Keep up-to-date ...

Several people have asked me recently how I keep up-to-date with all that is going on. Here is my secret: Alltop ... their slogan is: "We've got all the top stories covered all the time." Give it a try.

Emergency Preparedness ... Natural Disasters ...

I am planning a series of posts in the coming weeks on a variety of Emergency Preparedness topics that I hope will be useful to everyone. For starters, the following list shows the number of reported world-wide natural disasters in each decade since 1900:

• 1900-1909 ... 6
• 1910-1919 ... 18
• 1920-1929 ... 11
• 1930-1939 ... 17
• 1940-1949 ... 20
• 1950-1959 ... 23
• 1960-1969 ... 43
• 1970-1979 ... 85
• 1980-1989 ... 148
• 1990-1999 ... 232
• 2000-2007 ... 540

I will let you draw your own conclusions! As for me, I am taking the advice of a wise person who said "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Digital Photo Organization ...

If you do not have the luxury of owning an iMac to do your photo and video work, don't overlook all that you can do with Picasa. Picasa is a Google product and is free. It is a great way to quickly find and organize all of the photos on your PC. Plus, you can upload your photos to the web. And, don't forget, if you have a Gmail account you already have a Picasa account ... your Gmail account gets you access to all of the Google products. Pretty nifty!

Calendar Item ... Emily's Graduation from USU ...

Great News! Emily is walking Saturday, May 3, at 2:00 pm in Logan. If you are able to attend, give her a call for more details. For those attending in person, we will gather somewhere afterwards for a party (fun and merriment).

ScrapBlog ...

Here is a way to add some creativity to your Blog ... make a ScrapBlog. This is an amazing free application that will get you hooked. You can publish your ScrapBlogs to the public or make them private. You can even embed them in your own Blog. Take a look and let your creative juices run free!

Quick Photo Edits ...

Ever want to "fix" some aspect of a photo fast and you don't have Photoshop or an equivalent photo editing program? There are a number of very good online photo editors now available for free! Here are two of the best (IMO):

• Picnik
• Photoshop Express

Give these a try and I think you will be surprised at the results. Photoshop Express is new and even gives you 2GB of free online storage. Let me know which application you prefer. Or better yet, how about sharing some before and after examples of your handiwork.

I Think This World is Perfect ...

When you have an extra minute, take a look at this Blog: I Think This World is Perfect. This is an example of how I hope my Blog grows and develops!

PicLens ...

Here is a great new way to look at photos on the Web ... it is called PicLens. Unfortunately it is currently available only to Windows users. I think you will be blown-away when you see how it works. I will soon have a number of photos from SmugMug available to view using PicLens. Let me know what you think.

Arthur C. Clarke ...

Anyone remember Arthur C. Clarke? When I was in college he was a very prominent science fiction writer, much read by engineering students like myself. He was among the most influential visionaries in technology. Today, many of the concepts he wrote about have come to pass. He once said:

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Arthur C. Clarke died today at the age of 90. Along with his many written works (such as the infamous and immeasurably influential 2001: A Space Odyssey), Clarke was possibly best known for conceptualizing the geostationary communications satellite -- clearly one of the most important technological innovations in history.

Get Rich Slowly ...

The past year or so I have occasionally looked at J.D. Roth's Get Rich Slowly web site and Blog for financial ideas and thoughts. You might want to check out the site also and put it on your daily or weekly reading schedule. Today there is a particularly good article on the differences between traditional and Roth IRAs. And, don't forget the 10/10 Rule ... (if anyone has forgotten the 10/10 Rule, let me know). Plus, let me know what you think of the site.

The ClearView Group of Companies ...

Thought I would give you a brief idea of the structure of ClearView Services, LLC. The ClearView group of companies is designed to help small businesses become more productive and profitable through technology. The current lineup:

• ClearView Business Services - Develop, Implement, and Test Business Continuity Plans
• ClearView Consulting Services - Help and Assist New, Growing, or Changing Businesses with Hardware and Software Needs
• ClearView Information Services - Turn Data into Information and Information into Knowledge
  
• ClearView Photo Services - Scan, Enhance, Modify, or Restore Photographs
• ClearView Training Services - Develop and Deliver Modularized Focused Training for Small Businesses

Watch for some more details about cvPhoto Services soon. There are going to be some announcements about referral and "affiliate" opportunities that could put a few $s in your pocket!

Almost a HOG ...

Here is one of the first photos we have received from Brent as he travels the West Coast on his new bike, a Honda VTX 1800. He and Sky picked up their identical bikes in Portland last Friday and then traveled south to San Francisco where they visited with Shan and Cam. Today they will be in Southern California visiting with Uncle Phil and Aunt Liz. Wednesday they will head for Las Vegas where they will meet Sky's Dad and business partners for a meeting. They are planning to be back in Utah Sunday. Don't you think he should install a side-car so he can give us all a ride?

ClearView Update ...

Effective today, ClearView Services is an LLC! Watch for more exciting news over the weekend about some new offerings from the ClearView group of companies that may be of interest to you. Also, here is the link to the new ClearView Services Blog ... not much there now, but check back often for Tips and Tricks that will help make you more productive and effective using your PC or Apple.

First Entry ...

Well, this should be a fun experience! Chris and I have to keep up with the kids by having a Blog and letting everyone know what is happening. As you can see, we have titled our Blog "News, Views, and Information". Hopefully we will post items that deal with all three categories. So, let's get the show on the road ...