MissionaryHelp.com

PAL & NTSC Videos

Jonathan Parsons — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:55:29 +0000

Different standards are used to produce videos. You need a video format that matches your player. NTSC is the video format used in North America, while PAL is used many countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Print a Calendar for Free

Jonathan Parsons — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:10:35 +0000

Are you looking for a simple free calendar that you can print? The sites below allow you to download, customize, and print a calendar for free.

Index Cards

Jonathan Parsons — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:01:49 +0000

I have used a variety of systems for personal organization, from notebooks to legal pads, and PDAs to smartphones. I now use a combination of a smartphone, web-based task list, and a stack of index cards. I carry 15 unruled index cards held together with an ideal clamp (a big paperclip that looks like a butterfly). I use the index cards to capture information. Tasks that are not completed by the end of the day are entered in my web-based task list, and the index cards are retained for a month. If you have a scanner, you can scan the index cards and keep them on a computer. Index cards may be a ideal choice for missionaries who need a place to quickly jot down a phone number, draw a map, sketch a concept, make a task list, take notes and more.

Reasons why index cards are better than smartphones/PDAs:

Writing on index cards is faster than using a smartphone
Index cards are available in most locations
Index cards are not likely to be rejected on an expense report, but getting approval to purchase a smartphone may be tricky
Index cards are easy to give away
Index cards are easy to let someone use
The use of index cards is more reproducible/transferrable than a smartphone because it does not introduce an economic or technological barrier
Index cards require little training to use
Index cards do not become outdated
Index cards do not create the appearance of affluence
Index cards do not need power or internet
Index cards are not likely to become a distraction for yourself or others
Index cards will not reboot when you need them the most
No one wants to steal index cards
No one thinks you are texting or playing games when using index cards

Getting Things Done

Jonathan Parsons — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:55:19 +0000

Do you want to be more productive with your time? Do you want to stay on top of everything for which you are responsible? David Allen’s book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity is about how to do just that. In somewhat of a contrast to Steven Covey’s top-down approach of time management, Allen presents a bottom-up model for “getting things done” or “GTD,” as it is often called. His model is comprised of five phases: collecting, processing, organizing, reviewing, and doing. The basic idea is that everything is gathered in some form outside your head and collected in a paper inbox or email inbox. Then each item is evaluated to determine what, if anything needs to be done. Tasks that need to be done at a certain time are placed on the calendar. Tasks that may be accomplished in less than two minutes are done immediately and the remaining tasks are placed on a “next action” list, grouped by the context in which they must be accomplished – i.e. at work, at home, at a telephone, at a computer, etc… Each week, the calendar, the projects, and the “next action” lists are reviewed to make sure everything is on track. The GTD system may be implemented by high tech users with smartphones, PDAs, computers, and other gadgets, by low tech users with paper and pencil, or by a combination of both high and low tech tools. The principles remain the same.

Key Concepts:

Write everything down
Enter tasks and projects in a system that you really trust
Use do-able language on your next action list (Verb, Subject, Object – “Call Bill about Training”)
Organize reference materials
Review your lists

Harvest Information System

Jonathan Parsons — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:29:25 +0000

Have you ever found yourself talking with a co-worker from another mission organization and discovered that you have different terminology for the same thing? Did you ever wish someone would write a glossary to explain that “World A” equals “the 10/40 window,” “Australasia” equals “Oceania” and so on? What if I count Somalia as part of East Africa while you count it as part of the Horn of Africa. Imagine the increased complexity when using multiple databases for measuring lostness and progress in the task of global evangelization. The Harvest Information System is a collaborative effort to establish a system that mission agencies can use to link their database together and be on the same page in their research. Several “registries” have been established, adopted by a custodian organization, and shared in database formats for researchers to use. The following are links to information about the current registries.

Radio Phonetic Alphabet

Jonathan Parsons — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:58:18 +0000

The NATO phonetic alphabet is a system where key words are used to represent letters and numbers when using two-way radios or other verbal communication. Often with international speakers, accents, stress, and poor communication links, letters such as b, c, d, e, g, p, t, v, z, and the number 3 can sound alike. Assigning a commonly agreed upon word helps avoid confusion when spelling words. This is different from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which is a method of documenting each sound in language. Below is each letter, its word, the pronunciation, and the IPA spelling.

A	Alpha	AL FAH	ˈælfɑ
B	Bravo	BRAH VOH	ˈbrɑːˈvo
C	Charlie	CHAR LEE	ˈtʃɑːli
D	Delta	DELL TAH	ˈdeltɑ
E	Echo	ECK OH	ˈeko
F	Foxtrot	FOKS TROT	ˈfɔkstrɔt
G	Golf	GOLF	ɡʌlf
H	Hotel	HO TELL	hoːˈtel
I	India	IN DEE AH	ˈindiˑɑ
J	Juliet	JEW LEE ETT	ˈdʒuːliˑˈet
K	Kilo	KEY LOH	ˈkiːlo
L	Lima	LEE MAH	ˈliːmɑ
M	Mike	MIKE	mɑik
N	November	NO VEM BER	noˈvembə
O	Oscar	OSS CAH	ˈɔskɑ
P	Papa	PAH PAH	pəˈpɑ
Q	Quebec	KEH BECK	keˈbek
R	Romeo	ROW ME OH	ˈroːmiˑo
S	Sierra	SEE AIR AH	siˈerɑ
T	Tango	TANG GO	ˈtænɡo
U	Uniform	YOU NEE FORM	ˈjuːnifɔːm
V	Victor	VIK TAH	ˈviktɑ
W	Whiskey	WISS KEY	ˈwiski
X	X-ray	ECKS RAY	ˈeksˈrei
Y	Yankee	YANG KEY	ˈjænki
Z	Zulu	ZOO LOO	ˈzuːluː

Digit	Word	Pronunciation
0	Zero	ZE RO
1	One	WUN
2	Two	TOO
3	Three	TREE
4	Four	FOW ER
5	Five	FIFE
6	Six	SIX
7	Seven	SEV EN
8	Eight	AIT
9	Nine	NIN ER

How to use a High Lift Jack

Jonathan Parsons — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:11:58 +0000

A high lift jack is a valuable tool when off-road driving. Primarily used to quickly change tires, the high lift jack has many other uses, such as a winch, jaws of life, and other tasks that involve lifting heavy loads. For about $100, this piece of equipment can be used to perform a variety of tasks. It is important to understand how the jack works before using it to avoid personal injury or property damage.

Video: Using the Hi-Lift Jack as a Jack
Video: Using the Hi-Lift Jack as a Winch
Instruction Manual
Hi-Lift Jack Website
More Hi-Lift Jack Videos on YouTube
Buy Hi-Lift Jacks
Compare Models

Tax Power of Attorney

Jonathan Parsons — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:31:43 +0000

If you rely on a family member of friend to file your federal income tax, you need to complete a form 2848. This form expresses to the IRS that you wish for the person named to sign your tax return and represent you in any communication with the IRS.

Draw a Floor Plan or Vehicle Accident Online

Jonathan Parsons — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:42:29 +0000

Here are two tools to help you draw things online. FloorPlanner.com helps you draw furniture layouts, office renovations, new construction, and shipping container layouts. Just measure the room and then drag and drop walls, doors, furniture, plants, and more to see 2D and 3D views of your project. AccidentSketch.com helps you draw a nice picture of your vehicle mishap. This can also be used in accident reports and driver’s training. Both tools are free, fun, and easy.

Google Voice

Jonathan Parsons — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:18:27 +0000

Google Voice, formerly called GrandCentral, is a free phone service from Google. The basic idea is that you choose a local US lifetime number which forwards calls to your phones (home, work, mobile, computer, and more) automatically. It is currently in an invitation only roll out, so you have to request an invitation and then wait for an email from Google to sign up.

Some neat features:

Forward all calls to voicemail (voicemails are delivered via email or SMS)
Make calls for free to US numbers (calls your phone and then the other persons phone)
Send SMSs for free to US numbers
Temporary forwarding to a hotel room or other temporary number
Press * to switch phones without loosing the call
Forwards to phones in other area codes, giving you a local number even if your real number is in another area code
You can create a separate number that only goes to voicemail for use when buying things online
You can setup a number for a “duty officer” and forward it to the on-call person of the week

Read more about how to use this along with Project Gizmo (which gives you a free phone number on your computer) at Gizmo Voice