All was well with Oman until June 5, when the tropical cyclone Gonu anchored itself inland. Wind speeds exceeded 240 km/hr and cyclone Gonu was classified as the worst cyclonic storm ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean. The most intense cyclone in the Arabian Sea had brought in its wake severe rainfall, thunder storms and giant waves which forced evacuation of 7000 people from the coastal areas of Muscat.

Widespread destruction and flash floods due to the cyclone Gonu knocked down communication links and isolated thousands for hours. Oman faced power outages and business losses to the tune of $ 4 billion. Such a storm was rare in North Indian Ocean and even rarer in the desert areas of Oman. Classified as a class 5 cyclone, Gonu brought along High winds, great gale force, storm surges and tornado activities coupled with power outages and transportation difficulties which made rescue efforts come to a standstill. 20,000 people were affected while another 27 were reported missing four days after the storm dissipated. Waves as high as 10 metres forced large amounts of water to the coast making the ports noperative including the main port of Sohar.

The failure of both the Oman desalination plants triggered massive drinking water shortages in Muscat as the first plant Ghubrah, lost supplies of natural gas, halting production; while the second, Barka, sustained damaged switchgear due to flooding. These plants provided water to Muscat's 631,000 residents and surrounding areas when they were functional. Violent winds, incredible waves,

torrential rains and floods associated with this phenomenon gripped the immediate neighbors of Oman including United Arab Emirates. The storm grazed the Oman coastline before finally crossing over the Gulf Of Oman and entering Iran. Roads, trains and almost every system of transport was disrupted due to water logging and land slides.

The cyclone Gonu, which means a bag made of palm leaves in the language of the Maldives, finally dissipated (even after a tropical cyclone is said to be extra tropical or dissipated, it can still have gale-force winds and drop several inches of rainfall) as it headed inward towards the heart of Iran leaving a vast trail of destruction behind. People returned to their homes and life began to crawl towards normalcy. Traders returned to trucking oil barrels .Offices opened up -- but computers did not!!. Water logging, torrential rains and mud had jammed computers for good. Drives had crashed and so had the data. Data backups had either backfired or were corrupted badly.

The computers were confronted with a multitude of problems. The data loss was due to system crashes and power outages. Grime and moisture rendered the hard disks useless. Lives were taken hostage to data recovery and it was in these situations companies contacted various data recovery services. At Stellar, we received extensively damaged disks. Time is critical to data recovery therefore, being the proud owners of Indias first - Class 100 clean room, we swung into action immediately. The efforts to salvage data began at war footing.

Stellar data recovery experts and clean room technicians worked on the drives till the data was fully retrieved. Hard disks were cleaned; data was recovered and saved on the media chosen by our customers. Damaged parts like read/write heads were replaced from our exhaustive inventory .Sophisticated equipments and trained hands of our recovery experts together lifted any traces of data they could find. Although this involved many complex procedures like drive dissection and analysis, drive imaging etc: most data was recovered with full file structures.

During the recovery process, our team encountered a number of challenges like:

• Lodging of water in the disk drives
• Bent/ broken spindle motors,
• Damaged platters,
• Scratching of platter surface due to mud,
• Crashing of hard drives due to physical impact of water,
• Damage to read/write head etc.

1. Do not attempt to put on your system. It may result in short circuits and data loss.
2. Do not try to dry your system as drying may leave residue on your platters

   causing electro mechanical damage.

3. Freezing the drive is not an option, do not consider it.

Immediately put off any systems showing signs of damage and pack the affected drives into shock proof material o send them for recovery.

Intelligent, timely and prompt data recovery is possible only if adequate measures are taken. Any strange noises and sounds from the computer shouldnt be ignored. Data backups must be maintained and updated. The data that has been recovered must not be restored to the affected drive. In spite of all this, if you still lose your data, never attempt to carry out the repair yourself. data recovery can revive both you and your organization. But it must always be done by professionals. Stellar has over 15 years of experience in data recovery software & services.

It made sense for the Gonu victims to approach the best in business to bail them out from their worst data horrors. Armed with the never say die attitude, Stellar Information systems always welcomes its customers and sincerely hopes to find solutions for all their problems. We did the same for them and their drives were up and running within no time. Life may take sometime to normalize in the devastated Gonu. But we can still feel proud of ourselves for doing what few others would. Returning people to their offices and giving them hope where no one could.

Andrew Watson is student of mass communication doing research on data recovery software.

Remember the plain seam which is sewn right side to right side. This means that the wrong sides are on the outside and the seam is thus sewn on the wrong side; So when you are finished sewing, the seam with its seam lips on both sides is on the inside or wrong side and this is what you want. You want the seam lips on the inside so that all that is seen on the outside is a line of stitching.

For the flat fell or fell seam, you begin by sewing your first seam on the inside or wrong side of the fabric. Thus fabrics are right side to right side. This seam should be approximately 3/8 inch and then you snip off one of the seam lips to within 1.8 inch of the stitching line. Then you turn the larger lip in under the smaller one. You aim to enclose the smaller lip, Note that there are three layers. You can ask if you just want to sew the two upper layers together i.e. the two seam lips or do you want to sew the seam lips down to the actual fabric.

This is an interesting move i.e. just to sew the two lips together through hand stitching and this is an elegant finish. The lips will hold together; and the seam will have a turned in look. This is the fell or flat fell seam and this seam is now usually done by stitching the three layers together through a top-stitch. In this way the flat fell is done by holding down the seam lips to the fabric itself; the seam lips having been enclosed in each other.

Then for the French seam, the difference is that you start off at the right side of the garment. Thus the sides are placed wrong side to wrong side and the seam is sewn. You can then see the stitching line on the wrong side. The seam lips are then shortened to approximately one eighth of an inch. The garment is then turned around so that you are working on the right side. The aim is now to enclose the inside seam lips. Sew then at least inch from the fold to enclose the inside lips. This stitching line should not be visible on the outside. What is done here is not a seam at all. It is a stitching line done to enclose the inside lips and to neaten the seam. French seams are an elegant finish for fine and lightweight material such as chiffons and light fine silks.

GET ORGANIZED

The first step to planning a successful destination wedding is organization. It is helpful to hire a professional wedding planner; however, if this luxury is not within your budget, enlist a good friend or your parents to help you with all your wedding planning tasks. Ask your wedding vendors for suggestions and helpful hints. Organization eliminates unwanted stress and allows you to enjoy your wedding planning adventures.

CHOOSE A DESTINATION LOCATION

When choosing your destination wedding location, consider the following: your favorite romantic places as a couple, the best time to travel to certain locations, your budget, your guests needs and your guest list size. There are many romantic choices available; for example: caribbean weddings, cruise weddings, hawaiian and tropical beach weddings by the ocean, lakeside weddings, bay side weddings, mountain weddings, and european weddings abroad.

RESEARCH!

Begin researching your destination wedding location thoroughly to avoid any unexpected surprises. A good place to start -- read what other brides and grooms have written about their recent wedding events. You can do this by joining various web rings which are devoted to destination weddings. You may wish to post any questions you may have on wedding message boards; thus, you may receive great advice from brides and board moderators. Subscribe to and read destination wedding magazines and web sites. Request travel and chamber of commerce brochures from the states and locations of your choice. And for information on cruises, surf the web and then visit different cruise and cruise line web sites. Most importantly, visit your local travel agency to pick up brochures. Your travel agency can play a major role in your destination wedding. So make sure the agency you choose will meet all of your travel concerns. For example, your agency will organize and book yours and your guests air and ground transportation, and your lodging. Interview several agents, get everything in writing, learn about their reputation. Ask if you can customize your wedding package with flowers, live music, photography/videography, and other services.

CREATE A PERSONAL WEB SITE

Creating a personal wedding web site or blog is a great way to journal your wedding journey. And for destination weddings, it is a fantastic way to keep family and friends informed. You can include all of your wedding details such as your engagement photos, gift registry, travel arrangement details, directions, wedding itinerary and more. It is a wonderful way to keep family and friends current on your wedding information. You can even have your family RSVP via e-mail, saving you dollars on reply card sets and postage.

LEARN THE LATEST

Make your own destination wedding unique and custom by checking out the latest wedding trends. Once you have your wedding theme chosen, find additional inspiration by reading magazines and surfing the net. Incorporate these creative wedding ideas into your own wedding and add your own personal touch.

Keep a scrapbook of your favorite finds: your dream dress, haute hairstyle, magnificent make-up, custom wedding invitations, reception favors, fabulous flowers, photographer, videographer, record every detail. You can use a tool like Google notebook to keep your scrapbook handy on your computer; it allows you to include everything from your thoughts, to your favorite links, to your important vendor contact information.

YOUR wedding STATIONERY AND FAVORS

Keep it chic. Keep it sophisticated. Keep it simply a reflection of good personal taste. There are a lot of wedding stationery choices available now. Our advice is not to skimp on your wedding invitations and not to go with anything that is too trendy. We suggest having fun with your save the dates; bring a creative spirit and fun first impression of your destination wedding with a whimsical save the date. For example, are you planning a beach wedding? Be unique and use beach wedding invitations like the ones on this link at http://www.calligraphylady.com/beachweddinginvitations/Beachweddings.htm as customized save the date cards.

When it comes to the wedding invitations; however, remember that classic is better than trendy. This element of your stationery wardrobe will become your heirloom keepsake. Ask yourself, I like this invitation now, but will I love it 50 years from now? Spend the bulk of your stationery budget on your wedding invitations. For reception favors, less is definitely better than more. Consider one small exceptional wedding favor (like handwritten calligraphy place cards, personalized beverage napkins, small gift bags) that wont compete with your wedding guest table landscapes and centerpiece flowers.

ONE MORE DETAIL: PASSPORTS

United States citizens are required to have a passport for all overseas travel. Be sure everyone gets their passports well in advance. The wait could be long for its arrival. You may even wish to post this on your wedding website or e-mail your guests with this advice.

~ Dayna Bischof is a master calligrapher and owner of CL - Unique wedding Invitations Studio which offers top brand and handwritten wedding invitations and calligraphy services. Her education is in language, literature and art. Her calligraphy has been featured in bridal magazines such as Martha Stewart weddings, Brides, CosmoBride and the Knot. She also offers creative hand lettering and graphic designs for logos, headlines and magazines. Her illustration and lettering portfolio may be found at daynabischof.com

MPLS appears to be the next generation of communications. There are numerous applications that can take advantage of this latest technology in being able to prioritize data packets by assigning labels to them. Of course, it's still in the "early days".

MPLS is what ATM should have been. All the traffic control of ATM, without the limitations of fixed cell sizes. In general where you want to manage services with different QoS, MPLS is the right answer for high bandwidth pipes, ATM is the right answer for low bandwidth pipes (which is why it is used for DSL).

Lots of products have the label MPLS, but beware - there are several partial implementations (Cisco included) of the MPLS specifications, many of which do not give the full range of QoS and hence support for carrying diverse services at the same time. For multi-service networks MPLS is what I would be basing the networks on today - but please check the small print to ensure they do actually do what you want.

I would say that MPLS is the 'Now' (not the Next) Generation of backbone technology. In Europe and AsiaPAC it is already the technology of choice for most new WAN implementations.... and the number one service offering from most Global Telco's, not to mention the main focus of Vendors.

My only caution would be to not forget to compare the business cases for MPLS and competing legacy technologies when considering a change. Often the Service Providers push customers into MPLS because it is fashionable and the margins are better for them as they can bundle multiple services with it (Data and VOIP plus enhanced network monitoring tools etc). Whether MPLS 'costs in' for a customer will depend on:

(a) existing and future bandwidth requirements;

(b) the need to flex bandwidth on demand;

(c) geographical spread of WAN (distance from the exchange and regulatory restrictions).

There have been instances where companies have been halfway through the rollout of an MPLS WAN....only to realize that they are going to spend more (not less) on a technology that they won't really benefit from. Also some companies have ditched MPLS when they realized that they could double their existing ATM bandwidth cheaper and faster in some locations....rather than deploy MPLS.

Overall though, with (a) the refresh of network infrastructure now better built into operating budgets; and (b) the realisation that things like VOIP and convergence of legacy and current data networks are no longer a leap of faith; as well as (c) the removal of premiums for MPLS services - it is truly becoming the default technology for todays Wide Area Networks.

British Telecom as well as all the other UK, European and US Telcos I can think of, all deploy MPLS as their carrier backbone technology. It is highly likely that if you buy ATM in some locations today it will be encapsulated over MPLS anyway!

Every major telco in the US is pushing MPLS. In fact, Sprint is abandoning the frame relay service at the end of the year and getting everyone on their MPLS network.

Just remember that you have to have MPLS at every site in order to full take advantage of the technology. However, from the US, every telco ATT, Sprint, Verizon, GX can offer the service globally.

Just a side note "Aw Ha moment"....the cost reductions touted however, depends on your network topology as well as the Telco being used.

For example

Sprint: Moving from a traditional frame relay network to an MPLS network will save you money. IF you have a fully meshed frame relay network the savings is greater. Why? Because with Sprint the Class of Service is free. So you go from loop + port + PVCs to loop + port.

Verizon Business: Verizon offers car (Commmitted access rates) with their MPLS offering (Private IP or PIP). So you don't have PVCs, but now you ahve to pay for CAS depending on what you want it can be the same or more.

ALL MPLS offerings allow clients who previously did not have a full meshed network to now have the benefits of one. This plays well into most clients Disaster Recovery plans too.

Now....on a devil's advocate approach to the hype of MPLS.

Firstly, MPLS provides CoS (class of service) not QoS which ATM "does" provide for true clarity of the subject. The problem I've seen and dealt with surrounding MPLS is its implementation. Its touted as a "cheap" - or lower cost (word this how you'd like) solution to ATM and it is to a degree (equipment wise) - but its also a different service.

Now, for MPLS to be effective, your entire route from point A to point B has to be MPLS enabled. So given locations A say in England and location B in say Chicago, this entire path from both locations have to (emphasis on HAVE to) be MPLS enabled. Or else, your packet markings are useless.

Here is a sample packet flow:

VoIP Call from London --> Provider A (MPLS)
Provider A --> Upstream --> Upstream's Provider (No MPLS)
Upstream's Provider --> Back to Location A (No MPLS)

Since the Upstream's Provider doesn't have MPLS enabled, anything you "think" you made better was worthless. Those MPLS 6509's and better you configured, made no dent in your traffic speed, saved you zero dollars.

Static routing?.....MPLS is highly dependent on static routes, routes flap, routes go down. Fact of life. MPLS is brutally dumb and takes an insane amount of configuration on the engineers for failover scenarios.

QoS?.....Same applies, you could color your packets a rainbow of colors. If the upstream or anyone in the path strips those colors, its a wasted effort. Vendors - especially bandwidth vendors - won't make mention on how MPLS is not all that its cracked up to be. They'll pitch you a product. "Fastest bandwidth on the planet". But unless the locations are strictly on that provider's network. There is no guarantee from another provider they will honor any colorings of packets (QoS/CoS) of MPLS or ATM. Outside of that...... MPLS is IP based and succeptible to all kinds of attacks. At least with ATM the attack vectors are slightly more difficult.

Now that you're thoroughly enlightened....you can make the decision for MPLS (or not) even easier by using an unbiased consultant. My number 1 recommendation is to take advantage of the free services at DS3-Bandwidth.com.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

Our friend Alex lived two miles from us in Jakarta in the 1970s. He worked in the same office as my father, so it was decided that my father and Alex would travel to work together in the mornings.

Alex would come to our house by bechak, which was a small, bicycle powered conveyance. The rider would sit on his bicycle pedaling away, and his passenger or passengers sat in a covered compartment in front of him, facing forward. Such vehicles sat two passengers, on PVC covered seats and with their feet resting upon a small wooden platform in front.

The hood of the compartment was canopied rather like an oversized pram, to keep off sun and rain, and the entire contraption was hair raising in the extreme, as the rider would power the thing into the thick of the rush hour traffic oblivious to all traffic regulations, ringing his bell and usually yelling his head off.

Alex was late one morning and we all began to worry about our unfailingly punctual friend. He had not been well recently and we knew he had been to the doctor only a few days previously with yet another of Jakartas ultra aggressive stomach disorders. Alex had an appointment this morning to take his latest stool sample for testing, so he had arranged to arrive ten minutes earlier than his usual seven thirty. It was now seven forty and no Alex.

Finally at ten minutes to eight, he arrived, and immediately collapsed onto the cane chair on the patio near the front door, shaking and trembling. After a few seconds we realized he was shaking with laughter.

Alex had hailed a bechak and begun his usual hell ride through the traffic, his briefcase and his stool sample in a jar wrapped in brown paper on the wooden platform between his feet. A pickpocket stole his stool sample and ran off through the traffic, waving his spoils and jeering at Alex who was also waving his arms around, in horror, and Alex had been unable to stop laughing since.

Jan Gamm writes reflections on life with an emphasis on world travel. She has lived in many countries and traveled extensively in the Far East, the Middle East, America, South America and throughout the South Pacific. She writes for fun and for money whenever she can manage it.

If you seen those nice new flat wide-screen LCD TVs, I am sure you want one, but often they are over-priced. So why pay full price when there are discount LCD TVs? Many people don't know about this secret and often buy very expensive ones from their nearest electronics store. Discount LCD TVs are not too hard to find, if you know what to look for and where. Once you have found the spot, you are set up for your new TV. This article will tell you about how there are discount LCD TVs and a link to where you can buy discount LCD TVs from a trusted company I have bought mine from.

You only will find Discount LCD TVs online
You will not find discount LCD TVs in your electronic store. The reason why is because stores raise the price not only to make a profit, but to offset the cost of stocking inventory. A LCD TV cost money to order and ship to the store. Once the store receives the LCD TVS, it takes up inventory space, often for months at a time. This all cost the store owner money, so by keeping the prices high in the thousands he/she is able to make up any monetary loss and some profit. A online store do not have the same problem as an "brick & mortar" store, many online stores simply ship off any products they have directly from their warehouse to you. There are online stores that will transfer the savings to you by selling discount LCD TVs that are priced lower than what you will find in an electronics store.

Searching for Refurbished TVs is another way of finding discount LCD TVs
If you don't know what refurbished means, basically it is any product that is repaired, cleaned, and restored to a "brand new" condition. Now it is good for you to know that most refurbished LCD TVs are up-to-date products that are new in the market, they just simply needed some fixing done before being sold. The manufacturer or a professional company will repackage the product. You will also have the new warranty as any new product. Now the best part about refurbished LCD TVs is that they are sold at a significantly lower price than the original price. The reason why companies can not sell them at the original price is because that would illegal. If you buy a name brand refurbished LCD TV, you is buying a name brand product for a much lower price than what everyone else is paying for the same exact product!

Checking out less-known companies for discount LCD TVs
Some people over look products made by less-known brands or companies because they think the product is of lower value, but in many cases with high-end electronics this may not be the case at all. The reason why prices are higher for products from name brand companies, is because of their well known names. Many well known companies often do not make the individual parts within the LCD TV, but instead buy them from the same manufacturer less-known brands buy from and just simply put the pieces together. If you also always overlook the less-known brands, you might be missing out on a golden opportunity.

The following link: Discount LCD TVs will lead you to the site for finding Discount LCD TVs

Do you suffer from back problems? Do you find that you wake feeling stiff, sore, and not rested? If so, then chances are you need a different mattress. Today, the market is flooded with wonderful mattress options designed specifically for people who suffer from back pain. These mattresses provide needed support that makes a huge difference in the way you sleep and the way you feel upon waking.

One such option is the magnetic mattress. Keep in mind that magnetic therapy has been around for a long time. The ideology behind this therapy is that by placing magnets on painful parts of the body, blood flow and circulation improve. Although magnetic therapy is surrounded by controversy, many people swear by it. With a magnetic mattress, the magnets are incorporated in the overall design.

A number of people who suffer from back pain and aching joints have tried the magnetic mattress, finding it provides relief. In fact, a number of studies have been conducted show that the magnetic mattress also provides comfort for people living with depression, arthritis, MS, and other chronic diseases. If you are interested in trying this type of mattress for better sleep, the most important thing is choosing one that has a large number of magnets. This can be done by determining the number of magnets per pad.

Another type of mattress that works quite well for people with back pain is the Sealy Posturpedic. Considered one of the most popular choices, this mattress provides comfort and firmness in one. First introduced to consumers in 1950, Sealy has continued to improve the technology and materials associated with the Posturpedic mattress. Although a little higher priced than other mattresses, this one has helped many people enjoy a better nights sleep and it comes with a guarantee.

Now, another high-end option is the adjustable bed and mattress. In this case, the head and foot of the bed can be adjusted on a person-by-person basis. Each person can incline the bed according to comfort need, ensuring absolute support for the back. With a simple touch of a button, this type of bed offers changes according to the persons needs. As far as the mattress, we recommend you stick with foam or latex material.

Finally, foam mattresses are exceptional for people with bad backs. This type of mattress is less expensive than some other types while still providing needed support and comfort. One of the best sellers is the memory foam mattress, which actually contours to your body. The benefit is that every time you move while sleeping, the mattress continues forming around your body like a glove. Available in a wide range of sizes, the foam mattress is often recommended by leading orthopedic doctors.

Article provided courtesy of Bedding Plus - a resource for teen girl bedding, bed comforters and luxury bedding.

A notebook computer is a term used interchangeably with laptop computers. For those of you not familiar, a notebook computer is one that is smaller and lighter than a personal computer. You can take it with you anywhere so it offers you more access to the internet, a way to watch movies, and even a way to work while you are away on business trips.

The first notebook computer was introduced in 1981 but they were very expensive and not as versatile as they are today. IBM and Epsom both placed versions of portable laptops on the market in 1983. Even with more models emerging, notebook computers were an item often associated only with high profile businessmen.

It wasn't until 1995 when Microsoft introduced their operating system Windows 95 that the world of notebook computers exploded. This operating system along with advances in technology that allowed notebook computers to function in the same ways as a personal computer led to them dropping in price and more consumers buying them.

Some of the improvements that occurred around this time were a better battery that no longer included acid. Power saving notebook computers were introduced so the life of the battery lasted much longer. They also were now able to hold more data so they could be used for more concepts at any given time.

Today you see people of all ages carrying their notebook computers to the office, home, on airplanes, colleges, and hotels. Many public places are set up with areas for individuals to conveniently use their laptops. Since we live in such a computer age having a notebook computer can help you stay on top of things for work and pleasure no matter where you go.

You can find notebook computers in a variety of sizes and from multiple manufacturers. They come with a good price, plenty of storage capacity, and warranties. If you are in the market for a notebook computer you will have no trouble finding exactly what you are looking for.

Learn all about Choosing A notebook computer. Visit National web design agency for your web design needs.

From jazz at your local park to large rock festivals, musichas long been enjoyed outdoors with nature. So why not have your own personal concert under the stars with some outdoor speakers in your backyard retreat. Whether you are entertaining or lounging alone, a stereo equipped with outdoor speakers can set the mood for summer fun. Sure your mother may have laid on the beach listening to a transistor radio and you may have soaked up some rays on the same patch of sand with your boombox. Now, your daughter and her iPod are seldom parted, but with outdoor speakers in your backyard everyone can kick back and enjoy some tunes.

Outdoor speakers come in many shapes, sizes and styles. Traditional outdoor speakers you can mount on a wall, preferably under the eaves for protection against the elements. Make sure you are able to easily un-mount them to bring them in for the winter. To seamlessly blend your audio equipment with the environment, choose some disguised as rocks or try waterproof versions you can hide amongst the lush foliage of your garden. There are even speakers disguised as planters or hanging baskets. You can also try wireless versions to easily move the sound where you want or need it without dealing with troublesome wires.

You will have to deal with wires for the majority of speakers, so it is important to keep this in mind when you are placing them around your patio paradise. After you decide where the most common listen area will be, take a look around and make note of any possible wiring obstacles such as walkways, sprinkler systems or even the patio itself. Once you do this, use wire that you can bury, since it will be moisture proof and simply place the speakers an equal distance apart from the common listening area for the best sound.

Considering that your speakers are going to be outside the majority of the time it is important that they have a warranty for more than one year. Some come with ten-year warrantees others with lifetime ones. No matter what you choose you just want to ensure that your new speakers last for more than one season in the sun.

So, throw open the doors and enjoy the simple pleasures of warm sunshine and sweet, air while relaxing on the patio. Your garden is full of lush greens and brightly colored flowers, their fragrance wafting gently in the air and your favorite chair, with the extra fluffy cushion waits for you to settle into its familiar comfort. A teak dining set is ready to be dressed for tonights barbeque party and the garden arbor, covered in cascading blooms beckons you to stroll through this backyard paradise that is your very own. A Bob Marley tune pumps its reggae beat out of your new outdoor speakers and sets the mood for lazy summer days and endless summer nights. Sometimes all it takes to turn ordinary moments into extraordinary ones is a little mood music.

As an owner of many indoor and outdoor decor sites, Jennifer Akre reviews information and shares ideas on outdoor patio furniture and patio accessories, giving the online consumer a chance to find valuable information on teak outdoor furniture or patio furniture. Surround yourself with beauty. Click today - Shop: teak chairs

There is no doubt that the upcoming birth of a new baby is an exciting and thrilling time in the life of any woman, and the traditional way to mark that occasion is with a well planned baby shower.

A baby shower is a great way to show a friend, a family member or a coworker how much you care about her and her new baby.

== Buying Baby Shower Gifts ==

When it comes to buying baby shower gifts, however, many people find themselves at a loss. For instance, those who do not yet have children of their own may be unsure of just what is and is not needed for the new baby.

== Ask Her Friends And Family For Ideas She Will Like ==

Often the best way to find out what would be the perfect gifts for the expectant mother is to ask her friends and family members.

The new mothers friends and family will be in the best position to know exactly what she needs for the new arrival. This is particularly important when shopping for an expectant mother who already has one or more children.

Chances, are these expectant mothers already have the basic things like clothes, strollers, baby seats and cribs.

== Baby Shower Gift Ideas ==

Even for mothers with children who have the basics taken care of, however, there are a number of baby gifts that are always needed and always appreciated.

For instance, diapers, while they may not be the most glamorous of gifts to bring to the baby shower, will always be needed and always be appreciated. Just be sure to ask around and determine the brand the expectant mother prefers.

Or if she plans to use cloth diapers, you can always purchase a gift certificate or prepay for a baby diaper service. This is another gift that is always appreciated by any new mother.

Things like toys, rattles, baby wipes and the like can be great gifts as well. Many people like to use an attractive rattle or other toy to decorate the gift box and provide an extra special gift.

== Baby Gift Registry ==

Some expectant mothers will create a baby registry their friends and family members can use to shop for gifts for the baby shower, so it is always important to check to see if such a registry exists.

A baby shower registry makes it much easier for friends and family members to shop, and helps ensure that every gift purchased is one that is needed and will be appreciated.

Shaunta Pleasant is a professional writer and editor on baby shower topics. Visit my site to learn more about planning the perfect wedding at http://www.baby-shower-gala.com/baby-shower-gifts.html

If you're new to PC video editing then knowing where to start can be a bit daunting, so hopefully this guide will point you in the right direction.

To start with you will need a few items of equipment

Camcorders/video Decks

Depending on your requirements or aims there are number of different solutions to discuss, so i will split these up into separate sections.

1. If you are starting from new then i recommend buying a new digital camcorder, this will give you superior video and sound quality as well as making getting started in video editing very simple, so ideal for the beginner. There are thousands to choose from catering for various types of budgets.

2. You may already have an old video deck or camcorder which uses the old analogue outputs such as composite or s-video (be sure to check first what outputs you have). For this kind of setup you would need a capture card/analogue to digital converter, this is discussed in more detail further on in the article.

A PC for video Editing

It is now possible to easily capture footage from your Digital Camcorder directly to your PC and edit it. If you looking at buying a new PC or building a new one then the currents spec's are more then powerful enough, a typical spec PC these days is a P4, 512Mb Ram, 80Gb HDD, Windows XP or something along those lines. You could always use your existing PC if you have one, but i wouldn't recommend using anything below a PIII 600.

Additional Hardware

When transferring video from your camcorder to your PC there are a number of additional things to consider depending on the type of camcorder your using.

If youre using a digital camcorder then all your need is a firewire card (also known as an IEE1394 card), a lot of current PC's have these as standard now, otherwise you will need to purchase the card separately. Some of these will come bundled with editing software such as Adobe Premiere but this really depends on which card you buy and how much you spend, once your camcorder is connected to your firewire port windows will automatically recognise your Digital Camcorder.

If your using the old analogue camcorder then you will also need an analogue to digital converter, see the section on video editing cards below.

Speed?

Its worth considering your Pc's Processor speed, the speed will effect the rate your video will encode, encoding is where your DV video clips are converted into a more compressed format, for example DVD's are encoded to MPEG2. So the faster the better really. Also consider the amount of RAM in your PC, 256Mb would be the minimum.

Extra Hard Drive storage

Its worth considering having an extra dedicated drive for your video footage, remember that five minutes of DV footage uses 1GB of hard drive space so consider a large capacity hard drive such as an 80Gb or 120Gb, also consider the disk drive RPM, at least 7200RPM would be recommended. If your PC supports it (most new ones do now), then a Serial ATA (SATA) drive will offer increased date transfer rates of up to 150MB/sec compared to 100 or 133 offered by the IDE drives, you may also consider a SCSI drive if youre PC has an SCSI adapter as standard.

DVD/CD Burners

If your planning on putting your film onto CD-ROM (VCD), or DVD then a CDRW or DVDRW is an essential piece of kit, most new pc's may have a CDRW or DVDRW as standard, to burn your DVD, you'll need DVD authoring software.

video Editing Cards

If you have and older analogue video camera/deck then an analogue USB or PCI capture cards will suffice.

These dedicated analogue to digital converters take process of conversion away from the CPU and therefore speeds up transfer.

If worth getting a quality capture card as the cheaper cards can produce mixed results,

The video Editing Software

This is where all your creative work starts and the creative work starts, you can capture video from your camera, edit the captured clips, arrange them into a sequence, add transitions, credits and a soundtrack, titles and when your ready export your movie back to the camera or a suitable encoded file format (DVD, VCD etc).

Founder of http://www.avmechanic.co.uk, offering a free friendly helpful community for anybody that needs computer help or help with PC editing products

The car audio amplifier... its soul purpose is to take a low level signal from the source unit and transform it into a high level signal for activating the loudspeakers.

Amplifiers range in power from about twenty watts per channel to over one thousand watts per channel. Would you believe that the prices range anywhere from fifty dollars to several thousand dollars depending on features, power output and quality! Amplifiers range from one channel of output to as many as eight channels. The most common amplifiers are currently two and four channel models.

Amplifier Power Ratings Power amplifiers also have "optional equipment". These features include built-in active crossovers, equalizers, signal processing and speaker level inputs. When shopping for an amplifier consider that all power ratings are not created equal. The only true measure of an amplifier's power is its continuous power rating or R.M.S. rating ( or root mean square) and refers to the average power output of the amplifiers. Some of the low-quality brands will exaggerate or even outright lie about the power output of their amplifiers which is a good reason to stick with the well known manufacturers.

Car Amplifier Quality: Also keep in mind the quality of the amplifier. A generally good indication of quality build and the power output is the size and the weight of the amplifier itself. Better quality amplifiers will usually have a heavier and larger heatsink versus a low quality amplifier of the same power rating.

However there are many top quality amplifiers that do not follow this rule.

Blaupunkt makes a line of amplifiers that have a plastic shell. Because of the high efficiency design of those amplifiers a heavy heatsink is not required. Also a good indication of an amplifier's true output is the size of the fuse used.

Use your head when buying and keep in mind the brand's reputation for quality.

If you find yourself on a budget or lack space for many components then the economical thing to do is buy a multi-channel amplifier with the built in features and processors that you desire. By minimizing the number of components the chance of noise entering into the system is lessened.

Some features and aspects of amplifiers to consider are:

Bridgeable: This feature allows a pair of amplifier power channels to be combined into one channel of greater power. This is usually used for driving a subwoofer although it will work with any other type of speaker as well

Channels: The more channels an amplifier has the greater the installation flexibility it will have. Especially in terms of options, future add-ons and upgrades.

Class: This refers to the way the amplifier operates. The three types that are most likely to be encountered are A, A/B, and D. Class A amplifiers are the least efficient in terms of power consumption, staying on continually, but also have better sound in general than A/B amplifiers. They are very rare in car audio. Class A/B amplifiers are more efficient than the class A design and are the most common type. Almost all amplifiers in the car audio market are of the A/B design. Class D amplifiers are usually reserved for high power subwoofer amplifiers and can reach efficiencies in the 80%+ range. This design can therefore be smaller, uses less current and produces less heat than the other classes.

Connectors: This is the method of attachment used for wires that are connected to the amplifier, including speaker and power wires. The most common kind is the screw terminal strip. This is a series of screw connectors that can be removed and replaced without compromising the amplifier. The other main type of attachment is the "Molex" type connector. This method involves a wire harness that plugs into the amplifier after the power and speaker connections have been made with a crimp or solder connection. If the amplifier is installed in more than one system these wires can get pretty short over time and become more difficult and even dangerous to work with. A variation on the two is a harness that the power and speaker wires screw into. Then the harness plugs into the amplifier. This is probably the most convenient of all connections.

Crossover/Filter: A built in crossover can be useful, especially if it is many frequencies of adjustment. A filter is a crossover that only affects one channel, not actually splitting frequencies but simply reducing a range of them.

Distortion: This is often given as T.H.D. or total harmonic distortion. It is the measure of how much an amplifier will change a signal from the input signal it is given. Figures below 0.1% are negligible and will not be heard. Usually the figure can be in the 3% range without being heard but virtually all high quality amplifiers will have a T.H.D. below 0.1%.

Efficiency: This is the ratio of of power input (from the battery) to power output (to the speakers). A 100 watt amplifier with an efficiency of 50% would take in 200 watts of power from the battery and output 100 watts of power to the speakers. The other 100 watts of power would be wasted as heat. The higher the efficiency of an amplifier the better.

Power Output: The rated power output of an amplifier should be given into a four ohm load, all channels driven from twenty to twenty thousand hertz (20Hz-20kHz). Keep in mind that while the low end amplifiers are exaggerated in their power output, many high end amplifiers are under- rated in their power output. These are sometimes called "cheater amps" because they allow a car audio competitor to compete in a lower power class while in reality having a larger amplifier. This under-rating can be three times less than the actual power output.

Power Supply: The two most common types are the IC chip and the MOSFET supply. The IC chip is what is used in most source units (head units) and are only capable of roducing about twenty watts per channel. MOSFET is the more common design and has a smoother sound than the chip design.

Pre-amp Inputs: This is a set of jacks (usually RCA jacks) that will accept a low level pre-amp signal from a source or processing unit.

Pre-amp Outputs: This is a set of jacks (usually RCA jacks) that pass on a low level pre-amp signal to another amplifier or processing unit. These will sometimes be filtered outputs.

Separate Gain Controls: This allows the gain of each channel of the amplifier to be set independently of the other(s).

Speaker Level Inputs: For source units that do not have pre-amp level RCA outputs this feature may be used to take the signal from the speaker leads of the source unit. The signal will not be as clean as a pre-amp level output but will be adequate for most factory upgrade applications.

Stability: The measure of how low of an impedance load an amplifier can handle (in ohms). Any good quality amplifier will be two ohm stable while a rare few will go as low as a quarter of an ohm. Ideally an amplifier should double its power each time the load is halved. For example, a one hundred watt amplifier (into a four ohm load) should produce two hundred watts into a two ohm load and so on. This is most useful when running multiple speakers off of a single amplifier or in sound off competitions that are classed by total power output.

Tri-Mode Output: This feature is available under different names but is the ability of an amplifier to run a stereo pair of speakers and a mono subwoofer (or center channel) from only two channels of the amplifier. Personally, I would not recommend doing this. Instead buy a good quality four channel amplifier and bridge two of the channels for the subwoofer.

Tube Amplifiers: These are the least common amplifiers and are also the most expensive. Rather than the traditional solid state components they use old fashioned vacuum tubes. They are said to produce a warmer sound and a moother midrange than solid state designs. For most systems the standard design will be more desirable.

Armed with this knowledge, you should now be able to make an informed decision on your amplifier purchase. Interested in more amplifier articles? Check out Putting the "BOOM...BOOM...BOOM" into your system.

Enjoy!

George Steiner

www.1car-audio.com

George and Judy Steiner from North Carolina have unsuccessfully maneuvered through the teenage eons with their two daughters. The countless boyfriends with modified auto stereo systems broadcasting bone-jarring bass, little room to sit due to the electronic gagets and non-existant trunks, experiences we could have done without!

You may be able to continue and advance your nursing degree while still working, through an online nursing degree program. Many accredited phoenix colleges and universities are offering online or long-distance learning degree programs. Whether you are interested in progressing from and LPN to an RN or obtain a Bachelors or Masters degree in nursing, there is a program online for you.

Class material is available online at your convenience, so you can do your studies on your own time and in your own terms. You will have e-mail access to your instructor or professor for information and help. You may have access to your online classmates through e-mail or instant messages or chat or blog sites. You can do your homework on your own schedule because of the flexibility an online program gives you.

Clinical rotations can be arranged with a preceptor in your local area, making it possible to obtain a degree from a college or university that is miles from you. Generally out of state rates do no apply to online degrees, so many prestigious schools not in your state are affordable.

Imagine being able to advance your nursing degree and opening the window to job promotions or career changes while still being able to maintain your income. Imagine being able to complete your studies on your own schedule because of the flexibility that an online degree can give you. But most of all imagine you with your new degree and how proud you will be that you were able to accomplish your dream of advancing your nursing degree!

Just click on the following link to get online college degree information. It's fast, it's free, and you're under no obligation. You can get information about many types of online bachelors degree programs from many phoenix colleges. They also offer information about programs and schools that offer distance learning online masters degree programs

The decision to add on a garage addition to a home is one of the best home improvement projects a homeowner can make. A garage addition provides great utility and can significantly increase the value of a home. Prior to actually breaking ground, however, a garage addition plan and garage addition costs estimates should be developed.

A garage addition plan starts with making initial sketches of the garage addition concept and evaluating how it will tie in with the existing home structure. Though most homeowners prefer a large garage, it is very important during this phase to consider proportions between the existing home and the new garage addition. To aesthetically look appealing from the road the garage addition length should not exceed two-thirds the length of the existing home. Otherwise the garage addition could overwhelm the existing home structure. The depth or width of the garage addition is less critical from an aesthetic standpoint, as it is usually less visible from the road.

Once the initial sketches have been completed, detailed garage addition building plans should be generated. Depending on the complexity of the garage addition either the homeowner or an architect can develop the actual garage addition building plans. In either case, the plans will need to include scaled drawings with dimensions, and cross-sectional construction views with constructional materials specified. The cross-sectional views should include from the concrete footings all the way to the peak of the roof. Each new transition from the footings up should be carefully drawn. Examples include: the footing/foundation transition, the foundation/sill plate transition, and the wall/roof rafter transition. The plans should also include a comprehensive bill of materials for the project. In addition, all property lines and appropriate setbacks should be clearly shown in the drawings.

Estimating the garage addition costs depends on who is building the addition. If the homeowner plans on acting as his or her own general contractor and performing some of the work (e.g. the framing) then costs will need to be calculated starting with the bill of materials generated during the planning phase. With a comprehensive bill of materials a homeowner can provide much of the list to any home improvement store where they can fill out the pricing information for the specific items for the project. For specialty items such as garage doors, garage door openers, and in some cases lighting and plumbing fixtures (if required for the garage addition) the homeowner may need to contact specialty stores for pricing. The subcontractors may also be able to provide some unit pricing (e.g. garage doors).

If the homeowner is acting as his or her own general contractor and will require subcontractors, then it is important that they identify early the subcontractors and review with them the plans and development schedule. Each subcontractor should provide a firm fixed estimate for the particular job based on the plans and bill of materials. In addition their bid should also include start/complete dates for the particular job.

With garage addition plans and costs estimates in place the homeowner can then proceed with pulling permits and developing a fairly accurate building schedule.

Once permits have been approved, construction of the garage addition can begin. It is important to note, however, that even with the best plans in place things happen and schedules slip. To mitigate schedule slips a homeowner acting as his or her own general contractor should factor in some buffer to the schedule and always be looking ahead several weeks during the entire project. They should regularly check with suppliers to ensure building material will arrive when required and should occasionally check with subcontractors to ensure that their schedules are still in line with your garage addition project.

With these simple planning, budgeting and scheduling issues addressed prior to the start of the project, building a garage addition can be a positive experience both pre and post construction phase.

For more information on building a garage addition see the Garage Addition Bid Sheet from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Garage Addition Bid Sheet includes an extensive questionnaire (Request for Quote) that a homeowner can provide to prospective general contractors and subcontractors for bidding the garage addition. In addition, the Garage Addition Bid sheet also includes estimated costs and time intervals for constructing a garage addition as well as a list of key home material manufacturers. Finally, the Garage Addition Bid Sheet includes an extensive set of helpful tips and advice on making sure the garage addition is built properly and on time and budget.

Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com.

In the early 1900s the Hawaiians organized the Hui Nalu (surf club) and competed in neighborly surf competitions with the Outrigger Canoe Club. This drew a great deal of attention to the Waikiki surf shore, bringing a revitalized interest in the sport, which had fallen out of favor in the late 1800s. Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic star in swimming, popularized the sport further by traveling internationally and showing off his surfing style to thrilled audiences around the world. He was favored by Hollywood elite; having acted in bit parts in films and was always recruiting new surfers wherever he went. He is credited with surfing the longest wave of all time in 1917, in the popular surfing area now called Outside Castles in Waikiki. His 1000 meters plus wave record has yet to be overtaken.

In the 1930s, the sport of surfing was experiencing a Renaissance. Tom Blake, founder of the Pacific Coast Surf Championships that ended with the onset of war in 1941, was the first man to photograph surfing from the water. Another photographer and surfer named Doc Ball published California Surfriders 1946, which depicts the pristine coastal beaches and good-time, relaxed atmosphere of surf living. Surfing, although curtailed in the aftermath of WWII, revived as always by the 1950s. Bud Browne, an accomplished surfer and waterman, created the first surf movie with his 1953 Hawaiian Surfing Movie. This inspired many photographers, filmmakers and surfers to continue documenting the sport, culminating with is arguably the best surf movie of all time, 1963s Endless Summer by Bruce Brown. The film opened up the genre of the surf movie and the art of surfing to non-surfing people, accumulating fans and inspiring neophytes.

Although surfing was a male-dominated sport, adventurous women surfers can be seen all the way back to the times of the Polynesian Queens. Two notable surfer girls were Eve Fletcher and Anona Napolean. Eve Fletcher was a California-born animator for Walt disney and Anona Napolean was the daughter of a respected Hawaiian surfing family. The two pioneered the sport for modern women, winning surfing competitions up and down the California coast at the end of the 50s and into the 60s. Hollywood was quick to be on the scene and with the 1959 film Gidget, surfing was flung far out into the mainstream, never to return to its humble, ritualistic beginnings. Gidget inspired a slew of Beach Blanket Bingo movies that brought surfing to a new generation of teens and inspiring a new genre of surf music that accompanied films and made The Beach Boys more famous than Elvis in the 60s.

Surfing spread throughout all media and Surfing Magazine was born in the early 1960s by famous surf photographer, LeRoy Grannis. After that, other publications cropped up bringing more information on the sport, equipment and stars of the surfing scene. John Severson, an accomplished filmmaker and photographer, created Surfer Magazine, originally called The Surfer. These publications brought advertising, professional surfing, surf culture and publicity to the now very popularized sport.

Eric Hartwell oversees "The World's Best Homepage" intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on sport and visit our associated site articles for free.

Digital media is everywhere you look. musicand video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers.

Inexpensive digital video cameras are widely available, and older analog video cameras can be connected to a computer through a video card to download movies to the computer for editing, storage, and distribution to friends and relatives over the internet.

It has become fairly easy to edit your own videos, and there are many software packages available aimed at the amateur. The Windows operating system has its own video editing package called Windows Movie Maker that allows you to produce professional-looking videos.

As you explore this exciting new world, you will inevitably come up with the need to edit the audio portion of your video file. The sound quality of most video cameras is not great, so you may want to process the sound or replace it all together with musicor voice-overs.

It is very easy to separate the audio from the video. Free software packages that do this task include Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft (if you are working with WMV video files) and VirtualDub (if you are working with AVI files). Either of these programs (and many others) allow you to save the audio portion of video file quickly and easily. Once you have your audio file, you can process it for noise reduction, bring up the volume, add musicor do any digital magic to it that you desire.

With many video editing packages, however, it isnt necessary to split the audio to a separate file. Even simple packages like Windows Movie Maker have basic audio editing functions, and you can add separate musicor voice tracks and mix all of them together.

If you have a particular audio file that you would like to use in your video (maybe a special effect or a voice over that you have recorded separately) simply add that file to the list of media to be included in the video. Other media formats can be separate video files, picture files or graphics.

The audio file can be placed anywhere on the time-line, and you can use the same file many times without requiring any extra storage space on your computer. For precise placement, zoom all the way into your timeline and place the audio exactly in sync with the video. Thats it! You are well on your way to making professional-looking videos!

Hans is editor of the Audio Howto Section of the http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/