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Innovation Is A State Of Mind

You probably know the myth of innovation as a sudden flash of insight that comes from nowhere. We read about that "aha" moment, or that light bulb turning on in the mind of some inventor or innovator, and this is true to an extent. Einstein really did get flashes of insight while shaving in the morning. However, he was of course working on the particular problems he had insight into, and he didn't suddenly have ideas for new kitchen gadgets or movie plots.

Einsteins innovations, in other words, no matter how "sudden" the original ideas were, came from past and present mental work. It is like a singer who works at his craft for ten years and then becomes an "overnight success." Innovative people only have "sudden" new ideas because they have habitually worked and thought in certain ways for some time. If you want to become an innovative thinker, then, why not start cultivating those mental habits?

Mental Habits Lead To Innovation

Problems can be opportunities. "Problem" may have a negative connotations, such as being a hassle or stressful, but any problem can lead to an innovation that improves our lives. Not knowing the time lead to clocks small enough to put on our wrists. Nasty diseases lead to sanitary sewer systems. Start looking for opportunity in every problem. Even a mundane problem like not having enough storage space could lead to a new innovation. You may just build a plywood floor in the attic, but you could invent a new type of outdoor storage unit.
Innovation begins with understanding the key elements. Metal, wood or glass are not key elements of a door to an innovator. A way to get in, a way to keep others out - these are key elements. Begin with these, and soon you're imagining new ways to make a door. You could design a door that is opened by your voice (nice when your hands are full), or one that shuts and locks itself when anyone else approaches. Think of the key elements in things.

Attitude helps innovation. The creative problem-solving technique of concept-combination involves combining two ideas to see what new idea or product results. The crucial point is that you assume there will be a useful new idea. Starting with that assumption, your mind will work overtime to produce something. A shoe and a CD have nothing to do with each other, but it took just a minute to imagine a CD player with headphones that only plays the music correctly if a jogger maintains his ideal pace. When you assume there is something there you'll often find something.

Playfulness helps innovation. A playful mind is a creative mind, and while high IQ doesn't correlate with creativity, put it together with playfulness, and you have an Einstein. Remember, he imagined himself riding on a beam of light in order to arrive at his theory of relativity. Why not start playing with ideas and things, in your mind and in your surroundings. Innovation should be fun.

How To Barbeque Perfect BBQ Ribs

If you are grilling BBQ ribs on a regular charcoal grill, then you're probably frustrated when you find that your ribs are tough instead of "meat falling off the bones" tender. If this is the case, then you can learn how to barbeque perfect ribs easily by preparing your ribs properly in advance, before you ever place them on your grill.

Most master grillers prepare their ribs first, before cooking them on a charcoal grill. This is why some grillers cook perfect ribs every time. Usually at a BBQ event, guests see the cook placing the ribs on the grill, never knowing that work was done beforehand to get the ribs ready. Those new to grilling assume that the cook is just brushing sauce on the ribs, and then cooking them until done directly on the grill and this isn't always so.

To prepare your ribs, first bring a large pot of water to a boil. You should do this the day before your BBQ event or dinner. Add a bit of salt to the water, and then bring it down to a simmer. Add your ribs, cover and simmer them for 1 to 2 hours and then carefully remove them from the pot. Your ribs should be tender and juicy now, but you shouldn't place them on the grill just yet.

Place them in a large bowl, add your BBQ sauce, cover and refrigerate this overnight. This provides ample time for the ribs to marinate in the sauce, to produce that rich BBQ flavor that everyone loves so well.

The next day, light your grill and let the coals die down to warm glowing embers. You should never BBQ your ribs over an open flame; this can burn the sauce and ruin the flavor of your BBQ ribs.
Once the flames have died down, brush some more sauce on your ribs and place them directly on the grill. Cook for 10 minutes, brush some more sauce on the top of the ribs, turn and cook the other side for 10 minutes. Continue cooking the ribs in this fashion until they are fully done, turning your BBQ ribs every 10 minutes while adding fresh sauce at every turn.

Once your ribs are done, place them on a serving platter and serve while they are still hot. Your guests will go crazy over your delicious, juicy and tender ribs. This is the proper way to cook perfect BBQ ribs. If you just throw the ribs on a grill, without preparing them first, then your ribs will be very tough and not very good no matter what type of sauce is used.

BBQ sauce is used to add flavor, not to cover up inferior cooking. Don't you owe it to yourself and to your dinner guests to go that extra mile, ensuring that your ribs are not only tasty, but also mouth watering tender? You'll be known as the best BBQ rib griller in your area. Especially if you combine your juicy and tender ribs with your very own homemade BBQ rubs, sauce or marinades instead of using those pre-bottled sauces provided in local grocery stores.

Important Information Before Going To Brazil

Brazil has a very diverse culture and a wonderful climate. Summer starts in December and ends in February in this South American country. So before going on a trip to Brazil, one has to have enough information on what to bring. Here are a few tips to help in deciding in what to prepare for a trip to this fine country.

* Protect your photo equipment and other equipment sensitive to humidity.

Humidity is high in Brazil. Sealable plastic bags are also useful, so make sure to bring some.

* Bring your medication and prescription.

If you brought some medication, make sure you declare it at the Customs. There are also some drugs that can be bought from the chemist without a prescription.

* Buy mosquito repellent and sun block when you get there.

These are of good quality and are suitable formulated for the conditions of the country.

* Get Hepatitis shots before leaving for Brazil.

Hepatitis A, B and C cases are prevalent in Brazil. Also, always wash your hands before eating. Use appropriate disinfectants and antiseptics.

* Pack light

Most air carriers have a luggage limit of 20 kilos. Having your clothes washable and mix-matched for different look is more advisable than carrying more clothes. When not on a business trip, pack casual clothes as most Brazilians dress casually.
<* Keep copies of all your important documents.

You may leave copies of these with a friend back home, or keep copies in a separate location from the originals. You can also email the copies to yourself.

* Bring a pair of sandals

If the reason for the trip to Brazil is the beaches, then a pair of sandals, together with one's bathing suit and hat is necessary.

* Bring some deodorant and perfume.

One sweats too here and these essentials are very handy.

* Never leave your belongings unattended.

If you can settle for disposable cameras, then, do so.

* Learn some Portuguese.

Knowledge of Portuguese can help when communicating with the locals. English, Spanish, German, French and Italian are also spoken in tourist areas.

* Have valid entry documents.

One's passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of entry. Foreign tourists are given a maximum of 180 days to stay in 1 year. Renewals for 90 days may be obtained from Policia Federal.

* Have some cash handy.

Major credit cards- MasterCard, Visa, Amex and Diners - are accepted, as well as traveler's checks. Cash will be needed if you are going outside the major cities.

With these guidelines, one can look forward to having an enjoyable travel to Brazil.

Blog And Ping Software Review

There are many people who ask as to which are the best blog and ping softwares around. Blog and ping softwares are softwares that can automatically post information and links from your websites to the blog sites so that they can be easily searched by sites like Google and Yahoo. The final result is that your site will become more famous and will reach the top rankings in Google and other search sites.

Wordpress and RSS to Blog are one of the most widely used softwares by people all over the world. They automatically send information about your site and links to all the blog sites at the click of a button. They can save your list of links for future use also. Another very good software to use for blog and ping is BlogSolution. BlogSolution is one of the most advanced blog, ping and SEO softwares around. It brings in results quickly and it is very effective. You can make your site easily searchable by search engines as the software posts your links directly on thousands of blogs in one go. The whole process can be achieved thorough the click of a button.

BlogSolution can at least creates hundred blogs a second using its own highly advanced blogging platform. BlogSolution is a multi manager as all your BS2 domains can be managed from a single place. It easily interlinks your sites and also posts one way links to your sites. There is a very good feature by the name of Smartjobs that automatically creates blogs in your absence

BlogSolution indexes entries very quickly using the Indexing Turbocharger which leads to extremely fast indexing. BlogSolution can get more spiders than any other blog software at present. The interface of BlogSolution is extremely simple to use and is very user friendly. You can learn the full use of BlogSolution within a short period of time with its help tool. There are also video tutorials provided with the package. Using BlogSolution you can post hundreds of one way links on various sites.

If you use BlogSolution then you don't need to use any other blogging solution. BlogSolution takes care of all your blogging needs and brings in positive results for your site very quickly. If you would like to test BlogSolution first before buying it then you can download demo software from the BlogSolution website. Once you are satisfied with its performance you can buy the software online paying through your credit card.

Hence we see that BlogSolution is the best blog solution ever found. The users of BlogSolution have found it to be extremely effective and also they would not like to use any other blog software. It is the next generation software that has taken the world by storm with its simple user interface and bringing in positive results for all its customers. Watch your income grow as more and more people can find your website on the search engines and order for products and services.

Blog Your Way To Traffic!

Using a blog has become one of the most popular methods of promoting an affiliate program today. What is great about a blog is that in many cases you can post it free. Blogs serve a great number of purposes today and promoting your affiliate program is just one of the many uses for a blog. Why should you spend hundreds or thousands of dollars in promotion and advertisement of your affiliate program? All you need is a free blog and some good information to offer your visitors. With these two simple items, you could dramatically increase the amount of traffic you get for your affiliate program. Why all the hype about blogs anyway? What is a blog? Well, if you have not discovered a blog by now, you have been living in the dark. Blogs are everywhere and include information about many different things. Take, for instance, using a blog to promote your affiliate program. All you need to do is generate a few articles or stories about your specific affiliate program. They can be about anything at all. Consider articles such as how to use your specific program, what is special and unique about your program, why people should use it and how they can benefit from your affiliate program. Ok so I create a blog, now what? The key point in posting a blog, is to generate interest in your users and make them click that ever-special link directly to your affiliate program. Now, that being said, an important key that everyone should know about blogging is that you should post to your blog each and every day at least once per day. Doing so will help drive people to your blog and further on to your affiliate program. That means more traffic for you.

How To Interview A Wedding Photographer

The photographer is going to be your employee in many ways, so you will need to be absolutely sure that this is a person that you can trust with your wedding pictures. Treat him or her like a job applicant and see how you interact with each other. Making a list You can find a list of wedding photographers in your local phone book, but it's much easier to get onto a wedding website and see who local people recommend. This list is much shorter and can lead you to higher quality people without having to call everyone from A to Z. Once you have a list of photographers, start to call them to set up appointments. Try not to schedule them too close to each other so that you can spend as much time as you need with each one. If you're rushed, you may forget to ask particular questions and you may also forget which photographer said what. Make a list of questions that you want to ask. You can ask about pricing, hourly fees, added costs, location costs, various developing techniques, and more. Try to think of every question that you and your soon-to-be spouse can, even if you think they sound silly. No question is too silly, and if the photographer has been around long enough, then they will have heard them all. Your interview style One of the things that works best in talking with photographers is to try to make sure that you are leading the conversation. You want to make sure that you are getting your opinion into the talks, rather than being told what other couples are doing and saying about them and how much their fees are. If you feel like you're being sold a product, rather than an opportunity to have some great pictures, then you can cut the appointment off and leave. You have no obligation to choose anyone until you're completely satisfied with your choice. Look at the samples carefully and make sure that you're looking at ones that are recent. Sometimes photographers will try to show you older photos, but if that's not your style, then it's really not applicable. Study the quality of the pictures and look for poses that you like. Your pictures will serve as a reminder of the happiness and joy of your wedding day. You need to find someone who will create masterpieces of your photos. Take your time in finding someone, but do it early-if you live in a smaller town, these professionals can book up early.

Bass Fishing for fun

Bass fishing in the USA is a great combination of sports, adventure and recreation. Bass fishing ,means pursuing black bass, a type of fish. Bass fishing has caught the fancy of Americans. You will find morning shows on TV about bass fishing. You will find thousands of websites exclusively on bass fishing. Bass fish is not about catching and eating. It is about catching and releasing. Bass fishing is a great sports which doesn't need the skills possessed by a football athlete or the resilience of an acrobat. You need to be obsessed with the 'catch'. Hours of practicing can elevate you to the level of being called a pro. Bass fishing is about catching various species of bass - large mouth bass, small mouth bass, Kentucky bass, spotted boss, etc. Experts opine that the beginners should start bass fishing in smaller ponds. They should avoid large lakes for this purpose. Once you have gained enough confidence, then only move to deeper areas in lakes. Bass fish loves to play hide and seek. Their natural habitat is behind rocks or plants or any such structures in the water body. Look for bass in such places. It is not necessary that the fish will be around large structures only. In fact, you have an equal probability of finding fish near a smaller structure Bass fish have a great vision - they can easily see in the night as well. Their see and feel organs work simultaneously. Bass fish are also supposed to have taste buds outside their mouths and inside too. This can help them avoid any unwanted situation. These characteristics make bass fishing such an exciting sports activity and a great pastime for people in leisure time. One needs a set of equipment for bass fishing. This includes a pole, reel, hook and baits. Baits are available in many varieties chiefly, jigs, crank bait, spinner bait and plastic worms. It is recommended to beginners to start with crank baits and then advance themselves through spinner baits to plastic worms. Plastic worms need the most skills and practice. While Crank baits are suitable for beginners, it is the spinner baits which are popular among experienced anglers and seasoned fishermen. There are many tournaments of bass fishing. Premier among these are American Bass Anglers Fishing Tournament, Superbass tournament, etc. Enthusiasts from all over the country take part in the tournaments. Bass fishing brings so much excitement today that it has become the most valuable freshwater sports industry.

Impossible is Just a Word

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships? Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic. This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing. But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher. The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can't do this. It's too hard. It's too impossible. No one can do this. However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment. Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does. On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations. If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream. Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things 'you know you can do'. Under another header, write the things 'you might be able to do.' And under one more, list the things that that are 'impossible for you to do.' Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things 'you know you can do'. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads 'you might be able to do.' As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are 'impossible for you to do' to the list of things 'you might be able to do.' As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all. You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic. Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned. On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities. Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one. Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, "No pain, no gain"? That is as true as it can be. So dream on, friend! Don't get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible. Find even more self-improvement related information at http://www.selfimprovement.thegreat.info .

What To Do With That Unwanted Timeshare

You can really sink yourself and your finances into the timeshares. It makes it more appealing to you when the prices is lower than normal and the reasons for wanting to sell are getting more and more profound. When you realize that choices were made about the timeshares and were not the best ones that could have been thought up, you have hope for the future. Now is a much better time to find out then to discover it later when it has gotten worse. Selling it may appear to you to be a mistake because of all paperwork and the details to take care of. In this instant, you realize now that the salesperson was not straightforward with you and all that was involved. The calls and mail from those companies to sell a resort can be overwhelming for you at that time. The main focus for them is to sell you a space. Later does not cross anyones mind. You are having a great trip and they are thinking of dollar signs and the presentation. You will act, on the spur of the moment, because you are thinking how great it all is. This lasts until you realize all the money and time involved in it. The main reason is that it is different to sell the timeshares. The price you bought it for does not matter or when it was that, you bought it. This makes it harder to sell it. You will act, on the spur of the moment, because you are thinking how great it all is. This lasts until you realize all the money and time involved in it. The main reason is that it is different to sell the timeshares. The price you bought it for does not matter or when it was that, you bought it. This makes it harder to sell it. Let us assume that you like to spend time at the timeshare for many years. Some time or another, the problems begin and your life changes, the timeshare is no longer a profitable thing for you. You will still have to take on the responsibilities that go along with all the problems. Deciding to sell the timeshare is such a huge endeavor. Proceed with caution into the land of the buyer beware! Without a healthy economy and market, you will not be able to sell the timeshare. The burdon of proof is laid on your shoulders and will show you a cut in the proce to over half of what you paid for it. Listed below are some of the major things you can do to make the process run smoothly: 1. Correct Price – The famous places for timeshare values is at an auction or resale. You can work the price down and find yourself some great packages for almost nothing. If you are trying to sell a timeshare, the price needs to be correct for it. Customers want to spend as little money as possible for a resort stay. This is the main reason for the second hand sale decline. The price of the original sale will be cut drastically when you finally close on it. Coming to a fair agreement between the buyer and seller is the best course of action for all involved. Deciding on half of it is better than nothing at all. 2. It will need the right breakdown to properly assess the timeshare. You should be intimate with all details of your property. To start, write down all the great things the timeshare has available to you as the owner. 3. The best part is more complicated because you have to decide if the timeshare is a fixed, floating, rotation, location of timeshare, how many rooms and baths, deed ownership, lease ownership, cost of maintaining it each year, and the color times of the week. These things will have a major impact on how well the sell of the timeshare will do. If amenities are unique, elite, and fashionable, you will be able to sell the timeshare very quickly and for more money. Now that you are aware of the things that make up the timeshare, you can move in the forward direction in selling it by adding it to an advertising media. Asking a professional for help is also a good idea to help the sale along. Once you have all the details of your property, you cannot only decide the right price for it but prior to that, you can advertise it well because you have its complete details. Getting professional advice is also very helpful in selling time-shares. Before getting yourself a business to sell l the property, find out if they are legal and if the price is right. THE PRICE IS THE KEY TO GETTING THE SALE FINALIZED QUICKLY. Selling Is Not Happening – Rent It Out When the sale of the timeshare is not the best thing for you to do, you can try renting it out. The buyers to come will be able to view and experience the timeshare you are trying to sell. This will be successful like the customer rental might be the think to start the buying process. You can always give the timeshare away to a charity. I know this may be hard for you to swallow. Giving it away may be the only way for releasing yourself from the burden.Some charities that allow donations of timeshares will sell the timeshares during an auction for their causes. You can write this off your taxes. You do not have the regular fees incurred with this particular selling style. The money from the auction will benefit the nonprofit group chosen to take the item from you. You might think about a fair swap of timeshares. If you are the owner then you may be able to swap the condos for a change of scenery, or for a new venue all together. Whatever your niche, you will be able to find it and let us hope it is a profit for all. Once it has been held for a few years, it may be that you are into able to keep the burden and the costs associated with it or you just are not making any money from it. This would warrant you choosing to sell the timeshare and regaining some of the money spent. Legal advise from a lawyer specializing in this type of sale will also give you insight into the world of selling your timeshare. You can find helpful information on timeshares by visiting the library, searching the internet, or discussing it with friends and family. Not only will they help you, they may even buy the timeshare from you. this would be the easiest way to deal with it. Do you feel this way also or is there other ides floating around in your head? For more info see http://www.timesharesreview.com/Cancun_Timeshares on cancun mexico. Selling timeshares is definitely a hard task and something that should not be taken lightly. In time, it will benefit you tremendously if this is something you have your heart set on doing. Tread easily and carefully through the market to find a buyer and one that is offering something acceptable. Good luck on the journey to come and I hope you find what you are looking for.

Bring Your Presentations To Life and Get A Standing Ovation

Presentation techniques are the tools that help us to bring a page of written text to spoken life. They are the means by which we animate words, inject interest and build audience rapport. Learn the following 7 techniques and you'll have your audience clinging to every word you say. 1. Speak To Their Ears. Remember that your audience receives your words through their ears. They aren't reading it. That's why you should continually ask yourself, "how will this sound to my audience?". In particular, you should check for… • the use of jargon, technical and bureaucratic language, long phrases and gobbledeegook. Avoid them. • specific meanings: "next Friday" is better than "soon". • concrete words rather than abstract words: "microphone" is better than "sound amplification facilities". • Anglo-Saxon rather than Latinised words: "talk" is better than "communicate". 2. Use Conversational English. Speakers who lack the confidence to speak directly to their audience tend to lean heavily on their prepared texts. This creates the risk of speaking the written word which can sound artificial and stilted. Conversational English on the other hand is natural and flowing. By creating the feeling of a personal chat, the conversational style helps to build audience rapport. Idiomatic, conversational English is distinctly different from written English. It allows for occasional ungrammatical and incorrect use of words and sentences, as long as the meaning is clear and sounds right. You would not, for example, say the grammatically-correct "For whom is it?" in place of the colloquial "Who's it for?" 3. Make Everything Make Sense. One of the most important points to remember about a presentation is that written English does not always make the same sense to a listener as spoken English. When we read written English we go at our speed and can pause, go back or jump ahead. When we are listening, we rely on the speaker to make sense for us. Notice the difference between these two ways of expressing the same sentence. Not: "The user will no doubt be familiar with the consequences of a machine failure at difficult moments." But: "I expect you know the sort of thing I mean. You're right in the middle of something worth saving when, Phut!, the whole damn thing goes up in smoke. Before your very eyes..." 4. Signpost Where You Are Going. The technique of Signposting, or Labelling, can be used throughout a presentation. Signposting, like the signs on a street, is a way of letting the audience know in advance what is coming next in your talk. It is used to tell the audience what you want them to understand from it. • we can signpost the whole talk when we start: "I'd like to do three things this morning. First, I'd like to look at our current position; then our plans and finally, the costs." • we can signpost a sub-point: "My second area is to look at plans. First, this year's; then next year's..." • we can signpost any issue: "Let me give you an example of what I mean..." • we can signpost the end: "Just one more point before I finish..." Audiences appreciate signposting because it helps them know where they are. 5. Use Jokes To Build Rapport. Jokes are a way of amusing an audience while at the same time sharing something with them. The point of contact is the shared laughter. If a joke works it brings you together; conversely, if the joke doesn't work, it pushes you apart. Jokes need to be appropriate, well-presented and, of course, funny. A blue joke from the Rugby club dinner speech probably won't work well at the annual conference of the Women's Institute. Equally a joke told badly where you miss your timing, tell it too quickly or forget the punchline is worse than no joke at all. This joke told by Patrick Forsyth seems to catch the mood of a farewell speech: "I remember the day after Nigel joined us and overhearing the impression he'd made on two young ladies from Accounts. "Doesn't that Mr Green dress well," said one. "Yes," replied the other. "And so quickly." 6. Pause For Maximum Effect. Some of the best moments in a speech are, surprisingly, those moments when you stop. Knowing when to stop is the art of the creative pause. It can work for you in a number of ways: • to tease the audience, perhaps after a provocative question: "I bet you'd like to know how you could make a million..." • to pause before the punchline of a joke • to wait for an audience to settle after laughter or a general discussion • to give the audience time to think (for example, when looking at a new overhead) • to show you're in total control by holding the pause just slightly longer than you need to. 7. Show Don't Just Tell. Turning a simple presentation point into a narrative or story can entertain and involve the audience on a different level. It is a way of showing them not just telling them. Not: "Our personal computer has three kinds of memory storage: the random access memory, the hard drive and the floppy drive." But: "Designing the storage memory for this particular computer was always going to be a tricky problem. The first team to look at it was Rob James and Ellen Smith. After several experiments they discovered that they could build in a huge RAM but their problem was what to do with the hard drive. This was new territory. Neither of them had worked on anything like that before. First, they tried a separate box. No good. Then a new casing. Still no good. They were about to give up when news came from Japan about an amazing new microchip..." Master these simple techniques and you'll raise your presentation expertise to heights you'd only just dreamed of before!

Same old, and brand new, DVD talk!

The war is everywhere. Not the Iraq war, but the heated battle between the HD-DVD and the Blu-Ray formats. The rising interest in that war, though needed to steer the industry in the right direction in the near future, is causing the market to miss out on present opportunities, of less than ideally explored features of DVD products. Without the war, the industry already boasts a vast pool of products to offer consumers. Thus, ink and space in this review will focus on those under-used functions of the DVD, especially the creative concept of DVD editing and morphing. The search phrase of "DVD morpher" on Yahoo! returns 201 000 results, with the top 3 all on Avnex's product of DVD Player – Morpher. DVD morphing is not too new. However, probably not many of us know how to "morph" DVD, though few are unaware of DVD music and pictures. DVD morphing is a concept of creative self-exploration in the high-end world of the visibles and the audibles: users can not only enjoy unmatched picture and sound quality, but also enhance the displayed image as well as modify what they hear with special effects, all to their best imagination. The "morph" tools duly refresh the developed concept of a personal entertainment experience. And with products such as the AV DVD Player-Morpher Gold's 44 video and audio effects in various combinations, your experience could truly be personal. Currently, there should be 8 major players in this market, with various levels of products going for as low as $30. The more expensive packages are perhaps the most value-for-money, offering complete tools to define your DVD experience the way you wish to: the above-mentioned 44 cool effects and so much more of the AV Morpher could be yours for $99.95. Such low prices could lead to a boom in the number of "morphers", when users become more demanding of their players for features such as capturing crystal-clear digital images, converting those pictures into video format and recording and burning their own versions of movies Little does an average movie lover know that he can now easily possess such powerful tools to personalize his favourite hits, as the 8 producers are continuously expanding their sales and distribution networks, expecting sales figures to sky-rocket as much as the DVD boom of the past 7 years. Packages are getting more and more complete; users could produce a fully personalized movie disc, from picture enhancement to audio modifications and even to label printing. Yes, these convenient DVD players are increasingly allowing you such level of personalization; you could get rid of the usually bare disc cover and have your family's pictures in the pack of Home Alone II. At the moment, however, it seems that few producers offer this cover creation feature, with the rare exception of Media Morpher. In view of the attractive prices and packages, with possibilities to go "even lower and more complete in the future", according to industry gurus, the market is going to be poised to boom. The question is not when, but how much. This defining edge of the DVD industry could help continue the boom of the fast-growing consumer goods. So, it's time to get away from the tech-war between the over-mentioned Sony and Toshiba, and bring it on with the evolving products of the under-noticed Media Morpher and ULead Systems.

Plasma TV as Part of the Home Theater

There's just something about spending a couple of hours at a theater, and many people are trying to recreate that feeling with home theaters. There's no doubt that both electronic and furnishing industries are meeting the demand, and you'll find a great array of equipment, furniture and "extras" to make your home theater feel as much like a commercial theater as possible. The plasma TV is no doubt one big step toward creating the ultimate viewing experience. The sharp picture added with the potential for a large, flat screen are important steps, but the benefits of a plasma TV don't stop there. Plasma TVs have an important feature – the ability to sit directly in front of the screen or to either side without losing a good view of the movie. Many of the television options have a very limited viewing range before the picture becomes much less sharp and clear. Another important aspect of the plasma TV is that the screen can be mounted on a wall, meaning there doesn't need to be an entertainment center or even a shelf where the screen sits. It's all aimed at offering the viewers an experience similar to that of a movie theater. Remember that setting up the home theater may start with the electronics, but it certainly doesn't end there. You'll find authentic theater furnishing to further your home theater experience. Choose reclining seats, seats with armrests or comfortable recliners. You'll also find companies that provide everything else you need to make your home theater more like the commercial experience. Want popcorn? Don't just pop a bag of the buttery treat – pop a whole batch in your popcorn popper that looks just like the popper at the theater. Drinks can be distributed the same way! If you're looking for more practical items, you'll be relieved to know you can even find inexpensive and easy-to-install sound proofing material for walls, floors and ceilings. When you've finished this project, you can cover the floors with carpet and welcome mats just like those in your favorite theater, and hide the sound-proofed walls with authentic theater curtains, made to fit your home theater walls. Your home theater may very well start with a plasma TV – after all, that's arguably the latest and greatest technology available for your viewing pleasure. But don't think that creating the ultimate home theater experience has to stop there.

8 Steps to Effective Christian Leadership

1) Probably the most important thing you can do as a Christian leader is to clean up your act---if there is anything in your life, moral or ethical, which would not stand up to scrutiny if the entire world found out---you must eliminate it immediately. Do not give anyone an occasion to think that you are a hypocrite. 2) Be sure that every decision you make is honest and ethical. You cannot effectively lead, as a Christian or not, when your decisions and actions are not above-board, fair, and honest. 3) As a Christian leader, commit to telling the truth no matter what. As a Christian leader, when you lie or tell half-truths, people tend to feel that your entire faith is a sham. In fact, if you are habitually lying and telling half-truths, your faith may indeed be a sham. 4) Learn everything you can about the tasks at hand, even if it means working in the trenches for awhile. No one likes to be led by someone who has never done what they are doing. This doesn't mean you have to become an expert, just participate in the menial work long enough to understand the frustrating aspects of the work. Another benefit to this is, when you have actually done the work, you can more effectively brainstorm solutions to challenges when they arise. 5) Lead by example. Do you expect your employees or secretaries to arrive on time for work, and dressed well? Then you must do the same. Sometimes it is so easy to think that you have earned the right to come in whenever you feel like it, or to return from lunch whenever you wish. Sure, you may have earned the right, but you gain far more by setting the example for performance. Do you expect others to work overtime when a project is behind projections? Then you must be willing to do the same.< 6) Although you may feel you have earned the right to delegate away all the work, continue to be involved in productive tasks. By doing some of the work, not only do you gain the respect of your employees, but also you keep in touch with the flow of things. As a leader, it is easy to become disengaged from the actual productive segment of your business, and resultantly make decisions that look good on paper and sound good around the boardroom table, but are actually worthless when the rubber hits the road. 7) Constantly reevaluate your own performance. Often, you may spend so much time correcting the actions of others and solving crises you didn't create, that you develop a sense that others aren't as capable as you. Consequently, you may not recognize when you are falling into bad habits that also need to be corrected. Be the first to recognize and correct your own short-fallings. 8) Avoid pride. Once in a position of leadership, especially if you are good at what you do, it is easy to begin to feel that you are invincible. Once that occurs, you become vulnerable to pride, and may make decisions you would frown on if your subordinates made the same decisions. Maintain full responsibility for your actions, and keep them above-board at all times. Bonus Step: 9) Learn to manage your time. When you are in a position of leadership and find yourself delegating away most of the time-consuming tasks, it is easy to lose control of your time. Again, when your employees see you wasting your time, they will tend to do the same.

Don't Focus on Failure

Internal defeat is a mindset, where you begin to believe that most new ideas will fail. You might think -"After all, what I tried in last week's Yoga class, failed." You will always learn from mistakes. When you see them clearly as a test, examine the results, and study them closely for the reason why they went wrong. Whether it is a lesson plan, trying mantras, Hot Yoga, Gentle Yoga, a pro shop, or trying anything new, it is better to make mistakes than do nothing at all. Some of the most successful Yoga teachers, I know, deal with mistakes as part of the learning curve. They turn all of their defeats into learning experiences. This is extremely powerful when you consider the cost of learning anything of value. After all, what did you spend on your education, so far? Did you think you would stop learning at a certain point in life? Did you learn from your past mistakes? Of course you did, and now you are stronger due to the corrective adjustments, you have made. When a child learns to ride a bicycle, there are plenty of falls along the way, and then the falling stops. However, even skilled adults fall off bicycles, sometimes. So, don't take past failures personally. Put them behind you and learn from each one. Henry Ford and the Wright Brothers had failures, but nobody seems to remember that. Just like them, you are not a failure, but you may have failed in the past, just like they did. When you get down on yourself, look back at what you have accomplished. When you take on your next project, do the research first, assemble a team, make a full commitment to succeed, and never mentally quit before you start. Lastly, whenever it is possible, learn from the mistakes of others. This is why Yoga businesses approach me for consulting services: To save money by avoiding known mistakes, pitfalls, and traps.

Why Must the Lord Return When He Does - God's Version of Enough is Enough

There are many ways that God enters into judgment with both individuals and entire nations. There is only one reason why he enters into judgment and that is rampant immorality and sin. The nations have followed the same path as ancient Israel. Like Israel they sought God for a time, but when they were secure and full they started backsliding into every imaginable sin. God then sent prophets, preachers and messengers of every kind and description. If their warnings went unheeded, which they did in most cases the judgments given by the messengers came against them. When the people were tired of the lack of goods or the captivity or the warfare they began to seek the prophets and messengers again, but this time for the means to get right with God again. A microcosmic example of this in our recent past would be what happened right after the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York on nine eleven. People started going back to church in droves and church attendance reached record levels. But already we are showing signs of slipping again. The call to defeat terrorism by just returning to what we were doing before was taken more seriously than the call to return to God. When a people, Jew or Gentile begin seeking God again their lot usually improves depending on how serious they are. This same vicious cycle is repeated over and over throughout history by almost every nation or people on the earth. Judgments come when people pass over the mark God has set for them. God is patient and slow to anger and it is amazing that he lets them go as far as he does in some cases. The longer a nation or people persist in their collective backsliding the more it strengthens them to continue in that pathway. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is firmly set in them to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8: 11 The second coming will surprise more people than it will please. The promise of his second coming seems a long way behind us, and some would like to believe that it will not take place for several more millennia. What seems like a very long delay is one of the chief reasons they will he caught off guard and it is one of the world's major excuses for unbelief. The apostle Peter covers this in 2Peter 3:3-4... Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming! For since the fathers fallen asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. How God judges sinful nations is the greater variable than why. He will use anything at his disposal in nature such as floods, drought, wild animals, plagues and general pestilence. He also uses internal collapses in the infrastructure and the financial well being of a nation. One of the more common ways he enters into judgment, is to bring another nation against the violators in all out warfare. He uses one nation's fury in all out war or surprise attack to chasten the offender or to send a wake up call. What is most amazing of all is that the nation that is doing the judging may not even be as righteous or Godly as the nation being judged. The ancient Babylonians were not lovers of the God of Israel at all, but God used them to judge Israel. Not only did they come under chastisement from this pagan nation but the fact that they were so idolatrous was particularly offensive to the self righteous Jews of that time. Babylon's godlessness was part of the humiliation attached to the judgment and they knew it. A major difference at the end times is that no nation is in a position to judge any other nation. They have all gone into perdition. They all have decided to become part of the new world order and follow the antichrist. Since there are no nations able to enter into judgment for God, He has to do it himself. In other words at that time the whole world has passed the mark God has set, and only God can enter the judgment. It is the worldwide fall of nations that is the primary factor or what actually precipitates the second coming of Christ.

Restless Leg Syndrome and Supplements

Restless Legs Syndrome is a condition that affects about ten percent of the population. The disorder is characterized by an urge to move the legs, usually accompanied by or caused by uncomfortable leg sensations. People with RLS often have difficulty describing their symptoms. Common terms used to describe the sensations are aching, twitching, tingling, burning, creeping, crawling, itching, flowing, pulling, searing and painful. Many people experience these sensations in their legs, but the arms or other body regions also can be affected. The symptoms of RLS are generally worse at night, can be brought on by rest and are relieved by standing up or walking around. MY STORY I, too, suffer from RLS occasionally. I've had periods of my life where the condition seemed to worsen (probably stress-related). Some of the following suggestions may work for you, for others maybe not. For me, the lifestyle changes I made to help with my insomnia also helped with my RLS. I still have a sleepless night or a night with RLS, but they are far less frequent. Although www.natural-cures-for-insomnia.com does not endorse drug use, there are new drugs available for extreme cases of RLS when nothing else works. ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS Treatment begins by dealing with any underlying medical condition that may be cause the symptoms. Many times the cause is unknown, but it can be associated with neurological disorders, diabetes, stress and pregnancy. The serious sleep loss can not only lead to drowsiness, but could lead to depression and accidental injuries as well. In recent years, researchers have discovered that iron, folate or vitamin E levels are often low in RLS sufferers and supplementation can frequently help. For example, when iron deficiency is the cause, taking iron supplements can significantly reduce the symptoms of RLS. "We know that iron deficiency is involved because every condition that produces iron deficiency, such as anemia or pregnancy, increases the risk of RLS dramatically," says Richard Allen, PhD, a diplomat on the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a founder of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center. In fact, based on studies of hospital patients, about 40 percent of people with anemia had RLS and about 20 percent to 40 percent of pregnant women have RLS. Another way researchers know that iron plays a role is iron-deficient patients' response to iron supplementation. "Then when the iron deficiency is corrected, the RLS often remits," Dr. Allen says. Some people with RLS, however, have normal iron levels. Researchers say that's not a reason to discount iron as an underlying cause of their RLS. Studies indicate that the problem is the brains of RLS patients may not absorb iron normally. Some other treatment options which may relieve pain include leg massages, hot baths, heat or icepacks, aspirin or other over-the-counter pain relievers, and the elimination of caffeine. As well, regular sleep habits and exercise, especially earlier in the day, will help people enjoy more restful sleep. MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM Cramps in the lower limbs, restless leg syndrome and sleeplessness can be eased by the addition of calcium and magnesium to the diet. Magnesium is more easily absorbed by the body in the form of dolomite, or with the addition of calcium. Magnesium helps to support a strong immune system and maintains normal muscle and nerve function. It is also known to be involved in every metabolism and protein synthesis and is needed for over three hundred biochemical reactions in the body, so it is very important. One of the benefits of magnesium is its muscle relaxing properties. The heart is a muscle and high blood pressure is often caused by the heart not relaxing sufficiently on its outward (diastolic) beat. There is increasing interest in the role magnesium can play in managing hypertension and cardiovascular disease. WHAT TO AVOID You should avoid things that can make symptoms of RLS worse: Tobacco Alcohol Caffeine-Chocolate, coffee, tea, and some soft drinks contain caffeine. Although it may seem to help overcome daytime sleepiness, caffeine usually only delays or masks RLS symptoms, and often makes them worse. Some types of over-the-counter and prescription medicines can also make RLS symptoms worse. These include: Anti-depressants (most of them) Anti-nausea medicines Anti-psychotic medicines Antihistamines Good supplements to take are iron, folic acid, co-enzyme Q10, extracts of ginko biloba and garlic tablets. Acupuncture and magnet therapy are also worth trying to help with restless legs syndrome. If you are taking prescription medication, always consult your health care professional before taking supplements.

Organize Life | 7 Step Professional Organizers Formula

How important is it to organize life? Everything in our life comes from how we organize it, right? When everything is organized we can do more, achieve more, become more, and enjoy everything more too, can't we? Can't you? Are you Overwhelmed? Frustrated? Dissatisfied? Life throws a lot at you. How are you managing it all until now? Those who organize life will excel far beyond those that don't because Life Organization is the biggest frontier of development opening up this decade. Are you ready for that?! But what is it exactly that you are searching the net for regarding how to organize life? What does it really mean to organize life? Do you want a solid grand system to totally organize life? Do you want some temporary techniques to apply now? Would you like permanent principles for how to organize your entire life? To organize life you will capture every worth while thought to efficiently choose your actions for all that is important to you, without wasting time or losing time, and allowing you to succeed at whatever you desire. At times we get off track, whether practically, or with our efficiency, or emotionally. At those times, I do a 10 Minute Get-on-track review. Essentially it is about writing down things weighing on my mind. I use the following categories of self-questions to help me do my organize life 10 minute focus sessions. Organize Life for Self - Touching on my emotions and physical experience. Accept and appreciate how I feel right now. This is the core of how to organize life. It starts from within. Organize Life for Yesterday - I then take a moment to reflect on yesterday, as that is where I have come from. Organize Life for Today - Think of the fixed appointments, the general layout of your day to come, and where the areas of your day are where you get to decide exactly what you do with the time. Organize Life for Civilisation - What do you want to do in society? What is your place and purpose in terms of contribution and business? Organize Life for Ideally Organized Living - Picture the biggest possible ideally organized living circumstances that fill your fantasy. This connects you with the spark of life. Organize Life for Projects - Now you are ready to consider the actual projects and responsibilities that you have in your life. Tasks, hobbies, interests, pursuits, business ideas, etc. Organize Life for Right Now - Through the above self-question process you are probably now ready to decide on the next step activities to organize your life even more. This 10 minute review might take longer when you first do it. Take your time with it, and remember this article. As a Professional Organizer I can guarantee by doing this simple 10 minute process regularly your life will become more and more organized.

Wedding Favors Ideas You Want To Know

Sending guests home with a little something to remember the night by is a classy touch to any wedding. And they don't have to be extravagant gifts to make a nice impression. Do you buy or do you make? When it comes to the list of things to do for a wedding, you may already be feeling overwhelmed. So why make another chore for yourself with homemade wedding favors? Favors can be easily bought from local craft stores-all you have to do is make them personalized, or don't. Of course, homemade wedding do feel more special. Sachets and small tokens are simple to create in an afternoon. You may even decide to enlist the help of the wedding party. A little food and win will get them to help. The usual suspects If you've ever been to another wedding, you may have already seen these suggestions for wedding favors. Small bags of candies or nuts are always nice to place next to each person's placeholder. On the same vein, small boxes of chocolate with a nice ribbon or card indicating the wedding date are nice favors too. Many brides and grooms have chosen to give personalized wedding favors. Match books, candles with holders, champagne glasses, and even CDs can be inscribed with the couple's name and wedding date as a way to commemorate the day. If you want to be unique For the non-traditional bride and groom, you may want to give a little something different. If you have a themed wedding, you can try to give a gift that incorporates that theme. A Vegas wedding might necessitate giving decks of cards or poker chips. If you're having a more renaissance style affair, then you can give small sachets of herbs or flowers (such as lavender). And for an outdoor wedding, small bells might be a great gift to give. The altruistic couple may want to make personal donations in the name of their guests. These can be designated on small cards at each person's seat. Or the couple may decide to offer each guest a picture from the wedding that they can choose from the ones that have been taken. In any case, wedding favors are a great way to commemorate a special day for both the couple and their guests. Thank your relatives and friends for supporting you and loving you enough to be with you on this happiest of days.

Chatterbox - The Bird Who Wore Glasses

Remember the Batman movies? Well, the movie producer of successful movies like these and entertaining children's television shows such as Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?, Michael Uslan, has released this adorable children's book. Chatterbox – The Bird Who Wore Glasses is available in a durable, hard-cover format with a lovely cover sleeve that will help prolong the life of the book. At 40 pages and full of excellent illustrations, this book is sure to entertain children.

Sad, red-headed Nancy doesn't fit in well with the other kids who call her "Nancy Nobody". She wished and wished for a new friend and one day the dream came true when a feathered, sight-challenged friend flew her way. Nancy felt needed, she was loved, and her world was set right by her new funny bird. 

John Steven Gurney, a very successful artist and illustrator, colorfully illustrates the large pages with plenty of things to look at. Written in playful, light verse the author does mention things like prayer and "God's love", there fore it may appeal to a religious audience.

The book includes a CD with 2 songs and the orated version of the story by actress Brittany Murphy (voice of Luanne on King of the Hill, also known for her parts in Clueless and Up Town Girls). This could certainly appeal to the independent child who wants to "read" the book themselves. As well, the CD option may provide a few extra minutes for busy caregivers. The bullying shown in the beginning of the story, though very minor, may be useful for building empathy in the classroom for lonely and segregated individuals. 

Children with family pets, especially birds, would definitely enjoy this book. Also, kids that are just becoming used to either themselves or someone they know who has recently gotten eye-glasses. 

Chatterbox – The Bird Who Wore Glasses is actually the first book in a series by the author Michael Uslan. Check out the website for the book at: www(dot)chatterboxthebirdwhoworeglasses(dot)com


ISBN#: 0-97538432-5
Author: Michael E. Uslan
Illustrator: John Steven Gurney
Publisher: EE Publishing & Productions, Inc. 

Cruising To Alaska - A Trip To Remember

Visiting Alaska by cruise ship has become one of the most popular ways to experience Alaska's breathtaking beauty and diverse culture. Cruises incorporate all that Alaska has to offer including glaciers, wildlife, exotic ports of call, entertainment and fine dining.

Some of the most popular Alaskan cruises are glacier cruises. Much of the Alaskan terrain consists of gorgeous, formidable glaciers and ice fields which cover over 5% of Alaska's land surface. This natural beauty can be seen from many top tourist destinations of Alaska including Juneau, Valdez, Seward and the Matanuska Valley, but is usually only fully appreciated with an up close and personal view that only a cruise can afford. From this vantage point you will stand spellbound by tidewater glaciers that reach over 100 ft. in height and the antics of wildlife such as humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, dolphins, brown bears and bald eagles.

The Gulf of Alaska is also a popular cruise option. Many cruise lines offer week-long cruises from Seward to Vancouver or vice versa. Along the way you can take in such highlights as Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord and interesting ports of call including Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. At each port you can take advantage of unique and exciting land activities such as helicopter glacier landing, guided tours, and sightseeing, just to name a few.
Because of the awe-inspiring beauty of the Alaskan inside passage and since many destinations along the Alaska inside passage are only accessible by plane or boat, these cruises have become one of the most popular tourist attractions of the state. From the waterway of the passage, one can look upon some of the most magnificent natural scenery to be found such as coastal rainforests, deep blue fjords and tidewater glaciers. Also to be found in the passage are numerous species of wildlife including humpback whales, sea lions and seabirds.

Some Alaska cruise liners even incorporate land packages as part of their cruise options. With an optional land package, visitors can spend an additional five to seven days exploring all that Alaska has to offer from land. You can explore one of the many cities or national parks, take advantage of Alaska's world-renowned sport fishing, or visit famous mining towns.

As you can see, there are many Alaska cruises to choose from, and each promise memories of adventure and excitement to last a lifetime. Which one is perfect for you? That is for you to decide. 

Convert your DVD movies to play on an iPod

Most iPods, besides their music features, offer high quality video capabilities; it's one of the reasons they are one of the most versatile gadgets on the market. We all enjoy watching movies to relax and unwind, so why not convert your own DVDs to the iPod format and watch them whenever you want, wherever you are? 

Transferring your DVD movies to play on your iPod, iPhone, Touch, or Nano can be simple, or in some cases, time-consuming and difficult. There are many iPod converters available, but only a few are worth purchasing: some are too expensive, some are hard to use, and many aren't reliable (they mess up sound and/or picture, or they can't convert new movies). A good iPod converter must meet the following conditions: 

• User-friendly interface – the program must be easy to use. 

• Fast encoding – the program must be able to encode fast so that the entire process will be finished fast. 

• Versatile – the Converter should be able to output video for all iPod Video formats: Classic, Nano, Touch, and iPhone. 

• Quality – the converted movie must offer excellent sound and picture quality. 

• Error Processing – the program must be able fix any problems that appear during the converting process. 

• Features – the program must have popular options implemented, such as picture quality, subtitles, different languages, etc. 

It's also helpful if the program has a tutorial/help section where the user can learn how to take advantage of extra features. Another important thing regarding conversion from a DVD to an iPod is the ability to zoom from widescreen to full screen. A good converter should have this feature implemented in order to allow for a clean transition.

The program should allow inexperienced as well as advanced users a satisfactory experience. For novice users, a good converter should have an option for automatically adjusting settings to achieve the best results. For advanced users, there should be the ability to manually adjust a wide variety of parameters. A good iPod converter should also allow converting from both NTSC and PAL DVD movies. 

Excellent iPod converters can be found for around $40.00, and they'll do everything, and often more, than some of the more expensive programs. You can try and go the inexpensive route, using two or three free programs in combination (Videora, DVD Shrink, Handbrake, etc.), but I found that the free programs involved a large number of steps, produced mixed results, and wouldn't convert many new DVD movies (those produced over the past four years). Don't get me wrong, I'm a thrifty guy, and if there's a cheap way to do things, I'm usually on-board, but in this case, the hassle just wasn't worth it. The advantages offered by a good converting program far outweighed the trial and error hassles I found using outdated free programs. 

Converting your DVD movies to play on an iPod allows one to watch their favorite movies and T.V. programs while on the bus or subway, on airplanes or long drives, or whenever you have a few free moments. DVD conversion software is getting more and more popular, as they facilitate the perfect transition from the 'big screen' to the 'little screen'. 

Wilson Island Great Barrier Reef Queensland

Australians call the Great Barrier Reef the eighth wonder of the world, and it's on every traveller's wish list. Alas, like so many reefs, this 1,500-mile stretch is ecologically fragile. But castaways can set sandal on the 'new' Wilson Island knowing that their creature comforts are based on sound environmental principles; heat and light are by solar power and each of the six tents are created out of natural materials. There are separate bathrooms for each tent. 

Beachcombing and birdwatching, swimming and snorkelling, reef walks and relaxing in your hammock are what Wilson Island is about during the day. Wining, dining and socialising take place later in the communal Longhouse. 

The only way you can get to Wilson Island is via Heron Island. 

Wilson island could well be described as the ultimate castaway experience as you will realise shortly. 

The accommodation and all the principles of Wilson Island are based on eco principles which are firmly adhered to! 

Take a look at photographs at http://www.worldwidevacationspots.com/articles/14/1/Wilson-Island-Great-Barrier-Reef/Page1.html 

Wilson Island as previously stated in on the Great Barrier Reef off the Queensland coast, and quite frankly it is difficult to imagine anything more attractive, although the three day Wilson Island Package was about long enough. 

Beauty, there is in abundance, but like most of us, I have been spoiled by the 21st century luxuries that we now associate with dream islands, such as luxury bathrooms, mains electricity, to name but two!! 

Compensations are an unrivalled natural beauty, beautifully clean and clear water, wonderful coral, and tropical fish to snorkel and see easily. 

It is however a castaway experience with six permanent tents. The six tents have been designed to combine simplicity and comfort. Based on a modern beachcombing theme, the tents have raised timber floors, king-sized beds and a private decking with uninterrupted reef views. You will be supplied with everything you need apart from en-suite bathroom, but you will need the complete insect screening, and repellent.The views from the tents are quite breathtaking. 

All electricity is I believe by solar power, and batteries, so none of your electrical appliances will work, and the fresh water is rainwater, so all drinking water is bottled. 

A separate building houses six showers and dressing area (one designated for each tent), along with toilet and vanity areas. This I'm afraid took be back to my youth hostelling/camping days which I had left behind long ago. 

Entertainment and food are not forgotten; each evening begins with sunset pre-dinner drinks and canapés on the beach. The main course is a candle-lit three-course buffet meal with wine, served in the resort's entertainment building, the Longhouse. 

After dinner, guests can join an evening star-gazing walk or even a beach walk to observe the turtles nesting. 

A popular activity for early risers is a walk to an area of the island known as the 'Flintstone Chairs'. These naturally carved coral chairs offer a spectacular view of the colourful Wilson Island sunrise. 

Quite honestly this is a beautiful place, but there really is very little to do, apart from wonderful snorkelling, and scuba diving. It is a bit rustic for my taste but in fairness that is what is part of the initial appeal. 

Two last things, the wines are very good, and there are no children under the age of sixteen. 

The Grand Daddy Boom in Uranium

Approaching his 50th year in the uranium business, the quiet but assertive Chairman and Chief Executive of Uranium Resources (OTC BB: URIX). Paul K. Willmott talked to us about the current uranium bull market. Willmott discussed the third uranium bull market he's experienced with both exuberance and caution.

Interviewer: How do you feel about the rising uranium price? And how high do you think it will go?

Willmott: Looking at the oft-quoted number of over $100/pound, that number came out of an analysis from a gentleman at MIT (Thomas Neff, MIT Center for International Studies). What he did was use the high point of 1980s with a time-value of money, and came up with $100. I am not saying that the prices could never get to that level. I'd never say that. There could be a price spike, and there are a lot of things that could or could not happen. The prices will rise to cover projected and estimated costs of production. It will also get to a level that will induce people to invest in companies, or for the company to invest in the business to get a rate of return.

Interviewer: How are the production costs different now as opposed to then?

Willmott: If you go back to the 1980s, the majority of the uranium was being mined by underground mining methods. Underground or open pit methods were used here in the United States: most of it in New Mexico, a lot of it in Colorado and Wyoming. The cost of production in those days was somewhat in the mid to high $20's. When you put a rate of return on it, it got the market price up into the high $30's. Since then, the major mining in Canada now is not at Elliot Lake or at Bancroft, Ontario, both underground and where it was before. The majority of uranium mining now is being mined in high grade ore bodies in the Athabasca Basin, which back in the 1980s was basically unknown, unexplored or unfound. In the United States, there is virtually little or no underground mining of uranium. It's all done by low-cost ISL. Same as in Kazakhstan. You still have open pit mining of low-grade ore bodies, but those are very inexpensive to mine as in Africa. You also have byproduct in Australia.

Interviewer: Are you saying uranium prices are determined by production costs, not supply concerns?

Willmott: The big point is the major cost of uranium today is significantly less than what it was in the 1980s. If you go back to my basic premise, which is that price rises to cover cost of production, I don't see that you can make the comparison of taking the high point in the 1980s and transposing it over today on the time-value of money basis, and coming out with something over $100/pound. That's not to say the market could not get over $50/pound. I think it very well may. I think it will be the spike or an anomaly. And I think it will ultimately fall back as production comes on to the current demand of uranium.

Interviewer: What about Asian demand?

Willmott: There's lot of talk about reactors in China, in India, Russia, and elsewhere. Talk of reactors in Europe staying on longer. That could prolong the cycle. I think that you will find over the next 5-7 years there will be enough uranium discovered, or discovered, put into production, licensed and permitted, to meet our current demand for uranium. That cycle may get prolonged a lot longer as these other (nuclear) plants may or may not come on.

Interviewer: Won't the U.S. alone put an additional squeeze on the current uranium inventories by building another 10, 15 or 20 reactors?

Willmott: No, because if you look at the lead time on the announcement of these plants, the lead time to get these plants on, I think you're looking at five to ten years at best. The I don't think it's going to be as long for the Chinese, because they don't really have environmental concerns, regulatory concerns or intervener concerns. It certainly would put a crimp on existing and forecasted production. In terms of the long-term needs, they will ultimately be met. The current prices today are impacted by the current needs and some perception about the future.

Interviewer: TradeTech LLC recently announced, in a news release, that a large percentage of the spot uranium price rise in 2005 came from speculators and investors?

Willmott: If you look at what spot demand is, compared to the long-term demand, usually the spot is around 20 million pounds. Last year, I think it was around 30 million pounds. (Editor's note: On January 27, Trade Tech reported slightly less than 30 million pounds for 2005.) That's 20-30 million pounds of demand out of total demand of 180 to 190 million pounds. Of that demand, this past year, around 10 million – that's the latest number I know – came from speculators, hedge funds, and the Uranium Participation Corporation (TSE: U). Certainly, it was a very major influence of a very small part of the market. Every week, everybody is excited about what the spot price is going to be on Monday night for UXC or Friday night from Trade Tech. It's a little bit of the tail wagging the dog. Most certainly, the demand of 10 million pounds or so by the hedge funds had a very significant impact on the spot market for 2005.

Interviewer: But will this speculative uranium buying continue?

Willmott: Some of these people were able to get in while the spot price was in the low $20's. Now that the price is at $37.50/pound, they've done quite well. If this price increase plateaus, and I project the spot price to be about $40/pound by the middle of this year, and then I'm not sure. I don't know how long it will take to get up to $50. It might go up quite rapidly. What you're going to see, as you can see with some of the (publicly traded) stocks out there, I think the major increase could very well be behind us. You will get an increase, but it certainly will not be in the couple of hundred percent increases that we've seen in 2005.

Interviewer: Is the oft-quoted $100/pound number realistic then?

Willmott: The uranium spot price is going to go to some level where there will be enough money brought in by investors to do the necessary exploration and development. There may be a price spike along the way. My feeling is it's just not going to climb up and get over the $100 range that a lot of people are talking about. It could be a price spike, but I don't think it's sustainable.
Interviewer: After the price spikes, or runs higher, where do think the uranium price will settle?

Willmott: As the prices rise, on a longer term basis, there will be production that comes online, as is always the case. I am on record as having said that the price could very well get up to a level where it's $50, $60 or $70/pound. But it will ultimately fall back to a level that more represents the cost of production. If you look at the places where they are exploring for uranium now, in Athabasca, and you look at the current costs of production, it's my feeling that somewhere in the high $20's or low $30's is where the price will ultimately be for uranium. I think it's going to take anywhere from five to seven years, may be ten, before production gets to that level. And that's in today's dollars.

Interviewer: Have prices become unrealistic in the uranium sector?

Willmott: I think there's a lot of speculation out there, which may be a bit unrealistic. That's more in the stock prices. Certainly, the need for uranium is there. I just think people are over-reacting as to what's going to ultimately happen.

Interviewer: After World War I, a British army major in the Belgian Congo discovered uranium oxide with concentrations as high as 80 percent. That very quickly ended the long-term radium boom in the Colorado Plateau, an element which had been extracted from uranium. Could a major discovery end the recent excitement in this bull market?

Willmott: I don't think any single discovery, whether it will be in Athabasca or elsewhere, no single discovery is going to overcome the total supply that is ultimately needed.

Interviewer: You've talked about Kazakhstan. Do you believe this is the wild card for the world market?

Willmott: Yes, it is. There are very large, very economic deposits there. They've made some very grand plans on what they're going to produce. I personally don't think they're going to get there, not in the time frame they state. Then, of course, there are the uncertainties, such as the political. I can't reflect on that, but there are uncertainties there. I don't think they're going to put on production as fast as what they have stated. I don't think there is any single source that will do it (alleviate the supply shortage). I think it will go a fair distance in filling the shortfall or projected shortfall. I don't think it's going to satisfy it. But, you're looking at somewhere around 80 or 90 million pounds of supply shortfall. Even if they get up to 25-30 million pounds, that's not going to be enough.

Interviewer: Do you believe a bust will follow this excitement?

Willmott: Yes, but when you say bust, a lot of it is going to depend upon a market that doesn't relate to current supply and demand. There's a lot of supply out there that people will tout. Like "here come the Kazakhs," or "the expansion of Olympic Dam," or those type of things. Most supply and demand projections that we've been using in the company, and are using, have already anticipated these things. They're not unknown ore bodies. The ore bodies in Africa, they've been known for a long time. Rossing staying on has been known for a long time. Midwest Lake has been known for a long time – it was found 22 years ago. Cigar Lake was 22-23 years ago. A lot of the production you are seeing now, which is coming on and people are getting excited about, have been known and have been factored in for supply and demand projections for a long time.

Interviewer: How does the record price rise in 2005 compare to sustained high prices in the 1970s and early 1980s?

Willmott: I think that the 2005 price rise is a reflection of the shortage that is there. In the 1980s, the shortage, the price rise, then, was on a perception basis. The perception was that all of the utilities were going to get into nuclear power. I remember Eisenhower saying it was going to be too cheap to even meter. What happened was that all of these utilities were going to build all of these nuclear reactors. And then they realized the reactors were going to need uranium. That created a pseudo demand.

Interviewer: Why do you call this a false demand?

Willmott: The utilities all wanted to get into nuclear power. They made that decision. They then needed uranium to run their reactors. What happened then was the U.S. Enrichment Corporation told the utilities, "Look, if you want to get your uranium enriched, you are going to have to sign up for it now, basically on a take or pay contract." With all of these grandiose plans, the utilities signed "take or pay" contracts with the USEC to supply uranium and to get it enriched. During the period, while they were committing, there was such a demand for uranium by all of these utilities that it caused the price to go up.

Interviewer: And then there was Three Mile Island.

Willmott: The demand for nuclear power went away after Three Mile Island. But, the utilities had already committed with mining companies to buy the uranium and they had already committed with USEC to enrich it. When the bloom went off the rose, there was no need for the uranium. The demand for the uranium went away, but the uranium kept coming out. That created a huge overhang that caused the prices to plummet and stay down for quite a number of years until the actual production was consumed. The "real" demand really turned out to be based more upon perception. When that perception died, the need for nuclear power died, but the supply kept coming out.

Interviewer: What about the demand today?

Willmott: Demand today is real. What is different in this cycle, besides the difference in the mining methods and the costs, which we've gone over, is that this is really a REAL demand right now. It's coming from the utilities that realize there is an impending shortage of uranium.