The Refresh Orlando Heirs

“Successful screen design is based on how well the developer knows both the user and the data.”
- Bryce’s Law

INTRODUCTION

Some time ago I was working with a hospital in the Midwest who
was trying to automate some patient admission forms. Hospital
forms are notoriously complicated and voluminous (thanks to the lawyers), and this hospital was no different. This made it difficult for the hospital to gather the necessary data about a patient, their physician, and their insurance carrier. As such, they wanted to automate the forms thereby simplifying the collection of data. Unfortunately, the resulting screen designs were essentially no different than the forms. They were very busy and complicated with little editing checks. Frankly, they were no better than the forms they were trying to replace and, because of this, use of the screens were spotty at best.

Designing a computer screen is essentially no different than designing a paper form. But since most of today’s developers have little experience in forms design perhaps it is time to review some of the basic elements of good design. First, because a screen or form represents how a human being will interface with a system, we must consider the man/machine interface; its ergonomics. This means we must first understand the intended user, including his/her intelligence level and senses. Someone with a greater proficiency in using a computer will have less difficulty in using complicated screens than someone less conversant in computer technology. As to senses, there is little point in devising an elaborate color scheme if the user may be colorblind. Again, know thy intended user.

For more information on ergonomics, see No. 65 - “What Ever Happened to Ergonomics?” - March 6, 2006
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/ss060306.pdf

The objective, therefore, in good screen design (and forms design) is to make something that is easy to use (intuitive; requiring little interpretation and confusion) and effective for collecting data and displaying information. Although the following discussion can be applied to screens as used in some character based operating systems, it is primarily concerned with Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) as used in today’s popular operating systems.

The GUI was originally introduced with Xerox’s Star computer in the early 1980’s. Following this, several companies emulated the Star, including Apple, Microsoft, IBM, and Sun. The GUI was extremely popular as it offered an ease of use never before thought possible. The only problem was that it lacked standards, whereby one GUI implemented program did not behave in the same manner as another GUI program. Fortunately, standards started to appear in the late 1980’s with IBM’s CUA standards (Common User Access) which provided a detailed list of design standards for developing a GUI based program. (NOTE: CUA was an important part of IBM’s System Application Architecture standards - SAA). The benefit of CUA standardization was that users familiar with one GUI program could quickly be trained in how to use another GUI program, since they essentially behaved the same. Today, there are now different interpretations of the CUA standards as implemented by different computer vendors (Gee, what a surprise! Nonetheless, designing a GUI screen in accordance with accepted standards is preferred over developing of a screen without such standards.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Today there are some pretty slick tools to quickly build screens. Regardless of their capabilities, a developer should be cognizant of three basic design considerations: Layout, Data Entry, and Support:

A. Layout

The objective here is to make the screen “clean” and consistent. Too much detail makes the screen cluttered and abrasive to the end-user. When designing your screen, consider eye movement, eye strain and, where appropriate, add magnification. Here are some tips for consideration:

Alignment - there should be some simple symmetry to the screen. Disjointed alignment of fields, text, and images tends to alienate users. There should be a comfortable amount of spacing not only around the edge of the screen, but between sections of the screen. Because GUI windows can be resized (either maximum or to a height and width devised by the user), consider how the screen will look in either form. Borders are useful for defining sections on the screen, but be careful they do not become overbearing and distracting.

Zoning - this refers to the establishment of sections within the screen. This is useful if different types of users are going to be accessing the same screen, or if different sections serve distinctly separate purposes (thereby not confusing one with another). Borders and colors can be useful for distinguishing sections. In a GUI window, notebook tabs can be useful.

Flow - there should be an obvious flow to the screen that will naturally catch the user’s eye and prompt him/her in the proper direction. Understand this, Western countries generally observe things from left-to-right and top-down; Eastern countries observe things top-down and from left-to-right; and Middle Eastern countries observe things from right-to-left and top-down. Also understand that the tab order of the keyboard provides direction for the user. As such, the tab order on a screen should go in a logical order and not jump around meaninglessly.

Type Fonts - use common fonts familiar to users. Fancy fonts may be impressive, but will they be supported on all of the computers where the screen will be accessed from? Commonly accepted fonts include Arial, Courier, Sans Serif, and Times Roman. Devise a standard font point size; 10 is generally
agreed to be readable by the average person, but then again, will your end-user be an average person? Also, devise a standard scheme for upper-case and lower-case lettering and type styles (e.g., bold, italic); such subtleties will naturally attract the eye.

Colors can be helpful for highlighting sections, accenting required field entries, or for general appearance. Although colors can be helpful, they can also be distracting if they become overbearing. Be sensitive to color contrasts so the user can adequately read the screen. Also be cognizant of end-users who are might be colorblind.

Headings - screen headings should be placed in a standard position for easy identification by the user. A formal name and, where appropriate, a screen number should be clearly visible to the user.

Keyboard/mouse relationship - if in the event a computer mouse either breaks down or is simply not available, the user should still be able to execute the screen using simple keyboard commands. CUA standards are particularly useful in this regard.

B. Data Entry

The proper entry of data is just as important as the physical layout of the screen. Regrettably, many designers take a superficial approach to data collection and, consequently, a lot of time is spent later on cleaning up data in the data base. Considerable time can be saved with a little effort here in screen
design. Your objective, therefore, is to produce a screen that will collect “clean” data (as opposed to “dirty” data that will have to be corrected later on).

Before embarking on screen design, the developer should be intimate with the data specifications. This can be obtained either from a good data dictionary/repository, or from the physical data base design. Basically, the developer is looking for the data element’s:

- Length - the maximum number of characters which may be assigned to a data element.

- Class - the type of characters to be expressed; e.g, alphabetic, numeric, alphanumeric, signed numeric, etc.

- Justification - the alignment of data within a field when the number of characters is less than the length of the receiving field, e.g., left, right, around the decimal point.

- Fill Character - the character to be used to complete a field when the data item to be placed in the field is shorter than the maximum length, e.g., blank, zero, X, etc.

- Void Character - the character to be used when a data item’s value is unknown or nonexistent, e.g., blank, zero, X, etc.

- Unit of Measure - the representation of numeric data, e.g., area, volume, weight, length, time, energy rate, money, etc.

- Precision - for numeric data, the number of significant digits in a number.

- Scale - for numeric data, the placement of the decimal point.

- Validation Rules - the specific values which the data element may assume, including default values. For example, Yes/No, specific codes or numbers to be used, editing rules, etc. This includes such things as the expression of dates:

20051211

December 11, 2005

12/11/2005

2005/12/11

11-DEC-05

- Generated data - quite often it is necessary to show computations based on primary values being inputted by the user. As such, it is necessary to know the data dependencies and the formulas for calculating the generated values.

- Program Label - although this will not be visible to the user inputting the data, the developer must understand how the data element is referenced in the data base.

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GUESS WHAT THE DATA DEFINITION IS; NOW IS THE TIME TO BE AS PRECISE AS POSSIBLE. Armed with this knowledge, the developer then determines the most suitable mechanisms for collecting the data; for GUI windows, this primarily includes such things as field entries, radio buttons, check boxes, selection lists, and text boxes. The objective here is to force the user to make correct entries as easily as possible. Some considerations:

- Mandate certain field entries be completed before allowing processing to continue. This can be done by: forcing the focus of the window to the field(s) requiring entry; attaching a “hot” color to required field entries (red) and; pop-up messages to prompt the user of problem entries.

- Automatically enter default values into field entries; this saves time for the user (as well as forcing proper entries). One good example of this is to have the user enter a Zip Code first, which should then automatically populate City and State entries.

- Check characters entered and automatically adjust accordingly. For example, automatically upshift or downshift characters - this is particularly useful when entering State Postal Codes (upshift), and entering e-mail addresses (downshift). Also, reject certain character entries and check formats.

- Make active use of selection lists, thereby forcing the user to select a choice from a prescribed list as opposed to typing an entry.

- Encrypt certain sensitive entries, such as credit card numbers and passwords.

- If your application is to allow Asian characters (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, or Korean), provide the ability to allow for the Double Byte Character Set (DBCS). For info, see:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/iseries/v5r2/ic2924/index.htm?info/dm/rbal3mst187.htm

- Accommodate the expression of local units of measure, such as dates, times, money, etc. This “personalizes” the screen for the user.

- Depending on the situation, provide or negate the use of the computer’s clipboard for field entries.

- Where applicable, provide for data entry using voice/speech-type dictation.

Finally, format the collected data to suit the targeted physical data base.

By making data entry “foolproof” you will be saving a lot of time and effort for the end-user, the DBA, and yourself.

C. Support

To minimize user confusion, be sure to include sufficient Help text and messaging facilities into the screen. Too often I have seen screens with little support in this regards. Again, CUA standards should be observed whenever possible.

Help Text - should be provided for:

A. The screen overall - explaining its overall purpose, who should be using it, and how the data will be processed (its behavior). The Playscript language technique for writing procedures is particularly useful in this regards (see “References” below for details).

B. The various sections of the screen sections (if multiple sections).

C. Field entries - showing the name of the field entry, input specifications, along with some sample and suggested entries. If a generated value is displayed, explain how it is computed (from other field entries).

“Help” push buttons on the screen are helpful, but everything should be related to the F1 Help key, particularly field entries. Further, all screens should feature a Help action-bar-choice which includes an Index of subjects, and “About” (identifying
the name and version of the software in use).

Messages

Messages basically come in three forms: Informational (requiring no action), Warning (that a potential problem might exist), and Error (prohibiting processing). All messages should be clearly written and easy for the user to understand. For warning and error messages, do not simply report a problem to the user, but also advise him on what he should do about it. In other words, point him in the right direction and don’t leave him hanging.

CONCLUSION

Good screen design requires a developer in tune with his intended audience and who can create a simple and effective solution that is easy for the user to execute, yet promotes the collection of “clean” data. The developer must strike a careful balance between what is graphically elegant and what is practical for the user to use.

One element of design that is alluded to in this discussion is the development of universal systems whereby screens can be translated into foreign languages. There are some simple tricks for doing this. Be sure to read:

No. 03 - “Creating Universal Systems” - Dec 20, 2004
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/ss041220.pdf

Above all else, the developer should observe all pertinent design standards when creating screens. As mentioned earlier, users will be more likely to accept and implement new programs if their design is similar to programs they are already familiar with. The need for standardization cannot be stressed enough. To this end, some companies even go so far to devise a library of standard screen templates for developers to use. This does two things; it helps enforce design standards, and; it expedites the development of the screen. But in the end, successful screen design is based on how well the developer knows both the user and the data.

REFERENCES

For vendor CUA (Common User Access) Standards, see:

IBM
http://www-306.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/publish/558

Microsoft
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?URL=/library/books/winguide/fore.htm

Apple
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/index.html

Sun
http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/802-6490

For a description of the “Playscript” procedure language, see:
No. 38 - “The Language of Systems” - Aug 22, 2005
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/ss050822.pdf

The cellphone is truly a marvelous invention. It has had such a major in pact on how our world has come to be today. As our world became more sophisticated so did our cell phones. Like any piece of technology, cell phones also seem to evolve at some sort of alien rate.

Here are a few quick facts.

In 1876 Alexander Graham Bell invented the first phone. Simply described, it is a system which converts sound, specifically the human voice, to electrical impulses of various frequencies and then back to a tone that sounds like the original voice.

It took 100 years for AT&T to conduct FCC-authorized field trials in Chicago and Newark, N.J. The first cellular network was launched in Japan. Now less than 30 years later, we have cell phones that play MP3s, take digital pictures, sends text messages, access the Internet, download and send pictures, music, games, include calculator functions, voice mail, video, real stereo ring tunes, and so much more. It’s hard to imagine what kind of cell phones we’ll have in 30 more years. At the rate our world’s technology advances, we will wont even need phones in 30 years.

How would we communicate you ask? In 30-40 years we’ll probably be able to Teleport!

For information on advanced cell phones please visit Cell Phones Revealed

Good day!

Tyler D King

For the past several years, municipalities across the country have talked about and even begun implementing free WiFi offering. Many critics of these plans have claimed that cities have no business offering free high-speed wireless access as it competes with local telephone companies, cable providers of broadband, cellular companies and even local small business owners that use free wireless access to attract customers.

Proponents of free municipal provided WiFi say that it will bring internet access to lower-income households, improve tourism and benefit businesses. There are benefits, but many of these do not pass even the most basic cost-benefit analysis.

Even with free internet access, the cost for a computer and wireless card are still a large barrier for many low-income households, but the “digital divide” is one that does need continued attention. A better program would include a program for providing refurbished computers, training and fixed line broadband at no cost.

General businesses use a tremendous amount of bandwidth and currently pay large fees for these services. If a municipality offers free access WiFi, business will begin to transition to the free service. With the increased load on the municipal network and decreased service provider revenue from the businesses, the service fees the municipality pays will increase drastically. As these costs increase, the general tax base will need to cover these services, which fundamentally spreads the costs among all, even those people and businesses that are not using the internet.

Some municipalities have proposed offering WiFi for a cost and simply providing free services for low-income households, but this still leaves the cost of the initial computer hardware as a barrier to internet access and moves the city into the position of a utility/service provider.

There is a noticeable benefit to tourism, especially business travel, when advertised, but most municipalities have only proposed these all encompassing wireless offerings.

Enter a simple but novel approach from Huntsville, Alabama. Many do not think of Alabama as a technology front mover, but Huntsville is home to 1) one of the country’s two U.S. Space Camps 2) Intergraph Corporation, 3) sizeable offices for Boeing, Northrop Grumman, LG Electronics and Lockheed Martin 4) Redstone Arsenal which houses several military and NASA installations, plus external associate firms 5) many other large technical installations and smaller R&D houses.

Huntsville’s approach to WiFi is to partner with Traveller Internet Solutions to offer a limited free WiFi solution to visitors of the Big Spring International Park, which covers the Von Braun Convention Center (170,000+ square foot center) and much of downtown.

Technicians are still fine tuning the service and will fully activate the links shortly. When completed, each user will be given three free house of service per month, with the ability to pay for extended service.

This three hour free offering will serve the need of most business and personal travelers and are projected to be a great new benefit for the convention center. In exchange for the right to offer and charge for extended services, Traveller provides the WiFi network, under municipal supervision, at no cost to the city. This arrangement also allows businesses and even the convention center the ability to work with Traveller to provide additional complimentary hours.

Other municipalities would do well to copy this arrangement from Huntsville. It provides wireless data access to visitors and residents for basic needs at little cost to tax payers, may even become a revenue stream from commissions on extended plans sold by the service provider and leaves open the possibility of helping low-income households access the internet.

Kurt Uhlir, a Chicago technologist and regular commentator on video games by day, oversees products and strategy for Extremely Sharp Swords, Knives & Martial Arts. Visit ES at http://www.extremely-sharp.com

The process of Protein Synthesis involves many parts of the cell, the main stages occur in the nucleus and ribosomes. Unlike other similar productions, this process is very complex and precise and therefore must be done in proper sequence to work effectively.

The process involves two stages these are transcription and translation. With in the process of DNA synthesis a form of RNA is used called mRNA this is used to transport a template to the ribosomes where translation occurs, mRNA makes protein synthesis must more efficient.

The first stage transcription involves the DNA unwinding by breaking the hydrogen bonds and then a region will be copied to make RNA; this is known as a cistron. A strand of this DNA will act as the template and free nucleotides will assemble next to there complementary bases. This process involves an enzyme known as RNA polymerase which will move along this strand and assembles the mRNA nucleotides into a strand. After the actions of this enzyme the DNA will wind back up by reforming hydrogen bonds. Mirror images of the DNA will now be formed and will pass out of the nucleus to free ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum ribosomes.

The next stage is translation although to take place it requires tRNA as well as mRNA which is in the shape of a clover leaf because of molecules looping back on each other because of hydrogen bonds. The job of this is to pick up amino acids and transport them to the ribosomes and so it has a site where amino acids attach. There is 20 types of tRNA one for each amino acids the attachment of an amino acid to tRNA is known as activation.

At the ribosomes there are 2 sites known as the P and A sites the ribosomes move along the mRNA. The ribosome attaches to two specified codons and tRNA matching the Condons attaches to the ribosome and an anticondon site on the tRNA attaches to the mRNA codon. At the P site a peptide bond is formed between the amino acids and then the ribosome moves across and the energy created by breaking the bond between the tRNA and the releasing of the amino acid is used to form a peptide bond for the previous and next amino acid. More then one ribosome can read this code at any one time so a large quantity of proteins can b produced. The arrangement of the peptide chain depends on the arrangement of codons from mRNA, this is what allows for different proteins.

http://www.articlecore.com was created to provide articles on a number of different subjects ranging from PSP game reviews to Science.

The site is owned and run by Carl S. Richardson and Joe Denison, who are also known for a number of other websites including http://www.rawpulse.com a Playstation gaming website.

Let’s talk about love and pain. Everywhere I go the young generation speaks openly to me about how “Love is Pain” and about how being “in love” is strangely connected to experiencing or going through some kind of hurt. Geez! Where do our children get this stuff? There was even a song out where one of the lyrics stated undoubtedly that love IS pain. What unspoken communication is our new generation ingesting? How do they perceive people in terms of how we connect or disconnect interpersonally? Which lyrics do they identify with as “legit” when belted out by rappers? Is it safe to assume that they admire these artists to the extent that the artist’s lyrical verses are deemed accurate and proper in the minds of the youthful ones of the world? Is it safe to assume that just because a rapper says-it-in-song that his messages are true?

Unless loving someone changed so drastically since I was in love it remains my understanding that a (hale and hearty) LOVE and (plain ole) PAIN have not changed their stripes and are not hand-in-hand. Since when was love supposed to hurt? How can a love be a healthy L-O-V-E if it causes you harm and distress? Well ya know what? I just don’t get it. Maybe I’m growing old too quickly and I don’t remember seeing the memo when it was circulated that said this is so or something.

This younger generation I just don’t know about sometimes. What’re we putting in their food? And I’m talking about from the late teens to the mid-twenties. Most of these people haven’t even lived enough to experience PAIN in its most devastating capacity or LOVE in its strongest state for that matter. Hell I’m still waiting to experience a love in its strongest state myself and I’m practically as old as dirt!! (Well I feel as old as dirt sometimes). And I’m talking about MOST youngins NOT all of em so please don’t go running to your computer to draft a nasty e-mail to me.

Want to know what pain is? Pain is caring about someone until it makes YOU sick to the point of NOT being able to eat or sleep because you are forced to watch them as they make terrible life mistakes that you KNOW will eventually ruin his/her life or cause THEM unnecessary problems in the future. Pain is when you KNOW YOUR LOVED ONE is going through an unbearable or hurtful experience and YOU emotionally absorb some of THEIR agony because of the love YOU harbor for them. Pain is watching a loved one die. Pain is loving a person inside and out knowing if the necessity presented itself, you WOULD cut off your right arm and part of your left if it meant saving their life. (Only to come to the realization that this person continuously and relentlessly treats YOU like the scum that’s glued to a piece of worm infested elephant poop that rests on the bottom of YOUR shoe!) How rude is THAT awakening?

Pain is when for YEARS you tell a loved one that all you want is a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T and all you get is heartache until YOUR heart aches and stiffens to the point of the issue of R-E-S-P-E-C-T being evaporated from your list of wants and needs entirely.

Love is hearing your lover’s soothing voice as your eyes drink only them when you are in their presence. Your vision becomes nothing less than tunneled and you care less about the world around you. Love is watching your sweetheart while he or she sleeps knowing that you want to awaken them for this or for that, but you opt not to because you know that they are tired and really need to be “left alone” in restful slumber. Love is when the thought of your “baby-boo” continues to make your heart go pitter-patter as you remember that you’re going to celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary with them tomorrow evening. Love is peaceful, serene and kind. Love is NOT pain. The PAIN of LOVE is never experiencing amour in its most robust state. The pain of love is living your life, dying and NEVER experiencing how wonderful a “good” relationship can be.

You know my list can go on and on but I believe the real PAIN of LOVE is not knowing the difference. So please don’t tell ME that love is pain. Just don’t tell me that. Just don’t!!! DON’T!!

(c) 2006 by C. V. Harris. All rights reserved.

C. V. Harris speaks with ease about topics most people would rather avoid. She is currently working on her Memoir entitled Stubborn Stains. You may visit Ms. Harris’ Blog at http://www.onewriterwriting.blogspot.com/ or send an e-mail to her at onewriterwriting@hotmail.com.

I have always loved science fiction. I always have and always
will. However, I do possess, most of the time, a solid enough
grip on reality to let go of my sci-fi love when I put the book
down or leave the movie theater.

I mean, I would love for half the stuff I see in sci-fi to be
true right now. You know what I am talking about, don’t you? I
would love to be able to zoom through “Space the Final Frontier”
in the comforts of the Starship Enterprise sipping margaritas
with Jean-Luc Picard while watching the stars fly by. Maybe that
babe, Counselor Troi, could join us.

Yes, I can tell the difference between truth and reality (sort
of). It’s fun to pretend but I know when the pretense stops—or
do I?

Another kind of sci-fi on the caliber of the “X-files” has been
going on lately and I want to know just what in the name of
Agent Mulder is going on?

I wrote a week or two ago about the exploding toads of Germany.

“I cannot get out of my mind the exploding toad phenomenon
reported in the Altona district of Hamburg, Germany. This was
taking place at the end of April 2005, causing a ghoulish and
macabre mess that confused the hell out of scientists. They had
taken to calling the district the “pond of death”.

They think they may have solved this little grotesqueness with
the explanation of some peckish toad-liver-stealing crows. I
don’t buy that at all.

On May 18th, a report appeared in the Associated Press about a
scene right out of Hitchcock’s “The Birds” occurred in Houston.

Apparently, some rather miffed Grackles (a large and loud
crow-like bird) have gotten it into their little pea-sized
birdbrains to attack the good citizens of Houston. These attacks
have become so vicious that people are being injured.

“The grackles zeroed in on a lawyer who shooed a bird away
before he tripped and injured his face, Jue said. The lawyer was
treated for several cuts.” [1] Can you believe this?

One woman was knocked to the ground, according to the article,
and had to be helped up by two men who were also attacked. All
three had to flee into a nearby building to escape the Grackle
attack.

So what set off this flock of Grackles? And note that they are
large and loud Crow-like birds. Is there a connection between
the toad-murdering crows of Germany and this Houston event?
Don’t you want to know?

Then, lo and behold, Reuters’ news service reported that on May
19, a sleepy little Russian village’s lake simply DISAPPEARED
overnight! Imagine that! You go to bed telling the wife that you
will be up before the crack of dawn to go “Wet a Hook”. You get
up, eat a little something, grab the gear, and walk down to the
lake, only to find that it is gone–Poof! [2]

I assure you I am not making any of this up. An entire lake was
there when the Russians went to bed and the next morning it was
gone.

Get this: The article is entitled, “Lake Disappears, baffling
villagers”. They find it, what, a little baffling? I wonder if
TERRORIZED would have been a more appropriate word? Baffled just
doesn’t cut it. I am thinking that an overnight disappearance of
an entire lake would elicit a little stronger reaction like,

“Мы тянем
наших
ишаков из
здесь”.

This roughly translates to,

“We are hauling our butts out of here.”

Just what the devil is going on here? Exploding toads in Germany
(the explanation was NOT conclusive), vicious people-attacking
CROW-like birds in Houston (authorities had to close down that
section of the street), then the overnight disappearance of an
entire lake.

Just where are Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Skully when you need
them?

[1] Hostile Grackels Attack People in Houston; Associated Press

[2] Lake Disappears, baffling villagers.

You have a choice today…

You can remain in the same position you are today, or you can learn and apply the secrets to SUCCESS.

Ever dream of being able to purchase the house or car of your dreams, without thinking twice?

Here’s your chance to learn and apply the secret to SUCCESS! ( All That it Requires is YOUR Action! )

This secret is simple yet so powerful that it is overlooked by most people.

Say YES to learning and applying this secret, and tomorrow you’ll start to generate the type of income you’ve always dreamed of!

Without further ado, the secret is simply this.

In order to become an Internet success, you first must develop a “Millionaire’s Mind”.

Simple isn’t it?

Below You Will Discover The Secret To Developing a *Millionaire’s Mind*:

You just woke up from a good night’s sleep, it’s 10 A.M. and you feel totally refreshed. You go over to your computer and boot up.

Reviewing your email, you see that you just recruited 25 new members, or made 25 sales for your product.

You see an email confirming your trip to Hawaii………. you’re headed to a 5 star resort with waterfalls nestled at your window, lush gardens give off the heavenly aroma of lilacs throughout your suite, and it is just a few steps away from the beach.

You smile and now go over to your own balcony overlooking your private lush green backyard. You begin to reflect, looking around you.

It’s like a dream. Your home is in the upscale neighborhood just where you desire. Your Mercedes Benz is parked in your garage. Your children are receiving the best education available. Your desire to be wealthy has become a reality!

No stressful job, no time clock to punch, no more money worries.

You take a deep breath, a big sigh of relief; you smile and say, “Yes! Life is good.”

A millionaire mind is first developed by first deciding what it is you want most in this life.

What is it that you want to do with your new income?

It is this answer that will help you develop the desire for success.

This is YOUR chance to live like you’ve always dreamed, picture your bank account, full to the brim, and see yourself spending the money however you desire.

Now, go back and answer that all important question…

What is it that you REALLY want to do with your new income?
A millionaire mind knows that in order to win:

“I must refuse to lose.”

The ability to succeed in ANYTHING starts within your own mind!

Developing the right attitude and the right desire for achieving success in any field or endeavor starts from within.

Every successful person, whether he is a sports figure, doctor, lawyer, businessman, or any professional, achieved the highest level of accomplishment by creating within themselves a strong work ethic.

This work ethic is comprised of four key characteristics that are essential to achieve success, no matter what you are seeking to accomplish. They are:

· The Right Attitude
· A Strong Desire
· Self-Discipline
· Persistence

Right Attitude

“I refuse to lose” is an attitude, a desire or a feeling deep within your gut that empowers you. It tells you that you deserve to have that which you are working toward and you will not let anyone or anything stand in the way of your success.

It propels you to be self-motivated and self-directed and, by applying good moral principles, it is there to help you meet your goal.
Your Desire To Win!

If you don’t nurture the right attitude, external forces will enter into the picture and draw you away from your goal. The only thing that can counter this effect is the strength of your conviction - belief in yourself coupled with A BURNING DESIRE!

A lack of desire, without a doubt, is the biggest reason for failure.

The level of success in your quest to achieve financial independence Is directly related to THE LEVEL OF STRENGTH WITHIN YOUR DESIRE TO WIN!
Self-Discipline

It is necessary to develop and apply your newly acquired knowledge, while staying focused on a particular task until it is completed.

Self-discipline is defined by the following:

1. Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior; especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.

2. Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control.
Persistence

The willingness to try…and try and try and….try until the goal has been accomplished–call it persistence or tenacity but it all boils down to the desire deep within you to know you DESERVE to win.

It is the ability to stay focused, to make it happen in spite of the negative opinion of others, the failures, and setbacks that will occur.

Persistence is to correct your mistakes and continuously take action to accomplish your goal.

Two very powerful words in the arsenal of a millionaire’s mind are *leverage and persistence*

Some form of leverage is implemented in every successful strategy, no matter what the product may be — real estate, stock, products, services, etc.

Visualizing your successful future (realistically) can put you in the picture. Close your eyes and actually see yourself with your goal accomplished. Your visualization is only as good as the goals that have truly and genuinely caught your heart.

Always keep in mind that no one generally accomplishes seemingly insurmountable goals the first time. It takes time and dedication to win.

Each attempt is an education and a learning experience. With that learning experience, you’ll obtain more success.

In order to accomplish your long term goals, you must create short term realistic goals. More specifically, set and accomplish daily goals, where you create a To Do List, and rank everything on that to do list from most important, to least important. And accomplish everything you set out to do that day.

It is important for you to accomplish your daily goals, because hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years.

What does that mean?

It means that when you decide to begin a positive routine, and you accomplish your daily goals. Before you know it, your long term goal will be accomplished.

To develop a positive mental attitude, I’d like for you to memorize, and live by the following poem:

If you think you’re beaten, you are,
if you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
it is almost certain you won’t.”

“If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
for out in the world we find,
success begins with a fellows will-
it’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are,
you’ve got to think high to rise,
you’ve got to be sure of yourself before
you can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
to the stronger or faster person,
but sooner or later the person who wins
is the person WHO THINKS THEY CAN!

–Napolean Hill

What’s the moral of this poem?

Success begins in YOUR mind!

You must believe in yourself, before others will believe in you.

Don’t wait until tomorrow to begin to have a positive mental attitude, because tomorrow never comes, when tomorrow gets here it becomes today. Re-Read that last statement.

Don’t wait until tomorrow to begin to have a positive mental attitude, because tomorrow never comes, when tomorrow gets here, *it becomes today again*

Now that you know the secret to having a successful mind, let’s talk about how you can make money with your online business.

Dave Origano is a 24 year old entrepeneur that succeeded in the online world in merely 3 years. With the right mindsetting he growed his wealth with millions. Want to own the techniques that he used to create these millions of dollars:
http://www.TheMillionairLife.com

This is a fun craft to do with a group of moms and their kids, one child per adult works the best. Each mom will need:
—One soft brush, any size but 1/2″ works the best
—One tiny 1-ounce jar of “One-Stroke Ceramic underglaze”, either Duncan E-Z Stroke or Gare One-Stroke. (Of course they can share these, but it’s best if they have at least 3 colors to choose from. The best are a dark green, a dark blue or a dark brown. One jar of each color will do 50 hands altogether)
—One pint jar of “clear gloss glaze”, which all can use.
—A sponge
—Paper towels and a washcloth
—One blank UNglazed ceramic tile, 4-1/4″ (for kids 2 or 3 yrs. old or so) or 6″ (for kids over 3) Unless you know someone who does hand-painted tile as a career, these would have to be ordered in cases of 100 or so. The best thing is to call the hobby ceramic stores, where you will get the underglaze and clear glaze, and ask if they have a “molded greenware or bisque tile they sell”, and order the quantity you need. Tell them you would like them “fired to bisque.”

The most important thing is that the childrens’ hands are scrubbed with soap and water, then dried well. Salt, sugar or oils on the hands will prevent the glaze from bonding with the tile. Make sure to wipe the tile well with a clean sponge in plain water. Allow to dry a few minutes.

Tell the kids that it is like hand-painting only without wiggling their fingers. Make it fun, some get scared. Hold their clean hand gently over a tile to make sure their hand will fit, fingers spread out a little. Pick the right size tile and paint one wet coat of glaze across the flat of their open palm, not too runny but not too dry, follwing the instructions for mixing on the bottle. Try to keep their fingers from touching, the more still they keep their hand, the better the clarity. A good print will show fingerprints! But if it smears, it usually does, it’s all for fun anyway. If it starts to become a battle with the child, let him go, when he sees the other kids having a good time he will offer his hand to be painted. (I say “he” because it is usually the boys that wimp out, the girls are more adventurous. lol)

Make sure the paint goes all the way to the ends of the fingers and thumb and press the hand straight down onto the surface of the tile, quickly but gently and firmly, rolling the fingers slightly so the print doesnt look like skeleton fingers lol. Lift the hand straight up and see how cool! Wash their hands with soap, the paint is water soluable and non-staining, but dont let them lick it. With a fine brush, write the child’s name and date or birthday or age right on the tile. Set it in a safe place to dry well.

If you are nervous about smearing the dry glaze, have them fired at “cone 04″ before painting the clear gloss on top. This is the proper way, but if the underglaze is good and dry and you are very careful, it is ok to put the clear glaze on unfired underglaze and fire the tile once at “cone 06″ and the results will be the same. Either way, get the large floppy brush again and paint 3 thin coats of clear gloss on the tile and fire to “cone 06″.

You can buy frames from most ceramic stores that sell the tiles. They will last forever. Have fun!

Dy Witt has been painting with ceramic glaze for 21 years, and painting ceramic tiles for 14 years. Her level of detailed precision in the true ceramic process is unusual in the industry. To view her extensive gallery online, go to: www.dyztilz.com

(Pre - Production, Production, Post Production, Motion Capture, New Media)
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A) Pre - Production

Scene : A scene or script is a numbered part of a film script, which may be broken down into parts in longshot, medium-shot, close-up, etc by the director when shooting. A master scene is a fairly long length of the script, all under one number, which the director will certainly break down later. He or she may, however, take the whole of a master scene first, then shoot closeups of the various characters to cut in with this later. In animation the basic unit of continuous action, usually shot on one background, from which a film is built up.

Script : The detailed scene-by-scene instructions for a film or television production, including description of setting and action with dialogue and camera directions. When the script also has full details of visuals it is termed a ’storyboard’.

Storyboard : A form of shooting script common for animated films for many years and now usually used for commercials, even live-action ones. It consists of a series of sketches showing key positions for every scene, with dialogue and descriptive notes below. Still used in animation.

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B) Production

2D Animation : The creation of moving pictures in a two-dimensional environment, such as through “traditional” cel animation or in computerized animation software. This is done by sequencing consecutive images, or “frames”, that simulate motion by each image showing the next in a gradual progression of steps. The eye can be “fooled” into perceiving motion when these consecutive images are shown at a rate of 24 frames per second or faster. 3D

Animation :
The creation of moving pictures in a three-dimensional digital environment. This is done by sequencing consecutive images, or “frames”, that simulate motion by each image showing the next in a gradual progression of steps, filmed by a virtual “camera” and then output to video by a rendering engine. The eye can be “fooled” into perceiving motion when these consecutive images are shown at a rate of 24 frames per second or faster.

Character animation : The art of making an animated figure move like a unique individual; sometimes described as acting through drawings. The animator must “understand how the character’s personality and body structure will be reflected in its movements.

Character model : A sheet of drawings defining the proportions, shape, clothing etc. of a character for the guidance of animators.

Computer animation : The technique of using computers to generate moving pictures. Some systems can achieve this in real-time (25 frames per second-or in the USA 30fps), but the majority of animation is created one frame at a time and then edited into a continuous sequence. Very sophisticated programs are required to perform the tasks of movement, fairing, perspective, hidden-surface removal, colouring, shading and illumination, and as the trend increases towards more realistic images, faster computers are needed to process the millions of computations required for each frame. The term “computer animation” covers a broad range of subjects, but overall can be defined as the creation of moving images through the use of computers. These images can be created in either a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space, and can be applied to web design, user interface design, application development, video games, movies, special effects, cartooning, and many others.

Computer graphics : Charts, diagrams, drawings and other pictorial representations that are computer generated.

Effects animation : The animation of non-character movements such as rain, smoke, lightning, water, etc.

Go-Motion : Similar to ‘Stop-Motion’, but the animation is produced by rods attached to the pupet/creature, which can be programmed by a computer to perform the required movement. The advantage over stop-motion is that a lot more realistic movement can be created, because the puppet/creature blurs slightly between each frame. The disadvantage is that the rods attached to the creature need to be hidden from view (e.g. using the blue-screen process)

In Between : The paper drawing of a figure that lies in sequence between two key positions drawn by an animator.

Key frame animation : The animator ‘draws’ directly onto the CRT display and produces a basic picture or cell. A number of these drawings can then be superimposed on one another to form a composite cell or key frame. Many of these key frames can be made up and stored in the computer to be called up and used as required. The action of the film can be created by stringing together the series of key frames, and introducing the desired movements between one frame and the next. Each key frame can be used over and over again by simply calling it repeatedly from the computer score.

Stop-Motion Animation : Moving a special effects puppet or model/creature a small amount and recording a single frame (or small number of frames) so that when the film is played back at a normal speed it appears to move. The disadvantage with this form of animation is that it can sometimes appear to ’strobe’, partly due to the lack of blur between the frames.

Three-dimensional modeling : Geometrical descriptions of an object using polygons or solids in three dimensions (x,y,z coordinates) for the purpose of creating the illusion of height, width and depth.

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C) Post Production

Edit : The process of assembling video clips, audio tracks, graphics and other source marerial into a presentable package.

Off-Line Edit : A “draft” edit, usually prepared in an off-line edit suite (at a lower cost), then taken to an on-line facility to make the final cut.

On-Line Edit : The final version of an edit, prepared in a professional edit facility.

Non-linear editing : An approach to video editing made possible by digital video recordings. As in word processing, video segments can be inserted between two existing segments without erasing either. Unlike the approach required when editing analog video , segments do not need to “laid down” in the sequence in which they will later be shown.

Off-line editing : The steps during the edit process when a preliminary selection of usable shots and scenes is made, and the tentative sequence of these elements is decided. This process is typically done with lower cost, simpler editing equipment than is found in a professional edit suite (where on-line editing is done). Using off-line editing can significantly reduce the total cost of a producation.

On-line editing : The steps during the edit process when the compilation of final program is done. When affordable, this is done in a professional edit suite with high quality equipment. If off-line editing had been done, the edit decision list from that phase guides the on-line edit process, typically minimizing the time and cost in the professional edit suite.

Post Production : The phases of production that occur after the recording, filming, or taping. This includes editing, mixing, effects, dubbing, compression, mastering, etc.

Render Farm : A group of computers which work together to perform the computation-intensive tasks of 3-D rendering.

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D) Motion Capture

Mocap : The process of recording the data from human movement so that it can be used for 3D characters created on a computer. Mocap can be used for 3D animations for film, TV and games, and for special effects work. There are wireless, magnetic motion capture systems, and optical systems, which track markers attached to the animator.

Performance Capture : The recording of a performance, either human or animal, using a Motion Capture system (or similar technology) - difference being that you can motion capture a table, but it is cannot give a performance. Special Effects Blue (or Green)

Screen : A system that replaces a specified colour (blue in this case) with images from another source. This can either be done optically (eg. using film) or electronically (eg. in video, also known as Chroma-Key in video). Some computer systems look at pixel in the scene and determine whether to replace that pixel with the other video source. Better computer systems allow ’some’ of the colour of the pixel from 1 image and ’some’ from another image. The better systems could be take transparent objects (eg. bottles) or smoke and combine these with the images from another source.

Chroma-Key : Keying out parts of an image which contain a particular colour (or colours). Eg. replacing a blue or green background with images from another source.

Composite : To combine two or more individual images onto one piece of film by photographic or digital means. Early compositing was accomplished in the camera by masking part of the scene when filming, rewinding the film and removing the matte and shooting again to expose the previously masked portion. Digital compositing is commonplace, in which multiple film images are scanned into the computer, combined digitally, and output to a single piece of film.

Motion Control : Controling the motion of a camera or special effects object (eg. model space ship etc), using commands from a computer, so that the exact moves can be repeated as many times. This makes it easy to composite it (ie.combine it with another shot).

Rotoscoping : Drawing around something in the frame so that an effect can be applied to that part of the film. If an animated creature has to go behind something in the live action piece of film, that object can be drawn around so a matte can be created, so that the createure will not show over the top of that object. If the camera is moving, then each frame of film would have to be rotoscoped. If the camera is still, then the same matte can probably be used for all frames in that shot. Rotoscoping was first used by the Fleischers for making cartoons. The Fleischers invented the Rotoscope, which is a device for projecting live-action film on to paper frame by frame, so that the outline could be traced and used as a guide for the animation. The Rotoscope consists of an animation camera and a light source (usually using a prism behind the movement and the lamp house attached to the camera’s open door) that projects a print through the camera’s lense and the projected image is then traced to create a matte. The lamp house is then removed and the raw stock placed in the camera and the drawings are filmed through the same lense that projected the image. The resulting image will then fit the original image if the two strips of film are run bi-packed in the same projector movment (using an optical printer). In digital film effects work, rotoscoping refers to any drawn matte, as both images can be seen compisited while the matte is being drawn, so good results can be achieved.

Virtual Sets : Sets which are generated (at least partially) from data within a computer. Mostly used for TV work, these systems replace the real set (eg. an empty studio) with a computer generated set, allowing the actor/presenter to move in the foreground. eg. the background is ‘keyed out’ and replaced with the set which has been created in a 3D package (eg. Softimage or 3D Studio Max), and any camera movements will be duplicated by the ‘virtual camera’. This will require a powerful computer, especially if it is to be done in real-time, for example a Silicon Graphics machine. The method of keeping track of the camera movement (so that it can be duplicated in the 3D computer set) is different for the various sytems. Some systems use a blue grid painted on the back wall of a studio of a known size. A red LED is projected onto the cameras and the actor/presenter so that they too can be tracked throughout the set.

Visual effects (also called optical or photographic effects) : Special effects achieved with the aid of photographic or digital technology, occurring after the principal photography, or main shooting, of a film. Includes miniatures, optical and digital effects, matte paintings, stop-motion animation, and computer-generated imagery (CGI).

Wire Removal : Removal of unwanted wires, rods, etc. from a piece of film by replacing them with what would have been seen if they weren’t there (eg. the background). This can be done by replacing them with the same area from another frame in which the wires/rods were not visible, or by averaging the colours on either side of the wire and replacing it with the average.

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E) New Media

A generic term for the many different forms of electronic communication that are made possible through the use of computer technology. The term is in relation to “old” media forms, such as print newspapers and magazines, that are static representations of text and graphics. New media includes:

* Web sites

* streaming audio and video

* chat rooms

* e-mail

* online communities

* Web advertising

* DVD and CD-ROM media

* virtual reality environments

* integration of digital data with the telephone, such as Internet telephony

* digital cameras

* mobile computing

Use of the term new media implies that the data communication is happening between desktop and laptop computers and handhelds , such as PDAs , and the media they take data from, such as compact discs.

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For more Information please visit http://www.motioncapturestudios.com/