Which Government Websites Have Product Recall Information?

There is no one government agency in charge of issuing recall notices for all products. Instead, different products fall under different jurisdictions, each of which is handled by a completely separate agency. In this article we will explain the jurisdiction of each of the six major government agencies in charge of recalling products and issuing recall alerts.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - http://www.fda.gov:
The FDA is probably most thought of when the word recall comes up. It is obvious that the FDA deals with food and drug issues, but they are also in charge of testing, monitoring and recalling medical devices (pacemakers, contact lenses...), animal feed, cosmetics, and products with the potential to cause health-related side effects, such as cell phones and lasers. Although the FDA is in charge of food, they also share that responsibility with the next federal agency

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - http://www.usda.gov:
The USDA was founded by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, and has been involved in a variety of agricultural initiatives ever since. Not only is the USDA steward to our nation's 192 million acres of national forests, and providing food to children through school breakfast and lunch programs, but the agency is also responsible for the safety of meat, poultry (including egg), milk and fish products. These responsibilities often encompass the study of pesticide use, which overlaps with the next governmental recall arm...

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - http://www.epa.gov:
The EPA, in addition to the many other responsibilities involved in protecting our environment, are charged with the recalling of products that threaten to harm humans, animals, or the environment in which we live. For instance, recently the EPA ordered five national retail chains to recall a brand of spray confetti string which contained banned hydro chlorofluorocarbons blamed for depleting the ozone layer. This very same product could have also been recalled by another government agency, however, for its highly flammable contents, which are often sprayed over people at birthday parties near flaming candles. The agency that would be responsible for this type of recall is...

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - http://www.cpsc.gov:
The CPSC is in charge of protecting the public from "unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction". They handle recalls for a host of potentially dangerous products, from toys with choking hazards to heaters with propensity to start a fire. Most products with a defect of some kind will find their way into the CPSC database of recalled consumer products. But if that product has wheels and an engine, or is a part of a product that has wheels and an engine, you might be better off researching at the next governmental agency...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov:
The NHTSA was established to reduce deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. They set and enforce safety standards for motor vehicles and vehicle parts, and provide studies and reports on anything related to motor vehicle use, from tires and seatbelts, to SUVs and cell phone use while driving. If you want to know if the used car you just purchased has any defective auto parts, the NHTSA database is a good start. However, if you just purchased a used boat, the following agency is better suited for your needs...

US Coast Guard - http://www.uscg.mil:
You probably dont think of product recalls when someone mentions the Coast Guard. However, in addition to their duties to patrol Americas coast line and assist those in distress, the Coast Guard also tests, reports on, and recalls boats, boating parts, and marine safety devices like flares and life jackets. But good luck finding recall information on the Coast Guards website!

As you can see, the responsibilities of each agency overlap to some degree with other agencies. Furthermore, issuing recall alerts is only a small part of each organizations responsibility. This is why is can be difficult, time-consuming and frustrating to locate the information youre looking for among these six websites. Luckily, this problem has been remedied by an ex-journalist with a passion for social corporate responsibility and citizen journalism

US Recall News http://www.usrecallnews.com:
US Recall News is a non-governmental website that brings together recall alerts from each of the six major government agencies listed above, and separates them into various categories. The alerts are then archived at the end of each month, and remain searchable from the website.

Everett Sizemore is a journalism graduate of Bond University. He is the Editor-in-Chief at http://www.usrecallnews.com and writes the editorial blog about Recalled Products and Corporate Responsibility.Stormi Blog1111
Shanon Blog1533

Back-to-School Organizing Tips for the Mom-On-The-Go

Back to school can be a stressful time of year. Families must change from the laid-back summer schedule to the non-stop school and activity calendars that keep moms jumping from one activity to the next without a moments rest. Fortunately, today there is help.

GO MOM !NC, a leader in products to help you organize your busy life, provides its latest advice to keep Moms organized as they get their families back-to-school this fall. Across the nation, busy parents are focused on easing their children into the new school year, states Molly Gold, founder of GO MOM !NC. My role as a Family Scheduling Expert is to help Moms focus on how they can better organize themselves to be ready for all that change and be mindful of how their own workload will evolve alongside of their family.

Want the cliff notes on how you can get organized for Fall 2006? Take a look below:

Plan Ahead The only way you can command your time is to consciously map it. Simply put, use a family-oriented planner that enables you to track all family members schedules in one place. When you monitor your family schedule, you can then plan how and when to accomplish important back-to-school tasks, such as replacing clothes, purchasing school supplies, and attending back-to-school night. Stock your kids homework stations with pencil and paper basics while purchasing classroom items. Take it one step further by creating an emergency project box full of grade appropriate tools that will hold the night before anxiety at bay. Visit Target stores for an ample supply of poster board, report folders, markers, glue sticks, and an assortment of interesting arts and crafts items in small quantities to allow your childs creativity to shine, one project at a time.

Plan for Paper Before you start stacking all those important school papers in a long forgotten corner of your kitchen, or on top of last months bills, put your paper trail in place beginning with in/out boxes for each family member. Show everyone where to place their papers and then sort them daily with your planner at hand to note important deadlines and tasks. When setting up your own filing system, check out the new GO MOM! School Organizer. With monthly pockets for everything from school-related projects and fundraisers, to teacher newsletters and activities rosters, you cant help but be ready for the first round of parent/teacher conferences at the end of first quarter. If its your house that keeps you buried, youll find the GO MOM! Home Organizer to be equally as effective in helping you categorize and sort the most important papers as you manage your familys busy days.

Plan to Purge We all do better with a clean, organized environment. If you havent yet gone through everyones closets, dressers, and bedrooms while evaluating wardrobes for school, do it as soon as you have your routine in motion. Make room for the year ahead by rounding up all outgrown items, discarding everything that cant be repaired, both in the toy and clothing departments. For items in good condition, arrange for a charitable donation or enlist your kids help and plan a yard sale in late September. Take advantage of your clean slate and give each room a quick cleaning with an all-purpose cleaner like Mr. Clean Extra Power Multi-Surface Cleaner for even the toughest jobs. From scrubbing baseboards to replacing air filters, flipping mattresses and cleaning windows, Fall is a great time to freshen your home and welcome the change of seasons. And for Moms of older kids, enlist their helping hands as you plow through this process. Respect and responsibility for both our possessions and environment are life skills worth teaching.

GO MOM !NC is based in Apex, NC and promotes the use of The GO MOM! Organizer and GO MOM! Planner, unique day planner systems for everything that is family. Founder Molly Gold is a 40-year-old mother of three and the creator of the GO MOM! product line, which will grow this September to include The GO MOM! Wall Organizer, The GO MOM! School Organizer, and The GO MOM! Home Organizer. All products in the GO MOM! line are produced via license partnership with Mead Westvaco Consumer and Office Products and sold at major retailers nationwide, including Target, Staples, and Office Max.

GO MOM !NC helps mothers make positive mothering a daily reality within the structure GO MOM! Schedule. Organize. Grow. Gold is known for her keen insights into Family Scheduling and has been featured both in print and on air media alike and is currently available for media interviews.

Attention busy Moms! The time is now to get both you and your kids organized for an exciting and successful school year ahead. To learn more about how you can stay ahead of the game, go to http://www.gomominc.com.

Molly Gold currently serves on Proctor & Gambles Mr. Clean Team Expert Panel, Cartoon Network's Tickle U Advisory Board, and as Family Scheduling Expert at both http://www.BlueSuitMom.com, and http://www.NewBaby.com. Her work has been featured in Parents and Parenting Magazines, Better Homes and Gardens, The Washington Post, ABC's Good Morning America, and most recently NBCs Today Show Weekend Edition. Contact her today at http://www.gomominc.com or via publicist Diana Ennen at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com, (954) 971-4025.Shaylyn Blog78269
Staci Blog65892

Financing Your College Education

Through all of the ups and downs of applying to college there is one truth you should always remember:

if you want to go to college you will REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCE.

Financing your college education can be the most stressful step in the process, however a little preparation and research make all the difference. The money is out thereyou just need to know where to look.

Scholarships are a great place to begin. The term scholarship does not only apply to aid granted to talented athletes at division I schools (though if you are a varsity athlete this could be an option and your coach is a great resource). In fact, there are innumerable scholarships and scholarship sources out there and you can start looking at any time.

Here are some suggestions for places to start in your quest of financing your college education;

First, look in your community. What activities are you involved in? Do you volunteer with children at a non-profit organization? Are you active within your religious community? Are you an aspiring writer/doctor/researcher? People and organizations are constantly setting up scholarships for future students based on any number of criteria. Ask around your community and look on-line.

Also, your high school offers scholarships for achievement in the arts, sports, or academics or perhaps to a student of a specific ethnic background or some combination of these. Go to your schools college office and ask for a list of scholarships offered by your school and the surrounding community.

Remember that the Internet is a great resource. You can never apply for too many scholarships because you have NOTHING to lose (only money to gain!) and remember that this is money that you will not have to pay back.

The next crucial step towards financing your education is to fill out your free application for federal student aid or FAFSA form. You will need to do this the winter before you plan to attend, so the colleges can assess your need and put together a financial aid package for you. It is recommended that you fill out the FAFSA online.

Make sure to be organized. For example, have your parents there with you because the form will require information regarding their income and taxes paid in the previous year. Also be ready to answer questions about your own earnings.

When your package arrives you will see that it is compiled of two main sections: Grants and loans. Federal grants will be given only to the students with the greatest financial need and does not have to be paid back. There are also loans in your FAFSA, which is money they will put up front for your education, but that you will have to pay back later with varying interest rates. There are options outside of your FAFSA depending on your specific circumstance and the school you plan to attend, (for example private loans) which should be researched by you, your school and your family. Though interest rates sound intimidating, remember that you are attending college to better your future and with that comes a higher income bracket. Remember to be realistic when negotiating a payment plan.

There can be many obstacles when facing your future educationbut remember that financing your college education should never be an insurmountable one. Accept the challenge with an open, organized mind and you will find a way to comfortably finance for your future.

To learn more about financing your college education visit How To Pay Student Loans at http://www.howtopaystudentloans.com

Susanna Rasmussen is a regular contributor to How To Pay Student Loans. To read more articles on how to finance your college education or other college rlated articles please visit http://howtopaystudentloans.com/newsShana Blog3250
Steffie Blog57487

Explore Your Creativity With A Degree In Video Game Design

Video games have exploded in popularity, thanks to our high paced and pressurized world crunching down on individuals. People need a break from reality and video games provide that venue of escapism, and businesses have definitely gotten the message loud and clear. Developing new games is a fierce industry and companies need people who can always bring on better games that stimulate all the senses at once. But how can you get into this rising segment and turn your interests in computers into something that's a lucrative, fun career full of opportunity?

A degree in video game design is the training you need to break into a market where you can create fantastical worlds or develop settings that are so realistic, you can almost touch them. Individuals are demanding more and more from software companies, and only the top quality games will succeed in today's competitive world. Investing your talents in a solid education that will give you the skills and know how to create high tech video games is a wise choice. The job opportunities will never peter out or become saturated, thanks to new technology that's always being put into the market, and you can get into the gaming craze by getting the best training possible to send you into an amazing career.

You'll have the chance to use your own imagination to create great characters that become popular household names. Remember Mario and Luigi? Well, those two characters were created by people with video game design skills and they earned their makers millions of dollars. What about Yoshi? The little dinosaur is another character created by someone with video game design skills that has made someone rich and famous. Why can't that person who develops the next popular, fun character be you? Online gaming is another venue that has become a multi-million dollar industry and all you have to do is look up World of Warcraft to see how many people are hooked on video games, making the market a rich one for job opportunities.

So what's involved in video game design? Educational facilities will provide you with artistic training to help you create visual images that snag people's interest and keep them gaming, as well as the know how to apply that to animation and 3D modelling. Story development is a must, and you'll be able to think up new ways of challenging people with tricks and traps or enemies to battle to become heroes and earn glorious rewards and treasures. Not only that, those who offer degrees in video game design will help you to put together a profile that will make you an attractive asset to software companies looking for talented 3D artists and gaming developers.

One thing is for sure: Without a degree in video game design, the competition to break into the industry is so stiff that you'll never be able to get ahead. Great ideas and a creative imagination isn't all it takes to open fantastic opportunities and set you into an amazing career. Top quality skills and training that keep you on top of the game and get you that perfect job are the only way to go about finding your place in the lucrative industry of video games. You'll learn the practical side of design and animation to be able to develop games that bring in sales for businesses and earn the skills you need to be head hunted by companies. More than that, obtaining your degree in video game design won't just be an important investment and career choice, it'll also be a blast of fun as you expand your horizons and creativity, learning to think outside the box and come up with new, exciting worlds and characters.

Andy West is a freelance writer for Virginia College. Virginia College offers a professional Video Game Design program. Please visit Virginia College at http://www.vc.edu/site/program.cfm?programID=63 to learn more about earning a degree in animation and game design.Simonne Blog6568
Sheryl Blog23613

Proposed Budget for the New York City Schools

In June 2006, the city announced a proposed operating budget of $14 billion for the New York City schools. Parents and educators are still waiting pessimistically to see the final cut.

Though this years unveiling of the New York City schools budget was received more peacefully than in recent years, the citys past track record makes optimism difficult. Last years proposed budget was drastically different after the final cuts were made. Students returning to school last September found many classes eliminated due to budget cuts. Parents and educators alike created enough turmoil in the high schools that many of the programs were restored.

Everyone in the New York City schools system, including parents, have accepted that the New York City schools do not have enough money, and yet they see little being done about it. Teachers continue to buy their own supplies, while parents help to provide for classroom needs. Even students accept the overcrowding and facilities that are in disrepair as the norm.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg states that he has increased the New York City schools budget by $2.5 billion since he took office, but it is not enough. This years New York City schools budget has only a slight increase from last year, it banks on receiving money from elsewhere that is not guaranteed, and makes assumptions that are not probable, as well as other problems.

First, New York City schools Chancellor Joel Klein has confirmed that the budget increase will go primarily to pay for the increased costs in fuel and fringe benefits, noting that transportation and heating are essential to operating the schools. Though the $1 billion increase raises per student funding to $910, very little will reach the classroom. Most will be used to cover administrative costs. For teachers and parents already stretched thin from funding supplies that should be paid for by the New York City schools, this is not good news.

Second, the proposed budget makes two assumptions: (1) The New York City schools will receive almost $2 billion for capital expenses from Albany in connection with a lawsuit with the state, and (2) teachers will agree to a contract with only a modest salary increase.

The money expected from the state has not been included in the states budget, since the governor has appealed the courts decision. Even if the New York City schools prevail in court, there will be no money for the 2006-2007 school year from the state for this lawsuit.

Teachers are not expected to accept the proposed contract, since they and the Council of Supervisors and Administrators (about 5,500 principals and upper level staff) have been working without a contract for the past two years. The United Federation of Teachers already has criticized the mayor for not using the citys $3.3 billion surplus to settle the standoff. The mayor argues that the surplus is only temporary, while stating that he wants the contracts to be as other city workers. The teachers, police, and firefighters have been strongly opposing the mayors contract proposals for two years. Such a teachers contract would take away many of the job protections that are now present, such as eliminating seniority rules and making it easier to fire a teacher.

Another problem is Klein, whom advocates for the New York City schools say has spent too much money on consultants and costly bureaucrats with little educational experience. These costs, as well as others, can easily be hidden in the vague language of the proposed budget.

Lastly, the proposed New York City schools budget must survive the political wrangling of the city council members. The past has shown that members lobby for changes and programs that benefit only their constituents, rather than all New York City schools.

Though last years standardized test scores rose sharply, the New York City schools have a lot of challenges to face this school year, and it does not look as though this budget will help to resolve them. There is not a lot of optimism about this proposed budget.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information on New York City schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/New-York/New-York-city/index.htmlSidonia Blog49542
Stacy Blog94243

Union Trade Apprenticeships for Philadelphia Schools Students

The Philadelphia schools, along with other schools across the nation, are concerned with students who do not enter college upon graduation. Many are left with low-paying, dead-end jobs with little prospects for future improvements keeping many of those students from impoverished homes in the low-income lifestyle.

This has been of concern also for James Nevels, chairman of the state-appointed School Reform Commission that is responsible for overseeing city schools within the state, including the Philadelphia schools. Nevels believes students have been historically underrepresented in the local trade unions, and believes it is time to change that status quo.

Both Nevels and the Philadelphia schools believe that the city benefits, when graduated students are gainfully employed and productively adding to the community in a positive manner. When these students are from low-income families and are allowed to raise themselves out of the poverty level, the community benefits exponentially. Trades offer non-college bound students just the opportunity for such future growth and lifestyle improvement.

In June 2006, a four-year deal was announced between the Philadelphia schools and the Building and Construction Council (AFL-CIO). Politicians, business leaders, and educators alike are calling the deal significantly historical for the city and its future.

As part of a $1.7 billion construction and maintenance contract with the Philadelphia schools, the Council through its local trade unions will provide a minimum of 250 apprenticeship opportunities for Philadelphia schools students, who meet the requirements. Potentially, 425 apprenticeships for graduates could be offered over the four-year period. It is estimated that the majority of the students to qualify will be minorities from low-income families, a truly remarkable shot in the arm for the families, as well as the city. It also means the Philadelphia schools can offer these students more opportunities to learn skills that could potentially lift them out of the poverty level.

The Council will be working with the Philadelphia schools to develop the curriculum. They will host seminars for students to pique their interest and motivate them to apply for the apprenticeship programs. The Council also will monitor the results of the apprenticeships for co-review with the Philadelphia schools.

With nearly 200,000 students currently enrolled in the Philadelphia schools and about 12,000 graduating each year, this program was desperately needed for both the students and the community. Its expected that a minimum of 62 students will enter the apprenticeship program each of the four years, though there are potentially more apprenticeships available.

This four-year deal between the Philadelphia schools and the Building and Construction Council is truly groundbreaking for the city of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia schools can offer more to their students. The students get an opportunity that may not have been otherwise available to them. The trade unions can build their memberships with young, vibrant workers, as well as build their diversity. The city gets more productive community members. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.Shaylynn Blog12777
Sheryl Blog23613

Preschool Activities & Learning Aids For Parents & Teachers

Preschool Activities & Crafts for Kids:

If you have preschoolers or young children, you are probably always on the lookout for NEW activities, games and ideas to help them learn, as well as keep them occupied.

There is so much mind numbing entertainment on the television today that sometimes we are best if we leave our and preschoolers & kids to entertain themselves! In order to do this, we need to have the activities, ideas, learning games & arts/crafts needed to stimulate their young minds.

To keep children entertained, you need to keep the ideas and activities fresh and exciting!

There are art activities, craft activities, science experiments, & physical activities as well. All of these are things that are essential for your childs physical and mental development.

www.Preschoollearningonline.com offers a huge variety of games, activities science experiments, simple exercises and more for teachers & parents looking to entertain, as well as teach preschoolers and children. There are healthy recipes, playdoh recipes, coloring sheets, printables, books, activities, art supplies and a whole lot more!

One example of the kinds of preschool activities found at http://www.preschoollearningonline.com:

Flower Power Science
(*example from http://www.preschoollearningonline.com/preschoolfunactivitieskids.html )

You will need:
3 white carnations
3 vases or tall glasses
Red, blue, and green, food coloring

Fill each glass or vase half way with cool water. Color the water in each vase/glass a different color with food coloring. Place one carnation in each vase/glass.

You can document how many hours or days it takes for each carnation to start to change color. Which carnation changes color first, which carnation changes color last.

You can also use other colors like yellow, orange, or purple. Make a nice bouquet of homemade colorful carnations to display around the classroom.

These activities and games help to develop your childs mind and teach them to be more observant, as well as learn. Your children will love to try the NEW activities & games.

Other Interesting Areas:
http://www.preschoollearningonline.com/HealthySnacksforkids.html
http://www.preschoollearningonline.com/preschoollearninggames.html

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Marisa Robinson is a Professional E.C.E (Early Childhood Educator) and has many years of professional experience in teaching, and caring for children and their continued mental development!Sorcha Blog44057
Stephi Blog17111

Get Your College Degree Online

Does an online degree meet the requirements of your employer? Are the educational standards needed for acceptance by your state department of education met by any and all of the online learning institutions? Getting your online degree is not by any means to be equated with getting your drivers license from that famous catalog.

The quality of your education depends upon the specific provider and the amount of work you put into the program you choose. It will cost money, time, and effort; in the best-case scenario, it will only cost you time and effort; in the worst, it could be all of the above and perhaps a relationship or two. Some folks lurking in your constellation of friends and acquaintances may not take your online degree seriously; they may even make a disparaging remark out of their own lack of knowledge or understanding. That is when you can feed back some of that research and newly gained insight that you just acquired during your Web browsing.

If you want to go the distance, dont stop with an associate degree or even a bachelors. Really ruffle their feathers and plan for the day you can wave your sheepskin in front of their noses; get a distance learning MBA. Choose a school accredited by your state board of education, take the classes, do your homework, and build a new rung on your ladder to academic and career success one subject at a time for the online degree. Remember, you own the ladder; make it the one that you want it to be with an online degree.

Simon Rand is the pen name for a professional writer on many topics. His work includes book authorship, TV producer and independent writer for many national magazines. http://student-loans.mustsee.infoSibley Blog59350
Sharline Blog99265

LSU Should Get Final BCS Bowl Bid

There is a raging national debate, currently taking place around thousands of water coolers, over who should get the #2 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) slot to face #1 Ohio State in the BCS National Championship game on January 8, 2007. However, with Arkansas' loss and USC's win this past weekend, the debate over #2 is likely over. It's a safe bet that USC will beat UCLA this weekend and return to the National Championship game for the third straight year.

But, who else will make it to the BCS? Well, there are 10 BSC slots. The National Championship game gets the top 2 BCS teams. The next 8 go to the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange bowls.

The champion of each BCS conference is automatically in. That means USC gets the Pac-10 slot; Ohio State gets the Big-10 slot; Boise State has already qualified for a spot; Rutgers or Louisville will get the Big East slot; the winner of Georgia Tech/Wake Forest gets the ACC automatic bid; the winner of the Oklahoma/Nebraska game gets the Big-12 slot; and, the winner of the SEC championship game (Florida or Arkansas) gets the SEC slot. That accounts for 7 of the 10 BCS bids.

Then, Michigan will surely get one and Notre Dame (undeservedly) will get one. Why Notre Dame? Oh my, that's a whole different subject I can't cover here. Anyway, we are now down to only one empty slot. Who should get it?

The answer is obvious. LSU. Why? Mostly because this year, as in most years, the SEC is clearly the strongest football conference. On any given Saturday Florida, LSU, Arkansas, and Auburn could all beat anyone in the country. And, Tennessee was right there before it's QB went down.

Don't just take my word for it. Look at the BCS standings going into the final weekend of the year. 3 SEC teams in the top 10 (Florida, LSU, Arkansas) and Auburn is #11. That's amazing!! Tennessee comes in at #16. No other conference has more than 3 teams in the top 25. The SEC has FIVE in the top 16!

How about non-conference schedule? The SEC is an amazing 41-7 versus non-conference opponents in 2006. This .854 winning percentage far outstrips any other conference. (Check out http://www.secsportsfan.com/sec-football.html for more information on SEC football). This past weekend was no exception. The SEC had 3 out of conference games against in-state rivals. Florida at Florida State; South Carolina at Clemson; Georgia Tech at Georgia. Result SEC 3 wins 0 losses vs. ACC teams.

The SEC is so strong that none of its teams was able to emerge undefeated from its bruising SEC schedule. Strength of schedule makes it highly unlikely that an SEC team can go undefeated. Thus, the current BCS system greatly disadvantages the SEC from being able to get one of its teams into the National Championship game. However, if the BCS system is to give any credence to toughness of schedule, a second SEC school should get the final BCS bid.

Who should that team be? Easy, LSU. Why? The key is LSU's win over Arkansas this past weekend. The winner of the SEC championship game (Florida or Arkansas) will get the automatic bid as SEC champion. If Arkansas is the loser of the SEC championship game, LSU should get the nod over the Razorbacks since they just beat them. If Florida is the loser of the SEC Championship game this weekend, then LSU should still get the nod because both LSU and Florida will have 2 losses and LSU will have just beaten the SEC Champ (Arkansas).

Also, LSU is finishing the season, playing as well as anyone in the country. They have won 6 straight games, including wins at Tennessee and Arkansas. Their only losses came early in the year at Auburn and at Florida. Anyone who saw the Arkansas game on Friday will agree that right now LSU can play with anyone in the country. The Tigers were able to overcome the most powerful running game in college football, and get a win, on the road, at Arkansas.

If the college football world were fair, Florida, Arkansas, and LSU would all get a shot at the National Championship along with Ohio State, Michigan and USC. But college football lives in BCS-Land. And fairness is not a BCS criteria. Still, look for LSU to get a shot at Michigan in the Rose Bowl. That will be a great game.

Mo Johnson, a long-time SEC sports fan, is the author of this article. He is publisher of http://www.secsportsfan.com.Sharai Blog98969
Sibel Blog32337

Management Qualifications - An Overview

Management Qualifications - An Overview

The article is about management courses, in a specific way that explains the different levels of such courses, what each type of course contains, how each different type and level of course should help you, how it should change you, and also this is about how each type of course is regarded in the world of business and management.

This article is designed to set the scene, by outlining the range of courses that are available to managers at the different stages of their development.

Lets start with the foundation, introductory, courses, suitable for those who are taking a first step into the world of management, whether it is as an employee in an organisation, or as a budding entrepreneur.

In this band there is a large number of options, ranging from individual short courses, focusing on skills needed in areas such as teamwork, basic budgeting, decision making, quality, etc

Many organisations run in-house courses in these areas, but it there are also many providers who offer them full qualifications that are stand-alone but also the first step on the management ladder, include the Higher National Certificate and then the Diploma, the HNC and HND, highly regarded national and internationally recognised qualifications, usually taking 2 academic years if studied at college, or 18 months if by distance learning.

These (relative to management) include the HNC / HND in Business & Management / Finance / Marketing / Law and others.

Alongside these are:

Professional Development Certificates in Management, part of the national framework of qualifications, offered again in colleges and by distance learning providers, with content that introduces the learner to areas such as teamwork, supervisory activity, finance, decision making.

NVQs ~ national vocational qualifications ~ in Management (and many related subjects) at introductory level:

Level 3 ~ introductory / newcomer to management.

As the manager, or specialist, gains more experienced managers, the range widens and rises, and the qualification taken will depend on the individuals experience and position the main options are:

Level 4 ~ suitable for reasonably experienced junior to middle managers

Level 5 ~ aimed at experienced, knowledgeable managers at middle to senior level

Level 7 ~ aimed at strategic managers

Level 6 ? dont ask ! its a mystery even for those of us in the business !

NVQs are competence based which means, in essence, that the student must show evidence, must prove that she/he is competent (in management) at the level, and to the criteria, described in that particular NVQ.

NVQs are popular with large, bureucratic organisations, that need to be certain that their managers at all levels are, provably, competent.

Another group is the professional development awards including:

Professional Development Certificate in Management ~ and ~ Professional Development Diploma in Management ~ and Advanced Professional Development Diploma in Management.

These are also banded at Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, and Level 7 in similar fashion to the NVQs, because these qualifications are accepted as being in the national qualifications framework or NQF (!!)
some providers offer variations of these, with the CMS Certificate in Management Studies and the DMS Diploma in Management Studies being the most popular.

Indeed, the DMS is the UKs most widely recognised management qualification ~ the managers management qualification ~ and is the qualification that most organisations expect their middle to senior managers, and professional specialists, to hold.

In case youre thinking what about the MBA? for every MBA holder in the UK there is 100 with a DMS and 99% of those will not go on to, will not need to go on to, an MBA

Masters ~ MA, Msc, MBA ~ these are the next band, and are the highest management qualifications, not only in the UK but also in most countries around the world but, there are thousands of variations in content available, and considerable variation in quality and relevance, so choosing a suitable, appropriate quality, one of these is fraught with difficulty
* we will come back to these later

If you are thinking what about PhDs ~ doctorates ? ~ yes, they are higher level, but they dont in my view, truly fit into management courses because they are, and meant to be, academic in nature and not designed to improve the individuals management skills

CJ Williams is a tutor and management consultant currently working with Brighton School of Business and Management in the UK. Specialising in Business and Management courses taught via distance learning. Sherill Blog33465
Sonnnie Blog58623

How To Make Art School Work For You

When I was in school I had a graphic design professor a very smart individual who graduated from Yale and whose expertise was fonts. I spent two hours a day for an entire semester building fonts with a pencil and a clipboard. As the professor did not know how to use a computer, he did not require any of his students to either. This class was boring, but what was worse is that it was completely useless.

Rarely is a real company going to pay for a font. They are going to pay for business cards, logos, web sites, CDROMs and commercials but not a font. Many professors at prestigious schools with good reputations are relics of a past age. Graphic design requires technology, and technologies change and adapt. Oftentimes those that teach graphic design remain stagnant and enforce archaic concepts and methods. Academic graphic design is much closer to fine art than commercial graphic design (the type that makes money).

Avoid classes with names like The History of Byzantine Graphic Design, The Stencil as Design Tool or Dimension in Design.

You should design your schedule around your portfolio, your web site and your resume. The best classes are those that teach software and can provide tangible art that employers will want to see. Look at the want ads and then look at your schedule. If the class teaches or requires Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Flash, or HTML then take it immediately. Look for teachers who have worked in the world of graphic design and understand concepts like deadlines, client needs, and real world application.

The most important way to jumpstart your career is by establishing a web site early and constantly adding to it and improving it. Your web site should be the crown jewel of your arts education. If you can improve the site each year by adding flash animation or streaming video then you will have a job magnet when you are ready to graduate.

A college degree is a wonderful thing to have, but sometimes software certification is more important for finding a job. A Flash developer certification from Macromedia can lead to a job much faster than a graphic design degree from even the best university. Software certification can open doors that a degree cannot. You have four years of art school to learn and improve yourself. You will never again have the time and resources to pursue certifications. The best part is that you can probably receive academic credit for anything that you do if you just fill out a little of the correct paperwork.

Michael Long is a Seattle area graphic designer, web designer and flash developer that has worked for some of the biggest names in the Fortune 500. He is the former CEO of Overdrive Media and currently works as a design consultant. Sponsored by: Art Schools Digital - Seattle http://www.artschoolsdigital.com/Shelley Blog75067
Stacy Blog43232

Myths About Women And International Business

Researcher, Nancy Adler conducted a monumental study in the mid 1980s to address myths about women and international business. Her study investigated if commonly held myths about women in international business were true including: women are not interested in International business, women were not willing to travel overseas for a variety of reasons namely family responsibilities and women would not be viewed as credible in overseas business due to the local perception of women. Her study results revealed that many of these false perceptions were indeed myths often held by male managers and HR personnel, and that women were interested and willing to conduct business overseas.

Today many of these same myths still exist despite the dramatic increase of women in business and women owned businesses and women traveling overseas.

Here are some facts published by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) (www.dol.gov), The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) (www.nawbo.org), and the Small Business Administration (SBA) (www.sba.gov), on women in the work force:

Women account for over 46% of the work force in America and this is expected to increase to 48% by the year 2005.

Women comprised 43% of employees in American executive, administrative, and managerial occupations in 1995 and this number is growing.

Businesses owned by women number 8 million in the U.S., and they employ one out of every four workers. They are growing at double the rate of all businesses.

33% of women business owners report that they exported in their first or second year of operation and the majority reported that they were successful on their first transaction.

In 1998 over 23 million Americans traveled overseas and the primary areas of travel were Europe, Asia, Japan and Latin America.

It is no longer just a rumor that women have become major players in the U.S. workforce and in the global business environment. More and more women are traveling overseas to conduct business for their corporations or for their own business ventures.

Despite these significant advances of women in International business we still find commercial guidebooks that suggest that women should not be in International business. Most books in this genre were written by men and either do not address womens particular issues in international business or, worse, they suggest that women should not even be sent on foreign business assignments due to role differences which these men perceive to be unconquerable obstacles. In contrast, my own research (1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998) indicates that women can and are successful in international business, despite the variety of viewpoints they encounter around the world. Specifically, my research has demonstrated that establishing credibility during the initial stages of business is one area that businesswomen find critical to their success.

Establishing Your Credibility

For men, credibility is often derived from their gender and their status in the company. For women, credibility is more often derived from their individual skills. Women report that they often have to work extra hard to establish credibility because of their gender.

Some women explain:

When I conduct business in most countries I am consciously aware that my male colleagues have more credibility than I do, just because of gender differences. In most countries women are not expected to have significant positions of authority, so I am frequently viewed in the same way. I am first assumed to be an administrator, not the decision-maker in the group, whereas my male colleague is first viewed as the manager or decision-maker. I feel I have to work doubly hard to establish my credibility before I can effectively conduct business and Im aware that I need to do this immediately so that the business can start. (Chicago)

When I travel outside the U.S. for the corporate office, I am viewed as foreign first, and female second. However, I feel I am still met with some degree of skepticism as to what my role is and how much authority I have for the corporate office. Due to this, I take extra steps to make sure that the proper introductions are made in advance to limit concerns that men might have about my credibility. (Los Angeles)

As a woman business owner I realize that I am not the norm in many countries. Therefore I have to develop methods by which to establish my self and my company as credible for my foreign business associates. This requires preparation and advance communication about my firm, our success and our viability -- perhaps more than is required for men who run their own firms. (New York)

Here are some pointers for establishing credibility:

Be visible. Attend and host meetings between your company and your international counterparts whenever possible. International travel is often associated with decision-makers in a firm, so being present adds to your credibility.

Introductions are important, particularly for women. If you are doing business with a firm for the first time, have yourself introduced by a higher-ranking person in your company who already knows the people with whom you will be dealing.

If you cannot have someone introduce you, ask a higher-ranking person in your company to send a fax or written correspondence in advance, outlining your title, responsibilities and background.

Make sure your business card indicates a distinctive title such as Manager or Director so that your position can be clearly understood. If there is any doubt about your title, it may be automatically assumed that you have a lesser role than other members on your team.

Some women wear a school ring or a graduate school pendant to subtly advertise their background. Others wear corporate pins designating tenure, thus demonstrating their level of experience.

In general, foreigners will often look and respond more to the men on your team than the women. This is because there are fewer women in executive positions outside of the U.S. Prepare for this by advising your colleagues of tactics that will help you and the other female members, including making seating arrangements that will place you in a position of authority.

If someone appears confused about your name and rank, offer him another business card, even if you have already given him one. This is a subtle way of reinforcing your title and ensuring acknowledgment of your participation as an active member at the meeting

Women should lead business discussions where possible. If there is only one woman and everyone is of equal rank, let the woman take the lead to help establish her credibility.

A female team leader may experience a problem establishing her credibility unless team members defer to her as the authority figure on the team. American men need to be aware that their tendency to jump in and answer questions, especially when a woman is speaking, undermines her authority and the teams effectiveness. Women should advise team members not to answer questions directed to her and to otherwise defer to her whenever appropriate. A good response when asked a question that should be directed to a female colleague is: Jane is the best person to answer that question.

Be professional. Present yourself in a sincere, confident, professional manner, both in appearance and speech, to create a good first impression. Be yourself. Do not come on too strong, but dont defer when it is appropriate for you to respond. Deferring to age and position is, however, always acceptable for both sexes.

Be aware of womens roles in other countries. If you understand where women are in their own corporate environment it will give you insight into how the culture may perceive you.

The Role of the Manager

Managers can be very effective in international business by helping to enhance their teams credibility. The manager can introduce the staff members by title and outline their areas of expertise, act as moderator to refer questions to the appropriate team member, and highlight the staffs achievements.

In particular, managers can help in the following ways:

It is important that all team members, including management, understand their roles at the meeting and, more importantly, that they do not act out of role. If one of your colleagues is acting out of role, call for a break to explain how the group loses effectiveness when it is not cohesive.

As a woman, you should advise management that your personal credibility may be jeopardized if your role is undermined, and that this could hinder the success of the team at any follow-up meetings.

Managers can help enhance the credibility of female teammates by reinforcing their authority during the meeting. For example, if a woman is not receiving the appropriate respect, the manager may once again bring attention to her role and authority.

Despite commonly held myths about women in International businesswomen are traveling and conducting business internationally in increased numbers and they are successful in their business dealings. Establishing credibility in advance is one of the key areas where women can do to ensure her business success.

Tracey Wilen is Author at http://www.globalwomen.biz/.Sheba Blog23511
Shannen Blog80033

Tally Oh - Abacus Education for Home-schooling

Enter a classroom in any abacus center in India and you will see children busy with something that looks like a toy - tiny brown beads compiled neatly in columns. On the wall is propped a similar toy, though bigger with large, shiny yellow beads.

The teacher calls out a complex calculation, almost like an open challenge. A little boy, barely seven, comes forward and recites a seemingly funny rhyme. He also moves the yellow beads up and down and gets the answer down pat. No furious adding, counting or subtracting! Amazed?

Welcome to the world of abacus education, where rigid arithmetic takes a backseat and visuals and imagination gain center-stage. Here children learn to use the abacus, an ancient Chinese invention, to solve basic arithmetic sums with speed and accuracy. Institutes, which offer abacus education, claim that they use arithmetic as a tool to develop mind skills, memory and lateral thinking abilities.

Popular in Asian countries like Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand, abacus education is relatively new in India. But several entrepreneurs have been quick to tap the business potential of this non-formal education tool.

Scientific theories associate the left hemisphere of the brain with numerical and academic abilities, and the right hemisphere with creativity and intelligence. Proponents of abacus education claim that while formal education focuses merely on left-brain development, the abacus brings about "whole brain development".

"If the brain is not developed at an early age, one's mental abilities can start declining by 20 years of age. That's why we must tap them young," says Dhaval Shrimankar, CEO, NurtureMinds.com.

The brain gyms - as these institutes are called - are not stand-alone entities, but, instead, operate through a network of local franchises in urban and semi-urban areas. The reach and popularity of abacus education can be gauged from the burgeoning franchisee network.

Today, the same innovative education is available in the US and Canada. The system has taken the home-school communities by the storm. Private centers similar to Score or Kumon are springing up from west coast to the east coast.

As an alternative to investment for a franchise, books are directly sold to the interested customers. Many of the patrons take up on roles of tutors as well as franchise owners.

How does Abacus work?

The abacus consists of 13 vertical rods, separated into two sections by a horizontal bar. Each rod contains one bead in the upper section and four beads in the lower section.

When given a sum, the child recites a rhyme corresponding to the kind of calculation involved. This also makes learning fun and easy. Simultaneously, the child moves the required beads up and down. The position of each bead signifies a specific numerical value. At the end of the rhyme, the position of the beads touching the horizontal bar, gives the answer.

As the course advances, the abacus is taken away and the child is encouraged to picture the abacus mentally to come up with the answer. After sufficient training, the child becomes adept at moving the beads mentally and no longer needs to recite the rhyme aloud to arrive at the answer.

Dhaval Shrimankar believes in nurturing minds of young children using mental math techniques. You can find more information at the nurtureminds blog and http://www.nurtureminds.com/.Sibilla Blog35064
Shana Blog3250

Hello From Orlando - A Walk Through St. Augustine - The Oldest Continuously Inhabited City In The United States

On our way home from Orlando, a little more than an hour into our 20+ hour road trip back to Toronto, we stopped in St. Augustine, "the nation's oldest city", just north of Jacksonville - indeed the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States, having been founded by the Spanish in 1565.

St. Augustin's founder, Don Pedro Menendez, came ashore on September 8, 1565, and chose to name the settlement after the patron saint whose feast day coincided with the day of landing. Of course, before the Spanish ever set foot on Florida soil, the Timacuan Indians had already been here and they watched Menendez and the roughly 1500 colonists and soldiers settle here. Over the last few centuries the city experienced governments from different countries, including Spain, Britain, and since 1821, the United States.

The real rise of this community came in the late 1800s when Henry Flagler (1830 to 1913) built two hotels and took over a third as part of the Flagler hotel chain. Flagler was the co-founder of Standard Oil, and although not as well known as some of the other early magnates of capitalism, he was one of the wealthiest individuals of his time. Flagler had a major impact on Florida: he founded the Florida East Coast Railway as a means of transporting guests to and from the north to his hotels in St. Augustine, Palm Beach, and Miami. A honeymoon visit to St. Augustine in 1881 with his second wife inspired Flagler's vision to transform this sleepy town into a winter playground for the rich.

Three of Flagler's former St. Augustine hotels are still in use today: Flagler College (the former Hotel Ponce de Leon), the Lightner Building - St. Augustine's City Hall (the former Alcazar) and Casa Monica, redone as a county courthouse in the 1960s, and reopened in 1990 as the restored Casa Monica Hotel. During the late 19th and early 20th century Flagler also developed a residential neighbourhood called the Model Land Company tract.

Within a few short years Flagler's dream of a resort town for northerners faded and he, and the wealthy northern visitors, moved further south. He continued to develop the Florida East Coast Railroad down the peninsula, into and across the Florida Keys, creating hotels and communities along the way.

St. Augustine is centered around the Plaza de la Constitucion, which anchors the Lightner Museum / City Hall, Casa Monica and Flagler College, three stunningly beautiful structures. Located in the former Alcazar Hotel, the Lightner Museum houses collections of legendary hobbyist and antiques collector Otis Lightner.

St. Augustine has a wealth of other historic and architecturally interesting structures. The most historically significant structure in St. Augustine is the Castillo de San Marcos, built by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695. The 19th century Lighthouse Museum is located in the St. Augustine Lighthouse on Anastasia Island east of town across the Bridge of Lions. St. Augustine also houses the oldest store in town dating to the turn of the last century. Talking about old buildings, St. Augustine is home to the Gonzalez-Alvarez House, dating back to 1727, known as the "Oldest House Complex", a National Historic Landmark.

The Mission of Nombre de Dios is located on the west bank of Matanzas Bay, and it is said to have been the site of the first Catholic Mass in what is today the United States. The Spanish Quarter Village is a living history museum composed of a collection of colonial period houses where guides recreate the dress and lifestyle as seen in 1740.

Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park exhibits foundations and artifacts of the first St. Augustine mission and colony. It also houses the Landmark Spring, Explorers Globe and Navigators' Planetarium. St. Augustine also houses the Oldest Drug Store and the nation's Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, built more than 200 years ago while Florida was under Spain's rule.

Unfortunately we did not have a chance to explore St. Augustine in detail, but our brief excursion into this historic city quickly proved what a unique destination St. Augustine really is. As a matter of fact, the city welcomes around 2 million visitors every year who come to discover a unique historic part of America. A settlement with authentic Spanish roots, complete with Castillo and all, is a truly unique sight in the U.S. and it was definitely worth the detour.

Here is a collection of websites for further information on St. Augustine:

- the City of St. Augustine,
- the St. Augustine Visitor Guide
- Visit Florida's information page about St. Augustine
- the St. Augustine Historical Society
- the City of St. Augustine's Department of Heritage Tourism

This entire article including photos is located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/orlando_st_augustine.htm

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of http://www.travelandtransitions.com, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new http://www.travelandtransitions.com/ebooks.html FREE ebooks about travel.Shellie Blog71439
Stephie Blog53581

A Comprehensive Review of Filling Medical School Applications

A medical school is an institution that teaches medicine and trains its students into becoming successful medical practitioners. Different medical institutes across the world provides quality education in the theoretical as well as practical aspect of the medical training. Some of the most renowned institutions include the Cincinnati Medical School, Caribbean Medical School, Arizona medical schools, and Mayo Medical School. The entry criteria in all of these medical schools vary considerably, ranging from the eligibility criteria including grades obtained and co-curricular activities undertaken. But with a properly filled out medical school application a medical student can seek admission in various medical schools in Canada and the United States of America.

There are a number of medical school applications through which medical aspirants can seek admissions in different medical schools across the globe. Some of the commonly used application forms that are most sought after for gaining admission in a medical college have been listed below:

* AMCAS - American Medical College Application Service
* AACOMAS - American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service
* TMDSAS - Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service
* OMSAS - The Ontario Medical Schools Application Service

Through the American Medical College Application Service, prospective medical aspirants can seek admissions in different medical schools in Canada and the U.S. The AMCAS is a service regulated by the American Medical Colleges Association. AMCAS acts as a common application among the various medical schools.

The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) offers the medical aspirants a very convenient and centralized medical application service for the recognized medical schools and it is provided online. In this online application service, students can submit one electronic application. After verifying the application, the AACOMAS distributes the information inscribed by the applicants to the different medical schools selected by the students. The admission in an Osteopathic medical school is very competitive and the different schools select their candidates from a very large chunk of the highly qualified students. It is advised to apply very early in order to get your information processed without being delayed.

The Ontario Medical Schools Application Service is a non-profit application service. It is a very convenient and centralized application service for seeking admissions in one of the six Ontario medical schools. They are namely:

* Michael G.DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University
* Queen's University
* Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario
* University of Ottawa
* University of Toronto
* Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Hence, those who wish to apply for the Ontario Medical Schools have to submit only one set of information with regards to their qualification and regardless of the number of the medical schools they wish to apply for.

Similarly, for taking admission in a Texas medical and dental school, there is Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service through which applicants can apply to different medical colleges or schools in Texas.

Sandra Stammberger owns and operates http://www.medicalschooladmission.net Medical School AdmissionsShana Blog50980
Stephi Blog17111

Distinct Services Available In Orlando Schools

Any school district, whether it serves the tiniest of rural communities, or the students of a huge city, must effectively communicate with its parents. Individual schools stay in touch with families most commonly through newsletters, web pages, and sometimes via e-mail. Teachers in Orlando Schools conduct parent-teacher conferences a minimum of once a year, make phone calls as needed, and send home comments about their students progress on report cards and mid-term reports.

Orlando Schools do all of this, and even more. The district has implemented a mass telephone service so that it can communicate any pertinent information to Orlando Schools parents almost immediately. Ronald Blocker, Orlando Schools Superintendent, describes the program: Since March 2006, the school districts Connect-ED system has dialed more than 3.8 million phone numbers with community outreach and emergency notifications. The system supports multi-language communications that are specific to school communities. Notification of school closures, hurricane makeup days, updates on incidents at Orlando Schools, test dates and reminders of important meetings are just some of the topics that have been covered. Many of you (parents and community members) have already raved about our use of Connect-ED. It is an effective tool that allows district officials and Orlando Schools principals to prepare messages that are dispatched within minutes to people who need to hear them.

A second service available in Orlando Schools is an anti-bullying program. The program aims to prevent students from being bullied or bullying others. In academic classes at Arbor Ridge High School, for example, students are given bullying lessons that may include reading assignments or questionnaires on their personal experiences with bullies. 46% of Orlando Schools students have said they had been bullied. Students are learning how to prevent situations where they or others may be bullied. A key lesson is that bullies escalate their actions the more they get away with it.

A third, and very exciting program just launched this summer (2007) is The Big Red Bus. Orlando Schools students who reside in Seminole County can now take advantage of a summer reading program that is truly ingenious. All students in Orlando Schools can board the bus and check out as many as three books a week. They can return them to the bus the following week, or they can keep them! The bus seats have been removed and replaced with wooden shelves to hold the 4,000 brand-spanking new books that officials have purchased. Orlando Schools will be using $40,000 in donations from CFE (Central Florida Educators) Credit Union, and the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools. Anna Marie Cote, director of instruction in Orlando Schools says the program will especially benefit students who may not be able to get out to the library on a regular basis to get books. We are trying to get it into places where it might be a bit harder for kids to get out and get books, she says. When Orlando Schools students have finished reading books picked up from the Bus, they can log them on the Lets Read website and have a chance to win prizes. The site also offers reading list and access to online books, including some that the computer will read aloud.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Florida/Orlando/index.htmlSorcha Blog44057
Suki Blog16423

Great Jobs Resulting From An Online It Degree

There are many great places to work in America, however many people feel constantly dragged down by the lack of job opportunities they feel exist. Actually, there are many jobs available for those with the right qualifications. Many times it is just a matter of deciding what you want to do, researching what it takes to obtain that position, and setting a plan into place to achieve that goal. This is a lot simpler task than most people make it out to be. There is no job in the world that can't be yours with the right training. In fact, most people can land a job by simply obtaining the proper qualifications, and having an optimistic attitude. The position probably won't just drop into your lap, and it will take hard work and diligent effort. While the attitude part is something you must come to on your own, training for a career will take some effort. Online degrees are becoming very popular and are something to consider. In fact, considering an online IT degree may be just the right fit for someone looking for advancement.

Having an online IT degree is something people once overlooked as a position for the computer whiz at a not so common computer based company. With computers now playing such an important role in day to day operations, the IT positions are extremely valuable within most organizations. As the technology gap is bridged between software applications, and the internet, more and more students are earning their online IT degree, and profiting from the experience. Counting all the major online programs can be a dubious task, but no matter what the other programs online have to offer, the online IT degree is still one of the most valuable degrees one can earn, and will help you become a more profitable individual in the process.

The reason that an online IT degree is a direct path to great jobs is that the certification allows you to do so much that many people simply aren't qualified to do. With this degree you will be able to work with computers and the internet in ways that most people can't. If a company wants a quality IT professional to help them with their needs, the market rate is somewhere in the fifty to sixty thousand dollar a year range. With your online IT degree you will be eligible for that salary. Many of those working at companies today find themselves among the top paid professionals in the company with their IT certifications fully utilized.

Making a lot of money, and having a great job certainly helps a person's life change for the better. Doing something you love is the single best way one can be happy. Most people surveyed in America simply do not enjoy what they do for a living, while those that have earned an online IT degree for the most part are very pleased with their job. This is because most people in these positions spend their days working with computers, and helping others adapt to new technology through troubleshooting. The bottom line is that having an online IT degree is one way to get a job that you might have once thought was impossible. You may find yourself to be one the highest paid employees in the company, and wake up most days ready for the challenges and looking forward to the workday ahead.

Andy West is a freelance writer for Virginia College. Virginia College Online offers many Online IT Degree programs. Please visit Virginia College Online at http://www.vconline.edu/site/department.cfm?Department_ID=3 to select the online program that is right for you.Shirlee Blog35103
Sissy Blog35624

Acne Medications for Quick Recovery

Read this Medication Guide every time you get a prescription or a refill for Accutane (ACK-u-tane). There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking with your prescriber (doctor or other health care provider).

What is the most important information I should know about Accutane?

Accutane is used to treat a type of severe acne (nodular acne) that has not been helped by other treatments, including antibiotics. However, Accutane can cause serious side effects. Before starting Accutane, discuss with your prescriber how bad your acne is, the possible benefits of Accutane, and its possible side effects, to decide if Accutane is right for you. Your prescriber will ask you to read and sign a form or forms indicating you understand some of the serious risks of Accutane.

Possible serious side effects of taking Accutane include birth defects and mental disorders.

1. Birth defects. Accutane can cause birth defects (deformed babies) if taken by a pregnant woman. It can also cause miscarriage (losing the baby before birth), premature (early) birth, or death of the baby. Do not take Accutane if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while you are taking Accutane. Do not get pregnant for 1 month after you stop taking Accutane. Also, if you get pregnant while taking Accutane, stop taking it right away and call your prescriber.

All females should read the section in this Medication Guide "What are the important warnings for females taking Accutane?"

2. Mental problems and suicide. Some patients, while taking Accutane or soon after stopping Accutane, have become depressed or developed other serious mental problems. Symptoms of these problems include sad, "anxious" or empty mood, irritability, anger, loss of pleasure or interest in social or sports activities, sleeping too much or too little, changes in weight or appetite, school or work performance going down, or trouble concentrating. Some patients taking Accutane have had thoughts about hurting themselves or putting an end to their own lives (suicidal thoughts). Some people tried to end their own lives. And some people have ended their own lives. There were reports that some of these people did not appear depressed. No one knows if Accutane caused these behaviors or if they would have happened even if the person did not take Accutane.

All patients should read the section in this Medication Guide "What are the signs of mental problems?"

For other possible serious side effects of Accutane, see "What are the possible side effects of Accutane?" in this Medication Guide.

What are the important warnings for females taking Accutane?

You must not become pregnant while taking Accutane, or for 1 month after you stop taking Accutane. Accutane can cause severe birth defects in babies of women who take it while they are pregnant, even if they take Accutane for only a short time. There is an extremely high risk that your baby will be deformed or will die if you are pregnant while taking Accutane. Taking Accutane also increases the chance of miscarriage and premature births.

Female patients will not get their first prescription for Accutane unless there is proof they have had 2 negative pregnancy tests. The first test must be done when your prescriber decides to prescribe Accutane. The second pregnancy test must be done during the first 5 days of the menstrual period right before starting Accutane therapy, or as instructed by your prescriber. Each month of treatment, you must have a negative result from a urine or serum pregnancy test. Female patients cannot get another prescription for Accutane unless there is proof that they have had a negative pregnancy test.

A yellow self-adhesive Accutane Qualification Sticker on your prescription indicates to the pharmacist that you are qualified by your prescriber to get Accutane.

While you are taking Accutane, you must use effective birth control. You must use 2 separate effective forms of birth control at the same time for at least 1 month before starting Accutane, while you take it, and for 1 month after you stop taking it. You can either discuss effective birth control methods with your prescriber or go for a free visit to discuss birth control with another physician or family planning expert. Your prescriber can arrange this free visit, which will be paid for by the manufacturer.

You must use 2 separate forms of effective birth control because any method, including birth control pills and sterilization, can fail. There are only 2 reasons you would not need to use 2 separate methods of effective birth control:

1. You have had your womb removed by surgery (a hysterectomy).

2. You are absolutely certain you will not have genital-to-genital sexual contact with a male before, during, and for 1 month after Accutane treatment.

If you have sex at any time without using 2 forms of effective birth control, get pregnant, or miss your period, stop using Accutane and call your prescriber right away.

All patients should read the rest of this Medication Guide.

What are the signs of mental problems?

Tell your prescriber if, to the best of your knowledge, you or someone in your family has ever had any mental illness, including depression, suicidal behavior, or psychosis. Psychosis means a loss of contact with reality, such as hearing voices or seeing things that are not there. Also, tell your prescriber if you take medicines for any of these problems.

Stop using Accutane and tell your provider right away if you:

? Start to feel sad or have crying spells

? Lose interest in activities you once enjoyed

? Sleep too much or have trouble sleeping

? Become more irritable than usual

? Have a change in your appetite or body weight

? Have trouble concentrating

? Withdraw from your friends or family

? Feel like you have no energy

? Have feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt

? Start having thoughts about hurting yourself or taking your own life (suicidal thoughts)

What is Accutane?

Accutane is used to treat the most severe form of acne (nodular acne) that cannot be cleared up by any other acne treatments, including antibiotics. In severe nodular acne, many red, swollen, tender lumps form in the skin. These can be the size of pencil erasers or larger. If untreated, nodular acne can lead to permanent scars. However, because Accutane can have serious side effects, you should talk with your prescriber about all of the possible treatments for your acne, and whether Accutane?s possible benefits outweigh its possible risks.

Who should not take Accutane?

? Do not take Accutane if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or become pregnant during Accutane treatment. Accutane causes severe birth defects. All females should read the section "What are the important warnings for females taking Accutane?" for more information and warnings about Accutane and pregnancy.

? Do not take Accutane unless you completely understand its possible risks and are willing to follow all of the instructions in this Medication Guide.

Tell your prescriber if you or someone in your family has had any kind of mental problems, asthma, liver disease, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis (bone loss), weak bones, anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder where people eat too little), or any other important health problems. Tell your prescriber about any food or drug allergies you have had in the past. These problems do not necessarily mean you cannot take Accutane, but your prescriber needs this information to discuss if Accutane is right for you.

How should I take Accutane?

? You will get no more than a 30-day supply of Accutane at a time, to be sure you check in with your prescriber each month to discuss side effects.

? Your prescription should have a special yellow self-adhesive sticker attached to it. The sticker is YELLOW. If your prescription does not have this yellow self-adhesive sticker, call your prescriber. The pharmacy should not fill your prescription unless it has the yellow self-adhesive sticker.

? The amount of Accutane you take has been specially chosen for you and may change during treatment.

? You will take Accutane 2 times a day with a meal, unless your prescriber tells you otherwise. Swallow your Accutane capsules with a full glass of liquid. This will help prevent the medication inside the capsule from irritating the lining of your esophagus (connection between mouth and stomach). For the same reason, do not chew or suck on the capsule.

? If you miss a dose, just skip that dose. Do not take 2 doses the next time.

? You should return to your prescriber as directed to make sure you don?t have signs of serious side effects. Because some of Accutane?s serious side effects show up in blood tests, some of these visits may involve blood tests (monthly visits for female patients should always include a urine or serum pregnancy test).

What should I avoid while taking Accutane?

? Do not get pregnant while taking Accutane. See "What is the most important information I should know about Accutane?" and "What are the important warnings for females taking Accutane?"

? Do not breast feed while taking Accutane and for 1 month after stopping Accutane. We do not know if Accutane can pass through your milk and harm the baby.

? Do not give blood while you take Accutane and for 1 month after stopping Accutane. If someone who is pregnant gets your donated blood, her baby may be exposed to Accutane and may be born with birth defects.

? Do not take vitamin A supplements. Vitamin A in high doses has many of the same side effects as Accutane. Taking both together may increase your chance of getting side effects.

? Do not have cosmetic procedures to smooth your skin, including waxing, dermabrasion, or laser procedures, while you are using Accutane and for at least 6 months after you stop. Accutane can increase your chance of scarring from these procedures. Check with your prescriber for advice about when you can have cosmetic procedures.

? Avoid sunlight and ultraviolet lights as much as possible. Tanning machines use ultraviolet lights. Accutane may make your skin more sensitive to light.

? Do not use birth control pills that do not contain estrogen ("minipills"). They may not work while you take Accutane. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist if you are not sure what type you are using.

? Talk with your doctor if you plan to take other drugs or herbal products. This is especially important for patients using birth control pills and other hormonal types of birth control because the birth control may not work as effectively if you are taking certain drugs or herbal products. You should not take the herbal supplement St. John?s Wort because this herbal supplement may make birth control pills not work as effectively.

? Talk with your doctor if you are currently taking an oral or injected corticosteroid or anticonvulsant (seizure) medication prior to using Accutane. These drugs may weaken your bones.

? Do not share Accutane with other people. It can cause birth defects and other serious health problems.

? Do not take Accutane with antibiotics unless you talk to your prescriber. For some antibiotics, you may have to stop taking Accutane until the antibiotic treatment is finished. Use of both drugs together can increase the chances of getting increased pressure in the brain.

What are the possible side effects of Accutane?

Accutane has possible serious side effects

? Accutane can cause birth defects, premature births, and death in babies whose mothers took Accutane while they were pregnant. See "What is the most important information I should know about Accutane?" and "What are the important warnings for females taking Accutane?"

? Serious mental health problems. See "What is the most important information I should know about Accutane?"

? Serious brain problems. Accutane can increase the pressure in your brain. This can lead to permanent loss of sight, or in rare cases, death. Stop taking Accutane and call your prescriber right away if you get any of these signs of increased brain pressure: bad headache, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting. Also, some patients taking Accutane have had seizures (convulsions) or stroke.

? Abdomen (stomach area) problems. Certain symptoms may mean that your internal organs are being damaged. These organs include the liver, pancreas, bowel (intestines), and esophagus (connection between mouth and stomach). If your organs are damaged, they may not get better even after you stop taking Accutane. Stop taking Accutane and call your prescriber if you get severe stomach, chest or bowel pain, trouble swallowing or painful swallowing, new or worsening heartburn, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, yellowing of your skin or eyes, or dark urine.

? Bone and muscle problems. Accutane may affect bones, muscles, and ligaments and cause pain in your joints or muscles. Tell your prescriber if you plan vigorous physical activity during treatment with Accutane. Tell your prescriber if you develop pain, particularly back pain or joint pain. There are reports that some patients have had stunted growth after taking Accutane for acne as directed. There are also some reports of broken bones or reduced healing of broken bones after taking Accutane for acne as directed. No one knows if taking Accutane for acne will affect your bones. If you have a broken bone, tell your provider that you are taking Accutane. Muscle weakness with or without pain can be a sign of serious muscle damage. If this happens, stop taking Accutane and call your prescriber right away.

? Hearing problems. Some people taking Accutane have developed hearing problems. It is possible that hearing loss can be permanent. Stop using Accutane and call your prescriber if your hearing gets worse or if you have ringing in your ears.

? Vision problems. While taking Accutane you may develop a sudden inability to see in the dark, so driving at night can be dangerous. This condition usually clears up after you stop taking Accutane, but it may be permanent. Other serious eye effects can occur. Stop taking Accutane and call your prescriber right away if you have any problems with your vision or dryness of the eyes that is painful or constant.

? Lipid (fats and cholesterol in blood) problems. Many people taking Accutane develop high levels of cholesterol and other fats in their blood. This can be a serious problem. Return to your prescriber for blood tests to check your lipids and to get any needed treatment. These problems generally go away when Accutane treatment is finished.

? Allergic reactions. In some people, Accutane can cause serious allergic reactions. Stop taking Accutane and get emergency care right away if you develop hives, a swollen face or mouth, or have trouble breathing. Stop taking Accutane and call your prescriber if you develop a fever, rash, or red patches or bruises on your legs.

? Signs of other possibly serious problems. Accutane may cause other problems. Tell your prescriber if you have trouble breathing (shortness of breath), are fainting, are very thirsty or urinate a lot, feel weak, have leg swelling, convulsions, slurred speech, problems moving, or any other serious or unusual problems. Frequent urination and thirst can be signs of blood sugar problems.

Serious permanent problems do not happen often. However, because the symptoms listed above may be signs of serious problems, if you get these symptoms, stop taking Accutane and call your prescriber. If not treated, they could lead to serious health problems. Even if these problems are treated, they may not clear up after you stop taking Accutane.

Accutane has less serious possible side effects

The common less serious side effects of Accutane are dry skin, chapped lips, dry eyes, and dry nose that may lead to nosebleeds. People who wear contact lenses may have trouble wearing them while taking Accutane and after therapy. Sometimes, people?s acne may get worse for a while. They should continue taking Accutane unless told to stop by their prescriber.

These are not all of Accutane?s possible side effects. Your prescriber or pharmacist can give you more detailed information that is written for health care professionals.

This Medication Guide is only a summary of some important information about Accutane. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. If you have any concerns or questions about Accutane, ask your prescriber. Do not use Accutane for a condition for which it was not prescribed.

Active Ingredient: Isotretinoin.

Inactive Ingredients: beeswax, butylated hydroxyanisole, edetate disodium, hydrogenated soybean oil flakes, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and soybean oil. Gelatin capsules contain glycerin and parabens (methyl and propyl), with the following dye systems: 10 mg ? iron oxide (red) and titanium dioxide; 20 mg ? FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Blue No. 1, and titanium dioxide; 40 mg ? FD&C Yellow No. 6, D&C Yellow No. 10, and titanium dioxide.

James Vond writes for http://www.acnedong.com where you can find out more about acne and other topics.Sherill Blog33465
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SAT Tutor New York helps you master the SAT

Studying in a reputed college or a reputed university in the United Nations is a dream that everyone dreams about. Being a part of a reputed college or a university helps to exalt the career of the student further letting him taste success at an early age. The Scholastic Aptitude Test or the Scholastic Assessment Test or more popularly known as the Sat, helps students get an entry in the best of the colleges and the universities in the United States of America. The SAT is a yearly based aptitude test where innumerable students appear for the test. The SAT comes out to be the most ideal exam for students who aspire for a bright future and want to study in one of the most reputed college of the U.S. It takes a lot on the part of the student to deliver their best in the SAT. And the best help that the students can receive for SAT is guidance by the SAT tutor New York. A SAT tutor New York can provide students with the best guidance for the preparation of SAT.

Each student has his or her won capabilities and a level of intelligence. In this state, some might find to be a comparatively easier test where as some might find it to be a difficult test. In this case a SAT tutor New York is the best person who can assist students to crack the SAT test and give it their best shot. The SAT tutor New York guides the students in the best possible manner and provides them with materials that will be of good use to the students. Moreover the SAT tutor New York knows which are the areas that are required to be specialized while taking the SAT test. Basically the SAT tutor New York helps the student to clear the SAT test and at the same time helps them to increase their level of confidence to clear the test and take the test confidently.

The SAT test is held in the month of October every year. The test is held to know or rather test the students competence in different fields. The test consists of five different sections. The SAT tutor New York helps students to master all these five sections as he prepares a mock test for them and helps them to understand the nature of the test. The SAT tutor New York is available on the preference level of the students. There are many SAT tutors in New York. What you will need to do is to get hold of the best SAT tutor New York who has excelled in training students and making them succeed in the SAT test.

A SAT tutor New York follows different methods to prepare the students for mastering the SAT test. You can easily opt for the SAT practice tests and the vocabulary list that can aid you in the preparation of the test. Hiring a SAT tutor New York to train you and help you to master the SAT test is a good option. And especially if the SAT tutor New York is himself a SAT pass out then what could be better than that.

Hugh Goldsmith is of the view that students must not read the SAT exams or for that matter any other exams.He helps out students who want advice on any aspects related to exams. For more information on LSAT Tutor in New York,SAT tutor New York,Sat Tutor NYC visit http://www.prestigeprep.comStacy Blog43232
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8 Questions To Ask When Choosing A Medical School

Choosing a college to attend is no easy task so weve come up with eight questions to ask yourself to help narrow down your selection:

1. Will my current high school grades get me into medical school and if not, what can I do to make it happen?
(Note: According to an article on Yahoo! Education [http://education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/articles/college/planning_ahead_med_school.html], Many medical schools do not include community college grades when calculating GPAs.)

2. Do I work better in a large classroom or small classroom?

3. Do I want to sacrifice attending the best medical school (academic recognition) to be closer to family and friends?

4. Do I want the best education money can buy or do I want an education that fits within my current financial situation?

5. Do I want more hands-on training sessions (patient contact) or more lectures and book learning?
(Note: IAMP (http://iamp.edu) offers clinical and didactic training.)

6. Do I want a certificate or diploma so I can start working in the medical field right away? And if so, will the job and certification I receive offer early training for further studies?

7. Will the college help prepare me for further education should I want to obtain a bachelors, masters or PhD or need to transfer to another medical school?

8. What does the college require upon entrance and can I meet all those requirements? (i.e. application; entrance exam; letters of recommendations from teachers, employers, colleagues, etc.; certain grade point average and school records, extracurricular activities, etc.)

Finally, medical school is expensive. Dont forget to ask, Does the medical school offer private scholarships, work-study programs, and a qualified financial aid counselor?

The Institute of Allied Medical Professions, also known as IAMP, has an established record for turning out some of the best medical students in the country. To learn more about IAMPs medical schools, our courses, or the industry visit our blog at http://iampedu.blogspot.com/ or our main website at http://iamp.edu Stefanie Blog58057
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Is Home Drug Testing a Parental Necessity or Overreaction?

Since the beginning of time, good kids have been known to do dumb things. The same can be said of nave and well-meaning parents. Because they dont know what to say, some parents fail to talk to their children about drugs. Others develop a false sense of security after they do.

Its much more comfortable for parents to hold the belief that things havent changed much since they were young than it is to accept the fact that they have. Its also much easier for parents to believe that their teenagers always tell them the truth and would never try drugs, but who ever said parenting was supposed to be easy?

Parents ask me when they should talk to their kids, what they should say, and what they can do to follow through. Ben Franklin said, Wise is the man who fixes his roof before it rains. I couldnt agree more. I suggest that parents would be well served to sit down with their children and start talking about a home drug testing program as early as middle school.

To protect privacy, home drug testing kits can be ordered on the Internet and shipped in nondescriptive packaging. The accuracy of the most popular test kits is comparable to labs and medical clinics at a fraction of the price. Results usually appear within minutes and are easy to read by the average parent in the convenience of their own home.

If the idea of drug testing your teens sounds unreasonable, consider how much times have changed. If someone told me when I was in high school by the time my son attended middle school, that police officers (now affectionately referred to as school resource officers) and dogs trained to detect drugs would patrol school hallways, I would have never believed it. Metal detectors and school shootings arent nightmares: they have become a reality.

A successful program will have several key components. The first component is comprised of parents willing to place a higher priority on acting as a parent than as their teenagers best friend. I find it hypocritical that parents who are quick to assert that its more important for their kids do the right thing than it is to do whats popular are reluctant to start a home drug testing program because the newfound accountability might not be popular with their kids.

The second component is the introductory conversation in which parents acknowledge that their kids are growing up and are deserving of additional freedom. However, additional responsibility and accountability should come with expanded freedom.

Dr. Michael Reznicek, a medical doctor with emergency room experience, actually developed a software program that facilitates the initial parent-child conversation and eliminates potential misunderstandings by creating a contract that spells out specific rewards and consequences tied to home drug test results. The software also becomes the preferred target of potential animosity over requests for hair, urine, or saliva samples for drug testing purposes because it also selects random testing dates.

From the time children are very young, theyre taught to just say no to drugs, and Im convinced that the peer pressure usually gets worse when they do. Teens dont know what to say next. Parents who follow through with a home drug testing program give their teens a socially acceptable excuse. The words My parents test me stop pushy peers in their tracks.

The final component of a successful program is effective parental follow-through. Teens want their parents to trust them. If they think their parents are nave and/or wont test them, they are more likely to try drugs because they dont expect to get caught. While teens place a high value on maintaining their parents trust, they just dont feel it is in jeopardy without testing. Teens behavior and choices change when they know that it is a near certainty rather than a virtual impossibility that their drug use will be discovered.

Mason Duchatschek has interviewed thousands of parents, teenagers, school board members, counselors, school principals and superintendents. He is the president of TestMyTeen.com (mason@testmyteen.com) based in Fenton, Missouri.Silva Blog57406
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