First, I dream of the day or month or moment when someone brilliant creates a search or metasearch engine for pictures that you can see clearly in head or memory, but do not have a title for.  I long for the ability to, essentially, do a head search, inputting the vision the user has and getting a replication with painting title.  Any search or metasearch engine designers listening?  Help!!!  How can you find the picture in my head for me?  That is, you are seeking that picture of the Joseph Wright painting, you know his alternym is Wright of Derby.  You know he was English and that he ushered in a unique and emphatic style that attended to industry for his primary subjects.  But you would like to avoid having to manually search through hundreds of museum pieces at the Louvre website, as one article taking a full day is not lucrative for anything besides your tangential penchants.

Don’t get me wrong.  I LOVE Google Images.  I can spend days in the labyrinthine and insipid results of searching an author’s name and getting totally unrelated porn shots of someone with the same middle initial.  I love typing names of murderers or missing people or new authors, to see what each looks like.  I love typing in the Wikipedia creator’s name in the images and getting the coolest of photos of the great Jimmy Wales sitting at a desk in what appears to be his office, of which the wall behind him is an intriguing amalgam of hand done sketches of an apparent prototypes.  But then I cannot search such a wall shot to learn what exactly is painted or scrawled on that wall to identify the kind of genius, like an Albert Einstein or a John Nash, who write their most profound ideas and calculations on walls!  No manual search of all 598 images of Wales and reading the accompanying text will give me an answer.  No metasearch engine will do that for me, either.

And I’m not lazy.  I try the images section with a number of words, get nowhere, so resign to the Web where I search, until I find the name of that painting I see so well and it is called “The Widow of an Indian Chief Watching the Arms of her Deceased Husband” (1785).  Then I return to Google Images with the title to use to look up the image I needed to begin with.  But I digress.  Sort of.

Next on the list of bitches - when you are a writer, researcher, student, or individual looking for specific information, the search and metasearch engine process can be maddening.  Granted, we are a cyber-culture of profit and gain, of buy and spend, but scholarship should not be impeded in such an obtrusive manner.  For example, I was working on a knitting and fashion article this morning, seeking the exact measurements of a plain, single-stitch Dries Van Noten knitted scarf, one which he showed on the runways for a winter 2000 collection.  My goal as writer was to describe the knit stitch, the length, the width, the color, pattern and style.  Most of my searches yielded horrifyingly unrelated results.  In the margins of the results page were ads for everything from scarves by L. L. Bean and trucks!?  In the main body of the results list were runway shows for 2003, chat forums on buying the designer’s stuff because he had just turned 50, and enticements to buy floral silk scarves.  Could I find the exact length of that scarf about which I had to write with veracity?  No.

So how about a single metasearch engine for serious, non-buying, but producing scholars and writers?  Yes, there are databases, encyclopedias, and compendia of encyclopedias and thoughtful resources.  And yes, those of us complaining do spend hours searching.  That is, we do not give up after one set of results offers nothing but material product.  But one metasearch engine that at least attempts to be knowledge oriented or knowledge based is all I’m asking for here.

Clarification is important here.  It may make little difference to some casual users, but there is a distinction between search and metasearch engines.  Google Images is not a metasearch engine, though it is the most popular.  A search engine is a program of sorts that has “spiders” that go out and crawl all the world wide web to find website pages that are relevant to your search words/phrase.  A metasearch engine then, is beyond the search engine.  A metasearch engine “crawls” all the search engines, delivering the results.

SEARCH ENGINES
A9
Alta Vista
AOL
Ask
Clusty
Excite
Google
Lycos
MSN
Yahoo

METASEARCH ENGINES

Dogpile
Mamma Metasearch
Metasearch.com

There are patterns and plans for how search engines travel and where they go. There are tools within the better or larger, more capacious search engines, identifying user search habits.  This is intended for optimized searching but is also taken advantage of by advertisers and their advertising efforts.  So in my case, when I spend a day on a literary analysis for a client, then switch at night to a how to article for another client, my daytime searches bleed into the night.  A month ago I was researching trucks. Is that why today, when seeking knitting terminology, I got an errant truck ad?  Argggh!

One of the most important things any person can do for their children is to have a will in place when they pass away.  It’s not a pleasant subject, but it’s a fact of life and taking care of it will give you peace of mind.  The first thing you need to do when you decide it’s time for a will is to find a lawyer.  This can be as simple as looking through the phone listings or asking a family member or friend to refer to you to someone they know and trust.

You can also go the high tech route and find a lawyer online.  There are numerous national databases that list lawyers by specialty and location.  This can be a great resource because it provides the most thorough and up to date information available.  Many of the lawyers that are listed on these sites will have links to their own websites.  It’s comforting to be able to gather more information about a prospective attorney.  Many people consider this the very best method to find a lawyer.

When you do find a lawyer that you’re comfortable with you need to sit down with them and answer a few questions.  They’ll ask you for some very basic information including your martial status and how many heirs you have.  There are also more complicated areas that you’ll need to cover including all of your assets and how you wish for them to be distributed once you’re gone.

If you are married it might be wise to see the lawyer together.  In this case you’ll want to find a lawyer that both you and your spouse feel comfortable with.  Many married couples own joint assets and a lawyer will be able to explain the ramifications if one partner passes away.

Another area of wills that lawyers are often called upon to deal with is when someone is contesting a will.  If someone you were close to died and you believe that you have a right to a portion of their estate you’ll need to find a lawyer to help you proceed with a claim.  This can be a very tricky area of law and therefore it’s really important to find a lawyer who is experienced in your particular county or city.  They have insight into what the laws are and also the steps you need to take.

When you do find a lawyer to help with a matter concerning a will remember that quite often he will also be able to help you with any future legal issues that you might have.

To those of us who are hooked to television drama series where crime and criminals are dealt with on a fairly regular basis, the term ‘DNA testing’ would surely not be alien. Even the soaps have made us familiar with DNA testing by constantly referring to paternity testing! We all know that criminals leave behind their DNA in hair samples, skin samples, spit, sweat, semen and a lot of other body excretions and that the genetic origins of an offspring can be determined by examining or testing the DNA of the parents.  How many of us know what it really means?

Before we delve deeper into what DNA testing really is, we need to understand more about DNA. DNA or Dieoxyribo nucleic acid as it is scientifically known, is the cellular material that contains the source code for all living things. The DNA is a long, string like structure that determines the eye color, hair color, physical structure, height, bone density and several other traits. These traits are not restricted to human DNA alone. Animal and plant DNA also function in a similar way. Each strand of DNA therefore functions as a unique code that can help us track back to the unique individual who created it.

This is where DNA testing has become an invaluable tool for forensics experts and crime prevention professionals. Because each strand of DNA is unique and could have come from only one person in the entire universe, DNA testing is viewed as one of the most foolproof ways to tie in a suspect with a crime scene. Most courts in most parts of the world use DNA testing results as the final say in matters concerning crimes. In the initial days of the DNA testing technology, the process was lesser understood, long and prohibitively expensive. The advances made in clinical oncology, the comprehensive understanding of the DNA structure after having unraveled the DNA in the Genome project and the relative affordability of DNA testing, have made its use more widespread.

Today, several other branches of science use DNA testing tools and techniques for a variety of applications. Paternity tests are one of the most commonly used applications of DNA testing. This is the use of DNA testing in cases where the parent or parents may want to verify the genetic traits of the child or even to verify if the child is their at all! Each year, there are scores of allegations against celebrities, rock stars and even political figures, of their having fathered a child. These claims are easily verifiable through the use of DNA testing technology to establish paternity.

Finding lost family members has also become possible due to the growth and development of the DNA testing technology. Now claims from long lost brothers, siblings or cousins can easily be verified. DNA testing is also finding newer and novel uses in the defense arena, where the victims of genocide and or strife can be identified even with the absence of any appreciable body parts. The truth has always been out there, but with DNA testing, it can become a verified fact!

Many times, our lives do not go as we planned. There are unexpected occurrences that can devastate an individual’s personal finances. Credit cards are especially challenging because of the high interest rates attached to the convenient purchasing tools. Bad credit card debt can be a source of stress for anyone who has it because it can be overwhelming even for the most trustworthy person.

It is crucial to keep the line of communication open with your creditors. This can make the difference between having slow credit and having bad credit card debt. Many creditors are willing to work with you if you take the time to explain your situation and if you make an effort to come to a new payment arrangement with them.

In many instances, an individual who is having a great deal of trouble making his monthly payments can actually save money by communicating this to his creditors. I had a balance of eight-hundred dollars on one of my credit cards. I had trouble making payments because I was in a car accident and I had other bills that were high priority. After paying those bills, I had little left over.

I contacted my creditor before this got out of hand. This prevented me from accumulating bad credit card debt. I was able to come to a payment arrangement that actually put the bulk of my money on the principal rather than on the interest. With this new payment schedule, I had the entire balance paid off in a fraction of the time.

Making reasonable payment arrangements with your creditors is one benefit of keeping the lines of communication open. Another is possibly paying off the bill entirely. Some companies make a pay off offer to anyone who is at risk of accumulating bad credit card debt. This option is usually only offered if the debtor contacts the credit company with an inquiry.

I paid off a retail store’s bill for three hundred dollars below the balance by making an inquiry. Using money from my income tax refund, I paid off the debt in one payment in an amount we could both accept. This kept me from getting bad credit card debt while keeping my line of credit open with the store.

I learned my lesson about credit cards a little late. I accumulated too much debt and found myself in a tight situation. I kept myself from getting bad credit card debt by contacting my creditors and making the appropriate arrangements. It took a little willpower, especially when it came to using my long awaited income tax return to pay off debts, but bad credit card debt is a serious issue that can be avoided with a few phone calls.

Most of us who run businesses know the importance of advertising and promotions. After all, it is rarely sufficient to have a great product or service, if your audience is unlikely to hear about them! Great products too need to be pitched to the right people, at the right time, through the right channel, in order for them to have an impact on your bottom line. No matter how big or small your business, if you are unable to make a difference to your sales with your existing campaign or creative messages, it is time you hired an advertising consultant.

Who is an advertising consultant? And how is an advertising consultant different from an advertising agency. To state the obvious, an advertising consultant is a specialist in advertising who has the skills and the expertise to advise you on your advertising strategy. If your messaging is not working, whatever the reason may be, the advertising consultant is the person who will identify what’s wrong and will tell you how to change it. And as opposed to an advertising agency, an advertising consultant is an individual who provides you with the strategic direction you need to make a mark with your creative campaign.

While most big businesses may have one or more advertising agencies to cater to their marketing and communication needs, some of them may find the need to employ advertising consultants in order to fine tune their strategies. Hiring an advertising consultant is in no way an indication that the existing agencies are doing a bad job. In fact, an effective advertising consultant will work closely with the existing agencies to add value to the campaign. It may so happen that the agencies are so involved in managing the day to day affairs of the campaigns for the client that somewhere down the line, they may lose track of the objectives. Truth be told, there are also instances when the agencies have been so caught up in producing creative work that they have sadly lost the finger on the pulse of the trends governing the marketplace.

This is where an advertising consultant can prove to be especially effective. The advertising consultant can be the bridge between your business and the advertising agency and can help streamline the strategies that make your campaigns and communication click. Since advertising consultants come with years and sometimes, even decades of experience in advertising, they are naturally aware of all the tricks and tips of the advertising business. Additionally, having handled large multi national brands and products, their experience is spread across geographies, giving you a resource that is well versed with all the latest and the best as far as strategies go.

In some well documented cases, brands that were floundering in the market or were producing ineffective advertising have benefited immensely from the infusion of talent that an advertising consultant brings. Think of an advertising consultant as a new coach in such instances. Several teams around the world have benefited from the slightly different strategies adopted by a new coach. While the training and knowledge that the older coach has imparted to them has stayed with them, it has often been the case that the new coach has been able to build on that knowledge and experience to make it more relevant to the changing scenario and playing tactics. As far as advertising is concerned, an advertising consultant does just that!

Organizational behavior, the study and use of how people act in organizations, is a discipline well wrought and appreciated by the best of managers.  The managers fit into and implement one of the major models of organizational behavior.  The autocratic model is where the leader for the most part is “in control” and the employees are dependent followers.  The custodial model is where money is the, the need is security and the manager is caretaker of the paradigm.  The collegial model has workers serve the interests of the organization as partners, as self-guided team players.  The supportive model emphasizes drive and recognition.

In the same respect, organizational behavior implementation also concerns individual types of employees.  As Twyla Dell in “Motivating at Work” determines them, the types are of four characterizations, which Dell cleverly defines with alliterations.  The Pioneeer is the pusher, the producer, is impatient, is exasperating and is to the point.  The Wheeler Dealer is debonair, dashing, democratic, is an idea person and desires to help and please.  The Caution Captain is a caretaker, a conservator, is consistent, kind, careful and cooperative.  The Systems Thinker is sensitive, is a processor, is systematic and a synergist.

Organizational behavior emphasizes other paradigms and processes, as well.  For instance, the manager will take into account the degrees of socialization versus individuation within the working group and on the part of each worker.  The organizational behavior approach, considers how the individual employee interacts with, impacts and is affected by the group dynamic.  In this regard, the manager studying organizational behavior will take into account how each employee sits on the scale of a construct that factors in his or her degree of isolation, creative individualism, conformity and rebellion.  All while considering these degree factors along with personality characteristics.

Much time, money, intellect and energy is spent to determine such organizational behavior variables.  From having the staff psychologist to the efficiency expert visit to implementing tests like the organizational behavior index, managers seek to ensure employee security, afford growth and see profits at their optimum.  The manager might study such skills as those taught in OBM (organizational behavior management) courses; might seek out a degree in a field such as Organizational Psychology; or might emphasize the concept along the way during training and experiential duties.  A combination of all of the above and more is ideal.

Though I do not live in New York City, many times I like to know what is going on. It would take me about four or five hours to drive there, but that does not mean I wouldn’t do so for the right event. It seems there are always New York City events going on and many of them are of some interest to me. The city is just close enough so I could travel there if I want to, but far enough away where it doesn’t affect my daily life. Though I love to visit the city, I moved a way from a city because it all became too much for me at one point.

It seems that there are a multitude of New York City events from which to choose every single day of the week. New York City is a large, vibrant city that has people from all races, ethnic backgrounds and religious affiliations. This can make for some pretty interesting events. If you like something that you cannot find in your own community, chances are good that there will be a few New York City events that will cater to exactly what you are looking for. As long as you know when to go, you can go and have the time of your life.

There are many places to find out about New York City events. I have a friend who lives in New Jersey and she knows a lot about the things that I like. If she finds any New York City events that she thinks I might be interested in, she shoots me off an e-mail or calls me on the phone to let me know. She knows that many times I will not be able to attend, but she also knows that I appreciate her letting me know what is going on. In many ways, it is almost like having my own New York City tour guide.

If you don’t have a friend like I do, you may have to find another way to find out what is going on in New York City. Luckily for you, this is quite simple. A quick search online will give you more results that you know what to do with. Because there are so many New York City events, there are just as many web sites and online publications that list times, places and suggestions. Once you find a site that gives you what you need, make sure you bookmark it so you can return there in the future. This will cut down on your confusion. Also remember that if you are going to go into the city for any events that you call ahead to make sure all information you have found is correct.

The bookstore I used to work in had a bunch of buying guides for used motorcycles lying around. I had never really been interested in buying motorcycles before, or even in motorcycles themselves. I wasn’t much of a car kid, and I got around very well on my bicycle. One day I started looking through these motorcycle guides on a whim. I was pretty bored and had just finished reading a novel and didn’t want to start anything new.

I was completely stricken by the beauty of the bikes in that guide. I immediately started thinking about buying motorcycles. I am impulsive sometimes, and I thought that the desire to buy a motorcycle was something that would come and go pretty quickly. When I was still thinking about buying a motorcycle a couple weeks later, I knew that this was more than just a passing fancy. I knew that I would have to save up some money and buy myself a nice road bike.

Buying used motorcycles is usually the best approach when you are just starting. I did not know anything about buying motorcycles, so it was good that I met someone who did. One of my co-workers, it turned out, was a big motorcycle aficionado. When I told him that I was thinking about buying motorcycles, he immediately set me down and chatted me up about it. He asked me a bunch of questions about what I wanted and I quickly realized how ignorant I was. He gave me the lowdown and showed me how to pick out the right bike, even offering to accompany me to the motorcycle dealer.

At one point, he asked me if I was really serious about buying motorcycles. I was so vague about what I wanted that it seemed to him like I hadn’t really made up my mind. I sat down and thought about it one Sunday. Did I really want to ride a motorcycle if it meant having to pay for insurance and upkeep? Then I heard the sound of someone’s souped up racing bike driving past, and I felt like it was a sign.  I knew that I had to follow through with buying motorcycles, at least to try it out for myself. The very next week, I found the perfect bike to begin riding on. Soon, I had it tuned up, polished and all ready to go. I have been riding a motorcycle ever since.

A seating chart is of great benefit when a major event is coming to town and planning is necessary. When an event such as a sports game, a touring concert, or a popular musical is being held in a stadium, ticket purchasers are able to view a seating chart of the facility. This lets them know how nice a view they have and which seats are really worth paying for.

Some people would rather buy more expensive tickets closer to the stage while others would prefer cheaper seats farther away from the action, as long as the seating chart promises a decent view. Having the ability to view the venue before committing to seats allows the customer to choose the seats that both afford them the view they want, while at the same time fit into their budget.  It not only helps customers, but also assists the management of the stadium or hall. When a seating chart is shown ahead of time, perhaps on a website or a brochure, it results in fewer misunderstandings and more satisfied customers, who know the kind of seats they’re reserving in advance.

A seating chart is a visual depiction of a stadium or hall’s seating arrangements as relates to the stage. The stage is usually at the top or bottom of the page and a group of elongated triangle shapes above that represent the different levels of seats. They are usually arranged alphabetically, the beginning letters of the alphabet representing the closest seats to the stage and so on until the letter Z. If there are sub-levels then sometimes ground level seats are referred to with A-Z, while high level seats are identified with double letters from AA to ZZ. Many seating charts also give exact measurements of the chairs and entire seating area.

These charts are not just for informational purposes. Weddings planners and teachers can also use a seating chart to better organize their days. A wedding planner might depend on a seating chart as a blueprint to physically arrange the chairs. A teacher likewise might want to create a seating chart not only for desk organization, but also to measure the progress of students.

Thanks to the Internet, seating charts are now viewable online. Beyond that, you can even create your own seating chart for planning your next event, whether it is a classroom, wedding or party. You can customize the details of your seating chart, map out a blueprint and use it as a physical reference.  Need a seating chart? The Internet can help you organize your day.

One of the most challenging issues that parents of autistic children face is the child’s inability to control his behavior. This challenge is not easily overcome because many autistic individuals have major communication deficits that prevent them from communicating why they are having a tantrum or why they are engaging in aggressive actions. A behavior chart is useful in helping caretakers determine the reason for the child’s tantrums and aggressions.

When I worked as an autism therapist, I used a behavior chart known as an ABC outline. This is an extremely valuable tool for determining the causes of behavior and it may be used to determine possible interventions that can be used to redirect the negative actions like tantrums and aggression.

ABC stands for antecedent, behavior and consequence. This behavior chart simply collects data on these three aspects of the child’s target behavior. Once the child demonstrated unwanted actions like tantrums and aggression, the therapist or caregiver collects objective information about the event. After a number of instances, the data on the behavior chart is evaluated and a course of action is determined by the autistic child’s treatment team.

The ABC behavior chart first section involves the antecedent to the child’s behavior. The antecedent is simply what happens immediately before the behavior occurs. This does not involve any subjective interpretation of the behavior. For example, instead of writing, “The child was hungry,” the data collector would write, “The child was waiting for dinner.” This is all that the antecedent involves. The child was waiting for his meal.

The next data that is collected on the behavior chart is the behavior. It is important to remember that this needs to be an action. What did the child do? For example, instead of writing, “The child became angry,” the data collector would write, “The child threw his silverware and cried and screamed.” The action is the behavior and it describes exactly what happened, not the data collector’s interpretation of the child’s emotions.

The final part of the behavior chart includes the consequence of the child’s behavior. The consequence is what happens immediately after the behavior. It is essential to keep this section objective as well. Sometimes a child will engage in a negative behavior in order to get a certain response. For example, a child is in a classroom and his teacher is talking with his parents. He throws books all over the floor and his mother and teacher run over and say, “What’s wrong?”

In the last example, the behavior chart would clue the treatment team in on the child’s negative behavior because it provides clues to the cause. The child wanted attention and the consequence was that he got the teacher’s and the mother’s undivided attention. But, the behavior chart has to be consistent. The attention seeking behavior has to be demonstrated a number of times before any conclusions are made.

A behavior chart is a valuable tool for helping a treatment team to determine which interventions to use when dealing with difficult behavior. The behavior chart may also be used for normal children who have trouble controlling their behavior as well. The chart usually takes weeks or even months to clue caretakers in on the causes of negative behavior, but it is often worth the wait.