How to Protect Yourself From a Tornado

Tornadoes are destructive and deadly! I have purposely put myself in the path of these types of severe weather events for many years now. I chase tornadoes, study them for the sake of science and spot them to report them to the public in an attempt to help save lives. I have seen the terror they can bring and witnessed firsthand accounts of how furious and dangerous they really are. A lot of people don't understand how deadly a tornado can be until they experience them up close and personal. However, there are key survival tactics when being threatened by an approaching tornado.

Basements and Cellars

If you have a basement or storm cellar near, you need to be inside of them. A tornado will "blow" everything in its path away as it moves into an area. The tornado does not "suck" things up so you should be safe in a basement or storm cellar rather than being above ground in the damage path of a tornado. There are suggestions of what part of the basement you should be in, these suggestions are myths. Be in any part of the basement that you wish just be the in basement during the storm and you will likely be just fine.

Vehicles

If you are in a vehicle and you see a tornado getting close to you, there are several options you can do. You can attempt to drive away from it if you can tell what direction it is going and you are far enough away that you can safety get away. You can also drive your vehicle into a low lying area or ditch and get down in the floor board. The vehicle will provide more protection but there is also a chance it can get thrown around in the storm. One of the better methods is to lay down in a ditch or low lying area and cover your head with your hands.

At work or school

If you are at work or school and a tornado is coming, you should follow the advice of those in charge of your safety. If there is no advice given, then go to a hallway or restroom that has no windows and it on the interior portion of the building. You should get down to the ground and cover your head to protect it from flying glass and debris.

After the storm!

After the tornado has passed, you need to move around with caution. There is likely going to be down power lines and electrical systems that are still live and can electrocute you to death. There may be natural gas around that could explode at any moment. There may be trapped people in the debris that needs help of emergency responders. Never drive around to spot damage after a tornado because you are only getting in the way of emergency responders that are trying to get to people in need of emergency assistance. Be safe out there, folks!

Crustaceans of the World

Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods that are usually treated as a sub-phylum and have about 67,000 species worldwide. They range in size from the Stygotantulus stocki at.1mm or.004 in. to the Japanese spider crab with an impressive leg span of up to twelve and a half feet or 3.8 meters. Like all arthropods, crustaceans wear their skeleton on the outside of their bodies. These outside skeletons are known as exoskeletons. Due to having an exoskeleton, crustaceans like all arthropods, must shed their exoskeleton periodically in order to grow. This process is called moulting. After moulting, they are in a very vulnerable state until their new soft exoskeleton hardens.

Crustaceans live mostly in the water but some are terrestrial such as woodlice, fish lice and tongue worms. Some, like barnacles or sessiles live in the water but as the tide rolls out find themselves in the open air attached to rocks, pilings, hulls of ships or boats and even on whales. Some of the familiar crustaceans that live in the water include crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp and krill; all of which are tasty treats to seafood lovers with the exception of krill, which is a favorite delicacy of Humpback whales.

Crustaceans have been around for millions of years and have evolved some unique body designs. The body of a crustacean is composed of three distinct body segments; the head or cephalon, the thorax, and the pleon or abdomen. Depending upon the species, the head and the thorax may be fused together to form a cephalothorax, which may be protected by a large carapace. It is common for each body segment to bear a pair of appendages.

These appendages make up unique tools for the animal to use in its environment. The head segment has a pair of antennae and a pair of mandibles. The thorax is where the legs grow, which may be used for walking or feeding. The abdomen bears pleopods or swimming legs and is often flanked by a fan-shaped tail.

The circulatory system of crustaceans is located in the main body cavity and is usually referred to as an open circulatory system. Blood is pumped through this system by a heart near the dorsum. The kidneys or a structure that works similar to kidneys are located near the antennae. Also close to the antennae in the form of ganglia lies the brain.

Crustaceans have three main ways to reproduce. Most species are made up of males and females and reproduce sexually. A small percentage are hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female reproductive systems. In the crustacean's world, it is not unusual for a male to change into a female or a female to change into a male; this usually happens when there is a shortage or lack of a certain sex. Many crustaceans reproduce through parthenogenesis, by which viable eggs are produced by a female without fertilization.

Next time you dip that delicious piece of crab meat in garlic butter, take a moment to ponder that you are filling your belly with one of the oldest and numerous animals on Earth.

Christopher spends his time on freelance writing, writing for change, seminars and private sessions to help people manifest the life they want to live. For weekly tips and information about upcoming events, subscribe to his periodic email list. http://quantumworthhealing.com

Hydroponics and Beneficial Microorganisms

Hydroponics is a subtype of hydro-culture or growing plants in water with nutrient solutions. It is a soil-less way of planting.Hydroponics derived its name from the Greek word "hydro" or water and "ponos" meaning labor. William Frederick Gericke of the University of California at Berkeley was one of the first ones to cultivate plants on mineral nutrient solutions. Gericke coined the term hydroponics in 1937 (although he asserts that the term was suggested by W. A. Setchell, of the University of California).

Through these types of studies, it was discovered that plants could thrive not only in soil, but also in water, since water contains the essential nutrients and beneficial microorganisms that are also present in the soil.

Hydroponics turned out to be more advantageous than soil culture, because pests are easy to control in this type of system. In natural conditions, soil acts as a mineral nutrient reservoir but the soil itself is not essential to plant growth. When the mineral nutrients in the soil dissolve in water, plant roots are able to absorb them. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to thrive. Almost any terrestrial plant will grow with hydroponics.

Since the water environment of the plant can be controlled, nutrient solutions can be incorporated into the water depending on the nutrient needs of the plant. Many hydroponics growers also incorporate beneficial microorganism as supplements to nutrients in the water.

There is actually a full range of ways to benefit from beneficial microorganisms, which can be utilized in hydroponics. The secret is only to know when to apply and how much to apply. Here are some of the benefits.

Development of Seeds and Clones: Beneficial microorganisms are not just used on the hydroponics systems itself, but also for propagating seeds and also on developing the cuttings. This stage of crucial development in plant life and beneficial bacteria will help boost the growth and development of these plants and cuttings. During this time, the microbe incorporation should be three times the normal use.

Elimination of Pathogens in the System: Harmful microorganisms that cause diseases increase even in the hydroponic systems during root development. These harmful microorganisms, which are also called pathogens, result to plant diseases or plant death. There are certain types of beneficial microbes that kill these pathogens.

It is important to know what type of pathogen is attacking the system to know what type to incorporate in the hydroponics system. Moreover, these also strengthen plants defenses against harmful pathogens in a way like the immune system is boosted by supplements.

Boosts Nutrient Uptake of Hydroponics Plants: Most good microorganisms types boost the nutrient uptake of plants in the hydroponics system by keeping the roots healthy by strengthening roots and increasing root size, since it is the one responsible for absorption. When spraying leaves with foliar fertilizer, these microorganisms may also be incorporated in the solution to enable the stomata of the leaves to absorb better.

Makes the Environment Suitable for Plant Growth: Beneficial microorganisms control the environment such as correcting the atmospheric nitrogen and producing nitrogen for plants, since plants cannot produce their own. Some fungi types also help in assimilating phosphorous when incorporated in the hydroponics system.

Hydroponics is a new way in cultivating plants where the environment can be controlled to eliminate any usual problems experienced from soil gardening. The strategy is to provide an environment that plants can thrive on and this is through providing the correct amount of nutrients supplemented with incorporating beneficial microorganisms.

Chinese Property Rights Protected

There is new evidence that the Chinese government is about to make more changes to benefit the whole nation. It is no secret that for some time property rights have not been recognized or treated with respect by the State or banking institutions. However, something new is about to happen! Recently, the State Council vowed to release a regulation which will create a unified national property registration system by June of 2014. What this will do is extend State protection to private property in China. In terms of its national history since the 1949 Communist Revolution, this move is indeed unprecedented!

The economic effect of this policy will be a good thing for China's growing middle class and for all its private property owners. It will encourage stability and further investment by the private sector. This is also the first time that the State Council has pledged to establish official property rights into common law. In accordance with China's existing property rights law, which was passed in 2007, the government is required to defend individual property rights. Even so, this law has never been enforced in any meaningful way. The result has been inertia in Chinese consumer confidence. No single authority has been responsible for protecting said property rights. So the State Council has at last made its strategic and important move to do just this!

Despite the move being necessary, it could also be very difficult to accomplish once the task is undertaken. Presently, China manages property rights through a complicated and uneven system of legal certification. The main problem is that credentials can be easily forged. This is because different agencies do not have a single database for national property. Therefore, the effect is that the property rights of private citizens are usually unprotected by law. A unified property rights registration system is necessary for social prosperity. This is a proven fact by the example of middle and working class people in Europe and North America. The opportunity to own their property helped industrialization over time. Since property security is a most urgent concern of all citizens in a market-based economy it is only after people are certain that their property will be protected do they strive to create and build private wealth. In turn, this private confidence fuels economic development on a national scale.

It is interesting that this basic economic fact of history is what often eluded many of the noteworthy Marxist theorists of the past. Eager Communist leaders of the 20th century did not understand the nature of economic growth throughout the history of the world. Bluntly stated, Lenin, Stalin, and Mao simply didn't get it! Therefore, their idealized socialist "utopias" could never become a reality. Consequently, many innocent citizens of these nations paid a heavy price for the errors made by their governments. A nation truly interested in wealth, prosperity, and economic development cannot ignore the basic lessons of the international market-based economy. China's decision to protect property rights of its citizens is a first step toward permanent establishment of a prosperous and vital East Asian community. Such a move cannot either be ignored by the thoughtful investor in the West. Hopefully, economic enlightenment will be the happy result instead!

Harlan Urwiler is the CEO of HRU Enterprises, Inc. He is an international businessman and an expert author of numerous articles on Asian art, history, business, culture, and investment. Feel free to contact us at hruenterprisesinc@gmail.com with your questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Medical Coding Services for Radiation Oncology

More and more radiation oncology practices are opting for medical coding services. Outsourcing their coding is helping them deal with the ever-increasing complexities involved in reimbursement for this specialty. A professional medical coding company can help them resolve these issues and ensure proper reimbursement.

Benefits of Outsourcing Radiation Oncology Medical Billing and Coding

Professional radiation oncology medical coding services are available for hospital / in-patient coding, coding audits, DRG/ICD-9-CM coding validations and CPT coding, and more.

A professional medical billing and coding company would have all the resources necessary to help radiation oncology practice meet their many challenges. The right company would ensure the following services:

    Services of a team of experienced AAPC-certified coders who are up-to-date on correct coding initiatives, bundling and unbundling procedure changes, payer specific requirements and any state or federal government compliance issues.
    Proper scrutiny and analysis of claims
    Careful assigning of codes to prevent denials and enhance reimbursement
    Quality services with client-specific turnaround time
    Accurate and timely billing practices by a team of qualified medical billing specialists
    Follow-up on old or rejected claims

With their expert knowledge about the intricacies of current coding practices for radiation oncology, an expert service provider can help physicians minimize claim rejections and maximize reimbursement.

Current Issues Facing Radiation Oncology Practices and Facilities

Radiation treatments are becoming more complex with the arrival and implementation new technology. With this, medical coding practices for oncology and compliance rules are also changing. These practices must upgrade from ICD-9 to the more complex ICD-10 by October 1, 2014. ICD-10 can accommodate new technologies and procedures. Upgrading to the new system is necessary to avoid disruption of healthcare payments. Moreover, upgrading to ICD-10 would involve expenses for software updates, reprinting superbills, and training of staff. They would also have to face issues such as loss of time and productivity as staff is being trained on the new codes. All these issues can be resolved to a great extent by outsourcing these tasks to a reliable outsourcing partner.

Choose the Right Medical Coding Company

If you are looking for medical coding services for radiation oncology, look for the following features:

    Stringent quality checks to ensure accuracy in coding and billing procedures
    HIPAA compliance to ensure confidentiality of patient information
    Access to coding software at all times
    Regular updates and customized monthly reports
    A dedicated team on your project
    Affordable pricing that can save at least 30-40 percent on your costs compared to in-house coding

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a reliable medical billing outsourcing company,will give you the time to focus on core tasks.It provides professional medical billing services to meet the specific requirements of your Radiation Oncology.

Researching the Origin of Egyptian Cotton

Doing research on cotton, I found it extremely interesting and hope you will too.

Cotton is from the family of hibiscus and okra plants that produce a vegetable fiber that is used in the manufacture of cloth. The beginning of cotton is unknown to us but scientists have found cotton bolls in caves in Mexico to be estimated 7000 years old. It seems to be the same cotton grown here in the U.S.A.

As far back as 3000 BC, cotton was found to be grown in Pakistan and woven into cloth. Egypt was probably growing cotton in the Nile Valley also. Around 800 AD, an Arab merchant brought cotton to Europe but not necessarily from the Arab countries but perhaps from other countries.

Cotton was found to be grown in the Bahamas by Christopher Columbus. By the 1500's, cotton was grown around the world. History indicates that Florida planted cotton as early at 1556 and in Virginia around 1607. The Colonies in early 1600's were growing cotton by the James River in Virginia.

England was one of the first to develop cotton spinning machines around 1730. Of course, in America we know that Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793 which removed the seeds from the fiber thus supplying tremendous quantities of cotton fiber to the expanding textile industry. The value of cotton in the U.S. rose from approximately $100,000. to $8 million yearly.

The Civil War in America had an impact on the production of cotton which made Egypt an important supplier of the much needed cotton. Many scholars believe that cotton planted in Egypt a thousand years ago was the finest quality of cotton that it is in today's market.

Regardless whether cotton was available in ancient times or not, we know Mohammed Ali who is noted to be the founder of the present day Egypt, brought the production of cotton to Egypt in 1822 that was used commercially. It is a fact that Egypt had native cotton referred to as Baladi before 1822, but it was not of the finest quality that was needed in Europe. It had to withstand the ginning and milling and had to be durable enough to be woven into high quality cloth.

In the mid 1800's, a man named Jumel who was of French origin had learned about cotton from his visits to America and thus tried to convince Mohammed Ali that Ethiopian cotton called "Maho" could industrialize the output of cotton in Egypt. Mohammed Ali could not be convinced, so Jumel and a local man planted Maho cotton near Heliopolis. By 1820, they had shipped approximate 3 bales of the cotton to Trieste which changed Mohammed Ali so that he put Jumel in charge of the cotton plantations.

Around 1822, some Americans arrived in Cairo to demonstrate to Mohammed Ali a Whitney Saw Gin but his interest was in a roller gin. The roller machine did not work for the Egyptians. Though there was difficulties in the cotton production in Egypt, Mohammed Ali saw that cotton was going to bring wealth to Egypt. All the cotton in Egypt was owned by Mohammed Ali and he began to plant the crop all over the Delta. He began to sell the whole crop of cotton at a fixed price bringing much capital into Egypt.

It should be noted that this one commodity of cotton did bring great wealth to Egypt. As a result, Europe's interest in Egypt's cotton grew because of this single crop, it tied the raw material of cotton to European manufacturing. It was Mohammed Ali who controlled the tremendous sums of cash from this cotton production. Through the production of cotton, a credit system was brought to Egypt. The banks of Europe wanted Mohammed Ali and his successors to borrow money from them at extremely high interest rates. The cotton production was not enough to industrialize Egypt, it needed more money and Europe was there to offer the funds. As a result of borrowing the European money to modernize Egypt, it ended up into debt with Europe but it was a debt that was manageable.

Statistics To Consider As You Peruse Independent Schools

If you are considering independent schools for your children, you should do some research before you decide on this type of education. As you know, there are a lot of options that are available in every city, so this decision deserves some thought on your part. Fortunately, a lot of academic institutions publish statistics that can help you decide whether to enroll your children there. You should get an idea of the kind of information you can expect to see, as well as what you will learn from it.

You will likely see the percentage of students who are accepted to college. For many independent schools, this is a high number, so they are likely to be proud to let you and other parents know about it. Of course, this is not a guarantee that your child will be accepted to college if he or she attend that school, but it does show the strength of the connections the academy has when it comes to colleges.

Another fact you might see when it comes to the statistics of some independent schools is the amount of financial aid given to students. You should see an average, which should give you some idea of how much of the tuition tends to be covered by the school itself. From this, you can ascertain whether you can likely afford it. Of course, if you have your heart set on an academy for your kids and you see the financial aid is not enough, you should talk to the staff to find out if you could get more than the average. But this statistic should give you a baseline when you are simply researching all your options to start.

In addition, you might see an average of the amount of money parents give to the school you are considering. In most cases, it is not a requirement to donate money, though volunteering time is often appreciated when you cannot give money. However, it is a good idea to see how much the average gives in case you feel pressured to donate when your children do end up enrolled. If it simply seems like too much for you, and you are not otherwise convinced that this is the school for your child, you might consider checking out other independent schools instead.

These are just a few examples of statistics you might see as you work to choose a school for your kids. They can help you make a final decision that works well for both your family and your finances. Therefore, you should take them into consideration before you make a decision.

To find out if Florida independent schools are a good choice for your child, consider all the available information. Start your research by visiting http://www.steds.org to get more details.

Proving Aristotle Wrong, Psychology Style


First, the good intention part. With the information overload we usually experience, our brain finds it difficult to thoroughly process each bit of info as it comes. Hence it resorts to a veritable laundry list of mental shortcuts or rules of thumb to make judgments and attributions. This way, time is saved and less mental effort is expended. Quite adaptive.

The hitch is, these heuristics, called cognitive biases, often lead to serious errors.

While you may want to believe otherwise, you can't deny that you find it difficult to reason in a perfectly logical way all the time.

Remember the last time you underestimated, grossly, how long it would take you to complete an assignment? That's planning fallacy, a cognitive bias pertaining to decision making. There are several others, pertaining to social attribution and memory, besides statistical or probability/belief based fallacies.

The cognitive biases we fall prey to most often (read: the names I found fancier than the rest) are:

1. The Semmelweis reflex- Rejecting out of hand any information without much inspection just because it contradicts a previously held idea or norm. So, established paradigm wins over new information. Something like "if the facts don't fit the theory, throw out the facts."

2. Self fulfilling Prophecy or the Pygmalion effect- Remember the sculptor who created a beautiful statue and later fell in love with it? That was Pygmalion. Alright, this is a prediction that causes itself to become true due to the very fact that the prediction was made. If your teachers are made to believe you are an "intellectual bloomer", you will turn out to be so, as this research proved.

Keep it in mind the next time you are tempted to call your boyfriend an ass.

3. Deformation Professionnelle- The tendency to examine issues from the vantage point of one's own profession only, at the cost of other possibly relevant perspectives. The classic example is the joke "when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail".

4. Confirmation Bias- The tendency to seek out information and people who reinforce our beliefs and preconceived notions. An example could be choosing that newspaper which follows the same political ideology as yours or favouring a yea-sayer subordinate. If one is not careful, one may hence miss out on important information that is deliberately screened, and make catastrophic decisions.

5. Reactance- The tendency to do the opposite of what one is instructed to do by others because of the perception that they are trying to restrict one's freedom. This is where reverse psychology comes from: a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what actually is desired: the opposite of what is suggested.

6. Fundamental Attribution Error- The Big Brother of all cognitive biases, it is the tendency to overestimate the impact of dispositional factors (as opposed to environmental factors) on other's behaviour. Instead of the many external circumstances that could have led to the act, we choose to attribute it to the convenient "because he is that kind of a person." A closely related error is the 'actor-observer effect' due to which we have a tendency to attribute dispositional causes to others' behaviour but external causes to our own. Like 'you fell; I was pushed'.

There are hundreds others out there, and one way to minimise their effect is to remain open to diverse opinions and look up statistical figures when in an uncertain situation. No, being aware of these biases doesn't help much. Kahnemen, the leading authority in this field has said, "My intuitive thinking is just as prone to overconfidence, extreme predictions, and the planning fallacy as it was before I made a study of these issues."

So there's only so much one can do about it. Specially if one is intelligent.

Yes, Kahneman's studies showed that more cognitively sophisticated participants showed larger bias blind spots i.e. the assumption that others are more susceptible to thinking errors!

Even knowledge doesn't count much as more than 50% of Harvard, MIT and Princeton students gave incorrect answers to a simple question designed to test whether they could keep their cognitive biases at bay.

The Hurdles Parents Face When Hiring A Private Tutor

Different parents decide to hire a private tutor for different reasons. Some parentshire a tutor when their child is already performing well at school, and just want to do even better. Many parents however hire a tutor because their child is struggling in one or more areas, and often has been for some time.

No matter how long your child has been struggling at school, one thing has become very clear. The longer the child is left to struggle without the right support, the greater the problem becomes, and the more difficult it becomes to intervene. This is for two reasons, both of which I feel that all parents should be aware of.

The first is because of the cracks in their skills foundation. If your child has been lagging behind for many years, then trying to catch up quickly can be like trying to build a new house on a poor foundation; the new additions are not supported properly and crumble too easily under the slightest pressure. This is why any good tutor should aim to identify where those foundational weaknesses are precisely, and work on strengthening them as a priority above all else.

The second and most common reason is because of the foundational beliefs that a child develops about their own abilities. No matter what we as adults verbally explain to our children, they tend to take things very personally. When they see that their peers around them seem to be able to 'get it' whilst they don't, it often leaves them with the feeling that "I'm dumb" or "I'm just not good enough at this and I can't do it." These experiences can cause humiliation, shame and a huge gap in their confidence.

As kids get older, the last thing they want is for their parents (or anyone else for that matter) to be focusing on their weak spots. You may notice that when you try to speak to your child about their struggles, they may become shy, irritable, frustrated or even angry and do everything they can to avoid mum or dad focusing on it. This often causes mums and dads a lot of frustration as well, which only further serves to make the situation worse. In fact, in many instances, mum or dad is knowledgeable enough to be able to help their son or daughter with their schoolwork, but the irritability and frustration factor pose the biggest hurdle, and can often lead to a feeling of helplessness.

If this situation is one that you can associate with, the first thing you need to be aware of is that you are not alone. This is very common. The frustration you may experience is normal. The helplessness however is unnecessary, as now you can rest assure that you've found the right help.

You know that your son or daughter does have their particular strengths, is very capable in some areas, and is certainly not 'dumb'. You want them to be able to see how capable they really are but you don't know how to show it to them because the reality is that their experiences at school are not painting the picture you wished they could see. You want the best for them but your attempts to help them either don't help as much as you wished they could, or, in some circumstances, may just add fuel to an already out of control fire.

A lot of parents however feel a bit reluctant to express just how much of a worry this whole situation is to them out of fear of not being understood. I can't guarantee miracles, but if you talk to me about it openly, one thing I can guarantee is that I will understand. I am an experiences school teacher with four university degrees and own a tutoring company where I train other tutors how to be the best tutors for goodness sakes, and yet I still choose independent tutors for my own son for these very reasons. When you want the best for your child, you can't always be objective and rational. That's an unfortunate side effect of being a caring parent. It doesn't mean that you've failed to support them properly - it means that you've succeeded in caring enough to want to make a positive difference. By looking for the right tutor, you've also succeeded in knowing what it will take to get that difference happening.

THE BIGGEST HURDLES WHEN STARTING TUITION

Here's the problem we face. By the time many parents decie to hire a tutor, there is a chance that their child is already well aware that they are struggling, and probably not feeling too good about that. For that reason, there is a chance they may see that getting a tutor is a representation of their failure. They're hearing your voice of logic and reason explaining that everything will be okay, but meanwhile their inner voice is saying "you're such a disappointment now that you need a tutor." For some students, having their first session with a private tutor is almost like having to see a medical specialist for a really humiliating disease. It can be embarrassing and very disempowering for a vulnerable young mind that is at a stage in their life where the way their self-esteem develops will affect them for years to come.

For that reason, the way that your son or daughter views the idea of getting a tutor is crucially important. As I'm sure you've already figured out, it's important that they don't perceive the process as a punishment or an indication of inadequacy. Whilst I can't tell you a perfect formula for how to approach this, what I can tell you is based on the experiences we've had feedback from with hundreds of parents, all in very similar situations to you.

WHAT NOT TO DO

When many parents reach the point where they finally decide that getting a tutor is the right way to go, they actually take the worst possible option available to them. In fact, many of the clients who come to us do so to repair the damage that has already been done by taking this option; they took their child to a class based tutoring centre.

Tutoring centres (or coaching colleges as they are often called) are typically populated by student's that come from cultural backgrounds where obtaining the best possible mark is a mandatory requirement. They often come from families with unreasonably high expectations, where nothing is ever good enough. Either that, or they are gifted students themselves with very high intellectual capacities who attend coaching colleges because they need extra stimuli as they are not being challenged enough at school.

If your child is already outstandingly competent and performs better in a competitive environment, then by all means consider a tutoring centre. Where the student is struggling however and may feel insecure about their weaknesses being on display to those around them; imagine the irreparable damage it has on their self esteem when they are placed in an environment where the kids around them are even more 'high achievers' than at school, so comparatively, they feel even 'dumber'. That is the unfortunate reality of placing a struggling child in among students who are competitive performers and high achievers. It typically does more harm than good.

The reason it is appealing to some parents however is that because of the class approach, tutoring centres can be a cheaper option. By the time that the parents come to us however, the first part of the process is to try to undo the negative view that their child has developed about tutoring thanks to the self-esteem deteriorating effect of the more competitive environment.

The other mistake that parents often make is the value they place on solving the problem. The situation described above is often obvious to many parents who realise that one-on-one in a familiar setting such as the home is the most effective option. Many well-meaning mums and dads that are struggling to keep up with the cost of living, decide to opt for someone 'cheap' and end up with someone who simply doesn't know what they're doing.

If the tutor has the wrong approach, the wrong personality match or does not understand the way in which your child learns best, it is also likely to have disastrous consequences. Just when the student gets their hopes up that maybe, finally, someone will be able to come along that can help them overcome their hurdles, if they end up with the wrong tutor, the only message they get is that there really is no hope for them after all.

You and I can see the more rational picture of course, which is that there is always the option to get another tutor. For a young vulnerable mind however facing a very delicate situation they take very personally, their early experiences with a private tutor can either bring them out of their shell if you get the right tutor, or bury them in it even deeper if you get the wrong one.

Why Teach Abstinence-Only Education?

As a society, we're slowly progressing. We're molting, leaving the Age of Capricorn and entering the Age of Aquarius.

We are in a new age. And now that we've entered it, we need to rid ourselves of antiquated healthcare practices perpetuated by atavistic superstition and dogma.

We need to base our healthcare practices off of science, statistics, and common sense, not ideology.

In short, we need to eradicate abstinence-only education.

I'm wearing my cerebral Kevlar, locked and loaded, and ready for battle.

My commentary isn't meant to inspire ire or jubilance, but rather provide a logical argument against abstinence-only education.

It's time that we, healthcare professionals, hash this out.

Our job is to prevent disease, save lives, and 'do no harm.'

And statistics show, overwhelmingly, that abstinence-only education is positively correlated with teen-age pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.

Yep, teens exposed to abstinence-only education are more likely to have sex than kids who don't!

Yet, for whatever reason, many high school nurses keep on teaching abstinence-only education, some because they want to, and others because they must.

However, as nurses, we must advocate for our children, as their lives depend on it.

I, personally, couldn't teach abstinence-only education, just like I couldn't teach that the world is flat or that the sun revolves around the Earth. I'm not trying to be an ass, but come on.

Okay, now I'll give you two good reasons why abstinence-only education doesn't work.

Firstly, we're human. We're sexual creatures, and we begin experimenting sexually sometime after puberty -some of us earlier than others.

Secondly, sex is fun. Yep, I said it, we enjoy having sex. And the more we tell teens they shouldn't have sex, the more likely they will.

Why? Well, because they're teenagers and teenagers rebel.

Alright, alright, some of you're probably thinking: "It's against the Bible, my child needs to wait till marriage, and if you teach them comprehensive sexual education they'll be more promiscuous." Well, that argument is absurd. It just isn't true.

Once again, we're human, and we're all sinners.

Go ahead, just ask St. Augustine.

If you would like to read more of my articles like this, please visit http://www.mightynurse.com.

How to Deal With Social Anxiety at School




Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is a form of anxiety where a person is extremely shy, nervous, or self-conscious about themselves when in social situations. People with social anxiety worry about how they are perceived by others, being judged by others, making mistakes in social situations, and performing in front of others (e.g., answering questions). There is often a general feeling of insecurity about being around others.

Social Anxiety at School

Social anxiety can be very detrimental to a student at school. It interferes with a child's ability to make friends with peers and to take part in the process of learning.

One form of social anxiety often seen at school in younger students is selective mutism. Selectively mute students are capable of speaking and often speak at home and in front of family members; however, they refuse to talk to others in social situations because they have feelings of insecurity, are afraid of speaking in front of others, and are afraid being criticized.

Students with social anxiety do not participate in class. This includes refusal to raise a hand to answer questions, not responding when called upon to answer questions, and being afraid to ask a question when help is needed. Lack of participation negatively impacts academic performance, as teachers have more difficulty monitoring understanding and progress.

Socially anxious students isolate themselves from others by sitting alone at lunch, not playing with other students at recess, and not participating in extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports. These students are often on the fringes of larger groups, wanting to join in, but too full of fear and uncertainty to take that risk. This self isolation results in missed opportunities for students to learn and fine tune their social skills. By not participating with peer activities these students miss opportunities to learn conflict resolution, problem-solving, negotiation, and sportsmanship skills.

When students have a lot of anxiety about being in social situations they may avoid coming to school. These students may feign illness or they may actually have physical symptoms such as feeling nauseous, dizzy, light headed, or shaky, and they interpret them as being physically sick rather than being manifestations of their anxiety. Younger students may throw tantrums or act out in order to avoid going to school as they may not have the language skills or wherewithal to identify, interpret, and explain their emotions. Older students may skip school, leave school after getting there, or drop out.

Treatment in School

Students with social anxiety tend to avoid social interactions and situations that cause them to feel uncomfortable. However, avoiding these types of situations only allows the fear to grow and become stronger. These students need to learn how to control their irrational fears so that they can become comfortable when around others.

Treatment at school typically involves some form of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Students need to gradually increase their level of comfortableness around others. They may need to start by having positive interactions with one person in the school and then slowly increase the amount of people and the demands. As they become more comfortable, they are able to gain control over their emotional and confidence in themselves. This process is gradual and may take quite awhile; however it is well worth the effort.

David Pino school psychologist has worked in education for the last 20 years. He has significant experience and expertise with learning disabilities, psychological evaluations, behavior, and special education.

Overcoming Fear After Having Traumatic Experiences



Traumatic experiences provoke alterations in your psychological system, and cause behavioral abnormalities. After having many traumatic experiences in life you have no courage to go on, you are always afraid of everything, and you cannot feel safe even after having more than many guarantees that you are really safe.

Even if you don't suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, after having traumatic experiences that negatively marked your life you tend to be paralyzed by fear in many situations. You are unable to trust your own judgment after losing your self-confidence.

Overcoming fear after having traumatic experiences is very difficult. Depending on the type of experiences you had and depending on your personality and life biography, these traumatic experiences can negatively affect your life and your behavior forever.

Today you can overcome all fears thanks to the discoveries of the psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung, and thanks to my discoveries based on his method of dream interpretation.

Your dreams are produced by the unconscious mind, which has a divine origin and proves God's existence into practice. Today science can explain religious mysteries, and religion can teach us the real meaning of scientific truths.

The unconscious mind will help you read people's minds, predict the future, and change your destiny based on your attitude. You will learn how to overcome every fear with wisdom.

You will be able to meet people you can trust, and also help everyone around you follow the same process of psychotherapy and mind empowerment you will follow through dream therapy, which also works like spiritual purification because it helps you become a better person.

You will feel safe with people who will follow dream therapy like you because you'll know that they are following the divine guidance and understanding the importance of wisdom and goodness.

When someone starts follows dream therapy, this person understands that there is nothing positive on violence and selfishness. Everyone passes through a deep process of transformation, learning how to eliminate their wild tendencies and attain a higher level of knowledge.

This comprehension lasts for life. After acquiring consciousness of what is negative and after understanding the importance of goodness, nobody forgets this lesson. You will be surrounded by people who will understand these truths because your friends will desire to follow dream therapy like you.

This is very common. Whenever someone understands the real importance of dreams and how helpful they are, somebody else near them pays attention to their progress and cares about following dream therapy too. You will be with people who will follow your example.

On the other hand, after understanding the functioning of the human brain and the human behavior, you'll never believe in illusions. You'll remember that all human beings have inherited an absurd and evil anti-conscience, which is our primitive conscience.

The anti-conscience didn't evolve like our human conscience. Whenever it manages to invade our conscience, we listen to its absurd thoughts. You will eliminate your anti-conscience through consciousness, but you'll know that other people are influenced or always controlled by their anti-conscience.

You will never look at human beings the way you did before knowing what exists into the human brain. You'll know what defines the human behavior. You'll understand many things only by observing other people's reactions. After having this vision, you won't fall into traps that ignorant people cannot see.

Therefore, you will overcome your fears based on the knowledge you'll have. This means that you will know who is dangerous and why they are dangerous for you.

You will realize that you must be afraid of many people and many situations in life. The more you'll learn about the human nature and the negative influence of the anti-conscience, more afraid you will be of most people.

However, this fear won't provoke paralysis, but work as a protection. You must be afraid when you are facing dangerous situations. Your fear protects you from making mistakes due to negligence and distraction.

After transforming your personality and eliminating the traumas of the past, your fears won't be based on ignorance, but based on knowledge. They will protectively advise you that you are in danger. At the same time, you'll know that you are safe because you'll know how to behave in all situations, and you'll always avoid what is bad.

The process of consciousness carried on by the divine unconscious mind in dreams opens your mind for a new dimension. You can see everything that is hidden behind the camouflage of hypocrisy and indifference. You can also understand that there are better levels of knowledge.

You know that spiritual perfection is salvation because it helps you solve all problems based on goodness. You attain another conscious level, far from the miserable limitations of the animal life.

You stop thinking like ignorant human beings. You understand the real beauty of art, religion, and philosophy. You know that only what is perfect is complete. You are not afraid of any challenge. You always know that you will surely triumph.

The satisfaction you'll feel with your behavior and with the superior personality you'll have after following dream therapy will give you a tremendous advantage that most people don't have. Most people make many mistakes and regret having done what they did numerous times.

You'll never make mistakes. You'll always act with wisdom.

This advantage will help you always feel safe and self-confident. You won't be afraid to show your real face to the world. You'll never need to wear a mask. You'll be glad because you are superior and so different from the ignorant world.

You'll never be ashamed of yourself. You'll always be proud of your actions.

Of course, you won't be vain. You will be sorry for the world and desire to save everyone from suffering.

You will also find the right person for you. This is a gift. Most people never find their perfect match because they never transform their personality. In order to be able to find your perfect match you must stop being controlled by your anti-conscience. You will have the capacity to discover the right person for you because you'll eliminate your wild side.

Dream therapy helps you find your perfect match or improve your current relationship. Your partner will follow the same process of consciousness, and you will have a perfect relationship.

The unconscious mind always helps all dreamers discover their perfect match, even if they follow dream therapy because they are mentally ill, because they want to get rid of their anger, or for any other reason not related to the intention to have a relationship. This happens because love is the most important matter of our lives.

On the other hand, love and craziness are closely connected. The unconscious mind always cares about helping everyone find the right person for them so that they may preserve their sanity.

This means that you will have the support of a person you can really trust. Your perfect match will always be a loyal partner and love you for life.

The unconscious mind helps you find completion. Completion is total satisfaction in life; satisfaction with yourself and with the life you lead.

Since you will be with the ideal person for you and you will be glad with yourself, you will be in a privileged position. This fact will give you permanent good mood. You will begin a new life, totally different from the life you had before.

Christina Sponias continued Carl Jung's research into the human psyche, discovering the cure for all mental illnesses, and simplifying the scientific method of dream interpretation that teaches you how to exactly translate the meaning of your dreams, so that you can find health, wisdom and happiness.
Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com

The Meaning of Always

Creation is about circles and cycles and recycles so why should we think of it in terms of a beginning and an end. Does God have a beginning? That is one of those complexities that puzzle us repeatedly. How long is time, how wide is the universe, and how deep is the ocean and what happens to us after death. The questions continue and the answers are as vague as the mind.

If nature is about circles and cycles then why do humans think in straight lines and in an orderly, managed fashion? Nature is not tidy or orderly such as when we look at a natural forest or a wild garden. It is, in fact, higgledy piggledy with lots of different species chucked in together, all dependent on each other. But when man plants a forest it is all in straight lines and devoid of anything that might add to the atmosphere. So why doesn't man think in the same way as nature? This is a puzzle that comes to mind when one looks at time.

Does it have a beginning and an end?

If it does then when was the beginning? Or is that too big a puzzle for the brain to work out? Is it the same as the term 'always'. That implies something that has no beginning or end and yet we use it in a light-hearted way to infer the length of time something has existed. But few things in the modern world have been around for always. Some tress perhaps measure a few thousand years, maybe even some rocks that might have formed billions of years ago. But they had a beginning and will supposedly have an end?

What of the world? When did it begin and will it have an end? Or will it just change and hang around in space for always. A recent documentary on the Grand Canyon posits that the ground from which it was formed came about some billions of years ago. The deposited sediments from the river meandering through it formed into the hard sedentary rocks that now form its outline and that weathered and eroded into the beautiful landscape of today.

But man's creations are not for always. Most of them hardly last a lifetime and even then they are subject to falling down or collapsing. So man is not a creator of worth but the Great Creator of the Universe has made something that not a single mind can comprehend. Man tries and then he fails to imitate what appears to him a simple thing. But he is wrong.

From the basic building blocks of life, that is the gene, the DNA and the cell, a continuous chain of progress has sent it forward throughout an evolving time frame. Nature has used them to create all of the life forms and more. It has created a planet of ultimate beauty and perfection and man in his stupidity is quickly destroying it.

So does time have a beginning or an end? Not likely but man has certainly brought it upon himself to change that scenario. He will want the world to end because the destruction, pollution, climate change and overpopulation plus other stupidity he engages in is definitely the key to bringing it about.

This type of philosophical puzzle led to a Monkey Brains quest to see what others think. It fits together with Complxity of Thinking which is another challenge.

The Benefits of Enrolling in Nursing Schools

With the increasing demand for nurses, nursing schools have become popular. If you are considering the possibility of enrolling in one, it is important to understand some of the benefits associated with such a move. Ideally, these are as highlighted below.

Excellent Opportunity to Get Employment
Other job sectors have built a reputation for laying workers off at alarming rates but this is not the case in the medical industry. In fact, the industry is experiencing a shortage and according to statistics by 2020 there will be a shortage of over 300,000 nurses. By choosing to enroll in the medical industry therefore, you increase the possibility of getting into stable employment.

Impressive Salary
While the salaries vary in accordance to the geographic location and credentials, in most cases they are impressive and especially among students who have gone through reputable schools. It is one of the best ways to earn a salary that can support comfortable living. For instance, in the US the average salary is $64,000 and expected to grow in the coming years.

Meaningful Career
This is an ideal choice for individuals looking forward to establish meaningful careers and this is because nurses are always on the forefront of important healthcare initiatives. These include providing comfort, support, advising patients, delivering effective treatment and dealing with different types of conditions. This means that those who choose to pursue this career stand a better chance of impacting the lives of other people.

Chance to get into the Working Industry Fast
Unlike in other careers, those who join nursing schools get an opportunity to start working sooner. This is because students with 2 years or 4 years degree can start working. What is more, because the courses can be completed fast, students also get the chance to lower the costs they spend on education because they don't have to contend with borrowing large sums of money.

Now that you understand some of these benefits, it is advisable to look at some of the things you need to consider when choosing nursing schools.

• Specialties: You have to look at the programs offered before enrolling to ensure they have something that is of interest to you.
• Location: Search with specific location that sits in well with your schedule and plans in order to ensure that you are not inconvenienced.
• Size: There are those who prefer to choose small schools while others opt for large institutions. Therefore, determine what is going to work best for you.

Find Nursing schools in New York to help you succeed in your career. Visit nursing schools directory to check top Nursing schools in San Antonio.

Important Facts About Neon Gas

Neon was first discovered in 1898 by two British chemists Morris W. Travers and Sir William Ramsay. Neon gas is an odorless, colorless and tasteless inert gas. It belongs to the Group VIIIA elements, known as noble gases. The chemical has an atomic number of 10. It is denoted with the symbol Ne. The boiling point of the chemical is -246.08 °C and melting point is -248.59 °C.

Neon gas is the second lightest inert gas, after helium gas. The chemical is not hazardous at normal conditions. It is very stable and relatively non-reactive. It shows extremely low reaction rates. It reacts with fluorine and water. The chemical can be hazardous, if it is allowed to reach high concentrations. At high concentrations the chemical turns into an asphyxiant. It can displace oxygen in the lungs, which can cause suffocation and eventually death.

After hydrogen, helium, oxygen and carbon, neon gas is the fifth most abundant element in the universe. The gas is very rare on Earth. A large amount of neon is produced during volcanic eruptions. Further, large quantities of neon are trapped in Earth's atmosphere and crust. The gas is extracted from the atmosphere through the process of fractional distillation. The chemical is expensive because it is relatively rare.

Neon gas produces a reddish-orange glow in a discharge tube under a low pressure on the passage of electric current. The reddish-orange glow gets converted into a bright blue color on addition of mercury in trace quantities. This property of neon is utilized in fluorescent lamps, neon glow lamps, gaseous conduction lamps, gas lasers, plasma studies, high-voltage testers, neon signs and various other lighting systems. The special type of lighting produced by neon gas is known as gas discharge lighting.

Let us now understand the working of a neon lighting system. Inert gases, such as neon, krypton or argon are kept inside a glass tube at low pressure. Metal electrodes are kept at both the ends of the glass tube. A high voltage is applied to the electrodes to ignite the neon gas. The electrons get activated on ignition. This causes the neon atoms to emit reddish-orange light.

Neon signs are widely used for advertising purposes. The market today offers neon signs in a variety of colors and styles. These advertising signs are widely used in bars, restaurants, pubs, shops and taverns. Further, neon lights have the capability of penetrating fog. These lighting systems are widely used in the regions with extremely cold climatic conditions. These lights are also used in airplanes, aircraft beacons, cars, trucks, military vehicles, amusement places, theme parks and arcades. Ne also serves as a coolant. It is used as a cryogenic refrigerant in the liquefied state.

Emma Heuton is a writer who writes on several topics. Mostly she writes on SME, Business, products and manufacturing units. To provide useful insights, she prefers to study comprehensively. You can also find information on Neon Gas in this article but if looking for more information on it, you may visit http://www.hellotrade.com.

Yearbooks And Memories

Most of the memories that you have of being young are likely tied in pretty tightly with school. For most people education is a constant that unites all of our early memories together. The days that surrounded your learning were likely the days that as you get older you wish you could return to. Yearbooks can help you relive the past, in a way, and refresh your brain of what it was like to be a kid.

A yearbook is a book that is the physical representation of a particular year that you had in a school or institute. Almost all elementary, middle, and high schools offer the students the chance to purchase a yearbook along with many colleges and trade schools. A yearbook is typically put together by the students and for the students.

Looking into an old yearbook can be like looking through a window into the past. On its pages you will find everything exactly the same as the last time you looked at it, and that can be extremely comforting to realize. Yearbooks can help us and the people around us glimpse back into the person we used to be, not just in the physical sense, but memories will be remembered that show us how we used to react to situations. One of the more fun aspects of yearbooks are the pictures that are immortalized in its pages. The pictures can remind us a lot of what the style was like when we were going to school.

Memories of being young are likely to fade over time and a yearbook is a great tool to help you remember all the things that were forgotten. Things that happened so long ago are likely to have slipped our minds over the years and without yearbooks those great memories could remain lost forever. Trying to remember who your girlfriend or boyfriend in 8th grade was or the name of your best friend from the 3rd grade was can be difficult if you have nothing to help spark your remembrance. A yearbook can hold all those people and times within its pages to always remind you of what things were like when you were younger. The part of the yearbook that is sure to have you yearning to go back in time are the sections in the front and back that were filled up with fellow classmates signatures and comments. These words that were left for us so long ago can help us remember who our friends and acquaintances were.

When you start to feel nostalgic and begin to yearn for the days when you were young and did not have to deal with adulthood stresses it can be extremely rewarding to pull those old yearbooks off the shelf and get lost in its pages.

Can We Track Media Brainwashing On An Individual Basis - A New Concept and Strategy

One thing which bothers me is how easily people meld their personal opinions on current events based on the media and news sources they consume. Now then, I have a somewhat difficult question to ask you, I'm going to make you think today.

We all know that mass media has a tendency to brainwash our population. Just as corporate marketing and branding are able to persuade people to change their life plan, drive a certain car, wear certain clothes, and covet certain things. Political propaganda is quite similar to all of this, so is perhaps indoctrination from the church. Yes, I haven't told you anything you don't already know.

Nevertheless, since we live in the information age, and the age of big data, I now wonder if it is possible if we can track media brainwashing not just on the whole of humanity or the population of our society, but on an actual individual bases. Can we watch it all in real time, perhaps through social media posts, blogs, tweets, and other online correspondence the natural evolution of trends in our society and the dynamics of their changing opinion, again, on an individual basis?

There is a very decent research paper worthy of mention titled; "Extracting Opinions, Opinion Holders, and Topics Expressed in Online News Media Text," by Soo-Min Kim and Eduard Hovy from the USC Information Sciences Institute, date: July 29, 2006.

What if we did this, what if we track the number of news articles which were pro or con on any given issue, and then what if we surveyed the people before-hand, and then afterwards? And what if we broke it down by individual, and slowly watched how their opinion had changed over time. Perhaps it might be an issue about race, religion, sexual preference and orientation, or even one about personal savings, economics, or political leadership.

I bet what we'd find is that not only does the society as a whole track very closely to the mass media brainwashing propaganda, but that we can also understand how people change their opinion based on what they view online, see in the media, and how their friends are affected by the same. In fact, I'm so sure of this because I spent a good deal of time talking to people at coffee shops, asking them which news program they watched the night before, and their exact opinions on any given topic, only to find that their opinions matched whatever they saw the night the prior.

Perhaps in the end after doing such research we might figure out that the mass media is so powerful and so strong that we need to rein it in a bit. Or rather, share all the data we collect with each and every individual in our society, and teach how propaganda is melding the minds of their friends and themselves as they go about their lives. Should we warn them about the reality, and prove it to them with empirical data?

Some might say that that information would be scary, that it would challenge everything we know, think, and do to the point that people wouldn't feel as if they still had self-destiny. Yes, I'm aware of that, but maybe that's my point, they don't know, and the individual should, because in the end the individual is all that is important, and we are not strong as a nation until each and every individual is thinking. And with that I hope you will please consider it all and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on the Future of Education. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net