Scottsdale, Arizona, June 8, 2002 โ€"
THOT Publishing Company today announces the release of Herbs & Spices: The Complete Reference, by Susan D. Lanier-Graham, in electronic book (eBook) format. Herbs & Spices is the first offering under THOT Publishing Company's own imprint. The interactive eBook is a comprehensive guide to purchasing and using medicinal and culinary herbs and spices. In addition to direct links to online sources for purchasing herbs, spices, and related materials, the guide includes:
* Detailed information on schools and organizations with active links to websites and email addresses
* Glossary of terms with detailed cross references
* Tips and hints for growing, cooking with, and using herbs and spices
* Extensive list of additional resources with active links to enable you to purchase the books online
Available online from THOT Publishing Company at www.thotpublishing.com, Herbs & Spices: The Complete Reference is presented in eBook format to enable the reader to fully take advantage of today's information technology. Readers can enjoy the book, shop for herbs and spices, and communicate online through a single document.
Susan D. Lanier-Graham is the author of more than 75 books, including the award-winning The Nature Directory: A Guide to Environmental Organizations (Walker and Company, New York, 1991) and The Ecology of War: Environmental Impacts of Weaponry and Warfare (Walker and Company, New York, 1993). Ms. Lanier-Graham's articles have appeared in regional and national newspapers and magazines. She holds a B.S. degree from University of Maryland and a M.A. from Regis University, Denver. Ms. Lanier-Graham divides her time between Arizona and Colorado where she lives with her husband Bill and cocker spaniel, Lizzie.
Enjoy the complete interactive reference to herbs and spices today. You may obtain the book directly from the publisher in Adobe PDF format for $7.95 by visiting the THOT Publishing Company website at www.thotpublishing.com. Herbs & Spices: The Complete Reference by Susan D. Lanier-Graham. All electronic first edition, 8.5x11" format, 108 pages. $7.95. Photographs of the book and/or author are available from the Press Room at www.thotpublishing.com, Tel: 480-363-2960; Toll free: 866-267-2249; e-mail: bgraham@thotpublishing.com.
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Finite Capacity Scheduling
by Gerhard Plenert PhD and Bill Kirchmeir
I met Gerhard and talked with him for an hour at a customers office of one of our franchisees in Reno NV, which specializes in antique car restoration and maintenance. Gerhard was in the waiting room reading what may have been Steven Hawkins, so we began talking. Imagine my surprise to find he had worked with so many great companies in the early computer days and with the automotive industry and many other heavy Equipment Industries. Well since I had him there for 1 hour, I barraged him with questions from converting Space Energy (radiation and different light spectrums into energy for our planet), to taking his methods to the service industry. He too barraged me with questions on franchising, and later we talked about the status of expert and we both laughed when we found out we were both published in our fields of expertise. He admitted to writing books about his subject so I ordered one and it shocked me that it was $55.00 plus tax, after reading it, I was shocked that so much information on the reality of efficiency had ever been compiled in one place.
First off I would like to say that this book is not just for Manufacturing Executives. I believe this book should be read by our Military for infantry Logistics and moving forces into a hostile area for possible future engagement. It should be read by NASA who occasionally has missed appointments with Asteroids or launches. As NASA learns how to attain multi-dimensional space travel it will be imperative to be a the right place at the right time and to jump dimensions of space time otherwise it does not appear that travel beyond the speed of light will occur in our life time. Computers are here to stay and they can help us streamline efficiency and allow all business models to work in real-time. The new way of manufacturing will be FCS and not Infinite Scheduling Backwards Pass (ISBP). Many aspects of this book dealt with the implementing of such a system and also with the reality of change and the fear and roadblocks by conventional wisdomers.
Great Quote;
Newtons Law to manufacturing;
For every expert with a perfect solution there is an equal and opposite expert with a perfect solution.
Now, there in lies the problem. How to get there. We all want the same results in government, we want utopia. In Economics we want stabilization, in manufacturing we want the ultimate efficiency. So in US governments we have Democrats, Republicans and now we have CHADs. In Economics we have Friedman and Keynes. In manufacturing it use to be Deming and TQM vs. the old way of thinking. Today it is finite capacity scheduling (FCS) with software scenarios vs. other systems we have been taught, such as Material Requirements Planning (MRP). Supply Chain Management (SCM), Schedule Based Manufacturing (SBM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) all of which may appear to be viable on first glance and work for a limited purpose if all things are equal. However it does not appear that in the history of our Planet all things have ever been equal. In theory maybe, yet even on the most level of playing fields, they are skewed in one way or the other, by size, weight, strength, materials, wind, etc. There is always a variable or a gray area (thank god otherwise attorneys would all be out of work eyh?). Incidentally god did not make attorneys, otherwise they would still be arguing if Adam and Eve should receive belly buttons, and with no supreme court yet established to kick it back to a lower court the human race would never have come to be, during those last days before the rest. Or maybe god got so tired of dealing with attorneys he had to rest.
The book went into detail the cost to expedite a job, and to deliver on promises made by sales staff to acquire the order, which were impossible considering all the other promises, which were to be scheduled simultaneously. This caused over time and accidents and problems with compliance issues with many agencies and still did not get all the jobs done so the customer base was in constant attrition. In wartime you need to expedite everything and one of the reasons that we beat the Germans was because we built 96,000 aircraft to their 30,000 that last year of the war. It was not that we had better aircraft. They had equally brilliant minds on their side, and a hell of a head start. We of course had the desire to win. And we had the manufacturing and the resources as Germany was running out of everything. Charles Lindbergh warned us on his visit of the Luftwaffe and their incredible planes and weapons of war that the Germans already had pre-war (many called him a NAZI sympathizer, which is hard argue, but we should have still listened. He was definitely enthralled with their innovations). It truly was the manufacturing and the great American push to move mountains that won us the war. Everyone participated and helped in the war efforts. Breaking the backs of the Germans was not easy, breaking their manufacturing abilities and running them out of resources is what helped almost as much as the actual fighting. It will be hard to fight waving sticks when B-1 Bombers are flying overhead; because by the time you see them it is too late. Saddams army never had a chance since we had logistically won the war before it started. Many battles in history, even our own civil war was about train tracks, supply and troops moving and feeding armies. The South had factories but found it hard to match the output of the North. Larger Armies more guns, better stabilized currency. Innovation helped when they changed the bullets and muskets, which could shoot farther with better accuracy yet within months both sides had all the same technology. In WWII Germans were working on the hydrogen Bomb and so were we, at least Einstein in his letter to the president indicated he believed they were working on it when he asked for funding of the Manhattan Project.
Innovation in Manufacturing is important it helped Pirelli and Firestone and a few other tire manufacturers increased production and leap frogged other technologies. But in the end they all had the new technology and the real problem was who could build the most using the same technology. Cold War days, we simply out spent and bluffed our way into winning the cold war. We may have to do this again. We and the Russians both had the technology, and the resources, yet our great economic machine was too powerful, probably due to the productivity derivative of a capitalistic society vs. a communist one. Even though none of the last three paragraphs were in the book, it is necessary to further point out why this book is so important.
Another great quote in the book;
Behold the turtle who only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.
I believe that FCS is the solution to DaimlerCryslers dilemma in Europe. Many countries there and their citizens favor a customized car like a Dell computer delivered in less than 30 days. Not the one size fits all car, which has been Fords answer to profit taking in Europe. Tomorrow and todays new demands are for zero inventory and immediate delivery with maximum efficiency; this can all be achieved with FCS. It also can work in training of new Army recruits, Navy pilots, and third world dictators. I believe car wash guys can easily implement such a training version of FCS even though no one has ever done it before. I also believe that we can deliver real time services to our customers and allocate the necessary resources without wasting by GPS tracking, real time scheduling changes, labor, supplies, equipment and crews. There is no difference fundamentally between labor at a manufacturing facility and labor on a job site or multiple jobs sites for that matter. A computer does not cry when you add perimeters and does not need more food or coffee to run by the seat of its pants. It is not an emotional issue, it just is. Likewise a computer can calculate many equations simultaneously, many can easily do 10,000 possibilities per second. Still want to play chess with a computer? So does that mean the death of the entrepreneur?
Does that mean the Howard Hughes days of innovation and flying by the seat of your pants are done forever? No there will always be prototypes, with no parts available yet, but what it does mean is that the entrepreneur can see his dreams come to fruition better because they may actually make a profit. Does it mean that there will be no more defective units? No, there will always be defective parts from manufacturers who rely on sub parts, which are not built in the same way. In Taiwan many company have experienced up to 35% more productivity by only changing to the methodology of Finite Capacity Scheduling. So for America to complete its productivity without affecting its bottom line we simply produce more with the same amount of labor and manufacturing abilities. Think of it. Even if the dollar is strong a shit we can still sell for less because we are producing more with the same fixed base costs. This means we can beat everyone still.
Let the innovators innovate and the manufacturing Schedulers schedule using FCM systems and we will increase our output and win, even if we are all using the same secrets stolen from our scientific communities. The book refers to Peter Drucker who stated that the true measure of productivity is the output per unit of time given the finite resources. Yes I believe this to be and have always said the money is in the time and not the completed job.
This should be obvious to anyone who has bid a job to low and later completed the job quicker than anticipated due to a new method of operation discovered upon commencing of the job. Sometimes it takes a few times to see how to actually do the work and then refine the technique, in actuality you are performing manual Finite Capacity Scheduling even though it is the most elementary part of the actual FCS model. Now add jobs, labor, and resources to the equation and then try to factor in all the materials and times the materials, soaps, supplies, etc are needed and what do you have? A complex mess, which requires lots of thought and time.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
"Henry loves books, but not like you and I, not quite. Henry loves to EAT books. And here is the best bit: the more he eats, the smarter he gets.
Big books, picture books, reference books-- you name it, Henry eats them up. And the more he eats, the smarter he gets. (You knew that was coming, right?) Henry keeps eating and getting smarter, knowing one day, he'll be the smartest in the world. However, all the fun catches up to him and one day poor Henry feels sick to his stomach. Eventually, all the information Henry's digested gets so jumbled, he needs to find a new way to enjoy books.
Even though the story is predictable for adults, kids will literally eat up The Incredible Book Eating Boy. I have to admit, even though the story was predictable, I still found myself wanting to read on. The clever illustrations make this book truly unique. Using old book covers, and pages from books, Jeffers' collage-style will have you oohing and aahing! The best part? When you get to the end of the book, we find out that Henry hasn't changed his ways and has taken a bite out of the lower rear corner of the final pages-- Funny!
Parents, teachers, and librarians will love the positive moral of the book about the importance of reading and children's literacy. Young readers will enjoy the cartoon illustrations and young and old will enjoy the low-key humor.
Author/ Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Publisher: Philomel, April 2007
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Lori Calabrese is a freelance writer who specializes in parenting and children in both her personal and professional life. Lori's publishing credits include Boys' Life, Odyssey, Appleseeds, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr., Stories for Children Magazine, and The Institute of Children's Literature's Rx for Writers. Lori is a graduate of The Institute of Children's Literature and a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
To learn more, please visit http://www.loricalabrese.com
The concept of audio books refers to the content of a book which is recorded and then used with the same purpose as the written form. This new way of learning or just having fun is very popular all over the world as it is cheaper, easier to use and long lasting.
The first audio books were used in 1933 by an anthropologist to record the stories of the Native American tribes on aluminum discs. But, since then, their usage has developed and has become more and more complex. Today the primary purpose of these discs is the study and, after that, fun - as these discs can be recorded with a great variety of audio contents.
Today, in the twenty-first century, the best and easiest way of buying anything is online, through the internet. This rule can be applied to audio books as well, as in the last years this business has developed an entire online industry. When you want to buy audio books online you just have to follow some simple steps. You don't even have to leave your computer or spend time looking through shops.
The only thing you need in order to buy audio books online is a credit card. You complete the online forms and supply the online shops with your credit card info and that is all. The audio information is delivered to you in no time.
The popularity of these study audio books has increased while the portable media players became indispensable gadgets which provided their owners with a powerful option: access to audio data. It is much easier to listen to these recordings and also perform a number of other tasks than to spend your time carrying heavy uncomfortable books and soliciting vision when your eyes can look at something else instead.
These modern recordings which you can easily buy online offer great opportunities for study, fun and most importantly give you an alternative to do something else at the same time. They can be used anywhere, without occupying a lot of space and time, and they come in various formats for any person to enjoy, regardless of his/her age.
The audio books are the best way to use your time in an efficient way. For study or just for relaxation, they are one of the many things you cannot afford to live without.
Audio books refer to human-read or computer-generated recordings of books' content on CDs, cassette tapes or digital formats. They have become more and more popular, especially among children and among people with sight problems or other disabilities. They are used both as learning tools and as convenient and exciting ways to read books. According to some recent studies, the most frequently used purchasing method is to buy audio books online, as you save both time and energy.
Also known as books on tape, audio books are usually distributed on cassette tapes, CDs or various digital formats, such as MP3 or Windows Media Audio. The more advanced portable music players, like MP3 players or iPods, made them even more accessible and more enjoyable to people. These audio versions can be either purchased, rent or download. More often than not, people rather get them online. Nowadays, there are a lot of specialized sites, which provide a real library of books on tape. It is very efficient and energy saving to buy audio books online, especially for busy persons, as they just have to enter the site, to log in and to choose their book.
Audio books are usually considered dramatized versions of printed books, as they stress upon a complete cast, music and sound effects. Depending on the recording type, there are two main categories of books on tape: human-read and computer-generated. While the human-read versions are read by volunteers and have a more personal involvement and impact, the computer-generated versions are read by computer voices and are associated with a larger variety. The computer-generated voices used in these books are very similar to those on automated systems used by the blind people, as well as some telephone automation systems.
Audio books are very appreciated, as they are not only amazing tools, but they have also a lot of advantages. They are great time savers for multitaskers, allowing people to do other things while listening, such as driving, walking, working, riding and even waiting in line at the supermarket. They are popular when driving, too, as an alternative to radio. These books on tape are also very accessible for older, ill, recovering and disabled people, as they are an excellent and practical way to fill in their boring or unproductive moments and to bring them back the pleasure of reading. More than that, these audio books are a great opportunity for blind people, giving them the chance to experience and enjoy a wide range of popular books, stories, novels or information and helping them to improve their education, to develop new hobbies, to learn new habits and to enrich their personal and professional life. Nowadays, they have gained more and more popularity among business people, acting as ideal mentoring tools on business-related topics. Nevertheless, beside their practical advantages, there is also the entertainment side.
Books on tape are also used for education. They may range from home-schooling courses and learning meditation to language training and public speaking. They usually focus on a particular skill, but they may also aim at shifting the listener's life entirely. Audio books are also considered an exciting form of entertainment and educational alternatives for children. They are great learning tools, as they provide a large vocabulary and increase their imagination and communication skills, as well as their reading comprehension. They can be easily used to stimulate literacy and a love of learning in children. Audio versions of books help children to develop a love for information and knowledge and stimulate them to start exploring the exciting world of written books. More often than not, they are used as bedtime stories, providing a calming and relaxing atmosphere.
While pursuing the hobby of birding and bird watching, it is very important to invest in a good pair of binoculars and, of course, a good bird book. A bird book is one of the most important things for a bird enthusiast has to have at all times.
A bird book, referred to as a field guide, is the basic reference book of birding. It is usually a little book, but it contains an abundance of information about birds. There are descriptions and pictures of different birds; the book even tells you what specific details one has to look for while bird watching. It tells you the different colors of birds, special characteristics of birds that help you distinguish among birds and also the specific habitat they can be found in. In fact, it can be considered as the next best thing to a friendly expert birder at your side!
Bird books are found regionally, which means that a particular area may have bird books that cater to the birds found only in that area. Usually, it is okay to start with only one bird book, but soon you may feel that you have to have more than one field guide. This need arises mainly because no one book actually contains all the information of all birds in an area. The information found in one book may not be available in another book. And, while you have two or more books handy, it would be wise to compare the different illustrations and descriptions of the same bird from both books. In this way, you may learn how to locate the bird from different vantage points! Then, you will be ready when you do unexpectedly encounter the bird you were waiting for!
Birds provides detailed information on Birds, Bird Feeders, Bird Baths, Bird Houses and more. Birds is affiliated with Aquarium Lights.
With so many digital photography reference books in circulation these days, it may be confusing to a newcomer on where to begin and what book to choose. Of course each and every new digital camera comes with a booklet about the camera and its functions. That is a start, but not enough for the beginner who wants the best results possible for his or her efforts.
It should first be noted that many universities, community colleges, technical institutions, and private trade schools offer basic courses in digital photography. These basic courses should have instructions on equipment, techniques and processes for an excellent beginning experience.
These courses are a great start for the beginning photography enthusiast who has the time and money to invest. He or she can propel himself or herself quickly into a great hobby or profession as they advance steadily with their class.
Certainly, there are more advanced courses in photography education for the person who wants to pursue a career.
But for the newbie who prefers learning on his or her own time, not attending classes, I can tell you that there is an alternative. Actually there are many alternatives when you consider the many books available on all the aspects of digital photography. Even the career photographer has more than one reference book.
Learning on your own, self teaching or learning by doing is all the same. Some people believe it is beneficial to start on your digital photography interests this way. You learn at your own pace and develop your own style and creativity.
When purchasing your first digital camera, there are books that can help you in the process. Once you have decided on why you want a new digital camera, by acquiring this literature, you will be guided as to the proper equipment to purchase according to your preferred needs.
Once you have your equipment, decide where you want to go from there. Your decisions have no limits; however, get to know your equipment first. There are books for that.
Reference books for digital photography techniques, portrait photography, earning money with photography, commercial and fine arts photography, stock photography and most anything else to do with it are all available in the market today.
Also, for any piece of photo equipment used, there is a reference book for it. Lenses, filters, tripods, flash attachments and lighting equipment can all be referenced from a dedicated book.
In speaking to any photography newbie who is reading this, you should add a few reference books to your equipment bag. If you cannot find the one you want in a hard cover edition, check the Internet and purchase one or two in ebook form.
Photography is a super hobby and a lot of fun. Learn everything you can about it and you will be rewarded with great results from your photographic endeavors.
Dollhouse collecting is actually a very detailed and thorough hobby. A serious dollhouse enthusiast will spend quite a lot of time on their dollhouse activity. When you become deeply engrossed in creating a dollhouse, you must take on many things including decoration and in some cases even electrical work. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you keep a dollhouse record book. Though it might sound somewhat silly, a doll house record book will help to keep all of your plans clear and concise. It is also something that is worthy of passing on with your dollhouse in the future.
You can always choose to buy a book to use as a dollhouse record book or you can make your own. Use anything from a binder filled with paper to a hardcover notebook. Make sure it is something that will not become easily damaged or torn. Section the book out so that each part of the dollhouse has its own section within the record book. This will help to keep all of the information from becoming jumbled and disorganized. It is a good idea to have a section for things that you have already done as well as a section for things that you plan to do in the future.
Every time you make a purchase that has to do with the dollhouse, write it down in the dollhouse record book. You may also want to store all of your receipts in the book for safe keeping. It also helps to draw out a diagram or blueprints of the house in your book. Every time you add something to the house, add it into the picture as well. Include the day and time if you like. This is a great way of creating a timeline of your dollhouse and all of the changes it has undergone.
When it comes to the extremely important details like the electrical work, keeping a good detailed record is very essential. Keep a wiring diagram in your dollhouse record book so that you can refer to it at any time needed. You never know when you may need to look back on something or plan for something in the coming future. Make sure to keep all of your wiring diagrams easy to read and well organized. If you want to go an extra step to make sure that all of the information is safe, consider scanning your dollhouse record book on to your computer.
Draw up the blueprints of each room in the dollhouse. As you complete the room, take a photo of it and store the photo in your record book. Any time that you decide to make a change, the photo will be there for your reference. You can even find dollhouse reference sheets online for use in your record book. Keeping this record book will be very beneficial in terms of planning and keeping track of all changes to your dollhouse. Always take care to protect your dollhouse record book that it will last as long as your dollhouse.
There are as many hobbies as there are people who enjoy them. Learn more about the popular hobby of building and collecting dollhouses and miniatures. Visit our large selection of doll house accessories today at http://www.TheMagicalDollhouse.com.
You are now on a quest for violin books. You have a very specific book in mind because you heard a piece of music was in that book and you would like to play it. This article will help you find that book and explore a great deal of other information along the way. Music books are generally categorized the same way as the ancient Dewey decimal system, IE by author and by subject. There are children's categories of violin books, as well as adult selections. Violin books are also rated by their level of difficulty. The three major categories are Advanced or Expert, intermediate, and Beginner. These categories of violin books vary widely and overlap a great deal, so choose carefully.
You can also perform research to see if that particular piece you are interested in is available in sheet music form. Purchasing one piece of sheet music is generally cheaper than buying an entire book. Violin books however, protect your music and keep it together in an orderly manner.
One thing that is very easy to overlook when selecting violin books, is their readability. Most people would never try to read a newspaper that was printed with a font that is difficult to read. The same thing is true concerning the style or layout of the newspaper. Imagine conducting a search for the specific book referred to above and finding it, only to realize it is written in a style that is difficult to see and read. This scenario is played over and over again in music books so choose carefully. This concept is especially important when selecting violin books for children. Large, bold print and black ink are the color and style of choice for young eyes.
When selecting violin books for instruction, make sure there is adequate music theory training. Music theory is the study of what makes music work. Without a proper understanding of music theory, the serious student would be greatly handicapped. Rhythm, harmony, timing, melody, and many more musical concepts are explored under the category of music theory.
Violin books are also categorized by music genre. Knowing the genre of the piece you are after will help you refine your search.
There is also an exciting artistry side to violin books. The history of violin making is a fascinating subject. You will discover an incredible evolution that began thousands of years ago and continues today through the invention of the electric violin. Violin making is an extremely demanding profession, and you will find all of the related subjects covered well in good violin books. If you're needing a violin repair Manual or perhaps a guide to reputable violin technicians, you'll find them in a violin book. You can also find books selections on how to create and build your own violin. From the selection of the wood to attaching the fine tuning screws, it's all there between the covers of a good violin book.
No matter what you're looking for pertaining to violins, you can find it among the pages of your violin books.
Hailey Alton is a music enthusiast. For more great tips on Violin Books please visit http://learntheviolinfast.com/