Digital Camera Basics
February 28, 2009
Digital Camera Basics? The Vocabulary
Shopping for a digital camera can be a difficult task considering the sheer number of choices out there. The number of manufacturers, models, and price ranges that need to be sorted out make the process difficult enough, but throw in all the buzz-words that need to be understood, and even a short list of cameras can become difficult to analyze.
This Tech Tip will take a look at a few key words that may come up when researching a digital camera, and will hopefully reduce the headaches associated with the process.
Pixels
Digital images are composed of thousands or millions of tiny squares called picture elements, or pixels for short. Each square has its own color assigned to it, and the compilation of all of these little colored squares allows for images to appear smooth when viewed at original size. If an image is magnified several times, the appearance of the pixels can become more obvious, and at high magnifications each colored pixel can be distinguished individually.
Megapixels
15 Tips For What To Do With Your Sewing Pattern
February 28, 2009
15 Tips For What To Do With Your Sewing Pattern
by: Carmel Baird
What to do with a sewing pattern once you take it out of the envelope.
You have searched the pattern books, found the perfect pattern for your material and now you are off home to make it up.
What is the first thing you need to do?
You will have selected a pattern for your size, when you open the envelope, everything is folded neatly.
1. Take the instruction sheet and it will show you how to set out the pattern on your fabric, there will be the lay-outs for the different widths of fabric, and for with or without nap. Some fabrics you can cut out your pattern pieces in opposite directions others you will have to lay the pattern pieces all going the same way or else the fabric will show a different shade, velvets and corduroys are a good example.
2. Cut around the edge of the seam allowances with paper scissors, not the scissors you will be cutting the fabric with.
The Early Life of Jesus
February 27, 2009
INTRODUCTION:
Yeshua bar Joseph or Yeshua ben Joseph has become known as Jesus Christ. He was neither Jesus nor The Chriost. (1) This book will dare to try to make some sense of all the myths and conflict surrounding him. I won’t try to make it a scholarly book and there will not be a lot of references and so-called ‘experts’. The many great authors and wise men who have tried to pierce the veil of his myth are my inspirations along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and Dag Hammadi finds. I especially want to thank Hyam Maccoby, Bloom and John Dominic Crossan who has been a professor at De Paul University n Chicago. This book will be a fiction but so are most books telling us something about what he might represent or what he might have been. It will be far less of a fiction than the words put in his mouth by the pulpit-pounders who would not like what I or Yeshua will have to say, about the likes of the ‘money-changers’ who he threw out of the Temple in his youth according to the Bible. I hope my poor craft or wordsmithery will convey an excitement I feel for having Jesus as my guide or the things he did as he learned to do great things.
Gods Gift to You… Mom
February 26, 2009
Have you ever thought what you would have done without your Mother? Then why is it Mom’s are usually the low woman on the totem pole? God thought enough of us to give us an earthly Guardian Angel and so many times, more than we could truthfully count this is the person we lash out at the most with the excuse it’s OK it’s only Mom. Thinking of the old cliché “we always hurt the one we the love the most” truly believing that all is forgiven… Mom’s tough she can handle it… Mom knows deep down that I really don’t mean it… well, Mom’s don’t know that.
I am following my guidance in the writing of this article because Mom’s need to be exalted…not trodden upon. Remember what I stated previously… God loves us enough that we are personally given an earthly Guardian Angel. Think about this for a moment… allow the monumental impact of that statement to sink in and all that encompasses. The one person that will always love you no matter what.
Of Pets and Poisons
February 25, 2009
Of Pets and Poisons
by: Beverley Boorer
Many of our lovely garden plants are poisonous to children, but children don’t usually go into the garden intending to eat them! We can warn our children away from pretty berries and they will (usually) take notice. But what about our pets? Some plants are absolutely toxic to cats and dogs
For instance, the bulbs or rhizomes of lilliums, iris, lily of the valley and agapanthus are lethal to cats. The poison hidden away in these otherwise delightful plants will destroy your cat’s kidneys completely, should they be ingested. While this sounds like bad news, it’s not very likely that pussycat will dig up the plants especially to have a chew at the roots. On the other hand, some cats love to chew at anything, so if you dig the plants up for any reason just be aware of the problem.
There are also a range of plants that are extremely poisonous to dogs. These are called the dogbanes because they are the bane, or nemesis of dogs. In this case, it is the sap that is the problem; so if you have a mischievous puppy or dog that likes to chew plants in your garden, beware!
Shaking out the Rugs [Following the Poet]
February 24, 2009
Let’s follow the poet to his Hell and heaven! Count his Ghosts and dilemma’s?
Reach out to touch his Stretched-out skies; let’s follow The poet to see where he lays.
Let’s follow the poet to his end; To see if he can?whatever He wants to do, do over again?.
Let’s find the poet’s soul, and then Once found, let it go; And watch the Afterglow! His indelible impressions?.
"Hurry! Hurry-up!" or we’ll be late "Don’t worry," he doesn’t’ care If we’re near-he’s too busy.
"What does a Poet do? You ask, "Besides write?"
He thinks all night. Leans against A fence; moans and groans a little Thinking how it should have been.
Shakes out rugs: too much pencil And lead; then tries to clear his Head! Asks God for forgiveness.
He rides the wind in his dreams. He just came back from Egypt it Seems; with more impressions!
"Dennis, I hope you’re not bragging In this little poem; incidentally, Do poets have homes?"
Hyperfocal Focusing: What Is It And Why Should You Use It?
February 23, 2009
When should you use hyperfocal focusing? Well, sometimes when shooting a landscape, you want everything sharp from the front to the back of the scene. Setting a small aperture such as f/16, f/22 or even f/32 can help, but if you really want to maximize depth of field, hyperfocal focusing is the technique you need to use.
To do this, you need a camera where you can switch to manual focusing and a lens inscribed with a depth of field scale (not all modern lenses have these markings, especially zoom lenses). If you’re not familiar with these kinds of lens markings, here’s a quick explanation:
Lens Markings Primer
A typical lens shows four sets of markings. At top (looking from behind the camera) is the distance scale (on the lens’ focus barrel) showing figures in feet and meters (this also shows the infinity position).
Below that are a set of lines beneath which the f-stops of the lens are marked. This is the depth of field scale. For each f-stop, there are two equidistant marks, one to the left and one to the right of the central mark on the scale.
Yarn In Your Medicine Cabinet?
February 23, 2009
Yarn In Your Medicine Cabinet?
by: Maddy Cranley
Crafts are a wonderful outlet for creative expression but there are added benefits to indulging in these pastimes that may improve your health.
“Knit two rows and call me in the morning” is not medical advice you will see written on your doctor’s prescription pad, but if we take a closer look, knitting has some great benefits to your health and well-being. Knitting is a craft that is not only creative and mentally challenging, but is relaxing, productive, and a stress-reducer.
We’ve all heard about the importance of exercise to keep our physical bodies limber and healthy. “The brain is like a muscle,” says Arnold Scheibel, M.D., head of U.C.L.A’s Brain Research Institute. “The more ways you use it, the more reserves you’ll build and the harder it will be for diseases to break it down.” The key to building your brain, says Marion Diamond, Ph.D., professor of Integrative Biology at the University of California at Berkeley, is to pick up something that is unfamiliar to you and unlike your normal routine … take up sculpture, painting, crossword puzzles, or work on a complex knitting pattern. (Family Circle Magazine)
Experience Mothers Day In A Whole New Way
February 22, 2009
Mother’s Day is the day when sons, daughters and husbands buy gifts and flowers to recognize the incredible work mom has done raising the children. But some moms are unknowingly cheating themselves out of the full experience of Mother’s Day. Many moms treat Mother’s Day as a completely external experience when Mother’s Day could be about so much more than just the well-deserved flowers and gifts. Just Gifts & Flowers May Not Make Mother’s Day Special All the gifts and flowers in the world will not make Mother’s Day special unless you, Mom, are making Mother’s Day a truly special day. Make this Mother’s Day a truly special Mother’s Day by recapturing that wonderful feeling of anticipation you felt before your child’s birth and that incredible feeling of elation you felt when your child was born. Embrace the feelings you felt when you held your baby for the first time. And then reflect upon the special moments you felt as your child developed into the wonderful son or daughter you have today. Do you feel that welling up of emotion when you think about your child in this way? Feels good; doesn’t it? Make This Mother’s Day Special by Sharing Your Feelings Now that you have these special feelings on Mother’s Day, share them with your child. If your child lives too far away to visit, then experience these memories and feelings as you speak with your child on the phone. If your child is close enough to visit, then recapture these feelings while you are with them. Tell your child how you felt as you prepared for their arrival and how you felt on that incredible day when they were born. Then tell your child about the special childhood memories you cherish and why those memories are so special to you. End the conversation by telling your child how much you love who they have become and how they have made your life so much more complete. This Mother’s Day Will Have More Meaning When You Share Your Feelings By experiencing Mother’s Day in this way, you may feel you are doing all the work when this day is supposed to be the day you don’t lift a finger. But experiencing Mother’s Day in this way will give back far more than you give. You will feel so alive this Mother’s Day that the gifts and flowers will have more meaning for you and your children. You will remember what is important in life. You will make this Mother’s Day a truly special Mother’s Day by experiencing it both inside and out.
The Most Fun and Frugal Craft–Plastic Canvas Needlepoint
February 21, 2009
The Most Fun and Frugal Craft–Plastic Canvas Needlepoint
by: Cyndi Roberts
The most fun and frugal craft around is
Plastic Canvas Needlepoint. The supplies
are very inexpensive and easy to find, plus
it’s easy to learn for anyone of any age.
The charts are easy to read and there’s no
need to get out the magnifying glass in
order to see what you’re doing!
Even the most inexperienced beginner can
turn out a project worthy of admiration.
Plastic Canvas Needlepoint is worked by
cutting shaped pieces from sheets
of plastic canvas; then working stitches
on the canvas. Worsted weight yarn is
the most common type of yarn used, but
specialty plastic canvas yarn is also available.
Details are often worked using regular
embroidery stitches and embroidery floss.
And plastic canvas is a great way to use up the
yarn you have left from other projects.
It’s a very rewarding kind of needlework.
When you work with plastic canvas, projects
are not just flat wall hangings or pillows.
Probably the item most people think of when
