Monday, September 17, 2012

What Hot Discussion You Get at Twitter Porn


 Looking for the best place to discuss something that you find it difficult to share with just everyone? Why don’t you try talking about it at http://twitter.com/porn then? Certainly there are more and more people who have the same feeling and difficulties with you. And knowing that there are others who actually are having and or experiencing the same difficulty and feeling with you could really be smoothening, at the least.

What? Yes, of course this is not for some psychotic feelings and or nervousness you might have, this is all about the porn and more porn only! Come on, for some split seconds back then, did you really allow yourself to think that this really is about something else? That the feeling you are about to share is not about something, or anything, porn? You really have disappointed yourself, you know? Here is the site about all porn and more porn, and you still thinking of other things. That really is a shame, indeed.

However, you can make up your shameful thought by then sharing your most hidden desires for porn in this site. You know you have been looking at your older sister, or sisters it is, differently for quite some time now. And you might have been asking, who doesn’t then? That chick of older sister of yours is simply having serious behavior problem with teasing cocks (or at least, that what your mind has been telling you all the time!). And you want to share this urgent incestuous feeling with anyone who might have the same or similar problem with you. So, just go and share it then. Who knows there are other and even more people who have been having the same feeling toward their own relatives, just like you? And imagine what a hot discussion would that be, right?

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Free Online Trading Education - Choosing a Trading System

Trading is both an art and science. There are numerous sites offering free online trading education. This is very important for a beginner. Various types of financial instruments are available for trading. Stocks, bonds, derivatives (futures and options) are broad categories of financial instruments which are traded on the financial markets. Some of these instruments are very liquid and offer an attractive way to build wealth over a period of time. A stock trading school should focus on these broad financial instruments.
The best way to begin trading is opening an account with a broker who offers a reasonable price. It is advisable to start trading live markets with play money rather than real money. Only after being profitable trading play money should you change to trading real money. A stock trading school should focus on making some concepts of capital markets clear to the student. Capital markets with a large number of participants are overloaded with information. A beginner might find it difficult to uncover useful information in this chaos. A stock trading school should ensure that the participants are not misguided.
Analyzing stocks can be a tedious task. Broadly speaking there are two forms of analysis- Fundamental and Technical. Fundamental analysis focuses on the financial health of a company. One must learn to read the financial statements thoroughly in order to master Fundamental analysis. It is also known that fundamentals play a role in determining the price of a stock in the long run.
Technical Analysis on the other hand focuses on the buying and selling activity building up in a stock. The Technical analysts plot the chart with price and time for a stock and try to analyse the possible outcomes during the next few hours/days/months/years. Technical analysis also has a lot of indicators such as Moving Average Convergence (MACD), Relative Strength, etc. A stock trading school can focus on of these or both methods of analyzing stocks.
In order to trade the financial markets, apart from knowledge, discipline also is very important. Some people recommend using techniques like stop loss to limit losses while trading. There are arguments both for and against the usage of stops. Trading is an art and one needs to develop based on his/her personality. To be successful in trading, one must be disciplined and adhere to ones plans. Also a trader should be always alert and aware of any news affecting the markets, he trades. He also must be adept at spotting news which might have very temporary effects.
A trader should stick to one method of analysis. If he is good at reading financial statements and believes in value investing, fundamental analysis can be good at spotting undervalued companies. If the trader is a short term player, a focus on technical indicators or price action is a must. Some traders also adopt the technique of scalping for quick profits. Such traders need to focus on the price action in the market. A good stock trading school should focus on the behavioural aspects as well. The behavioural traits of a trader play an important role in shaping the trading style of a trader.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Trade News Releases

News trading is intriguing for many traders. As a result most traders prefer to stay out of the market at the time of the news release like the NFP Report or the FOMC Meeting Minutes. But there are traders who have adopted the profession of trading news. However, news trading involves a sense of instant gratification. Within seconds, if you can predict the market direction correctly, you can make a few hundred pips. Now, compare this with most of the day traders who make these much pips in a matter of weeks.
Trading news is for those traders who like a lot of action within a short period of time. News trading strategies are based on the fact that before any scheduled news release, market develops a certain expectation about the economic numbers that will be released. When the actual economic numbers are released if there is a wide deviation between the actual and the expected, there will be a knee jerk reaction in the market.
Now, suppose you are a risk taker who wants to trade the news despite the fact that many traders avoid trading it. How to go about it? There are basically three ways, you can trade the news. The first news trading strategy involves betting on the market direction and entering the market before the news is released. The second news trading strategy entails waiting for the news to hit the market and then entering the market. The third news trading strategy involves a combination of both the above two strategies. Let's discuss the first news trading strategy in detail.
Suppose, you are a pro active trader. You have been watching the market before the NFP Report release and want to make an educated guess on the market direction at the time of the news release. So, you enter the market 20 minutes before the news release time. One advantage of doing this is to avoid the widening of spreads that usually happens at the time of the new release. You made an entry well before the news release time when the spreads were tight. Now you place your bet on the market direction by going long or short. Place a stop 30 pips below the entry if long and 30 pips above the entry if you have a short trade. Now, wait for the news release to take place.
Now, it depends on how well you had predicted the market direction. If your prediction was good and the market moved in the same direction that you had predicted, you will close half of the position when the market moves by the amount you had risked. In this case 30 pips! For the remaining half, place a trailing stop with a 20 day Simple Moving Average so as to capitalize on the move as much as possible. In case, the market moved in the wrong direction, the stop loss will be hit and you are out of the market with a loss of 30 pips!
You will be using the 5 minutes chart for this news trading strategy. You might be wondering why exit half of the position when the market moved in your favor. This was done to reduce risk and take profit as quickly as possible in order to avoid any whipsaw that might develop in the market. The most important thing about this news trading strategy is to predict the market direction at the time of the news release correctly.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Funding Your College Education

The grumblings over the rising cost of college education are not without reason. According to College Board's annual survey on Trends in College Pricing, the average total tuition and fees paid by students at four-year public colleges and universities in 2006-07 was $5,836, while the average total tuition and fees at private colleges and universities was $22,218 for the same period. (collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost06/trends_college_pricing_06.pdf)
The bad news is that tuition fees are just the tip of the iceberg, as it constitutes only a fraction of the overall cost of college. The expense shoots up several notches if you add room and board to the total cost of attending college.
There are several other factors that can make college a financial burden for many. One of the biggest factors is juggling several responsibilities with education that prolongs graduation time for many students and adds to the overall cost.
But the good news is that help is available in the form of financial aid for college, especially if you're among those whose parents did not have the means to save money for college and have to depend on loans to finance higher education.
In fact, a lot of people delay going to college until they have built some savings to avoid taking loans. While it's admirable on their part to save up for college, there's a high probability that such individuals would never be able to go back to school as they get embroiled in the nitty-gritty of life.
College Financial Aid
If you want to graduate from college debt free or at least reduce it to the maximum extent possible, then it's important to explore all avenues of college financial aid. According to the College Board survey, full-time students of private four-year institutions receive an average of $9,000 of aid per year in the form of grants and tax benefits, whereas those enrolled in public four-year institutions receive $3,100 as financial aid for college. (collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost06/trends_college_pricing_06.pdf)
If this data is any indication, then grants play a very important role in helping students fund their education. Unlike loans that have to be paid back by students once they start earning, money for college provided by grants generally does not have to be repaid. These grants are primarily need-based or awarded on the basis of students meeting certain eligibility criteria.
A case in point is the Pell Grant, which is one of the most popular federal grants. The Pell Grant is awarded to undergraduate students who come from low-income backgrounds. The Academic Competitiveness Grant is also a federal grant available to undergrad freshman and sophomore students who demonstrate academic excellence and a propensity towards leadership and service.
In addition to these federal grants, several states also offer grants to students based on need, merit, or their chosen major. There are also other grants that are constituted especially for students belonging to certain ethnic or disadvantaged groups such as African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, etc. These grants could be administered by the government, universities and colleges, or ethnic organizations.
Scholarships are another source of financial aid for college. Unlike grants, scholarships are mainly merit-based and have to be competed for. Many individual colleges and universities also administer in-house scholarship programs that students can vie for.
So, if pursuing graduate or undergraduate programs from a college seems like an impossible dream, don't forget that financial aid can be an option for those that qualify. This might help you turn your dream into a beautiful reality!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A Financial Education in Investment Basics

Never has a financial education in investment basics been more important. Since the financial crisis of 2008 it has been difficult to find attractive investment options. The question is: where to invest in 2010 and beyond. In answering that question, this article will start you on your road to a financial education by focusing on the investment basics that few average investors understand.
You have the same basic investment options that a big money manager with a financial education from one of the best universities in the country has. The difference is that he or she has to decide where to invest billions of dollars. The good news is that there are only four basic investment options out there. The bad news is that deciding where to invest in 2010 and beyond is not an easy task. Let's look at the four options, often referred to as asset classes: safe investments, bonds, stocks, and alternative investments.
SAFE INVESTMENTS are savings products and cash equivalents like: bank CDs, savings accounts, money market securities like U.S. T-bills, and money market mutual funds. These safe investments pay interest, but with interest rates near all-time lows, they don't pay much. Most safe investments are paying less than 1% a year in interest.
BONDS are long-term interest-paying investments. Today you can make over 5% in interest income a year in bonds and bond funds. This might make them sound attractive, but there's a catch here: interest rates are presently very low and are likely to go up in the future. When interest rates go up the price or value of bonds will fall. That's the investment basics of bond investing. It's called interest rate risk, and it is real.
STOCKS were the investment option of choice for the big money managers in 2009 and early 2010. Looking at the two above investment options you can see why. The big money went into stocks and this sent prices higher. Then, uncertainty returned to the international financial scene, and stock markets fell as a debt crisis in Europe took center stage. If stocks continue to fall, deciding where to invest in 2010 and beyond will get even tougher, with only one basic investment option left to consider.
ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS are the final frontier, and they are increasing getting attention from big money managers who manage pension funds and other large pools of money. Included in this asset class: gold, silver, other commodities, real estate, and natural resources like oil and natural gas. Virtually any other investment, or security that is traded on an organized exchange (other than the first three basic investment options discussed) could be classified as an alternative investment.
Given the state of today's financial markets, you can see why deciding where to invest in 2010 and beyond is a challenge. One more thing should be crystal clear. Without a financial education the cards are stacked against you. The best way for most people to invest in all of the above asset classes is through mutual funds. Invest in all four of the basic investment options with funds; and in times of high uncertainty like today... diversify, diversify, diversify.
A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

3 Important Tips For Writing Effective News Articles

As a journalist, you need to be very responsible when writing your news articles. Remember, your copies will be read by a lot of people. It's important that you properly educate them without sensationalizing your stories and without overstretching the truth.
Here are the 3 most important tips for writing effective news articles:
1. Accuracy. As a journalist, you are in the position to influence decisions and form public opinions. People who read your articles will most likely to think in a certain way based on the information that you feed them. Thus, it's very important to make sure that all your articles are factual. The worst thing that you can do in this endeavor is to misinform the public by distorting the truth as this can seriously damage your credibility.
2. Write simply. Writing news articles is not the same as writing academic or research papers. Don't use big, fancy words that can make it too difficult for your readers to understand the stories that you're covering. Give them the information concisely and quickly without using fillers or data that are not really important.
3. Writing style. Develop a writing style that will help you serve your purpose (to educate, inspire, and entertain your audience). Write your articles in such a way that you'll be able to get your readers at the edge of their seats. Also, find ways on how you can stand out from the crowd. Remember, every article competes for readers' attention and you need to put your best foot forward to make sure that yours will be read by your target audience.
By the way, do you want to learn more about using articles like this to drive traffic to your website and increase online conversions?

Friday, July 6, 2012

Credible News Sources

Recently, Keith Olbermann, on his MSNBC news show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, cited Fox News as the "worst persons in the world." He claimed that the Fox News Channel is blatant right-wing propaganda. He also noted that President Obama, in a recent TV interview (the same interview, incidentally, as the now-notorious fly-swatting incident, in which, according to news reports on MSNBC, NBC, CBS, CNN and elsewhere, the President demonstrates his "remarkable fly-swatting skills") claimed that there was at least one news channel dedicated to undermining his administration at all costs. Olbermann suggests that the President was referring to Fox News.
Back in the day when the Republicans controlled both houses as well as the Presidency, a period that might well go down in history as a modern-day Dark Ages or Reign of Terror, the Fox News channel was considered to be the bastion of credible news. So much so that all other news agencies were too afraid even to question their authority.
Fox News, owned by Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., had started on the premise that conventional news sources like CNN and network news operated on a principle of a subtle left-wing cultural bias resulting from the educational and social milieu of their journalists. The solution that Fox News apparently proposed was to dedicate a news channel to supposedly "fair and balanced" news coverage. "Fair and balanced" became their watchword, but it soon proved to be ironic. Over time, their supposedly objective news coverage has been exposed as right-wing propaganda that was pretty blatantly pandering to the Bush administration while they were in power.
This brings us to MSNBC's news lineup. MSNBC is a news channel that is produced as a joint venture, as the name suggests, between Microsoft (the monolithic software giant founded by Bill Gates) and NBC. Their lineup of news shows supposedly offers us the alternative to Fox News, but, as implied by Keith Olbermann, what they are really offering us is left-wing propaganda that panders to the Obama administration.
The tragic consequence of all this government pandering and institutional propaganda is that the number-one casualty in mainstream news coverage is credibility. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins of today, with their stunning exposés of corruption in high places? Definitely not at either Fox News or MSNBC.
Perhaps the answer to where we can find credible news sources lies with CNN--still bland and presenting the façade of objectivity while concealing a subtle left-wing bias--who now, apparently, resorts to blogs, Twitter feeds and Facebook posts to supplement their on-site correspondent reports. CNN even encourages you to submit amateur videos via the "iReport" section on their website, which allows them to feature the videos on their news shows after a process of vetting and verification. In fact, in the ongoing Iranian uprisings, where mainstream journalists are being banned and extradited by the authoritarian Iranian regime, western news sources are having to rely on Twitter feeds, blogs and amateur video from Iranian citizens as their news sources.
This brings us to the argument that mainstream news organizations have recently been making against the Blogsphere, especially in the wake of such recent films as State of Play, directed by Kevin Macdonald, namely that the Blogsphere is composed primarily of amateurs who are out of their depth, whereas if you are looking for cutting-edge Woodward-and-Bernstein style in-depth reporting, you will find it only at the major news organizations who have the skills and resources at their disposal to support that kind of news coverage.
The reality--at least two of the so-called major news organizations are dedicated to producing partisan propaganda that pretty shamelessly panders to politicians while the third is increasingly resorting to the Blogsphere to provide its news sources. As for Woodward and Bernstein, they are both retired and writing books for a living.
The moral of the story appears to be, therefore, that if you are looking for cutting-edge journalism, skip the news networks and, instead, check out the Blogsphere!

Friday, June 29, 2012

US News and World Report Rankings Need Changes

There have been a lot of questions about the new college rankings, particularly what sort of methodology was used to assess hundreds of schools throughout the country. Although there's an entire school of thought on the efficacy of the rankings themselves, these criteria should at the very least be modified. One of the key criteria that should be factored into these rankings is post-graduation statistics, namely what students are doing from these prestigious colleges after they graduate.
Much information could be gleaned by adding an additional category on post-graduation employment and/or statistics on graduate school entry. Adding an additional category would reflect a college's ultimate purpose, i.e. providing employment opportunities and/or graduate program opportunities.
There are two reasons why adding this criteria into the rankings would be helpful: (1) this information would show the public exactly what the graduates do after college, and (2) it would create an incentive for colleges to improve their career services and graduate program counseling. If a parent were comparing two top schools, let's say Cornell University and Washington University in St. Louis (both ranked 12th respectively), would it not serve the public well to know which school provides its graduates better career opportunities and/or graduate program opportunities?
Further, colleges have for generations been adjusting their core curriculum and admissions based on the U.S. News rankings. Whether this is a good or bad thing could be debated for just as long. However, if parents are going to spend 40 to 50 thousand dollars per year on their son or daughter's education, it would be helpful to know what exactly their son or daughter will do after graduation.
The U.S. News Rankings do provide valuable information on colleges, both public, private, as well as liberal arts and graduate schools. But the methodology could be improved with additional criteria like graduation statistics specific to employment and further education pursued by students. This addition would create major incentives to improve student resources, would give valuable information to parents and students and lastly, would provide a greater ability for parents to differentiate these schools.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Three Important Things About Online Sex Education

These days many people are turning to the internet to learn about sex. For people who are embarrassed to talk about sex, scared to ask questions or uncomfortable with the idea of asking someone in person, the internet provides the anonymity they crave. The privacy the internet affords us is one of the most beneficial aspects when it comes to getting information about sexuality and sexual health.
That is the good news. The bad news is there is no shortage of websites that contain inaccurate and sometimes even false information, especially when it comes to sex. Put the words "sex education" in a search engine and more websites that can be counted will come up. How does someone sort the good from the bad? How can someone tell if the information is accurate or not? It can certainly be confusing as someone with questions tries to navigate the waters of the internet. Getting the wrong information can be disastrous. A website that only discusses abstinence for example would not give someone looking for condoms use the information they need and that may lead to unprotected sex. Unprotected sex may lead to unplanned pregnancy or STD infection.
If you are considering looking online for answers to your questions about sexuality or sexual health you may want to keep the following in mind:
First, find out all you can about the website you are viewing. Look at the "About" section. If there is no "About" section that might be a bad sign to begin with. A reputable website will tell you why they are qualified to give information, who their experts are and their credentials.
Second, be wary of websites pushing their own agenda. Some organizations are more about pushing their own values than giving accurate information. You can tell a lot about a website or company's perspective by checking out who funds them and their presentation. If they seem biased, they probably are. Using scare tactics, guilt and shame are not good educational tools.
Third, look for websites that back up their information with scientific research and/or experts in the field of sexuality. Many people get online and call themselves sex educators but not all of them actually studied sexuality as a discipline. Government websites like the CDC are excellent for getting statistics and information about HIV for example and they are continuously posting new research and data.
As a consumer you have the right to questions where information comes from as well as how accurate the information is. Information about sexuality and sexual health is no different and being proactive will help ensure you get the information you need.

Friday, June 15, 2012

How To Read and Listen to Nutrition News With an Educated Point Of View

One day you are told that eating certain foods are extremely bad for you so you swear off those foods and eat what the news recommends instead. Then a few months later you read a report about how your new favorite food is also bad for you health! How are you supposed to believe the news when they hop from one belief to the next? The advice from one day is no longer valid and it can leave you feeling betrayed and searching for something else that may just change in a few months again.
Sometimes results from a single study are presented as fact when actually the results of a single study don't prove or disprove anything! But they are still presented to you anywase as a new fact that you need to know.
Here are a few things to look for when you are learning about your new tidbit of nutrition information to keep you safe from switching your diet completely to something that is just as unhealthy.
1. The study should be published in a peer reviewed journal as an unpublished study or one from a non credible source may not be as official. If it has been challenged or reviewed by experts in the field then give more weight to the study then if it has not.
2. Learn if the study was done over a long period of time, how many people were involved, and whether there was direct contact between participants and researchers.
If the study was done for 1 week, with 10 people, and they collected their data over the phone then it may not be an exact science as if it was done for 30 years, with 50,000 people, and closely monitored. You get my drift; just be wary of short term studies that claim wild things.
3. If the study was done with humans then take into account the similarity they have to you. Meaning if they are 30 years you're senior, non-active, and a different gender than you, then you may not be as affected or you may be more affected then they are. Take into consideration your differences.
4. Has there been previous research about the topic? Are there other studies to back up this study or is this the first of its kind?
Meaning is this constant throughout time or is it because of factors from this time period and situation.
5. Does this make sense to me? If the study tells you that margarine is bad for your heart you have to wonder if the amount of margarine in the study is the same as the amount you eat. Do you eat enough to have it affect your heart?
The point I am trying to make is that you have to take in your nutrition news with a critical eye and not allow yourself to jump on the bandwagon because of one study reported to you in a way that makes you think you have to change or suffer the consequences. Take into consideration all of these things and let your common sense as well as solid proof decide what is healthy for you.

Friday, June 8, 2012

No to More Prisons, and Yes to More Education & Job Creation

Recently, the Jamaica Observer published an article: "Build new prisons to fight crime, says Wayne Chen." Immediately, I was compelled to respond to said article.
I don't think the US model is the best model for fighting/reducing crimes. Is Mr. Chen going to promote private (for profit) penitentiaries, too, for Jamaica? Yes, he's pushing for privatization of prisons. I recommend that Mr. Chen do further research - researching other countries' models (including those with a homogeneous culture/society); unless, of course, his findings are solely motivated by profits/personal gain versus the public good (Jamaica's).
Mr. Chen's ideas could easily lead to abuses such as the "jailing kids for cash" scandal that took place in Pennsylvania years ago.
We need to tackle the problem at its root, in part, the politics (or politricks). If not, Jamaica will end up becoming an island prison due to profitable prison expansions buoyed by foreign investments, of course. We have to find a way to pay (starting with the usurious interest rate) for the loans borrowed from IMF and the World Bank, don't we?
And, of course, Mr. Chen could research on how to create more jobs for the educated jobless youth of Jamaica. Jamaica needs more Penn States (plus job creation) than state pens. The US model is a fiscal failure since it takes more money to finance a prisoner than it would take to educate said prisoner at Harvard (see Prison Policy's "Education and Incarceration" thesis).
Jamaica - my Jamaica - the land of my birth deserves better than Mr. Chen's half-baked ideas; ideas floating around in New York and California by the growing private corrections business interest group (see Newsweek's "Classrooms or Prison Cells" & "How the Recession Hurts Private Prisons"). If I'm not mistaken, last February, Mr. Chen was invited to one of these conferences held in Los Angeles, California.
Moreover, according to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, "poverty is the mother of crime." Therefore, let's tackle the mother before tackling the child. If not, the mother will only produce another child and another child and another child. In other words, you tackle the mother with education and job creation, instead of tackling the child with incarceration (only).
Remember, a for profit prison system needs a steady stream of prisoners (year after year) to be successful and profitable for its shareholders. For the public good (Jamaica's good), we don't need a successful for profit corrections system with a very bright future - not in my Jamaica - the land of my birth.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Educational Toys

Pick "Any public School USA", walk into a classroom and listen to what the teacher has to say. It seems as though they all read from the same script, "too many children in the classroom, not enough supplies, student's do not sit quietly and focus on learning, too many unruly students and of course, not enough pay".
Like you I have read many articles from newspapers to magazines and have heard the reporters from TV news to radio talk shows and it all sounds the same, "Spending more money on a broken system will not fix the problem, it will make it bigger". So what can be done? If money can't fix the problem that what can? Parents...
U.S. Census Bureau statistics show that the number of stay-at-home moms is increasing each year. However, stay-at-home moms aren't the only ones concerned. According to a 2002 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, "stay-at-home" dads numbered 189,000. Although this number does not compare to the approximate 11 million "stay-at-home moms" the trend of one parent staying at home and raising their children is on the increase. Many parents like yourself are genuinely concerned and are taking control of their children's future.
Because there is nothing that can replace the bond between parent and child, parents need to know that a child's brain development is most affected from infancy - 6 years of age. It is also the ages in which parents will learn and understand their child's individual abilities and capacity for learning. As parents make crucial investments of quality bonding time with their children especially in this age group, they will be preparing their children for what lies ahead.
The most natural way for children to learn is simply by playing. As children play, their young minds are stimulated which encourages them to interact and explore the world around them. Their play is actually preparing them for future tasks and adulthood. Research as well as news reports have found that educational toys increases a child's ability to learn by challenging their thinking, expanding their imagination, stimulation their creativity and developing their physical abilities while having fun.
As more parents grasp the idea of educational play as well as increased personal interaction with their children, we will all enjoy the benefits. It is much wiser and cost effective to invest into a child's life today than to address the problems later in life that could have possibly been avoided. Parenting is a process that begins at infancy, it may not always be easy but it certainly can be fun. So parents, it's time to take control of your children's future, turn off the TV spend time with them, interact with them and train them. This is the only way that the public school crisis can be fixed.
APlusEducationalToys is committed to helping children have fun while they learn and grow. With over 30 years of experience in child development, early childhood education and over 25 years in children, youth, family and adult ministry, we offer you expert advice and guidance choosing age appropriate, creative educational toys for your child. For more information and to view our products, come visit us at...

Friday, May 25, 2012

Technology and Education

I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is struggling to get her son to read. It got me thinking. The truth is that hardly anyone, adults or children, has time to sit down and read these days. Of course people do MAKE time to watch American Idol, or Lost or CSI or whatever other empty TV show. Yes, sorry, I mean this. These are 3 examples but there are many more. I am talking about TV programs that either show the worst possible side of human beings or that give people a completely distorted version of reality. If I watched the local news, I would never come out of the house. People overseas have called me to ask if I was OK after hearing some news on their local TV... Across an ocean, thousands of miles away. What is the point of that?
So yes, it is a shame that people don't read much because I do believe that there are a lot less mediocre books than mediocre TV shows. But here we are, that's the reality and there is no doubt that children respond a lot better to TV and iPods than a good old bunch of pages. Note that it might have to do with the fact that most parents who want peace and quiet at home have a tendency to just sit their kids in front of the box from a very early age... You can't blame the little darlings.
So let's make the most of this situation. Ultimately, why do we want kids to read? Just for the skill or for the content of what they read? Past a certain age, it has to be for the content. The actual skill should be drilled early on and if you have teenagers who can't read, that's another problem and not the topic of this article.
A couple of years ago, I was given an iPod. I had never wanted one because I don't listen to music much and I couldn't imagine myself walking around with my earphones jamming to my songs. But then I was introduced around the same time to audio books. Wow! What a discovery! My iPod follows me everywhere. I hardly ever watch TV and whenever I am doing something that doesn't require a high level of concentration, like cooking, ironing, cleaning the house, sorting out mail, etc, I just put the iPod on and I just "read". I mean I am listening really, but as I am not prepared to make the time to actually sit and read. I just kill two birds with one stone. I have "read" dozens of books in the last couple of years and have learnt so much! It has been the best education of my life. I have grown in ways I didn't think were possible.
Now I am sure that your kids have an MP3 player of some description. Have you thought about looking into audio books for them. Or simply some audio files that they can have in their iPod and that they would listen to. Have a mix of some music and some educational stuff. Do the same yourself: when you are driving somewhere, let the whole family listen to your favorite audio books, have a discussion about what is said. Get your kids into it from an early age.
The same applies to TV. Yes, there are a lot of useless programs on TV in my opinion, but there are also good ones, that actually bring knowledge. Some kids' programs are very educational and then you have the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, etc. Instead of quietening your kids with mindless cartoons, try a Discovery program on sea life. Don't get me wrong, I love cartoons too, every now and then. Some are better than others. But there has to be variety. Children, like all people, respond to what they are given. If you feed them violence from an early age, they'll enjoy it because it will have become the norm for them and they will want more. If you feed them knowledge, instruction, education from an early age, they will want more of that.
Games consoles are the same. They have games that require some thinking and others that consist of shooting, or racing or pretending you are playing sport. If the weather is good enough to go outside and you like soccer or football or baseball, go and play it, do the real thing. If it is too cold or rainy and you are stuck inside, pick a game that will teach you something, about finances for instance or managing your future, or building a business. There are games like that.
Computer use also needs to be taught to kids early. Mastering Microsoft office is a must. Get them to write their journal on the computer for instance, get them to play around with PowerPoint when they have school projects, show them Publisher, etc. All these are essential skills. The Internet is also a great source of good or bad and you have to pick and choose. There are a lot of interactive sites for kids that can be great. All the communities are good too if they are used for a reasonable amount of time per day. It is very easy to get carried away on the net and spend hours literally wasting time. But there are also a lot of things to be learned. even just the technical aspects of using a computer. Teach your kids to be wise on the net: for instance, make sure they select what pictures they put in their profile and teach them about the kind of image they want to project. They can also learn about advertising themselves or an event on one of those communities. It can teach them about marketing at an early age.
Technology is full of riches. It has to be used wisely and kids have to be shown - ASAP - the positive, educational ways they can use it so that they will ask for more. Don't blame violent TV or games, worthless TV shows etc for children's lack of interest in school. Take your part of responsibility: you are the ones to decide what your kids do or don't. Then work with what you have got and use this great tool that we call technology to your advantage.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Online Education

The online education market is increasing by "33% a year" according to Salary.com . This expansion is due to the many opportunities that the Internet affords. Earning a degree was once a pipe dream for the stay at home mom with 3 kids or the rural farm worker, but a degree is now available to anyone with an Internet connection. With this increased access also comes increased risk, with so many colleges offering online degree programs there are also just as many crooks offering you quick and easy programs that take your money and leave you with nothing of value. Choosing the right degree program can open new doors, increase your income or just allow you to fulfill a lifelong dream. How do you avoid the crooks and what will an online degree be worth when you have completed it?
If it seems to good to be true it probably is. Most of the scams can be broken in to two categories; the "Degree Mills" and "This is way to easy to be college". The Degree Mill is very simple, you send them some exorbitant amount of money and they mail you a very nice official looking piece of paper with your name on it that say you have a degree. Degree mills are worthless. You receive no education from them. Do not go looking to just buy a degree, you need to earn it. The other scam is what I call "This is way to easy to be college". You may have seen spam email from these so called colleges. They generally advertise earning a degree in some radically quick time frame (6 months) or only taking a small number of classes. If you were to go to one of these schools they still require some exorbitant fee for what you learn and the classes require little or no work/study. In the end your degree may still be worthless. So how do you choose a degree program that will be worth something?
When choosing an online degree program make sure it is accredited by a sanctioned agency. Accreditation helps ensure that the curriculum and the instructors are of high caliber and afford you the best learning opportunity. Accreditation also add more vale to your degree in the eyes of employers and if you wanted to use that degree as a stepping stone you next degree. You still need to be cautious all Accreditations are not equal you should make sure accreditation agency is recognized. Who are the recognizers? "Washington, D.C.-based Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a private nonprofit national organization, and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE)" From jobs.aol.com
When researching about an online program U.S News & World Report suggest the following :
Don't limit your research to classified ads or survey the Web in search of the right course or program.
See if the online school is accredited and by whom. Check to see if the accrediting agency is officially sanctioned. Lists are available from several accrediting organizations.
Check with licensing boards and professional associations to see if the program delivers an acceptable level of training.
Call or write the Better Business Bureau and the attorney general's office to make sure the school is operating legally in a state and to see if anyone has filed a complaint.
Find out if the school is connected to an established, reputable parent company.
If you intend to transfer any online credits earned to another college or university, early on check with that institution to see if they accept those credits.
Ask about the faculty? Who teaches the courses? What degrees do they have? What is their area of expertise?
Refer to the published guides of online, correspondence and other distance delivered courses.
What value will your online degree have? The value of an online degree depends on a person's particular situation. The greatest value will depends on how you will use the degree. According to Howstuffoworks.com industries like Internet/New Media, Technology, and High Tech are the highest supporters of an online degree. While an online degree holds the least value in Medicine, Law, and Health Care/Bio Tech industries. Even tho "Thomas L. Russell of North Carolina State University, did studies that revealed that there is little if any difference in the quality of education received through online distance learning versus traditional classrooms." - Howstuffworks.com
With this mixed result; an online degree is still a great option for those that have little other choices or those who just don't like traditional classrooms.
For example: "The cost benefit of online programs lies mainly in the opportunity costs saved, as most students are able to keep their jobs while taking online classes." - Salary.com
"Tonya Gordon ended up with her dream job, doubled her salary, and feels challenged and fulfilled every day. This all happened within a few months of receiving her MBA online through Texas Woman's University (Denton, Texas)" - jobs.aol.com
Without a doubt the popularity of online degrees is exploding. The mass adoption of this form of learning will cause the less accepting industries to value the online degree equal to a traditional degree. The online degree requires the student to be more aware of the school and degree they choose to ensure that it will have value to them. Online accredited degrees have value and will improve your marketability in the job market and can increase your salary range.

Forex Trading Education

Here we will look at some essential Forex education which if you understand the points enclosed, they will give you a head start in your quest for trading success and help you join the elite minority of winners, when 95% of all traders lose money.
95% of all traders lose money and its pretty obvious from this fact that to win you need the right education but many traders simply want to follow sure fire systems, make no effort and lose. Forex trading is a business and just like in any business you need to get an education in terms of the basics and learn skills.
The good news is that Forex trading is easy to learn and the best Forex trading strategies are simple. The reason simple strategies are best is - they are more robust with fewer elements to break.
You can quickly learn the basics and a simple strategy which can win in a few weeks. The best way to trade is by using charts, because all you need to do is follow price action and you don't need to know the news. You are interested in reacting to price change and locking into trends, by doing this you are trading the reality of price trends and not trying to work out opinions.
The above education shouldn't take you long and you can put together a system which can make money and now we are going to come to the hurdle which stops most people making money and its their mindset. You need to trade with confidence and discipline to win and most traders simply cannot do this - so why do most traders lack discipline?
The reason is they don't like losing and when they do they get angry and want to run losses or vary from their system and of course, if you cannot trade a system with discipline you simply don't have one. You are going to lose for periods and the market will wring foot you and make you look stupid and if you can't accept this the market will crush you.
You need to respect the market as all powerful and take your losses and keep them small - your aim is to hold onto equity! When good trends come around, you will be able to take advantage of them and make a profit on your account. Accept your losses, take them quickly and keep them small! If you understand that to win, you only need a simple system but the key to making money with it is to trade with discipline, then there is nothing to stop you enjoying currency trading success.

Friday, May 11, 2012

The Influence of Books on Children's Music Education

Using the well-known fact that music education raises a child's IQ by up to 40 percent, we can now consider how books and reading in general can help our "musical" children.
Presently, mankind, having achieved enormous strides in the field of technology, continues to invent new means of receiving and distributing information almost daily. Radios, TVs, computers, and the Internet are now a normal way of life. Do you know that all information received doubles every year and a half due to the general acceleration of technology?
These days, we and our children do not need to go to the bookstores and libraries. We can easily find the book we are looking for on the Internet. Moreover, if we have no time to sit and read, we can record the audio version of the book and listen to it while driving, walking, or doing any other activity that doesn't require much reflection. There are also video books. Certainly, these adaptable gadgets are very convenient and we should be grateful to people who invent things to make our lives easier and help us save precious time.
Our children, looking at us, try to copy the things we do. Receiving news in the "easier" version, for example from the TV, the new generation began to read less. On one hand it is normal. But if you want your child to play music without losing interest, he has to read a lot. While reading, a child increases his vocabulary and intelligence. Your imagination automatically "turns on" when you read something exciting.
Have you ever read books in which the author describes what his protagonists see around them? For example, dark-blue skies; dewdrops on a blade of grass; dense, white fog the colour of milk above the river in the early morning, etc. Some people omit such descriptive passages in books so as not to miss a string of events, action, adventure, and learn what happens next.
Every single small detail is important for our children during reading. Just after birth, a child is like a white, blank, pure sheet of paper. The person he grows up to be will depend on the information, knowledge, skills, and abilities that we, as adults, will teach and give him. Even the child's personality and habits are literary copied from the behavior of other people. And again, books play the huge role in this. The contents of the books are imperceptibly recorded and stored somewhere deep in human subconscious.
You might agree, but you might also wonder what this has to do with music education. I will ask you another question. Have you ever heard a piece of music that has deeply touched you? This piece can amuse you, make you pensive and even make you cry...
It happens because two very important moments coincided. First, the composer, who wrote the music, managed to convey with absolute precision not only his mood during the creation of this piece, but also a picture that he had in his mind. And second, the person, who played the piece, had these images available in a databank in his brain.
A child, who doesn't read much, can not open and express the beauty of a musical piece only because he memorizes the notes. There is a unique, direct connection between reading and the expression of feelings.
If you pay attention to people who read a lot, you will notice that their speech is more beautiful and rich in comparison with those who don't read much. The same is true for a child. The more he reads, the better his understanding of social surroundings and the easier it is for him to understand emotions and feelings and to express them in a musical piece.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Online Education May Be Your Only Remaining Option

More and more folks are turning to online education these days and the reason is simple, and one only needs to look at the news headlines concerning education; "Universities cutting staff," and raising fees. Tuition increases by 15% to prevent state budget shortfalls. "Community Colleges Deleting Classes," and causing havoc with transfer units as students trying to fulfill their schedules to graduate on time cannot get the classes they need. Meanwhile, classes are thus, filling up as there are fewer classes available.
What options does anyone have?
Well, Online Education may just be your only remaining viable option. Seriously, things are getting pretty bad out there. Worse, many of the students that went to four-year Universities graduated with advanced degrees, only to find a job market that was not interested in their skills, knowledge or resume. Now all they have is a diploma and a load of student loan debt, which is accruing interest.
So, what is the alternative? About the only realistic opportunity for schooling is to go with online education and study at your own pace, but as fast as you can, so that you can get yourself ready for this rapidly coming economic expansion period. It surely makes sense to have that online degree in hand and have all that knowledge to back you up as you go job hunting, while all these large companies are trying to re-hire and ramp up their operations.
These days you can get an online education in just about anything, any subject or topic. So, isn't it about time you looked into propelling you future in this way? Please consider all this.