Start going the extra mile and opportunity will follow you.

Going the extra mile can give you insight and a good reputation. Many obvious opportunities are found in places no one else has bothered to venture. If you put in the extra effort to make a good project and even better one, or you get to know your equipment better than anyone else on your shift, you will see things that others overlook. You are then in position to make use of them and you have created an opportunity for you.

Intuition: A Powerful Force

Intuition isn't mystical. It is a natural ability that we all have. Every one of us is born with the capacity for intuition. Every moment of the day we are receiving information intuitively.

Information is all round us. Our bodies are powerfu receivers and transmitters. We transmit through the choice of our words, facial expressions, actions and body language. Likewise our physical senses retrieve immense amount of information.

Intuition is now recognized as a business decision-making management tool. It is part of our everyday life. It is also important to help us improve and advance in our career. If we have the confidence and know how to trust our own intuition, this is indeed a very powerful tool. Such intuitive moments may just flash through our brain. We can decipher its value and take advantage of it or simply dismiss it as nonsense and forget about it.
To do the latter is not the best judgment and we can enrich our life if we accept that this is a powerful force availabe to be freely used by us. Today it is taught as a subject in schools and it is widely used in the corporate and business sectors.

Digital Rights and Challenges For Print Media

Digital Rights is under scrutiny. California consumers have filed a suit in a Los Angeles Supreme Court to stop Sony BMG from selling any additional CD's protected by anti-piracy software. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this case and the financial awards that may be given out.

A new trend is emerging in that the big electronic giants- IBM, Sony and Philips- have joined forces to distribute Linux patents royalty-free.

The digital media is making advances by leaps and bounds into what is considered the stronghold of the print media. Even the mainstream news papers are facing a decline in their paid circulation. Mainstream newspapers are offering an online version of their paper in order to counter this trend. This also means that customers are hungry for instant information. Politics and social changes are influenced by the speed and quality of the content that is provided in the digital medium, often free.

Your Brain Is A Super Computer

The human brain is a marvel, many times more powerful than a computer made by a man. The man made computer has a control panel that operates on electrical connections and the output of the computer is dependent on the experience and skill of the programmer.

The humanbrain too, needs a control panel and a programmer. The human mind acts as the control panel of the brain. It does the thinking for the brain. Our life is controlled by what we think, i.e, our thoughts. Our thoughts can be organized and our efforts can be directed to achieve the goals we st for ourselves.

Left Brain and Right Brain: The brain is divided into two parts. The left brain is analytical, rational, critical and does the work of step by step thinking. The right brain is creative and keeps in contact with our feelings and emotions. The right brain brings out flashes of inspiration. To be successful, we must use both sides of the brain.

Inside your head reside a super computer, the made equivalent of which cost around $10,000. This is good value waiting to be tapped by you. You may ask, How will I do it? Take a clue from Isaac Newton. When someone asked him as to how he discovered the law of gravity, his reply was:

"By thinking about it all the time."

Make your list!

If you knew you could not fail, what would you do? If you were absolutely certain of success, what activities would you pursue, what actions would you like to take?

Put your pen to paper.

You could be amazed at how focused you are or surprised at your lack of direction. You may even find yourself at the middle of either end of the spectrum just living one day at a time as it comes.

Tea Tourism Is Virgin In India

Long before commercial tea was produced in India, Assam's jungles were home to a wild variety of tea. Assam accounts for 55 percent of India's total annual tea production. India is the world's largest tea producer. Now it is payback time for Assam and it is organizing a tourist attraction campaign around the tea industry. Assam is organizing a annual Tea Carnival. Tourists can explore exotic wild life and be entertained to the refreshing varieties of tea while reliving history amidst the lust green tea plantations. This is a great idea.

A Fictional Debate

Here's an interesting way to take on the real issues in the real world. Well, Go for a fictional debate as NBC did on the "West Wing." Presidential debates have been popular since John F. Kennedy squared off with Richard Nixon in 1960. NBC took another Kennedy, senator Edward Kennedy's
Medicare for All proposal on which a popular TV Show has been brought out. It is entertaining and brings to the public conscience issues that are important. This is a fun way to trash out serious issues without bruising egos of larger than life characters.

Breathing

Breathing is vital to our life. But do we breathe effectively? Here is simple exercise.

• One count inhale
• Four counts hold
• Two counts exhale

Learn more about effective breathing

Freedom And Money: Tech Companies Urged To Press For Freedom

An alliance of investors representing about $21 billion in assets in the United States, Europe and Australia is walking the talk. They have signed a statement on "Freedom Of Expression ," a human rights initiative spearheaded by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

This will be an effective step to put pressure on governments who curb their citizens right to freedom of expression. Governments will have to weigh out security against freedom and do what is is right. Human rights abuses and unnecessary censorship will not be the way to achieve those aims.

Summit To Control The Internet

The United Nations sponsored world summit later this month in Tunisia will set the stage for some confrontational arguements beween different countries.

The US wants to maintain some control and maintain the present status quo while countries like China and Brazil are calling for a international body to govern the internet. People who are used to the unrestricted freedoms of the internet will no doubt keep an eye on this summit.

The Cheeseburger comes under attack

The battle to fight obesity has been taken to a higher level in UK. The British Heart Foundation(BHF) is rolling out gory images of burgers in order to get children to think about the food they eat.

Celebrities are also joining in to show that it is "cool" to make healthy eating chioces.

But the obesity is not going to go away as long as the Mcdonalds, Burger Kings and others continue their aggressive marketing and a whole generation of youngsters who have grown up on these fast foods will simply not kick the habit. When everyone is rushing to meet a deadline in this frantic and fast-paced life, the burgers remain the fast and ready made meal of popular choice.

If business is your calling...

If business is your calling don't sell your soul to it instead find there and make your best contribution to society. A free market economic system does allow incentives for individuals to work smart ,hard and prosper but unbridled human greed has always brought pain and anguish to many other people. Get yourself into a business that you can grow and develop in order that you and others can benefit.

Iraq's Oil- For- Food Program Takes A political Casualty

U.N independent inquiry revealed massive corruption going around the globe in the humanitarian program that was meant to help sanctions-hit Iraq in the aftermath of the first Gulf War in 1991.

The independent inquiry, headed by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, has accused more than 2,200 companies and prominent politicians worldwide of colluding with Saddam Hussein's regime to milk the oil-for-food program of $1.8 billion (1.5 billion euros) in kickbacks and illicit surcharges.

Indian Congress Party was named as a "non-contractual- Beneficiary." Following this revelation the the foreign minister Natwar Singh has been sacked.

What this report also shows is that Iraq had a dictator who did not have a conscience and was prepared to spend millions on acquiring weapons while thousands of children died due to shortage of medicine. It is such a shame that an oragnization like the U.N was callous in the proper implementation of the program. A community of the business world that has sold its soul for profits is criminally negligent and an utter disgrace.

A Cafe That Offers Sex On The Beach

Zack's Restaurant in Umhlanga, South Africa offers a unique dish "Sex On The Beach", a popular cocktail that wets your appetite and sexes the mind. The caption on the Independent Online which caught my eye was even more intriguing.

"Prince Harry has Sex On The Beach in Durban"
No, the prince was not involved in any sex or kissing but entertained to a fabulous lunch with his girlfriend and the sex on the beach is good for marketing.

Food That Looks Good But Unsafe To Eat

Check out your fridge. How do yo know the food in yout fridge is safe to eat?
"Good Morning America" asked an expert to check a fridge in one household and they offer some useful advice, how you should store food and when you should throw them away.

Beware of bacteria lurking around on foods that are good to look at and sometimes doesn't taste too bad either. Beware of the risks.

You can find more about food safety on: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/

Don't criticise, condemn, or complain!

When dealing with people let us remeber that people are not driven only by logic. People are driven by emotions and they have their own prejudices, often motivated either to do good or fulfil their pride and vanity.

Your Online Library

A few years back, with the boom of the dot.com mania, some people had believed that the digital media would suck the oxygen out of the traditional print media. Now it looks like that this would never happen. Big tech companies; Google,Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo have jumped on the online bandwagon, bringing thousands of the print volumes to your fingertips.

As book lovers, we can enjoy the fun of the big portals offering incentives to catch our attention. Google is offering a searchable database of book extracts and Amazon makes it possible to view parts of pages or chapters before you buy them. Microsoft and Yahoo will soon launch their campaigns to entice our interest. So, let us keep on reading.

Girl Pop Culture: Japanse Traditions are Eroding

A true- to- tradition woman in Japan used to get married, was devoted to raising children, looking after the household and gave unquestioning loyalty to her busy husband. Well, times have changed.

Designer brands have modelled the young urban woman on the types of values that you are accustomed to seeing in the Western World. Young and independent woman wearing the latest fashion and influenced by the hip culture demanding equal rights and opportunity are as liberated as their more outspoken and vocal Western counterparts. From the article in Japanese Times, you get the impression that this is unfamiliar turf in Japan and the men appear slow to catch up with the sweeping social change.

Do You Have To Put Up With An Idiot Boss?

There are many idiot bosses around. They exist to manipulate, control and often stifle the creativity of their more intellectually superior subordinates.

If your idiot boss is dumber than a fence post, it would be time for you to go and find another job.

If that is not the case, read this article in Forbes and learn how to overpower the idiot so that you are able achieve what you deserve while allowing the benefit of idiocy to your boss.

It Is Fat On The Belly That Is Unhealthy

It has long been thought that fat people are more prone to heart disease and heart attacks, but doctors now say it is not so simple as that.

Skinny people with a beer belly may pose a greater problem and higher risk than does a fat person. What is needed is to check the calculation between the waist and hip size.

So reduce the fat on the stomach, enjoy exercising and stay in shape.

Manchester United's woes continue

Manchester United finished the 2004/2005 campaign without any silverware and was determined to get back on the winning track this season. It is not showing promising signs of this happening so far.

Chelsea has overtaken United as the least popular club in the premiership over the past year, its bottomless pit of transfer money courtesy of billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and the arrogance that too often comes with such riches earning the Premiership champion an ignominious image.

The past week could not have come at a worse time. The 4-1 thrashing by Middlesborough and the 1-0 defeat by Lille leaves United perilously close to conceding their dreams midway in the season. The outburst by Captain Keane publicly against the unperforming superstar players may have have further wounded egos.

Credit must be given to Sir Alex Fergusion for having resurrected this club and bringing the good old glory days for more than a decade. But his young squad of David Bechkam, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, the Neville Brothers, and Paul Scoles who helped him achieve fame have passed their prime and a younger team has not gelled into place. The manner in which David Bechkam was despatched to Real Madrid shows the might of a manager who is bigger than his team.

Critics of Sir Alex Fergusion say that he should have retired two seaons back as he wanted. Both the fans and his team are critical of his assistant manger Carlos Queiroz's tactics. Certainly the injuries and defeats have not helped players moral either.

Whatever the reasons for poor performance, in order to turnaround and bring glory back, it calls for leadership, good management and a team willing to play at its best. They may even need a super coach.

Go ahead, Get Angry

Anger is good for you, as long as it doesn't boil over, says a psychological research on face reading.

Whatever the merit of the case, keep the anger in check. Don't let it get the better of you.

Chronic, explosive anger or a hostile outlook on the world is still bad for you, contributing to heart disease and high blood pressure, research shows.

Amazon to sell parts of books

If you are a book lover, here is an opportunity to grin. Online Retailer Amazon.com has unveilled two innovative programmes. First you can buy part or chapter of a book uder the Amazon Page scheme. Senond scheme allows, called Amazon Upgrade allows online access to those buying a hard copy of a book.

The Tone Of Your Voice...

REMEMBER THAT THE TONE OF YOUR VOICE OFTEN CONVEYS MORE ACCURATELY WHAT IS IN YOUR MIND THAN DO YOUR WORDS.


In a moment of conflict, a suggestion or compromise can salvage a threatened working relationship. A discouraged employee can be motivated again through a few carefully chosen words. In situations like these, a good manager is looking beyond an immediate situation and acting to preserve a future benefit. But if your voice betrays your own anger, fear, or despair, that emotion, not the wisdom you offer, will be what others remember. Those who rise to the top in any organization are those who have learned to control their emotions. When you have a leadership position, others will watch you closely for the signals you send. You must learn to manage yourself and all the ways in which you convey messages to others if you want to inspire them and demonstrate that you care about all the members of your team.


This positive message is brought to you by the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Visit us at http://www.naphill.org.
We encourage you to forward this to friends and family. They can sign up for this free service at our web site. If you would like to stop receiving these thoughts, please go to http://www.naphill.org thought-unsubscribe.asp

Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton

"Would you know my name if I saw you in Heaven?
Would you feel the same if I saw you in Heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,'
Cause I know I don't belong here in Heaven ......

Would you hold my hand if I saw you in Heaven?
Would you help me stand if I saw you in Heaven?
I'll find my way, through night and day,'
Cause I know I just can't stay here in Heaven .....

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees.
Time can break your heart, have you begging .... please ...
Beyond the door, there's peace I'm sure.
And I know there'll be no more tears in Heaven .......

Would you know my name if I saw you in Heaven?
Would you feel the same if I saw you in Heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,'
Cause I know I don't belong here in Heaven ....... "

This is probably one of the greatest songs of all time. It touches a raw nerve, of love, tragedy, grief and sorrow. "Tears in Heaven" is a tribute to Eric Clapton's pre-school son Conor Clapton, who died in an accident in 1991.

The death of his son had a deep and lasting impact on the legendary singer. After nine months of grieving, when he came back to the stage, his music had changed becoming softer, more powerful and reflective.

In "Tears In Heaven" composed by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings you will hear and feel Eric Clapton's pain and grief.

At the 1993 Grammy Awards, Clapton's recording of "Tears in Heaven" won the award for Best Pop Vocal Performance (Male Category), garnered Song of the Year honors for Clapton, and helped propel his "Unplugged" album into the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance spot and the winner's circle for the coveted Album of the Year prize.

Sociopaths: These Are Dangerous People

Who are these people? According to Dr. Martha Stout's " THE SOCIOPATH NEXT DOOR", they do not suffer the burden of a conscience, they are not blind to social mores or emotions of others. They cannot feel but they can imitate. They have an outstanding abililty to charm and seduce their followers. They do not recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible.

According to Dr. Stout, US has 11.7 million Sociopaths and New York City is home to 320,000 of them. These are alarming figures. Not all Sociopaths are violent criminals. These people have an undetected mental disorder. They have no ability whatsover to feel guilt, shame or remorse. They are all around us. They are fake characters.

Quotation from The Age Of Reason

"I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his own opinion,however different that opinion might be to mine.He who denies another this right makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it."

-- Thomas Paine(1737-1809)Source: The Age of Reason, 1783
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Paine.Quote.3051

The Bills take on TIME Global Health Summit

Bill Clinton and Bill Gates took the stage in the TIMES Global Health Summit and discussed wide ranging topics from humanitarian aid to the governments role. The former president charged the audience to "Demand that your government pays more attention. It's immoral that people in Africa die like flies of diseases that no one dies of in the United States. And the more disease there is, the more political unrest there will be, leading to more Darfurs, which the U.S. will have to pay to fix."

Sudoku mania

Sudoku fever has caught up with Queensland, Australia and the passion and frustration is sweeping across the nation. One group of people will swear to live by it, while others want to have nothing to do with it. What is annoying to many is that what appears to be simple logic to fill in the numbers from 1 to 9 is not so simple when they attempt to do it. For the frustrated souls with mounting paper trash, some help has come from a senior lecturer at Ballarat University.

If anyone is experiencing the same agony, read and apply the tips offered by him.

Saving One Life At A Time

" Six million children--and even more adults--die unnecessarily every year. Good people all over the world are doing their best to save them. You can too." This is Times Cover Story.

The year 2005 has hit hard on American psyche of generosity. The tsunami that hit Asia saw 240,000 lives lost and $ 1.3 billion raised in US alone. 80,000 people lost their lives to an earthquake in Pakistan. Hurricane Katrina brought home this destruction and loss brutally hard to the US, giving a live crash course about charities , relief work and reconstruction both to the governemnt and private sector who were taken off guard.

You can't stop an earthquake. But you can stop malaria that kills 80,000 people a month.

Bill Gates has said that it is a disgrace that the world has allowed malaria deaths to double in the last 20 years. Gates has commited $258.3 million to fight the bug. But philanthropy and the brilliant ideas of Bill Gates and other leaders who are spending huge amounts of money and their time can achieve the desired result if the countries most affected by the disease actively pursue unrelenting efforts to wipe out the disease.

Are you successful?

Here is what one person said.

"It's so easy. All I have to do is get up in the morning. Look down, and see that I am above ground. Every day that I am above ground is a great Day."

To this person every day he lives is a success. There are many others whose expectations are unrealistically higher and may find their success only in dreams. The important point to note is that it is your attitude that will ultimately determine your success. Your attitude will determine the way you work, the way you interact with other people or how you resolve conflicts. While you may think that attitude is an emotion only felt by you, remember that it is visible to other people through your behavior.

Be realistic about your expectations and make every day a success.

Binge Drinking: Where's the Social responsibility?

In Finland it seems they start drinking beer at 6am. Finns know the fine art of drinking. Finns binge drink. They don't drink during the week but come Friday night, they start drinking. They drink in the parks , on the streets and they drink before they go out to parties.

Binge drinking is harmful to health and contributes to increases in health and social cost due to alcohol misuse. Bingeing and under-aged drinking is becoming a problem in some of the European Countries. Drinking to get drunk is a dangerous trend seen among the youth in many Western Countries. Violent crimes and road accident deaths are common stories attributed to drunken behaviour.

In order to combat this problem, the UK governement is considering a ban on passengers drinking alcohol on public transport including trains and buses. Critics of this arguement say that alcohol related problems and violence come from persons who are drunk and on their way home from pubs and clubs.

Clearly there is a social responsibilty to manage this problem. Nobody denies about the impact alcohol has on young people leading to to a culture of crimes, violent behaviour and disruption in family lives. The dependency of alcohol to some people and its effect and cost on society is a harrowing nightmare.

Robots To Teach Students English In South Korea

The Korea Advanced Intelligent Robot Association under the auspices of The Ministry of Information and Communication has begun , on a test basis, to use robots that will teach students how to pronouce English words.

As the demand for such robots rise, more features will be included for advanced teaching.

So now your teacher comes in. It's Good Morning Sir or Madam or Good Morning Mr./Ms. Robot. Its a very interesting development. The Robots will soon teach us how to use and benifit from Artificial Intelligence. They'll push us to use them more in our everyday life, our work and our play. Their quest to lead us has begun.

Heroes who save lives

Kabiti Ishaya( in the picture) of Nigeria is not afraid to talk about her HIV-positive condition and her name is on top of the Heroes list of Times current edition with the cover package" Saving one life at a time." Kabiti was raped by an uncle and at the age of 24 tested positive for HIV. All hell broke loose when she went public with the news. She is ostracized and is an outcast in her own village by her own people. Undaunted she is determined to help others. She has formed "Hope For The Living" organization, a volunteer group that goes out to schools talking about HIV-Aids. Inspite of her own plight, she has opened up her home for the sick and dying giving them unselfishly what little she has.

Bravo Kabiti. Your work inspires many but there are many lessons to be learnt. Society needs to be educated to avoid the pitfalls of turning against their own kind, when they need love, understanding and care. The world has got to step up to its collective responsibilty to provide the financial means for those in need of drugs and treatmnet. People affected by HIV-Aids deserve the dignity of humanity.

Are Indian BPO's heading for turbulence?

Business Process Outsourcing or BPO industry has been the pride of India upto now. The attraction for this industry has been the immediate availability of jobs, good perks and money.

All of a sudden the industry is going through rough waters. The National Institute of Labor has compared the BPO industry to 19th Century prisons or
Roman Slave Ships.

Several states have exempted these Call Centres from labour laws including the Industrial Disputes Act. The report by The National Institute of Labour has highlighted the apalling working conditions.

Instead of the industry or the governemnt becoming defensive, the alleged conditions must be looked into and proactive action taken, so that BPO business can continue to flourish without negative repercussions. It's time to do a reality check and put the house in order.

Quotations

1-"The object and practice of liberty lies in the limitation of government power."
-- General Douglas MacArthur(1880-1964) WWII Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific, Supreme United Nations Commander. http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Douglas.MacArthur.Quote.A7AD

2-"Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough; there needs protection against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling,against the tendency of society to impose,by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conducton those who dissent from them.
"-- John Stuart Mill(1806-1873) English philosopher and economist Source: On Liberty, 1859 http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/John.Stuart.Mill.Quote.A7E3

3-"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.To be your own man is hard business.If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."
-- Rudyard Kipling(1865-1936) http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Rudyard.Kipling.Quote.A32B

Courage

• Courage is the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared.
• Courage as human virtue is of supreme importance. No substitute can be found for it. Courage has many dimensions. We have the courage to face danger, to resist authority, to innovate or to move to a new place.

Washington honors Rosa Parks Fortitude of Courage

Many of the younger generation of the present day Americans may even not know who Ms. Rosa Parks is. But yesterday the civil rights pioneer lay in honor in the nation's Capitol Rotunda, sharing the feat with the likes of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. This is the highest honor US accords to Presidents and war heroes. In the picture President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush pay their respects followed by members of Congress and many ordinary Americans.

"She was a citizen in the best sense of the word," said a senator. "She caused things to happen in our society that made us a better, more caring, more just society." This sums up well her glorious contribution.

She was an unassuming simple woman, a seamstress going about living her ordinary life. But her singular act of refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a racially segregated bus sparked off and galvanized civil rights movement, finally abolishing this unjust law by federal legislation. By her defiance she has demonstrated extraordinary service to her nation, not because of any weapons or any office that she held. but by the power of her conviction.

This is an amazing story of inspiration.

Boutique Doctors

A new breed of doctors have emerged in USA. Concierge or Boutique doctors in exchange for a cash retainer payment are offering personalized medical services.

So what's wrong with this. Nothing on the face of it. It's like a rich man's country club. Those who can afford pay the annual fees, say $ 1650/00 a year do not have to wait in long queues and they can see a whole lot of difference in how they are attended to.

The regulators are worried that this is creating a two-tier system of medicine. Professional and ethical arguements are being debated on whether doctors in giving this preferential care are violating the unwritten medical code of sharing the profession's duties equitably.

Well, if doctors pursue this to the extent of providing the best service to the highest paying clients, Hippocrates will surely turn in his grave. While this extreme is far fetched, an unregulated self-serving interest mentality can perhaps create more problems than the benifits it can deliver.

Technology wins over humans- Robot Camel Jockeys

There's more to this story than saying that robots have replaced the child labor used as camel riding jockeys in the Arabian Desert. It's a fascinating story of tradition versus modernity, and technology coming to rescue the servitude by the rich and powerful of the Arab Peninsula- Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Emirates where camel racing is a popular sport for thousands of years.

The lighter the jockey, the faster the camel runs and this is where the problem starts. In order to get the beast to run at speeds reaching 25 miles per hour in 112-degree desert heat, underweight children are used. Human rights activists have taken strong objection to this and under pressure from the west, Qatar has agreed to free the children and when ready, robots will replace children to perform the same task. It's a win-win for all.

Understandably, these victories didn't without glitches. The Swiss Company that designed the robots had to make sure that robots did not look 'human' as Islam forbids representation of the human form and Qatar's bigger and more conservative neighbour Saudi Arabia is watching how these events are unfolding. The first prototype had a white ghost- like face and when mounted on the camel, it was so scared it turned around and ran the wrong way. More child like features and skin color were given to the dummy robot in order to fool the camel. It seems to be working. Each robot costs $10,000 and this opens up the potential for huge business to the Swiss Company. The rich and powerful Arabs are happy, the camel races will continue. The noise against child labor will cool off. But there is an irony to this seemingly happy end; the children who are freed and sent back to their countries mostly to Sudan are worse off because they are likey to end up in the streets for further exploitation by others.

Radicals In Robes

Radicals in robes: Why extreme right-wing courts are wrong for America. This is a book written by Cass R. Stein, distinguished professor of jurisprudence at The University Of Chicago Law School. For a layman like me who finds it difficult to muddle through the court system in USA , this book review is rather illuminating.

Sustein looks at the constitutional issues from the conservative and liberal angles and the level of judicial activism of the Courts. This was seen in the Harriet Miers nomination when she withdrew her name under severe pressure from the conservatives. This is the state of affairs in the most powerful country in which separation of state and religion is enshrined in the constitution.

Look once again at the heading and you will see that the problem of 'Radicals in Robes' exists in other countries too. Whenever religion is used for poltical ends it leads to division and conflict within races and communities. The result sometimes is uncontrolled emotion and deadly consequences. So the call for religious zealots- hold your breath, take a step back and offer your hand to live in peace.

Here's my leadership test result.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

A Quote from Adam Smith

"The natural effort of every individual to better
his own condition is so powerful that it is alone,
and without any assistance, not only capable
of carrying on the society to wealth and prosperity,
but of surmounting a hundred impertinent obstructions
with which the folly of human laws too often encumbers its operations."
-- Adam Smith
(1723-1790) Scottish philosopher and economist
http://liberty-tree.ca/qb/Adam.Smith.Quote.72AE
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/

Agritainment: Farms attract tourist dollar.

Many farmers are now turning their homesteads into tourist attractions in order to earn extra income. The picture (on the left) shows school kids at Paul Siegel's Cotton Woods Farm in Crest Hill, Chicago. Such farms provide good outdoors and fun for kids. Kids could learn about animals and see them in real life, which they woud otherwise read or learn in their classrooms.

This is agricultural tourism that benifits the farmers and provide good value to families and visitors. Annual events demonstrating farm animals and crop cultivation and other aspects farm life make this type of tourism popular.

In India a district by the name of Kodagu( formerly known as Coorg) is in the state of Karnataka. Kodagu or Coorg as it is better known is situated in the the high altitude and produces coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper and rice. This state has been formerly ruled by the British. A Research Farm is located in this district and you can stay at the farm Guest House (above) and observe and enjoy the eco-friendly methods of producing coffee, cardamon and pepper. It's also a cool opportunity to learn about organic farming.

Bangalore IT Fair 2005, unimpressive.

The premier annual IT event in Bangalore took off to a damp start with the government and industry at odds and heavy downpour consequent to a depression in Bay Of Begal not helping either.

Most of the stalls are not fully up yet and the poor support to industry giants like Infosys by a former prime minister is another dark cloud. The organisers are, however, putting up a brave face and people who want them to do well must wish them Good Luck.

Battle against blogs

Corporate America is taking an anti-blog stand, so say industry insiders. Companies are using security filters to block access to blog sites, content scanners block and blacklist a range of IP addresses from games to anything they do not like.

But what's the point. Really! Is it for fear of business competition, higher security, privacy, regulatory needs for diligence or plain stupid command and control tactics, a hangover of yesterday's industrial practices that some companies are stuck with. Well, there will be no shortage of conspiracy theories.

The availability and use of technology is making it difficult for the 'top down approach' to deliver the best results in business. The way forward cannot be to stifle creativity and potential for growth both in industry and human resources.

If you didn't know "Your Values" !

" In the absence of clearly defined values, we become strangly loyal to performing daily acts of trivia."
-Anonymous

"If you do not know your own true values and act on them, you are doomed to live out the agendas of others.
-Richard Bellamy

The New Virtual Office Worker

By Johan MacLeod

In today's marketplace the need for outsourcing is becoming more and more apparent. Rising gas prices are having a dramatic effect on everything in view of the fact that the economy is literally driven by the need for gas. This is reflective upon an employees need to have to commute daily. As stresses increase, bank accounts decrease as these gas tanks are becoming expensive to fill.


But it's not just the price of gas anymore; often it's facing bad weather and congested roads and highways with other commuter's that becomes frustrating. Office workers are depleted of precious energy by this daily time and money-consuming routine in order to get to a job on time, which results in an increasing amount of frustration before the day has started - this is then repeated at the end of the day when they are tired and even more stressed out, getting home late just so they can eat, sleep and begin the cycle all over again.

One way around this is for an employer to hire a Virtual Assistant. Virtual Assistants are a new form of office worker - but without the office, or at least the corporate office. Instead they will do the same work from home. This is not a new idea since for some of the labor market it has already begun. The benefits to an employer are many fold as I'll explain.

By hiring a Virtual Assistant or VA it not only eliminates the employee showing up at the office already exhausted and not functioning at the 100% an employer requires, it also eliminates many costly benefits incurred by an employer including vacations, sick days, expensive dental and medical benefits as well as when there is a slow-period or downtime which is expensive since employers are reluctant to lay people off.

Since a VA supplies her own office equipment, which is another immense saving to the employer, they can be an immense relief and solution to these headaches since they are paid only for the work they do and nothing else. With good communication a VA can get the job done as well from home, without distractions of multiple telephones ringing and other employees stopping by for a chat.

For a VA, training is minimal and work hours can be more flexible. An employer often profits from the experience and professionalism of a VA who has already put a business together which lends a greater appreciation and commitment to the work the client is asking. As the song goes 'they times, they are a changing.' Look for us - Virtual Assistants are fast becoming one of the Best Small Business Opportunities over the internet.

About the Author: Johan MacLeod owns and operates Virtually Connected Office Assistance (VCOA) from a suburb in Montreal, Canada. Here she provides extensive experience with over 25 years of knowledge and discipline in the Executive Management, Administrative, Secretarial, Clerical and Support Staff fields. www.virtuallyconnectedofficeassistance.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Pollution: Cause of dead fish in Juhu Beach Mumbai?

Thousands of dead fish have been washed up on to Mumbai's famous Juhu beach which is a popular recreation centre of the highly polluted commercial capital of India. Fisheries Scientists are conducting tests to determine the cause of this unhappy invasion.

What is clearly known is that India is a highy polluted country and Mumbai is a city with a population nearly about to burst at its seams. With rapid industrial development that is so very vital to create jobs and maintain the pace of economic growth, it is not always easy to keep 'sustainable devlopment' on top of the agenda.

A concerted effort is required from the developed countries to help developing countries reduce poulltion without compromising on enconomic growth. The use of alternative fuel and clean energy such as Liquefied petroleum Gas or LPG in both the commercial and domestic sectors in India will bear long term favourable results. But with the present trends of global warming and unpredictable weather patterns the urgency for action has to become the top priority.

Difficulties???

Life's ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the future you want. Face upto life. Believe in yourself. Harness the creative powers of those who support you. Move away from negative elements that hinder your progress. It will be rewarding to realize that you are on the path to success, whatever the difficulties you may have to pass through.

Some people say life is not fair. Well, it is not meant to be fair or unfair. It is meant to be just what it is. So don't worry about the 'difficulties.' Cut your path of progress inch by inch,if you have to. You don't get a second chance to walk this earth. So what you make of yourself while you are is what counts and what will be held against you. Nothing short of doing our best is therefore good enough.

US Civil Rights Pioneer Dies

A 42- year- old seamstress by the name of Rosa Parks made history in Montgomery,Alabama when she refused to give her bus seat to a white man. This act of defiance against an unjust law nearly fifty years ago galvanized a generation of activists including Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X.

The Civil Rights Movement that followed from her simple act eventually after much trials and tribulations, saw the abolition of discrimination in public accommodations.

When I read this news, it brought to memory a quotation I posted here last week, repeated again.

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest wall of oppression and resistance."-Robert F Kennedy.

The world has lost a champion of Civil Rights. The battle of Civil Rights is still not won. The world is rampant with violence, drugs, poverty, child labor, religious intolerance, terrorism and unresolved age-old conflicts. This is despite the fact globalization and modern technology has made it possible for unparalleled wealth creation and ease of communication.

The bright spark now is the hope that this generation unlike Rosa Parks and her compatriots will not take so much time to resolve the challenges facing the world toady.

Set Up Your Virtual Office

Virtual offices are an expanding business. This concept is mostly used by entrepreneurs starting with low capital, home-based business owners or small business owners.

The Virtual Office Company provides an office location to register a company so that you can have a registered address. It also receives and forwards your mail and provides a telephone answering service for your company. Secretarial services are also available.

The Virtual Office concept gives a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs who do not have to worry about rental space , maitennance of office and staff. This is especially useful for the solo businessperson who can concentrate on doing their business whether it is a sale of a product or service or a person is just persuing their passion , such as painting or any other recreational hobby. Virtual Office allows such persons to have a professional office from where their work is channeled into the marketspace.

The virtaul Office concept is rapidly expanding in the world. This link provides some information about Singapore Virtual Offices.

Slobodan versus Saddam

Slobodan Milosevic was born in 1941 and went on to become the President of Serbia and the Federal Republic Of Yugoslavia. He became a ruthless dictator. After his downfall, he has been handed over to the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal in Hague and is charged for genocide and crimes against humanity. An unrelenting and unrepentent Milosevic has been defending himself since he was arrested in 2001. His case is still going on.

Saddam Hussein was born in 1937 and went on to become the President Of Iraq. He ran a government with absolute control and oppressed any dissent against his rule. He invaded Iran and waged war killing a million on both sides. He invaded Kuwait that invoked a swift military response from The United States and its Allies. He was captured by the United States Forces in 2003 and is held in detention in Iraq. At a special Tribunal in Iraq he is charged with mass killings and crimes against humanity.

The lesson in these two cases that dictaors and tyrants who oppress and commit crimes against humanity are being brought to justice. They can run but they can't hide for ever. These people have committed horrific crimes and while it is little consolation to their countless victims, to give them a fair trial is in the interest of justice.

Persistence

• You will need to make many turns and overcome many obstacles to create the path you desire.
• Go slow, if you have to but do not stop until you reach your goal. Be flexible to make changes in your direction, always keeping in mind what you want to achieve in the end. Enjoy this process. This is your journey. The effort you put in to reach your destination is as important as the destination.

Wizards 'use' Michael Jordan

Basket ball legend Michael Jordan says The Wizards have unfairly used him. Jordan has led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles before he retired. He then became The Wizards president from January 2000 to September 2001, before coming out of retirement to play for Wizards while still holding his management job.

Instead of showing the gratitude that he deserved he has been fired. Greed and manipulation abound the corporate world but this issue takes a larger significance because Michael Jordan is a well known sports personality.

The Six Thinking Hats

The concept of the six hats method shows a way to separate emotion from logic, creativity from information and so on. Putting on any one of the hats defines a certain type of thinking. The six hats method allows us to conduct our thinking as a conductor might lead an orchestra.

argument versus parallel thinking.
The basic idea behind Western thinking was desined by the Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Western thinking is concerned with 'what is' which is determined by analysis, judgment and argument.

With the six hats method the emphasis is on 'what can be' rather than on just 'what is' and how to design a way forward- not on who is right or wrong.

In the Western traditional thinking two people will go for the exact opposite of an argument and using the adversarial approach would try to win over the other. In parallel thinkg both parties even when they disagree would agree to look at the same direction at any one particular moment in time. So in parallel thinking, no matter how contradictory, all points of view are put down in parellel.

Here goes the different hats

• White hat: an objective look at information
• Red hat: looks at feelings hunches and intiution
• Black hat: logical negative, judgement and caution
• Yellow hat: logical positive, feasibility and benifits
• Green hat: New ideas and creative thinking
• Blue hat: Control of the thinking process

Every hat corresponds to a direction of thinking and not descriptions of what has happened.

To uderstand and apply this method of thinking read Edward de Bono's Excerpts.

"When it is my time to die, I'm the one who has to go"

I heard this line from a TV program, in the context of an individual whose complusive gambling behavior was discussed.

Well, as long he spent his earned money without jeopardising his family it was alright for him, the justification being he spent or lost what he could afford to lose. Good luck for him who earns millions a year and chooses to live and spend his money as he wishes. The same cannot be said of most fixed income earning individuals. The addiction in the earlier case could be named "competitive gaming" in the casinos. If the latter group of people indulge in the same behavior, it can lead to disastrous cosequences because of their addiction to gambling.

As individuals we can choose to do what we want we our lives. But we do have a responsibility to lead our best life for ourselves and make the best positive contribution to our family and our society.

"When it is my time to die, I'm the one who has to go" does not permit and is no excuse for irresponsible behavior whether it is in compulsive gambling, a competitive sport or any other aspect of life.

Liberty qoutes: Crime , Justice and Law

"We enact many laws that manufacture criminals,and then a few that punish them."
- Benjamin R. Tucker(1854-1939)Source: Instead of a Book, 1893http://liberty-tree.ca/qb/Benjamin.Tucker.Quote.85CD"

Justice without force is impotent,force without justice is tyranny.Unable to make what is just strong,we have made what is strong just."
- Blaise Pascal(1623- 1662) French mathematician and philosopherSource: Penséeshttp://liberty-tree.ca/qb/Blaise.Pascal.Quote.4505"

Crime is contagious.If the government becomes a law breaker,it breeds contempt for the law."--
-Justice Louis D. Brandeis(1856-1941) US Supreme Court JusticeSource: Olmstead v. United States, 1928http://liberty-tree.ca/qb/Louis.Brandeis.Quote.4CD1

Edward de Bono's " Six Value Medals"

First it was "Six Thinking Hats". Thinking is the ultimate human resource. The main difficulty of thinking is confusion, more on this topic in another posting. Then came the "Six Action Shoes" which helps to break down action into different modes.

Values are important in our lives. They determine why we behave in a certain manner in business or personal life. Once you know the values that affect a certain behavior, it is easier to make decisions and resolve conflict. "The Six Values Medals" teaches to do just that.

"Effectivenes without values is a tool without a purpose."
-Edward de Bono.

Make up your Mind

When your mind is set on a worthy goal or a noble pursuit, you will not find the time to get emotionally upset about daily difficulties.

Point Of Sale Systems: How To Choose One That’s Right For Your Business

By: Mark Henry


A point of sale (POS) system can have a dramatic impact on the way you run your business -- and on your bottom line. Choosing the right one requires careful planning. Here are some of the things you need to think through to make a good decision when selecting POS equipment and systems for your business. Use this list as a starting point for your planning process. * First of all, price should not be the main consideration when buying a POS system. The improved efficiency, greater flexibility and better reporting should pay for the investment in a reasonable period of time. * Don’t start off by calling for lists of features of various POS systems. Instead, start with a comprehensive analysis of what your business requires. * Do you have operations spread over multiple locations? What are the implications? If you run a restaurant, for example, you may need to keep some parameters common across locations while varying others. For instance, your menu may be identical at all locations, but prices of some items may vary from one outlet to another. The system you choose must be capable of implementing such differences. * How easily can you make changes to the system? You can be sure that your business will keep changing in many respects -- employees join and leave, prices go up or down, your product range expands, locations get added or deleted and so on. Ask yourself if the programming interface will easily allow your employees to execute such changes. * Will it be possible to make changes ahead of time? For example, if you’re beginning a special promotion on November 15, can you input the price changes well in advance and set the system to automatically effect the changes on that date? This as well as other types of flexibility are essential for many retail operations. * To what extent will the POS system need to integrate with your accounting system? Does it have to be real time? Or is it enough to have an export of entries at day-end? * If you are running a bar, does the POS system need to work with liquor control devices? A liquor control device tracks pours from bottles. This makes billing easier and reduces shrinkage. * Will the credit / debit card processing system in the POS equipment work well with your merchant account? * Will the system allow you to implement special deals for frequent shoppers? For instance, each purchase could have points associated with them and these points could eventually translate into lower prices or free gifts. * What reporting capabilities will you need? If you work across multiple locations, will the system give you an online real-time report of transactions completed? Most dealers will have sample reports available. Ask to see them so that you can compare better. * In most cases, the POS system will have to be upgraded as your needs evolve and expand. How quickly can the dealer respond to your needs? Also, most dealers put out regular software upgrades. Are they included in the contract or does the dealer charge extra for them? For the sake of avoiding compatibility problems, plan to purchase new hardware of the same kind as the original. That way you’ll ensure everything works well together -- and even if there are problems, you can get the dealer to handle it. * Support is a critical consideration. What happens if your POS system goes down? This can have a serious impact on the business. You need to get a detailed written agreement on how the dealer is going to handle breakdowns. The dealer may try to diagnose and solve the problem over phone initially. If that doesn’t work, they may send support staff to your location. And if the problem can’t be solved quickly, you may need to get equipment on loan till your system is repaired. POS system downtime can have serious implications. Make sure you get the support you need. The above list should help trigger ideas about the kind of issues you need to look at. Do your planning well before deciding on a POS system for your business.

About the Author: Mark Henry is a systems consultant and has written extensively on POS systems. His articles at http://www.pos-equipment-guide.info/ and at http://www.pos-equipment-guide.info/choosing-pos-systems.html offer tips for choosing the right point of sale equipment, how point of sale systems need to fit in with the business and more.Source: http://www.isnare.com/

You have a good sense of self control and hate to show weakness.

You say whatever is on your mind. Other people's reactions don't phase you. You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

Tips for personal development

Here are some very useful points to remember. Click on each of them and read more.

P1 Be on time for ALL your appointments.#P2 Stop And Smell The Roses.#P3 Be Careful Who You Step On On Your Way Up.#P4 You Are Not Smarter Than Everybody.#P5 Get Involved.#P6 Do Your Homework.#P7 It's not how hard you work, it's what you get done.#P8 Learn from the mistakes of others.#P9 Focus your energies.#P10 Work On Your Weaknesses First.#P11 Dare to Dream.#P12 Don't Limit Yourself.#P13 Anyone can steer the ship in calm waters.#P14 You have to make a difference.

The legacy of Robert F Kennedy

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest wall of oppression and resistance."
-Robert F Kennedy.

Robert Kennedy was devoted to helping the poor and stamping out injustice. His legacy lives on through the Human Rights Advocacy Award and The Center For Human Rights, which honours individuals striving for social justice throughout the world and continues his vision to realize social justice.

Machine makes dishes on demand

Massachusettes Institute Of Technology Media Lab's Counter Intelligence Group, which develops innovative kitchen designs, has created a machine that makes dishes on demand and recycles them after diners have finished a meal. The dishes are made from food-grade, nontoxic acrylic wafers, which are shaped into cups, bowls and plates when heated, then resume their original wafer shape when they are reheated and pressed.

The machine can produce a dish in every 90 seconds. This would be useful in restaurants and other paces where lot of dishes need to be used. The above is a acrylic dish created by the dishmaker.

Environmentalists take on wind power

Wind energy is clean energy, it is a green energy. It is a renewable source of electrical energy. It is a fast growing industry with US leading the way amid volatile oil prices in the world energy market. Wind power is created by wind turbines put up on towers on specially designed wind farms. The blades of the turbines convert the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy.

Environmentalists are concerned that birds get caught into these tubine blades and often they die creating a hazard for birds and bats some of which are endangered species.

The operators of The Altamont Wind Farm in Sanfrisco Bay have agreed to shut half of their wind mills against the threat of legal action by environmentalist action groups who are opposed to non-crtical wind farm development.

This is an interesting incident that pitches environmentalists on both sides; one pursuing clean renewable energy, the other calling for a ban on such activity that is detrimental to wild life

Solar Power- the alternative energy

With oil prices at record high levels, interest is picking up to find renewable alternative cheaper sources of energy. This is especially true in the United States where they are used to driving the gas guzzling SUVs and it will be easier and cheaper to find alternative fuels than change their life style.

Solar power is clean energy and it doesn't give out the green house gases that burning wood and coal does. More powerful green house gases are generated by various industrial processes. Without radically changing lifestyles or causing industrial development to stagnate, the only other way to continue the growth and prosperity is find cheaper energy.

The industrial use of solar power is generating world wide interest, though it is still not extensively used in the commercial sector. Research is a critical step to find efficient and affordable means to use solar technology. Solar energy sector has now become hot and companies in the forefront investing and creating appropriate products will reap rich rewards later.

Toddler shoots toddler by accident

A toddler 2 years old, at a day care has managed to lay his hand on a gun belonging to an individual with a criminal history and accidentally fired it on to a 3 year old who escaped serious injury.

This happened in a town in United States where guns are freely available and parental responsiblity over safety of their children is more important than ever before.

What is value to a customer.

Many business managers are sure they know the answer to this question. Value is what they , in their business, define as quality, value in price. But this answer is misleading.

Marketing is the most important aspect of business today. It has changed the way how people perceive value of products. For example, todays teenagers see top-end branded clothing , shoes and other apparel of quality as high fashion and are prepared to pay high prices for them. Cheaper price or durability is no consideration for them. These young persons, some years later when they become parents value the same products differently. They no longer are looking just for high fashion but more for comfort and durability. Thus, toadys customer is no longer buying just the product but also the satisfaction to fulfil a need.

LIFEGEM makes you immortal

A US firm LIFEGEM is turning cremated remains into jewelry. This company processes and turns the ash into gems. Preserving the memory of their loved ones for ever, people can wear the gems around their necks or carry it around anyway and any where they want. This helps to immortalize loved ones and is considered very positive for people who want hold on to the good old memories.

Intelligent Design has gone to Court

People who question the validity of Intelligent Design as a scientific concept and object to its teaching in a Pennsylvania school have taken the matter to a federal judge. Those against this theory say that it is not science and if it needs to be taught, it should be done as part of the theology and not in the biology curriculum.

Science Teachers want to be able to teach without getting into religious discussions regarding the origin of man. Perhaps any verdict by the court will build further momentum to carry this debate forward.

Friends

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

So if you want friends, be a friend. Friendship means giving without expecting anything in return. Be very selective in your choice of friends. Choose to associate with people who encourage you to be the best you can be.

Values

Our values strongly affect our decisions. Everyday we make decisions. Since we live in a community, they affect us as well as other people.

At an individual level what are our values. I have stated on this blog two values that are important to me.
1) Integrity
2) Truth

Everyone can determine a set of values and create a hierarchy on the basis of how much is important to them. Some peolpe want to embrace certain values such as safety, love , friendship, responsibility etc. Some may want to move away from some values such as rejection, failure, guilt etc.

Whether we honour our values or violate our values or other peoples values can be determined by our behaviour. For example, money is a value. If someone is out to make money regardless of how he makes it, he would violate several other values.

This is why safeguards against such behaviour are important and penalties be justly meted out when they occur. It is important to remember that money has no worth in itself, it makes other values possible. It is a means to an end, it buys things you want, both tangible and intangible. Money is a very powerful incentive both for good as well as bad behaviour.

A Game of Leadership

Former President Nelson Mandela (in the picture) topped a BBC poll as the most suitable person to lead a fantasy world government. Former President Bill Clinton was second. Entrepreneurs Bill Gates , Steve Jobs and Richard Branson were also in the top 11. Participants in the poll were asked to play an interactive game and choose their favourite leaders from among polticians, acedemics, economists, sports stars and well known people from other fields of life.

Robots

Today, robots are available in all areas of life. In some cases they complement human activity providing valuable help in dangerous situations. For example, in a mine field, there are robots that are capable of identifying and clearing land mines which has caused the loss of limbs and life to so many humans.

In other cases they compete with humans when they are able to do repetetive tasks efficiently and tirelessly which is not the case when humans work for long hours. At a personal level robots help us in so many ways, they help us in medical technology and provide tremendous entertainment.

A Japanese Company has unveiled Murata Boy, a bike riding robot that rides without falling down. The picture above shows this robot.

The Evolution Debate- Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design(ID) is an anti- evolution theory. The theory says that living beings are so complex that they didn't simply evolve but a higher intelligence has palyed a crucial role.

A number of US school boards have endorsed the intelligent design and through biology it is offered as an alternative to evolution. This theory is strongly supported by the conservative christians in the United States. Some parents are objecting to ID being thought to their children in public schools. The US constitution provides for the separation of religion and and state and it has worked very well for them. This attempt to introduce Intelligent Design to public schools will blur that line and a raging debate has started beween scientists , theologians and well meaning citizens.

Farming

Farming is one of the earliest industries. Early farmers lived off their land eating edible plants and hunting animals. When people began to plant and harvest crops, communities began to expand. Early farmers used tradtional methods to plow the fields and harvest the crops. Plows were made of wood and animals were used to pull it across the field.

Industrialization brought in tractors and other tools. Traditional farmers owned their land and rotated their crops so that they were able get yeilds always keeping the soil fertile. With industrial farming vast spaces of forest land are used to grow crops that are required to be exported to distant countries. Thus, the question of sustainable development has become a global 'catch word.'

A helpful saying

Success is the result of good judgement
Good judgement is the result of good judgement
Good judgement is the result of experience
Experience is often the result of bad judgement

Robots To Teach Students English In South Korea

The Korea Advanced Intelligent Robot Association under the auspices of The Ministry of Information and Communication has begun , on a test basis, to use robots that will teach students how to pronouce English words.

As the demand for such robots rise, more features will be included for advanced teaching.

So now your teacher comes in. It's Good Morning Sir or Madam or Good Morning Mr./Ms. Robot. Its a very interesting development. The Robots will soon teach us how to use and benifit from Artificial Intelligence. They'll push us to use them in our everyday life, our work and our play. Their quest to lead us has begun.

Grief

The most difficult thing that any of us have to deal with in this life is death- especially the death of a loved one. There is so little we can do when a person dies. We have no control over their physical death, but we can keep them alive in our hearts.

" To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."
-Clyde Campbell

Inscription on a War Cemetry

"When you go home, tell them of us. For your today we gave our tomorrow."

Lesson for entreprenuers

• Before you start down the entrepreneural path, be sure that you are not motivated by greed.
• Freedom, not money or power or influence must be the motivating force for the entrepreneuer.

• When greed or money and becomes the motivating force , the power that these entrepreneurs have can turn into tyranny with distastrous consequences.

Remember

Earning money is more easy than earning respect. We come into this world with nothing and we carry nothing when we leave. So live your life guided by positive values and let your best contribution be your lasting imprint here.

Don't complain because..

"80 percent of the people you complain to just don't care about your problems, and the rest are happy that its you having the problems instead of them."
- Les Brown

Complacency

Complacency is a form of slavery, binding one to a living death of inaction, non participation and default. The shackles are easy to slip into. They are comfortabale chains because they require nothing but your disinterest and indifference.

"Life By Design"
By Dr Rick Kirshner
Dr Rick Brinkman
http://www.thericks.com/

To become great, conquer your fears.

Fears are nothing more than states of mind. The state of mind is subject to control and direction. Here are the fears that you need to control.

Fear of poverty
Fear of criticism
Fear of ill health
Fear of lost love
Fear of old age
Fear of death.

The Secret Of Living Is ...

This is a note which I made at an "Anthony Robbins Unleash The Power Within" seminar.

The secret of living is giving. If you want to make your life work, you have to start with how to give.

Don't stop and wait to receive. When you start keeping the score the game is over

What do you want out of life?

Well, it is said that you get what yo want. So if you don't know what you want, how does it matter what you get?

People who have realized their highest potential and have made outstanding contributions in life knew what they wanted from life. They had plans to achieve what they wanted. They have a flexible mindset and are curious learners. The journey towards their success is important and they enjoy the process of doing it.

If you want to truly make your mark!

Don't neglect things more important than money.

• Integrity
• Self-respect
• Peace of mind
• Respect of others

A quote from Albert Einstein

" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."- Albert Einstein.

Einstein has said in other words, the world we have made as result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems that we cannot solve at the same level as we have created them... We shall require substantially a new manner of thinking if human kind is to survive.

Here's a piece for inspiration.

USTA Open 2005 Champion, Kim Clijsters goes up the stands, after winning the chamionship to celebrate with family and friends.

A year back this time she was a spectator at US Open recovering from wrist surgery, agonising over if she would recover completely. Through out this period when her ranking fell to 130 she remained hopeful and positive. She kept her focus on the game and kept winning matches after her recovery. On her fifth grand slam try at the US Open, the 22- year- old has won against the best players creating an inspirational comeback and winning her first grand slam trophy.

Negative Thinkers

A person with negative thinking and behavior is an antipathy for success, as such behavior is contagious. Experts in human behavior have discovered that it is virtually impossible for an individual memeber of a group not to be affected by other members.

So if success is your proirity, watch out for negative thinkers.

Wealth

Money and the stuff that money can buy is what most people consider as wealth. Wealth should not be confused with income. Wealth is also any resource , advantage or opportunity which a person happens to enjoy, and which he can place at the service of others. A person can have a wealth of talent in knowledge, capacity to organize and lead or appreciation of art and beauty. All of this can be shared to advance and benifit humanity.

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Socrates

Socrates is credited with laying the foundation of Western philosophical thought. He believed that asking questions and seeking answers will eventually lead to the truth.

After Socrates was convicted and sentenced to death, his decision to drink the poison rather than compromise his belief was a decision of courage. It turned time ahead a thousand years, and gave people then unborn the right to freedom of thought and speech.

The Trial of Socrates is one of the most fascinating trials in human history.

Socrates believed that the greatest discipline of all was the science of finding beauty in all things. When we discover that beauty, we uncover love and gratitude. When we uncover love and gratitide, we are filled with inspiration. When we are inspired, we readily find ourselves preserving to manifest our dreams.

The value of a person

The value of a person depends very much on what he makes of himself. The value of a person, is to a great extent measured by the composition of his character, skills and experience.

The value of a thing varies with its making. Take a pile of clay. Its value could be a few dollars. Make a pot out of the clay and its value may increase to fifteen dollars. Make it into a dining set and its value will increase to a hundred dollars.

What is true of clay is also true for human beings. Your value hinges on what you make of yourself.

Genetic makeup and inherited potential aside, what we do with our lives does make a big difference to what life can do for us.

A person's value is not by virtue his birth or race. A person's value is equal to the sum total of his experience, character, skills and wisdom.

"The Map Is Not The Territory"

This is an important concept that is used in Neuro Linguistic Programming or NLP.
A map is not the territory it represents. A road map is not the same as the territory. It is one snapshot in time and does not represent reality.

Road maps exclude things like road works, weather, people etc. A territory is always much more detailed than any map created to represent it.

Our personal maps contain our assumptions, perceptions, beliefs and values. So it is important to understand when and how we may be filtering information.

For example, think of a glass full of water. Imagine drinking half of it. Now is the glass half full or half empty? There is no right or wrong answer but the answer will depend on how you view it. Some peolpe will view it in a positive manner and see it half full, while others will see the other way around.

George Bernard Shaw's qoute in this aspect is noteworthy.
" In the right key one can say anything. In the wrong key nothing: the only delicate part is establishment of the key."

You will find that this is precisely right. If you address a person in the right key, you can do anything. If you address him in the wrong key, you can do nothing.

Meetings

In a business context, meetings are for the purpose of exchanging information or to make decisions. Since meetings involve people with personal responsibilties it is important to keep the meeting productive by setting the agenda in advance and notifying the participants with timely notice.

You should know the outcome of the meeting and make it clear to the particpants. This will help the meeting to be conducted in an orderly manner sticking to the point on agenda and focusing to achieve the outcome by consensus.

A meeting is not a negotiation or a brain-storming session.

Relationships

If you want to have good realtionship , you need to invest time in the relationship. If there are two people in the reltionship, both persons should contribute to each other to make it a win-win relationship.

Relationships are important in personal life as well as in all other vocations. If the relationships are not based on a firm foundation of common values and trust, they lead to conflict and unproductive consequences.

In the corporate world relationships evolve around the core operating values of a company that help to determine the tasks, responsibilities and the reporting system required to accomplish the results. Similarly in personal lives, peolple will have to decide their priorities in life, how they will commit and share time and contribute to each other.

For relationships to be sustained, learn from experience and provide the happy balance between your work and personal life. It is a pity to see some people who are super successes at work unable to build any meaningful personal relationships because they refuse to provide the energy, trust and time to do so.

Leo Tolstoy

Here's a liberty quote which I received in my email.

"The misapprehension springs from the fact that the learned jurists, deceiving themselves as well as others, depict in their books an ideal of government -- not as it really is, an assembly of men who oppress their fellow-citizens, but in accordance with the scientific postulate, as a body of men who act as the representatives of the rest of the nation.

They have gone on repeating this to others so long that they have ended by believing it themselves, and they really seem to think that justice is one of the duties of governments.

History, however, shows us that governments, as seen from the reign of Caesar to those of the two Napoleons and Prince Bismarck, are in their very essence a violation of justice; a man or a body of men having at command an army of trained soldiers, deluded creatures who are ready for any violence, and through whose agency they govern the State, will have no keen sense of the obligation of justice.

Therefore governments will never consent to diminish the number of those well-trained and submissive servants, who constitute their power and influence."-- Leo TolstoySource: Writings on Civil Disobedience and Non-Violence (Signet Books, 1968), pp. 238-239.http://liberty-tree.ca/qb/Leo.Tolstoy.Quote.5749

What life should mean to you

Alfred Adler, the famous psychologist wrote a book entilitled " What life should mean to you". In that book he says:

"It is the individaul who is not interested in his fellow men who has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring."