Friday, May 17, 2013

Car Insurance Premium - How Is It Calculated?

As an automobile owner, one expense that you simply positively need to bare is insurance. accept for the very fact that having insurance is remitted by law, you furthermore may shield yourself from money farm by having it. Since this is often a payment that you simply cannot avoid, it's in your best interest to do and scale back your payments the maximum amount as potential. There ar some ways of doing this however you would like to begin by understanding specifically however your insurance premium is calculated.If you want to know more exhaustive and therefore immediately visit our site car insurance !. this is often usually  dependant on such a lot of factors that it's unlikely that two individuals can have the precise same insurance although they drive an equivalent model vehicle.
The following queries ar usually accustomed calculate your insurance premium:
- What create and model is your car? bound cars ar far-famed to be additional accident apt to others et al. suffer little or no harm evens though they are concerned in collisions. There {are also|also ar|are} vehicles that are terribly expensive to repair. the value of insurance so varies per the create of the vehicle.
- You're driving history: Insurers supply cheaper premiums to those that have wonderful track records of no accidents. detain mind that dashing tickets also are thought of here as a result of they show that you simply drive in an exceedingly reckless manner. additionally, if you will show that you simply have taken categories in defensive driving then it'll ease scale back your premium, albeit by alittle quantity. Insurers additionally offer discounts to those that have not created a claim on their policy the previous year.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Dual Benefits of Child Plan Investment and Protection


An important side within the correct upbringing of a toddler is to arrange for his/her future well ahead. whereas fulfilling the daily chores concerned within the method of parenting, it's quite traditional to ascertain oldsters forgetting the long run wants of a toddler upbringing. As a result, we regularly see oldsters in a very fix once they do not seem to be able to offer the required support to their kid in order that they will pursue the most effective education that might enhances their career prospects.
If as a parent, you are doing not wish to ascertain yourself in such a situation, it's suggested that you just ought to begin saving and invest these savings in order that the money will grow over the time and will be profitably used once it's most needed. one in all the wide used investment choice could be a kid arranges offered by the insurance firms. the most effective time to save many and invest is because the golden rule of monetary designing is to speculate as early as doable.
The key advantage of investment in a very kid insurance arrange is that it offers the twin advantage of investment and protection.
Investment profit - typically investments ar created in a very kid arranges within the style of annual or quarterly premiums. there's a bunch of on-line kid arranges out there on the market and you will select the one that most closely fits your wants. the most effective kid arranges is one that helps you grow your cash in order that you are able to meet the long run necessities to fund varied milestones in your child's career and life to your own satisfaction. kid plans offer you milestone payments after you most want them.If you want to know more fully and in detail and therefore immediately visit our site life insurance quotes !. The temporal arrangement of those payments are pre-defined and frequently coincides with the temporal arrangement once your kid would be reaching to pursue school or education and additionally at the time of his or her wedding. Beside these milestone payments, a toddler arranges additionally entitles to a terminal payment once the policy expires. many plans provide the choice to.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

How useful in finding ways to Manage Payday Loans Financial Emergency

Payday loans square measure maybe the fastest and effective method of borrowing instant money. regardless of credit standing or FICO score, Associate in Nursingyone will apply for such loans because the lenders of those loans do not run a credit check for approving an application. These are literally short term money advances, particularly designed for people with but excellent credit to fulfill their pressing monetary needs.
Therefore, if you are facing an explosive monetary issue a sort of automobile breakdown or an enormous doctor's bill, you will select such a loan. have not any worry; your credit will not come on the method of authorisation. Remember, to pay back the loan simply on time, i.e., on your next pay day or on the day of the month set by each you and therefore the day investor to avoid paying Associate in Nursing arm and a leg in interests.if you know more detail and therefore visit our site online payday loans!.
Here square measure the needs for obtaining your day application approved.
• Proof of financial gain - To qualify for such a loan, you need to have a monthly financial gain of a minimum of $1000. Your paystub are often used because the proof of your financial gain. Your bank bank account ought to even be verified as active.
• Proof of employment - you wish to be used for constant leader for a minimum of last three consecutive months.
US subjectship - you need to be a legal citizen of the us to be qualified for obtaining a day loan.
• Proof more matured - you need to be of 18 years or a lot of to qualify for this loan. you will use you're driving licence to prove your age.
These square measure the needs that you simply should meet to urge a no credit check day loan. However, before you apply for such a sum of money, you must grasp some vital factors associated with it and here they. are
• Credit Qualification - day lenders do not run any credit check; they do not want the borrowers to possess traditional credit qualification. weather or not you have got created payment towards your credit cards debts, utility bills or unsecured loans on time is not thought-about as a qualifying criterion for obtaining a quick money day loan.
• History of Check Writing - History of check writing to the merchants are additionally not thought-about as Associate in Nursing eligibility criterion to urge your application allowed. yet, if you have got a history of day loan non-payment, then it'll seem once your identities are checked.
• trailing System - day lenders do not use any trailing system to ascertain weather or not or not the recipient contains a variety of outstanding debts.
• Social Security variety - you need to have your Social Security variety to urge a day loan because it is needed by the law. Most states need the lenders to make sure that no recipient is borrowing a lot of loans than what they will manage to pay back.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Nontraditional College Student by Libby Hancock - Save Money and Time and Still Earn Your Degree


Are you, or anyone among your family and friends, interested in pursuing a college degree, but don't because of cost, time constraints, or resistance to spending additional time in the classroom? If so, then the new book, "The Nontraditional College Student," by Libby Hancock, will prove beneficial.

Hancock, 23, is a Cleveland, Ohio-based author, who completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications in three years, graduated with a high GPA and honors; and spent less than $15,000 on the entire process.

Home-schooled, Hancock dispels common perceptions of attending classes in pajamas and a lack of socialization. She completed the Ohio requirements for high school graduation, passed the ACT with a good score; and pursued a college degree. Her parents told her she would need to finance her own advanced education.

Hancock used two non-accredited institutions to assist her in earning her degree-College Plus and Verity:

College Plus. This institution helps students discover or confirm their career path. Its attributes include class planning, study resource recommendations, and an assigned coach (mentor). The entire program is Internet-based.

Verity. While similar to College Plus, Verity has its differences, including emphasis on discipleship and spiritual growth. It also offers on-campus learning near downtown Indianapolis, Indiana.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program) exams, DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) and TECEP (Thomas Edison State College Examination Program) allowed Hancock to study on her own; and then take corresponding tests. She describes the process how to convert successful testing into college credit.

CLEP. Currently a way to test out of 33 college classes offered by College Board (the same company that created and administers the famous college readiness ACT tests). All CLEP tests are computer-based and last 90 minutes.

DSST. The military originally designed this testing for military personnel and it now accommodates the general public too. DSST is an acronym for DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (where DANTES stands for the United States Department of Defense's Defense Activity for nontraditional Education Support program. It currently offers 37 courses.

TECEP. Its testing is combination of multiple choice questions and essays. Hancock describes it as one of the more challenging ways to earn college credit because the website doesn't offer a detailed breakdown of topics (as do CLEP and DSST).

"One key to receiving great grades in school is discovering your learning style, and then sticking with it," Hancock says.

Reading textbooks, taking notes and tests can make for a classic case of burnout. Hancock offers tips to help diffuse the monotony of studying, including:

    Plan the use of your time.
    Organize your work area to help organize your brain.
    Mark up your books. If you rent your textbooks, consider taking notes on your computer, print them out and then color-code them for easy reference.

"Being motivated to stay focused on the task at hand and to work hard and fast was not a skill I was born with," Hancock says. She had to learn to set achievable goals. "Self-motivation takes work. It won't simply "happen" overnight."

The American Council on Education (ACE) recognizes most free, online Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) courses. If emergency response aligns with your career goals, Hancock describes the process for converting their completed courses of college credit (fee-based).

ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces) focuses on mathematical studies and is another method to obtain college credit, which Hancock describes.

Hancock endorses doing an internship during college. She emphasizes the importance of logging all of your accomplishments and keeping records for the work you produce for your portfolio.

She herself received an unsolicited invitation via email, to do an eleven-week internship at NASA Glenn Research Center in the Community and Media Relations office.

Hancock enrolled at Thomas Edison State College (TESC) because of their flexible transfer credit policy. She took classes online and learned via online discussion boards, written assignments and final essays or tests. TESC also grants credit for prior learning, showcased by their Prior Learning Assessment (PLA), which features 84 classes in 31 different subjects. She graduated on campus in downtown Trenton New Jersey in October 2011.

"The Nontraditional College Student" is a concise, informative, and inspiring read. Hancock teaches you how to earn a college degree for less money and time. Even if you choose not to pursue your whole degree in nontraditional ways, you're bound to find tips to help customize your advanced learning.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

How to Really Enjoy a Good Book



I am an incredibly slow reader, and for me finishing a book of an average kind of length can take anywhere between one to three months. This is something that many of my friends and family are surprised to learn, mostly because I'm such an avid reader and because I write incredibly quickly. So what's going on then?

The thing is, that when I read a novel I like to do it properly and to feel fully immersed in the book. Too many people I see reading a book on the tube, dipping in and out of the narrative while chatting to their friends or asking people for the time, and too often I see people really just skim reading the content without actually taking it in.

When I read I like to word out every line in my head in the imagined spoken voice that I think that person would have, and I like to imagine it all in detail. I read every line, and I sound out every comma and every italicised section to sound the way I think it should and to add or remove emphasis accordingly.

And to do all this I also like to set the scene perfectly first so that it's ideally conducive to being able to really bask in what I'm reading. Here is how I do it...

Sorting Everything Out

First of all, before I sit down to read I like to make sure that I have no pressing concerns weighing on my mind and potentially preventing me from fully enjoying the experience. As such then I will run around quickly to finish any pressing chores and I'll tidy up the space around me to be clean and organized and to give me space to breathe. Only once I've set aside myself some 'bubble time' with no potential stressors, I then turn off my hone and sit down to read.

The Perfect Lighting

The perfect reading lighting is a tricky thing to accomplish. On the one hand it's got to be a dim enough light that I feel cosy, but meanwhile it mustn't be so dim that it causes eye strain. This means then that it should be a kind of mellow glow that relaxes me but still enables me to focus.

Comfort

I also like to make sure that wherever I'm sitting is super comfortable. There's nothing quite like reading in bed, but then at the same time a comfortable couch or even a bean bag can be just as good, so long as it's easy to recline.

That said I do also have another place I like to read - coffee shops. Though they aren't silent the background chatter and clinking of mugs can often add a little atmosphere to the experience and make me feel almost like I'm in a novel myself. The mysterious stranger in the corner, buried in his book...

Tea

Finally I must make myself a cup of tea. Being a serious caffeine addict, when I drink caffeine I tend to feel all the tension leave my body and it's a great way for me to unwind and make any moment better.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Mission Possible: How the Secrets of the Success Academies Can Work in Any School ~ Book Review

roviding my kids with a quality education is one of my highest priorities so I was thrilled to read Mission Possible: How the Secrets of the Success Academies Can Work in Any School. The authors, founder and CEO of the Success Academy Charter Schools, Eva Moskowitz, and literacy expert, Arin Lavinia, were determined to do something about the miseducated and undereducated. They took a school where the kids were not on track to graduate and turned it into a top school that offers children a stellar education. It's a worthwhile read that explains how they raised the educational bar and turned things around.

Teaching is a calling, it is not just a vocation. To excel and be a quality educator one must have a true love for teaching. I am fortunate that my kids attend an excellent elementary school. Most of the teachers are excellent and the level of parent involvement is extremely high. Some say it's very competitive but that doesn't bother me. I would rather my kids attend a school where there is healthy competition than a school where they have what the authors refer to in the book as a "pretty good is good enough" attitude.

Why do we treat the teaching profession differently in this country and what can be done about low teacher morale? There are flaws in our education system that desperately need to be addressed. Many problems come from the unions so they are doing themselves a disservice. One of the biggest problems is that we can't get rid of bad teachers. Job security and tenure hurt the profession. Seniority cannot be the only reason to keep teachers employed. It should work just as any other job: get promoted when you deserve it and get pink slipped when you're not giving students your best.

Many policies are made at the governmental level by people who do not understand education and brain based research so policies are put into place by those who don't keep up with new research or take into consideration what is developmentally appropriate for child development. People often have a personal agenda and will vote for what benefits them not necessarily what is best for the teachers and the students.

Like any field, teachers can be competitive. They want to be treated as professionals but unless they teach at a private school, they belong to a publicly managed institution. Those who are content with mediocrity don't want public employees to excel or the bar will be raised too high and make the mediocre look bad. As they say in the book, "don't be afraid of competition. It's what made America great and what may yet save American education."

Mission Possible gives practical and detailed advice on how they turned an under performing school in Harlem into a top school that is comparable with elite private schools and public schools for gifted students. Their approach is inspiring and workable, not intimidating. However, it is a daunting task. It takes commitment, focus and determination to turn a school around and make such improvements. One of the key components to their success is huge parent involvement and placing focus on the adult's performance. Moskowitz and Lavinia stress that success depends on the commitment level of the teachers and the parents.

Every child deserves a good education. If your child's school is not at the level it should be and you want to make it a success, this book is a must read.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Problem With Attempting to Teach Individual Students Using Multiple Intelligent Theory



Going through school, I always got good grades, perhaps because I had a decent memory. Still, I reject the notion that rote memorization is the best way to teach young people the facts of life, or teach them how to of think, a skill which is needed in everything they do, whereas the information they garner from a particular class or subject may never be used, or only in certain areas of the human endeavor, or perhaps at their job. I would like to discuss with you the importance of teaching kids to think.

Now then, for this article I'd like to recommend a very good book that I'd like you to read, so we can have an adequate dialogue in the future. This is a book that I do personally own, and I found it rather intriguing, but I also have some comments and some concerns. The name of the book is;

"So Each May Learn - Integrating Learning Style an Multiple Intelligences" by Harvey F. Silver, Richard W. Strong, and Matthew J. Perini, published by the ASCD - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria VA, 2000, 124 pages, ISBN: 0-87120-387-1.

The book suggests rightfully that different kids think in different ways, and therefore if we are to teach all the kids we need to cover many different ways of teaching, so every child can get it. Because kids have specific intelligences, as per Howard Gardner's "Multiple Intelligences Theory" the book also suggests when teaching math for instance that a teacher uses visuals, sounds, word problems, along with the equations. In this way kids that think differently, can still learn how to do the math problems without feeling stupid, or deciding that math is too difficult of a subject rather than learning how to do a certain type of mathematical problem.

That makes sense right? Sure it does, however, maybe it makes sense to teach every child how to think using all the different methods, therefore when they go into a math class they understand the logical method of thinking, or when they go into a music class they understand that. When they go to physical education, they are learning those types of intelligences, do you see my point? If we concentrate on teaching kids how to think, and all the different ways of thinking, then we don't have to worry about the kids and their style of thinking when they go and learn any particular subject.

All they really have to do is start thinking a different way which corresponds with that classwork. Indeed, I hope all this make sense to you, but again if it doesn't I suggest that you go read that book, perhaps e-mail me so we can have a dialogue, or discuss this topic with your friends and fellow teachers. Please consider all this and think on it.

Friday, February 1, 2013

A New Beginning: A Training Book on Home Based Care for Children With HIV/AIDS by Dr P Manorama MD



1. Introduction:

The stigma attached to the HIV epidemic is more dangerous than the epidemic itself. Especially, innocent women who inherit the pandemic from their husbands and the innocent children who inherit from parents are condemned by the society for no fault of theirs. They are not allowed to live a normal life like others. Children with HIV infection are not given admission in schools. In India there are about 84,000 children less than 15 years of age living with HIV. There are a few N.G.Os who have taken up their cause and help them in leading a normal life.

Dr P.Manorama is a well qualified and experienced social worker who is a pioneer in the field of HIV intervention. She established Community Health Education Society (C H E S) in Chennai and has adopted more than 500 children who have inherited HIV from their parents. (some of them are no more now). She is training several medicos and non-medicos on how to provide community and home based care to Children. For this purpose, she has written and released the book "A New Beginning" which is first of its kind in Tamilnadu. This book has helped many individuals and agencies alike in broadening their understanding to plan and also to execute with perfection comprehensive programmes for intervention with children affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.

The author of this article got a formal training with famous Christian Medical College, Vellore in this field and later was guided by Dr P.Manorama to get his PhD in alternative medicines (Psychological Counselling) and he is glad to submit the following article for information of readers. It is hoped that readers will get first hand information of this pandemic and ways and means to treat the children with HIV/AIDS.

2. Essentials of Home-based Care:

WHO defines home based care as a provision of health services by formal and informal caregivers in the home in order to promote, restore and maintain a person's maximum level of comfort, function and health including care towards a dignified death. It can be classified into preventive, promotive, therapeutic, rehabilitative, long term maintained and palliative care categories.

The goal of Community Home Based Care is to provide hope through comprehensive care, helping patients and families maintain their interdependence and have the best quality of life.

It should also reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease by providing emotional, physical and nursing care. It will also be the most cost effective model.

3. What are the formalities to be observed by the health/social workers while visiting homes of HIV/AIDS affected/infected children?

'Infected' means the children who are infected with HIV whereas 'affected' means people around them say, parents are infected, by virtue of which, lives of children are affected. Likewise, HIV children means only infected with HIV whereas AIDS means somewhat advanced stage of infection wherein other opportunistic infections have spread over the child.

The things to be done by Health workers while visiting home:

1. General enquiry about the health of the family is to be made and relevant medical records are to be organised.
2. Specific enquiry about health of children to be made, look for any possible weight loss. The nutrition should be taken care of by giving needed tablets and simple food.
3. To verify whether any ART (Anti Retro Viral Treatment) treatment is given to the children with visit to ART centres.
4. Environmental issues are to be attended. Stigma issues are to be discussed freely.
5. CD4 counts are to be verified at regular intervals.
6. Education should be taken care of.
7. They should reach children by freely mixing and playing with them.

Thus the primary need of health workers attending to the children is empathy and understanding of issues related to children.

Medical Care Taken to Homes:

HIV/AIDS is a chronic disease and needs prolonged lifelong care. Many a time, children with HIV may fall sick and need hospitalization. Also it may need continued treatment at home.

Children with HIV live for long years, when they receive good nutrition, care and treatment. It is very unfortunate that some children develop AIDS and have premature death for want of proper care and treatment. Hence, social workers visiting children at home need to understand the growth and development and possible basic care is to be given at home setting. Hence the basic need for a social worker in this field is identification and management of opportunistic infections (OI) and ART and also the terminal care. The pathetic aspect in this field is that the worker should be aware of even cremation arrangements when an AIDS affected children dies because people may refuse to undertake that work also because of the stigma.

5. Certain Common Infections and methods to handle them:

Common fever: The child should inhale fresh air. The skin is to be wiped with wet cloths all over the body till the temperature reduces to normal. If the child has high fever above 38.5 C paracetomol tablet is to be given.

Diarrhoea: Lot of fluids like rice water with salt, tender coconut water, butter milk, dhal water, rice kanji, soup, tea and fresh fruit juice are to be given. Older children may be given easily digestible food like idly, banana etc.

Common respiratory disorders like sinusitis and pneumonia:

Caregiver should clear the congested nose using a cotton cloth moistened in clean salt water. They should be given warm water at regular intervals. The head position should be raised with more pillows to help avoiding breathing problems. For babies who need feeding, it is better to give frequent feeding in small quantities.

Oral Thrush:

This is a symptom of fungal infection and a hallmark of HIV/AIDS. Children cannot eat and drink properly. They will have difficulty in swallowing. Oral cavity will show the plaques if white semi solid materials.

Gargling with salt water will help easing the throat. Clean mouths four times a day with soft cotton swabs. Cold food and drinks may be given. Spicy foods and citrus fruits are to be avoided. Soups and yogurt are good. Gentian violet solution may be given 3 or 4 times a day. If there is no improvement, a qualified doctor is to be consulted immediately.

Skin problems:

Skin problems arise because of bacterial, viral and fungal infections and scabies. The symptoms are itching, pustules and rash. The following basic treatments are recommended:
Daily bathing, the skin is to be smoothened using calamine lotion, coconut oil, soaps and lotions will reduce itching. Baby's bottom is to be exposed to free air (as against using nappies). Potassium permanganate solution is a good antiseptic for soaking infected soars.

Bed Soars:

Bed sours are caused when children are bed ridden. Caregivers should encourage getting out of bed often. Their position is to be changed once in two hours. Bed also is to be changed at regular intervals. Medical guidance should be taken before giving local anaesthetics for pain relief.

6. A R T (Anti Retro Viral Treatment)

(History of ART and other details about the treatment are reserved for a future article. In this article, we shall deal with only the topic of ART to paediatric patients by the caretakers and its follow up)

1. Parents are to be counselled before starting ART to their child. Medicines, once started cannot be stopped unless the child develops enough resistance. Parents are to be counselled about the cost involved (in case of private hospitals) and the results of ART, that it is no permanent cure for AIDS but improves the immune system helping the children to lead a dignified life and improve the life expectancy.

2.Paediatric syrups and Fixed Dose Combination are available free of cost at ART centres of Government hospitals.

3. CD4 is the best measurement for assessing immune deficiency and should be used in conjunction with clinical assessment. It helps to decide when ART should be started. Children up to 6 years of age have high CD4 count because of high lymphocytes. CD4 automatically drops to normal values when the reach the age of 6.

4.The persons registered for care and treatment at ART centres should have their clinical stage of HIV. The initiation of ART is based on the clinical stage and the CD4 count. The lack of CD 4 count should not delay the initiation of ART if the patient is clinically eligible. But, however the result of CD4 should be obtained as early as possible. That is why CD4 count testing is also free all over the country.

5. Finally, drug adherence should be evaluated with utmost care.
Involvement of children in treatment preparation is to be ascertained.
Half-hearted attempts to initiate therapy should be avoided.

CONCLUSION:

We had been seeing certain important aspects of paediatric HIV/AIDS care by caretakers as instructed by Dr P.Manorama in her book on this subject. AIDS pandemic is no more a dreaded disease or the caretakers are to worry about possible infection. The stigma and discrimination is much reduced because of the tireless workers like Dr P.Manorama and her volunteers.

This article is a humble attempt as a tribute to the great work rendered by them.

If the readers get clarifications about paediatric AIDS and they offer to volunteer their services to the innocent children who suffer for no fault of theirs, the aim of this article is fulfilled.

Let me complete this article by paying respects to thousands of social workers and caretakers who work in this field as volunteers against odds.

Dr B.Sathyanarayanan (65) is an experienced administrator, teacher, writer and social worker. He is M.Sc(Physics) from Annamalai University. He studied Psychology and Philosophy as two additional subjects for graduation. He worked as a PHYSICS LECTURER for 2 years (1969-1971). Later, he had to take up a bank job and continued Physics and Philosophy research privately. At the age of 50, he got voluntary retirement from banking service to devote more time for social,educational and research activities. In 2005, he took up Physics teaching once again and is continuously teaching for the past 8 years as a regular professor of Physics.

He continued his interest in Psychology and got his PhD in Psychological counselling in 2000 and is counselling on HIV/AIDS matters under the able guidance of Dr P.Manorama. He also conducted several intervention programmes in HIV/AIDS in collaboration with her. He attended several National seminars on treatments to HIV/Aids He is a well known writer in English in fiction and article writing. His writing is recognised internationally by listing in the directory of World Philosophers, Bowling Green State University, U.S.A.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Reconsidering the Past and Future of Planet Earth



Though we are bound to our planet and it is often impossible to see beyond our immediate future, few things are striking as an image of Earth as seen from outer space. The fascination with our place in the solar system has been alive ever since the homo sapien began prowling the land and navigating the waters of this unusual planet. At a time when many people say our time on Earth - like the dinosaur's - may be finite, it is interesting to reconsider the past and future of our planet.

A Unique and Unusual Terrestrial Planet

Considering the lack of life on other planets in our solar system, it is Earth that is the unusual planet of the group. Statistically, there are four planets larger than Earth, which is the third planet from the sun. Most agree that the Earth has existed some 4.5 billion years. While life forms developed over 3 billion years ago, periods of mass extinction have altered the course of the planet dramatically. No single species has ever had as great an impact as human beings on the planet. Because of the capacity of human brains, we have dominated and influenced the entire planet in way never considered by other species.

A Doomed Planet?

A quick look at our solar system would point to the existence of life on Earth as a temporary thing. In fact, many scientists would agree that the planet will not exist forever. While it doesn't mean things can change within the next 500 million years (the minimum ballpark guess for the end of life on Earth), it is interesting to consider the fact that human life on Earth may not continue forever. Other more pessimistic figures will put our time as far shorter on the planet, yet most estimates are over a billion years. When considering our ability to travel distances never thought possible and build civilizations in places previously unheard of, it might not be the end of the world.

The Surface of the Earth

Since it is difficult for many of us to consider life on other planets - not to mention our potential for colonization of those planets - it is instructive to analyse the surface of the Earth. Most striking is the fact that over 70% of the planet is water. These waters cover a majority of the land - a stunning network, of caves, volcanoes, plains and canyons. Nature programs on television are so fascinating because there is so much life submerged in our waters. Many scientists believe that Earth is the only planet to have significant tectonic plate activity. While volcanoes have been identified on other planets, this unique plate activity occurs only on Earth.

A Realistic View of the Future of Earth

Pictures of Earth's future must include the sun to be complete. As the amount of helium inside the sun increases, its rays will decrease in intensity and life on the planet will suffer dramatically. In fact, it could spell the end of the oceans. Considering there would be only 30% of the planet left, life would likely cease to exist. There is about 600 million years until this event occurs, while human beings may have another 300 million more years afterwards.

A planet as unique in the history of our solar system is fascinating to comprehend, no matter what doomsday predictions may exist. It is likely an alternative plan will have been drawn up by the time Earth becomes uninhabitable.

Though we are bound to our planet and it is often impossible to see beyond our immediate future, few things are striking as an image of Earth as seen from outer space. The fascination with our place in the solar system has been alive ever since the homo sapien began prowling the land and navigating the waters of this unusual planet. At a time when many people say our time on Earth - like the dinosaur's - may be finite, it is interesting to reconsider the past and future of our planet.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Review of "Get The Best Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort"

Get The Best Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort is Dr. Mark Dussault's masterpiece. He explains how to make studying more efficient, more enjoyable and more productive. The text is very easy to understand and the techniques reasonably easy to implement. This eBook is a great tool for making yourself smarter than the majority of people. The strategies can be applied to any situation where you must perform at your best.

This e-work does keep its assurance of moulding you into a super learner and has the expertise it promises for a more comprehensive and much faster reading perception. You will be able to make a notable movement forward in your results for more than a brief duration, if you are able to adopt the techniques provided in this e-book carefully. One thing should be said at the beginning that an e-work such as Get the Best Grades with the Least Amount of Effort is bound to show different results for different students. It will depend on how closely you are able to come or go after the guidelines and strategies advised in the work in to better your grades. Or then you could just continue heaping in C- from your educational courses.

The book is inspirationally written and won't make you yawn. It is very straightforward in its methods and appeals to readers of all ages. The author clearly has a talent to simplify things and thus being his ways are very goal-driven. He shows you how to start from small goals and build up toward bigger ones. But he doesn't stop there. He provides clear strategies for success and ways to let you get everything done effortlessly. In addition, some great methods for the classroom are included.

Dr. Dussault has experiences in business and law. His excellence previously used only for tutoring students is now available in the from of this book. What makes this book even more valuable is the fact that it can benefit a wide range of students from different ages and different interests. The books methods allow anyone to science success as long as instructions are followed to the letter.

Get The Best Grades With The Least Amount Of Effort is also smarter named. "the Least Amount of Effort" notes the fact that some effort must be used in order to achieve anything in life.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Wholeness and the Implicate Order, Book by Professor David Bohm and Master Intelligent Plan



I. INTRODUCTION:

Professor David Bohm, (1917-1992) was a renowned scientist. His books on quantum theory were widely acclaimed. He was a close associate of J.Krishnamurti from the early 1960s and also associated with the Krishnamurti School in Brookwood Park. Prof Bohm and J.K used to have regular discussions on various topics on Philosophy, the most important being 'The Ending of Time' and 'the Future of Humanity'

He independently worked on his own Philosophy and proposed the theory of 'The Wholeness and the Implicate Order'; which was published by ARK paper backs, London.

The book consists of seven chapters namely,

1. Fragmentation and wholeness
2. The rheomode - an experiment with language and thought
3. Reality and knowledge, considered as process
4. Hidden variables in the quantum theory
5. Quantum theory as an indication of a new order in physics, Part A: The

Development of new orders as shown through the history of physics

6. Quantum theory as an indication of a new order in physics, Part B: Implicate and

Explicate order in physical law

7. The enfolding-unfolding universe and consciousness

The contents of the book are highly philosophical and scientific in nature and meant for serious readers of Philosophy of Science. Let a brief review of the contents along with own derivations based on Master Intelligent Plan be given in the following paragraphs.

II. What is 'Implicate Order?'

According to David Bohm's theory, implicate and explicate orders are characterised by the following clarification: 'in the enfolded [or implicate] order, space and time are no longer the dominant factors determining the relationships of dependence or independence of different elements. Rather, an entirely different sort of basic connection of elements is possible, from which our ordinary notions of space and time, along with those of separately existent material particles, are abstracted as forms derived from the deeper order. These ordinary notions in fact appear in what is called the "explicate" or "unfolded" order, which is a special and distinguished form contained within the general totality of all the implicate orders '

Discussions:

In this book, the learned Professor puts forth the theory that we are guided by a self willed view and perceive and also experience the world as fragmented. Such a view is false because it is based on our mistaking the contents of our thought for a description of the world. Bohm, on the other hand, introduces the concept of an implicate ORDER in which any element contains within itself the totality of the whole Universe known as the WHOLENESS. The most important thing which is to be noted is that this theory includes both matter and consciousness. In another discussion with Dr Renee Weber, Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers University, he describes consciousness as an 'implicate order' which is manifested as a part of wholeness, and wholeness as the container of the implicate order.

Prof Weber compares each individual to a bee serving the beehive which is the whole, whereas Prof Bohm compares it to individual notes making a symphony. One who has seen the huge temple towers of South India might see that hundreds of carvings on the huge Gopuras (Temple towers) make the full tower. Here, beehive, symphony or tower is the wholeness and the individual bees, musical notes and the carvings are the implicate order.

One is striken with the astounding similarity between Vedanta and what Bohm expresses in the following words, ' an individual is eternally unfolding his potential'. J.K elsewhere puts it as 'continuously flowering, revealing more and more what it is'.

Regarding the discussions on the book, the following three concepts deserve special attention
A. Cosmology and the Implicate Order:
B. the Implicate order, Life and the force of overall necessity and
C. Consciousness and the implicate order.

Reading of the above three sub titles will suffice to provide a thorough knowledge of the topic of wholeness and the implicate order. They will, in general have the following key factors:

1. a set of implicate orders.
2. A special distinguished case of the above set, which constitutes an explicate order of manifestation.
3. A general relationship or law expressing a force of necessity which binds together a certain set of the implicate order in such a way that they contribute to a common explicate end.

The three examples given above clarify the above factors and these factors constitute the essence of the book and the readers are welcome to go through the contents and have an understanding of the points mentioned therein.

III: LIGHT as the Implicate Order:

As a celebrated scientist, he is dealing with physical matter, light, space and time. He describes matter as condensed or 'frozen' light. When we come to light, we are coming to the fundamental activity in which existence has its ground. Movement is the prime reality in perception and when we say there is no speed at light it is ordinary language. But, in a self referential state, it means there is no time, no speed nor space. It is approaching a timeless state and Bohm logically derives that time originates out of Timeless.

Professor Bohm puts a very interesting hypothesis that Particles are implicit in the information content of light. He makes a daring declaration "the light, as it were, determines itself to make particles, to allow for a richer Universe. In other words, Light (the wholeness) transforms aspects of itself into particles (implicate order) in order that the particles will reveal the light.

IV: WHOLENESS and TIME:

About Time, Prof Bohm suggests that Time is enrichment of Eternity. Can we visualise nothing happens but everything just 'is'. Past and future are always present as overtones of the 'present'. Past, we remember as memory. But memory is present. Future is our expectation in the present. Thus "the past ends in the presence extending into the endless future"- J.Krishnamurti.

Bohm says: The present idea of this Universe may represent some age of the Universe. The Universe of light is eternal as far as we are concerned. But at a certain stage, some of these light rays got together and made the big bang. And that unfolded the present Universe which may have its end. But the Universe of life is beyond time and therefore they could be other Universes. There may be many ages, not necessarily in succession.

V: Implicate Order, Consciousness and Master Intelligent Plan:

Implicate order would be the material aspect and the Super implicate order would be the conscious aspect. (There could be super-super implicate orders too) whereas the wholeness is the origin implicated in all these. A brief description of Master Intelligent plan will clarify this aspect. In the theory of Master Intelligent plan, it was clearly defined that space and time are explicit forms of energy, a Universal energy known as Master Intelligent Plan. That cosmic energy is the cause of the entire Universe. Dissipation and/or accumulation of the energy cause various objects and change we observe. Such objects, including the so called Ether constitute space and measurements of such changes constitute time. Time and space are only measurement or observation of various changes in the single source of energy

Thus Master Intelligent Plan of Holistic Philosophy is a replica of the Wholeness in the implicate order Philosophy.

VI. The concept of 'GOD':

Having discussed the commonness in Wholeness and the Holistic Philosophy, it may be appropriate to conclude this article with a discussion on GOD. Some scientists may be averse in using the word God; there are some great scientists like, none other
than Einstein who declared that the entire Universe is according to a 'grand design' of God. But is there a celebrated scientist who has clarified the existence of God in unambiguous, that too in scientific terms?

Professor David Bohm by propounding the Wholeness theory has explained clearly that there is a 'super' power or Intelligence which is represented in all the matter and consciousness, which again try to enrich the wholeness as explained in the above paragraphs. The super intelligence need not be neutral and it is benevolent and compassionate. Which are precisely the attributes to God as per Vedanta.

In fact, one is stricken with the similarity between Vedanta and what Prof Bohm expresses in the book under discussion. Two quotations from Vedanta will make these points clear.

"THAT which is in the Universe is in the molecule and THAT which is in the molecule is in the Universe"

"THAT is more ancient than the most ancient and

THAT is more nascent than the most nascent"

The word THAT is very important. Upanishads say OHM TAT SAT which means
"THAT is" and here the word THAT contains the entire Universe and all the time, present, past and the future..
:
God is considered as an acronym consisting of the three words Generator, Operator and Destroyer. Here, all the three functions are done by the wholeness or the Master Intelligent Plan with the difference that there is no destruction, but only a Changing process, because the energy "is eternally unfolding its potential". He quotes J.K as saying "continuously flowering, revealing more and more what it is". This may be called 'creative Lila' (Eternal Play). We may also call it, 'flowering', as J.K puts it.

Conclusion:

Thus one of the very serious books on Philosophy is simplified in the above paragraphs for readers to read and understand. Along with examples of the author of the book own examples were also given to make matters simple. The greatest contribution of this article to Philosophy of Science is an Explanation to the Philosophy of God is given in scientific terms. The correlation between Professor Bohm's Wholeness Philosophy with Vedanta is presented in simple terms.

One important aspect of this article is that, the implicate order and the wholeness is represented in all the concepts explained therein..

In short, readers who are interested in Scientific Philosophy will be greatly benefited by reading this article.

We wish the readers all the best.

Dr B.Sathyanarayanan (65) is an experienced administrator, teacher and writer. He is M.Sc (Physics) from Annamalai University. He studied Psychology and Philosophy as two additional subjects for graduation. He worked as a PHYSICS LECTURER for 2 years (1969-1971). Later, he had to take up a bank job and continued Physics and Philosophy research privately. At the age of 50, he got voluntary retirement from banking service to devote more time for social, educational and research activities. In 2005, he took up Physics teaching once again and is continuously teaching for the past 8 years as a regular professor of Physics.

He continued his interest in Psychology and got his PhD in Psychological counselling in 2000 and is counselling on HIV/AIDS matters. He conducted several intervention programmes. He is a well known writer in English in fiction and article writing. His writing is recognised internationally by listing in the directory of World Philosophers, Bowling Green State University, U.S.A.

All along his life so far, he remained a scientific philosopher in thought and deeds. He considers Albert Einstein as his role model in Science and J.Krishnamurti, in Philosophy. His first book 'The Simple Truth", a comparative study of Religion and Science, was published in 1987. He is publishing the annual magazine 'Philosophy of Science' (since re-started). He founded Holistic Philosophy Society for the study of Physics and Philosophy. His latest book 'Glimpses of Holistic Philosophy' has been widely acclaimed. He conducts regular meetings on various topics on Physics and Philosophy in Chennai. He recently conducted a "Two days seminar on Religion, Science and Social Services" in Chennai, India which was attended by senior Professors of Physics and Philosophy. As an experienced author, he is glad to present the above article for the kind attention of readers.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

The Joys Of Selecting Classic Children's Books For Your Kids



Parents take a lot of pleasure and delight when selecting children's books for their kids especially if they are classic books. Parents are like walking down memory lane as they go through piles of books and remember their own childhood when they also look forward to reading their own books.

So how should you choose children's books?

Bright and Colorful

Children are naturally fun and active. However, they easily lose interest and attention if they are doing a particular activity for a long time. It's the same thing with reading. You need to capture their attention and keep them long enough to enjoy the books in front of them. Bright and colorful children's books are guaranteed to catch their attention. Dr. Seuss books are classic examples of books that create visual impact on children. They have vibrant colors and illustrations that are really meant to capture the kids' attention.

Good story

Do not underestimate a child's capacity to understand; good stories are really appreciated by children especially if they make them laugh a lot. Select children's books that are well-written, funny, and, as much as possible, those that teach good moral and values. Parents should utilize books not only to entertain children but to educate them as well. It's worthwhile to note that children learn more in a fun environment. So when you they enjoy the books that you read to them, they are likely to pay more attention and learn more in the process.
Engaging and with good recall

Children have very good imagination and they just love children's books that challenge their creativity and imagination. As such, you should choose books that are very engaging; those that ask questions or allow the children to participate in story-telling are very much recommended.

These days, there's what we call personalized children's books where the name of your child can appear as the main character of the book. This will be thrilling for the kids who can really feel like they're real princesses or super heroes.

When you're able to choose the right books, remember that parents also have important roles to play in making such children's books valuable to kids. Make story-telling a regular bonding activity with your kids. Aside from bedtime stories, you can set-aside a specific time of day or specific day of the week when you will just read books to your children. This way, your kids will have something to look forward to and will associate reading with fun and excitement.

Another innovative way of getting your children to enjoy reading is to look for interactive or download-able children's books. With interactive books, story characters can come to life and kids will have more fun. You can also download or print story books so you can read them to your children. There are literally hundreds of websites that offer free download-able books for children of all ages. You can choose from different stories and select ones with colorful illustrations too. You can bring them anywhere and distribute copies to other children as well.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Exposing Your Children To Educational Books



One cannot undermine the importance of reading in a child's education. That's why educational books are important as they help increase a child's vocabulary and awaken his interest to learn more. Reading is the first step and the basic foundation for a child to perform well in school. When a child develops love for reading, learning other things becomes a lot easier. It is, therefore, important for parents to get the children's interest to read at a very young age.

In order to capture your child's interest for educational books, develop the habit of reading aloud to them. They will find it interesting as you read to them different stories and imitate various characters. Set aside a specific time of day dedicated to reading alone. This will have the children something to look forward to every day. Once the children develop love for reading, they will also develop the initiative to read on their own as they grow old. Reading is especially good to unwind and relax that's why many parents prefer to read bedtime stories to their children.

Another good way to get your child exposed to the wonders of educational books is to take them to libraries. This will both teach them to develop appreciation for good books and learn the responsibility of returning them properly. If they're old enough to select their books and reading materials, you can encourage them to get their own library card so they can explore and borrow on their own. Show them the area in the library where children's educational books are found.

One important tip to get the attention of your children is to engage them every time you read stories. When you read with feelings and emotions and, at the same time, interact with children as you tell stories, they are challenged to use their imagination and listen intently. As you read educational books, include your children as part of the characters in the story. This will thrill them so much that they will want to participate in the story-telling until they learn to tell the story on their own. There are movies that were created based on best-selling books. It would help to buy these books and watch the movie with your kids. This will help them to relate the movie to the original story in the book. This will test their memory and understanding of what they watch and read.

Children should be able to associate reading with fun; as such, you should know how to create a good environment that's conducive to reading and learning. It's best to set up a separate area in your house or room that's dedicated to reading and studying. Provide the appropriate furniture such as study table, chair and book shelves for all the educational books that you will buy for your children. Do not force them to read when they're not in a good mood as this might make them develop negative notions about reading and studying.

There's no specific age set to introduce your child to reading; but the earlier you expose them to the beauty of books and the wonders of reading, the better it is for them.