Are You Still Listening To Your CDs?

Internet Radio Revolution

First Published: April 15, 2009 ADawnJournal.com

The Internet has revolutionized the way we live; it’s no wonder that listening to music the old way is about to become extinct. Internet radio is replacing those traditional CDs, and more and more listeners are discovering the convenience and features Internet radio provides (which traditional music players simply cannot) due to technological breakthroughs.

You can listen to most of the traditional radio stations online these days. However, the reason I am writing this article today is not to discuss listening to those online radio stations. I am here to discuss social radio stations like Last.fm or Jingo and what unimaginable things they can do for you. There are many other online social stations like these but these two are my favourites and I will restrict myself to just these two to keep things simple.

Let’s look some of the features that make these social radio stations cutting edge listening devices fit to replace traditional media and music players.

·   There is no additional music player required. Your computer becomes your entertainment station. And yes, of course, you can still listen to your music player from your computer by connecting Internet radio stations through a wire or wirelessly via a FM Transmitter.

·   There is no need to store breakable CDs. Make your life clutter- and worry-free by not having to store, organize, and sort out traditional CDS. This saves lots of time too.

·   Create your own personalized profile and input your choice of music, artists, and genre; these smart online radio stations will keep playing music based on your input 24/7.

·   Filter out music you don’t like. If you don’t like something you hear, you can ask your station not to play it anymore. On the other hand, if you like something and want to hear it more often, tell the radio by pressing a button and it will play that track often.

·   As you keep listening, these smart radio stations remember and analyze what you are listening to and adjust themselves to play more the kind of music you like.

·   You can meet like-minded people from all over the world. The station will show profiles of people who are listening to the same music you are, allowing you to have online conversations and make new friends.

·   You can email the link of your radio station or post it on your blog and your friends will be able to share exactly what you are listening to.

·   It will update you about new releases and new artists based on your preferences – this is impossible with a traditional music player.

·   These artificial intelligence music players remember who you are and give you a unique listening experience like no other. You can access your own station from anywhere in the world and can enjoy your own personalized and customized station.

The best thing of all is that these radio stations are free. Sophisticated technology has made it possible to enjoy and experience what was just not possible a few years ago. There are many stations online like these, but I use these two mostly: Jango and Last.fm. Do a search for the keywords “Internet radio station” and you will be able to find many more. 

Why You Should Not Ignore Your Health Problems

Feeling Under The Weather? Don’t Ignore It

There are many of us who feel at one time or another that we are below-par, health wise. Some people will go rushing to the doctor the first time they feel even slightly less healthy than usual, and others who will refrain from seeking any kind of medical help until such time as they are simply incapable of functioning. Neither of these states of being are desirable, as in the first case we are unable to function from day to day without constant reinforcement of our state of physical health and in the second we put our very health at risk through stubbornness or fear.

As with most issues, the right answer is somewhere in the middle. We will all, from time to time, be subject to health problems. When these problems strike, they may come in physical or mental form, and both types are worth equal attention. There has been a tendency in the past to assume that just because mental health is somehow “invisible”, any problems that arise with it are less valid than problems with physical health. This impression goes back a long way, and although it is less prevalent today than it has been it still remains for some people.

The key with health problems, whether they be physical or mental, is to take them seriously while not making a mountain out of a molehill. If you have a slight cold, then the doctor does not need to know about it unless you are specifically prone to aggravation from such symptoms. If, however, you are in such pain that it restricts you from going about your daily business, it is important to get to the point as quickly as possible. Early intervention in medical terms can be the difference between it becoming serious and such a state of affairs being averted.

With mental health problems, doctors and psychiatrists recommend a two-week rule being applied. If you find that you have been suffering anxiety or low mood for nearly a fortnight, then it is justifiable to assume that it is more than simply a standard case of “the blues”. Whether it is something that needs to be approached with counselling, something that would benefit from medication or something else, it is important to treat mental health issues seriously. Without such treatment, mental illness can take a very firm hold of a sufferer and make their life very difficult indeed.

If you go to the doctor with every little thing that crops up, then before too long you will gain an unspoken reputation as a hypochondriac. Even if this does not ever become an openly accepted situation, it can subliminally play on a doctor’s mind when they are treating you. Although doctors are trained to, and will, treat every case on its merits, the urgency with which they treat any serious case may not be as present if you are of a mind to seek help for minor issues which could be solved with a trip to the pharmacy. However, if it is a true problem it needs to be addressed with haste. Do not just “soldier on” if you find that your life is being made more difficult by a health issue.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Simplepersonaldevelopment.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com. This article originally published on the above website on Sep 21, 2009.

Make Money Online | Internet Money Making 101

How To Make Money Online

First Published Date : April 19, 2009 ADawnJournal.com
Writing an eBook

There are very few of us who are lucky enough from a financial point of view to be able to ignore an opportunity to make a bit more money. Even the hardest-working among us may often find that we have reason to consider new ways to make money, whether it be because we have new commitments, or an existing line of finance has stalled for one reason or another. In light of this, it makes a colossal amount of sense to consider other options so that we can maximize  our earning potential. If we could all rely on money coming in when we needed it, chances are that the economy would collapse even further than it recently has, purely because the imperative to work would disappear.

It becomes the case, therefore, that we need to create our own lines of income. There is a limited range of things that we can do to make this happen – again, circumstances dictate that making money is never going to be as easy as sitting back and waiting for it to roll in. Making our own opportunities is important because in the final analysis it is down to the individual to make their own way – relying indefinitely on other people will only end one way, and that way is not an edifying prospect. Finding a way to maximize your potential hinges on one thing above all others – finding the answer to the following question: “What do you have that other people do not?”

Individual expertise is something that just about everyone has to some extent. Even if you do not consider yourself an expert, you will find that there is some talent you have that other people comment on. It may be something quite simple. It could be something that you do every day without it ever really being commented on. It might be technological, it might be musical, it may even be something as apparently simple as being a good listener and someone who is good with individual advice. Either way, this qualifies as expertise whether or not you realize it. And where there is expertise, there is cash. One popular way to turn your knowledge into money is by writing an eBook.

Think of it this way – you have the knowledge, and there are people out there who wish they did. Among these people there are certainly some who would pay good money to have that knowledge. As long as you can take the time to sit down and write a bit about how you do whatever it is that you do, how you learned that you could do it, and how other people could do the same thing, you can make money from this.

There is a growing market for eBooks as people realize that with the Internet revolutionizing our world you don’t need to have a publishing deal to write for money. All you need is a computer and a bit of savvy. If you can build websites yourself, then you can set one up to promote your eBook. If not, then you can set up a blog at any one of a number of free blogging platforms. Take a bit of time out of your day to explore the possibility – it could well turn into a very lucrative sideline for you.

Marrakech - The Pearl of The South

Traveling To Marrakech

Marrakech is probably one of the most famous in all of Africa. Marrakech is also known as the Red City or Al Hamra, the garden city, the lively city of Morocco, and the Pearl of the South. It is a very important city in North Africa, and was the former imperial city of Morocco, where it is located. Currently, Marrakech is the capital of the economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al-Haouz. Near Marrakech is located near the towering Atlas Mountains, which dominate much of Morocco.

Currently, the population of Marrakech is just over one million people, and the city has an international airport that you can use to fly directly to the city. You can also fly to Casablanca, and take the rail link to the city if you feel like seeing the countryside.

In Marrakech, as with many North African cities, there is an old fortified city called the Medina. This is now a huge open air bazaar and trading area where you can buy a wide sort of goods, and you can choose to just walk through the Medina and check out the various venders who call the city home.

The traditional market in Marrakech is the largest in Morocco and it also boasts one of the busiest squares, the Medina, not only in Africa, but the world as well. Walking through the Medina, you can watch acrobats, water sellers, dancers, musicians and more. When night falls, the entire Medina turns into one big open-air restaurant and it is truly a sight to see.

Some people worry about going to Marrakech because it is a foreign city and many assume that means that it is a violent and dangerous city because it is in Africa. This is not the case at all. In fact, Marrakech is a very safe city and it has a very good police presence. However, as with any place that you travel you want to make sure you stay safe. Violent crime is not a big problem within the city, but there are plenty of thefts and pickpockets so keep your money close to you and do not flash it around. Do not go down alleys or poorly lit streets at night.

When a guide offers to give you a tour of the city, make sure they have an official badge that has been provided by local tourist authorities. If you are a solo traveller, you should be aware of the possibility of being drugged. If you feel you are drugged, take action immediately to find help.

Marrakech is not only an amazing city, but it is a very safe one and you do not need to worry especially during the day. If you are being bothered, just stick up for yourself and tell the people bothering you to leave and they usually will. While in Marrakech, check out the beautiful homes, lovely streets and amazing countryside around the city. It is a very interesting place to see and when you are traveling to Morocco, no trip is complete until you stop in this city that has been immortalized in film and music.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on June 19, 2010.

Melbourne Travel Blog: Part 3 | Downtown Melbourne

Wandering in Melbourne Downtown

Melbourne Travel Blog: Part 1

Melbourne Travel Blog: Part 2

After visiting the waterfront of Melbourne, I started to walk nearby surrounding areas. One environmentally-friendly transportation policy I noticed is that public transit is free within certain boundaries in downtown. This encourages people to take public transit and not to drive. I hopped on a tram and stayed within boundaries, going around to see as much as possible.

I liked Melbourne’s downtown a lot. The friendly people and excellent public transit network, along with many other things, make it one of the top ten best places to live in the world.

Although population- and area-wise Melbourne is bigger than Toronto, I noticed that it’s got a lot less skyscrapers than Toronto. It kind of reminds me of how Toronto was 20 years ago. I saw a lot of construction, but possibly its priority is not building too many skyscrapers.

And that’s what I found the most striking about Melbourne; you will feel like you’re living in a city with all the modern amenities a metropolis has to offer, but it’s not a chaotic and hectic place like many other big cities. Just 45 minutes from the city will take you to suburbs where the pace of life is even more relaxed and gives off the vibe of living in a small town.

It’s no wonder Melbourne ranks so high and is always one of the top ten best places to live. One thing I found very weird is the weather in Melbourne. It fluctuates a lot and can change within hours. Because houses in Australia are not equipped with a heating system, at night I felt cold when the temperature dropped significantly, but during the day it was very hot.

Some days, even during the day, I had to wear a light jacket in Melbourne in November. This did not happen in Sydney, where I found it was always hot. So Melbourne weather is full of contrasts and fluctuations.