Cosmology

My interest in Cosmology started a few years ago when a entered my sons in the SA Maths Olympiad competition. The University in KwaZulu-Natal held a public lecture on the topic. I needed to kill time so I attended it. All I can say is Wow!

Things exist out there that feels infinite and eternal. See link http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Cosmology.htm to get a better understanding of what I am talking about.

I realize that cosmology is in a continuous state of development, and new ideas can become outdated very quickly. Throughout history most cosmologies suggested that the Universe was finite in size and variety. Even the Big Bang theory at first stated that before the BB there existed nothing.

Today, many qualify those views by claiming that nothing of the Universe existed before the BB, and that time and space within the Universe started with the BB. (While still holding onto the BB theory some cosmologists are claiming that mathematical evidence suggests, beyond science fiction images of the Cosmos).

Website links

http://www.harunyahya.com/create02.php

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/cosmology/1.html

http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/bigbang.htm

http://superstringtheory.com/cosmo/index.html

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Hyperkinetic Disorder and Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD)

PART ONE

Over the past 20 years I have been involved with Children (as parent & mentor) with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Hyperkinetic Disorder which is generally considered to be a developmental disorder, largely neurological in nature, affecting about 5% of the world's population.

Lets jump straight into the war zone: Reminding your children endlessly about the same things over & over, arguing repeatedly about daily tasks, school saying to you that your child is not working to their potential, forgotten to their lunch, homework, etc.

We as parents sometimes feel that these issues become overwhelming and lets not beat around the bush here, ADD/ADHD children do place stress on family relationships. Note, I am only covering children & not adults for the purposes of this article.

To understand what we mean by ADD/ADHD and how to really understand it, I would like to suggest that you read the following :

Some website links

http://www.chadd.org/default.htm (Highly recommended)

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/complete-publication.shtml

http://www.add-adhd.org/ritalin_CHADD_A.D.D.html

http://addadhd.suite101.com/blogs.cfm

http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/medical/add.html

http://www.adhasa.co.za/

http://www.addresources.org/

50 Tips on the Classroom Management of Attention Deficit Disorder

50 Tips for Managing Attention Deficit Disorder in the Classroom

Books to read:

Books 1

http://user.cybrzn.com/~kenyonck/add/books/five_best_add_adhd_books.html

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=2-9780684801285-3

I do strongly recommend that you read:

Driven to Distraction, Hallowell & Ratey: Recognizing and Coping With Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood

This book has some of the clearest explanations of what it feels like to be ADD. It is well-written by two psychiatrists who are themselves ADD.

Hardcover, 319 pages
Published by Pantheon Books
Publication date: March 1, 1994
ISBN: 0679421777

Reprint Edition
Paperback, 319 pages
Published by Simon & Schuster (Paper)
Publication date: March 1, 1995
ISBN: 0684801280

Book 2
50 Easy Tips for Parents of Kids with ADHD - by DARREN TAGLIARINI
This book is a wonderful straight forward collection of 50 interventions parents and teachers can do for a child with ADD/ADHD.

Book 3
http://www.additudemag.com/RCLP/sub/2728.html

Books 4

Balance Check's Largest List of ADD / ADHD / AD/HD Books A-Z: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(The books on this page are those that show up in searches for ADD / ADHD Books. This list is not a complete listing of all books on ADD / ADHD. Some of the professional-level books are not listed.)

PART TWO

As parents we need to understand that there are comorbid conditions related to attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD). Roughly half of all children with ADHD suffer from conditions like anxiety, depression or OCD. It is very important that you build a good relationship with your Doctor as this will be somewhat of a long term one.

Roughly half of all children with ADHD suffer from a condition like anxiety, depression or Obsessive-compulsive Disorder .

It is at this point where I would like you to read about Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder and Dyslexia(Bipolar Disorder and the Connection to Dyslexia).

Just a note – It is important to check your child's hearing, eyes, etc. When visiting your Doctor, it is important to take your child's school reports along. A comprehensive history of the child from pregnancy to current will assist your Doctor. Next – gloves off, if you think either you or hubby has had similar experience/challenges as the child has, be brave and discuss this too.

What is a Webcam & How to Choose one

I had a friend whose family is overseas & needed to maintain contact with them. Trouble is they are desperate to maintain eye contact & of course hear them (audio).

As you are aware South Africa does have much to offer in terms of bandwidth internet connections. So getting a webcam and staying in touch with the family (& friends) has never been easier.

What is a Webcam
A webcam is a small video camera that takes still or moving images and sends them to your PC via a USB cable. The quality of "image capture" is determined by the webcam's lens, optical sensor and the frame rate the camera can transmit. You need to be aware of the resolution being at least (640x480) , and the frame rate should be around 30 frames per second. If your looking to take movie clips then you will need a camera with a high resolution and frame rate.

PC specification and your Webcam
Your PC specification required to run the webcam of your choice should meet that specification. The majority of current webcams require at least Windows 98 Second Edition to work properly. Minimum processor requirements from 350MHz to 700MHz. RAM specifications vary from 128MB to 512MB.

General Information
A webcam's manufacturer will specify certain minimum requirements that your PC should meet if it is to work successfully with the device. These generally include the version of Windows on your PC, your processor's speed and the amount of RAM fitted. Some webcams use a USB Hi-Speed connection. Before you buy one of these cams check to see if your PC has USB2.0 ports. Most current webcams come with a built-in microphone, but a few don't. Before you buy, check to see if your webcam has a microphone, if it doesn't you'll have to buy one that plugs into your sound card.

The 2,000 Percent Solution

The 2,000 Percent Solution introduces "stallbusting," a process that shows how to recognize typical stalls and overcome them. It helps readers understand how companies habitually"think small" in order to feel comfortable and in control. However, only by learning to break certain bad thinking patterns, can we make great leaps forward, solve seemingly impossible problems and arrive at the future.


by Donald Mitchell (Author), Carol Coles (Author), Robert Metz (Author)

Affiliate Network and Marketplace

A new competitor to clickbank has arrived, it is an affiliate network and marketplace called Click2Sell. I would say it is a new generation powerful affiliate... http://onlineprofiting.join.click2sell.eu/

Why does my computer play dead?

Computers that suddenly roll over and play dead may be caused by a “fatal error.”. This usually results in a computer to shut-down. There are areas on your hard drive that should not be accessed. These forbidden areas are protected to prevent computer users from accidentally accessing them. Giving commands or making decisions could interfere in this protected space (forbidden area) could cause the computer to shuts down in self-defense.


Infinite loop: True to its name, an infinite loop refers to a computer getting stuck in a process that resembles a dog chasing its own tail. In essence, the computer is programmed to repeat certain commands over and over again until the command has been fulfilled or the requirement met. This unfortunate event often appears to the frustrated computer user as a “freeze,” when the computer sits idle and is unresponsive to commands. You may need to turn off the computer manually and reboot it.


Beware of viruses. A number of causes of file corruption on your computer may be caused by a virus such as a Trojan horse, or worm inserted into a file that you download and open on your computer. Even when you use anti-virus software and exercise caution when downloading items from the internet or opening email attachments, it is sometimes possible for these bits of malicious code to slip through your security.

When trouble looms consult an expert to Recover your files (Good luck!)

Distance learners

For those who wish to study at Universities that offer online degrees you better have some computer skills. You are going to need it if you want to pursue an online degree.

• You need a good understanding of how to navigate the Internet (know how to open an Internet browser, how to maximize and minimize the browser window).
• I would suggest you use a browsers like Mozilla Firefox which has extensive Help files.
• Make sure you know how to manage files on your computer. Do you understand how to use Windows Explorer, creating, copying, deleting and saving files on your Hard drive?
• If you don't know how to Copy and Paste, you better learn fast - Use the help files.
• Since your main form of communication is via email, you'll need to be familiar with sending and receiving email.
• As an online learner you'll need to know your way around some kind of word processing software. Microsoft Word is perhaps the way to go. You can use OpenOffice which is a free, easy to use.
  

Information Overload

"One of the effects of living with electronic information is that we live habitually in a state of information overload. There's always more than you can cope with."

-Marshall McLuhan

How to Read a Book:

My goal is to learn, which involves reading. The question is: How can one read efficiently, capture relevant ideas and so on... Mortimer J. Adler book will show you how. These books are a must for those who are studying.

Book 1 (By Mortimer J. Adler): How to Read a Book, originally published in 1940, has become a rare phenomenon, a living classic. It is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader. And now it has been completely rewritten and updated.You are told about the various levels of reading and how to achieve them -- from elementary reading, through systematic skimming and inspectional reading, to speed reading, you learn how to pigeonhole a book, X-ray it, extract the author's message, criticize. You are taught the different reading techniques for reading practical books, imaginative literature, plays, poetry, history, science and mathematics, philosophy and social science.Finally, the authors offer a recommended reading list and supply reading tests whereby you can measure your own progress in reading skills, comprehension and speed.


Book 2 (By Mortimer J. Adler; Simon and Schuster, 1967.): The Art of Getting a Liberal Education. Book is 404 pgs. Check out this link: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=978814#

What is System Architecture?

Architecture description

An architecture description is a formal description of an information system, organized in a way that supports reasoning about the structural properties of the system. It defines the components or building blocks that make up the overall information system, and provides a plan from which products can be procured, and systems developed, that will work together to implement the overall system. It thus enables you to manage your overall IT investment in a way that meets the needs of your business.

Architecture framework

An architecture framework is a tool which can be used for developing a broad range of different architectures. It should describe a method for designing an information system in terms of a set of building blocks, and for showing how the building blocks fit together. It should contain a set of tools and provide a common vocabulary. It should also include a list of recommended standards and compliant products that can be used to implement the building blocks.

See the following link that will cover this topic in layman terms

http://www.niwotridge.com/Essays/WhatisSystemArchitecture.htm

Young Adults with a vision – Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate Marketing a widespread global method of promoting products & services online through a website, in which a website owner (Affiliate) is rewarded for every sale provided through his efforts.

Well, my son who is at University, his younger brother and cousin excited about making money using the internet, approached me for some advise. I listened as they explained that instead of companies paying huge amounts of money on global advertising, they could promote and sell these companies' products for free.

I was obviously excited about their enthusiasm. I explained to them that Service Delivery in cyber space is of paramount importance, customers continue to demand even greater products and services seeking a constant lowering of costs. We must deliver greater value to our customers or create comparable value at a lower cost while ensuring financial sustainability.

I covered the issue (as potential partners), that the importance of achieving fundamental performance lies in the ability of the partners to have a vision of the future and to make the appropriate moves through commitment and involvement, striving for excellence when supporting the merchants and its customers. I went on to explain, it is essential that a combined effort is required towards retaining and growing customers and introducing new Merchants and their products and services using ICT.

My BIG question to them was, how are you going to ensure as partners, that your company will be successful? I again asked, what is your product and service offering? What is the market potential and many such questions followed.

I advised them to draft a business plan to answer the above questions. We typically covered the topics required to write a business plan. 21 pages pages later working with this team they had drafted their final business plan. As parent, I must say it was wonderful to see how much our young adult children have grown over the past few years.

What did impress me is this key statement in their business plan - I quote “Our affiliate business is about linking buyers and merchants via our website (i.e. meyersonlineshop.com). Visitors (i.e., potential customers) to our website are expected to use the links provided on our website to access the merchant’s website where they are able to view the merchant's products or service offerings.”

I now understand the key technologies employed by their company, is website hosting. This is done in partnership with BlueHost (See company website URL – http://www.bluehost.com).

Having full insight to the business plan, I understand what the purpose of the business is and what they aim to achieve.

Well done to Jonathan, Nathan and cousin Brendon.

What Is Strategic Leadership?

The common usage of the term strategic is related to the concept of strategy. It is simply a plan of action for accomplishing a goal.

It is nothing more than the ability to anticipate, prepare, and get positioned for the future. It is the ability to mobilize and focus resources to make a difference and who will position you for success in the future.

e-Marketing Strategies

Besides CRM I will also be covering e-Marketing Strategies

In terms of your e-Marketing Strategy we must consider covering areas such as e-Marketing Strategies, e-Mail Marketing, e-Newsletter. Latter I will cover e-Brochure, Privacy, Sales Promotions, etc.

e-Marketing Strategies
If you have not considered what I am going to cover in this article best you read it with understanding and get cracking or else you will be left behind

So, I am pleased with your forward looking approach regarding the subject matter e-Marketing Strategies - smile!

Embracing technology to address e-Marketing is excellent seeing that we have the means to pull this off quickly – From a technology enabling point of view your company is correctly positioned to achieve this - if not get on with it.

Your e-Marketing strategy must assist the company in building customer acquisition and retention. We can not take a stand-alone approach; I recommend you put in place (as an integral part of our business) a robust e-Marketing strategy in support of our business.

In my view the Internet is one of the greatest marketing tools in our toolkits today. We must use it more effectively.

e-Mail Marketing
You would need to take a good look at what your companies response-driven (interactive -relevant) message to both the company & your customers should look like when events such as conferences, workshops, etc. are to be held. We would need to have these responses designed in such a way that it makes it easier for us to address areas such as Admin that goes with such an event. You should also ensure that the IP knowledge during this process is captured on our CRMs, Client contact database, etc.

A simple area you can address immediately is your electronic stationery. For instance you should standardize (in line with your companies Marketing policy - profile document – covering corporate branding, image, logo, colour, etc.) on what the look and feel of all emails should be before they are sent out.

You need to discuss what tools to use to measure the effectiveness of our e-mail campaigns? i.e. methods for tracking, analyzing, and optimizing e-mail campaigns to get the highest return on our investment. Using e-mail intelligently and strategically will benefit your company.

Note: You would need to engage the LAN staff to address the technical issues regarding the above. Marketing can develop dynamic interactive emails.

Conclusion: Organization who are seeking to enhance customer retention and increase revenues need to use Email marketing systems sooner rather than later. Creating and distributing top-quality email newsletters, product updates and discount offers is a sure way of keeping your select clients abreast of developments in your organization. Your well designed marketing campaign can effectively increase sales. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_marketing

e-Newsletter
Electronic Newsletters can also be designed in such a way that it not only provides information (content), but can also be response-driven (interactive -relevant) to both the company & its customers.

Meyer Online

Welcome to my site.

I am currently studying an MBA. I enjoy reading about Customer Relationship Management, Sales Management and Service Leadership topics. These are directly beneficial to doing my work.

I will cover some of these areas in the near future on my site.

Remember that blogs is a great way to get started and for us to share our knowledge and insights.

Love to hear from you!