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12 Practical Uses of GPS for Everyday People

GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most commonly conjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-age satellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-types and sportsmen. But the reality is that there are far more applications of Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS vehicle tracking or map navigation that everyday people like us can benefit from. All it takes is a bit of creativity, and some trial and error. Here are a few of the many possibilities that can benefit you right now in your busy and hectic life.

1. Know where your children are using services from companies like uLocate Communications.

2. Keep track of elderly members of your family, so that they don’t wander off alone.

3. Plan a road trip around interesting points of interests, landmarks, campsites, diners, etc, and hear fewer “Are we there yets?”- and of course get the most out of that expensive gas.

4. Get emergency road side assistance at a touch of a button from your vehicle, so you can get help exactly where and when you need it.

5. Keep a visual journal and bookmark collection of your favorite hot spots, sceneries, and points of interests, that may not be listed in any travel guide (You can create your own mini travel guides and memories).

6. Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS, better than running around in your pajamas hollering like a maniac.

7. Feel safer with cellular phone 911 calls, so emergency personnel can pinpoint your location once you make an emergency call. Please double check your carrier service to see that it has GPS features and get a primer on how it works if possible.

8. Get to your interview, or any important time sensitive destination or engagement, faster by finding shortcuts and correct directions.

9. Find a good Italian restaurant near your movie theatre on the fly.

10. Track your luggage, laptops, and anything of importance while traveling.

11. Track and find family, friends in a crowded concert, graduation, or any social gathering.

12. When going on a vacation, feel free to separate from group for a while to venture on your own based on your own interests and find them later on with your GPS enabled device- even in an unfamiliar place.

Our ability to use GPS so far is limited by the relatively poor connection to the satellite feeds when we are indoors in buildings, homes, or behind anything that could obstruct the GPS connection. However with the investment and development in a new satellite network called Galileo which should be completed in the near future, these problems should be eliminated drastically. Despite these problems, GPS still offers a world of benefits as mentioned earlier, and with any technology, it will only get better.

In addition to more practical usage applications, GPS will make a great educational and fun gift for your loved one’s and friends as well. Consider just two of the many creative and educational uses of GPS:

1. Stay physically active and fit by playing RayGun! A locational based cell phone game based on GPS technology.

2. Become more cultured, make global friends, and learn about the world playing GeoCache, a global GPS based treasure hunt.

With many affordable feature-rich models to satisfy anyone’s preferences and budgets, now is as good a time as any to learn more about GPS technologies, which are surely to become more assimilated into the mainstream within the decade. One day we will take these things for granted just like we do now for the internet and cell phones. The key is to dive in, without paralyzing yourself with the overwhelming array of choices in the GPS market, and enjoying some truly amazing technology.

Visit GPSZoom.com for a dizzying array of ways in which GPS can improve your lifestyle including with GPS tracking services for people and vehicles, and for those adventurers at heart- technology to help you conquer the outdoors, one trail at a time.

Alternative View Points and the Lamp of Creativity

Pictures they say are worth a thousand words, but many writers know that they are worth much more than that!

Without decent photographs or other artwork to accompany an article many features published in todays magazines and newspapers would never see the light of day, so it makes sense to try and supply illustrations along with your submissions.

Last month’s article gave some tips and advice on how to improve your camera wielding technique so click here if you missed it.

This month we’re going to look at how photographs can spark off ideas for features and other writing opportunities which means taking the slightly unusual step of writing the article around the picture rather than finding photographs to illustrate the article.

So let’s begin with the hanged man. Who on earth is that and what does he have to do with writing or photography? Not much really, but he makes a nice analogy. The hanged man from the Tarot card deck for those not familiar with this form of divination, is the only card in the major arcana which is the right way up when it shows the hanged man upside down!

Although he is bound and beset by problems and troubles he has taken the bold step of considering the world and his options from an alternative view point which is what exchanging our computers and pens for a camera can do for us.

A good method of doing this is to set yourself a couple of themes. What these themes are depend on you and your interests, but let’s suppose you chose “chimneys” and “dogs”.

Both of these are common enough to ensure plenty of subject matter and you should be able to find enough examples whether you are a town or country dweller. Don’t forget to take plenty of film with you, (or spare batteries and flash cards for digital cameras), and most importantly! A pen and notebook!

A couple of hours wandering the streets gazing skywards at smoke blackened chimney stacks or staring fixedly at the local canine Romeo plighting his troth to Lady Muck’s prize Saluki might earn you a few odd looks from the neighbours, but with a bit of luck and determination on your part could also add a few pennies to the coffers as well.

The trick is to take plenty of snaps, a doddle if you’ve got a digital camera as you’ll only be printing off the shots you want to keep. If not, well you can often get cheap film from your local dealer’s bargain box. The developing costs you’ll have to take on the chin, unless there’s a special offer running.

The next stage is to examine what you’ve got. This is a bit like a deep sea fisherman trawling for cod. Your net is not very discriminating and you’ll find a lot of sprats and mackerels amongst your “catch”. You may not actually have any photographs worthy of publication, but you will almost certainly have ideas and if this means that you will have to go out again armed with your camera to shoot appropriate illustrations, then so be it!

Let’s assume you do have a fair amount of reasonable photographs. What sort of article could you write around these subjects? Well of course this will depend very much on what is actually in the photographs, but let’s go back to our neighbourhood Romeo. A few ideas you could pursue are the problems of stray dogs and irresponsible dog owners, owners that resemble their dogs, (or other pets), where to responsibly exercise the town dog, dogs at work, get the idea?

The chimney photographs may suggest a feature on ornate chimney pots,Victorian potters, (many were often made locally), the local chimney sweep, the history of a particular house or row and the characters associated with them, Santa and problem chimney stacks, (or lack of them!).

The photographs themselves will spark ideas, but you don’t have to stop at newspaper or magazine features. Good animal, nature and landscape shots may also find a market with greeting card manufacturers and if you can write the sentiments to accompany them so much the better.

In fact, once you build up a collection of quality photographs your options increase all the time, not only in providing illustrations for your own articles, but as stand alone sales to newspapers which for the new comer, is one of the easiest markets to break into.

Our canine Romeo for instance could just make an editor’s day as an alternative and humorous slant on Valentine’s day. Now there’s an idea! How about a feature on love in the animal kingdom? Just the thing for next year’s Valentine’s day!

Finally, a word of caution. Do be careful when taking photographs. Many people consider it a breach of privacy having their photographs taken without asking and may not relish being splashed across the front page of the local rag.

You need to be even more cautious when photographing children. They of course make excellent subjects but sadly your motives can easily be misconstrued. If you want to cover a local sports day, school fair or play always obtain permission from the school first.

When you arrive at the event, make a point of letting the head teacher know that you are there. Sending copies of snaps to the school and the children concerned will help to establish trust and credibility.

So, going back to the hanged man, all you need to make sales is an alternative view point. Thankfully you don’t have to suspend yourself upside down from a tree, just reach for the light box and light the lamp of creativity!

Poetry for Profit contains a lot of information on the greeting card market which is an ideal place to target words and pictures while READ ALL ABOUT IT! The WriteLink to Newspaper Writing has a detailed chapter on taking photographs for the local and regional press.

Recommendations for Organising Ski Transfers from Geneva Airport for Your Chalet Holidays

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With the up to date air-conditioned 9 man buses and Maybach, Jeep, Buick, or Cadillac vehicles we can take as many people as 17, or 20 when you and your group need this. And your drivers are very handy in adverse driving conditions for your groups comfort. Of course the drivers are completely insured and trained.

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Time-Saving Skills to Get More from Your Writing

As you set out to create your first niche non-fiction book (and hopefully your first bestseller), you will be supported by a strong motivation to keep your mind focused on the essential business at hand i.e. complete the project, achieve publication, and hit the bestseller lists.

Before that can happen though, you’ll need a plan to get you underway.

MANAGING YOUR TIME TO SPEED THE PROCESS

The only time constraints are those of your own making. This is not a race and you are not competing with anyone else, so don’t rush.

- Make out an action list for every day of your new adventure but don’t overload it.

- Never start on tomorrow’s work today. Tomorrow will be time enough.

- Take a break when hit a snag. Rest, go for a walk, watch a movie – and come back refreshed.

- You will work best during your most creative time of the day or week. We have already established that for some people, that is very early in the morning; for others, late at night or over the weekend. Try to discover when your creative moments occur and capitalize on them.

- Don’t work when you’re tired or jaded. You run the risk of turning out garbage and opening the door to disillusion.

- When you’re surfing the Net for information, always be on the lookout for items of relevance to your project. These could be in the form of articles and reports. They are in the public domain, so incorporate extracts if you feel they would enhance your content. If you need author consent, ask for it; permission will not be unreasonably withheld.

OPENING SEPARATE FILES FOR EVERY ASPECT OF THE PROJECT

You will have many matters to attend to (often simultaneously) in the process of writing up your material, converting it into book format, and preparing your output for publication. Make the job easier and cut down dramatically on your workload by creating separate computer files of every aspect of the project; files you can refer to instantly.

o Research findings
o Working notes
o Draft copy
o Structuring the list of contents
o Authoring resources
o Preface
o Back cover blurb
o Glossary
o Index
o Publishing options
o Proposal for publication

Coordinate your activities this way right from the start and the production of current and future produce will look after itself. It will flow off the assembly line like honey dripping from a spoon.

WHY THOSE WORKING NOTES ARE YOUR STOCK-IN-TRADE

Your various researches will have provided you with an ever-growing batch of working notes (stuff you have copied to a computer file or pulled down from web sites and printed out); notes that you should always have readily to hand when working on every aspect of the overall project. These notes are the stock-in-trade you will refer to frequently in the fulfillment of your sundry assignments.

WHY GOOD AUTHORING RESOURCES ARE ESSENTIAL

If you are to produce information products worthy of publication, products that people will want and be willing to pay for, you need access to as many efficient authoring resources as you can locate. You’ll want to be able to visit a comprehensive cyberspace library for additional information- and perhaps even acquire some help with your creative writing.

Here are some other online places you can visit.

LITERARY LEAPS
Thousands of publishers, bookstores, literary locales.
http://www.literaryleaps.com

BOOK MARKET
‘If you are new to book marketing, you’ve come to the right site’ – John Kremer, editor, Book Marketing Update newsletter.
http://www.bookmarket.com

PUBLISHING RESOURCES
Valuable tools and resources for the worldwide publishing community.
http://www.bookzonepro.com

HOW MANY WORDS? – HOW MANY CHAPTERS?

It’s never that easy to estimate the eventual length of your first work but (as a rough guide) if you are planning on turning out 10/12 chapters your word count should be somewhere between 30,000 to 35,000 words; for 12/15 chapters allow for 35,000 to 45,000 words. Do not set firm targets at the outset though because as your list of contents develops so too will the potential number of chapters in the final draft. Some material will merge with other data, some will expand, and some will disappear altogether.

HOW DRAFY COPY HELPS TO SHAPE THE FINAL PRODUCT

Even with a fully structured outline to work from (which we’ll discuss in the next chapter), committing the first paragraph to your word processor can often prove problematic. When you’ve accomplished the opening salvo and it is to your liking, press on with the composition but stop now and again to review what you have written. Doing it this way, your output operates much in the same way as a fountain; ideas spill out presenting you with new angles and twists in direction. This will continue to happen every time you return to work on your draft copy – and all to the betterment of the final product.

DEVELOPING A DISTINCTIVE TITLE FOR YOUR BOOK

The title of your book depicts the very first words that anyone reads; it is the catalyst that determines whether anything else is read. As such it is an instrument of ultimate consequence. When the title is plumb center, it hits the bull’s eye; when it’s off center, it’s off the wall. Treat the development of a distinctive title as essential work that you cannot start on too soon, but never settle for the first suggestion that springs to mind, no matter how brilliant it strikes you at the time. Keep working on it, polishing it, developing the power words that will transform it into a masterful catch phrase that compels the prospect to turn the pages. Even when you have done all this to your satisfaction, you may find that a publisher alters it. Don’t balk or consider the change as interference. Publishers know better than authors do what constitutes a winning title.

Remember too that a powerful sub-title that sells the title itself is of equal necessity. In my new course I discuss how to wrap both into a commanding double-edged designation.

Your ability to plan for fulfilment will hinge largely on how effectively you manage your time. If this is a problem for you, draw down my complimentary e-report at this website http://1st-creative-writing-course.com/makemoney.html

Jim Green is a bestselling author with an ever-growing string of niche non-fiction titles to his credit. ‘Make Money Writing Part Time’ is his latest dynamic creative writing course and is available for immediate download at
http://www.1st-creative-writing-course.com/makemoney.html

Find round Eyeglasses Online

If you, like many other consumers, find an appeal in the shape of round glasses, you may be happy to know that you can find a wide selection of this type of eye wear online. That’s correct. There’s no need to pick from the skimpy selection at your local eye wear retailer when you can go online, twenty four hours per day, seven days per week, and shop for all sorts of round glasses. The fact is that round eye wear has become a bit hard to find. About twenty years ago, they were very popular. Now, people still like them, but there are a variety of other styles that are available on the market, so the selection has become proportionately smaller.

Satisfy your desire for round eyeglasses by shopping at one of the largest online retailers that is available. There, you can find all kinds of different styles of round glasses. For example you can find ones with titanium frames or plastic frames. If you prefer a skull temple style or a curly band temple style, you can find that as well. Nose pads or a saddle bridge are also available within the many styles of round eye wear. Shop online and have your pick of the many different styles.

Prostate Gland Wellbeing – the Herbal Way

BPH, or benign prostate hyperplasia, is a medical term commonly used for a swollen prostate gland. Put simply this entails that the prostate gland, a gland similar in shape to a walnut situated just below the bladder and enveloping the urethra, grows bigger this can impair and block urinary flow. The prostate enlarges as the years go by and as a result may produce several ailments such as problems passing urine, reduced urinary flow, and a sense of not evacuating the bladder totally after passing urine. Nighttime frequency and even continual urinary tract infections may additionally be brought about by an enlarged prostate gland.

Prostate Gland Swelling – Medical Therapies: — Men over sixty frequently develop prostate enlargement. It is recommended that men over the age of fifty are examined by their personal doctors each year, even should no symptoms look to be occuring, for the maintenance of prostatic health. Inability to urinate or blood is noticed whilst passing urine is a signal to seek swift medical intervention. Traditional therapies for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia can include surgical operations or medicines. Nevertheless, erection dysfunction and even loss of bladder control can be observed following a surgical procedure. An alpha blocker and medicines to shrink the abnormal prostate gland are often given for better prostate gland health, but medication will frequently have negative results. Which more holistic options are available?

Got an Enlarged Prostate? A Natural Way to a Healthier Prostate Gland: To assist in the reduction of any problems connected with an enlarged prostatic gland and also to further better prostate gland fitness, various treatments can be indicated. African pygeum reduces swelling, controlling most of the symptoms. A product of the fruit of an African evergreen plant, African pygeum has been employed on a large scale by the Europeans as a holistic therapy to promote better prostate health.

A reduction of dietary fats may offer ease, so will excercising on a regular basis, the pressure in the prostate gland should also be relieved through ejaculating more often, and avoiding sitting for a long time. Problems may be aggravated thru taking antihistamines and decongestant drugs purchased over-the-counter, so please consume them sparingly. Cut down on caffeinated beverages and additionally alcoholic beverage, avoid drinking within a few hours of going to bed to reduce annoying urges to urinate at night.

Prostatic function can additionally be improved with other supplements for example saw palmetto extract, starflower oil capsules, the chemical element selenium, and lycopene, a compound found in tomatoes. Make sure you check with your healthcare professional before beginning the holistic treatment of an enlarged prostate.

Parts that Make the Whole… or Not

There are many parts that make up you.

There’s the Musical You, the Friendly You, the Amazing You, the Genius You, the Calm You, the Peaceful You, and many more parts that make up who you are – much like an identity check list:

All round good guy/gal part check
Uniquely amazing you part check
Witty and intelligent part check
Lovable and charming part check
Moody and indecisive part who me??? Never?
Selfish and greedy part not me! Never?
Self opinionated Nope, not me! Never?

We all have wonderful attributes; we also have parts not so wonderful which we’d rather keep hidden but really, it’s okay to acknowledge we have both. There’s a part of me that’s greedy. I can be greedy and thirsty for knowledge. On the flip side I will give away this knowledge to others. In a nutshell, there’s a part of me that really wants it and another part that gives it away.

Sometimes we have infighting between parts because one wants to do one thing and the other part wants to do the opposite, much like a tug of war. An example is when you hear yourself or someone else say “A part of me would really love to move on but then again a part of me would rather I stay” or “There’s a part of me that loves what money can bring but there’s another part that says it’s not important”.

Eventually we can become indecisive, apathetic, confused or frustrated, to name a few. If a win/win negotiation becomes lose/lose our parts will slowly begin to separate from our true self.

Imagine for a moment a plump juicy, untouched mandarin. With the mandarin’s segments still deliciously intact and protected by its shiny, orange outer skin, it’s whole. Now imagine that these segments are the mandarin’s parts or aspects if you like. Once peeled and a segment is broken off it then becomes separate from its original form. Very much like our parts when they separate. The difference is we can reclaim ours – the mandarin simply gets eaten.

Something Fun to Do

If you’ve haven’t given much thought to how many sides of you there are, maybe you’d like to try the following exercise. You can do this as a group or as something private and only for you.

Here’s what you do:

*Pencil in approximately one hour of ‘Me Time’ in your diary for the weekend, a day off, or after working hours and find yourself an area where you’ll be undisturbed.

*Get some A4 coloured sheets of paper, coloured pencils/textas/crayons, scissors, glue, and a large sheet of white card paper, and anything else you might like to include.

*Get into the Zone by spending some time in quiet contemplation before you start.

*When you’re ready – write on your coloured sheets of paper the parts of you that you discover.

Some examples might be:

Busy Me! Genius Me! Loud Me! Considerate Me! Hormonal Me! Selfish Me! Masculine/Feminine Me! Creative Me! The Sex Goddess/God Me! Wicked Me!

*Cut out all the different parts and glue to your large card paper – you might like to add stories to it, favourite quotations and anything you believe is relevant to you.

*When you’ve completed this exercise, step back and notice how truly unique you are.

Michaela is a graduate of a well known parapsychology academy in Sydney Australia, and is a highly-regarded professional within this field.
She is also a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and writer who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives.
High on Michaela’s list of passions is her Meditation and the Clarity and Balance programs. It’s from designing and delivering these programs and her inner need to express herself through the written word, and the practise of meditation that Michaela has now decided to share with others, her many meditations she’s written for her programs by means of her Meditation Script books.

Michaela is also the author and publisher of a monthly e-newsletter called From My Desk.

Married to David, Michaela has two children, Kristen and Aaron, and a grandchild called Matthew. Michaela and her family currently live in Brisbane Australia.