The Sum

We seem to be feeling the pinch of the gas prices but can continue this path for some time as we do not seem to hear any major policy / technology paradigm shift. We would continue to make the oil rich countries richer at the cost of the rest of the world. A question that I would like to ask to you as a consumer is: how far do you think you can live with this problem and secondly, how far are we ready to take this bull by the horns?

The gas prices and oil prices have surpassed the levels we had when oil embargo was imposed in seventies but we are not moved and don’t seem to get it. If we had learned the lesson then and changed things around we might be better off now! But I am nobody to lecture and in the hind side we, all, can be brilliant, isn’t it!

We need some thinking outside the box! May be we have been missing the big point! In my view the solution lies in our realization that the small internal combustion engine is too inefficient! Hold on, I am not done yet!! I would say look at the Diesel Locomotive Engine - it has all the answers. Diesel Locomotive Engine has an internal combustion engine but that turns electricity generation. The generator sends power to a motor for traction, at each axle, which powers the wheels.

We need some way of storing energy. May be something of the kind of battery but much more efficient. May be something electro-mechanical. We need the power generation to be left to the more efficient Thermal, Hydro, or Nuclear systems. We need to be able to transfer and store the energy in this new storage system. The automobile will then be powered by electrical motors more like the Diesel Locomotive Engine. The traction motor does not require gears to deliver the torque. The whole system of automobile could become way smaller and efficient!

This would result in getting rid of pollution, uncertainty of oil and gas, speculation and manipulation thereof. I don’t know whether the perceived  benefits are good enough for someone in position of leadership to announce scholarship for developing such a product! I don’t know whether someone in position would announce a competition amongst technologists to have a break through idea about this! I don’t know whether the idea is good enough that you would take the initiative of writing about this to your leaders. If we don’t react, not to this but to similar ideas or start thinking laterally, we are, definitely, going to loose the right to complain.

Money making is easier than ever before using your camera by selling your photographs, pictures, images online through the micro stock photography. There are a number of sites such as Shutterstock, Fotolia, Dreamstime where you can submit your photographs, pictures or images and they will pay you for every download.

Of course, each of these and other sites are unique in their own way and have slightly different requirement and pay you very differently. It is advisable to be registered with all the three. You would learn over a period of time as which site is better for which kind of picture becasue each of them cater to very different audience or clientale.

Perhaps I made it look too simple and things are a little more demanding. Not all pictures may get accepted and not all accepted bring any revenue but with a little effort, you too, can learn photography and with a digital camera, start generating, may be, $1000 a month, extra. That can be a handsome amount for so many things besides a payback for your investment in your digital camera or to justify the upgrade of your existing digital camera.

What do you need:
A digital camera capable of taking sharp pictures. There are a quite a few. My personal choice is Digital SLR of Canon or Nikon. Any camera that has the ability of shooting pictures in a wide range of light and distance and produces good results is good. There is some learning curve but by following any guide, you can overcome the learning.

What kind of pictures:
Anything that’s unique. Best way to get an idea is to go to each of these sites and sites like Comstock, GettyImages find the most downloaded pictures. You will find there are a variety of them. All places, seasons, objects get a good exposure. One technical jargon that people use is: “no digital noise”. basically no over exposure or under exposure, no hi iso or long exposures. For example, the picture of dog is a good picture but may not have commercial value and the picture of oriole is not good.

Who buys them:
There are ad agencies, web developers, marketing professionals who constantly are looking for something new. Instead of hiring a highly paid professional who will fly to Mt. Fuji or Mt. Everest or Lake Luise, they look at what amateurs are offering at these sites. For a fraction of cost and without delay, they can get these pictures.

Other conditions:
You cannot sell them with logos or trademarks nor the pictures that you do not own and have right to. There are additional release declarations required when you submit a recognizable person’s picture.

Uploading:
All sites have built-in on-site upload mechanism. In case you have too many, perhaps use of Cute FTP, FTPZilla comes very handy. When submitting, one should chose as many categories the picture may fall.

For those who are beginners, having your submissions at shutterstock is more paying because of their model for the users of the pictures (for a fixed sum they get to down load 750 pictures in a month. For every download you get paid).

Once you become familiar with the camera, you can start having pictures taken for birthday parties, school functions, tourist spots, and like and that can bring in additional sums of money.

Our research shows that you can get excellent digital cameras at www.digital-camera-plus.com and their prices are nearly unbeatable.

Contributed by Scott Miler of the-sum.com.

The Digital Photography Book (Book) Authors:Scott Kelby Manufacturer:Peachpit Press Released:23 August, 2006

Tags: make money, making money, money making, make money with camera, photography, images, pictures

If you were attracted by the title then to a great extent you are curious and interested in knowing more about making money, at no cost, and with relatively little effort. The whole thing is about a cooperative sort of a movement where smart people figured out that Google makes its money from the search engine and from advertising.

Does it not seem like the most sordid that the judges have ridiculed Sanjaya Malakar on every performance and yet the audience’s votes have made his presence laugh in the face of the judges! Who is wrong?

Sanjaya has performed and that’s why the audience has supported him. Only the best will survive, and eventual winner will be the best. Most of the contestants have been doing better than in the previous years. I would expect the judges to be more diplomatic rather than demeaning.

Sanjaya continues to shine as he is gowing fast with every week that passes but he certainly has very tough competition. He needs to develop deep throat male voice like Barry White or Kenny Rogers. He is doing great by not not “shouting” but he needs to perform exhibiting a range.

What can you or I, as individuals do? Perhaps, nothing but look at it with a little thought and it becomes apparent that each of us can do something. Would it make difference? May be it will not in a day or two but if everyone starts caring, it will make the difference.

It may be too late if enough is not done because we all are procrastinating. We are causing damage to the eco-system for making present gains without setting anything to replenish the system. This is not about the fight or issue of Vice President Al Gore. It is a matter for understanding and doing your own little bit. Little bit can be as simple as:

Plant more trees and plants
Burn less energy - may be start using more fuel efficient machines, cars, equipment, light bulbs
Turn off un-necessarily running machine, engine, light bulb, fire
Try using recycled material

Think about other measures that you can take. Write about them. Share with others.

It does matter and we should make overt effort to research and educate others. This would be, to my mind, higher than charitable or volunteer work that we do.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism) (Book) Authors:Christopher C. Horner Manufacturer:Regnery Publishing, Inc. Released:12 February, 2007