Intellakast

In Buying a Business

adonn — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:03:22 +0000

When most people think of starting a business, they think of beginning from scratch–developing your own ideas and building the company from the ground up. But starting from scratch presents some distinct disadvantages, including the difficulty of building a customer base, marketing the new business, hiring employees and establishing cash flow…all without a track record or reputation to go on.

In most cases, buying an existing business is less risky than starting from scratch. When you buy a business, you take over an operation that’s already generating cash flow and profits. You have an established customer base, reputation and employees who are familiar with all aspects of the business. And you don’t have to reinvent the wheel–setting up new procedures, systems and policies–since a successful formula for running the business has already been put in place.
On the downside, buying a business is often more costly than starting from scratch. However, it’s easier to get financing to buy an existing business than to start a new one. Bankers and investors
generally feel more comfortable dealing with a business that already has a proven track record. In addition, buying a business may give you valuable legal rights, such as patents or copyrights, which can prove very profitable. Of course, there’s no such thing as a sure thing–and buying an existing business is no exception. If you’re not careful, you could get stuck with obsolete inventory, uncooperative employees or outdated distribution methods.

Watch “Catch .44″ Movie

adonn — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:46:24 +0000

For Tes (Akerman) and her two cohorts Kara (Nikki Reed) and Tara (Deborah Ann Woll), the job sounded simple enough: intercept a double-cross drug shipment for their crime boss Mel (Willis) at an isolated diner. But when an unstoppable chain of events unfolds, everyone soon realizes no one is who they seem and the job may be something other than eliminating the competition. What started as simple instructions has now turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game – with large guns pointed at everyone.
Nikki Reed and Deborah Ann Woll play young lovelies with guns who are not afraid to use them. As the film opens they are on some kind of mission for a drug lord (Bruce Willis, nicely odd) that lands them in a diner, where their holdup plans don’t go so well.Then the script (by Aaron Harvey, who also directed) starts jumping around in time, giving us glimpses of how this ill-fated moment came about. Forest Whitaker turns up with an itchy trigger finger and a goofy accent, and the double crosses start piling up along with the bodies.
Mr. Harvey doesn’t provide quite enough wit to make this consistently entertaining or quite enough character development to make you root for or against anyone. The film also burns a lot of time on a guns-drawn three-way standoff, the kind of scene that probably looks good on the page but never does sustain tension on the screen. Then, blam blam blam, the tale ends. Someone emerges as the victor. You probably won’t care who.

Watch “The Adventures of Tintin” Movie

adonn — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:57:54 +0000

The exploits are based on three classic Tintin books by the Belgian comic-book artist Hergé (the pseudonym for journalist and illustrator Georges Remi) – “The Crab With the Golden Claws,” “The Secret of the Unicorn,” and “Red Rackham’s Treasure.” Those titles alone provide a taste of the film’s flavor. With his quiff of orangey hair and his boy-wonder doggedness, Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his trusty terrier Snowy circle the globe in pursuit of buried treasure. Along for the ride – which entails airplanes, frigates, and motorcyles – is the boozy sea captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). Chief nemesis is the malevolent Sakharine (Daniel Craig), with whom Haddock has, as they say, a history.
There are some amusing bits: An opera diva belts out arias and shatters glass in glorious 3-D; the intrepid Snowy rides to the rescue more than once. But Spielberg makes the mistake of piling on the action nonstop, and even though he’s a whiz at dynamic compositions even in this computerized format, enough is enough. It’s the same mistake most action directors with a smidgen of Spielberg’s talent make all the time. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” series is a prime culprit. (A one-sentence review of the penultimate film in that series could have read: “Is it over yet?”).

The Stark Hands

adonn — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:55:51 +0000

Prosthetic hands typically come in three varieties: purely cosmetic models; hooks and other low-cost mechanical appendages that provide a limited range of motion; and electronic versions that better mimic natural hand movements yet can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Mark Stark’s prosthetic incorporates the best elements of each. Although its minimalist plastic assembly is nearly as light and inexpensive as a common steel hook, it looks and moves like a high-end electronic hand.
Stark, who makes his living designing valves for dryers and other appliances, got into prosthetics in part to help his friend, Dave Vogt, who was born without a left hand. Stark’s creation is electronics-free, but its fingers each have three knuckles (two on the thumb) that bend separately to conform to anything the wearer grasps, including irregularly shaped objects that a hook can’t hold.
The Stark Hand screws into the same socket-and-cable system but adds a lever on the palm that connects to five more cables, each running up the back of a finger. A shoulder movement triggers the lever to tug all five fingers open at once, and the individual cables let each finger rebound on its own. Springs in each joint contract until each finger comes to rest on an object, so some fingertips can curl around, say, a wineglass stem while others grasp the cup.

Blinking Often Helps Reduce Computer-related Eye problems

adonn — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:55:57 +0000

Blink frequently while sitting in front of your monitor to reduce the risk of dry eyes from prolonged computer use, said an optometrist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

“Many work in front of a computer all day and this can leave vision vulnerable to problems like dry eyes, eyestrain and other problems that may signal computer vision syndrome,” said Keshia Sims Elder, assistant professor in the UAB School of Optometry. “Blinking keeps the front surface of the eye moist.”
There are other ways to protect sight and avoid computer vision syndrome, Elder said.
Have a regular comprehensive eye exam to ensure healthy eyes and correct eyeglass or contact-lens strength. Rest your eyes and look away from the computer for 20 seconds occasionally. Use a humidifier at home to boost eye moisture. Wear glasses that are specifically designed to function comfortably at the computer. “Special glasses and computer screen filters are available to help reduce glare and discomfort.

The Death Valley Junction

adonn — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 10:56:09 +0000

No trip to California is quite complete without at least seeing the vast desert that is Death Valley. Death Valley Junction is the city closest to the National Park and so is the place that you’ll want to put on your list for this part of the trip. There are a few historic sites here as well, mostly related to the railroad history of California.
This is a tiny Mojave Desert community in unincorporated Inyo County, California, at the intersection of SR 190 and SR 127, just east of Death Valley National Park. The zip code is 92328, the elevation is 2,041 ft (622 m), and the population fewer than 20. The U.S. Geological Survey lists a historic variant name of Amargosa for the community which is shown as the primary name on an official
State of Nevada map from 1971. Its existence and name are official with a USGS feature ID of 1656477. The default format for wired phone numbers
Death Valley Junction is home to the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, where resident Marta Becket has staged dance and mime shows since the late 1960s. The hotel is operating and the shows
continue at the opera house, but beyond these maintained areas, the town is in a state of disrepair. There are no gas stations, and only one restaurant. The single restaurant, T&T Cafe, is part of the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, but is not run by the hotel staff.

The Los Angeles in California

adonn — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:54:30 +0000

Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.
Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a world center of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, and education. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. Los Angeles has been ranked the third richest city and fifth most powerful and influential city in the world. The Los Angeles combined statistical area (CSA) has a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of $831 billion (as of 2008), making it the third largest economic center in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas.As the home base of Hollywood, it is also known as the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” leading the world in the creation of television and stage production, motion pictures, video games, and recorded music. The importance of the entertainment business to the city has led many celebrities to call Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs home. Additionally, Los Angeles hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics.

The Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe

adonn — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:28:23 +0000

If you are nature tripper and lover as well, you cannot resist with the beauty of Victoria falls located in Zimbabwe. It is the spot in Africa where you can enjoy everything that you see.
The Victoria Falls are one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. If you’re planning a trip to Southern Africa you simply have to witness this mile-long curtain of falling water. As the explorerDavid Livingstone remarked when he first saw them “scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”.
The Victoria Falls lie in between Zambia andZimbabwe in Southern Africa. The falls are part of two national parks, Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe.
The Victoria Falls are just over 1 mile wide (1.7 km) and 355 feet (108 m) high. During the wet season over 500 million liters (19 million cubic feet) of water plummets over the edge into the Zambezi River. This incredible amount of water generates a huge amount of spray which shoots 1000 feet into the sky and can be seen 30 miles away, hence the nameMosi-oa-Tunya (Smoke that thunders).

Going to Masai Mara National Park

adonn — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:26:22 +0000

When you got to Africa, one of the nicest places to visit is the Masai Mara National Park. It is where the chosen good spots in Africa are can be seen.
The Masai Mara Reserve lies 168 miles from the capital city of Nairobi. The trip takes at least 6 hours by car because the roads are quite poor and should not be attempted unless you have a 4WD vehicle. If you do plan to drive, avoid the rainy season since many of the roads become totally impassable. For further information on road routes see Kenyaology’s very comprehensive guide to driving to the Masai Mara Reserve.
Many tourist choose to fly into the Masai Mara National Reserve because of the poor quality roads. But flying makes your safari quite a bit more expensive (since you have to then add the game drives to your tour) and you miss out on some of the adventure of traveling in one of Africa’s more remote areas.
Many safari packages include air but you can also purchase a ticket locally. Kenya Airwaysoffers two scheduled flights a day from Wilson Airport; the flight takes 45 minutes.

Watch “Warrior” Movie

adonn — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:03:49 +0000

Haunted by a tragic past, ex-Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for SPARTA, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. But when Brendan’s unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart, facing off in the most soaring, soul stirring, and unforgettable climax that must be seen to be believed.
Shot on location in working-class Pittsburgh, the movie, with its gritty look and punchy editing, is an unapologetic powerhouse of emotional conflict.
While it doesn’t escape the standard fight-film tropes (such as the drive to rise above the milieu’s seediness and the explosion of testosterone that informs every decision), the movie is so skillfully made, and the performances are so convincingly real (Hardy is sensational), that, as it reaches its cathartic, winning finish, it achieves a surprising compassion and honesty.
Warrior takes the opposite approach in almost every respect. It’s a very small, very blunt, blue-collar Pittsburgh story with a lot on its mind about what working-class folks are up against these days. Its story centers on two estranged brothers, neither of whom can stand their alcoholic dad, who has growled into vibrant life by Nick Nolte. Iraq-war vet Tommy, as played by Tom Hardy, is damaged goods — angry, brutal, quite literally spoiling for a fight.