Fergie backs Rangers fans to come in peace

AFP/File/Sir Alex Ferguson

MANCHESTER (AFP) – Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists Rangers fans will be on their best behaviour when the Scottish champions visit Old Trafford for a potentially explosive Champions League clash.

Rangers supporters and riot police fought running battles in the streets of Manchester before and after the 2008 UEFA Cup final, which was played at Manchester City's Eastlands Stadium.

Over 100,000 Scots travelled from Glasgow without tickets for the match against Zenit St Petersburg, with 42 fans arrested and many more injured during the ugly scenes.

It is thought the riots were in part fuelled by the failure of a big screen that was due to show the final, which they eventually lost, leaving drunk supporters staring at a blank screen in one of the busiest parts of the city.

Rangers fans will return to Manchester for the first time since that night when they face United in the opening game of their Champions League group on September 14.

But for Ferguson, a former Rangers player, the match is an occasion to relish, and not one he expects to be spoiled by rowdy fans.

"There were circumstances that day," he said, referring to Rangers' previous visit to Manchester.

"I don't think it was well organised because fans were invited down without tickets.

"It is like every club. Rangers have fantastic supporters but they have some bad elements.

"The unfortunate incidents that day maybe could have been avoided.

"Too many travelled without tickets. It won't happen again because we will be giving Rangers their proper allocation and they will control where the tickets are going.

"I don't expect Rangers fans to travel without a ticket."

Under competition regulations, Rangers will be given an allocation of around 4,000.

Assistant chief constable Ian Hopkins has already expressed his belief the game will pass off without incident, saying: "Greater Manchester Police is extremely experienced at policing high profile European football matches.

"We will be working in partnership with the clubs and football authorities to ensure this is a safe and enjoyable game for all."

Manchester City Council intend to arrange the evening in a slightly different way, and confirmed there will be no big screens erected for fans to watch the game.
© AFP

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Intel warns 3Q results will miss expectations

Intel Corp

NEW YORK – Chip-maker Intel Corp. is cutting its sales forecast for the quarter, adding fresh evidence that a rickety economy is putting a damper on the back-to-school shopping season.
Intel is the world's biggest provider of microprocessors for PCs and a bellwether for the broader technology industry.

In a statement Friday, the company said it is seeing "weaker than expected demand for consumer PCs in mature markets," including the U.S. and Europe.
The warning comes a little more than a month after Intel reported its biggest quarterly profit in a decade. But those results were fueled by a rebound in technology spending at corporations, many of which held off replacing older computers during the recession.
Home computer purchases are another matter. Uncertainty about jobs is still keeping people's spending in check.
Intel said it now expects revenue of $10.8 billion to $11.2 billion for the fiscal third quarter, which ends in September. That compares with a previous forecast of $11.2 billion to $12 billion.
On average, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected $11.5 billion.
Intel is scheduled to report results on Oct. 12 and plans to update its fourth-quarter and full-year outlook then.
Intel's downgrade to its guidance wasn't entirely a surprise. Many investors simply didn't believe that Intel would be able to hit the higher numbers because of signals from other PC-industry suppliers that PC sales were collapsing.
Those fears were the main reason why Intel's stock has fallen about 13 percent since Intel issued its original guidance on July 13. The fall erased about $16 billion in shareholder wealth through Thursday's close.
After the company released its revised outlook, the company's shares rose 31 cents, or 1.7 percent, to $18.49 in midday trading Friday, amid a general lift on Wall Street.
Last week, PC makers Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. also raised red flags about what is normally a robust season for sales. Dell Chief Financial Officer Brian Gladden said in a conference call that the back-to-school shopping season has been "a little weaker than we would have expected."
Todd Bradley, head of HP's PC division, told investors that the company saw some "softness" in the consumer laptop market and that back-to-school shopping started "somewhat late for us."
Intel sees trends in the PC market early because its orders are based on the number of computers that PC makers are anticipating building.
The company has benefited from a recovering PC market for about a year and half. In April 2009, Intel CEO Paul Otellini proclaimed that PC sales "bottomed out" and had started recovering — a forecast that even the major PC makers wouldn't immediately get behind, but proved to be true.
Now, it appears the market is starting to dip again.
© yahoo.com AP Technology Writer Jordan Robertson contributed to this story from San Francisco

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Medicare Funds to Exhaust in 2029, Higher Mortgage Insurance Fees Approved and Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Declines

A new government estimate shows that Medicare will run out of funds by 2029, 12 years later than originally expected. In other insurance news, higher mortgage insurance fees have been approved by Senate and a report from JD Power and Associates shows that auto insurance customer satisfaction has declined.

Medicare Funds to Exhaust in 2029

The Obama administration has released a new report showing that Medicare will exhaust its funds by 2029. While this sounds bad, it is actually 12 years later than a previous report. The administration credits the 12-year extension to the health care reform law and cuts in payments to medical providers that could raise money for the program.
However, Medicare’s chief actuary, Rich Foster, says the numbers are a bit rosier than they should be since cuts aren’t likely to stand—doctors will probably drop out of the program to save their practices instead of accepting the cuts

Higher Mortgage Insurance Fees Approved

Recently, we reported that mortgage insurance fees were likely to increase in the near future. Now it seems that Congress is taking steps to make this official.
In early August, Senate unanimously approved legislation that would give the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) the power to hike the monthly premiums it charges to consumers. Currently, borrowers who take out loans through FHA to cover the 20 percent down payment on a home loan (also known as mortgage insurance) pay an annual fee of 0.55 percent of the total loan.
Now, FHA has been given the power to increase the rate to 1.55 percent with President Barack Obama left to give final approval

Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Declines

A study released by JD Power and Associates found that there has been a decline in auto insurance customer satisfaction so far in 2010. According to the study, satisfaction declined 10 points from 2009?s numbers to 777 on a 1,000-point scale.
The decline in satisfaction was largely attributed to the cost of coverage, which by itself declined 30 index points from 2009. However, other factors that attributed to overall dissatisfaction included interaction, billing and payment, policy offerings and claims
©  http://top-car-insurance-articles.com

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Auto Insurance Tips

There are many precautions you can take to reduce your risk of injury or worse when you operate a motor vehicle.
Though airbags are proven to greatly reduce deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents, they can be dangerous, we urge you to read our Airbag Safety tips.
After an Accident you're probably confused, upset, and possibly scared. While these are natural feelings to have after a collision, it's important to keep your wits about you and make sure you address 10 very important topics before making a claim.
Animal Collisions can cause a great deal of damage not just to the animal but the vehicle. The average cost of collision damage from large animals averages nearly $3000 and when bodily injury claims are factored in, that rises to $10,000. You should also read our tips on Car Breakdown Safety so you know what to do if your car ever breaks down and you are stranded on the side of the ride.
Using a Cell phone while Driving may not be in and of itself the most dangerous thing you can do but since it is so prevalent, it has become a far too common cause of collisions and near-collisions. When Driving in Bad Weather, it is important to take precautions to ensure your safety especially if you are taking a longer journey.
Road Rage is frustration manifested in actions including tailing slower drivers, obscene gestures and other actions that may lead to an accident. Read our Carjacking & Theft prevention tips to learn how to avoid being carjacked, how to avoid having your car stolen, and what to do if it is.
Senior Drivers are notoriously safe drivers and those older than 55 are far less likely to drive aggressively or too fast, which is why most insurance companies offer discounts to those drivers. It is important to make sure your child is strapped in and secured properly in a Child Safety Seat whenever they ride in the car with you.
Buying Safe Car typically ranks high on most people's lists. While every car must meet minimum federal safety standards, all cars are not equally safe. There are several safety features you should always consider when shopping for a new car. One of the best things you can do for your new teenage driver is to buy them a Safe Car. There are some criteria you should follow when deciding on what kind of vehicle to get them.
 © http://www.autoinsurance.net

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The tale of a difficult past

Kuakata, Patuakhali, Bangladesh

Kuakata, Patuakhali, Bangladesh.

The past was difficult.
There were storms, destroying and uprooting all the hopes.
There were unbearable days and nights, never ending solitude.
But like the old stories, after the gloomy period, the sun must shine.
Kuakata, Patuakhali, Bangladesh. The sea beach still contains the motifs of destruction by cyclone Sidr.© flickr.com

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Persistence. Mona Vale (technique revealed)

Let me start by stating that this is a single shot,

The moon was not added later?!?!?!
However the light trail leading to the moon was added.
Apart from that minor addition the rest of the PP is fairly standard
The idea for this shot was conceived about a month ago, it is by far the most technical /difficult photo I have ever attempted/taken.
Didn’t start all that well, got to the location without a CF card, round trip back home.
1 hour later, take 2
Then when pushing my tripod into the sand I snapped one of the legs off.
Took around 6-7 attempts to get it just right, very happy with the result.
That’s all im going to give away for now, I will fill you in on the technique in the next few days.
Any ideas??????
About time I revealed my technique.
100-400 at a fraction of a sec using the lens cap and a piece of sticky tape (hinge) to drop the cap as I clicked and locked the shutter release.
Throw a dark towel over the camera and lens, under the towel switch the 100-400 for the 17-40 with lens caps on
Remove the towel, check focal length, check focus dial. When all good remove the lens cap for the pre-determined exposure, in this case it was 360sec @ F7.1. © Flickr.com

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Mayhem in Manila: 9 killed on hijacked tourist bus

AP  – Raw Video: Hostages freed
by Philippine police

MANILA, Philippines – It looked like a hostage rescue in slow motion: Police creeping up on the bus with sledgehammers and smashing first one window, then another, then trying and failing to rip open the door.
When they finally got inside, authorities said, they found nine bodies: eight Hong Kong tourists and the ex-policeman who had seized the bus to demand his job back.
The bloody denouement to the 12-hour drama in the heart of the Philippine capital, witnessed live on TV, rattled a country already accustomed to kidnappings and violence blamed on Muslim rebels. It provoked demands from the Hong Kong government for an explanation, and an acknowledgment from Philippine President Benigno Aquino III that his police need more training and equipment.
It was 10:15 a.m. Monday in Manila when Rolando Mendoza 55 and married with three children, hitched a ride with the tourists as they visited historic sites in the city. He wore a camouflage uniform and carried an M16 rifle but didn't seem unusual in the heavily policed capital.
Then he announced that he was taking the travelers hostage to win back his job.
According to newspaper reports, the former senior inspector was among five officers who had been charged with robbery, extortion and grave threats after a Manila hotel chef filed a complaint alleging they falsely accused him of using drugs to extort money. Mendoza was fired last year but claimed he was innocent.
With the bus parked on a Manila park parade ground, Mendoza stuck leaflets on windows, handwritten in English, saying "big mistake to correct a big wrong decision," demanding media attention and threatening "big deal will start after 3 p.m. today."
At first, matters proceeded peacefully. The hijacker freed nine hostages — three women, three children and two men — leaving 15 tourists on board. Police sealed the area and brought food for the hostages, along with fuel to keep the bus' air conditioning running in the 32-degree-Celsius (90 F) heat.
Then negotiations began to go awry. Mendoza demanded a signed promise that his case would be reviewed, but its delivery was delayed for hours, in part by Manila's notorious traffic, and when it finally arrived he rejected it as insufficient.
The hijacker's brother Gregorio, a policeman, was flown in to talk to him through the driver's window but grew so agitated in claiming Mendoza had been unfairly sacked that police hustled him away, fearing he would inflame the situation.
That apparently angered Mendoza into firing a warning shot. Police made an initial attempt to board the bus, and the hijacker shot and wounded a police sharpshooter, said Nelson Yabut, head of the assault team. Single shots, then a burst of automatic fire, echoed through the night.
The Filipino bus driver managed to escape and, according to police officer Roderick Mariano, reported that Mendoza had fired at the tourists.
A freed hostage who gave only her surname, Ng, told Hong Kong reporters that she saw her husband killed by Mendoza after he tried to take him on.
"He was very brave. He rushed forward from the back of the bus. He wanted to prevent the gunman from killing people. He sacrificed himself," she said.
Yabut, the assault commander, said that "when he started shooting the hostages, that's the time I gave the signal to my sniper to shoot when there is a clear view." He said Mendoza died of a single shot to the head.
Shortly before 9 p.m., police lobbed tear gas into the bus and commandos approached the vehicle, crouching beside it and ready to storm it. They smashed windows and the back door with sledgehammers. Once aside, they found only the dead, one of them slumped on the bus steps.
The Hong Kong government did not hide its displeasure at the handling of the incident. It issued a warning against travel to the Philippines, canceled planned tour groups to the islands and asked Hong Kong tourists still in the country to leave.
The bloodbath happened in front of a grandstand where Aquino had been sworn in as president on June 30. After midnight he was back there, staring at the bloodstained, bullet-riddled bus. 

© Associated Press writers Teresa Cerojano, Hrvoje Hranjski and Min Lee in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

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Mouse virus link to chronic fatigue is studied

WASHINGTON – A U.S. government study has uncovered a family of mouse viruses in some people with chronic fatigue syndrome, raising still more questions about whether an infection may play a role in the complicated illness.
Monday's study does not prove that having any of these viruses causes harm, stressed co-author Dr. Harvey Alter of the National Institutes of Health.
But it strengthens suspicions, and the government has additional research under way to determine if the link is real or not.
Meanwhile, a group of French and Canadian scientists said it's time to test whether antiviral medications like those used against HIV might treat at least some people with chronic fatigue.
The virus connection first made headlines last fall when Nevada researchers reported finding a specific type, named XMRV, in the blood of two-thirds of the 101 chronic fatigue patients they tested. But several other studies, including one from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, failed to find XMRV virus in patients, making researchers wonder if this was a false alarm.
Monday's study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, thickens the plot. This time, NIH and Food and Drug Administration scientists examined the blood of 37 chronic fatigue patients and again didn't find XMRV — but instead they found a group of closely related bugs named MLV-related viruses in 86 percent of the cases.
Testing of 44 healthy blood donors, in contrast, found evidence of those viruses in nearly 7 percent.
Various viruses have been linked to chronic fatigue over the years only to fall by the wayside as potential culprits in the mysterious illness thought to afflict about 1 million Americans. It's characterized by at least six months of severe fatigue, impaired memory and other symptoms, but there's no test for it and no specific treatment.
These MLV, or "murine leukemia-related viruses," are known to cause some cancers in mice, and the XMRV relative has been found in some human prostate tumors, too.
But there's no easy way to test for it, meaning studies of a link at this point must be in research labs, not doctors' offices, FDA and NIH researchers said Monday.
No one knows how people become infected, but Alter said a major study is under way to see if there's any evidence of transmission through blood.
In the meantime, federal regulations require that blood donors be in good health, said FDA's Dr. Hira Nakhasi. "yahoo.com"

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Ac Milan Insect

acmilan fans

Red and black insect
Ac milan have new fans 

>> This photos dedicated to milanisti <<

Main Picture : http://www.flickr.com

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Meet The YouTube Stars Making $100,000 Plus Per Year

yahoo.com/youtube

Provided by the Business Insider, August 19, 2010:
There are 10 independent YouTube stars who made over $100,000 in the past year, according to a study done by analytics and advertising company TubeMogul.
From July 2009 to July 2010, TubeMogul used their viewership data to estimate the annual income for independent YouTube partners, which they define as anyone who is not part of a media company or brand.
Here's how they got their estimates:

    * Revenue only comes from banner ads served near content (we ignored pre-roll or overlay since we can't easily isolate by publisher).
    * Since YouTube banner ads have a two-second load delay, we estimate 2.59% of viewers click away before an ad loads based on separate research.
    * Ads were served near all videos that loaded (since there are partners, this is generally true).
    * CPM for the banner ads was $1.50 (Google auctions a lot of this inventory off; we rounded this 2009 estimate down to be conservative).
    * YouTube is splitting ad revenue with partners 50-50.
Basically, take their views from the past year, assume a few don't stick around long enough for an ad to load, divide that number by 1,000, multiply by $1.50 and divide that number in half.
Conservative estimates? Sure. But with that math, you get a pretty decent estimate of how much these YouTube celebrities are making from just the banner ads on their channel. So, without further ado, here are the highest earning YouTube stars!
1. Shane Dawson – $315,000
Shane Dawson is so popular that he is three different YouTube channels. His most popular channel consists of his comedy skits and music video parodies.  Dawson created a second channel as a vlog and for a separate series called "Ask Shane," and his third channel only has videos taken from his iPhone.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 431,787,450
2. The Annoying Orange – $288,000
The Annoying Orange is a comedy web series that takes place in a kitchen and is about talking fruit. Dane Boedigheimer is the mastermind behind the series and is also the voice of Orange.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 349,753,047
3. Philip DeFranco – $181,000
Philip DeFranco uploads a new video onto YouTube every Monday to Thursday for his show – The Philip DeFranco Show. His video blogging topics range from politics to pop culture.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 248,735,032
4. Ryan Higa – $151,000
Ryan Higa makes comedy skits and is a video blogger who turned into a viral star with his "How to be Gangster" and "How to be Ninja" videos.  Even though he doesn't upload as many videos as his fellow YouTube celebrities, Higa is still the top dog at YouTube with over 2.6 million subscribers.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 206,979,909
5. Fred – $146,000
Lucas Cruikshank plays "a lonely six year old named Fred" who uses his mom's video camera and posts videos on a YouTube channel.  As the second most subscribed to YouTube channel, Lucas Cruikshank's immensely popular Fred character even has a movie coming out backed by Nickelodeon.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 200,656,150
6. Shay Carl – $140,000
As a radio DJ, Shay Carl started making comedy skits and put them on YouTube for the world to see.  He claims to have held 20 different jobs before settling down with his DJ and YouTube gigs.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 192,309,247
7. Mediocre Films – $116,000
Greg Benson created Mediocre Films initially for a sketchy comedy TV series called "Skip TV."  The show lasted for one season, and now Benson makes low budget comedy videos for the web.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 159,030,703
8. Smosh – $113,000
Smosh is the comedy duo of Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla, and with over 1.7 million subscribers, they make up the 5th most popular channel on YouTube.  They first shot to viral fame with their "Pokemon Theme Music Video" which became YouTube's most viewed video in Spring 2006. However, due to copyright reasons, the original video was removed from YouTube.

July 2009 - 2010 Views: 154,936,876
9. The Young Turks – $112,000
The Young Turks is a political talk show that also airs on Sirius Satellite Radio. Founded and hosted by Cenk Uygur, The Young Turks talk show and their vast viewership has proven that the Internet can be a viable broadcast platform.
July 2009 - 2010 Views: 153,807,362
10. Natalie Tran– $101,000
Under the user name of communitychannel, Natalie Tran is the most subscribed to YouTube user in Australia. Like most others on this list, she is a video blogger and occasionally uploads comedy skits.

Copyright : http://finance.yahoo.com

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Memories of Blue

Memories of Blue - Mount Batur

Songan A village, Lake Batur, Kintamani, Bali
Country : Indonesia
Latitude : -8° 15' 0" (-8.2500)
Longitude : 115° 24' 0" (115.4000)

Physical Characteristics
Description : Batur Lake is a caldera lake, lying within collapsed volcanic walls.
Volume : 0.82 km3
Depth : Maximum depth: 88.0 m
Origin : Volcanic
Type : Permanent Natural

Danau Batur is a crater lake that fills the south-eastern side of the calderas of an active volcano named Gunung Batur (Mount Batur). It is Bali's largest lake and has an area of approximately 18 square kilometers.The surrounding of the lake is a favorite place for picks you self up. At lake Batur you can see the scenic view and feel cool atmosphere.
The sheer size of the crater conjures up images of the massive eruption of the original Mount Batur that occurred tens of thousands years ago. The volcano is still active today as Balinese still remember the great eruption of 1917. It claimed thousands of lives and destroyed hundreds of temples.

Source:
World Lakes
www.indo.com/geo/lakebatur.html

Canon EOS 50D

• EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
• 90sec • f/14 • 10 mm • ISO 100
• HITECH Filters
• HOYA NDx400
• B+W CPL
• RAW proccessed with Digital Photo Pro
• TIFF proccessed with Adobe Photoshop CS3

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25 Graphic Design Career Preparation Tips

Images
londonartportfolio.com

The Graphic Design Career is a fast growing career that is becoming more and more competitive with every passing day. People are realizing how much money is available and how flexible the graphic and web design career really is. You can work full-time in house in a small studio or large agency. You can earn extra money on the side, you can freelance full-time from the comfort of your own home or you can even use your skills in design to you accomplish business projects.

The bottom line is its a great choice for creative people looking to express themselves and earn a decent and comfortable living at the same time.
In order to survive in such a fast growing and competitive field though it is essential you do everything you can as early on as you can. I started in college, but I know people who are freelancing and running businesses and websites at age 14 and even younger! The age aspect should not discourage you, but should rather inspire you to get your butt into gear before other graphic designers leave you in the dust!
So no matter what age you are or what stage you are in, we have created a list of things you can do to get your dream graphic design career going in the right direction.

Graphic Design Career Preparation Tips

1. Major in Graphic Design
Going to college and getting a graphic design degree is an outstanding accomplishment. Many employers weigh this heavily and you will have a much better chance of getting a full-time job with a degree in design, but there are always exceptions. If you have an extremely strong portfolio, good references and freelancing experience you can still get a great job, but if you can get the degree go for it!
2. Figure Out Your Specialization
Many jobs in graphic design tend to be specialized, such as identity design, packaging design, magazine design and so on. Its good to find the specialization you like best and work on it, but also make sure you are well rounded and multi-talented designer.
3. Plan Your Credits Carefully
Lets face it, college can be a pain in the butt, especially when it comes to planning out your classes. You need a certain amount of credits to be full-time, core classes, required classes, electives and you are trying to get a decent schedule so you can hold a job at the same time! Planning your credits out carefully and registering as soon as possible will help ensure you get the best schedule possible so you can complete your degree quickly and have free time to work and relax.
4. Take Advantage of Your Counselor and Teachers
Your counselor and teachers are incredibly valuable assets while going to school. Get your counselor to help you plan out your schedule and keep you on the right track. Ask your teachers for extra help when needed. Most teachers are available outside of class and will critique work for you. Your teachers have years of experience and knowledge of the field so tap into it.
5. Take Advantage of Career Services
Career services is an often overlooked resource at most schools. If you are looking for a job, projects, help with your resume or anything else, take a trip to your career services department if your school has one.
6. Become Involved in School Events
My school had many great events, and when I look back, I wish i had taken more advantage of them. There were trips, get-togethers and incredible guest speakers. We even had our own museum on campus! So if your school has similar opportunities make sure you don’t pass them up.
7. Develop Friendships With Your Classmates
You are all working towards the same goal, so developing friendships is an excellent idea. Not only is social interaction healthy, but as friends you can help each other out to achieve these common goals. Plus most of you will be working in the same field in the future and you never know when a friend could come in handy in a bad situation.
8. Get an Internship
Internships are just as important as freelancing experience and many schools can help you find an internship. Even if you don’t get to do much design work, its a great way to network, get your foot in the door and become comfortable working in an office environment with other people.
9. Get a Certificate in Graphic Design
If you don’t have the time or money to attend a 4 year school, there are many schools which can give you a great crash course in design in one year or even online. I still recommend the 4 year school over this, but getting a certificate in design or individual programs can help a lot if you have no other schooling.
10. Practice Your Photography
This is a talent I plan on mastering in the near future. I love photography and its also great if you are a graphic designer. Having the ability to shoot your own projects in real life can give you a real edge when it comes to displaying your portfolio. Great photographs of projects can go a long way and its another super skill to throw on your resume.
11. Learn HTML, XHTML and CSS
Web design is mixing more and more with the graphic design career. I have seen many graphic design job listings ask the designer to have at least some web design experience and many jobs require you to know how to code a site very well. So this is a great skill to pick up and will help you with your own portfolio site and landing a job in the future.
12. Take Some Business Courses
Taking one or two business classes can prepare you much better for freelancing and running your own studio if that’s one of your dreams. All knowledge is good knowledge and the more you know about business the better off you will be financially.
13. Master the Adobe Suite
As a graphic designer you will be using programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign on a daily basis. Mastering the programs will make you a more productive and creative designer. Most jobs also start you at running speed and don’t have time to teach you how to use the Pen Tool! Be sure to master keyboard shortcuts as well.
14. Stay in Touch With Your Roots
Its easy to become totally wrapped up in the computer and lose touch with your roots. By this I mean its important to sketch things out on paper once in a while and think outside the computer box. Don’t be afraid to pick up a pencil and use the environment around you.
15. Express Your Creativity
Design can be very “corporate” and restricting at times, and designers are naturally creative people. This is why its good to express your stretch your creativity muscles once in a while. Create personal work, non profit work or other projects that will allow you more creative freedom so you don’t feel constantly trapped and restricted.
16. Create a Portfolio Website
Time is precious and the web is becoming more of an industry standard. This is why you need a web portfolio. Many employers don’t even have time to look at print portfolios and will ask for a website URL or email with a PDF of your work. If you plan on freelancing, your website will be even more important and the sooner you get it up the better off you will be.
17. Create a Print Portfolio
Even though a web portfolio is becoming arguably more important, don’t under estimate the power or importance of a print portfolio. In additionl to your main portfolio you should have some disposable print portfolios you can hand out to potential employers.
18. Create Your Own Personal Identity System
Having your own business card, resume, letterhead and so on will give you a professional edge and show you really care about your career. Spend a lot of time on your identity system because its a direct representation of yourself and your skills.
19. Create a Resume and Cover Letter
You will need this sooner or later so you might as well start working on it now. A well-written and nicely designed resume is going to be a great ally in your job finding battles.
20. Research Job Requirements
Job requirements are changing constantly and every job has unique requirements. Some require more than others so its important you have a good idea of whats expected of you. How can you prepare yourself properly if you don’t know exactly what employers demand skill wise?
21. Start Freelancing
Freelancing builds up incredible experience, especially when it comes to dealing with actual paying clients. You will quickly learn how to deal with clients who have different personalities, how to protect yourself, how to muti task and so on. This is where the business classes come in, but with a little planning and research before hand there is no reason you cant jump right in and start freelancing early on. I landed my first paying freelance gig while I was taking my first Photoshop class!
22. Take Advantage of Design Contests
There are tons of design contests on the Internet; many of which offer incredible prizes! This is a great way to gain exposure, build up your portfolio and win some sweet swag and money in your free time! Following design blogs is a great way to learn about up and coming design contests.
23. Build Up Your Vault of Free Design Resources
The web is filled with an insane amount of free resources including, free fonts, vector artwork, textures, patterns, design elements and so much more. Start downloading, check the usage rights and keep all your graphic design resources organized, because you never know when you might need them.
24. Get the Graphic Artist Guild Handbook
This is a fabulous book for any designer that is packed full of great tips and resources; especially for designers interested in starting their own business or freelancing career. They releases a new version every so often, so be sure to get your hands on the latest one.
25. Start Networking
Networking may be 25 on the list, but in terms of priority its probably number 1. The more people in the business you know the better off you will be. Keep in touch with your network of contacts. Don’t consider some one in your network if you never communicate. A phone call, business lunch, or email once in a while is required.
Help people in your network and they will help your in return. So keep expanding your network of contacts and be sure to keep in touch on a regular basis.

Main Source : http://www.youthedesigner.com

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Homeshooling

When you learn reading, math, and other stuff taught in school from your parents or tutors who come to your house, it's called homeschooling. A kid may be the only one, or he or she may be taught with brothers, sisters, or kids from the neighborhood. Parents choose to homeschool their children for many different reasons. Sometimes a kid is sick and can't go to regular school. But more often, kids are homeschooled because their parents feel they can give their child a better education than the local school can. Parents also may choose homeschooling because they want their child's education to include religious instruction (learning about God), which isn't offered at public schools.
If you don't like school, homeschooling might seem like the perfect solution. But it's better for everyone if homeschooling isn't chosen just as an escape from school or problems there, such as bullying. Finding solutions to the problem should be the first step. Your school counselor and other school officials, such as the principal, often can help.

Don't Kids Have to Go to School?

homeschooling.org/images

You might wonder if kids have to go to school. It's true that kids must be educated, but it's legal to be schooled at home. In fact, more than 1 million students do it. These kids can learn just as they do in regular school, but their parents are in charge of their education.
Homeschool parents must make sure that their kids get the instruction and the experiences they need. The parents also may have to file paperwork with the state to explain who's teaching the kid and which subjects are being covered.

For more information visit : http://kidshealth.org

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Eiji Toyoda

Born: September 12, 1913
Kinjo, Nishi Kasugai, Japan
Japanese businessman and engineer
Eiji Toyoda is a former chairman of the Toyota Motor Company. His family-run business made revolutionary changes in the way automobiles were made.

eiji toyoda

Family business

Eiji Toyoda was born September 12, 1913, in Kinjo, Nishi Kasugai, Aichi, Japan, the son of Heikichi and Nao Toyoda. Toyoda's uncle, Sakichi, founded the original family business, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, in 1926 in Nagoya, about 200 miles west of Tokyo, Japan. The family was so involved in the business that Eiji's father Heikichi (younger brother of Sakichi) even made his home inside the spinning factory. Such an early exposure to machines and business would have a significant effect on Toyoda's life.

Sakichi ultimately sold the patents (documents that give a person the legal right to control the production of an invention for a specific period of time) for his design to an English firm for two hundred fifty thousand dollars, at a time when textiles was Japan's top industry and used the money to pay for his eldest son Kiichiro's venture into auto making in the early 1930s.

After graduating in 1936 with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Tokyo—training ground for most of Japan's future top executives—the twenty-three-year-old Toyoda joined the family spinning business as an engineering trainee and transferred a year later to the newly formed Toyota Motor Company. The company was a relative newcomer to the auto business in Japan. Eiji worked on the A1 prototype, the forerunner of the company's first production model, a six-cylinder sedan that borrowed heavily from Detroit automotive technology and resembled the radically styled Chrysler Airflow model of that period. During those early years, Toyoda gained lots of hands-on experience.

Expansion
In this spare time, Eiji Toyoda studied rockets and jet engines and, on the advice of his cousin, even researched helicopters. World War II (1939–45)—when Japan fought alongside Germany and Italy against France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States—left Japan's industry in a shambles, and the automaker began rebuilding its production facilities from scratch. But while Kiichiro Toyoda was rebuilding the manufacturing operations, Japan's shattered economy left the company with a growing bank of unsold cars. By 1949, the firm was unable to meet its payroll, and employees began a devastating fifteen-month strike (where workers walk out in protest)—the first and only walkout in the company's history—which pushed Toyota to the brink of bankruptcy. In 1950 the Japanese government forced Toyota to reorganize and split its sales and manufacturing operations into separate companies, each headed by a nonfamily member. Kiichiro Toyoda and his executive staff all resigned. Kiichiro died less than two years later.

Eiji Toyoda, meanwhile, had been named managing director of the manufacturing arm,

Toyota Motor Company. He was sent to the United States in 1950 to study the auto industry and return to Toyota with a report on American manufacturing methods. After touring Ford Motor's U.S. facilities, Toyoda turned to the task of redesigning Toyota's plants to incorporate advanced techniques and machinery.

President of ToyotaIn 1967 Toyoda was named president of Toyota Motor Company—the first family member to assume that post since Kiichiro resigned in 1950. A year later, the two branches of the company were unified in the new Toyota Motor Corporation, with Eiji Toyoda as chairman and Shoichiro Toyoda as president and chief executive officer.

The Toyodas led their company to a record year in 1984. Toyota sold an all-time high 1.7 million vehicles in Japan and the same number overseas and profits peaked at $2.1 billion in 1985. While that performance would certainly earn Toyota a mention in automotive history books, Eiji Toyoda and his company may be better remembered for a unique management style that has been copied by hundreds of Japanese companies and is gaining growing acceptance in the United States. The Toyota approach, adopted at its ten Japanese factories and twenty-four plants in seventeen countries, has three main objectives: keeping inventory to an absolute minimum through a system called kanban, or "just in time;" insuring that each step of the assembly process is performed correctly the first time; and cutting the amount of human labor that goes into each car.

What Toyoda accomplished for Toyota Motor was dazzling success at a time when Detroit automakers were struggling to stay profitable. Toyota, Japan's number one automaker, spearheaded the tidal wave of small, low-priced cars that swept the United States after successive energy crises in the midand late-1970s. In addition to running the largest corporation in Japan—and the world's third largest automaker, behind General Motors (GM) and Ford—Toyoda has overseen the development of a highly efficient manufacturing system that is being copied worldwide. Although Eiji Toyoda gave up his post as chairman in 1994, he continues to hold the title of honorary chair of the company.
For More Information

Toyoda, Eiji. Toyota : Fifty Years in Motion. New York: Kodansha International, 1987.

Read more : Eiji Toyoda Biography - life, family, history, son, old, information, born, time, year http://www.notablebiographies.com

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Jimi Hendrix ( 1942 – 1970 )

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Born Johnny Allen Hendrix (later changed to James Marshall) on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. Learning to play guitar as a teenager, Hendrix grew up to become a rock guitar legend. He had a difficult childhood, sometimes living in the care of relatives and even acquaintances at times.
His mother, Lucille, was only 17 years old when Hendrix was born. She had a stormy relationship with his father, Al, and eventually left the family after the couple had two more children together, sons Leon and Joseph. Hendrix would only see his mother sporadically before her death in 1958.
In many ways, music became a sanctuary for Hendrix. He was a fan of blues music and taught himself to play guitar. At the age of 14, Hendrix saw Elvis Presley perform. He got his first electric guitar the following year and eventually played with two bands—the Rocking Kings and the Tomcats. In 1959, Hendrix dropped out of high school. He worked odd jobs while continuing to follow his musical aspirations.
Hendrix enlisted in the United States Army in 1961 and trained at Fort Ord in California to become a paratrooper. Even as a soldier, he found time for music, creating a band named The King Casuals. Hendrix served in the army until 1962 when he was discharged due to an injury.
After leaving the military, Hendrix pursued his music, working as a session musician and playing backup for such performers as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and the Isley Brothers. He also formed a group of his own called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, which played gigs around New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood.
In mid-1966, Hendrix met Chas Chandler, a former member of the Animals, a successful rock group, who became his manager. Chandler convinced Hendrix to go to London where he joined forces with musicians Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell to create The Jimi Hendrix Experience. While there, Hendrix built up quite a following among England's rock royalty. Members of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Eric Clapton were all great admirers of Hendrix's work. One critic for the British music magazine Melody Maker said that he "had great stage presence" and looked at times as if he was playing "with no hands at all."
Released in 1967, the band's first single, "Hey Joe" was an instant smash in Britain, and was soon followed by other hits such as "Purple Haze" and "The Wind Cried Mary." On tour to support his first album, Are You Experienced? (1967), Hendrix delighted audiences with his outrageous guitar-playing skills and his innovative, experimental sound. He won over American music fans with his stunning performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, which ended with Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire.
Quickly becoming a rock music superstar, Hendrix scored again with his second album, Axis: Bold as Love (1968). His final album as part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland (1968), was released and featured the hit "All Along the Watchtower," which was written by Bob Dylan. The band continued to tour until it split up in 1969.
That same year, Hendrix performed at another legendary musical event: the Woodstock Festival. His rock rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" amazed the crowds and demonstrated his considerable talents as a musician. He was also an accomplished songwriter and musical experimenter. Hendrix even had his own recording studio in which he could work with different performers and try out new songs and sounds.
Hendrix tried his luck with another group, forming Band of Gypsys in late 1969 with his army buddy Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles. The band never really took off, and Hendrix began working on a new album tentatively named First Rays of the New Rising Sun, with Cox and Mitch Mitchell from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Unfortunately Hendrix did not live to complete the project.
Hendrix died on September 18th, 1970, from drug-related complications. While this talented recording artist was only 27 years old at the time of his passing, Hendrix left his mark on the world of rock music and remains popular to this day. As one journalist wrote in the Berkeley Tribe, "Jimi Hendrix could get more out of an electric guitar than anyone else. He was the ultimate guitar player."

For more information visit : http://www.biography.com

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Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born at Ulm, in Württemberg, Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later the family moved to Munich, where he later on began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, they moved to Italy and Albert continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year he gained his diploma, he acquired Swiss citizenship and, as he was unable to find a teaching post, he accepted a position as technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905 he obtained his doctor's degree.

During his stay at the Patent Office, and in his spare time, he produced much of his remarkable work and in 1908 he was appointed Privatdozent in Berne. In 1909 he became Professor Extraordinary at Zurich, in 1911 Professor of Theoretical Physics at Prague, returning to Zurich in the following year to fill a similar post. In 1914 he was appointed Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and Professor in the University of Berlin. He became a German citizen in 1914 and remained in Berlin until 1933 when he renounced his citizenship for political reasons and emigrated to America to take the position of Professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton*. He became a United States citizen in 1940 and retired from his post in 1945.

After World War II, Einstein was a leading figure in the World Government Movement, he was offered the Presidency of the State of Israel, which he declined, and he collaborated with Dr. Chaim Weizmann in establishing the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Einstein always appeared to have a clear view of the problems of physics and the determination to solve them. He had a strategy of his own and was able to visualize the main stages on the way to his goal. He regarded his major achievements as mere stepping-stones for the next advance.

At the start of his scientific work, Einstein realized the inadequacies of Newtonian mechanics and his special theory of relativity stemmed from an attempt to reconcile the laws of mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. He dealt with classical problems of statistical mechanics and problems in which they were merged with quantum theory: this led to an explanation of the Brownian movement of molecules. He investigated the thermal properties of light with a low radiation density and his observations laid the foundation of the photon theory of light.

In his early days in Berlin, Einstein postulated that the correct interpretation of the special theory of relativity must also furnish a theory of gravitation and in 1916 he published his paper on the general theory of relativity. During this time he also contributed to the problems of the theory of radiation and statistical mechanics.

In the 1920's, Einstein embarked on the construction of unified field theories, although he continued to work on the probabilistic interpretation of quantum theory, and he persevered with this work in America. He contributed to statistical mechanics by his development of the quantum theory of a monatomic gas and he has also accomplished valuable work in connection with atomic transition probabilities and relativistic cosmology.

After his retirement he continued to work towards the unification of the basic concepts of physics, taking the opposite approach, geometrisation, to the majority of physicists.

Einstein's researches are, of course, well chronicled and his more important works include Special Theory of Relativity (1905), Relativity (English translations, 1920 and 1950), General Theory of Relativity (1916), Investigations on Theory of Brownian Movement (1926), and The Evolution of Physics (1938). Among his non-scientific works, About Zionism (1930), Why War? (1933), My Philosophy (1934), and Out of My Later Years (1950) are perhaps the most important.

Albert Einstein received honorary doctorate degrees in science, medicine and philosophy from many European and American universities. During the 1920's he lectured in Europe, America and the Far East and he was awarded Fellowships or Memberships of all the leading scientific academies throughout the world. He gained numerous awards in recognition of his work, including the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London in 1925, and the Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute in 1935.

Einstein's gifts inevitably resulted in his dwelling much in intellectual solitude and, for relaxation, music played an important part in his life. He married Mileva Maric in 1903 and they had a daughter and two sons; their marriage was dissolved in 1919 and in the same year he married his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal, who died in 1936. He died on April 18, 1955 at Princeton, New Jersey.

 From Nobel Lectures, Physics 1901-1921, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1967

This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel. It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

---

• Albert Einstein was formally associated with the Institute for Advanced Study located in Princeton, New Jersey.

Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 1922
Source : http://nobelprize.org

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10 Tips On Wise Alcohol Consumption

1. Alcohol has been used as a special and sacred celebratory beverage over many centuries. Most native cultures have had fermented drinks for their rituals and ceremonies. This continues with traditions and celebrations of all kinds - weddings, anniversaries, dates, ballgames, flying, and harvest faires. Alcohol does help to relax the body and mind and calm the inhibitions. However, many people feel the need to celebrate daily (now, that would be partying or escaping). Excesses over time lead to problems, yet occasional wildness may free the soul. "Reduce excesses, but not excessively." Argisle
If you are concerned about your drinking habits, consider keeping a "drink diary" for the next month. Write down when, how much, and in what circumstances you drink. How does it make you feel immediately and the morning after? Honestly look at how drinking affects your life. There are many healthy ways to celebrate life! Playing sports does this, as can drumming and dancing with your friends. While we used to have rituals, now people get drunk to deal with life, and then get in their "deadly" autos risking lives on their way. And many also use painkillers and other drugs to deal with their daily lives, which further affects their abilities. Or they overuse their credit cards and mismanage their lives and have their families suffer. Realize that drug problems of all kinds are diseases, and should be dealt with as such.
2. In evaluating how alcohol affects your life, look at the following issues : Do you drink more when you're sad or upset about something? Do you mainly drink in social situations with friends? Does alcohol help you express yourself? How can you address these emotional issues without relying on drinking? Can you say NO when the time is not right for your personal imbibing? Healthy use would be a social drink or two with preparation before and balance after in terms of hydration (alcohol is dehydrating) with water and the right nutrients.
"No is On Backwards." (Argisle)
3. Consider the negative effects alcohol might be having on your health. Is drinking aggravating an existing condition, such as obesity, digestive problems, joint pains, or depression? Do hangovers affect your performance at work, or keep you from things that you want to do? Alcohol irritates the liver and the intestinal lining. It also lowers immunity, dehydrates the body, and impairs judgement and performance, as in operating machinery and driving a car. It also alters healthful participation in relationships. Alcohol is the number cause of traffic fatalities, especially of innocent people. What is your awareness and responsibility for your own body as an example to self, loved ones and friends?
4. Alcohol may have some positive attributes as well. Doctors may recommend it to reduce heart disease risks, as it helps raise the good HDL cholesterol. However, it also raises total cholesterol and has more negative effects such that health conscious practitioners would not recommend regular consumption. Alcohol is also addictive. Thus, it takes some work, both physically and emotionally, to heal from this potentially destructive habit. For example, a liver transplant, if you could get it, is quite costly and painful.
5. In terms of reducing your alcohol consumption, if you notice that you tend to drink at certain times of the day, plan other activities, such as exercising, during that time period. Consider ordering water or other natural drinks in restaurants, and during social occasions. Take a break for a couple days; if this is very difficult, you likely have a problem and help may be necessary. Contact your doctor, counselor, or look up the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) chapter in your area. Know that it is usually difficult to give up something; it?s better to add something healthful, like walking and breathing. It also helps to talk to others who have recovered from their addictions and see what they did with their extra energy; helping others often helps you as well.
6. To take a break or break your habit, there are many things you can do nutritionally. Give your body plenty of support. In regards to diet, first begin with drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day to help flush toxins. Avoid sugary and fried foods. Don?t substitute other addictive substances, such as caffeine or nicotine, for alcohol. Eat plenty of wholesome foods--fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, nuts and seeds, and fish--for the nutrients and fiber they provide. This helps with body support and elimination. A detoxifying diet very high in fruits, vegetables, and fresh juices can be very helpful in changing habits and cleansing the body.
7. Supplements are helpful during alcohol use and during detoxification. (See my book, The Detox Diet, for more specifics.) Definitely use the antioxidant nutrients such as Vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, plus zinc and selenium. The B-vitamins are also very important to alcohol metabolism as well as nervous system support. The amino acid L-glutamine (500-1,000 mg three times daily) may help reduce cravings for alcohol (and sugar). Calcium and magnesium help to calm the nervous system and reduce withdrawal. Flaxseed oil or olive oil also helps the body tissues. Taking in a tablespoon of oil before you drink may also slow the absorption of alcohol. Packets of Emergen-C with a full glass or two of water are very helpful to prevent hangovers and reduce dehydration. These supplements are also helpful during alcohol detoxification.
8. Herbs may also be useful at supporting the body and preventing some of the ill effects of alcohol use. Ones that cleanse the liver include milk thistle and dandelion root. Chamomile and licorice root can help with gastric distress. Skullcap, valerian root, and other tranquilizing herbs are useful during alcohol withdrawal. There are many herbs that help with alcohol detoxification. See about this also in The Detox Diet book.
9. Acupuncture and massage therapy may be quite helpful when one is going through the stress of changing habits. Acupuncture detoxification has become quite popular; talk to your local acupuncturist to discuss this. Exercise, walks in Nature, saunas and steams are helpful to clear alcohol from your system and during detoxification as well.
10. Other Alcohol Issues: The process of fermentation uses yeast with fruits or grains, and the consumption of sugars and fermented products makes us more susceptible to Candida yeast problems. Many current and past alcoholics have yeast conditions, and this affects their digestion, energy, and moods. Another issue of alcohol drinks relates to the use of chemicals in manufacture, plus sulfites in wines, to which many folks have sensitivities. Organic drinks are best, especially compared to chemical treated substances. Chemicals harm Nature?s creatures, our water supply, and the air for generations to come. (See www.organicwineguild.com) Alcohol control is overseen by the Bureau of Firearms. Does this come from the long-term association of whiskey with gunslingers? With so many choices, we can really do harm to our world and ourselves by supporting the wrong products.
Even though there have been some studies suggesting benefits to daily alcohol use, it isn?t contrasted to those who drink only occasionally or not at all and who have many good health habits. Who sponsors these studies anyway? Also, alcohol may have some calming affect on a more toxic and stressful lifestyle. Common Sense is the rule: Do not drink and drive! We have clearly established that, after so much loss of life and financial destruction and high insurance rates. Now folks can?t simply smoke anywhere they please and contaminate the rest of our lungs. We have laws now that protect others from us, but how can we protect ourselves? The answer is "only with wise choices."
Why do you drink? Ask yourself and begin to know what you are really aiming at--a bit of relief, a mind vacation, a bill-paying hiatus, a chance to become less inhibited so you and your partner can dance the love dance without encroachment by daily responsibilities? Yes, a bit of alcohol might inhibit your inhibitions and can be an aphrodisiac to life. Please consume alcohol wisely, especially during this upcoming period of celebration or coping with worldly and personal stresses. There are many healthier ways to relate to these situations. Be wise and live a long, healthy life.

Copyright Elson M. Haas, MD, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
This content may be forwarded in full, with copyright/contact/creation information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format.
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Akio Morita ( 1921-1999 )

Sony Corporation, Monday, Oct. 3, 1999 -- Akio Morita was born on January 26, 1921, in the city of Nagoya, to a family of sake brewers. The Morita family has been brewing sake for nearly 400 years in the city of Tokoname, near Nagoya. Under the strict eyes of his father, Kyuzaemon, Akio was groomed to become the heir to the family business. As a student, Akio often sat in on company meetings with his father and he would help with the family business even on school holidays.

The Morita family had in those days already embraced the latest in Western culture, like the automobile and the electric phonograph. Whenever he was relieved from his household duties, the young Akio would become engrossed in taking apart the phonograph and putting it back together.

From an early age, Akio was fond of tinkering with electronic appliances, and mathematics and physics were his favorite subjects during his elementary and junior high school days. After graduating from High School Number Eight, he entered the Physics Department at Osaka Imperial University.

During that time, Japan was in midst of the Pacific War. In 1944, Akio, who had become a Navy lieutenant upon graduation from university that year, met the late Masaru Ibuka for the first time in the Navy's Wartime Research Committee.

When he returned to the family home in Nagoya after the war, Morita was invited to join the faculty of the Tokyo Institute of Technology by one of its professors. Morita packed his belongings and prepared to leave for Tokyo, when an article about a research laboratory founded by Ibuka appeared in an Asahi newspaper column called, "Blue Pencil." With the end of the war, Ibuka had founded Tokyo Telecommunications Research Institute to embark on a new beginning. Upon reading this article, Morita visited Ibuka in Tokyo and they decided to establish a new company together.

On May 7, 1946, Ibuka and Morita founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation) with approximately 20 employees and initial capital of 190,000 yen. At that time, Ibuka was 38 years old and Morita was 25.

Throughout their long partnership, Ibuka devoted his energies to technological research and product development, while Morita was instrumental in leading Sony in the areas of marketing, globalization, finance and human resources. Morita also spearheaded Sony's entry into the software business, and he contributed to the overall management of the company.

The company's drive to expand its business globally is apparent in the decision to change its corporate name to Sony in 1958, a decision that was not well received either within or outside the company because Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo had already become widely known. To counter such views, Morita stressed it was necessary to change the name of the company to something that was easier to pronounce and remember, in order for the company to grow and increase its presence globally. In addition, Morita reasoned that the company could one day branch out into products other than electronics and the name Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo would no longer be appropriate. Therefore, he changed the name to Sony Corporation and decided to write 'Sony' in the katakana alphabet (a Japanese alphabet that is normally used to write foreign names), something that was unheard of at that time.

In 1960, Sony Corporation of America was established in the United States. Morita decided to move to the U.S. with his family and took the lead in creating new sales channels for the company. He believed that Sony should develop its own direct sales channels, rather than rely on local dealers.

Many products that have been launched throughout Sony's history can be credited to Morita's creativity and innovative ideas. His ideas gave birth to totally new lifestyles and cultures, and this is evident from such products as the Walkman and the video cassette recorder.

Morita also demonstrated his ability to break away from conventional thinking in the financial area, when Sony issued American Depositary Receipts in the U.S. in 1961. It was the first time that a Japanese company had offered shares on the New York Stock Exchange, and this enabled the company to raise capital not just in Japan. Sony paved the way for Japanese companies to raise foreign capital, at a time when the common practice of Japanese management was to borrow funds from banks.

In the area of human resources, Morita wrote a book called Never Mind School Records in 1966 and stressed that school records are not important in carrying out a job. Morita's point of view, which he had first made known more than 30 years ago, is today followed by many companies in Japan.

As changing the name Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo to Sony indicates, Morita was eager to diversify Sony's operations outside of the electronics business. In 1968, the company entered the music software business in Japan by establishing CBS/Sony Group Inc. jointly with CBS, Inc. of the U.S. Then in 1979, Sony entered the financial business in Japan with the founding of Sony Prudential Life Insurance Co. Ltd., a 50-50 joint venture with The Prudential Life Insurance Co. of America. Furthermore, Sony acquired CBS Records Inc., the records group of CBS in 1988. The following year, Sony acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc., enabling the company to become a comprehensive entertainment company that owns both quality software content and a wealth of hardware.

Besides managing Sony, Morita was active in building a cultural bridge between Japan and abroad as Vice Chairman of the Keidanren (Japan Federation of Economic Organizations) and as a member of the Japan-U.S. Economic Relations Group, better known as the "Wise Men's Group." He was instrumental in trying to ease trade frictions between Japan and the U.S., and through the publication of such literary works as Made in Japan, he became, "one of the most well-known Japanese in the U.S."

Morita was the first Japanese to be awarded the Albert Medal from the United Kingdom's Royal Society of Arts in 1982. In 1984, he received the National Order of the Legion of Honor (Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur), the highest and most prestigious French order, and in 1991, he was awarded the First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure from H. M. the Emperor of Japan. In addition, Morita received numerous awards from countries such as Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States, which shows the extent of his global recognition.

Morita emitted a natural radiance, and his personality, which he himself described as "cheerful," was loved by many. He had a wide circle of friends both in Japan and abroad, including individuals like Kiichi Miyazawa, former Prime Minister of Japan, Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State, and orchestra conductors such as Zubin Mehta and the late Herbert von Karajan.

Morita's boundless curiosity and challenging spirit extended to his private life; he started skiing, tennis, and scuba diving when he was past 50 years old.

For more information visit : http://www.sony.com

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Why Quit Smoking?

You can reduce your risks. Smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Smokers have a higher risk of developing many chronic disorders, including atherosclerosis — the buildup of fatty substances in the arteries — which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke. Controlling or reversing atherosclerosis is an important part of preventing future heart attack or stroke.

Dr. Clyde Yancy

You can modify or control six major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease:

• Cigarette and tobacco smoke
• High blood cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Physical inactivity
• Overweight or obesity
• Diabetes

Smoking by itself increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
When it acts with the other factors, it greatly increases your risk from those factors, too. Smoking decreases your tolerance for physical activity and increases the tendency for blood to clot. It decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Your risks increase greatly if you smoke and have a family history of heart disease. Smoking also creates a higher risk for peripheral artery disease and aortic aneurysm. It increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery, too.
 

Medical reporter John Hammarley discusses

Smoking is also an important risk factor for stroke. Inhaling cigarette smoke produces several effects that damage the cerebrovascular system. Women who take oral contraceptives and smoke increase their risk of stroke many times.Cigars and pipes aren't a "safer" alternative to cigarettes. People who smoke cigars or pipes seem to have a higher risk of death from coronary heart disease (and possibly stroke), even though their risk isn't as great as that of cigarette smokers.

Breathe clean air
It's also important to avoid other people's smoke. The link between secondhand smoke (also called environmental tobacco smoke) and disease is well known, and the connection to cardiovascular-related disability and death is also clear. Each year about 38,000 people die from heart and blood vessel disease caused by other people's smoke. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25–30 percent.

Let healing begin today
If you already have heart disease, you may think, "What good will it do me to quit smoking now?" But don't be discouraged. Your lungs can begin to heal themselves as soon as you stop harming them with more smoke. Heart disease can be prevented and controlled, but you must follow your treatment plan — and quitting smoking is a big part.

For more information visit : http://www.heart.org

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Brain Longevity

"You must understand," she said, "This is the future of the mind. It's preventive medicine for the brain. Why in heaven's name has it taken so long for this information to become available and thank goodness you've done it. It's brilliant."

I was sitting in the Palm Court room of the luxurious Langham Hilton in London. Across the street was the BBC building, where I had just spent most of the day being interviewed. My hostess was Erin Pizzey of Saga Magazine, England's most prestigious periodical for people over fifty. I felt emblazoned by her outpouring of admiration for my new book, Brain Longevity, The Breakthrough Medical Program that Improves Your Mind and Memory (Warner Books US, Random House UK). It was clear to her that this book, co-written with noted science writer Cameron Stauth, was monumental. As we sat back in the over-sized chairs, while they served us peppermint tea, she looked at me and said, "This is your mission, isn't it? Isn't it your life's work?"

"Yes, it is true." I answered "It is my mission to make this work available to health care practitioners so they can in turn help their patients prevent and reverse memory loss." Beyond that, we can show people how to develop and maintain high levels of brain power at any age or stage of life." "The reason," I continued, "is that the brain is after all just flesh and blood."

This fact has been ignored by neurological researchers for years, as they struggled to find the one "magic bullet" that would reverse Alzheimer's disease. Now, recent studies showing a positive correlation between vitamin E and slowing of cognitive decline in patients with moderate Alzheimer's, has many researchers saying that enhancing overall brain health may be one of the key factors in maintaining optimal levels of brain function as we age.

It makes sense that a brain longevity lifestyle program would be effective because it nurtures the brain on every level. Lifestyle modification has already proven to be effective in helping patients suffering from the three greatest killers of people in the world; heart disease, cancer and strokes. As Erin and I discussed the program, it was she who put the tremendous social implications of Brain Longevity into perspective. She felt it was critically important to get this information out so we can avoid the potential holocaust of brain degeneration in staggering numbers as we age as a world- wide society. "You know," she told me, "I've read that because Alzheimer's Disease is a disease of age (with nearly fifty percent of people developing it at age eighty-five) if we can slow the incidence of it by five years, we can virtually cut it in half." And she went on, "If we can slow it by ten years, we can literally bring an end to this scourge. We will simply out live it, and we have got to do it."

"It is also imperative to help people with age associated memory loss," I explained, " because fifteen percent of people with what used to be thought of as a benign disorder progress to real dementia. If we can do this, perhaps we can limit the cognitive decline associated with aging. Instead of entering a spiral of degeneration with every passing year, we can enter into a cycle of regeneration, imparting wisdom to the generations that follow.

The Brain Longevity Program consists of four pillars.

1) The first pillar is nutritional modification, including a fifteen to twenty percent fat diet and special supplements. Many times I am asked if someone on a Brain Longevity Program has to be a vegetarian. The answer is no. They simply have to move away from what used to be called a high fat American diet, rich in high cholesterol foods such as meat and eggs. Adding breast of chicken, fish and non-animal protein products such as tofu is helpful. Certain fish is especially good for the brain. These fish includes salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, and sardines. As far as supplementation is concerned, the most important are B complex vitamins for energy, 50 mg a day vitamin E, 400-800 IU a day for anti-oxidant action, Co-enzyme Q-10,100 mg a day, for its neuro-protective effects, the herb Gingko Biloba, 120 mg a day to increase blood flow to the brain, and a relatively new brain-specific compound with the imposing scientific name of PhosphatidylSerine. I tell my patients to simply remember it as PS, like that old Beatles song, P.S., I Love You. PS, in doses of 200-300 mg a day, is the subject of many studies around the world, showing that it improves attention, concentration, short term memory and imparts a protective effect against stress chemicals. This is critically important and leads to the second aspect of the Brain Longevity Program.

2) The second pillar of Brain Longevity Therapy is stress management. It is crucial because chronic, unbalanced stress causes elevation of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol has a toxic effect on the memory center of the brain and can cause memory loss. The stress management tool of meditation decreases cortisol and enhances many aspects of mental function. Massage and guided mental imagery have also recently been shown to lower cortisol levels in the blood.

3) Exercise is the third pillar, and like ancient Gaul, is divided into three parts; mental exercise, physical exercise, and mind/body exercise.

• Mental Exercise. Nowhere more than in the brain is the old adage, "Use it or lose it," more appropriate. In fact, Einstein had a fairly normal brain when it came to his neurons. However, what was extremely unusual was the structure of his brain, rich in supporting glial cells. He was the Michael Jordan of mental athletes. My ninety-one year old mother is a prime-time example of how mental exercise helps maintain clarity throughout life. She has been on a Brain Longevity Program for a number of years and enjoys watching game shows. She gets a big kick out of beating the contestants to the answers.

• Aerobic reconditioning enhances mental function by twenty to thirty percent. As much as possible, it is included in every patient's Brain Longevity prescription.

• The ancient art of brain regeneration, and of innovative mind/body exercises, derived from my twenty years practice of advanced yoga and meditation, are important in enhancing global brain energy. One of my patients, a fifty-two year old attorney from inside the Beltway in Washington, DC, recently called to tell me that he is still enjoying success after four years on the Brain Longevity Program. He has completely reversed his age-associated memory impairment. He told me he never misses a morning of his Dr. Dharma mind/body exercises.

4) The final phase of Brain Longevity Therapy comes from the white hot forefront of anti-aging medicine. Among pharmaceutical drugs I use to help regenerate the brain cells is L-Deprenyl Citrate. Deprenyl is a medicine that has been shown to increase longevity in animals and increase important biochemicals in the brain. In recent studies of patients with moderate Alzheimer's Disease, Deprenyl improved attention, memory, verbal fluency and behavior. As Deprenyl may slow a decline in cognition it is an important component of Brain Longevity. As with all medications, there are reported side effects and contra-indications. Side effects associated with Deprenyl may include anxiety and insomnia if the dosage is too high. It may be contra-indicated in patients taking anti-depressants such as Prozac, and in those individuals suffering from heart disease. Deprenyl should only be prescribed and taken under the supervision of your doctor.

Hormone Replacement Therapy with Pregnenolone, DHEA and Melatonin are also part of the therapeutic options in the prevention and reversal of memory loss. Pregnenolone has been clinically shown to be useful in patients with memory loss, especially those who have difficulty finding the correct words. DHEA is currently controversial because of concerns over long-term use. When I prescribe DHEA as part of my program, I always have a blood level measured. If the patient is a male, I will also check their PSA blood test (prostate specific antigen) because of concern about the long term effects of DHEA on the prostate. Melatonin is useful for insomnia, jet lag and re-normalizing the body's biorhythms. It is my clinical observation that the generally recommended dose of 3-6 mg is too high. I prescribe 0.1 mg to 0.5 mg as a beginning dosage. Side effects with the higher dose include uncomfortably vivid dreams, morning headache and grogginess.

There are important non-cognitive benefits of the brain longevity program as well. I recently heard the true story about a British philosopher who did not have an answering machine; he had a questioning machine. When you called him up, the message went: "Who are you? And what do you want?" In case you think these are trivial questions, they are not. Most of us human beings come into this life and leave it once again without ever answering them. While it is very true that the Brain Longevity program can help us prevent and reverse memory loss as well as develop and maintain high levels of brain power, it can also allow us to tap into a very special part of our being. We can enjoy discovering who we really are and exploring the true nature of life. Along the way we will be sure to create a lifetime of peak mental performance.

Article by Dharma Singh Khalsa M.D.
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