Tropical Storm Ingrid

Tropical Storm Ingrid forms in Atlantic
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Ingrid, the ninth Atlantic storm of the year, formed on Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean islands, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm, located about 840 miles east of the lesser Antilles, was headed in the general direction of the northeastern Caribbean but was days from having any impact on land.

Top sustained winds were near 40 mph (65 kph) with higher gusts, the center said, adding a small increase in strength was possible in the next 24 hours.

Ocean's 'missing link' discovered

CNN:Australian scientists have discovered a giant underwater current that is one of the last missing links of a system that connects the world's oceans and helps govern global climate.

New research shows that a current sweeping past Australia's southern island of Tasmania toward the South Atlantic is a previously undetected part of the world climate system's engine-room, said scientist Ken Ridgway.

The Southern Ocean, which swirls around Antarctica, has been identified in recent years as the main lung of global climate, absorbing a third of all carbon dioxide taken in by the world's oceans.

"We knew that they (deep ocean pathway currents) could move from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean through Indonesia. Now we can see that they move south of Tasmania as well, another important link," Ridgway, of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, told Reuters.

More australian ramblings

Determine Your Bandwidth Requirements For Video Conferencing Early

Most of today's companies are maximizing their travel budgets and communication requirements by making smart use of videoconferencing as an alternative to face-to-face meetings. With this decision to implement enterprise-level videoconferencing comes a requirement for bandwidth solutions which are reliable and cost effective.

Videoconferencing can leverage the existing public telephone network, a private IP network or the Internet. The target bandwidth for interactive video communications is in the 300K to 400K bit/sec per stream range. This includes audio and video as well as control signaling.

The H.323 protocol does not require that two or more endpoints in a session send the same data rate they receive. A low-powered endpoint may only be able to encode at a rate of 100K bit/sec, but, because decoding is less processor-intensive, it could decode a 300K bit/sec videostream.

Nevertheless, in videoconferencing, bandwidth is assumed to be symmetrical. In full-duplex networks such as ISDN, Ethernet, ATM and time division multiplexed networks, capacity is expressed as bandwidth in one direction, though equal bandwidth is available for traffic in the opposite direction.

You need to estimate the number of simultaneous sessions your network needs to support, and figure out if your network has bandwidth end-to-end.

A T-1 bandwidth circuit offers 1.5M bit/sec in each direction and would be ample bandwidth for two 512K bit/sec or three 384K bit/sec videoconferences, depending on the amount of simultaneous traffic on the network. Also, make sure that you have 10/100 switched Ethernet throughout the LAN segments where videoconferencing traffic is expected.

Multipoint conference bandwidth (with which three or more locations can see and hear one another) is calculated separately from point-to-point sessions. Multipoint can be conducted in either IP or ISDN environments, and some conferencing units will support both network types.

Multipoint conferencing products may be software-based or accelerated with special hardware, and their configuration can produce different bandwidth consumption patterns as well as different user experiences. For example, when an endpoint is used to host a multipoint conference, the maximum bandwidth for any single participant is the bandwidth allocated to that host divided by the number of locations participating. When you need to have more than four locations on a call at the same time, network-based products are recommended.

If you decide that your IP network can't handle the additional traffic associated with live video sessions in a merged or converged network deployment, your options are to rely on circuit switched networks or to deploy additional IP bandwidth capacity. To assist in determining and acquiring the exact bandwidth to meet your requirements...it's strongly recommended to make use of a free technical consultation service such as via DS3-Bandwidth.com. Also, an excellent guideline resource for video conferencing set-up and management is available from "Video Conferencing Solutions".

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, resources, and ramblings for the masses. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lemm

career ramblings sitepoint

Podcasting and the RSS Connection

There can be enormous marketing benefits to podcasting. Podcasting is the ability to download a segment of audio for playback. This audio source can be entertaining or simply educational.

Many individuals will peruse various websites looking for podcasts they would like to listen to. This is a normal and accepted use for podcasting, but the implementation of a Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feed makes it possible to avoid several steps and save time in the process.

When you subscribe to an RSS feed it is possible to have the podcast downloaded to your computer. This process eliminates the need to specifically visit the site and spend the time needed to access a download.

Essentially when you are out golfing or shopping at the mall a new podcast can be published and your RSS feed can access the podcast automatically and download it for you. When you get back from participating in life the podcast is ready for you to enjoy.

The good news is podcasts are portable. You can download the RSS fed podcast to a portable mp3 device and plug it into a compatible car stereo or you can simply use the ear buds on an mp3 player and listen in wherever you are.

Originally podcasts were very simple audio ramblings that were meaningful only to computer technicians who were wanting to know more about a variety of computer related issues. Today broadcast professionals who produce talk shows use podcasts; morning shows and interviews are also available to motivated listeners through an RSS fed podcast.

Like digital video recorders for television, podcasting allows popular programs to be readily accessed in an on demand world.

In many ways this process is changing the way individuals are responding to life. Podcasting has allowed traditional radio listeners to enjoy life and still listen to what they want, but they do so WHEN they want to and not when it may originally air on a radio station in their area.

The integration of delivery methods has allowed audio to become a part of the everyman experience and allows it to connect with the listener on their terms. This may be causing some disturbance in traditional radio listening, but many radio stations are compensating by making much of their programming available through an RSS fed podcast or live stream.

Podcasting is also becoming a prime marketing component in online business especially when the material is informative and worth referring to often.

In an on demand world how are you compensating for customer expectations? How does podcasting fit in those expectations?

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites.com at: http://www.highpowersites.com . Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Lindsay

Ramblings random richy

I saw a video on GodTube.com (the new 'Christian' version of YouTube.com) the other day.

It featured what was to me an overweight, arrogant, ill mannered American guy ordering some food at a restaurant (footage for his 'Christian' video cast).

He never once used the word 'Please' or 'Thank You' (Something even my 5 year old daughter knows to do).

And, as I watched more I was reminded of the old saying: People would much rather SEE a sermon than HEAR one any day.

Am I the only one that thinks there is an epidemic of arrogance in the 'Christian' community these days?

• So many Christians are arrogant in their judgments.


• Pastors are arrogant in their treatment of people.


• Leaders in positions of trust, responsibility and power are way too arrogant.


• Believers are often arrogant in their witnessing.

And so I ask myself... is it just a cultural thing?

Could it be that people in Australia or the UK think saying Please and Thank You are still important but my American brothers and sisters don't?

But then I realize that I know many American believers that, like me, cringe at the abysmal lack of good manners in so many church circles.

Several months ago I sat at a restaurant with a bunch of believers.

The waitress that was taking our orders was pleasant, hard working and friendly - obviously doing her best to please and serve and yet not a single person besides myself used the words please or thank you even once when ordering their food.

Stop and ask yourself; Would Jesus act that way?

Before you dismiss this as just the unimportant ramblings of a grumpy Australian, please consider that perhaps the lack of manners that seems to pervade so much of the Christian community is actually a symptom of a much deeper problem.

Could it be that, in reality, people just don't know Jesus the way they claim they do?

Oh sure they might DRESS like believers, SING like believers and QUOTE the Bible like believers but no matter which way you look at it - Ill manners is NOT a fruit of the Spirit - Never has been and never will be.

I have been a believer for over 30 years now and in that time I have watched the word 'Christian' lose much of it's meaning and respect.

For so many people a word that used to mean 'Look at my life and you'll see a dramatic difference' has become a codeword for arrogance and flakiness.

It breaks my heart.

I believe it must break God's heart too.

In closing, thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to read this. I appreciate it.

And - if you happen to be a Christian in business - please remember to watch your manners!

Jack Snow is a freelance writer who writes about Christian living . Jack is a regular contributer to http://ChristianBusinesvaultl.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Snow

australian ramblings

Some say it’s hogwash, some call it dangerous, others proclaim it’s ageless wisdom that will transform your life. What’s up with the Secret?

The stunning popularity of the movie “The Secret,” (best selling DVD and book), featured on Oprah, Newsweek, Larry King, etc., has attracted an enormous number of both fans and critics. Some claim the movie is nothing more than new age packaging of century old snake oil. Others say it’s wishful thinking that only benefits the handful of people making money from selling it. Other critics go so far as to say the ideas the movie promotes are downright dangerous if people actually believe them.

The controversy isn’t limited to the 2006 movie produced by Australian Rhonda Byrn. Certain authorities in the fields of theology and psychology say the Law of Attraction itself only offers false hope to the desperate and disadvantaged.

What’s the truth? Is the Law of Attraction real or hype? How do you know if you’re wasting your time and money studying this supposed universal law? Here’s how to know the truth, once and for all.

Panties in a Twist

First a quick review of the swirl of activity around this topic. The different arguments include:

• Some take issue that the Secret promotes using the Law of Attraction primarily to gain material wealth. They feel this universal principle should be used toward more spiritual undertakings – like becoming a better person, creating world peace and such.

• There are others (including contributors to the original version of the Secret) who say the movie wasn’t complete. Joe Vitale, James Ray and even Esther Hicks are quoted as saying the movie didn’t tell the whole story about how deliberate creation works.

• Still other critics say the whole concept of creating reality according to your thoughts is delirium, and that people who peddle this stuff are preying on the desperation of others who want a quick easy fix to life’s inevitable challenges.

A handful of Law of Attraction experts responded publicly to these arguments, which just seems to fuel a bigger fire rather than extinguish it. Secret contributor, Michael Beckwith, says “mediocrity attacks excellence,” and that’s why so many supporters take heat about today’s hottest topic.

Although this may be a hot topic today, it certainly isn’t a new one. These manifesting principles have been around for eons, tracing back to roughly 300 B.C. in the mysterious Emerald Tablet. That in itself incites some factions who take issue with the movie producers presenting Law of Attraction as a “secret.”

This Way to the Truth

Some individuals were followers, practitioners or just generally intrigued by the principles of deliberate creation felt the wind taken out of their sails with the public controversies aired about the Secret. Where once they felt optimism and excitement about the possibility of deliberate manifesting, some found themselves muttering “I knew it was too good to be true” after reading negative press about the movie.

Regardless of what you did or didn’t feel previously about this subject, if you haven’t already found your way to the truth, here’s a tip. It’s not outside of you.

You won’t find the answer in a Larry King interview or an online blog. The truth doesn’t have anything to do with your husband’s opinion, your neighbor’s experience, or your coach’s two cents’ worth.

The only way we can ever know “what’s so” is to check in with ourselves. The truth isn’t “out there;” rather it’s built in. We each have an internal guidance system designed to ensure we have continual access to what’s right for each of us. Whether you call it your higher self, God self, intuition, or something else, it’s in all of us.

You can hear that truth when you listen for it. The beauty of it is that when you recognize nothing outside of you knows what’s best for you, you’re no longer subject to the whims, fancies, complaints, ramblings and rantings of others.

Most of us, however, learned early on to ignore our internal guidance, in favor of being accepted, making peace, getting along or just plain surviving. We became experts at discounting and even rejecting what our gut tells us, and became reliant on looking outside ourselves for the facts.

Sometimes you’ll hear your authentic guidance through signals of your emotions; others feel it more strongly in physical body reactions – like “chill of truth” goose bumps or a sinking stomach. Once you are practiced at hearing (or experiencing) your internal guidance, you’re never again left wondering what’s valid and what’s not.

Says Who?

Could I be wrong? Absolutely. Don’t take my word for it; test it out yourself.

Our private truth is speaking to us all the time, pointing “this way” or “that way.” All we need to do is hear it and we’ve got the best experts on board for life.

Listen for it. Play with it. Practice hearing it. See where it takes you. Don’t rely on someone else to tell you what’s so. YOU know what’s so.

When other people come up with different answers, more power to them. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong or should question yourself. Your truth doesn’t change, no matter how many others hold contrary opinions.

Sometimes outside triggers are great opportunities for us to recognize or confirm what’s true for us. For example, when a tarot card reader told me my rocky marriage would stand the test of time, my stomach dropped and I knew in that moment I wanted a divorce. But it was an outside trigger that helped me hear that truth within myself.

The moment my real estate agent showed me into a cute little Rose Park brick house, my heart soared and inner being shouted “Yes!” Even while my girlfriend stood next to me saying “I can’t believe we’re even looking at this place.”

When my coach, who for three months tried to get me to make peace with my lucrative corporate job, finally threw her hands in the air and said “You just have to quit if you hate it so much” – again went the soaring heart and all internal arrows pointing to “YES!” It was the external trigger that helped me hear that internal signal loud and clear.

Choose for Yourself

As far as complaints about the Secret movie having too materialistic a focus, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I personally believe the movie hits a good access point to the population at large, which may very well apply the knowledge gained from the Secret to eventually achieve their highest purpose.

And actually, the movie does include happy relationships as well as physical health, so it’s not just about bikes, jewelry and sports cars.

Regarding whether the Law of Attraction works, I think healthy skeptics would agree that thoughts at least affect the way we experience reality; that attitude does make a difference. My personal experience is that thoughts are much more powerful than just that, though. Again, check it out for yourself.

As to those who argue manifesting doesn’t work, I think they themselves prove it does. Because when we say “this stuff doesn’t work,” we can actually manifest that to appear true as well.

Bottom line: trust yourself to know the truth. You know more than you think you do.

Jeannette Maw is an Attraction Coach and founder of Good Vibe Coaching in Salt Lake City, Utah who helps clients get what they want using the Law of Attraction. She is co-author of "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Vol. 3" and "Inspired Attraction," and speaks regularly on the topic of deliberate creation. Free tips and strategies to begin using the Law of Attraction to make your wish list come true are yours by signing up for her fluff-free "Get What You Want" bi-monthly ezine at http://www.goodvibecoach.com Real world manifesting is the topic of her blog at http://www.loaplayground.blogspot.com . Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeannette_Maw