ss_blog_claim=a290fbfb2dabf576491bbfbeda3c15bc

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Eating unhealtily

Food is food, not a formula of a certain number of calories plus a certain set of chemicals that we define as "nutrients" or "vitamins".
Food is one of the real few joy of life, why spoiling it?
Many people are so well trained that when they see a dish of spaghetti they do not even see the parmisan slowly melting, the bright red of tomatoes smiling in between the spaghetti, a wonderful and alluring smell coming from it, they just see "XXXXcalories" that means "rejected".
Those are the people who say "I eat nothing and get fat".
They forget that a healthy meal is not in the quality, but in the quantity.
Quantity that has to be compared to the amount of physical work or movements you do in a day.
So, listen to me.
I begin with a healthy and good breakfast, so that I have all the energy for an active day, when I eat whenever I feel hungry (and not whenever I see other people eating).
And I also eat unhealthy.
I eat ice creams, I eat cream and fat and things that some people wouldn't.
But I feel in peace with my stomach, my mouth and more than anything with my brain.
He doesn't feel deprived, on the contrary, he doesn't push me to overeat, because he knows that the stomach will be allowed to be filled whenever he feels empty.
My secret: I do not give much importance to food, there are many much better and fulfilling things in life...

High-Definition Sets, Channels to Match

Transitions to new technology is an old story in the broadcast industry. Recall color tv - standardized in 1953 but it was not till the early 1960's that more than 50% of the homes had a color tv. What caused the public to finally adopt color -- the tv show Bonanza, call it the "killer app" of its day.

So, when HDTV was standardized, the dates are confusing but let's use 2000 since that was when the final official standard was published (as I recall).
So, it will probably take until 2012-2015 before 50% of the homes have HDTV unless a "killer app" show appears. I have watched HDTV shows and the compelling programming to me is live sports - watching the action on a wide screen with higher resolution changes what you see in a game - but others might enjoy nature, history, and drama shows. But so far it has not happened and I doubt it will happen soon.

Here are some other significant, albeit stupid issues, that people have raised:

1. Custom built home entertainment centers that were designed for a 30"+ 4:3 set
will not easily accept a 40-60" wide screen display. Humm, rip out the woodwork? Install a projector?

2. Until very recently, you could not record HDTV programming for on-demand replay. Now there are HDTV dvd recorders and some early tape decks.

3. Until recently, HDTV was not available on cable systems. Over the air broadcasts are not as widely available as you might think w/o installing a tall antenna on your roof - remember those funny pictures of neighborhoods in the 1950's with every house having an 8-15 foot tv antenna. Satellite has carried HDTV for some time, but they have relatively few subscribers - maybe 10M out of 100+M homes. In the US over 75-80% of the homes have cable or satellite so the dominant distribution channel is cable.

4. Cost continues to be an issue. $6-10K plasma displays are selling well, but not in the 10's of millions. I was told once by someone in the tv manufacturing industry that the magic number is $1K. My sense is that $2K is an important price point too as many people have bought wide/big screen tv's for that price.

Finally, I was told by someone at Phillips that the average lifetime for a tv is 12 years. So, it will take at least 6 years before half the people have replaced a tv -people who will make a conscious decision to buy or not buy an HDTV. In the early years, the percentage who will try the new technology is going to be low for many reasons - lack of programming, cost, signal receipt problems, etc.

SO, I am continuing to watch for the "killer show" that will only be good if you can get it in HDTV. So far, I haven't seen it.
Larry

Movie theatre finally available in your home or your office

Everybody is talking about Flatscreens to hang on the wall.
These are not bad, but a projector is still better. Why ?
You can have a much bigger and clearer picture on any wall - almost like in a real cinema.
And you are also much more flexible when it comes to good sound - also like in a cinema.
In both cases having a high resolution picture is still expensive.
What would you think if you could seat on your couch and enjoy a movie, just like in a cinema?
Or to show your business presentations to a big audience like in a movie theatre, but in your office? Whenever you like it and at a very affordable price?
Albuquerque projector rental makes it possible.
Or Phoenix projector rental or Tucson projector rental.
Projector123.com is THE shop for top equipment, excellent delivery options and 24-hour support. Thanks to a convenient online ordering system, you can request a video projector rental any time of the day or night, and a super-simple order form will guide you through choosing exactly which projector rental you need.
And besides, why owning a big screen or an expensive projector 7 days a week when you use it just on week ends or for business presentations?
Technology tends to become obsolete quite fast, with Projector 123 you can choose the model you want and the ones which is most appropriate for your needs.

New technology to transmit video without wires through home

Someday soon, you will be able to take the video stream that your set-top cable box brings into your living room and beam it to the television set in the back bedroom without hooking up any cables.
You will be able to transfer the video footage from your last vacation from the camcorder to the TV without fumbling with wires. You will be able to send a multimedia presentation from a laptop to an overhead projector without plugging in any cords.
These are some of the promises of ultra-wideband, a powerful technology that can transmit streaming video and other bandwidth-hogging content around homes and offices. Although ultra-wideband -- or UWB -- has been around for about 12 years, the
wireless networking industry only last month received the crucial go-ahead from the Federal Communications Commission to develop the technology for mainstream commercial applications.
Now ultra-wideband is poised to potentially shake up the world of wireless networking -- going head to head with more established wireless technologies like 802.11 and Bluetooth -- as UWB-enabled TV sets, VCRs and other devices.
``Ultra-wideband will allow you to make your surround-sound system and your video system completely wireless,'' said Michael Gallagher,deputy director of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a bureau of the Commerce Department that manages the federal wireless spectrum along with the FCC. ``This lets you get rid of the rat's nest of wires.''

First developed by the military, ultra-wideband works by sending veryshort, narrow pulses of electromagnetic energy across a broad swath of the radio spectrum. The military already uses the technology in ground-penetrating radar systems to detect land mines and other objects buried underground, and police officers use it in imaging systems to monitor movement behind doors and walls.
But while ultra-wideband technology is quite compelling, it is also controversial. That's because UWB signals can cross parts of the radio spectrum already licensed for other uses, including the PCS spectrum used by cellular providers like Sprint and the GPS spectrum used by the military for global positioning.

Ultra-wideband is also less expensive than 802.11, which is critical in the price-sensitive world of consumer electronics, said Chris Fisher, vice president of marketing at XtremeSpectrum, a Virginia company developing UWB chip sets that would go into consumer electronics like VCRs and TVs.
According to Fisher, the bill of materials -- the cost to the consumer electronics manufacturer to place UWB technology inside a device -- is $20 for ultra-wideband, compared with $40 for 802.11b and $65 for 802.11a.
In addition, UWB technology consumes much less power than 802.11, making it ideal for use in battery-powered devices like cameras and cell phones. Wi-Fi, in contrast, ``is limited to PCs and things that you can plug into a wall,'' said Geoffrey Anderson, vice president of Sony's advanced wireless technology group.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of UWB is its range of operation, although the technology can transmit signals farther when sending at lower data rates. Ultra-wideband can transmit signals within a range of about 10 meters, or 35 feet. That's roughly comparable to the range of Bluetooth but smaller than the range of both 802.11a at 15 meters and 802.11b at 50 meters.
Still, the range of an ultra-wideband network can be extended by placing ``repeaters'' -- other UWB-enabled devices -- around a home or office.

Liberally taken from Dewayne Hendricks dewayne@warpspeed.com

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

An unforgettable holyday can be just a few days away...

Never been in Orlando Florida?
Now you have a good excuse to go there: The MicroSoft MGX Convention, from 07/15/07-to 07/17/07.
And you also have a very good opportunity to be in a world-class resort: The International Plaza Resort & Spa.
It is just steps away from the Orange County Convention Center, offers wireless internet access throughout the property, complimentary transportation to all of the major theme parks and, most than everything you will be able to get
Microsoft MGX Special Rate.
Enter promotion code: MGX and you'll get the great rate of just $119.00 per night!
Besides, it is adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando , just five miles from the Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Orlando International Airport is very close, less than 10 miles away.
If you care for shopping, designer outlets are within easy reach. And the I-Drive Trolley gives you easy access to a wide variety of restaurants and other area attractions.
So, you can have a wonderful holyday for a bargain price, and attend to the Convention.
Or alternatively you can attend and your wife or partner can enjoy the fun of being in such a nice place.
And if you have children?
No problem at all.
They also have three expansive palm tree-lined swimming pools, Lagoon pool with waterfall, kids jungle gym and babysitting services while you can enjoy a night out or treat yourself to a fish dinner with a subtle hint of Caribbean flavor at their Blue Marlin Grille, or relax beside the waterfall at their lavish outdoor pool while they bring you cool beverages and frozen specialties.
You can, of course, book online now (remember using promo code "MGX") or call at 1-800-327-0363 and be sure to mention the "MGX" promotion code.
An unforgettable holyday can be just a few days away...

This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.




Greetings from Ruegen

Ruegen


I just came back from one of the places I liked most: the wonderful Island of Ruegen.
I must say that almost all Mecklenburg Vorpommern is just unique.
I was in Sweden some years ago and thought it would look similar, I was wrong: it looks much better.
Especially the coast.
Stralsund is a Gem and also Rostock. and what about the herrings?
And what about the Baltic sea and the Seen Platten?
What about the lakes and the forests?
And especially what about Ruegen?
A wonderful Island where time stops and you can go by foot or with a bicycle, or with Rasender Roland ( the small steam train that reaches 30 km. per hour).
With high chalk cliffs and a sand so fine and so white you would think the Germans (and knowing the Germans I still have some suspicion) just washed it with chlorine.
And trees and white houses so white that the White house is nothing compared to them.
And all those old buildings so beautiful and so well kept, as the gardens and the avenues.
It is a place where you go once and you would not like to go away.
Somebody said: "there are two kinds of people in Ruegen, the one born there and the one who were not born there.
I proudly belong to the first."
Lucky him.

SellinPier

Shopalchoolic

Yes, I admit it, I cannot resist a good bargain.
Whatever it can be, the smell of a good business is hunting me since the first hours of my day.
Call it shopalchoolism or bargain addiction, or special offers fever, or discount coupons fanatism, the end is always that: I buy a lot and the more I can save, the more I buy.
But then, what is the fun of earning money if you do not enjoy spending it?
And what is a better satisfaction than thinking you got something for much less than what it is worth?
It doesn't matter if you do not need it, there will be a time when you will need it.
It comes without saying that one of my favorite website is Couponchief.com
Where else could you find 20% off your order on Military clothing ?
You are a woman, somebody would object, but, is it forbidden to wear those nice mimetic pants ( I have a wonderful pair already)? Then, 20% off is a good amount saved...
And what about 10% off Time Life ?
They say ” Time Life take the very best songs, the very best TV programs, and the very best entertainment products - the ones you remember and love the most - and mix the absolute best of the best in just the right order." and I do not dislike to read about the very best music, one HAS to know the latest about it, doesn't one?
Especially when it comes to 10% less...
And of course I cannot miss Best Deals Magazines otherwise, how could I be informed on the BEST DEALS?

Monday, June 25, 2007

What is technology?

Truthfully, I see where she goes with it. Technology has allowed us to do more with less, to make great leaps forward with little or no regard as to whether or not we’re emotionally ready for it as a species. Technology has made it easier to kill, hurt, maim, or just plain not care than ever previously possible.

However I’m one of the hard-core believers. I truly believe that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. If we survive this explosive growth in technology, I believe that technology will eventaully save us, maybe even from ourselves.

SanGod.com

Since the dawn of humanity man has asked himself "how can I do this better, in an easier way?"
The answers were the wheels, the fire, the steam, the telephone...and also yes, the gun powder...
Technology is what man lives for, that strange thing he feels inside that makes him doing not only for surviving better, but because he HAS TO.
What is life without knowledge, without knowing that yes, you did something, that your day was not just living, but used, that your time and your work and your brain did a little bit to make this world a little better (or a little worse sometimes)but that you ACTUALLY DID something.
The fun of life is in DOING, not in HAVING as most people think.
Lucky the ones who understand that real happiness doesn't come if you do not look for it.

Michelangelo's frescoes with a PC

flood
Yes, we got it!
And I guess Michelangelo WOULD BE very proud, very proud indeed, to be on my house's walls.
It looks stunning, gorgeous, beautiful, and we are just in the beginning!
I guess we are the FIRSTS to be able to reproduce on a 36 square meter wall Michelangelo's Flood and on other bigger walls Michelangelo's Adam and God.
God

Or do you prefer Adam and Eve?
AdamEve
It is a pity, I can just put small sizes on this Blog, it would be amazing to have the full size!!!

PS. Hope Michelangelo won't turn in his grave.
His tree was cut, but my wall needed a full one, so I made it, Michelangelo's style (as well as my skills allowed me)

Heaven on Earth

I guess when you think about Paradise you dream nothing else than Hawaii.
Where else can you find a place where you can enjoy nature, the Ocean, the Wind, the Sun, the Rain Forest, the Birds, the wonderful weather 365 days a year?
Kailua ocean front condo rental is the right place to spend a vacation, also just a few relaxing days to recharge your life's batteries.
Do you want a two-bedroom apartment on the Ocean?
Where you can wake up at the sound of the waves against the wonderful sandy beach?
It is yours for the price of $407.
Which is nothing if you think you can sleep in six.
Dividing the sum by six you come to $67.3333...per person (I tried it on my computer's calculator).
You have the Ocean view, the Ocean sounds and even a pool if you prefer to swim in safer place.
Alternatively, you can lower the cost up to $226 for 1 Bedroom Condo Apartment, Ocean view, Pool, Oceanfront. (You can sleep in four, that makes on my calculator $56 per person).
But if you are looking for more details you can go to Hawaii Travel a blog with all the necessary information’s of what and how to plan you vacation to Hawaii, how to choose the best place and so on.
I was in Hawaii some years ago and the only thing that refrains me to go there tomorrow again is the 18 hours on a plane that I really hate.
But I am sure some day I will overcome it and visit Hawaii again.
There are to categories of people: the one that never saw Hawaii and the one who saw it.
If you belong to the second you will never forget how Heaven looks like and will always want to go back...

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Super Credit Card Bonus.

Are you a small business owner?
Or something like it.
For example an eBay seller could be considered a small business owner.
And I think on eBay there are sellers that have nothing to envy to a business owner.
They have a good turn over and working from home, using their computer as only help, they can make a good living.
Well, if you are one among them, you will certainly be interested in Hustlermoneyblog
There you can find all the necessary details about a great offer by American Express Business Gold.
They have a limited promotion: 25,000 Rewards points after first purchase. The 25,000 points can be exchanged for a free round-trip airline ticket anywhere in the U.S or $250 rewards gift certificate.
I personally wouldn't dislike a round trip to Hawaii or California or why not? Arizona...
Your name can be the business name, for example in my case would be "Broghammer & Co"
(the Co being my faithful computer)and your social security number as the tax id. Your business is called sole proprietorship and it’s perfectly legal with the IRS.
There is a $125 fee, but the first year is waived .
And if you decide you do not want the Card anymore you can always cancel it without paying any fees.
So, you can have the Credit card bonus
and then, if you think you do not need it anymore, you can just cancel it.
Of course they give you the bonus, because they are SURE you will like and need it.
So, what do you have to do?
Just go to American Express Business Gold and you'll find a form you'll fill and then you will have to make a purchase by 12/31/07. Upon the Basic Cardmember's first purchase, a one time bonus of 25,000 points can be earned toward the Basic Business Gold Rewards Cardmember's Membership Rewards® account and may appear as separate credits of 5,000 and 20,000 bonus points. The maximum 25,000 bonus points are available to first-time Basic Business Gold Rewards Cardmembers only; they are not available if you transfer an existing account.
( of course, this is just to catch new customers...)
So, I think it pays to give it a try, (it doesn't pay bad...) apply right away and get your prize!
This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.

Where technology meets Art

There is a place where technology meets Art: my house.



entrance





There will always be a need for cutting-edge art that uses technology to communicate a deeper message, and it is important for the Biennale to reflect that. But every artist working in the west today is working in an environment where computers, consumer technology and the network are pervasive, and this must impact their work just as much as the religious disputes of the renaissance influenced artists like Titian and Veronese.

Perhaps we need to distinguish more carefully between art that is informed by technology or uses only those tools that are commonplace, like screens, and art that takes things further and exists at the leading edge. The radical, entrepreneurial and experimental aspects of the artist’s engagement with technology can too easily be overlooked when everyone has video installations in their portfolio.

Bill Thompson


Adam

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Think Big to become Big

Web search has become one of the hottest markets on the Internet. Many companies are furiously developing advanced tools and techniques that will index the Web more effectively and so, they hope, draw visitors.
Google fields more than 150 million worldwide queries every day. When a visitor types a keyword into the search field, its Web servers send the request to an index server, which identifies Web pages containing words that match the query. Document servers with the matching pages deliver links to the visitor in less than half a second, according to Google's site.
So what if you aim to reach the Top?
You have first to be in Google and the other few Search Engines that count, then to be in a very good position in them, let's say among the first thirty or a little more.
And if you think you cannot do it by yourself, it pays to find a goodwebsite optimization firm that can boost your webpage or blog.
Because to arrive there you not only need to do the right marketing, you also need the right website or blog or whatever.
That is called SEO, search engine optimization and means to create a site search engine friendly (besides of course being good).
ThinkBig will do it very fast and at a much lower cost than all the competition.
How? With Corporate blogging, link building, business and social networking and strategic blog marketing techniques. this is the only way to reach the success you are working for.
This will also drive more website traffic creating new business opportunities for your organization.
They start with fully functional Web Design to create the right image for your company. Then comes the blog marketing which is the best way to reach your customers on a regular basis. This will allow the website ranking to rise very quickly.
The next step is using a database which stores the necessary web content that will be used to create a webpage "on the fly" when needed. They use web programmers to create the right applications for your corporation's success.
One thing you shouldn't under evaluate is having a reliable web hosting, which is what they offer at very good pricing.
Last and very important is the Optimization of your website, so that it reaches the first positions and is among the first to show up when possible customers look for your kind of products or services.
To all you add a very good support and you can really Think Big.

Pornography






Pornography has been forbidden on TV. The voyeurs can only see it encrypted. The Communications Authority has forbidden 24 hours on 24 “pornographic images that involve the description, the illustration or the visual and/or verbal representation of erotic subjects and of acts or activities that relate to the sexual sphere that are offensive to modesty”.
The intention is to defend the sense of modesty. That’s a good thing. But why start from sex? Basically Eros is natural and gives a certain satisfaction.
Agcom should extend its prohibition to subjects that are more harmful. To the great immodest people. To the convict politicians who are honoured guests on Anno Zero like Gianni De Michelis. Think of the child whose father has a fixed income, workman, office worker, at 1,200 Euro a month, watching that programme.
What will they think? What will they grow up to be? Will they straight away join the Socialist party to get their impunity?
The convicts remain in Parliament, in their prison of gold and silver. A TV appearance can destroy years of civic education for our children. If they want to show off, they’ll be doing it on a talk show that can only be seen directly in prisons.
Apart from the convicts our children can enjoy series of murders on the TV News in the early and the late parts of the evening. The description of bloody events is always accurate. For the assassins who are just starting out it’s a source of continual inspiration.
Human beings smothered, shot at, burned alive, knifed, tortured to death, hit repeatedly, buried alive. Often during dinner time, between a slice of pineapple and the ice cream. Then there’s the drink after the meal and the comment. Violence is worse than sex. Let’s encrypt it together with Andreotti.


Posted by Beppe Grillo

Immigration




The word immigration is taboo. Something that you have to talk about in ‘politically correct’ ways to avoid being called a racist. By definition, the immigrant needs help and is trying to survive in Italy.

The Minister Ferrero has declared: ” … it’s necessary to propose an articulated strategy. First of all we must facilitate the legal entries to our country” and “in the continent of Africa there may be 30 million young people in the age group 18 to 25 who are ready to leave their homes and loved ones” and finally: “they are the ones who come to do the work that often the Italians no longer want to do .. today we have to understand that we have become a country of immigration”.

These declarations are irresponsible even though they are “electorally correct” for the party of the Minister Ferrero. Italy is still a country of emigration. At one time it was the farming community that emigrated, today it is the graduate community. Italy has a density of inhabitants in the territory among the highest in the world. In comparison, the United States is depopulated and Africa is a desert. It’s not true that Italians no longer want to do “certain jobs”. But what are these jobs?

The thousands of posts that I have received in the “modern slaves” section bear witness to the contrary. They describe a generation of Italians paid a few hundred Euro a month or unemployed. Young men and young women who would jump at the chance of doing “certain jobs” but in safe conditions and with a decent salary.

But the “certain jobs” are those of the tiny factories that import underpaid workers and then throw the social costs on to the community. That gives advantages to the small-time bosses, not to the Italian economy.
Ferrero talks about young men who want to emigrate to rich countries, not families.

But there are hundreds of millions of young people like that in the world. How many CPT {Centri di Permanenza Temporanea e Assistenza= Italy's detention centres for foreigners} are needed to house them? Is the house of the Minister big enough? This demagogy is dangerous.

The migration flows must be handled at the origin. The most developed nations should put aside a part of their GDP, at least as much as they spend on arms, better if its in places of arms, to help poor countries. Distributing wealth throughout the world so as to avoid importing slaves and social instability.


Posted by Beppe Grillo

Monday, June 11, 2007

The news about News

"TV, radio and newspapers are gradually becoming obsolete. They are being swept away by the Internet. The Internet is progressively transforming them into “obsolete media”.
The Internet is a supermedia that tends to absorb and transform every other form of communication. This has been said for years, and though it is true, the old media continue to exist, even though they are living with ever greater difficulties."

They will exists as long as the people who consume them will exist.
From 100% of a few years ago we have come to 50, also 25% (depending on the region, on the culture, on the broadband diffusion).
One day they will be 5% and not enought to let them survive.


"However it seems that the point of no return, when the Internet will become central to information, is quite close. There are many indicators which support this view. Newspapers and TV News programmes are being overtaken by News on the Internet, and increasingly from individual sources by means of Blogs.
The speed of publication and of access is forcing the traditional media to go online, and this is not happening without transforming the way that information is handled."

What's good and what's bad?

"New rules exist on the Internet. To stay on line and to make a profit they have to be followed: disintermediation, transparency and trust. The costs of publication and of transformation of the contents, whether its images, audio or text, are extremely reduced on the Internet, and thus can be paid by anyone. Journalists no longer need to have the old media as an intermediary. They can do this on their own. Transparency is obligatory. On the Internet you can’t lie. An article with incorrect data is immediately challengeable. Whoever writes it loses credibility as well as the
body that publishes it. Lying or even merely being imprecise on the internet, means losing readers. Trust is tied in with the person, the individual journalist, more than to a specific editorial brand.
Trustworthiness on the Internet, is of enormously important economic value and is expressed in the number of links, to a site or to a blog. The greater the number of links, the greater the trustworthiness. This derives from the fact that if an item is
considered to be important, or an opinion relevant, it’s likely to be cited and its address shown in a web site or in a blog.
Unless there are new strategies or business models, in a time frame of between 5 and 10 years, the “old media”, will have no audience (and thus no profits) and given the progressive move of information to the Internet, they are destined to disappear."

On one thing I disagree: On the Internet YOU CAN LIE. Just as on every other media.
Remember we are not talking of content: we are talking of new means to spread it.
Written on a real paper or on a virtual paper, behind them (the news or data) there is ALWAYS a MAN, and men NEVER change.

Bloggers or journalists?

Journalists and bloggers are occupying the same places in people's minds and are covering the same need: information. Major events like the New Orleans disaster or the Tsunami were better covered by bloggers. Bloggers are becoming journalists and journalists are becoming bloggers. This media battle is not among people, but
among the concept of mainstream media and social media. Trust will be a strong indicator as who will win the battle.
Links are an indicator of trust to look out for to see who will reign in the future. As Jeff Jarvis said, "trust is king in the kingdom of conversation".
To counter-attack traditional media is changing the way they communicate. Large press organisations have already started to adapt themselves. Le Monde in France provides blogs to journalists.
The blog world is welcoming in the traditional media organising training courses to for journalists to blog.


Loic Le Meur
Executive VP & Managing Director of Europe, Six Apart

Global Warming



The G8 reminds me of the family photos of long ago. Big gatherings at table, smiles, group photos in lines, declarations, hand shakes for the photographers, The G8 nations represent 65% of the world economy. It’s possibly to calmly say that they are responsible, at least in part, for global warming, for the death of Africa, for economic inequalities, for an imprecise number of wars and warriors and for the interference in the affairs of other States. Let it be really clear: everything (nearly always) in an indirect way, using economic measures, diplomatic pressures and the media. Clean, whiter than white.

In the palace of Konstatinovskij, the Tsar’s summer palace in Saint Petersburg, they were eating Beluga caviar, smoked lobster, and strawberries with black pepper. Meanwhile they were amiably talking about energy, climate, poverty and famine in the world in a peaceful and serene atmosphere. The city is under the control of 200,000 soldiers. A group of demonstrators against the G8 has been provided for by Putin in the Kirov stadium, outside the city, in an area that is surrounded by ancient woodland and military police.

Tramps and homeless people have disappeared from Saint Petersburg and have been sent to Siberia in sealed trains just for the occasion. Bush hasn’t missed the opportunity to say his bit by citing Iraq as an example of the freedom of the press and religious liberty. Putin has responded with another gaff by saying that in Russia they don’t want the type of democracy that exists in Iraq. He prefers his democracy modelled in Chechen style.

All the Heads of State are there with their consorts, apart form the only true man present, Angela Merkel, wearing the skin of Bruno the bear, donated to her by the city of Munich. The G8 are always risking democratic participation. People wound up in the enthusiasm want to have their say. That’s why the future looks bleak for future meetings.

It’s not every time that there’ll be the availability of Putin, the Holy Mother Russia, and the post-soviet army ready to take control of the streets. The summits could take place in the Mariana Trench in a massive submarine, in the Gobi desert dressed up as camel handlers, or on the top of the Himalayas in oxygen tents. In places that are reserved for people who have private discussions about the problems of the world. Without outside influences. In private.


Posted by Beppe Grillo on July 17, 2006

Sunday, June 10, 2007

The magic of a garden




I didn't care one bit for flowers until I went to live in London.
There I inherited a badly kept garden in a well kept gardens neighborhood.
I felt ashamed and sorry for it and began doing something to make it looking better.
It didn't take much, at least much less than what I thought.
I began being fond of it, and the fonder I got, the better it looked.
I had to leave it after three years, but I didn't loose the passion for flowers and gardens.
I have a huge garden now, and it takes more to care for a garden in Italy.
The weather is not so congenial to flowers as it is in England, but a garden is ALWAYS rewarding.
I would say it is the only thing you can be sure will compensate your efforts, even more than what you expect.
If you love your flowers and your plants, they will love you back.

I like to travel light and cheap

What do you feel when you find it out that you are overpaying for your hotel room?
I feel very angry, because it would have actually been easier to book on Cheap Hotels and also cheaper!
I have planed a trip to Rostock next week.
We had to book earlier to get better rates on the plane fare.
But today I found out that what we save on the plane (quite cheap with a low cost airline) we will spend in the hotel!
We booked in exactly the same place, but we are paying 18 Euro more per night than what we would have paid if we had just gone on the Hotel Reservations website!!!!
And that is mostly Google's fault.
This search engine is getting worse...it puts the less convenient websites on the first pages, so that when you choose you certainly choose if not the most expensive, at least the less convenient.
And their website is great.
You just write the place you want to go, the date, the number of rooms and the people per room, click, and in few seconds (even if you have a slow connection as I have) you get all the best offers!
So, if by any chance you read this post, bookmark that link and pay a visit to their website. It costs nothing, not even time, and you have the chance to grab a good bargain.
Said by somebody who usually travels light and cheap. (too bad not this time)
And they do not only have hotels, they also offer Bed and Breakfast (which I prefer, because they usually offer the same at a better price)or Condo Rentals (if you plan a longer stay)and you get a discount for membership, or huge discounts for groups (in case you like to travel light but in good company).
And if you do not find what you're looking for, you find a toll free number to call.
The last thing I found out: they offer also cruises at good prices!


This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.
(But what I wrote, it is TRUE)

Saturday, June 09, 2007

My house

house
This is my HOUSE.
And this is my Garden
Garden1
Garden2
Garden3
Yes, it is really like that! But nothing compared to the inside. Look next post for the faithful reproductions of Michelangelo's frescoes.

Justice IS Justice



Well, Justice IS justice, at least in USA.
(It wouldn't happen in my country)

Children computer use

What educator or parent has not had to balance the pro and cons of computer use? Or, for that matter, TV use? Or involvement in sports that entail physical and emotional risk? "Too much of a good thing" applies in every area.
"Children glued to their computers interact less with other children." The fact is that many teachers wisely assign students to groups of two or three per computer. From what I have seen in my visits to classrooms, students arranged in this way interact in meaningful ways with other students more than they do when they toil in solitude with paper workbooks.
"Teachers sometimes abdicate responsibility to a computerized "baby sitter".
But time spent keeping order in a classroom is not educationally productive. When most of the students in a classroom are working with self-paced software, a teacher is freed to help students who need special attention, to plan the next lesson.

Brendan Kehoe

Children and the Net

A lot of kids are getting online these days--sharing data about acid rain,talking about social issues, meeting adults as well as kids, and learning about other cultures. Computer networks hold tremendous promise, but also raise difficult issues which need to be discussed openly. Unfortunately, much of the publicity related to these issues has only dealt with potential dangers--and it has not encouraged reflection on solutions.


Can children be prevented from accessing materials which are controversial?
Is preventing access even desirable? We believe censorship is not the answer.
What alternatives do we have or could we provide? How do we talk with children about these issues? What can we say to concerned parents and school administrators? How and by whom are community standards set?


The stakes are clear: if we don't find ways to manage these difficult issues, parents and school administrators may choose to deny children access to networking in an attempt to protect them. And prohibitions against undirected exploration through networking could prevent many of the benefits which the technology could support. We hope to form a community of people interested in discussing these issues and developing helpful materials.


To subscribe:
Send email to: caci-request@cygnus.com
The body of the message should say: subscribe
If you have difficulty, write to caci-owner@cygnus.com

Cybertimes for parental finance

To give or not to give?
And if yes, how much?
Children are very often seen as suckers of the financial budget.
Especially if it is not so big.
Shoes getting too small in a fortnight, a brand new tee shirt damaged and impossible to wear anymore.
Trousers that get too short even before being able to wash them.
Schools and school books that get more and more expensive.
To all this you have to sum the cost of the cell phone, the discothèque, the travels, the new CD, the computer, the video games, the weekly pizza with friends and so on.
It is of the maximum importance to classify, prioritize, cut and analyze all expenses and find a way to make children responsible of what they spend.
Let them choose what is really important and what comes second.
Give them a Visa Buxx they can use and you can still check.
To see where your money goes and to put a limit to spending.
You fix the amount and when it is spent, well, sorry, you have to wait for a new recharge.
Which may be, will be bigger or smaller depending on the responsibility shown...




This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.

Friday, June 08, 2007

China's Future

Everyone knows China is a low-wage, low-cost manufacturing juggernaut.
But the world had better watch out: It is also on its way to becoming a high-tech behemoth.

That was underscored when China sent a man into space. At the same time, to much less fanfare, Chinese doctors made their own leap, taking the nucleus of an ovary from one woman and implanting it in the ovary of another, allowing her possibly to conceive a child. And such achievements are becoming increasingly common.

"China is going to be a technological powerhouse," says Paul Saffo, director of the Institute for the Future in Menlo Park, Calif. "They are being very strategic — making sure that they gain technological knowledge as part of their manufacturing activities."

China's technological drive may come as a surprise to those accustomed to viewing it as simply a low-wage workshop, exporting shoes and T-shirts and all sorts of paraphernalia and roiling other economies in the process. But manufacturing is only one stage in China's economic development. In fact, what's most significant about China today is not the growth of its assembly lines but that of its graduating classes.

Liberally taken from James Flanigan (LA Times)

Stem Cells:one of many examples the White House has made policies that defy widely accepted scientific opinion



The administration's stem-cell stand is just one of many examples, from climate change to abstinence-only sex-education programs, in which the White House has made policies that defy widely accepted scientific opinion. Why this administration feels unbound by the consensus of academic scientists can be gleaned, in part, from a telling anecdote in Nicholas Lemann's recent New Yorker profile of Karl Rove. When asked by Lemann to define a Democrat, Bush's chief political strategist replied, "Somebody with a doctorate."
Lemann noted, "This he said with perhaps the suggestion of a smirk."
Fundamentally, much of today's GOP, like Rove, seems to smirkingly equate academics, including scientists, with liberals.

In this regard, the White House is not necessarily wrong. Most scientists today do lean Democratic, just as most of the uniformed military votes Republican--much to the annoyance of Democrats. And like the latter cultural divide, the former can cause the country real problems. The mutual incomprehension and distrust between the Pentagon and the Clinton White House, especially in its early years, led to such debacles as Somalia and the clash over allowing gays to serve openly in the military. The Bush administration's dismissiveness toward scientists could also have serious consequences, from delaying vital new medical therapies to eroding America's general lead in science. The Clinton administration quickly felt the sting
of the military's hostility and worked to repair the relationship. It's not clear, however, that the Bush administration cares to reach out to scientists--or even knows it has a problem.
Liberally taken from:

Washington Monthly

Word of Mouth

The holy grail of design is to make something so wonderful and remarkable that people can’t imagine life without it. People are so happy with it that it sells itself.
The big benefit of word-of-mouth is that your marketing budget goes toward zero, as your users become your marketers. If they’re so passionate about your design they’ll tell their friends about your service, and you won’t have to. And, most likely, what they say is more influential than what you can say anyway. Focusing on this value, and designing to enable it, is a big part of social design.
You can help enable word-of-mouth by designing your application to support it by giving your users tools to share their passion about your app or service. To actually make it work, however, you have to nail most of the following steps:

1) Get someone excited about your product and service

2) Give the sender a way to share that excitement with someone else

3) The receiver has to understand what’s being shared

4) Convince the receiver it’s valuable for them, too

5) Provide a way for the receiver to take action

6) Provide immediate value upon sign-up

7) Provide reason to return

8) Provide a reason to share with others

Liberally taken from
Bokardo

The war against Spyware

Very often the price of free software is the installation of spyware.
It happened to me while trying to test a free software to build web pages without knowing HTML.
As soon as I installed it I noticed something strange: it immediately connected to the Internet.
I agreed at the license agreement and the installation went on.
Then I had a screen requesting personal data.
After a while they told that as a part of helping to build a great website they were collecting basic usage information’s and their usage would be just for statistical analysis.
"However use of our products is governed by the policies put in place by the partners that offer them."
The installation software lets you continue even if you don't enter any information in the support registration screen, BUT the information is still linked to your IP, hence the very small point.
The software certainly seems capable of lending itself to abuse by third parties who provide their software.
With every installation security is compromised and what else I could do except to continue to read those entertaining licensing agreements, privacy policies, and remember that there ain't no such thing as a free lunch?
There is something: I could use:
Spy Sweeper, the most award-winning antispyware software.
Because Spyware grows more sophisticated every day and can infect your system in many different ways when you use the Internet.
SpySweeper gives you 100% protection, they bloc any kind of spyware infection even before it reaches your computer.(later could be too late)
So, finally gone the hours and days wasted in fixing and reshaping your computer.
If I think that most of the times I want to really get rid of a annoying spyware I have to reinstall my own OS, I think that the $19.95 are the best $19.95 I ever spent!





A new "AD Exchange"

The next big Internet race might turn the buying and selling of advertising space on Web sites into the online equivalent of the pork-bellies pit.

Over the past few years, a host of small companies has started electronic exchanges where advertisers and Web sites can buy and sell online advertising space. The companies, with names like Right Media Inc., AdECN Inc., Turn Inc. and ContextWeb Inc., have been an obscure sideshow to a broader battle over Internet advertising.

That's changing quickly. The biggest Internet companies, including Microsoft Corp., Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., are focusing attention and money on the emerging business, hoping to be first with the kind of large-scale, dynamic market for the ad industry that the Nasdaq market brought to stocks.


Over time there will be "a handful of winners that build very high-tech marketplaces," predicts Jim Barnett, chief executive of San Mateo, Calif.-based Turn. "That's what we're trying to do; that's what Google is trying to do."
Exchanges usually collect payments for ads and pass them along to the sites, taking a commission. Ads are generally priced per thousand times they're viewed by consumers, a unit known in the industry as CPM.
"Theoretically, with an exchange, one technology platform can cover an enormous swath of the Internet."

Or so the big players hope.

Indeed, if the dream is to have the same kind of impact on advertising that spot markets had on commodities and stock markets on equities, one or more exchanges will need a critical mass of buyers and sellers. As with stock markets, "liquidity" is key for the ad exchanges: the more participants, the greater the chance of finding buyers and sellers.
With exchanges, "the underlying assumption to that is you're buying a commoditized product that anyone can sell you," says Steven Kaufman.

WSJ

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Drawing made easy

This is addressed to parents who ADORE to keep their children busy with interesting tasks.
In my times we provided our children with colored pencils and white paper, so that we could have at least a few hours for ourselves, working or doing the things we liked, while our children were busy.
Now with the Internet everything has got much easier.
Instead of paper you can use a computer screen and a mouse replaces colored pencils.
Of course you do not need to teach children how to do, they know better than us.
In the Doll Palace you can find many Coloring Pages where your children can find a lot of simple drawings they can fill with colors.
You choose the image, then you pick the colors and click on the parts you want to fill. Easy, isn't it? And you do not even risk to overlap the borders.
When you are finished you can save your job (you need to register for that).
Or you can decide to use your own drawings and upload them on the website.
You (or your children)will be able to make your page interactive and share it with your children's friends.
You have a good selection to choose, from Anime, Cartoons to Animals, Nature,and many others.



This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.







Seeing is forgetting the name of what you see

History is nothing else than a mixture of inventing something and "disinventing" it after a while.

First they invented icons to express words and thoughts, then they invented letters to express sounds and disinvented the "iconographic writings".

After a while somebody invented Art to express thoughts and sentiments through images.
Now they talk of sounds as "pictures that talk".

Antonio Meucci invented the telephone and now we disinvent it and create VoIP where video and sounds converge on the same line.
Communication is not only sound...

Every expression carries with it the spirit by which it has been created...and the boring side by which it will be destroyed.

Pixels go portable

Who needs a Portable scanner?
They talk about "busy professionals and executives", but I see a wider mass of users.
Who wouldn't like to have something to scan at the right place at the right time, the right document, or picture or whatever? Something you just need a USB connection to a PC or Laptop.
In today's mobile society, access and storage of relevant information "anytime, anywhere" is becoming increasingly important.
So, a portable scanner which is lightweight, which can enable people to scan, organize all kinds of documents and pictures, in an easy and fast way is becoming something many people cannot work without.
The ScanShell 2000NR portable scanner has a 600 dpi resolution which provides high quality of output for photo scanning and the most accurate OCR text.
Besides, the bundled software DocShell allows document scanning and exporting into existing, preinstalled applications like PDF, Microsoft paint, while the images can be saved as BMP, JPG, TIF, PSD, PCX, PNG or TGA and the Scan2Contacts is a special program for scanning business cards and create directly new contact records for Microsoft Outlook.

This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.

Be simple, be clear, be interesting, be honest

"One of the most important, if not bitter discoveries for journalists over the past decade has been that they do not operate in the ivory tower of intellectual pursuit but are subject to the laws and mechanisms of the market."
To be paid you must be successful and to be successful you must be popular, and to be popular you must say the things people want to read, just as you must show things people want to see, you must write songs people want to listen to, you must make movies people like to watch and so on...
That is where the great journalism and the great journalist comes into the picture.
To be able to say the truth in the way people are interested in reading it.
It is POSSIBLE, how many times we found out that a subject we expected to be boring, was, on the contrary a most interesting one?
Because it was told and explained in words we understood and liked.
Be simple, be clear, be interesting, be honest.
That will bring you on the top.

Global warming



I have a few objections:
What does it mean that the matter is more political than technical?
Of course IT IS.
Polis in Greek means "city" and "country" and OF COURSE it is a matter of "Contry".
The affected ones are the people, aren't they?
And they ask questions and MORE THAN ANYTHING they expect answers...

Family's hierarchy

Father's day is a very special day, especially if you are a father.
It is the day in which you are finally remembered as one, and no discussion about you authority and your place in the family.
You can be the Boss at least for one day.
Later let the ordinary hierarchy come back.
Yes, because in every family worth to have that name on the first step of the pyramid you usually find the dog, and in the absence of dogs you can have one or two cats.
Then usually comes the younger of the family, the new born or the trotter.
Then the other children, the mother, and on the very first step of the ladder you usually find the father (somebody has to provide for the family, doesn't he?)
But on Father's Day, well, sorry for you, but the dog has to leave his special place on the couch and on the pyramid and not irrelevant, on the heart of the family's members, to the King of the Day: the Father.
Usually you prepare a nice dinner (fathers like to eat) nice presents, fresh sheets and a special present in bed from his beloved wife.
All day follows a certain pattern and in this pattern is included a nice and unforgettable present.
What is going to be more unforgettable than something VERY Luxurious, and that he is going to seldom wear (or never wear)?
Something like fashionNeckties?
Silk and expensive brand are what you need to make the best figure at the right price, just to be remembered as "the one who knows the place in life of his father".
Yes, you could also choose other things, like an expensive perfume, or a fancy shirt, or some electronics, or even a CD.
But believe me, a necktie is that special accessory that you can be sure he will never wear, he will keep in that special drawer, as a special memento of that special "day" in which he could look at a reunited family, from upside down.
And that IS a special feeling for the "Father's Day".

And I almost forgot: you should buy a famous Belisi Necktie.
Why?
Read this Press release:

Finding the Right Gift for Father’s Day May Not Be as Hard as You Think

Give a Gift Dad Will Remember…Luxurious, Stylish, and Thoughtful

PALM BEACH , FLORIDA– (MAY 15, 2007) --Okay, so Father’s Day is right around the corner. Wondering what to get Dad? Neckties are often times considered the “stand-by” gift for guys but not anymore. More and more Dads are putting their best fashion foot forward with colorful neckties, as they know this simple accessory can make or break an outfit. Whether you are looking for the red power tie or sophisticated yet casual, there is a tie for every occasion. Give Dad a gift he will remember, something he can wear and treasure for years to come. Dad will feel extra special this year with a beautiful Italian necktie or pocket square from Belisi. With each Father’s Day purchase at Belisi, customers will receive free shipping with their orders. To qualify for free shipping, customers should visit Belisi.com.

Belisi ties are made with more silk per inch than the average tie, which creates a fuller necktie knot, the hallmark of true luxury silk neckties. They come in a variety of colors and styles, so it’s easy to select a thoughtful gift that any father would appreciate.

Pocket squares, which are making a big comeback, also make excellent Father's Day gifts. Belisi pocket squares are oversized, made with a lavish thick silk and hand-rolled on the border. So if you want to give a unique gift for that special guy in your life, a pocket square fits the bill. Another reason ties are still a fresh gift idea is that men can wear ties that accessorize with their partner’s silk scarf, which she can wear tied around her neck or draped around her shoulders as a shawl, tied on her wrist, worn as a belt or handbag accessory or in her hair (a very hot trend right now).


Belisi Fashions remains steadfast in giving back to those less fortunate. Through the “Belisi Luxury with Meaning” program a minimum of 10 percent of the company’s pre-tax profits are donated to those in need. Keeping in-line with Belisi’s mission to create a community within a community, customers decide which charity to make their contribution. Some of the charities include: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, American Heart Association, and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com.



Belisi was built on the philosophy that a tie or a scarf is more than an article of clothing—it completes your look. “There are plenty of Web sites where you can buy accessories but few where you feel like you’re a part of a fashion community,” affirms Peter Belisi of Belisi Fashions.



The Belisi brand is flourishing, and anticipates the release of its new luxury handbag collection in Fall ’07. As with all Belisi products, the handbag collection will feature extraordinary detailing including real gold hardware, soft treated Italian leather and brushed fabrics, plus many other exclusive features only available through www.Belisi.com.



About Belisi.com


Belisi.com is an online community where customers are “Insiders” instead of order numbers. Being an “Insider” means access to special privileges including free shipping, gift wrap on all orders and a designated place on the Belisi Insider’s Advisory Board. Belisi Insiders’ opinions are more than thoughts expressed in cyber space. Peter Belisi embraces each comment, suggestion or question and responds to his clients personally. Belisi’s fashion blogs offer up-to-the-minute insight from fashion, beauty and lifestyle experts. Find out more by visiting: www.TheDivasDreams.com for women and www.SharpByDesignblog.com for men. Belisi also has a beauty blog, www.BeautifulMeblog.com, which keeps customers “in the know” about all things related to beauty—inside and out.



About Belisi Fashions

The Belisi brand is the brainchild of Peter Belisi, whose lifelong aspirations were to fuse the luxury and prestige of Palm Beach with Italian sophistication. Belisi embodies the spirit of true entrepreneurship with a passion for the best of everything, which is evident in the quality products produced. Each dramatic detail in a Belisi tie, pocket square and scarf represents Belisi’s unwavering commitment to creating fashion products that embody timeless sophistication and enduring beauty.



# # #

Belisi Press Contact:

Amy Covington

amycovington@belisi.com

800.434.1962




Agency Contact:

Cher Murphy
cm@newsworthystories.com
703.323.5976




This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.

My so called humanity

"My so-called humanity
I'd rather be killed than tortured. Think about it. (If you can . . . ) Imagine you're held in shackles in an uncomfortable position in a cold room all night long, aching beyond tears, shivering to the bone, scared out of your wits, with ear-splitting unfamiliar music pounding you, pissing and shitting on yourself, only to have somebody dressed in a hood kick you, burn you with cigarettes and insult you in the morning. No. Kill me first."

David Isenberg




Sometimes it looks like the Americans think they own the World and the Europeans think they do not know who owns the World.
Some do and the others do not see...

Sad, but not new to History, also to recent History

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Laptop rentals

Is it better to own a laptop or to rent it?
Renting is without any doubts cheaper and if you do not use it every day it is much better to rent one than to buy it.
Because you can always have the latest model with laptop rentals and wherever you need it.
If you have meetings or shows far from your office, you do not need to carry it with you, just rent it where you need it.
If you think you need to rent one, you can search fro MacBook Pro rentals or Tablet PC rentals in the major cities of USA just visiting the website of Innovative Rentals.
But they do not only have laptops, They have every kind of technology products or services at the best price.
So, if you need to make a good impression on your next show, it pays to visit their website, because as they say "You never get a second chance to make a first impression"...

Monthyon: Chateau of Jean-Claude Brialy-8

The newsroom


Yes, when it comes to chateaux I am a "snob".

Monday, June 04, 2007

Western quality at chinese price

It is an open secret that buying at a good price means to be able to sell at a better price and selling at a better price means selling a lot.
That makes a good and profitable business and who wouldn't like it?
So, if you plan to start a business, may be selling sun glasses (this IS the moment)
Wholesale Sunglasses is the right place to buy good stuff at a wonderful price.
And you do not even need to buy thousands of pieces, just one dozen per type and you can have a very good assortment investing a small sum.
CTSwholesalers.com offers many different types of Sunglasses of Name Brands like Gucci, Prada, Nike, Chanel and much more.
Till now to find so good pricing you HAD to go to China.
Well, now you find the Western quality at Chinese price.
Where can you sell them?
I would suggest eBay, or concerts, or Flea Markets or wherever you think you can find a good number of people.
Of course your own shop is not a bad idea.
You can offer the highest quality eyewear and the best products available on the market today at such a good price that you can win all competition!

One thousand and one way to let your Blog work for you



Out of one thousand and one way this, in my opinion, is one of the best.
It works this way:
1) You go to The News Room website.
2) Register
3) Now you can copy and share whatever news you want.
This is something great. Because you are actually authorized to copy content for your Blog!
Where is the catch? (Because THERE IS ALWAYS A CATCH, never forget!)
You will make the money via advertising share.
They will put advertisement on their content and this content will be shared in your blog.
CPM starts at $1.
So, what is the advantage?
You can put relevant, timely news on your site. In this way you can earn prizes including electronics, vacations, and cars when you participate.
I do not think I have to tell you how easy it is to copy and embed...who still doesn't know HOW TO COPY?
In this case you have a FREE, (they even pay you) huge, choice.
They do not call it "copying" they call it "mashing"which in my opinion sounds much better (but in the end comes to the same result) the difference is that when you use the mash button to embed a news story or a news feed (with advertising) onto your website or blog you begin earning revenue...
In other words: you earn a share of the advertising revenue each time mashed news is viewed on your site.
Not only! You can also earn money when someone mashes content from your site and it is viewed on theirs. This will be around $0.15 CPM. So, from now on you can write: "Please copy my post!"
And if you are REALLY, REALLY good, you can even win prizes from digital cameras to a new car as part of their loyalty program!
This looks too good to be true ( but if you do not believe, you can try, it costs nothing)



The news of the future

The newspaper of the future is more like a socializing tool than a source of information.
Remember the housewives circles where they gossiped about things happening?
The news was not just information it was a matter for discussion and keeping of discussion.
That is what the audience likes: to be part of the news.
Putting something of themselves in any kind of comments.
Also the written one.

As sparkling as only a diamond can be

What would make a beautiful face more beautiful, or give a special touch to a pretty face?
Of course two diamond earrings.
You do not need elaborate frames or shapes, diamonds are so stunning, they do not need anything to enhance their beauty.
The shape I love best is the classic , round and pure white.
Like the ones you can find as a special offer, at a special price $ 2245 at penndiamondexchange which is well known for the fabulous price on any kind of diamonds.
This are absolutely gorgeous.
They are quite big: 2.05CT, D-F color, SI3/I1 clarity, ideal cut, totally natural, very bright.
They can be mounted in 14K white or yellow gold, friction or screwbacks.
I personally find the white gold more becoming to the sparkling of diamonds and enhancing their brightness (even though they do not need it).
And if you still have some money left, I think you could match them with a beautiful 2.43ct Round Diamond Eternity Band which comes at the special price of $1850.
What I like of both is the fact that they do not follow any fashion, they are beautiful now and will still look beautiful in 30 years or more.
The only thing that changes with the time is their price and their value.
If you buy a designer's dress today, you pay almost the same, but next year it will be outdated, while the money spent in diamonds is a good investment.
You have something that looks nice, that makes you looking beautiful and not only will keep its value, it will upgrade it.
I am sure if you know the value and the price of diamonds now you will know where to buy them.




This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.

The falling cost of technology makes it possible to the small to compete and sometimes even win the giants

In our book we talk about the 4C's: Commerce, Culture, Community & Conectivity as a means to reliably map whether a commercial initiative will succeed or fail in todays world. We believe you need all 4.

I was asked, what comes next? The 2.0 question. And It was a good question.

My view is that, we are just about witnessing the dramatic reordering of the media industry, and in fact many other industries driven by the falling cost of technology, the fact we are a We species, and the fact that today we are all capable of creating and distributing, knowledge, information and culture.

So what next? The next is the reordering of Medicine, Education, and Politics. No aspect of what makes our civil society tick will be left untouched. Darwinism is upon us. Forcing us to adapt or die.

Tomi Ahonen

I agree that the falling cost of technology makes it possible to the small to compete with the big.
And sometimes being even better.
Better because cheaper and more flexible than a giant.
Remember David an Golia?

Big Brother in the SKY

When Summer comes I love to eat on my terrace.
It is in the back of the house and faces my garden.
I have a very old house and very old trees in it.
The kind birds like, so my garden is full of birds of every kind, big and small.
And I like to do bird watching sitting on a comfortable chair eating my meals or drinking my coffees and teas.
Some people like to watch TV, I enjoy watching Nature.
All this to explain how much I welcome the birth of a new electronic gadget.
This will be the mix between nature and cool gadgets for me.
It is easy to use, also for a dummy electronic user as me, and in the same time gives you the right approach to the sky.
In the night birds usually sleep, but the Sky is full of stars and the big brother of nature goes on for me.
And it works almost like a TV. A real Reality show.
You can even change channels.
One of the menu choices is the Skymap option, and along with it you can choose “Tonight’s Best Tour.” “Tonight’s Best Tour” and it will take you to the most interesting objects in the sky for your time, date, and location.
MySKY is the easy way to know more of the world around us, is an interesting and exciting new way of entertainment, made for people who want to see, not just look at.
MySky is not a tool for an astronomer or a curious student. It is a wonderful gadget for people like me, a new entertainment.
It could be a wonderful gift, you would be always remembered for.
It is even quite cheap, as almost all you can find at OpticsPlanet.com

MySKY

This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

For the nostalgic of the Sixties

If you are one like me, a baby boomer, who lived her youth in the seventies, who was a fanatic feminist, who belonged to the ones burning their bras, who adored Twiggy and no breasted women, I guess you still cannot get used to the big breast spurting out of an outrageous décolleté, or no décolleté at all.
You, like me , prefer the elegance of Audrey Hepburn to the vulgarity of many starlets with lips like Africans and breast like old fashioned South Italy women.
I am one of those who loves classic dresses, with smart accessories and almost no make up.
In a few words, I think that "class is not water" and breast must be the right size.
So, if you have my tastes and a breast like Marilyn Monroe, may be you are looking for a place where they do exactly the opposite of what women do now:
Beverly Hills breast reduction, where they can give you that touch of class that only a well proportioned breast can give to a woman.
And if you look for a place with standards to your breast surgery, you can stop here:
Los Angeles breast reduction
But beware, the "size only" method often leaves the breasts smaller, but still lacking the pleasing shape you are looking for.
Proportion is what I am talking about.
It doesn't need to be too small, it just needs to be the right size for your body.
In a few words, you want to add that perfection that nature often lacks.
And you will, with the help of a California Plastic Surgeon, because he knows how to bring an individualized approach to your breast's size.

Are you a "almost dummy" blogger with the aim to get much better?

If you are one among us majority, this website is tailored for you (and me):

Synergy Shared Link Service

What do you find there?
They have made a script for generating social networking links from any site.
Do you remember? All those links you saw in other people's blogs and you would have liked to copy, not knowing how.
Well, NOW you know how.
And it is simpler than you think.
Just follow very easy instructions and you'll be able to integrate it in your website.
They will come out with two alternatives.
I choose both, just to avoid mistakes, but you can limit to one.

The link options are really unlimited.
You can send email, blogmarks, Comments, Feedmedlinks, live favorites, Blogmemes, buddymarks, give a link and all you can dream of...(just have a look.
But this is not all.
You can find also Freeware and Open Source , Microsoft Window's Security test (very trendy right now), Very simple guides to do things you always dreamed doing and were not able to, Reviews , Code and Downloads Recommended RSS Feed List .
And of course, everything is FREE!

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Wind, Water, Fire it doesn't matter, as long as it works...

"Would the USA be a better place if we could run Wal-Mart and Las Vegas on wind power? I don't think so. Would the public benefit from another hundred years of suburban living -- and an economy based largely on creating ever more of it? All the Prozac in the universe would not avail to offset the diminishing returns of that bullshit."
Jim Kunstler

Well, you could have an answer to this question from the millions working for Wal-Mart or managing and getting revenues from Las Vegas Casinos and the rest...
May be they would like to try with wind, or rain, or fire or whatever.
As you say, the right answer is: The Statu Quo.
The only right solution would be being able to create a parallel world where everybody can have the same or possibly more with something else whatever it is...
With a full stomach the world looks more shining...

Directly contacted, indirectly charged.

PPP direct is the new, direct way to be sponsored and paid to blog.

It works this way:

"simply drop the appropriate HTML snippet into your blog template. Advertisers that come across your blog and love what you do can then click on the image in your blog and create an opportunity just for you."

Since long they are talking about the Internet destroying the role and figure of the "middlemen".
People can DIRECTLY contact the customers and avoid useless charges.
But Ted Murphy, the genius of the new kind of Internet Advertising, knows better.
He knows the way to let people directly contact the customers and STILL needing the middlemen.
Companies can directly sponsor blogs and bloggers they like and approve.

"We believe PayPerPost Direct is a great addition to the PayPerPost.com marketplace and is going to generate a wealth of fantastic high quality content out there, so why not get started today. "
In other words: we believe that the future is an advertiser directly contacting the marketing guy, so we'd better think before.
This is strategy and good forecast.
Besides, it is not a new model on the paid blogging advertisement, but it is undoubtely the cheaper.
10% charges (of which 5% are expenses), instead of 30% and more of other companies.
I do not know if you are a real genius, but I think money invested on you is well invested money, Ted.

How to be a modern film producer

A little artistic blood is very advantageous, almost essential to be a really great film producer. ( in case you lack it, you can always copy a great film producer like Fellini, for example)
The first aim of a modern film producer should be to teach Hollywood a lesson.
You must not touch any typically American subject.
For instance: a young man of Carthage (Kentucky) who can whistle beautifully goes to town, and after many disappointments forms his own swing band and becomes the leading conductor of New York's night life- which, if you can take the implication of Hollywood films seriously, is one of the highest honors which can be conferred on anyone in that country.
At the same time he falls in love with the cloakroom attendant of a drugstore round the corner, a platinum blonde, ravishingly beautiful, who sings a little.
After a last minute scandal with the world famous prima donna, she saves the first night of her lover's show in the presence of an audience of six million people.
The young and mighty successful band-leader marries the girl...
Or, there is a gay, buoyant, happy and miserably poor young man in Alabama who becomes tremendously rich just by selling thousands of tractors and jet-propelled airplanes to other poor fellows.
The richer he becomes, the unhappier he is- which is a subtle point to prove that money does not mean happiness, consequently one had better be content to remain a poor laborer, possibly unemployed.
To increase the "deep" meaning of the film they photograph the heroes from the most surprising angles: under people's feet, on the chandelier, in a bowl of soup.

A modern film director should follow a different and quite original line.
They have discovered that the majority of the public does not consist , after all, of idiots, and that an intelligent film is not foredoomed to failure.
It was a tremendous risk to make experiments based on this assumption, but it has proved worth while.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Ideas create new ideas and new ideas make the world going on...

Could a blogger not be interested in Encyclocenter?
I very much doubt it.
An Encyclopedia is the place where you can find the world in articles.
If you click on Writing you will be able to read everything about The Grolier Club.
This, for example is my favorite.
I am very fond of graphic arts and this club's objective is "the literary study and promotion of the arts pertaining to the production of books."
The founder, Jean Grolier is a Renaissance Collector.
Could an Italian not be interested in him?
But this website is the collection of articles about almost everything, from Auto and trucks to Food, Humor, Religion, Women and Men, everything you can be interested in...

And if you lack ideas for your posts, this is a real treasure...

This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.

Imagine

"Imagine that when you shopped online for a digital camera, you could see whether anyone you knew already owned it and ask them what they thought. Imagine that when you searched for a concert ticket you could learn if friends were headed to the same show.

Or that you knew which sites - or what news stories - people you trust found useful and which they disliked. Or maybe you could find out where all your friends and relatives are, right now (at least those who want to be found)."

Fortune

I just imagine how this would be misused...

In the fight among sellers the one who earns is the buyer

There has never been a moment in which it is so unavoidable to use a credit card.
How can you buy online without one?
Or how can you carry with you as much cash as you would like to spend?
And there has never been a better moment to apply for a credit card.
Because there is a big fight to get customers and, of course, the winner is the one with the best offer.
So, the only thing you have to do is spending some time looking for the best bargain.
Mint Credit Cards offer a card with an attractive introductory offer and have recently lowered their typical APR.
How does it sound 0% interest credit card?
They say their credit card lets you SAVE, SAVE and SAVE.
Save on purchases.(0%)
Save on balance transfer. (2.5% fee)
Bonus offer on balance transfers after the 1th of August 2008
Typical 14.9% APR

Besides you can enjoy: 24 hours customer service, you can manage your account online, shop safely online with Mint secure, you can even get up to 56 days interest free on purchase.
Well, if you are looking for a good bargain, I think you can stop here.


This is a sponsored post, please read disclosure policy.
 
ss_blog_claim=a290fbfb2dabf576491bbfbeda3c15bc