Photo printers > Massage Your Mind!: Are You Living In A Cave?

Massage Your Mind!: Are You Living In A Cave?

When I was three years old, I had an experience I'll never forget. My mother had just prepared lunch for my brother and me, and a neighbor lady came running over, breathless, telling my mother some news. Mom went right to the television and turned it on. This was unusual?she rarely watched TV. She set up the ironing board in the living room(!) so that she could iron while watching.

Stranger still, she seemed to have forgotten all about naptime. My brother and I sat on the couch quietly, hoping that if we didn't draw attention to ourselves she wouldn't put us to bed. We needn't have worried?Mom was completely caught up in what was on the television. From the couch, we watched the TV as a scene was played over and over?a man in a car with his wife, and then sudden pandemonium. I couldn't make much sense of it.

When the man on the TV was talking, there was a big photo of the man in the car behind him. In fact, whenever anyone was talking, there was that same photo of the man with the thick hair and toothy smile. My mother kept ironing, steam rising from my father's shirts as she said, over and over, "Oh, God?.oh, my GOD!" And that is how, for the next ten years of my life, I had an image of God as John F. Kennedy in a long white robe. Even when I realized what I was picturing, and remembered why I had that association, I couldn't shake the image.

Even now, forty years later, I still find that mental picture popping up when I least expect it!It's fascinating to look at how we learn and what our minds store as knowledge. Do you have a JFK story? We all have stories in our heads of the way things happened or how details fit together. The interesting thing is that they are, indeed, simply stories.Fortunately, there's nothing harmful about my childhood image of God. I didn't start worshipping the Kennedy family or anything like that. The entire fields of psychology and psychiatry are based on our early associations and the stories we tell ourselves about the way things are.

And what stories! We create our own histories in our heads, and sometimes it takes a great deal of counseling (or our own application of philosophy) to remodel our stories so that they help us see the world in a more realistic way.Plato had an interesting way of thinking about false beliefs and illusions. He developed an elaborate image of a cave in which all people are chained to the floor and watching shadows on the wall. He described a man who, escaping his chains, becomes the first to venture outside the cave. He comes to realize that the shadows cast upon the cave walls from the light of the fire bear little resemblance to the outside world. He sees for the first time that cave life is an illusion, and he races back to free his cavemates and show them the real world.

Plato goes on to say that this is exactly what a philosopher does. When he tells his cavemates his strange tale, he is cheered by some and rejected by others. Some cave folks are just fine in that cave, thank you very much. They don't need any other reality. Others are intrigued but hesitant, breaking free of their chains and stepping cautiously into the sunlight.

The philosopher's role is to continue in the difficult but necessary work of freeing fellow captives and introducing them to a brighter world. His task is to help us wake up and recognize the limitations we've constructed for ourselves.We tend to like our illusions. It's a pain to question them. It takes too much time, and then it messes up our carefully crafted ideas about life. Better to just sit there with our chains, staring at the cave wall.

We don't think it's so bad?some of those shadows are kind of nice. That fire feels pretty good. These chains, once you get used to them, are barely noticeable. And so it is in modern life. Actually, we've been putting ourselves in chains since the beginning of human existence.

In Hindu philosophy (and many would agree that Hinduism and Buddhism are more like philosophies than religions), there are many allusions to illusion. My favorite is the story of Narada and maya, or "illusion" (although I personally prefer the alternate definition of maya as "creative power"). Narada was a great sage who came to Vishnu. In Hinduism, there are three aspects of Brahma, or godhead: Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer of evil. So, one day, Narada asks Vishnu, "What is the secret of maya?" Vishnu promptly throws him in a pool.

As soon as he enters the water, Narada becomes a princess born to a wealthy family, and as such, he experiences the entire life of the little girl. She ends up marrying a prince and going to live with him in his kingdom. They become fabulously wealthy, but then their kingdom is attacked and everything is destroyed. The prince is killed, and the princess, as a dutiful mourning wife, throws herself on the funeral pyre of her cremated husband. This is considered the ultimate act of self-sacrifice.

Suddenly, Narada wakes up to find that he is being pulled out of the pool by Vishnu. At that moment, Vishnu asks him, "For whom are you weeping?" This is the whole concept of illusion in a nutshell. We are caught up in a story that seems so skillful and perfect that we can't help but believe that it is real.Young children start asking questions about things like the color of the sky or the shapes between branches, and we direct their attention to whatever we feel is more significant. They quickly learn what is expected, what is important, what is common in our understanding of the world. After a while, we each forget the perspective we'd had when everything was a wonder.

And before we know it, we've got a life full of ideas, habits, beliefs and stories that we share with countless others. Of course, then we wake up one morning around age 40 and start questioning everything. Well, there's no sense sticking to that time-honored schedule. You can start questioning anytime! In fact, your best bet is to recognize right off that this whole thing is one big fantastic charade. Recognize it, laugh at it, celebrate it, and keep an eye on that cave exit.

Better yet, sneak out there whenever you get a chance. You can always come back inside and hang out with your cavemates and watch those shadows on the cave walls. It's safe. It'll always be there. Prepare now to tiptoe outside.

Break your chains. Shake your head enough times to loosen some of those stories that have been filling your mind for most of your life. And head for the light outside the cave. What's out there? Plenty of philosophers just like you--those who have broken free and see the world and reality in a whole new way. Life is rich, full, and more meaningful.

Come join the thinkers. There are plenty of us waiting to greet you!.

Adobe Photoshop levels-Turn junk into gold by clicking a button

There is no doubt in my mind; Adobe Photoshop is the greatest Photo editing program in the world. Whether you are a novice or an expert Photoshop is the program for you. Photoshop is used by my children and by the movie making industry. So what exactly can I do with Photoshop? The better question is what can't you do with Photoshop?Today I would like to talk about the simple little function in Photoshop called ?Levels', the first step to improving the appearance of a photograph. There are 4 basic steps taken to enhance, brighten or retouch photos are Levels, Brightness, Variations, and Saturation, in that order."The Levels dialog box lets you correct the tonal range and color balance of an image by adjusting intensity levels of the image's shadows, midtones, and highlights.

The Levels histogram serves as a visual guide for adjusting the image's key tones." Adobe's official description of levelsScreen example here: Adobe Photoshop levels-Turn junk into gold by clicking a button
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Photographer's Career Path Re-Focuses Down Retail Road

Naples, FL (ContentDesk) March 17, 2006 -- Photographer Michelle Tricca fuses fashion and photography in her new line of high quality cotton casual wear for women, men and babies called Mo T's. Her one of a kind t-shirt designs feature photographs from her travels to places far and wide. Each image evokes the extraordinary, whether it be from the quaint towns of New England, the lush savannahs of Africa or the exotic paradise of Hawaii.Mo T's are made from ultra-soft cotton. They feature compelling soulful images, such as reflecting surf sand and sea, from the photographer's portfolio.
The color and B&W photos and are enhanced by words or phrases that complete the spirit of the image.

In some cases the language of the region where the image was taken is used. Mo T's are sure to set the trend wherever they go.Since photography is her life and she dons a tee on her daily pursuit for the consummate photograph, it was only a matter of time before the 2 merged. We are happy...

Photographer's Career Path Re-Focuses Down Retail Road

Photo printers > Photographer's Career Path Re-Focuses Down Retail Road

Computer Printer Ink Facts

Computer printer ink is a type of ink that comes from printers that will release small droplets of ink onto paper. Virtually all modern printers now use color ink. The cheaper color printers will use a combination of three colors, and these are magenta, cyan, and yellow, and they will also print black as well. The three primary colors are used to create the wide variety of colors that can be found in nature. Some printers will use ink that is based on CMYK to make sure the color black is pure.

The prices of computer printers may vary widely, and the same can be said for the ink. While a basic color printer can be purchased for less than $100, high quality color printers can cost thousands of dollars.

The cost of computer printer ink cartridges for cheap printers can be expensive over the long term. For instance, if the black cartridge is not separate from the other colors, you may need to buy an entire unit once your black has been used up. In the printer ink industry,...

Computer Printer Ink Facts

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Photographer's Career Path Re-Focuses Down Retail Road

Photographer's Career Path Re-Focuses Down Retail Road

Photo printers > Photographer's Career Path Re-Focuses Down Retail Road

A Quick RX For Career Success

Pima Medical Institute, 370 Printers Parkway in Colorado Springs has what the doctor ordered for individuals who have made a New Year's resolution for a new career in healthcare, but do not want to spend years in training.
PMI's Colorado Springs campus is currently enrolling individuals for the 36-week Pharmacy Technician Program that begins Jan. 17th.
The evening session, which is 41 weeks, begins Jan. 24th.????The training covers: Pharmacy Law and Ethics; Pharmacy Regulatory Guidelines; Pharmacy Math; Inventory Maintenance; Pharmacology; Clerical Duties; Pharmacy Laboratory Skills; computer Applications and an externship in a hospital or clinical setting.

???? "The Pharmacy Technician program is great because it offers one of the shortest training times available and the number of jobs in this career field is increasing," said Karen McGrath, campus director.
"In addition, PMI students have the advantage of pursuing their medical training with a career...

A Quick RX For Career Success

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Good-bye Printer, Hello MFP: Lyra Forecasts Triple-Digit Growth for Color Laser MFPs

Newton, MA (ContentDesk) September 19, 2005 -- Lyra Research (www.lyra.com) expects color laser MFPs to become the hot product in small-office/home-office (SOHO) environments, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and small corporate workgroups. According to Lyra's newly released report, The Replacements: Monochrome and Color Laser MFPs, North American shipments of color laser MFPs will grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 220 percent (see figure), as buyers in these environments replace their current hardware?typically monochrome laser printers.
"Color laser MFP usage arising from this aggressive growth will vary by environment. For example, SOHO settings will use color laser MFPs to produce both monochrome and color output, with low average monthly print volumes," explains Larry Jamieson, director of Lyra's Hard Copy Industry Advisory Service. "On the other hand, small corporate workgroups are more likely...

Good-bye Printer, Hello MFP: Lyra Forecasts Triple-Digit Growth for Color Laser MFPs

Photo printers > Good-bye Printer, Hello MFP: Lyra Forecasts Triple-Digit Growth for Color Laser MFPs

Family Journals

Family Journals
By
www.the5yearjournal.com info@the5yearjournal.com Keeping a journal, diary, or diaries, can not only be beneficial to you as an individual, but it can also be a benefit to your family. Do you remember the family vacation to Disneyland when you were 12? What about your parent's 20-year anniversary? Or your birthday party when you turned 15? The new house you moved into in 8th grade? High school graduation?All those family memories from family events -- all those moments in time, now past.A family journal is a book, or a series of books, where family members can journal about any event that has taken place. For example, there could be one individual journal that you take to every family reunion to capture current events year to year. It could have photos, memorabilia and journal entries from those who attended the reunion. The journal could also include letters, announcements and other updates from family members.