Helpful Legion

[As Told by the Last] King: it was in the year 23,700 BC that one of the two moons of earth was hit by a meteor that of which, a great part of the moon broke off and hit earth’s surface with a devastating impact. Thus the solar system absorbed a cataclysm in unimaginable proportions, from Jupiter to Mars; knocking Earth out of its 100,000-year Ice Age. This destroyed three civilizations, two on Earth, and ours on Mars. That is when I left my home, on the giant rim of Olympus Mons, fifteen-miles high, over a thousand miles wide. Atlantis was originally on Mars you know; replanted on earth, from our residue and remnants. It happened like this…

[Advance] …as the Earth absorbed its momentary catastrophe, we absorbed our doom: the echo of the earth shocked the solar system and set the Martian crust in motion, thus rocking Mars off its axis, snuffing out the planet’s magnetic field, slowing down its spin[this is where the poem begins]:

1
The Face of Mars

The Face of Mars
Now, sculptured
By haunting winds
Ancient voices
And forgotten dreams…
Once belonged to the Last King…!

‘Ah! Yes, yes, like a burning lantern
In a dark sea, it belonged to me…’

2
Earth and Mars

‘I have learned
Life is brief on earth;
For we’ve been here
Since its inhabitant birth…

Yet, I was the last to descend
Let me explain:

One day on Mars
The oceans disappeared;
Next, was the atmosphere;
Then came the rays of the sun,
Water was no longer plentiful

Only in the subsoil
Life was almost gone….’

3
Olympus Mons

Olympus Mons [volcano]

‘I lived on the rim of Olympus Mons
Where I could see miles below
See the valleys carved

Carved in deep,
By ancient water flows;
Mars quakes, crust movements!

And to the east
Was the chaotic terrain
(Liken to Earth’s moon)
Beautiful, but not livable;

And our giant volcanoes
With their immense lava
Cones
The pride of the universe…

And our dusty monstrous
Dunesand our once beautiful city,
Now just mounds

It was all, all so majestic back then;
And that is how it was,
When I was the Last King….’

Poet and Author Dennis L. Siluk see website for more information: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Keeping a journal is a form of creative expression that enhances the creativity coaching process. Keeping a journal develops emotional awareness, reinforces self-esteem and aids in problem-solving. Keeping a journal also provides a written record of artistic growth, struggle and change. Here are some basic exercises that I use throughout the creativity coaching process.

DIALOGUE: Writing a dialogue between one or more subjects helps to identify and separate emotions, ideas, issues and influences in a given creative situation. The primary result of writing dialogue is to clarify the creative situation, to give voice to all aspects of the situation and to restore the situation to it’s proper perspective.

GRATITUDE LIST: Thank you lists are very easy to write. It takes no more than a few seconds, some paper and a pen to create a list. Thank you lists, no matter what the length, powerfully challenge negative thoughts, disappointment and disouragement. Lists also help restore the situaition to it’s rightful place in the clients creative pocess. Thank you lists are especially useful when pursuing long-term goals and facing crises.

COMPLETED ACTION LIST: What a client thinks can powerfully impact the creative process. Building an artistic career upon past negative artistic experiences blocks creative expression. It also leaves no room for the possiblitiy of current or future positive change. Keeping track of completed actions, no matter how small, provides an accurate record of the client’s progress toward her artistic and business goals.

GOAL LIST: Identifying and developing artistic and business goals, provides a clear path for fullfilling the client’s dreams. Regular progress through each goal can become a ready source of motivation for the client. The goal list provides a reality check for boh the client and the coach, when difficulties rise or progress is being assessed.

CHARACTER TRAITS LIST: Developing and maintaining a list of the character traits reinforces self-esteem, aids in problem-solving, and increases emotional awareness. The client describes one success using one character trait. The client learns to acknowledge her participation in the creative process which will encrourage future creative learning and growth.

Keeping a journal of creative work and progress can enrich all areas of an artist’s life. Start exploring your creativity today.

Copyright 2005 Writer’s Eye Advisory Service

About The Author

Lael Johnson, owner of Writer’s Eye Advisory Service, offers creativity coaching services and writing resources at: www.writerseye.com

Brief History of the Italian Language

Documents dating as far back as the 10th century were written in Italian, although it is believed that some form of Italian language was used in the 8th century by people who did not understand Latin. Traders and clergy might have used this language to address the people of those days.

The Italian language has evolved into many different dialects and languages throughout the centuries due to differences in politics, lack of communications and mobility, and also various culture gaps as people of different origins migrated to Italy.

Differences in Dialects

There is a standard Italian language, which is taught in schools of all regions. The standard language was derived from Medieval Tuscan dialect. The dialects each have their own characteristics so even tourists can tell a difference when visiting more than one region.

The Neapolitan dialect, for example, is often used in popular songs. This language is called Napoletano. Speakers of this language change articles into single vowels. “Il” might be shortened to ‘O. The Roman dialect called Romanesco is where the speaker replaces the letter “l” with the “r” sound. Toscana is a dialect used by the Tuscans where the letter “c” is often pronounced as “ch” combined.

Rare Italian Dialects

In remote areas of Italy there are rare dialects that are in danger of extinction. These often combine two languages or several dialects to form their own distinct language.

The Judeo-Italian dialect is called Italkian. It is a minority language that was spoken by people living in urban areas of Rome or in central and northern Italy between the 10th and 17th centuries. The language was very popular in Livorno. It’s a blend of Italian and Hebrew, and only around 4,000 people actually use it as their primary language today.

Yiddish is another rare language that blends Hebrew and German. Ladino is a language that blends Spanish and Hebrew.

Jews who Speak Italian

At the beginning of the 20th century, Jews in Italy were fluent with their own language as well as standard Italian. They also had a dialect called Judeo-Italian, which differed by region and city. Judeo-Italian dialects were often used in Jewish rituals and the Passover Haggadah, and they were also written in Hebrew.

Italian Language for the Traveller

Travellers to Italy will benefit tremendously if they learn key Italian words and phrases before their trip. Eating at restaurants, visiting attractions or villages, and touring local sites will be much easier for the tourist who knows what to ask and how to ask in Italian! Courses to help learn Italian phrases as well as culture and traditions in various regions are available online.

Just like any other nation, the dialect one hears will depend on where he visits. The language and dialects make each area unique, and tourists can discover something new everywhere they go in Italy.

Where can find international cell phones and service for Italy in the USA? From http://www.planetomni.com Free incoming calls from all countries night and day and calling the states is just US $.60 per minute! They rent and sell phones and satellite phones as well and ship to you everything you need before you leave. They have service for more than 160 countries of the world’s 193 countries and they ship worldwide.

John Dulaney, born Dec. 11th, 1946, married with children.
Living most years since 1969 outside the USA and working in motion pictures since 1965 I started QuantumStar.com with my wife, Jojo, in March of 1994 in San Francisco, Ca.
I’ve lived in or been to approximately 36 countries and have lived under Democracies, Socialism, Communism, dictatorships, kingdoms and others. There is nothing like home.
I participated at Channel Four in Manila, Philippines during the “People Power Revolution” and stood, with my wife’s brother, along with half a million others against the threat of tank attack.
I have witnessed the ruinous effects of Socialism /Communism /Dictatorship in dozens of countries and today enjoy the remains of our freedoms and protections of the Constitution in the USA here in California.
Working in front of and behind the camera films around the world we removed to the suburbs and a quiet life, for a few years. We still have property in Umbria, Italy, some is for sale. After all is said and done I count my children, wife Jojo and my friends as my only real treasure.

There are around ten audio conferencing service providers in the Australian market, three years ago there was a great deal of difference between them. Now it is not so easy to spot the difference. The following looks at the main areas to consider when selecting a conferencing service provider.
Conferencing Service Provider = CSP

Product Suite
Most conference calls now take place using on-demand services because it is the most convenient and cheapest way to meet. All CSPs provide this.
There are some small differences between providers but they are so small that 99% of users will be able to use any service. They are pretty much interchangeable.

CSPs all have long lists of features but the reality is that few users utilise anything beyond muting a line, playing back the names of the attendees and locking the meeting.

A few years ago operator managed was an important service but is now offered by fewer CSPs. It’s use is really limited to people who can afford to pay a premium over automated services or have really big meetings.

Support
When it comes to support, the biggest factor is the type of conferencing platform used and where it is located.

Good service providers use extremely reliable platforms made by a small number of manufacturers. You should expect to hear one of these names, Avaya, Compunetix, Polycom, Presscom, Spectel or Voyant. If you don’t, the CSP is probably using less reliable equipment.

To provide the maximum level of redundancy a conferencing platform should to be co-located with a telephone company’s voice switch/exchange. So in Australia look for names like: Telstra, Optus, Macquarie Telecom, Primus, MCI/Verizon or AAPT.

These are basic facts for the conferencing sales person, you can probably draw your own conclusions if they cannot provide an instant answer.

What Kind of Support Do They Offer?
The very least a customer should expect is that there is a speedy response to an enquiry, service issue or account query. If there are service issues they should be addressed and resolved as quickly as possible. The person dealing with any of these should be readily available and knowledgeable.

Do I Trust My Service Provider?
Companies are often very good at selling but weak at delivering. If you have an issue does the CSP tell you what you need to hear or you what you would like to hear?

Are they easy to work with?
This is commonly a big issue for the services provided by the telephone companies who are rarely known for great customer service.

Price
Not so long ago this came in as a distant third in the selection process after product suite and support. Today, with almost identical services on offer, price becomes a much more important factor.
There is a huge range of prices in the market. The telephone companies have the luxury of being the most expensive. They are typically chosen because it saves shopping around.

Do I Like Working With My CSP?
Only you can judge this. Your CSP should provide the product suite you need at a realistic price. They should be easily available and responsive, giving honest recommendations. It should be assumed that the service is reliable.

Product Differentiation
Again, not so long ago there were real differences, now the differences for most users are unimportant. Of course in the land of marketing there will always be a new must have feature that a sales person will endeavour to convince you is or will be absolutely necessary.

For more articles on how to buy teleconferencing, visit www.HotAirConferencing.com.au

Ian Wells is the CEO of HotAir Conferencing. He has been in the conferencing industry for 12 years, working in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK.

He established the first specialist conferencing services in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and is widely regarded as the founder of the Asia Pacific conferencing industry. Ian has been the General Manager – Asia Pacific for MCI Conferencing which was the largest service provider in the region during his tenure and the Managing Director, Australia for Genesys Conferencing. For more articles abouy teleconferencing go to http://www.HotAirConferencing.com.au

Personal scooters are a highly valuable mobility tool for those who, for health reasons, are unable to move around in public or in their own homes. They can ease the burden of having to carry things like heavy groceries or other personal effects. In this sense they can also help people who have back problems and strains. Progresses in technology have made scooters more energy efficient, faster, lighter and more reliable, which means that there are plenty of attractive options available to you should you ever need to purchase one.

For those with a disability, scooters are an essential transportation device. One of the best things is that, if you are eligible, Medicare can cover some or all of the cost for a personal scooter. To be eligible, however you should meet the following guidelines: 1.You need a scooter to move around your home. 2.You are unable to operate a manual wheelchair. 3.Your doctor prescribes a scooter for your personal use. Please contact your Doctor and ask if you are eligible to receive government aid for a personal scooter.

There is now a huge diversity of scooters available worldwide. You will first need to decide which type of scooter best fits your needs and your budget. Perhaps the most important factor when deciding to buy a new scooter is to make sure it is comfortable. You will be using it a lot and it is best to make sure you are comfortable in your new little vehicle. Not all scooters are created equal and it is important to find one which suits your body type and sense of style. Scooters come in all shapes, sizes, weights, and colors. Some scooters are even ultra light-weight so conveniently they are able to fold up into small packages meaning they can be carried virtually anywhere. This feature is great for people who have difficulty getting around generally but still have enough mobility to get around on public transport. Most carry-on scooter units are fairly easy to carry and some even weigh under 50 lbs. If you are looking for this type of scooter, make sure you are able to carry it around with you.

Scooters designed specifically for the elderly are now more and more common and they are a great solution for people who have trouble moving around the house. Scooters are a good solution in many circumstances as they are able to be driven around without having to rely on someone else to power them. Think about how inconvenient it is sometimes for people in non motorized wheelchairs to have to rely on a pusher at times. Scooters are convenient and highly personal.

Accessories can also enhance a scooter. Rear view mirrors, extra batteries, extra pouches, and headlights can all be purchased for your scooter. You can almost add anything you need – it just depends on your personal scooter requirements.

Darren Safrin is the owner of AtoZ
Scooters which is a
premier source of information about Scooters. For more
information, go to: http://atozscooters.com

The other night I was watching a documentary on that famous boxing match called The Rumble in the Jungle. The fight was between Muhammad Ali (Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee) and George Foreman.

The fight was held in Kinshasa, Zaire back in 1974. This fight was crucial to Muhammad Ali who was at a career low-point after having lost his last two big fights. He now faced George Foreman, the unstoppable power-punching champion who was bent on beating Ali.

Everyone believed that there was no way Ali could beat Foreman. Foreman was a power puncher and Ali was a ‘dancer’. During practice Foreman would hit the punching bag so hard he would leave a dent when he was done.

Despite losing his last two fights and knowing the power of Foreman, Ali continued to tell the media how he was going to ‘whup’ Foreman and make him look bad. Foremen ignored the taunts confident that he could beat Ali. During his training Foreman practiced ‘cutting off the ring’ so Ali wouldn’t be able to dance away from his powerful punches.

Ali in the meantime continued to practice his ‘dancing’ and didn’t let up the verbal assaults and insults on Foreman. He was clearly asking for beating!

On fight night, both men went at it. Foreman did everything to corner off Ali so he wouldn’t dance, forcing him up against the ropes and then unloading massive punches to the body and head. Ali was clearly taking a beating on the ropes. Yet, he continued to taunt Foreman in the ring. Every time they were tied up, you could see Ali trash talking Foreman. Everyone feared Ali’s rounds were numbered and that it was a matter of time before he would go down.

Then something happened. Foreman was getting tired. By the 5th round he had punched himself out. By the 8th round he was in trouble. Out of somewhere deep inside of Ali came a barrage of punches off the ropes that pushed Foreman to the center of the ring. And with a few more punches, Ali watched as the titan known as Foreman hit the canvas floor. Ten counts later, Muhammad Ali was the champion. David had beaten Goliath.

Ali’s strategy, wasn’t to dance as he had led on, but it was to let Foreman tire himself out since he knew he couldn’t go toe-to-toe, punch-for-punch with Foreman. His now famous Rope-a-Dope strategy worked. Ali was written into history as “The Greatest” but for George Foreman, he would go into the deepest depression of his life for the next two years.

It’s easy to admire a champion like Ali because there is no denying his greatness in the sport. We as a nation admire strength and skill. We like winners. But when I look at George Foreman the Entrepreneur today, I have a deeper admiration. For here is a man who suffered one of greatest defeats in sport’s history in front of the world and yet was able to redefine himself.

Foreman has emerged as a true human champion having amassed the courage and strength within him to become a successful businessman and humanitarian. They say adversity reveals the true character of a man. Well Foreman has been revealed! And he has revealed that defeat isn’t final or fatal; that we can all make a comeback in our own way. He has revealed that success is redefinable. He has revealed to us that greatness isn’t what happens inside the ring when the whole world is watching, but what happens outside the ring when no one cares any longer.

Remember, Success Happens for a Reason

p.s., Foreman recaptured his title on Nov. 5, 1994 at age 45 with a 10-round KO of WBA/IBF champ Michael Moorer, becoming the oldest man to win heavyweight crown. That’s character !

Victor Gonzalez, top Hispanic motivational speaker and author of “The LOGIC of Success”. For more info go to: www.thelogicofsuccess.com or by email victor@thelogicofsuccess.com