Companies need to start emphasizing on results, quality of work and reward workers based on performance rather than time spent.
Time-based performance is wrong because;
Not all employees require the same time to complete a task-This method assumes that all employees need same time to complete a task. This is normally very wrong and it leads to negative energy on the part of high performing employees. Some employees have great skills and speed compared to others thus allocating equal time and equal reward system is wrong.
It leads to redundancy- Time-based system of rewarding employees creates an impression that one only needs to do the minimum he can and even if one can do three or four tasks in that given time, he or she will not bother to do more.
It leads to high costs and inefficiency- Since employees are not working at their best yet the company still pays them salaries, this increases inefficiency and costs to the company. The company is paying for both performers and non-performers while it can reduce this if it uses performance-based reward system and only reward the employees who deliver.
Misuse of Time-based work- Employees will find other ways of utilizing the extra time left after completing a task. Others will use it for personal issues, others going for prolonged lunch, others will fake sickness during important work days to avoid difficult tasks thus exploiting other employees. High performers will take advantage of the system as low performers take advantage of high performers.
It results to low productivity- This system lowers the productivity and quality of high performing individuals. When an individual can complete two or three tasks in the same timeframe he's required to finish one task, and he's restricted to only complete that one task, then his productivity level is very much lowered and this may lead to a low esteemed employee.
Different employees perform better during different times- Some employees perform better in the morning while others perform better after lunch. It's upon the manager to know what time each individual performs better and schedule tasks accordingly.
The list is big and I can go on and on, but these are just of the reason s why time-based way of rewarding employees is wrong and it is high time companies start recognizing the importance of performance-based reward system in that they don't have to reward employees who fail to deliver. They should enlighten workers on what work will be rewarded, establish an elaborate way of rating to help managers differentiate between different levels of performance and derive distinguished ways of rewarding those who perform better, averagely and dismally.
A performance-based reward system will increase effectiveness, efficiency, motivation, attitude of the employee and reduce costs greatly.
By Paul Githutha
Article Source: Why a Good Reward System Should Be Performance-Based Rather Than Time-Based
Are You a Business Owner or Manager? If So, You Had Better Know About Information Security
You, as a manager or owner, have the duty to secure confidential information. Why? Cybercriminals and other digital intruders are looking for easy marks and cybercrime is on the rise. You and your organization are targets.
Many laws and regulations also require that you be diligent. Lack of awareness can't be used as an excuse. Failure to address information security is clear evidence that you have been irresponsible. You may even be fined or found to be liable in a lawsuit. Regardless, your business can be irreparably harmed by security breaches.
You put yourself and your business at risk if you ignore information security. Managers and business owners are responsible for the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information under their span of control.
Owners and executives are the only individuals with the authority and responsibility to assure the protection of information assets. Managers and owners have the clout to design, review, monitor and implement information security plans. Organizational leaders must be the ones to specify information security plans and hold employees accountable.
Business owners and their management teams have a fiduciary responsibility to their customers, clients, and shareholders to protect confidential and sensitive information. Many state and federal statutes now require that information be protected and have specified that reasonable measures be taken to secure digital assets.
The author, an information security specialist, grows weary of trying to convince business owners that it's in their best interest to secure mission critical data but is still trying.
Here are a few cyber security precautions that an owner or manager must consider doing:
1. Treat the securing of confidential and sensitive information as a business process just like accounting and finance.
2. Take inventory of all information assets to include an understanding of how each asset is used.
3. Identify the vulnerabilities and threats faced by your company. Conduct a formal risk analysis.
4. Develop and implement a formal information security plan.
5. Begin and follow through upon a strong information security training for all employees.
6. Follow security best practices that align with professional standards.
7. Conform to your state and federal regulatory environment.
8. Create a business continuity plan that assures the continual operation of your business.
9. Document your due diligence efforts.
10. Review and assess your security posture on a continuing basis
The type and volume of information that businesses and organizations hold today is incredible. Much of it is critical to the long-term success of an organization. Cybercriminals are doing their best to steal, damage or deny companies the use of their resources. Business owners and mangers must now stop treating the privacy of the security of electronic information they have as an afterthought.
The key to a successful security plan is the owner or manager. Employees, suppliers and customers take their cues from leadership. The attention paid to keeping an organization secure determines the safety of digital assets.
Failing to treat information security as a business process guarantees that the organization already suffers from significant vulnerabilities. The company is destined to suffer major losses when risks are realized and significant financial losses or legal liabilities occur.
Dr. William G. Perry is an information technology specialist with significant experience as a university professor, author and contractor for various federal agencies. Perry is also the own of Paladin, an information assurance organization. http://www.paladin-information-assurance.com
By William G. Perry, Ph.D.
Article Source: Are You a Business Owner or Manager? If So, You Had Better Know About Information Security
Many laws and regulations also require that you be diligent. Lack of awareness can't be used as an excuse. Failure to address information security is clear evidence that you have been irresponsible. You may even be fined or found to be liable in a lawsuit. Regardless, your business can be irreparably harmed by security breaches.
You put yourself and your business at risk if you ignore information security. Managers and business owners are responsible for the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information under their span of control.
Owners and executives are the only individuals with the authority and responsibility to assure the protection of information assets. Managers and owners have the clout to design, review, monitor and implement information security plans. Organizational leaders must be the ones to specify information security plans and hold employees accountable.
Business owners and their management teams have a fiduciary responsibility to their customers, clients, and shareholders to protect confidential and sensitive information. Many state and federal statutes now require that information be protected and have specified that reasonable measures be taken to secure digital assets.
The author, an information security specialist, grows weary of trying to convince business owners that it's in their best interest to secure mission critical data but is still trying.
Here are a few cyber security precautions that an owner or manager must consider doing:
1. Treat the securing of confidential and sensitive information as a business process just like accounting and finance.
2. Take inventory of all information assets to include an understanding of how each asset is used.
3. Identify the vulnerabilities and threats faced by your company. Conduct a formal risk analysis.
4. Develop and implement a formal information security plan.
5. Begin and follow through upon a strong information security training for all employees.
6. Follow security best practices that align with professional standards.
7. Conform to your state and federal regulatory environment.
8. Create a business continuity plan that assures the continual operation of your business.
9. Document your due diligence efforts.
10. Review and assess your security posture on a continuing basis
The type and volume of information that businesses and organizations hold today is incredible. Much of it is critical to the long-term success of an organization. Cybercriminals are doing their best to steal, damage or deny companies the use of their resources. Business owners and mangers must now stop treating the privacy of the security of electronic information they have as an afterthought.
The key to a successful security plan is the owner or manager. Employees, suppliers and customers take their cues from leadership. The attention paid to keeping an organization secure determines the safety of digital assets.
Failing to treat information security as a business process guarantees that the organization already suffers from significant vulnerabilities. The company is destined to suffer major losses when risks are realized and significant financial losses or legal liabilities occur.
Dr. William G. Perry is an information technology specialist with significant experience as a university professor, author and contractor for various federal agencies. Perry is also the own of Paladin, an information assurance organization. http://www.paladin-information-assurance.com
By William G. Perry, Ph.D.
Article Source: Are You a Business Owner or Manager? If So, You Had Better Know About Information Security
How to Attract Talent With an Effective Employer Brand
Today, recruiters need to really consider their company's public image to make sure the image communicates the company culture. So, how can you develop a strong employer brand?
Why is it important?
It is highly likely a potential applicant will research your company, whether looking at the careers section of your website or tapping into the experiences of others on social networking sites. So it's extremely important that the information you provide supports your core messages.
For example, focusing on more than just technical requirements and focusing more on the things that differentiate the position from their current one. Remember, don't talk poorly of their current job or current company. No one likes it when someone else bad mouths a company.
How it's done.
There are many different ways you can do this that will work for your brand. Wix, a cloud-based development provider, sets themselves apart by providing a video featuring the company directly on the jobs page of their site.
Including a video on your company and culture causes application rates increase 34 percent. Making sure your career page is mobile friendly is also critical, with up to as many as 80 percent of jobseekers conducting their job searches from mobile devices.
Instead, highlight what makes the position desirable compared to the same position at other companies. This is where employer branding really makes a difference. Keep in mind that office lifestyle is one of the top reasons candidates either take a job or decide to leave a position. Always bring it back to why it's the best fit for the passive candidate.
A study by CAREEREALISM, shows that some 80 percent of job seekers today will research an employer online before deciding whether to apply to a position there. When candidates don't find enough information to convince them you're worth working for, they'll pass.
Another great way to do this is by implementing Employee Advocates. Your career page is the most important advocate of your brand. It's a top platform to leverage when searching for and attracting new candidates.
Top Ways to Strengthen Your Employer Brand
Social Media rules here. Get to know it.
Promote any awards or workplace accreditations
Introduce current employees
Highlight company wins
Promote culture and rewards
Tell your company story
Utilize employee advocates
Have a stellar career page
Make sure all employees know the company elevator pitch
Use photos and videos to highlight your brand farther
Lusha Plugin is the easiest way to find email addresses & phone numbers from anywhere on the web, with just one click. Try http://www.Lusha.co for free today!
By Dana Roth
Article Source: How to Attract Talent With an Effective Employer Brand
Why is it important?
It is highly likely a potential applicant will research your company, whether looking at the careers section of your website or tapping into the experiences of others on social networking sites. So it's extremely important that the information you provide supports your core messages.
For example, focusing on more than just technical requirements and focusing more on the things that differentiate the position from their current one. Remember, don't talk poorly of their current job or current company. No one likes it when someone else bad mouths a company.
How it's done.
There are many different ways you can do this that will work for your brand. Wix, a cloud-based development provider, sets themselves apart by providing a video featuring the company directly on the jobs page of their site.
Including a video on your company and culture causes application rates increase 34 percent. Making sure your career page is mobile friendly is also critical, with up to as many as 80 percent of jobseekers conducting their job searches from mobile devices.
Instead, highlight what makes the position desirable compared to the same position at other companies. This is where employer branding really makes a difference. Keep in mind that office lifestyle is one of the top reasons candidates either take a job or decide to leave a position. Always bring it back to why it's the best fit for the passive candidate.
A study by CAREEREALISM, shows that some 80 percent of job seekers today will research an employer online before deciding whether to apply to a position there. When candidates don't find enough information to convince them you're worth working for, they'll pass.
Another great way to do this is by implementing Employee Advocates. Your career page is the most important advocate of your brand. It's a top platform to leverage when searching for and attracting new candidates.
Top Ways to Strengthen Your Employer Brand
Social Media rules here. Get to know it.
Promote any awards or workplace accreditations
Introduce current employees
Highlight company wins
Promote culture and rewards
Tell your company story
Utilize employee advocates
Have a stellar career page
Make sure all employees know the company elevator pitch
Use photos and videos to highlight your brand farther
Lusha Plugin is the easiest way to find email addresses & phone numbers from anywhere on the web, with just one click. Try http://www.Lusha.co for free today!
By Dana Roth
Article Source: How to Attract Talent With an Effective Employer Brand
Fear Of Outsourcing, How To Decide When Outsourcing Is Right For Your Business
If the fear of outsourcing is preventing you from accessing business tools that could be useful in your business, this discussion will help you sort through to pro's and con's of outsourcing.
First, treat this like any other fear. Don't panic. Being afraid is not bad or harmful. It is what we do with fear that can be instructive or destructive. Most of all, do not make decisions based on fear.
The active approach is to let fear drive you to research, gather and analyze information. Think of this information as data points. One or two data points are certainly insufficient to make decisions on any meaningful project.
While this is good counsel for any issue let's consider the outsourcing question more closely. The following is a list of questions to keep in mind as you gather and analyze information about outsourcing.
� What do I need to accomplish
� How can outsourcing help complete that task(s)
� What are the downsides of outsourcing
� What viable alternatives do I have
� What are the downsides of the alternatives
� Is doing nothing a reasonable alternative
� What are the downsides of doing nothing?
The most common concerns with outsourcing are:
Cost
Most studies show that the cost of outsourcing continues to be less than hiring, training, tasking, follow-up, benefits, being over staffed and reducing staff when needed.
Is that true for your type of business?
Quality
Managing quality can be done effectively through project management and specific measures of completion. Actual data is needed for "before and after testing". Assigning a project in-house or signing a contract for outsourcing without these measures in place will give you no means of ensuring quality.
Dependability
This is contractual. Deliverables must be agreed to in writing. For employees you need to look at their record of dependability.
Timeliness
This is contractual. If timing is important, agree to specifics in writing.
Control
Your control is different when you outsource. Don't try to micromanage either your staff or your outsourcing team. This is counterproductive. It wastes their time and yours.
1. For outsourcing, your contract, project plan and payments are your controls.
2. Staff controls depend entirely on a project plan, employee skill set, experience and work ethic.
Prefer to do it all in-house
This defies most business objectives. Some tasks are better done by someone outside the company. Your business is built on the expectation that clients will outsource their specialized needs to those businesses who offer a relative specialized service. Taking the approach to keep all your work in-house is a clear message that you don't have confidence in the very concept you depend upon to fuel your business.
Now, to arrive at an informed decision on outsourcing, consider the information you have gathered as well as your experience. Make notes as you go. You cannot accurately remember everything and you will need specifics to document your decision and to build your work plan.
Analyze your findings and choose your best, informed option. Prepare and execute your plan.
In summary, make fear of outsourcing work for you. Regardless of the final decision, your business will be better for having worked through this exercise. You will have a better understanding of why your clients choose your services, or do not.
KW Norris is an IT professional, consultant and Sales Executive. KW works with medical clinics and medical software vendors to provide the best technology solutions available to improve quality and efficiency in the medical office. If you need a technology solution, KW can help you find it.
KW Norris
Technology Consultants, Inc.
4125 SW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97078
503-939-9223 cell phone
kw@tcimovesdata.com, http://www.tcimovesdata.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kwnorris
By KW Norris
Article Source: Fear Of Outsourcing, How To Decide When Outsourcing Is Right For Your Business
First, treat this like any other fear. Don't panic. Being afraid is not bad or harmful. It is what we do with fear that can be instructive or destructive. Most of all, do not make decisions based on fear.
The active approach is to let fear drive you to research, gather and analyze information. Think of this information as data points. One or two data points are certainly insufficient to make decisions on any meaningful project.
While this is good counsel for any issue let's consider the outsourcing question more closely. The following is a list of questions to keep in mind as you gather and analyze information about outsourcing.
� What do I need to accomplish
� How can outsourcing help complete that task(s)
� What are the downsides of outsourcing
� What viable alternatives do I have
� What are the downsides of the alternatives
� Is doing nothing a reasonable alternative
� What are the downsides of doing nothing?
The most common concerns with outsourcing are:
Cost
Most studies show that the cost of outsourcing continues to be less than hiring, training, tasking, follow-up, benefits, being over staffed and reducing staff when needed.
Is that true for your type of business?
Quality
Managing quality can be done effectively through project management and specific measures of completion. Actual data is needed for "before and after testing". Assigning a project in-house or signing a contract for outsourcing without these measures in place will give you no means of ensuring quality.
Dependability
This is contractual. Deliverables must be agreed to in writing. For employees you need to look at their record of dependability.
Timeliness
This is contractual. If timing is important, agree to specifics in writing.
Control
Your control is different when you outsource. Don't try to micromanage either your staff or your outsourcing team. This is counterproductive. It wastes their time and yours.
1. For outsourcing, your contract, project plan and payments are your controls.
2. Staff controls depend entirely on a project plan, employee skill set, experience and work ethic.
Prefer to do it all in-house
This defies most business objectives. Some tasks are better done by someone outside the company. Your business is built on the expectation that clients will outsource their specialized needs to those businesses who offer a relative specialized service. Taking the approach to keep all your work in-house is a clear message that you don't have confidence in the very concept you depend upon to fuel your business.
Now, to arrive at an informed decision on outsourcing, consider the information you have gathered as well as your experience. Make notes as you go. You cannot accurately remember everything and you will need specifics to document your decision and to build your work plan.
Analyze your findings and choose your best, informed option. Prepare and execute your plan.
In summary, make fear of outsourcing work for you. Regardless of the final decision, your business will be better for having worked through this exercise. You will have a better understanding of why your clients choose your services, or do not.
KW Norris is an IT professional, consultant and Sales Executive. KW works with medical clinics and medical software vendors to provide the best technology solutions available to improve quality and efficiency in the medical office. If you need a technology solution, KW can help you find it.
KW Norris
Technology Consultants, Inc.
4125 SW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97078
503-939-9223 cell phone
kw@tcimovesdata.com, http://www.tcimovesdata.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kwnorris
By KW Norris
Article Source: Fear Of Outsourcing, How To Decide When Outsourcing Is Right For Your Business
6 Amazing Effects of Photography
Effects of photography
Photography is an art that is assumed to be easy to everyone. There is the assumption that it is all about pointing at an object, and press a button to take a picture. In the real sense, it is a skill that requires a lot of patience and passion to be able to master. A student can learn so much in any photography class but let's look at different effects and tips to help you in enhancing the quality of photos taken.
Bokeh
The aesthetic quality of blur out of primary image focus is known as bokeh. Light offers more light to areas not in focus but is near the object. Lens aberrations and aperture shape differences, cause the blur resulting to beautiful looks. There is both good and bad bokeh, in the bad bokeh, blur mostly distracts observers from the focus areas and is harsh hence ruins a photographers work. Good bokeh enhances the image look.
Panning
Panning is a photography technique that is mostly used to shoot moving objects such as sports cars, race competitions. It involves the horizontal, rotational and vertical movement of an image or video. To achieve best results of a sharp subject with a blurred background, you need to stay with an object as you frame and press the shutter button. It is among the old techniques, so it needs a lot of practice and patience to master.
Thirds rule
It is a method that is frequently used by artists and painters. Work produced using the technique can be found in art galleries. The rule of thirds method involves breaking down the photo in thirds, vertically and horizontally to have nine parts. The focus object is usually not placed in the middle which results to it being interesting, moving and dynamic. Factors to consider are the point of interest and the frame. Mentally divide your viewfinder into three to frame the shot.
Golden hour
Also referred to as the magic hour, it is the first hour of sunrise and last time of the sunset. The light is of different quality thus add quality and interest to the photo. It requires one to be fast for the quality of light fades quickly
Fill flash
This technique involves filling the dark areas of an image using flash. The background of the picture is usually brighter than the subject. A photographer needs to adjust the shutter and aperture speed to expose the background. The circumstances when to use flash are:
• When foreground light is less than in the background
• When close to the focus subject
Long exposure
It is an effect that creates a dreamy landscape, it both captures still elements and moving. Objects in motion usually are blurred. The photographer narrows the aperture and sets the shutter to a long duration speed.
Conclusion
There are many effects in photography, and the above are just a few. In photography, there is the need to be creative just use your imagination and come up with your effect. Also consider visiting places like Hawaii, Honolulu where there are various art galleries. The principal purpose of the various effects is to create beautiful photos.
If you wish to see the effects in the images kindly visit art gallery
By Esther Njoki Kagonye
Article Source: 6 Amazing Effects of Photography
Photography is an art that is assumed to be easy to everyone. There is the assumption that it is all about pointing at an object, and press a button to take a picture. In the real sense, it is a skill that requires a lot of patience and passion to be able to master. A student can learn so much in any photography class but let's look at different effects and tips to help you in enhancing the quality of photos taken.
Bokeh
The aesthetic quality of blur out of primary image focus is known as bokeh. Light offers more light to areas not in focus but is near the object. Lens aberrations and aperture shape differences, cause the blur resulting to beautiful looks. There is both good and bad bokeh, in the bad bokeh, blur mostly distracts observers from the focus areas and is harsh hence ruins a photographers work. Good bokeh enhances the image look.
Panning
Panning is a photography technique that is mostly used to shoot moving objects such as sports cars, race competitions. It involves the horizontal, rotational and vertical movement of an image or video. To achieve best results of a sharp subject with a blurred background, you need to stay with an object as you frame and press the shutter button. It is among the old techniques, so it needs a lot of practice and patience to master.
Thirds rule
It is a method that is frequently used by artists and painters. Work produced using the technique can be found in art galleries. The rule of thirds method involves breaking down the photo in thirds, vertically and horizontally to have nine parts. The focus object is usually not placed in the middle which results to it being interesting, moving and dynamic. Factors to consider are the point of interest and the frame. Mentally divide your viewfinder into three to frame the shot.
Golden hour
Also referred to as the magic hour, it is the first hour of sunrise and last time of the sunset. The light is of different quality thus add quality and interest to the photo. It requires one to be fast for the quality of light fades quickly
Fill flash
This technique involves filling the dark areas of an image using flash. The background of the picture is usually brighter than the subject. A photographer needs to adjust the shutter and aperture speed to expose the background. The circumstances when to use flash are:
• When foreground light is less than in the background
• When close to the focus subject
Long exposure
It is an effect that creates a dreamy landscape, it both captures still elements and moving. Objects in motion usually are blurred. The photographer narrows the aperture and sets the shutter to a long duration speed.
Conclusion
There are many effects in photography, and the above are just a few. In photography, there is the need to be creative just use your imagination and come up with your effect. Also consider visiting places like Hawaii, Honolulu where there are various art galleries. The principal purpose of the various effects is to create beautiful photos.
If you wish to see the effects in the images kindly visit art gallery
By Esther Njoki Kagonye
Article Source: 6 Amazing Effects of Photography
Live La Vida By Participating In Brazil's World Famous Carnival
Located in South America, Brazil is a giant when it comes to countries. In the north, it houses the great Amazon Basin and stretches all the way to the south where we can find the famous Iguacu Falls in the south. Brazil is also home to one of the world's most beautiful wonders - The Christ the Redeemer statue. Amazingly, this vast spread South American country has some very well formed beaches crowded with people enjoying the sun's amazing goodness all year round.
Another feature that makes this country the favorite place to visit for party goers from all around the world is the facts that it hosts the most well formulated and astonishingly cultured festivals in the world. And if you are a party animal who knows how to have a good time, we suggest that you buy airline tickets and start partying in these famous festivals.
1. The Carnival, Rio de Janeiro
Believed to be one of the world's largest outdoor parties with an attendee count of more than 2 million people, this festival is colorful, loud, boisterous and refreshing. If you're tired from the dull goings of everyday life then we suggest that you attend this festival whenever you get the time. This festival is held over a period of five days every year during the Easter holidays. However, the people of Rio start preparing for this ages before it starts. They make large floats which are carried into the festivals with a parade containing many drummers and glittering spinning dancers.
2. Sao Luis, Marnhao
Another Brazilian center for partying, St. Luis holds a folklore themed festival which is inspired by a combination of African, Portuguese and Indian cultures. Going here makes you feel like you've entered a modern edged medieval era. This is a festival about death and resurrection and going here will give you all the motivation you need to emerge as someone new. You get to see loads of dancers and street performers dressed up in dazzling clothes performing amazing tricks.
3. Recife, Pernambuco
Recife is the capital of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It is a developed metropolitan city with rivers and bridges and islands as well. However, the thing that we like the most about this place is the surreal festivals that it holds. Attending the festival here you will get to experience the elation that comes with the heavy and loud beats of the Afro-Brazilian drum beats. You'll spend the nights on the street dancing with the people and rejoicing in the vivid naturalness of this festival. This festival is prepared for months in advance and if you go early enough you get to see people on the streets, practicing their dance routines and suddenly you feel like you're part of a step up movie.
So this was our guide to living the life of a party animal on a vacation to Brazil. We suggest that you pack up your bags and fly to Brazil to Live la Vida! Buy your airline tickets now!
By Nick S Curtis
Article Source: Live La Vida By Participating In Brazil's World Famous Carnival
Another feature that makes this country the favorite place to visit for party goers from all around the world is the facts that it hosts the most well formulated and astonishingly cultured festivals in the world. And if you are a party animal who knows how to have a good time, we suggest that you buy airline tickets and start partying in these famous festivals.
1. The Carnival, Rio de Janeiro
Believed to be one of the world's largest outdoor parties with an attendee count of more than 2 million people, this festival is colorful, loud, boisterous and refreshing. If you're tired from the dull goings of everyday life then we suggest that you attend this festival whenever you get the time. This festival is held over a period of five days every year during the Easter holidays. However, the people of Rio start preparing for this ages before it starts. They make large floats which are carried into the festivals with a parade containing many drummers and glittering spinning dancers.
2. Sao Luis, Marnhao
Another Brazilian center for partying, St. Luis holds a folklore themed festival which is inspired by a combination of African, Portuguese and Indian cultures. Going here makes you feel like you've entered a modern edged medieval era. This is a festival about death and resurrection and going here will give you all the motivation you need to emerge as someone new. You get to see loads of dancers and street performers dressed up in dazzling clothes performing amazing tricks.
3. Recife, Pernambuco
Recife is the capital of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It is a developed metropolitan city with rivers and bridges and islands as well. However, the thing that we like the most about this place is the surreal festivals that it holds. Attending the festival here you will get to experience the elation that comes with the heavy and loud beats of the Afro-Brazilian drum beats. You'll spend the nights on the street dancing with the people and rejoicing in the vivid naturalness of this festival. This festival is prepared for months in advance and if you go early enough you get to see people on the streets, practicing their dance routines and suddenly you feel like you're part of a step up movie.
So this was our guide to living the life of a party animal on a vacation to Brazil. We suggest that you pack up your bags and fly to Brazil to Live la Vida! Buy your airline tickets now!
By Nick S Curtis
Article Source: Live La Vida By Participating In Brazil's World Famous Carnival
3 Great Reasons To Visit India This Year
Few countries in the world carve such a deep, lasting impression on traveler as India does. Sitting upon layers upon layers of history, there is perhaps no other country on Earth That is home to such marked contrasts as India is. India overloads the senses with its cacophony of sounds, its vibrant colors, and its extreme contradictions. A trip to India is full of the unexpected but one thing's certain: you won't return home quite the same after the adventure.
There are some parts of the world that, once visited, get into your heart and won't go. India is such a place that you same rich experience on its land. India can offer you lush beauty and exotic architecture and its ability to overload the senses with the pure, concentrated intensity of its colors, smells tastes and sounds.
Here are a few great reasons why you need to travel to India this year:
1. The Food
The food alone is a reason enough to travel to India. For foodies, a culinary trip to India is the most common reason to visit India. If you have also the same passion of tasting food cooked with different marvelous food then India can be the best option for you. Indians take their food very seriously and the cuisine, just like the country itself, is incredibly diverse. In the North, you'll taste lots of thick, creamy curries that are moderately spicy. Southern Indian cuisines are commonly characterized by the use of ingredients such as coconut, seafood, and rice and are spicier than food in the north. Vegetarians are also well catered for in India and have great food options as well.
2. Religion And Spirituality
In India, religion and spirituality are intricately intertwined with everyday life. India is home to all of the major religions of the world and is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Observing the local people engaging in their daily rituals is a profoundly intimate experience. Many people also come to India to find spiritually, practicing yoga or attending a meditation retreat in an ashram.
3. The Adventure
No matter where you travel to in India, a keen sense of adventure follows you everywhere you go. Whether you're riding on the southern beaches of Goa on a Bike, trekking snow-capped mountains in the north, attempting to spot Bengal Tigers and Indian elephants in the wild, or even just navigating the chaotic streets of Delhi, traveling to India is one big adventure.
By Nancy Bedi
Article Source: 3 Great Reasons To Visit India This Year
There are some parts of the world that, once visited, get into your heart and won't go. India is such a place that you same rich experience on its land. India can offer you lush beauty and exotic architecture and its ability to overload the senses with the pure, concentrated intensity of its colors, smells tastes and sounds.
Here are a few great reasons why you need to travel to India this year:
1. The Food
The food alone is a reason enough to travel to India. For foodies, a culinary trip to India is the most common reason to visit India. If you have also the same passion of tasting food cooked with different marvelous food then India can be the best option for you. Indians take their food very seriously and the cuisine, just like the country itself, is incredibly diverse. In the North, you'll taste lots of thick, creamy curries that are moderately spicy. Southern Indian cuisines are commonly characterized by the use of ingredients such as coconut, seafood, and rice and are spicier than food in the north. Vegetarians are also well catered for in India and have great food options as well.
2. Religion And Spirituality
In India, religion and spirituality are intricately intertwined with everyday life. India is home to all of the major religions of the world and is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Observing the local people engaging in their daily rituals is a profoundly intimate experience. Many people also come to India to find spiritually, practicing yoga or attending a meditation retreat in an ashram.
3. The Adventure
No matter where you travel to in India, a keen sense of adventure follows you everywhere you go. Whether you're riding on the southern beaches of Goa on a Bike, trekking snow-capped mountains in the north, attempting to spot Bengal Tigers and Indian elephants in the wild, or even just navigating the chaotic streets of Delhi, traveling to India is one big adventure.
By Nancy Bedi
Article Source: 3 Great Reasons To Visit India This Year
Tips to Follow When Travelling Abroad
Everyone loves to travel abroad, be it for pleasure or for business. However, travelling abroad is not as easy as just booking the ticket and packing a bag. To have a hassle free travel, here are certain tips you can follow.
1. Book the ticket well in advance if you know the dates
Most of the travel sites offer very good discounts if you book the tickets in advance. Try to make use of these discounts when you book tickets. So try to plan your trip in advance. Of course, if it is a sudden business trip, you can't help it.
2. Have your passport handy always
Frequent travellers know how important it is to have the passport safe and handy. Keep it in a safe place and have it renewed at the correct time. Even when you are travelling abroad, keep the passport on your person in your handbag or a wallet. While flying too, have it in your hand luggage.
3. Have sufficient currency of the country you are visiting
It is important that you exchange the Indian rupees to the currency of the country that you are travelling to. Also have international debit cards and traveler's cheques with you. One might never know when you need extra money while travelling abroad.
4. Be sure to get your visa
Some countries require that you take your visa before you leave your home country while others issue one as soon as you land in their country. Understand the protocol of the country you are travelling to and make provisions to get the visas.
5. Have a phrase book handy
Sometimes you may need to travel to a country where English is not spoken commonly like in, say, China or Germany. In such a case, be sure to have a phrase book to look up the phrases of common words in the local language. You have to be able to manage in the local language when you go to a restaurant to eat or when you want to buy something.
6. Know more about the place beforehand
If you are visiting a place for pleasure, you will have an itinerary to visit the various places there. Even if you are going to a country abroad for business, try to make some time to visit the tourist spots at least and have a taste of the local cuisine.
I am sure that these tips will help you a lot in having a fun filled holiday or a satisfactory business trip. Be sure to mix business with a little pleasure as well.
To know more about free uber ride uk, please check our website.
By Aman Tumukur Khanna
Article Source: Tips to Follow When Travelling Abroad
1. Book the ticket well in advance if you know the dates
Most of the travel sites offer very good discounts if you book the tickets in advance. Try to make use of these discounts when you book tickets. So try to plan your trip in advance. Of course, if it is a sudden business trip, you can't help it.
2. Have your passport handy always
Frequent travellers know how important it is to have the passport safe and handy. Keep it in a safe place and have it renewed at the correct time. Even when you are travelling abroad, keep the passport on your person in your handbag or a wallet. While flying too, have it in your hand luggage.
3. Have sufficient currency of the country you are visiting
It is important that you exchange the Indian rupees to the currency of the country that you are travelling to. Also have international debit cards and traveler's cheques with you. One might never know when you need extra money while travelling abroad.
4. Be sure to get your visa
Some countries require that you take your visa before you leave your home country while others issue one as soon as you land in their country. Understand the protocol of the country you are travelling to and make provisions to get the visas.
5. Have a phrase book handy
Sometimes you may need to travel to a country where English is not spoken commonly like in, say, China or Germany. In such a case, be sure to have a phrase book to look up the phrases of common words in the local language. You have to be able to manage in the local language when you go to a restaurant to eat or when you want to buy something.
6. Know more about the place beforehand
If you are visiting a place for pleasure, you will have an itinerary to visit the various places there. Even if you are going to a country abroad for business, try to make some time to visit the tourist spots at least and have a taste of the local cuisine.
I am sure that these tips will help you a lot in having a fun filled holiday or a satisfactory business trip. Be sure to mix business with a little pleasure as well.
To know more about free uber ride uk, please check our website.
By Aman Tumukur Khanna
Article Source: Tips to Follow When Travelling Abroad
Understanding Phyllis' Children
When Phyllis told me she wanted to reach her children in spirit, I immediately felt a lump in my throat. There's nothing more heartbreaking for a parent than losing a child. And, being a mother of two, I really feel that sorrow. But I have to put my feelings aside - I'm here to help, not share sadness with my clients. When faced with a distressing situation, I've learned it's best to acknowledge my sitter's grief and simply say, "I understand."
I asked my guides for inner strength, then said a prayer for Phyllis's children. As I opened my heart to welcome them, I was instantly overwhelmed. What a great assortment of energies! I felt dozens of spirit swirling around my feet. They all chatted at once, each seemingly in a different language, yet they all had the same message: "We love you, mom! Will you play with us?"
When a collection of spirits come in, it's like visualizing a ball of multi-coloured elastics. So I asked my guides to let one of the group's spirits step up and talk for the rest.
A hulking male energy rushed forward. He showed me an open field, and I felt the wind whipping through my hair as he ran. "He's calling himself your child and your friend," I said. "He loved horseback riding. I mean, really loved riding across the landscape. And he's showing me a bright, red apple."
"Oh, yes," Plyllis said beaming. "He'd eat them right out of my hand! That's Bruno, my favourite! I know we're supposed to love all our kids equally, but Bruno was special."
As the horse stood to the side, another spirit came close. This energy was the exact opposite of the first - he was gentle, small, and hovered at the horse's feet. I sensed that though these two had a bond, they weren't brothers.
"I'm not sure what I'm picking up, I said. "These children are your family, but they're not directly related to you. Like they were adopted-"
"Yes!" Phyllis said. "Most of them found their way to me, and I just kept them."
What was an odd thing to say. "I'm hearing a name like Chester. Chester wants to say hello. He's showing me a couch with three soft pillows."
Phyllis laughed. "I always found Chaz sleeping on the couch." She chuckled, "What a lazy boy!"
By now I was totally confused. But I kept giving what I was getting, and left it to Phyllis to sort things out. As the session drew to a close, I felt exhausted - and totally perplexed. I took a deep breath to clear my head. I'd need a cup of green tea after this reading!
"I admire your courage," I said. "To lose so many children, and still be so strong."
Phyllis stood up and put on her jacket. "Would you like to see my darlings?"
She drew a small photo album from her purse. "This is my Bruno," she said, flipping the book open to a picture of a proud brown horse. The next photo, three cats: Chaz, Morris and Alfred. Other pictures featured a toy poodle and two birds.
"I miss my lovies." She smiled shyly. "You probably think I'm overreacting."
When Phyllis had first mentioned children, my mind automatically went to my own children. But I realized how natural it is to grieve for favoured pets. Animals have souls, too. They love us and when they pass, they enjoy coming back to thank us for being their friends and giving them loving homes.
"Not at all," I told Phyllis. "I understand."
Carolyn Molnar is a Toronto based Psychic Medium and Spiritual Teacher. She has over 30 years' experience. She provides readings and also teaches others how to tap into their intuitive abilities.
Her book, 'It Is Time: Knowledge From The Other Side', has made a real impact in how people understand intuition. She has been featured on radio, television and in print. Carolyn believes intuition is accessible to everyone.
Please visit Carolyn at http://carolynmolnar.com/ and sign up to receive her monthly newsletter, "A Psychic's Message", and learn more about how to develop and use your intuition in a practical way.
By Carolyn Molnar
Article Source: Understanding Phyllis' Children
I asked my guides for inner strength, then said a prayer for Phyllis's children. As I opened my heart to welcome them, I was instantly overwhelmed. What a great assortment of energies! I felt dozens of spirit swirling around my feet. They all chatted at once, each seemingly in a different language, yet they all had the same message: "We love you, mom! Will you play with us?"
When a collection of spirits come in, it's like visualizing a ball of multi-coloured elastics. So I asked my guides to let one of the group's spirits step up and talk for the rest.
A hulking male energy rushed forward. He showed me an open field, and I felt the wind whipping through my hair as he ran. "He's calling himself your child and your friend," I said. "He loved horseback riding. I mean, really loved riding across the landscape. And he's showing me a bright, red apple."
"Oh, yes," Plyllis said beaming. "He'd eat them right out of my hand! That's Bruno, my favourite! I know we're supposed to love all our kids equally, but Bruno was special."
As the horse stood to the side, another spirit came close. This energy was the exact opposite of the first - he was gentle, small, and hovered at the horse's feet. I sensed that though these two had a bond, they weren't brothers.
"I'm not sure what I'm picking up, I said. "These children are your family, but they're not directly related to you. Like they were adopted-"
"Yes!" Phyllis said. "Most of them found their way to me, and I just kept them."
What was an odd thing to say. "I'm hearing a name like Chester. Chester wants to say hello. He's showing me a couch with three soft pillows."
Phyllis laughed. "I always found Chaz sleeping on the couch." She chuckled, "What a lazy boy!"
By now I was totally confused. But I kept giving what I was getting, and left it to Phyllis to sort things out. As the session drew to a close, I felt exhausted - and totally perplexed. I took a deep breath to clear my head. I'd need a cup of green tea after this reading!
"I admire your courage," I said. "To lose so many children, and still be so strong."
Phyllis stood up and put on her jacket. "Would you like to see my darlings?"
She drew a small photo album from her purse. "This is my Bruno," she said, flipping the book open to a picture of a proud brown horse. The next photo, three cats: Chaz, Morris and Alfred. Other pictures featured a toy poodle and two birds.
"I miss my lovies." She smiled shyly. "You probably think I'm overreacting."
When Phyllis had first mentioned children, my mind automatically went to my own children. But I realized how natural it is to grieve for favoured pets. Animals have souls, too. They love us and when they pass, they enjoy coming back to thank us for being their friends and giving them loving homes.
"Not at all," I told Phyllis. "I understand."
Carolyn Molnar is a Toronto based Psychic Medium and Spiritual Teacher. She has over 30 years' experience. She provides readings and also teaches others how to tap into their intuitive abilities.
Her book, 'It Is Time: Knowledge From The Other Side', has made a real impact in how people understand intuition. She has been featured on radio, television and in print. Carolyn believes intuition is accessible to everyone.
Please visit Carolyn at http://carolynmolnar.com/ and sign up to receive her monthly newsletter, "A Psychic's Message", and learn more about how to develop and use your intuition in a practical way.
By Carolyn Molnar
Article Source: Understanding Phyllis' Children
The Strange Tale Of A Stellar Runaway
Our Sun is a solitary star; a lonely sphere of dazzling, sparkling gas, with no stellar family to call its own. However, most stars are not as bereft of stellar companionship as our Sun--in fact, more than 80% of all the stars in our majestic barred spiral Milky Way Galaxy are very sociable members of multiple stellar systems, containing two or more stars. However, exactly how these systems evolve is not well understood by scientists. In March 2017, a team of astronomers announced that they had succeeded in solving some of this intriguing mystery by observing the dramatic outcome of a centuries-old gravitational battle--which concluded with the disastrous breakup of a multiple system of sibling stars. At least three of the unfortunate sibling stars were rudely evicted from their system, only to speedily streak through interstellar space in different directions--thus revealing their tragic story to the watchful eyes of curious observers.
The terrible star war occurred at the same time that British royal families were fighting the War of the Roses in the 1400s for control of England's throne. The stars, waging their own celestial war, ended with their system breaking apart--never to come together again. The trio of evicted stellar runaways went unnoticed for hundreds of years until--at last--over the past few decades, two of the wayward stars were detected in infrared and radio observations, which could cut through the obscuring thick shroud of dust in the Orion Nebula.
The observations revealed that the two stars were zipping away at high speeds in opposite directions from each other. The duo's origin, however, presented a delightful mystery to be solved. The astronomers who discovered the speedy pair were able to trace both stars back 540 years to the same location. This discovery indicated that they were then constituents of a young and widely dispersed multiple-star system. However, the stellar duo's combined energy, propelling them outward, didn't add up right. The astronomers, therefore, went on to reason that there must be at least one other stellar culprit that cruelly stole energy from the tragic stellar breakup.
The recent observations were conducted using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The HST helped the astronomers find the missing piece of the puzzle by shining new light on the third wayward star. The astronomers followed the path of the newly detected third star back to the very same location where the duo of previously known stellar runaways were dwelling 540 years ago. The trio of evicted stars reside in a small region of youthful stars, named the Kleinman-Low Nebula, located near the center of the vast Orion Nebula complex, which is about 1,300 light-years from Earth.
"The new Hubble observations provide very strong evidence that the three stars were ejected from a multiple-star system. Astronomers had previously found a few other examples of fast-moving stars that trace back to multiple-star systems, and therefore were likely ejected. But these three stars are the youngest examples of such ejected stars. They're probably only a few hundred thousand years old. In fact, based on infrared images, the stars are still young enough to have disks of material leftover from their formation," explained Dr. Kevin Luhman in a March 17, 2017 Hubblesite Press Release. Dr. Luhman, who is of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, is the lead researcher of the new study.
Stellar Siblings
Stars are born when an extremely dense blob of material, embedded within the swirling, billowing folds of a giant, cold, dark molecular cloud, collapses under the relentless pull of its own gravity. Mostly composed of gas, mixed with a smaller amount of dust, these beautiful, undulating, phantom-like clouds serve as nurseries for baby stars (protostars)--as the dense blob collapses.
The most abundant form of multiple stellar systems are those with two stars (binary systems). These stellar duos have played an important role in many areas of astronomy--especially X-ray astronomy. For many binary stellar systems the two stars orbit their common center of mass due to the lure of their mutual gravitational attraction. However, the two stars may evolve independently (wide binaries), that can be compared to siblings that live in different cities but still keep in touch with e-mails. Wide binaries play an important role in astronomy because they provide the best means available for measuring the masses of stars. This is because astronomers, by observing both the period and size of the orbit, can then apply the theory of gravity.
However, in another form of stellar binary system--called close binaries--the two stars are so close to one another that they are actually able to transfer matter to each other. This exchange influences the appearance of both stars, as well as the way that they evolve.
For example, consider the evolution of a stellar binary system in which the duo consists of two massive stars: A and B. In this hypothetical system, A is the most massive, and because of its greater mass, it will evolve into a red giant star before its sibling. As a result, star A will fling a large quantity of its mass onto smaller star B, altering the appearance of both stellar siblings. Star A quickly uses up its remaining necessary supply of nuclear-fusing fuel, blasts itself to smithereens in a supernova explosion, and leaves behind a stellar relic called a neutron star or a stellar mass black hole behind to tell the tragic story of its demise. Eventually, when smaller star B evolves into a red giant, material being dumped from it onto the sibling neutron star or stellar mass black hole produces a powerful X-ray source that is termed an X-ray binary. The X-ray power of an X-ray binary is millions of times greater than that of the X-rays emitted from more ordinary stellar coronas. The searing-hot, roiling coronas are the upper atmospheres of stars, and they churn out an abundance of X-rays.
What eventually happens to star B depends on its orbit, as well as on the masses of both stars. According to one model, star B could spiral into star A--resulting in a stellar mass black hole. In another scenario, star B could blast itself to smithereens in a supernova explosion that would wreak havoc with the binary system. The supernova blast could produce either a neutron star or a stellar mass black hole. This would result in binary neutron stars--which have been observed--or a neutron star/stellar mass black hole binary. It could also produce a black hole/black hole binary.
If both stars A and B sport relatively small masses approximately the same as that of our Sun, they may both wind up as a type of stellar corpse termed a white dwarf-- rather than as neutron stars or stellar mass black holes, which are produced by stars that are more massive than our Sun. If star A dumps its material onto star B it could result in some very powerful celestial fireworks, called novae. Sometimes star A can manage to dump more of its material on star B--now a white dwarf--than star B can swallow. When this occurs, the white dwarf goes supernova, just like stars of greater mass.
The Strange Tale Of A Stellar Runaway
Dr. Luhman and his colleagues found that the three stellar escapees being observed were zipping at high speed out of the Kleinman-Low Nebula. In fact, the trio of stars were rushing through interstellar space at almost 30 times the speed of most of the nebula's stellar denizens. Based on computer simulations, astronomers predicted that these close gravitational dances should occur in young star clusters, where baby stars are crowded together. "The Orion Nebula could be surrounded by additional fledgling stars that were ejected from it in the past and are now streaming away into space," Dr. Luhman explained in the March 17, 2017 Hubblesite Press Release.
Dr. Luhman chanced upon the elusive third speedy star, called "source x", while he was searching for free-floating exoplanets in the Orion Nebula. Free-floating exoplanets are the rejected and ejected offspring of a star beyond our Sun, who have been evicted from their planetary system as a result of unfortunate gravitational interactions with other planets inhabiting the system or, alternatively, the too close and tragic disruption caused by a passing star. In either case, free-floating exoplanets wander through the wilderness of interstellar space with no parent-star to call their own--bereft of both sister planets and parent-stars. They are the sad orphans of the exoplanet zoo.
As a member of an international team of astronomers, led by Dr. Massimo Robberto of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI) in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Luhman made his serendipitous discovery of the third stellar runaway. The team used the near-infrared vision of HST's Wide Field Camera 3 to conduct the survey. During the analysis, Dr. Luhman was comparing the new infrared images obtained in 2015 with infrared observations taken back in 1998 by the Near Infrared Camera and Multi Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), when he noticed something strange. Dr. Luhman realized that source x had changed its position considerably, relative to nearby stars over the passage of the 17 years between HST images. This strongly suggested that the star was traveling fast--at the remarkable speed of about 130,000 miles per hour.
Dr. Luhman then studied the earlier locations of the speedy star, projecting its path back in time. He came to the realization that in the 1470s source x had been very close to the same original location in the Kleinman-Low Nebula as the duo of other runaway stars--named Becklin-Neugebauer (BN) and source I.
BN had been detected in infrared images in 1967, but its extremely rapid speed wasn't realized until 1995, when radio observations measured the star's speed at 60,000 miles per hour. In addition source I is zipping along at the breathtaking pace of approximately 22,000 miles per hour. The star had been spotted for the first time in radio observations. This is because it is so heavily veiled within a thick blanket of dust, that its visible and infrared light had been effectively blocked.
The trio of stellar runaways were most likely rudely evicted from their original home when they took part in a wild gravitational dance, according to Dr. Luhman. What frequently occurs when a multiple star system falls apart is that two of the member stars travel close enough to each other that they either merge or form a very close binary system. In either scenario, the event liberates enough gravitational energy to hurl the stars screaming out of the system. The energetic episode also produces a massive outflow of material. This outflow was detected in NICMOS images as fingers of matter flowing away from the location of the embedded source I star.
In the future, upcoming telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), will be able to detect a large swath of the Orion Nebula. By comparing images of the Nebula obtained by the upcoming JWST with those already taken by HST years earlier, astronomers plan to identify more unfortunate stellar runaways that have been evicted from other disrupted multiple star systems.
The research describing this study appears in the March 20, 2017 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Judith E. Braffman-Miller is a writer and astronomer whose articles have been published since 1981 in various journals, magazines, and newspapers. Although she has written on a variety of topics, she particularly loves writing about astronomy, because it gives her the opportunity to communicate to others the many wonders of her field. Her first book, "Wisp, Ashes, and Smoke," will be published soon.
By Judith E Braffman-Miller
Article Source: The Strange Tale Of A Stellar Runaway
The terrible star war occurred at the same time that British royal families were fighting the War of the Roses in the 1400s for control of England's throne. The stars, waging their own celestial war, ended with their system breaking apart--never to come together again. The trio of evicted stellar runaways went unnoticed for hundreds of years until--at last--over the past few decades, two of the wayward stars were detected in infrared and radio observations, which could cut through the obscuring thick shroud of dust in the Orion Nebula.
The observations revealed that the two stars were zipping away at high speeds in opposite directions from each other. The duo's origin, however, presented a delightful mystery to be solved. The astronomers who discovered the speedy pair were able to trace both stars back 540 years to the same location. This discovery indicated that they were then constituents of a young and widely dispersed multiple-star system. However, the stellar duo's combined energy, propelling them outward, didn't add up right. The astronomers, therefore, went on to reason that there must be at least one other stellar culprit that cruelly stole energy from the tragic stellar breakup.
The recent observations were conducted using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The HST helped the astronomers find the missing piece of the puzzle by shining new light on the third wayward star. The astronomers followed the path of the newly detected third star back to the very same location where the duo of previously known stellar runaways were dwelling 540 years ago. The trio of evicted stars reside in a small region of youthful stars, named the Kleinman-Low Nebula, located near the center of the vast Orion Nebula complex, which is about 1,300 light-years from Earth.
"The new Hubble observations provide very strong evidence that the three stars were ejected from a multiple-star system. Astronomers had previously found a few other examples of fast-moving stars that trace back to multiple-star systems, and therefore were likely ejected. But these three stars are the youngest examples of such ejected stars. They're probably only a few hundred thousand years old. In fact, based on infrared images, the stars are still young enough to have disks of material leftover from their formation," explained Dr. Kevin Luhman in a March 17, 2017 Hubblesite Press Release. Dr. Luhman, who is of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, is the lead researcher of the new study.
Stellar Siblings
Stars are born when an extremely dense blob of material, embedded within the swirling, billowing folds of a giant, cold, dark molecular cloud, collapses under the relentless pull of its own gravity. Mostly composed of gas, mixed with a smaller amount of dust, these beautiful, undulating, phantom-like clouds serve as nurseries for baby stars (protostars)--as the dense blob collapses.
The most abundant form of multiple stellar systems are those with two stars (binary systems). These stellar duos have played an important role in many areas of astronomy--especially X-ray astronomy. For many binary stellar systems the two stars orbit their common center of mass due to the lure of their mutual gravitational attraction. However, the two stars may evolve independently (wide binaries), that can be compared to siblings that live in different cities but still keep in touch with e-mails. Wide binaries play an important role in astronomy because they provide the best means available for measuring the masses of stars. This is because astronomers, by observing both the period and size of the orbit, can then apply the theory of gravity.
However, in another form of stellar binary system--called close binaries--the two stars are so close to one another that they are actually able to transfer matter to each other. This exchange influences the appearance of both stars, as well as the way that they evolve.
For example, consider the evolution of a stellar binary system in which the duo consists of two massive stars: A and B. In this hypothetical system, A is the most massive, and because of its greater mass, it will evolve into a red giant star before its sibling. As a result, star A will fling a large quantity of its mass onto smaller star B, altering the appearance of both stellar siblings. Star A quickly uses up its remaining necessary supply of nuclear-fusing fuel, blasts itself to smithereens in a supernova explosion, and leaves behind a stellar relic called a neutron star or a stellar mass black hole behind to tell the tragic story of its demise. Eventually, when smaller star B evolves into a red giant, material being dumped from it onto the sibling neutron star or stellar mass black hole produces a powerful X-ray source that is termed an X-ray binary. The X-ray power of an X-ray binary is millions of times greater than that of the X-rays emitted from more ordinary stellar coronas. The searing-hot, roiling coronas are the upper atmospheres of stars, and they churn out an abundance of X-rays.
What eventually happens to star B depends on its orbit, as well as on the masses of both stars. According to one model, star B could spiral into star A--resulting in a stellar mass black hole. In another scenario, star B could blast itself to smithereens in a supernova explosion that would wreak havoc with the binary system. The supernova blast could produce either a neutron star or a stellar mass black hole. This would result in binary neutron stars--which have been observed--or a neutron star/stellar mass black hole binary. It could also produce a black hole/black hole binary.
If both stars A and B sport relatively small masses approximately the same as that of our Sun, they may both wind up as a type of stellar corpse termed a white dwarf-- rather than as neutron stars or stellar mass black holes, which are produced by stars that are more massive than our Sun. If star A dumps its material onto star B it could result in some very powerful celestial fireworks, called novae. Sometimes star A can manage to dump more of its material on star B--now a white dwarf--than star B can swallow. When this occurs, the white dwarf goes supernova, just like stars of greater mass.
The Strange Tale Of A Stellar Runaway
Dr. Luhman and his colleagues found that the three stellar escapees being observed were zipping at high speed out of the Kleinman-Low Nebula. In fact, the trio of stars were rushing through interstellar space at almost 30 times the speed of most of the nebula's stellar denizens. Based on computer simulations, astronomers predicted that these close gravitational dances should occur in young star clusters, where baby stars are crowded together. "The Orion Nebula could be surrounded by additional fledgling stars that were ejected from it in the past and are now streaming away into space," Dr. Luhman explained in the March 17, 2017 Hubblesite Press Release.
Dr. Luhman chanced upon the elusive third speedy star, called "source x", while he was searching for free-floating exoplanets in the Orion Nebula. Free-floating exoplanets are the rejected and ejected offspring of a star beyond our Sun, who have been evicted from their planetary system as a result of unfortunate gravitational interactions with other planets inhabiting the system or, alternatively, the too close and tragic disruption caused by a passing star. In either case, free-floating exoplanets wander through the wilderness of interstellar space with no parent-star to call their own--bereft of both sister planets and parent-stars. They are the sad orphans of the exoplanet zoo.
As a member of an international team of astronomers, led by Dr. Massimo Robberto of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI) in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Luhman made his serendipitous discovery of the third stellar runaway. The team used the near-infrared vision of HST's Wide Field Camera 3 to conduct the survey. During the analysis, Dr. Luhman was comparing the new infrared images obtained in 2015 with infrared observations taken back in 1998 by the Near Infrared Camera and Multi Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), when he noticed something strange. Dr. Luhman realized that source x had changed its position considerably, relative to nearby stars over the passage of the 17 years between HST images. This strongly suggested that the star was traveling fast--at the remarkable speed of about 130,000 miles per hour.
Dr. Luhman then studied the earlier locations of the speedy star, projecting its path back in time. He came to the realization that in the 1470s source x had been very close to the same original location in the Kleinman-Low Nebula as the duo of other runaway stars--named Becklin-Neugebauer (BN) and source I.
BN had been detected in infrared images in 1967, but its extremely rapid speed wasn't realized until 1995, when radio observations measured the star's speed at 60,000 miles per hour. In addition source I is zipping along at the breathtaking pace of approximately 22,000 miles per hour. The star had been spotted for the first time in radio observations. This is because it is so heavily veiled within a thick blanket of dust, that its visible and infrared light had been effectively blocked.
The trio of stellar runaways were most likely rudely evicted from their original home when they took part in a wild gravitational dance, according to Dr. Luhman. What frequently occurs when a multiple star system falls apart is that two of the member stars travel close enough to each other that they either merge or form a very close binary system. In either scenario, the event liberates enough gravitational energy to hurl the stars screaming out of the system. The energetic episode also produces a massive outflow of material. This outflow was detected in NICMOS images as fingers of matter flowing away from the location of the embedded source I star.
In the future, upcoming telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), will be able to detect a large swath of the Orion Nebula. By comparing images of the Nebula obtained by the upcoming JWST with those already taken by HST years earlier, astronomers plan to identify more unfortunate stellar runaways that have been evicted from other disrupted multiple star systems.
The research describing this study appears in the March 20, 2017 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Judith E. Braffman-Miller is a writer and astronomer whose articles have been published since 1981 in various journals, magazines, and newspapers. Although she has written on a variety of topics, she particularly loves writing about astronomy, because it gives her the opportunity to communicate to others the many wonders of her field. Her first book, "Wisp, Ashes, and Smoke," will be published soon.
By Judith E Braffman-Miller
Article Source: The Strange Tale Of A Stellar Runaway
An Electrifying Yosemite Experience
Yosemite is an example of a National Park that's being loved to death. Most visitors to the park cram into the one Valley that gives the park its name. The pollution from all those cars, trucks and buses gets trapped there because the valley is boxed-in for the most part by those scenic 2000 foot tall cliffs. To combat the problem, the Park service has instituted a free hybrid shuttle bus system for visitors to ride while in the Valley and by encouraging visitors to park their cars outside the park and take a bus in. But there's a third option for people like me who want to visit Yosemite Valley while reducing the pollution of its air--driving an emissions-free electric vehicle, like the Toyota Rav4 EV that I drive.
Electric vehicles have never been more available or more practical than they are now and it's getting better all the time. Sure, they still don't have the range that a gasoline or diesel powered car has, but the range they do have makes them capable of handling about 90% of an average person's driving needs. And the greater availability of charging stations is making longer trips, like to Yosemite, even more doable.
There are three types of charging stations. Level 1 is standard household current at 110 or 120 volts AC. Level 2 is 208 or 240 V AC, the current an electric clothes dryer takes. Then, there's DCFC (direct current fast charging) or sometimes called DCQC (direct current quick charging) that can be up to 500 volts DC instead of AC current.
Within this last level, there're also three different types or protocols. First is the Tesla Superchargers that are only available for electric cars from Tesla Motors. Then there is the Combined Charging System (CCS) or DC combo charger. And finally, there is the one called CHAdeMo. Unlike level one and level two this is direct-current and it goes straight into the battery pack instead of through a charger like with alternating current. The key concept is that the higher the wattage (volts times amps), the faster an electric vehicle's battery can be recharged. The upshot is that Level 1 is the slowest and Level 3 is the fastest.
To find out where these different charging stations are located, you can go online to plugshare.com. Or if you have an EV with the CHAdeMO type quick charge port, then you'll want to check out the website chademo.com. Yosemite Village has three Level 2 charging stations, including one in the parking lot for the Village Store.
Thanks to a quick charge port added to our car called the JdeMO by a business that calls itself Quick Charge Power, we're able to use the CHAdeMO type quick charge stations. Our RAV4 didn't originally come with this quick charge port nor was Toyota offering it as an option. Many of today's electric vehicles come with a quick charge port already or it can be an option added by the manufacturer.
I have visited Yosemite twice this year in my electric car starting from my home in Sacramento. The first visit was before we added the quick charge port. On my first visit, I followed Highways 16 and 49 to 120 to reach the Valley since MapQuest showed it to be the most direct, shortest distance route to the park. This involved charging at the approximate midpoint of my journey- the Tuttletown Recreation Area of the New Melones Reservoir. A day use area there has a Level 2 electric vehicle charging station. I stopped there for a lunch break and read some newspapers and other material that I had been meaning to read for a long time.
After a two and a half to three-hour break, I was on the road again heading for Yosemite and soon picked up Highway 120. A famous or, depending on your perspective, an infamous section of Highway 120 is called the Old Priest Grade Road. The modern Highway 120 bypasses it, but for those so inclined this steep, narrow, winding strip of asphalt provides a shortcut to the park. I was sure the Rav4 wouldn't have any trouble climbing it, but, just to be sure, I punched the button that sets the motor into "Sport Mode." This setting increases the vehicle's acceleration and top speed, so I would have a little more power for this climb. I climbed it at the posted speed limit with no problem, except that some motorist behind me honked at me because he wanted to go faster.
Sheesh! What did he expect! I responded with a shrug but increased my pace a little bit. When I reached the top of the grade, I pulled over into an adjoining side road to let the dude pass me. I switched "Sport Mode" off and turned back onto the highway continuing on at my own pace.
By the time I reached the northwestern entrance to Yosemite, the Big Oak Flat Entrance, I was really concerned about whether I would make it to the charging stations in the Valley. The range meter on my dash was showing one mile less than the sign at the entrance station was saying it was to Yosemite Valley. Yikes! I continued on, hoping for the best. I gotta tell ya, I was sweating through every curve and every upward incline in the road. Oh my gosh, I'm not going to make it, kept running through my head. When I reached Crane Flat, I knew I wasn't going to make it, unless my EV was able to regenerate enough electricity on the downhill run into the Valley.
And that's when it happened. After Crane Flat, the road declined to a steady unrelenting downgrade. The beauty of that was not just that the car wasn't drawing any electricity out of the battery pack to move, since gravity was doing all the work, but also that the car's motor was now acting as a generator and recharging the battery. I was getting closer and closer to the Valley while the range meter was actually increasing.
I still didn't know if I would have enough charge to make it to the charging station, but it was looking better and better for me to at least make it to the Valley floor. I even pulled off at the first overlook of the Valley to take in a magnificent view of El Capitan and Half Dome. Then, I continued with my coasting toward the Valley.
By the time, I finally reached the junction with Highway 140, I was showing 19 miles of potential range and was pretty sure I would make it to the charging station. The slower speeds in the Valley are actually very efficient speeds to run any car on, including electric vehicles. That helped ensure that when I finally did get to the charging station, I had about 11 miles showing on the range meter. Hardly even exciting, right!
And, again, that's why it's a great thing that the park provides a free shuttle service while in the Valley. While my Rav4 was plugged in at the charging station, I could use the buses to get around to the different viewpoints and trailheads to enjoy the park. In fact, after pitching my tent at Camp 4 in the Valley, I drove over to the charging station to plug in for the night and then took a bus back over to the camp to spend the night. After breakfast the next morning, I took another bus back to the charging station and had a fully charged EV waiting for me with 131 miles showing on the dash.
On the drive home, since I was going mostly downhill from Yosemite back to Sacramento, I was able to drive well beyond the halfway point and didn't stop until I reached the town of Jackson and only had to charge for about an hour before continuing home.
My second visit was after we had the ChaDEMO quick charge port installed and it made a big difference in the trip. Instead of taking the most direct route, I instead planned a route that would take me by quick chargers, which meant Highway 99 to 140. That actually made for a faster route, since I was on freeway longer. My one stop this time was in the town of Atwater, near Merced, and the stop was only for about an hour. It gave me time for a Subway sandwich lunch. The quick charger I was plugged into only charged for 30 minutes at a time, so I did have to restart the charging midway through. Then back on the road for 89 miles to the Valley with 32 miles of range left when I got there. Nice cushion.
When I headed back home, I had 134 miles showing on the range indicator when I unplugged from the charging station. As you would expect, I drew down the range as I headed out of the Valley, but then an interesting thing happened. After passing through the Arch Rock entrance station, the road took a fairly steady downhill course toward a couple of crossings of the Merced River and my EV gained range along the way. At one point, I was seeing 135 miles showing on the dashboard, so I had gained more potential range than when I left the Valley in the first place. Pretty cool!
So, if you love Yosemite and want to do your part to keep a haze from hanging over the valley, then think about visiting in an electric vehicle. There have never been so many models to choose from and conveniently located charging stations both in the valley and along the way for you to plug in.
A website that lists the different charging stations that are available is http://www.plugshare.com.
Another website that mentions quick charging stations and where they are located is http://www.CHAdeMO.com.
For more information, view our website at: http://www.RobinsonTwins.com
and our online photo gallery at: http://www.RobinsonTwins.blogspot.com
By Robert Robinson and Richard Robinson
Article Source: An Electrifying Yosemite Experience
Electric vehicles have never been more available or more practical than they are now and it's getting better all the time. Sure, they still don't have the range that a gasoline or diesel powered car has, but the range they do have makes them capable of handling about 90% of an average person's driving needs. And the greater availability of charging stations is making longer trips, like to Yosemite, even more doable.
There are three types of charging stations. Level 1 is standard household current at 110 or 120 volts AC. Level 2 is 208 or 240 V AC, the current an electric clothes dryer takes. Then, there's DCFC (direct current fast charging) or sometimes called DCQC (direct current quick charging) that can be up to 500 volts DC instead of AC current.
Within this last level, there're also three different types or protocols. First is the Tesla Superchargers that are only available for electric cars from Tesla Motors. Then there is the Combined Charging System (CCS) or DC combo charger. And finally, there is the one called CHAdeMo. Unlike level one and level two this is direct-current and it goes straight into the battery pack instead of through a charger like with alternating current. The key concept is that the higher the wattage (volts times amps), the faster an electric vehicle's battery can be recharged. The upshot is that Level 1 is the slowest and Level 3 is the fastest.
To find out where these different charging stations are located, you can go online to plugshare.com. Or if you have an EV with the CHAdeMO type quick charge port, then you'll want to check out the website chademo.com. Yosemite Village has three Level 2 charging stations, including one in the parking lot for the Village Store.
Thanks to a quick charge port added to our car called the JdeMO by a business that calls itself Quick Charge Power, we're able to use the CHAdeMO type quick charge stations. Our RAV4 didn't originally come with this quick charge port nor was Toyota offering it as an option. Many of today's electric vehicles come with a quick charge port already or it can be an option added by the manufacturer.
I have visited Yosemite twice this year in my electric car starting from my home in Sacramento. The first visit was before we added the quick charge port. On my first visit, I followed Highways 16 and 49 to 120 to reach the Valley since MapQuest showed it to be the most direct, shortest distance route to the park. This involved charging at the approximate midpoint of my journey- the Tuttletown Recreation Area of the New Melones Reservoir. A day use area there has a Level 2 electric vehicle charging station. I stopped there for a lunch break and read some newspapers and other material that I had been meaning to read for a long time.
After a two and a half to three-hour break, I was on the road again heading for Yosemite and soon picked up Highway 120. A famous or, depending on your perspective, an infamous section of Highway 120 is called the Old Priest Grade Road. The modern Highway 120 bypasses it, but for those so inclined this steep, narrow, winding strip of asphalt provides a shortcut to the park. I was sure the Rav4 wouldn't have any trouble climbing it, but, just to be sure, I punched the button that sets the motor into "Sport Mode." This setting increases the vehicle's acceleration and top speed, so I would have a little more power for this climb. I climbed it at the posted speed limit with no problem, except that some motorist behind me honked at me because he wanted to go faster.
Sheesh! What did he expect! I responded with a shrug but increased my pace a little bit. When I reached the top of the grade, I pulled over into an adjoining side road to let the dude pass me. I switched "Sport Mode" off and turned back onto the highway continuing on at my own pace.
By the time I reached the northwestern entrance to Yosemite, the Big Oak Flat Entrance, I was really concerned about whether I would make it to the charging stations in the Valley. The range meter on my dash was showing one mile less than the sign at the entrance station was saying it was to Yosemite Valley. Yikes! I continued on, hoping for the best. I gotta tell ya, I was sweating through every curve and every upward incline in the road. Oh my gosh, I'm not going to make it, kept running through my head. When I reached Crane Flat, I knew I wasn't going to make it, unless my EV was able to regenerate enough electricity on the downhill run into the Valley.
And that's when it happened. After Crane Flat, the road declined to a steady unrelenting downgrade. The beauty of that was not just that the car wasn't drawing any electricity out of the battery pack to move, since gravity was doing all the work, but also that the car's motor was now acting as a generator and recharging the battery. I was getting closer and closer to the Valley while the range meter was actually increasing.
I still didn't know if I would have enough charge to make it to the charging station, but it was looking better and better for me to at least make it to the Valley floor. I even pulled off at the first overlook of the Valley to take in a magnificent view of El Capitan and Half Dome. Then, I continued with my coasting toward the Valley.
By the time, I finally reached the junction with Highway 140, I was showing 19 miles of potential range and was pretty sure I would make it to the charging station. The slower speeds in the Valley are actually very efficient speeds to run any car on, including electric vehicles. That helped ensure that when I finally did get to the charging station, I had about 11 miles showing on the range meter. Hardly even exciting, right!
And, again, that's why it's a great thing that the park provides a free shuttle service while in the Valley. While my Rav4 was plugged in at the charging station, I could use the buses to get around to the different viewpoints and trailheads to enjoy the park. In fact, after pitching my tent at Camp 4 in the Valley, I drove over to the charging station to plug in for the night and then took a bus back over to the camp to spend the night. After breakfast the next morning, I took another bus back to the charging station and had a fully charged EV waiting for me with 131 miles showing on the dash.
On the drive home, since I was going mostly downhill from Yosemite back to Sacramento, I was able to drive well beyond the halfway point and didn't stop until I reached the town of Jackson and only had to charge for about an hour before continuing home.
My second visit was after we had the ChaDEMO quick charge port installed and it made a big difference in the trip. Instead of taking the most direct route, I instead planned a route that would take me by quick chargers, which meant Highway 99 to 140. That actually made for a faster route, since I was on freeway longer. My one stop this time was in the town of Atwater, near Merced, and the stop was only for about an hour. It gave me time for a Subway sandwich lunch. The quick charger I was plugged into only charged for 30 minutes at a time, so I did have to restart the charging midway through. Then back on the road for 89 miles to the Valley with 32 miles of range left when I got there. Nice cushion.
When I headed back home, I had 134 miles showing on the range indicator when I unplugged from the charging station. As you would expect, I drew down the range as I headed out of the Valley, but then an interesting thing happened. After passing through the Arch Rock entrance station, the road took a fairly steady downhill course toward a couple of crossings of the Merced River and my EV gained range along the way. At one point, I was seeing 135 miles showing on the dashboard, so I had gained more potential range than when I left the Valley in the first place. Pretty cool!
So, if you love Yosemite and want to do your part to keep a haze from hanging over the valley, then think about visiting in an electric vehicle. There have never been so many models to choose from and conveniently located charging stations both in the valley and along the way for you to plug in.
A website that lists the different charging stations that are available is http://www.plugshare.com.
Another website that mentions quick charging stations and where they are located is http://www.CHAdeMO.com.
For more information, view our website at: http://www.RobinsonTwins.com
and our online photo gallery at: http://www.RobinsonTwins.blogspot.com
By Robert Robinson and Richard Robinson
Article Source: An Electrifying Yosemite Experience
Important Things To Consider When Choosing A Hotel
Choosing a hotel to stay in is one of the most important decisions to make when planning a trip. This can be difficult, especially when embarking on a journey to an unfamiliar destination. A perfect choice can help make the trip a more exciting experience while a poor choice could ruin the trip altogether. Below we will discuss five major factors to consider before booking a hotel.
Price
Choosing a hotel that suits your travel budget is a key factor to consider. This would help you save some cost if well thought out. Hotel prices are affected by location, hotel type (luxury or budget hotel) and also by the facilities. With the right research you can get a good bargain in a top hotel (especially when they offer discounts).
Location
So many questions would come to mind when considering the hotel's location. Is it close to the venue of your primary reason for travelling? Is it in a secure location? What is transportation in the area like? What are the tourist attractions around the area? Are there any medical centres around? All these questions and more need to be properly answered to make sure you are close to everything you would need throughout your stay.
Facilities/Amenities
This is one very important factor to consider because it helps you understand what facilities are available at the hotel compared what the ones you need. Therefore helps you avoid unpleasant surprises. For instance, it would be discouraging to find out that the hotel does not have Wi-Fi and internet connection, especially for those on a business trip. How about finding out that you might need to share the bathroom or some other conveniences.
Value
Getting true value for money spent can only be done by comparing prices of the different hotels simultaneously. You can ask for discounts and other lucrative offers ad save some money. Apart from considering the price of the hotel, you can also research about value added services like laundry/dry cleaning, internet access, extended room services, etc.
Reviews
Reading through the experiences of others who have stayed at any of the hotels you are considering would help to authenticate the quality and standard of the hotel. Though you can't solely rely on this factor, most times these reviews are honest and vital resources needed when deciding between hotels. These reviews help you answer questions like are the hotel rooms clean, are the air conditioners working, how friendly is the customer service and whether the food at the restaurant is any good.
If you put these five factors into consideration before booking a hotel for your next trip, am sure you would not be disappointed with your choice.
Abebi Bello love to travel and take travel photos. He like to share information around travel, holidays and hotel in Nigeria. He would be happy to help you in planning your travels. Currently he is with hotelnownow.com. When next you are travelling, visit hotelnownow.com to help guide your hotel choice. If you like his information, don't forget to share with others.
By Abebi Bello
Article Source: Important Things To Consider When Choosing A Hotel
Price
Choosing a hotel that suits your travel budget is a key factor to consider. This would help you save some cost if well thought out. Hotel prices are affected by location, hotel type (luxury or budget hotel) and also by the facilities. With the right research you can get a good bargain in a top hotel (especially when they offer discounts).
Location
So many questions would come to mind when considering the hotel's location. Is it close to the venue of your primary reason for travelling? Is it in a secure location? What is transportation in the area like? What are the tourist attractions around the area? Are there any medical centres around? All these questions and more need to be properly answered to make sure you are close to everything you would need throughout your stay.
Facilities/Amenities
This is one very important factor to consider because it helps you understand what facilities are available at the hotel compared what the ones you need. Therefore helps you avoid unpleasant surprises. For instance, it would be discouraging to find out that the hotel does not have Wi-Fi and internet connection, especially for those on a business trip. How about finding out that you might need to share the bathroom or some other conveniences.
Value
Getting true value for money spent can only be done by comparing prices of the different hotels simultaneously. You can ask for discounts and other lucrative offers ad save some money. Apart from considering the price of the hotel, you can also research about value added services like laundry/dry cleaning, internet access, extended room services, etc.
Reviews
Reading through the experiences of others who have stayed at any of the hotels you are considering would help to authenticate the quality and standard of the hotel. Though you can't solely rely on this factor, most times these reviews are honest and vital resources needed when deciding between hotels. These reviews help you answer questions like are the hotel rooms clean, are the air conditioners working, how friendly is the customer service and whether the food at the restaurant is any good.
If you put these five factors into consideration before booking a hotel for your next trip, am sure you would not be disappointed with your choice.
Abebi Bello love to travel and take travel photos. He like to share information around travel, holidays and hotel in Nigeria. He would be happy to help you in planning your travels. Currently he is with hotelnownow.com. When next you are travelling, visit hotelnownow.com to help guide your hotel choice. If you like his information, don't forget to share with others.
By Abebi Bello
Article Source: Important Things To Consider When Choosing A Hotel
Could Your Classroom Benefit From Interactive Whiteboards?
There's no denying that the influence of digital technologies has fundamentally altered the teaching environment. Less than a decade ago, teaching was a much simpler affair than it is today. Though times had moved on from the blackboard and flip chart, the most common technology you'd find in a classroom would be an overhead projector.
Today, interactive whiteboards are a common sight in many education establishments as teachers make use of digital teaching tools and heightened interactivity to drive home the lessons they're trying to impart on their students.
Despite their increasing popularity though, many educational establishments still haven't invested in interactive whiteboards for their classrooms. We think that's a mistake, as every classroom can benefit from an interactive whiteboard. Here's why we think that's the case:
They enhance learning for different types of learners
It may be true that many students learn best through the sounds they hear (we call these auditory learners), there are a great many that simply don't learn that way. No classroom is ever full of the same type of learner, so ensuring that you cater to all learning types is essential.
You'll find that there are visual, kinaesthetic, tactile and auditory learners, and each enjoys a different preferred learning method. Interactive whiteboards are the only classroom presentation tool which effectively caters to all learner. Learners can see, heat, touch, manipulate and alter information right on the screen, leading to a more dynamic learning experience for everyone.
They improve participation levels
It should come as no surprise, but kids can quickly lose interest if they aren't particularly interested in the subject or topic they're being taught. On one hand, teachers have a high degree of control over how exciting a lesson is, but on the other hand, you're now competing against technology.
That's why interactive whiteboards make for such a compelling option. There's something undeniably exciting about an interactive whiteboard up at the front of the class, and for younger students the opportunity to get up and give that great glowing screen a play with is a huge honour.
They allow teachers to incorporate digital teaching tools
Digital teaching tools have helped push educational standards ever higher as teachers make use of the brilliant community of educators out there creating valuable content for other educators to take advantage of.
An interactive whiteboard removes the hurdles between those resources and your students, whilst also allowing you to highlight important aspects of the tools they be using on their personal computers, both in class and at home.
KPMS are a leading UK supplier of audiovisual equipment for both schools and businesses. KPMS have decades of experience providing clients with interactive whiteboards, projectors, speakers, microphones, lecterns, LED displays and much, much more. Find out more today!
By Alec James
Article Source: Could Your Classroom Benefit From Interactive Whiteboards?
Today, interactive whiteboards are a common sight in many education establishments as teachers make use of digital teaching tools and heightened interactivity to drive home the lessons they're trying to impart on their students.
Despite their increasing popularity though, many educational establishments still haven't invested in interactive whiteboards for their classrooms. We think that's a mistake, as every classroom can benefit from an interactive whiteboard. Here's why we think that's the case:
They enhance learning for different types of learners
It may be true that many students learn best through the sounds they hear (we call these auditory learners), there are a great many that simply don't learn that way. No classroom is ever full of the same type of learner, so ensuring that you cater to all learning types is essential.
You'll find that there are visual, kinaesthetic, tactile and auditory learners, and each enjoys a different preferred learning method. Interactive whiteboards are the only classroom presentation tool which effectively caters to all learner. Learners can see, heat, touch, manipulate and alter information right on the screen, leading to a more dynamic learning experience for everyone.
They improve participation levels
It should come as no surprise, but kids can quickly lose interest if they aren't particularly interested in the subject or topic they're being taught. On one hand, teachers have a high degree of control over how exciting a lesson is, but on the other hand, you're now competing against technology.
That's why interactive whiteboards make for such a compelling option. There's something undeniably exciting about an interactive whiteboard up at the front of the class, and for younger students the opportunity to get up and give that great glowing screen a play with is a huge honour.
They allow teachers to incorporate digital teaching tools
Digital teaching tools have helped push educational standards ever higher as teachers make use of the brilliant community of educators out there creating valuable content for other educators to take advantage of.
An interactive whiteboard removes the hurdles between those resources and your students, whilst also allowing you to highlight important aspects of the tools they be using on their personal computers, both in class and at home.
KPMS are a leading UK supplier of audiovisual equipment for both schools and businesses. KPMS have decades of experience providing clients with interactive whiteboards, projectors, speakers, microphones, lecterns, LED displays and much, much more. Find out more today!
By Alec James
Article Source: Could Your Classroom Benefit From Interactive Whiteboards?
How The Heart Of France Will Steal Your Heart
All around the world, France is considered to be one of the most beautiful countries that exist on our planet. And Paris is the heart of this beautiful. Going here for the first time will make you feel like you have just stepped into one of your best dreams. Everything here as an air of romance. Shrouded with modern day technology, Paris still allows you to step back into Medieval times with its beautifully designed museums and the amazing things they hold. You will truly get a blast from the past with a modern touch if that's possible.
Before moving on to give you a list of all the reasons you should visit this place let me give you a small travel tip. Sell your airline miles online to save money when you travel. You don't know how much travel money you'll save. So without further ado, here is the list of things that I know will steal your heart in Paris.
1. The Eiffel Tower
The most ideal place to propose in the world is shrouded with an air of love and magic. Tom Cruise proposed here and if you're a guy then it is suggested that you start making notes right now. This tower of metal is a symbol of eternal love throughout the world. No one can really figure out why that happened and we don't really want to go into too much detail. The thing is that you just have to go here and see for yourself the magic that it renders on you.
2. The roadside cafes
The streets of Paris are filled with small cafes with amazingly cute and fun sitting areas that will give you the perfect view of the ongoings and hustle bustle of this city. The view isn't the only thing that these cafes offer because I would just like to clarify that their food is absolutely finger licking good. It makes you want to grab a blanket and just sit there forever watching as the whole city passes you by, with your warm butter croissant. They will leave you with a full tummy and will definitely satisfy any sweet food cravings that you have. And if you love chocolate we suggest you try eating their chocolate croissants as well.
3. The Museums
For decades Paris has been known to house mysteries that if revealed would leave the world confused and startled. And if you don't know about these things then I suggest you do a sneak peak of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. However, some of the less shocking mysteries have been housed in the museums of Paris. These include the secret smile of Mona Lisa and the glass pyramid of Louvre.
These places may seem tedious on page but believe me when I say that they are probably the most beautiful things that you'll witness in all your life. So don't forget to sell your airline miles to to save money on your travels to Paris.
By Abuzar Mir
Article Source: How The Heart Of France Will Steal Your Heart
Before moving on to give you a list of all the reasons you should visit this place let me give you a small travel tip. Sell your airline miles online to save money when you travel. You don't know how much travel money you'll save. So without further ado, here is the list of things that I know will steal your heart in Paris.
1. The Eiffel Tower
The most ideal place to propose in the world is shrouded with an air of love and magic. Tom Cruise proposed here and if you're a guy then it is suggested that you start making notes right now. This tower of metal is a symbol of eternal love throughout the world. No one can really figure out why that happened and we don't really want to go into too much detail. The thing is that you just have to go here and see for yourself the magic that it renders on you.
2. The roadside cafes
The streets of Paris are filled with small cafes with amazingly cute and fun sitting areas that will give you the perfect view of the ongoings and hustle bustle of this city. The view isn't the only thing that these cafes offer because I would just like to clarify that their food is absolutely finger licking good. It makes you want to grab a blanket and just sit there forever watching as the whole city passes you by, with your warm butter croissant. They will leave you with a full tummy and will definitely satisfy any sweet food cravings that you have. And if you love chocolate we suggest you try eating their chocolate croissants as well.
3. The Museums
For decades Paris has been known to house mysteries that if revealed would leave the world confused and startled. And if you don't know about these things then I suggest you do a sneak peak of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. However, some of the less shocking mysteries have been housed in the museums of Paris. These include the secret smile of Mona Lisa and the glass pyramid of Louvre.
These places may seem tedious on page but believe me when I say that they are probably the most beautiful things that you'll witness in all your life. So don't forget to sell your airline miles to to save money on your travels to Paris.
By Abuzar Mir
Article Source: How The Heart Of France Will Steal Your Heart
The Cost Of A Worthless Degree From California State University Just Got More Costly
Inflation has been all but non-existent during the Obama Years, yet you wouldn't know that looking at the increase of College/University Tuition at the State Level, especially in California. Students are told in High School that college is mandatory to have a fruitful life and live in the elusive middle class, and are told to go into debt to get that degree (more like economic enslavement) with no guarantee. Most of the college professors and administrators are in the 2%, no not the 1% but well ahead of what their students should ever expect to get to. Let's talk, because the academic bubble is still building and its about to pop - things have gotten way out of hand.
There was a rather troubling segment on ABC News Affiliate in Los Angeles (Eyewitness News 7) recently titled: "CSU Trustees Vote to Raise Tuition by 5% Amid Protest From Students" on March 22, 2017.
First, I'd like to point out that the education hasn't gotten any better at the California State University System, by all measures and accounts it has gotten worse. Degreed Students are valued less in the marketplace, as employers realize their education isn't as good, and that those degrees don't predict the students will be productive employees or even have a clue as to what they are doing.
Most professors, especially tenured professors are not teaching in the classroom much, as they spend lots of time on sabbaticals, and have grad students lecturing now. The increased costs of the university has to do with legacy costs (Pensions) and increase healthcare Cadillac Style Health Care Programs for staff and professors. Although their pension fund is not as bad as the University of California System which highly underfunded, it isn't breaking any records either - this Trump Bump in the stock market recently has saved their asses (temporarily) if you'd like to know the true skinny on that.
It's time to face facts - The CSU system (California State University) is broken, academia is broken close the damn universities who give degrees in Gender Studies, Sustainability, Ethnic Equality, LBGT Studies - those kids aren't going to get work to ever pay off those student loans - academia is on drugs by any rational observable standard - worthless - totally worthless surviving off of Federal Research Grants and Taxpayers and extortion tuition, subsidies and socialist agendas. Some at our think tank online, to put it quite bluntly, say; "To hell with all of it, it's just BS now," and I believe these think tank members are absolutely correct.
Why the 5% increase in tuition when enrollment is at an all-time high? Why the increase in tuition without increased benefits? The degrees aren't worth any more than they were last year, in fact they are worth less now. The California State University System is out-of-control just like the University of California System is, and academia across the country is with student loan debt hovering at 1.4 Trillion Dollars, 45% of those loans have never made a single payment or are 90-days overdue. The academic industrial complex is a giant bubble about to burst, and what does the CSU system do? Raise tuition? Oh, well that's just going to help a lot lot... NOT!
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on the Future of Education. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net.
By Lance Winslow
Article Source: The Cost Of A Worthless Degree From California State University Just Got More Costly
There was a rather troubling segment on ABC News Affiliate in Los Angeles (Eyewitness News 7) recently titled: "CSU Trustees Vote to Raise Tuition by 5% Amid Protest From Students" on March 22, 2017.
First, I'd like to point out that the education hasn't gotten any better at the California State University System, by all measures and accounts it has gotten worse. Degreed Students are valued less in the marketplace, as employers realize their education isn't as good, and that those degrees don't predict the students will be productive employees or even have a clue as to what they are doing.
Most professors, especially tenured professors are not teaching in the classroom much, as they spend lots of time on sabbaticals, and have grad students lecturing now. The increased costs of the university has to do with legacy costs (Pensions) and increase healthcare Cadillac Style Health Care Programs for staff and professors. Although their pension fund is not as bad as the University of California System which highly underfunded, it isn't breaking any records either - this Trump Bump in the stock market recently has saved their asses (temporarily) if you'd like to know the true skinny on that.
It's time to face facts - The CSU system (California State University) is broken, academia is broken close the damn universities who give degrees in Gender Studies, Sustainability, Ethnic Equality, LBGT Studies - those kids aren't going to get work to ever pay off those student loans - academia is on drugs by any rational observable standard - worthless - totally worthless surviving off of Federal Research Grants and Taxpayers and extortion tuition, subsidies and socialist agendas. Some at our think tank online, to put it quite bluntly, say; "To hell with all of it, it's just BS now," and I believe these think tank members are absolutely correct.
Why the 5% increase in tuition when enrollment is at an all-time high? Why the increase in tuition without increased benefits? The degrees aren't worth any more than they were last year, in fact they are worth less now. The California State University System is out-of-control just like the University of California System is, and academia across the country is with student loan debt hovering at 1.4 Trillion Dollars, 45% of those loans have never made a single payment or are 90-days overdue. The academic industrial complex is a giant bubble about to burst, and what does the CSU system do? Raise tuition? Oh, well that's just going to help a lot lot... NOT!
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on the Future of Education. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net.
By Lance Winslow
Article Source: The Cost Of A Worthless Degree From California State University Just Got More Costly
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)