Sunday 31 October 2010

How to set Computer Network for small business using WIN XP

Setting up a small business computer network has become easier over the years as operating systems and networking technologies have improved, and storage and networking peripherals have evolved to incorporate plug and play features.

What are the main reasons for having a computer network?
Setting up a network is a good way to get more use out of your computers and peripherals, particularly for small and home business users.
Networks allow you to share a single broadband Internet connection among multiple computers and PC users.
They are able to share files among computers more easily and also share software resources such as diaries.
 Networking also allows you to use a printer connected to a different computer, and access media and other resources, such as images and music, which are stored remotely or across the office.

Should I go wired or wireless?
More and more small businesses are using wireless networking equipment, particularly since it has fallen in price and become easier to configure and use.
Wireless networking allows you to have a more attractive and arguably safer office environment with fewer cables around. It gives you more flexibility about where you locate your IT kit, and you can use your laptop from anywhere in your office.
It also allows you to offer visitors wireless internet access or hot-desk facilities.
However, Ethernet-based wired networking can still have the edge over wireless equipment in being more reliable, lower cost and offering faster connection speeds. Wireless signals on the other hand can vary depending on the layout of an office, the thickness of the walls and sometimes even the weather.

What equipment do I need to set up a basic network?
Operating systems like Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP and Apple Mac OS X have networking capabilities incorporated into them. This means that if you have a relatively up to date laptop or desktop PC, it should be fairly straightforward to network machines together.
Apart from the computers, you will also need some networking equipment, which may be as basic as having a single cable to connect two computers together.
For larger setups, you may require an additional wireless or wired router plus some Ethernet cables to link the PCs up.
To set up a wireless network, you will need a wireless router linked to your broadband connection, plus a cable that links the router to your main PC or server.
This will then allow other PCs and notebooks, which have wireless networking equipment integrated or attached, to pick up the wireless signals and join the local area network (LAN).

How do I secure the network?
After you set up your network, you should take time to protect it, and you can do this through the security settings in the router, or the operating system.
You can do this through technologies such as wireless encryption protocol (WEP) for a wireless network, which uses passwords to encrypt the network traffic.
You may also want to use Windows and network logins and passwords to limit access to the network to authorised users. You may also choose to use hardware security like fingerprint recognition, security and password keys, and full disk encryption to further protect the network.
When it comes to using the Internet, businesses should also check their browser security and privacy settings to ensure that the network is protected from from viruses, spam and hacking attempts.
You can add additional security packages to protect and maintain the network perimeters, checking for attacks from both the outside and the inside.

What else can I use my network for?
Apart from file and print operations, you can use your network to share other peripherals such as scanners and copiers.
You can also use the network to backup and store information on a network attached storage (NAS) device or through the web.
NAS devices often have their own hard drives and can be accessed via the network through a web browser, allowing you to configure and manage them and the way they backup information from your computers.
Wireless networks will also allow you to use wide variety of devices such as wireless cameras, and wireless digital multi-media receivers.

Saturday 30 October 2010

Diptych

Map collage birds
Collage, watercolor & acrylic ink on Twinrocker handmade paper. 6" x 8"

Alevtina Kakhidze - Revolutionary Obedience

"Art must concern itself with the real, but it throws any notion of the real into question. It always turns the real into a facade, a representation, and a construction. But it also raises questions about the motives of that construction." - Mike Kelley

Here is how it went:
Ukrainian artist Alevtina Kakhidze has been working on value and power for a while. In one of her charming projects (The Most Commercial Project), for instance, she drew objects that she liked, most of them she couldn't afford, and gave the drawings the same value that the objects had. So, a drawing of a Louis Vuitton handbag had the same value as the object itself. And when she brought her goods into her marriage, the lawyers confirmed that her estate was worth much more than her entrepreneur husband's.
In one of her projects, back in 2008, Alevtina drew the earth seen from the sky. No, this needs more precision: the earth seen from an airplane which is not her own private airplane.
Once she made the drawing, Alevtina Kakhidze wrote to some of the richest people in Ukraine - Rinat Akhmetov and Viktor Pinchuk (who has his own adventure in the art world now) - and asked them to make a drawing for her of how the earth looks from a private plane. It was a nice portfolio she sent them, very professional and smooth. She tried encouraging them, telling them it wasn't about drawing well. If anyone can draw, so can you!
This (and the obvious silence afterwards) made for a nice work. A clean statement about what we see and the position we see it from.

But two years later, unexpectedly, an answer arrives. Akhmetov decided to make his huge foundation to support artists' projects. And Alevtina's project was thought perfect for a beginning. Unfortunately, Mr. Achmetov is too busy/shy/untalented to make a drawing, but he will be happy to rent a private plane for Ms. Kakhidze, so she can make her project herself.
And make it she did.
The project, called "I'm Late For A Plane That Cannot Be Missed", started with Alevtina going by collective transport from her house in the suburbs to the airport. She hitch-hiked a little, took a suburban mini-bus, a suburban train, and (as expected) arrived late at the small private airport near Kiev. There was already a TV crew traveling with her by then, asking everyone on the way who they were and if they knew Alevtina. At the airport, there were several more crews, and over a dozen news photographers. After all, this was an important day for art and culture in Ukraine: the richest man around decided to support real artists, and started by allowing this innocent-looking girl to realize her dream.

And off she went. Onboard, she took only a few reporters. (There was even a struggle for the seat.)

The anxious journalists were mad when, upon returning, Alevtina declared only one thing: she will tell the whole story and answer all the questions tomorrow during her lecture performance. That made no news story at all! Disappointed and frustrated, they could do nothing but wait.

However, the next day arrived quite quickly. And here they were, the journalists, and tens of artists gathered at the conference in one of the most prestigious places in Ukraine (a part of the Saint Sophia Cathedral complex). Waiting mainly to learn how to get money for their projects. And, also, to hear what Alevtina has to say. And to see the drawings.
Alevtina starts describing how she prepared for the trip, how she got clothes specially designed for the occasion, she talks about the cost of the plane rental (10 000 euros). And then she declares:
I felt so calm on the way to the airport and in the sky but now I have to account for this tranquility. What have we done on the plane? We were there. There is no result. I have nothing to show for what actually happened there.
The journalists were confused. This is surely a scandal? No drawing!
But also - no demolition! No shocking performance! No reaction! Nothing! Alevtina did strictly nothing - she did not change the game, she did not make the plane fly somewhere else, she did not paint it red, she made no drawing. She took the flight.
Did I say she didn't change the game?
Of course she did.
Her non-action was performative. It created a new reality. It brought about a challenge to the system, keeping up the power struggle between the art and the money. Who is the boss here? And why?
Certainly, they want us to do what we want. But if we do what we want our way, we are the ones defining what they want. And for a fraction, it becomes our game. And this fraction, for me, is the work.

In one of her works, Alevtina writes (or quotes, the origin is unsure): “And do you remember, I found 10 roubles, and ran home to show mom. Not the 10 roubles, but how lucky I am.”
It is not the thing we find. It is about how lucky we are.
And how we subvert this luck.


PS. The struggle continues: in the description of the event on the Foundation's site, the actual request for Akhmetov to draw the earth is not mentioned, making it all seem slightly more like making "Dreams come true in art". What dreams, exactly?

Friday 29 October 2010

Daniel's blog!

Wild West
The Good, the Mouse and the Coyote"
Colored pencils and ink.
Daniel's Self Portrait
Self Portrait with Turbo. Chalk.
These two
After much pestering by me, my very talented son Daniel (age 12)
finally created his own blog, it's called Daniel Does :)
Check out his super cute ninja banner!

Thursday 28 October 2010

Autumn On My Mind

Autumn
Remember this pencil sketch I did a couple of weeks while ago?
Well I finally watercolored it with a dark blackish indigo last night.
Autumn is just so inspiring to me!

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Wings

Fly away birdie!
The birdie on the wall is almost finished, I painted the wings a couple of days ago
and I'm waiting for it to dry completely before adding all the white details.
My finger is completely healed, the mud worked like a charm. Manolo was right :)

Remove border around image uploaded in blogger - blogspot

This is easy to change! You will look for the code that you wish to change, which is .post img code in the CSS style sheet. How to completely REMOVE the border that appears around a posted photo within a post on Blogger??

Look for code with post img  in your template code -
post img {
padding:4px;
border:0px solid $bordercolor;
}

OR

.post img {
margin: 5px;
padding: 5px;
background: $imagebgColor;
border: 1px solid $imageBorderColor;
}

Change this line to read:
.post img {
padding:4px;
border:none;
}

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Plumeria

Flower study
Watercolor sketch
Flower study
I went with Manolo to buy some things from a little hardware store near here
yesterday afternoon and there was the most beautiful Red Plumeria tree in bloom
just outside the shop. I brought a couple of buds home and made a quick watercolor sketch with a dark navy background on my new handbook journal.

Tis' The Season To Buy Handmade SHELL ART & Coastal Gifts on Etsy!

Most of us know the joys of shopping on Etsy.com - the global online market place to buy and sell all things handmade. I've put together collection shell art and coastal gifts from Etsy's finest to get you in the holiday (and shopping) spirit! Check out these great shell things...

Sea Life Sculptures by PEACOCKSSTAINEDGLASS


Sailors' Valentine by SeacoastArt


Shining Star Seashell Mirror by HighTideCreations


Seashell Wreath by BeacheryDesigns


Peace & Love Seashell Chest by TidePoolStudios


Hanging Window Sculptures by SavoirClaire


Seashell Flower p\Pendant and Necklace by sandandtrains


Oyster Shell Pillar Candle Holder by ShorelyChic


Beach Cottage Seashell Chandelier by SandisShellcapes


Vintage Style Seashell (Murex) Gift Tag by Bluebirdlane


Seashell and Sea Life Medley by Shellgalart


Fine Shell Art Dish by PinkPelicanDesigns


Seashell Window Ornament by Fromtheseacreations


Seashell Chalkboard by Beautiful Details


Crystal Studded Shells by SeashellCollection


Sailors' Valentine postcards packs by SeaStarRose. These cards are photos of awarding-winning shell artist Susanne Marie Dietsch's actual Sailors' Valentines shell art.


Framed Coral Specimen by SpecimenBoxShop


Seashell Faces by shellart65atlanta


Handmade Seashell Soaps by SatinandBirch


Photography (Sputnik Sea Urchin shown) and Glass Photo Jewelry by maryvlcan


Natural Seashell Ring by MyShells


Fine Shell Art Hair Clips by SeaShellFinery

Happy Holidays!

Monday 25 October 2010

WHEN AN ARTIST FALLS IN A FOREST AND NO ONE IS AROUND TO HEAR IT...



In 1923, C.B. Dodson of Richmond Virginia entered this painting in a competition for young illustrators:



Alas, he came in second and nobody ever heard of him again. Of course, nobody ever heard of the first place winner either:



C.B. and Florence took their places in that long, long line of anonymous artists who yearned for a whiff of artistic immortality.



It is easy to spot such artists. They're the ones who remain hunched over a drawing board or computer, continuing to work on a picture long after someone was willing to pay for it.

For some, this dedication paid off. Norman Rockwell traded away his personal life for his art, often working twelve hours a day, six days a week on his paintings. Near the end of his life he observed, "The story of my life is, really, the story of my pictures." Rockwell may not have spent much time playing with his kids or lingering in bed with his wife on cold New England mornings, but he could feel warmed by the knowledge that future generations would remember his name and respect his achievement.

Rockwell's fame and fortune are the exception, not the rule. Most artists end at a place where every brush stroke that once seemed so important is erased forever, and every inspired color choice is forgotten. As they arrive at that final destination, they understand that the extra hours they robbed from life to invest in their craft, hoping for some future return on their investment, is equity never to be repaid.

It's not like the gods hid the price of glory. Long ago, they made it clear to Achilles that if he wanted to be remembered, he would have to sacrifice his life.

From The Iliad by the Provensens

They explained that if he fought in the Trojan war, he would be killed but his name would live forever in glory. On the other hand, if he turned and sailed for home he could enjoy a long, happy life surfing internet porn and playing Wii in his bathrobe but no one would remember his name.

Now Achilles loved playing Wii just as much as you or I, so he raged against the unfairness of this choice. The pain in his famous soliloquy remains fresh today, thousands of years later:
The same honor waits for the coward and the brave. They both go down to Death, the fighter who shirks and the one who works to exhaustion.... Two fates bear me on to the day of my death. If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy my journey back home is gone, but my glory never dies. If I voyage back to the home I love, my pride, my glory dies, true, but the life that's left me will be long....
When his hour of decision arrived, Achilles chose to sacrifice his life on the hardscrabble soil of Troy. (If he hadn't, we wouldn't still be talking about him now).

In some ways, Achilles got a better deal than poor C.B. Dodson. At least Achilles had a guarantee from the gods that his sacrifice would be repaid with eternal glory. Artists get no such guarantee. They have to gamble their lives away like a poker chip at the Casino d'Art. There are plenty of talented, hard working artists who die anonymous deaths, and plenty of untalented hacks who hit the jackpot and become legends. Who would play even a slot machine with such terrible odds?

Unlike the fortunate Achilles, our choice is beset by our human limitations. We are surrounded by our mortality on one side, which requires us to make haste with our commitments, and total uncertainty on the other side about whether those commitments and their accompanying sacrifices will have any meaning whatsoever. Compared to these crummy alternatives, Achilles' choice was a real bargain.

As a result, we are forced to work harder for our solace than Achilles did. The glory of our work is different from the glory earned by Achilles. Ours is sadder, more poignant and more fragile. But I am convinced it is no less glorious.



Blackboard Inauguration

Chalk Turbo
Daniel did the honors of inaugurating the new blackboard
with a portrait of the furry one.

Best free blog spots for a new blogger

Various Platforms
    Blogger
Blog.com – Offers free blog hosting with unlimited bandwidth for their free package, more benefits for paid members.
Blog Ladder.com – All blog entries show up on the main ladder as well as inside your own blog.
Blogger.com – A great starting site to get a taste of blogging, very easy to use.blog spots
Blogr.com – Allows you to blog, host photos & videos, and podcasts.
BlogSpirit.com – European based blogging site, offers 30-day trial and subscription thereafter, but offers quite a bit of storage.
Blogster.com – Offers free image hosting in addition to free blogs.
BlogYx.com – Blogging site with extras such as chat boxes so you can interact with your readers.
Bloki.com – Lets you build a blog site and even open it up for collaboration.
Bravenet.com – Free blog hosting with RSS feeds and more.
ClearBlogs.com – Free blog hosting and offers templates, friends only posts, IP-Banning and more.
Etribes.com – Based in Europe, allows you to create all sorts of websites including a blog.
Multiply.com – Mixes blogging and social networking, with photo galleries and more.
Netcipia.com – Free blog and wiki for private or public display with 2GB of storage.
Open Diary.com – Offers unlimited storage and posts, low cost subscription rates for advanced features.
ShoutPost.com – A platform for creating blogs with a focus on generating traffic.
SoulCast.com – Have something you want to talk about, but want to say it anonymously? This may be the blogging site for you.
Squarespace.com – Lets you build your blog with numerous themes, also allows you to add other site features.
Terapad.com – Offers blogs as well as features such as an integrated store.
Tooum.com – Fully integrated blog and forum which allows for seamless discussion between the two.
Tumblr.com () – A blog platform with a focus on allowing media-rich posts.
Weebly.com – Allows you to create a site and blog, free hosting and change designs on the fly.
Windows Live Spaces – Free blogging with your MSN account, only drawback is readers have to have an account also.
Vox.com – Part of the SixApart family of blogging sites, very much geared towards the personal journal types of blogs.
Xanga.com – Part social network, part blogging, all free.
Yahoo 360 – Part of your Yahoo account and features easy publishing.
Zoomshare.com – Free blog hosting with 250MB of free storage.

Sunday 24 October 2010

Chalkboard

Studio cubbies
Chalkboard
I painted a chalkboard in the studio today using this recipe.
I just finished priming it with chalk and I'll clean it with a barely damp cloth tomorrow and it will be ready to use.

New Halloween blogspot template - 2column black

Halloween Blogger Template is cute and funny templateIt’s a template I personally like too much ’cause it’s simply, childlike and very cute.
 Demo || Download

2 cool Justin Bieber blogger template

1. Justin Beiber Blogger Template
Add to your Blog
Follow these steps.

2) Step 1
Copy the code below. Left click in the box. Then right click the highlighted text and select Copy.
3) Step 2
Login to your Blogger.com account and click on Layout. Then click on Edit HTML.

4) Step 3
Replace ALL of the code by pasting in your new blog code.

5) Step 4
Click Save Template at the bottom and you are DONE!


2.Justin Bieber Collage Blogger Template

Add to your BlogFollow these steps.
2) Step 1Copy the code below. Left click in the box. Then right click the highlighted text and select Copy.

3) Step 2Login to your Blogger.com account and click on Layout. Then click on Edit HTML.
4) Step 3Replace ALL of the code by pasting in your new blog code.
5) Step 4Click Save Template at the bottom and you are DONE!