The Blog Beacon

Oil Market Manipulation?

2008-06-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

From The Pundit Master

Until recently, I didn't really buy the market manipulation scenario. Rampant speculation? Sure. But when someone buys a futures contract and doesn't actually take delivery, the oil doesn't leave the market. Over time, things would even up. But when I start hearing 40 year veterans of the markets, and even Saudi oil ministers saying things like "I've never seen anything like this", I have to start wondering if something else isn't going on.

I think I may have at least a possibility. What if a company or country or companies or countries that are taking delivery of crude, aren't really taking delivery of crude? What if some producers set up phony transactions? What if they went so far as to deliver the product, only to have it come right back through the back door?

Why? To inflate both production and use numbers. Prices are the result of market perception. If it looks like producers are going full tilt and barely keeping up with the demand, prices rise. Creating this appearance really wouldn't be that difficult, especially if you control the books, the production, the delivery and the inventory. It would be tough for an American company. It would be a piece of cake for a state run oil monopoly....or two.

I'm not saying it's actually going down that way, but if there were a way to manipulate a price surge, that's the only way I can think of to pull it off. The only way to discover it would be to take a good hard look at the specific companies that are taking delivery of crude and see if that crude is actually getting to end users, and actually getting used.

The Chevy Volt - Where Will it Take the Market?

2008-06-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

From Captain Capitalist

Chevy is going full tilt into the electric car market with mass production of the Chevy Volt scheduled for 2010.

Actually, it's a hybrid, but it can be recharged by plugging in to a regular wall socket. It's a good start, and it can kick-start the rest of the market into high gear if demand is strong.

It could also impact the energy market in a big way. Consider that the federal government taxes gas to the tune of about 18 cents per gallon. State governments tack on even more. California's gas tax is a whopping 69 cents/gallon. In total about 15% of the price of gas goes to the government (by comparison the greedy oil companies net is about 4%). The big conflict between the government and the advent of electric vehicles is: How do you keep that revenue flowing?

What if electric vehicle technology goes fully electric? You can already buy home wind generators at Sam's Club and other retail outlets. What if you could power your car without even going on the grid?

The folks who stand the most to lose by a change in the status quo are not the oil executives, it's government; here and abroad. Producers will find something else to produce. Government produces nothing. It must find a new way to take.

There are a few ways things could go. First, we could see a resurgence in privately owned and operated roads. Toll roads could become much more common as revenues from pumping gas decline. This option makes too much sense, so is the least likely. Too much of the money flow would come out of the hands of Congress. Since controlling cash flow is where all of their power and influence comes from, they'll never go for it.

The government could dramatically hike taxes on electricity, but that would only encourage more private generation. They could tax generators, but I don't think the public would go for it, and it's too easy to get around.

The most likely scenerio is a dramatic drop in the price of crude well before the mass production roll out. Once politicians realize the threat, they'll suddenly come around to drilling in Anwar, off the coast and elsewhere to deal with our "energy emergency", yes, even the left will find some pragmatic justification for their 180 degree swing. This will just be cover. There really is no short-term supply crunch. We just let too much of the supply fall under the control of OPEC and friends. There is still plenty of untapped oil in the ground. Just as the falling dollar and demand in China and India have been used to explain the run up (as if the dollar fell 80% and/or demand in China quintupled in 18 months) the perception of increased supply will be used to explain the precipitous fall in the price of crude.

I don't know if it will work. There are a number of promising technologies that may well be able to compete with $28/barrel oil. Timing is key. If oil falls fast and far enough, a lot of investment dollars could come out of alternatives. If the players wait too long, they wont be able to get the genie back in the bottle.

The Scum that Could Save the World

2008-05-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

From The Pundit Master

There's a new hero on the horizon in the war on terror. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's....pond scum.

Actually it's genetically engineered algae from a company called Sapphire Energy. Sapphire is developing the capacity to produce 91 octane gasoline that is fully compatible with existing infrastructure and vehicles, using algae, sunlight and CO2.

Unlike other bio fuels, Sapphire's product does not displace food crops. In fact, because its main components are CO2, sunlight and water that can be very low quality, dirty water, production facilities can be located on some of the most un-sought after real estate on the planet. Also, unlike other alternative fuels, the production is infinitely scalable. That is it can be ramped up to meet demand without limitations based on available land or location of raw materials. One could conceivable build multi-story complexes, even where space is tight.

How does this relate to the war on terror? The jihad is fueled by petrol. We currently send about 600 billion dollars a year overseas to accommodate our energy needs and that doesn't include the money we spend defending our global pipeline. Much of this money winds up in the hands of our enemies. We're financing the war against ourselves. A reliable, renewable, mass produce-able alternative to crude could put an end to all of that.

Sapphire is still in its infancy, but they're moving fast. They have attracted some major venture capital and hope to have their product on the market within 3 years. If they are successful, it wont take that long for their technology to have an impact. If oil's days are numbered, how do you think OPEC will react to a realization that their "100 year supply" of proven oil reserves will only have value for less than a decade?

That brings up the one defense the traditional oil market has: lower prices. Oil producers have shown the capacity to produce and sell their product at $20/barrel or lower. If they were to rapidly adjust prices in a defensive maneuver, they could put a damper on enthusiasm for and investment in alternatives. However, if technologies like Sapphire's are commercially developed before that, they will be able to match such price drops.

The key to the changing landscape has been a trend quietly developing in the scientific and industrial world toward recognizing that microbes are far more efficient than machinery at refining raw materials into usable commodities. With some genetic tweaking by some brilliant human beings, this technology will be applied to fields far beyond energy. It's already being used to produce medicines and the possibilities are immense for other products and commodities.

Best Things I’ve Learned from My Business

2008-05-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

From Laura Benjamin

Long ago and not so far away, this single Mom with 3 kids to feed quit her corporate job. There were many dark and stormy nights ahead, but looking back I learned a great many lessons from running this business. I’ll share a few here and ask if you’d like to comment and submit your own list of ”lessons learned”!

Lesson #1: Better to build a community than to “network”

Networking is touted as the best way to build a business or career, but networking has gotten a bad reputation. Why? Because not everyone knows how to network effectively. You’ll watch them swap business cards, spend less than 2 minutes listening to the other person, then move on to the next one. Follow up is rare, sincerity even rarer.

Indeed, “speed networking” is promoted as the ultimate in efficiency. That’s where you spend less than 2 minutes with a person, then when the whistle blows, you move to the next one. It’s a takeoff on “speed dating”. To me that seems like gulping down a glass of rare wine in order to get to the bottom of the bottle!

A better use of time is to take the time to build a community. A Community is a high-trust, familiar group of folks who you’ve built relationships with. You may not see them very often, but you keep up with them from a distance. You respect one another. You appreciate the work they do, their level of commitment and their contributions. You know the struggles they’ve overcome and you never worry about putting your reputation at risk when you refer folks their way.

Lesson #2: There’s a big difference between gross and profit

I learned this one the hard way the last time I wanted to buy a new home. High gross income is one thing, but after all those deductions to keep your tax rate low, it’s good to show a profit. Looking back, I should have hired a CPA and bookkeeper much sooner rather than the “clueless” accounting method I used through my first five years in business. They could have helped me see which deductions to focus on, how to set up a system where I’d learn from year to year the most profitable use of my time and resources. Thank goodness I now have experts to help me see the light!

Lesson #3: Break out of inbred benchmarking circles

Most of us start out hanging with the people who do the same things we do. Perhaps it’s an industry association or professional group of like-minded people. Nothing wrong with “birds of a feather flock together” up to a point. But there’s value in breaking out to see what the rest of the world is up to. You can learn a lot from people in industries and occupations that don’t use the same acronyms. Yet too many of us remain stuck in worlds and social circles that are safe and familiar. Innovation comes by crawling out from behind the four walls and applying concepts from other fields to your particular product or service.

Lesson #4: Leverage the top 5% and create a “Blue Ocean”

There are certain traits, talents and skills you possess that, if leveraged properly, are going to take you further - faster. Sure, you can do the other 95% in a competent manner but those accomplishments will keep you stuck in mediocrity. Better to hone in on the one or two things you do with such style, grace, ease and excellence that you blow the competition away. In fact, you make the competition irrelevant! (Read the book, Blue Ocean Strategy for more on this concept).

You may wonder, “But how do I figure out what my top 5% talents and skills really are?”

Well, you do the work. You make lists, take assessments, ask people who know you well. Dig deep into the personal and professional experiences you’ve had along the way that made you feel accomplished, energized and certain that you made a difference in some small way. Focus in on the top 3-5 things that are the “best of the best” and you’ll be on your way. Then build your work, a business, a career around those 3-5 things. Promote them, find ways to fit them into your daily activities whether you get paid for it or not. Pretty soon you’ll find that just like putting the right kind of “seed” in the birdfeeder, the right kind of “birds” are coming your way!

Lesson #5: Avoid the Expert Myth and Build Self Confidence

The Expert Myth is thinking you have to be an Expert with a Capital “E” in order to pursue a new career, go for that promotion, launch a business, etc. Ask any professor or instructor who is given a new class to teach - you just need to be one chapter ahead of your class. You don’t have to know everything, you just have to know enough to help someone else. The more you put yourself out there, the more you learn, and the more you’re able to help others with something new. To paraphrase Pablo Picasso, “I try to do the things I cannot do so I may learn how to do them.”

As usual, I could go on and on. It seems like I learn something beneficial each day from running this small business. And you know the funny thing? I’m learning more about myself and other people than I am about business and that once again reinforces my favorite saying, “It’s never just business - it’s always personal!”

Now, let the day begin!

Laura Benjamin, writing from 6711 ft. above sea level in warm and sunny Colorado

Laugh and Get Rich

2008-05-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

From Bliss Sawyers Marketing Blog

I had the great opportunity to be on the same stage as Darren LaCroix last week. A great speaker, Darren is also the author of Laugh & Get Rich, a fabulous book on How to Profit from Humor in any Business. I read it in two days. Would have finished it in one, but had to get my kids cheerios for dinner. Again.

I've always said it isn't the numbers that motivate borrowers to make application with a certain originator, it's the emotion behind the numbers and the connection they feel. LaCroix summed it up nicely when he said: "We don't live in a rational world and we don't deal with rational people. It's emotions that move decisions."

If work is fun... you perform better at your job. If you make it fun for your referral partners, clients and prospects to work with you, the business will just naturally follow. This book will give you some great ideas to build stronger relationships, differentiate yourself from the competition (who doesn't want to do that!) and SELL MORE. Hmmm.... seems to me like everyone needs this book.

We spend a tremendous amount of time working. Hours and hours and hours. More than we spend with our loved ones and more than we spend biking. Or golfing. Or any of the other things we like to do. So I wonder why more people don't have fun at work. Maybe they just don't want to be rich.

Making Yogurt

2008-04-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

From Wifezilla

After my previous experience trying to find full-fat plain yogurt in the grocery store, I got the wild idea that I should try and make my own. A quick Google search for the keywords "yogurt making" gave me more results than I could possibly read in a lifetime. Fortunately, this site had pictures, and, being the visual person that I am, I used their guidelines.

A cooler, jars and a candy thermometer were things I already had on hand. The Walmart that frustrated me by not carrying yogurt DID have Stoneyfield low fat yogurt to use as a bacteria source and inexpensive heavy cream. (If I was going to go through the trouble to make yogurt, I was damn sure going to get my fat!)

I cleaned everything, sterilized the heavy cream and let it cool. I added the Stoneyfield to the warm cream, filled some containers with hot water, put the cream mix in glass jars and popped it in to the cooler.

6 hours later, I checked what I hoped was now yogurt. It was close. While it did thicken up a bit, it was a tad on the runny side, but it did taste like yogurt. The richest creamiest yogurt I ever tasted. Other than the texture, I was pretty happy. I took a chance and poured the slightly runny yogurt in to a coffee filter lined strainer and put that in a bowl and it all went in the fridge. (This is the method used to make "yocheese" or an approximation of Greek style yogurt.)

The next morning I checked my mix and I had a nice thick creamy yogurt. Only about 1/4 cup of whey drained off, but it was enough to firm everything up. Some of the heavy cream yogurt went to make salad dressing, some was mixed with unsweetened coco and splenda for a delicious chocolate dessert, and there is even some left. Maybe. Hubby has been home for an hour now and I am still at the office. Hummmm...

Anyway...I will sure be doing this again. Even with a slight goof it still worked. Maybe I'll be using half and half next time to make it an even better bargain and a little less rich (it is almost TOO rich even for me using only heavy cream....almost :D ). If you are feeling brave, check out the tutorial and give it a try. If scatter-brained me can do it, you have a good chance at creamy success.

A Stimulating Proposition

2008-04-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

From Captain Capitalist
Suppose you're a municipality searching for ways to encourage and enable small business success in your community. What type of incentives should you provide? To whom should you offer them? You can't answer these questions without an understanding of the role of the small business in the economy.

First of all, you have to understand what makes a market. Transactions take place when I have something that is of more value to you than it is to me. For example, I have a marble handled widget polisher. In my opinion it's worth $1.80. In your eyes it's worth $2.20. I offer it at $2.00. A transaction takes place. Difference of opinion in regard to value is what makes a market.

Second you need to understand what types of businesses are necessary for the local economy and how you go about determining "what we need". Too often this is done in meetings or even public forums. Neither of which is more efficient than the market. It has been conventional wisdom that for a business to thrive, it must grow. However, as Doug Tatum points out in his book "No Man's Land", not all business models are conducive to growth. Some work better on a small scale. Indeed there are a number of businesses that have existed for decades that never have had more than a couple of people working them. Are they not valuable? How do you know? The fact that someone is making a living doing something is evidence in and of itself that the activity has value to the community. You cast a vote every time you buy something. You're saying "I like that" "Keep doing it".

Third you must look at how the small business fits into the overall economy. Large businesses need small businesses. Even big call centers need their carpets cleaned, their windows washed, they need phone techs, somewhere for people to eat lunch, office supplies and a host of other support products and services. These things cannot always be efficiently provided by other large businesses. In addition, the small business market offers a place for employees of large business to go when they decide it's time for something new. The typical large business has a few great paying jobs and a lot of not so great paying jobs. The supply of opportunity does not meet the demand. The small business market provides a venue for new ideas and innovation that may not fit the bill for the company someone is currently working for. The economy is not a big business vs. small business proposition. They work in tandem.

How can government help? Primarily by understanding and being aware of the principals above. Let's look at the marble handled widget transaction again. Suppose I were required to collect a sales tax, have a pre-sale safety inspection and file a widget sales registration for a fee. Now the price of the widget has increased by 50 cents, the "cost of commerce". Remember in my mind the widget was worth $1.80. For the transaction to make sense from my end I have to get more than $2.30 for it. But, in your mind the widget is only worth $2.20. You'd have to get it for less than $2.20 for the transaction to make sense to you. The transaction doesn't take place. The cost of commerce has squelched it. It is an obstacle to the free market. Governments interested in promoting commerce should focus on minimizing the cost of commerce.

Which businesses should be helped? All of them, and equally so. As explained in point two, the free choices of free individuals will determine which products and services are needed or wanted. The role of government in this dynamic should be limited to restricting products and services that are for some reason undesirable to the community. All legal entities should be equally enabled in the marketplace. No one needs a gaurantee of success. Only the opportunity to put forth their ideas on a fair playing field.

Finally, all decisions on creating a thriving market environment should start with the premise that every business is valuable. A business that employs one person is of great value to that person. If the market deems them unworthy, they will fail. You don't have to push them out or encourage them to take on a growth strategy that doesn't make sense for their business model.

In the short term it is politically tempting to tamper with the mechanics of the free market. After all, if a policy is implemented with your name on it and it leads to some measure of success, it can greatly further your career and your stature. However, the market doesn't respond well to tampering in the long term. One of the best things a municipal govenment can do to stimulate creativity and energy in the local marketplace is to understand and trust the free market and occasionally send a message to participants: "Thanks for participating. We're glad you're here. Keep up the good work." Then, just let the market do its thing.

Fighting Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan

2008-04-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

From The Pundit Master

Even as NATO proposes troop drawdowns in three years as the Afghan army gains strength, they know they may be leaving behind a major problem in establishing order and stability in the region. Afghanistan produces 93% of the worlds opium. Efforts to erradicate the poppy production have utterly failed.

As illustrated in the book Freakonomics, it's always helpful to approach these types of problems by looking at incentives. Why do so many Afghans risk the wrath of authorities to continue to produce poppy seeds? That's an easy one: money. The solution: money. Not a hand-out, a switch-out. New technologies have made a vast variety of agricultural products suitable for producing fuel. Amyris Biotechnologies has developed genetic engineering techniques that allow microbes to convert plant products into a number of commodities, including fuel.

NATO should consider appropriating funds to research the optimum agricultural product to commodity formula for the terrain currently being used for poppy production. It doesn't have to pay as well as the opium trade. Just enough to make the risk/reward ratio for poppy growing much less attractive.

Such technologies are already transforming Brazil into an alternative fuels powerhouse. When you factor in the cost of fighting poppy production by force alone, helping the locals get rich from other crops could be a real money saver as well as a path to peace. Who knows, Amyris may even come up with a way to turn poppy plants into fuel, or medicine or something much more productive than opium.

Assumptions and blessings

2008-02-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

From: The Boys: Raising Identical Twins
By TwinsMom
As a journalist, one of the first lessons I learned was never to make assumptions.
Don't assume that all siblings share the same last name. Don't assume that beer bottles in a car mean the driver was drinking. Don't assume that you can even begin to comprehend someone else's pain.
It is a lesson I have tried to apply to my personal life as well.
So when a woman I had become casual friends with through my oldest son began to drift away, I assumed nothing. We were not very close. Our children are in different classes now. She had taken a part-time job.
I tried not to assume that it was personal.
I learned yesterday that it was.
Her daughter and mine are in the same class this year and have become friends. They insisted on a playdate and it finally happened yesterday. I noticed that the mom watched the twins play when she dropped her daughter off and seemed interested in them, even drawn to them. But she kept her distance.
Soon after she left, her daughter told me that her older brother was a twin, but that his twin had died before birth.
When the woman returned to retrieve her daughter, I apologized for my ignorance and for any insensitivity I might have displayed during my pregnancy and after. I offered my condolences, unsure whether I was doing or saying the right thing. But relief seemed to wash over her.
And she talked.
She talked about learning that her son had died inside her body at 20 weeks. She talked about the doctors removing the baby and the sac, careful not to touch the surviving baby. She talked about seven long weeks in the hospital on full bed rest and the 1-pound, 12-ounce baby who struggled so hard to survive.
She talked about how blessed and grateful they are that the tiny little baby did survive and that he has no problems resulting from his prematurity. She talked about medical miracles and her familiarty with the NICU.
She did not talk about the pain of her loss or the pain that I now recognize on her face as she watches my boys play.
This time, I decided, it was safe to make an assumption: she is strong in a way that I am not sure I could ever be. I meet people like her around every corner, people who have lost children. And every day, I think of them. I think of them when the frustration mounts. When the twins are crying, the older kids won't do their homework, dinner is burning, the laundry is piling up, I have no time to write and I've barely slept for days.
I am reminded that I have four healthy children, a wonderful husband and a stepdaughter who loves us all. I might have frustrations, but I do not carry that sorrow in my heart that she will have forever. I do not have to be so strong.
Life is good.
I can handle it.

Clinton Rezko Photo

2008-01-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

From The Pundit Master

At Monday night's SC debate Hillary chided Barak Obama for having defended the "slumlord Rezko". Rezko has supported Obama's campaign and is now facing a number of criminal charges. Obama has returned about 40K in funds donated by the man.

Today a picture surfaced of Mr. Rezko's smiling face between Bill and Hillary Clinton in what looks to be one of the photos you get to take after making a big contribution or attending a $5,000 a plate hot dog roast. Good stuff.

It's amusing because those of us who remember Bill's reign know they took money from anyone and everyone. They had the best fundraisers in the business. The Clintons don't ask questions. They just deposit checks. What's also amusing is that anyone who thinks this kind of thing will torpedo the Clinton campaign will be severely disappointed.

The Clintons enjoy a strong core of support and run an election winning machine that wouldn't care if a picture surfaced of Bill and Hillary holding dripping bloody knives along with Charles Manson. The only way you beat the Clintons is to turn out more of your voters than they can turn out of theirs. That's not an easy task, as their voters often include people who don't exist or who died decades ago. If you get caught up in attacking the Clintons instead of selling your game plan to your people, you'll be singing the blues on election day.

I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that the Clinton campaign leaked this photo.

Can't Get No Satisfaction?

2008-01-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

By Gene Pinder

Keep a person satisfied in his or her job and it will result in superior job performance. At least that's been the prevailing wisdom.

But now a researcher says it doesn't quite work that way. Nathan Bowling, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Wright State, says that his research shows that satisfaction does not cause performance. Instead, he says that employee personality characteristics, such as self-esteem, emotional stability, extroversion and conscientiousness determine it.

According to Bowling, the studies show that employees who have an overall negative attitude to all things in life likely won't find job satisfaction, regardless of performance, because of their personality characteristics.

"Emotional stability matters a lot," Bowling said. "People who are neurotic, those who tend to be anxious, depressed, regardless of the situation, typically won't find satisfaction no matter how many jobs they try."

What are the implications of his work?

Bowling says that workplace interventions designed to improve performance by exclusively targeting employee satisfaction are unlikely to be effective. He also suggests that the studies show that intelligence is one of the things that drives the performance. Another common denominator of solid performing employees, according to Bowling, are those who exhibit a high level of conscientiousness - those who are detail-oriented, hard workers and who set goals.

What are the implications of this research? Managers and business owners may want to pay more careful attention to the personality of the people they hire. If the goal is to find, hire and keep people who will be productive, then the research strongly suggests that on-the-job satisfaction is far less dependent on all of the "goodies" and more dependent on one's positive attitude and personality they bring to the job.

Gene Pinder is the assistant director of an executive master's program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also the author of The Psychology of Satisfaction and Happiness, a blog focusing on the current science and research of well-being. A journalist and marketer by training, Gene is also an artist of original oils and acrylic paintings.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_Pinder

Brittany Spears Solution - The "CelebriBuddy"

2008-01-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

From The Pundit Master

The continued fascination with the antics of Brittany Spears, Lindey Lohan and others is tragic, pathetic and shameful. Young people often go through wild stages, but they usually grow out of it. What's different about celebrities? Most of us have someone around to tell us when we're doing, or are about to do something stupid. Your wife, co-worker, friend or acquaintace might tell you "Hey, put that cigarette out while your pumping gas." or "Hey, don't put your kid on your lap when you're driving".

Many celebrities are surrounded by people who are so afraid of being kept out of the loop, they wont point out the dumb things you do. In fact, most of the "hangers on" are waiting for you to do something outrageous so they can get and sell the picture or the story. They may give you a ride home afterwards, but they wont stop you. The solution? The CelebriBuddy. Celebrities could hire a professional "nag". Someone who's job is to travel with you and point out when your behavior is inappropriate, dangerous or just plain dumb. This is not the same as a "handler" in that a handler normally is concerned with your public image.

A CelebriBuddy would be primarily concerned with your personal growth and welfare. This would also not be a therapist, just someone with common sense and discipline. The employment contract would have to include a clause that states the CelebriBuddy can not profit from public exploitation of the relationship. No books, blogs, TV interviews and such for a specified time period during and after their employment. The CelebriBuddy is not to become a Celebrity.

The toughest part would be convincing the celebrity that the people around them are not their friends and that they need to hire one. They may see this as degrading and sad, but it's reality.

If the managers, parents, friends and family of these celebrity basket cases really want to help them, they need to either treat them like normal human beings or hire someone who can.

Accessories and Equipment - How To Select A Web Camera

2008-01-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

By Andrew Stratton

There is no doubt that many people who have considered purchasing a web camera have been put off by the fact that the picture results were not smooth and free flowing, but instead were jumpy and were annoying to watch because of frequent stops while another batch of pixels forms on the screen. For those people who have switched to digital cameras and security cameras that monitor what is going on in your home or office, you may want to take another look at a web camera. The broadband capabilities of most internet providers today means that the streaming video actually streams without the jerks and hesitations that used to be so evident in the past.

This means that a web camera may actually make good sense to serve as a security camera in either the home or the office. When you are comparing and contrasting various web cameras to determine which ones make the best selection for home or office security, the first thing you should consider is the frames per second that the camera comes with. Of course, you will want to look for the highest resolution and the highest fidelity possible as well.

The next things to review when selecting a web camera are the lens types and the focus controls so that the visibility of the images will be crystal clear. Check the characteristics in various lighting conditions if you want to get the best possible results in real life situations. You should be aware of the different levels of sophistication when it comes to adjusting focus and lens speed as that can greatly affect the quality of the images.

When you are choosing a web camera, the next item to consider is where the camera will be mounted and how large it must be in order to accomplish what is expected of it. Most web cameras will be mounted on top of the monitor, but not all web cameras can rotate both vertically and horizontally. The greatest flexibility will be gained with the maximum camera movement.

You should be sure that all the needed software to run the camera is included with the equipment. In some cases extra software is bundled with the operating software. Whether it is operating software, or other extra software not only the quality and the price should be taken into consideration, but whether it is something that is of any use for you. Another feature to compare when selecting a web camera is the manufacturer's warranty. A typical warranty will last for one year.

In addition to all of the above you should look for the extras which add value to the camera. A zoom or telephoto lens allows you to zero in on details when recording images. The ability to capture video stills can be helpful and a microphone that is built in helps the sound quality.

Reviewing the checklist above will help you to make the best possible selection of a web camera that will meet your needs.

All spy camera accessories and equipment information can be found in http://www.surveillancetechnology.com with details. Visit; http://www.surveillancetechnology.com/security-camera-accessory.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton

GE, Halliburtan and their business with Iran

2008-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

From Captain Capitalist

Despite US sanctions against doing business with Iran, GE, Halliburton and other companies have continued to do business with that country and others such as Syria and Libya.

While they don't do it directly, they go through foreign subsidiaries and have defended the practice by stating that they are in compliance with current US law.

That may be the case, but how do you morally and ethically justify doing business with a regime that we know is supplying weapons that are being used to kill Americans in Iraq and Afganistan? The companies believe they are looking after the best interests of their shareholders. I would submit that supporting state sponsors of terrorism against US citizens is a bigger concern to their shareholders than an extra couple of cents in their dividend payment.

Capitalism at its best is not all about cash. It's about improving your quality of life by finding ways to improve the quality of other people's lives. It's about creating value. Providing support and stability for regimes that want to kill us is not providing value.

Claiming a legal responsibility to honor existing contracts is complete BS. The minute the Iranians and others decided to sponsor the killing of Americans they voided any legal rights they may have had. No legitimate court in the world would hold GE or Haliburton to those contracts if they terminated them tomorrow, which is what they ought to do.

In the meantime, I would highly recommend that US citizens refrain from patronizing any company or its subsidiaries that continues to do business with our enemies, regardless of existing contracts.

Designing and Decorating a Child's Bedroom

2008-01-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

From Aritcle City
by: Dave Rowe
When it comes to decorating, your Childs bedroom is one of the areas where you can really have fun with design ideas and if your child is old enough you can involve him in the design process. Although you may have to water down some their ideas to fit within your budget!

The key to designing a pleasing child’s bedroom is to plan ahead. In no time at all your baby will become a toddler and then not long after that he will be starting school and soon become a teenager. So what seemed like a good idea to paint 6foot high murals of ‘Winnie the Pooh characters will not be appropriate when your 10 ten year old brings home his friends from school for the first time. Getting the basic structure correct at the beginning will save you having to do major changes every time you re-decorate. So this involves getting enough electric sockets and lights setup. If you have the opportunity get dimmer switches fitted and use a combination of main lighting and downlighters so the mood in the bedroom can be varied depending on the activity.

When designing a theme room, it is probably better to decorate one wall with the chosen theme and paint the other three walls with a plain colour, rather than have all four walls wall-papered with the same design not only does this give a feeling of more space but it is also cheaper when you need to re-decorate or change the theme due to your child growing older. Design for fun and keep it practical. Keep decoration simple and easy to look after are the key messages. Paint needs to be hard wearing and washable, sticky fingers and even worse crayons and pens are the main enemy here. If you include a blackboard at the height of your child and encourage him to use that, it will save many hours washing or painting over your child’s latest Picasso!

On the plain walls you can always use posters and pictures to expand on the required theme. Storage is probably the major requirement for the bedroom. As children get older they seem to accumulate more and more toys so space under beds or cabin beds should be considered. Take a look around at what your child’s has and you will probably find that you need to fit in: · A bed. · A wardrobe. · A desk and chair. · A bookshelf · Storage for toys. · Storage for out of season clothes i.e. winter or summer. · An area to display models and prizes from school. Wardrobes and chest of drawers or dressing tables are also useful. Giving your child a work area such as a desk are also good for encouraging children to do their homework as they grow older. Choose furniture which is also hard wearing and washable. Plain white furniture will work for almost any theme and will last for many years. There are many specialist sites on the web which focus just on children’s furniture such as http://www.furniture-4-kids.co.uk/ are good sites to see a range of different furniture from different suppliers.

When the children are toddlers there are many ranges of small tables and chairs which can be purchase relatively cheaply to give your child the feeling of his own special space. When fitting out the inside of his or her wardrobes position the rails near the bottom to encourage them to select their clothes and dress themselves. It also hopefully will help to keep the room tidy. A large toy box is also an excellent way to clear up a mess quickly before bedtime. Shelves for storing books and displaying special toys and also their latest creations they may have made at school are a good idea

When you know what budget and what the basic rules are, ask your child to share their thoughts on what their dream room should look like. In the beginning remind your children that you will not be able to deliver everything they ask for, but that you are sure you will be able to achieve something, which will be satisfactory for you and the child. Try to include: · Their favourite colours. · Their favourite hobbies/interests. · Their favourite objects. · Their Favourite cartoon or story characters or football teams · Which one item they would like in their room more than anything else.

Once the theme is decide upon a site such as http://www.Pricerighthome.com contains some superb themed accessories based upon cartoon characters or football teams with curtains duvet covers and wallpapers which will help add the final touches to the perfect room. By planning at the beginning and involving your child in the design process you will probably find it the most enjoyable room to decorate and also a room which will be easy to decorate in future years as your child’s tastes and needs change.

About The Author
Dave Rowe has written many articles on DIY and home design. He also runs several websites including http://furniture-4-kids.co.uk http://www.buy-bratz-toys.co.uk and http://www.searchforgifts.co.uk

Affiliate SEO Tricks by Len Hutton

2008-01-03T21:02:00.000-08:00

From Article City

The majority of the world’s working population perform their jobs in offices and most of the world’s working population do not like their jobs because, well, who wants to work? So, if you don’t like to work but have to work anyway, why stick yourself into a job with low pay? The best solution would be to find a high-paying job, work hard and then start your own business if you can. The problem is, even with a high paying job, you can’t earn enough money to start a business.

The World Wide Web, being an economy in itself, offers a variety of opportunities for making money. You can try your hand at freelance jobs like data encoding, medical transcription, article composition and programming. There are a number of freelancer websites that you can join so you may work at home and put some extra money in your pocket. Start-up capital = $0

There are supposedly expert moneymakers who, for a small fee of $100 to $200 will teach you how to earn $2,000 to $10,000 a month. You can try out their system for free, but, you will have to place a deposit to be able to get the free trial. Start-up capital = $49 to $100 depending on deposit requirements.

Finally, you can be a passive internet salesperson. I call it passive because all you have to do is establish a base of operations in the internet. Once that base has been established, you have the potential to earn from $0 to unlimited income. All you have to do afterwards is maintain or update that base once every three months. And yes, this advice is free. No trial offers, and no deposits required. Read on please.

Vendor sites like amazon.com offer internet surfers the opportunity of earning additional income in exchange for the promotion of their website and products. This is how it works. You will need to sign-up for affiliate membership. Most vendor sites that offer affiliate programs do not charge you for this. This is only fair since you will be selling them to people. Be wary of vendor sites that charge fees for membership to their affiliate programs. Once you join-up, they will give you a reference number or an ID number that you will paste into your html scripts. Your vendor site will give you instructions on how to paste them. Normally, an affiliate will have to have a website where they can promote the vendor site. You will promote the vendor site by adding links to the site’s home page and some specific products which you think will sell more.

You will need to design your website to accommodate these links as well as alter some of your websites graphics to make way for banners, or picture links. Don’t forget to add the ID or reference number to the link so that the vendor can identify your referral. Once you have the links in place, you will need to write some 250++ words about the product you are selling. I recommend allotting 1 web page per product as this will help you in search engine result rankings. The content you write will have to be relevant and filled with keywords that pertain to the product itself.

Once everything is done, you need to find out if your website shows up in search engine queries when browsing for your product. If you think this is too much work, you can try writing newsletters about a product on a vendor site that contains links to the product. You then post the newsletter on the internet and hope that a search engine indexes it. Mind you, this isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Times are hard and we need all the financial assistance we can get. This is just one option where you can possibly earn a lot more than your current income.

The problem with most affiliates is that they don’t last long because they fail to maintain and update their product links. Some of the products that you have linked to before may have already been discontinued. You need to check on your links at least once every 3 months or once a month at optimum. Finally, don’t be content with what you have. Look for additional products to sell.

About The Author
Len Hutton is an information publisher specialising in helping people start their own home based business. You can read up on how to create your own info products in one day without writing a single word by going to http://www.nicheresidualincomes.com/ How To Turn Other Peoples Hard Work Into A Part Time And Instant Internet Business http://www.nicheresidualincomes.com/underground.htm

Death and Taxes

2008-01-02T12:48:00.000-08:00

From Captain Capitalist

Taxes are no doubt going to be a key issue in this presidential election once again. The tax cuts put in place after 9/11 are due to expire soon. Some want to make them permanent. Others want to allow them to expire. Which way to go?

The tax cuts in question probably spared the US from falling into a deep recession after the 9/11 attacks. Still, as some have suggested, they would have done better if they had been accompanied by spending restraints. Spending control is a must going forward, but I don't believe the case can be made that the US would have been better off if more money had been put at the government's disposal and less in the hands of the private sector over the past several years.

Yet the same people who point to the deficit as "out of control" want to give the government more money, and even use the deficit as justification! It's like pumping more water into a broken pipeline. How is that productive?

One of the worst tax policies in this country is the estate tax. This is a tax on money and assets that have already been taxed. The amount is irrelevant. Even if they raise the minimum to 100 trillion dollars, there is no justification for taxing it twice just because the producer has passed away. The person who created and/or accumulated the wealth, and paid his or her taxes while doing so, has earned the right to decide where it goes, all of it, when they die. This is a private property issue. Is what's yours really yours, or is it just on loan from your government? It's easy to see why politicians would like to fully reinstate the "death tax". As the baby-boomers age, this county is going to undergo the biggest transfer of wealth in the history of the planet. Politicians are licking their chops and don't want to think about all that capital going from point a to point b without them getting a cut.

We are at a critical point in our economic evolution. We can proceed to new heights as technology, communication and innovation enable more and more individuals to share their ideas, products and services or we can pull the "emergency brake" of higher taxation, bringing about a more sluggish, perhaps even stagnant or backwards economy in the name of "fairness".

Government is supposed to enable a free society, not dominate it. It is there for the protection of individuals, not their enslavement or indentured servitude. Society is a mutual convenience to be voluntarily participated in, not a master to be served. To fund government at levels appropriate to its legitimate functions we've got a long way to go, and it's all downhill.

My favorite 5-letter word

2008-01-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

From Bliss Sawyer's Marketing Blog

GOALS. Have you set yours for 2008? I'm not talking about jotting down a few numbers your manager asked you for and then putting them in a drawer - never to be looked at again.

I'm talking about goals that you take time to determine and then review daily. Goals that guide your actions. Goals that you will actually meet or even exceed.

If this isn't your usually mode of operation.. you'll have some habit-changing to do. But that's ok since you probably have some time to work on this over the next week or so.

First, block out an hour for a "goal setting session." Quiet, uninterrupted time. (Turn off the email and phone.) Let your mind go and decide what's really important and how you can keep your goals centered on those pieces of your life. Make monthly, quarterly, 1-year, 3-year and 5-year goals.

Second, develop a plan to consistently review and work on the goals. Keep the goals visible and on your mind. This is the easiest way to accomplish anything. All your daily tasks should be moving you towards these goals. Remember - you become what you think most about.

Lastly, don't get discouraged. There will be many times during the year when you will need to refocus and recommit yourself to your goals. I recommend you revise goals quarterly. Your journey will needs adjustments every so often. A regular review will keep you on the path you want.

Happy New Year!

Do You Need A New Hobby? Start Collecting Rare Coins.

2008-01-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

by: Perry Corman

from ArticleCity.com

Rare coins are one of the remaining investments which can be accumulated with privacy and transported easily. Coins are classic appreciating assets with a history of long-term price increases. Old and rare coins are worth far more than face value (the value on their surface) - and more than just their metal composition - as collectibles. Rare coins are a hobby, as are they a good investment. Rare coins are the most liquid of all collecting hobbies.

Silver and gold coins are fast becoming a new American icon because they give investors economic stability, profit potential AND privacy. You may shop 24/7 for rare coins, gold coins, silver coins, 2007 bullion gold coins, gold coins and more at http://www.coinsale.org among other places. If at any time our paper money is threatened, rare coins can protect wealth much like an investment in gold bullion. You can buy with confidence from several coin dealers. The heaviest coin to be minted is the 1000Mohur, a gold coin weighed almost 12 kilograms.

Buying rare coins for own profit has been a good choice for investors for many years. Buying rare gold coins can be done from coin dealers, special auctions such as http://www.coinsale.org (http://www.coinsale.org). By the year 2015, experts believe that there will be some 140,000,000 coin collectors/investors, an increase of over 3 times that of today's buyers. Some collectors have made a lot of money buying and selling rare coins, others have lost fortunes. For instance, there are no reporting requirements for the buying or selling coins, so your own privacy can be easily protected.

Rare coins stand out as a great investment compared to other collectible items, especially for someone looking to diversify their investment portfolios into the world of collectibles for the first time. As for other collectible items, nothing performs as well as rare coins when it comes to pure investing: coins are virtually indestructible, they are easy to store, easy to insure, and rare coins are portable commodities that can be easily converted into liquid assets. Unlike paintings, sports memorabilia, or other forms of collectible items, the old coin market is characterized by well-established standards for deciding the quality of any given coin and a stock market like infrastructure for ensuring the liquidity of the investment.

Rare coins are totally immune from bankruptcy and virtually immune from dilution. Coins are not only good investments, they can be fun too. Rare Coins are trading at half of their market highs of the late eighties. Rare coins are very interesting because their rarity makes them both precious and fascinating. Thousands of rare coins are regularly bought and sold sight-unseen on an electronic numismatic exchange and auctions, like http://www.coinsale.org.

About The Author

Perry Corman is a curious soul, researcher and author. He has a wide range of interests, ranging from politics to astronomy. If you have an interest in rare coins, take a look at http://www.coinsale.org (http://www.coinsale.

Atheist "Religious" Principals

2008-01-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

From Atheist HQ

In thinking about what it is that people really fear about death, it occurred to me that the biggest fear may be of being judged. Not only, being judged, but being judged by someone you can't BS that has your future in his/her/its hands. This would be especially disturbing to someone who has lived their life in a deceitful or dishonest manner. All of their secrets are about to be exposed and sentance is to be passed.

Being an atheist to me, does not rule out the possibility of my continued existence once this body is through. From a purely scientific standpoint, until we identify and completely understand the nature of the individual consciousness, we can't rule the possibility in or out.

Religion is a means of establishing the terms of an afterlife before the fact. Atheists need to get in on this, but in a more logical manner. Let's start with the premise that you will continue to exist in some form after your human body dies. What can we safely assume other than that? Well, you probably wont carry much memory forward, since memory is physically stored in the brain, and you wont have access to that anymore. You may carry forward a unique method of processing input or something akin to a "motherboard" , but not much else. We don't know what the environment will look like, or even if the physics will be the same. We don't know what type of vehicle or body you'll be housed in. Logically, to be best prepared for such an unknown situation it's best to focus on those ideas and ideals that will be of good use in any circumstance where individuals interact in some form or another.

The primary principal to carry forward should be the right to "self" . That is, that you exist primarily for your own benefit/entertainment/pleasure and not for someone or something else's. Freedom of association, freedom of thought, freedom from coercion and aggression should all apply regardless of the environment. You promote this principal by practicing it. You recognize these rights and freedoms among others and do nothing to violate or inhibit them, while demanding the same for yourself. The golden rule "Treat your neighbor as you would have them treat you" is OmniVersal.

What action should you take? You've just been thrown into a totally new and foreign environment. You don't speak the language, you don't have any knowledge of the place or mastery of anything in it. You don't know anyone here yet. A good rule of thumb is to always think: "How can I make this better?" In any given moment, is there an action you can take that will make the next moment more enjoyable, interesting, comfortable, etc, without violating the primary principal?

These are a couple of good ones to start with. I don't want to list a bunch of guidelines, just for the sake of having more guidelines.

What's the point? Well, as I said, if there's an afterlife, you probably don't get to keep your memory. Therefore any useful ideals or methods of operating must be ingrained in your self to be carried forward. The best way to accomplish that is to live by those parameters now. Everyday. All the time, until you don't have to think about it anymore. It's just who you are. OmniVersal principals are meant to be advantageous in any universe, including this one, even if this turns out to be the only one and there is no life after your human body expires.

Also, if there is an afterlife, you'll be dealing with individuals for whom different afterlife ground rules may have been established. Any delay in getting your self oriented and prepared to make decisions could leave one vulnerable to deception and manipulation. Best to be somewhat ready in advance. After all, if there is an afterlife, there's no reason think I wont be in the minority again. I'm going to need allies in the next phase, if only to keep from being burned at the proverbial stake.

The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, Jeffrey Gitomer

2007-12-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

By Bliss Sawyer

Jeffrey Gitomer's newest book Little Platinum Book of CHA-CHING! is a fantastic read. Based on principals from John Patterson, founder of The National Cash Register, these amazing strategies that are ever bit as relevant today as they were in the late 1800's.
I found this book to be interesting and motivating. One great quote: "What you read usually determines how you think. If you decide to read about success, the odds are you will become successful." Hmmmm.... maybe you should buy yourself a Christmas present. Then spend time reading, taking notes and moving your business forward with the great (and simple!) ideas spelled out in this book.
It certainly can't hurt, and this just might help you start 2008 with a bang. Happy reading!

Profiling Colorado Killer

2007-12-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

By Laura Benjamin

Yes, I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado and yes, our community is stunned from the tragedy that occurred here at New Life Church and in Arvada, Colorado this past weekend. I’m sure it’s probably not much different than the way folks have been feeling in Omaha NE. Or in the countless other communities where senseless loss of life occurs. It seems we’ve had more than our share of it when you consider the gunman in Bailey CO and the horror of Columbine.

We sat at the dinner table last night trying to make some sense of it all. I’m very fortunate to have two wonderful sons and a great daughter in the same age range as the young man who committed this most recent atrocity. About the same time we sat down to eat, we learned of yet another youth shooting as high schoolers in Las Vegas got off their school bus.

Now, I don’t mean to simplify the complexity of what goes on in the heads of a young person (or even old person) who would pick up a gun and use it as a way to settle disputes or take out one’s frustrations. Obviously there has to be something mentally amiss. Obviously in a few of these cases, people weren’t paying close enough attention to what could possibly happen. You can argue all day that society let these troubled young people down, especially the young man who was bounced from one foster home to another.
My heart breaks for any young person who is described as a “lost puppy”. The last words from the Omaha shooter’s suicide note, “…I love you mommy…” still tightens my throat as I think of any young person feeling confused, frustrated, unwanted or lonely.

But does that minimize the impact of the crimes that were committed? No, not on your life.
And every time something like this happens, I wonder - surely at this point in time we know enough about the profiles of these people to keep it from happening. Certainly we have enough data, enough historical evidence to be able to anticipate who will snap and take people with them.
And in fact we do. I’ve written about this gentleman’s work before and sadly, because of the most recent circumstances it’s time to promote him again…

Dan Korem specializes in behavioral profiling. Yes, I said “profiling”. The term has been given dirty word status, but I stand behind the importance of profiling people’s BEHAVIORS in order to anticipate people’s actions to minimize the harm they can cause to others. Years ago, I was fortunate to speak at a professional association event where Dan was also presenting and purchased his book, The Art of Profiling. His subsequent book, Rage of the Random Actor, is particularly relevant right now, don’t ya think?

Here’s what I think: We need more training. We need to speak up much more often when all the signs point to potential for tragedy. Matthew Murray was sending hate mail to the youth ministry from which he was ejected years ago. While some say hindsite is always 20-20, this should have been a strong indication that the young man was dangerous and unpredictable.

Yes, we MUST profile people’s behaviors to keep others safe. I’m going to recommend - once again - that you visit Dan’s site (and I get no compensation to refer you there or recommend his books, by the way). Read the research he’s posted on his site, buy his book(s), hire him to come to your organization and speak to your company, school or group. I guarantee you, you will be much more aware and informed.
While we may not be able to catch every tragedy before it happens, it’s very possible with additional education, that we can anticipate and stop many more. But to do so means we’ve got to take the anti-social, angry, vindictive behaviors seriously. We can’t afford to ignore the warning signs in the interest of being “oh so polite”. We cannot afford to stand silently by and think, “…well, it’s really not MY problem…I shouldn’t get involved…surely, someone else will handle this…”

No folks, it’s up to us each and every time we see something, hear something or read something that strikes us as just plain wrong.

If we don’t watch out for one another, and our children, who will?
Writing from Colorado Springs, Colorado,
Laura B.

Predictions for Google's 2008

2007-12-30T17:51:00.000-08:00

From http://googlesystem.blogspot.com

Some of these items are obvious, others are mostly wishful thinking.

1. Google will try to unify its application and transform them into a big social network. The Maka-Maka project (or Google's activity stream) will enhance the already existing profiles. If Google doesn't understand that your Gmail contacts aren't necessarily your friends, we'll see a huge privacy backslash.

2. Google should finally go beyond indexing text and start to use image analysis and speech recognition in Google Image Search and Google Video. The NevenVision acquisition should produce visible results in the image search engine and we could see better results for famous people or the option to find similar images.

3. Google won't give up on universal search, but we'll see a different interface that separates standard search results from OneBoxes and other additions. Google's snippets will become smarter and they could include information about authors, locations, concepts.

4. Gmail will add another batch of new features, one of the most important being task management, and will finally go out of beta. Gmail will launch a Google Labs-like site with experimental features that could be added by those who are curious to see the next features before they are officially launched.

5. The first Android phones will be a disappointment, but developers will create a lot of interesting applications that could compensate for the poor designs.

6. Most Google applications will work offline using Google Gears, even if the functionality will be limited. Google Gears will also work on mobile phones and could become a part of Firefox.

7. Google Maps will be redesigned and could include more space for user-generated content. We'll start to see user's locations, important events from our area, recommendations from friends. Google Maps will become more personal.

8. OpenSocial won't work as well as expected and Google will focus on its own social network(s). iGoogle gadgets are about to become social and aggregate data from your contacts.

9. Google will launch a people search engine that gathers data from the web, especially from social networks.

10. Google Books will be more present in search results and Google will start to sell access to the full content of some of the books.

11. One word: sync. At the end of the year, Outlook and most mobile phones will be able to synchronize with Google Calendar and Gmail's contacts. Google Docs will have plug-ins that let you edit documents in Microsoft Office or OpenOffice and save the changes online. Google Toolbar will integrate Browser Sync and start to synchronize your bookmarks, cookies, passwords and your browser's history.

12. Multi-faceted search, searching from different points of view (objective information vs positive/negative opinions, official information vs comments from blogs, forums).

13. Google will differentiate commercial search results by integrating data from Google Base. Google will continue to try to promote Checkout, this time by showing small badges next to the search results from sites that accept Google Checkout.

14. Google Talk will move completely online: the embeddable gadget will let you create custom chat rooms, talk with other people and maybe even see them if they have webcams.

15. Picasa Web Albums will add some of the photo editing features from Picasa and will increase the free storage.

16. GDrive will finally launch, but it won't offer infinite storage or advanced features. It will let you access the files stored in different Google applications and upload new files from a single interface. Storage: 20 GB.

Big Brother Better Watch His P's and Q's

2007-12-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

By Captain Capitalist

George Orwell's gloomy predictions in the book "1984" have turned out to be exactly backward. In Orwell's view, the advance of technology empowered authoritarian government (Big Brother) to keep tabs on individuals and control every aspect of their lives. The reality has been just the opposite.

First of all, for an economy to develop advanced technology, one must have free enterprise. That's where the money comes from. The Soviet Union lost the cold war because they couldn't afford to keep up. China is gradually moving toward free market capitalism because it pays well. They will never reach their full potential until their society is also free. If and when that happens, more power to them. The reason for that is simple: Resource allocation as determined by billions of individual decisions made every minute is a much more efficient system than resource allocation by a handful of self-anointed elites.

The advance of technology in the west has actually lead to scenario's like the recent rebirth of Radio Caracas Television. Venezuelan strongman and international idiot, Hugo Chavez (until recently lauded as a visionary by many dolts, I mean pundits), shut down the station because it did not promote views consistent with his agenda. The station is now broadcasting daily via YouTube. The authoritarian government shut them down and the private sector put them back up.

Many people are now up in arms about Google's new Street View technology. Google's satellites provide a panoramic view of streets and intersections. When you look up an address you can actually see exactly where the building is, and what it looks like. People fear this may lead to a "Big Brother" scenario where the government can keep tabs on you 24/7. A real "Big Brother" scenario would be if the government took control of Google's cameras and pulled them from the web so that you and I couldn't access them. What we speculate was a massacre (we have to speculate because there were no camera's) at Tienemin Square in 1989 didn't take place until after the government kicked out the media and shut down all the cameras.

Bad guys and bad governments are like cockroaches. They don't like the light. The technologies being deployed today are not part of a monolithic enterprise, working together to keep you down. They are individual pieces of technology being made available to the public by a wide variety of organizations with differing and sometimes conflicting agendas. They are competing for your business and when one steps out of line, the others are more than happy to point that out to you.

Information technology is an extension of memory, but it's much more reliable and accurate. The current boom in sharing, transferring and storing information is akin to the invention of the written word. Billions of individuals can now share and build on each others ideas, and carry the effort forward to future generations. It's much harder now for governments and con men to hide the truth from the masses, and good ideas have a better chance of being brought to fruition than ever before.

If you're concerned about individuals being able to see what you're doing in public, here's an idea: Stop cheating on your wife, lying to your business partner, running red lights, stealing from you boss or trying to dupe the public. Then go home and get a good night's sleep.

Big Brother, we're watching you.

Put A Lid On Your "ANT" Farm And Boost Productivity

2007-12-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

Put A Lid On Your "ANT" Farm And Boost Productivity
by: Laurie Hayes

You wouldn't leave the lid off a live ant farm in your home or office would you?

Why not?

Because you know they'd create a huge mess and eventually drive you mad once they've multiplied a hundred times over and covered everything in their path.

For this very same reason, you want to keep a lid on your mind's "ants."

Your mind's ants are those "action needed tasks" that tie up valuable headspace and divert your focus from the single most important thing that needs your attention.

Mind ants are those constant little reminders you have in your head of things you have to do like, "pick up supper tonight," "call the bank about the overcharge," "increase Ms. Jones' monthly order" or "set up an interview with the media."

These mind ants are generated every time you create a task that requires an action, no matter how big or small that action is.

And the problem is -- these mind ants are like swarming insects inside your brain, blocking productivity.

They cloud your focus and take your attention away from important matters.

So, how do you keep a lid on the ant farm?

With two simple rules...

Whenever you create a new task that requires action, do one of two things.

1. If the action can be taken care of within two minutes, tend to it right away. It may be as simple as delegating it to someone else. You have prevented the birth of a mind ant.

2. If the item requires more than two minutes of your time, record it on an action list. By writing it down, you have spared yourself from having to carry it around in your mind as a rampant ant.

You don't have to clutter your mind because you have a list to refer to when you're able to give it your attention.

Because your mind is clear, you can focus on your most important tasks and follow them through to completion.

Follow these two simple rules and you should observe an instant boost in productivity.

Leave the ant farm in little Johnny's science class. ;-)

2007 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source

About The Author

Laurie Hayes, founder of The HBB Source, and creator of The Complete 12-Step Guide To Starting A Home-Based Business and The HBB Survival Guide, helps freedom seekers fast track their journey from employee to home-based entrepreneur. Get her free ezine packed with helpful resources at http://www.thehbbsource.com

Resolve not to get ripped off! New Year's Diet Plans

2007-12-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

From WifezillasWay.Blogspot.com

As the end of the year approaches, many start thinking about New Year's resolutions. Losing weight is a perennial favorite, and the diet industry is well aware of this. Ads for prepackaged food plans, diet pills, exercise equipment and gym memberships abound in print and on the air waves this time of year. Unfortunately, most of them will not help you lose weight, and some are an outright rip off.

Dr. Barry Groves, author of Eat Fat Get Thin and Natural Health & Weight Loss has a great understanding of the core issue. "The overweight are a ready source of income....They rely on you for a very comfortable living."

According to a CBS report in December of last year, Americans spend somewhere near $35 billion a year on weight-loss products. Yet, for all that money spent, obesity rates are not going down. Not only are people making money off of you if you are fat, they aren't doing what you paid them to do...help you get skinny.

So when you see the latest diet, the newest exercise gadget, or the hottest new weight loss pill, pause for a minute and think about those 35 billion reasons they are being pushed on you. Below are just a few examples of how an overweight person and their money can end up being parted.

Meal Programs: Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem are two well-known examples (though they are not the only ones). For a fee, they ship you prepackaged, pre-portioned foods. The good news is they will actually send you the food if you pay for it. The bad news is that you could make the same foods for yourself for much less. Those tv ads you see for these plans? Next time one pops up, look for the following words...RESULTS NOT TYPICAL. They are there on every single skinny person shown as an example of what their diets can do. What are the typical results? More like the results for diets in general, which have an abysmal failure rate of over 95%. Instead of forking over the money for a plan like this, take a cooking class instead. Or go to the book store and pick up some low carb cook books. It will cost a lot less and you will most likely actually lose some weight.

Gyms: Gyms love New Year! This is when they get the most sign-ups, but by Spring time, up to 30% of paying members are no longer around. Of course, they are still PAYING, because a gym membership can be as hard to quit as a crack habit. Long term contracts you can't get out of even if you move, get injured, or just don't use the facilities, don't sound like a good idea to me. Add the fact that exercise has been shown to have little effect on weight loss (Good Calories, Bad Calories - Gary Taubes), gym memberships are just not worth it in my book. A local community center that has a pay as you go plan, or per class charge is a much smarter option. You can also always use the local park for free. (more)

Membership Websites: There are online sites that charge you to join to get access to their diet plans, discussion forums and recipe sites. Some charge per month while others offer a lifetime membership. The problem with these sites is you can't see what the plan is until you've already ponied up the cash to join. You have no way to evaluate the quality of the information being offered, or if the dietary advice you are getting is even medically safe or sound. In one well publicized case, a woman running a diet site claimed to have lost 198 pounds in a year, and maintained her weight loss for over 5 years. Her site offered the way to lose weight just like her if you paid $59.95. After an investigation prompted by a disgruntled business partner and upset members who were denied access to the site after paying for the "lifetime" membership, it was revealed that the diet's founder was, in fact, over 300 lbs. She had not lost 198 pounds. Her "after" photo she used on her site and in an issue of Women's World magazine was lifted from a Russian Bride website. Not only was her photo faked, several other "success" stories were fictitious, their photos also coming from Russian dating sites. (more) This diet founder is now the target of a lawsuit for her fraud as well as health problems experienced by those who followed her plan.

There is really no need to pay an upfront fee for recipes, articles or forums in the first place since these are already available for FREE. Two excellent forums are Low Carb Friends and Active Low Carb Forums. Both have an extensive collection of articles, information and personal experiences, as well as fun, helpful people who are in the same boat as you. There are also forums created by individuals like Jimmy Moore, who himself lost a lot of weight and blogs extensively about low carb eating, health and weight loss. There is addition information available from blogs and websites of Doctors like Mike & Mary Eades, authors of Protein Power, and Barry Groves, author of Natural Health and Weight Loss. While they are ultimately selling books, their free information in an education all by itself. As for recipes, RecipeZaar. com, Cooks.com and more have low carb recipes, or you can stop by Linda Sue's website. She has been low carb cooking for a long time and has a fantastic collection of tried and true low carb recipes.

Exercise Gadgets: Remember the thigh master? The ab roller? The stair climber? While people who buy these gadgets start off with the best of intentions, what most commonly happens is that it gets used a few times and then hidden in the basement. Pimped on tv commercials and infomercials, they usually end up in garage sales and thrift stores after gathering dust in a basement or closet. If you really believe the thing you see on tv is YOUR ANSWER to permanent weight loss, wait 6 months. You will be able to get it for less than 1/10th of the advertised price at your local Goodwill. Plus, if you really think you can stick with a regular plan, like you need for one of these products, try a walking plan. If you can't commit to taking a walk 3 times a week for a couple of months, the odds of you using an exercise gadget consistently are slim to none anyway.

Diet Pills: From Chortislim to Liposene to Hoodia, each promises outstanding results. Many often have a "money back" guarantee. How can you lose? Easy. Shipping and handling. You don't get that portion back if you return the pills. Most use cheap ground shipping and pay a discounted rate to their shippers. You pay more like $9.95-$12.95 for the shipping and handling alone. Should you return the package, they already have been paid for all of their costs (including that of the product) and have lost nothing. And since most people never bother to return the products, they profit no matter what. Besides, the pills don't address the actual causes of obesity, and are just a neat way for pill makers to get rich.

"On January 4, 2007, the Federal Trade Commission fined the marketers of four over-the-counter, non-prescription diet pills a combined $25 million for making false advertising claims"
http://www.bestdietforme.com/DietPills.htm

The real reason for obesity is because of metabolic problems caused by the shift of our natural diet to one high in refined carbohydrates. Anything that does not address the underlying cause is just a waste of time of money. You don't need gadgets or pills to fix it, you need good, solid information. Trust me, nobody likes being fat, and the obese feel a desperation to lose weight for many reasons. Health, beauty, to fit in to society better...I know what it feels like. I have wasted my share of money on pills and plans, but the only thing that has worked has been a low carb way of eating. It's the only thing I have tried that addresses the cause, it's healthy, it works, and it doesn't cost a fortune. A few books and some helpful internet buddies were all I needed to drop 35 pounds, lower my blood pressure, and feel so much better overall. Sure I still have work to do, but I will not get it done by spending my money on crap and neither will you. It's time to resolve to get healthy, and not to give ripoff artists your hard earned money in the process.

Happy New Year!

Books to buy NOW. Seriously!
Protein Power by Mike & Mary Eades
Natural Health & Weight Loss by Barry Groves
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

Tornado Power, Wild Energy Alternative

2007-12-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

From Triplepundit: http://www.triplepundit.com/

When people think of tornados they think of mayhem and destruction. A man named Louis Michaud would rather create constructive tornados, very big ones. Louis is a Canadian engineer who intends to turn tornadoes into power plants by creating and containing tornados. Imagine descending into an urban environment aboard a commercial aircraft and seeing a 30 foot-wide, miles high spinning vortex of hot air as if it was meant to be there. These man-made turbulences could generate enough electricity to power thousands of homes; just hope your pilot has planned a way around them on his flight plan.

This so-called atmospheric vortex engine will suck in hot air through a series of ducts at the base and channel it into an open roof arena. This would lead to the production of a tornado-like funnel of air that would provide the turbulent push to turn power-generating turbines.

To ramp up the power this system draws in hot water from an excess heat source vented from a nearby nuclear power plant for example and disperses this heat around the perimeter of the vortex engine. To create the wind you will find fans stationed in a mad series of cells spaced around the exterior of the engine which suck in the hot air warmed by the water and blow it through angled channels into the 330-foot-wide central air chamber. The twister is created by the hot air that rushes out along the walls of the chamber and swirls up and out through a 100-foot-wide hole in the top of the machine. The flow pattern that is created coupled with the constant supply of hot air beneath it is supposed to produce a 30-foot-wide tornado that Michaud believes will reach several miles into the sky.

In order to generate electricity from this crazy machine the fans that create the vortex double as the power generators as well. Once the vortex is generated the twister will spin on its own without any additional or constant energy input needed claims Michaud. This self propelled full-grown tornado will suck in air through its base to continue spinning. This influx of air will turn the fans which will convert the mechanical energy into a claimed 100 megawatts of electricity.

As hair-brained as this idea seems to be, the idea has generated some serious interest. The Centre for Energy at the Ontario Centre’s of Excellence recently awarded Michaud with a grant to study the three-foot-tall model he built in his garage. Several notable scientists, such as Kerry Emanuel (renowned hurricane expert of MIT) now sit on the advisory board.

The critics contend that there is some question as to whether the energy the tornado yields would offset the amount required to create it. Others worry that crosswinds could be a constant problem, severing the tornado and sapping its power generating strength or send it spinning out of control. Michaud counters that the start-up energy would be free in the form of heat vented from other power plants even increasing their electrical output by 20%. And as for safety, the tornado can be shut down at any time by closing off the vents, “it’s a tethered tornado” he says. This spring Michaud will get his chance to prove his wild idea in Sarnia, Ontario where he will be demonstrating a 12-foot-wide model.