In the world today, we find many people interested in Tarot and fortune telling. As many people who believe that Tarot cards do work, and provide meaningful information for there lives, there are also others who say that they don’t work.
For centuries humans have sought to know what is going to happen. We know about yesterday, though maybe we have not gleaned all the necessary lessons, and tomorrow is like a dream, and it would be nice to know what is going to happen! Tarot makes this possible.
I guess it would be in order for me to tell you my position on the topic, so you understand my bias. I do believe that the Tarot works, so this article may be a bit biased on the working factor, however, I will try to provide the unbiased information, so you can make up your own mind on the subject.
For many centuries many kings and queens have used diviners to get answers to there problems. Certainly Tarot has been the most popular method of divination in most parts of the world. Though I would like to give you a look at differences between what could be termed real divination and fortunetelling. A diviner looks for insight, and gains information, whereas the term ‘fortuneteller’ though implies someone possibly being a gypsy, more often than not, is a glamorous way of making money at fairs, etc. Though some of them may actually be a diviner.
If you ask most diviners where they get the answers for there questions, you will find as much variety as the many religions of the Earth! Some people believe that the answers come from spiritual forces, god, a god, Gaia (Earth Spirit, Mother Earth), others also believe that it may come from the unconscious collective, and yet others believe it is there own creativity.
Scientists and Psychologists such as Carl Jung did much study with the tarot, and believed that the tarot cards were symbols which resonated with the archetypes of different people. Another noted person working with consciousness was Dr Timothy Leary. Timothy Leary believed that the cards represented our journey through life.
Whether you believe in tarot or not does not necessarily mean that you will get a good or bad reading, nor does it mean that it will effect your life or not. The cards have been used by many over the years in the belief that it does work. Many people who have had readings have found that the cards do indeed speak about some parts of there lives. For the skeptics however, often the view is that the cards speak to generally.
The tarot cards popularity has also found its way online, where now, you can find many sites online who will give you a free reading. Again skeptics are born, and now with people who do believe in tarot cards ability! The question is now whether online tarot card readings work as well or if at all compared with traditional in your hand tarot cards.
My take on this is that whether the tarot cards are physically present in front of you or on a virtual screen, the tarot is based on randomness and faith. The randomness that out of infinite possibilities the card dealing with your present life is the one to come up; and the faith that some power whatever we may call it is the power which delivers us the right card.
Tarot will always catch people’s fascination. After all anything that can give us a glimpse of tomorrow, a better understanding about our life, and lessons from the past is giving us a map of the unknown.
10 No- To Low-Cost Employee Incentive Ideas
Posted by admin in August 7th 2010
While the economy hurts business and shrinks our 401(k)s, studies show that the recession is also dragging employee engagement down with it.
Over the past two years, 66% of firms experienced decreases in employee engagement, according to a national survey of U.S. companies by Quantum Workplace.
Improving employee engagement will not make the recession disappear, but it may make the difference in the success your business finds when the economy turns around.
As an employer, you have the power to significantly influence how motivated and engaged your employees are.
Luckily, the solution for diminishing employee engagement doesn’t have to demand a large chunk of your budget. Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that can have the most lasting results.
Use a few ideas from this list of 10 low-cost employee incentives to motivate employees and show them you care without breaking your budget:
1. Hold an event for no reason. Come up with a themed event, even if there isn’t a holiday to celebrate. Some examples: Crazy Hat Day, Favorite Sports Team Day. Have employees bring in some snacks from home and treat them to a few pizzas on the company’s tab.
2. Allow employees to take a family day. For those days when kids may be off school, but parents may not be off of work, allow employees to telecommute. Whether it’s a school half day or snow day, let employees skip the commute, still get work done, and spend more time with their kids.
3. Create a contest. Hold a contest that everyone can participate in – post a trivia question on the company intranet or fill a jar full of thumbtacks and place it on the receptionist’s desk. Let employees guess the answer and give a small prize to the winning guess.
4. Celebrate small achievements. Reward employee achievements with small tokens of appreciation. Give a set of movie tickets to someone who exceeded their sales goals this month or present a small gift card for coffee to an employee who went above and beyond to help a coworker.
5. Give a discount on what you do. Give employees a small discount on the products or services you sell. Encourage employees to pass the offer along to friends and family.
6. Free food. Hold a pizza party on a Friday afternoon or bring in a few dozen bagels one morning. It’s a small gesture that everyone will enjoy and a simple, low-cost way to show your appreciation.
7. Have employees recognize each other. Ask employees to write something they admire about a coworker on a small piece of paper. Frame their message along with a photo of the employee and hang it along the hallways.
8. Create a VIP parking spot. Reserve one of the best spots in the parking lot for employees who have done something outstanding. Give a new employee VIP parking privileges each month.
9. Turn the break room into a game room. Stock the break room with some classic board games – Chutes and Ladders, Sorry!, Operation, even checkers. The games don’t cost very much and provide some entertainment for employees when they take their break.
10. Say “thank you.” Leave a handwritten note at an employee’s desk telling them ‘thank you’ for a job well done. They’re two small words that can deliver the highest ROI when it comes to employee incentives.
Improve the productivity of your staff by showing them some well-deserved appreciation from time to time. Even the most simple employee incentive ideas can be just as effective as other high-priced options when you want to show how much you care.
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Recycling Electronic Waste
Posted by admin in July 30th 2010
Here’s a Jeopardy question for you… What weighs 200 million tons? The answer: the amount of electronic waste that goes into our landfills every year. Computers, monitors, cell phones, DVD players, copy machines, TV sets… you get the picture.
Most, if not all of this electronic waste, contains hazardous chemicals like mercury, lead and chromium that end up leaching into our ground water from landfills or being emitted into the air from incinerators causing a GROWING environmental and health crisis. This problem is fueled by the fast paced growth of new technology that renders electronic products obsolete long before their normal lifecycle ends and the fact that most people do not know how to properly dispose of these types of products. In fact, most don’t know that these products can be recycled and reused.
But discarded electronics can be properly disposed of or recycled and it is easier than most people think. Tons of companies have programs that allow you to donate usable electronics to churches and schools, and other companies will recycle usable components, raw materials and materials like plastics, glass and aluminum. Many cities also have e-waste pick up as part of their hazardous waste pick-up programs.
You can even take advantage of tax breaks when you donate your unwanted electronics. The 21st Century Classrooms Act for Private Technology Investment allows large companies to donate used equipment to public and private schools for tax breaks and donations to nonprofits can be written off. You will need to check with each nonprofit organization regarding its particular documentation for your tax returns.
The environmental benefit to donating or recycling used electronics goes far beyond just keeping harmful chemicals out of our landfills; it also helps conserve our precious natural resources. It takes approximately 530 pounds of fossil fuel, 50 pounds of chemicals and 416 gallons of water to produce one desktop computer. Recycling electronic components can help preserve these resources and can also help use far less energy than the production of new components. Mining of aluminum, for example, uses 20 times the amount of energy it takes to recycle the same amount of aluminum from electronic components. Last year alone, electronics recyclers recovered over 100 million pounds of materials like aluminum, steel, glass and plastic which was reused.
Now that we know the benefits of e-cycling let’s, figure out how to find an e-cycler in your area. You can start with the Electronic Industry Alliance . This site has an easy to use map that allows you to search for e-cycling by state and offers you several other helpful links to guide you through the process. You can also check with your city government to see if it offers e-cycling as part of its hazardous waste programs or with Goodwill industries . There are several additional organizations you can check that offer training programs that teach students and individuals how to refurbish used electronics which are then donated to local schools:
Students Recycling Used Technology (StRUT)
Learning and Information Networking for Community via Technology (LINCT)
Reuse Development Organization (ReDO)
Even Sam’s Club has an interesting program that runs in cooperation with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc. Members of the organization who want to recycle computers, LCD monitors, printers, camcorders, digital cameras and MP3 players, can log onto the program’s website and print a FREE shipping label to have the products mailed to N.E.W. Those members will receive a Sam’s Gift Card for the value of the donated item. All donated items are either refurbished or disassembled and the parts are used to rebuild electronics or recycled into raw material and reused.
The final pieces to this recycle cycle are personal data security and rethinking your purchasing habits. You need to protect all your personal data contained on computer hard drives and cell phones. Please make sure to remove ALL stored phone numbers and call logs from your cell phone and you may even want to remove the SIM card to insure protection. Cleaning up your computer may prove a little more difficult but is equally important. If you are unsure of how to do this you can find FREE hard-drive erasers through your favorite search engine. Type in “free hard-drive eraser cleaners.”
Although there are no laws governing the use of hazardous materials in electronics equipment you can help to encourage manufacturers to move in a “greener” direction by considering the following when buying your next piece of equipment:
Does the manufacturer use recycled materials in their products?
Are the products designed for easy upgrades and disassembly?
Does the manufacturer offer a lease or “take back” program?
Does the manufacturer use minimal toxic materials in their equipment?
Does the manufacturer use minimal or recyclable packaging?
The age of electronics is upon us and with the constant introduction of new technology, system upgrades and fancy new gadgets coming at us daily we need to be more conscious of what we do with our e-waste. Take the time to do the right thing, remember one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and you may be surprised at who would love to have your “old” computer
15 Funniest Couples Costumes
Posted by admin in July 29th 2010
Attending a Valentine’s Day costume party as a couple might just be more fun than going stag. However, for many prospective partiers, thinking of that perfect costume pair is rather hard work because now you have to decide for two! Sexy costumes are always appropriate for Valentine’s Day but they might be better suited for the bedroom, so why don’t you instead go for what tickles the funny bone?
Here are some suggestions for the funniest amorous costume pairs. Get into character and make your outfit effective with the following:
Animated Mates
1. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse – Disney’s romantic rodents are a classic choice.
2. Donald Duck and Daisy Duck – Feathered friends…and maybe a little more, these two are another ideal Disney duo.
3. Shrek and Princess Fiona – The unlikely royal pair. Also a viable option is Shrek and Donkey, depending on your orientation of course.
4. Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Starfish – You just need a yellow box dressed up with a shirt and tie plus short pants and black shoes for Spongebob. For Patrick? A pink suit.
5. Popeye and Olive Oyl – Sailor suit with pipe for Popeye but don’t forget the anchor tattoo on his arm. Turtle neck sweater and skirt for Olive plus hair parted in the middle worn in pigtails.
Animal Magnetism
6. King Kong and Ann Darrow – The blonde bombshell has just what it takes to tame the giant ape.
7. Beauty and the Beast – Their love affair began as an 18th century fairytale and hasn’t wavered for nearly 300 years.
Insects Appeal
8. Rose & Bee – Practice safe pollination!
Kitchen Combinations
9. Spoon & Fork – See what happens when you mix utensils in the silverware drawer?
10. Ketchup & Mustard – Condiments that complement one another perfectly
11. Salt & Pepper – Spice up any Valentine’s Day party with these titillating toppings
12. Bacon & Egg – Breakfast in bed anyone?
Hardware from the Heart
13. Nut & Bolt – Screwing around may be inevitable in this ensemble!
14. Lock & Key – Unlock your partner’s secret fantasies
15. Plug & Socket – Recharge the libido in your love life
As you can see, there are plenty of funny costume pairs to choose from. This Valentine’s Day try one on for size and watch Cupid’s arrow hit its mark.
Kimono – Japan’s National Costume
Posted by admin in July 21st 2010
Few images of Japanese culture are as evocative as an elegant lady in a beautiful silk kimono. Although rarely worn nowadays, the kimono holds a special place in the hearts of Japanese and Westerners alike; a symbol of refinement, sophistication and taste. Yet ‘kimono’ translates simply as ‘clothing’, and was the everyday attire of all Japanese people for centuries.
In modern Japan you will still see the occasional old lady who has never worn anything except kimono, but most people only don their national costume on special occasions. Weddings, New Year celebrations and highbrow performances are all places where you can see women (and men in their hakama version) wrapped in fine silks; their clothing revealing much about their social status, lifestyles and tastes.
There are many types of kimono and many ways of wearing each type. Each nuance has meaning which can be ‘read’ by others. Young, unmarried women wear bright, gaudy furisode with sleeves reaching to their ankles. This shows they are old enough to marry, but are still eligible and looking for a suitable bachelor. During the wedding, a heavy uchikake is worn on top. After the ceremony, the kimono is changed for a shorter-sleeved, married woman’s version to signify that she is no longer available.
Married women wear black tomesode or paler houmongi to formal occasions such as weddings. In this case, black is a joyful colour as it shows off the bride’s bright colours to greater effect. Here, the tomesode has colourful embroidery and auspicious motifs around the base.
In summer, light cotton yukata are easy for everybody to wear and can be seen during Japanese festivals and informal outdoor events.
It is very difficult to put on a kimono as there are many different folds, tucks and ties involved. Furisode can include up to 35 different pieces so the dresser must be very skilled (and the wearer must be very patient!). Several layers of underwear, ties and pads turn the body into a cylinder shape – it is not desirable to have a voluptuous figure and any curves will be flattened down or padded out. The kimono collar is ALWAYS worn left-over-right for both men and women. This is perhaps the most important point, because the only time you wear it right-over-left is as a corpse, at your own funeral!
The main kimono is tied with an obi, a strip of stiff, hand-woven silk approximately 13 feet long. The obi is wound around the body several times and then tied at the back. Why at the back? Well, traditionally, courtesans tied theirs at the front for ‘easy access’, so tying at the back denotes a woman’s virtue. The way the obi is tied also says a lot about the woman. Young women wear theirs very elaborately in the shape of a butterfly, turtle, bow or bird. Older women prefer a simpler shape with perhaps a picture on the obi itself. Those courtesans just tied it in a big knot as it wouldn’t be staying there for long!
The kimono is made from a single long piece of silk which is patterned before it is sewn together. Some are painted with lucky images using stencil dyes or freehand painting. Others are painstakingly embroidered with single-ply threads. Some have a mixture of painting and embroidery and can cost a small fortune. The obi can be almost as expensive as the kimono as it is hand-woven and takes many weeks to produce.
So, what about footwear?
Japanese people take off their shoes before they enter a house, temple or other special building, so traditional Japanese shoes are easy to slip on and off, looking a bit like Western flip-flops. Often, the shoes are exquisitely decorated on the inside, so that when they are removed people can see the lovely patterns. Japanese socks even have split toes so they can be worn with zori shoes. Tabi socks are made from starched white cotton and have elaborate hook and eye fastenings. They slide so beautifully across tatami flooring that this noise is an integral part of the Tea Ceremony.
I hope you are beginning to see how each component of the kimono is essential to the overall effect. It must be worn absolutely correctly otherwise the wrong impression will be given, but can be adapted to reflect the personality and feelings of the wearer.
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Exotic and Rare Pets – Wonderful World of Nature
Posted by admin in July 20th 2010
Pets whether exotic and rare, or the common and domesticated ones you get to see every now and then are second companions to man.
When you get to consider the affinity man (both sexes implied) has always displayed with regards to Pets in general, you can not help it at all but wonder in amazement how this world and human civilization would have been without them.
Pets are an integral part of man’s day to day living from prehistoric times to the present day.
Everybody loves pets (in the sense that it implies both the young and the old, boys and girls, men and women, civilians, military, para-military, high and low, the rich and the pauper, etc).
It is then not surprising to discover that pets abound all around- in the slums and the ghettos, in boulevards and palaces, state houses, circuses, zoos, sporting arena, villages and rural areas, cities and urban centers the world over.
As a starter, a list of pets considered to be exotic and rare is presented below.
While some Pets may be regarded as both exotic and rare, some others included in this list might only be exotic and not rare while some others may be considered rare and not exotic.
EXOTIC AND RARE PETS (a list featuring a mixture of birds and animals):
1. Tigers
2. Cheetahs
3. Cougar
4. Lion
5. Zebra
6. Peacock
7. Giraffe
8. Octopus
9. Orangutan
10. Crocodile
11. Turtle
12. Snake
13. Owl
14. Hyena
15. Antelope
16. Bear
17. Leopard
18. Eagle
19. Ostrich
20. Dolphin
21. Iguana
22. Rhinoceros
23. Bull
24. Elephant
25. Cameleon
26. Parrots
27. Camel
to mention just a few.
Majority of these pets are normally kept in Zoos and/or Game reserves while some others have found their way into private parks, royal palaces/ gardens.
Circuses the world over feature quite a lot of these pets showcasing them performing great feats to the wonder and admiration of circus enthusiasts comprising of men and women, children, the young and the aged (the ever young at heart).
There is much to learn and enjoy with regards to Pets (birds and animals) considered exotic and rare seeing many are only found in the wild.
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Learn the Psychology of Colour Before You Start to Design Your Website
Posted by admin in July 15th 2010
When designing for the web, an aspect of the web design that needs meticulous deliberation is colour. deciding on colour lacking substance or knowledge might discourage end users from the website. selecting the suitablecolour with substance and background knowledge might influence to a greater web design.
Knowing some colour psychology & symbolism is essential in knowing what colours affect people in certain ways. colour perception is linked strongly to feelings & emotions for instance happiness, sadness & passion.
Colours can also be used to emphasise contrast & emphasise sections of a webpage that you might want the user to interact with for instance a promotion box or a purchase button.
Here is a listing of popular colours & how they make people feel.
Red is linked with strength, fire, blood and lust. if used sparingly on a light background colour, it can be used to draw attention and emphasise.
Blue is the most popular colour and it can symbolise confidence, loyalty and royalty. the darker end often represents strength whereas the paler end can be used to represent fantasy and dream.
Green can be linked to feelings of durability, safety and harmony. its also a capable colour to use to highlight calm and relaxation.
Black can be related to death, mourning, power and style. numerous rock bands use black as their main colour due to its associations with death and evil.
Yellow summons thoughts of summer, joy and optimism. its a colour that could be overwhelming and if used in conjunction with black, it creates a feeling of warning.
Just like yellow, red is linked with love, sex and energy. it too can be over powering if over used, but it is wonderful to attract attention.
Grey can be associated with respect, humility, decay & boredom. it is used heavily to form shiny gradients in designing for the world wide web to give a slick, modern feel to a web site.
Orange is related strongly to spirituality & healing. it is the colour that represents Buddhism & it has a healing energy about it. it is a bold colour that’s not as lively as yellow but not as deep as red.
Brown, particularly the the lighter end can have a calming effect. Beige is also a top colour in designing web sites as it gives an earthy & relaxed feel. it could also mean tradition, poverty & nature.
Grey can be linked to sophistication, innovation & the future. The lighter side is similar to white in that it’s a great colour to use on a website’s background to produce a sense of space & modernism.
In conclusion, when selecting colours for designing for the world wide web, you should think about to the way it could affect users. The colour selection might look excellent or meet your brief, but will it put users off? by making some simple changes, like changing the purchase now button to a vibrant colour may generate more sales. Serious consideration & thought often means the difference between failure & success.
About the Author:
Knowing some colour psychology & symbolism is essential in knowing what colours affect people in certain ways. colour perception is linked strongly to feelings & emotions for instance happiness, sadness & passion.
Colours can also be used to emphasise contrast & emphasise sections of a webpage that you might want the user to interact with for instance a promotion box or a purchase button.
Here is a listing of popular colours & how they make people feel.
Red is linked with strength, fire, blood and lust. if used sparingly on a light background colour, it can be used to draw attention and emphasise.
Blue is the most popular colour and it can symbolise confidence, loyalty and royalty. the darker end often represents strength whereas the paler end can be used to represent fantasy and dream.
Green can be linked to feelings of durability, safety and harmony. its also a capable colour to use to highlight calm and relaxation.
Black can be related to death, mourning, power and style. numerous rock bands use black as their main colour due to its associations with death and evil.
Yellow summons thoughts of summer, joy and optimism. its a colour that could be overwhelming and if used in conjunction with black, it creates a feeling of warning.
Just like yellow, red is linked with love, sex and energy. it too can be over powering if over used, but it is wonderful to attract attention.
Grey can be associated with respect, humility, decay & boredom. it is used heavily to form shiny gradients in designing for the world wide web to give a slick, modern feel to a web site.
Orange is related strongly to spirituality & healing. it is the colour that represents Buddhism & it has a healing energy about it. it is a bold colour that’s not as lively as yellow but not as deep as red.
Brown, particularly the the lighter end can have a calming effect. Beige is also a top colour in designing web sites as it gives an earthy & relaxed feel. it could also mean tradition, poverty & nature.
Grey can be linked to sophistication, innovation & the future. The lighter side is similar to white in that it’s a great colour to use on a website’s background to produce a sense of space & modernism.
In conclusion, when selecting colours for designing for the world wide web, you should think about to the way it could affect users. The colour selection might look excellent or meet your brief, but will it put users off? by making some simple changes, like changing the purchase now button to a vibrant colour may generate more sales. Serious consideration & thought often means the difference between failure & success.
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