Six Steps to Thoughtful Wooden Handcrafted Gifts That Are Fun to Make and a Joy to Give

Woodworking and handcrafts do not require an investment in a workshop or special craft room. With a few simple tools (mostly hand tools) and preparation of your work area you can begin crafting wooden treasures right at your kitchen table or on the living room floor. Let your creative talents be expressed in small woodworking projects. Watch the joyful faces of those who receive your wooden creations as gifts.



AUTHOR BIO:
Carl Chesal is a business consultant, internet marketer and professional photographer. His hobbies include Gardening and Woodworking. He operates (http://www.homeandbodyhowto.com) - Home And Body How To, providing Home and Garden DIY project plans, woodworking template plans, memorabilia, cooking recipes, and music gear. Something for the Do-It-Yourself Carpenter, Cook, Gardener, Decorator, Collector, and Musician.

Six Steps to Thoughtful Wooden Handcrafted Gifts That Are Fun to Make and a Joy to Give

DIY Soldering Tip - How To Keep Water Away From the Joint to be Soldered

Remember when you solder your copper pipes (especially the ones lying horizontal), you need to ensure NO water remains in the pipes; especially, anywhere within meters of the joint to be soldered. Failing to keeping the water away from the solder joint will result is less than optimal heat at the joint to ensure a proper temperature, which will allow the solder to flow around the joint.

Solution: Stuff pieces of store-bought sliced white bread into each pipe coming to the connection, connect the joint with the proper sleeve or elbow and then solder the joints. The bread acts as a dam and stops the water from being drawn to the hot joint. Keeping the water away from the hot joint, stops cooling and ensures the hottest pipe temperature for solder adherence. You will see that the solder flows around the joint when you get it hot enough with the torch.

Once you are finished the entire piping job, remove the screen filter from the sink faucet. turn on the water and you will see the white bread now break down and be washed down the drain.


About the Author:

Carl Chesal is a business and channel development consultant, trainer, internet marketer and professional photographer. His hobbies include Gardening and Woodworking. He operates BizFare Enterprise Inc, providing business, marketing, and internet marketing consulting services. Bizfare Enterprise also operates a number of secure on-line shopping sites, like Home And Body How To

DIY Soldering Tip - How To Keep Water Away From the Joint to be Soldered

Parenting Life's Ultimate Vocation - Being the Best Global Parent by Learning, Growing and Applying

Is it miraculous or maturity that, as a newbie grandparent, the meaning of life seems clearer than ever?

This new and wondrous child, our granddaughter Ellie, has jumped Grandma (Baba) and Grandpa into a new chapter of our lives. After some over-fifty reflection, the notion of making a name for yourself in the corporate or political realm now appears to sit more toward the “all about me” end of the “lifetime achievement” scale. Being a positive contributor to the world is really the ultimate goal of life - moving up the 'Scale of Lifetime Achievement' toward the more selfless “all about you” end of the scale.

This personal aspiration of growing global goodness can be somewhat formidable. So maybe applying a more localized focus for your personal earthly contributions is the best way to positively impact this world. Goodness in bite size pieces! It is the small individual acts of goodness, when aggregated with others people's small positive contributions, that really make this world a better place for everyone.

MEANING OF LIFE #1: Contributing to Life, even through the smallest action, is the meaning of life itself.

Life and my upbringing has taught me one thing: The best way to make this a better world is to focus on your local world, starting with your immediate family and then your community. “Keep your own backyard in order”, my parents used to say.

Think about your earthly role and responsibilities from the aspect of a sibling, a life partner or a friend. It may allow you to identify ways you can make a material difference to those closest to you. After all, this is your circle of influence, where you should responsibly provide the greatest and most profound impact on human behavior. Think of this. If our life's accomplishments and contributions created a positive force on our immediate Circle of Influence, this world would continue to grow and prosper into a much better place for us and future generations.

Scientists and Psychologists have long said that our whole human personality blueprint is determined in the first 10 years of our lives – our formative years. By the age of 10 years 90% of our Life Values are solidly established in each individual. Think of this! In the first 10 years of our lives, the way we think, the way we think of ourselves and others is defined and imprinted as our psychological makeup. Our Value System is now defined - the course of HOW we grow and interface with our earthly surroundings. The only way this personal value course or mindset can be altered would be through some significant emotional event: some impactful event that 'stops us in our tracks' and forces us to consider a alternate path from this point forward.

With such lifelong impact associated with our formative years, it stands to reason that Parenting is a major determination of a child's ultimate adult human behavior. It is our role as parents that garners the single most important impact on life. There can be no greater vocation in life than raising children to become productive, positive and additive to the goodness in this world.

Parenting, at a minimum, requires that a child's need for basics, like Food, Shelter and Safety, be met. It is the higher needs of Affection, building self-esteem and self-actualization that truly define the areas that are affected by parenting or early childhood development.

MEANING OF LIFE #2: Being a committed Father or Mother to all your children!

Provide your children with a solid foundation so they may be the Best That They Can Be as an adult. Be committed to all levels of child and adolescent development. Across the entire range of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:
- Physiological
- Safety
- Love, Affection and Belonging
- Self- Esteem and Esteem received from others
- Self-Actualization (a person's need to be and do that which the person was "born to do”)

There is nothing more important than being a parent! The foundation for a person's adult life is influenced, molded and formed in those formative years of life. The parent has the ability and responsibility to create the best environment for learning and enforcing social, self-confidence, attitude and leadership skills.

Like any area of expertise, parenting (and in a support role grand-parenting and teachers) requires continuous study, discussion and exercise to improve and perfect the craft.

MEANING OF LIFE #3: Life is all about learning, growing and applying (Ask Listen Try) to create an even better world.

Let's expand the traditional definition of parenting. Being parent-like could also include responsible parenting to those children of the global community called our friends, our colleagues and our neighbors. Expand the idea of Parenting or Grand-parenting to include any adult responsible for some aspect of a child's upbringing or development or education. Now with even more committed and responsible parents ensuring a healthy childhood environment, won't this be a much more supportive and tolerant world?

I must get back to being a grandfather. I truly enjoy this part of my life!


About the Author:

Carl Chesal is a business and channel development consultant, trainer, internet marketer and professional photographer. He operates BizFare Enterprise Inc, providing business, marketing, and internet marketing consulting services. Bizfare Enterprise also operates a number of secure on-line Professional Services sites, like Communicate Innovate.

Parenting Life's Ultimate Vocation - Being the Best Global Parent by Learning, Growing and Applying

Landscaping with Trees Help Conserve Energy and Save Energy Costs

In your Landscaping Plans, consider planting trees. Trees not only add value, they can also save energy. This can lead to lower monthly heating and air conditioning bills, while giving you pleasure for years to come.

Deciduous trees (i.e. trees that lose their leaves in the fall) when planted on the south and west sides of your homes will grow to be an energy-reducing feature - and therefore, it's a cost saving feature too. The shade produced by deciduous trees during hot summer months reduces the burden placed on cooling equipment such as fans, heat pumps and air conditioners.

Tall evergreens planted on the north side of your home will perform the same energy-saving function in the winter. They can block those northerly winter winds. This in turn reduces the work your furnace will have to do to maintain a reasonable level of warmth in your home

Remember, energy, like money, doesn't grow on trees. But trees can be an energy and money saving device for your home.

Landscaping with Trees Help Conserve Energy and Save Energy Costs

Inexpensive Automated Eco-Friendly Water Soaker Garden Irrigation System – Do-It-Yourself - Create a Water Conservation Garden

You looked at installing a underground sprinkler system on your property. And then stopped short when you realized the thousands of dollars it would cost! How could plastic pipe and sprinkler heads cost so much? Here is a lasting inexpensive water irrigation system that is near maintenance free and will have your neighbors wondering why they never see you watering your garden and plants. You can claim yours to be an environmentally friendly garden soaker system (or water drip system), using the minimum amount of water to sustain your plants and shrubs.

Get the water as close to the plant roots as possible. Using less water is important to our global environment.

Communities now encourage water soaker systems instead of sprinkler systems. Water applied near the ground will mostly be absorbed into the earth where it is needed by the plant and grass roots. Water sprayed above the plants and grass lands on the leaves and flowers before dripping to the ground. This longer exposure to the air will cause much of the sprayed or sprinkled water to evaporate into the hot summer air.

More than ever now communities control the watering of lawns and gardens during the summer months. Sometimes you are restricted to garden watering only - not lawns. An automatic water timer system combined with a soaker hose system makes plenty of sense in reducing the amount of water dispensed to water your garden plants and shrubs.

So how can I make an effective soaker system for my garden for under $500?

With some off-the-shelf components, you can have a simple but elegant soaker system that with be automatic and near maintenance free. With a simple water timer system, Y-connectors, faucet multipliers, some 1 1/2” ABS pipe, quality 1/2” garden hose and your choice of soaker hoses or irrigation hoses for potted or hanging plants, border gardens, row gardens or (dare I say) even lawn sprinklers. You now have the elements for a simple soaker irrigation system for your garden. This do-it-yourself automatic water irrigation system will ensure you water plants at the best time every day; specifically, early morning and late afternoon. As an added home security feature, when you are away from home your garden will sustain its beauty and make it look like someone is at home.

Here is the material list required for your automatic garden soaker system. (Note: there is a complete Picasa image gallery of all the required components of this inexpensive soaker system at http://picasaweb.google.com/carl.chesal/GardenIrrigationSystem ):

1) Select your water timer – I selected Orbit from Home Depot. Make sure it has a battery timer so power outages won't alter your scheduled watering times. It should allow for at least 3 watering zones.

2) Select your main faucet multiplier (or Valve splitter) that will attach to your outside water faucet and can accommodate the 3-4 water zones plus a spare to allow for regular garden hose watering. You can secure these special faucet multipliers from garden centers or at Lee Valley Tools.

3) Enough 1 1/2” ABS pipe (and glue) and 22.5 degree elbows to run underground (6” - 10” depth). Use the 22.5 degree elbows only to allow for easy insertion of the garden hose into the ABS pipe. You can cut further costs by burying the garden hoses directly underground. The ABS piping does provide added protection from accidental puncture from aerators, pitch forks and other garden tools. This ABS pipe can also serve double duty to run low voltage wire or speaker wire to the remote areas of your garden.

4) Enough quality garden hoses to run through the ABS pipe and connect to the soaker hoses in all your garden beds.

5) Soaker hoses for all your garden beds.

6) Enough Faucet multipliers (Valve splitters) to extend each watering zone with soaker hose as required.


Creating your automatic garden soaker system involves more of a landscaping effort than anything else. Here are 3 steps to completing your eco-friendly automatic garden soaker system (Note: refer to the Picasa image gallery for details of component assembly):

1) Bury the ABS pipe feeding the garden hose through it as you connect and glue the pipe sections. Bury the pipe 6”-10” under your lawn or sidewalk. Have both ends extend out of the ground using the 22.5 degrees elbows so that the stiff hose can still be easily pulled through the pipe.

2) Connect the soaker hoses to the ends of the garden hoses and weave the soaker hoses through your garden under plants and around shrubs. Follow the installation instructions of the soaker hose manufacturer.

3) Install the water timer and water zone valves on the faucet multiplier. Connect the hoses for each zone. Follow the installation instructions of the water timer manufacturer. Do not set the water time for each zone more than 20 minutes each. Set two water times – early morning (around 6 am) and late afternoon (around 7 pm).


Maintenance of your Irrigation System and Preparation for Freezing Winter Temperatures:

1) Disconnect the [zone] hoses at the main faucet where the Water Timer is located.

2) Using a Shop Wet Vac, suck the excess water from each zone hose. Use electrical tape to secure the vacuum pipe against the end of the hose. Turn on the wet vac and let it run for 10-15 minutes. Empty the water extracted before repeating this for each hose at the main faucet. You will extract enough water from the hoses so as not to incur any winter damage to your hoses from freezing water.

3) Tape a plastic bag over the ends of each of the [zone] hoses. This will prevent little critters from getting in the hoses and clogging them when you reconnect the system in the spring.

4) Remove the water timer and faucet multiplier. Store them in a warm place where they will not freeze.

5) Note: you DO NOT need to disconnect and remove the soaker hoses. They should last 4-6 years before you need to replace them. Check the soaker hoses each spring for holes. You can patch these holes with high-friction Silicone tape. You may also leave outdoors all-year-round any valve splitters that were used to increase the soaker hoses in a particular water zone.

You now have an inexpensive water soaker system that won't break the bank. You have saved thousands of dollars and can boast of being a friend to our environment. You clearly are doing your part for water conservation and the ecology. Nice going!

Inexpensive Automated Eco-Friendly Water Soaker Garden Irrigation System – Do-It-Yourself - Create a Water Conservation Garden

Home Security Checklist – 10 Simple Steps to Securing Your Home Interior Property - Securing Your Residential Property

Homeowners can stop most Residential Break and Enters (B & E). B & E offences are perpetrated mostly by unsophisticated criminals who seize immediate opportunities. Unfortunately, opportunities provided by homeowners themselves.

Specific things (opportunities) the potential offender looks for:

1) Homes which appear unoccupied (i.e. Owner/renter on vacation) - lawns not mowed, newspapers piled at the front door, mail accumulation, no lights at times (usually night) when a family might be expected to be at home;

2) Homes and neighborhoods where the owners/renters appears to be at work - mail in mailbox, packages at door, advertising flyers left at front door. A simple act of ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door can confirm this;

3) Homes in upscale neighborhoods (more to steal);

4) Open garages (entry point to the house, place to hide or steal contents);

5) An easy method of entry offering concealment - fenced-in or hedged back yards, rear or side doors/windows completely or partially shielded from view by fences, screened patios, shrubs, sheds, basement window wells;

6) Easy entry points - unlocked doors/windows, easy-to-open doors/windows (sliding windows or patio doors that can be lifted out of their tracks), breakable glass in or near doors that could allow door to be unlocked, doors that can easily be forced open using a foot, plastic card, crowbar or chisel (poor quality locks or poor installation).

Here are 10 ways to Target Harden your Dwelling whether you are away for the day or for a lengthy trip:

1) Create Light and Sound. Use automatic timers for your lights inside and motion detector lighting outside your house. New timers have a random on/off time and battery backup in case of power outages. Make it look like your house is occupied both during the day as well as at night. Attach lights and radios to these timers.

2) Leave a key with a trusted friend or neighbor so they can check, at least every 48 hours, on your home. Some home insurance policies stipulate such regular checks of your home or you void your insurance coverage. Consider a house sitter.

3) Create that lived-in look. For lengthy trips away from home, have a neighbor park a car in your driveway, keep your front door clear of newspapers/brochures and mow grass/remove snow.

4) Ensure all windows, all doors and all garage doors are locked. Disconnect power to automatic garage doors. Proper dead bolt, hinge, lock, latch and door frame installation is important to ensure doorways and windows cannot be pried open, spread apart or screws removed to allow easier forced entry into your home. Change locks on new homes or if your key has been lost. If they want in make breaking glass the only option for a criminal. Glass can be hardened, especially in and near doors, with tempered and special break-proof laminates. Use steel solid exterior doors only. Install through-door viewers to ensure you can see who in at your door before you open it. Video surveillance cameras connected to your PC and also your PDA are now reasonably priced.

5) Install an alarm system that wails loudly when tripped. Just like the flashing alarm light in your automobile, have a similar visible indicator in your front and back windows. Make potential intruders know that you have a burglar alarm system.

6) Install bars or grill work in your basement windows (these can be opened from inside in case of fire). A window well provides a convenient place for a would-be thief to take lots of time to enter your home through the basement.

7) Don't leave your garage door opener in your car when you are at work. If a thief breaks into your automobile they know your home address from your vehicle permit. If you leave your garage door opener in the vehicle, they now also have easy access to your home, while you are at work.

8) Document your possessions. Take Photos and/or Videotape all your valuables. Every year video your entire home, belongings and property. Record serial numbers on large valuables. Store all this information off-site. You now have a record of all your property incase of theft or fire.

9) Register and mark valuables through Operation Identification (contact your local Police). Obtain an engraver from your Community Police Office or buy one. Etch or engrave your driver's license number (not SSN or SIN) on valuables. If stolen and later found, Police can check with Motor Vehicles for your name and address. Keep minimum cash and valuables in your home. Secure valuables off-site (bank safety deposit box).

10) Maintain a good neighbor community. Organize a Neighborhood Watch. Look out for each other. That snoopy neighbor can be a perfect burglar alarm system.

Your home and property are part of a community and neighborhood. There is always strength in numbers. Expand your home security network. Work to have your community burglar unfriendly. Clearly let the bad guys know, “Go Somewhere Else”!




About Bizfare Enterprise Inc
Bizfare Enterprise Inc provides a secure online shopping experience for high quality products and professional services. Products sold through inter-linked websites include: Fashion - clothing, jewelry, leather accessories; Home and Garden Decor - pewter, room accents, recreation; Collectibles & Memorabilia - mohair bears, photographs, sports items; Hobbies & Crafts - cooking, DIY wood projects, gardening, Music - equipment and services. Bizfare Enterprise Professional Services provide our clients with applied real world experience in Business and Channel Sales and Development, Internet Marketing, Commercial Photography, Personal Development and Professional Writing Services.

Home Security Checklist – 10 Simple Steps to Securing Your Home Interior Property - Securing Your Residential Property

Home Security Check - 10 Simple Steps to Securing Your Exterior Property - Securing Your Residential Property from Break and Enter (B&E) and Burglary

Most Residential Break and Enters (B & E) are crimes of opportunity. They occur because homeowners provide the opportunity and there are individuals (criminal elements) willing to take advantage of the situation. Police and Community Policing efforts continue to empower communities to collectively develop partnerships aimed at delivering meaningful crime prevention and community safety initiatives like Neighborhood Watch.

The 3 major deterrents to most crimes targeting residential property include:
1) reducing opportunity
2) increasing the difficulty to perpetrate a crime of theft, burglary or intrusion
3) increasing the time required for an intruder to perpetrate the crime

all of which will increase the offenders rick of being observed and reported to police. A collective cooperation of a community and neighborhood, like the Neighborhood Watch program, does discourage local crime and drives them to go elsewhere. The real objective is “crime displacement” not “crime reduction” - Go somewhere else, but Not Here.

Residential B&E offenders are usually not sophisticated criminals. They look for the easiest target possible like unlocked windows (basement or first floor), unlocked front door and lifting patio doors out of their tracks. They could also perform simple forceful entry through doors or windows. Daytime (0900 to 1700 hours), when no one is at home, is the most common time for Residential Break and Enter crimes.

Here are 10 simple ways to Target Harden your property's Exterior Grounds and Locks, which are your first line of defense against intruders:

1) Trees and shrubs near any windows (front, back yard or sides) - ensure trees and shrubs cannot conceal a potential intruder and allow the offender to work unnoticed on doors or windows. Cut back trees and trim shrubs low from the top and trim them up from the ground. Remove them if they can conceal a person. (increase the rick of being observed)

2) Sheds or any other out buildings - ensure no one can hide behind sheds or other buildings. (increase the rick of being observed)

3) Hedge, Perimeter Bushes or Fence - does their height, density or privacy allow for offender concealment. Again allowing offenders to work unobserved on rear windows and doors. Lock gates forcing the offender to scale over the fence. (increase the difficulty and the time)

4) Motion Detectors and Lights - use motion detectors on lighting so that when the lights come on the neighbors know something or someone is moving around your house. A motion detector could be applied to trigger a radio show to play inside the house, just like a similar application in the movie Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Make it look like someone could be at home. (reduce the opportunity and increase the rick of being observed)

5) Timers and Day/Night Timers - Light up your garden, pathways, sidewalks and your property with low voltage and LED lighting. These are beautiful landscaping touches to your property as well.(increase the rick of being observed)

6) Barking dog - A dog inside your house that barks on the slightest motion or noise outside your house is a great opportunity reducer. A big barking dog is even better. Some police feel a barking dog is more effective than an burglar alarm system. As a simple alternative, a radio set on a talk channel will make it appear like the house is occupied. The offender will hear conversation coming from inside the dwelling. (reduce the opportunity and increase the rick of being observed)

7) Ladders - Remove all climbable objects like ladders, trellises, BBQ, picnic table, trees close to the house. These could be used to gain access to second floor windows and balconies. Remove, lock-up, cut down as necessary. (increase the difficulty and the time)

8) Telephone and Cable - shield and protect so they cannot be cut from outside your house. Monitored alarm systems typically require the use of the telephone or cable connection. (reduce the opportunity)

9) Parking and Garage – ensure your parking area and garage door(s) are visible to the street. Keep your garage door(s) closed when you are not in the front yard and lock your vehicles. Don't make it easy for an offender to just walk into your garage and steal what they want. (reduce the opportunity)

10) Locks - good locks (and chains where appropriate) on your shed, gate, BBQ and picnic table. Ensure nothing can get moved. Locks on your doors and windows will receive more detailed discussion under a separate article on securing your Interior Property. (reduce the opportunity and increase the difficulty)

Your home and property are both your castle and your fortress. Be smart and keep your home safe for your family and friends. With some common sense and the help of your local hardware store, you can keep the good inside and clearly let the bad guys know, “Go Somewhere Else”!





About Bizfare Enterprise Inc
Bizfare Enterprise Inc provides a secure online shopping experience for high quality products and professional services. Products sold through inter-linked websites include: Fashion - clothing, jewelry, leather accessories; Home and Garden Decor - pewter, room accents, recreation; Collectibles & Memorabilia - mohair bears, photographs, sports items; Hobbies & Crafts - cooking, DIY wood projects, gardening, Music - equipment and services. Bizfare Enterprise Professional Services provide our clients with applied real world experience in Business and Channel Sales and Development, Internet Marketing, Commercial Photography, Personal Development and Professional Writing Services.

Home Security Check - 10 Simple Steps to Securing Your Exterior Property - Securing Your Residential Property from Break and Enter (B&E) and Burglary

Laughing Keeps You Healthy - Laughter is the Best Medicine – Keeping Laughter in Your Life

An infant's smile or a child's laugh is magical. Receiving a smile from an infant or child elicits an automatic smile from any adult. Parents, grandparents and adults alike will perform varying degrees of happy face antics in the hope of getting a baby to smile. Medical studies have determined that laughing is both contagious and healthy.

I it's most demure mode, laughing will manifest itself visually as a smile maybe coupled with some wide eye contact. At the other extreme end of the laughing scale, you will realize Visual, Kinesthetic, and Auditory displays – leg slapping, belly shaking, body contorting laughter! Just thinking about this 'Laugh Attack' brings a smile to your face. Remembering or thinking about laughter itself physically and mentally emotes all the positive effects of actually laughing.

The beautiful thing about laughter is that it is contagious. It matters not whether you initiate laughing or it comes from some other source, the health benefits of laughing have been studied and documented.
Laughter is the BEST MEDICINE!

Yet, laughter is still one of the least understood of human behaviors and one that is just now a serious study by scientists. Science has been able to determine three parts of the brain are activated during a good laugh: 1) a thinking or cognitive area for understanding the joke, 2) a movement or kinesthetic part for initiating muscle movement, and 3) an emotional region that derives the “giddy” feeling. Why do people laugh at jokes delivered while others laugh at incongruities like pain inflicted or a threatening situations? Is laughter a signal indicating a action is meant “in fun”? These things are still being studied.

Laughter makes us (and others) feel better.

Studies have identified a number of areas, where applying laughter, will be a positive and healthy experience. Feel better by laughing:

1) Health and laughing
A) lifts up your mood
B) is contagious and positive
C) is stress reducing
D) has proven long term connections to improved mental health

2) Learning and laughter has shown that
A) levity as a teaching style reduces fear and anxiety and opens students up to learning and absorbing
B) well-planned, appropriate, contextual humor can help students ingrain information

3) Relationships and laughing
A) help create a social lubricant that, in groups, encourages cooperation and altruistic behavior
B) is believed to be one of the earliest forms of communication; especially, emotional communication. Laughter could have preceded the spoken word and bonded groups in pre-historic society.


“By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh an average of 17 times a day.” “Science of Laughter” Discovery Health


Clearly as adults we do not laugh enough. Here are ten ideas to improve and increase laughter [and fun] in your life:

1) Receive, Share and Tell Jokes - email is awesome for this and so are social gatherings. Telling jokes (and learning what jokes are appropriate) will prove to improve your social and public speaking skills.

2) Share humorous personal stories - stories about yourself will allow you to laugh at yourself. Laughing at yourself is a great way to express and learn from our mistakes and little foibles.

3) With your family and friends play group games that require group interaction (Parlour Games) - old standards and board games (like Charades, Pictionary, Balderdash, Cranium, Trivial Pursuit, Humzinger) or more organized themed events like a Murder Mystery Night. Excellent for a varied group of age and shyness. These are just FUN! Play like children!

4) Laugh out loud - not just a chuckle, a deep laugh that works the lungs and belly (maybe even brings tears to your eyes). Laughing equals Happy and Happy equals Healthy!

5) Karoke or new video games like Guitar Hero - whether at home or at a public event, singing and music are excellent and fun group situations that will help create fun and laughter!

6) Meet your group at a favorite pub or watering hole - conversation and stories will naturally make you laugh. Have fun!

7) Play Kids' Games - nothing allow you to play like a child than playing with your children or grandchildren. And nothing is more liberating than laughing with children!

8) Learn with friends - experience learning a new language or go to dance class with other people or couples. Laughing will open you up to a better learning experience.

9) Host a Party (maybe with a Fun Theme (item 3) - a casual informal gathering (BYOB, BBQ, Campfire or Dinner Party) will always give people an opportunity to meet and share. Invite fun people and you will create a fun and memorable event.

10) Do something you have never done before - with other people or friends, step out and do something new (community fair, site seeing, small airplane ride, hot air balloon, casino, a day at the track, snowmobiling, skiing). With a group you have both the benefit of increased support and protection. Have fun!

Fun and Laughter is best in a social group setting. Do Not attempt Laughter alone. It is best served with friends. Get Crackin' and Get Laughin'!

Laughing Keeps You Healthy - Laughter is the Best Medicine – Keeping Laughter in Your Life

The Genesis of Computer Art – FORTRAN a Computer Art Medium Replicates the Leonardo da Vinci Mona Lisa – A tribute to John Backus

Where did computer art, computer graphics and computer animation begin?

Written communication became sharable and pervasive once stone etchings were replaced with the mobility of paper and ink. Similarly once computer languages advanced from machine or assembly code to third generation computer languages, only then did computer output advance from simple alphanumerical (maybe mosaic) printouts to graphics and images with smooth curves and realism.

Computer graphical output got its humble start when alphanumeric characters hammered on TTY and line printers to represent X-Y graphs and even mosaic images. It was crude, but allowed for a more effective analysis of mathematical and scientific solutions. Computer programming languages like FORTRAN and BASIC made it easier to develop and program printers, plotters and CRT screens to display and print graphics and ultimately images.


The FORTRAN programming language – a personal and historic short review.

John Backus, the inventor of FORTRAN, passed away on March 17, 2007 at the age of 83. He lead a team of IBM computer scientists to invent the first high-level programming language in 1954. John Backus received the Turing Award in 1977, an IBM Fellowship (1987) and the Draper Prize (1993).

FORTRAN is a computer programming language particularly suited to computation and scientific applications. But it was also used for business applications like the student information system at Saint Mary's University (SMU) in Halifax Nova Scotia. It was a prevalent programming language in business before more structured and english-language-like programming languages came on the scene; namely, COBOL, PL1, RPG, BASIC.

It is FORTRAN that brings back fond memories of coding sheets, punch cards, debugging student code and the old IBM 1130 computer at university. FORTRAN, BASIC and COBOL were the prevalent programming languages of the day (circa 1976). After many iterations of “debugging your code”, having your program work was such a 'high', an exalted feeling of success.

Every Science, Engineering and even Business student undertook a course in one of these languages. A necessary and effective way of understanding the logical and mathematical world of computers. Even more so it offered students an in depth knowledge of business and science processes like order processing, accounting, engineering calculations.

With the recent passing of Mr Backus, I was reminded that there are historical vestiges of that programming era right in my own basement. I have a collection of my most 'profound programming works'. Hardcopy computer code printouts are contained in two binders. Even Better though! These programs are immortalized on 80 column punch cards! Why did I save computer punch cards for over 35 years? Not sure I am able to answer that question – Maybe I need some professional help!


FORTRAN programming as an Art Medium?

I enjoyed programming in FORTRAN. So much so, that I spent most of the Christmas of 1975 duplicating an alphanumeric printout picture of the famous Mona Lisa. This image of the Mona Lisa was done by printing and over-printing standard alphanumeric characters creating a mosaic art piece to form an image of that famous Leonardo da Vinci painting. Step back from this computer printout and you viewed a simple replica of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Not having access to the original programming code, I meticulously counted and coded each character line-by-line from a hardcopy printout into programming print statements. With due respect to the master Leonardo, I used FORTRAN print statements for this task! Like a brush to canvas the computer printout image of Mona Lisa took form after many days of coding.

One of these Mona Lisa Mosaic printouts is framed and hangs in my office where I hone my craft as an Internet Marketer and Photographer. Still have another dozen Mona printouts stored with my programming anthology binder.


The search has begun for access to an 80 column punch card reader.

Getting access to an 80-column card reader could facilitate moving the Mona Lisa FORTRAN code from its analog state to a digital version. Using an online editor, I could once again deploy the power of FORTRAN to print copies of 'computer mosaic' Mona Lisa. Then 'Mosaic Mona' would be available for the world to enjoy.

I figured out that my infatuation with FORTRAN programming might have stemmed from the fact that both FORTRAN and I were coincidentally created in 1954. Thank you John Backus for bringing us computer geeks FORTRAN.



About Bizfare Enterprise Inc
Bizfare Enterprise Inc provides a secure online shopping experience for high quality products and professional services. Products sold through inter-linked websites include: Fashion - clothing, jewelry, leather accessories; Home and Garden Decor - pewter, room accents, recreation; Collectibles & Memorabilia - mohair bears, photographs, sports items; Hobbies & Crafts - cooking, DIY wood projects, gardening, Music - equipment and services. Bizfare Enterprise Professional Services provide our clients with applied real world experience in Business and Channel Sales and Development, Internet Marketing, Commercial Photography, Personal Development and Professional Writing Services.

The Genesis of Computer Art – FORTRAN a Computer Art Medium Replicates the Leonardo da Vinci Mona Lisa – A tribute to John Backus

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