Continuing with Amazon parrots, here’s an article I wrote for “Parrots” magazine (issue 117, July 2007) about my Red-lored Amazon, Ripley.

Living With a Red-Lored Amazon

The Red-lored Amazon (Amazona autumnalis) is a medium-sized parrot that is native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. I have the privilege of sharing my life with one of these striking, good-natured parrots. My husband, Quentin, and I obtained her through a local parrot club. We received a message from the club’s E-mail list concerning a Red-lored Amazon for sale and it took only a few seconds for us to decide to have a look. We had been considering adding an Amazon to our family for a while because of their outgoing nature and adaptability. We met Ripley and since she was calm around our dogs and seemed to like Quentin and me, we decided to adopt her.

Judging by the open band on Ripley's leg, which contains a three-letter code for a Florida-based import station, she is a wild-caught parrot. Red-lored Amazons are listed on CITES (Convention on Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix II, meaning that the species is not in immediate danger of extinction, but could become so if trade were not regulated. Thankfully, it is now illegal to import wild parrots into the United States and Canada. However, there are sometimes older, mature wild-caught Amazons up for adoption there.

Appearance and Origin

There are four Red-lored Amazon subspecies, with the nominate one, Amazona autumnalis autumnalis (Ripley's subspecies) being the most common in aviculture. This subspecies is sometimes referred to as the Yellow-cheeked Amazon or the Red-lored Parrot. Like other Amazon parrots, Red lores are stocky, predominantly green birds with bright splashes of colour on their faces, wings, and tails. At about 33 to 36 cm tall, they are one of the medium-sized Amazons, and are smaller than Blue-fronted (A. aestiva) or Double-yellow Headed Amazons (A. ochrocephala), but are slightly larger than White-fronted Amazons (A. albifrons). Red-lored Amazons have (you guessed it!) a red forehead, combined with yellow cheeks, a mauve-coloured crown, and grey-tipped nape feathers. Some individuals have red feathers on the cheeks and under the chin. The eyes are orange and are surrounded by a white ring and the flight feathers have dark blue or red tips. The tail feathers are dark green at the base with lime green tips. A small number of yellow mutation Red-lores have been bred in captivity.

Red-lored Amazon Subspecies

A. a. autumnalis occurs from the lowlands of eastern Mexico south to northern Nicaragua. They also occur on the Bay Islands, Honduras, which are slightly east of the mainland. Additionally, a small number of feral individuals live among larger flocks of Green-cheeked (A. viridigenalis) and Lilac-crowned Amazons (A. finschi) in southern California's San Gabriel Valley. In northern Nicaragua, autumnalis intergrades with the next subspecies, the Salvin's Amazon, A. a. salvini. This subspecies is very similar to the nominate one, and the two likely interbreed where their ranges overlap. However, the Salvin's Amazon is, on average, slightly larger, and lacks the yellow cheek patches that autumnalis has. This subspecies ranges from Nicaragua to western Colombia and northwest Venezuela. The parrot, Tiko, featured in the book, "The Parrot Who Owns Me: The Story of a Relationship," by ornithologist Joanna Burger, is a Salvin's Amazon. This book is a great read for anyone interested in what life with an Amazon can be like.

The Salvin's Amazon starts to intergrade with the Lilacine Amazon (A. a. lilacina) in southwest Colombia. The Lilacine Amazon occurs there and in Ecuador, so it is also referred to as the Ecuadorian Amazon. Lilacine Amazons differ from Salvin's Amazons in having the forepart of the crown red, and a darker grey beak.

The last subspecies is the Diademed Amazon (A. a. diadema). They look quite similar to the Salvin's Amazon, but the nape is pale green and the cheeks have a bluish tinge. Their range does not overlap with the other subspecies' ranges, as Diademed Amazons occur in northwestern Brazil. Diademed Amazons are very rare in captivity.

Similar Species

In captivity, the Salvin's, Lilacine, and Diademed Amazons could be mistaken for the similar and closely related Lilac-Crowned and Green-cheeked Amazons. However, the latter two species have much lighter horn-colored beaks that make them easily distinguishable from any Red-lored subspecies. The yellow cheeks of the Red-lored Amazon make them easy to distinguish from the other Amazon species that have red foreheads.

Feeding a Red-Lored Amazon

Very little is known about the diet of Red-lored Amazons in the wild. Forshaw's Parrots of the World notes that they feed on fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, buds and blossoms. These likely come from several dozen different plant species, as a study on a related species, the Lilac-crowned Amazon (Renton, 2001), found that the parrots ate the seeds and fruits of at least 33 different plants. Seeds formed the majority (81.8%) of the Lilac-crowned Amazon’s diet, with fruit (8.8%), insects (6.6%), and bromeliad stems (2.9%) forming of the remainder of the diet. Most of the seeds eaten were unripe.

It is not possible to precisely replicate the diet of a wild Amazon parrot for a captive one, as most of the seeds and fruits that they eat are not available to pet owners. Additionally, a diet consisting primarily of seeds is not necessarily the best one for a pet Amazon, because seeds are high in fat and most pet parrots are not nearly as active as wild ones, which must fly several kilometers each day in search of food. Furthermore, most of the seed mixes available for pet parrots lack many essential vitamins, such as vitamin A, that are needed by parrots for optimal health. Many pet food manufacturers produce parrot pellets that contain all the vitamins and minerals parrots are believed to need based on studies of captive birds of a limited number of species. However, given that the average wild Amazon eats food from dozens of plants, I suspect that an all-pellet diet would be very boring for a pet Amazon.

Ripley's base diet consists of Roudy Bush and Harrison's brand parrot pellets, and she has a bowl of these available in her cage at all times. Each morning, she receives a treat of either a nutriberry, a small piece of spray millet, or an almond in the shell. Each evening, she is treated to a bowl of fresh food, which could consist of a mixture of vegetables, fruits, or cooked grain. Sweet potato, mango, and red peppers also make up a large part of the fresh foods in Ripley's diet because of their high vitamin A content. I also sometimes clip broccoli, dandelion leaves, or wheat grass in her cage in the morning before I leave for work. A few times a week, she is given a spoonful of a seed and nut mixture. Ripley seems to particularly enjoy the cooked parrot mix I prepare periodically. This consists of different cooked grains (brown rice, whole wheat couscous, and/or quinoa) mixed with lentils, peas, carrots, and any other vegetables I have on hand. Ripley becomes quite excited when given this, and she trills and whistles while she eats it. Amazon parrots are rarely picky eaters and tend to enjoy their food very much. Unfortunately, they are also prone to obesity, which is why I limit the amount of seed Ripley eats.

[caption id="attachment_31" align="alignleft" width="243" caption="Ripley enjoys a shower."][/caption]

The Importance of Showers

Being rain forest parrots, most Red-lored Amazons absolutely adore being showered. This essential part of parrot care should not be neglected, as Amazons that are rarely or never showered tend to have very dry skin and dull, dusty feathers. Ripley loves to be showered with a spray bottle, and becomes very excited and noisy while she is being sprayed. She'll laugh, whistle, trill, and flap her wings exuberantly during a shower, and she is obviously enjoying herself very much. During showers, I typically keep spraying her until she's soaked to the skin and couldn't possibly get any wetter. I aim the spray bottle above Ripley's head during a shower, as most parrots don't appreciate being sprayed right in the face. Ripley is given a shower several times each week, and she always appreciates receiving them.

Housing an Amazon

As with any parrot, go with the "bigger is better" rule when choosing a cage for an Amazon. Since most parrots love to climb, at least some of the cage bars should be horizontal. The cage should be large enough to hold several perches, a few toys, and food and water dishes, while still giving the parrot room to move around, climb, and flap her wings.

Of course, an Amazon should not be stuck in a cage all day, as any parrot can quickly become bored, frustrated and aggressive if kept alone and confined constantly. An Amazon whose social needs are neglected will also be more likely to become a problem screamer. Ripley is out of her cage whenever Quentin or I am home and she has two play stands (one on each floor) so she can be with us wherever we are. She does not scream often when we are at home and I think the fact that she is with us while we go about our daily activities explains why. We try not to give her any reasons to scream by making sure she is not lonely or in need of anything.

While they are very social birds, Amazons are flexible and can be independent when needed, so most are capable of amusing themselves while their people are away at work. An Amazon's cage should be stocked with toys so she will have something to do during the day. Like most Amazons, Ripley enjoys chewing, so she is often given fresh branches and pieces of wood to destroy. I also have a parrot toy box full of toys that I rotate in and out of Ripley's cage so she often has something different to play with, and I've placed all my parrot's cages in the same room so they can watch and chatter to each other during the day. However, since the other parrots (a Maroon-bellied Conure and two Lineolated Parakeets) are much smaller than Ripley, they are not allowed to directly interact with her.

Personality and Talking Ability

I hate making generalizations about a parrot species' personality, as every bird is an individual and may have a unique set of quirks, and likes and dislikes. Additionally, a parrot's personality will depend on how it has been treated by humans. However, Ripley's bold, outgoing, adaptable and resilient nature exemplifies the "typical" Amazona persona. Amazons are not prone to problems like feather-plucking, excessive screaming, or extreme fearfulness, although these problems are not completely unheard of. Providing a pet Amazon with enrichment and plenty of companionship (human or parrot) makes these problems less likely to occur.

Ripley is a very confident parrot, and she enjoys outings outside the house, and is quite calm, fearless, and well behaved when she goes out. Ripley often comes with my husband and me to several small local businesses that include a book shop, a pet supply shop, an aquarium shop, and a movie shop. She seems to like the tanks of large cichlid fish at the aquarium shop. These fish often crowd up to her when we put her up to the glass and she usually looks at them and whistles or laughs. There’s a fish tank in our living room that she likes to look at as well.

Amazon parrots, particularly the Blue-fronted, Yellow-naped, Double Yellow-headed and Yellow-fronted types, have a reputation for being excellent talkers. Many Red-lored Amazons learn to speak very well, but others do not. Overall, the species is a moderate talker. Quite a few of them, like Ripley, love to whistle and produce other interesting sound effects. She has a large repertoire of loud beeps, squeaks, trills, and whistles, and sounds quite a bit like R2D2 from the Star Wars movies. She also has a very cute, human-sounding laugh that she uses with great frequency. She often does try to speak, especially if she hears people talking, but her voice is not clear and I think she strings together random syllables to try to mimic our speech. So far, all I can make out from Ripley are, "good girl," "what'cha doin'," and "where you goin'." This is fine with me, as I generally do not care if my parrots talk or not and admittedly haven't put much effort into speech training them, although I do talk to them a lot. Ripley is not at all shy about vocalizing in front of strangers, and she can be very loud when speaking or whistling. She always chimes in with a loud string of gibberish when Quentin or I are on the phone. I would not recommend a Red-lore, or any other Amazon, for someone looking for a quiet pet. Ripley's natural call is very loud and monotonous, but she only uses it during the morning when she first awakes and in the evening right when my husband or I get home. It is normal for Amazon parrots to vocalize loudly during these times - they are simply calling to their other human "flock" members, which may be people or other birds in the house.

Amazons in general do have a reputation, not entirely unfounded, for being aggressive and difficult to handle during the breeding season. This is particularly true for males. However, in some individuals, breeding season passes with no problems. Red-lored Amazons are one of the gentler, even-tempered Amazon species, but they too may be territorial at times, especially during the spring. Some of them will strike at strange people who come too close to their cages or play stands. Training a particularly feisty Amazon to step up on a hand-held perch can make it easier for an owner to handle him if he doesn't want anyone reaching in his cage. This type of training is best done using positive reinforcement training.

Amazon Body Language

Luckily, Amazons are rarely subtle in their behaviors, and this makes it easier for an owner to gauge his parrot's mood and avoid bites by not handling the parrot when he is overly excited or agitated. To me, this is one of the strong points of owning an Amazon. If the parrot owner has researched parrot behavior well, an Amazon should be rather predictable. An Amazon's eyes are usually light orange, which makes it easy to see when the bird is "pinning" or expanding and contracting his irises rapidly. Ripley's eyes pin when she's excited, vocalizing, or trying out a new food. Eye-pinning combined with raised nape feathers, and a fanned-out tail generally indicates that the parrot should not be handed. Amazons in breeding condition may strut back and forth while fanning the tail and pinning the eyes. A strutting, displaying Amazon should likely be left alone. Ripley sometimes struts around on top of her cage and when she does, we (Quentin and I) let her be. Once she stops and calms down, we can pick her up again.

One Person Birds?

Amazon parrots have a reputation for being "one-person" birds that will bite and attack all but the favored person. Males in particular have a tendency to do this. However, Amazons and other parrots can learn to tolerate or enjoy being handled by multiple people if they were well socialized as youngsters and were taught to respond to the "step-up" command with positive reinforcement by numerous people. However, even if they allow themselves to be handled by a few people, many Amazons will still have a favorite, preferred person.

Ripley bonded with Quentin almost immediately, and she would often nip me when I went to hold her. I also could not place my hand in her cage without being bitten, whereas Quentin could easily take her out of her cage. This is ironic, given that it was my idea to get an Amazon, although Quentin loves parrots as well has become attached to Ripley. I did want Ripley to let me handle her since I wanted to be able to take her out of her cage so she could play on her large play stand when Quentin was not home. I started by frequently offering her sunflower seeds, almonds and peanuts, her favorite treats, from my hand. I'm also the person who usually gives Ripley her showers, and I taught her to step up on a hand-held perch so I could get her out of her cage easily and without being bitten. She was often rewarded with a sunflower seed for stepping on a hand-held perch. I then taught her to step up onto my hand (again, using her favourite treats) and I sometimes rewarded her for stepping on my hand by taking her to Quentin. However, I was always careful to never place her on Quentin's hand (in other words, reward her) after a bite, so she didn't learn that she will be rewarded for biting. I can now handle her with few problems, and she sometimes wants me to hold her. She lets me know this by looking towards me while bopping her head and raising her feet. However, Quentin is still the only person who can scratch her head, and Ripley often gently holds onto his thumb while she does this. Amazons are rarely “cuddly” birds, although many enjoy having their heads scratched by their favourite person.

Conclusion

Ripley has made a wonderful addition to my family, and I very much appreciate her intelligence, and her gregarious, bold personality. However, an Amazon parrot can be a very high-maintenance pet, so I would only recommend them to people who have the time to allow their pet a few hours of out of cage time daily, who don't mind a bit of noise and mess, and who have done some research on parrot training and parrot behavior. However, with the right person, a Red-lored Amazon can make an outstanding, life-long friend.

References

Forshaw, J. M. 1977. Parrots of the World. T. F. H. Publications, Inc. Neptune, N.J., USA.

Renton, K. 2001. Lilac-crowned parrot diet and food resource availability: Resource tracking by a parrot seed predator. Condor 103: 62-69.

As the “green revolution” and digital marketing technology trends join forces consumers are becoming better informed. Companies are experimenting with ways to market, educate, and add a more personal approach to their products and services. Brands such as Patagonia, now provides customers with their products manufacturing information on YouTube. Customers can now see where their coat was made, and how it was transported to the retail store from Vietnam. These videos’ are like mini cross-cultural documentaries, taking you through the manufacturing plant process, while meeting the outsourcing factory manager and its employees. Another company called, Icebreaker, a sustainable merino wool clothing company, allows you to enter a Baacode. After entering a product code on the company web site, you can learn about the wool used to make your garment, and meet the farmer in charge of the sheep farm. Consumers can also track the garment from beginning to end along the supply-chain. Amazon the on line shopping store has introduced green product information by offering reviews and recommendations, and a list of "best of" products in the green category.

Will consumers want to learn more about their products, services, and foods from the farming and manufacturing process through to the retail store? I think so, and we will probably continue to see a growing consumer micro marketing approach using cost effective digital marketing technologies. Consumers’ are savvier now, and want more information about their products, and digital marketing technologies are a cost effective way to accomplish this goal. Although, as consumers we should be on the watch for deceptive marketing practices that attempt to pull the wool over our eyes by providing inaccurate product information, like employee working conditions, and food handling. On the other hand, consumers are now armed with powerful public relations, and social networking tools that allow them to blow the whistle on any deceptive marketing campaigns once they have been discovered.

As with food label regulations in the United States, the more we know about a product, the better position we are to make choices. In the future will we see additional niche product information marketing? Will marketers also use cross-cultural themes, and natural language capabilities targeted at micro-cultural country specific customs? If the current trend in online social networks like MySpace and FaceBook are any indicator, consumer product and service marketing will have to give the consumer what they want, good content, and cross-cultural relevancy to ensure the growth of their customer base. By Peter Sabbagh

Ich werde jetzt im Uebrigen auch Pro-Bowler, denn ich habe gestern zum Geburtstag eine Kugel und Schuhe geschenkt bekommen. Yeah!

"Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter" written by an Author named-The Waiter. I guess I am not alone at this battle to have the table turned around to the Customers to have their manners straighten up. And to have a two way great shopping(or in this case,eating)experience. Which I am still hoping that it will pick up very soon!. 

"Product Description
According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths. Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places. Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's truly thrived." - Amazon.com

Go get the book and I am sure you will be amused at the fact that you might find yourself in it too.

Amazon, which is making a lot of money, is getting a lot of free advertising and assistance from people who paid good money (in my opinion, too much money) for a Kindle.

First, there's the See a Kindle in Your City forum hosted by Amazon. Why should Amazon spend money on a sales force to get Kindles in stores when they can get people to do it for them...for free!

Then there's a whole range of Kindle T-shirts made available by somebody on CafePress. Hey, as I've said before, I'm a Kindle Konvert. Nonetheless, if Amazon wants me to advertise for them, they can damn well send me a free T-shirt.

I never wear apparel advertising anything if I have to buy it. Even if I love the product. If a company wants me to become a walking ad, they can provide the apparel free. Otherwise, they can pay for their ads like everyone else.

The Kindle is a great device, maybe a paradigm-altering device. But it is still overpriced and will never truly become ubiquitous until Amazon decides to make changes in their marketing and availability of the wireless connection.

Sure, I bought one. With the $100 discount, the price is borderline acceptable. But it still has faults, some of which are inherent in Amazon's approach to marketing it.

Why do people who paid $260-400 for a Kindle help Amazon market it without compensation? Jeff Bezos can afford to do his own marketing.

If Bezos sends me a free Kindle T-shirt, I'll wear it. I'll include links on our websites for people to buy a Kindle, mostly because Amazon pays me a percentage of sales when I do.

Would you pay good money to advertise a product for somebody else?

The online retailer will help with its next Give 1 Get 1 (G1G1) programme that is due to begin in late November.

Under this scheme people can buy one of the XO laptops for themselves and donate the other to a school child in a developing nation.

It is hoped the deal with Amazon will iron out the problems OLPC encountered when it ran the G1G1 programme itself.

Novel model

Dreamed up by MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte, the OLPC was set up to create and build a powerful laptop for school children in developing nations that sold in the millions and cost less than $100 (£56).

The resulting XO laptop sports distinctive green and white livery, has wi-fi built in, can be powered by a pull cord, and comes loaded with educational software.

Many nations have expressed an interest in using the XO but relatively few started big projects that gave the machine to students and school children.

In a bid to boost the take-up of the XO laptop, the OLPC started the G1G1 programme in November 2007 that let US residents buy two of the machines for $398.

While many people expressed interest in participating the OLPC group hit problems in getting XO machines to customers. Production delays and delivery glitches led to many people cancelling orders while OLPC sorted out the problems.

The new round of the G1G1 programme is due to start in late November and run until the end of 2008. It will only be open to US residents.

At the same time the OLPC group said it planned to launch the second generation of its laptop in 2010.

The XO-2 does away with a keyboard in favour of two touch screens one of which can be converted to a touch type screen.

OLPC hopes that the new version will also get closer to its long-stated ideal of producing a computer that costs less than $100.

The current versions of the XO laptop cost about $200 but the new generation is expected to be available for about $80.

source

I know what your thinking...and I did too. This is probably not going to work out. I think the chances of actually getting this AMAZING deal is around 10% going to get, 90% not going to get the HDTV. Yet, after reading Amazon.com's Terms and Services:

"With respect to items sold by Amazon.com, we cannot confirm the price of an item until you order; however, we do NOT charge your credit card until after your order has entered the shipping process. Despite our best efforts, a small number of the items in our catalog may be mis-priced. If an item's correct price is higher than our stated price, we will, at our discretion, either contact you for instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you of such cancellation."

With this info rattling in my mind, and the fact that a few years ago I bought some textbooks I never got from Amazon.com, and they refunded my $$ in full with in a few days of the shipment period. I figure it this way; in a week I get a brand new 46" HD LCD for less then $150 or I get my money back. I can't see how I will loose.

Facts at a glance:

1) 46" Sharp HD LCD sold for $38 on Amazon.com

2) I bought one at $146 shipped

3) Supposed to be shipped between Sept. 11 - Sept. 16th

Since I bought mine, loads of others maxed out the erroneous inventory, and have been commenting on this event on Gizmodo. All of the Sharps LCD's are now on Amazons best seller page, and everything on the sellers page is now unavailable. I'll keep you updated on the saga of the way-awesome-too-good-to-be-true-deal as it comes. Cheers.

I'm on a mission to collect the most lovely, durable toys I can find for my ladies. It is part selfish (because honestly, it's REALLY fun to play with these toys) and part practical (if they're going to go through multiple children, they have to be built to last!). Last year, in an effort to build up the best play kitchen we possibly could, Tutu Jan and Grandpa Bob bought this gorgeous play kitchen from Willow Toys for Cara and AJ, with Todd and I providing the refrigerator and all of the food, dishes, etc. Our play home area is almost complete. (Cara is getting a wooden washer/dryer--or "washer sheen," in Cara-speak--this year for her birthday. Shhh! Don't tell.)

I am trying to collect toys that not only will last, but that can also be enjoyed by all of the children at the same time. Our wish list includes such items as puppets, Legos, dress-up clothes, and a lot of other cooperative toys that encourage imaginative play. I hope to keep our toy collection as simple as possible. One has to be all about simplicity when living in such a small space!

For the grandparents and other curious family members: Because I know how much you all LOVE trying to figure out what the girls want for birthdays and Christmas (sarcasm), I set up a wish list on amazon.com. There you will be able to at least see the kinds of toys they are interested in at the moment. I also included some books and homeschool materials, if you're more interested in that kind of thing. I'm loving this wish list thing--it's really helping me organize my thoughts, see what we already have, and figure out what supplies I am hoping for as we build (and prune) our play areas. Of course no one should feel bound by what's on the list; it's meant to provide ideas.

The usual disclaimer applies here, of course: the girls don't need anything. We're richly blessed to be able to provide the basics and then some, so please do not ever feel obligated to buy them anything. I know some of you like to shop and will beg me for ideas anyhow, so this is for all of you. I put a permanent link in the right-hand column under the heading "Grandmas and Other Interested Parties."

Hace unos pocos minutos, yo compre un televisor HDTV LCD Sharp Aquos LC52D64U 1080p de 52 pulgadas. Estaba leyendo un sitio y encontré esta oferta. Lo ordené.
Aquí está la URL de Gizmondo: [http://gizmodo.com/5046358/52+inch-sharp-aquos-hdtv-for-3845].
¡Buena suerte!
Actualización: Amazon: [http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Aquos-LC52D64U-52-Inch-1080p/dp/B000UN914I/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1220759475&sr=8-1].
Actualización 2: 12:20am: El precio ha regresado a su oferta original. Aún hay ofertas similares.

OPTiCAL BURST: Personal Web Hosting (Home Edition) SAVE BIGGER!!!

OPTiC BURST: CRaZy BLowOuT SaLE 2008!!!

OPTICAL BURST POWERED EXTREME PERFORMANCE

WEB HOSTING, VPS, DEDICATED SERVERS, COLOCATION

DATA CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

24/7 365 LIVE, FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL, LEVEL 3 SUPPORT SERVICE

 

 Coming Fall 2008

On-Demand Web Hosting | Personal Web Hosting | Web Browser Security | Unlimited Live Lead Transfers

Treasure Coast Trends | White Hat Search Engine Marketing | Christian Faith Prayer Networks

WHO IS OPTiC BURST COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, INC.?Optic Burst Communications Group, Inc., is a United States based corporation (#P08000037693), located within Port Saint Lucie, Florida. OpticBurst.com was formed by liquidating assets of several known small web hosting companies in a conquest to gain capital appreciation and overall offering our investor a better return on their investments. Optic Burst Communications Group, Inc., aims at providing a vast number of professional services in the following fields of activity: on demand web hosting, free domain registration and quality customer support. OpticBurst.com is focused on success. Through our relationships, partnerships, and vision, OpticBurst.com is quickly becoming the choice of webmasters worldwide.

OUR MISSION

It may sound unbelievable but the majority of the big companies in the web hosting business usually do not invest much in the development of new technologies. Instead they rely on 3rd party solutions and software. Unlike theirs, our hosting software was created, developed and designed in-house by us. Moreover, our business approach is human-oriented in that our client support is a center factor in the quality hosting service that we offer.

WHAT IS OUR CLIENT BASE LIKE?

Optic Burst Communications Group, Inc., has clients from all around the world. Our clients range from individuals, small businesses, medium enterprises, all the way to large scale corporations. Optic Burst Communications Group, Inc., offers on-demand internet solutions. On-demand internet solutions empower small and medium sized enterprises to outsource their Information Technology departments, in return illuminating over all business expenses utilizing the Optic Burst Communications Group, Inc., on-demand website hosting platform and gaining capital revenue from all your respective online successes. Your business needs to be online! Evermore now your online presence is critical. With the recent downward trend in the U.S. Stock Markets, the economy threatens recession on us everyday. Over 66% of Americans now are without jobs. Think about this.. Who is going to provide for your family and all your employees families, if now its your turn to layoff your entire company because you never established an almost recession resistant plan to market your business to new prospects throughout the world? the Optic Burst Communications Group, Inc., ever scaling global fiber optical burst network allows enterprises and corporations to take full control of their ventures on the internet.

DATA CENTER

The rivalry between the companies engaged in e-business, especially those in the web hosting industry, raised the stakes so high that the choice of an appropriate data center has come to be a crucial factor in the provision of a quality hosting service. As a valued web hosting client of Optic Burst Communications Group, Inc. you will enjoy all the benefits of our state-of-the-art data centers, located on 2 continents -HostCentric, located in California, USA, and BlueSquare, located in Berkshire, UK.Intel Xeon 2.4 GHz Quad Core, 4 GB RAM, 2x750 GB SATA II Seagate in RAID 1.

SERVERS HARDWARE

Beside the well-chosen Data Center, we have achieved another good balance: new and fast servers, which work in perfect synchronicity with our web hosting software:

DATA BACK-UP

Daily back-up is available to ensure that the hosted data stays safe.

© 2008 OPTiC BURST Communications Group, Inc.; "Multimedia Conception". All rights reserved.

Aqui no Brasil também começam a aparecer opções.

Comprei uma edição de áudio da revista VendaMais. A qualidade da produção do áudio é muito boa, mas achei o conteúdo um pouco "simples" demais. O CD é gravado em áudio normal, ou seja, roda em qualquer toca CDs. Já a revista impressa é muito boa. Comprei a última edição e achei que melhorou muito em relação a uma que li há +- um ano.

A empresa Audiolivro começou a publicar títulos em portugues, mas ainda não comprei nenhum. Achei o formato bom. Como o da Venda Mais, vem em uma caixa de DVD, que faz uma boa apresentação, mas nesse caso vem em MP3, o que facilita o uso e carregar arquivos maiores, apesar de não tocar em qualquer som. Acho que vale a pena ser em MP3.

Acho que o áudio-livro é um produto que tem muito futuro, pois cada vez passamos mais tempo em locais onde não podemos ler, e eu (pelo menos) quero ler cada vez. Um grande exemplo é o tempo passado dentro do carro, na estrada ou no trânsito.

Acho ótimo ouvir músicas, mas acho que posso aproveitar melhor o tempo, para me atualizar. Em especial em viagens a trabalho. Criei ate uma regra simples, se for viagem a trabalho, áudios de atualização pessoal, se for a lazer, só música. Até porque, nas viagens a trabalho geralmente estou sozinho, e não vou encomodar ninguém com minha seleção.

Li uma entrevista com Donald Katz, fundador e CEO da Audible, principal empresa americana de audiobooks, que foi comprada pela Amazon no inicio do ano por US$ 300 milhoes.

Abaixo alguns trechos que mais gostei.

A empresa oferece hoje mais de 80 mil títulos, incluindo livros, revistas e até jornais diários.

Alguns atores, ou autores, que lêem os livros, tornam o conteúdo ainda mais interessante. Ouvir um livro nos remete à infância, quando nossos pais liam para nás, na cama. E também a maneira mais antiga de se passar informações e histórias - contando-as. Por exemplo: escutar o livro do Obama lido por ele mesmo pode ser melhor do que le-lo, pois voce consegue aproveitar a ótima capacidade oratória dele também.

Katz recomenda também o livro "No asshole rule", do Robert Sutton, publicado no Brasil como "Chega de babaquice". Já li resenhas e acho que deve ser muito interessante.

Os clientes Audible consomem (ouvem) em média 15 livros por ano.

Donald diz que procura ler (além de ouvir) sempre que possível. E faz uma colocação interessante, escutar no carro, e chegar em casa e continuar a ler no Kindle.

Eu já fiz isso, escutei a edição em áudio da Economist, gostei tanto de um "special report", que li depois, no papel.

A empresa fechou 2007 com mais de 450 mil assinantes, crescendo de uma base de 380 mil em 2006.

A venda para a Amazon está liberando tempo, agora ele pode se dedicar 100% a empresa, antes gastava 40-50% do tempo lidando com advogados, contabilidade, etc. Agora pode focar na estratégia central da empresa. E tem outras pessoas tocando essa parte.

--------

AB: <Amazon review of an Organic Chemstry study guide> I was able to gather some (a very small amount) useful information from it. But, pick the book up anyway, because to master Orgo you need as many resources as possible, especially at 3 in the morning and you are trying to figure out where to place an ethyl group.
AB: . o O (And, really, who hasn't been there at 3 in the morning trying to place an ethyl group?)

--------

AB: <Amazon review of an Organic Chemistry study guide> I just finished organic 1, and I could NOT have made it through without THIS LITTLE GEM! We were assigned the WADE Organic book, which was not bad, the "hints" were useful, but who has time to read through those dense confusing chapters meticulously- it's too much talk when what you really need is the BIG PICTURE of what is going on! This book is a little POWERHOUSE-- it gives you the barebone rules and laws which you can easily read and memorize--over and over again! You can't do reactions without MEMORIZATION-- you need the clear-cut rules first before analyzing anything.
AB: . o O (I am so ENTHUSIASTIC that I am RANDOMLY capitalizing ENTIRE WORDS!)

--------

AB: <Amazon review of an Organic Chemistry study guide> The transaction was wonderful, and there were no problems with the shipping and arrival. The book came early, and was in excellent condition. Thank you!
AB: . o O (When people confuse Amazon reviews for eBay feedback. Next on Geraldo.)
shodan: <AB> And the *content* of the book? <reviewer> Oh, nah, I've got a table with a broken leg. This book was *precisely* the right thickness to prop it up!

The online retailer will help with its next Give 1 Get 1 (G1G1) programme that is due to begin in late November. Under this scheme people can buy one of the XO laptops for themselves and donate the other to a school child in a developing nation. It is hoped the deal with Amazon will iron out the problems OLPC encountered when it ran the G1G1 programme itself. Novel model Dreamed up by MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte, the OLPC was set up to create and build a powerful laptop for school children in developing nations that sold in the millions and cost less than $100 (£56). The resulting XO laptop sports distinctive green and white livery, has wi-fi built in, can be powered by a pull cord, and comes loaded with educational software. Many nations have expressed an interest in using the XO but relatively few started big projects that gave the machine to students and school children. In a bid to boost the take-up of the XO laptop, the OLPC started the G1G1 programme in November 2007 that let US residents buy two of the machines for $398. While many people expressed interest in participating the OLPC group hit problems in getting XO machines to customers. Production delays and delivery glitches led to many people cancelling orders while OLPC sorted out the problems. The new round of the G1G1 programme is due to start in late November and run until the end of 2008. It will only be open to US residents. At the same time the OLPC group said it planned to launch the second generation of its laptop in 2010. The XO-2 does away with a keyboard in favour of two touch screens one of which can be converted to a touch type screen. OLPC hopes that the new version will also get closer to its long-stated ideal of producing a computer that costs less than $100. The current versions of the XO laptop cost about $200 but the new generation is expected to be available for about $80.

Source: BBC News

So the idea of assembly, the hard-wired human need to congregate and exchange ideas and wares, is so basic that the way these instinctive characteristics materialise themselves in modern times is indeed revealing.

I am constantly trying to understand human nature, to explain our existence in a meaningful, spiritual way (yet non-religious): to prove that there are greater forces at play, instinctual tendencies that inform us.

I immediately coupled this commuanal tendencay with another study: one that found our personalities can be described by the kind of music we listen to. Findings are as follows:

PEOPLE INTO MUSIC

Blues: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle and at ease.
Jazz: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing and at ease.
Classical: High self-esteem, creative, introvert and at ease.
Rap: High self-esteem, outgoing.
Opera: High self-esteem, creative, gentle.
Country & Western: Hardworking, outgoing.
Reggae: High self-esteem, creative, not hardworking, outgoing, gentle and at
ease.
Dance: Creative, outgoing, not gentle.
Indie: Low self-esteem, creative, not hard working, not gentle.
Bollywood: Creative, outgoing.
Rock/Heavy Metal: Low self-esteem, creative, not hard-working, not outgoing,
gentle, at ease.
Chart pop: High self-esteem, not creative, hardworking, outgoing, gentle,
not at ease.
Soul: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle, at ease.

I mean its kind of silly to suppose for a moment that music and personality are not connected: music and art are such a bottom-line part of culture, and the bits of culture we choose to like or identify with define who we are. So in some ways I find the "study" a little on the redundant side, but with a certain beat-you-over-the-head validity.

Can we take these two ingrained traits together, and further? If gathering together is a primal instinct, then how do the musical tastes defined as "introverted" differ from those that are "outgoing"? Culturally, identifying with music and congregating at a concert to share in an experience attests to this idea: that even a genre that boasts fans with low self-esteem, introversion and laziness still compells its audience towards community?

It explains a lot - physically and digitally - of the hipster indie rock culture: of the Stilleposts, Pitchforks, Brooklyn Vegans, SXSWs and CMJs, Pop Montreals and Pop Explosions, and the kinds of euphoric/frustrating experiences they beget.

Even xenophobic misanthropes can't deny their need to be among other people, belonging to some kind of self-affirming culture.

Torna a far parlare di sé il vulcanico e controverso regista Michael Moore, autore di premiati documentari di satira sociale e politica. Slacker Uprising, questo il nome della nuova pellicola, è ormai prossima al rilascio, e sarà caratterizzata da una rivoluzionaria scelta di distribuzione: non debutterà sul grande schermo ma sarà disponibile sulla rete, liberamente scaricabile a partire dal 23 di settembre. Il 4 ottobre sarà invece il turno di un Dvd, anch'esso reperibile online attraverso Amazon e Netflix.

Slacker Uprising racconterà attraverso immagini il tour in più di 60 città americane che lo stesso Moore capitanò, con la consueta ironia ed energia, in occasione delle elezioni presidenziali del 2004. Lo scopo dichiarato dell'opera, oltre ad essere secondo l'autore "un regalo ai fan", è quello di arginare l'astensionismo negli USA e spingere più giovani possibile a dare il proprio voto nelle elezioni del prossimo novembre.

Dopo il successo di pubblico e critica delle precedenti pellicole (Bowling at Columbine fu premiato con l'Oscar come miglior documentario, Farheneit 9/11 insignito della Palma d'Oro al festival di Cannes ) la scelta di Moore non può che sorprendere: rinunciare al grande schermo vuole anche dire rinunciare ad incassi quasi assicurati. Eppure tale linea di distribuzione ha dei precedenti: ricordiamo tra tutti il caso di In Rainbow, ultimo cd del celebre gruppo rock Radiohead, scaricabile grazie ad un'offerta a totale scelta dell'utente.

Fonte: visionpost

Ребята из Amazon пошли навстречу и опубликовали серьезный документ AWS Security white paper. Он дает ответы на большинство возникающих вопросов о сертификации сервисов, их физической безопасности, резервном копировании и других проблемах, специфических для того или иного сервиса.

I'm an immense opponent of the UN and the EU; both tend to spread socialism, liberalism, communism, and Darwinism, and in the case of the UN, they're involved in a vast electron seizure on the Ice Wall. However, the EU is at least making an effort to attack feminism and fornication head on:

The days of watching scantily clad models dancing on distant beaches to promote the latest perfume could be numbered.

Any ads that promote women as sex objects should be banned, acc­ording to an EU report.

And it is not just the eye candy for men that faces the chop.

Any kind of gender stereotyping – from the Oxo mother cooking in the kitchen to the Ronseal man creos­oting a fence – should also be cut out, it suggested.

They restrict ind­ividuals to roles that are 'often deg­rading, humiliating and dumbed down for both sexes,' said Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson.

The report could also bolster moves to ban the use of extremely thin women, who Ms Svensson said were poor role models for girls.

The report was written by the EU's Women's Rights Committee and adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday.

Although it will not see the creation of any new laws, it calls for governments to use their existing equality laws to control advertising.

It also suggested the advertising industry in each country give prizes to those companies who do the most to break down what it sees as gender 'straitjacket'.

'Stereotyping in advertising is one of several factors that have a big infl­uence on efforts to make society more gender equal,' added Ms Svensson.

On the one hand, I'm worried that the EU is succumbing to feminist rubbish about stereotypes being evil. Those stereotypes are true, Feminazis. However, I admire their drives to stop fornication and pornography. For one to have a society without fornication, one must go through a variety of steps:

First, sign the American Family Association petition against indecent television. This is the first step to stop unplanned sexual events.

Second, work against Disney and its Islamist porn, as well as the rest of the perversions it hides. Eventually, it and its forward vector, Pixar, will be exposed as the Leftist propaganda that they are. If people lose faith in these perverted organizations, they will surely support a law that bans the viewing of the opposite gender in a sexual image. Liberal organizations like Google and Amazon will soon be out of business, leaving contemporary conservative thought unopposed.

Third, work to ban the sale of contraception of any form. Realize that those teenagers that use condoms sin twice as much as those who do not. Help debunk the myth that condoms help stop the spread of STDs.

Fourth, when sex outside of monogamous procreation is cast in a dubious light, drive the final nail into the fornication coffin by banning all television and movies that have any sexual content.

This will, in turn, usher in laws that require decent clothing in public. Men must have crew cuts, have the corners of their beards unrounded, and wear business suits and bow ties in public. Women will be required to wear ankle length dresses, bonnets (so as to reduce the sexual feelings one gets from viewing flowing hairlines), and strap down their breasts. Both genders have vileness in their bodies, thanks to the Sin of Eve; we need to respect the LORD by reducing these as much as possible.

Those who work for these laws, oddly enough, are the ones that are attractive, but do not inspire masturbation. Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin are two such people. I can't vouch for men, but my wife says that Rush Limbaugh should also fall under this category.

Only when these laws are adhered to can we work to get souls away from welfare, into the work force or home economics, and eventually into heaven. Only when we work for these laws can we completely stifle all sexual deviants, be they sodomists or trannies. Even the socialists are recognizing female profiling as the wicked sin that it is. Ideally, we will have similar death penalties for pornographers and the rest of ilk that the mullahs have in their countries. Hopefully, France, Germany, and other Old Europe countries will finally learn to mend their moonbat ways, and promote decency as was practiced in Geneva. Calvin, Jesus, and the LORD's wills be done.

Have You Seen The Stars Tonite

Have You Seen The Circus Tent Tonite

Quality Rock & Roll Airplane

style.

Welcome to Rock History:

How are you feeling? I hope you had a great week. We have history to share on our flight and I’m honored you are part of it.

What if you could be the 1^st to hear a Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Great Society member play on stage for the first time together?

It didn’t happen in the 60’s, no not in the 70’s, good guess but not in the 80’s or 90’s. It took place in August of 2008.

Here are Marty Balin, Slick Aguilar, and from the Great Society- Darby Slick doing an Airplane classic.

It’s rock and roll from the Rock Tent Vaults and only can be heard here.

Volunteers (August 24, 2008) Astoria , Oregon

8/24/08

Please spread the

word:

The 2 new Jefferson projects have arrived!

Thanks as always!

Relax and have fun!

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE-

JEFFERSON STARSHIP- Great Society-

Take Me To A Circus Tent

I look forward to hearing you later!

The book is Take Me To A Circus Tent (The Jefferson Airplane Flight Manual) W/93 photos, 32 interviews, 543 pages, and a myriad of 5 star reviews!

Please remember at any moment on an Aircast it can be a rare memory from the Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, KBC, Wooden Ships, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner to name several. Maybe another picture previously unseen from the Rock Tent Vault sees daylight from Herb Greene or Don Aters.

Please fly here and enjoy the ride:

http://www.takemetoacircustent.net/media/JeffersonAirplaneTakeMeToACircusTentAircast64Jefisgreatinastarship.mp3

Have a great day as always,

CF

So, does your parrot compete? If so, with other parrots or with you?

My husband and Scarlet wrestle every night over some toys. They are both extremely focused during the game.

Normally, Scarlet hates to be on her back or dangle. Yet, if she has this rubber ball in her claws or beak...NOTHING (and I mean NOTHING) will distract her from it. You can turn her upside down or let her hang by her beak (only for a couple of seconds). It doesn't matter.

She does want to continue to play. Scarlet will let go of the ball once in a while...just so she can go after the ball again. She "let's" you win. You can tell by the sparkle in her eyes. Then comes the pinning. She is on the offensive to get that ball back ... and she does...every time.