Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sell pictures, Make Money

Make $400 monthly selling pictures

Can you get a hold on a digital camera and take shots? Even if you are a complete amateur, you can still rake in a steady $500 monthly, even more using this unknown secret strategy I am going to reveal to you today. Not just can you rake in that much, this will be one of the most stress-free income you can pull from the Internet.Just imagine. You go to your village and you see chickens playing around.. you take the photo. You go to the market place, stand at on top of a story building and take a shot of the market scene. You see a river side view and take a shot or maybe you go to a friend?s house and you take a great shot of the cute little aquarium fish in the sitting room. You then get back home, process the picture a little, upload it to some selected sites I will show you and by next week, you?ve made some cash from your photo. Between you and I, I won?t say that was so difficult or was it?All you have to do is understand how this is done, know exactly where to take your pictures to and you are in business. Just start taking pictures and start earning because as ?amateur? as you consider yourself, you are in high demand (very high demand) across the world if you can detect a wonderful scene and take a cute little photo.Brace up because I am about to reveal to you a whole new world of unexplored cash in the photography business that I bet you?ve never heard preached before.Taking photos is fun. What's more fun, is getting paid for taking photos. Then you can spend more time doing what you enjoy. First let me pass you a little secret. In photography, just like any other field, a lot of the ?hot-shots? did not start off as professional photographers. Infact, a lot of them started out in fields far from photography!Elliott Porter was a doctor, Ansel Adams was a pianist, Galen Rowell was a mechanic, Bob Krist was an actor. If these people can start from nowhere and sell their work, so can you.The nice part about selling photography is that anyone can do it -- you are not dependent upon physical ability, age, or background. It is more about art and energy. The photography market is so open that every photographer I've met to date is pleased to give ideas and suggestions.Each time since the last 4months (that I have learnt and started researching this secret), everyone I have spoken to about it have all asked the same question: ?How Can I Sell My Photos? I am almost certain that?s the one thing on your mind. Yes, I am going to tell you all about it BUT first, let me cover some points that will make the distinction between you wasting your time and you making money from this venture.Knowing What To Shoot & What To PublishAs you begin to take photographs, you will quickly learn that you can easily make income from several areas in the photography world. You can also decide to specialise. There are people who specialise in taking only pictures of motorcycles, or cars or trees for instance. As someone starting however and I guess without much photography expertise or some ?fancy? cameras, you might want to stick to the other and do a lot of areas.The truth is: any area can turn into photo-cash for you. However, I must warn that you need to know what is legal to shoot. You can go to http://rcfp.org/photoguide/ , http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm, http://photography.about.com/od/legalissues to learn about some of the legal issuesQUICK TIP: some photo types are more in high demand than others and so going for such photos will fetch you more cash and quicker. Examples are beautiful nature pictures (beaches, trees, sunset etc), electronic stuff that could easily be used on websites (earn quick bucks with these), business people (men and woman), money, business related photos (pile of newspapers, calculators..) etc.As regards what to publish. There are things like photos that reveal private facts about someone, images that include copyrighted logos or trademarks within them, photos that appear to indicate a libelous and unsubstantiated appearance such as a preacher in front of a sign for a porn movie, thus implying he was going to see it etcThat covered, there are 3 basic ways to make money from your photos. The first is to sell them. I?ll call this stock photos. The second is to create products out of your photos. For instance, the creation of an animal book for children containing photos of animals with short descriptions or to create cards using your pictures and the third is to render services which is the very popular one we see around where you lend your skill to people who need to carve a memory of their events on paper.My goal here is to show you how to sell your photos over the web (stock photos). So, what are stock photos?I?ll describe stock photos as pictures you have already taken. It is in your pile of photos and is ready for use. I mean if I tell you how, you could just take them out now and sell for cash. Simple!You see, publishers love to use stock photos because it is easier. It takes a lot of time and money to hire a photographer and get him or her to take the needed shots. It is by far better to use cute, ready made pictures and you will agree with me this is most correct. Each time I have had to design a website or to do header graphics for my sites or create my stunning ebook covers, I have always turned to stock photos because they are plain easy.All you have to do is to go out and take your photos. Some of your photos will need processing. If you are experienced with handling of graphics, you can easily do this yourself using photo editing softwares like photoshop or you can just hire someone to do them for you cheap.Where Can I Sell My Photos Online & HowThe best way to sell your photos is by offering your stock photos for sale by putting them on the Web. You hope that the client comes to you by displaying your photos online and waiting for sales. Its simple. You get all your photos as you take them, upload them to a website and name them appropriately with proper keywords and then wait for someone to come over and purchase them.You can do this in two ways. First you can get your own website and second you can go over to photo agencies.Photo agencies combine the stock photos of many photographers, hundreds of thousands of them, create a large exposure and draw thousands of visitors who come to buy those photos. Based on these reasons, going to these sites might be your best bet.Here is a list of some of the photo agencies you can go to and register an account for free, upload your pictures and start earning an income.www.ShutterStock.com- Get Paid 20 Cents Every Time Someone Downloads One Of Your Images for free! If your images are good they may be downloaded over 100 times everyday. With about 10 to 30 good images, you will be making a good monthly income! www.Fotolia.com - Sign Up, Upload Your Photos, And Get Paid! Receive Up To 80% Of The Sales Price!www.iStockPhoto.com - Once you join them you can begin selling your photos with them! They also provide free training on how to make your photos professional!www.ShutterPoint.com - Upload your photos and sell them at whatever price you want!DreamsTime Photo (www.DreamsTime.com - Get paid 50 - 65% off every photo that gets downloaded!www.CanStockPhoto.com - Low competition (relatively new) you are almost guaranteed to sell tons of your photos on this site.www.Alamy.com - Earn 65% for every photo that Alama sells for you. Good money!www.FotoTopic.net - When You upload your photos you can allow people allow people to use your photos for T-Shirts, Mugs, etc. - Doing so you are able to set your own rates for your photos!http://www.bigstockphoto.com Lots of users. Upload a few hundred "quality" photos here and you will develop a nice recurring monthly income! Others include www.morephotos.com , www.FolioLink.com www.iStockphoto.com www.ktools.net/ www.photostockplus.com www.shutterpoint.com www.crestock.com www.stockandprints.com NOTE: while going to register on these sites, be prepared with a scanned copy of identification. Some of the sites will accept your national ID or driver license. Others will settle for nothing else but your international passport so be ready.Additional Tips:People who will come to search for photos at these sites will search using the search engines. So try and name your pictures in such a way as to fit description criteria that people will be searching for. For instance if you have the picture of a businessman, don?t name your picture Johnny because if you do, it would most probably never get downloaded because people won?t search for ?Johnny?. What they will be looking for is businessman, so it better you label your pictureas businessman.Also, take advantage of mis-spelling to make more money from your pictures. You see a lot of people will mis-spell the search word. For instance someone might spell businessman as busneesman. Now, because of that mis-spelling, the search engine will give your own picture precedence over others if t was spelled that way, meaning more exposure, more downloads and ultimately more cash.So, what are you waiting for? You?ve got a camera, you can take the nice shots and you know where to sell your photos. Go and shoot for $500 to $2000 monthly doing what you love!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Education is life's bedrock

Why continuing your education online is so easy!

If college is looking impossible because of no money and huge responsibilities, then you can research education continuance online. Universities and colleges have a number of college courses and degree programs.
Community colleges have technical training and certificates for careers. If you want a training certificate, college degree, PHD or master's degree, then you can do this online as it is easy and manageable.
Job training and college can be brought into the home through online education. Just picture being at the computer with some juice, in your PJ's on a morning and you are pursuing a certificate or degree. This is possible with education online and students are pursuing this option more and more. When your education is done online there is no commute to and from school, stressing about attending classes late, staying back late after class, or having to leave your job early to make it to class. You would not have to do without an income so that school can be finished or getting a job to go around your schedule. Education online brings scheduling flexibility and freedom.

You can locate these programs very easy if you utilize the search engines. There are many directories of education and these have a lot of information about the programs at your fingertip. You can research if the school has your field of study, certifications or the degree that you want to pursue. A good method of finding reputable education classes online is to locate the main websites of universities and colleges that are desirable. Many of them have information about their education programs and courses that are online.
Money can be saved on tuition is you stay local. Many more schools are jumping on the bandwagon of distance education and even schools in small towns are offering at least some of the online courses. Call the local university or college to see if they have certificates or degree programs online. Find a distance education catalog for other opportunities that may have been missed when you did your online research. Get advice from family members or friends that may have already done distance courses. People who have done the classes sometimes know about future offerings before the information is put out by the college offices.

Once you locate a desirable program, start the process of application and enroll in classes. Many of the online classes use discussion forums, email or class boards online, where grades and assignments are posted online by teachers. Use the first day to get familiar with the set up, how to contact fellow students and teachers and how to turn in assignments. When you are comfortable, time can be organized and learning can begin.
Everyone can use the ability to advance by utilizing distance education. You can manage a full course load easier and have a better ability to schedule appointments. Many students like the advantage of the freedom and simplicity they obtain from distance education. Anyone who is in possession of a computer that can access the internet has the ability to advance their education that can be done in a way that is comfortable for them.

Five Good Reasons To Choose Online Schools

Distance learning has come a long way in the past fifteen years; in fact online colleges are on the brink of becoming the preferred method for getting a college degree! People looking for information about colleges and universities should take a moment to read these five good reasons to choose online schools:

1. Convenience: Making time to attend campus-based classes can be a nightmare for the average working adult. Family and employment obligations will almost certainly interfere with any regular set schedule of classes and homework assignments. No worries with online schools, however. Students can log on while at home or on a lunch break, whenever it's convenient. If an interruption occurs, the student can simply press the "back button" and resume the online lesson with ease.

2. Technologically Advanced: If you think lessons and homework assignments will be sent back and forth through "snail mail", think again. Today's online schools employ a sophisticated array of technological advances, including downloadable lessons, books and exams. Professors can conduct class via streaming video or real time video, and participants can interact with one another through dedicated chat rooms, forums and blogs.

3. Value: There is low or no overhead, so tuition costs are generally much less with online courses.

4. Accreditation: If you are careful to choose an online college that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, you can rest assured that your education will be just as high in quality and value as degrees from traditional colleges and universities.
5. Pace: The flexible pace of online schools is unsurpassed. Most online degree programs provide a very wide window of time to complete. You can ease your way down the academic path a little at a time, or blaze a trail to success at lightning speed. The choice is yours.

6. (Yes, I know I said only five reasons, but here's a bonus ) Availability: Whether you live in the farthest reaches of the boondocks or right in the heart of New York City, online schools can be accessed from anywhere, as long as you can get a connection to the Internet.
So, don't let your worries keep you from considering the option of earning a degree online. Open your mind to the possibility that, with online schools, you really can have it all!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Tips to improve your speaking style

1.Make sure your speech is not wordy, chatty or unfocused. Get to the point.
check back next week for the complete tips.

Students! welcome

I want to assure you of enthusiasm. My web page has a lot to offer you all for free and easy, you are welcome.

How To Avoid Giving Offense Or Being Misunderstood

There's probably nothing more humiliating than to make a remark in public and have someone take offense at the comment. Some remarks about individuals and groups can even be the occasion for a lawsuit against you or your company.
In modern business language, the spoken and written word has become a battleground. Terms once regarded as benign have turned into "fighting words." Women, various ethnic groups, older parties, and other parties (such as homosexuals, or "gays") have become much more sensitive to language they believe may denigrate them. Using them "wrong" words can injure your reputation, and even destroy your career. Thus, it's up to you, as a speaker, to choose your words carefully.
There are certain general principles you can follow that will minimize the chance you will unintentionally offend a member of the most sensitive groups. But let's be candid: almost any usage will offend or at least irritate someone. In this area, "zero defects" probably is an unattainable goal.
Here are five principles you can use that will help you avoid saying something offensive:

1. Identify people the way they want to be called. If some people of African heritage want to be called "African-Americans," then do so. If other individuals want to be called "Blacks," do so. The same principle applies with "gays' (rather than "homosexuals") and "Latinos" (rather than "Hispanics").
The caution here is that some people don't like the proliferation of "hyphenated Americans" (Italian-Americans, Greek-Americans, and so on). Some people feel that the hyphenation turns people into partial Americans. These people are in the minority, but there are not alone.

2. Whenever possible, don't generalize about groups; talk instead in terms of individuals. In other words, don't say, "Women are submissive"; and don't say "Men are aggressive." Individual women may be submissive, as individual man may be aggressive. Generalizations about groups are always wrong, if not totally, at least partially.This limitation is that this approach is easy in theory, hard in practice. How, for example, is a company's "affirmative action" officer to avoid generalizing about groups? Also, in time of heightened racial, gender, and ethnic awareness, is it realistic to expect people to stop generalizing about such matters?


3. Don't use words that imply certain jobs or roles are filled only by a certain sex or gender. In other words, don't talk about "policemen," but rather about "police officers"; don't refer to the mailmen," but to "mail carriers." And don't refer to our "forefathers," but instead tour "ancestors."
The question here is not a matter of principle, but of practice. Specifically, will the day be carried on this point by the adoption of the gender-neutral word "person"? That is, will words like "policeperson," "chairperson," "mailperson." and waitperson" become standard usage? It appears the term "person" is a ubiquitous in our society as the designation "Comrade" was in Chairman Mao's China.


4. Avoid the "he/she" pronoun problem by making singular nouns into plurals. For example, suppose you say, "The engineer is a problem solver; he does not know the meaning of the word "impossible."' If you say that, some people might be offended by the male referent "he." A simple way to overcome that problem is add an "s" to "engineer." That makes the sentences read: "Engineers are problem-solvers, they don't know the meaning of the word "impossible."'
This approach seems to solve the problem with wordiness inherent in always having to say "he and she." Some notable experts on language usage may object to the principle; their point is that historically, "he" as a pronoun reference could refer either to males or females. These individuals seem to be fighting a losing battle.


5. Refer to people with disabilities as that, "people with disabilities." In the eyes of many people, calling such individuals "handicapped" or "disabled" is to confuse the individual with the disability.
A caution about using the term "physically challenged." To some people, this well-intentioned term implies that diseases such as multiple sclerosis or "Lou Gehrig's Disease" are "challenges." The further implication would be that people who don't overcome their "challenge" have somehow failed is a ridiculous notion.
In the politically correct and sensitive society that we are now living in it is almost impossible to give a speech without someone taking offense to something you say, but by following these five principles you can greatly reduce your chances of giving offense or being misunderstood.

Students and cashflow

Rich Dad has authored a new great book. This time he focuses more on how a student can be free financially and escape the "rat race". cashflow quadrant is the name of his great book. check it out at www.richdadbook2.com

Rich Dad's Education

check out this educational website which I stumbled upon yesterday evening. its cool and I believe you would like it.

How I went to UNIVERSITY

Thinking of schooling and going to the university, I must confess it wasn't a day's job. I lost my dad when I was only 6 years old. I felt abandoned and rejected. I feel like crying now and I don't wish to continue with the narrative story of my life. But do check back again for the entire story.

Maths Games for children

Looking for a fun and exciting way to teach math concepts to children? Increase motivation and learning in a way that is enjoyable and pleasant by using the following math games for kids.

A Book Scavenger Hunt
This is a game that teaches counting and ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd...). The first thing to do is find a book for each child. It works well, and takes less time, for all children to use the same book title and edition, but it is not necessary. The idea is that the answer will spell out a sentence or two and the winner is the first one to decipher it. Each child will be provided with a clue sheet which will list directions for finding each word.
An example would be to say "find the 5th word of the 3rd paragraph on the 11th page after page 101." The children would then look for this word and write it down. You can also work in math problems, such as "go to the page that is twenty-one less than eighty-four and find the 7th word in the 2nd paragraph from the end of the page." Increase the complexity for older children and simplify for younger ones.

Picture Shapes
Math games for kids, especially the younger ones, can benefit from including pictures from books or coloring books. This game accomplishes this by using a picture that has obvious shapes in it, such as balloons for circles, doors for rectangles, etc., then seeing who can find the most shapes hidden. For older children you can include things such as octagons, cylinders, and cones.
Taking Directions
This is a great math game for a larger group of kids to play. The great thing about this game is that it shows us that math games for kids do not need to involve sitting at a table with a pencil in hand. This is played outdoors and involves putting a mat, or other flat object, in the yard and pairing the kids up. One child in each group wears a blind fold. The other child will give them directions.
The goal is for the child with the blind fold to follow the directions so that he/she ends up on the mat. The trick is that the child doing the talking can only give a set number of clues and can only use numbers for how many feet or yards, and the words forward, backward, right, or left. You can put obstacles in the way such as orange road cones or beach balls that they have to maneuver around to get to the mat. The kids giving the directions must stay stationary while giving the clues. Make sure this game is supervised by an adult who can make sure that the kids do not run into one another or trip and fall.

Board Games
Board games offer a variety of creative and interesting ways for teaching math concepts to children. There are many math games for kids that are in board game format. Some of these include Sorry, Yahtzee, and Rummikub. There are also many board games for kids that can be altered to include math skills. One example is to play Scrabble and give triple the points for each math term spelled out, as well as having the children keep a running score for every player.
Matching Math Cards
This is a twist on Old Maid where the goal is to match two cards by putting all of them face-down and turning over two cards at a time on each turn to see if they match. This game is different than Old Maid because it is centered around math concepts. You start by writing a math problem on an index card, using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Then you make another math problem on the next index card that is different but has the same answer. After you have made between twelve and twenty of these cards you lay them face down. Whenever someone turns over two cards with the same answer they get to keep them. The person with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
Learning math does not need to be dull and boring. It can be fun and challenging by using the above math games for kids, where math becomes play instead of work.

Maths Games for children

Looking for a fun and exciting way to teach math concepts to children? Increase motivation and learning in a way that is enjoyable and pleasant by using the following math games for kids.

A Book Scavenger Hunt
This is a game that teaches counting and ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd...). The first thing to do is find a book for each child. It works well, and takes less time, for all children to use the same book title and edition, but it is not necessary. The idea is that the answer will spell out a sentence or two and the winner is the first one to decipher it. Each child will be provided with a clue sheet which will list directions for finding each word.
An example would be to say "find the 5th word of the 3rd paragraph on the 11th page after page 101." The children would then look for this word and write it down. You can also work in math problems, such as "go to the page that is twenty-one less than eighty-four and find the 7th word in the 2nd paragraph from the end of the page." Increase the complexity for older children and simplify for younger ones.

Picture Shapes
Math games for kids, especially the younger ones, can benefit from including pictures from books or coloring books. This game accomplishes this by using a picture that has obvious shapes in it, such as balloons for circles, doors for rectangles, etc., then seeing who can find the most shapes hidden. For older children you can include things such as octagons, cylinders, and cones.
Taking Directions
This is a great math game for a larger group of kids to play. The great thing about this game is that it shows us that math games for kids do not need to involve sitting at a table with a pencil in hand. This is played outdoors and involves putting a mat, or other flat object, in the yard and pairing the kids up. One child in each group wears a blind fold. The other child will give them directions.
The goal is for the child with the blind fold to follow the directions so that he/she ends up on the mat. The trick is that the child doing the talking can only give a set number of clues and can only use numbers for how many feet or yards, and the words forward, backward, right, or left. You can put obstacles in the way such as orange road cones or beach balls that they have to maneuver around to get to the mat. The kids giving the directions must stay stationary while giving the clues. Make sure this game is supervised by an adult who can make sure that the kids do not run into one another or trip and fall.

Board Games
Board games offer a variety of creative and interesting ways for teaching math concepts to children. There are many math games for kids that are in board game format. Some of these include Sorry, Yahtzee, and Rummikub. There are also many board games for kids that can be altered to include math skills. One example is to play Scrabble and give triple the points for each math term spelled out, as well as having the children keep a running score for every player.
Matching Math Cards
This is a twist on Old Maid where the goal is to match two cards by putting all of them face-down and turning over two cards at a time on each turn to see if they match. This game is different than Old Maid because it is centered around math concepts. You start by writing a math problem on an index card, using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Then you make another math problem on the next index card that is different but has the same answer. After you have made between twelve and twenty of these cards you lay them face down. Whenever someone turns over two cards with the same answer they get to keep them. The person with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
Learning math does not need to be dull and boring. It can be fun and challenging by using the above math games for kids, where math becomes play instead of work.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The science of Life




Laboratory test

15 Secrets To Boost Your I.Q In Less Than 30 Days by:

Tubersmike
The same reason that people visit the gym on a regular basis, is probably the same reason you’re interested in raising your IQ. We just aren’t challenged enough physically or mentally. Setting aside time to work your mind out and organizing your various mental muscles can help you to be more creative, solve problems quicker and focus on the things you want. Contrary to what most people believe, brainpower goes beyond inherited genes. Scientists have proven that intelligence is a combination of both genes and environment.
When laboratory rats were given more toys to interact with, they ended up having much smarter rats than the ones that did not have any toys. Studies have also shown that you can grow more neurons with a stimulating environment. The benefits of being mentally fit are very obvious. You’ll be able to enjoy accelerated learning. If you’re in high school, college or attend a university, you may find yourself having an easier time of your studies and your grade point average raising. You’ll also find yourself being able to think logically more often. You’ll be able to assemble a clear line of logic and reasoning that can help you make better decisions in life. Another benefit is that of increased creativity. Whether you’re into music, art, writing or any other form of art, training your mind can definitely open the flood gates of creativity in those areas as well. In addition, your memory and focus will increase. Training with certain kinds of memory tools such as pegging and linking can help you uncover new ways to store information permanently and have an easier time of recalling things. Through meditation, your focus can improve greatly. You can start by meditating 10 or 15 minutes a day. Simply find a quiet place and sit or lay completely still, with eyes closed. Then, as much as possible, quiet your mind and focus on your breathing. If you’re not used to doing this, it may be extremely difficult. That’s ok. The more you do it, the easier it gets. As you stick with it, you’ll notice some very big improvements of being able to hold ideas and imagines in your mind much longer and stronger. So how can you boost your IQ in less than 30 days? Here are the key secrets: 1. Write – when you write down your thoughts, it can be a great tool for you to reflect and make decisions. Some people use journals to write down their thoughts, others have simple notepads or notebooks. Simply writing what you think and feel can help you have a new perspective when you go back and read those words. 2. Meditate – as already stated, you can significantly boost your IQ through meditation. It may not seem logical, that you could boost your IQ by thinking about nothing at all, but it does help you bridge a connection from your conscious to your subconscious mind. And the subconscious stores every bit of data of our lives. Nothing is lost to the subconscious. 3. Be active – if you’re not already active, start a regular exercise routine. Having a healthy body also affects the mind. 4. Have Hobbies – have a regular routine of doing things you love to do, whether it’s fishing, bowling, bicycling, knitting, or reading a mystery novel. The more fun and passion you experience, the easier it will be to process and assimilate new information. 5. Read at least 15 minutes a day – Try to read at least 15 minutes a day. It may be hard to read if you’re pressed for time, but 15 minutes is very doable by anyone of this day and age. 6. Think – involve yourself in documentaries, books, magazines or board games that make you think. Actively challenge your current assumptions. 7. Study IQ puzzles – visit your local book store and buy yourself a couple of IQ puzzles or crossword puzzles. Make sure you get ones that have the answers in the back so that you can work out any mistakes. Go over them again and again. It keeps your mind sharp. 8. Play competitive games like chess. You can log on to the Internet and play with other players around the world. You can also play billiards. 9. Walk in someone else’s shoes – empathy goes along with IQ intelligence. By exploring someone else’s perspective of the world can help you to think through other people’s eyes. Although this is not a logical reasoning ability, it is an ability that can help you think out of the box when you’re stumped on a problem. 10. Create something on a regular basis – find something you can create, whether it’s writing an ebook, building a bird house, planting a flower, overhauling a car engine, or drawing a picture. Use your creative powers on a regular basis. 11. Conduct thought experiments – Ask yourself “what if” questions. Write them down and see how far you can take a certain question. 12. Break out of the routine – try to consciously break a routine, even if just for a short time. If for example you drive the same way to work every day, try a new route. If you sleep on the left side of the bed, sleep on the right side, or even the opposite direction. 13. Explore new cultures – seek different worldviews than your own. Meet people from other cultures and let them teach you about their food, language and traditions. 14. Learn outside of your usual interests – don’t stick to the same old things. If you like rock music, try listening to rap or jazz. If you’re into art or music, get into a programming language. 15. Use your brain more – Force yourself to use your brain more in everything that you do. In many cases its just having the intention to use your brain more that can actually give you surprising results. Logic, focus and creativity are a handful of mental muscles that you should be exercising on a regular basis. These techniques can definitely help you boost your IQ, no matter who you are. If you’re looking to join a high IQ society, like MENSA, then are two ways to go about it. The first is to submit your GRE scores. The other is to let MENSA send you a supervised test. In my opinion, if you haven’t completed your GRE yet, you may find it easier to take the GRE after having studied GRE test books. You can get them at any major book seller or http://Amazon.com. By implementing these IQ boosting strategies for the next 30 days, you can significantly increase your Intelligence Quotient.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Students, take care of your finances

by: Tubersmike

Taking control of your financial situation is one of the most important learning experiences you will have in your entire college career.
A large majority of students do not fully anticipate the many extra costs of college life. Before you plan on living at college, you should sit down and list your expected daily or weekly living expenses. While at college you will most likely encounter costs you did not prepare for, so this article is meant to help you sort out some of those things you may have forgot. Identifying these costs is not your last step, but it is a great start to financial stability.
One obvious strategy is to spend less. Buying what you need, rather than indulging on impulse or emotional buying. Track your daily spending for a month, and develop a realistic budget for the semester. Try not to let friends or social situations push you into spending money on something you don’t necessarily want or need. As mentioned earlier, you will encounter costs or discover things you planned for will be more expensive than you previously thought. Described below are some of those very things.
Food.
If you plan on eating out, budget heavily for it. Even purchasing pizza once or twice a week can really rack up your bill real quick. If you are lucky enough to have a meal plan on campus, use it! You already paid for it, it’s already cooked, and should give you a variety depending on the time of day you go to use it. Try to avoid expensive party stores or gas stations for purchasing groceries; they will always be cheaper at grocery stores. Avoiding vending machines is also a good idea, as a few dollars every time can begin to add up very fast.
Textbooks.
Weighing your options for your textbooks can save you hundreds each year. Borrowing books or exchanging them somewhere else besides the campus owned store will usually save you money in the long run, and isn’t usually difficult.
Personal expenses.
Toiletries, clothes, entertainment, and haircuts quickly add up. You can also make some lifestyle adjustments to live within your budget, but about $850 per semester is a fair estimate for "miscellaneous" spending.
Electronics: Replacing a lost or stolen laptop, MP3 player, cell phone, or camera is expensive and unnecessary if you are protective of your stuff. Watching your backpack, wallet, and keys are vital. Keep your valuables out of sight and lock your room at all times—even for bathroom runs or to visit your neighbor for a few minutes. Protect all forms of personal identification, including your Social Security number and mail. Local police and campus security will sometimes have etching devices to help engrave names and/or addresses into everyday items for further security.
Travel.
Most students travel home from time to time to visit friends and family, or just for breaks. Car pooling or looking for student fares when you purchase bus, train, or airline tickets is also a must. Sometimes your student ID will automatically get you discounts, but it’s always important to ask.
Personal habits.
Observe your favorite indulgences from a budget perspective. Whether you love to buy music, shoes, lattes, or clothes, failing to practice moderation is a surefire budget buster.
Observing costs and preparing yourself are two simple steps in helping your financial situation. Doing just these few things will already place you way ahead of most students and the lessons learned will carry over after college and will help you for the rest of your life.

How to choose the right nursing school for you

by: Tubersmike
There are a number of factors to consider when looking the best nursing school for your education. It is not that much different from choosing a college or other specialty program, but the applicant must consider a couple of key factors. Things like geographical location, tuition, degree plans and tuition costs are all things that should be evaluated before making a final decision. This article will cover some of the basic factors that should help any nursing student make the decision as to which program is the best one for them and their career choice.
Location & Tuition
One of the most important and first questions on most students minds is the location and tuition of the university or program. This is because unfortunately money often dictates the type of education that we get. With unlimited funds it is not difficult to choose a program clear across the country, but for most it is a huge factor. That is one thing that must be evaluated first, the location of the school and whether or not the tuition can be afforded. Universities have different tuition rates and offer many options of financing. If financial aid or grant money is something that you are looking for than it is important to choose a college or program that offers federal financial aid or other methods of payment. Compare the per credit hour or cost of the program rate to other universities in the area as well as their reputation and what it offered. Other factors to consider are public versus private and in state as well as out of state tuition rates.
Specialties
Not every program or university will offer the same specialties in nursing. This is very important because if you are planning a specific track or career the program must prepare you or you will not be eligible to take your state exam. Check with the admissions office or counselor before making a decision. Ask what programs are available and whether or not you have an option of a more advanced degree. For example, if you are enrolled in an LVN program, do they offer an RN or BSN? This may not be something that you are concerned with this moment, but maybe something that you are interested in after completing that particular program.
Accreditation
With the addition of online classes and universities there has been some concern over accreditation and licensure. This is important because even after completing the program if the university is not accredited the state may not allow you to test. It is important to not only ask the university about their accreditation, but also check it out with your states licensing board first. A good rule of thumb is if the university offers Federal Financial aid they are most likely accredited by the appropriate authority. This information can be found by searching on the internet or contacting the board of higher education within your state or federal government. This is not something that you want to take a chance with or ignore because it could cost you thousands of dollars and a great deal of grief.
Preparation And Success Of The Program
Something else that may factor into your decision about the right school for you is the university or programs past graduate’s records. Do these students pass their state exam, are they successful at finding employment and what their pass/fail rate is. This is something that can be inquired about at the admissions office or the respective state licensure board. A wise student is one that makes sure that the program successfully prepares them with both academic and hands on preparation. Clinical rotations and class size greatly affect the way that a student is prepared and should be asked about. If the class sizes are enormous that divides the instructor’s attention that much further and can leave a gap in the learning environment. The smaller the class is the better chance of interaction and more hands on experience that the student receives. That is not to say that the larger classes are not good, but there is not as much personal attention in the large class versus the smaller class.
There are many things to consider when entering into a nursing program. Not only should the student evaluate the program, but also must decide on the particulars of their specialty. It is a good idea to do a little bit of research, talk to an admissions counselor and also talk to those in the profession to answer any questions that you may have about choosing the right program for you!

Chemistry, The central science

by: Tubersmike
In modern thought, Chemistry (from Egyptian – Chem or Keme meaning “earth” or “black”, due to the rich soil) is connected to almost all other natural sciences: astronomy, biology, geology, material science, physics, etc. The subcategories of chemistry are getting more specialized as time passes and the understanding of the composition and structure of matter increases.
Some of the basic subdisciplines of matter studied include (but are not limited to): analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and theoretical chemistry.

Alchemy most often refers to both the early form of investigation of nature and philosophy that combine elements of many disciplines. Having been studied everywhere from Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt to Classical Greece and Rome as well as the orient and the Mediterranean for well over 2 millennia, its diversity may be as great as science itself.
In history, Alchemy (from Arabic – al-chimiya – likely similar root word from Egyptian) was more than simply connected to many disciplines; it was composed of them: art, astrology, chemistry, medicine, metallurgy, mysticism, physics, semiotics, spiritualism, etc.
The Greek philosopher Empedocles championed the idea that all things were composed of four basic elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The four elements were attributed properties: cold, dry, hot, and wet. The interaction of these four elements can be demonstrated by the following relationship order: Water – wet – Air – hot – Fire – dry – Earth – cold – Water (ad nauseum). Around 350 BCE, Aristotle conceived of a fifth element that he called “quintessence” which made up the heavens.

Initially an “Element” was defined as a body in which other bodies can be decomposed and which itself is not capable of being divided into other bodies. This definition is nearly identical to the concept of the atom as the indivisible component of matter.
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274) suggested in his writings from the 13th century that a body of matter is able to change, but is not able to simply disappear. While his theory was incomplete, it is likely to have inspired those conservationists of the 5 centuries that came after him until the Law of Conservation of Mass was fully formulated in 1789 by Antoine Lavoisier (the father of modern chemistry).
When the scientific community figured out that the substances never disappear, then they were finally able to embark on thorough studies on the transformation of substances.
Following the chemical revolution, the physical science of chemistry began to relate to smaller and smaller parts. Then, of course, physicists discovered subatomic particles and decided that atoms were not indivisible. The atom consists of electrons (British physicist Sir Joseph John “J.J.” Thomson, 1897), protons (the “father” of nuclear physics, Lord Ernest Rutherford, 1918), and for most atoms, the neutron (physicist Sir James Chadwick, 1932).
In time, it was discovered that both protons and neutrons are composed of “elementary particles” called quarks (Murray Gell-Mann, 1961). Quarks are a type of fermion (Enrico Fermi + suffix “on”) which is one of the two basic constituents of matter. The electron is an example of the other constituent, the lepton (from the Greek leptos meaning “thin”) (physicist Leon Rosenfeld, 1948).
Quarks, so named as a nonsense word to rhyme with “pork” and spelled to match a word from Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce (though it should rhyme with “Mark”).
Six flavors (or types) of quarks are known to exist: up, down, top, bottom, strange, and charm. These terms were abitrarily coined based on necessity of names which were easy to use and remember. All subatomic particles are composed of 3 of the 6 quarks combined in specific ways. Each quark has a different mass and fractional electric charge. They are held together by the strong nuclear force and mediated by gluons (glue + suffix “on”).
The discovery of the buoyant effect of our planet’s atmosphere on the weight of gases was of key importance to the transmutation from the Art of Alchemy to the Science of Chemistry. This allowed for quantitative studies on the transformation of substances thus in turn leading to the idea that chemical processes themselves are simply reactions between chemical elements of different amounts.

How To Learn Foreign Languages In A Fun Way!

by: Tubersmike

After studying around 30 minutes French or German I start to get tedious and anxious. It has always been like this, and not just for languages, but for almost everything: math, chemistry, programming, etc. About a year ago, I found a really good way of studying languages, which never got me tired or anxious.
I've always been a computer geek and always loved to play computer video games. Someday, when I started wondering about things (usually this happens in bathroom...), I started questioning myself how did I learned English (I'm from Mexico, so my first language is Spanish). A good percentage of my English was learned at school, but what I discovered was that most of my English came from video games, especially RPG's (Role Playing Game). Then, a marvelous idea came to my mind: why not do the same with French and/or German? Immediately I began my search for some games.
After a good research, I remembered I had a game called The Secret of Monkey Island, the CD version, which came in several languages. I began playing it in Italian (I didn't know any Italian, 0%, nada), and after around 30 minutes, I noticed I started to understand a lot of words. After beating the game in 2 days, I was able to talk some Italian (just some... I wouldn't survive in Italy... or maybe I would, but just because the Spanish is like a brother to the Italian). Then, I decided to start the game again (damn, I love that game), and during this second time I was able to understand around 70% of what the characters were saying. And after beating it the second time, I started it in German. Well, I guess you got the point by now.
The most important thing about this technique isn't how fast I started to get a catch about the words, grammar, etc., but how long I lasted playing the game! When I study French the classical way, I only last about 30 minutes without a headache... when I study French playing a video game, I only last... well, I'd last until I gotta go to college.
If you believe you can stand against studying languages the classical way, do it! You'll learn in a better quality way. But if you are struggling because of all those headaches, I recommend to try this out.
Don't have a video game to start studying? Well, you can download The Secret of Monkey Island. This game is so old they made it abandonware (it's free). Or you can buy a video game which comes in several languages.
If you don't like video games, or you're really lazy to be playing one, you could try listening to music in that language. I learned a lot of German just by listening to bands like Rammstein.
I hope this technique will be useful for you. Remember, once you have acquired some vocabulary and understood somewhat the grammar of that foreign language, I recommend you to start practicing it as much as you can!