then calculate how much you can borrow, and show you an example of what your amortization schedule would look like. Your lender may use a similar program to determine the amount that you can borrow against your home.
Once you find a home equity loan calculator, you will need to enter in a little bit of information. First it will ask you the value of your home. Typically, the more accurate this figure the more likely you are to get an accurate end result. Most appraisal companies will take private orders, so you can order an appraisal at any time prior to actually obtaining a loan. Prices vary by location, but you can expect to spend a few hundred dollars obtaining a report. Second, you will be asked the amount owed on your current mortgage. This should include any first or second mortgages that you may already have out. Consult your mortgage lender to find out the exact amount owed at the present time. From these two figures the program will determine how much equity you have in the home. You may also be asked for the loan to value ratio required. This is typically 80%, 90%, 100%, or even 125%.
Once you have these figures entered into the program, you are likely to receive a graphical representation of your results. You should receive a chart or graph outlining the amount that you could borrow at 80%, 90%, 100% and 125%, and your estimated monthly payment. It may also include a sample of your amortization schedule, so that you can see how much of your monthly payment is going toward the principal at any given point during the loan. The graph may also show how much you could borrow if you the value of your home was more or less than your appraised value. This can be useful if you are using a ballpark figure or plan to make some improvements to the home in the near future.
The first step in obtaining a home equity loan should be researching your options. A home equity loan calculator is an excellent tool to compare and contrast different loan products and determine how much you will have to pay each month.
Mars Attacks - More Often Than You Think!
Okay, before you think that I'm just another "alien freak", let me say that I don't mean that little green men from the red planet are on the warpath. The sort of "attack" that I'm referring to has to do with the very noticeable effects in your life whenever the planet Mars forms an "aspect" to one of the factors in your birth chart.
Have you ever had one of those days where you seemed
restless, perhaps even nervous, when you were impatient with others, when you couldn't sleep at night... and there didn't seem to be any obvious reason for your agitated state? Well, then you may well have been experiencing what is known to astrologers as a "Mars transit".
As you may already know, a birth chart is a map of the exact (to the degree and minute of arc) planetary positions on the date (and at the time and place) of your birth. One of the main techniques that we astrologers use to make predictions about the tendencies of a person's future is that of the so-called "transits". A transit occurs when a planet on a specific day/time (for example, right now) is passing over a degree of the zodiac that is in a specific angle to one of the important factors in your birth chart. Let's get more concrete. Suppose you were born on November 8 1955, at 9:48 am EST (as I was). The Sun in your birth chart is (as seen from the earth) in 15 degrees, 25 minutes of the sign Scorpio. Now, on Nov 6, 2005, the planet Mars is in 15 degrees Taurus: exactly 180 degrees from "your" Sun. An 180 angle is known as an "opposition", and is but one of the various aspects used in astrological work.
In order to interpret such an aspect, several things must be considered:
- The planet making the aspect (in this case, Mars)
- The planet (or other factor) in the birth chart receiving
the aspect (the Sun, in our example)
- The Nature of the aspect (in this case, of the opposition).
- Other considerations, such as the signs and houses these
planets occupy, other aspects that are present among the
factors in the birth chart, etc.
In our example, we'll simplify. An opposition is regarded as an aspect of tension, and often represents a challenge we have to face. As I write these lines, the planet Mars is in opposition to my Sun, and has been for several days - and I sure have noticed it! I've been busier than usual, teaching my students, working on different Internet projects, and have generally not had much time to just sit back and relax. This is often the case when Mars is in aspect to your Sun.
Also typical of Mars is, on occasion, accidents, or
experiencing pain of some sort. Well, a few days ago, one of my back teeth began to hurt. My dentist had warned me it was going to give me trouble some day (it already has several fillings in it), and I'm afraid that day has arrived. A toothache is a painful thing to have, as I'm sure many of you know, and in just a half hour, I'll be leaving for the dentist's to see whether the tooth can be saved, or must be extracted. In any case, the inevitable unpleasantness/pain associated with undergoing dental work is also typical of a Mars transit.
Nervousness, impatience and impulsiveness often occur under a Mars transit, so if you're experiencing such a time, I suggest you try to relax, take your time, drive more slowly than usual... for when under the influence of Mars, we tend to get ahead of ourselves, and this can, depending on the circumstances, lead to an increased risk of accidents.
How can you know when a Mars transit will be affecting you? Well, just about any good astrology program allows you to calculate transits. Our own "Omnicycles" program lets you do both your birth chart and transits (in graph form) for the weeks/months when Mars will be showing its influence most strongly in your future. There are also some astrology sites that let you calculate the positions of the planets for different time periods: use seach terms such as "astrology", "on-line ephemeris" (put this one in quotes), and "aspect" in Google to find sites that offer such a service.
Despite the occasional upsets that Mars transits can bring you, I should also mention the positive side. During these times, you will have more energy, and will no doubt be able to get a lot more done in your work, studies, etc. Take advantage of this trend: if you feel so "worked up" that you don't know what to do with all that excess energy, maybe it would be a good time to paint the porch, indulge in your favorite sport, or work it off in some other way. Just resist the temptation to do too much, or to tax your strength to the limit: be active, but don't take any unnecessary risks.
Since Mars can, in its worst manifestation, represent
violence, we can be pretty sure of one thing - If those little green men from that neighbouring red planet ever DO decide to attack and wipe us all out, it will probably happen when Mars is in a rather bad aspect to the Earth!
Okay, before you think that I'm just another "alien freak", let me say that I don't mean that little green men from the red planet are on the warpath. The sort of "attack" that I'm referring to has to do with the very noticeable effects in your life whenever the planet Mars forms an "aspect" to one of the factors in your birth chart.
Have you ever had one of those days where you seemed
restless, perhaps even nervous, when you were impatient with others, when you couldn't sleep at night... and there didn't seem to be any obvious reason for your agitated state? Well, then you may well have been experiencing what is known to astrologers as a "Mars transit".
As you may already know, a birth chart is a map of the exact (to the degree and minute of arc) planetary positions on the date (and at the time and place) of your birth. One of the main techniques that we astrologers use to make predictions about the tendencies of a person's future is that of the so-called "transits". A transit occurs when a planet on a specific day/time (for example, right now) is passing over a degree of the zodiac that is in a specific angle to one of the important factors in your birth chart. Let's get more concrete. Suppose you were born on November 8 1955, at 9:48 am EST (as I was). The Sun in your birth chart is (as seen from the earth) in 15 degrees, 25 minutes of the sign Scorpio. Now, on Nov 6, 2005, the planet Mars is in 15 degrees Taurus: exactly 180 degrees from "your" Sun. An 180 angle is known as an "opposition", and is but one of the various aspects used in astrological work.
In order to interpret such an aspect, several things must be considered:
- The planet making the aspect (in this case, Mars)
- The planet (or other factor) in the birth chart receiving
the aspect (the Sun, in our example)
- The Nature of the aspect (in this case, of the opposition).
- Other considerations, such as the signs and houses these
planets occupy, other aspects that are present among the
factors in the birth chart, etc.
In our example, we'll simplify. An opposition is regarded as an aspect of tension, and often represents a challenge we have to face. As I write these lines, the planet Mars is in opposition to my Sun, and has been for several days - and I sure have noticed it! I've been busier than usual, teaching my students, working on different Internet projects, and have generally not had much time to just sit back and relax. This is often the case when Mars is in aspect to your Sun.
Also typical of Mars is, on occasion, accidents, or
experiencing pain of some sort. Well, a few days ago, one of my back teeth began to hurt. My dentist had warned me it was going to give me trouble some day (it already has several fillings in it), and I'm afraid that day has arrived. A toothache is a painful thing to have, as I'm sure many of you know, and in just a half hour, I'll be leaving for the dentist's to see whether the tooth can be saved, or must be extracted. In any case, the inevitable unpleasantness/pain associated with undergoing dental work is also typical of a Mars transit.
Nervousness, impatience and impulsiveness often occur under a Mars transit, so if you're experiencing such a time, I suggest you try to relax, take your time, drive more slowly than usual... for when under the influence of Mars, we tend to get ahead of ourselves, and this can, depending on the circumstances, lead to an increased risk of accidents.
How can you know when a Mars transit will be affecting you? Well, just about any good astrology program allows you to calculate transits. Our own "Omnicycles" program lets you do both your birth chart and transits (in graph form) for the weeks/months when Mars will be showing its influence most strongly in your future. There are also some astrology sites that let you calculate the positions of the planets for different time periods: use seach terms such as "astrology", "on-line ephemeris" (put this one in quotes), and "aspect" in Google to find sites that offer such a service.
Despite the occasional upsets that Mars transits can bring you, I should also mention the positive side. During these times, you will have more energy, and will no doubt be able to get a lot more done in your work, studies, etc. Take advantage of this trend: if you feel so "worked up" that you don't know what to do with all that excess energy, maybe it would be a good time to paint the porch, indulge in your favorite sport, or work it off in some other way. Just resist the temptation to do too much, or to tax your strength to the limit: be active, but don't take any unnecessary risks.
Since Mars can, in its worst manifestation, represent
violence, we can be pretty sure of one thing - If those little green men from that neighbouring red planet ever DO decide to attack and wipe us all out, it will probably happen when Mars is in a rather bad aspect to the Earth!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Satellite TV Set Up Fun
Satellite TV was the rainbow after the storm in my life. I had just left my drudge of a job, as an overworked sales clerk. I was bored at home, feeling really low. I did a lot of looking around in stores and window shopping just to get out of the house. I saw a promotion in the window of one of the video stores in town. It was for a satellite TV system on sale. Since I didn't have cable TV At the time, this ad really attracted me.
I went in and had a look at the quality and content of the satellite programming being shown on one of the TV sets showing it. The picture was so impressive. The picture quality was so crystal clear, and sharp. The brochure the clerk provided me indicated that there were over 50 channels to watch. Of course I jumped at the chance to brighten up my life.
That evening the store owner installed the dish. He laid the cable and hooked everything up. The system was turned on and then nothing. The receiver had to wait to be activated. This took over 24 hours to occur. When it started working it was terrific. It featured all the movie channels one could wish for. HBO, Cinemax, the Movie Channel, the independent Film Channel, and more. There were more sports channels than one could watch. MTV quickly became one of my favourites. Shows like Road Rules, and The Real World, made my day. It was like being in touch with a world I had never known.
Satellite TV signal reception has vulnerabilities. During heavy rain or snow storms, the amount of data carried in the signal is reduced, sometimes so much so that the computer which constructs the picture on the screen, can't do its job. When this happens little blocks pop up on the screen. This is called picture break up. If the rain or snow storm becomes more heavy, the data will became so reduced that the video freezes its movement. The computer crashes. Unplugging the receiver, removing and reinserting the smart card usually fixes the computer crash. When the storm has passed and the dish can receive, the satellite TV data at a normal signal strength, everything will work, normally once the receiver is plugged in and turned on.
When I moved residences, I had to reinstall the Satellite TV dish. This involves attaching a mast to the wall of your house, with a clear view of the southern sky. That means no trees, houses, or anything, in the way of the line of sight the dish has to the satellite location in the sky. The mast must be levelled vertically. The satellite dish is placed on the mast and set to the approximately height and direction of the satellite location in the sky. The receiver is then connected to the wire lead from the dish, and the TV. When the receiver is turned on and put in tuning mode, a graph will display the satellite signal strength. The satellite dish is moved ever so gently by a hairs width, up and down, side to side, until you reach the highest satellite signal strength. This gives you the best chance of viewing longer during a rain or snow storm.
On the whole satellite TV is the best TV viewing you can experience. You usually get more for your dollar, and it's worth every penny spent.
Satellite TV was the rainbow after the storm in my life. I had just left my drudge of a job, as an overworked sales clerk. I was bored at home, feeling really low. I did a lot of looking around in stores and window shopping just to get out of the house. I saw a promotion in the window of one of the video stores in town. It was for a satellite TV system on sale. Since I didn't have cable TV At the time, this ad really attracted me.
I went in and had a look at the quality and content of the satellite programming being shown on one of the TV sets showing it. The picture was so impressive. The picture quality was so crystal clear, and sharp. The brochure the clerk provided me indicated that there were over 50 channels to watch. Of course I jumped at the chance to brighten up my life.
That evening the store owner installed the dish. He laid the cable and hooked everything up. The system was turned on and then nothing. The receiver had to wait to be activated. This took over 24 hours to occur. When it started working it was terrific. It featured all the movie channels one could wish for. HBO, Cinemax, the Movie Channel, the independent Film Channel, and more. There were more sports channels than one could watch. MTV quickly became one of my favourites. Shows like Road Rules, and The Real World, made my day. It was like being in touch with a world I had never known.
Satellite TV signal reception has vulnerabilities. During heavy rain or snow storms, the amount of data carried in the signal is reduced, sometimes so much so that the computer which constructs the picture on the screen, can't do its job. When this happens little blocks pop up on the screen. This is called picture break up. If the rain or snow storm becomes more heavy, the data will became so reduced that the video freezes its movement. The computer crashes. Unplugging the receiver, removing and reinserting the smart card usually fixes the computer crash. When the storm has passed and the dish can receive, the satellite TV data at a normal signal strength, everything will work, normally once the receiver is plugged in and turned on.
When I moved residences, I had to reinstall the Satellite TV dish. This involves attaching a mast to the wall of your house, with a clear view of the southern sky. That means no trees, houses, or anything, in the way of the line of sight the dish has to the satellite location in the sky. The mast must be levelled vertically. The satellite dish is placed on the mast and set to the approximately height and direction of the satellite location in the sky. The receiver is then connected to the wire lead from the dish, and the TV. When the receiver is turned on and put in tuning mode, a graph will display the satellite signal strength. The satellite dish is moved ever so gently by a hairs width, up and down, side to side, until you reach the highest satellite signal strength. This gives you the best chance of viewing longer during a rain or snow storm.
On the whole satellite TV is the best TV viewing you can experience. You usually get more for your dollar, and it's worth every penny spent.
Garage Sales, Flea Markets, and Special Events... Oh My!
The activity chart is an ingenious way to find, in order, events happening in your community throughout the day. Plug in www.noonernight.com on your computer or cell phone and retrieve lunch specials, happy hours, music and nightlife events.
Unlike newspapers with static ads, noonernight.com utilizes dynamic time updates.
To see upcoming events, simply enter a zip code and distance. The day and current time are highlighted in a bar graph form. Each event submitted spans the designated time. So planning a day or week can be done at a glance.
Not everyone can afford to advertise his or her events in the newspaper on a daily basis, which is why noonernight.com was developed. To let the public know whats going on and when and where. A fantastic service for everyone to use.
Adding events is simple, fast, and free.
Noonernight.com is a great advertising and promotion tool that can be used to:
-Submit where your band is playing tonight.
-Advertise breakfast, lunch or dinner specials.
-Know about community events.
-Locate county fairs and festivals.
-List open houses.
and much more.
The activity chart is an ingenious way to find, in order, events happening in your community throughout the day. Plug in www.noonernight.com on your computer or cell phone and retrieve lunch specials, happy hours, music and nightlife events.
Unlike newspapers with static ads, noonernight.com utilizes dynamic time updates.
To see upcoming events, simply enter a zip code and distance. The day and current time are highlighted in a bar graph form. Each event submitted spans the designated time. So planning a day or week can be done at a glance.
Not everyone can afford to advertise his or her events in the newspaper on a daily basis, which is why noonernight.com was developed. To let the public know whats going on and when and where. A fantastic service for everyone to use.
Adding events is simple, fast, and free.
Noonernight.com is a great advertising and promotion tool that can be used to:
-Submit where your band is playing tonight.
-Advertise breakfast, lunch or dinner specials.
-Know about community events.
-Locate county fairs and festivals.
-List open houses.
and much more.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
How To Buy Digital Cameras Cheap And At A Large Discount
There is a nice fluid market for both new and after market digital cameras on eBay. Digital Camera usage has grown enormously over the past few years. Technology has reduced the old film and developing almost to the archives. Quality cameras ranging in price from well under $500 to over $2000 are available. Professionals, amateur hobbyists and regular households all seem to be acquiring cameras, often more than one per household. The question becomes how can I acquire a digital camera at the best possible price?
With a large volume of most models being traded everyday, this is the ideal efficient market. One can study the dynamics of this micro-market and determine some useful buying rules. With a little more information than the rest of the marketplace, one can almost certainly make some intelligent buying opportunities. This article focuses on how to identify these gaps and often purchase digital camera's for 20-40% below retail.
This article should be read together with my longer piece and a web site, which produces the information required to identify buying nuggets. Find the links and URL's to these two sites at the bottom of this article. The niche site focuses specifically and only on data from the digital camera market.
Most information on eBay focuses on the selling element, i.e. how to sell your stuff. I have tended to specialize on the buying end and trying to identify market opportunities and price in-efficiencies to really capture excellent deals. To do this we need to understand the dynamics of the eBay market place. Like any other market it is supply demand driven, and like a large flee-market if a buyer has knowledge of how many items are for sale at what prices and how many other buyers are in the market, then that buyer can capture the upper hand. Lets focus a little more on supply.
The eBay supply dynamic is a little different in that supply of an item must be seen at a point in time. In other words, because auctions end at different times, one needs to grasp the number of auctions ending in close proximity for the same item. This gives you a feel for the supply of items or in our case cameras. What makes this interesting is that today there could be a large amount of auctions ending for a particular model, but next week there could be very few. This is one element driving the price.
The demand side is slightly more complex and hidden from the average eBay buyer. This is where that the web site I refer to at the bottom has some useful data. Demand in eBay terms is measured (by sellers) as a number of factors - how many people view my auction, how many people ask questions, how many people place me on their watch page, and how many people actually bid. Obviously as we progress down this list the data become more reliable as an indication of demand. Page views are not easy to obtain, although some sellers place a publicly viewable counter on their auction pages. Questions and watchers are available to sellers, and the special web site mentioned below will expose this information. Number of bids is available for all to see.
Now if we happened to produce a graph as the auction progresses of the changes in the number of questions, watchers and bid's one can easily see how the demand is changing as time progresses. Typically if questions are high and watchers are high, but bids are low, this may indicate some confusion and a possible buy opportunity. If watchers are very high and climbing, but bids are low, this can point to a last minute bidding war, and a stay out indicator.
Armed with this information and also a quick summary of other similar auctions ending soon, plus a quick feel for the skill set of the seller and the current highest bidder, once can see a picture very different from the average eBay buyer. Soon the trained eye will observe some nice buying opportunities. For the professional or amateur photographer this will soon bring in a number of digital camera buys that are quite a bit cheaper that retail. For example it is quite possible to find gems at 20-40% of retail prices. Lets face it, most digital camera's perform perfectly years after acquisition. Digital electronics seldom degrade over time, so the aftermarket such as eBay is the idea place to buy camera's cheaply.
Resources; How to buy a digital camera Digital Camera bargains
There is a nice fluid market for both new and after market digital cameras on eBay. Digital Camera usage has grown enormously over the past few years. Technology has reduced the old film and developing almost to the archives. Quality cameras ranging in price from well under $500 to over $2000 are available. Professionals, amateur hobbyists and regular households all seem to be acquiring cameras, often more than one per household. The question becomes how can I acquire a digital camera at the best possible price?
With a large volume of most models being traded everyday, this is the ideal efficient market. One can study the dynamics of this micro-market and determine some useful buying rules. With a little more information than the rest of the marketplace, one can almost certainly make some intelligent buying opportunities. This article focuses on how to identify these gaps and often purchase digital camera's for 20-40% below retail.
This article should be read together with my longer piece and a web site, which produces the information required to identify buying nuggets. Find the links and URL's to these two sites at the bottom of this article. The niche site focuses specifically and only on data from the digital camera market.
Most information on eBay focuses on the selling element, i.e. how to sell your stuff. I have tended to specialize on the buying end and trying to identify market opportunities and price in-efficiencies to really capture excellent deals. To do this we need to understand the dynamics of the eBay market place. Like any other market it is supply demand driven, and like a large flee-market if a buyer has knowledge of how many items are for sale at what prices and how many other buyers are in the market, then that buyer can capture the upper hand. Lets focus a little more on supply.
The eBay supply dynamic is a little different in that supply of an item must be seen at a point in time. In other words, because auctions end at different times, one needs to grasp the number of auctions ending in close proximity for the same item. This gives you a feel for the supply of items or in our case cameras. What makes this interesting is that today there could be a large amount of auctions ending for a particular model, but next week there could be very few. This is one element driving the price.
The demand side is slightly more complex and hidden from the average eBay buyer. This is where that the web site I refer to at the bottom has some useful data. Demand in eBay terms is measured (by sellers) as a number of factors - how many people view my auction, how many people ask questions, how many people place me on their watch page, and how many people actually bid. Obviously as we progress down this list the data become more reliable as an indication of demand. Page views are not easy to obtain, although some sellers place a publicly viewable counter on their auction pages. Questions and watchers are available to sellers, and the special web site mentioned below will expose this information. Number of bids is available for all to see.
Now if we happened to produce a graph as the auction progresses of the changes in the number of questions, watchers and bid's one can easily see how the demand is changing as time progresses. Typically if questions are high and watchers are high, but bids are low, this may indicate some confusion and a possible buy opportunity. If watchers are very high and climbing, but bids are low, this can point to a last minute bidding war, and a stay out indicator.
Armed with this information and also a quick summary of other similar auctions ending soon, plus a quick feel for the skill set of the seller and the current highest bidder, once can see a picture very different from the average eBay buyer. Soon the trained eye will observe some nice buying opportunities. For the professional or amateur photographer this will soon bring in a number of digital camera buys that are quite a bit cheaper that retail. For example it is quite possible to find gems at 20-40% of retail prices. Lets face it, most digital camera's perform perfectly years after acquisition. Digital electronics seldom degrade over time, so the aftermarket such as eBay is the idea place to buy camera's cheaply.
Resources; How to buy a digital camera Digital Camera bargains
Menstrual Calendar: Charting the Signs of Fertility
Charting the signs of your menstrual cycle is a good way to keep in touch with your body, your feelings, and your health. It is also a good way to predict your days of menstruation in advance, even if your menstrual cycles are irregular, and to know the most fertile times if you are hoping to conceive.
Cervical Mucus
The sign that is easiest to observe is the cervical mucus, since it is noticed in the course of daily activity. Fertile type mucus is produced by the cervix during the days when the ova are maturing and preparing for ovulation. This mucus is not only an indicator of fertility, it is essential for fertility. Cervical mucus nourishes the sperm, protects them from the natural acidity of the vagina, and guides them toward the ovum. Following is a simple way to observe and chart your fertile type mucus.
Pay attention to how you feel as you go about your daily activities. Just as you have learned to notice a certain wetness at menstruation, you will begin to notice a second wet time, but later in the cycle, and without bleeding. The second wet time is caused by your fertile type mucus.
Each time you go to the bathroom, wipe with toilet paper both before and after you use the toilet, noticing: a) the sensation you feel as you wipe with toilet paper, b) what is on the toilet paper. Chart what you see and what you feel in any way that makes sense to you.
1) Menstruation: mark the days of bleeding in some way, such as coloring the calendar day red.
2) Nothing: if you don't see or feel anything outside your vagina, you can leave the calendar blank on those days.
3) Something: but if you see or feel something - anything - such as pasty or sticky mucus, or a feeling of wetness - draw something, such as a raindrop, on these days.
4) Slippery something: If the pasty or sticky mucus turns to slippery mucus or a slippery feeling, color the raindrop dark to indicate the slippery wetness.
After a few slippery wet days, the mucus may disappear or return to sticky or pasty. When it does, begin to count the days until menstruation arrives. In a normal fertile cycle, the time between the last day of slippery mucus or slippery feeling and the next menstruation is between 11-16 days. You will become quite accurate about your predictions after you chart for about three cycles.
The mucus is your most fertile time, since fertile type is produced during the days leading up to and including ovulation. If you are trying to conceive, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations. But don't try to use this information for birth control unless you seek out a qualified teacher of fertility awareness or natural family planning.
When the fertile mucus is present, we are under the influence of the hormone estrogen. We may feel courageous and loving. Men who bored us last week may suddenly appear interesting and attractive. Like Mother Earth in her rainy season, we are full of potential. We may also be interested in sexual activity. These emotions and reactions are caused by the hormone estrogen, which is getting us ready to have a baby, whether or not we want one! These hormonal swings are a predictable part of our cycle that must be safely navigated by all women in their reproductive years.
After ovulation, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, we may feel somewhat deflated compared to our wet, fertile time. Like Mother Earth in her dry time, we may feel quiet, with less energy. When menstrual bleeding begins, both estrogen and progesterone are at low levels. We may feel sensitive, solitary, or inward. Getting to know the feelings that go along with your hormonal cycle can give you a new and sensitive relationship with yourself.
Dark red menstruation for about three days probably indicates that hormones are high enough to build a good uterine lining and nourish a fetus in the event of conception. However, more than three days of menstruation can be exhausting. If your bleeding is excessive, try drinking raspberry leaf tea on a regular basis.
Three to five days of wet, slippery mucus 11-14 days before the next menstruation is a probable indicator of normal ovulation and a fertile cycle. Cycles are often 28-30 days from the first day of bleeding to the first day of the bleeding of the next menstruation. However, irregular cycles do not indicate infertility. If the time between the last day of slippery mucus and the next menstruation is 11-16 days, the cycle is probably fertile. Even if one cycle is not fertile, the next may well be fertile. Much depends on the stress we may be feeling. Keeping a chart allows us to keep all things in perspective, and feel our own harmony with all the cycles of nature.
Basal Body Temperature
If you are not sure you are ovulating, you can take your temperature. The body's resting temperature increases four-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit or two-tenths of a degree Centigrade under the influence of progesterone at ovulation. Observing this sign involves taking your temperature at the same time each morning before rising. (This is not as hard as it sounds. It takes less than two minutes and you can go back to sleep if you want.)
To observe your temperature rise, buy a BD brand digital basal thermometer. This brand will give you a consistent and accurate reading. Other high quality brands of digital basal thermometers are also probably accurate, but have not been tested for fertility awareness. Make sure the battery is good. (You can replace it.) An ordinary clinical thermometer is not accurate enough for fertility awareness. Nor is the "ear thermometer" (tympanic thermometer).
Take your temperature every day immediately upon waking, before 7:30 a.m. The body's rhythms (circadian rhythms) fluctuate over a 24-hour period. Your temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in the afternoon. Fluctuations are greater after 7:30 a.m. If you go to bed before midnight and wake up before 7:30 a.m., you will get the clearest temperature readings.
If it is not convenient to take your temperature immediately upon waking, you may take it during light morning activity. For example, if you need to go to the bathroom, you may take your temperature while getting up and using the toilet. But be consistent about the circumstances under which you take your temperature. If you take it during light morning activity, take it that way every morning. Don't take it sometimes before getting up and at other times during light morning activity. If you have sexual relations, take your temperature before.
Many women find that the digital thermometers require such a short time to use that it is easy to take their temperature before getting up. Take your temperature by mouth. Under arm and ear temperatures are not accurate enough for family planning purposes. The thermometer will beep softly several times before beginning to beep slightly louder and repeatedly. Keep the thermometer under your tongue until the louder, repeated beeps begin. You can read and chart your temperature as soon as is convenient after taking it. Your thermometer has a recall button that allows you to read the last temperature taken. Be sure to wash your thermometer after each use.
Your Temperature Graph
Put a dot on a graph on the spot corresponding to each day's temperature. Join the temperature dots of consecutive days. If you do not take your temperature one day, do not join the dots across that day. Also write out the temperature numerically, to guard against errors in graphing.
Interpreting Your Chart
1) Breathe and relax. Study your chart.
2) Can you find six low temperatures during the fertile mucus days of your cycle? (You can chart your mucus and menstruation on the same graph paper.)
3) Draw a horizontal line at the highest of the six low temperatures. This is your low temperature line.
4) Draw another horizontal line four-tenths of a degree F. or two-tenths of a degree C. above your low temperature line. This is your full thermal shift line.
5) Can you find three high temperatures after the low temperatures? All of the high temperatures must be above the low temperature line. At least the third high temperature must be at or above the full thermal shift line.
6) This temperature pattern of low and high temperatures is called a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift. A biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift confirms that you really did ovulate. A smaller, but sustained temperature rise also probably indicates ovulation.
If you are hoping to become pregnant, please pay close attention to nutrition. Look for unprocessed foods grown without chemicals. Exercise in moderation. Get plenty of rest. Avoid stress. Think happy thoughts. Pray for the child you desire, and begin sending your child love, now. Heal any hurtful feelings between you and your mate, and between you both and your parents. Your mate should avoid hot shower or baths and tight clothing, both of which lower sperm count.To increase your chances of conception, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations.
If you have observed a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift, and it is now 18 days since your last day of slippery, wet mucus, and menstruation has not arrived, you may feel confident that you have conceived.
Congratulations and blessings!
Charting the signs of your menstrual cycle is a good way to keep in touch with your body, your feelings, and your health. It is also a good way to predict your days of menstruation in advance, even if your menstrual cycles are irregular, and to know the most fertile times if you are hoping to conceive.
Cervical Mucus
The sign that is easiest to observe is the cervical mucus, since it is noticed in the course of daily activity. Fertile type mucus is produced by the cervix during the days when the ova are maturing and preparing for ovulation. This mucus is not only an indicator of fertility, it is essential for fertility. Cervical mucus nourishes the sperm, protects them from the natural acidity of the vagina, and guides them toward the ovum. Following is a simple way to observe and chart your fertile type mucus.
Pay attention to how you feel as you go about your daily activities. Just as you have learned to notice a certain wetness at menstruation, you will begin to notice a second wet time, but later in the cycle, and without bleeding. The second wet time is caused by your fertile type mucus.
Each time you go to the bathroom, wipe with toilet paper both before and after you use the toilet, noticing: a) the sensation you feel as you wipe with toilet paper, b) what is on the toilet paper. Chart what you see and what you feel in any way that makes sense to you.
1) Menstruation: mark the days of bleeding in some way, such as coloring the calendar day red.
2) Nothing: if you don't see or feel anything outside your vagina, you can leave the calendar blank on those days.
3) Something: but if you see or feel something - anything - such as pasty or sticky mucus, or a feeling of wetness - draw something, such as a raindrop, on these days.
4) Slippery something: If the pasty or sticky mucus turns to slippery mucus or a slippery feeling, color the raindrop dark to indicate the slippery wetness.
After a few slippery wet days, the mucus may disappear or return to sticky or pasty. When it does, begin to count the days until menstruation arrives. In a normal fertile cycle, the time between the last day of slippery mucus or slippery feeling and the next menstruation is between 11-16 days. You will become quite accurate about your predictions after you chart for about three cycles.
The mucus is your most fertile time, since fertile type is produced during the days leading up to and including ovulation. If you are trying to conceive, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations. But don't try to use this information for birth control unless you seek out a qualified teacher of fertility awareness or natural family planning.
When the fertile mucus is present, we are under the influence of the hormone estrogen. We may feel courageous and loving. Men who bored us last week may suddenly appear interesting and attractive. Like Mother Earth in her rainy season, we are full of potential. We may also be interested in sexual activity. These emotions and reactions are caused by the hormone estrogen, which is getting us ready to have a baby, whether or not we want one! These hormonal swings are a predictable part of our cycle that must be safely navigated by all women in their reproductive years.
After ovulation, under the influence of the hormone progesterone, we may feel somewhat deflated compared to our wet, fertile time. Like Mother Earth in her dry time, we may feel quiet, with less energy. When menstrual bleeding begins, both estrogen and progesterone are at low levels. We may feel sensitive, solitary, or inward. Getting to know the feelings that go along with your hormonal cycle can give you a new and sensitive relationship with yourself.
Dark red menstruation for about three days probably indicates that hormones are high enough to build a good uterine lining and nourish a fetus in the event of conception. However, more than three days of menstruation can be exhausting. If your bleeding is excessive, try drinking raspberry leaf tea on a regular basis.
Three to five days of wet, slippery mucus 11-14 days before the next menstruation is a probable indicator of normal ovulation and a fertile cycle. Cycles are often 28-30 days from the first day of bleeding to the first day of the bleeding of the next menstruation. However, irregular cycles do not indicate infertility. If the time between the last day of slippery mucus and the next menstruation is 11-16 days, the cycle is probably fertile. Even if one cycle is not fertile, the next may well be fertile. Much depends on the stress we may be feeling. Keeping a chart allows us to keep all things in perspective, and feel our own harmony with all the cycles of nature.
Basal Body Temperature
If you are not sure you are ovulating, you can take your temperature. The body's resting temperature increases four-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit or two-tenths of a degree Centigrade under the influence of progesterone at ovulation. Observing this sign involves taking your temperature at the same time each morning before rising. (This is not as hard as it sounds. It takes less than two minutes and you can go back to sleep if you want.)
To observe your temperature rise, buy a BD brand digital basal thermometer. This brand will give you a consistent and accurate reading. Other high quality brands of digital basal thermometers are also probably accurate, but have not been tested for fertility awareness. Make sure the battery is good. (You can replace it.) An ordinary clinical thermometer is not accurate enough for fertility awareness. Nor is the "ear thermometer" (tympanic thermometer).
Take your temperature every day immediately upon waking, before 7:30 a.m. The body's rhythms (circadian rhythms) fluctuate over a 24-hour period. Your temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in the afternoon. Fluctuations are greater after 7:30 a.m. If you go to bed before midnight and wake up before 7:30 a.m., you will get the clearest temperature readings.
If it is not convenient to take your temperature immediately upon waking, you may take it during light morning activity. For example, if you need to go to the bathroom, you may take your temperature while getting up and using the toilet. But be consistent about the circumstances under which you take your temperature. If you take it during light morning activity, take it that way every morning. Don't take it sometimes before getting up and at other times during light morning activity. If you have sexual relations, take your temperature before.
Many women find that the digital thermometers require such a short time to use that it is easy to take their temperature before getting up. Take your temperature by mouth. Under arm and ear temperatures are not accurate enough for family planning purposes. The thermometer will beep softly several times before beginning to beep slightly louder and repeatedly. Keep the thermometer under your tongue until the louder, repeated beeps begin. You can read and chart your temperature as soon as is convenient after taking it. Your thermometer has a recall button that allows you to read the last temperature taken. Be sure to wash your thermometer after each use.
Your Temperature Graph
Put a dot on a graph on the spot corresponding to each day's temperature. Join the temperature dots of consecutive days. If you do not take your temperature one day, do not join the dots across that day. Also write out the temperature numerically, to guard against errors in graphing.
Interpreting Your Chart
1) Breathe and relax. Study your chart.
2) Can you find six low temperatures during the fertile mucus days of your cycle? (You can chart your mucus and menstruation on the same graph paper.)
3) Draw a horizontal line at the highest of the six low temperatures. This is your low temperature line.
4) Draw another horizontal line four-tenths of a degree F. or two-tenths of a degree C. above your low temperature line. This is your full thermal shift line.
5) Can you find three high temperatures after the low temperatures? All of the high temperatures must be above the low temperature line. At least the third high temperature must be at or above the full thermal shift line.
6) This temperature pattern of low and high temperatures is called a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift. A biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift confirms that you really did ovulate. A smaller, but sustained temperature rise also probably indicates ovulation.
If you are hoping to become pregnant, please pay close attention to nutrition. Look for unprocessed foods grown without chemicals. Exercise in moderation. Get plenty of rest. Avoid stress. Think happy thoughts. Pray for the child you desire, and begin sending your child love, now. Heal any hurtful feelings between you and your mate, and between you both and your parents. Your mate should avoid hot shower or baths and tight clothing, both of which lower sperm count.To increase your chances of conception, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations.
If you have observed a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift, and it is now 18 days since your last day of slippery, wet mucus, and menstruation has not arrived, you may feel confident that you have conceived.
Congratulations and blessings!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Lagrangian Points and Nasa's Plan to Explore Space
Nasa is relying on the existence of Lagrangian points between every set of planetary bodies it intends to explore in order to implement its plan of successful interplanetary space exploration. Although this at first may seem to be a vague and mystical concept, foreign to all but trained astrophysicists, in fact it is really quite simple to understand.
The Lagrangian in physics is merely nothing more than a set of two simpler equations that can be used as an alternative for Newtons second law; force equals mass times acceleration. A Lagrangian point between two bodies exerting competing forces on a body is therefore a point at which the forces are equal and opposite. According to Newtons third law, if the net force on a body is zero, it will stay at rest if at rest and if in motion it will stay in motion.
In mathematical terms, visualize a graph of a big bowl. The Lagrangian point is the point at the very bottom of the bowl. This point represents the point at which the maximum energy, the energy from the bottom of the bowl to the top, must be supplied to kick the body out of the bowl in order to prevent the body from rolling back down to the bottom of the bowl and returning to its energy minimum. Therefore, the point at the minimum of the bowl represents the point of maximum stability in terms of preventing the influence of a net imbalance in the forces of the two gravitational forces on it from disturbing it. This point in question is the orbit which has the most stable velocity and angular momentum. The body acted on could be a space station between two large masses such as the earth and the moon or any two interplanetary bodies of significantly greater mass than the spacecraft.
How this relates to Nasa and its plans for future space travel is that they have the ability to use the Lagrangian formulas to calculate the Lagrangian points between different planetary bodies and therefore to determine the location of these orbits. Therefore, it is possible to build space stations as stepping stones between the earth and the moon, the moon and Mars, and on and on as far as you want to go. As it would be unrealistic to expect any spacecraft to be able to return to earth from far out in space in the case of an emergency or the need to make repairs, this makes the possibility of extending space travel outwards into the solar system and theoretically beyond feasible within the constraints of our technology and budgetary considerations.
Sources:
1) NASA Reveals New Plan for the Moon, Mars & Outward
By Leonard David; Senior Space Writer Space.com
Nasa is relying on the existence of Lagrangian points between every set of planetary bodies it intends to explore in order to implement its plan of successful interplanetary space exploration. Although this at first may seem to be a vague and mystical concept, foreign to all but trained astrophysicists, in fact it is really quite simple to understand.
The Lagrangian in physics is merely nothing more than a set of two simpler equations that can be used as an alternative for Newtons second law; force equals mass times acceleration. A Lagrangian point between two bodies exerting competing forces on a body is therefore a point at which the forces are equal and opposite. According to Newtons third law, if the net force on a body is zero, it will stay at rest if at rest and if in motion it will stay in motion.
In mathematical terms, visualize a graph of a big bowl. The Lagrangian point is the point at the very bottom of the bowl. This point represents the point at which the maximum energy, the energy from the bottom of the bowl to the top, must be supplied to kick the body out of the bowl in order to prevent the body from rolling back down to the bottom of the bowl and returning to its energy minimum. Therefore, the point at the minimum of the bowl represents the point of maximum stability in terms of preventing the influence of a net imbalance in the forces of the two gravitational forces on it from disturbing it. This point in question is the orbit which has the most stable velocity and angular momentum. The body acted on could be a space station between two large masses such as the earth and the moon or any two interplanetary bodies of significantly greater mass than the spacecraft.
How this relates to Nasa and its plans for future space travel is that they have the ability to use the Lagrangian formulas to calculate the Lagrangian points between different planetary bodies and therefore to determine the location of these orbits. Therefore, it is possible to build space stations as stepping stones between the earth and the moon, the moon and Mars, and on and on as far as you want to go. As it would be unrealistic to expect any spacecraft to be able to return to earth from far out in space in the case of an emergency or the need to make repairs, this makes the possibility of extending space travel outwards into the solar system and theoretically beyond feasible within the constraints of our technology and budgetary considerations.
Sources:
1) NASA Reveals New Plan for the Moon, Mars & Outward
By Leonard David; Senior Space Writer Space.com
Monday, September 3, 2007
10 Steps for Simplifying Business Plan Financial Statements
For most business owners and entrepreneurs, preparing, and communicating the financial statement section of a business plan is like trying to give driving directions to someone who doesn't speak the same language.
"Numbers" is the language most investors speak. But, it is also the language that many business owners and entrepreneurs don't speak or understand.
So how do you bridge this gap?
1) Understand there is a difference between "crunching" or preparing the financial statements and presenting them.
Preparing business plan financial statements often requires expert knowledge of double-entry accounting, taxes, merger and acquisition accounting, and finance. Skills most business owners or entrepreneurs don't have, except for perhaps the most seasoned or those with accounting backgrounds. Presenting the numbers, however, only requires that you understand how what you plan to do translates into cash; and, what the potential financial risks for the business are, and how you'll minimize them. If you cannot demonstrate that you understand these, then why would an investor ever give you money?
2) Get help early on.
Okay so you don't have any money to hire a CPA or an accountant, and they just won't do it for nothing. Reach out to your local college. Find the head of the accounting department or an accounting professor. Then, see how your project might be used to help the class learn about accounting, starting a business, or building financial models. The point is; you need someone who understands how to build projected financial statements based on your specific plans for the business. It is also important to find someone who can help you understand your financial statements.
3) Know the kind of investor you are seeking.
This is the same as a writer taking the time to know the audience before writing a book. For example, a banker puts more weight on the business' liquidity, collateral, and ability to convert assets into cash quickly if the business runs into trouble and a loan is called. The emphasis on these financial measures is different for a venture capitalist whose interest is more on how quickly your business can grow, the potential future cash flow it can generate, and the potential for cashing out at an amount much higher than the initial investment.
4) Present only the numbers and measures most important to your type or types of investors in the body of your business plan.
Save the more detailed financial statements for the appendix and due diligence stage. Of course you need detailed financial statements and projections to support your business plan, but don't think you need to share them with potential investors upfront. Investors are more interested in seeing if a few key numbers and financial measures make sense and that they support your strategies before they waste time digging through your supporting data. If they are interested in moving forward with you, believe me, they will dig into your financial statements.
5) Use graphs and tables wisely to present financial information.
Graphs are great for presenting trends and comparisons. Keep them simple and uncluttered. Be sure headings, labels, axis tabs, and so on are clear and legible. Nothing is better than a great graph or table to convey a message clearly and quickly. But remember, a bad graph or table can create much damage and confusion too.
6) Check you numbers.
Like typos, a wrong number can shatter your credibility instantly. It can cause your potential investors to lose confidence in your ability, or to question your understanding of the business. Be sure the numbers in your plan agree to the correct model or version of your financial plan. Verify the numbers in your business plan agree to all supporting documents.
7) Always include a statement of the sources and uses of cash.
If you have teenagers, I'm sure you always ask them where they're going to spend the money you're about to give them, before you hand the money over to them. The Statement of Sources and Uses does the same for investors. It tells potential investors how you plan to use their money. The statement accounts for all the money coming into the deal, whether it is bank debt, seller notes, personal cash, cash proceeds from the sale of stock, and so on. It then explains how you intend to use this money, whether it is to buy an existing business, buy certain assets, payoff existing debt, or payoff certain start-up liabilities, fees, and expenses.
8) Include all three fundamental financial statements: income statement, balance sheet and cash flow.
Don't just provide potential investors with an income statement, it doesn't give them the complete story. Also, be sure that all financial statements conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principals or GAAP. Include at least three years of actual historical financial information, if available, and five years of projected financial statements. Although no one expects you to be able to predict the future with absolute certainty, projections do provide insight into your thought process, assumptions, and understanding of the business and its markets.
9) Maintain a good financial model capable of running sensitivity analyses to show how your projected results will change as your assumptions change.
This allows you and your investors to identify which assumptions are most critical to your future performance. Each critical assumption needs evidence to support it. Also, include in your model benchmark comparisons to other companies in your industry. Compare things like revenues per employee, gross margin per employee, gross margin as a percentage of revenues, and various expense and balance sheet ratios.
10) Use footnotes and descriptions to explain how key numbers were derived or the specific assumptions behind them.
As much as possible, keep these short and to the point. Don't get carried away footnoting every number. Footnote only key numbers or unusual items.
At the end of the day, more business deals are not consummated because investors don't feel like they can trust the numbers for one reason or another. Spend the time, effort and money to communicate your financial statements clearly and convincingly. It can be the key to making your deal a reality.
For most business owners and entrepreneurs, preparing, and communicating the financial statement section of a business plan is like trying to give driving directions to someone who doesn't speak the same language.
"Numbers" is the language most investors speak. But, it is also the language that many business owners and entrepreneurs don't speak or understand.
So how do you bridge this gap?
1) Understand there is a difference between "crunching" or preparing the financial statements and presenting them.
Preparing business plan financial statements often requires expert knowledge of double-entry accounting, taxes, merger and acquisition accounting, and finance. Skills most business owners or entrepreneurs don't have, except for perhaps the most seasoned or those with accounting backgrounds. Presenting the numbers, however, only requires that you understand how what you plan to do translates into cash; and, what the potential financial risks for the business are, and how you'll minimize them. If you cannot demonstrate that you understand these, then why would an investor ever give you money?
2) Get help early on.
Okay so you don't have any money to hire a CPA or an accountant, and they just won't do it for nothing. Reach out to your local college. Find the head of the accounting department or an accounting professor. Then, see how your project might be used to help the class learn about accounting, starting a business, or building financial models. The point is; you need someone who understands how to build projected financial statements based on your specific plans for the business. It is also important to find someone who can help you understand your financial statements.
3) Know the kind of investor you are seeking.
This is the same as a writer taking the time to know the audience before writing a book. For example, a banker puts more weight on the business' liquidity, collateral, and ability to convert assets into cash quickly if the business runs into trouble and a loan is called. The emphasis on these financial measures is different for a venture capitalist whose interest is more on how quickly your business can grow, the potential future cash flow it can generate, and the potential for cashing out at an amount much higher than the initial investment.
4) Present only the numbers and measures most important to your type or types of investors in the body of your business plan.
Save the more detailed financial statements for the appendix and due diligence stage. Of course you need detailed financial statements and projections to support your business plan, but don't think you need to share them with potential investors upfront. Investors are more interested in seeing if a few key numbers and financial measures make sense and that they support your strategies before they waste time digging through your supporting data. If they are interested in moving forward with you, believe me, they will dig into your financial statements.
5) Use graphs and tables wisely to present financial information.
Graphs are great for presenting trends and comparisons. Keep them simple and uncluttered. Be sure headings, labels, axis tabs, and so on are clear and legible. Nothing is better than a great graph or table to convey a message clearly and quickly. But remember, a bad graph or table can create much damage and confusion too.
6) Check you numbers.
Like typos, a wrong number can shatter your credibility instantly. It can cause your potential investors to lose confidence in your ability, or to question your understanding of the business. Be sure the numbers in your plan agree to the correct model or version of your financial plan. Verify the numbers in your business plan agree to all supporting documents.
7) Always include a statement of the sources and uses of cash.
If you have teenagers, I'm sure you always ask them where they're going to spend the money you're about to give them, before you hand the money over to them. The Statement of Sources and Uses does the same for investors. It tells potential investors how you plan to use their money. The statement accounts for all the money coming into the deal, whether it is bank debt, seller notes, personal cash, cash proceeds from the sale of stock, and so on. It then explains how you intend to use this money, whether it is to buy an existing business, buy certain assets, payoff existing debt, or payoff certain start-up liabilities, fees, and expenses.
8) Include all three fundamental financial statements: income statement, balance sheet and cash flow.
Don't just provide potential investors with an income statement, it doesn't give them the complete story. Also, be sure that all financial statements conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principals or GAAP. Include at least three years of actual historical financial information, if available, and five years of projected financial statements. Although no one expects you to be able to predict the future with absolute certainty, projections do provide insight into your thought process, assumptions, and understanding of the business and its markets.
9) Maintain a good financial model capable of running sensitivity analyses to show how your projected results will change as your assumptions change.
This allows you and your investors to identify which assumptions are most critical to your future performance. Each critical assumption needs evidence to support it. Also, include in your model benchmark comparisons to other companies in your industry. Compare things like revenues per employee, gross margin per employee, gross margin as a percentage of revenues, and various expense and balance sheet ratios.
10) Use footnotes and descriptions to explain how key numbers were derived or the specific assumptions behind them.
As much as possible, keep these short and to the point. Don't get carried away footnoting every number. Footnote only key numbers or unusual items.
At the end of the day, more business deals are not consummated because investors don't feel like they can trust the numbers for one reason or another. Spend the time, effort and money to communicate your financial statements clearly and convincingly. It can be the key to making your deal a reality.
Power of Positive Thought Energy
We have with us the conclusive proof for the Power of positive thought energy from the man who involved himself in the experiment of thought energy. His name is Marcel Vogel. He is a renowned scientist. He says: I am probably the first person in the world to have shown scientifically that there is energy accompanying the process of thought. I have measured this energy in experiments involving plants (philodendrons) and my own thought processes.
Mr. Marcel went to India and watched experiments on plant growth being carried out at the Bose Institute of Calcutta. The scientists there use a recording cresograph to chart the growth rate of a plant- in this case a blade of grass. This blade of grass was sealed off in a glass chamber. The Scientists could look on, but not physically interfere. They watched the machine plot a growth curve for this plant, a curve that would be considered normal in comparison to other growth rates. As Marcel Vogel watched, he suddenly decided to focus his mind on that blade of grass. He took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled quickly. The plants growth rate accelerated! In other words the energy from his mind went out into the plant, and that mind energy caused the normal growth rate to change. When he focused his mind on the plant, the recorder indicated an accelerated rate: when he released his breath, the recorder jumped to a much higher point on the graph and continued to plot a curve from that higher point. In other words, it just totally transcended the normal growth rate and began a new curve at a much higher point. The whole rate of growth of that plant was modified by the thought energy.
Mr Marcel continued his experiments and proved that positive thought energy could be sent to anybody.
Madam Annie Besant and C.W.Leadbeater in their book, Thought Forms state :
Each definite thought produces a double effect a radiating vibration and a floating form.
The radiating vibration conveys the character of the thought. The quality of the thought determines colour. The nature of thought determines form. Definiteness of thought determines clearness of outline.
Annie Besant and Leadbeater advise us to cultivate helpful thoughts.
Thoughts are our own real children. Positive thoughts will produce positive results. Noble thought will bring happiness.
The astonishing scientific facts are compelling and convincing to cultivate the habit of Thinking Positively.
We have with us the conclusive proof for the Power of positive thought energy from the man who involved himself in the experiment of thought energy. His name is Marcel Vogel. He is a renowned scientist. He says: I am probably the first person in the world to have shown scientifically that there is energy accompanying the process of thought. I have measured this energy in experiments involving plants (philodendrons) and my own thought processes.
Mr. Marcel went to India and watched experiments on plant growth being carried out at the Bose Institute of Calcutta. The scientists there use a recording cresograph to chart the growth rate of a plant- in this case a blade of grass. This blade of grass was sealed off in a glass chamber. The Scientists could look on, but not physically interfere. They watched the machine plot a growth curve for this plant, a curve that would be considered normal in comparison to other growth rates. As Marcel Vogel watched, he suddenly decided to focus his mind on that blade of grass. He took a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled quickly. The plants growth rate accelerated! In other words the energy from his mind went out into the plant, and that mind energy caused the normal growth rate to change. When he focused his mind on the plant, the recorder indicated an accelerated rate: when he released his breath, the recorder jumped to a much higher point on the graph and continued to plot a curve from that higher point. In other words, it just totally transcended the normal growth rate and began a new curve at a much higher point. The whole rate of growth of that plant was modified by the thought energy.
Mr Marcel continued his experiments and proved that positive thought energy could be sent to anybody.
Madam Annie Besant and C.W.Leadbeater in their book, Thought Forms state :
Each definite thought produces a double effect a radiating vibration and a floating form.
The radiating vibration conveys the character of the thought. The quality of the thought determines colour. The nature of thought determines form. Definiteness of thought determines clearness of outline.
Annie Besant and Leadbeater advise us to cultivate helpful thoughts.
Thoughts are our own real children. Positive thoughts will produce positive results. Noble thought will bring happiness.
The astonishing scientific facts are compelling and convincing to cultivate the habit of Thinking Positively.
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