Dr Layne McDonald on Blogger

Lots of organizations coordinate youth community service work.  And you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would oppose the idea of kids pitching in and helping make the community a better place for everybody to live.  It suits the community because we are using the youth's boundless energy and physical stamina for a good cause.  It is ideal for the causes that have been helped because the work has no end.  It is perfect for kids because it allows them to think about other people, gives them a strong sense of self-esteem, helps them learn new skills, and will enable them to meet others in the community they might never meet otherwise. But when those in leadership at the local, state, or national level propose some form of uniform mandatory community service for youth, it seems to change the nature of the program so dramatically that the discussion turns sour pretty fast. It might be that the term ìmandatory community service has a negative connotation because, so often, that

Whether it is you who is approaching those golden years we call retirement or one of your loved ones is in those years, no question making that transition from the working world and decades of responsibility and hard work is not always easy.  The sudden change of lifestyle and the feeling of no longer being helpful is one of the most challenging aspects of retirement and growing older.  When you combine that with reduced activity and the natural decline in physical ability that aging brings, you have a powerful emotional transition. That is why people who actively counsel the elderly have learned that the most positive thing a person can do to combat the depression and sense of ìuselessnessî' that plague retirees is to make themselves useful. And there is no better place for them to do that than in community service. There are a variety of reasons why volunteering among the elderly is a great idea. If you are in a position to counsel an aging family member or friend, it is importan

Each year, as the Christmas season begins to go into full gear, we hear the complaint that Christmas has become commercialized and that we have forgotten its true meaning. î  When we make that observation, it must come from a nostalgic time, perhaps when we were children, and we remember that Christmas is about the sacrifice of the Christ child and that the gifts we give reflect the gift of life that God has brought to us. Even if Christmas is not full of religious imagery, the stories, carols, and traditions of the Christmas season point to values that are more about giving to each other out of the heart and being together as a family than the economic side of the season and the hustle and bustle that can weary the soul more than bless it. That is why it might be time to try a different kind of Christmas this year.  If you feel that your family has gotten too bogged down in the commercial aspect of the holiday, maybe there is way to remind each other that Christmas is about giving bet

Cordless phones, also known as portable telephones, use a wireless handset in order to communicate with the phoneís base, which is connected to a telephone landline. In order for cordless phones to function properly, they must be used within a specified proximity to the base. Most individuals find that they can use their cordless phones throughout the house or in the yard without interruption. In their earliest days, rotary telephones were common and required nothing more than a connection to a landline. Cordless phones require the same, along with an electrical outlet in order to charge the internal battery. This function is what allows the telephone to operate when away from the base and these batteries are automatically recharged when the phone is not in use. After years of use, the battery may need to be replaced. This can often be difficult on older models, but a compatible battery can sometimes be purchased directly from the manufacturer. In some cases, it may be less expensive t

 I recently replaced the business phone systems in the company I own to accommodate the needs of my staff. I wish I could say that it was to accommodate the needs of our customers, but sadly, that isn't the case. You see, our old phone system had many more extensions than we had lines for. It was built with the assumption that inter-office communications would be utilized more than incoming and outgoing calls. Since my company deals primarily with internet business and doesn't do much in the way of transactions over the phone, the system I put in place in the late 90's had served us well until very recently. As of late, I have had vendors who had traditionally reached me by phone sending me e-mails. They were complaining that it's often impossible to get through to me. I looked into the matter and this is what I foundÖ Most of my employees were spending a great deal of time talking on the phone. They weren't talking to vendors, customers, service providers or other

Statistics show that the first three hours after a child's abduction are most critical to recovery efforts. By combining the efforts of the wireless industry with the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Center for Missing & Exploited ChildrenÆ (NCMEC) and law enforcement agencies, the Wireless AMBER Alerts™ initiative will be a catalyst for the more than 200 million wireless subscribers to aid in the search for and recovery of an abducted child.  AMBER  According to NCMEC, more than 260 children have been recovered since the AMBER Alert program began in 1997. The program-an early warning system to find abducted children-started as a local effort in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area and became a national initiative in 2003. AMBER stands for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response." The program is a legacy to Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and was later found murdered. An est

Before you decide to go wireless or not, there are many points to consider.  You may be asking yourself if wireless is for you.  Well, today, many people are asking themselves the same question.  If you watch the headline news, you are bound to see stories involving mergers, federal regulations, and new tax rules.  This all points to the fact that VoIP has made a definite impression on American citizens and is here to stay.  It may be difficult for some people to remove the telephone cords from their homes; we have depended on them for over 100 years.  But once many people take the time to weigh the pros and the cons, most choose to go wireless. Here are some reasons, why you should make the switch to wireless. 1. Wireless Creates a Faster Network Wireless networks are fast.  With VoIP, you can create a network that incorporates data, audio, video, and computer web features. You can easily monitor your network for problems and troubleshooting is much simpler with web based applicatio

Toll-free numbers allow customers to contact your business without them having to pay for their call.  Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to call a business with a toll-free number than those who only have a long-distance number, and 90% of Americans say that they use toll-free numbers.  By following these five easy steps, you can discover for yourself how a toll-number can help your business grow. 1. Expand your market.  Toll-free numbers allow you to use the same number for receiving local toll and state-to-state calls.  This gives you the opportunity to market your business nationwide.  Even if you don't provide service in certain areas, toll-free numbers have the flexibility to block calls from those areas. 2. Advertise your number.  Toll-free numbers lend an air of legitimacy and professionalism to your business.  By using a toll-free number, your business may appear larger and more established to the consumer which will make him/her trust you more. 3. Initiate

Staying in touch with family and friends has never been easier with the speed and efficiency of today's technology. We live in a world of e-mail, text and instant messages and mobile conversations.  While such options make it easy to stay in touch, these technologies have also lessened the emotional aspect of our communications.  Here are a few suggestions on how to use technology to stay close to loved ones and, at the same time, bring back the personal element in your communications.  * Send a personal DVD message. Now you can give the gift of vivid, colorful memories by creating personalized DVD messages for your friends and family. It's a fast, easy and fun way to stay in touch. Can't make it to your high school reunion? Use a Sony DVD Handycam camcorder to record a special message to old classmates. You can even get special Sony DVD mail envelopes to share your discs.  Encourage friends and family to reciprocate. When you receive their DVDs, just pop them into your pla

Digital photography is the preferred way to take pictures.   If you are in the market for a new camera, consider the following advantages of digital over traditional film photography. In the long run, digital is less expensive.  All photos are recorder are on memory device within the camera and then downloaded straight to your computer.  You skip the need to keep buying rolls of film and paying for developing. You can send unlimited copies of the same picture to friends and relatives without spending a penny extra. You see your pictures quicker.  Most digital cameras allow you to view your photos immediately.  There is no waiting and worrying about whether or not that “perfect shot” turned out.  You can take a picture of that new baby and immediately download it to your computer to share your good good news with friends and relatives. There’s no need for anxious grandparents to wait days or even weeks for a picture. Most digital cameras have built in editing features.   Cropping and re

  Have you ever taken a picture of a beautiful winter scene and been disappointed to discover the crisp, white snow came out with a bluish tint?   This is the kind of situation your digital camera’s white balance is meant to prevent. The white balance is a sensor that analyzes the lighting conditions and colors of a scene and adjusts so the white in the picture appears white.  This helps insure the other colors appear as natural as possible. This is one advantage digital photography has over tradition film.  With film, you buy with a certain lighting condition in mind.  If that changes, you need to either change your film or hope you can fix any errors in post-production. Most digital cameras allow you to use either automatic white balance or choose between several preset conditions such as full sun, cloudy day and so forth.  Automatic white balance will work in most conditions.  There may be times, however when you want to “warm” up a picture to enhance the color, such as for portr

  Today’s cameras make taking pictures a lot easier than the one’s of yesterday.   There is always room for improvement, however.   Use the following tips to help make your photos go from acceptable to great. 1. Always be aware of the background. You don’t want to find trees growing out of people’s heads or a passing vehicle to draw attention from your subject.  Sometimes moving your subject just a couple steps to either side can make all the difference. 2. Use available light. If your digital camera has an option to turn the flash off and it’s light enough outside to read a book then use the available light and turn the flash off. In general camera flashes are too harsh for human skin and make all of us look pale.  Indoors, where there isn’t enough daylight, place your subject by a window and use your fill flash feature. 3.  Aim your camera slightly down at the person’s face.  Also don’t shoot just face on to the person, try a little to the side, a three quarter view, so that you s

Once you’ve taken photos with your digital camera, you need to store them somewhere.  You could always leave them on the memory card, but that would get rather expensive, so let’s explore a few other options. 1. Transfer your images onto your computer.  Most cameras come with a wire to connect your camera to your computer, a CD with a downloading program and an instruction booklet.  Transferring the images is fast and simple.  Once they are on the computer, you can delete the images from your memory card and start taking more photos. 2. Burn your images onto a CD. If you have a CD burner on your computer, you can make photo discs to store or share with others.  When it comes to pictures, it is often best to use a CD that can’t be written over.  This will save the heartache of losing precious photos.  Label the CD and store it where it can be gotten easily when you need to see your pictures. 3.  Store your images on a public web site.  There are many photo-hosting sites on the intern

With all the features digital cameras have these days, you may find keeping batteries a problem.  This could well be your biggest expense, but there are some things you can do to increase the length of time your batteries stay charged.  Let’s start with the three biggest sources of power drain. The LCD screen takes up the most power.  It is possible to turn this feature off unless you really feel the need for it.  Using the camera’s viewfinder will conserve power.  Another big power drain is the flash.   Whenever you can, use natural lighting to take your photos and turn off the flash.  This will help save your battery for times when you absolutely need the flash.  A third drain on your battery is constantly using your zoom.  It takes more power zooming in and out than it does keeping your zoom at a steady place. Try to find a setting you like and sticking with it as much as possible. Some other things you can do to make your battery last longer are: * Make sure Power Saving mode is on

You’ve seen the dreaded demon-eye effect that occurs when the camera flash bounces off the eye of a person or pet.  An otherwise wonderful picture can be ruined by this.  Technically, this is called red-eye and is caused when the pupil of your subject’s eye is wide open and the light from the camera’s flash reflects off the subjects retina.  In people, the color ends up red; in pets, the color is often green.   Many photo editing programs include a red-eye correction filter, but this may not allow your photograph subject to appear “normal.  These filters also do not work on the green effect produced in a pet’s eyes.  Photo stores sell pens that are used to clear up red-eye, but again they are not always natural-looking and do not work on the green.  The best thing is to prevent the demon-eye effect from the start. It is rare to find a digital camera that does not come with a red-eye reduction feature.  This feature can be turned off or on.  It is best left on in all circumstances other

 When you browse through websites online, or look at advertisements in magazines, you probably see a lot of photographs of people. The Internet is huge on using pictures to accompany articles and news bites, though the people in the photographs arenít always related to the story. In many cases, they are models or just regular folks who have agreed to be photographed. There is a huge market for photographs of people for online use, and a smart photographer will want to take advantage of this. There are a few rules about using photographs of people, however. If a picture of anyone is used for a commercial purpose, the model must have signed a release form. Model is a blanket term for anyone who poses for a picture. A release form states that the model knows their likeness or image is being used for a public purpose, both commercial and non-profit. When you look for photographs of people for this type of use, you have to be sure there has been a release signed. Rarely is this ever a probl

Have you ever wanted to find a way to bring extra money into your household--yet don’t have a lot of time to spend on a full-time endeavor?  The solution is as close as the digital camera sitting there in a drawer. The following suggestions are only a few of the many ways you can make money in your spare time with your camera. * Pet photos -  Most owners won't struggle to take a photograph with their pet all by themselves. You can be the one who makes it easy on them. Not only can you charge for the service and your time, but you can offer the photograph in it's digital form or as a print that you can mail to them later - either created by your own photo printer or by a photo processing service. *Graduations - preschool, high school, or college graduations offer dozens, if not hundreds of opportunities to capture a significant moment in someone's life. If the family members of the graduate aren't located in as good a location or don't have as good a camera as your

Have you ever wondered how a photographer gets such clear, detailed photos of things like flowers or insects?  Capturing such close-up pictures is most often done with a setting that comes as an option on many digital cameras--the macro setting.   What the macro setting on your camera essentially does is focus on a very small area.  The background often appears unfocused to further bring out your intended subject.  Getting in close to capture all the detail of a small object is nearly impossible with the regular setting on a camera.  Anything closer than about three feet becomes blurred.  The macro setting changes the distance your camera will be able to focus and often allows you to take clear pictures from as close as two or three inches. This camera mode allows for a lot of experimenting.  Try taking a picture of a bee sitting on a flower petal or a close-up of frost on the window.  You will be amazed at the details brought out.  You will be able to almost feel the furriness of the

It helps when learning to use your new digital camera to also know what some of the more common terms mean.  Below you will find many of these common terms defined.. Automatic Mode — A setting that sets the focus, exposure and white-balance automatically. Burst Mode or Continuous Capture Mode — a series of pictures taken one after another at quickly timed intervals with one press of the shutter button.  Compression — The process of compacting digital data, images and text by deleting selected information. Digital Zoom — Cropping and magnifying the center part of an image. JPEG — The predominant format used for image compression in digital cameras  Lag Time — The pause between the time the shutter button is pressed and when the camera actually captures the image LCD — (Liquid-Crystal Display) is a small screen on a digital camera for viewing images. Lens — A circular and transparent glass or plastic piece that has the function of collecting light and focusing it on the sensor to captu

Many digital cameras offer both digital and optical zoom.   These two often confuse the average camera buyer, until you know what you’re looking at. Optical zoom works much like the zoom lens on a 35 mm film camera. It changes the length of your camera’s lens and draws the subject closer to you.  The optical zoom keeps the quality of the picture. Digital zoom works differently. It simply takes the picture and crops it then enlarges the part that is left.  It causes the quality of the photo to be reduced, sometimes greatly. What this means in terms of output is you may have a larger view of an object with the digital zoom, but chances are your image will become unfocused.  Details will become lost.  It is actually best to turn off the digital zoom feature of your camera if possible.  This will prevent you automatically zooming in too close as the digital zoom is often an extension of the optical. There are a couple of things you can do if you want a closer view of a subject but wan

While some of the least expensive digital cameras have only automatic focus, meaning the camera does all the work on bringing your subject into the best possible focus, most SLR digitals offer three different focus modes:  manual, single auto focus and continuous auto focus.  All three of these will be addressed here. With manual focus, the camera stays out of the focus equation and you, the photographer, make all the decisions regarding this.  This is done by setting different buttons or actually using an attached focusing ring that rotates on the camera lens.  For those who like to have complete creative control of the finished product, this is the best focus mode. In single auto focus mode, the camera automatically focuses when you press the shutter button either all the way down to shoot a photo or half way down to lock the focus.  This mode is useful when shooting static objects.  In continuous auto focus the camera continuously focuses on the objects in the photo.  In this mode t

  (Every blog post read here helps to raise funds for families in need. Education that gives back. Simple. Powerful. Thank you for reading.) APR credit cards are here to stay. Now that we're well into the New Year we've learned (again) the lessons of the festive season. Zero interest credit is a nice idea, but why not extend it beyond your present credit card to the next, and the next. This seven point checklist will assure the clever consumer of having that constant low APR credit for years to come.   1. Read the small print. Make sure it matches the offers on the credit card's advertising copy. In particular, check for clauses that differentiate between purchases and cash transfers, or even cash withdrawals. Check that the card doesn't stipulate a ratio between purchases and cash, charging an excess if the cash activity rises above the purchase activity (that is usually the way it is biased, but check to make sure).   2. Keep to the agreed credit limit as specified in

  (Every blog post read here helps to raise funds for families in need. Education that gives back. Simple. Powerful. Thank you for reading.) Christmas celebrations in African nations is characterized by much outdoor activity because the season often occurs during a time when the weather is pleasant. Using palm trees and participating in processions are also characteristic features of activities related to Christmas in many parts of Africa. In South Africa, activities that occur outside during Christmas include the usual caroling, but also the unusual ones of swimming and camping. The beach and mountains play an important role during Christmas in South Africa because the season occurs during the hottest time of the year - summer. Given the pleasant nature of the weather during Christmas, families also take advantage of it by often going sightseeing in the countryside on a relaxing drive in the late evening of Christmas Day. A rich and sumptuous menu that includes a suckling pig or roast

(Every blog post read here helps to raise funds for families in need. Education that gives back. Simple. Powerful. Thank you for reading.) We've heard it many times, "It's a dog eat dog world."  The trouble is, some leaders actually believe it.  They conduct themselves like the alpha dog in a pack, holding sway through intimidation. This instinctive behavior helps insure survival in a dog world, but applied to the human world of organizational dynamics, it can lead to disaster.   Alpha dog leadership can eventually turn out to be destructive to the people, their organization, and the leaders themselves. To use another common metaphor, "That dog won't hunt."    After all, leaders do nothing more important than get results; and the best results are what I've been teaching for more than two decades, "more results faster, continually."  An alpha-dog leader might chew up people to get more results and get them faster, but I submit that it takes