Football clairvoyance

Writing about nitty-gritty of sports, I always try to take a glance back at past season or two and distill some useful, reproducible statistics. Just like everyone else, I use football picks, at Comcast. net 's NFL standings section, a good source for those who are truly clairvoyant about every game, who have the sense of humor, and take some potshots. That is where someone can get the inspiration and enjoy those Good Teams Selection weeks. I always enjoyed Week 4. It's the last week before the Really Good Teams separate themselves from the Good Teams and the Up-And-Down Teams, so I could still eek out out some gambling bargains. Like the Chiefs, they're right at the juncture where the Rams some time ago, when the lines hadn't adjusted enough, when Kurt Warner's deal with the devil was still a state secret, and nobody knew they were the "14-2 waiting to happen." So that's where I made the money. Have you wondered how the Titans don't really make contenders till Steve McNair gets scrapped? One could just recommend that the night before every season he should just drive his throwing hand into a concrete wall. Might as well get it done and over with. He's is truly the Degree of Difficulty Guy, who need a partially torn ligament and a bunch of run of the mill receivers and he'll happily lead you to 10-some wins. Are you ready for an upset?

The ultimate in V8 engines, coffee tables, and recycling:

It's also a conversation piece and a reserve supply of aluminum. The empty valve journals can hold 16 slim sausages, or cigars. source

New idea - earning air miles through online banking

searching for Online Checking Accounts, I found the treasure trove of online bank deals. I found that Capital One Bank, for example, is offering a checking account with only a $50 to start. The account is only available in states where Capital One Bank has branch locations - New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Louisiana and Texas. Airline miles can be earned on this account by using a debit card, writing checks or paying bills online. The mile rewards never expire.

edit 23 dec 2013: removed the link behind the "online checking accounts" on request of the domain representative.

High tech spiders and arts

La Machine is a company formed in the early 1990s as a collaboration between artists, designers, fabricators and technicians. Now led by Artistic Director François Delarozière, the company creates extraordinary theatrical machines, permanent installations, and also its own theatrical productions. I understand they use a lot of ingenious, hi-tech devices that make things look out of this world and aesthetic, too. Check it out at http://www.lamachine.co.uk/index.php/gallery/

I wondered myself, what does CD LAN Party mean?

I thought it was some kind of a LAN converted into a WiFi, for party purposes. I have seen patents on this. Here is an interesting site that us brimming full of interesting information. If I you happened to look for CD key crack, you would find everything that you will ever need - sources of free software, cracks, serials, keygens, SIMs, as well as interesting news on new gadgets and games. Check out the iPod sniper rifle, and futuristic-looking shiny phones.

Another business opportunity: pet wills

A Missoula-based Internet company recently launched "Pet Living Wills" as a way to protect your favorite dog, cat or goldfish when you are not there. If you could speak on behalf of your pets, what would you say is a question Mary Ellen Campbell asked when a horse she was watching for a friend came down very sick and a choice needed to be made. "So we called and Called and couldn't get anyone, and so we had to make some pretty important decisions life or death about whether to put down a horse" said Campbell. "I didn't really expect that emotional problem I would have trying to decide on someone's pet." The incident lead her to become a co-founder of Pet Living Wills, "It occurred to be how we have living wills maybe because pets cant talk and speak for themselves we need to have something that will speak for them." Boarded animals or animals left with a caregiver often don't have the proper instructions in case of a pet emergency, which co-founder David Firth says can lead to some tough choices. "Most people just don't assume that any thing is going to happen and that's why people have car insurance, because you don't assume your going to have a crash but that may just happen someday." The idea is the first of its kind, and after a three year process, the Internet business went public just last week.

Here is something for Obama's platform

We sure have gotten to the historical moment when today, the first black U. S. President is about to be sworn in. Many Americans hope that he will make a difference, and implement perceptible, positive changes. I think that our country, as a leader in Internet-driven information, web social activities, and more particularly, in blogosphere, can move the changes forward by coordinating the changes. Because it is not up to one individual only, the US President or a prominent billionaire, but every web citizen to understand and hone up the master plan that the country should abide by. After all, as the common wisdom says, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A good start for the plan, or the platform, I found, is something that has been outlined as Reinventing America. Good point - "we need to change our school curriculum by including courses on ethics and business manners. We also need business transparency platform that would establish guidelines for organizational transparency. This would include specific recommendations for both for-profit and non-profit organizations and government bodies. Greater transparency in the nation’s capital will lead America by example." This is a great new deal that avoid the unpleasant, intrusive governmental regulation.

Recommended reading (Part 3) in all fields of interest

This is part 3 of the recommended reading list. SIDELIGHTS ON RELATIVITY, Albert Einstein. Unabridged republication of two lectures delivered by the great physicist in 1920-21. Ether and Relativity and Geometry and Experience. Elegant ideas in non-mathematical form, accessible to intelligent layman. vi + 56pp. THE WIT AND HUMOR OF OSCAR WILDE, edited by Alvin Redman. More than 1,000 ripostes, paradoxes, wisecracks: Work is the curse of the drinking classes, I can resist everything except temptation, etc. 258pp. ADVENTURES WITH A MICROSCOPE, Richard Headstrom. 59 adventures with clothing fibers, protozoa, ferns and lichens, roots and leaves, much more. 142 illustrations. 232pp. PLANTS OF THE BIBLE, Harold N. Moldenke and Alma L. Moldenke. Standard reference to a11230 plants mentioned in Scriptures. Latin name, biblical reference, uses, modern identity, much more. Unsurpassed encyclopedic resource for scholars, botanists, nature lovers, students of Bible. Bibliography. Indexes. 123 black-andwhite illustrations. 384pp. FAMOUS AMERICAN WOMEN: A Biographical Dictionary from Colonial Times to the Present, Robert McHenry, ed. From Pocahontas to Rosa Parks, 1,035 distinguished American women documented in separate biographical entries. Accurate, up-to-date data, numerous categories, spans 400 years. Indices. 493pp. THE FABULOUS INTERIORS OF THE GREAT OCEAN LINERS IN HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS, William H. Miller, Jr. Some 200 superb photographs capture exquisite interiors of world's great "floating palaces"-1890's to 1980's: Titanic, Ile de France, Queen Elizabeth, United States, Europa, more. Approx. 200 black-and-white photographs. Captions. Text. Introduction. 160pp. THE GREAT LUXURY LINERS, 1927-1954: A Photographic Record, William H. Miller, Jr. Nostalgic tribute to heyday of ocean liners. 186 photos of Ile de France, Normandie, Leviathan, Queen Elizabeth, United States, many others. Interior and exterior views. Introduction. Captions. 160pp A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DUCKS, John Charles Phillips. Great landmark of ornithology offers complete detailed coverage of nearly 200 species and subspecies of ducks: gadwall, sheldrake, merganser, pintail, many more. 74 full,color plates, 102 black-and-white. Bibliography. Total of 1,920pp. THE SEAWEED HANDBOOK: An Illustrated Guide to Seaweeds from North Carolina to Canada, Thomas F. Lee. Concise reference covers 78 species. Scientific and common names, habitat, distribution, more. Finding keys for easy identification. 224pp. THE TEN BOOKS OF ARCHITECTURE: The 1755 Leoni Edition, Leon Battista Alberti. Rare classic helped introduce the glories of ancient architecture to the Renaissance. 68 black-and-white plates. 336pp. MISS MACKENZIE, Anthony Trollope. Minor masterpieces by Victorian master unmasks many truths about life in 19th-century England. First inexpensive edition in years. 392pp. THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER, Gustave Dore, Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Dramatic engravings considered by many to be his greatest work. The terrifying space of the open sea, the storms and whirlpools of an unknown ocean, the ice of Antarctica, more-all rendered in a powerful, chilling manner. Full text. 38 plates. 77pp. THE EXPEDITIONS OF ZEBULON MONTGOMERY PIKE, Zebulon Montgomery Pike. Fascinating first-hand accounts (1805-6) of exploration of Mississippi River, Indian wars, capture by Spanish dragoons, much more. 1,088pp. A CONCISE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Third Revised Edition, Helmut Gernsheim. Best one-volume history-camera obscura, photochemistry, daguerreotypes, evolution of cameras, film, more. Also artistic aspects-landscape, portraits, fine art, etc. 281 black-and-white photographs. 26 in color. 176pp. THE DORE BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS, Gustave Dore. 241 detailed plates from the Bible: the Creation scenes, Adam and Eve, Flood, Babylon, battle sequences, life of Jesus, etc. Each plate is accompanied by the verses from the King James version of the Bible. 241pp. HUGGER-MUGGER IN THE LOUVRE, Elliot Paul. Second Homer Evans mystery-comedy. Theft at the Louvre involves sleuth in hilarious, madcap caper. "A knockout."-Books. 336pp. FLATLAND, E. A. Abbott. Intriguing and enormously popular science-fiction classic explores the complexities of trying to survive as a two-dimensional being in a three-dimensional world. Amusingly illustrated by the author. 16 illustrations. 103pp. THE HISTORY OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, edited by Elliott Coues. Classic edition of Lewis and Clark's day-by-day journals that later became the basis for U.S. claims to Oregon and the West. Accurate and invaluable geographical, botanical, biological, meteorological and anthropological material. Total of 1,508pp LANGUAGE, TRUTH AND LOGIC, Alfred J. Ayer. Famous, clear introduction to Vienna, Cambridge schools of Logical Positivism. Role of philosophy, elimination of metaphysics, nature of analysis, etc. I60pp. MATHEMATICS FOR THE NON-MATHEMATICIAN, Morris Kline. Detailed, college-level treatment of mathematics in cultural and historical context, with numerous exercises. For liberal arts students. Preface. Recommended Reading Lists. Tables. Index. Numerous black-and-white figures. xvi + 641pp. 28 SCIENCE FICTION STORIES, H. G. Wells. Novels, Star Begotten and Men Like Gods, plus 26 short stories: "Empire of the Ants," "A Story of the Stone Age," "The Stolen Bacillus," "In the Abyss," etc. 915pp. HANDBOOK OF PICTORIAL SYMBOLS, Rudolph Modley. 3,250 signs and symbols, many systems in full; official or heavy commercial use. Arranged by subject. Most in Pictorial Archive series. 143pp. INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN YUCATAN, John L. Stephens. Classic (1843) exploration of jungles of Yucatan, looking for evidences of Maya civilization. Travel adventures, Mexican and Indian culture, etc. Total of 669pp DEGAS: An Intimate Portrait, Ambroise Vollard. Charming, anecdotal memoir by famous art dealer of one of the greatest 19th-century French painters. 14 black-and-white illustrations. Introduction by Harold L. Van Doren. 96pp PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF A PILGRIMAGE TO ALMANDINAH AND MECCAH, Richard Burton. Great travel classic by remarkably colorful personality. Burton, disguised as a Moroccan, visited sacred shrines of Islam, narrowly escaping death. 47 illustrations. 959pp. PHRASE AND WORD ORIGINS, A. H. Holt. Entertaining, reliable, modern study of more than 1,200 colorful words, phrases, origins and histories. Much unexpected information. 254pp. THE RED THUMB MARK, R. Austin Freeman. In this first Dr. Thorndyke case, the great scientific detective draws fascinating conclusions from the nature of a single fingerprint. Exciting story, authentic science. 320pp. AN EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHIC DICTIONARY, E. A. Wallis Budge. Monumental work containing about 25,000 words or terms that occur in texts ranging from 3000 s.c. to 600 A.D. Each entry consists of a transliteration of the word, the word in hieroglyphs, and the meaning in English. 1,314pp., Two-vol. set THE COMPLEAT STRATEGYST: Being a Primer on the Theory of Games of Strategy, J. D. Williams. Highly entertaining classic describes, with many illustrated examples, how to select best strategies in conflict situations. Prefaces. Appendices. xvi + 268pp. THE ROAD TO OZ, L. Frank Baum. Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man, little Button-Bright and the Rainbow's beautiful daughter in this delightful trip to the magical Land of Oz. 272pp. POINT AND LINE TO PLANE, Wassily Kandinsky. Seminal exposition of role of point, line, other elements in non-objective painting. Essential to understanding 20th-century art. 127 illustrations. 192pp. LADY ANNA, Anthony Trollope. Moving chronicle of Countess Lovel's bitter struggle to win for herself and daughter Anna their rightful rank and fortune perhaps at cost of sanity itself. 384pp. EGYPTIAN MAGIC, E. A. Wallis Budge. Sums up all that is known about magic in Ancient Egypt: the role of magic in controlling the gods, powerful amulets that warded off evil spirits, scarabs of immortality, use of wax images, formulas and spells, the secret name, much more. 253pp. THE DANCE OF SIVA, Ananda Coomaraswamy. Preeminent authority unfolds the vast metaphysic of India: the revelation of her art, conception of the universe, social organization, etc. 27 reproductions of art masterpieces. 192pp. CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Clement A. Miles. Origin, evolution, significance of religious, secular practices. Caroling, gifts, yule logs, much more. Full, scholarly yet fascinating; non-sectarian. 400pp. THE HUMAN FIGURE IN MOTION, Eadweard Muybridge. More than 4,500 stopped-action photos, in action series, showing undraped men, women, children jumping, lying down, throwing, sitting, wrestling, carrying, etc. 390pp. THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY, Gilbert Keith Chesterton. Witty, fast-paced novel about a club of anarchists in turn-of-the-century London. Brilliant social, religious, philosophical speculations. 128pp. A CEZANNE SKETCHBOOK: Figures, Portraits, Landscapes and Still Lifes, Paul Cezanne. Great artist experiments with tonal effects, light, mass, other qualities in over 100 drawings. A revealing view of developing master painter, precursor of Cubism. 102 black-and-white illustrations. 144pp. AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BATTLES: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 s.c. to the Present, David Eggenberger. Presents essential details of every major battle in recorded history, from the first battle of Megiddo in 1479 B.c. to Grenada in 1984. List of Battle Maps. New Appendix covering the years 1967-1984. Index. 99 illustrations. 544pp. AN ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF MODERN ENGLISH, Ernest Weekley. Richest, fullest work, by foremost British lexicographer. Detailed word histories. Inexhaustible. Total of 856pp. WEBSTER'S AMERICAN MILITARY BIOGRAPHIES, edited by Robert McHenry. Over 1,000 figures who shaped 3 centuries of American military history. Detailed biographies of Nathan Hale, Douglas MacArthur, Mary Hallaren, others. Chronologies of engagements, more. Introduction. Addenda. 1,033 entries in alphabetical order. xi + 548pp. LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT, Adolf Erman. Detailed older account, with much not in more recent books: domestic life, religion, magic, medicine, commerce, and whatever else needed for complete picture. Many illustrations. 597pp. HISTORIC COSTUME IN PICTURES, Braun & Schneider. Over 1,450 costumed figures shown, covering a wide variety of peoples: kings, emperors, nobles, priests, servants, soldiers, scholars, townsfolk, peasants, merchants, courtiers, cavaliers, and more. 256pp. THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI, edited by J. P. Richter. Extracts from manuscripts reveal great genius; on painting, sculpture, anatomy, sciences, geography, etc. Both Italian and English. 186 ms. pages reproduced, plus 500 additional drawings, including studies for Last Supper, Sforza monument, etc. 860pp. THE ART NOUVEAU STYLE BOOK OF ALPHONSE MUCHA: All 72 Plates from "Documents Decoratifs" in Original Color, Alphonse Mucha. Rare copyright-free design portfolio by high priest of Art Nouveau. Jewelry, wallpaper, stained glass, furniture, figure studies, plant and animal motifs, etc. Only complete one-volume edition. 80pp.

Using OR in a claim

The "or" can be used in a claim, when an integral function of an invention, such as:

an dial enabling said appliance to access cold, warm or hot water

but not in situation where there is a choice of machines, i. e., a different machine, such as

machine running on diesel or gas

it is all obvious, common sense.

The idea of going green in spare sparts:

Trying to dispose of an old spare tyre, I realized it would be a pity to throw it just anywhere - the rubbish truck does not pick it up, the city recycling center does not take them, the little river running through the neighborhood has been cleaned up of these things serving as shore guards. Then I realized - I have more car parts that are a pity to throw into the nature. The do-it yourself repairs I used to do generated one too many of these non-biodegradable, annoying car parts. The easiest solution is ordering used car parts online, I searched in the "Automotive Shopping Online" category, and chose the 247spares, one of the top 6 hits. Their used car parts prices are very low, the orders processed and arrived on time. Judging from feedback, the standard delivery time is within 24 hours. I have been building a smart car from a kit, and the 247spares has a special telephone support line for smart car owners, just for finding the right car part. They have got glow plug sensors for my high tech diesel motor. The 247spares also saves me from having to spend a good chunk of time in uncertainty at Smart car breaker yards. Instead, a completed form on the 247spares site, with information about one's Smart Car vehicle and the car spares required, and the part is easily found at the best prices. All their Smart Car breakers offer fully guaranteed used Smart Car car parts, with Next Day Nationwide delivery services across the UK.

Checking houses for ghosts is also a valid business opportunity

http://www.isurhousehaunted.com - is the strangest online business I've stumbled upon in a long, long while. The site help people find out if their house could be haunted. Do objects go missing or disappear in your house? Do you hear strange noises at night? Have you lived in your house for over 5 years? Answer easy questions about yourself and your own superstitions. Do you believe in black cats, walking under ladders, etc.? A rather clever idea to make money online, don't you think? I believe this particular site accepts US traffic only.

Meet a real knowledge broker

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The 10 Books That Treach Freakonomics

1. Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior Why is it so difficult to sell a plummeting stock or end a doomed relationship? Why do we listen to advice just because it came from someone “important”? Why are we more likely to fall in love when there’s danger involved? In Sway, renowned organizational thinker Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, answer all these questions and more. Sway introduces us to the Harvard Business School professor who got his students to pay $204 for a $20 bill, the head of airline safety whose disregard for his years of training led to the transformation of an entire industry, and the football coach who turned conventional strategy on its head to lead his team to victory. We also learn the curse of the NBA draft, discover why interviews are a terrible way to gauge future job performance, and go inside a session with the Supreme Court to see how the world’s most powerful justices avoid the dangers of group dynamics. 2. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions What Ariely has done here is shift a lot of the thinking developed by such pioneers as Kahneman & Tversky who worked in behavioral economics, and moved it into the everyday sphere. And he’s done a great, insightful job. Where the behavioral economists are focused on financial decisions (why we buy high and sell low - and confound the assumptions of the classic economists who assume ‘the rational man,) Ariely eschews the technical language and walks us through everyday examples of our often fuzzy and quite irrational decision-making. 3. The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less I think “Paradox of Choice” does bring insight into shopping, but its range is actually much wider than that. Schwartz discusses people making difficult decisions about jobs, families, where to live, whether to have children, how to spend recreational time, choosing colleges, etc. He talks about why making these decisions today is much harder than it was 30 years ago, and he offers many practical suggestions for how to address decision-making so that it creates less stress and more happiness. He even discusses how so much additional choice affects children, and how parents can help make childhood (particularly young childhood) less stressful. 4. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness “Buy on apples, sell on cheese” is an old proverb among wine merchants. Taking a bite of an apple before tasting wine makes it easier to detect flaws in the wine, and the buyer who does so will not as easily make the mistake of paying more than the wine is worth. Cheese, on the other hand, pairs well with wine and enhances its flavor, so a seller who offers cheese may command a higher price for the wine (and may even deserve it, if the wine is intended to be drunk with cheese). The proverb captures important psychological nuances of choice. The same product - a bottle of wine or a risky medical procedure - may be perceived differently depending on its context, and it is often possible to arrange the context to influence a choice while still maintaining the decision maker’s autonomy. 5. Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things Richard Wiseman is an experimental psychologist and professor of “public understanding of psychology.” In this book, he discusses dozens of experiments performed by himself and other psychologists around the world over the course of the last hundred years. All these experiments have in common is unusual research methodology or amusing results. Topics include studies of personal ads and pickup lines, determining which are most effective, how to detect liars, manifestations of prejudice and hypocrisy (are religious people or priests more honest or generous than others? it has been tested). Wiseman even ran tests to see which experiments in the book are the most interesting, to help the reader know what would be the best conversation starters at parties. 6. Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things Clinical psychologist Van Hecke has compiled a list of 10 mental glitches that have infiltrated contemporary society, afflicting even the smartest among us, limiting thought, success and relationships. Van Hecke devotes a chapter to each blind spot, including “Not stopping to think,” “Not noticing,” “Jumping to conclusions” and “Missing the big picture.” Examining each in detail, Van Hecke details the root causes of these unconscious habits (”information overload,” “our tendency to habituate”) and tactics for overcoming them, using humorous anecdotes and other real-life examples to drive her points; the key is remaining open to new ideas and taking a step back from our busy lives in order to process information, situations and people. Filling in “the big picture” herself, Van Hecke demonstrates how embracing and understanding our weaknesses can not only improve personal and professional relationships, but also entire communities; this self-help is a welcome, highly readable first step. 7. Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind In “Kluge,” psychologist Gary Marcus looks to the many and varied foibles, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies of the human mind and concludes that our brains are not, in fact, models of brilliance and efficiency, but are rather cobbled-together systems, designed for one purpose and pressed into action for another - the classic definition of a kluge. The most famous kluge is probably the case of the carbon scrubbers on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. Crunched for time, engineers managed to create a system out of duct tape and socks (seriously) that worked adequately enough to clean the air on the space module- even though none of the materials they used were designed for, or optimal for, the job at hand. The result was ugly and inefficient - but it kept the astronauts alive. Likewise, Marcus argues, evolution has endowed humans with a hodgepodge of genetic material - the DNA equivalent of duct tape - with which to build all the sophisticated systems that supposedly set us apart from other creatures, like language, memory, and reason. The result is, for example in the case of language, “a vocal apparatus more byzantine than a bagpipe made up entirely of pipe cleaners and cardboard dowels.” 8. The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives The author writes to the layman, making the language of statistics, probability, randomness a fascinating read. It’s clear that he’s well aware of the fallacies and delusions (and consequent harm) to which most of us are easy prey. But he leaves it to the reader to draw any philosophical-theological inferences about the need for greater humility. His immediate goal is to help the reader understand the distinction between 1. the “common-sense” logic employed by self-serving finite beings coping with problems in the material world and 2. a “scientific method” that takes nothing for granted in a universe of perpetual flux. More miraculous than either the accomplishments of the romantic hero or the intercessions of a supreme being (everyday stuff for most of us) is the rare discovery that two things (or “events” in the spatial-temporal order) suspected of being connected (a hypothesis) in fact cannot be shown “not” to have such a relationship (the proof). 9. Guesstimation: Solving the World’s Problems on the Back of a Cocktail Napkin Somehow, guessing at numbers is unsettling, even though I’ve done it all my life. John Adam is a professor of applied mathematics, with a degree in physics. Larry Weinstein is a nuclear physicist. Their book is devoted to proving that intelligent guessing is useful and fun. The book lays out some general principles but its great strength lies in the interesting problems, a series of hints to help you solve each problem, and an interesting discussion of the pitfalls and triumphs involved. 10. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion Cialdini believes that influence is a science. This idea attracted me. As a rhetorician, I have always thought of persuasion as more of an art. Cialdini, however, makes a first-rate case for the science point of view. But maybe most importantly, he makes his case in a well-written, intelligent, and entertaining manner. Not only is this an important book to read, it is a fun book to read too. He introduces you to six principles of ethical persuasion: reciprocity, scarcity, liking, authority, social proof, and commitment/consistency. A chapter is devoted to each and you quickly see why Cialdini looks at influence as a science. Each principle is backed by social scientific testing and retesting. Each chapter is also filled with interesting examples that help you see how each principle can be applied. By the end of the book, I had little doubt that these are six important dimensions of human interaction.

Non-prosecutable scam:

True Story - Australian Police have been totally unable to recommend a prosecution for the following scam: A company takes out a newspaper advertisement claiming to be able to supply imported hard core pornographic videos. As their prices seem reasonable, people place orders and make payments via check to the ASFP company. After several weeks, the company writes back explaining that under the present law they are unable to supply the materials and do not wish to be prosecuted. So they return their customers money in the form of a company check, using the full company name. However, due to the name of the company, few people ever bother to present these to their banks. The name? - The Anal Sex and Fetish Perversion Company source

Business Methods and Software Patents are perfectly OK

The most frequently overlooked support for computer software and business models being patentable - US Patent Act Title 35, The United States Code, §101:

Whoever invents or discovers any new or useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefore...

That is why this stnadard rule of thumb must be heeded: claims should be drafted from the point of view of the server, the subscriber, AND the software manufacture etc. (i.e., In re Beauregard claims).

The new and non-obvious idea of franchising

I have thought about franchising, because many of our clients own franchise business. I think the benefit must be simple - the business is a copy of a successful business. The problems have already been worked out, therefore, the advantage is in the having of avoided the initial developmental hiccups and going straight to operating a business.

Many people want to be their own boss - this is the primary reason for pursuing their own business. For others, it may be the satisfaction of enjoying success through their elbow grease. No matter what the reason, franchising puts one on the road to success without the risk experienced by independent businesses.

There is also the advantage of brand awareness. When one buys into an established national or international brand, there is the automatic name recognition that comes with being associated with a large and familiar company. Furthermore, there is the free training and support that contains proven techniques so that brings on success faster. There is also a built-in access to a network of business owners who share exactly the same business experience. Networking and support from other owners is undoubtedly a priceless resource in business. A franchise means an immense enjoyment of the benefits of collective purchasing power. The franchisor has already established a relationship with many vendors and negotiated a reduced price for their products and services.

I have also thought of myself trying this, and realized it might be something related to general public needs - food, cars, pets, cleaning.

The best franchise opportunity, I have found, should be a car repair franchise. Everyone has had to have their car serviced -mufflers, brakes, tires, radiator flush. Or, it must be a dog grooming franchise . More than half the dogs in these climes where I live are shaggy enough to need grooming.

Thus this company provides the franchise service, it turns out, has tons of experience in the franchising industry. They educate anyone interested in owning their own franchise. Their franchise consultants are franchisees themselves. They are skilled at spotting character traits essential in a potential candidate, and then the candidates are prepared for matching with franchisors.

Their method of matching entails recommending the candidates to three respective franchisors. Each franchisors' representative acquaints the candidate with that franchisor's own qualification process. The franchise consultants keep in touch with the franchisors' representatives and with the candidate. The candidate completes the selection process by identifying the franchise company from which to franchise. The candidate then finalizes the franchise agreement, pays the franchise fee and is awarded the franchise license. The candidate never pays any fees to this franchising assistance company, which is effectively, the middleman. Instead of the franchisee, it is the selected franchisor who pays a referral fee - this is the attractive feature of the idea.

The standard caveat

In each patent application there must be a standard caveat for any potential competitors, infringers and licensees. In the Specification section of the patent application, the start of the technical narration is headed with this (typical) paragraph: Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

and finalized with this caveat:

While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.

Some applications that have details drawings, or where drawings are a crucial piece of the application, might also mention drawings in a way that almost sneaks up on you. I don;t have a good example of these.

Mya is also the name for higher self-esteem

Looking around at the office, I cringe at the thought that I have to agree - a woman with smallish, sagging breasts has a lower self-esteem and confidence. Especially comes to mind one of our office picnics. One of our paralegals said that yes, she felt "undersize," but her comforting thought was, men paid attention to her face and to what she said, not to her chest. The slightly sad fact is that a woman whose breasts are "undersize", either naturally, or due to childbirth, having lost weight, her self-esteem has been diminished, all the more so the potential for a satisfying interpersonal relationships and wider social life. Many of the women seeking breast augmentation have reported being distressed about their appearance in a variety of situations, and have been teased about their appearance. Women seeking breast enlargement have been reported as being usually younger, healthier, from higher socio-economic status, and more often married with children than the population at large. This woman can opt for this procedure, which can take care of any negative self-perceptions. This procedure has become one of the most often practiced surgeries that garners he highest patient satisfaction.

It may be referred to as a mammoplasty enlargement, augmentation mammoplasty or the common slang term boob job because it increases breast size and creates a curvy, full bosom. Breast augmentation is the most widely practiced form of cosmetic surgery. A patient-chosen implant is inserted through a small incision made in the natural fold under the woman's breast. The woman might have to spend a night at the hospital so she could be closely monitored and discharged with no possible complications detrimental to her overall health. After the operation, up to a week of sick leave may be required for the stitches and dressings to be ready for removal.

I think this paralegal at the office can benefit from such an operation. Sooner or later she will drop by this blog again, and check out this post - because she often and, being good natured, scans my blog for coverage of feminist and other women's issues. Breast augmentation is also carried out at this British site, which has nice and curvy models, and the their name - Mya.co.uk A beautiful coincidence?

Another great book on Nature:

The Nature of Living Things, by C. Brooke Worth and Robert K Enders There has never been anything this good after this book has been out, since 1955. These questions sound staid and trite nowadays: ~ What is life? How did it begin? ~ How does one species evolve from another? ~ How did man develop from a one-celled animal? ~ How do cells grow and reproduce? ~ How has Darwin's theory of evolution influenced further scientific investigation? The book provides authoritative, easy-to-understand answers to these and many more questions about plants and animals and their relation to the universe which will give you a vivid picture of how life began and progressed through hundreds of millions of years. This book, back in 1955, provides the answers in the most innocent, non-political, objective style. The book is illustrated in the typical black and white, line-drawing or etching style drawings of the decade. I have read it and found it more satisfying than something that could be found on a glitzy DVD, coffe-table album or web site.

A way to add to an idea - Continuation in Part

This tactic has a simple advantageous goals:

1. To add to a previously filed application, without risking a prior art infringement (102e).

2. To enable a partially new entity (new inventor) to file an application based on a prior application by a partially different entity, and not to risk infringement of parent application (paragraph 102e) see US Patent Laws.

A simple matchmaking idea

You might have thought there is nothing new in matchmaking sites, where technology is predictable: personal data is associated according to criteria with a participant user, and the criteria data is compared to each of the group of users, where the size of the group may also be narrowed by the user. The classmate sites add nothing new, since they bring people together according to an existing criteria, which is a pre-existing group the user might have been a member of. Thus the standard dating sites have not really made any significant strides in web 2.0 direction. Whoever that is interested in trying one out can't really count on devoting a chunk of his life to each site. The time for comparison shopping has long been wanting a directory that compares sites side by side. It turns out that the Dating Directory site has created a simplest solution to it, a hypercontextual comparison of such sites sortable according to any imaginable category: Dating Sites By Age, Senior Dating, College Dating, Middle Age, Ethnicity Dating, Black Dating, Asian, Spanish, European, as well as * Interracial Dating Sites * Mainstream Dating Sites * Dating Sites * Women Seeking Men * Men Seeking Women * Straight Dating Sites * Regional Dating Sites * Dating Sites By State * Religion Dating Sites * Christian Dating Sites * Sexual Orientation Dating Sites * Gay Dating Sites * Lesbian Dating Sites * TS/TV/TG Dating Sites * Transexual Dating Sites * Transvestite Dating Sites * Crossdresser Dating Sites * Transgendered Dating Sites * Shared Interest Dating Sites * BBW Dating Sites * XXX Dating Sites * BDSM Dating Sites * Adult Dating Sites * Biker Dating Sites * Tattoo Dating Sites * Fitness Dating Sites * Swinger Dating Sites * Naughty Dating Sites * Millionaire Dating Sites * Gothic/Dark Dating Sites * Professional Dating Sites * Married But Playing Dating Sites I never thought many of these really presented a considerable market. Now each of them has a matchmaking venue.