The Garden Route stretches from Port Elizabeth in the north down to Cape Town in the south. In some ways it seems hard to recognise the word “Garden” when applied to the section of coastline which takes in some 800+ kms of fynbos, mountainous hillsides, interspersed with long, sweeping expanses of fine sandy beach, as well as smaller inlets and coves. I think that in the words “Garden” we are looking for a plethora of flowers, manicured lawns and cultivated correctness. There is no doubt that you will find all this, but to me, it is the “other” things that make this such a spectacular piece of coastline.

Each kilometre covered throws up something different, such as the surfing in Jeffrey’s Bay, where you’ll be able to catch the famous Supertubes once described as “the most perfect wave in the world”; the magnificence of Tsitsikamma National Park where acclaimed hikes such as the Otter Trail hug the coastline from Storm’s River Mouth to Nature’s Valley or the radio-active hot springs in Montagu, where swimming in the renowned healing properties of the 43 degree water is guaranteed to relax the most exhausted of bodies.

Jewel in the crown is the small town of Knysna, nestling some 260 kms from Port Elizabeth and 500 kms from Cape Town. Beginning life as a timber port and shipbuilding centre, Knysna is perched on the edge of a serene lagoon and surrounded by forests which have sustained the legacy of the timber industry with a number of excellent woodwork and furniture shops, the most famous of which is “Feathers”.

The beautiful carvings of the indigenous birds, sea life and animals are a treasure to bring home, especially if you’ve seen the bird in point picking its way through the shallow waters with its bright yellow feet, such as the Egret!

The lagoon appears so tranquil after the thundering sea forcing its way through the turbulent channel of “The Heads” - two great sandstone cliffs through which the sea roars, pounding the rocks on either side.

Although the volume of fresh sea water is relatively small it allows a stable, saline environment that accounts for remarkably diverse species to live within its gentle waters. Salt marshes, eelgrass and swampy areas are exposed at low tide, producing almost all the food used by other organisms in the estuary, making it home to the unique Knysna seahorse, the delicate Pansy shell and at least 200 species of fish.

Beyond The Heads, dolphins accompany your seashore exploits and during the months of May to September Humpback and Southern Right whales can be seen off the coast. Together with the colourful Knysna Loerie and the beautiful Narina Trogon, named after Narina, the Khoikhoi mistress of the French ornithologist Francois Le Vaillant, you have the makings of an extraordinary natural Eden for flora and fauna lovers.

What activities make an OK vacation into an exceptional one?

Chances are that whatever your “thing” is, you will find here. Events such as the Cape Epic, the magical and untamed African mountain bike race which is the largest full-service mountain bike stage race in the world; the Knysna Oyster Festival - the best oyster festival ever; the Gastronimica Festival, which is all about food with cooking on the side, a unique integration and upbeat enjoyment of food, theatre, music and fashion make Knysna a Mecca at all times of the year and these are quite apart from the more traditional past times of cruising on the lagoon, forest trails, snorkelling and scuba diving.

One of our favourite spots is Noetzie beach, a long stretch of white sand hidden away and accessed through forests on the Pezula Hotel and Spa estate. Climb down to see the quirky castles and experience one of the most peaceful and idyllic settings on the Garden Route. It will be worth it to see the unusually coloured stone, the brilliant blue of the sky and the searing white of the sand.

Knysna is a must-see for every visitor to South Africa and certainly one place that shouldn’t be missed on a Garden Route tour.

Helen Palmer is the editor of the website http://www.TailorMadeSouthAfricaTravel.com where tailor-made luxury vacation and safaris in South Africa are all about your own safari round South Africa. Whatever you want, whenever you want it, we have the expertise to be able to deliver.

August is the hottest month in this part of the world. Trying to stay cool can be a challenge when you grow up without access to a swimming pool or clean river. Being young and therefore enterprising and stupid, my brother Rick and I decided one HOT day that we were going swimming even if it meant we had to walk five miles to Keyser’s, an old quarry that had evolved into a series of large ponds. We also figured that we would take our dog Mr. Boots.

Mr. Boots was a mutt, a mix between Lab and Terrier, and who knows what else. He was also a very good natured dog and loved to get out for a walk. We figured that Mr. Boots wouldn’t mind the 5 mile hike in the sun and heat, and anyway, after we had the collar on him, what choice did he have? Well, we all started off on our venture, and after pulling on his leash and literally choking himself for five minutes or so, he calmed down and I guess he realized that he was in for a longer hike this time around.

After walking for an hour or so, we got to our destination and looked forward to a cooling dip. Keyser’s was a treacherous body of water in which many people had drowned. You could be in three feet of water, take another step, and all of a sudden you were in water over your head. Needless to say, you had to be very careful swimming in this body of water. To offer us some sense of protection we noticed an old skid lying there, and figured we could use it as a flotation device that we could swim to if either one of us got into trouble.

We cast off our shoes, and pushed the skid out into the water in front of us. We waded out to the deeper water and called for Mr. Boots to come on out to us. He stood on the shore barking furiously, but no matter how many times we called for him, he wouldn’t venture into the water. A Lab that doesn’t like water? It didn’t seem right that we were enjoying the water and he wasn’t, so we figured we had to get the old boy out here some way. Rick said “let’s put him on the skid and push him out here”!

Sure enough, we pushed the skid back to the shore, and I picked him up and put him on the skid and we slowly pushed the skid out into the water. When we got out to the deeper water, we stopped and let Mr. Boots sort of float there, and we swam off a ways. He continued to bark loudly, but still wouldn’t get in the water. I said to Rick, “all dogs can swim right”? He said “yea, I think so”. “Well, I added, we’re going to find out”. We swam back to the skid and he and I got on opposite sides and started rocking the skid. Before long we tipped it enough to cause Mr. Boots to go into the water. He immediately started doing the old dog paddle, and swam straight for the shore.

Once there, he shook himself off, and started barking again. We figured crazy old dog, and thought well, let’s try it again. So, we went back in, put him on the skid, and pushed him out into the water again. Sure enough, we would tip the skid and Mr. Boots would go into the water, swim back to shore, and repeat the process again. We must have done this at least ten times. I guess he just couldn’t tread water very well.

After being out there for a couple of hours, we grudingly decided it was time to go since we were both getting hungry and had brought nothing to eat. We leashed Mr. Boots up and started the walk home. It seemed like it took much longer to get home then get there, but we eventually made it.

The next morning my mother woke me up and said “something’s wrong with Mr. Boots, he can barely walk”. Sure enough, when I looked at him, he was struggling just to take a step. After thinking about it for a short while, and wondering what could be wrong, the thought popped into my mind, it’s from swimming. His muscles had tightened up on him just like they would with anyone who had been exercising furiously. After a few days, he was walking normal again, but I must say it was humorous watching him walking about during that time. If they made dog crutches, he could have used them for sure.

Mr. Boots has long since left the scene, but I think of that hot day in August and swimming with my brother and Boots and can’t help but smile when I think of the reluctant swimmer…Mr. Boots.

Bob Mathers has been involved with Network Marketing for several years. He also contributes articles from time to time on different topics. His current website is… Earn Income from Home With Your Own Internet Business

Illinois DUI Law

Illinois is one of the states in the U.S. where a DUI offense will trigger two different kinds of cases against the offender. One is criminal charges that will be filed against you for committing a DUI offense. These charges will be pressed against you if you have been arrested for driving under the influence in the state of Illinois. Another type of case triggered by a DUI is administrative in nature and may result in the loss of your Illinois driving privileges. If you are unsuccessful in winning this administrative case, you will have your license suspended and may be unable to continue working or meeting other life obligations. Because the penalties associated with these types of cases can be severe, it is imperative that you contact an Illinois DUI lawyer that can help you to defend yourself against charges of driving under the influence. A skilled Illinois DUI attorney can help you to minimize the impact of these charges being filed against you.

Illinois Criminal Penalties for DUI

The legal blood alcohol concentration limit in Illinois is .08%. If you exceed this legal limit, they will be charged with driving under the influence. If charges are filed, you may face a number of penalties that increase with each offense. These penalties can impact your quality of life and your ability to provide for yourself and other family members, so it is important that you contact a qualified Illinois DUI attorney to help you defend yourself against these criminal charges. The penalties for driving under the influence in Illinois can include jail time, fines, and driver’s license suspension. For a first offense, the offender may receive court supervision as a penalty. If the offender completes this supervision period successfully, the offense will not count as a conviction. This is a desirable penalty because you will not have a criminal offense on your record that can impact your chances of getting a job. Convictions can result in penalties including up to 364 days of jail time, license revocation, and a fine up to $2,500. The license revocation period is one year for the first offense, five years for a second offense committed within a 20-year time period, and ten years for a third offense. Be sure to contact a highly qualified Illinois DUI lawyer so you can defend yourself against these criminal charges and minimize the penalties that may be imposed.

The penalties for driving under the influence if you’re under the age of 21 are quite stringent in the state of Illinois. A first offense will result in a license revocation period of two years minimum. Second offenses result in the longer of a five year revocation or revocation until your 21st birthday. A third or subsequent offense means a license revocation of 10 years. Special provisions set forth by the Secretary of State may be met so that you can get a restricted work permit. This restricted work permit allows you to drive between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. to get to work and other necessary places. After this one year permit expires, you may apply for reinstatement of your license, but there is no guarantee that you will be granted this privilege. For a second DUI offense, your license will be revoked and you will not have the opportunity to apply for another license for five years. Additional penalties for a second DUI offense can be 48 hours in jail or 10 days of community service time. Third DUI offenses are considered class 4 felonies in Illinois. The penalties are up to three years of prison time, fines up to $25,000, and license revocation with the inability to apply for a license for ten years. Fourth offenses are also charged as felonies. The penalties for a fourth DUI offense include up to three years of jail time, up to $25,000 in fines, and permanent license revocation. That’s right; you can NEVER drive again legally if you get a fourth DUI offense within the 20 year time period. This makes your situation a dire one and only an Illinois DUI lawyer can possibly help you to defend yourself against DUI charges in the state of Illinois.

Administrative Driver’s License Penalties

Illinois has driver’s license penalties for drivers who either refuse to submit to a chemical test or take a chemical test and exceed the legal BAC limit of 0.08% with the results. The penalty for refusal or failure of the chemical testing is license suspension beginning on the 46th day after the defendant’s arrest. This period is substantially longer than many other states. Some states offer only a 7-day temporary license before suspension begins. Many states offer a 30-day temporary license, but this 45-day temporary license period is one of the longest in the United States. You may request a hearing on your license suspension, but there is no guarantee that you will prevail at this hearing. A skilled Illinois DUI attorney can help you to present a solid defense and help you try to save your driver’s license. The driver’s license penalties for DUI increase progressively the number of offenses increases. The suspension period for first offenses when a blood alcohol test revealed a level of 0.08% or greater is three months. Second and subsequent offenses result in a suspension of one year. Refusal to submit to chemical testing carries a penalty of 6 months for a first offense and two years for second and subsequent offenses.

First offenders may be eligible for a judicial permit that will allow them to drive to work, medical appointments, school, and any alcohol education or treatment programs 30 days after the suspension took effect. If you refuse to submit to chemical testing, you will not qualify for any type of restricted license or judicial permit. Second DUI offenses will result in suspension, but offenders may apply for a permit from the Secretary of State that will allow them to get from home to work, school, medical appointments, and alcohol programs. Having a qualified Illinois DUI attorney can help you to minimize the penalties that are imposed when you accumulate one or more DUI offenses.

Visit our Illinois DUI Attorney website and fill out a free case evaluation today.

Unlike some dying industries, the health care field is here to stay. For that reason alone, many professionals-to-be are looking into a health care school in order to jump on the lucrative bandwagon. Beyond becoming a doctor, the demand is strong for health care workers across the board. From nursing to administration and everything else in between, a health care program can get you started on a reliable career in health care.

Health Care School Demands
Victoria Clinton, coordinator of the medical assisting department for the San Mateo County Community College district, says many schools have had to accommodate for the increasing need of nurses. “The outlook for employment in the medical field remains excellent. In 2004 the department and faculty moved from the College of San Mateo to a brand new facility at Canada College,” she explains. “The Medical Assisting Department in the San Mateo County Community College district has been serving the medical community since 1964.” And a brand new facility for the health care program was built on the campus of Canada College in 2004 to meet student demand.

Moreover, Victoria O’Donnell, dean of science and technology at Canada College in Redwood City, CA says their school offers a bachelor’s degree in nursing in partnership with San Francisco State University in addition to medical assisting, radiologic technology, and health science. “Our core science programs have been impacted by student demand to enter medical fields,” she says. “We’ve had to add biology, chemistry and organic chemistry courses in the last year.”

About the Nursing Biz
There are many opportunities in nursing. You can be a registered nurse, charge nurse, or even a lactation specialist. If you were to become a head nurse, for instance, your job would entail planning and implementing the overall nursing policies, procedures, and services for a hospital’s unit. You’d have to maintain the nursing staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees. Ensuring that nurses are current in competency, assessments, licensure, certifications, and other annual training is also a big part of the role. In order to be a head nurse, you must be a registered nurse with at least five years of clinical experience in a related field.

Although it sounds like a lot of work, it pays off. The median expected salary for a typical head nurse in the United States is $79,590.

There’s More to a Health Care Degree than Nursing
O’Donnell points out another placement some aspiring health care enthusiasts neglect to consider. “We have many students wanting to enter the health care field and most of them are interested in nursing programs. Because of how greatly impacted nursing programs have become, I am encouraging these students to explore ancillary health care and related careers like radiologic technology, respiratory technicians, dialysis technicians, and chemical laboratory technicians,” she says.

“As the nursing shortage continues, such ancillary positions will likely become more necessary. Students interested in careers in science and health care may find equally satisfying careers through educational programs that are not so impacted,” O’Donnell adds.

Career in Health Care Administration
And let’s not forget the behind-the-scenes administrative staff. Paperwork may not seem all too glamorous, but a career in health care administration can also mean big bucks, great responsibility, and plenty of opportunities.

An admissions coordinator from a nursing home, for instance, reviews the admitting department operations in a nursing home environment. He or she will ensure compliance with certain standards that nursing home upholds. While this health care professional primarily oversees the in-patient/out-patient functions of a nursing home, he or she is also in charge of bed assignments and completion of preliminary paperwork for entering patients.

It’s still an intense career that pays out a median expected salary of $39,514, whereby you will have to work with the medical, nursing, and accounting staff to ensure appropriate patient placement. Since this position, as well as other in health care administration, requires a bachelor’s degree, it’s important to earn a health care degree from a reputable health care school so you can become familiar with a variety of the field’s concepts, practices, and procedures.

To find college and career schools near you, surf http://www.CollegeSurfing.com

© Copyright 2007
The CollegeBound Network
All Rights Reserved

Ysolt Usigan is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school or career that’s right for you!

Depending upon swear words for emphasis is communicative laziness.
They’re a convenient substitution for a deficiency of !*#@#ing adjectives

Established institutions; be they business, government or otherwise; are naturally conservative, have an inherent inertia, and are resistant to change.
If you own the process and it always worked for you, why change? You might officially subscribe to reengineering, reinvention, downsizing, or whatever other latest management craze that’s hitting the charts, but way down deep, you know that you and your ways will endure.

It is not true that cows become man-eaters once they taste meat.
It’s time we again accepted our bovine friends and forgot those few unpleasant episodes.

Some people just can’t be helped.
Some folks enjoy their misery and anger too much. They wallow in their inferiority or superiority.
Happiness and optimism are weaknesses to them. Chaos is joy. Don’t get too close or you might catch it.

Never look under the bed, or behind the nightstand, in a hotel room.
Some things you just don’t want to know.

Interest in sports, or lack of it, is genetic.
If Dad and Grandpa knew your team’s statistics over decades, then you’re most likely an Armchair Jock, too.

We cannot avoid all risks
Even though we are facing a fraction of the risks faced by our ancestors, we are becoming much too tentative and absorbed by the minuscule and improbable. Risks can be assessed and predicted, and relatively few need to worry us or cause us to change our ways.

The true efficiencies of any society, organization or institution; rather than of
scale; are in the smallest possible grouping of involved and participating
individuals.

Motivating and nurturing groups such as the family, tribe, ghetto, craft guild, work groups, parent-teacher organizations, neighborhood watches, schools, religious congregations, and activist/charitable organizations are, as Willis Harman said, “an organism of autonomous units, united in a common purpose.” Their relatively small size and proximity to the individual make such small groupings much more adaptable, focused, coordinated, productive and decisive than the large organizations or institutions of which they may be a part.

We continuously are evaluating and analyzing ourselves, often with the media’s
assistance. We, as a people, will never accept the status quo and will always strive to improve ourselves politically, culturally and morally. That’s how society evolves.

Did you ever stand between two mirrors and it looked as if there were a thousand of you?
That’s really something, isn’t it? You know?

Even our causes are evolving.
In past centuries, most causes involved very elemental needs such as food, shelter, sanitation and health; or the basic rights to worship, vote, speak and live as one wished. As these basic needs and rights were gradually addressed by increasingly enlightened nations, the focus shifted to more specific and less elemental areas such as rights of employment, public housing, health care, compensation, sexual orientation, workplace safety, the environment, animals, etc. This reflects Maslow’s Hierarchy Prepotency in which we are motivated by an ascending series of needs (i.e. physiological, safety, love, esteem and self actualization), and that once the lower (prepotent) needs have been satisfied, they will be supplanted by the higher needs as motives for behavior. This indicates an improving existence for most of us, more involvement by many of us, and an ever expanding realization that we are all connected; and that helping even the few moves all of us forward.

We should periodically ask ourselves:
What about our World or Society frustrates, exhilarates, inspires or challenges me?
Over what issue am I or could I be most passionate and involved?
What do I stand for?
What is my purpose for existence? Do I just take up space?
Whom would I pattern my life after?
What are my dreams and deepest hopes?
After I’m gone, what have I done that will leave some mark, will make some difference, or will bring someone happiness? What will my descendants think of me?
What will my story be? What story would I like my life to tell?
What limits me? How can I change that?
What are my prejudices? How were they formed? How can they be changed?
Who or what group deserves my greatest sympathy? Who needs help the most?
If it were in my power, what would I most want to change?
What have I done in the past year (5 years? decade?) to improve myself, to move forward, to help others?

Try this. Go downtown to one of those uppity office towers, put your mouth
up against the glass, and be an algae eater.
What better way to satisfy your dormant anti-social and revolutionary instincts?

Dick Sem is a security and workplace violence consultant (http://www.SemSecurity.com) based in Wisconsin.

He has been married for 36 years and has two sons and two grandchildren. He graduated from Marquette University.

Dick grew up in a conservative, Republican family but, especially in recent decades, realized that his beliefs spanned both conservative and liberal positions, making him a moderate. He has created his blog, http://www.therestofus.net, as a forum for those of us who are political, social or religious moderates.

What will be the next great move in your life? And by that I mean, are you going to do something challenging, as well as rewarding? At the forefront of the health care industry is the growing nursing industry. A career in nursing can be lucrative and at the same time plentiful since the demand is high. And as if attending nursing schools to break into a traditional nursing career isn’t thrilling enough, there’s one more aspect of the field you must consider — travel nursing.

About the Travel Nurse Biz
“I personally have been in the industry of travel nursing for almost eight years. I formed Strategic Nurse Staffing only six months ago because of how amazing this industry is,” explains Rob Simmons, president and CEO of Strategic Nurse Staffing, Inc., a New York-based nurse staffing agency. Since Simmons has experienced phenomenal, rapid growth as an entrepreneur, he can only imagine the nursing field to grow. “My company has grown from 0 sales per week to, now, almost $70K per week, employing about 30 registered nurses in just six months.”

Interested? If so, many nursing schools offer medical training for nurses in training. Once you’ve completed your nursing degree, all you’ll need is experience to become a travel nurse.

Get on It, Aspiring Nurses
As Simmons has noticed in his personal business venture, the nursing field is here to stay and is only going to grow. “In my opinion, the nursing industry is absolutely an amazing industry. First off, a staff nurse takes care of patients — everyone is a patient — you and I are patients and all patients value, respect, and trust that a nurse will provide the care he or she deserves,” explains Simmons.

Moreover, the nation has been and will continue to face a nursing shortage. The nursing crisis is due to the ever-growing population that’s aging and growing. More and more people will need care; fewer nurses are graduating from nursing schools, and a greater number of nurses are retiring each year. Since there are plenty of opportunities, it’s wise to get on the ball, aspiring nurses. Enroll in a nursing program. Once you graduate from one of the many excellent nursing schools, there’s a plethora of options for you from working at a local hospital close to home or doing travel nurses within the United States, even abroad.

Becoming a Travel Nurse
Simmons says it’s pretty simple once you earn a nursing degree from a reputable nursing program. “Once an RN has at least one solid year of experience, he or she can begin a travel nursing career,” Simmons says. “Because of the nursing shortage far from ending, hospitals are set up and are in need of travel nurses. Many hospitals pay through the roof for travelers. In fact hospitals will even offer a completion bonus for a mere 13-week contract with a travel nurse.”

And a nursing career full of travels reaps more than just seeing-the-world benefits. At Strategic Nurse Staffing, for instance, a travel nurse can earn as low as $75K to as high as $150K per year, working three days per week with most expenses, including housing, covered.”

With the travel opportunities and high pay in store, who wouldn’t want to become a travel nurse. This nursing career opportunity is not like an ordinary job. “It’s pretty much a working vacation,” Simmons points out. Ready to travel and help save lives? If so, enroll in a health care program at one of the many nursing schools out there to obtain your nursing degree, and start traveling.

To find college and career schools near you, surf http://www.CollegeSurfing.com

© Copyright 2007
The CollegeBound Network
All Rights Reserved

Ysolt Usigan is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school or career that’s right for you!

What is that we strive continuously and almost endlessly for? This is the irony that we put at stake the only thing we work our lifetime for. Comfort is what we continue to seek in every realm of human activity and this has kept us moving so far. To a large extent this has been the governing principal behind all the inventions and discoveries. So, when it comes to electrical appliances and electrical goods, the day by day progress of market and technical advancements does not come as surprise, rather it has become a never ending process of striving harder than ever.

Degrees may vary, but all of us depend upon electrical goods and appliances is an undeniable reality. Some of these appliances come under basic necessities while some of them may be included in the category of luxury. Electrical home appliances not only simplify the tasks and daily chores but they also make us a proud home owner. To an extent, some of these electrical appliances may signify the much coveted tag of ’status symbol’.

Electrical appliances have an extensive range of products and come in multiple quality options. Since they are electrical, it is strongly recommended that one should go for brand and reliability and not short term benefits such as low cost. Let us not go much into the list of products as the range encompasses vacuum cleaners, laundry, fridges, dishwashers, cookers, kitchen appliances and what not!

One can not thank Internet enough for what it brings to our doorsteps. Unquestionable service in quality products is almost synonymous to online shopping websites and standing up to this, online electrical goods shops are making the world around us even more electrical, fast and efficient.

Fletcher Mak is an author, write various articles on different themes to expand information, because articles is a good way to send their information to needy people easily. You can get more information about electrical goods and other electrical appliances.

Canon have announced the launch of the Canon EOS 1D Mark III Digital SLR, reputedly the Worlds most advanced Digital SLR Ever! The Canon EOS 1D Mark 3 has a redesigned viewfinder, a new 45-point AF system, and can shoot up to 10 fps continuously with a maximum burst of 110 shots! Dual DIGIC III Image Processors work in tandem to speed up every camera process while refining image quality! A new lighter body has improved weather sealing and shutter durability, infact every facet of the EOS experience has been enhanced with the new Canon EOS 1D Mark III.

The EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR also lays claim to be the world’s fastest digital SLR camera ever produced! The 1D also features a 10.1 megapixel resolution and shutter speeds of 10 frames per second, pretty quick eh? It utilizes the new 10.1-megapixel APS-H size CMOS sensor, which is the most light-sensitive sensor Canon has ever produced. The EOS-1D also features a new microlens array and a more effcient pixel structure, which results in an exceptional image quality and ISO range of 100 to 3200!

The Canon EOS-1D Mark 3 boasts a few new upgrades that’ll be welcomed by the more professional amongst us, including the Live View shooting mode, allowing user the option of using a 3-inch LCD screen to view and magnifiy images 5x and 10x, and to focus this way too. This is not possible with other single reflex lenses. The EOS-1D also comes complete with a dust management solution - the Integrated Cleaning System, as well as 45 Auto Focus points and DIGIC III Image Processors.

Brand new features to this model include highlight tone priority, which extends the dynamic range of highlights and improves gradation within highlight areas; safety shift, which allows the camera to automatically change shutter speed, aperture, or ISO speed; and in-camera noise reduction for high ISO images and silent drive mode. Canon haven’t released a price yet, but we totally expect it to be reflective of the tecjnology and features included in the Canon EOS 1D Mark 3. Expect release dates to be in mid April 2007. Watch this space and we’ll bring you more on it as soon as we can. Want to know more? Visit the Digital SLR Reviews Area for all the latest info on the newest models to hit the market!

Gary Bunn is the Editor of Your-Digital-Photography.com, the Complete Digital Photography Resource Site, with News, Reviews, Tips, Tricks and Tutorials for the Photo Enthusiast!

The Remembering: A Novel of Karma and Global Peril
by John Nelson
Outskirts Press (2006)
ISBN 9781598005424
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (12/06)

“The Remembering” is an incredible spiritual thriller that follows the soul of Shyloh through six incarnations. Shyloh’s first life begins in the year 40,000 B.C.E. as a male. In this form, he is a healer that has to deal with issues of choosing what is right. He makes choices that follow him into his next life that takes place in Dephi Greece in 336 B.C.E. In this form, Shyloh is a female from a sheep herding family. The Greek god Hermes appears to her in a vision. She follows him to Delphi. Shyloh becomes a Pythian healer priestess. She encounters incarnations of people from her former life including her father, mother, brother, grandmother and lover. While these people are in different forms their roles are similar.

The next incarnation takes place in Venice, Italy in 1596 A.D. Shyloh is a male medical student who gets wrapped up in trying to help people that have been targeted by the Inquisitor of the Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition of Venice. Again Shyloh keeps encountering the incarnations of his former lives. The next lifetime for Shyloh is in San Francisco in 1967. Here she is a psychiatric resident. She begins experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs. She unites with the other souls of whom she has been sharing her life. As scientists, together they create perfect child named, Kalki. Shyloh passes on into her next incarnation as a male doctor in Bali in the year 2106. Kalki is still alive and is able to help Shyloh remember his purpose and what he needs to accomplish. The human race is rapidly dying off as a result of environmental catastrophes and disease. Shyloh’s final life is in Shambhala, Tibet 2607. In this incarnation, Shyloh is living in a hidden peaceful valley as a woman that is second in command to a female Dalai Lama. Shyloh also continues to be a healer. Her struggles involve the Yeti in this story. The Yeti leader is an incarnation that Shyloh has had to deal with since her first incarnation.

As Shyloh passes between each incarnation he is made to forget. As each lifetime passes, he remembers more and more from the past incarnations. This enables him to start the healing some of his karmic debts. The more experiences Shyloh has with the people from his past, the easier the remembering is.

The author, John Nelson, draws upon his gift as a psychiatrist to delve deeply into the psyche of the main characters. They are very well developed and it is interesting to see the progress along their path and how they learn to resolve their karmic issues. I loved that Shyloh’s soul covers such a huge range of time. This is the first story of reincarnation that I have read that takes the main character into the future. Dr. Nelson also does an excellent job of making each era of time complete and realistic. I highly recommend this novel, “The Remembering: a Novel of Karma and Global Peril.”

http://www.readerviews.com/

Not so long ago, when you wanted a new power supply, you went to your local electronics store and picked up a standard 300 watt unit. It didn’t matter which one you bought, because they were all virtually the same. They had the same connectors, the same fan in the back, a generic unit for all PC’s. Times have changed.

The most obvious difference is all the wattages available. You can still get that 300 watt model, but it has cousins now in the 400 to 500 watt range that are almost as cheap. Gamers routinely purchase 700 watt PSU’s, and get them for under $100. For the truly power mad, a 1000 watt can be found for $400.

That standard 300 watt unit came with nine Molex 4 pin connectors whether you needed them or not. Now, leading brands like Ultra and Thermaltake have gone to a modular design for their high end units, meaning you only have to plug in the wires you need, and leave the rest out of your PC entirely. So, if you only need five, you plug five into the PSU, connect them to your hard drive, CD/DVD, and so forth. It improves airflow greatly.

Speaking of connectors, many units are sold SATA ready, meaning they have at least two 7 pin SATA connectors, and most likely more. I’ve seen some with six. This means no fiddling around with those 4 pin to 7 converters.

The old style ATX motherboard required a 20 pin power connector, but the ATX 2.0 standard calls for a 24 pin. You can get PSU’s with either setup, and convert one to the other with an adapter, if necessary. The adapters sell for $5.

Michael Quarles is the author of “Building a PC for Beginners”. His website is http://www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com/computer-power-supply.html