Using a ‘remote eye’ for security

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Wasn’t it the American critic H L Mencken who said, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.”? I couldn’t agree more. While freedom is essential to a fulfilling life, it has to backed by security, which will let man free to explore and discover.

Coming more down to earth, who secure is the world today? or, for that matter, your own home? Or even your backyard? Given the escalating crime figures, I’d like to keep a watch on my home even when I’m away in the office of halfway around the globe. With today’s technology coming up with groundbreaking security cameras, this is no longer science fiction.

Then again, even if you’re requirement is not so high-tech, you will still gain from installing one of the many types of security cameras available today — online or at leading electronics stores. You could go in the traditional CCTV, infrared or motion sensor cameras, to name a few. Infrareds allow you the view with little or no external light, since they work from the heat given off by people’s bodies, whereas motion sensitive cameras just go on when they sense a motion. You might also want to check the relatively new day/night camera, which feature an extra-sensitive imaging chip which deliver good pictures
without an infrared lens.

You may not be lost — but are you found?

Visibility. Perhaps that’s the only factor that counts when it comes to finding success on the Internet. How visible is your site? In other words, can your site be easily found by someone who’s interested in your content? Getting listed on search engines used to be next toughest thing after rocket science, but, lately, thanks to free web directories it’s become much easier.

You may have a professionally SEO’d (search engine optimized) website, but with listings on web directories will get you some additional boost. For one thing, think of your listing on a directory as getting a free back link to your site. Folks in the search engine business will tell you back links are like votes to your site, which will give your an extra edge over similarly SEO’d websites.

Next, it becomes easier for people who browse the web directories (think of it like Yellow Pages) to reach your site. This is so because websites are categorized by content, and you even get a brief description through you can give a snapshot of your site to potential visitors. You could also think of it as your site getting indexed in a systematic way. I find that this is a much easier and more effective way to get ‘found.’

Water in the head

No, it’s not a game, matter of fact, it’s a physical problem in the head… called hydrocephalus. The simplest explanation I could find about this situation is building up of a certain fluid in the head that causes it to expand.

Though the recorded incidence of hydrocephalus is just about 3 in 1000 births, it can still occur at any age. Causes could be genetic disorders and/or the irregular development of the fetus. Or the condition could arise from tumors, haemorrhages or head injuries.

Hydrocephalus treatment usually involves planting a shut, which diverts the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid to other areas of the body, where it can be absorbed.

Plan your bodybuilding

When it comes to workouts and/or bodybuilding, many lack patience and are in a big hurry to see results. While it is a good idea to go in for bodybuilding supplements, which help expedite the muscle build-up, there must also be well-planned diet plan to help those extra proteins to work most effectively for you.

Every gym will most likely have its own set of recommendations of bodybuilding supplements, but what works best for you is something you plan with the help of your physical trainer and also, preferably with your physician.

Is it her? Or is it the gift?

Now that we’re in the middle and the thick of gift giving season, I wonder what’s going on inside most people’s minds. Let’s face it: at least here in the US, gift giving has been commercialized — just the way Jurassic Park was commercialized — a long time ago.

Taking on from there, what about those who really, extra really, have a special someone in their lives? To who, the cosmetic appeal of a gift doesn’t matter; it’s probably the love in the wrapping that’s what matters. And if you have someone so special in your life, what would you choose from some unique gifts for her or him?

I mean, what would be your yardstick in choosing a gift? Would the occasion be familial or official or friendly or football buddy? How much does it matter? Does it matter so much that it will leave a difficult-to-fill dent in your credit card account? Would you want your special person to know that it left a dent?

If so, then it would not be a gift at all. It would be something you’d want to see in the mirror each morning… at least for a couple of days.

The ‘forever new’ city

If there’s one thing that has fascinated me about Orlando Florida is that it always appears to be ‘young’ and ‘not fully explored.’ I mean, you can vacation in Orlando ten times, but you’ll still find something new to do or find in the city the eleventh time you’re in the city.

With me and my family, it’s almost always been the theme parks… that’s one thing we can’t have enough of. Of course there’s the Walt Disney world and Universal Studios to begin with, but if you aren’t out of breath, you still have about 20 more theme parks to discover. Would that mean 20 holidays? Well, why not actually… there’s a theme park to catch each and every fancy… Sea World, Discovery Cove and Aquatica, the list goes on.

On the accommodation front, Orlando hotels are quite generous almost all throughout the year. In fact, right now, there are some great deals to be found, which throw in a free day or two. The hotels are really fanciful, and sometimes, I feel I ought to take a holiday and just stay in an Orlando hotel!

The vanishing art of paperback reading

Why is paperback reading an art? It’s definitely not… but the way the Internet has gushed into our lives, we have been leaning more and more towards a paperless world – in the office, and at home, so reading a ‘real’ book does take some inclination.

So there goes your paperback, and the sensory pleasure of holding a real, solid book in your hands and the excitement of turning the pages to read what happens next. Paperbacks are a vanishing species; little can they do to fight audio books and Kindle.

However, not all is lost, because some publishers still bring out their literature only in the form of paperbacks or hardbound editions. And you could order them from Amazon books or any other well established outlet.

This holiday season, my gift-giving list wasn’t hard to make – everyone gets a real, tangible book to read and keep.

Life in an online world

It’s an online world — from online banking to online dating. So much so that standalone computers seem like an outdated concept. However, one small detail we tend to forget is that more often than not, all data originates from a standalone. Take it or leave it, but it’s the truth.

And then we want that data to be available to us from anywhere in the world — and we don’t have our good old standalone with us. That’s exactly where online backup comes into play and shows you who’s the boss (on the other side of the world). You just access a remote server which patiently stores all your valuable data — photos, files, software, you name it — and just download only what you need. You could also password-protect files and folders, while also share them with others by allowing them access.

The cost of online has fallen drastically lately — so much so that even some of the well-established companies give you up to 2GB of storage space absolutely free. This could be extremely useful not only as a backup system, but also as a way to store sensitive data away from your laptop or office computer. Medium and large companies may prefer larger storage space, especially if they have large amounts of data which their customers or sales force will need to access globally.

Perfect Kind of a Perfect Pleasure

Wasn’t it English writer Oscar Wilde who said that about smoking? The perfect kind of a perfect pleasure, especially after a good dinner and when among friends, a good smoke is … well, pretty good.

However, as we all know, the trend towards cigarette smoking is on the decline, but then, cigars have never lost their standing in social circles. Whether it be a high-school reunion, or a corporate board meeting, smoking a cigar has always stood in good taste (pun intended).

Many people I meet have no idea whether a cigar should be aged, or how they should be stored… or even how to properly light them or even squash them. There’s a proper way to do everything with cigars, most of which can only be learned from experience and dealing with gentlemen who do smoke fine cigars.

And of course, there’s a consensus about the best cigars being made in Cuba. You can’t go wrong here with Padron cigars. They are handmade with South/Central American, aged long-leafed tobacco. It’s not like you’re trying to impress the board room. You just enjoy them… quite simply.

Money for college

I was talking about national growth with my professor, and the one thing he pointed out, was that which was totally essential to any kind of growth in any direction, was freedom. And then came education.

How, for instance, could you expect a country to achieve new levels of success if the basic cement of education was lacking? US universities do get grants from private companies for research, but what about those ‘third-world’ nations, who barely surive on learning the fundamentals from scratch?

We’re a progressive nation, and it’s important to stay that way with roots coming from education. Going to college is part of the American Dream, and for many Americans, paying for college is a major step. And with the knowing that education translates into money, there are a number of college student loans that are available to those that wish to pursue the faith in growth.