Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Practical Homeschooling Tips - Home Schooling Grants For Parents And Guardians

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by Jane A. Smith

Home schooling families do have access to grants. If you would be interested in knowing more about what kinds of grants are there for you, you would have to undertake a well-searched inquiry. As per general law one cannot approach the United States government for home school grants; the funds are not too large.

Then what is the way to find such grants? Online surfing is the best way to find out. These grants for home schooling do exist though they are not out in the open and therefore are tough to locate. But as said, these grants do exist and we look at ways at finding them.

At places where large corporations give grant is termed, as corporate grants. Large corporations have frequently given grants to charter & traditional schools. A few of these corporate grants also find their way to home schools but to receive a pie of it you need to know which grants you can send applications for.

Multinational behemoth IBM actively supports initiatives in the field of education; but none of these allowances are for home schools. Wal-Mart does give grants for homeschoolers though. All you need to do is get in touch with the company's education section and put forward your application for grants. These departments are not authoritative so you could end up talking to various people on the same matter to get the desired results.

In the US home schooling grants from the government home schooling do not exist. Those people who are graduates via home schooling and are going to college can be given scholarships & grants, but federal governments have nothing as such for families of home schools. Canadian situation is completely opposite however. For instance in British Columbia $175 worth of grant is allowed for every kid that joins a home school prior to 1st November.

Grants are available to home schools but only from other home schools. Grants for every student in the state of Alaska is there for the textbooks in the shape of an annual grant. An association with some kind of a home school support group is very important. You can easily approach your home school group to inquire if they issue grants.

Quite of few do, but that may be as like study material and writing material, only a few select issue grants in monetary terms. Just incase your group of home school has a 501 (c) 3 standing as per US Tax code then it brightens your possibility of receiving a grant.

Last but certainly not the least, check with your ministry or even the church. These organizations, if incase they do not run a home school of their own would be more than happy to be of some help. They could donate books that have religious learning and material required by the home school. But remember receiving grants is not easy and you may be required to knock on a few more doors than you set out to but if you need them then do keeping looking for all kinds of grants possible.

Find out the best how homeschooling programs for your children and uncover the truth of how custody laws on home schooling may affect you when you visit Internet's premier homeschooling resource portal at http://www.homeschoolingfordummy.com

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

K3 spouse visa, spouse-based immigrant visa, and K1 fiance visa

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by Dave Davies

Should I apply for the K1 fiance visa or the spouse visa?

This depends on many factors. If time is your foremost consideration, the K1 visa is usually quicker – often taking 9 months or less for visa issuance. If time is not the foremost factor then the spouse visa is usually the preferred option. The spouse visa is an immigrant visa that allows the foreign national spouse to enter the U.S. as a newly arriving lawful permanent resident. This is noteworthy, because the K1 fiance visa does not provide for immediate permanent residency upon admission to the U.S.

How does the K1 fiance visa work?

The K1 fiance visa is a non-immigrant visa which gives the foreign national spouse permission to apply for admission to the U.S. for the purpose of marrying their U.S. citizen spouse within 90 days of admission. The foreign national spouse entering on a K1 fiance visa is not entitled to work without separate employment authorization, nor is the K1 fiance authorized to travel outside of the U.S. In order to gain permanent resident status, the K1 fiance must affirmatively apply for adjustment of status to permanent residence upon marriage to the U.S. citizen fiance. All this must be accomplished within the first 90 days of admission into the U.S.

What is the advantage of the K3 spouse visa?

The K3 spouse visa was created to give foreign national spouses the option of coming to the U.S. as a non-immigrant spouse for the purpose of waiting for the approval of the I-130 immigrant spouse petition in the U.S. instead of abroad. In theory, the K3 visa was intended as a means for the foreign national fiance to get to the U.S. quicker, rather than waiting abroad during the lengthy petition approval process. In reality, most service centers are now processing immediate relative petitions at the same pace as the K-3 spouse petitions. For some couples, however, it may still be worthwhile to submit the K3 petition (filed on the Form I-129F).

What is the difference between the K3 spouse visa and the immigrant visa for spouses?

The K3 spouse visa is not an immigrant visa and does not convey U.S. permanent residency. Its primary purpose is to allow the foreign national spouse and derivative children under the age of 21 to travel to the U.S. for the purpose of joining the U.S. citizen spouse and avoiding lengthy wait times abroad. Once the K3 spouse arrives in the U.S. they are admitted as a K3 non-immigrant. K3 spouses must apply for employment authorization before they can work. After the underlying I-130 spouse petition is approved, then the K3 spouse may apply for adjustment of status to permanent residence. This whole process can often take several years, though it sometimes can save a couple months of living apart.

Should we get married in the U.S. or abroad?

If you and your fiance are contemplating marriage and willing to marry abroad and wait a couple of extra months for the immigrant visa, this is usually the preferred option. The primary advantage of coming to the U.S. as a married spouse, rather than a fiance, is that the foreign national spouse is able to enter the U.S. as an immigrant and is entitled to permanent residency upon arrival.

Do we need a visa attorney to help us?

Perhaps the foremost issue in immigration processing time delays is whether the couple is attempting to submit the petition and paperwork on their own, or whether they are availing themselves of the services of a qualified and U.S.-licensed attorney with experience in family-based immigration law. Most processing time delays surface several months after the U.S. citizen petitioner has submitted the petition and then receives what is called a "Request for Evidence" (RFE) from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. An RFE can set your case back months, and can often be avoided by a properly prepared and documented petition at the outset. An immigration lawyer can be a great asset in this process.

Power Visa is an online, full-service visa attorney service to help with your immigration needs.

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Monday, April 28, 2008

Chantix to Quit Smoking

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by Vikas SEO

Smoking is the major cause of death these days. Many people can do anything to try and quit smoking everyday. Since every smoker is aware of the deadly effects of smoking on the body but only a few give a try to quit smoking. The tobacco makes it difficult as it is an addiction and gives pleasure too. Edorphins which is released by nicotine in the body make the human feel good. Even though some people are there who take the task with full determination and courage.

Chantix is an approved medication for curing smoking addiction. Chantix is the trade name of varenicline. It is a nicotinic receptor partial agonist. Chantix is effective in reducing the pleasurable effects of smoking and also decreases the carvings for the nicotine in the body. This system helps the smoker in quitting the smoking.

The use of chantix is approved for twelve weeks for curing the smoking addiction. If the smoker still feels the carvings for tobacco then the use can be extended for next twelve weeks. Its use has shown good results among the smokers to help them in quitting the smoking. Chantix use the new concept for cessation the smoking. This drug stimulates the brain to release doses of dopamine. It reduces the withdrawal symptoms of smoking and also blocks the nicotine receptors in the brain. So even if you light up the cigarette again, you will not feel the same pleasure as you felt it earlier. Chantix uses the theory of blocking the pleasure of smoking.

Chantix has shown great results of quitting the smoking even in the chronic cases of smokers. This drug is proved more effective in comparison to other medications available in the market. Many online drug stores are providing cheap chantix medication. One just needs to fill an online form about his medical history and a request for ordering the chantix to his house. The site will make a review on the information provided by him and prepare a report about his determination of quitting the smoking.

On the basis of the report, a medical professional will recommend you whether you should under go the treatment or not. The usage of chantix is totally based on your physical health fitness. If the physician does not feel that you are fit enough to under go the treatment, then your case will not be approved to acquire a pack of chantix. Several online sites also provide all the needed information about the medications and usage directions of the chantix.

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Friday, April 25, 2008

Studying Spanish Abroad - A Powerful Learning Experience

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by Korbin Newlyn

Have you been participating in Spanish classes for your job or for your school? Would you like to strengthen the lessons that you have learned in your classes by educating yourself more about the language in the presence of the natives? Why not take part in learning Spanish abroad?

The experience will give you the chance to be able to see a gorgeous new country, while you learn in what unique ways the Spanish language is genuinely a way of life for numerous individuals throughout the world. These are some of the best programs to take advantage if you are thinking about taking this trip, as well as some of the things you should do to prepare for learning Spanish abroad.

Cordova, Spain

One of the best locations to study Spanish is in Cordova, Spain. Once you get there, your accommodations will bet at a hostel or dormitory with students from both English and Spanish, and most signs as well as living instructions are in Spanish, so you will have to use context clues to find out where you can use the phone, where to use the bathrooms, and at what times the meals are served.

Some individuals take this trip knowing only a little Spanish, in order to give themselves a challenge and learn everything that they need to. However, some people study Spanish abroad in order to retain the lessons that they have learned, and employ the knowledge from books they may have about the language only in practical real life situations.

Quito, Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador is another extraordinary place to study Spanish abroad. You take up lodging with a host family that is in the city, where you will be fed and you will get an opportunity to see the city while nearly no English is spoken to you. Alternatively, you can go to Quito and stay at one of the beautiful hotels that are made available in the city, so you can see the sites of Quito, visiting all the restaurants you want, and even get an opportunity to experience the night life that the city has to offer - all in Spanish.

Prior to taking your trip, you should make certain you take at least a course in Spanish or two, so you know how to say standard phrases like 'hello' ('hola'), 'where is ...?' ('Donde esta'?) and 'thank you' ('Gracias'). You should also carry along with you a Spanish-English dictionary, so you can translate rapidly if necessary.

Do some reading about the Spanish-speaking country that you are traveling to as this is also a good way to prepare for Spanish abroad. Find out everything you can about the culture, people, food, lifestyle and practices that you will end up seeing when you visit your host family or walk around the city.

Most of all, try to speak as little English as possible - in order to take full advantage of the experience, you must have the confidence to attempt being fluent in Spanish until you are completely comfortable speaking the language.

Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of spain travel. If you would like to learn more go to First Class Spain Air Travel advice and at Terraced Houses For Sale In Spain tips.

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Driver Education Software for the New Generation

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by Allison Merlino

The United States and Canada are experiencing an increased young driver population after years of a decreased population due to the baby boom echo. Simultaneously, enrollment in Driver's Education courses has declined. With our technological advancements as a society, we should be able to offer a high tech, more comprehensive training system for our young drivers.



Studies show that for effective and lasting crash prevention techniques to be taught both skill and motivational aspects must be addressed effectively. Therefore, educational training and behavioral change intervention is needed to produce a decrease in the amount of traffic crashes in young drivers. New drivers need to learn to handle a vehicle as well as interact with other road users. It takes several years for a driver to reach mature risk levels as the only way to reach this level is by gaining experience.



The linking of parents and community influences as well as personal involvement and incentives would likely have positive results. These results would likely be produced within each individual community through its own efforts. Interactive media could be used to enhance perceptual and decision skills. Studies show that video games can increase attentional capacity. Therefore, the integration of interactive gaming type activities could help improve these skills. Integrating this curriculum to areas of personal and social values, risk taking, self esteem, peer pressure, health protection etc. could foster an ingrained understanding of the subject matter. Pairing a deep understanding of the responsibility to other drivers with the skill needed to operate a vehicle safely is an optimal situation.



Driver's Education definitely needs to be updated. It will benefit us as a society to have skilled, confident and prepared drivers on the road. Small advancements have been made. Many states are allowing a student to take an approved CD ROM based or online course. There is also a downloadable Drivers Ed PC Game. Prospective drivers can practice driving online and complete practice tests with this interactive game. However, the posted reviews of this game indicate that partakers found this game non-engaging and boring. This may not be a representative sample as people who enjoy the game may be too busy playing to fill out the review!



Offering an option of time in a driving simulator would be a great motivator to get new drivers to attend Driver's Ed. Interactive computer software games that propose different situations and scores according to the drivers handling of the situation is a less expensive suggestion. Take into consideration the video gaming phenomenon and then show me a teenager that refuses to practice his video game! Video gaming can accomplish both the educational training and the behavioral change intervention.



Post baby boom echo has found an increased young driver population for the United States and Canada. This increase in new drivers is accompanied by a decline in enrollment in Driver's Education courses. We should be able to offer a high tech, more comprehensive training system for our young drivers. Driving simulators and driving video games are two promising avenues for revamping Driver's Education!

I have an extensive background in Finance and Fiscal Procedure. I also have a web business where I offer Educational Computer Games. Please visit us at http://www.thesoftwarespot.com Thank you, Allison Merlino

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The Coming World of Collaboration

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by Grant Deken

Howard Rheingold, author of Street Mobs and invited lecturer at California's renowned TED conference explains the phenomena of collaboration and its evolutionary effect on creating new forms of wealth and perhaps reforms to traditional economic theory. He initially notes that traditional success in both business and politics was fueled by the notion of Darwin's biological theory of evolution; that the strongest and fiercest survive. But while this ideology has held true throughout the life of capitalism – he's sure to emphasize that capitalism will continue to rule – the birth and growth of technology has vastly spread cooperation, collective action, and complex interdependencies. This, he notes, has forced competition to make a little room.

What Howard is really trying to get across to us is that through the cooperation, collective action, and interdependencies new forms of wealth can and are being created. In an example he gives early in his lecture he compares this collaboration to prehistoric times when small family units survived by hunting small game like rabbits and other animals. At some point however, hunters gathered together and collaborated to hunt the massive mastodon. His point being that today we can collaborate to conquer bigger "game."

While the ideas presented could be criticized as rudimentary, it's no farce that this level of collaboration is occurring today and is being led by some of the world's biggest corporations. IBM, Sun Microsystems, and other leading IT firms are open-sourcing much of their software and encouraging other developers, be it graduate students or high school kids, to work and advance the available research. Toyota gives extensive training to its suppliers to help them increase their production efficiency even though many suppliers also work with their direct competitors. Even within these fierce markets, companies are opening up and welcoming collaboration. Why? Rheingold argues this is happening because it is a certain kind of sharing in self-interest.

For example, by allowing bloggers to earn money through its Adsense program, Google enriched itself by creating a new market for advertisers. Amazon.com opened its application interface to over 60,000 designers which in turn has grown the number of Amazon stores significantly while making money for virtual store owners. EBay, the auction giant, created an enormous market by creating a feedback mechanism that allows users to trust each other. All these examples reinforce how collaboration can turn a Prisoners Dilemma into an Insurance Game.

The Prisoners Dilemma, as in all game theory, states that "the only concern of each individual player is maximizing his/her own payoff, without any concern for the other player's payoff. The unique equilibrium for this game is a Pareto-suboptimal solution—that is, rational choice leads the two players to both play defect even though each player's individual reward would be greater if they both played cooperate." The distrust players have for each other in this model is what dictates their rationale. If both could trust each other, they would be apt to work together and obtain larger rewards. This model in which trust is present between actors is known as the insurance game. This is what is beginning to happen. The most evident example of this is EBay. By establishing trust between buyers and sellers a huge new market was established where lower prices are often found for buyers and many new markets for goods that normally can't be sold are now a click away for sellers.

These actions are all about self-interest to grow and add more to the already existent. Rene Descartes, the famous philosopher explained that we need a new way of thinking to understand absolute truth. While absolute truth would be nice, we can start by understanding the sociological and economic evolution that is the future of commerce and innovation. Globalization is shaking the foundation of traditional thought. To finish, I will leave you with the question Rheingold poses in his book Street Mobs. Are the populations of tomorrow going to be users, like the PC owners and website creators who turned technology to widespread innovation? Or will they be consumers, constrained from innovation and locked into the technology and business models of the most powerful entrenched interests? The answer seems to be getting clearer.

Trackback: http://grantdeken.blogspot.com/2008/04/coming-wold-of-collaboration-follow-up

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Monday, April 21, 2008

Central Texas School District: Round Rock ISD

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by austinbroker

There are certain concepts of a good teacher that are extremely well presented by the writer L. Ron Hubbard. In his writings he stresses that excellent teachers aim to teach effectively by presenting the subject being taught in its most interesting form, and not only that but a truly effective teacher will demonstrate how the information can affect a students life. He will present the subject in the simplest and easiest way of learning, and will evaluate the students understanding, of that which is being taught. A good teacher will not assume his importance because he has knowledge of the subject, nor diminish a student because he does not understand the subject right away. These we know as excellent qualities in a teacher, and we can all remember there being at least one of these excellent teachers in our lives. In the Austin area, there are some of the best School districts in the State, and among these is that of Round Rock ISD. This school district believes in its teachers, and believes that students can achieve an excellent education given the opportunity, but both teachers and students need to be held accountable for that education.

Recently in 2002, legislation also realized the importance of this form of teaching and in 2002 they passed the No Child Left Behind Act. This law presented educational reforms that affect all school districts and some of the largest changes since the Education Act of 1965. The Texas school districts and especially the Austin school districts, including surrounding school districts like the Round Rock ISD have taken these changes seriously to heart, and districts like the round rock school district are making every effort to create and give students the opportunities they need to get ahead in life.

Among the points that are most developed by the Round Rock Independent school district are those of:

  • Stronger accountability for results – States, districts and schools are accountable and responsible for their academic standards, and are held responsible for the learning of every child and the proficiency in math, and science at all levels. The Round Rock Independent School District firmly believes in this point to the new law, and works hard to meet these requirements.

  • Options for parents – Another strong point that the Round Rock ISD focuses on is the parent's involvement in their children's education. Giving parents different options to help, explain, and identify their child's problems and areas he or she may need to work on.


Location
The Round Rock Independent School District is located in the southern part of Williamson County and northern part of Travis County. It includes the City of Round Rock and certain areas of Austin and Cedar park. The entire District covers 110 square miles and is a part of suburban and retail areas. The Round Rock School District has had a very large increase in population in the last 5 years with a growth rate of about 21% and a 4% growth rate annually. The schools in this district are designed to be smaller with the concept of the "neighborhood school," The idea behind the smaller schools is to get the neighborhoods involved, and to be able to give students the needed time, so that every student learns.

Culturally Diverse
This school district is culturally diverse with approximately 25% being Hispanic, 53% Caucasian and 11% of ethnic backgrounds. There are close to 40,000 students enrolled in the different schools with a student-teacher ratio of 14.5.

Excellence
Most of the students in the Round Rock ISD plan on continuing their education, the estimates show approximately 87% who plan to continue their education. The dropout rate of this district is very low with only a 0.4%. Most students take both the SAT and ACT and acquire very high scores.

In conclusion, if you are moving to the Austin area, and are extremely focused on the benefits to your children the Round Rock area is an excellent option as far as schools, and quality education for them.

Austin Referral Realty offers an exclusive Round Rock Real Estate search by Round Rock ISD elementary, middle, and high school campus. Saving you time by searching only Round Rock Homes within the schools you desire.

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Friday, April 18, 2008

Preschool Playing Styles For Educating Your Children

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by Preschool Learning

Different Styles of Play in a Preschool Classroom


Do you ever observe a preschool aged child playing by themselves, or a pre k child that only likes to play with one other friend? Or do you see a child who only observes other children playing and won't join in? You may ask, what are these different styles or preferences of playing and what do they mean?

Read below for the answers to your questions.

On looking Play: this is the child who observes other children playing but will not physically participate. They are spectators of play.

These children should be encouraged to join and play with one child at first, and then when comfortable with that add a few more children into the mix. You will want to encourage an on looking child to play socially with others as early as possible to avoid social set backs in the future. An example would be to play a game where a child has one partner, next a game with two or more partners, etc.

Competitive Play: two or more children who play in a group or groups of children competing to win in games such as sports for example.

This is a great way for the children to play altogether as long as the competitive aspect does not get out of hand and the fun is taken out of the play.


Co-operative Play: this play is organized, there is a common goal involved when playing such as two or more children putting together a large floor puzzle together, or building a tower together. They feel as though they belong to that specific play group.

This is great play for children to engage in. Is promotes sharing and co-operation with others.

Associative Play: there is no organization of a particular activity. The children may be playing a similar activity and may share their toys and/or play ideas.

This play is also good as it increases their imagination, play skills, and sharing.

Parallel Play: is two children who are playing side by side. Each child is involved in their own activity and there is no exchanging of materials or play ideas.

This play is also good as long as the children are also known for playing in groups, children need some time to themselves when playing and parallel play is quite common.

Solitary Play: this is when a child focuses on satisfying their own needs. The child is somewhat egocentric. They have no interest in sharing with others or communicating with others during play.

This is quite common play as well, and although some solitary play is needed for a child, playing with others should be encouraged daily. Social skills are a very important part of a child's whole development. (Physical, Intellectual, Language, Emotional, and Social)

Marisa Robinson E.C.E Dane Robinson Operators of http://www.activityschoolbus.com/ and http://www.preschoollearningonline.com/ *Great Preschool learning ideas, kids activities, coloring sheets, printables, worksheets and more for parents and teachers.

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Thursday, April 17, 2008

Why play is important for children?

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by lily ryan

Children like to play, they need to run, chase, ride, skip and jump. The more they play, the more they want to play again.

Play is important for Children because it practices their linguistic, cognitive and social skills and contributes to their general personality development. Children use their minds while playing, because they are thinking and acting as if they were another person. When they make such a transformation, they are taking a step forward abstract thinking in that they are freeing their thoughts from a focus on concrete objects. Play is also associated with creativity, especially the ability to be less literal and more flexible in one's thinking.

Vygotskian who was a famous Russian psychologist wrote, "In play a child always above his average age, above his daily behavior; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself".

There are four types of play that reflect increasing levels of Children's social interaction and sophistication.

Solitary play is a play that take place alone, often with toys, and is independent of what other children are doing.

Parallel play involves children engaged in the same game or activity side by side but with very little interaction or common influence.

Associative play is much like parallel play but with increased levels of interaction in terms of sharing, turn-taking and general interest in what others are doing.

Cooperative play occurs when Children join and work together to achieve a common goal, such as building a large castle with each child building a part of the structure.

Play have become quite indispensable to Children's life, However, in order to motivate Children to learn from the games they are playing, Adults have responsibility to choose right playing method and age-appropriate games for the children. They are important elements to support the development of Children's play.

The place to go for age-appropriate games and game instructions is Kids Games For Playing.

lily ryan is playgroup teacher in hk international school and she got degree on children early education. Check her website www.kids-games-for-playing.com to grab the best play ideas for your little one.

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Practical Homeschooling Online - Home Schooling Custody Laws

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by Jane A. Smith

Custody is not a prime feature in home schooling laws and therefore custody laws could turn out to be problematical. It is more evident if parents reside in separate states. It is therefore advised that prior to deciding for home school flight, get the custody laws enlisted and get well versed to all the laws that govern home schooling laws affecting you.

If you have any custody issues with regards to home schooling, ensure that your ex-partner and you sort out all disagreements that where the child will take home schooling. If you decide then online home schooling shall be a good option. If you do not have full ideas of your state's custody laws then you should check them out, Home School Legal Defense Association's (HSLDA) homepage is the place where you can find all the info. The site provides a fairly good overview but some specific custody laws could still be missing.

Here you should try and consult an attorney who has considerable knowledge in this field so that you sure that you aren't violating any local or state laws. You can also visit HSLDA to seek advice as to where you can find an attorney who could meet your requirements at a local place.

There are quite a few laws that govern home schooling in California state. An existing judgment from Second Appellate District Court of LA taken on a family (home school) could have drastic effects for California home schoolers. This opinion on home schooling is based in a court ruling taken in a 1950's. In short the judgement says schooling from home is illegal in California state.

Feeling inquisitive, read all at www.hsdla.org. In California there exist some special laws for attendance and custody. If the child is enrolled in a private school or tuitions he is excused from obligatory public school attendance. Here below is one such California laws that defines attendance & custody in the following manners:

"…48200.5. in spite of Section 48200, any person living in Carson city and is either a legal guardian or a parent of a person who is undergoing obligatory education is allowed to seek admission of that particular person in a school district wherein the residence of parent/guardian is within Unified School District of Los Angeles subject to an agreement terms that allow transfers that have been permitted by the Unified School District of Los Angeles & Unified School District of Compton "

http://www.legalinfo.ca.gov/calaw.html is the source from where the statement has been derived. It must be noted that in California home schooling laws are very complex as the state is sans a statute for home schools. If home schooling then ensure you file the entire paperwork. Issues pertaining to custody & California laws give you enough reason to make everything doubly sure before taking a step. Incase both homes of custodial parents could be used for schooling then that will be ideal. Despite the above noting its still better to go over to an attorney and take his advice if the school districts of parents are different.

If an overview of the home schooling custody laws are taken then they all appear to be pretty much indecisive, but attendance is compulsory and also a few more requirements. It is in your interest to adhere to state laws.

Discover how to get the best homeschooling grants for your homeschooling needs as well as tips and strategies for home schooling for k-4 when you visit http://www.homeschoolingfordummy.com, the premier online resources on homeschooling for parents.

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Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Can Solar Power Really Work for Me?

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by Hayley Jones

Solar power and other forms of renewable energy are becoming more widespread on a domestic scale in light of growing concerns about the affect of the use of fossil fuels on the environment, the fact that their supply is diminishing and rising energy costs. When it comes to the UK climate, the effectiveness of solar power can come into question, but harnessing solar energy can actually be an excellent way of producing either electricity or heat. Solar panels do not need intense sunlight to generate power or heat, daylight being sufficient.

There are essentially two types of solar power available on a domestic level. Solar photovoltaic power produces electricity whilst solar thermal energy heats water. Solar thermal energy is usually the more cost effective of the two options with prices for a typical home installation starting at about £3000. Government grants can bring this down further, and you can reasonably expect the system to provide you with approximately half of your hot water requirements over a year. Solar photovoltaic panels are somewhat more expensive, starting at about £8000 (again, grants are available towards the cost), making the payback somewhat longer. A typical domestic installation should generate enough power for about half your annual requirements.

As of April 2008 it is no longer necessary to seek planning permission for solar installations on homes, making it easier to set about benefiting from solar power. To ensure that you get the best payback from an installation it is important that the panels are southeast to southwest facing and not overshadowed by obstructions such as trees.

Solar power is a pollution-free way of producing energy, and will reduce your home's carbon emissions significantly. Once the installation is in place the 'fuel' is, of course, free, and solar systems tend to require minimal maintenance.

Hayley Jones is the Web Marketing Director for www.uk-energy-saving.com. For more information on solar power visit www.uk-energy-saving.com/solar_power.html.

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Online College Degrees - Phoenix Colleges - Online Accredited Degrees 156

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by Pat Shmule

They can even take an online course from a different school. Find out about the amount of interaction you are going to have with your instructor. Below are some of the requirements for applying to online colleges. Online or virtual classes are now becoming popular and you can get your college degree online at the convenience of your own home.

Even single parents who were not able to finish their college education can earn college degrees online during their personal time. Nuble is a healthcare professional who loves writing about women's issues, parenting, education and other health related stuffs. They were available in a small number of fields and they really didn't carry the same kind of influence that a traditional degree carried.

In this case, there is greater probability that you can finish your college degree course in quicker time frame, even in a six-month period. Plus, you never have to leave the comfort of your home just to attend classes. Plus, you never have to leave the comfort of your home just to attend classes. You can get your college degree online at home at your own pace.

In order to meet the requirements in an online college degree course, you should have a high school diploma or a G.E.D. For those who are starting college, a high school diploma or its equivalent is a basic requirement. Accredited online education will ensure you the credibility and authenticity of the courses and will allow you to get your degree without any hassle from the authorities.

An online college degree website can provide the potential student with lots of information about the different types of degrees and schools that are offering online programs. They could consider getting an online college degree, as it would give them a boost in a competitive job market. Computer upgrades may be needed to meet course requirements, for example, additional memory needed.

He is the owner of a home based business dedicated to all facets of education. Not all online college degrees are expensive or take a lot of time: many of them can offer you associate's or bachelor's degree in nearly the same time as a brick-and-mortar college will give it to you. The greatest advantage of getting an online college degree course is that it usually takes almost half the time it would take an individual when they enroll in a regular campus setting so as to complete a college degree course. In fact, some employers like these candidates better because they have shown the ability to go out and make it happen.

For some students, a traditional college setting just isn't the answer. At present, online college degree programs are available that cater to all aspects of learning. They also offer information about programs and schools that offer distance learning online masters degree programs. Find a school that is a fully accredited online university that specializes in a number of different programs.

Statistics show that graduates of online programs have great success finding high paying jobs in their fields. Nuble is a healthcare professional who loves writing about women's issues, parenting, education and other health related stuffs. Just click on the following link to get online college degree information.

Learn more about Online College Degrees | Phoenix Colleges | Online Accredited Degrees

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Learn The Basics First!

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by S. Simon

Learn the basics of real estate before you try to become an in investor.

It is very distressing to se how many people are swept up into the carnival like atmosphere that the "Real Estate" hustlers are able to create both on their infomercials and their high pressure web based squeeze pages.

In both cases (tv and the web) the idea is to obtain small amounts of money from people watching and or reading, and then send them to the next program or website to obtain even more money from them.

In most cases the information that is being sold or offered free, but not really free, is generic real estate information. Usually out of date and even worse specific for one geographic area, while not being applicable in another!
The course, or secret is never worth what is being charged, and is frequently absolutely worthless, in some case being illegal!

Real estate is a wonderful vehicle for building wealth and independance; but you must learn the "Basics" before you try to become an investor.

The best place to start would be with the introductory courses required for real estate licensure.

The State of Florida has a very robust basic Sales Associate requirement for its approved courses. The Sales Associate course for Florida can be taken online, is set up to take at least 63 hours of study, and best of all it can be purchased from an online school like mine, Steve Simon School of Real Estate, for under $300.

It introduces the student to legal descriptions, real estate law, agency relationships, appraising, property management, investment analysis and much more...

Steve Simon School of Real Estate, visit us at: www.stevesimon.us Usefull web tools, Free! at: www.simonremindsme.com

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Friday, April 11, 2008

The structure of the quantum metaphysics

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by scienceomatica

The idea of spirit as a substantial component of the universe is of course an ancient one, fundamental to the traditional dualistic view most humans hold of the universe and themselves as part of that universe. In this view, planets, rock, trees, and the human body are made of matter, but matter is not everything. Beyond matter exists mind, soul, or spirit, an etherial substance that may even be more "real" than matter - the very quintessence of being. One test for whether a concept has "substance" is to use Occam's razor to excise it from all discourse. If the essential content of discourse remains unchanged, then I would say the concept has no substance. Of course, like most scientific tests, this can only be used to falsify the concept, not verify it. In his talk at this conference, Antony Flew defined spirit as "incorporeal substance." As a physicist, I can relate to that. If such a thing as spirit exists, then I have no problem with it being incorporeal. It does not have to be made of matter as long as it has "substance." I interpret this to mean that although spirit may not be composed of quarks and electrons or other known constituents of matter, it still may be a meaningful concept, amenable to empirical testing or other rational analysis.
In the mid-nineteenth century, many scientists thought that the marvelous new discoveries of science, and the methods of science, could be applied to the world of the spirit as well as to the world of matter. For example, Sir Oliver Lodge, a physicist who had helped demonstrate the reality of electromagnetic waves, argued that if wireless telegraphy was possible, then so was wireless telepathy. Lodge, like most others of the period, believed that electromagnetic waves, including light, were vibrations of a frictionless medium, the aether, that pervaded the universe. It seemed plausible that this medium might also be responsible for the transmission thoughts, that it was the long-sought substance of mind and spirit. The electromagnetic field, like the gravitational field proposed centuries before by Newton, exhibited a holistic character that fit in well with spiritual ideas.


The idea of spirit as a substantial component of the universe is of course an ancient one, fundamental to the traditional dualistic view most humans hold of the universe and themselves as part of that universe. In this view, planets, rock, trees, and the human body are made of matter, but matter is not everything. Beyond matter exists mind, soul, or spirit, an etherial substance that may even be more "real" than matter - the very quintessence of being. One test for whether a concept has "substance" is to use Occam's razor to excise it from all discourse. If the essential content of discourse remains unchanged, then I would say the concept has no substance. Of course, like most scientific tests, this can only be used to falsify the concept, not verify it. In his talk at this conference, Antony Flew defined spirit as "incorporeal substance." As a physicist, I can relate to that. If such a thing as spirit exists, then I have no problem with it being incorporeal. It does not have to be made of matter as long as it has "substance." I interpret this to mean that although spirit may not be composed of quarks and electrons or other known constituents of matter, it still may be a meaningful concept, amenable to empirical testing or other rational analysis.

In the mid-nineteenth century, many scientists thought that the marvelous new discoveries of science, and the methods of science, could be applied to the world of the spirit as well as to the world of matter. For example, Sir Oliver Lodge, a physicist who had helped demonstrate the reality of electromagnetic waves, argued that if wireless telegraphy was possible, then so was wireless telepathy. Lodge, like most others of the period, believed that electromagnetic waves, including light, were vibrations of a frictionless medium, the aether, that pervaded the universe. It seemed plausible that this medium might also be responsible for the transmission thoughts, that it was the long-sought substance of mind and spirit. The electromagnetic field, like the gravitational field proposed centuries before by Newton, exhibited a holistic character that fit in well with spiritual ideas. Matter was particulate, occurring in lumps, and analyzed by the distasteful methods of reductionism in which objects are reduced to the sum of their parts. Fields, on the other hand, were continuous - holistic - occurring everywhere in space, connecting everything to everything else, and analyzable only in the whole. Even today, occultists confuse natural electromagnetic effects with "auras" surrounding living things. A popular con game at psychic fairs is the sale of "aura photographs" that are simply made with infrared-sensitive film. Kirlian photography is another example of a simple electromagnetic phenomenon, corona discharge, that is given imaginary spiritual significance.

Although the atomic theory of matter was well developed by the late nineteenth century, it had not yet been convincingly verified at that time. Many chemists, and a few physicists like Lodge, still held open the possibility that matter might be continuous. The mathematics of fields had been successfully applied to solids and fluids, which appear continuous and wavy on the everyday scale. These scientists suggested that continuity, not atomism, constituted the prime unifying principle for describing the universe of both matter, light, and perhaps spirit.

This comforting notion was shattered as the twentieth century got underway. First, the aether was found not to exist. Second, the atomic theory was confirmed. Third, light was found to be a component of matter, composed of particles we now call photons. And so, discreteness, rather than continuity, became the unifying principle of physics, with the universe composed solely of particulate matter. Quantum mechanics was developed to describe material phenomena in all their various, discrete forms.

However, the situation was not quite so tidy as this short and simplified review may imply. The phenomena that originally led people to postulate its wave nature of light did not go away. Those observations were correct. Furthermore, other forms of matter were shown to also exhibit wave properties. Electrons were found to diffract through small openings in exactly the same way as light. The fact that particles sometimes behaved as waves and waves as particles was called the wave-particle duality. Although matter was sufficient to encompass all known physical phenomena, the apparent two-fold nature of matter gave die hard dualists some comfort. Some associated waves with mind. But waves and particles were not two separate elementary substances but characteristics of the same substance. Whether a physical entity was a wave or a particle seemed to depend on what you measured. Measure its position, and you concluded that the entity is a material body. Measure its wavelength, and you concluded that the entity is some type of continuous field. Furthermore, you can imagine deciding which quantity to measure at the last instant, long after the entity had been emitted from its source, which might be a distant galaxy.

Some have inferred from this puzzle that the very nature of the universe is not objective, but depends on the consciousness of the observer. This latest wrinkle on ancient idealism implies that the universe only exists within some cosmic, quantum field of mind, with the human mind part of that field and existing throughout all space and time. Quantum phenomena seem to be very mysterious, and where mysteries are imagined, the supernatural cannot be far behind. However, despite these misgivings, quantum mechanics developed as a quantitative physical theory that has proven itself capable of making calculations and predictions to a high level of accuracy. After seventy years of exhaustive testing, no observation has been found to be inconsistent with quantum mechanics as a formal, mathematical theory.

Quantum mechanics dealt early with the problem of the wave nature of matter by introducing a mathematical quantity called the wave function. Schrödinger's equation was used to calculate how the wave function evolved with time; the absolute square of the wave function gave the probability that a body would be found at a particular position.

In 1927, Einstein initiated a debate on quantum mechanics with Niels Bohr that continues today, long after their deaths, as others have taken up the arguments one side or the other. Initially Einstein objected to the picture, retained today in most textbooks, in which the wave function instantaneously "collapses" upon measurement. He called this a "spooky action at a distance" because it implied that signals must travel at infinite speeds across the wave front to tell the wave function to go to zero in the places where nothing is detected. To modern dualists, the holistic quantum wave function, with its instantaneous collapse upon the act of observation, has provided a new model for the notion of spirit. They have been wittingly and unwittingly encouraged by various statements made by physicists, some of considerable distinction.

Eugene Wigner is widely quoted in the new literature of quantum mysticism. He once said: "The laws of quantum mechanics itself cannot be formulated . . . without recourse to the concept of consciousness" . A similar statement by John Archibald Wheeler's is also often used, to his dismay, in justifying a connection between the quantum and consciousness: "No elementary quantum phenomenon is a phenomenon until it is a registered phenomenon. . . . In some strange sense, this is a participatory universe" (Wheeler 1982). In their book The Conscious Universe, Astrophysicist Menas Kafatos and Philosopher Robert Nadeau interpret the wave function as ultimate reality itself: ". . . Being, in its physical analogue at least, [has] been 'revealed' in the wave function. . . . . any sense we have of profound unity with the cosmos . . . could be presumed to correlate with the action of the deterministic wave function. . ."

Physicist Amit Goswami sees a "self-aware universe," with quantum mechanics providing support for claims of paranormal phenomena. He says: ". . . psychic phenomena, such as distant viewing and out-of-body experiences, are examples of the nonlocal operation of consciousness . . . Quantum mechanics undergirds such a theory by providing crucial support for the case of nonlocality of consciousness".

This view was also promoted by the late novelist Arthur Koestler, who said: ". . . the apparent absurdities of quantum physics . . . make the apparent absurdities of parapsychology a little less preposterous and more digestible."

In the United States today, alternative healing is all the rage. Traditional folk healing techniques are touted as holistic, in contrast to the reductionistic methods of modern Western medicine. Again, quantum mechanics provides a source of inspiration. Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Patricia Newton explains the mechanism: "(Traditional healers) are able to tap that other realm of negative entropy - that superquantum velocity and frequency of electromagnetic energy and bring them as conduits down to our level. It's not magic. It's not mumbo jumbo. You will see the dawn of the 21st century, the new medical quantum physics really distributing these energies and what they are doing". Despite the claims made in many books, neither psychic phenomena nor the vast array of alternate healing methods are supported by controlled, replicable laboratory studies. They cannot be used as evidence for mind over-matter. Nor can quantum mechanics be used to make these claims more credible. As we will now see, the mysteries and apparent paradoxes of quantum mechanics arise only when we try to cast the theory in words instead of equations, applying the language of everyday human experience to a physical realm where that experience may not be relevant. The words used to describe quantum mechanics in conventional physics textbooks were gleaned from the writings of Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Max Born, the primary authors of what is called the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. In Copenhagen, the wave function is simply a mathematical object used to calculate probabilities. The results of measurements are not pre determined, but occur randomly according to the calculated probabilities. The measuring apparatus must be treated classically and is separate from the quantum system under study. No mechanism is provided for wave function collapse, and in fact collapse is not predicted by the Schrödinger equation.

Louis de Broglie, who first suggested that particles like electrons have wave properties, proposed in 1927 the first of the class of what is now called hidden variables theories of quantum mechanics. He hypothesized that the wave function is a real field associated with a particle. However, Bohr and his supporters talked most of the community, including de Broglie (but not Einstein or Schrödinger), out of hidden variables and they lay dormant until being resurrected by David Bohm in the 1950's. Bohm, who became the major scientific figure in the quantum mysticism movement, had shown that all the results obtained with the Schrödinger equation can be obtained by familiar classical equations of motion, provided that an additional quantum potential is added to the equations to account for quantum effects (Bohm 1952). However, Bohm's theory, as it was proposed, gave no new empirical predictions; neither he nor his followers have yet produced a mechanism for generating a priori the quantum potential.

The hidden variables approach is based on the notion, which Einstein always believed, that quantum mechanics is fine as far as it goes, as a statistical theory, but that some deterministic sub-quantum theory that lies behind physical events remains to be uncovered. Einstein's famous quotation that "God does not play dice" referred to this notion, although he thought Bohm's version was "too cheap". It should be noted that hidden variables theories are not properly labelled as "interpretations" of quantum mechanics since they imply the existence of a deeper theory, not yet discovered.

In the 1960s, John Bell proved an important theorem about hidden variables theories. He showed that any deterministic hidden variables theory capable of giving all the statistical results of standard quantum mechanics must allow for superluminal connections, in violation of Einstein's assertion that no signals can move faster than light. In the jargon of the trade, deterministic hidden variables theories are nonlocal. In popularized language, they are holistic, allowing for simultaneous connections between all points in space. Bell proposed a definitive experimental test that has now been repeated many times with every increasing precision. In all cases, the results are fully consistent with quantum mechanics, requiring deterministic hidden variables, if they exist, to be nonlocal. Instead of giving up on hidden variables because of their apparent conflict with relativity, proponents have taken Bell's theorem to imply hidden variables are even more profound, providing for the holistic universe of the mystic's fondest desires. The problem of nonlocality is dismissed by claiming that no communication of signals faster than light takes place. This conclusion can be proven to be a general property of quantum theory, and will be true for Bohm's theory as long as Bohm's theory is consistent with quantum mechanics. But, as we have seen, Bohm's theory by itself has no unique, testable consequences. We can use Occam's razor to excise it from our discourse, and nothing substantial is changed. The notion of hidden variables has no use unless superluminal connections are observed. This has not yet happened, and so hidden variables remain a non-parsimonious alternative to conventional quantum mechanics.

Another interpretation of quantum mechanics that has caught mystics' inner and outer eyes is the many worlds interpretation of Hugh Everett. Everett was able to develop a formalism that solved some of the problems associated with the conventional Copenhagen view. In particular, he included the measuring apparatus in the system being analyzed, unlike Copenhagen where it must be treated as a separate, classical system. In many worlds, the wave function of the universe does not collapse upon a measurement. Instead, the universe splits into parallel universes in which all possible events occur. In Everett's view, these parallel universes that are deemed to be "equally real." The idea that the universe is continually splitting into parallel universes whenever a measurement or observation is made strike many people as a rather extreme solution to the interpretation problems of quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, as long as the parallel universes cannot interact with one another, we can never disprove the concept. If we reject it, we must do so on aesthetic or parsimonious grounds. More recently, a number of theorists have found ways to recast Everett's ideas in a more economical, commonsensical way. This new interpretation, which some say represents only a small extension of Bohr's thinking, is called consistent histories.
In the consistent histories view, as in Copenhagen and many worlds, the wave function allows you to calculate the probabilities that the universe will take various paths. Unlike many worlds, these paths are not deemed to be "equally real." Instead, the path taken in our universe is chosen randomly, as the toss of coin. The indeterminism of Copenhagen is retained but, unlike Copenhagen, the wave function "decoheres" rather than collapses upon the act of measurement.

Theoretical work has provided for a logically consistent histories theory that agrees with all known data without the introduction of holistic, nonlocal, or mystical elements. In this theory, the only consistent paths (or histories) are those for which probabilities add as they do classically. The quantum-to-classical transition occurs by the mechanism of decoherence induced by measuring instruments or the environment. The idea of decoherence is quite simple. Quantum effects are characterized by phenomena, such as interference and diffraction, that are understood to be coherent properties of the wave function. These occur because the universe is granular, with matter existing in lumps separated by empty space. Only where lumps of matter exist, either in the form of a measuring instrument or environmental body, can particle paths be logically defined. At these points, the particles scatter and decohere and classical paths are produced. Classical mechanics follows as the limit of quantum mechanics in a fine grained universe. In our experience, ordinary light is coherent in air because the probability of a visible photon colliding with an air molecule over the distances involved is small. Gamma ray photons, on the other hand, appear to travel classical paths because they have high probability to scatter, and decohere, over the same distances. By being non-deterministic, consistent histories avoids the problem of nonlocality associated with hidden variables. Some still argue that the wave function is nonlocal, but if it is not a "real" field but a mathematical convenience, who cares? In any case, no signals move faster than the speed of light.

Still some commentators argue that any non-deterministic quantum mechanics, be it Copenhagen or consistent histories, is still incomplete. What "causes" the universe to take the path it does, they ask? Deterministic, nonlocal hidden variables are one answer. But, we have seen that they are necessarily nonlocal and we have no empirical evidence for any superluminal or sub-quantum processes. Another even more poorly justified answer is that the path selection is made by consciousness itself. In the quantum mind interpretation of quantum mechanics, the path taken by the universe, whether you care to describe it in terms of wave function collapse or universe-splitting, is actualized by the action of mind.Now here the theories become impossibly vague and untestable, so I can only indicate some of the language. In some sense, the wave function of the universe is an etheric cosmic mind spread throughout the universe that acts to collapse itself in some unknown way. The human mind (spirit, soul) is, of course, holistically linked to the cosmic mind and so exists in all space and time. Once again we have and example of what Paul Kurtz calls the "transcendental temptation." And so, quantum mind rescues the dualists from the damage caused by the destruction of the electromagnetic aether. But like so many similar proposals, the theory of quantum mind will get nowhere until it makes some prediction that can be tested empirically. In the meantime, its must be rejected as non-parsimonious, especially since we have in our hands a perfectly economical and logically-consistent theory that agrees with all the data and requires no additional component in the universe beyond matter.

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

A Primer on the Dangers of Bipolar Depression

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by Tim F Clark

Bipolar Disorder is characterized by several mood disorders, the most notable of all being Bipolar Depression. Bipolar depression is marked by at least one "manic episode," and is assumed to be a chronic condition due to the fact that most individuals who suffer from a manic episode almost certainly suffer more in the future.

Without preventative treatment, a person suffering from Bipolar Disorder may suffer a manic episode every two and a half years, as shown by statistics. He/she would present a unique mood cycle (one that usually combines manic episodes and periods of depression) that can be predicted once it is identified.

Studies have suggested that it occurs much more widely in families with a history of the Disorder. Bipolar Depression usually begins during a patient's teenage years or early adulthood, and persists throughout the rest of his/her life. Bipolar Depression occurs in episodes and is often dismissed as something temporary, rather than as a serious psychological problem. Individuals with Bipolar Disorder may suffer from it for years without treatment as a result.

Mania and depression are known to be the two polar opposites of human emotion, thus giving rise to the term "Bipolar." The term describes the severe mood swings between these two emotional poles. The Bi polar Disorder is also known as "Bi polar Affective Disorder," "Bipolar Personality Disorder," "Bipolar Mood Disorder," "Manic Depression," and "Manic Depressive Illness," all of which refer to the same psychological problem. At any moment, slightly more than one out of every hundred Americans suffer from Bi polar Depression.

In a manic episode, a person may feel euphoric, excessively happy, and hyperactive. Some individuals may even display delusions of grandeur. When the manic phase passes into the "depressed phase," the individual's mood changes drastically. He/she may then experience deep sadness and despair, and may even harbor thoughts of suicide. These unusually severe mood swings occur to individuals suffering from Bipolar Depression many times during their lives, although the frequency may vary greatly from person to person. Some may experience several of these episodes in a single year, while others may only experience one or two in a lifetime.

Not all episodes begin in the manic phase, however – an episode may begin in with the sufferer falling into a deep depressive phase, which eventually gives way to the manic phase. Most Bipolar Depression patients experience their first severe mood swing in their teenage years or early twenties – some have even been found to suffer their first episode before the age of ten. All in all, most patients experience their first attack of Bipolar Depression before the age of 50. Onsets of the problem during the 70's and 80's are rare, although they do happen.

No matter the individual's age, Bipolar Depression affects both susceptible men and women in nearly equal numbers. Many sufferers - especially those unaware of their condition - may use drugs or alcohol during manic episodes in an attempt to treat themselves. This often results in the development of secondary substance abuse problems, which only serve to aggravate their condition.

On the other hand, some studies have found significant links between creativity and Bipolar Depression, albeit very unclear ones. One study indicated an increased drive towards achieving personal goals in individuals suffering from Bipolar Depression. While not always the case, individuals with suffering from it also tend to be more extroverted and outgoing than those without.

Bipolar Depression has also been found in a large number of individuals involved in the arts, and studies are currently being taken to discover why many creative geniuses have Bipolar Depression.

Tim Clark writes health related articles, the majority of which can be found on his website on bi polar disorder , where he has a large listing of bipolar articles. If you're looking form more bi polar depression information just follow the preceding link.

Don't forget to download Indocquent's free social bookmark utility at http://www.indocquent.com/social_bookmark/social_bookmark_landingpage.html.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

A Primer on the Dangers of Bipolar Depression

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by Tim F Clark

Bipolar Disorder is characterized by several mood disorders, the most notable of all being Bipolar Depression. Bipolar depression is marked by at least one "manic episode," and is assumed to be a chronic condition due to the fact that most individuals who suffer from a manic episode almost certainly suffer more in the future.

Without preventative treatment, a person suffering from Bipolar Disorder may suffer a manic episode every two and a half years, as shown by statistics. He/she would present a unique mood cycle (one that usually combines manic episodes and periods of depression) that can be predicted once it is identified.

Studies have suggested that it occurs much more widely in families with a history of the Disorder. Bipolar Depression usually begins during a patient's teenage years or early adulthood, and persists throughout the rest of his/her life. Bipolar Depression occurs in episodes and is often dismissed as something temporary, rather than as a serious psychological problem. Individuals with Bipolar Disorder may suffer from it for years without treatment as a result.

Mania and depression are known to be the two polar opposites of human emotion, thus giving rise to the term "Bipolar." The term describes the severe mood swings between these two emotional poles. The Bi polar Disorder is also known as "Bi polar Affective Disorder," "Bipolar Personality Disorder," "Bipolar Mood Disorder," "Manic Depression," and "Manic Depressive Illness," all of which refer to the same psychological problem. At any moment, slightly more than one out of every hundred Americans suffer from Bi polar Depression.

In a manic episode, a person may feel euphoric, excessively happy, and hyperactive. Some individuals may even display delusions of grandeur. When the manic phase passes into the "depressed phase," the individual's mood changes drastically. He/she may then experience deep sadness and despair, and may even harbor thoughts of suicide. These unusually severe mood swings occur to individuals suffering from Bipolar Depression many times during their lives, although the frequency may vary greatly from person to person. Some may experience several of these episodes in a single year, while others may only experience one or two in a lifetime.

Not all episodes begin in the manic phase, however – an episode may begin in with the sufferer falling into a deep depressive phase, which eventually gives way to the manic phase. Most Bipolar Depression patients experience their first severe mood swing in their teenage years or early twenties – some have even been found to suffer their first episode before the age of ten. All in all, most patients experience their first attack of Bipolar Depression before the age of 50. Onsets of the problem during the 70's and 80's are rare, although they do happen.

No matter the individual's age, Bipolar Depression affects both susceptible men and women in nearly equal numbers. Many sufferers - especially those unaware of their condition - may use drugs or alcohol during manic episodes in an attempt to treat themselves. This often results in the development of secondary substance abuse problems, which only serve to aggravate their condition.

On the other hand, some studies have found significant links between creativity and Bipolar Depression, albeit very unclear ones. One study indicated an increased drive towards achieving personal goals in individuals suffering from Bipolar Depression. While not always the case, individuals with suffering from it also tend to be more extroverted and outgoing than those without.

Bipolar Depression has also been found in a large number of individuals involved in the arts, and studies are currently being taken to discover why many creative geniuses have Bipolar Depression.

Tim Clark writes health related articles, the majority of which can be found on his website on bi polar disorder , where he has a large listing of bipolar articles. If you're looking form more bi polar depression information just follow the preceding link.

Don't forget to download Indocquent's free social bookmark utility at http://www.indocquent.com/social_bookmark/social_bookmark_landingpage.html.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

20th Century Genius Award Paper - Gene Roddenberry

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by Michael J Spindler

The authors' nomination for the 20th Century Genius Award goes to Gene Roddenberry. Mr. Roddenberry's gift to the world is a message of the human condition and the endless possibilities that the human civilization holds in their own hands. Through the guise of a simple, low budget science fiction program, Roddenberry presented on a weekly basis, morality tales "using futuristic situations as analogies for current problems on Earth."(Day, D) In a time when America was under going geopolitical, social, and political turmoil, Roddenberry gave his audience hope for the future and seamless direction on how to get there today.

Measuring the cultural and social impact of a TV show or event is never easy. But there are numerous indications that Star Trek has had an influence on many peoples' lives. This can be seen in a variety of ways, from the inclusion in mass-market dictionaries of words and phrases originally invented for the show, to the testimonials of people who claim that their career and life choices were influenced by Star Trek. .(Day, D)

The reader does not need to be a connoisseur of science fiction, nor even have an appreciation for the television series Star Trek. Regardless, the readers' life has been affected directly and indirectly by Roddenberry's vision. "Star Trek also attracts and excites generations of viewers about advanced science and engineering, and it's almost the only show that depicts scientists and engineers positively, as role models." (Batchelor, 1993) A generation of youth was inspired by the vision of "what if?" in the worlds of technology, astronomy, physics, engineering, etcetera. This inspiration led to an explosion in technological advances from cell phones to ion drive propulsion, now in use in interplanetary probes. From the 1970s to present, it was almost as if Roddenberry gave a glimpse of future technologies and how technological advances would help to push civilization forward in pursuit of a better world. Now the dream of "what if?" has become reality and new technologies come easier, faster, and by some coincidence in the direction for use as played out in Roddenberry's television series.

Roddenberry's intention was to use Star Trek as a platform to play out real life issues under the guise of entertainment. "Cultural output is thus seen as a mirror of social and political inputs—a reflection of sorts of the fears, dreams, and preoccupations of society." (Brynen, 1999) Society as a whole may be unaware of the direction the people are taking in the world. That is until an artist holds a mirror to face of humanity, offering up a chance for self examination and reflection. By presenting this reflection to an audience that is caught up in the story and the interaction of characters, without even being aware of the message, the audience begins to transform ones own thinking about the world around them and their role in the world.

For example, perhaps one of the most carefully orchestrated relationships played out through many incarnations was an alien race known as the Klingons. The introduction of this alien species was an indirect representation of the real life cold war enemy the Russians and the communist fear. The 1960s had been a critical period for the entire world, as a constant nuclear threat was real and always present. Roddenberry's development of the Klingons and the war like society they came from presented the main characters a challenge of tolerance and attempts at finding peaceable solutions to their mutually conflicting backgrounds and cultural mentalities. As in real life, there were the occasional military conflicts, but the continuing message was to continue working through cultural differences for an understanding and peaceful co-existence.

The author cannot say that Star Trek changed politicians thinking, logic, or motivations, but the impact on the social consciousness is evident as society began to evolve through the 1970s and on through to the collapse of the Soviet government. If the reader was to ask a young person about how the cold war affected his or her life, the author would venture to guess that the respondent would have to ask "What was the cold war?". In the years leading to the days of the collapse of the Soviet Union, military tensions remained high between the United States and the Soviet Union, but society's view of the threat diminished slightly over time through the decades that followed the 1960s. Was this because of a shared fear of a mutually assured destruction (MAD) and a developing understanding that the people of the Soviet Union were very much like the Americans in shared hopes and dreams? Could the people of Earth survived without one or the other, MAD or an understanding? In Roddenberry's vision, both opponents, the crew of the Enterprise and the Klingons, were equally capable of destroying the other, possibly with significant losses in the process. But Roddenberry's message was always one of finding a means to peace and celebrating shared commonality.

Prior to the 1960s, in the authors' opinion, America might as well have been the poster child of white supremacy and ethnic ignorance. Again Roddenberry pushed for diversity in his vision of the future. A time in which people of all ethnic backgrounds would come together as equals in a pursuit of knowledge and exploration.

Roddenberry envisioned a multi-ethnic crew, including an African-American woman, a Scotsman, a Japanese American, and most notably, an alien, the half-Vulcan Mr. Spock. In the second season Roddenberry added a Russian crewmember at a time when the United States was engaged in a tense cold war with the Soviet Union. Blacks and women were also shown as scientists and doctors on the ship. (Day, n.d.)

A unique characteristic about ignorance; it can be coaxed out of existence through exposure to situations that would normally not be observed in common place. Roddenberry presented to families on a weekly basis, adventures and tales of survival so exciting, that people began to see beyond the ethnic representations of the characters and saw a team of people achieving the unbelievable.

Was this tolerance or acceptance by the common people of other ethnicities? Whatever the first step, society has continued to evolve. The abolishment of ignorance has transformed neighborhoods, the workplace, and every other aspect of life towards pure social integration. Just 25 years earlier, prior to the airing of Star Trek, Japanese Americans were sent to "camps" with no regard to their innocence or place in society. This action was based purely on a racist preconception by government authorities, who were a representation of the American people.

Perhaps more on the minds of outside observers was that the 1960s represented the birth of civil rights, woman's rights, and other minority concerns at the time. In no other media outlet at the time was there a representation of ethnic diversity sharing equal and esteemed roles such as scientists, officers, doctors, and engineers. Added to the kettle of diversity was the weekly interaction with alien races. At times, there would be conflict or a shared hardship, but in the end, the message was the same, understanding and appreciation of the differences between the various races, could bring peace to what otherwise could have been a volatile situation.

The integration of ethnic and cultural diversity that the world now enjoys could never have been forced upon a society. Roddenberry's genius was in his ability to present to the world a vision for a future based on changing how humans as a society interact today. "Gene Roddenberry once noted that his inspiration came from "concentrating on something about our world that annoys me—so that I get sufficiently moved, so that I want to write about how, in the Star Trek world, it's done differently."" (Brynen, 1999) As society continues to grow and celebrates the shared ethnic diversity, perhaps the advances in technology, that sparked the imagination of millions and changed our world, will help to advance the human race to the stars and beyond. But no one is going to the stars until society moves forward as one. "At its most basic level, Star Trek had a simple humanistic message: humanity will be okay." (Day, n.d.)




References - Do Not Strip Article References

Batchelor, D. A. (1993). The Science of Star Trek. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/education/just_for_fun/startrek.html

Brynen, R. (1999, February 08;). Mirror, Mirror? The Politics of Television Science Fiction. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/MEPP/exofile/sftv.html

Day, D. (n.d.). Star Trek as a Cultural Phenomenon. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay



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