So, I understand the concept of paying it forward, now how can I pay it forward on twitter?

You can pay it forward by simply connecting two people, who may not know each other, together, and you have paid it forward, because you are the middle link.

• Someone may be on hard times and needs that leg up.... you know someone who can assist, and by bringing them together, you have paid it forward.
• You come across some information tweeted by someone you follow, and you think it is interesting enough to retweet (share it again)... this information then goes out to all of your followers, maybe onto someone who really needs this tweet... you have paid it forward.

Paying it forward on twitter can really work. What does it cost you? Apart from your time... nothing.

So, the next time you feel an urge to share the love, I have three words to share...

Pay It Forward

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

As a result of my passionate tweeting of all things BlackBerry, a number of people have actually taken the time to ask me .... well, why? So the point of this blog post, is to try to explain why I choose BlackBerry as my weapon for communication (ha ha).

For the purpose of this blog post, I will use specifically my 9000 Bold as the example (I also have an 8100 Pearl and an 8300 Curve), and cover off what features and add on#39;s that I use (this is NOT an exhaustive list).

Standard capabilities, staying in touch:
The BlackBerry Bold has a number of standard inbuilt features to enhance and make easier your day to day communication with others:​

• It is a phone....
do I really need to explain this any further, apart from a lot of people don#39;t realise you can make conference calls, straight out of the box.​

•It has an email function...
apart from linking your web based email addresses to your BlackBerry (which can be done with basically any phone these days), by utilising a BlackBerry BIS plan (Business Internet Service, and no I am not going near BES, Business Enterprise Service, in this blog), you can have up to 10 email addresses pushed to your BlackBerry. Currently I am running 8 email addresses, neatly and tidily. Under most BlackBerry plans that I have seen, for a monthly BlackBerry plan fee, the number of emails per month is unlimited.​

• It can SMS...
Or as a colleague of mine calls it quot;Short Message Systemquot;. Again, I don#39;t need to waste time here.​

• It has MMS...
Multi-Media Messaging Service. Basically like a text message but for multi-media.​

• For BlackBerry owners across the world, we are spoiled with PIN messaging...
A messaging service between BlackBerry devices, using their individual PINs that are unique to each BlackBerry device (consisting of alpha and numeric characters). It is included in your BlackBerry Plan, and to talk to someone else, you must first introduce yourself and ask they accept you (sort of instant messaging, but only between consenting BlackBerrys)​

• IM...
Instant Messaging. This is the same service you can access and use on your PC, lap top or Mac etc, but is a mobilised, cut down version. A good example of this is the third party applications from MSN, Google and Yahoo. I must say, as a result of twitter, I very rarely use Google Talk these days, but it is still on the BlackBerry... just in case.

So, yes, you say, most of these are available (apart from PIN messaging) on my phone or smart phone. That#39;s true, but then we start adding to the communication (both social and business) ability of the BlackBerry with dedicated specifically designed third party applications:

twitter...
Who hasn#39;t heard of twitter? Basically twitter is a social and business networking tool, where you start by answering a simple question... quot;what are you doing?quot; which needs to be provided in 140 characters or less. You find people to follow, and people follow you. Yes, I know you know what it#39;s all about, and there are a heap of twitterers out there who blog about using twitter every moment of every day, so I don#39;t need to reinvent the wheel here.

Currently, I have access to 5 twitter tools:
1. twitterberry (twitter for BlackBerry) via a dedicated icon on your home screen (or wherever you decide to place it)
2. SocialScope (tool which integrates with twitter and facebook, via a dedicated icon)
3. yatca (yet another twitter client application, which works not only from a dedicated icon on your home screen, as well as from your option menus from any program#39;s menu (very handy)
4. Viigo (as it is in beta testing, cannot say anything else here), but has a dedicated icon, and one of my used third party applications, and
5. Another one that is even more secretive from an existing webmail provider (and is integrated within the menu options). ;)

And as you only have 140 characters, you need to be able to shorten any posted url s, and sure you can use tinyurl.com (a web based url shortening site) or you can download bit.lify by Ubiquitous Systems onto your BlackBerry, which then adds a further option in your BlackBerry menu within any BlackBerry program.... very handy. Again, unlike tinyurl, this is a third party application that has been designed to integrate into the BlackBerry#39;s menus.

Facebook:
Yep, I still have the quot;L Platesquot; on here as only a very recent, albeit unconvinced, Facebook participant. Via Facebook for BlackBerry 1.5 I can converse with my friends, view comments, send messages, upload photos, write on walls, etc.

I also use Socialscope which enables me to do some of these things, including uploading photos. And from the other quot;secretquot; web based application, again similar functions. Further, I can send a tweet (including photos, using twitpic.com as the bridge) to twitter, amp; it also updates my Facebook page... pretty cool hey?

Vlingo:
Voice activation is hear to stay with the BlackBerry, and with every application designed, it keeps getting more and more refined. Vlingo allows you to:
• Complete searches on the internet
• Compose and send updates to twitter and Facebook
• Compose and send SMS#39;
• Compose and send emails
All by using your voice (Google has recently introduced a voice activated search function as well for BlackBerrys (and no doubt almost every other phone operating system type). Furthermore, Vlingo again, like yatca and bit.lify is integrated into the BlackBerry#39;s menu options.

Flickr:
I am sure most people have heard of Flickr, and the BlackBerry version, from a dedicated icon on your home screen, allows you to upload your photos to your Flickr account, which people can view etc. Why have I included Flickr as a communication tool?

Have a read of this....

quot;You#39;ve been sent a Flickr Mail from Emma J. Williams:

------------------------------------------------------------

:: Schmap Melbourne Seventh Edition: Photo Inclusion

Hi Thomas,

I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo
has been selected for inclusion in the newly released
seventh edition of our Schmap Melbourne Guide:

Flinders Street Station
http://www.schmap.com/melbourne/sights_historic/p=70689/i=70689_76.jpg

On a desktop computer, you can see exactly how your photo is displayed and credited in the our guide at:

Flinders Street Station
http://www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=melbourneamp;sid=sights_historicamp;p=70689amp;i=70689_76

Finally, if you have a blog, you might also like to check
out the customizable widgetized version of our Schmap
Melbourne Guide, complete with your published photo:

http://www.schmap.com/guidewidgets/p=32020117N05/c=SK50024930

Thanks so much for letting us include your photo - please enjoy the guide!

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/emma.williams

------------------------------------------------------------quot;

By uploading this picture onto Flickr, via my Flickr account, Emma and I were able to connect.

In essence...
What I really like about all of these applications (some more so than others) is that they all integrate really rather seamlessly in with the BlackBerry OS (Operating System), which makes it dead easy for me to communicate with others, quickly and very efficiently.

Originally, the BlackBerry was a business tool for the high flyers, large corporates, or key government departments. Now, it#39;s a totally different story... building on the second to none email efficiency and ability, the BlackBerry now appeals to a much wider audience (hey, I even know of a 16 year old girl who has one).

Finally...
The BlackBerry allows me to stay in touch, without the need for a laptop, desk, or even office. And that my friends, the very essence of flexibility and availability, is why I choose BlackBerry as my communication device, my phone.

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

The are a number of non negotiables that I abide by when setting up to work form home (I may be flexible on other matters, but remain totally firm on these):

1. Dedicated space for your home office.
Normally I allocate a bedroom and kick the bed out (at the most, the bed replaced by a sofa bed). By making a room exclusively your home office, means when you walk in, mentally you are at work.

2. A proper desk / work space.
This space is to be used for work, and work alone. No using the desk for your partner#39;s hobbies or for you to store perhaps your magazines.

3. Suitable hardware.
Think about all the various office hardware you would normally use in a typical office situation... now, ensure you have the same in your home office (eg. If you use a fax, then implement a fax solution into your home office). If you short cut the process here, your work#39;s efficiency levels will surely take a hit.

4. Communication.
Similar to hardware, if you use a landline as part of your business, ensure a landline is present in the home office ( a dedicated one at that), and don#39;t forget a fax line, if the obligatory fax is used.

5. Chair.
A dining room chair just will not suffice. Companies don#39;t provide ergonomic office chairs for the sake of it. That sofa bed I previously referred to has another purpose... visitor seating.

6. Air conditioning.
Most offices have their air conditioning set at 22.5 degrees celsius (apparently the optimum working temperature for office workers, or so I have been led to believe) so here is another area that must not be overlooked.

7. No house work during working hours.
This is a critical one to remember, so easy and logical, but many people use house chores as an excuse to take them away from their office work. Ask yourself a simple question... is it work related? If not, it is to be overlooked.

8. Dress for work.
Yes, sounds simple enough, but so many people forget this little detail... if you dress for work, it helps you to get into work mode. It may not be a suit as such, but adopting a certain dress code will always aid the process of working from home.

9. Schedule in some time with colleagues.
Humans, being the tribal species we are, love company, and it is the same in work. Perhaps once a week, go back to the office, even if it is for half a day, and mingle. Your work at home ethic will benefit as a result, and be easier to sustain.

10. Keep normal hours.
If you work an 8 hour day normally in an office environment, then a similar working day, at home, is totally appropriate, and not a 16 hour day. There are many good valid reasons for working from home, but longer hours is not one.

So there you have it, ten tips for working effectively from home. Use this as a starting point, and build from here. I hope it helps, and if you are lucky enough to be in this position... good luck.

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

Three major "givens" occurred in Melbourne this week: the heat wave (the hottest since 1939), widespread power losses, and of course the train service (or rather lack of service).

The heat wave:

From the viewpoint of a Queenslander staying in Melbourne for the week, it was I guess, curious to see how people weren't coping. Yes, it was very hot (within 0.5 degrees celsius of the hottest day on record in Melbourne).

It was a really significantly dry heat, and one that almost took your breath away (not used to the dryness, as I haven't lived in Western Queensland for ages). For me, I liken it to being in an oven (where as in Queensland, it is more like being in a pressure cooker).

This weather system took everyone by surprise, and really slowed the place down. Who could blame the Melbournians... not me for one.

How to overcome this type of weather? Quite simply; stay out of the heat where ever possible, drink lots of fluid (and I mean water), don't do anything strenuous, and be patient (everyone is in the same boat remember).

But there is a cooler change a coming, so let's try to remember this for next time.

Power losses:

Due to the heat wave, properties all over the Melbourne power grid had their power switched off, even if it was for an hour (in blocks of 20,000).

Now this happened without notification. The basic commodity of power, and the "given" of its continuity, was shattered in one swoop. No power... no refrigerator, no air conditioning, no fans, and none of life's little luxuries (recharging of mobile, computer, lights, PS3, music etc).

What to do: keep the fridge closed to maintain the coolness, get the candles out, have spare batteries, get a small appliance charger (for laptop, mobile etc), and load some songs onto your mobile (I have 420+ songs on my BlackBerry Bold). Most of all, patience is required.

And hey, the perfect opportunity to meet and get to know your neighbours... you never know when you may just need them.

Train services:

Melbourne is where I have truly embraced public transport, over the car I would normally use. In Brisbane, the opposite stands true... I consider Brisbane's public transport system a bit of a hotch potch affair, and one to be avoided at all costs.

But in Melbourne, I happily use trains, trams and the Skylink service. But all that changed today... courtesy of Connex (train services) and their simple lack of being able to contend with the heat.

Train lines buckled (why doesn't this happen in the more tropical climate of Queensland, or if it does, is it handled more efficiently?), and train services cancelled (300 services alone today).

So when the service from Glenferrie Station to Southern Cross Station kept being delayed, after half an hour of delays, I knew I needed an alternate plan. And seeing everyone else must have had the same idea.... a taxi was out of the question (booking line 131008 was engaged, so can only imagine how overwhelmed it must have been), and so I had to rely on, yes indeed, a colleague and his car. Made it to the airport with minutes to spare...

What to do: give yourself more time (plan for the situation occurring (you can always enjoy a coffee or similar at your destination if you arrive early), pay attention to the local news service, twitter your concerns (so others can, and do, tweat back assistance), have a back up plan, and be patient.

Overall, I must say, I did embrace the week, I did pay it forward, and was returned the compliment by someone I had never met (thanks @iDarryl), and I did enjoy my Melbourne week.

Stay safe, stay cool, and may patience for your situation and others be rewarded.

Thomas

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

A little bit of background of the village. It is a village, consisting of houses, grog shop, DVD store, general convenience and petrol store, Police Post and community centre (to which the grog shop is attached). From what I can tell, the residents are either Fijian or Fijian-Indian background. One family owns the grog shop, DVD store, and convenience store... and that#39;s my partner#39;s family (Fijian-Indian).

Their house is more than 100 years old, and has been through 3 generations of their family (originally built by my partner#39;s great grandfather). In fact much of the immediate land was, or still is, in the family name (no longer farmed by the family, mostly on agistment with other farmers).

Sam (my partner#39;s father) built the convenience store, DVD store, grog shop and community centre. The Community Centre consists of a room, amenities, covered large open room and lean-to for more room, and has a pool table.

It was by his influence within the local government that he was able to get the main road from his store to his neighbours bitumen (when asked why he didn#39;t continue with the bitumen from his store to the main road (Suva - Nausori) he replied simply that he only got the bitumen done where his customers come from.

His lasting legacy (he passed away about 2 years ago) was not the bitumen road, but the Community Centre, and more importantly, the pre-Christmas get together, to celebrate Christmas within the little community. Basically, every parent provided a present for each of their children, which would be given out by Santa. In the meantime, lots of Christmas music would be played over the speakers, and Kava flowed freely.

This year, of course, was the first time I experienced the pre- Christmas community get together, and I noted the following:
* The Christmas music was both loud and very happy (no escaping it within the village)
* A good solid mix of Fijians and Fijian-Indians were present, and sat amongst each other, not segregated
* The MC of the event conducted a communal prayer (Christian based), ensured a Fijian chant was done, but most importantly explained to the children the importance of community spirit, respect for your neighbours, and helping each other.... in other words, he paid it forward.
* Santa had an amazing tan, a wicked pair of Oakleys, and 2 missing teeth :)
* Santa arrived on a back of a ute, in convoy with a couple of cars
* Santa liked Kava
* Every adult male was offered Kava by the local Fijians, and I had a couple of coconut shells worth (yes, it does taste like muddy water, it doesn#39;t make you sleepy like say beer, and t does numb your mouth)
* The level of respect my partner, her older brother, and most importantly, their Mum (Sam#39;s widow) received by all and sundry was truly incredible, and a sight to behold. As a tag along, I too was offered and given great respect; something totally unexpected. It was very obvious that Sam#39;s presence was still very much among them all.
* I knew I was safe having some Kava with the locals, even with a well known ability of not holding my own with alcohol
* I tried to learn some of the customs with Kava (saying Bula first, clapping the hands (cupped) once, drinking, and then clapping cupped hands twice)
* Every child had a present (my partner made sure we had purchased a number of presents for some of the less advantaged families#39; children)... yep she understands the concept of paying it forward
* A few families (Fijian and Fijian-Indian) provided the curry chicken and rice for everyone
* The store provided the lollies for Santa to hand out
* The night went on to 10:30pm with lots of music, and beer (the Kava ran out early evening) but promptly stopped so as to not annoy the neighbours with children.
* The following day, a group of locals cleaned up the community centre, and life returned to normal.

This little aspect of life in a village is one that our world leaders should take heed of when dealing with the international and localised problems:
* Two races interacted with each other, in the same way long term friendly neighbours do (and of course that#39;s just what they are)
* Religion did not impede on the day#39;s events, with both Christians and Hindus peacefully enjoying their day together (yes, I know Hinduism is more a way of life, but you get my drift)
* Regardless of wealth, or lack thereof, a community, with the right spirit and sense of respect, can be both wholesome and fun to be a part of.

So, on this Christmas Eve, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a safe, rewarding and relaxing break. Please take some time to pay it forward to someone else... You never know where it will lead.

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

Paying it forward: a simple concept of helping someone (usually unknown to yourself) by making one little part of their life easier/happier. This allows that person to achieve something better than perhaps they previously would have. They then are energised to do the same for someone else.... and so it goes... paying it forward.

How to pay it forward... a layman's perspective.

The main common theme behind the majority of all pay it forwards, is that they are normally quite often, off the cuff, or spur of the moment decisions, with little analytical thinking behind the action. So, exactly right what you are thinking, pay it forwards rely on your subconscious, your sixth sense, or what I refer to as your higher self.

So, I guess, paying it forward involves selfless actions on your part, without expecting anything in return. And no I am not suggesting for a moment that you be a martyr, as you shouldn't disadvantage yourself to the benefit of somebody else.

So how do you pay it forward? Let's look at some simple examples:
* Topping up a parking meter before you drive off, giving the next parker something to smile about (perhaps helping them make that important meeting on time)
* Positively affirming someone's decision, allowing them the drive to follow through on their chosen path (maybe, as a result, they apply for that new job, and get it)
* Tipping the waitress if they actually did make your night that much more special/or even just saying thank you for someone else doing their job (you never know who may be watching)
* Helping someone who appears lost/upset/confused/not well (speaks for itself really)
* tweeting that bit of information/linking one tweeter to another tweeter who needs a helping hand (and why would you do this... because you can!)
* Share information if you can to someone who needs it... actually take the time to send the helping tweet, instead of worrying about your next self promotional tweet.

And yes, the last couple of ideas are based around http://www.twitter.com/ ... why? twitter is an easy to access, simple to use, application that can literally put you in direct contact with someone who is literally on the other side of the world... and that someone may actually need you to pay if forward.

So there you go... in almost any situation, there is the ability to pay it forward. And remember... if you are the recipient of a pay if forward by a complete stranger, please be open to paying it forward to someone else, when the opportunity presents itself.

Good luck and enjoy paying it forward, as I do.

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

Paying it Forward can only have positive influences on your life... starting with the feel good lift in your day. Let me explain... how may of you have done something nice to someone unknown (you know, perhaps held a door open to a complete stranger), and the other person said thank you and smiled. How did that make you feel? Now, unless you were that engrossed in your thoughts about you and your day, the feedback would have warmed you... albeit perhaps briefly. You have just Paid it Forward.

So, it's clear to say that most of us at some stage or another, have Paid it Forward. It's not that difficult.

Paying it Forward comes from the heart and your roots in common decency, with perhaps a touch of gallantry thrown in for good measure. It doesn't have to be an awe inspiring good deed, and definitely not contrived.

By assisting someone else, who is known, or unknown to you, Paying it Forward empowers the other person to continue on their journey of life, along a path smoother than before. This may / may not allow them to be in a position where they too can Pay if Forward to someone else. And as the process of Paying it Forward goes about its journey, what goes round, does come round. Someone may actually Pay it Forward to you, when you least expect it, but maybe in a time of most need.

I am absolutely certain I have been the fortunate recipient of Paying it Forward and I have been hugely blessed as a result of the timely assistance from left of field. Just when you felt life was at its darkest, and there was no hope, something happened, or someone came along and gave a helping hand. And I know that at no stage could any of it have been planned.

I have found twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) a shining example of global Paying it Forward. Sure, it is a social and business networking tool, but I have seen many examples whereby someone has supplied a helpful tweet to someone in need. Nice one!

Life does move in mysterious ways... be a part of the positive side of the mystery... Pay if Forward. What do you have to lose?

My thoughts and twitters for now,

Thomas

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

I use a BlackBerry Bold and try to "really use" it's capabilities, but its the aftermarket, the third party, applications that really personalise your BlackBerry into something more than the standard smartphone. What follows is a list of a number of key third party applications that I use on my Bold, and which also make life a little more interesting.

twitter:

Starting off with the obligatory question "What are you doing?", you can post your response in a short (lt; 140 characters) but concise message. You can follow people (keeping the theme going @StuffTV) and people can follow you. Great site for social and business networking. Go to http://www.twitter.com/ and sign up. For BlackBerry users, go to http://www.orangatame.com/ and download the application so you can twitter to your heart's content from your handset.

BerryReview:

A great site for BlackBerry specific applications, updates, whispers, reviews, etc. They have a fabulous BerryReview Store where you can download free applications, or purchase software and hardware. A great feature is there reminders when your purchased software is eligible for an upgrade, usually free. Go to http://www.berryreview.com/ and for BlackBerry users, you can download an icon to your home screen to take to your BerryReview whenever you need to.

Handango:

Another great site for software for a large range of smartphones, whether BlackBerry, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, etc. Like Berry Review, you select the type of mobile you are using, and it will list the eligible software options for your consideration, ranging from free, up to premium priced software. A mobilised Handango application can be downloaded onto your handset, simply by visiting http://www.handango.com/ from your handset. This mobilised version has a great weather function, where you can enter 3 of your favourite places (and yes, works perfectly for Australian, Indian and Fijian locations).

Viigo:

A useful and very well respected RSS feeder/reader, Viigo brings all your interesting websites to one location. You have a large range of stored RSS sites (covering a vast range of topics) to choose from, or you can simply add your preferred ones to the Viigo list, simply by adding the correct url address. Go to http://www.berryreview.com/ on your handset, go to their OTA section, and simply download Viigo. Add BerryReview to your list of RSS sites, and off you go.

A few applications for your consideration, which can add to your smartphone (in my case, BlackBerry) experience.

My thoughts and twitters,

Thomas

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas

1. Give it some time: Don't force a relationship to happen; they need time to develop and to be nurtured. It's not a race to find someone, anyone, but time may be needed to find the right someone.
2. Don't hide things like children from your date: Why hide someone so special from a potential partner? Remember,if that initial date turns into something much deeper, and you have held back critical detail of that significant other person in your life, what does that say about your belief in the strength of the new relationship? And if he doesn't want/like children... why would you string him on?
3. It's not a competition with your ex: Just because he jumped out of one relationship, and virtually straight into another (not allowing himself time to recover and learn from the previous relationship) certainly does not mean you should to (refer back to point 1.).
4. Create a small personal card: This may sound a little contrived, or even a little snobbish, but creating a small personal card, showing your name, a secondary email / twitter address, and a short one liner, but NOT a mobile number, may be an easy way of allowing contact after the date to occur, but without having to disconnect your mobile phone, as a result of a relationship gone south.
5. Meet a blind date in public, during the day: Normally, a date during the day is a lot less easier to extract yourself from, than compared to one during the evening. If the date isn't going according to plan,you can always exit stage right, with an excuse of an appointment / meeting / tweetup, where as a night time date has less escape options.
6. Your life doesn't have to be put on hold just because you have a child: Sounds harsh but in 0 - 18 years or more, that child will have grown up and perhaps moved on. Can you really afford to put your life on hold for that long. If your child is such a big part of your life, then let your life move forwards with your child.
7. See a psychologist: Any momentous change in your life,certainly needs an amount of support to assist with the recovery,and a psychologist is perfect and quite subtle. And really, anything more than three months (unless there were some major issues) with a psychologist, is consdiered to be a waste of time and money.

This is by no means the definitive list, and I am sure anyone could add something here, but it's a starting point, and I certainly hope someone, somewhere, will take advantage of this information.

And that's my 2 cents for now... and until later, be safe.

Thomas