What Is Summit Fever?

If you have ever thought about climbing Mount Everest then it is very likely that you will know all about the term Summit Fever. Many people have described it as an anticipation to reach the top of the mounting disregarding safety, and ethics, among other things. However, is Summit Fever a real thing? Or is it just a myth that was created to explain the actions of some climbers over the past couple of decades? Well, there are several theories that explain the so called Summit Fever.

There have been many examples of where Summit Fever has been mentioned in the media over the past couple of years that definitely do not paint the climbers in a positive light. For example, if you have read up about Mount Everest then you will probably have heard about Green Boots Cave. The reason this area of ​​the Death Zone on Mount Everest is called this is because there is a body of a climber in this area who has been nicknamed Green Boots, because of his luminous green climbing boots.

Several years ago there was a story running about come climbers who had come across Green Boots, which of course, they were already expecting to do. However, when they reached Green Boots they discovered what they thought was another corpse. However, it was actually a climber who was still alive, called Sharp. The climbers and the Sherpa decided that there was nothing that they could do for Sharp as he was past saving, and they continued on their way up to the top of Mount Everest. Several more climbers also came across Sharp, but still continued up the mountain in the aim of getting to the top. However, this raises several questions.

Why did not they put a halt to their expedition and try to get help for the stricken climber? He had no sleeping bag, and no radio to call for help himself. This is one of the cases in which Summit Fever has been mentioned. Another is the case of a young woman who despite she knew that she was in trouble, carried on up the mountain anyway. Other climbers have said that Summit Fever was the cause of her death. There are several things that have been mentioned as to why these climbers did what they did, even though it cost them their life, or someone else's life.

Some people have suggested that it is in part due to the fact that the cost of climbing Mount Everest is thousands of pounds, which makes the climber want to achieve what they came there to achieve. Others have said that climbers do not want to return as a failure. Whatever the reason, Summit Fever certainly raises questions about the ethics of mankind, and also the common sense. Surely if these climbers knew that they were in danger, or that someone else was in danger then they would have done something about it to prevent anything bad from happening? Appropriately not.

How to Turn Your Old Computer Into a New One

Do you feel ignor using the same old computer and want to sale it off? The market is buzzing with a number of new models and you can easily choose any of them. You have to spend a hefty amount for this. And the truth is after some days it will again become backdated and you will feel the need of buying a new computer. So, it is better to turn your old computer into a new one and save money. Do you want to know how? Go through the article.

First we will ask you to think why you want the new computer? The answer will certainly be the storage capacity, speed, graphics options, and screen resolution, etc. So, if you go for computer upgrades the problem will be resolved. Now, to perform this task, you can get in touch with a computer repair company that offers technical support to the computer users. Or else, you can perform the task on your own.

The speed and performance of your computer depend on memory. You can boost up PC speed by increasing the number of RAM. Do you know what type of RAM is there in your computer? There are different types of computer memory available in the market today. You must use the RAM as per the system specification. A computer service provider can help you in this context.

Apart from RAM, there are other two key components that you may consider for update. These are hard disk and graphics card. Upgrading the hard drive is considered as a must for all types of computer upgrades. You can store much more data, and install new programs by incorporating a new hard disk drive on your computer. Not only that, this will also boost the speed of your computer.

If you want a better display, you can go for a new monitor. LCD and LED monitors are very popular in the market. These monitors consume less power as compared to the CRT monitors. If you are using old CRT monitors, you can certainly think of replacing it with a new LCD or LED monitor. This will offer you new viewing experience and save your recurring expense as well.

These are some simple ways to turn your old computer into a new one. Try this and enjoy hassle-free computing.

Mobile Apps Development - The Right Marketing Strategy!

The craze of mobile apps is still on and many organizations are trying to capitalize on the demand. There are hordes of people who resort to text messages or chat when trying to communicate with their peers. With the advent of cheap smartphones, push e-mail and 3g connections are available in some reasonable models. Recent statistics reveal that most smartphone owners also possess credit cards signifying their money-spending power. This is indeed a very important statistic in regards to companies who are targeting the upper middle class who have a reasonable spending power and an important segment in the B2C sales scenario.

The difficulty is that it is hard to choose the best mobile technology. Although Android is ruling the roost today, iOS is not far behind and the elite class actually prefers the Apple OS to the Google counterpart. Mobile advertising is also a trendsetter and enterprises of different topics on their own. It is important to get the focus right.

More and more people are opting for mobile-optimized websites as many of them browse for information directly into their mobile handset. It is important for companies to have their websites mobile friendly and also focus on strategic apps which are relevant to your website.

The advantage with mobile apps is that a superior app provides a far better user experience than a mobile website which is blabbering about the company services. But the cost of a web app is something which is not well discussed and thought about. Graphic-intensive games are too costuring during production too.

Creating a native iPhone app from scratch is more difficult to make a similar app for its counterpart. If you want an Android or a Symbian app to replicate the success of a native app, one needs to develop the app from scratch.

There are so many companies which have come up to create and sell apps and most of the income is built upon direct charging for the app, in-app purchases, or subscriptions. There are indirect means of earning money too like the ads posted with the famous Angry Birds game app.

If you're intending to charge for your self-created mobile product, one should opt for creating a native app. Apps are normally free, and the whole part of marketing an app is to distribute it as broadly as possible. That mostly covers up the cost involved. It is important to gauge the reach of an app as to how many prospects and customers will the app reach finally? That is how the success of a mobile app can be assessed.

Multi Level Marketing Principles

Multi level marketing or MLM is a business model that creates an opportunity for the average person, who is teachable, and who has desire and perseverance, to earn extra income from the comforts of their home. Legitimate multi-level marketing companies usually require a small start-up cost. Multi-level marketing relies on selling to consumers and establishing a market for quality products. That is, once you have a happy customer (customer service is one of the things reps get compensated for, a potential reason it's not easy or to everyone's loving, and may be a reason so many do not succeed), you can rely on repeat sales and repeat missions. In the majority of multi-level marketing programs, commands are paid way down the line so the more people you and your team bring on, the better.

The multi level marketing form of business practice has received a fair amount of negative press and to be honest in some cases justifiably so. The reason for this is due to the number of pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes, however, are not concerned with sales of the products. Pyramid sales involve schemes in which the right to sell new memberships in the pyramid are sold under the guise of selling a product. While you may find that some pyramid schemes will offer a product for sale, the product is sold from one level to another instead of selling to customers. Distributors at the bottom are then left with a large volume of overpriced goods that can not be sold. Neverheless, network marketing still has mass appeal to many individuals looking to escape the corporate world.

Before you start your journey into multi-level marketing, remember the simple fact that even the most successful products will have partial market penetration. Still, some entrepreneurs have built very successful companies on this concept because the main focus of their activities is their product and product sales. Remember, no marketing plan will ever decide your multi-level marketing success. Sell ​​yourself first, then the products and the marketing plan. Successful distributors, who have received and trained a large number of sellers, also have to assume unking wholesaling and managing responsibilities as well as making sales to their own retail customers. The most successful network marketers today are merely using their relationships to inspire others to purchase specific products. The ability to start with a program that you find interesting and beneficial to you is a key component to success.

Indeed, network marketing by its very nature entails that all participants strive to assist each other in making a successful business to enrich the group as a whole.

Assertive Communication - 6 Tips For Effective Use

What IS assertive communication?

Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It recognizes our rights while still respecting the rights of others. It allows us to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions without judging or blaming other people. And it allows us to constructively confront and find a mutually satisfying solution where conflict exists.

So why use assertive communication?

All of us use assertive behavior at times ... quite often when we feel vulnerable or unsure of ourselves we may resort to submissive, manipulative or aggressive behavior.

Yet being trained in assertive communication actually increases the appropriate use of this sort of behavior. It enables us to swap old behavior patterns for a more positive approach to life. I've found that changing my response to others (they work colleagues, clients or even my own family) can be exciting and stimulating.

The advantages of assertive communication

There are many advantages of assertive communication, most notably these:

• It helps us feel good about ourselves and others
• It leads to the development of mutual respect with others
• It increases our self-esteem
• It helps us achieve our goals
• It minimises hurting and alienating other people
• It brings anxiety
• It protects us from being taken advantage of by others
• It enables us to make decisions and free choices in life
• It enables us to express, both verbally and non-verbally, a wide range of feelings and thoughts, both positive and negative

There are, of course, disadvantages ...

Disadvantages of assertive communication

Others may not approve of this style of communication, or may not approve of the views you express. Also, having a healthy regard for another person's rights means that you will not always get what YOU want. You may also find out that you were wrong about a viewpoint that you held. But most importantly, as stated earlier, it involves the risk that others may not understand and therefore not accept this style of communication.

What assertive communication is not ...

Assertive communication is definitely NOT a lifestyle! It's NOT a guarantee that you will get what you want. It's definitely NOT an acceptable style of communication with everyone, but at least it's not being aggressive.

But it IS about choice

Four behavioral choices

There are, as I see it, four choices you can make about which style of communication you can employ. These types are:

direct aggression: bossy, arrogant, bulldozing, intolerant, opinionated, and overbearing

indirect aggression: sarcastic, deceiving, ambiguous, insinuating, manipulative, and guilty-inducing

submissive: wailing, moaning, helpless, passive, indecisive, and apologetic

assertive: direct, honest, accepting, responsible, and spontaneous

Characteristics of assertive communication

There are six main characteristics of assertive communication. These are:

• eye contact: demonstrates interest, shows sincerity
• body posture: congruent body language will improve the significance of the message
• gestures: appropriate gestures help to add emphasis
• voice: a level, well modulated tone is more convincing and acceptable, and is not intimidating
• timing: use your jurisdiction to maximize interceptivity and impact
• content: how, where and when you choose to comment is probably more important than WHAT you say

The importance of "I" statements

Part of being assertive involves the ability to appropriately express your needs and feelings. You can accomplish this by using "I" statements. These indicate ownership, do not attribute blame, focuses on behavior, identifies the effect of behavior, is direcdt and honest, and contributes to the growth of your relationship with each other.

Strong "I" statements have three specific elements:

• Behavior
• Feeling
• Tangible effect (consequence to you)

Example: "I feel frustrated when you are late for meetings.

Six techniques for assertive communication

There are six assertive techniques - let's look at each of them in turn.

1. Behavior Rehearsal: which is literally practicing how you want to look and sound. It is a very useful technique when you first want to use "I" statements, as it helps dissipate any emotion associated with an experience and allows you to accurately identify the behavior you wish to confront.

2. Repeated Assertion (the 'broken record'): this technique allows you to feel comfortable by ignoring manual verbal side traps, argumentative baiting and irrelevant logic while sticking to your point. To most effectively use this technique use calm repetition, and say what you want and stay focused on the issue. You'll find that there is no need to rehearse this technique, and no need to 'hype yourself up' to deal with others.

Example:

"I would like to show you some of our products"
"No thank you, I'm not interested"
"I really have a great range to offer you"
"That may be true, but I'm not interested at the moment"
"Is there someone else here who would be interested?"
"I do not want any of these products"
"Okay, would you take this brochure and think about it?"
"Yes, I will take a brochure"
"Thank you"
"You're welcome"

3. Fogging: this technique allows you to receive criticism comfortably, without getting angry or defensive, and without rewarding analytical criticism. To do this you need to acknowledge the criticism, agree that there may be some truth to what they say, but remain the judge of your choice of action. An example of this could be, "I agree that there are probably times when I do not give you answers to your questions.

4. Negative authority: this technique seeks out criticism about yourself in close relationships by prompting the expression of honest, negative feelings to improve communication. To use if effectively you need to listen for critical comments, clarify your understanding of those practices, use the information if it will be helpful or ignore the information if it is manipulative. An example of this technique would be, "So you think / believe that I am not interested?"

5. Negative assertion: this technique lets you look more comfortably at negatives in your own behavior or personality without feeling defensive or anxious, this also reduces your critiques' hostility. You should accept your errors or faults, but not apologise. Instead, tentatively and sympathetically agree with hostile criticism of your negative qualities. An example would be, "Yes, you're right. I do not always listen closely to what you have to say."

6. Workable compromise: when you feel that your self-respect is not in question, consider a workable compromise with the other person. You can always bargain for your material goals without the compromise affects your personal feelings of self-respect. However, if the end goal involves a matter of your self-worth and self-respect, THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE. An example of this technique would be, "I understand that you have a need to talk and I need to finish what I'm doing.

Conclusion

Assertiveness is a useful communication tool. It's application is contextual and it's not appropriate to be assertive in all situations. Remember, your sudden use of assertiveness may be perceived as an act of aggression by others.

There's also a guarantee of success, even when you use assertive communication styles appropriately.

"Nothing on earth can stop the individual with the right mental attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can help the individual with the wrong mental attitude" WW Ziege

How to Manage Your Personal Finances - The Home Budget

In these days of economic hardship, more and more people are being forced to look at their expenses very carefully in order to make ends meet. However, it should not require a recession or major job cut scares to put this basic discipline in place and in fact, we should teach ourselves and our children to practice this basic discipline all the time. So, what is required to maintain a home budget? In essence, it requires the keeping of records of evey cent that you actually spend in any one month. There are many types of payments that we all incur in a month but these can generally be categorized in three categories as follows:

- Fixed cost bills
- Variable cost bills
- Dicressionary spending

The home budget should be drawn up to reflect these "expense centers" as separate blocks of costs each with a sub total which then highlights the size of the commitment. This way, one is forced to balance the budget by cutting back on variable and discretionary spend and to plan accordingly. The next step is to identify the different types of payments. Here we look at our actual monthly spend and then decide where the cost fits. Examples of the different types of payments are as follows:

Fixed Bills: Mortgage payments, Motor vehicle finance payments, Insurance policy payments, Property rates and taxes payments, Monthly savings (always try to save a percentage of income), Medical aid membership payments, School and university fees, domestic aid payments, daily parking payments at work etc. Note: Each household will be unique in what fixed bills that incur but it is important to identify all the costs which are non-variable monthly commitments

Variable Bills: Telephone bills, House hold costs, Clothing costs, Utilities bills, etc. Again each household will be different but this category lists all the costs where a person can influence the commitment by doing things differently or by cutting back on the spend. It is very important in this category to set a monthly budget per item and to adhere to the targeted spend.

Discretionary Spending: Cash withdrawals spent on things other than fixed and variable bills, entertainment spending, holiday costs, Annual subscriptions to publications etc. Here one must decide whether you can afford the spend or not.

Appart from the above spending, one must make monthly provisions ie put some money away, preferably in a separate bank account, for things like motor vehicle maintenance and servicing, annual club subscriptions, annual license renewals, annual levies on holiday properties, annual birthdays, etc. Again, each household will have it's own commitments here but it is important to identify these costs in order to provide for them.

In conlusion, once one starts keeping track of actual monthly expenses, it is surprising to see how much more aware one becomes of opportunities to reduce this spend. Some households find out that they have been spending way in excess of what they can afford and their reliance on credit is then highlighted. We must remember that the budget must balance otherwise we have to cut and shape it until it does balance.

No home should run it's affairs without a monthly budget.

Bigger Differences Between Regular Computers and Gaming Computers

The Gap between Gamer PCs and Regular Computers is Growing

Traditionally, the difference between your average computers and gamer PCs has always been simple: your average computer was built with near outdated technology and your gamer PC was built the latest and greatest components. Now as technology is taking leaps and bounds in program and game design as well as in software development and application, computer hardware has had to be improved and innovated faster than ever before. Program developers are making their most creative and exotic imaginings become virtual reality on computer hardware that is years ahead of what average desks are normally comprised. Gamer PCs have been built to bring to life on the monitor the developers' best renderings of their imaginations.

Innovation

In order to keep up with developers 'and players' demands for performance, advances in hardware have grown at an alarming rate, lengthening the gap between gamer PCs and regular computers by years. One of the largest differences when looking at the latest high-end gamer PC compared to a regular system is that the latest gamer PC has liquid cooling tubes which keep the CPU and graphics cards chilled and running faster. The lack of empty space is also quite obvious; whereas, in a normal desktop there is often glaring spaces of emptiness that do not exist in its competition.

Visual Performance

Another conspicuous dissimilarity between normal desktop computers and gaming computers is the performance when playing programs like Crisis or Skyrim. The quality of play and visual performance is astounding on computers for gamers, especially when compared with the play and visual performance on a regular desktop system. The graphics cards in the comparison above are often completely incompatible to begin with. Not to mention the CPUs running them would also be on totally separate levels in term of processing speed and power.

Speed ​​and Price

The speed and processing power of gaming computers would normally begin near the 3.0 GHz range. This is where you might be able to reach if you were to try and overclock the CPU on an average desktop computer. An average desktop could cost anywhere from $ 800- $ 2,000, whereas a high-end performance machine could cost upwards of $ 10,000- $ 15,000 for a cutting edge, custom built, overclocked computer.

The differences between regular computers and gamer PCs has stretched and grown in every way including dollar signs. The most obvious difference, however, is simply in performance.