Does Money Solve The World's Ills Or Create Them?

When the world was young and civilization in its infancy men and women as individuals or small families would eek out a living by finding whatever goods they needed on a daily or even hourly basis, foods were ateen almost as found and clothing materials sewn, woven or molded into some simplistic form as one of the main priority tasks of the day.

But then over time people worked in groups, tribes or bands creating the ability to collect more than was immediately needed and learning the skills of storage, preservation and planning ahead for harder times opened up a new age.

As the ability to survive became assured explorers would venture forth with the fruits of their labors to trade with strangers from places new, an arrow for a hide, a golden bracelet for a pig, these were the days of barter, a world of swap often built on a desire to possess, as much as for the demand of direct need.

The problem is often incurred when one party had the need to trade while the other party had nothing to offer in return, this circumstance by stages cave rise to the first forms of credit in the guise of coinage.
A coin was a token that in reality had no genuine worth as it could not be eaten or worn or used for any useful purpose, a coin was a promise that this flimsy piece of metal held the value of what was to be traded.

Over time this idea of ​​a coin based credit system developed on and countries developed their own unique forms of currency based on whatever material was most common to hand or convenient at the time of need, this cave rise to the minting of coins made from copper, tin, silver, gold, bronze, with titles like doubloons, crowns, shillings, francs and dollars and each bearing a notional value infringed by the relevant wealth and trustworthiness of the country of origin.

But as the world of trade and finance developed the possession of these flimsy tokens of promise took on a higher perceived value as an entity them than holding the actual goods of trade that they were originally designed to purchase.

People began to dedicate their lives to gaining and hording ever more of these figments of mans imaginative power until the mountains of metal wave way to paper and paper to an electronic pulse displayed on a computer screen.

Currency, coinage, paper or electronic charges have become the most sort after commodity in the world, gone is the worth of a healthy field of corn or herd of milking cows, gone are the skills and traditions that cave individual lands their culture and identity and most fundamentally, gone are the men and women skilled in the art of survival.

As mans craving for wealth continues a pace the worlds ability to maintain the earths natural cycle of sowing and reaping steadily dies.

So the mind can only wonder, what will happen if the day ever comes when mans promises to man can no longer be kept, what will occur when all the worlds computers judder to a permanent halt, who will be left standing when the shadow truth of moneys genuine lack of tangible worth finally becomes clear?

Perhaps the days of barter are not yet dead?

From the basis of the article I would propose that in the current phase of the evolutionary cycle money does more to create many of the worlds ills rather than solve them.

Hobson Tarrant

Do Benzocaine Condoms Work?

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic which has been around for quite some time now. It has many uses, but typically as a pain reliever works best for relieving unpleasant areas of oral discomfort.

Now it is being used under many different brand names around the world in condoms, but does that make them safe for guys to use?

The truth is that though these condoms can work wonders in helping a guy go the extra mile in bed, they have been known to cause major allergic reactions/irritations to any man who uses them. This isn't to say that it happens to every guy, but it isn't exactly rare at the same time.

Some of the common side effects that people may experience when using Benzocaine products are dizziness, itching, swelling, sweating and even headaches at times.

Now this is being used to help men control premature ejaculation by way of using it in condoms, and these are distributed by major manufactures of condoms, and are often times called desensitizing condoms.

Do they work though? Yes, they can work, but sometimes too well. For instance, some men have complained that although they could go for a really long time, they actually had trouble ejaculating and they ended going too long for her. The sad irony is that sometimes they can work too well.

The other drawback that some men may not like is that they do desensitize the penis, which ideally full experience of stimulation while controlling ejaculation would be the most desirable.

If you decide to use these, make sure that you do not get any on her in any way, just in case of the event of a reaction that she might experience.

Always wash yourself off afterwards. Its rarely a good idea to leave any of that stuff on your penis, as it may cause irritation to your genitals.

Finally, if you think that you are experiencing a reaction after having used a Benzocaine Condom, make sure that you go see a doctor first. Often times an STD can be mistaken for a reaction.

How to De-Clutter Your Computer Hard Drive

Many people use their computer hard drive as a junk drive, collecting everything, from the most important files to things they never read. However, a computer hard disk, no matter how large it is, always has limited space, and sooner or later some of the files have to be deleted. The more junk you have on your hard disk, the harder you will find what you are looking for.

An overstuffed computer also tends to slow down, so you will be needing endless patience for completing even the simplest task. The most simple way to make your computer function properly is to sort its inventory and then purge as many folders as you can from it. You can back up files on a disk, if you think you may be using them, or you can delete them once for all.

As a first step, it is good to create categories for your files: one folder for each of your major areas of responsibility. You may have folders named like sales, marketing, human resources, promotion, current projects and so on. Or you can have categories based on the products of services of your company. You can also have different categories for each key customer. You can create subfolders for smaller, more specific categories.

Before you start copying and deleting, you should think about a painting tree: this means you should have a clear picture about where you need to have major folders and subfolders on your computer. If you start filing and then you start organizing your files, it is more than likely you will drown into the large number of different files. If you have some concept about how the painting tree should look like, it will eliminate a lot of copying, cutting, and pasting. You will be able to work efficiently, without frustration.

The greatest challenge in organizing your files is to make possible to retrieve information without wasting time. When you think about the filing tree, and what the major folder names should look like, you should answer a few questions: how do you usually retrieve information? By date, subject, company or project name? Each of us has different priorities depending on the type of business, job description and personal preferences. And you should also keep in mind how your boss or colleagues ask for a certain document: do they ask by the name of the contact you were working with, the location, or the time of the year?

3 Tips for Promoting Your Band on Twitter

Twitter is one of the most popular content sharing platforms on the internet. Thousand of people use it to stay in touch with friends and family or engage in discussions with different people from around the world. The service's no-nonsense status updates, called "tweets," allow users to essentially text message the Internet at large by typing 140 character messages and blasting them either to a private network or the entire user base.

Additionally, many blogs, YouTube videos, songs, or other pieces of content have been known to go viral after being posted on Twitter. For long links, a link shortener can be used to leave room for a text description. Due to the easy and intuitive nature of the tweet, many bands have been using them to promote songs, music videos, and upcoming tour dates. Let's look at 3 tips that will help you promote your band on Twitter.

Stay True to Yourself

On the internet, authenticity is very important. People want to click links posted by trustworthy people who have authority on a given subject. To appeal to this, it is important that people trust you.

Twitter users are in the habit of sharing things of an almost mundane nature with each other. As a result, it is important to submit personal tweets in addition to those announcing new shows or songs. This will help the user base grow to trust your band.

Respond to Your Fans As Much As Possible

Celebrities such as musicians and actors like Twitter because it gives them an opportunity to connect directly with their fans. In the past, a full-blown press release was necessary to move information to fans and followers. In the age of Twitter, you can respond to topical issues and conversations very quickly without having to engage in formal or hire a dedicated PR professional.

As a result, it is important to take advantage of this direct connection by actively responding to your fans. When people are reaching out to you on Twitter, they often hope that you'll respond, so making them feel special. Take advantage of this opportunity to maximize the effectiveness of the service.

Include Important Keywords in Tweets

Search engines index tweets. This means that they can help you build associations in algorithms that will lead people to find your music. In order to get the most out of this, it is important to include all of your critical tags and keywords in tweets that describe or link to your promotional content.

Over time, this will help associate your band with various keywords in search engines like Google. With millions of people searching for different terms each day, this could lead to significant web traffic and record sales. This is yet another advantage Twitter offers for bands.

Regardless of your specific genre, Twitter can be a powerful tool for finding new listeners. The users of the service tend to share links quite frequently, so it is easy to get a song or music video to go viral when a band has a lot of followers. If you are looking to show your music to the world, follow these 3 tips for promoting your band on Twitter.

Money Saving Tips

Living from paycheck-to-paycheck, many neglected the value of having savings until unforeseen circumstances arise that made them not look at money the same way again.

But why let an unfortunate happening occur in your life just to learn its lesson and meaning when, by doing small but frequent steps, you distance yourself to such impending trouble, perceived or otherwise.

Here are some money-saving tips that could save you from any future calamity involving money:

1. Open a Dedicated Savings Account

Like any first step towards the path of making some savings, opening your own for savings-only account is a must. Unlike your primary banking account which you use to deposit and withdraw money from, this dedicated savings account is strictly for money depositions only.

For optimum benefits regarding interest rate, look for a bank which offers "higher-than-inflation" growth rate, which is something you might have to personally ask, if not endorsed to you.

Savings Account

2. Cut Out Unwanted Expenses

Be it a monthly service subscription you no longer see as beneficial to you or a habit that just drains your money, many are guilty about spending on something on a monthly basis that they can really live without.

Part of keeping yourself free from unwanted expenses is by knowing which expenses are worth keeping from which are not and do the necessary steps in trimming those that are from the latter.

3. Be Systematic

If you are still unused to the idea of making a saving out of your every income, chance is good that your first few attempts at stashing some money on the side may be inconsistent and irregular at least.

But if you are serious in saving some money for future considerations, sometimes sticking to a tried-and-tested formula may be a good start at disciplining yourself about money.

One such popular formula that is becoming a cliché among money-conscious individuals is the "80-20" rule which suggests saving 20% of your every income, regardless how small, while freely spending on the 80%.

expense

4. Learn How to Invest

Let your money work for you. Don't go into get-rich-quick investment scam and promised very high ROI (Return of Investment). It's possible to get high return in Forex trading and stock trading but there's no guarantee that you will continuously gain due to up and down of the market.

There's always a risk in every investment. Read books, attend seminars and courses about investing. Try to learn short term and long term investment, high yield investment, stocks, mutual fund, UITF.

Know the difference between Investing and Trading. Investing is long-term, you will buy, hold and sell after several years. Trading is short-term, which means if I buy today then sell after few days, weeks, months. In Forex trading, other traders buy and sell within seconds, minutes and hours.

invest

5. Earn Some Money on the Side

With so many channels you can tap-online, mobile devices, or in real-life scenario-making money has been made easier so long as you have access to these means.

When you are having trouble making ends meet so as to give way for savings, sometimes generating multiple income streams may be the better option just to save.

Tap on whichever is accessible to you such as selling no longer used goods or offering service as a freelance and make full sure that no matter how much you are earning, you keep some for your future self to benefit from.

The Time to Develop an Enterprise Mobility Strategy Is NOW

Mobility. Cloud. BYOD. Virtualization technologies. Big Data. Social. These keywords will be the buzzwords of this decade as businesses undergo significant transformations in the way employees, stakeholders and customers work and communicate.

Today, SMBs are competing with big players as they leverage cloud technology. Markets are constantly getting reinvented with changing consumer demands and fast-paced technological evolution. Social media is creating Big Data which is a gold mine for business analysis that's helping companies maximize marketing impact and sales and manage brand reputation. The ubiquity and portability of mobile devices is making anytime, anywhere access to information a given in corporate circles, encouraging the growth and adoption of virtualization technologies, and spurring large scale development of mobile applications.

However, the excitement of realizing the massive potential of enterprise mobility in communication, learning and development, HR, marketing and sales, and other functions of an organization is accompanied by trepidation over security. IT teams are allotted the complicated and challenging task of managing the disparate mobile devices coming into the organization, securing the data on these devices, and ensuring regulatory and legal compliance.

It's a tall order but business heads can bring clarity and transparency into the enterprise mobility approach by devising a comprehensive, clear and well thought out enterprise mobility strategy.

Developing an enterprise mobility strategy

All aspects of mobility should be considered while developing a strategy. This can be achieved by involving members from all business functions in brainstorming sessions to collate requirements, concerns, security issues, end user feedback, and possible solutions and ideas.

Furthermore, decision makers must do the following:

Observe the consumer landscape:

Consumerization has played a big part in shaping the BYOD trend, company policies and even the way mobile security is handled by IT departments. It is critical to understand what consumers (customers and employees) look for in mobile solutions (specific needs such as location based services, NFC, barcode scanning, etc.) and the kind of devices they use.

Aim for technology independence:

With disparate mobile operating systems entering the market, the cost of developing native applications is soaring. Surveys indicate that more than 60% of mobile application developers have shown an interest in HTML5 - the web application development language that frees them of mobile OS and vendor restrictions. Native apps will stay as they offer greater sophistication but HTML5 will see greater adoption.

Look at BYOD as a productivity tool rather than a cost saver:

Many companies are going the BYOD way for the sake of productivity. With the right security mechanisms in place, BYOD may not be a cheap option but it will show returns in two or more years.

Define the scope of enterprise mobility:

Validate what functions will benefit from mobility - advertising, marketing, sales, HR, etc. rather than proceeding blindly. Find out what different business functions expect from a mobile solution and understand challenges specific to their work.

Implementing security:

Enterprises should look at Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) solutions to secure and manage the organization's devices and data.

Data on cloud or devices:

With many enterprises moving infrastructure and systems to the cloud, mobile data may also go to the cloud. This will allow users to access data from any device, anytime, anywhere.

Virtualization and Cloud:

Both virtualization and cloud services will become more specialized in the future, and will add value to mobility offerings.

Big data and Social:

Big data analysis generates intelligence that can add value to your mobile initiatives. With access to internal or external social networks on mobile, workers can keep track of what consumers are saying about their brand, enhance relationships, and discover opportunities.

Enterprise mobility is like a tidal wave that every business must ride or get swept under. According to Gartner, mobility will be a trillion dollar business by 2014. Analysts further predict that smartphones and tablets in the enterprise will exceed the 1 billion mark in 2013 with iOS and Android being the strongest contributors, followed by Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

"AI" Of Human-Kind

"AI"... of Human-kind!

"Which Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg?"

Several years ago, you may recall a publication describing our growing dependency upon machines, devices, and "AI." On several occasions, I've attempted to bring awareness to this phenomenon of artificial intelligence's abilities in creating and/or re-creating itself... over and over again. What once was a 'science-fiction' story has been brought to bear, in living color, a scientific fact.

The article, "Device Machine Dependent," has described instances and descriptions where robots or robotics have been designed to emulate the actions, abilities, and appearance(s) of mankind... "Human-Like"; "The Image of Its' Creator!"

How many times have you been in your car and engaged in a shouting match or argumentative interaction with your 'GPS' or "onboard interface?" Aw, c'mon now... haven't you gotten angry and screamed at the device when the voice behind it gives you screwed up or wrong directions? Sure you have.

Selene Yeager, a contributing author, spoke of a doctoral student at Stanford University, who specializes in Human-Technology-Interaction.

"We (humans) get confused and angry because we don't know what the 'GPS' is "thinking," David Miller says.

This author (yours truly), however, is and has been guilty of that particular type of behavior. I can remember keying in a direction (when that wasn't satisfactory, I tried to engage the voice command option), the damned thing told me; directed me to take a highway and exit... I followed suit. When I realized the directions where totally wrong - the accursed voice put us on "The Highway To Hell!"

We traveled sixty miles outside and away from our planned "Pocono Mountain" destination.

Well, I'm here to tell you, I momentarily (Oh, like so many) became insane and started screaming at the voice inside of the 'GPS system.' Miller went on to say, "In the future, when your GPS gives you directions, it may give you a rationale, so that you will have a better two-way relationship."

... Yeah, right. I'm happy when and if the thing gets me to my unfamiliar destination(s)... via the correct route! I don't mean to be to hard on the device... it's a pretty good little tool when it works as expected.

"A Bite Of The Apple" addressed the 'IT' community on big issues concerning Apple's stance on "covert and proprietary practices" in the world of technology; hardware and software - particularly its hardware products. Apple's 'IT' decision makers espouses an ergonomic flaw which reveals a preference, They've said "Apple-like" form over function, i.e., the iMAC connectors on the rear of their machines are designed and/or decided by anal retention.

Their 'IT' management team describes one possible meaning of "Anal Retention." It's a point on a curve at which the curvature changes from convex to concave or vice-versa. It can also be called a "Flex Point" or "Point of Inflection." Apple management says its proprietary devices are putting more effect into business user marketing. Apples' devices are making their way into the enterprise arena because 'IT' managers, not users, like them.

The 'end-user' report stresses the fact, suggesting the product(s) being as good and excellent on ease of use, design, and reliability. Does anyone recall the definition of cloning?

Many of us have PC's in our homes today. And there are many others who feel they are, and believe they are a step ahead while utilizing home-robots like "Alexa" or IBM'S "Watson" and a myriad of cloned devices that clean, monitor, and coordinate their daily lives or lifestyles.

Where's your cell phone?

It used to be the desk-top computer that was the central 'Internet' connection. Then it was the 'Laptop.' The "Tablet" continues to be popular these days, but the "Smart-Phone" outshines them all. All one has to do is simply look around... Look and see how many people are walking, running, riding, driving, and flying... dependent upon those continually unrelinquishing devices to sustain them in their existence, and their very lives on this planet.

Not long ago, a vicious computer virus wrestled control from some 400,00 computers across more than 160 countries in one of the worst international cyber attacks and computer infections.

The virus blocked all access to programs, files, mainframes, and networks unless the computer's owner(s) paid a ransom. The elicitable funds could only be paid via "Bitcoin."

Bitcoin is online currency that is almost impossible to trace. The Bitcoin currency is traded for the purchase of a "ransom key." Often, victims have paid the money only to not get the key to unlock their computers (or) systems, losing both their money and their data.

This incident should serve as a major wake-up call to users with the much encouraged "must-do" procedure(s) on PCs and Internet devices in their care or usage and the prevention of viruses, botnets, web-crawlers, malware, worms, etc.

I certainly agree with author, Doug Shadel, in suggesting that users/owners regularly backup your important files to an external drive or remote storage service; have a pop-up blocker running on your web browser at all times; instantly leave websites you've been routed to without your consent; use a reputable antivirus program - keeping it updated at all times; make sure your software (and anti-virus software) is up to date; don't click on links or open attachments from email addresses you don't know; and buy only legitimate software - and register it.

Do you remember the scene in the movie "Star Wars," where the bar-tender shouts at 'Luke Skywalker' to get his droids out of his establishment?

That scene is a result of human prejudices against machines or robot-kind. Detroit, Michigan's automobile industry and workforce is all but totally manned by robots (or robotics). Robots are doing major operations on humans and animals alike. Robots are preparing foods, packing and shipping items, driving cars, and diagnosing human ailments and diseases. Robots are answering telephones and redirecting calls. Robots are calling you on your telephones, reminding you of past due bills, appointments, prescription pick-ups, and making attempts at selling you goods and other services. Robots are building bridges, buildings, and homes. Robots are doing just about anything and everything a human-being or animal can and has been doing. Ask yourself... how many jobs have been lost and are being lost to robots?

"Many companies are using sentiment analysis to gauge the mood(s) on social networks and/or the web... but getting insight takes new tactics and skills," said Doug Henschen of 'Techweb.'

"It definitely takes new tactics and skill-sets in order to acquire a position in the new world of IT, BI, Communications, and Analytics." This conclusion is postulated via the published article, "Destruction and Creation - A New Jobs Hyperbole." No one can deny the massive and major changes that have occurred in the 'New World Economy' of this century. What's going to happen in the centuries to come - will we be "Star-Trek-Like?" How about a world and future like that of "Logan's Run?" Will robots become the new judges, lawyers, congressional appointees, senators, or president? Those of us who are aware, interested, and/or motivated in or toward the continuation of mankind's reign over machines, must become the master of both sides of IT/BI.

AI: Artificial Intelligence... is in contrast to the natural (Human/Animal-like) intelligence... the ability of a computer or robot doing what is normally or commonly done by humans or animals - with intelligence or intelligent abilities... the ability to think.

How long will it be before humans (man-kind) are completely out-thought by "AI" - becoming completely and utterly our replacements as opposed to being our once-upon-a-time servants?

"How Long? Not Long!"

Now, doesn't this argument make you wonder...

"AI"... of Human-kind?

"Which Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg?"

Til Next Time...

'G'