The African Elephant

The African elephant is a majestic creature that stands approximately 10-13 feet tall and weighs between 5.5 and 7 tons. The adult male is larger than the adult female and the average length of an African elephant is 19 to 24 feet, which includes the tip of the trunk to the tip of the tail. The elephant has ears that are shaped like flaps and are used as fans to cool the body. The toes are cushioned with fibrous tissue that helps to protect the elephant's toe bones from being injured. Both male and female elephants have tusks.

Habitat

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Elephants are able to adapt well and can survive in the forest, bush, or savannah areas. They are migratory animals with a home range of approximately 500 feet and older elephants teach younger elephants their migrating patterns. Because of logging and other industrial activities, the natural habitat for African elephants has gotten smaller in size. Many African elephants now make their home in nature parks or zoos.

The African Elephant

Nourishment

Elephants have huge bodies and must eat well to build enough energy to migrate, find food, and survive in the wild. They eat anywhere from 100 to 1,000 pounds of food each day to keep their bodies fueled. However, their bodies cannot digest food very well. Approximately 40% of what an elephant eats is digested; the other 60% is excreted from the body. African elephants eat vegetation that includes grasses, shrubs, and other greenery found in the wild. When elephants are feeding, they often knock down or uproot trees, so they are known as destructive eaters.

Elephant Social Behavior

African elephants live in maternal societies led by the matriarch of the group. Approximately 8-15 elephants travel together at a time. Males leave the group when they reach puberty, but females continue to travel together. Related societies often travel together and communicate with each other in the wild. Elephants mate to reproduce and the gestation period is approximately 22 months. The weight of a baby elephant at birth is anywhere from 175 to 250 pounds. Baby elephants are known as calves.

Adaptations

Elephants have many special adaptations that help them to survive in the wild. The tusks are used for eating and for weapons. The structure of the teeth is important for being able to eat the large quantities of vegetation that elephants ingest each day. The trunk is a recognizable feature used for eating, bathing, and communicating with other elephants. The ears of African elephants are specialized for both hearing and cooling the body. Elephants have excellent hearing abilities that help them to stay safe. Their ears also act as cooling fans when it becomes very hot. Elephants cool themselves by flapping these ears, cooling off the blood in this area of the body.
African elephants are well-known as zoo and circus animals, but they are also wild animals. If you have the opportunity to see an African elephant up close, you'll recognize these physical features and better understand how elephants adapt to and survive in their natural environment.

The African Elephant

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How to Make A Great Press Kit - A Musician's Guide

As an owner of an independent record label, I often get asked how to put together a great press kit. I have found that young musicians understand their music, but are often intimidated by the marketing end of the business. In this article I will help you figure out how to position yourself, whether you are a Latin female vocalist building her base, or an upstart garage band just looking for a break.

What is a Press Kit:

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First of all, there is nothing magical about the term "press kit". All we are talking about is a little background on you/your band, some basic facts, good quotes about your music, a couple of good pictures, and a sample of your music. You will use this to send to newspapers, lawyers, radio stations, A&R reps, promoters, and anyone else who is willing to spend five minutes reviewing your material. Additionally, on the internet you will hear about an electronic press kit, or EPS. An EPS is the exact same thing as a conventional press kit, except it is downloadable as an electronic file instead of a hardcopy form which must be mailed.

How to Make A Great Press Kit - A Musician's Guide

The main purpose of the press kit is to generate interest in the artist and their music.

What to include:

Include a limited amount of background information on yourself. It is fine to say where you are from, but no one really wants to hear about every singing performance you did during elementary school. Sometimes less is more.

Talk about your music. Who do you sound like, and who does your music remind people of. The reader needs to be able to have a good idea of what your music sounds like just from your description. Be thoughtful and feel free to be a little funny here (but stay professional). Saying something like your band sounds like a cross between "Maroon 5 and Green Day after 20 cups of coffee" helps the reader understand. Remember, if you don't generate enough interest in the first minute, they will never listen to your demo.

Talk about what you are good at. What makes your band special and different from others? What skills and experiences do you bring to the table? Remember if you are looking for a record deal, you need to prove to your reader that you have all the right ingredients for them to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars marketing you. Launching a new artist is risky, so you need to help the record exec understand why you are a solid investment.

Include quotes and/or press clippings as you generate them. A good quote from a reputable source (not your brother-in-law) can add a lot of credibility to your press kit. It lets the reader know that you have already been reviewed and your material is worth listening to. Ninety percent of press kits unfortunately end up in the trash, some good quotes and positive reviews can create the momentum necessary to get heard, and who knows - maybe even become famous.

You can go with one page dedicated to a bio (biography), and a separate page focused on quotes about your music, or you can combine the two into what some people call a "one pager". My personal preference is to boil everything down to a tight one pager. My desk gets cluttered and papers get separated. If you have you quotes separate from your bio, there is a possibility that I could misplace one or the other. With the advent of digital photography and high quality color printers, it is even possible to include a small picture on your one pager to make it even more complete.

Make sure the overall language and tone of the press kit is consistent with your image. If you have someone help you write your bio, make sure they have heard you music and know what you are all about before they hand you something that might sound great, but isn't about the real you.

Include a couple of different 8x10 pictures that show off different features about you and your band. Include shots that would be appropriate in a news article, but also highlight your key assets from a visual perspective. Your press kit should look professional, but your pictures should reflect your style and music, so you pictures can be much more crazy and creative. Make sure you clearly label the picture with you name and contact information.

If you don't have good pictures of your band, one of the best ways to get some is to go to a modeling agency and ask for a referral to a good local photographer. These photographers are often willing to do some great work for around 0 for the whole package. Make sure you get an agreement upfront that you own the copyrights after the shot and get the high resolution digital images on CD (with a copyright release you can print these photos at any major retailer). A photographer who does work with models is very different from a photographer who takes family pictures. They have a much better idea of what you want, they will encourage your creativity, and they are much more willing to give you the copyrights.

A current gig sheet can also be useful showing where you have recently played and where you are playing in the near future. This can demonstrate that the music is current and has a following in the community.

And of course, your music. Send a high quality CD demo, preferably mastered if you budget permits. Avoid burning your own CD on your home computer with a stick on label - it looks cheap. There are many new CD duplication services on the internet that will manufacture you CD with a printed color insert, and on disc printing even if you only want a few copies (CD replication is for batches over 1,000 but CD duplication is for batch sizes as small as 1). Expect to pay around a retail ready disc for 1-5 CDs, with prices dropping off for larger batches. Make sure you clearly label the CD and the case with you name and contact information. The worst thing in the world that could happen is that they love your music, but they have already lost the rest of the press kit and don't remember the name of the band.

What Not to Include:

Don't oversell yourself. Saying that you are the greatest band that ever lived, might be true, but it probably isn't. Be positive and promote yourself, but focus on statements that are credible. People in the music business hear hype all of the time, and for the most part are numb to it. Hype is good to use with the general public on things like posters (they often believe it), but your press kit reader is more sophisticated and will see it as cheap theatrics.

Including too much of your personal history can make you seem like an amateur with nothing meatier to talk about. Your reader wants to understand your music today, only your psychologist needs to know about every little detail of your childhood.

Don't include anything that makes you look too desperate. You want to come across as a quality professional artist. Remember, you make great music. If your band is called the Chicken Heads, then it might be cute to include a rubber chicken in the box, but otherwise I would stick to the basics - bio, quotes, gig sheet, pictures, and music.

How to Package It:

Include a professional looking, personalized cover letter targeted at the person you are sending the press kit to. Your message needs to be different if you are sending it to an A&R rep at a label seeking a record deal, versus sending it to your local newspaper for a review in their music section. Be brief and to the point. Also, be clear and state exactly what you would like from them.

Put it all together in an organized package. Since you are most likely mailing your press kits, make sure that the CD does not bend the photos, and that your kit will arrive looking the way you intend. You may even want to test a press kit (send it across the country to a wrong address, and then it will come back to your return address) to evaluate your packaging.

Your Music Is Art, But Your Press Kit Is Business:

Remember, be professional. The person you are sending this press kit to probably gets hundreds of them, most of them are garbage (and that's where they end up too). Your music can be crazy and wild, but your press kit needs to be more business like. You are asking someone to spend their valuable time reviewing your material. You may also be asking them to enter into a high risk expensive financial relationship with you. The person you are dealing with is in the music business, they need to make a living. The only way they can do that is to deal with real talent. By presenting a professional package you give them confidence that you are dedicated to making great music, and not just messing around.

A Word About Unsolicited Press Kits:

Avoid wasting your time and money sending a press kit to someone you have not talked with already. Always call and make contact first, ask who you should send it to and what their process is. If possible, have someone who knows the person act as an intermediate and make the initial introduction (this can work wonders). The music business is all about contacts, create and leverage your network. After sending your press kit, call in a couple of weeks and follow up to make sure they received it and got a chance to review it.

Example:

To see a good example of a press kit, go to Legend Vega's website at [http://www.legendvega.com].

How to Make A Great Press Kit - A Musician's Guide

Scott Richards is the president of an independent record label, 3JVL Productions, Inc.

Want to hear great music?

Visit Legend Vega's Official Website

[http://www.legendvega.com]

Like to download great tunes?

Download Free MP3s [http://www.legendvega.com/free.html]

Interested in pictures of beautiful models?

View sexy hot pics [http://www.legendvega.com/photos.html]

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Truck Paper - Much More Than Just A Semi Trucks For Sale Newspaper

Jim is a semi-truck driver on his way to Seattle and wants to check out the weather conditions. Instead of his trusted print version of Truck Paper, he goes to truckpaper, and then lands on to the web page of Seattle Met Traffic Flow.

Tom is a semi-truck owner who wants to locate semi-truck dealers situated in Nebraska. He types in truckpaper into Google search and viola! The names of 40 semi-truck dealers get displayed.

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When you are involved with trucks, you gotta have information on the tip of your fingers. For years, the Truck Paper newsprint edition has been a trusted friend for many a working owner operator. Usually found at most major truck stops, it is the preferred owner operator companion at the local diner.

Truck Paper - Much More Than Just A Semi Trucks For Sale Newspaper

Many of the owner operators I have interviewed indicated that they had no idea how many tools and resources were available at truckpaper. What I found was that most diehard truck paper newsprint loyalists rarely use the internet version of Truck Paper.

The truck paper can prove to be much more than just semi trucks for sale. Truckpaper is one efficient pit stop providing information on a multitude of owner operator topics.

The truckpaper.com website makes it incredibly easy to shop for your next semi truck. Their search features allow you to compare pricing and features that provide a more focused approach to getting the most semi truck for your money. Whether your interest lays in the legendary Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks or the Japanese Isuzu or may be the world renowned Scania, you just have to browse through the Truck Manufacturers section.

If you are interested in purchasing a semi-truck, then chances are you may also be in need of financing. Truckpaper.com provides various institutions that are interested in financing your purchase. Whether you are purchasing a new truck or used equipment, various institutions are waiting for turning your dream into a reality.

Now that you have purchased a semi-truck, you might be looking out for a driver. Or may be you are interested in becoming an owner operator. Whatever your needs, you can visit the 'Industry Jobs' section and view the jobs listed or post your own requirements. You can also look at the 'View Job Wanted Listings' and 'Post Job Wanted Listings'.

If you are purchasing a newer semi truck for yourself, you might want to sell your old truck. Well, in that case, you need not look beyond truckpaper.com. There are no charges for listing your entry into 'For Sale Listing'. Similarly, you can also check out the ' Want-to Buy' section and locate a prospective buyer for your used truck.

As you have commissioned your new truck into service, you might want to protect it. Truckpaper.com lists out the website addresses of various insurance companies. It also gives the website addresses of various meteorological departments located in the USA. This ensures that your truck and the driver does not run into rough weather and even if it does, you have someone to compensate for your losses.

Sometimes, your semi-truck might get stolen. So, in such cases, apart from registering it with the police, you can also post the information about the stolen truck on truckpaper.com and who know a fellow trucker might help you to locate your truck.

Truckpaper also hosts information on various topics such as provider of various parts, truck services and accessories, driving schools, periodical and publications useful for members of the trucking fraternity, information on various trucking shows and expos, truck auctions etc.

So, if you are a novice in the world of trucks or a veteran member truckpaper.com will surely satisfy all your needs.

Truck Paper - Much More Than Just A Semi Trucks For Sale Newspaper

The author is an independent publisher that covers multiple topics in the heavy duty truck aftermarket. This article feature little known, valuable trucker tools found in the print version of Truck Paper and on the web at Truckpaper.com

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10 Keys to Implementing Business Intelligence Projects on a Shoestring

Price is often considered the greatest factor influencing the decision to implement a Business Intelligence (BI) system.

Don't despair. You can implement BI on a shoestring budget. However, to do so requires strict discipline and adherence to a philosophy that may be contrary to the advice of huge (read: expensive) global consulting firms. Following our shoestring philosophy will not only make success possible but likely; and at a cost well below typical expectations.

Today

At times everyone is willing to tell you what not to do, or to describe the pitfalls to avoid in your BI implementation. Experts may even be willing to talk in vague generalities about the things you should do as long as they don't give away too many "trade secrets." Here are 10 specific keys to successfully implement your BI project on a shoestring budget:

10 Keys to Implementing Business Intelligence Projects on a Shoestring

1 Stick to a Well-Established Methodology

Selecting a vendor that utilizes a clearly defined, repeatable process for system development will impact the successful achievement (or implementation) of the BI project. The system integration or software development vendor you select should have a methodology that clearly defines the processes necessary to produce quality, usable software that meets your business needs and goals and is competitively priced.

Continuous improvement should be the mantra of a vendor with a well developed, clearly defined methodology. You can be a little more confident in a vendor's commitment to methodology if you see an emphasis on continually improving, cleaning up, clarifying, and solidifying their processes.

Carefully evaluate a potential vendor's processes and methodology to determine if it is a) repeatable, b) well defined, and c) focused on continual improvement. If you select a vendor that has little or no process or methodology in place you run the risk of paying for it in slipped schedules, cost overruns, scope creep and outright failure - all of which are costly to both your project and your career.

2 Clearly Define Requirements Up Front

In his book Quality Without Tears, Philip Crosby notes that the cost of rework is the "price of nonconformity (PONC)" because "it is what management chooses to pay for not ensuring work is right the first time." Lofty words from a giant in the quality revolution. In dollars and cents rework typically costs double (or more) the actual price of doing it right the first time. It only makes sense from an intuitive perspective, since you paid to do it wrong, and then pay again (at least once) to do it over. There is an entire industry that has sprung up around unscrupulous vendors who offer low, fixed price project estimates to win your business. These vendors then inundate their customer with unnecessary change orders at k and k per order, or more. But let's save that discussion for a later point.

In a well-established methodology (see point 1 above) requirements are a valuable asset to be managed with great care. In fact, "The Capability Maturity Model: Guidelines for Improving the Software Process" by the Software Engineering Institute says, "the purpose of requirements management is to establish a common understanding between the customer and the software project of the customer's requirements that will be addressed by the software project." Quite obviously this also entails setting and maintaining agreed upon requirements for the project and clearly defined expectations for all parties involved.

Expect to pay for an initial evaluation of your requirements. This is only due diligence and fees paid for a scoping or requirements gathering phase should be applied to the cost of the project if you and the vendor agree to move forward.

3 Go With a Fixed Price Vendor

We all have budget constraints. We all feel the stress of trying to second guess "time and material" vendors in an attempt to spend what is actually necessary to do the job. We all hope to find that 95th percentile vendor who will be above the board and honest in time and material billing.

You can eliminate a lot of the guess work by going with a fixed price vendor. A fixed price vendor offers you a predictable expenditure, one that can be budgeted ahead of time or that can be planned for well in advance with few if any surprises. With a fixed price vendor you also eliminate the adversarial nature of the relationship that may be fostered by the constant vigilance of billing statements and project reports that try to prove their worth.

There are, however, a few points of attention to be noted when working with a fixed price vendor. First and foremost, beware the needless change order. The unscrupulous fixed price vendor will agree to a low price to win the work and then will continue to issue change orders that run the price up. Here are a few ways to insulate against this most unprincipled supplier. Offer to engage the vendor for a requirements gathering or project scoping effort up front. This provides several things including well established requirements that minimize changes, clearly defined scope to give the vendor an opportunity to develop a fair price proposal, reduced risk, and time for your team to discover issues and roadblocks that require more attention on your part.

The second noteworthy point when working with a fixed price vendor is to find one that can point to specific, successful, similar projects. A similar project does not necessarily mean one in the same specific industry (or even within the same sector - federal vs. state/local vs. commercial). It's important to look for a vendor who has successfully implemented a BI of comparable or larger size and complexity. Size is typically a measure of the number of users and queries and volume of data. Things begin to become more complex when you consider things like global footprint, 24/7 user activity (meaning that there is essentially no down period in which to perform routine system tasks), complexity of the ETL (extract, transform and load) needs, number of data sources or data feeds, and other factors.

4 Insist On Rack-Grade Hardware

Moore's Law (named after Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel) states that the computing power of processors roughly doubles annually. Hardware usually represents a significant percentage of expenditures for any BI project, and the wise use of hardware dollars can be a challenging decision for any organization. Considering Moore's Law in your decision can simplify your choices. Rely on the high value, low cost of typical rack-grade hardware, and upgrade every 2-3 years to improved machines. Furthermore, the recent development of blade servers allows for multiple servers to be packaged in a single, inexpensive, rack mountable unit that takes full advantage of scalable architecture (more in point 5), providing for rapid growth and increased business line adoption - building today for tomorrow's expansion. Server vendors offer blade servers in a variety of configurations and price points to match your needs.

A similar axiom to consider is Kryder's Law - named after Mark Kryder, whose observations about the increases in hard disk storage are astonishing. Since the development of the disk drive in 1956 storage per square inch has soared more than 50 million fold. This has resulted in ever-increasing storage capability at ever-decreasing cost, which indicates a clear direction toward low cost storage.

A well known small systems developer was asked by a federal customer to build a transitional system that would only be used until the global vendor could get a suitable system built on large, expensive, proprietary hardware and software. After several years the small vendor's low cost, high value system continued to grow and expand to service thousands of users using rack grade equipment and other principles outlined in this article. By the way, the customer's original plan to build the large costly system was scrapped and the small vendor's "shoestring" system became the "official" source for information in its functional domain - a role it continues to fill to this day.

5 Start Small and Scale Out as Needed

Traditionally, projects have purchased large, muscular database servers - TeraData, Oracle or DB2, which is fine if you need that kind of horse power. But to build on a shoestring we have to stick to the rack grade equipment outlined above. The key is scalability - how well a solution to a problem works if the problem increases in scope or scale. If you build a superlative system that meets your needs today but a year from now is not able to meet the increased demands, it lacks scalability.

Over time business needs change, challenges get more complex, businesses grow, employees increase in numbers, reporting needs expand, analysis needs intensify, and so on. You must build today with tomorrow in mind. Taking into consideration the use of rack-grade equipment (see point 4 above), a scalable architecture makes more sense than ever. The key to scalability is to focus initially on the area of "greatest pain" and work outward from there. Focus on a small section of your business, a single line of business, or an area or function that has high reporting or analysis needs. In time you can add other areas of your business or additional whole lines of business. This approach allows your initial hardware requirements to be smaller, and lets you prove the value of the system. This approach opens the door for gradual growth and expansion of the system until it is an enterprise-wide tool valued and used by virtually the entire organization. This modular approach allows for expansion by scaling horizontally, adding additional servers to accommodate the additional load of integrating other business areas.

An additional benefit of this "scale out" approach is that scaling typically produces redundancy. Redundancy equates to a less disruptive migration or transition of users to a new service as you grow and scale the system.

The example cited in point 4 began with a 2-server system supporting 200-300 users. The same system "scaled out" to a global system that now supports 15,000 users worldwide processing 600k ad hoc queries a month - with 85% of all queries answered in 10 seconds or less. The original architecture never had to be redesigned since it was built with scale-out or horizontal growth in mind from the outset. Making scalability a design feature from the start eliminated the need for proprietary "band-aid" fixes. During your initial requirements development establish scalability as an uncompromising requirement.

6 Select a High Value, Feature Rich User Interface

There are two basic categories of BI user interface toolsets available today: those that are free and those that cost money. Both categories have pros and cons, and each has its own set of features and benefits.

The high end (expensive) tools have a place and I recommend them for customers who genuinely need them and have the budget in place to include them in their project.

In a shoestring approach, however, the price tag on most BI tools is prohibitive. In these instances i recommend one of the free or nearly free BI solutions. Microsoft® bundles their Reporting Services and Analysis Services with SQL Server. SQL Server carries the reputation for lacking the vigor necessary to be competitive as a "serious" data warehouse product. This is a misconception that is commonly proliferate by those who either don't understand the strength and value of SQL Server or who are in a position to profit from its competitors. In the example used in previous points the global system servicing 15,000 users is built on Microsoft® SQL Server.

On the other hand, you may opt to go with a proprietary solution developed by your selected vendor. Several vendors offer powerful, feature-rich, fully-integrated OLAP tools, dashboards, ad hoc reporting, managed reporting and more, specifically designed to support large data warehouses and data marts at no additional cost to their customers. Simply ask your vendor what they offer - and ensure you check references to validate the value of the tool offered.

There are also excellent tools out there like The Pentaho BI Project that provides enterprise-class reporting, analysis, dashboard, data mining and workflow capabilities that help organizations operate more efficiently and effectively, all from an Open Source project.

In short, there are options for selecting a high-value, feature-rich BI toolset that won't break the bank.

7 Focus on System Improvement from the Outset

Just as you must focus on scalability from the beginning, it's as important to focus on system improvement. System improvement means enhancements to performance tuning, changes and clarifications to business rules, adoption of technological advancements, etc. This is your chance to take a cue from your vendor. When we discussed methodologies above we mentioned that the best of these emphasizes continual improvement and refinement of processes. You should strive to implement a BI project that does just that: continually improves itself. Things that are important to you today may not be in six months. Queries that your analysts rely on today may be meaningless next year. Techniques like saving and analyzing historical query statistics help you to understand your data and how your customers need to use it. This knowledge is invaluable in helping you tune your system for peak performance. Build extensive internal analysis into your system and then develop the processes to use it faithfully to evaluate your customers' usage of the system.

Tracking and analyzing usage allows you to benchmark and quantify your performance improvements, to recognize trends and recommend enhancements and improvements to your customers and users. Perhaps most important, this analysis gives you a great story tell as you sell your newly built capability to more users. According to a recent Gartner study, of the 50% of BI initiatives that were deemed a failure the number one reason was lack of use by its intended audience. Begin now determining how you can avoid becoming part of this statistic by planning to have a finely tuned solution that continues to become more valuable to its user base over time. Improvement in performance and capability increases the number of users that rely on the solution, enhancing your system's inherent and perceived value.

8 Leverage Internal Functional Expertise

We cannot say enough about leveraging your own internal functional experts. There are many advantages, but the primary rewards are cost control, retention of internal expertise, and maintaining intimate contact with the user community.

The cost savings are obvious: external consultants cost serious money. Other less obvious costs include paying outsiders to become familiar with your processes only to take that knowledge and leverage it against you with your competition (non-disclosure agreements notwithstanding). The proper vendor should minimize impact to your staff. Also, the professional growth opportunity this offers your team members should motivate them to participate eagerly.

In addition, if you "farm out" the expertise in any given area over the long term you will eventually discover that you've lost any organic ability to address that need. It's a common practice in some industries for consultants to gradually replace the organic assets and human capital with contract personnel, with the intent to eventually own all of the expertise in that area. This effectively guarantees a continuing revenue stream while you - the customer - have run low on options for regaining that organic expertise. Outsourcing ancillary, non-core and non-critical services and functionality is a great business move - do what you're really good at and outsource the rest is a common business approach today. However, care should be taken when considering releasing your grasp on those areas that are key to your business or represent a critical functional domain.

Finally, it is crucial that your internal, organic functional experts maintain close contact with the end users. The individual or group with the closest contact and interaction with end users will have the greatest influence with them as well. Should you completely outsource that functional expertise, you may lose your ability to interact on an essential level with your primary customer - the users. Never give up your ability to influence your customer.

9 Ensure You Implement the Proper Solution

If your business works fine, but just needs the reporting and analysis capability that BI offers, then why let an expensive global consulting firm convince you to re-engineer the basic foundational processes that are key to the success you've been enjoying? Many times, a business process re-engineering (BPR) effort stems from a consultant recommending a particular product or system that fits technically and functionally but does not fit well within the work flow of the business. Rather than select a different product or system, an enterprise may be persuaded to change its core business processes so they align with the process flow of the system. In some instances this is a valid approach and ultimately improves the performance of the business, increasing its productivity and value. However, this is rarely an easy undertaking and involves broad, sweeping, expensive changes in the business culture at its core philosophical level. One reason vendors may push for BPR is that they are paid on a time and materials (T&M) basis. It is in their interest to extend the length and/or scope of the project (see point 3 above).

If your business really needs a BPR engagement, then a BI implementation is not going to resolve your issues. If, on the other hand, you need to simplify and enhance your operational reporting and analysis, or have data on disparate systems that needs to be presented homogeneously, then you may actually need a BI solution, not a BPR effort.

Ensure you're fixing the real problem and not being sold an expensive effort that will drive up your cost of doing business while not addressing your simple reporting and analysis needs.

10 Drive Down Price Performance

What are the primary factors that influence price performance? There are many technical factors but a small handful hold the most sway. Database systems inherently have built-in aspects such as indexed views, materialized views, partitioning, and clustering that impact their performance. While these and other technical points do greatly impact the performance of the system and the subsequent cost of that performance, the way in which they are designed and implemented is the primary determining factor. The most critical factor to driving down the price your performance is the selected vendor. This may seem obvious on the surface but probably for the wrong reason. I don't advocate selecting the vendor who quotes the lowest price, but the vendor who offers the greatest value.

Let me relate a short story about BBQ ribs and Southern culture. I'm located near Birmingham, Alabama, and have been told that we have more rib joints per capita than any other US city (no, I have no data to back this up). One of these rib joints of some renown is Dreamland Barbeque. Dreamland began as a shack by the side of the railroad tracks in rural Tuscaloosa County about an hour west of Birmingham. For years they had a sign that read, "We don't serve: baked beans, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, potato salad, green beans..." and went on and on naming the things they did not serve. What's the point? Dreamland served BBQ ribs, period. And did it better than anyone else. Since they specialized they were (and still are, by the way) very, very good at it. They became adept at doing it for a reasonable price. If you want ribs, go to Dreamland. They offer a great, value-priced product and do it very, very well.

If you need a Business Intelligence implementation make a list of vendors that meet all of the other qualifications we've outlined here for a vendor. Then go through your list and look for the one that specializes in business intelligence. Find the "Dreamland Barbeque" of data. Find that vendor that is small enough to be agile, large enough to be sound, experienced enough to handle the complexity of your implementation, and focused enough to learn your data intimately. Pick a vendor that does business intelligence and does it extremely well.

Following these 10 key steps does not guarantee success. Ignoring them, however, will almost certainly guarantee failure.

10 Keys to Implementing Business Intelligence Projects on a Shoestring

Jeffrey Ward is a Business and Technology leader with over 20 years of hands on expertise managing Technology and Engineering. His last ten years have been focused on Transforming Business through the integration of technology and process. In Jeff's current role as Director of Federal Business Development for a small US Federal contractor he achieves Business Process Transformation by providing Strategic Leadership, Business Development and Corporate Growth expertise for clients, partners and internal customers. Jeff can be reached at jeff.ward@EagleServices.us

http://www.EagleServices.US
http://www.JeffreyWard.us

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Challenges in Education in Today's Society - Globalization and Changes in Education

Recent investigations in the study of demographic trends at global level are currently making light on a very controversial aspect, although ignored by global institutions, like O.N.U., U.N.D.P., G 20, same by organizations with attributions in the educational field (as UNESCO, Youth International Authorities and other). The so-called "demographic winter" phenomenon, which reveals the dramatic consequences of the "modern" life, marked by familial and moral decline, by miscarriage, vulgarization and the homosexuality "normalization", by the poisoning influence of the majority of mass-media and the "Hollywood culture" are inoculating egocentrism, frivolity and irresponsibility. Considering this demographic trend offers a new dimension to the way in which abundance and resource of the world are distributed and also gives a new vision on elementary educational issues.

The globalization of education is reflecting itself in the extension and unification of educational practices, used by all those public or private entities, involved as active social educators. Over time, the public education systems in developed or emerging countries, which promote formal education, are illustrating with consistency the practice of a classical education system. In the field of non-formal education there are used more innovating and diverse methods of education, but unfortunately few of this are oriented upon individual behaviour reshaping in the global context, and they are looking only to proliferate consumerist habits, by preparing youngsters for a successful professional career start. The presence of NGO's with international coverage and professional training companies has fixed the currently understood "development in education" in comfortable limits. This makes room for a reshape of educational fundamentals and, more obvious, for the ultimate purpose of learning.

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Most people think that education should equip them with the proper exploitation instruments so that they can forever trample over the masses. Still other thinks that education should furnish them with noble ends rather than means to an end. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.

Challenges in Education in Today's Society - Globalization and Changes in Education

Socially speacking, the technological revolution, the broaden access to information and the modern lifestyle facilities have made possible the appearance of an irreversible phenomenon in the conflict between generations. In our present times, the children, "sons of globalization" have access to multiple sources of information, with the internet being most of the time an instrument of self-education. The balance is leaning in the favour of the power of informed youth, who become "the teachers", explaining the new world order to the eldest. This theory takes into consideration the acceleration of technology and the way of our lifestyle, but, beyond its observational character, it does not bring up the discussion on the relevance of educational systems, visible outmoded, which attempts to destroy the moral and statutory principles. The wisdom is transmitted from the old generation to the youth, and not backward.

Therefore we are raising the question regarding the way organisms responsible for educational issues should reconsider the basic fundamentals of this basic activity, which clearly has guided the evolution of our world so far. It isn't enough for organizations like U.N.E.S.C.O or U.N.D.P. to confront the absence of primary education and the discrimination regarding access to education in underdeveloped countries, to avoid resettling the educational needs inside an inappropriate system. It is necessary to deal with these aspects in proper time, because we consider education the key-element which can slow down the process of planet and people self destruction.

The proposal regarding fundamentals reshaping and reviewing the individual education, approached in all stages and cycles of life, starts with the assumption that "Man has to be educated to act responsible towards the environment and civilization, and not interfere in the harmony and balanced world development with his behaviour". This observation, not exactly recent, triggered a chain of initiatives in the educational system in countries like France, Italy, Germany, including Romania, but I consider that implementing a discipline of Civic Education, in the gymnasium module is not enough, neither convincing.

We feel that the new fundamentals and principals of education, which must be known, understood and applied by every teacher, through all the range of educational processes in the long life learning of individuals, and also in the non formal educational process, whereat people have access during existence are:

1. Self-consciousness - is essential because it allows every individual to find his role in society, to know his weak points and to develop them according to his unique talents genetically inherited. A person aware of his/her self can easily act in choosing the occupation or the carrier to practice that he or she will be able to direct his energies to and recognize the real problems that the world and society faces. Consciousness-based education, introduced in 1971 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is unique in its ability to effectively develop the total brain potential of every student.

2. Stimulating creativity - this special quality is reflected in the mental and social process of generating new ideas, concepts, associations, and permits individual adaptation to unpredictable contexts and situations. There are simple techniques, associated to lateral thinking that can promote this capacity, for example: improvisation, fiction as imaginary product, (Randomness, Improvisation, P.S.).

3. Communication - in the actual forms and methods used as learning practices, communication is not capitalized at being the supreme value, because mostly individual activity it's encouraged, which promotes inappropriate values like egoism, indifference, self-interest. Without communicating problems and discussing difficult situations, there is no way to claim solving the issues in optimal parameters of time, quality and accuracy. The man can not act in terms of social responsibility, as a "macro attitude", which I consider as being shallowly approached, especially in the economical environment.

4. Promoting a responsible role in society - education must train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one's self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. This is the way in which he or she could develop and exercise an active role in society.

5. Changing opening - in order to be able to intervene in the actual course of the life circle, accepting and promoting the changes is considered a healthy habit, which stimulates the flexibility and the disruption of existing corporately stereotypes, which are heading humanity to destruction, because of the ignorance or simply because of unknown problems that Terra is facing. From this perspective, the change tackling implies a real transformation at psychological level and of human behaviour, therefore to satisfy those priorities needed to be handled immediately. Here we refer to: the necessity of a re-conversion of world economy from a military economy to civil one, immediate solutions for energetic and environmental problems, as well as for the underdevelopment and poverty aspects propagated into the world.

6. Global vision upon world - the actual educational system, as a whole, is constituted by a sum of operations (method -> evaluation -> communication), whose final objective must reflect a pragmatic and global view on the world. At present, the youth is informed regarding global problems through sources like mass media, not making possible a healthy analysis, not making possible a debate and a thoroughness facilitation that could lead to the understanding and building-up personal opinions regarding aspects like underdevelopment, global economical relations, international monetary system, etc.

7. The ability of solving problems - solving problems is the easiest way to re-create conditions and actions in an artificial manner, experience which allows pupils and students to deal with in a constructive way and to develop solutions for different problems. Learning systems which are basically constructed like this are superior because it helps individuals to recognise and adapt to specific economic, social, psychological, spiritual context and to detect real problems in any form, associating optimal alternatives of decision. For example, simulating a complex economical context for a start-up enterprise leads to the stimulation of individual creativeness and decision-making abilities.

8. Multidisciplinary teams - to permit the reshaping and the restructuring of scholar curricular in the needed form in order to develop these abilities and capacities, we are suggesting even some changes in the study of discipline, considering the logical and contextual relations between them, providing an understanding of all existing correlations at a certain point. For example, Public Finances should be studied in the International Monetary System context and not separately. At the same time this characteristic involves, according to those said before, the start point of collaborations between students coming from different specialization, in order to accomplish complex projects with a multidisciplinary approach. In this case, the elaboration of a business plan would unite students from different specializations in economical science discipline (services, marketing, management) and students from engineering, agriculture and others profile Universities.

In recent years, there have been promoters that recognise the importance of remodelling and updating the learning systems and they have introduced some of this principals through various pedagogic and psychology methods and ideas, which became guide-lines in Universities educational activities from regions around the world. A recent example at this point is the study made by Clay Shirky, author of "Here Comes Everybody", in which he proposed an innovating learning model, named Open Model of Education. In the Closed Model of Education or Classical System, education is limited because the ideas that a school or district can consider can come from only a limited number of sources, usually teachers, administrators, and consultants. A great deal of thought must be put into the consideration of ideas because the time and cost of failure are so high. Time spent with meetings, staff training, and materials, has a cost. This means the filter for ideas is very high. Only those ideas that seem to have the most benefit will be implemented, though there is no way to know in advance that one of the ideas picked will bring the desired benefit, and one of the ideas left on the table could be the most effective and beneficial.

It is true that by putting into practice an educational system based on the same universal fundamentals it essentially means stimulating globalization through its universal optic itself. Although the manner in which this model contributes to the globalization phenomenon is clear, still we must consider the fact that the final purpose of education is no other then confronting globalization's effects and influences, as well as the global negative impact upon environment and, ultimately, upon the way people live everywhere. Education will allow us to know the actual estate of the world, with all its pluses and minuses, and also will increase the awareness of the impact of every individual upon the world and upon the next generations. In other words, we consider politics, economy or administrative sciences weapons of less importance in the process of global issues eradication, compared to education, as a social science.

To conclude, I would like to specify the way these ideas were generated and which were their fundamentals. This actual study is not a result a thorough research activity, neither a genius idea. I am myself a "product" of a classic, formal educational system, but also had some benefits form the non-formal educational system by involving myself in a volunteer organization that developed soft skills and hard skills both. I consider that these educational practices are not adapted enough to the global context that we are facing everyday, and that specialized literature is exposing, bringing up to light its pronounced effects of human existence on Terra. I am a person that does not hold sufficient information and power to be a voice and to be able to get involved in a sustainable and constant development of society, whose values are not profit, nepotism, indifference towards future generations, but responsibility to create and offer equal chances. I am an ambassador of a civilization which is plunging headfirst, shy daring to change the dissonant order and murderously world.

Challenges in Education in Today's Society - Globalization and Changes in Education

Ana-Maria Marinescu
Blog: http://thoughts4reality.blogspot.com

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Common Mistakes Motorcycle Buyers Make When Looking For a Motorcycle Loan

Whether interest rates are high or low or it's the end of a model year with lots of incentives, motorcycle buyers tend to make the same mistakes when shopping for a motorcycle loan. Here are four common mistakes motorcycle buyers make with motorcycle loans.

Shopping for a motorcycle before shopping for a motorcycle loan.

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Many motorcycle buyers enter the showroom looking for a motorcycle before they determine how much money a motorcycle lender is willing to loan to them for the purchase of a motorcycle. There is no need to shop for a ,000 Harley Davidson motorcycle, if a lender is only willing to provide a loan amount of ,000.

Common Mistakes Motorcycle Buyers Make When Looking For a Motorcycle Loan

Additionally, once motorcycle buyers enter the showroom slick salespeople often pressure them into motorcycle loans with much higher internet rates than they could have gotten had they shopped for a motorcycle loan at a bank, credit union or online. Salespeople do not like motorcycle buyers to leave the dealership to get a motorcycle loan. In the salespersons mind this only increases the chance of losing a sale and commission. Therefore, salespeople frequently try for a quick sale which normally results in pushing motorcycle buyers to get motorcycle financing at the dealership.

The bottom-line is that it is always best to shop for a motorcycle loan before entering the showroom.

Diving into the unknown motorcycle loan.

Motorcycle buyers often jump into motorcycle loans that they do not completely understand or may not be the best alternative for them. For instance, in today's age manufacturers frequently run credit card motorcycle loan promotions on their private-label credit cards. But these promotions typically offer a low interest rate for a short term like 12 or 24 months and have a much higher interest rate after the short promotional term. On a credit card promotion if motorcycle buyers can not afford to pay off the loan during the short promotion period, then they are typically better finding a lender offering an installment motorcycle loan for a longer term.

Borrowing too much.

The most common mistake the first time motorcycle buyer makes in not having a clear sense of how much motorcycle they can afford. This is especially true for young motorcycle buyers who look to buy the top sport bikes that cost up to ,000 - ,000. What they fail to realize is that financing a ,000 - ,000 motorcycle can stretch them to thin, resulting in them having little cash to enjoy themselves and the motorcycling lifestyle. They may also have too little cash to pay for insurance, maintenance, registration or new accessories for their motorcycle.

Not asking the right questions.

The first warning sign that motorcycle buyers should see is that if they do not understand the type of motorcycle loan, then they should be sure to ask a lot of questions.

Here are some good questions to ask:

o Is the interest rate fixed or variable? If fixed how long will it be fixed for?

o Are there circumstances that can make the interest rate on the motorcycle loan change in the future?

o What happens if a payment is 30 days late? Does the interest rate increase?

o What happens if a payment is 60 days late? Does the interest rate increase?

o How long is the term on the motorcycle loan?

o If the loan is an installment loan, does it use rule of 78 or simple interest? (Simple interest is always better because it does not penalize the motorcycle buyer if the loan is paid off early.)

o What is the down payment requirement to get the motorcycle loan?

o Is full coverage insurance required?

o How much is registration and are these fees included in the motorcycle loan?

o Are there any administrative fees to get the motorcycle loan and if so how much are the fees?

Overall, motorcycle buyers can avoid these common mistakes by spending a little extra time focusing on shopping for a motorcycle loan and asking lots of questions.

Common Mistakes Motorcycle Buyers Make When Looking For a Motorcycle Loan

Jay Fran is a successful author and publisher at www.motorcycle-financing-guide.com A comprehensive resource on how to have the best experience and get the best deal on motorcycle financing, bad credit motorcycle loans, high risk motorcycle loans and motorcycle buying.

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Take 5 Lottery Results - Become a Winner Today!

It is indeed interesting to play and analyze Take 5 lottery results especially if you are beginning to find clues in formulating your winning strategies. It is also a fulfillment for you and your game if you have already figured out what the winning numbers should be and what specific rules or strategies to follow. Strategies and tips become successful if they are properly and accurately executed. Keen senses and extensive observation on how the winning numbers are drawn must be possessed by a dedicated player. Take 5 lottery results come from specific patterns, structure and nature of the numbers. The most recommended tips and rules in order to win the Take 5 lottery results is by generally studying and scrutinizing the previous winning number combinations. You should remember and keep in mind that winning results do follow a series from previous draws. Then what series is that? There is no specific naming for the series until you find it yourself. These strategies only serve to jumpstart your sophisticated approaches to winning.

Take 5 lottery results come in specific number groups. You must be properly equipped with the knowledge whether or not to avoid a certain number while playing. Most players rely on the rare number combinations. These players try to mix up numbers according to the frequency of their appearance from previous draws. This technique might be helpful for once or twice but playing it repeatedly will make you realize eventually that this pattern is not that effective. On the other hand, if you want to use the technique regarding the numbers which are present in all of the previous draws. This is simple. Just review on the previous winning combinations and take note of those numbers. Then try to play it out. This strategy might just bring you close to winning but not exactly winning. However you may use this strategy as a stepping stone towards hitting the jackpot. It is not wise to use your instincts while playing the game. Take 5 lottery results are not a matter of intuition or luck. This involves practical and intelligent analysis of possible sequences.

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Also, it is not practical to use the all odd, all even, all high, all low number combinations. They rarely come out in a draw. It is much more advised to mix up the numbers in a 2/3 basis. Try to mix and match until you have derived a specific routine. Try to establish a group field of your chosen numbers. See to it that you have a basis in doing so. Try out other combinations if you would really want to win. If you have won through random selection, then it must be luck. But playing Take 5 lottery is not about luck. This is testing your skills and analysis on many aspects of the game. Scatter the numbers and try to set an even selection. Divide the numbers into two categories if you wish to and analyze what they have in common and what are the differences. The basis must have an equal impact on both sides. You might surely meet up with the jackpot if you strategize accurately.

Take 5 Lottery Results - Become a Winner Today!

Take 5 Lottery Results - Become a Winner Today!

Looking for the Take 5 Lottery Results?  Once you realize you didn't win, go to www.Pick5Winning.com to learn the proven strategy on how to win the pick 5, cash 5, or fantasy 5 lottery.  It's easier then you'd think to WIN!

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How Are You Handling The Five Biggest Challenges Facing Managers and Business Owners Today?

There are ten fundamental premises that will determine your overall management success. Before we get to the five biggest challenges facing managers I thought I would give you the ten since thet are closely related.

1. When you have an issue, problem, failure, dysfunction or whatever - any -
where in the organization - look up the ladder for the cause and down the ladder
for the solution.

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2. Everything that happens in an organization is the direct or indirect result of
that organization's culture, philosophy and core beliefs.

How Are You Handling The Five Biggest Challenges Facing Managers and Business Owners Today?

3.You get the behavior you reward.

4. Effective management is not about the latest fad or philosophy. It is about a
fundament trust and respect for people and treating them accordingly.

5. Growing a business is not hard and it should be fun for everyone.

6. Integrity and ethics must be the foundation for all of your decisions and
actions.

7. If you want effective and productive employees you must see employee
development as an investment and not a cost

8. What employees want to be motivated and performance driven
is appreciation, recognition, validation and to feel important and to feel like they
belong.

9. The job of management is not to motivate employees but to create a positive
motivational climate where employees take responsibility for their own motivation
and performance.

10. You are responsible to your employees and not for them.

Here are the five biggest challenges today. They are;

·Corporate culture. Corporate, organization and department culture all flows from the top down. The written and unwritten rules, policies and philosophy of a manager or the organization all eventually find their way into the attitudes and performance of almost everyone in the organization. One of the critical things to remember when dealing with people is: you get the behavior you reward. If the culture directly or indirectly rewards a certain type of attitude or behavior, you are, by your actions or inactions, probably reaffirming that these are acceptable. If you want to change behavior, you must first evaluate the culture that is in place that may be rewarding the type of behavior you are getting but don't necessarily want.

·Communication style. Rumors, hearsay, memos, emails, meetings, individual counseling sessions and bulletin boards all have one thing in common - they communicate information - some more effectively and timely than others. If communication in an organization is all top-down, you can be assured that you are not in touch with the realities of your organization, the marketplace, your customers or suppliers.

·Organization direction. One of the biggest challenges managers face today is effectively communicating corporate direction with clarity and consistency to all employees who have a right and need to know. Most organizations do a poor job of this at best. One way to find out what your people believe is to conduct an anonymous survey of attitudes, perceptions and opinions.

·Decision making. Many managers make decisions that other employees will either have to implement or that will affect them. If these decisions are made without bottom-up feedback, you can guarantee that the outcome of the decisions will be less than desired or expected.

·Feedback mechanisms. Employees want to know how they are doing - whether poorly or well. Failure to give them the feedback they need is to keep them in the dark regarding the assessment of their performance and how and where they need to improve.

Are management roles changing?

There are a number of conditions that are impacting the roles of managers today. A few of them are;

- Greater cultural diversity.
- Several very distinctive employee age groups.
- Increased impact and use of technology.
- A growing international market place.
- Ethical standards that are unclear or inconsistent.
- Greater stress levels among all employees.
- Corporate direction and strategy is under fire by consumers.
- The desire of employees for greater independence and autonomy.
- Increased consumer choices for products and services.
- Fewer specifically skilled employees.
- Relentless and accelerating change.

There's more, but I don't want to be responsible for ruining your day.

With all these factors, again I ask you, are the roles of managers, supervisors, executives and business owners changing today? You betcha. Here are just a few that I have observed during the past few years coaching and consulting with many of my clients in a variety of industries worldwide.

1. Many managers are responsible for increasing numbers of remote employees.

2. Some managers are finding that they are spending more time 'doing' rather than 'managing'.

3. Some managers are spending increased time coaching employees on personal issues.

4. All mangers are faced sooner or later with position openings that they can't fill.

5. Mangers in general have less time for their own personal development.

6. Most managers are having to learn to deal with a variety of different employees culturally, gender wise and age wise.

7. Managers in general are spending more time communicating via email than in person or by telephone.

Again, there are many more I could have included, but the essence is, that if you are still using management techniques and behaviors that you used more than five years ago I guarantee you are going to be less effective as a leader, coach and manager in today's changing world.

The fundamental roles, attitudes or responsibilities of managers have not changed and a few of them are;

1. The need to trust your employees and your employees to trust you.

2. The need to respect their uniqueness.

3. The need to communicate openly and honestly.

4. The need to give them recognition and appreciation that is deserved.

5. The need to have a clear future career path available to them.

6. The need to compensate them fairly.

If you will do just these six consistently you will go a long way in successfully addressing many of the above listed factors.

How Are You Handling The Five Biggest Challenges Facing Managers and Business Owners Today?

Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned sales, relationship, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of over 60 books including; He can be reached at tim@timconnor.com, 704-895-1230 or visit his website at http://www.timconnor.com

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How to Enlarge My Penis - Techniques to Make Your Penis Bigger Naturally

Are you saying I want to know how to enlarge my penis? The sad truth is that no matter how many times women will snigger and say that size does not matter we all know the truth behind these comments. Make no mistake, women are the first to discuss "sizes" with friends and sadly we are at their mercy. I want you to know that you do not need to opt in for pills or surgery to increase the size of your penis. While there are many devices out there, none will offer permanent enlargement.

One of the most effective techniques to enlarge your penis naturally has been around for thousands of years. In fact it has been used by many cultures outside the western world for centuries, many that placed greater importance on penis size than the anxiety and pressure men face today.

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These techniques were unknown in the western world but do not let that fool you to think they do not work! Stop wondering how to enlarge my penis, pay close attention!

How to Enlarge My Penis - Techniques to Make Your Penis Bigger Naturally

One technique that has been used for centuries is called Jelqing. Jelqing has become one of the most used penis enlargement exercises by men world wide. The reason? The results! Most men have reported an increase in the length and thickness of their penis between 1-4 inches. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn't if you know exactly how and why Jelqing is so effective.

Your penis is made of spongy tissue that allows blood to be held within the penis, when erect this spongy tissue called the Corpus Cavernosum holds the blood inside your penis. The more blood your Corpus Cavernosum can hold, the bigger your penis will be while flaccid or erect.

There is no surgery in the world that can increase the amount of blood the Corpus Cavernosum can hold, the only solution that works is Jelqing.

When performed correctly Jelqing is completely safe. Performed daily, Jelqing slowly increases and expands the Corpus Cavernosum to allow more blood to enter the penis. After several weeks you will begin to notice changes in the length and thickness of your penis.

Jelqing requires a few other exercises such as warm ups and stretches daily for optimum results. All exercises are safe and extremely effective for forcing an under-developed penis to grow naturally.

How to Enlarge My Penis - Techniques to Make Your Penis Bigger Naturally

Size really DOES matter. Visit how to enlarge my penis right now. Stop being embarrassed of the size of your penis, increase your self confidence and eliminate the anxiety of wanting a bigger by visiting http://www.enlarge-my-manhood.info right now.

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Doing Theology in Today's Africa - Issues and Trends in Nigeria

INTRODUCTION

Since the mid-1950s, African theologians like John Mbiti, Edward Fashole-Luke, Desmond Tutu, Vincent Mulago and Harry Sawyerr, Bolaji Idowu, Byang Kato and others have made it their mission to bring the gospel to bear on Africans' lives and thought-worlds -- to make Christianity indigenous on a continent that first heard the gospel in New Testament times. It would therefore be a misleading oversimplification to state that Germany, America, Britain and Africa respectively created corrupted, corrected and copied theology. Africa has something meaningful to offer. This provides supportive evidence for a realistic assessment of the issues and trends of the Church in Africa.

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CONTEXTUALIZATION

Doing Theology in Today's Africa - Issues and Trends in Nigeria

The term contextualization could be defined as simplifying, clarifying and giving ownership to the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a specific community of faith. If the system for doing so is therefore only understood by the stranger or alien, then one has closed the channels for incarnation of the Word. The researcher was impressed when he visited several churches in Lagos, Nigeria during a field study and noted areas of contextualization. The Anglican and Aladura churches have some programmes in the native language. Even the Catholic church is no longer conducting the service in Latin but English. African instruments were used and African choruses were ministered. Dancing and clapping are not uncommon. An assessment of Christianity from the Portuguese explorations in the fifteenth century to the middle of the seventh century reveals that there was a relative failure on the part of the missionaries in the presentation of the gospel. They did not take the culture of the people into consideration. The Roman Catholics demanded monogamy from their converts, but they did not show how the unwanted wives could be resettled. Christianity was portrayed as a European invention. Usry and Keener (1996) provocatively titled their text Black man's religion: can Christianity be Afrocentric? It is so titled, not of course to imply that non-Blacks are excluded, but to point out that biblical Christianity is a Black religion as much as a white one. The issue of slavishly accepting or rather adopting any thing from the west should be treated with caution. The article, Halloween in a cross-cultural perspective, is a passionate account of the vulnerability of children which the Harry Porter series is taking advantage of. The new repacking of witchcraft in a fictitious novel is attractive to children (and adults) since it is user friendly.
Schreiter (1985) presents an excellent and very relevant text that clearly teaches how one can understand culture so that the gospel message takes root. Ownership of the Bible must be given to a community of faith in a given place. For instance, an Igbo and by extension, an African, will clearly understand the humiliation Christ went through since the writer clearly expresses that to humiliate someone who is either popular or rich is worse than to kill him, a message which the African understands. The cultural sensitivity of Dan Wooding in Blind faith in cross-cultural perspective, Part 1, enabled him to reasonably establish intercultural rapport in the men's breakfast meeting at the Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene. In responding to this invitation and willingly giving generously, an individual eventually received five fold merely out of his blind faith rather than a display of supernatural acts like speaking in tongues.
ISSUES
Corruption
Boer (2003) identifies two major issues which are affecting the Nigerian church; "the first is corruption which has penetrated every level of society..." (Boer 2003, 31). One must however note that corruption is an issue facing both developing and developed nations. The church continues to be guilty of many of the kinds of corruption which characterize the society as a whole, an issue that shocked Dr. Eze as he observes in his article Worldview issues on corruption.... He realistically argues however that "the survey of CPI (Corruption Perceptions Index) on the levels of corruption in countries they researched is not based on hard empirical data... (but) on the experience and perceptions of those who are most directly confronted with the realities of corruption" (Eze 2004, 1).
Islam
The second issue facing Christian spirituality according to Boer is Islam. The subject of his book Nigeria's decade of blood, vol.1 is Christian-Muslim relations. "If corruption has demonized Nigeria", Boer argues "Christian-Muslim relations have bedeviled it" (Boer 2003, 1). He steers Christianity and Islam into positive channels for national building and suspects that there is a great risk that Nigerians will grow tired of religious riots and either return to a sanitized form of traditional religion or to an African version of secularism. Every Christian should read his text and note that Christians in western nations are now fighting the very secularism they produced through their infighting.
African Traditional Religion
Any realistic attempt to do theology in Africa must take into consideration the influence of African Traditional Religion in the lives of the people. Dr. Eze did a very relevant study of several manifestations of God among the tribes of Lardin Garbes. The assumption that God was introduced to Africa by the Europeans is a misleading oversimplification. In addition to the family and village deities, the Kamwe people believe in a transcendent and universal God. Dr. Eze (2004) argues that Africans knew about the Creator or the Supreme God inspite of their polytheistic understanding and used his grandfather, Mr. Muogbo Eze as supportive evidence. Even though they have the faulty notion that He is far away thus justifying appeasing the lesser deities to reach him, the concept of the way to the Creator is still present among them. Paul uses the belief in the unknown God to minister to his audience. Christians should also use this concept of the way to the Creator already present in the worldview of the Kamwe to present Jesus to them. God amazingly works within human cultures (irrespective of different language, race or ethnicity) to unfold His plans. This is in consonance with the philosophy behind the phrase 'redemptive analogy' which is so-called because it facilitates human understanding of redemption within human culture. Its God-given purpose is to precondition the mind in a culturally significant way to recognize Jesus as Messiah. Outside of Scripture, it appears that God's general revelation is the source of redemptive analogies worldwide. It is relatively easier for one to use the supernatural orientation of the African to win him to Christ.
Growth of cities
Perhaps the most urgent issue facing the church in Africa today is the rapid growth of cities. The clash of cultures, and religions, desperate poverty, AIDS, horrific numbers of street children, pressures on traditional morality, problems of temporary and unstable work, and the lack of training for what few jobs there are brought home to the reader in moving and perceptive accounts of the people with whom Shorter has direct contact. A case in point is the city of Lagos whose population of over twelve million is more than that of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Gambia combined.
Numerical growth of the church
At the beginning of the twentieth century, it was estimated that about three percent of the people on the African continent professed to be Christians and that this number significantly increased to about fifty percent towards the end of the century. There is every reason to believe that the church will continue to record significant growth. Ajah (1996) even attributes this 'swollen membership' to the church's wise use of music which is seen as an outstanding highway into the hearts of most Africans. All the churches visited by the researcher during the field research were packed full. During the researcher's stay in Nigeria (2002-2005), it was observed that churches with more musical instruments and skilled instruments generally attracted more worshipers than those with few.
Prosperity
A contemporary trend to avoid suffering at all cost has led to the 'Prosperity Gospel' which stresses faith in claiming blessings as they name them. At the risk of oversimplification and distortion, this gospel teaches, among other things that:
1. Every Christian is created to be materially and financially buoyant.
2. Christians who are in a state of prolonged financial predicament are ignorant of God's design.
3. For the manifestation of the reversal of breakthrough, the aspirant must demonstrate his expectancy by blessing the 'man of God' first.
Christians are therefore encouraged not to accept suffering as their portion. Anyone who is suffering is either living in sin or is not standing on the promises of God for his showers of blessing. This teaching was reflected in the Pentecostal church visited during the field study. The number of offerings raised in the Pentecostal and Anglican churches was astonishing.
Training of church leaders
The church in Africa has made amazing progress during the twentieth-century. It has grown from just a handful of training institutions to hundreds of seminaries. This is an indication that the African church in the twenty-first century is going to be much more educated church. In the churches covered in the field study, the researcher observed that the pastors of the Aladura and Pentecostal Churches visited, Superior Evangelist E.M. Babatunde and Rev. Mike Ohiorenoya, are doctorate holders. It is indubitable that Catholic and Anglican priests are academically trained.
The role of women
The central message of the Christian mission is that of salvation, and by implication, liberation. With this message, the church should take cognizance of the 'imbalance' in the male-dominated African culture. In the second part of The agony of the 'passion' in cultural lenses, Dr. Eze (2004) analyses the concept of a theology that is culturally driven. He realistically argues that any image of manhood outside the Messiah is culturally driven and misleading. The church should learn the African concept of muntu, that is, person. Societal changes demand that the church make some modifications in women's role. The dynamics which women now exhibit in the wider society and in the Aladura church visited in particular have challenged the subordinate roles offered by some other churches. The researcher observes the role of women at West Africa Theological Seminary where they serve in very important capacities such as Registrar, Missions Director, Ag. Director of Spiritual Formation and lecturers. More and more women are going to become pastors as more seminaries are opening doors to more female students and lecturers. With the ascension of women into leadership positions, perhaps the church will see a gentler and softer style of church leadership.
TRENDS
Mediocre spiritual growth
Indubitably, a visible trend is a continuous and explosive growth of the African church. However, there is a very big challenge associated with it. This has already started manifesting itself in contemporary Christianity. The problem is numerical without a corresponding spiritual growth. For instance, the dressing of church members, if not checked, would lead to serious problem in the church. In the Pentecostal church visited, the researcher was so happy when he was moved from the seat he was occupying to a special seat reserved for visitors since the dressing of the lady sitting in front of him was indecent. She was putting on a bandless trousers which exposed a considerable portion of her pink underwear. The preaching was very loud and emotional but devoid of substance. The church must resist mediocrity with the same commitment that it resists compromise. The researcher observed that the churches visited did not have a very clear discipleship training programme. Winning souls for Christ without a systematic discipleship programme is to some extent equivalent to begetting sons for the devil.
Fanaticism
In several churches today, the service is incomplete without a few prophecies, a healing or two, and a few demons cast out. Churches and ministries 'compete' with the most dramatic advertisements such as 'Divine Explosion', 'Mountain of miracles', 'Supernatural sensation' and similar expressions. Though it is good to stress the supernatural, the African church must realize that the daily occurrence of miracles is not the focus of the Bible. Building the church in Africa around the miraculous may tend to lead to a wrong emphasis. The primary commission of Jesus was to preach the gospel. Leaning on the miraculous in every service could therefore lead to fanaticism and deviation from the truth. In the Celestial Church of Christ visited during the field work, the researcher was called out of the service and taken to the back of the outside altar where visions and revelations, mostly untrue, from a prophetess about him were penned by a recorder. For instance, the prophetess observed that the researcher's wife sometimes suffered from stomach ache. The question in one's mind then is: how many normal women do not normally suffer from bellyache?
Rationalism
The education of the church is steadily improving. There are many Bible colleges and seminaries in Nigeria alone. Many of the universities and colleges of education have departments of religious studies. However, as more and more Africans are exposed to re-packed western ideas, African Christianity should fight very hard to avoid the anti-supernatural rationalism of the western church. Starting with the 'Age of Reason', the western church has gradually been more and more influenced by an anti-supernatural bias which arises from rationalism. Even though this has not yet really become a serious problem, a serious note of caution is that African Christians need to balance faith with reason.
Syncretism
In an attempt to 'protect' the Gospel, European missionaries under contextualized the message. As the church is now becoming more African, care must be taken so that the message is not over contextualized which could lead to syncretism (the mixing of religious beliefs). For instance, the overstress on visions and dreams in the Aladura church. Contextualization without syncretism is one of the major challenges facing the African Church in this century. The typical African, unlike his western counterpart has a supernaturalistic orientation. The African society gives more attention to religion while the west emphasizes on economics and material culture. One of the reasons why Pentecostalism has been well received in Africa is because many of the basic tenets are consistent with the African worldview. Some of these includes the supernatural, demons/evil spirits, divine healing, and emotional and physical expressions of worship. Dr. Eze clearly reveals that the Kamwe/Mubi in Nigeria (including Christians) go to animist priests. As he noted, "felt needs for supernatural power for solving certain problems that defy solution still drive people to animist priests" (Eze 2005, 5). The lesson to be learnt is the attitude of the Christian community that prayed for rain (with God honouring). This is a clear manifestation of the fact that the Christian God is alive or active in the affairs of men. If theology in Africa is to be meaningful, this point must be seriously noted otherwise the church will not be relevant and would be like Rip Van Wrinkle, the legendary character in Gulliver's Travels who slept for decades only to wake up to find a completely changed world.
Domination
An unfortunate tendency within Christianity throughout church history is that whenever Christianity has achieved the majority status within a culture, it has become intolerant and sometimes abusive of other religions. The Crusades in the 10th century onwards could testify to this. The thin line between evangelism and tolerance of other religions has been a tightrope which Christians have not always walked very well. Several writers encourage tolerance between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Although Boer for instance blamed the latter for most of the religious conflicts, he also argues that there are some instances in which the former sometimes started later riots. The essence of his message to Christians and Muslims is respectively wholism and pluralism. Christians need to repent of their flirtations with the language and concepts of secularism in an environment shared with Muslims and move away from it by developing a more comprehensive worldview. Muslims, on the other hand, need to update their sense of pluralism. Nigeria is marked by a pluralistic situation that no longer allows the domination of one religion over all the people. Boer argues that the situation calls for changes in the attitude of Christians and Muslims ? they need to move from hostility to respect.
THE OUTLOOK OF THEOLOGY IN AFRICA/OPPORTUNITIES
Any attempt to do theology in Africa must seriously take note of the afore-mentioned discussion. From the foregoing, it could be argued that not all the issues and trends are negative. Although care should be taken to avoid a church that is heavily inclined towards rationalism, prosperity, syncreticism, to mention but a few, the African church must be commended for its conscious effort to contextualize the Gospel and emphasize on training of its clergy. However, the rest of the paper further discusses several opportunities which must be wisely utilized for theology to be meaningful in Africa.
The age of the church
A significant proportion of the contemporary church is made up of young people. The estimated average age of churches visited during the field work is thirty. There is a possibility that this trend is not going to change. The church in Africa will continue to be a young church. This age group is going to continue to give to it much energy and enthusiasm. It will enable the church to have the strength to evangelize and impact the society. However, it could also make the church more susceptible to fanaticism, intolerance and unwise decisions. One must not forget that Nigerian proverb which states that the child on top of the tree cannot see what the elder sitting on the ground can see.
The church and the theological school
An increase in the number of theological institutions is a welcome development. However, the church and theological school have to work as a team to impact society since "the position between the two has almost become that of the church versus the theological school" (Turaki 1991, 31). Turaki evaluates areas of strengths and weaknesses in the assumed roles for each, and the theological implications of the dichotomy, together with the resulting competition, isolationism and assertions of autonomy to doing theology.
Curriculum development
It is necessary for theologians to revisit the curriculum in the seminary. It is questioned whether African seminaries should review, retrieve the history of western thought and the western church or instead launch into the depths of their own culture and tradition and correlate Scripture and tradition with African culture, roots, sources and riches. There are areas where the west could also learn from Africa. It is against this background that it is observed that "instead of competing or claiming superiority for various approaches, we need to exchange and share experiences, we need to understand one another and learn from each other" (Turaki 1991, 29). It is reasonably argued that, contrary to popular thought, Africa has had a definitive and significant effect on the development of the ecumenical movement in general and its mission made in particular. It was against this background that the Edinburgh Conference in 1910 introduced the idea of the whole Gospel by the whole church to the world.
Emphasis on justice
Justice is one of the most fundamental concepts of Christianity (and Judaism). It is a theme that must receive more emphasis in the African church. A society cannot be healthy without justice. In 1995, a group of Nigerian leaders became concerned about the injustice in the Nigerian society. This led to the Congress on Christian Ethics in Nigeria (COCEN) which took place in Abuja in November 1997. It was stressed that Christians are also guilty of ethical violations. Christian principles must be properly contextualized for Africa. There must be a clear understanding of the close link between religion and social/political issues, and faith and justice. The social teaching of the Church must not only to be studied and known, but also applications to the myriad problems facing Africa must be formulated and tried.
Respect for individual human rights
The rights of individuals must be protected. Refusing to grant a person a job because he or she is from the 'wrong' ethnic group is a violation of that person's fundamental human rights. The researcher has observed for instance that Christians don't normally come out in a unified force to clean the environment when the government gives the command every last Saturday in Freetown and Lagos. Night vigils can be conducted without necessarily using loud speakers that would disturb the peace of citizens who are resting.
Assistance to the needy
The teachings of the church should not unnecessarily emphasize on giving from congregation to the church but the other way round. One of the clearest teachings and examples of Jesus was related to compassion for the poor. It must be viewed as a fundamental responsibility of every culture to take care of its weak and needy members. Just giving a little money to a poor person must not satisfy Christians. Christianity must be involved in identifying the causes of poverty and addressing these problems. God has not called all Christians to be rich. Prosperity teachers must take note. However, He has called us to help meet the needs of the poor. Helping the needy require adequate housing is not just a governmental responsibility but also a responsibility of the church. The researcher was impressed when an appeal was made to assist the poor in the Aladura church visited. Free computer training was offered which enabled several youths to be empowered. The entire congregation was fed after the service. The researcher learnt that this is a regular occurrence.
CONCLUSION
A biblical fact of which theology must take account is that if God indeed is concerned with all peoples, then there is a theological continuity between the people of Israel and others (including Africa).
If the Christian faith is to have any real effect on African life, it must accept and address the spirit world. A Christianity that has no place for the supernatural speaks in alien tones. The culture of Africans must be realistically studied if any meaningfully impact could be made. Kalu brilliantly quotes P.O. Ajah's summary of the expectations of the theology of the African church :
African theologians should programme towards realizing answers to what African theology has to say concerning witchcraft, black magic, demonic influences, occultism, spiritually induced sicknesses, spiritual guidance through divination or future predictions, divine healing, deliverance from and casting out of demons and evil spirits, appreciation of cultural values, liberation of the oppressed, relief from poverty and deprivation, human rights, democratization, ozo title and secret societies, reincarnation, death and the resurrection, the last judgement (Kalu 1978, 123).
WORKS CITED
Books and articles
Ajah, Paul. 1996. An Approach to African theology. Uburu : Truth and Life Publications.
Boer, Jan H. 2003. Nigeria's decades of blood, Vol. 1. Belleville, Ontario : Essense Publishing.
Eze, Herbert. 2004. The agony of the "Passion" in cultural lenses (part two).
Available (online) : http://www.assistnews.net/stories/2004/s04040016.htm. 9th March 2005.
_____________. Halloween in a cross-cultural perspective. Available (online):
http:www.assistnews.net/stories/2004/s04040016.htm. Accessed 11th March 2005.
Kalu, Agwu. 1978. The lights and shades of Christianity in West Africa. Umuahia : Charity Press.
McCain, Danny. 2000. The church in Africa in the 21st century. Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology.
19(2) : 105-130.
Schreiter, Robert J. 1985. Constructing local theologies. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books.
Turaki, Yusufu. 1991. The quest for cooperation, renewal and relevance in theological education. Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 10(1). 29-38.
Utuk, Efiong S. 1989. A reassessment of the African contribution to the development of the ecumenical
movement : Edinburgh, 1910. Africa Theological Journal 8(2) : 85-103.
Participant observation
Celestial Church of Christ, Mafoluku, Parish I, Wulemotu Agbo Road, Off International Airport Road,
Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. St. Paul's Anglican Church, 1-9 St. Paul's Church Street, Mafoluku,
Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. Visited by researcher on Sunday 1st May, 2005.
Church of God Mission International Inc., Victory Miracle Centre, 10 Oludegun Street, Off International
Airport Road, Mafoluku, Lagos, Nigeria. Visited by researcher on Sunday 10th April 2005.
St. Jude Catholic Church, 47 Old Ewu Road, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. St. Paul's Anglican Church,
1-9 St. Paul's Church Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. Visited by researcher on Sunday 24th
April, 2005.
St. Paul's Anglican Church, 1-9 St. Paul's Church Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, Nigeria. Visited by
researcher on Sunday 17th April, 2005.
© Oliver Harding 2008
Doing Theology in Today's Africa - Issues and Trends in Nigeria
AUTHOR SIGNATURE
Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies, Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists; a member of the American Theological Library Association and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals. His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History; a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies, a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
Mobile: 232-2233-460-330

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