Black Shaman Blog

Translate web pages easily with Google Chrome browser

Translate web pages easily with Google Chrome browser.
Recently Google have released a translation tool which is built into their Chrome web browser, and which works automatically. This feature is currently only available in the Beta or Dev version.
Google Chrome has 3 ‘varieties’: Stable, Beta and Dev Channel.
I have been using the Dev Channel for a [...]

Politics! What is it about politics that it attracts so many nutters?

Politics! Earlier today, someone in an online forum posed the question:
What is it about politics that it attracts so many nutters?
I decided to respond…
Here are just SOME of the reasons…

The political environment, regardless of party – tends to be abhorrent to all but the dysfunctional, ‘less astute’ and even socially/mentally immature. There are rare exceptions [...]

New office chair (for the cat).

This week I bought a new office chair.
Because of my cat.
It’s all her fault.
My girl cat Nimue likes stealing my office chair. It is not related to heat because she sits in it when I haven’t used it for ages. At times she sleeps on it.
If I borrowed my wife’s chair (when she was out) [...]

BSOD or computer operating system failure – one way you can avoid it.

A BSOD, or other computer operating system (OS) failure is usually a big inconvenience and waste of valuable time.
(BSOD = Blue Screen Of Death).
Perhaps you remember all the stress, pain and other feelings associated with the experience?
Should your computer be crucial for your everyday business or personal tasks, then you simply cannot afford a failed [...]

Need hearing aids? Worried about parasites of the monetary kind?

I am deaf. I have about 70% of  normal voice tones and 95% of background tones.
I was not born deaf and various theories have been put forward as to why I became deaf. I know why I am deaf.
For years I have worn hearing aids. In the United Kingdom I am officially registered as disabled; [...]

Free MIT online photography courses

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is offering some free photography courses online.
More detail here:
http://www.petapixel.com/2010/02/16/mit-photography-courses-online
MIT have other free online courses – more info here.
For those who want more information about MIT, which is a quality institution, click here.

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A British friend tells me that their (our) flag has been changed.

My friend writes:
We have all the same problems here that you have in Australia. Whatever happened to the politicians that were proud of their country and did what they thought was right for the people?

New Government Seal:

Official Announcement:
The British government today announced that it is changing its emblem from a Union Flag to a CONDOM [...]

Optimizing Your Time For Better Time Management

A key method of making full and proper use of your time is to prioritize the goals you first need to achieve. This will help you to improve your time management skills.
Prioritization is essential.
Most of the time, many of us feel that we have too many things to do and too many requirements to fulfill. [...]

Are you poisoning your pet?

No doubt you mean well, or are just plain unaware of the poisoning risks to your pets.
Check out this excellent resource:
Animal Poison Control Center
…..it’s part of the American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (ASPCA) site, which contains lots of other helpful and interesting information for animal lovers.
And by the way…pets are for [...]

Help with talking to your kids

Hire a teenager…….while they still know it all!
The above bumper sticker says a lot about how we view young people, children; and of course – their attitudes.
Many people struggle with talking with their children.
Personally, I think that many problems we have with young people stem from how our society (the adult part) treats and regards [...]

Pet’s Wish List

This list is common around the Internet in various forms. I am unsure of who is the author of this version.
The list is called the “Pet’s Ten Commandments”.
Personally I prefer to call it a ‘Pet’s Wish List’. We should all be doing these things as a matter of course, however many items can get overlooked [...]

Do you hate your job? Are you a wage slave?

Hating your job is very common.
If you hate your job you are really a wage slave.
A slave to your wage; attending your workplace to pick up your pay and somehow get through your day.
It sucks whichever way you look at it. You can’t possibly give of your best to your employer – you know….. the [...]

Too Old? Think again!

Think you are too old to work?
Too old to start something new?
Or perhaps you are an employer with a bias against hiring older people?
One of my hats is that of Private Investigator and I have a friend, Mark Grover, who owns one of Australia’s premier Private Investigation agencies. They handle cases both here in Australia [...]

Time management – 20 minutes a day is really worth 3 working weeks!

Have you ever wondered why sales people often break down a cost into so much per day?
Perhaps you have seen those ads where they talk about how something costs less than a cup of coffee per day?
These are attempts to get you to see things differently than you normally would and obscure the cost (shock) [...]

Being the Best of Who You Can Be

The word best is relative. Some people think that they become better people when they’ve climbed the ladder of success and reached the top, sometimes by stamping on other people as they climb. Some, on the other hand, believe that a happy family life will make them the best that they can be. The word [...]

Emotional Quotient Trumps Intelligence Quotient

What makes EQ (Emotional Quotient) different from IQ? Where IQ measures your general intelligence, EQ measures your level of emotional intelligence. Basically, it is a sort of emotional inventory where you are given a way of better understanding the world around you. It is the ability to sense and understand your emotions and the emotions [...]

Do you have trouble writing for readers?

Someone I know mentioned that they have trouble writing for readers…
…..and also asked what I considered to be one of my most poignant and deep articles.
Here I share with you my response:
One of the big keys in life is having a deep awareness of the fact that other people are tuned into WII FM.
This radio [...]

Australia Day 2010 – The Great Australian Internet Blackout

For some general detail about Australia Day and my personal views please check out my post from Australia Day 2009.
First, let me wish everyone a Happy Australia Day 2010 wherever you are.
This year, I am marking Australia Day by participating in The Great Australian Internet Blackout.
The Blackout is a protest at the Rudd government’s dictatorial [...]

The Big Benefit of Time Management

Effective time management requires–you guessed it–time. It seems a bit of a paradox, doesn’t it? To develop effective time management skills and effectiveness, you must take more time out of your busy schedule which already contains more tasks than you have time to accomplish. The investment of time used to schedule and [...]

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-23

Israeli aid arrives in Haiti, field hospital set up 17-Jan-2010 http://bit.ly/5rVJRf #IDF #
Israeli field hospital treats,operates on 100's Haitians daily – only fully-functioning operating theater in Haiti http://bit.ly/4wJ7w3 #IDF #
Dynamic Earth @ Nat'l Museum of Natural History http://bit.ly/5XVppd Gems & Minerals,Rocks & Mining,Plate Tectonics & Volcanoes,Solar System #
Prince 'no obstacle to Australian republic' http://bit.ly/5R4EG5 #
Hacking [...]

Will Social Media and The Internet Kill the University System?

The title of this post comes from a very thought provoking article:
Will Social Media and The Internet Kill the University System?
The post comes from the Microgeist blog which provides social media resources, tips and commentary on the mood/spirit of microspace. I have added the blog to my RSS reader.
You can follow the author on Twitter [...]

Live out of your imagination

Earlier today I published a post about logic and imagination, commenting that Albert Einstein said:
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Today we will look at what Dr Steven Covey had to say:
“Live out of your imagination, not your history.”
Another pertinent quote, is that of Blair Warren:
“If you want to [...]

Are you a logical snob?

So who, or what, is a logical snob?
First let’s define the word snob, as per the dictionary:
n.
1. One who tends to patronize, rebuff, or ignore people regarded as social inferiors and imitate, admire, or seek association with people regarded as social superiors.
2. One who affects an offensive air of self-satisfied superiority in matters of taste [...]

Are you a study cheat? And who are you really cheating?

Cheating on exams and other forms of study has been around the generations. Today it is becoming even easier to cheat us this article illustrates:
Teens turn to the net, mobiles to pass tests
The article covers a number of interesting points on the subject of cheating. Of particular note is:
“Only half of the students surveyed considered [...]

How to remain positive

Remaining positive is not always an easy task. For some, it is very hard indeed. In some situations it is hard to see how anything positive can come out of them.
So how do we remain positive, even in difficult situations?
By taking a different approach than we may have come across before.
Same old methods produce [...]

Inspiring example of positive thinking

Here is an example of someone turning an extremely negative and unpleasant situation into a positive one, and in the process deriving personal benefit, besides being a blessing to others.
Back in March 1945, W. Colvin Willams was on foot, walking behind a tank in France. When the tank hit a mine it exploded and Mr [...]

Stop…Think…Do.

Life is so busy today – so many people seem as if they are in such a rush, trying to do so much in so little time.
Stop for a moment and consider the picture as if you were a giant looking at all the humans running around in such a busy frenzy. I think it [...]

The House of 1000 Mirrors

Long ago in a small, far away village, there was a place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears [...]

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-16

My cheating husband tried to seduce a sexy blonde on Facebook – what he didn't know was that it was me..http://bit.ly/58Jp00 #investigations #
WSPA Animal Rescue "Emergency aid needed for animal victims of natural disasters." http://bit.ly/5lnUDA #
Twiangulate http://bit.ly/61eGE5 Example use: Find out who people with similar interests/focus are following in common. #twitter #research #
Star Viewer: an [...]

Easy, reliable way to test your firewall.

I first started using a Firewall way back in the 90’s, at a time when many people had never even heard of them. Around the same time I came across an excellent service for testing firewalls:
Shields Up – provided by the Gibson Research Corporation; owned and operated by Steve Gibson.
I quote:
The Internet’s quickest, most popular, [...]

Enjoyable, refreshing experience ordering laser toner for my printer. (Australia)

Last year I purchased a Lexmark C543dn Color Laser printer.
So far, I have been pleased with the performance, features and ease of use of my choice of printer.
A while ago I ordered a black cartridge from a supplier I had bought other things from in the past, but was not totally happy with the price, [...]

Personal reflections on Shamanism

Earlier today I sent the following link to a friend:
BOMB Magazine: Margaret de Wys – Black Smoke: A Woman’s Journey of Healing, Wild Love, & Transformation in the Amazon
I won’t detail my friend’s response for privacy reasons, however some people may find my reply helpful:
The vomiting I experienced was dry retching in type and was [...]

Are you stagnating? Well, are you?

“Only those who constantly retool themselves stand a chance of staying employed in the years ahead.”
Tom Peters – Author
Whether we like it or not, the world is changing, and at an increasing rate too.
We need to embrace change, savor it and look for it.
Personally, I am riding the bleeding edge of the wave and certainly [...]

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-10

Woman reports rape in Dubai, but is then arrested for illegal sex http://bit.ly/5uO8Df Travel to places with onerous laws is always risky #
Vinegar and honey cured my crippling arthritis, says delighted organist http://bit.ly/7IDw1R #health #
Rare Sumatran tiger filmed with cubs for first time thanks to camera trap
http://bit.ly/72c15Y Breed under appalling pressure from humans #
I Know [...]

Great service from Gold Coast Computer Store – FS Computers

It was time for a new keyboard.
These days I buy Microsoft keyboards and mice exclusively. (Early last year I bought a Logitech top of the line mouse – MX Revolution – which became faulty early on. I am still trying to get the situation resolved with Logitech. I have received appalling customer service and support [...]

The right to link

Your right to create, circulate and follow links is threatened.
This issue is very serious.
Watch the video to find out more and visit  the www.Right2Link.org website to take action to protect your rights:

Further reading:
An Open Letter to the UK’s national, regional and local newspapers
NewsNow.co.uk Free Linking Q&A
NewsNow.co.uk

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