How to Overcome Fear in Flying

Tips in overcoming fear of flying 

Every year, the number of people that have having a hard time overcoming fear of flying is increasing. If you think that you are at risk of developing fear of flying or you know somebody who is already suffering from the condition, the best way to address the problem is to determine if there is really a "problem". In this case, the problem is the fear of the person in flying. Experts say that the earlier the phobia is diagnosed is the best treatment for this condition. This is because the problem could be addressed in its "infancy" stage so more options would be available for the patient. 

The first thing that one can do if he or she suspects that he or she might have developed this fear in flying is to check the symptoms of people who are diagnosed with it. Some of the common symptoms of the phobia include over anxiety or nervousness during the flight. Other manifestations of the condition might also include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, muscular tensions, motion sickness, excessive sweating, heavy breathing, palpitations or increased heart rate and uncontrolled shaking or trembling of the person's body. 

If these symptoms happen to a person during the flight, then there is a great need for him or her to seek professional help as soon as possible. The diagnosis of aviophobia is usually made by the psychologist who will offer fear of flying advices. He or she will also assess the patient by asking about him or her about the fear of flying, how it started, and the extent or the severity of the fear which may affects his or her life. Going to a psychiatrist is one of the basic treatments in overcoming fear of flying because he or she will give the person another perspective on the condition and will also help him or her handle the condition especially if it has reached phobic proportions. The following are just some of the tips that you can follow in order to overcome fear of flying: 

Why Do Some Websites Have Message Boards?

Remember when email seemed so quick and convenient? You could share your thoughts with a friend or group of friends within a period of a few minutes. Then the technology of instant messaging was developed, and with it, message boards. Website builders quickly picked up on the use of message boards, seeing how these boards allowed instant communication between everyone viewing their website.

A message board can be found in several different formats. Some websites require visitors to create an account, with a user name and password, before they can post a message on the board. Other websites have message boards that are open to anyone to post anonymously. Their post will show up instantly on the board. Sometimes, a message board will be watched over by an editor, or moderator, who can reject or delete posts based on whether the content of the post is appropriate for that website. On these boards, posts are often delayed for a brief period of time so that the moderator can read over the post. Some message boards are divided up by topic. These are also referred to as threads. Visitors to the message board can pick a topic, and when they post their message, it will appear under that topic. 

So what is the benefit of a website having a message board? Some websites are actually built around message boards. An example of this type of website might be a hobby website for people who like to paint scenery. The site would have a message board where artists could come to talk to other artists to get ideas or tips, or to find out about a specific topic related to painting, such as where to buy a certain type of paint or brush. Other websites have message boards to encourage traffic on their site. Think of a music group, for example. By providing message boards for their fans, they are encouraging their fans both to visit their site and to spread the word about their group, which would in turn increase album and merchandise sales.

If you are looking for information on any topic, a message board is a great place to visit. And, if you are building your own website, consider adding one; there are many benefits, and it will be appreciated by everyone who visits your site.

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The Science of Robosapien

At a glance, Robosapien looks great versus the old school box on wheels with clear dome head. ‘Ooh,’ you say, looks kinda like a muscled storm trooper and the fart button now that’s a hoot. We nod in polite agreement, but behind your back, we snicker at your total lack of appreciation of the advanced robotic theory involved.

Robosapien is a modern day turning point in the evolution of robotics and is the first-ever robot based on the science of applied biomorphic robotics. (That’s what you should have been telling friends and family all this time rather than pointing out amusing cat-chasing ability.) Biomorphic robotics stems from Mark Tilden’s innovative new concepts in BEAM technology. 

A New Philosophy for Robot Kind BEAM is an acronym for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics and Mechanics. Dr. Mark W. Tilden founded this relatively new branch of robotic sciences in 1989, based on the premise that behavioral-rich robots need not be the wickedly complex projects reserved only for well-funded labs and cartoon villains. 

Put another way, traditional approaches to creating robots have started with creating a sophisticated brain to maneuver the mechanics of the body. Though not discounting the incredible engineering feats of robots built this way, most notably the Sony Qrio and Honda Asimo, Mark Tilden strongly contends that this is the wrong approach to take. 

It’s like trying to emulate a human when modern technology and research can’t realistically copy a bug from your garden. “[It’s] an evolutionary dead end,” says Tilden. BEAM robotics is about taking the bottom-up approach, to start from mastering the simple bug and moving up from there. 

Rather than attempt to create a centralized robo-brain to process every variable input and spit out a decision (much, much harder than you may think), why not use a system known as "subsumption architecture.’’ Subsumption architecture is a clever technique where the actions of a robot are managed in layers, each layer controlling one facet of the robot’s operation. 

For example, a low-level layer could be ‘Walk Forward,’ which the robot will happily do until it bumps into something. At this point, the slightly higher level ‘Lift Leg Higher’ kicks in, overriding the ‘Walk Forward’ layer until the robot successfully climbs over the obstacle, at which point ‘Lift Leg Higher’ stops, and the low-level ‘Walk Forward’ takes over again. * 

Egocentric Bugs

So Tilden began building robot bugs on this principle, and more selfish creatures they could not have been. 

Why’s that? Well Tilden decided that Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics: 

1. No hurt human. 

2. Listen to human unless told ‘Do hurt human’. 

3. Try to live with that. 

were antiquated notions that left no room for a good practical joke at parties. 

So one dark and stormy night he penned Tilden’s Three Laws of Robotics: 

1. A robot must protect its existence at all costs. 

2. A robot must obtain and maintain access to a power source. 

3. A robot must continually search for better power sources. 

informally known as*: 

1. Protect thy butt.

2. Feed thy butt.

3. Move thy butt to better real estate.

1. He justified this robotic declaration of self-interest as the only way robots can start evolving the way humans may have came from guppies looking for a good time by leaving the ocean.

From Bugs to Sapiens

Needing to find a lighter-minded group of people from his government and NASA days, Tilden decided to go and join a toy company. Who better than one audacious enough to self proclaim themselves, Wow Wee! It was a great match, and they gleefully began working on toy dinosaurs and bugs based on Tilden’s now renowned expertise.

Then came the master project that one could fairly say would change the landscape of robotics altogether. FartDude, later named Robosapien after initial market testing, was to be the culmination of Tilden’s work, finally bringing to bear a humanoid (sapien-like, if you will) robot capable of an impressive list of moves and rude sounds. 

In Robosapien, you see the basics of BEAM philosophy and technological research. It follows the B as a biomorphic rendition of humans, E for the fact you can’t throw it in a bathtub, A because it’s stylin the latest magazine covers, and one heck of a lot of M going into the robo dancing capability. 

That’s Mr. Sapien 

Like no robot ever before, the Robosapien is affordable to the unwashed masses. The Robosapien is a crowning accomplishment when it comes to mobility, power consumption, programmability, and maybe most importantly: hackability. 

Each arm has full 360 motion ability allowed by the, ahem, biomorphic shoulder joints and flexible elbows. Ending in three articulated fingers, Robosapien is capable of picking up, gripping, and throwing objects. The genuine full walking motion (most robots don’t genuinely walk outside a lab) is made possible design of the large feet and well placed sensors.

And do you know how much power it usually takes to run a robot Fuggedabowdit. Regular robots are dishonorable little battery-eaters always hungry for more, more, more! And who’s going to pay for these batteries, hmmm’ Well Robosapien brings no shame to itself when consuming power, essentially due to the astounding mechanical physics. It runs a full 6 to 10 hours on just one set of batteries. In fact, if you move Robosapien’s arm you’ll actually generate power for it! Hey man, that’s shrewd. 

For those of you who want a robot that will fetch you a frosty one from the kitchen, you lazy bums will just have to wait until later versions. But you can program your Robosapien to do some pretty cools things in the meantime, like wander around taking swings at things, guarding your bedroom while you sleep, and a hilarious game of ‘pull my finger’. Try teaching your dog that trick smart guy. 

So what’s so hot about the hackability, and is that even a word you ask? You’ve got some nerve. Tilden went through some serious, serious effort to be sure that robot enthusiasts could take apart the robot, as he would have done as a child, and tinker with modifications. Everything’s color-coded in there to make things easy for those of us without PhDs, and by all accounts, there’s plenty of additional room and power to accommodate whatever Frankenstein thing you can think up. There are entire books written on the subject should you wish to learn, so go forth and hack away. If it’s a good one, send it in and we’ll publish for all too either mock or applaud. 

And Another Thing

So the next time you look at your Robosapien give a respectful nod to the world’s first-ever robot based on the science of applied biomorphic robotics. Then go chase a cat with it. 

* Graciously lifted from Dr. Tilden’s excellent ‘Junkbots, Bugbots & Bots on Wheels’ book.

 

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Profit From Writing

If you’re passionate about writing and want to make it your career, you need to be resourceful, professional, determined and self-motivated to succeed. Writing for a living isn’t easy and unless you’ve already landed a five figure book deal for your latest novel, you need to be as creative in generating income as you are with your words.

To help you profit from writing, here are a few opportunities to explore:

Write Greetings Card Verses

Greetings card companies often seek original verse or prose for their range of cards. If you have a forte for writing short humorous or meaningful passages, this could provide a successful opening for you.

My tips: Take a look at the verses in greetings cards to study their style. Create a few sample verses. Note the name of the greetings card publisher and contact them for their current requirements.

Writing for Magazines
This is the starting point for many freelance writers who want to be published and paid. Magazines require good content and many editors still rely on freelance writers to provide it. Although the market is competitive, if you can produce well-researched, original articles to suit the magazine’s style and readership, you’ll have a greater chance of winning a commission.

My tips: Focus on writing about what you know, drawing upon any specialist knowledge or interests. Use the Internet to study publications all over the world to increase your markets.

Create Copy for the Business Sector

One of the more lucrative writing opportunities is copywriting for businesses and public sector organisations. If your writing is concise, clear and fresh, you’ll find there is a market for your services producing leaflets, guides, press releases, advertising copy and web content.

My tips: Produce a portfolio of your work to show the diversity of your skills. Attend a business network event to market your services.

Take a Staff Writing Job

Freelance writing is great but if you prefer the relative security of a regular income and the warmth and vitality of a creative office environment, you might consider applying for a staff based writing position. Many opportunities exist for journalists, copywriters, web content writers, editors and feature writers. Recently, a major company even required the services of a dedicated letter writer! The skills of a quality writer are in demand and you’ll find that most salaries reflect this.

My tips: Spend time writing a professional CV and produce some sample writing. First impressions count!

Become a Ghost-writer!

Some writers make a reasonable living ghost-writing other people’s life stories. You can receive payment on a work-for-hire basis or on a royalty share agreement. If you enjoy interviewing people and writing at length, this will have great appeal.

My tips: Speak to other ghost-writers and research the book publishing field so that you gain a reasonable working knowledge of the current trends.

Compile Crosswords, Puzzles and Fillers

Writing short filler material, from anecdotes to puzzles, can be quite rewarding. Many publications feature a regular crossword to entertain their readers. Although considered to be quite a closed-market, it is worth approaching publications with ideas or samples for consideration.

My tips: Research your markets carefully. Target new publications where there may be openings. Offer fillers and puzzles relevant to the target readership.

Expand Your Range of Services

Some writers find it easy spotting typos or English grammar mistakes. If you’re one of them, consider taking a course in editing or proofreading to expand on your range of wordsmith services! There is often a decent demand for these services so it will provide an additional source of revenue.

My tips: Take a course and gain a qualification. Contact publishing companies as many now use the services of freelance copy editors and proofreaders.

Self-Publish

If you have specialist knowledge, consider writing and self-publishing a book or a series of guides or newsletters! With the right topic and good marketing, you can build a niche publication. For example, some authors have turned their hobby of walking into providing guidebooks and newsletters on local walks. You could do something similar, whether your interest is sewing, cycling, cooking or woodworking.

My tips: try print-on-demand publishing or publishing electronically to keep costs down while you’re building your publishing venture.

Good luck in your career as a writer! With the right approach, you’ll find there are many opportunities to become a successful wordsmith.

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How to Become a Motivational Speaker

Steps:

   1. Evaluate your special message. Consider what it is that you have to say that would be of value to others--have you experienced great adversity, or received some special education? In order to succeed as a motivational speaker, you must have something special to deliver.

   2. Carve out your niche. Motivational speaking is, in many ways, a product that must be sold. Why should someone pay to hear you impart your message? Be able to articulate your unique experiences and explain exactly how you can inspire others.

   3. Create an outline of your presentation. This will be used not only to provide a framework for your talk but also as a marketing piece for potential clients. Furthermore, many people are visual learners and can gain more from a visual representation than a spoken one.

   4. Contact large, not-for-profit corporations and professional groups and make it clear you are available. While there is nothing wrong with directly asking for a gig, announcing your availability will let them feel privileged to work with you.

   5. Contact speakers' bureaus and notify them of your availability. Some speakers' bureaus charge you to list your services, others charge nothing. Most bureaus take a percentage for acting as your agent. Search for "speakers' bureaus" on the Internet.

   6. Be willing to work for free to get your name out. Once others hear your interesting story or experience, they may want to hire you. Inform everyone you know that you are looking for organizations who want a good motivational speaker. Volunteer to speak at service clubs in your area.

   7. Write and publish articles or books if possible, in order to establish yourself as an authority in your subject. You do not need to publish a book people will find in the local bookstore. Post to websites like wikiHow and submit to on-line magazines and blogs.

   8. Draw up a written agreement, or contract, for all engagements. The written agreement should contain, among other matters, how the fees will be paid (e.g., cash, check, over time), how long you are expected to speak, whether you will be reimbursed for travel expenses, and the time and date. This will help to avoid any disputes at a later time.

Tips

    * Join a local Toastmasters Club. You will learn and practice everything you need to know when presenting a Motivational Speech, as well as any other type of speech.

    * Dress consistent with the perception you wish to convey. If you want to convey professionalism and success, business attire is probably best. Some motivational speakers use clothing to make a point in their presentation.

    * Speak clearly and repeat your main messages at least three times.

    * Keep it fun and lively. Audience participation is a great way for adults to learn, and you can do this in any number of ways. For example, one speaker handed out raisins and slowly took the audience through the life of that raisin and all that had to happen for that raisin to be in their hands. This kind of activity makes the audience feel part of the speech and facilitates learning. Remember that any activities must be relevant to the topic you are speaking on.

Warnings

    * If you forget what to say or begin to get nervous in front of a large crowd, stop, take a deep breath, and speak from the heart. Your audience will be happy to hear your honest experiences.

    * One of the best ways to overcome nervousness is to focus on how you can serve your audience instead of worrying about what they are thinking about you.

The Art in Writing

Every day, I have to contemplate my lengthening career as a writer. I used to also be an artist, back before I became physically disabled in 1998, and regularly drew pictures in pen and ink. I was thinking of transferring over to some computer pad-style drawing technology so I could create graphics and artwork on the computer directly. But since becoming what they call “physically challenged,” I have a hard time with drawing. It’s easier just to type, edit or otherwise work with a keyboard. And I have an over twenty year long career as a writer and editor to draw from as I continue to write every day.

It fascinates me as a ghost writer and an editor the many subject areas that my clients are willing to create books about. One will want to write his or her life story, such as the author who approached me recently regarding his life story as a transgenderal person. He changed from female to male, and he is now married and a father of two children, not his own, as the surgery doesn’t yet allow transgenderal persons to procreate. Another will want to write a children’s fantasy chapter book, an adult science fiction dark fantasy warehouse party series of books, a how to book on beauty and fashion, a book about the Nazis and a Jewish uprising against them, a book by a former Nazi who wants to tell us about what it was like being forced into the party…etc., etc., etc. There is no limit to the types of subjects my authors, many of whom are putting out their very first books, will want to write about.

Some are the type of book which may or may not sell all that well, while others are almost a guaranteed best seller, having a crowd of buyers ready to purchase the books. I almost prefer working with the first group of authors, even though their books don’t pay as much money as my more lucrative authors’ books do. It warms my soul to support first timers who have an interesting and valuable story to put out before the reading public. I usually only charge $3000 for people like these to ghost write their books for them. But when it comes to a potentially lucrative book, I charge a percentage of what the author makes over time from the book sales. These types of books are the “coffee table” type you have heard of, such as a book by the gentleman who took the nude photos of the “other woman” in an infamous murder case. They sell well, but the material in them is often only timely or flashy, and immaterial over time as earnest literature. I much prefer working for people who have books in their souls that contain stories worth the telling, more so than the stories worth money to a flashy author with a coffee table book.

I make enough money at my regular writing projects to support my habit of preferring to work with the first time author crowd. Some of those people’s books do sell well over time, and it’s worth it to me to put the time and effort into ghost writing or editing them that it takes to really polish their work to a gleaming shine and make it productive and meaningful as timeless literature or educational material. This means more to me than a large check paid for the type of book I truly hate to see my name associated with, and I feel very proud to have more of the first timers’ works on my record than those. I guess in the end it’s a tradeoff: timeless creation of worthy literature versus timely production of flashy, self-gratifying stuff that may not make me feel good to write it. Not that I don’t regularly take on that kind of project. I need those books to get by and make money. But it always gladdens me when I can write something that really makes the author feel like he or she has produced a very fine book, and which is something that will truly lend credit and greater credence to my professional name and career as a writer.

I think it lends the greatest justice to my lengthening writing and editing career to help people get out the work that holds the most promise over time, not the most best selling work that is only timely and lucrative and which will soon gather only dust somewhere. Writing is an art form, not a mass market for producing coffee table books that sell.

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Grow Your Online Business with SEO

Selling and marketing a product or service in today’s realm does not only reserve itself to actual store presence and sales. In these days, setting up an online storefront is an innovative add-on to and actual store presence, and probably less expensive and more valuable than ever, as more and more people get relaxed shopping online

Putting up an online storefront is an innovative method of starting a business or generating sales by expanding the reach of your current business, and whether you are opening your shop online for the first time or have already started down the path, you can boost your online sales through techniques that are helping today’s online businesses thrive. Any or all, or some of these strategies can be integrated to help increase traffic, and drive more people to your site and make it more attractive to prospective customers. 

As a marketing strategy for increasing a site's relevance, An SEO considers how search algorithms work and know what people are lookingfor. An SEO’s efforts may involve a site's coding, presentation, and structure, as well as fixing problems that could stop search engine indexing programs from fully spidering a site. Other, more helpful stuff may include adding unique content to a site,and making sure that the content is easily indexed by search engine robots, enabling the site to look more appealing to users.

SEO’s Can Help Generate More Sales 

An SEO may help generate a return on investment. However, search engines are not paid for organic search traffic, so their algorithms may change, and there would be no guarantees of continued referrals. However, due to this portent for the lack of guarantees and certainty, a company that relies much on search engine traffic could suffer major losses if the search engines stop sending or attracting web visitors. According to notable web analysts, operators should liberate themselves from dependence on search engine traffic. A top ranked SEO blog, Seomoz.org, has analyzed that "Search marketers, in a twist of irony, receive a very small share of their traffic from search engines." Instead, their main sources of traffic are links from other websites. 

Keywords Are Crucial In The Web

Search terms are important. Even one’s most frequent and loyal customers are likely to discover your site by searching. Having relevant keywords in your page titles, product titles and links could make all the difference when one tries to lead customers to your site. For those with established sites, it is imperative not to t forget that keeping your keywords current and relevant is an everyday thing. Ensure that you check your Web logs regularly to see what visitors search for on your site, and identify pages and products appropriately.

Relevant Content Matters

Adding as much relevant content as you can to your site improves your customers’ appreciation an experience, as well as the positioning of your site on the search engines. The important term here is relevant. Content that isn’t related to your products could work against you, as it may confuse the potential customers and gives search bots the impression that you’re tricking them. A better method to add relevant content to your site is to add descriptive paragraphs about each of your products, which are placed next to your photos. Use as much detail as possible and necessary, and be sure to use the terms people are most likely to enter when searching.

Online Tutorials To Learn Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop has set the industry standard for photo and image editing.  In fact, its popularity is such that it has become a full-blown industry in itself.  In terms of ease of use and editing possibilities, Adobe Photoshop is hard to beat.  And it's quite easy to learn even for beginners, especially those who have never in their life tried an image editing software before.  There are literally thousands of tutorials online and on DVDs that can teach anyone the magic tricks of Photoshop.

If you're quite capable of navigating yourself using a program, your Adobe Photoshop installer has everything you need.  Provided of course you know what you're looking for and what the terms mean, you will find the 'help' function very helpful.  However, if you do not know the difference between crop and cut, you'll need to turn to other resources.

Your First Steps To Becoming A Writer

What's the first step to becoming a writer? You'd think it would be "write", but it's not. In speaking to other writers and from what I know of my own journey to becoming a writer, I've come to realize that the biggest obstacle for new writers is that they don't think of themselves as writers. They have trouble developing the belief that they are writers and yet it's something you have to do. When you haven't developed that belief, that conviction, it becomes a source of sabotage--you don't value your work enough to give it the time and the space it needs. How do you come to think of yourself as a writer, especially when you're not earning a paycheck as a writer? Here are a few tips: 

What Happens When You Write? 

If you want to be a writer, I'm assuming you feel you have something to say and a strong desire to say it. You may not know how you're going to say it or in what form (poetry, novel, essay, etc.) but you know something is there. Okay, you pick up your pencil or pen or you sit down to your computer or typewriter. Write something. Whatever you write, just make sure your heart is in it. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be neat. It does have to be expressive.

Next, as painful as it may be, you have to show this writing to someone. It can be a friend, it can be a family member. Then, pay attention to what happens. Did the person reading your work cry, laugh or get angry? If so, you did that! It means you can have an effect with your writing. It's worth something. You have to keep going! 

A teenager recently wrote to me concerned because she's writing fiction and she's worried her mother will read it and get upset because she thinks it's stuff the teenager really did. On the one hand, that is a bummer to have to explain yourself to your mother, but on the other hand--wow, that means the young lady's work is believeable and effective. That kind of feedback is hard to ignore. It's powerful motivation to keep you going--if you take the time to notice and honor that it's happening. I once had a writer say to me, "I don't know if my stuff is any good. I just know that when people read it, they cry." I told her you can't get a message any clearer than that kind of response. Now she just has to listen to it. 

Cultivate Silence 

If you're having trouble thinking about what it is you have to say, it may help you to spend some time each day in silence. Some writers pray. Some meditate. The idea is to get used to clearing your brain space and tuning in to your inner voice. You'll also be more aware of those little scraps of possibility floating around in your head that can later grow into big ideas. 

Watch Your Business From Across the World

When most people think of video surveillance, they think of cameras in stores.

But many businesses are using them to keep track of meetings and ensure clients and business associates stand behind their word. Cameras can also provide proof of wrongdoing, connecting the dots when people are where they shouldn't be.

At anytime and in any place you can't watch, a camera can. Many surveillance systems offer remote accessibility. This option allows people to see what is going on from their PC or laptop, whether they are across town or in a hotel room across an ocean.

CCS International (OTC BB: SITG) is one of the most well-known makers of surveillance equipment. Its video surveillance systems can monitor, record and broadcast real-life conditions to ensure peace of mind.

CCS video systems can be either covert or overt. Covert video does not allow subjects to know they are under surveillance, while overt video does.

Video images are an invaluable tool for companies, whether they are used to help protect against theft and sabotage, or merely to keep an eye on warehouse operations.

The Spy Line-4 from CCS International, for instance, can be set up in a variety of settings - stores, factories, warehouses, board rooms or even in a home office - and can be accessed and controlled from a remote personal computer.

This video security system is available in color and with audio and can transmit high-quality compressed video images from four cameras.