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Essence of Commitment

If you ever have been part of a winning team, not just a winning team but a team that meshed and worked like magic and overcame huge obstacles like the 1980 US Hockey team that beat the Russians, you know what synergy means. It is like magic. When a couple becomes committed to each other, they become a team. It means they leave their respective families and join together to make a new family that is the first family and the roots of a new family tree. It is sort of like a seed that drops on the forest floor and becomes a brand new tree. That seed is no longer attached to the parent tree. It is not a difficult concept. However, it seems to me that most people entering into marriage have ambivalence about the concept. They have ties to their birth family and in many cases to their former spouses, and in-laws that are difficult for them to sever.

The bottom line of this message is that when you are in a committed relationship, there is only one other person that you must consider when making your decisions and that other person is the person to whom you have committed. You are now a grown up.

Sounds good on paper, doesnt it?

What happens however, when your father becomes suddenly, critically ill, or your mother unexpectedly arrives in town and wants to visit when you have plans with your spouse? How about when your ex is hospitalized and has no one to take care of your children when you and your spouse have non-transferable reservations for a week long cruise. If you understand that you and your spouse are a team, you are one. This is when you must enforce the boundaries that you have previously determined. You decide together what the plan will be. You may have to make some compromises, in order to deal with the situation, but the two of you must come to agreement and respect each others point of view. The two of you together have more power and ability to deal with challenges than either of you would alone. You can argue, you can disagree, you can even join different political parties, but when it comes to an issue which involves the integrity of your family, you are always both on the same side. Let me clarify what I mean by on the same side. You do not have to agree on the issue, but you must be coming from the perspective of what is best for each other. In more basic terms, I love you, I want what is best for you, I want what is best for us, and from my heart I believe that this POV is what will support our love for each other the best.

It appears that the most difficult to sever are the parental and sometimes sibling relationships. What each of you must remember is that you are no longer your mothers son or daughter, first. You are a spouse. You have your own first family, and all of your relatives, that includes, parents, step-parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, cousins etc. are secondary family members. You must be gracious to them but you do not answer to them. You are the ruler of your own first family. You get to make your own choices and though you may consider their feelings, your decisions reflect your best choices for the welfare of your first family.

You did this to me or you did this to hurt me will never be your point of view if you are a team. You can fight and you can disagree, but your partner must always know that you are coming from that place of sacred intimacy that the two of you share where you know you are both on the same side. You are a synergistic team. Your end result will always result in an outcome that is greater than either or both of you could have done alone. Even when it seems that you are at odds and the differences cannot be resolved, if you know that your sacred promise to be on the same team is secure, that is your COMMITMENT. Everything else about commitment is a story. Please note that if and when you come from that mean place inside of you that aims to cause pain to the one that you love, you are no longer on the same team.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 11:46 PM 0 comments

Lindsey Jacobellis: The End Of Snowboarding Innocence

Lindsey Jacobellis flew into the frigid Italian atmosphere as a celebrated and admired snowboarding superstar but, after an adrenalin-fueled grab at her board in mid-flight, she returned to earth in a meteoric flameout destined to make her a lock for membership in the Bonehead Hall of Shame. But her gaffe also represents a watershed moment for a sport once typified by such actions.

Snowboarding is a serious sport populated by serious athletes. Participants in competitions throughout the world work and train and sacrifice to race and win and be recognized as the best in their sport. But the ascension of snowboarding from a wild, rebellious and carefree winter activity to a corporately-sponsored, mainstream, Olympic-level competition has resulted in attitudes and expectations that are radically divergent from the once-radical personality that dominated the sport.

Lindsey Jacobellis began snowboarding in rural Roxbury, CT when she was 10-years old. Coached by her older brother, Ben, Lindsey was forced to compete against boys since there was no girls division for the sport. This co-ed racing helped her develop a highly competitive spirit. Leading up to the Olympics she trained with the American men since she is the only U.S. woman competing in snowboard cross. She is, quite simply, the best womens snowboard cross racer in the world. But, as a result of her fall in the Italian Alps, she will not be an Olympic champion in 2006.

What Lindsey Jacobellis will be, to many, is a showboating hot dog. She will be derided for being cocky, over-confidant and foolish. One television reporter stated that Lindsey had left a blemish on the sport of snowboarding. Another said that the nations hope for a gold medal in this event rested solely on her shoulders. Her agent is probably on suicide watch after seeing his dreams of gold medal endorsement deals get swept away in an avalanche of shattered dreams.

And how does Lindsey feel about all of this? "I went for the jump because I was having fun," she said. "Snowboarding is fun, and I wanted to share that with the crowd. ... I was caught up in the moment and forgot that I had to race.

Poor Lindsey. Doesnt she realize that competing at this level is not supposed to be fun? That getting caught up in the moment was a reckless, selfish and careless demonstration of nave exuberance? How could Lindsey have been so irresponsible that she would have allowed the thrill of flying down a frosty hill, free, fast and in first-place by a snowboarding mile, to be manifested in a flamboyant maneuver for which snowboarders used to be hailed?

Used to be That is the operative phrase at the moment. Snowboarding has come of age. Millions are watching world-class athletes compete for gold, silver and bronze. Fame and fortune await the winners. Only memories of a temporary place on the world stage await the rest. But Lindsey Jacobellis will forever straddle the chasm between Olympic winners and Olympic losers. She now carries the weight of Olympic silver around her neck and the stigma of Olympic failure on her competitive resume.

By her self-inflicted disaster, Lindsey Jacobellis has elevated snowboarding to a premier winter sport. No longer will the freewheeling, high-flying, hey dude, watch this, X Game-style mentality apply to competitive snowboarding. Its about winning and money and national honor and endorsements. Getting ramped up and having fun are no longer permissible attitudes for the sport.

Dude, this is serious!

posted by aasdas38493 @ 8:28 PM 0 comments

Advertising: Friend, not Foe!

They say advertising is excessive: it interrupts TV series, preceding movie shows and dominating music award ceremonies. Some even lament that advertising not only occupies the media, but is also present everywhere else; the latest music editor softwares could be seen at bus shelters, and online VoIP products pictured in public telephone booths. It is irrelevant and disruptive.

If you agree with my last sentence above, continue reading. You might decide to change your mind.

First of all, I dont think advertisers occupy the media. As a matter of fact, it is the media that courts companies, maybe except for over-popular shows. TV stations need funds to run your favorite programs, and radio broadcasts have to pay for the Music on Demand. It boils down to us consumers: we demand, and the media provides, at a price of course.

Ah, you might now argue that it is the advertisers who flock to the media and pay for available ad space. True! But how many time slots are so coveted over? Shows like the Super Bowl Football are rare. Other less endowed channels, in fact, have some hard time securing long-term ad contracts to be financially sufficient. It is thus fair to conclude that advertisers and the media, and us, are in a multilateral relationship.

Besides its commercial relevance, there is more to this misunderstood industry that we often miss out on, like how advertisements might effect cultural understanding, especially in this globalizing world of business. HSBC features newspaper ads of cultural differences across countries. FedEx has their TV ads filmed in Japan, showing the way Japanese people live and work. And I actually learned from a MasterCard ad that in India, people release white doves for luck. Interesting, isnt it?

In addition, informative ads feed useful information to our preoccupied minds. Public service messages could be conveyed effectively through ad-works on air. And people get to know the latest products available on market during review hours. I mean, it would be a pity if we work so hard to produce all these commodities just to, in the end, know nothing of them. And because we work so hard, we could hardly afford to find out about whats going on ourselves. Informative ads keep our society functioning as it is meant to.

But most of all, advertisers are creative (e-mails are not advertisements; they are spam). The appealing advertisements that crack you up or hook your eyes for the hundredth time take much more than the 30 seconds of airtime. Creativity, and the resulted attention, increases sales, and the advertising environment is so competitive nowadays it truly stimulates the human edge of creativity and nurtures it to flourish. Advertising signifies the human drive to succeed.

To me, what makes modern advertising desirable, besides bridging cultural gap, informing the populace or generating new ideas, is that it empowers every individual possible. It no longer takes an established firm to put up an ad. Any one anywhere can promote their ideas, products and even themselves through the thriving medium of the internet. 15-year-olds can now economically design and effect ads to promote their companies (yes, dont look down on these young entrepreneurs). Any one could adopt different voices using voice changer softwares, and edit audio as well as video ads with the many music editor softwares and video editor softwares available. Because advertising could so omnipotently enable far-reaching creativity of expressions, it is relevant to our human society that values progressing thoughts and selective reception of ideas.

The staunchest critics of advertising might ask, what would be the future of advertising, now when people are able to get rid of the commercials. MythTV offers a plug-in that automatically filters out commercials during recording, whereas video editor softwares allow you to freely cut out unwanted ads from pre-recorded clips. Yes, people are actually paying to be free of advertisements.

But hey, think again! Advertising is not that inconsiderate. Have you ever listened to radio broadcasts so excessively loaded with audio commercials its impossible to follow? And advertising might be excessive and disruptive, but I suppose only to a minority few. In fact, like I have said, informative ads are actually desirable. Dont you or your children feel excluded if you are not aware of the new iPod, or the latest music editor gadgets?

Trust the media. They are doing their work. Isnt Google putting into place keyword-related ads to better suit your preference? Trust the authority, too. They approve all circulating ads, or at least those we often see. And most of all, trust the advertisers. We are mutually dependent; we need them for our TV shows, and they need our money votes.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 5:11 PM 0 comments

Pass the Salt - It's a Hot Collectible

Part of the attraction of any collectible is the story that surrounds it, and salt-cellars have a tale to tell. Heres what you need to know about this condiment collectible.

The Salt

Salt-cellars, sometimes called the salt, open salts or salt dips, have been around for centuries. They are the dishes from which salt was served with tiny spoons or the end of a knife blade. In informal situations, you could pinch the salt from the dishes.

Early salt was coarse and caked in humid weather. It had to be kept in open dishes so that the coarse salt could be broken up before serving.

Materials

Salt-cellars were made of many materials including wood, glass, pottery, pewter, crystal, sterling and Faberge. They ranged in style from unadorned, simple-shaped glass to chic decorative sterling silver.

History

In the Middle Ages, where you were seated in relation to the placement of the salt on the table signified your social stature. The desirable seating position was above the salt, a term that is still sometimes used. Wealthy Romans liberal use of salt, a precious commodity at that time, broadcast their social status.

One of the most famous salt-cellars is depicted in Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper." It shows an upturned salt-cellar in front of Judas, which signifies bad luck or bad faith.

Salt-cellars became archaic in the early 19th century when new glass technology developed. Glass salt shakers were born and salt-cellars were obsolete.

Desirable Collectible

Salt-cellars are attractive collectibles. They are unique and decorative. You can have an assortment yet they do not take up too much space. Plus, they are not too expensive so you can develop a collection without breaking the bank, ranging in price from a few dollars to pricier crystal or sterling silver.

Antique shops, flea markets, garage sales and E-bay are all good sources for salt-cellars.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 2:51 PM 0 comments

Homemade Projector Screen - The Principle & How to DIY

Projector screens are generally divided into two types base on their functionalities: reflection projector screen and transmission projector screen. It can be also divided into soft and hard screen base on the materials they are made from.

Home theater generally uses soft reflection screen. My brother-in-law originally wanted to buy a 1000 (~$150) so-called "import screen", but a friend of his who sells projector screens told him that it is hard nowadays (in China) to distinguish the genuineness of an import screen, it is hard even for himself. Some of them that are labeled with 'import' or 'joint capital' were actually manufactured somewhere in the south of China. He felt that he'd rather to buy a 300 domestically manufactured screen with good feelings than buy this kind of "import screen". What this friend said makes perfect sense. But after doing some research, my brother-in-law found that all screens on the local market are made from high gain Bolivian bead that is used for projecting newspaper clips, they are simply not suitable for video frequency.

Theoretically speaking, a white wall with one smooth side actually is the best "screen". Because its gain is 1, meaning that the light projected can be completely reflected out, which is an ideal state of being "no absorption, no gain". Unfortunately, for the purpose of absorbing and proliferating the sound wave, he already made the wall a background wall with sound-absorbing material and plywood installed. making it impossible to serve as a "projector screen', he had to find another solution.

You might be wondering at this point: why do people still bother purchasing expensive screens if we can all use white walls?

Well, there are always benefits and advantages of using a professional screen: convenient, artistically beautiful and dignified, good screen can also make up the insufficiency of a projector and improve visual effect. Among the expensive screens, one type is "gray screen" (cost about 15,000, roughly $2000). This kind of screen probably was originally designed for liquid crystal projectors. The biggest problem with liquid crystal projector is that the color appears dark and grey, insufficiently calm. This is its "congenital defect" that is caused by its liquid crystal board and path of rays.

Regarding gray screen, we all know that gray is merely a lighter black, and black absorbs all visible light. Gray can only partially absorb visible light, it is like brightness of the picture is reduced. If you have used any picture processing software's "brightness / contrast gradient" option, you should certainly have noticed such phenomenon that reducing brightness is equivalent to increasing contrast gradient? Same concept, since the brightness has been reduced, it in turn increased its contrast gradient. The black effect gets improved due to the bigger contrast. We can also experience the same effect when we look out through the sunshade glass of our car. In fact, there are many ways to just reduce the brightness, you don't have to use gray screen. There are magazines recommending putting the light gray filter of a photographic camera to the projection lens, the principle is the same. You can even use more simpler method, namely you need to adjust the projector's output brightness or increase the contrast gradient. No need to spend a cent, you may achieve the similar effect, but the premise is that showroom must be dark enough.

Back to the bottom line, if a gray projector screen cost you $2000, definitely it is not just because the screen color is changed from white to gray. Speaking from the optical principle, I'm afraid there's a lot more behind. I'm guessing probably certain chemical compositions have been added to the material of the screen that changed the reflection or absorption intensity of different wavelength of light, thus changed the luster and the contrast gradient of the entire image, that, makes up the inborn flaw of liquid crystal board after all. In addition to this, what other tricks do you think they can play? It doesn't seem to be possible with the meager knowledge of physics that I have.

It sounds more like it to throw in a 150,000 screen if your projector cost you 15,000. But adding a 15,000 screen to a 15,000 projector doesn't make much sense at all. If I have to buy a 15,000 screen, then it would simply work better if I put the money together and buy a 30,000 higher level projector to achieve better effect without any extra effort. A 15,000 screen is a crazy price to my brother-in-law (imagine his monthly income is merely 3000). Also if he buys a name brand Japanese gray screen, then he actually spend most of the money to pay for the labor which he personally doesn't feel comfortable.

The ideal screen for the DLP projector that my brother-in-law purchased should be like a white wall, just let the project light reflected completely without any "reservation". He figured that he really didn't need such costly screen. So he finally decided to make one on his own.

Exactly how did he do it? You may not believe how simple and inexpensive it really was! He spent a bit over 10 (about $1.50) in a home decorating store on a self-adhesive pure white matted formica PVC panel with dim grains, cut the right size, pasted to his original background wall, that is it, flat and smooth! With such PVC screen, he doesn't need to worry about the 'curl-up' phenomenon that may occur to a regular projector screen after around 12 years of use, he also doesn't need to worry that it would turn yellow one day due to natural oxidation. But remember it requires some pasting techniques to make it work perfectly for you. The result? Great!

Here are couple of self-made projector screen photos from my brother-in-law as 'evidence':
www.news-blogs.com/_images/entertainment/diy_screen.jpg
www.news-blogs.com/_images/entertainment/diy_screen2.jpg

Note: You may freely republish this recipe as long as author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact. Thank you.

posted by aasdas38493 @ 1:47 PM 0 comments