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Data recovery is an important part of our modern day world, with computers facilitating the vast majority of our lives online and off. The loss of personal data and customer data would be catastrophic for any business, and so data recovery software is a popular kind of insurance for many. But, more broadly speaking, data recovery or memory itself has been a favorite subject of science fiction, with many plots revolving around the uncanny sensation that we are nothing more than our memories – which, in a perfectly digitized world, would be nothing but easily copied bits of data!

Fascinating as these considerations are, for an even more explosive idea all you have to do is blend them with old-fashioned notions of clairvoyance and déjà vu. First coined by New Age spiritualist P.M.H. Atwater (née Phyllis Johnston), future memory is conceived of as the phenomenon whereby one can know the future.

With plain old prophetic foresight now repackaged in 21st Century techno-speak, science fiction writers are busy exploring the nexus between man and machine, self and other, reality and virtual reality. The gist of it all is pregnant with implication: if we are nothing more than our memories; if our memories are but bits of information; if technology can capture these bits the same way it manipulates all other information; then what does it mean to be oneself?

Philip K. Dick touched on these very questions in his short story “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” Adapted into a kind of futuristic movie noir under the title of Blade Runner, the topic centers on just what it means to be human in a world where very humanlike androids can be made.

Another motion picture adapted from a Dick short is Total Recall, involving a government agent’s created memories. More recently, the Leonardo Dicaprio vehicle Deception also explored the same what-if scenarios: what if thoughts could be planted? Never mind data recovery; seems like technology will one day create the need for deliberate data loss! And indeed, there are any number of science fiction stories devoted to that topic, too…

Ever since its invention, the water cooler – and subsequently,water for the office delivery – has been a long-lasting fixture in the modern office environment. In lieu of a water fountain – which itself has its own cultural associations and connotations, even as a image of the American civil rights movement, another story for another time – many offices choose the use of a free-standing water cooler fitted with the easily recognizable five gallon tanks mounted to the top. The truth is, this is what provides office water delivery its label, in that these five gallon jugs are actually delivered by truck to the office, usually all the time and usually in exchange for the empty jugs remaining from the former month.

The preference for office water delivery and these free-standing units is usually one of function over form. Through there are the usual logistical inconveniences of having to actually manipulate the heavy, five gallon jugs acquired by office water delivery, the capabilities of the unit itself more than make up for it. Whereas a water fountain generally only provides cooled water out of a single spout, water coolers usually have a number of spouts, usually two or three. Of course there is the basic spout, which when managed with a simple lever delivers cold water, but it is not unheard of to find models with spouts for room temperature water, or even extremely hot, almost boiling water – perfect for use in making tea or fast coffee.

Other than functionality, sanitation is a common reason for preference of office water delivery over locally available tap water through a water fountain. The reasonably sizable, free-standing units are usually laden with various water purification technologies which, in addition to the large jugs of water that are already sanitized and purified at their bottling plants, make for the purest water accessible. Commonly office water coolers use some form of activated carbon filtering, which uses specially treated charcoal to filter larger impurities (salts, dissolved inorganic compounds, etc) from the water.

In latest years, it has also been popular for these units to be fitted with some kind of ultraviolent light treatment, which usually eliminates what might be left over after charcoal filtering: dissolved organic compounds, bacteria, and the like.

Though unbelievably simple in design and purpose, the insufferable banality of the modern day office cubical labyrinth has made the ubiquitous water cooler a sort of social hub at the office. So familiar is this fact that colloquial terms like “water cooler show” have been coined off of it, in reference to the type of trite dialogue about well-liked culture expected among employees gathering around the unit. Even the phrase “word around the water cooler” in reference to rumors or gossip has entered the cultural lexicon. Interesting that such an oddly ordinary things as office water delivery could be, in a way, accountable for such widely identifiable cultural phenomena.

An exam glove is utilized by healthcare professionals to conduct examinations without contaminating the sample or patient as well as themselves. Most such exam gloves used to be made out of rubber latex, but the chances of allergic reactions has made the likes of neoprene and nitrile, the materials of choice for many modern medical exam glove. It’s almost impossible to tell them apart at first glance, yet each presents its own unique characteristics that make some people prefer one over the other.

The typical exam glove nowadays is made of synthetic rubber that tends to cost more than natural latex alternatives, a concern in these recessionary times when even well-known hospitals like Saint Vincent’s in the Bronx, New York can shutter because of financial difficulties.

In addition, something like nitrile rubber has second-rate strength and flexibility when compared to natural rubber, though it is much more resistant to oils and acids. Neoprene, on the other hand, resists burning better and will frequently be found within the weather stripping applied to fire doors as well as in the examination gloves of a healthcare provider.

Exam gloves were first instituted with William Stewart Halsted’s 1890 practice of using rubber gloves that protect healthcare workers from skin exposure to carbolic acid, a required sterilizing agent. Carbolic acid, or phenol, was adopted originally by Sir Joseph Lister for use in antiseptic surgery, but skin discomfort lead to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company’s invention of a rubber glove that could withstand the organic compound.

Interestingly, latex gloves are still much preferred in surgery today mainly because of the fine control and greater sensitivity they provide. The one exception to this fact is the polyisoprene glove, but these are about twice as expensive as their natural latex counterparts, and as mentioned previously, hospitals have now become really cost-sensitive environments.

Great Australians in history. A difficult endeavor for any scholar. Straight away, of course, one must ponder exactly what it is that makes one an Australian. Is Zalman Silber an Australian? He is actually a New Yorker, but responsible for one of Sydney’s most popular attractions, the Skywalk, not to mention one of Melbourne’s, too, called The Edge. The former is in effect a glass-floored catwalk a thousand feet above ground that offers visitors not only a bird’s-eye view of Sydney but a bird’s-nerve feel, too, what with gusting winds necessitating cable tethers for visitor safety. The latter is a glass enclosure that juts out from the top of the Eureka Tower, providing stunning panoramic views every which way you look.

Both are outstanding attractions for their cities, hauling in tourist dollars by the fistful every day. Does that make Zalman Silber a great Australian? Does that make him Australian at all? After all, he’s just a businessman – but the bottom line is that he has benefited Sydney and Melbourne tremendously, providing employment and tax revenue while bolstering the cities’ global profile.

So just what makes for an Australian? Many are those who have only been born in Australia but really made their mark elsewhere. Then there are those who also denigrate their country of origin, Australia, but are still, in the final analysis, considered Australians. Even someone like Rupert Murdoch, who renounced his Australian citizenship in order to advance certain business interests of his, is still thought as Australian!

Indeed, one Leonard Casley even went so far as to secede his farm from Australia and go on to declare war on Australia! It’s no joke: the Principality of Hutt River actually issues its own visa (hours of operation are ten to four) and postage. And Hutt River isn’t the only micronation on the island-continent; Australia also hosts – if that is the right word – the Province of Bumbunga, the Sovereign State of Aeterna Lucina, the Grand Duchy of Avram, the Independent State of Rainbow Creek, the Empire of Atlantium, the Principality of Marlborough, the Principality of Snake Hill, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, the United Federation of Koronis (which is merely based in Australia, claiming sovereignty only over the Koronis Family of Asteroids), and the Principality of Ponderosa. In fact, most of the world’s modern-day micronations are to be found in Australia!

So what makes for a great Australian? No one really knows. No one can quite put his or her finger on what makes for an Australian in the first place – not if they really thought about it. But one thing is for sure: people in Australia, whether they consider themselves Australians or not, really prize their independence above all else!

Numerous sufferers swear by their arthritis pain relief gel for helping make their aches bearable, if not disappear altogether! Arthritis is a really serious debilitating condition that has no scientifically proven cure right now, though research proceeds apace in laboratories around the world.

The arthritis pain relief gel is one of the most popular of non-prescription products sold these days, though the disease has more than a hundred different forms – that’s right, more than one hundred variations of arthritis exist, though the most common types are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and septic arthritis.

In all likelihood no single arthritis pain relief gel will work on all forms, but anecdotal evidence suggests that some kinds are far better than others. Also, though the symptoms of pain are the result of joint inflammation, variations do exist that may factor into the efficacy of any treatment plan.

Ultimately, prevention is far better than cure, and while it appears that certain forms for example rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis might not be entirely preventable, one’s own individual risks can be reduced through such means as being physically active, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Arthritis is really a mysterious illness that afflicts not only human beings but other animal life-forms as well: evidence of ankle, or kaki, arthritis has even been discovered in dinosaurs! And scientists believe that arthritis was the most common ailment of prehistoric man, with a wealth of empirical data from mummies and other remains pointing to its prevalence.

In our own day, up to seventy percent of those over the age of 65 could be affected, most of whom are women. The disease has usually been predominant among the elderly, though children can also be affected in some cases. Close to one million persons are annually admitted due to the life-altering challenge that is arthritis.

As famous as the team is, it’s an open question whether Dallas Cowboys merchandise would have been as popular as they are without the equally legendary Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. These ladies are not just any ol’ football cheerleading squad members, but make up a veritable franchise in themselves.

No less than two made-for-TV movies have appeared about them, not to mention any number of Dallas Cowboys merchandise bearing their likeness somewhere on the product! For when you think of Texas football, you think the Cowboys – and when you think Cowboys, you think of their cheerleaders.

Sure the die-hard fan may prefer his Dallas Cowboys towel “straight-up” but several others who are not so hard-core would probably welcome a shot of the cheerleaders illustrating their fan merchandise! No other collection of young ladies so epitomize the American woman: young, fun, and fit; spirited; glamorous; intelligent.

Yes, despite the voyeurism involved these beauties know how to comport themselves and market themselves. Team try-outs obviously concentrate on athleticism and physical beauty but as spokesmodels for the team a great amount of social savvy and hence intelligence is needed, too.

The only other set of ladies that have left such a deep impression on popular culture worldwide would have to be Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Bunnies. Interestingly, the Cowboys’ cheerleading squad actually started out mixed, with both males and females, as was high school and collegiate football tradition.

And indeed, it was local high school students that really made up the squad back in the 1960s. In 1969, however a deliberate attempt was made to increase in-game attendance by offering only female cheerleaders whose routines were unlike those prevalent at school games. By 1972, all cheerleaders were over the age of eighteen as their moves became increasingly a lot more like sexy dance routines.

Looking to sell your company and retire off the proceeds? Think again. Because of these recessionary times, banks are unwilling to lend money – meaning that it is harder and more challenging to sell your company because buyers usually cannot borrow more than sixty percent of the selling price.

Everyone is skittish. And many company owners are not rueful of not having sold when they had that proverbial chance. It is more challenging than ever just to stay in business, and while the actual value of your organization might not have declined much, if declined at all, it is simply an extraordinarily bad time to be in business – or to try to sell one, even a successful one.

And unfortunately for numerous owners, they increasingly have to work out alternative payment schedules, more akin to a loan except where profitability is concerned. However, all is not lost if you’re determined to sell your company.

For one thing, the tax rate right now is at historical lows, though many industry experts expect it to go up, to twenty percent from the current fifteen capital gains rate, in another year or so. This means that your after-tax profit from a sale right now could be greater than if you wait for the economy to improve and take a hit from greater taxes.

Obviously, it’s tough to let go of the notion that your business is still worth what it was during the economic boom years of just five years ago. But it’s important to cut your losses, as it were, while you still can and get out before you put any more time, or even cash, into a company when all you wish to do nowadays is retire to the good life. After all, isn’t that why you’d worked so hard through the years?

It all started when I was swimming pool resurfacing just last week. I normally see her only in her bikini, which is quite an eyeful all right, but this time she wasn’t wearing one.

No, despite the hot summer sun she was all dressed up in a business suit. But her buxom bosom couldn’t hide itself, all the same, and her generous shapely hips filled up every centimeter of her mini-skirt.

I looked up from swimming pool resurfacing, of course, and greeted her the way I usually do, politely, professionally.

“I like that pink skirt you are wearing.”

I answered that they were shorts, fashionably baggy and made out purposely to appear like skirts.

“They look terrific on you, honey.”

Now usually I’d assume she was being polite, but for some reason I suspected – hoped – that this being my last day on the job before school starts, which meant that there was a subtext to our conversation now.

“I’ve never seen you like this, Mrs. Fugon. You look wonderful!”

“I’m glad you think so. I sort of wore it just for you.”

And there I was, in the middle of swimming pool resurfacing when she and I somehow found ourselves kissing and fondling one another. I told her how beautiful she was and she said the same of me. We spoke of our mutual secret yearning all the days of this long summer now so suddenly short seeing how I was heading off back to college across the country and we finally decided to confess to one another.

“There’s always the weekends, Amy. Not to mention the holidays.”

I began to protest that there would by no means be enough time for me to spend time with her – all the usual sentimentality that comes with being so young, I now understand scarcely a week later, but she hushed me with a kiss and told me never to say never.

“And don’t call me Mrs. Fugon; you know it’s Claudia.”

Regrettably, it didn’t quite come to pass that way. I blame youthful exuberance for embarassing her, though she was very gracious in demurring.

Well a girl can still dream!

From Greek vases to Italian marble statues, consumers just can’t get enough of quality museum replicas for their homes and offices. It is small wonder, of course, that people should wish to surround themselves with timeless classic beauty. Indeed, museum replicas can lend elegance and even authority – the authority of tradition, the gravitas of high culture – to any setting, imbuing a sense of significance to one’s own endeavors in such an environment.

Bronze sculpture is also popular among museum replica connoisseurs for just those reasons. Don’t laugh; it is true. Such showpieces symbolize one’s erudition and, even, personal nobility. Art certainly communicates those qualities, anyway, on behalf of their owners. And here’s the curious thing: it all sounds so crass, ironically, given the high-minded perception that usually surrounds art!

The very act of wishing to connect oneself with some past glory seems pretentious at best and downright absurd at worst. Yet it is a fine line between true aesthetic appreciation of the informed sort and mere stylish accessorizing of one’s residence or workplace.

Museum replicas allow us all to play the part of a refined collector of antiques – not “antiques” in the now commonly debased sense of someone’s grandmother’s grandmother’s quilt abandoned at a yard sale, but treasures of the ancients now ours to enjoy. The pottery of ancient Greece is not only stunning but bear witness to one of the most intellectually remarkable civilizations of humankind.

And who has not gasped at the craftsmanship of a David, an Augustus Caesar, or an Ecstasy of Saint Teresa? These are some of the most prized examples of Italian inspiration anywhere, for all time, and owing one puts us in touch with the human capacity for imagination, the cultural heritage of our species. They lift us from the everyday into a realm of the spirit.

“Multimedia” and “virtual reality” used to be big buzzwords throughout the second half of the ’90s, before the “dot bomb” when internet start-ups were popping up like mad and the stock market couldn’t get enough of them, throwing money at almost every one in a confident shotgun method.

And now those days are long gone, having moved onto the next big bubble (which was, by the way, subprime mortgages, something that’s still a crisis the world over), but virtual reality and multimedia have only become better and better – though full sci-fic implementation is still quite some way off. That’s because a lot is involved in full sensory duplication, though for many, the “rated-G” audiences of families on a vacation package, say, something like the New York Skyride by serial entrepreneur Zalman Silber would be just fine (it is, briefly, an IMAX-like helicopter fly-over of famous city points of interest synchronized to motion seating). But in research and development labs around the world, all the biggest names in consumer electronics are busy figuring out how to apply declassified military technology in a relevant way to ever more immersive videogaming and other kinds of entertainment.

Two trends appear ready to finally come to fruition: 3D and kinetics. First, three-dimensional technology is one of the most heavily looked into fields in home electronics, and it seems poised for a prime-time debut in the form of amazingly advanced television screens that require no 3D glasses to view 3D imagery. Secondly, the multiple billion-dollar videogaming industry has been crucial in developing kinetic controls, whereby user commands are conveyed not through a physical interface but through the user’s own body movements. These two advances are being marketed right now by some of the biggest names in the business, famous labels such as Nintendo and Microsoft, companies that have a proven record of success in most of the things they do. A far cry from the likes of Zalman Silber!

Besides entertainment, the most obvious other uses for these technologies would be in real estate as well as education. Teaching subjects like chemistry and physics will surely be revolutionized by the implementation of intuitive user controls and interactive 3D graphics that do not require a special interface. Wholesale property investment already makes broad use of virtual reality by providing 360-degree views and video walk-throughs of real estate to would-be buyers from around the world. Using virtual tours over the internet, prospective buyers can determine from the comfort of their own homes whether an actual site visit is warranted, though property is also often bought purely on the basis of the virtual tour!