Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Canadian Immigration - Harriet Tubman

Immigration has always been one of the hottest issues in many countries and Canada is not an exception. All too often exploited by political parties, it still incites different reactions among ordinary people whose opinions on the issue differ considerably. Nowadays, the prevailing belief is that immigrants in Canada represent one of the country's invaluable assets in practically all spheres of life. The conditions for the new arrivers are constantly improving and that's why more and more foreigners choose Canada as their new home. However, not everyone knows the hardships that some immigrants had to go through in order to get to Canada several decades ago. One of those who contributed a great deal to alleviate these hardships was Harriet Tubman - a woman who saved a number of slaves by providing them with a network of safe houses and many other necessities on their way from the United States to Canada.

Harriet Tubman's relationship with Canada was the result of her frequent voyages with American slaves who escaped from their masters. Canada was the country that welcomed her family and from which Harriet could plan her secret trips to bring more and more slaves from the United States. The system she later developed with the help of other abolitionists was known as the Underground Railroad - a network of people willing to provide all kinds of support to the slaves escaping to the North or to Canada. From the historical perspective the system is compared to the American Revolution in a way it united people in their anger against certain principles that they believed were detrimental to the whole nation. What really mattered during this particular period was the wisdom with which Harriet pursued her goals. Though she never learnt to read or write she was led by her natural abilities acquired during the time spent as a slave in Maryland. Above all it was Harriet's perfect sense for orientation in the country she was forced to abandon a few years ago. Her desire to be free was so strong that she rather preferred death to living as a slave. "I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty, or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other;... ". In the eyes of those who found a new way of life in Canada Tubman became a symbol of leadership for which she earned the nickname Moses - a religious hero who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Similarly, Canada was the promised land for a great number of African-Americans as well as the place where Tubman was finally united with her own family. For a certain period of her life she herself settled in St. Catharines - a village with the largest number of fugitive slaves from the United States.

Harriet Tubman's life was full of personal deceptions and suffering. Yet she was able to overcome all of this and use her own experience for the good of others at a time when the future of the black community in the Americas was unpredictable. She strove unceasingly to fight for the human rights of all slaves living under oppression and tyranny. Not only did she save many of them during her lifetime but she also inspired many others who followed her example and contributed to the gradual decay of slavery in the United States as well as the development of Canadian immigration.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Fun Outdoor Learning With Kids

Some of the best childhood skills and development goals are learnt passively, whilst outside and having fun. As a parent, it is all too easy to obsess about literacy and numeracy development whilst excluding a more holistic approach to education that sees a child expressing themselves naturally and following their own instinctive creativity. Outdoor learning is a great way to engage your child through their desire to play, build and imagine - developing skills intuitively, organically and through trial and error. But when it comes to the range of outdoor learning resources available, it is easy to understand why parents get confused.

Much that is available online promises to help your child with a particular skill or ability, but how do you know it is suitable for them? They key thing is to tailor anything you buy to your child and make sure that they are going to be interested before you stump up the cash. Although many manufacturers are keen to emphasise the universality of what they provide, only you know your child well enough to realise that forcing them to play a game which will help with phonics development will last all of five minutes if they are more interested in making shapes in the mud. Instead, find something constructive, like letter pebbles that can be incorporated into building games, or an outdoor chalkboard that will let them unleash their creativity in a way that is not subject to artificially imposed boundaries.

Outdoor learning resources need not be high-tech or expensive to be effective. Just hunting for letters as you walk down the street, or using crayons to make wax rubbings of sign numbers are great ways of engaging a child with the outside world and showing the relationship between concepts and things. Some children prefer to explore things rather than being told about how they work and if that is the case, then find a way of stimulating their minds - incorporating their interest into the outside world.

A nature trail is a great way to stimulate a child's imagination and ideas that have been explored outside can be brought back home to prompt them in other games and activities. Outdoor learning is not just about developing new skills in the orthodox sense, it is also about giving them the confidence and ability to engage with the world in new ways and help them to navigate their own learning experience with ease. By doing so, you ensure that nothing is hindering them on the road to great educational success.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Encourage Learning In The Great Outdoors

Outdoor learning is an integral part of a child's development and is a vital part of their ability to develop new skills and core competencies. In an age of electronic diversions, where media rich games abound on every platform, from tablet computers, to smart phones and handheld gaming devices, it is not easy to encourage children to develop their learning skills outdoors. This is especially the case now that parents are ever more anxious about external threats from strangers and traffic, along with the limited resources available to those who live in a city centre. But it is important to realise that outdoor learning does something that cannot be replicated indoors, no matter how sophisticated the technical wizardry on offer.

By letting children develop their imagination and natural tendency to play without being provided with someone else's framing narrative, they can strengthen their literacy and communication skills, as well as supporting their ability to mediate between conceptual and literal issues. Outdoor learning is also the key to starting a healthy relationship between exercise and your child, showing them the fun that can be had from outdoor games away from the type of potentially competitive activities that might be found in school.

Children learn best when they are having fun, so it is important that any outdoor activities engage them imaginatively. If they enjoy hands-on tasks such as building, then use alphabet blocks to explore shapes and numbers, whilst getting them to think about how different forms of building affect strength. If you child is really interested in the natural world, you'll have a wealth of opportunities to examine lots of topics from physics and biology, to the weather and maths. Similarly, taking the chance to splash about in water is a great way of introducing them to ideas surrounding subjects as diverse as gravity, the colour spectrum and chemistry.

If you are looking to buy educational resources, it is a good idea to check prices online as you can find some fantastic deals and offers. With a wide range of toys, games and learning resources, you will be spoilt for choice. But just remember that anything you buy is worthless without the time and attention to ensure that your child is really engaging with the item. Nothing can equal a parent's attention and taking the time to explain concepts and provide a starting place for play and imagination is vital. Whatever you do choose to buy, make sure that the shop (whether online or no the High Street) has a returns policy in case you find that an item is not suitable after all.

Monday, November 21, 2011

5 Steps To Creating A Rare Earth Magnet

The rare earth magnets so important to current and future technologies are produced in a five step process. It begins with getting the raw materials out of the ground and end with manufacture of magnets designed for some particular use. All five steps are currently concentrated in Asia, particularly in China.

Mining and concentration

Mining rare earths is often carried out either by an open-pit process or by in-situ leaching. Once the ore-bearing material is out of the ground, it is run through a crusher or mill to break it into small particles, and then the actual ore is separated out in a process called concentration. This usually involves gravity separation, froth flotation or magnetic separation.

Getting oxides from ore

The result of separation is ore, the raw, unprocessed rock that contains rare earth metals. The actual metal is present in the form of oxides, which are made up of one or more atoms of rare earth elements chemically bonded to one or more oxygen atoms. The process of separating oxide from ore is a chemical one, and may involve roasting, acid leaching, salt or caustic fusion or high temperature sulphation. A second step in the process is the separation of the rare earth oxides from one another, which requires myriad steps of sequential solvent extraction or ion exchange.

From oxides to metals

Elemental rare earth metals may be recovered from their oxides in three primary ways: electrolysis, precipitation and gaseous reduction. Metallothermic reduction employs sodium in a calcium chloride bath to extract metal from rare earth oxides. Calcination, in contrast, uses only heat; the oxide's temperature is raised in an over or furnace to extract metal. Other processes, such as vacuum distillation, sorption or oxidation-reduction employing mercury amalgamate, are useful in certain circumstances.

Producing magnet alloy powders

Commercial magnets are not made from pure rare earth metals. Neodymium-iron-boron magnets, for instance, are made of an alloy of these three elements. To produce the alloy, the elements are added, in powder form, to a vacuum induction furnace in specific ratios and then heated. The resulting alloy is cooled and then broken down by chemical and physical means into powder.

Making magnets

Magnets are made in two main ways. The classical process involves heating and compressing the magnet powder until it coalesces into a mass. The bonded magnet process, also called rapid solidification, requires melt-spinning a thread of neodymium-iron-boron alloy containing nano-scale grains in random magnetic orientation, which is pulverized, combined with a polymer and molded into magnets.

Current production of rare earth oxides is almost totally confined to China. 97 per cent of mining, concentration and separation takes place in China, as does almost all refining. 75 to 80 per cent of magnet powder production and magnet manufacture also take place in China. Up to 25 per cent of these processes also occurs in Japan, with most of the rest occurring in Europe.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Tutoring Is Essential for Every Student

Millions of students across the nation need additional help both in and outside of normal school hours in an array of subjects. Students who are struggling in math, science, social studies, history, or reading and writing require tutoring services so that they may have a chance to continue on to the next grade. For those who do not receive these services, continuing their education can be a massive challenge and burden to the state public school system.

Many tutoring services are available in mid to large cities across the nation. These services can often sit down with students as a class or one-on-one in order to enhance their understanding in an array of subjects and disciplines. For students who are struggling in a specific area, tutors can help those overcome challenges and hurdles by focusing on their weaknesses in cognitive interpretation. Those students who require this type of help often experience a dramatic increase in understand of their subject areas, approaches, and handling of a given class.

There are many tutoring services that exist for an array of services. Many college students are often available to help those in lower courses, while other companies establish places within the marketplace to help younger students in dire need of math and reading assistance. As such, many companies who provide these services are experiencing an increase in demand as public schools are strained to allocate additional resources to struggling students. As parents and guardians are also strained, often working longer hours for less money, those companies able to assist these students at a reasonable rate are being used more and more during afterschool hours and on weekends.

Those who are servicing this need are indirectly helping the cause of public education. Those students with special needs in subjects such as math, reading, and social science are being helped by supplemental services provided by individuals and companies that make themselves available for this demand. Nevertheless, as long as school systems do not efficiently allocate resources to its student base, there will be a need for this form of educational help that will often be serviced by private entities.

Despite this, students should always approach help if they find that they need assistance with their studies. While those resources may be funded by the public educational entity or through a private business, those students with educational needs should be serviced by whatever resource is available. As such, parents and schools should take particular consideration to those entities willing to step up and provide students with additional educational help. If students require the additional help and resources to pass a given class or subject, those resources should be incentivized to help students when teachers and parents are not available. If these are taken into consideration, it may be possible to supplement a child's education with the resources to help he or she with problems they may be experiencing with a specific subject area.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Hotel Forecasting Strengthens Future Business Gains

Investors, owners, and managers are tied together in attempting to maximize a hotel's revenue and minimize costs. In order to do so, all three need to have sound hotel forecasting skills in order to adjust selling strategies and manage investments. Hotel financial analysis is based on the ability to forecast cash flow, taking into account all aspects of the hotel business. Hospitality managers, general managers, revenue managers and any other hospitality professional responsible for financial performance would benefit from learning the intricacies of hotel forecasting.

Forecasting is not perfect, nor should managers rely solely upon the calculations of future earnings. Forecasts are only as effective as the preliminary assumptions. Managers must learn to develop and gather data in order to develop strong forecasting that will accurately project demand and control room availability. That includes quantifying both existing and latent demands. The latent demand is dependent upon selling strategies as well as the dynamic micro and macro environment that exists. The manager must take into account the impact of all new properties, from shops to competing hotels. Accurate forecasting is difficult and requires complex hotel financial analysis. When done correctly, it will benefit every aspect of the hotel business.

Appropriate hotel forecasts utilize many different tools to interpret all of the hotel's data. Managers need to learn how to build booking curves, account for "pick-up," segment demand by market, group, and channel, calculate error, and account for its impact. A booking curve provides a visual reference for the pace at which people will reserve rooms. Keeping this data helps a manager analyze rate changes and trends that result in more or less bookings. Forecasting occupancy helps housekeeping and the restaurant accurately forecast their costs, thus preventing overspending on inventory. This data is also useful to the sales department to focus their effort on different times of the year based on projected occupancy. Collecting this data helps managers run hotels more efficiently, improving the business' bottom line and helping it expand.

A hotel needs to continue to invest in order to grow assets, but a hotel investment opportunity cannot be correctly appraised without accurate hotel forecasting of revenue and expenses that the property will produce. Owners ask that extensive hotel financial analysis take place to estimate the value of individual hotels. Proper forecasting allows managers to evaluate refinancing options in order to reduce debt costs and ultimately free up capital for investments. With the available capital, management needs to have thorough data on every aspect of the business to develop a strategic vision for where to invest. Information on the customers and their motivations for utilizing the hotel are crucial. This type of information empowers management to benchmark a property's revenue and expense performance against the market. Management with a firm grasp on future occupancy, average rate, cash flows and real estate value will be a much more valuable to the success of a hotel business. Forecasting the future in a business is not easy, but it is necessary.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Why Are There So Many Different Shapes Of Magnets?

Although we may be most familiar with magnets used as decoration or for advertising purposes, they are essential tools used in construction and industry. Magnets are also important to our everyday lives. They are used in computers, speakers, televisions, elevators, and fax machines, to name just a few. Considering the variety, it's not surprising that they come in a number of shapes and sizes.

Why Are Magnets Found in Such a Variety of Shapes and Sizes?

The shape and size of a magnet are important for a number of reasons. First of all, the shape of a magnet determines the direction of the fields that surround the magnet fields are what allow to attract and repel metal objects and other. The direction of the field surrounding the magnet, in turn, determines the uses of the magnet.

Another aspect that is important in terms of the particular uses of magnets is the fact that magnetic power is strongest at the poles. The simplest has two poles, traditionally designated as north and south. While these opposite ends exert considerable power, the strength of the field is weaker along the sides of the magnet.

We are all familiar with the standard with a single north pole, and a single south pole. However, the shape of a magnet can be manipulated to increase the number of north and south poles. For example, a "quadrupole" has two north poles and two south poles. A "sextupole", as its name suggests, has six poles: three north poles and three south poles.

Magnet Shapes and Uses

In order to better understand how a magnet's shape determines its use, it is helpful to consider a few examples.

Bar are most familiar to us from everyday use. For example, bar are used in cabinet fasteners that keep cabinet doors securely closed. Bar magnets are also used for refrigerator that can be used to hang papers and other things on this kitchen appliance.

Horseshoe magnets, in contrast, are considerably stronger than bar magnets. In fact, their shape doubles their strength because the poles are bent to point in the same direction. These particularly strong are used in engineering and construction to retrieve hard to reach metal objects.

How Important Is the Shape of the Magnet?

The importance of the shape of the magnet depends on its intended use. For everyday, household use, shape is not very important. That's because these types of magnets are used for relatively light-weight tasks. However, in construction and industry, magnet shape is particularly important. In these cases, magnets are used for specialized tasks that require greater strength and accuracy.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Speed Conversion and How Fast Is Light?

Have you ever thought about speed? What does it really mean? Well the boring academic version of what is speed goes along the following lines;

Speed (v) is defined as the magnitude of the velocity that is the derivative of the position with respect to time.

Makes perfect sense? No didn't think so. To understand speed and the various ways you can measure speed lets first take a small history lesson.

Around 1667 Galileo tried to determine the speed of light, remember there was no electrify then so Galileo was experimenting with lamps and having an assistant cover and uncover the lamps. Hence Galileo though the speed of light was 10 times faster than the speed of sound.

Ole Roemer a Danish astronomer tried to work out the speed of light while observing the moons of Jupiter, which btw Galileo had helped find. Anyway Roemer can to the conclusion that light travelled at 200,000 Km/s or Kilometres per second.

In the 1840's a French physicist, Louis Fizeau devised an experiment, with a spinning will with clogs on the wheel and a mirror 5 miles (about 8 Km) in the distance, (we will get to the abbreviations later); by reflecting light from the mirror, through the spinning wheel Louis determined the speed of light to be 313,300 Km/s

Another French physicist (must have be part of their University course), Leon Foucault in the 1860's tried much the same experiment as Fizeau and arrived at a figure of 299,796 Km/s for the speed of light.

What does all this tell us? Well for one thing measuring light from the 1660's through to the 1900's was not easy, but it also tells us that we; people have always tried to measure speed to find out how fast sometime is.

If we just side step for the moment at look at some of the abbreviations you may come across.

Firstly the standard MPH and Km/h. MPH is of course Miles per Hour and still used in both America and the UK. Km/h is Kilometres per Hour and is used in most countries that have converted to the metric system The Metric system used to measure, speed, weight etc. is based on tens. The metric system of measurement is used mainly in Europe, though countries like Australia adopted the system many years ago.

As an interesting point though, both systems still use the same measurement of time, there is no metric time.

KMs is Kilometres per Second, usually used to measure the speed of light. Other Units of measure for speed are:

Meters per Second (m/s), the metric version of Feet per Second.

Knots (knots); this is used by boats and ships and they usually talk of nautical miles which is different to a normal mile.

Feet per Second (ft/s); what you would use to measure, walking or running, also for some reason used for measuring braking distance for say a car.

Mach number; Mach numbers are the speed divided by the speed of sound, you here of this mainly with jet engines. The speed of sound is 1235 Km/h or 768 mph. But these figures will vary slightly depending on the air temperature and if you are at sea level or not.

So what have we learnt so far, well we know people had trouble measuring the speed of light, there are a number of different ways to display what the speed is and the speed of sound can change with the weather.

As an interesting foot note to the speed of light, the US National Bureau of standards lists the speed of light as being 299,792.4574 Km/s.

While the British National Physical Laboratory lists the speed of light to be 299,792.4590 Km/s.

Don't worry we can't see Who Wants to be a Millionaire asking what about the 2 sets of figures.

So back to the question of what is speed, well it's really how fast you are traveling at a particular time, be it by car, foot, or on a plane, and what did the "v" mean, well when the academics' talk of speed they usually call it velocity and that's where the v comes from.

As an experiment you can try and measure the speed of light, or just find the answer here which is:

299,772.458 Km/s. This was agreed upon in 1983 at a conference in Swiss land you can find out what that is in MPH by doing a quick search with your favourite search engine.

Jon Grey is an IT specialist with a strong interest in history and the scientific discoveries that have occurred without the computing power we have today.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Forum Training - A Transformative Method To Gain A Better Understanding In Life

Forum Training is a transformative method of learning, which lets people uncover their challenges along with learning the methods of how to surmount them simultaneously. From the term 'forum', one gets a clear idea that this is primarily a conference like training and not at all a lecture session that is normally being held at colleges or institutions. Such refresher training increases and instills the confidence level, improves life, relationship and bonding within the people who want to succeed. The course has been proven successful in developing a strong bonding relationship and instilling confidence thereby helping them earn a better understanding in life and enjoy life to the fullest.

The forum training sessions are made interactive, whereby the participants are asked to throw questions or seek for interpretations. The members or the participants get time to explore a community, gaining knowledge they might have not experienced in the past. The professional facilitator guides the group and ensures that that your forum develops a group interaction model, where every member finds a safe platform to learn and grow. They take time and invite the participants engage in group activities so that they can realize certain basic aspects. Hence, with professional facilitator, the participants can realize the true worth of shared peer experience from the very beginning.

What Takes Place At Forum Training?

At Forum training or moderator training, a skilled facilitator helps the participants or group through language protocol, which mainly serves as a set of communication principles that aid in creating a secure and open ambiance for maximizing and sharing each and every individual's learning potential.

The trainer guides the members through the confidentiality contract and fundamental guidance for being present in forum featuring constitution building, scheduling, ground rules, presentation and logistics development program.

The facilitator helps the group through a complete sample session, like the actions that aid in establishing the generalities, soldering exercises and mutual sharing to let the members get hold of the forum fully.

The facilitator asked questions, helps with any issues that may come up and ensures that everyone is able to get the most out of training. The questions are placed accordingly and segmented lessons are being introduced. Through this participants get to know how things that were once considered impossible can now be achieved.

In the final session, the facilitators ask the group to review the whole training program or course. The participants exchange and interact ideas and reflect on information they have gathered from the forum. Be it newly learnt or old concepts-, all are nurtured and the confusing areas are taken care of. This is done to intensify the participant's understanding of the whole concept of transformational training at day's end.
Who Can Enroll in Forum Training

There are no limitations as to who may attend and who may not. Individuals from diverse backgrounds seeking a refresher training course or planning to form a new group can enroll. However, remember that participants should be serious enough if they wish to end up with fruitful and satisfying results.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

With Firearms, Safety Comes First (Part II)

Part II on the safety measures necessary while dealing with firearms is below. There can be many safety precautions since it is such a dangerous tool to have, but some most important ones are elaborated here for readers' benefit. Along with obeying laws, a Federal Firearms License holder must respect the society well being and should be courteous enough to play a significant and responsible role as a citizen.

Look Around
Once you know what your target is, you can then position yourself accordingly. While shooting, you should not only focus on your target, but also each and everything in your closest surroundings. If you have someone with you, he/she must be standing alongside you and not behind you. Shooting while standing in front of someone may cause harm and damage as a result of backfire.

Keep Unloaded
If you do not intend to use your gun immediately, or are handing it over to someone else, you should always unload it. Likewise while you receive a firearm from someone, make sure the magazine and chamber are empty. In some states, travelling with a loaded gun without a specific permit is illegal, even if it is just about travelling a tiny little distance.

Stick to Specific Ammunitions
Each and every piece of firearm is made compatible with one specific type of ammunition. Buying and loading improper ammunitions in your gun can be massively dangerous for user and the people and objects in the surroundings. It can also harm the firearm if you hand-load or over-load the magazine with inappropriate ammunitions.

Be Protected
You must protect your eyes and ears with glasses and headset. Extended use of guns can seriously damage hearing. If you experience ringing sound in your ear, it is a sign that the sound of fire is exceeding your ears' capacity. Likewise, eyes can also be affected by the ammunition brass or heat. It can be really harmful for eyes. Be alert at this point in time. Things like this should never happen in fact, there must be safety precautions all the time.

What If It Doesn't Fire
If you press the trigger and it doesn't fire, be sure there is a problem. You must recall whether you loaded the gun or not. If you are sure you did, then you need to act cautiously. It is mainly due to the use of improper and hand-loaded ammunitions. You must then remove the magazine and cartridge and place these safely, away from humans and valuables, unless and until an expert checks the firearm to trace the problem.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Star Spangled Banner's Story

I was just researching the story of our national anthem and thought I would share my results with those who have forgotten the story.

Francis Scott Key was a lawyer in Baltimore when the colonies were engaged in a vicious conflict with the British. At that point in time, both sides of the conflict had an abundant amount of prisoners in their camps. The Americans went to the British and tried to negotiate the release of their prisoners who were being held in boats about a thousand yards off shore. They then sent Key out in a row boat to see if he could come up with a mutual exchange. The British then agreed that they would release the prisoners on a one-to-one basis.

Well, Francis Scott Key was jubilant with enthusiasm and went below into the cargo hold of a ship to tell the men that they were once again free men. He told the men that by evening they would be released from their shackles and could leave the filth they were living in. As Key returned top side he was met by the British Admiral who told him that the men's release would be honored, but it would be merely academic after that night. He then told Key that they have laid down an ultimatum. He said "Tonight your people will capitulate and lay down the colors of that flag that you think so much of, or we are going to remove Fort McHenry from the face of the earth." He then pointed Key towards the horizon where he saw hundreds of tiny dots and was told that it was the entire British war fleet. All of the British armament was being called upon to demolish Ft. McHenry. Key explained that Fort McHenry was not a military fort and was filled with women and children. The Admiral explained that if the flag that flew over the ramparts was lowered, the shelling would stop immediately. At that point in time the Americans would have surrendered to British.

At sunset the British war fleet unleashed. The dark skies were suddenly lit and the noise was defining. Below deck the soldiers asked Key to tell them what was happening, and what was the condition of the flag.

After many hours of shelling, the Admiral completely perplexed that the flag would not come down, said that all the attention from that point on would be focused on taking out the flag.

Sunrise came and the flagpole was bent but still standing with a tattered flag still flying. The reason the flag withstood the barrage was due to brave men holding up the flagpole to their death. As each brave soldier died, another took his place so the flag never dropped. Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Friday, September 9, 2011

A Rare-Earth Magnet Showdown: Neodymium Magnets Vs Samarium-Cobalt Magnets

Rare earth magnets are perhaps some of the world's most powerful magnets ever found. They are permanent magnets that are developed from rare earth elements. While their magnetic attraction is very strong, they are by nature very brittle and corrosive, requiring them to be coated or plated with nickel or a like substance that will strengthen the magnet against chipping and breakage. There are two main kinds of rare earth neodymium or samarium-cobalt. Both of these magnets are made of alloys that are neither rare nor precious today; however, when the periodic table was in the process of being developed, the same alloys were considered both rare and precious in the day. The magnets have retained the name since that time.

Samarium-cobalt were the first rare earth magnets ever to be invented. This occurred in the 1970s, and since then, they have been used in a limited variety of ways. Due to their expensive production costs, and widely varied properties, they are only used in certain applications. To start, the alloy has an extremely high Curie temperature point. However, it is the weaker of the two families as regards magnetic attraction. In addition, these magnets are very prone to breakage and chipping; yet they are highly resistant to oxidation. Because of these qualities, and because of the high cost involved with making them, these magnets are mainly used in situations in which strong magnetic fields are needed at high temperatures. Neodymium were developed nearly a decade later, when stronger were needed for many of today's machinery. The magnets are strong, and very compact. They offer the most magnetic field strength of any on earth. However, like their Samarium-cobalt counterparts, they are prone to splintering, chipping, breaking, and corrosion. Because of this, they are usually coated with either nickel plating or a copper-nickel combination to protect the actual. Sometimes, other metals, polymer, or a lacquer are used instead. easier to produce than the other rare earth, thus driving the cost of production down and making them cheaper than the samarium-cobalt. Neodymium are used in much of today's modern machinery, including cordless tools, fasteners, computer parts, and even magnetic building toys.

Rare earth magnets have helped to usher in a new era because of their amazing strength, their high resistance to temperature, and their wide variety of uses. The magnet you will need completely depends on what you will need the magnet for. Weaker in field strength, the samarium-cobalt magnets are highly valuable in situations that need magnets to endure high temperatures during use. Neodymium magnets, however, are much stronger and less expensive, giving them a wider range of uses for today's technology. Knowledge of both kinds of magnets will allow you to find the perfect magnet for your needs.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Learning The Way to Study - How The Process Works

There are literally millions of people around the world seeking a good way to study, to get better grades, to study for exams and for tips for study skills, My goal with this website is to provide you with a roadmap that leads you toward your destination.

What is Learning

Most of the world's greatest scholars agree that learning is an on-going process. They make it a point to learn something new every day-some continue the process throughout the day. Does this result in learning-overload? No it does not.

The human mind has what amounts to a nearly infinite capacity to store new materials every waking hour. Some minds are even very active during sleep, and the individual often awakens from a deep sleep with the answer he/she has been seeking.

Brain vs. Computer

Our psyche developed since birth to set specific pathways for the storage of information into the mind. Our minds are much like the database in the computer you are seeing this page. Your computer stores information by converting what you feed in, and it converts this information into bits and bites of electronic pulses.

The Brain is Like a Hard Drive

Neuroscientists tell us that the brain is much like a hard drive-but it has no moving parts. Certain areas of the brain serve as storage depots. We see, hear, smell or touch something, and the brain takes this sensory input and converts it into electrical impulses. Through unknown, undiscovered means, the brain moves these impulses to either our short-term memory or our long-term memory. As far as learning is concerned, which is dependent upon long-term storage, we have an expectation of being able at some future time to be able to find that memory and to use it.

Learning a New Process

Therefore, the way to study is the take a bit of information and write it to our mind's hard drive. But this involves learning a new process, it involves our creating a working "directory." A computer directory is described as a hierarchy of folders inside of other folders that make up the complete computer system. At the top of this hierarchy is the root directory, which contains all files organized by their location.

The computer, PC or MAC, creates a "registry" so that when we need to recover something from the computer's memory this registry finds it-hopefully. But registries tend to get screwed up as we add more and more information. To this end an entire industry has built up offering "Registry Cleaners."

And the human mind acts in a very similar fashion.

When Did the Learning Process Begin

Back in the early days of computing, the term "Garbage in-garbage out" was coined. This is even a truer statement today, due to the complexity and sophistication of today's machines. But it seems like computer science is far more advanced than human evolution. If we can believe the paleontologists, the first human like creatures, homo habilis, entered the fossil record over 2 million years ago. From that time forward, the human brain slowly grew in size and function.

How Smart Were Humans 500 Years Ago

So were humans less intelligent... say 500 years ago? Judge for yourself. Leonardo Da Vinci is considered a genius as a painter (Mona Lisa) but he once wrote, "For once you have tasted flight, your eyes will turn forever skyward, for it is there you have been and there you long to be." Di Vinci left numerous scientific sketches as part of his legacy. Did he simply dream up a glider and a kind of helicopter? Did he actually fly in one of those contraptions? The historical record doesn't say.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Useful Tips on How to Study and Prepare for Your AAPC CPC Exam

The AAPC CPC medical coding certification represents the superior standard for professionals who work in the healthcare sector. These people are found in different medical environments including clinics, outpatient facilities, physician offices and hospitals. The AAPC CPC exam is for people who want to get certification to work as professional medical coders. To get the right advice that will help you prepare and pass your exam you must make use of all resources available out there. One of the best ways to do this is to get in touch with people who have already passed the exam. These people will reliably deliver the best advice based on their experience having gone through the process, and you can usually find them on forums and related medical coding websites.

Early Preparation Before the Exam

Your chances of passing the CPC exam is determined largely by your preparation far before the exam day. The first essential thing you must do is to get all the information and knowledge about the AAPC CPC exam by visiting the FAQ section on their official website. You should also visit online forums and related medical coding websites where you can find past exam-takers, so you can get useful advice from them. Talking or discussing with other exam takers like you will help you get additional tips. From their advice and experience, you'll learn how to take note and tab your CPT books for easy referencing during the exam. There are several online courses, anatomy courses and medical courses available, so enroll with as much as possible or your budget or finances allow. So it is highly recommended that you acquire the AAPC certification study guide and take as many online practice exams as possible to greatly increase your chances of passing the exam and get certified.

How to Prepare Yourself One Day Before the Big Day

A day before your exam you must get yourself prepared to ensure that nothing goes wrong on exam day. Locate your exam using the search box on the AAPC website - if you've not done so already - and visit the site in person a day before the actual exam. If you are unsure of the location, you can get driving directions from MapQuest or Google maps, and call the AAPC exam proctor to ask for directions additional information and directions. You don't want to be dealing with these problems during the exam day! Prepare your clothes and ensure that you have all your writing materials like pens, pencils, erasers, photo ID, member ID and appropriate or allowed manuals ready, so as to avoid wasting time and confusion the next morning. Avoid reading over the night and have a good night sleep, to refresh and prepare you for the exam the next morning.

Last Minute Preparation on the Exam Day

Eat a light and healthy breakfast in the morning before you leave, and take with you some snacks and candies like peppermint to keep you alive and energized. You can come along with some earplugs to help you improve your concentration if you're noise sensitive. Move out early enough to beat any event of traffic or road delays, to ensure that you arrive at the exam site 15 - 20 minutes before time. Do note that all types of electronic gadgets including cell phones are not allowed into the exam, else you might get kicked out of the exam hall. Relax, read the instructions and mark your answers carefully and correctly and try to attempt as much questions as you can.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Certificate IV In Training and Assessment Explained

If you're looking to increase your workplace training or looking for work in a new industry you should consider undertaking a certificate IV in training and assessment. No matter who you are or what industry you work in the certificate IV will provide you with knowledge and training that will prove invaluable in your professional life. If you're a business professional at the top of your industry then the certificate IV will help you provide better strategies to manage your business, likewise if you're new to the workforce then it will give you a significant edge in a competitive, modern job market. This article will endeavour to explore the basis of the certificate IV, some of the key modules it contains and why you should consider doing it.

So what is the certificate IV? Essentially the purpose of the training is to give prospective workers training in the modern workplace. As a generic course it is well suited to providing you with all the tools necessary to slot right into the mechanics of a company. The core of the course teaches you to learn and teach how to teach others about the fundamentals of vocational training. In simple terms the certificate gives you the tools and it is up to you to make with them what you will.

Completion of the certificate IV in training and assessment involves undertaking twelve core units and two electives. The core units are comprehensive and highly informative covering a diverse range of topics such as how to work effectively in vocational education and training, ensuring healthy and safe learning environments, designing and implementing learning programs and developing assessment tools. Each core unit coupled with electives to suit your interests will provide you with all the skills you need to be a confident trainer and assessor.

The course is run and recognised nationally, however different providers offer different learning and teaching methods. I recommend an intensive 5 day course in a blended delivery format that includes a workplace project, The 5 day program is intensive yet it is the best way to learn the essential aspects of the certificate.

Undertaking your certificate IV in training and assessment is a terrific option for those of you looking to expand their skills or begin work in a new industry. The course is quick and easy to do and after as little as five days you will emerge as a highly competent and confident professional with skills that will last a lifetime.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Why Science Fiction Is Important

Science fiction has long been maligned as a subpar genre of literature. That sentiment has legitimate roots, of course. The major criticism of the genre, and why it has been frowned upon in higher literary circles, is that it is not sufficiently reverent towards the human spirit. Specifically, the gem of civilization has always been that it produces beings that have a depth of consciousness, that is in many ways, so complex, and so wonderful, that it constitutes an end in itself, a new perfect thing, that has a place in creation alongside the animals and plants and flowers and mountains. Of course the sanctity of the human soul is something to be protected.

And of course, historically, science fiction has generally been found to be heavy on the plot and environment, to the detriment of its focus on the fineness of the hero's character and consciousness. But what a more careful look will show, is that that lack of depth is purposeful, that it exists in order to allow the reader space to contemplate the particularities of their life, of the society in which they live. In a sense, a large part of any work of science fiction, and particularly of the characters that dwell in those worlds, is the contemplation of the specifics of existence. The general religious view towards life, and civilization as it progresses, is that the human soul stays fixed, and that technology is basically trivia that exists in the ever fixed stage of the human experience. The great work of science fiction has been to dismantle that fallacy.

This is necessary. People without a sense of responsibility towards the fruits of technology make decisions that are unwise and irresponsible. The fact is that technology has added an aspect to the world that is new, and is dealt with by everyone everyday. It has altered the point of view of humanity, thus altering the human experience. It has created the very real possibility of creating worlds that resemble the human dreamscape. Science fiction, by emphasizing the mundanity of the characters, ironically enough, wakes up the reader to their own sublimity, in any environment, and takes measures to preserve the human spirit as our world tumbles into the future.

There is of course an entirely different function of science fiction, which is that it serves a larger purpose in the progression of art and literature. Many have said that the integrity of art had been compromised around 1900, citing science fiction as an example of the death of literature, but I believe the world is headed towards a renaissance of art, and science fiction may very well be a bridge towards the new era, and much like Rudolph's red nose, will lead the way.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

How And When To Use Cranes And Forklifts

Many people know of these two great pieces of machinery, but it is quite hard to explain the difference between the two, seeing as technically they execute the same job. Without the invention of these magnificent machines, we would still be working with hundreds and thousands of people doing manual labour for the construction of buildings. Both of these require a driver to control the machines and to safely go about lifting the heavy objects. Without the driver being there to ensure no accidents can occur it could be extremely dangerous. Please continue reading to find out more about the uses of cranes and forklifts.

Starting off with cranes, these extremely strong machines are used to lift and manoeuvre very heavy and larger objects. With the use of a crane the objects can be lifted at ease and safely. As well as being used on building sites to help with construction, cranes are great for use in mining. This is because they have the ability to rotate 360 degrees, which makes it some much easier to move the heavy pieces in mining from one place to another. Typically, a crane would require approximately 2-3 people to operate it efficiently and safely.

The best places and situations to use cranes are outdoors, when lifting extremely heavy and large products and when needing to rotate the objects. With so many different cranes out there on the market from gantry cranes, all terrain cranes, used cranes, new cranes, and so much more, you will be able to find one specific for your needs.

Moving onto forklifts, which are the majority of the time used in warehouses when they need to transport different items from one place to another. Compared to cranes, forklifts can be used by only one person who is obviously trained in using them safely. Another difference between the two is forklifts should not be used to lift very heavy objects, whereas cranes can do so. If you do overload a forklift it can lead to instability and breaking down.

As with cranes, they are many different types of forklifts available for use such as mask and telescopic. The different kinds of forklifts have various uses and weight lifting abilities so again it is important to know how much weight you are going to be lifting to ensure it is safe.

To sum up, both cranes and forklifts are great ways of transporting heavy goods, and however similar they may be the main difference between the two is cranes are capable of lifting a lot more heavier goods and working to a larger scale.

Zora Ahmed is the Search Engine Optimisation specialist for used cranes specialists, Chesterfield Crane Co Ltd. Chesterfield Crane Company are a family run, leading UK supplier of cranes having built a reputation based on outstanding service for over 25 years.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Why Science Fiction Will Lead to a New Renaissance

I mentioned in a previous article that science fiction serves a necessary and important role the sustaining of the integrity of the human psyche, as the world moves into the future. Here I will try to explain its role as a bridge to a new renaissance-like age of art.

The first step to clearing our heads, is to redefine, for ourselves, what exactly science fiction is. One of the main definitions that has been put forward is by the theorist Darko Suvin. He defines the genre as providing 2 functions. One he calls "estrangement", which simply means that the reader senses the events and surrounding of the fictional world, as "feeling" different from ones own. The second condition, which is harder to grasp is "cognition", which means that somehow, the reader looks at the world in such a way that while they find it foreign, they see it as logically built up from some common, basic building block, that is shared with the normal world. This permits the reader to reevaluate his own world thus producing "cognition".

Now, estrangement, without cognition, Suvin simply defines as "fantasy". In other words, we accept the world as foreign, and don't demand an explanation as to why. When estrangement is combined with cognition we get science fiction. Specifically, cognition lines up with science, and estrangement lines up with fiction, and thus science fiction is a synonym for cognition estrangement.

Why this definition is important, is that it allows us to reevaluate all literature and art, in terms of these conditions. Of course he did not intend it, but it does really fit the task of illuminating art to the point where its value can't be denied. And I believe that it will give the theoretical push to collective creativity, that we may find more, and more wonderful ways, of producing those 2 caveats he suggested, cognition and estrangement.

We can apply these conditions to any work, take for instance Oliver Twist, by Dickens. When we interpret the city of London as some incomprehensible dream world, it gives the story a whole new aspect of worth. It can be directly read to increase the imagination, and the patterns found therein can be used in any other art form. All of these years it has been slowly and sneakily building the foundation for a renaissance.

Once we take science fiction seriously, it can begin to serve its purpose as the backbone of a new and more fantastic art form.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Important Facts About Online Courses

Are you thinking of going back to school to take up another course? Well, if you are still young and you have not yet found a job, then it is possible to go back to a regular school. But, what if you are already working and you suddenly wanted to take a new course or to study again? Well, it is a big problem especially if your work is suddenly requiring their employees to learn new things like technology or computer related tasks. In the past, it is impossible for working individuals to return to school. With the introduction of online degrees, more people decided to go back to the learning stages without sacrificing anything in their working life. Here are some of the facts that you need to know about these online courses.

Popularity

When it comes to popularity, you can consider some computer-related courses. They are probably the most in demand and the best online technology degrees on the Internet today. A lot of people take up online courses related to computers and latest technology. They are more popular than other courses like medical courses, engineering courses and more.

Online Courses Offer More Benefits

The main reason why people opt for these degrees is the benefits that it offers. If you are already working, you can still apply for an online degree. They will offer you more flexible time. You can set your own schedule depending on your preference. Also, you do not have to dress up when you are going to school. Even while wearing pajamas or shorts, you can already start your online classes. You do not need to go to an actual school to learn. Simply sit in front of your computer and start self studying through the use of a curriculum and guidance of an online professor.

Online Courses also have Disadvantages

Even though it is more convenient to consider degrees online, there are also a couple of disadvantages. Since you do not go to an actual school, you have to rely on yourself. You need to study by yourself using the sources and curriculum provided. If you will be asking questions, you cannot get an instant reply. You still need to wait for the professor to answer your questions. Your attitude can also affect your learning. If you are not the type of person who can learn by themselves, then you will surely have hard time learning online.

Companies Worldwide Recognize Online Certification

With the increasing popularity of online degrees, more and more companies began to recognize the certificates given by legitimate websites that offers online courses. Because of this, more and more people are also drawn to look for degrees on the Internet. Since it is very convenient, they prefer this method than going back to an actual school and pay for huge tuition fees.

These simple facts can help you decide whether to obtain a technology degree online. You can look for the best online technology degrees that suit your taste and obtain the certification that you need.