How to Uses GPS Practically

GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most commonly conjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-age satellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-types and sportsmen.

But the reality is that there are far more applications of Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS vehicle tracking or map navigation that everyday people like us can benefit from. All it takes is a bit of creativity, and some trial and error. Here are a few of the many possibilities that can benefit you right now in your busy and hectic life.

1. Know where your children are using services from companies like uLocate Communications.

2. Keep track of elderly members of your family, so that they don’t wander off alone.

3. Plan a road trip around interesting points of interests, landmarks, campsites, diners, etc, and hear fewer "Are we there yets?"- and of course get the most out of that expensive gas.

4. Get emergency road side assistance at a touch of a button from your vehicle, so you can get help exactly where and when you need it.

5. Keep a visual journal and bookmark collection of your favorite hot spots, sceneries, and points of interests, that may not be listed in any travel guide (You can create your own mini travel guides and memories).

6. Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS, better than running around in your pajamas hollering like a maniac.

7. Feel safer with cellular phone 911 calls, so emergency personnel can pinpoint your location once you make an emergency call. Please double check your carrier service to see that it has GPS features and get a primer on how it works if possible.

8. Get to your interview, or any important time sensitive destination or engagement, faster by finding shortcuts and correct directions.

9. Find a good Italian restaurant near your movie theatre on the fly.

10. Track your luggage, laptops, and anything of importance while traveling.

11. Track and find family, friends in a crowded concert, graduation, or any social gathering.

12. When going on a vacation, feel free to separate from group for a while to venture on your own based on your own interests and find them later on with your GPS enabled device- even in an unfamiliar place.

Our ability to use GPS so far is limited by the relatively poor connection to the satellite feeds when we are indoors in buildings, homes, or behind anything that could obstruct the GPS connection. However with the investment and development in a new satellite network called Galileo which should be completed in the near future, these problems should be eliminated drastically. Despite these problems, GPS still offers a world of benefits as mentioned earlier, and with any technology, it will only get better.

In addition to more practical usage applications, GPS will make a great educational and fun gift for your loved one’s and friends as well. Consider just two of the many creative and educational uses of GPS:

1. Stay physically active and fit by playing RayGun! A locational based cell phone game based on GPS technology.

2. Become more cultured, make global friends, and learn about the world playing GeoCache, a global GPS based treasure hunt.

With many affordable feature-rich models to satisfy anyone’s preferences and budgets, now is as good a time as any to learn more about GPS technologies, which are surely to become more assimilated into the mainstream within the decade. One day we will take these things for granted just like we do now for the internet and cell phones. The key is to dive in, without paralyzing yourself with the overwhelming array of choices in the GPS market, and enjoying some truly amazing technology.

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Woeking Process of Microphone

Microphones are transducers, devices that change information from one form to another. They detect sound information as air pressure patterns, which they interpret and “translate” into electric current patterns. The accuracy of this transformation provides a better or worse sound. Magneto dynamic microphones have a thin metallic surface (like a diaphragm) and a coiled metal wire attached to it.

When the coil is in motion, due to the magnetic field surrounding the coil, current flow is facilitated. The amount of current is determined by the frequency and speed of the motion of the diaphragm, caused by the incoming air patterns. These groups of microphones are known as velocity sensitive devices. Here are some of the most important characteristics involved in making the microphone work:

The microphone sensitivity

This measures the amount of electrical output that is produced by a particular sound. Low and short sounds cannot be recorded unless the sensitivity levels are high enough to capture them. Quiet sounds and musical instruments require higher sensitivity microphones. Otherwise you have to increase microphone gain levels and the sound receives a certain amount of distorting noise.

Microphone overload

When loud sounds overdrive a microphone, a sound distortion will be noticed. With dynamic microphones, the magnetic field loses contact with the coil and the diaphragm may be permanently damaged if loud sounds are consistently recorded. If the microphone is placed to close to a musical instrument, for example, overload is likely to happen

Distortion characteristics

The amount of noise distortion varies from one microphone to another, even when they are the exact same model produced by the same manufacturer. The level of distortion depends on the precision of the alignment and arrangement of the diaphragm. Although a completely linear diaphragm is unlikely to be found, the best thing is to choose a low distortion and, if possible, one that complements the sound and style of your recordings.

Frequency response

Flat frequency responses are the most accurate and produce the best sound quality. Modern microphones offer very high quality levels for front emitted noises.

Microphone noise

The electrical currents produced by the microphone are very low, since they need to be sensitive enough to capture all the sound fluctuations. In order to make this weak electrical impulse readable by any electronic equipment (such as recording devices) it has to be amplified. This means that the noise emitted by the electrical current will also get amplified. While this was a problem with older microphones, modern ones are essentially noise free.

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Glow Sticks Working

With no bulb or battery, glow sticks manage to give off a strong light. So how exactly do glow sticks work? Glow stick light is the result of a chemical reaction. Most glow sticks hold a hydrogen peroxide solution and a solution containing phenyl oxalate ester and a fluorescent dye.

When the two compounds are mixed, the hydrogen peroxide oxidizes the phenyl oxalate ester, resulting in a chemical called phenol and an unstable acid ester. The unstable compound decomposes, resulting in additional phenol and a cyclic peroxy compound. The cyclic peroxy compound then decomposes to carbon dioxide; this decomposition process releases energy to the dye, and the electrons in the dye atoms jump to a higher level, then fall back down, releasing energy in the form of light.

The actual light stick is simply a form of housing the two solutions. In the stick, the two solutions are kept in separate chambers. The phenyl oxalate ester and dye solution fills most of the glow stick, while the hydrogen peroxide solution is held in a smaller glass vial within the middle of the stick. This is why glow sticks must be bent to activate - bending the plastic stick breaks the glass vial open, allowing the two solutions to mix.

The glow stick can stay lit for hours, if enough compounds are used. However, more commercial glow sticks are likely to last up to 30 minutes. Also, heating the glow stick will cause it to glow brighter, but it will also dim more quickly. Similarly, cooling the stick will slow down the process and cause a dimmer light to last much longer. Freezing a glow stick can cause the light to last for several days, though it will eventually fade out.

Although some websites offer information on how to make a glow stick, this is discouraged unless a person has a background in science and considerable training in chemical compounds. While relatively safe, mixing the compounds incorrectly can lead to inadvertent results, and the dye can harm clothing and other fabrics.

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Glow Sticks

Glow stick light is the result of a chemical reaction. Most glow sticks hold a hydrogen peroxide solution and a solution containing phenyl oxalate ester and a fluorescent dye. When the two compounds are mixed, the hydrogen peroxide oxidizes the phenyl oxalate ester, resulting in a chemical called phenol and an unstable acid ester. The unstable compound decomposes, resulting in additional phenol and a cyclic peroxy compound. The cyclic peroxy compound then decomposes to carbon dioxide; this decomposition process releases energy to the dye, and the electrons in the dye atoms jump to a higher level, then fall back down, releasing energy in the form of light.

The actual light stick is simply a form of housing the two solutions. In the stick, the two solutions are kept in separate chambers. The phenyl oxalate ester and dye solution fills most of the glow stick, while the hydrogen peroxide solution is held in a smaller glass vial within the middle of the stick. This is why glow sticks must be bent to activate - bending the plastic stick breaks the glass vial open, allowing the two solutions to mix.

The glow stick can stay lit for hours, if enough compounds are used. However, more commercial glow sticks are likely to last up to 30 minutes. Also, heating the glow stick will cause it to glow brighter, but it will also dim more quickly. Similarly, cooling the stick will slow down the process and cause a dimmer light to last much longer. Freezing a glow stick can cause the light to last for several days, though it will eventually fade out.

Although some websites offer information on how to make a glow stick, this is discouraged unless a person has a background in science and considerable training in chemical compounds. While relatively safe, mixing the compounds incorrectly can lead to inadvertent results, and the dye can harm clothing and other fabrics.

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The American Revolution

The American Revolution was a civil war between Loyalists to the British crown (aka Tories, about one fifth of the population), supported by British expeditionary forces, and Patriots (or Whigs) in the 13 colonies that constituted British North America.

About 20-25% of the populace in the colonies - c. 600,000 - were blacks. About one third of the white denizens were non-British. Local patriotism ran high. All adult, white, property-owning, men (about two thirds of the male numbers) were eligible to vote in elections to the lower house of the legislative assembly of the colony they resided in. Each colony also had its governor.

Some colonies (e.g., Rhode Island and Connecticut) were, in effect, incorporated under royal charter as semi-commercial ventures. Others belonged to the descendants of their founders (proprietary colonies such as Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware). Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were royal provinces, under direct British rule.

Some of the colonists - for instance, the New Englanders - were among the wealthiest and best educated people in the world, better off than the British themselves. But, per capita, they paid only 3% of the taxes levied on a typical Briton. The colonies supplied the West Indies with most of their foodstuffs and consumed British finished products - but they were not economically crucial to the British Empire.

In the years leading to the War of Independence (1765-1776), the British actually repealed all the taxes on products imported into the colonies - with the single exception of tea (and even this tax was drastically reduced). The colonists' slogan "no taxation without representation" was, therefore, more about local representation than about foreign taxation. And even this bit ringed hollow. The Encyclopedia Britannica: "The assemblies had the right to tax; to appropriate money for public works and public officials, and to regulate internal trade, religion, and social behavior". The role of British government was confined to foreign affairs and trade.

But both parties to the conflict breached this modus vivendi. During the Seven Years (French and Indian) War (1754-1763), the colonies refused to relinquish control over their militias to the British command and smuggled French goods into British North America (France being Britain's enemy). The British, on the other hand, began interfering in the colonies' internal affairs, notably (but not only) by imposing taxes and customs duties in order to ameliorate Britain's growing national debt and by rendering tax officials financially independent of the local colonial assemblies.

Add to this a severe recession in the colonies brought on by unbridled spending financed with unsustainable personal indebtedness and, not surprisingly, acts of resistance to British taxation - such as the Boston Tea Party - were organized mainly by smugglers, artisans, and shopkeepers. Secret groupings, such as the Sons of Liberty resorted to violence and intimidation to achieve their (mostly economic but disguised as "patriotic") goals. Even women got involved in a "buy American" campaign of boycotting British goods.

Many British merchants, bankers, politicians, intellectuals, and journalists supported the colonies against the crown - each group for its own reasons. The merchants and bankers, for instance, were terrified of a mooted unilateral debt moratorium to be declared by the colonies if and when militarily attacked. Others found it distasteful to kill and maim white British subjects (as the insurgents were). Yet others resisted imperialism, the monarchy, taxes, or all three. Even within the British Army there was strong dissent and the campaign against the rebellious colonies was carried out half-heartedly and lackadaisically. On the other hand, British die-hards, such as Samuel Johnson, demanded blood ("I am willing to love all Mankind, except an American").

The denizens of the colonies tried, till the last moment, to avert a constitutional (and, consequently, military) crisis. They suggested a model of two semi-autonomous nations (the United Kingdom and the colonies), united by the figurehead of the King. But it was too little and way too late. Violent clashes between the citizenry and British units started as early as October 1765 with the First Nonimportation Movement, directed against the Stamp Act. They continued with the Boston Massacre (five dead) in 1770; the attack on the British customs ship, the Gaspée, in Rhode Island, in 1772; and the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

In April 1775, General Gage, governor and military commander of Massachusetts, suffered a humiliating defeat in a skirmish in Concord and Lexington. The Patriots were alerted to his movements by Paul Revere who rode all night to inform them that the "regulars (not the British, as the legend has it) are coming." He was one of many such scouts.

The Loyalists fielded 50-55,000 armed men and the Patriots countered by organizing "militias" - irregular units of ill-trained and undisciplined volunteers. The Continental Army was established only in June 1775, under the command of George Washington, a veteran of the French and Indian War. At their peak, the rebels mastered less than 100,000 men in arms - only 25-30,000 of which were on active duty at any given time.

The Continental Army was, in the words of General Philip Schuyler of New York "weak in numbers, dispirited, naked, destitute of provisions, without camp equipage, with little ammunition, and not a single piece of cannon." Late pay caused frequent mutinies and desertions. In 1783, Washington had to personally intervene to prevent a military coup. Only repeated promises of cash bonuses and land grants kept this mob of youngsters, foreigners, and indentured servants intermittently cohesive.

Still, they outnumbered the British and the "Hessians" - the 30,000 German mercenaries who participated in the 8 years of fighting. In all of North America, the British had 60,000 soldiers as late as 1779. They had to face a growing presence of hostile French, Spanish, and Dutch armies, supplies, and navies. The Native-Americans (Indians) supported mostly the British, especially west of the Appalachians. This provoked numerous massacres by the Patriots.

The War spread to other parts of the world: the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, India, the Netherlands, the Mediterranean. The US Navy even invaded the British port of Whitehaven in 1778.

The conflict affected the civilian population as well with both sides committing war crimes and atrocities aplenty. With many men gone, women took over traditionally male roles and vocations, such as farming. Hyperinflation - brought on by $500 million in newly minted and printed money - led to mob scenes as storekeepers were attacked and warehouses looted.

The blacks largely sided with the British - but many joined the Patriots and, thus, won their freedom after the war. Virginia planters alone manumitted 10,000 slaves. By 1800, slavery was abolished in all the states north of Delaware.

All told, less than 7000 Patriots died in battle (and 8500 wounded). About 1200 Germans perished, too. No one knows how many British troops, Indians, and other combatants paid with their lives in this protracted conflict. About 100,000 Loyalists emigrated to Canada and thousands others (mainly of African ancestry) went to Sierra Leone and the Bahamas. They were all fully compensated for the property they left behind in what came to be known as the United States of America (USA).

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Microscope History

The first microscope was created hundreds of years ago. In the passing centuries, microscopes evolved into powerful, precise tools that allow scientists to view tiny objects at a level of detail that seems unreal.

There are a wide array of available microscopes, from the compound microscopes commonly found in high school science classrooms to powerful scanning tunneling and electron microscopes used by Nobel Prize winners. 

Most historians agree that two Dutchman made the first microscope in 1590. Zaccharias Janssen and his son Hans were two eyeglass makers who experimented with putting multiple lenses together in a tube. They found that objects under the tube were greatly enlarged. Over the next hundred years, scientists Robert Hooke, Anton van Leeuwenhoek, and others further refined the work of the Janssens and used microscopes to examine insects, blood, and other items. Scientists have continued microscopes into the present day. Now, microscopes can show tiny particles that are unseen by the naked eye in extremely exact detail.

Microscopes operate on several principles. Most common microscopes have two different lenses. Viewers look through the ocular lens, also known as the eyepiece. There is another lens, called the objective lens at the end of the ocular lens. The objective lens is a sphere shaped lens located above the stage of the microscope. People place the object they want to examine on the stage and can adjust the lenses to bring the object into focus. 

Most microscopes have an adjustment knob for coarse focus and one for fine focus. Many microscopes have several objective lenses with different strengths for users to choose from. The lenses are arranged on a circular platform that can be rotated to have the different lenses put into place under the ocular lens. Microscopes also need a light source of some kind underneath the stage. Most commercial microscopes have a light bulb, but many high-end microscopes use lasers or electrons for illumination.

Microscopes have been used to make countless vital scientific discoveries. They are invaluable tools used in a variety of scientific fields that enable researchers to make discoveries that would be impossible with the naked eye.

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The Basics of Photography

Photography comes from the Greek words meaning “light writing” and first became known back in 1839 by Sir John Herschel. For many years prior to this, people had discovered ways of causing certain chemicals to change color when exposed to light but they did not discover ways of getting the images to remain permanent until later on.

Now photography is a big part of our culture, something that everyone recognizes. Most everyone has family photos lying around their house, many people take these photos on a regular basis, preserving precious memories for years to come. Even if you don’t have your own camera, you have seen photos in magazines, used on billboards and advertisements and more.

What is Photography?

Photography is defined as “The art or process of producing images by the action of light on surfaces sensitized by chemical processes.”

The average person never has to deal with this technical definition because they take their photographs to a lab to be processed. They simply take pictures with their camera and then drop them off somewhere to be developed. They get their prints back on nice glossy paper that they can then keep to see the images at any time they wish.

There are also instant develop photographs, commonly known as the Polaroid, in which the paper itself contains the chemicals needed and when the paper sits for a few seconds exposed to light the photo will develop. Many people enjoy these because you could view your photo almost instantly but over the years, the quality has improved with other films and many people migrated to other types of cameras.

The common types of film are 35mm and 110. These film rolls come in different speeds that are meant for different lighting and situations and are loaded into your camera, used until the end of the roll and then sent for developing.

What Are the Different Types of Photography?

Photography is more than just a fabric of the average family’s memories, it has become an art form taking on many different types. Some types of photography are artistic photography, photojournalism, documentary photography, portrait photography, event photography, family photography, nature photography, advertising photography, underwater photography, satellite photography and more. Each of these types has many different directions in which they can go.

Photography is a common hobby or pastime for many people. It is a career for many other people. There are so many different venues of it. One of the most recent revelations in photography is the digital camera and digital photo. In an age of computers and computer technology, digital photos have become increasingly popular. People no longer have to deal with film and developing because digital photos can be downloaded onto a computer and viewed instantly.

Digital photos can be shared on the web and through email. They can also be saved on CDs. Many digital cameras come with LCD screens so the photos can be viewed from the camera itself. You see what the picture looks like instantly instead of waiting for developing. Digital cameras are advancing every day and new technology is released on each one. Lower quality ones can be picked up at a local retail store for about $15 now. These often do not contain flash and the quality is not as great. Other digital cameras can range anywhere from $20 to $1,000. The most high-tech camera for normal individual use is about $200. This may seem like a lot but when compared to the price of film and developing, you can save a lot by going this route. You can also send as many copies of your photos as you wish through email and the web so copies are unlimited. You can even print copies of your digital photographs from your computer.

Photography has come a long way since its early days but its popularity has not waned. It will likely be with us for thousands of years to come.

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The Hybrid Car

Efficient Hybrid cars have engines that run off of rechargeable batteries and gasoline opposed to just gasoline or diesel. Hybrid cars can reduce smog up to 90% and can get much better fuel economy then a normal engine.

Efficient Hybrid cars have engines that run off of rechargeable batteries and gasoline opposed to just gasoline or diesel. Hybrid cars can reduce smog up to 90% and can get much better fuel economy then a normal engine.If it could be possible for everyone to use this fuel efficient transportation they would hardly be worry about rising gas prices and rising concern for pollution related climatic changes.

Hybrid car engines run an electric motor when accelerating during this time the gasoline side of the engine is shut down. When the batteries need to be charged again the gasoline engine wills start again. When the hybrid car brakes it usually will return to the electric motor side because of the lower amount of power needed when braking for an extended amount of time.

Hybrid cars are wonderful for the environment; they can get 55-60 miles per gallon in city driving. That is more than three times better then many SUV’s! Hybrid cars are much better than electric cars because there is no need to recharge them. Electric cars need to be recharged anywhere from 50-100 miles. The hybrid engine can recharge itself with the gas side of it. So long distance travel is never a problem for the auto enthusiasts with today’s hybrid motors. Also another disadvantage of pure electric cars is most of them can only do about 60 miles per hour when the hybrid engine is not limited to lower highway speeds.

If you are looking for more information on these cutting edge cars I would start your research on the internet. On the net you can not only find some of the best information around you can also find some of the best prices on hybrid cars in your neighborhood. With net you browse hundreds of merchants with just a few key strokes.

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Leonardo Da Vinci

In his unceasing quest for truth, Leonardo explored every branch of the sciences known to his age and proved to be far ahead in many respects in his precise observations, his striving for sound methodology and measurement, and the value he placed on empirical proof. 'No human investigation', he wrote, 'can be called true science without going through the mathematical tests… the sciences which begin and end in the mind cannot be considered to contain truth, because such discourses lack experience, without which nothing reveals itself with certainty."

This quote is from a semi-whitewash of a life full of conflict, especially with the church. They should emphasize the oppressive control over thought and creativity the church of Leonardo's day had over all sciences. In fact there was only one science - philosophy which in actual fact was just theology.So Leonardo's words take on a different meaning than they suggest. It is even more important than you might imagine because Leonardo was the head or ‘Nautonnier’ of the Priory of Sion. The authors are from Catholic Universities mostly, so we must forgive them when they claim to have fostered Leonardo's genius when in fact they did the opposite and it isn't till near the end of the book they note he was charged with being homosexual by these Inquisitorial suppressors of soul and thought.

There is a whole specialty of study devoted to Da Vinci's work but little truth and a lot of propaganda. Few are they who admit both he and his mentor were alchemists and the horrors of a life hidden behind lies and half-truths that resulted from the fear of being found out. It is a theme of many of the great scientists and their lives, and little credit is given to the courageous men and women who toiled to understand and the truth they shared is available. Why? Do we still fear others might do what they did or think? Think for themselves and question the authority which seeks to credit their approach to knowing.

The Scientific Method of observation and conclusion is said to have been discovered by Bacon. There is some truth to that, but which Bacon? Some say Francis and there is no truth in that even though he pretended to be an alchemist in his Rosicrucian or Masonic circles including John Dee and Ashmolean types. The better scholars attribute it to Roger Bacon who actually was an alchemist and spent a great deal of his life in dungeons after having ferreted himself away in the church as a monk for a long time. Metaphysics and independent thought can be a dangerous business and there are many current authors whose work is relegated to obscurity unless they learn how to appease the 'normative' or oppressive mindset. The sad part is that there is no benefit to anyone by such oppression. Not only is there abundance and creativity but those who know the soul will not NEED to clothe it in grandiose raiment. They will gladly work for the joy of utilizing their potential for the benefit of mankind rather than seeking to destroy others and life in general.

It is interesting that Napoleon (a Merovingian/Mason) made sure to get all of Da Vinci's work that was around when he conquered Milan, but I there is some of it that wasn't discovered until after that and it is most interesting. Da Vinci was a Johannite like Newton (another alchemist, whose Principiae Mathematica had a brief comment at its' start - 'This is much more than I should say; and much less than there is!'). Johannites believe the true prophet in Biblical times was John the Baptist and we are continuing to seek other Benjaminite and Masonic connections with him despite a sense that both Jesus and John the Baptist were operating from the same source. Would Napoleon have destroyed any Johannite writings if the Merovingian House of David and Judah or family of Jesus were concerned about Da Vinci's fame and credibility or writings? We cannot say such a thing and we aren't sure John wasn't a favourite of theirs as well.

The troubling thing about this book is the presentation of Da Vinci as a semi-competent who needed a Franciscan monk’s help. We like Francis of Assisi and don't doubt the church was watching over Leonardo just as they did all artists who were producing God's work. Yes, the church claimed all creative work was their property! They also controlled education just as they have in many places until this very day. Most likely Luca Pacioli (Franciscan) was under directions to keep Da Vinci in line and to make such things as we will see, remain hidden from the public. Da Vinci was before Galileo and you can be sure he would have met the usual gruesome heretical stake or fire after a few parts were titillated or cut along the way.

These are the words of the Catholic University academic which give a little insight to the conflict Da Vinci faced during these oppressive times when thought was even less well managed than today. "Leonardo and Luca Pacioli worked together for many years, and as we have seen, the intervention of Master Luca was decisive. Nevertheless there existed between the two categories a social and hierarchical conflict, even if no one had ever placed in doubt the supremacy of the liberal arts as the only depositories of true science. And the one who rose up resolutely against the exclusion of the mechanical arts from the sphere of science {Such deceit to call what the church allowed people to think of, as science.}, or as it was then known, 'philosophy' was Leonardo." (58)

The best part of the whole book for me is the bicycle. It has a chain drive mechanism that looks like a 19th century model of something he would have seen in the future. His representation is not engineered so perfectly that he would have been able to inspect it however. It had no steering mechanism, for example. On top of the original drawing that was discovered long after the death of all parties is a childish drawing of a penis to look like a cat with legs. Still they don't actually use words to say he was 'gay' and we know he would say something about this if he was alive today. It is a certain thing about propaganda - great people become more manageable after they die - you can 'spin' their image to your hearts desire. In the case of Jesus they make him over every century! I guess all the priests abusing children across North America and the court awards have made them a little sensitive - can you say risk management? Can you say hypocrites? They still exclude 'gays' from all sorts of things and marriage is just one of them. Maybe this is the area 'master' Luca was most instructive to Da Vinci?! It is an area of their expertise but what Da Vinci was able to produce, is not.

"While they recognize the unmistakable nature of this machine, the few scholars who have examined the drawing are decidedly reluctant to admit its antiquity. Since the application of the chain-drive goes back only to the end of the 19th century, they propose a dating of the drawing within the early years of the present century. Such a hypothesis, however, collides with insurmountable difficulties: (1) The page in question remained hidden for almost four centuries, and it is unimaginable that 70 or 80 years ago a boy would have obtained from the directorship of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana the permission to view the codex, detach one or two of the pages, and then draw upon them and glue them back again. (2) Even in that case, he would have drawn a bicycle of a type then existent, not one of wood with wheelbarrow wheels, {And this imaginary child the academics try to say drew the cat/penis, would have been a pretty smart kid to know the name of Leonardo's pupil/model/lover. There is a small matter of his signature.} no means of steering, and the teeth of the central gear so squared off that they could not be fitted to the chain. (3) The odd toothed wheels and the chain coincide exactly with those drawn by Leonardo in Codex Madrid 1, folio 10 recto. (4) We cannot separate the bicycle from the other drawings visible in folios 132 verso and 133 verso of the Codex Atlanticus. Actually they were drawn when the pages were united at the two halves of one page. Reuniting them, we see that another hand has drawn, also in pencil and from left to right, two pornographic drawings obviously meant as a joke, over which, on the right side, is clearly written 'salaj', that is, Salai, the name of Leonardo's pupil, model and servant...To become a reality, the idea required the final solution of some challenging problems such as the matter of steering and the adaptation of the large squared off teeth with their jutting comers to the links of the chain… Salai entered Leonardo's house in 1490, aged 10.” (59)

How did Leonardo draw about half of the design of such as bike? The best answer is that he looked into the 'Philosopher’s Stone' of his patron/alchemist or he developed one of his own like Nostradamus. It is not an easy thing to do, but I think he could have done it. If he actually traveled through time he would have been able to draw a bike and many other things like his famous helicopter. When looking into a 'Stone' there are many confusing images of possible future and jumbled realities. We know that many within the Catholic Church have studied these things (e.g. Aquinas) and that they know about the 'Stone'. In recent times a Catholic cleric developed a Chronovisor in conjunction with top physicists including Enrico Fermi, according to one report I have seen.

We know they would have been very concerned about Leonardo telling the world about many things he knew. The Gnostics were heretics because they said things like: 'The Original Sin that separates us from God is Ignorance!' Who is passing on whether or not you are a heretic because you believe in the possibility of a 'Stone' today? Yes, most of society! Few have any idea of what an alchemist is or what contributions they've made to humanity, the quantum physicists were called 'atom-mysticists' when they spoke of the things chaos science and alchemy has studied for over 13,000 years. This is why we don't need an Inquisition. Because the media and education system is more effective!

The titles and grandiloquent appointments of the egotistical chest-beating ecclesiasts who follow in the footsteps of the money- changers whose tables Jesus over-turned in the Roman-backed Temples are so fantastic that any impressionable person can easily think THEY must know! This is the technique of 'The BIG lie!' If you make an ass of your true self (the soul) by saying you are 'Holy' and an 'Emperor', it is no matter. Just continue to add all the nations and states you have under your control. Say you are the sole representative of God on earth, and that the universe revolves around you. It might work as well as saying disease comes from 'sins and demons' and 'women are the harbingers of THE Original Sin'. Actually any human is able to know what Jesus called 'the living father within'. Are we really out of the influence of the 'Dark Ages'? I'd like to debate that with the Pope or some other proselyte.

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Learn Piano for Fun

There are essentially two ways to learn piano - note reading or chords. For those who want to spend years learning how to play other peoples music, note reading is the way to go. For those who want to create their own special music, chord understanding is a must - and much easier to learn. It is far better to learn how to make music first than it is to read it on a piece of paper.

Imagine a writer forced to copy another novelists work. Insane right? But that's essentially what people do when they recreate another composers work. It is not a creative act but a recreative one because while the pianist's interpretation may be artistic,it does not mean that he created something original.

I'm not saying that great composer's works should not be recreated for others listening pleasure. I am saying that it's a good idea to understand that there is quite a difference between Beethoven composing something and someone else playing it.

Having said that, the benefit of learning how to make music first is that you understand the underlying principles of the thing. For example, let's go back to our fiction writer. If he looks at another novelist's work and the structure of the work, then he is beginning to see how the thing is made. This is entirely different than what goes on in the classical music world where a performer can read music, but does not know the principles that go into it's making.

Learn piano the easy way first. Learn how to first improvise, then compose your own music. This skill is invaluable even if you do read music because you begin to see how the thing is made and once you can see this, your appreciation of it will increase tenfold!

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Student Loans for American

A student loan is an unsecured loan made by lenders that receive government underwriting assistance. Without this government assistance, student loans would not be very practical. Lenders would find other more profitable arenas in which to loan their money. Nobody would be able to get a low interest student loan – without the help of a parent with a substantial financial history and reasonable means. Like any government sponsored program, there are rules and regulations and red tape to deal with. In the case of student loan red tape, it all begins with a financial aid form called the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

This form establishes the student’s eligibility (or ineligibility) for all manner of student loan assistance, including low interest loans. This form can be filled out and submitted as a regular paper form, or it can be filled out and tracked online (much easier).The guidance office at your High School is likely to have a pile of these forms. Libraries and College Admissions offices are other places to look for the paper version of the form. If all else fails and you really want the paper version of the FAFSA, you can get one by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Most people find it more convenient to simply log on to www.fafsa.ed.gov and submit the form electronically. By doing it this way you also automatically get a way to look in on the status of your application. Supposedly, doing the form online can make the process from one to two weeks faster than submitting the paper form. Either way, you will find that the form is relatively easy to fill out, and typically will require much of the same information that would be included in the parent’s tax returns.

Student loans are also available to those who turn out to be ineligible for the regular unsecured low interest student loans. These other loans are normally called Parent Plus loans or private alternative loans, or just “alternative loans”. These are basically loans made with a co-signature from the parents. In effect it’s no different from a young person buying a car with a parent’s co-signature. Both the student and the parents are on the hook for repayment of the loan.
Because of the government regulation involved with the unsecured student loans, this is one of the few types of loans that do not require a whole lot of shopping around. There is not a lot of variability in the interest rates and other features of the government sponsored loans. The same is not true for the Parent Plus loans or private alternative loans. With those you do need to shop around.

So the first step is really to fill out a FAFSA form well in advance of the time tuition is due and use that to start your quest for college money. This will help you to determine what kind of student loans you are eligible for and assist you greatly in your loan shopping.

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Children and Homeschooling

The first and foremost homeschool resource available to you is yourself. That’s right, it’s you! Right from the start it is your motivation to provide your child with the best education you can possibly muster and your ability to stay focused on your projects that will ultimately determine the quality of education your child receives. But now, what homeschool resources and materials are available to YOU?

Depending upon the age(s) of your children the resources that you use will vary. A great way to help determine what homeschool materials to use will be to observe and take on not only what interests your child but how they appear to learn.CD’s are a great learning tool. With today’s graphics and sophisticated programming the learning process can be both fascinating and fun for the child!

In fact, check out some of the software resources from the suppliers available to you right from this website!

Story books are a tried and true homeschool material. Teaching your children through the use of story books has long been a lynchpin in child education. Children’s magazines are also another great source of learning and discovery for children. Animal stories are among some of the most popular. One advantage to magazines is that they stay current and each issue is just a bit different.

Last, and probably least is television. That is if you carefully monitor not only the programs that your child watches but the amount of time spent watching television. Don’t ever substitute television (or any other automated type of medium such as computers) for hands on learning from their parent. With all of the technology available this can easily happen. Remember one of the great advantages to homeschooling is to be able to spend more time with your child and to directly control their educational experience. Slipping into too much computer and/or television time defeats the purpose of the homeschooling time.

When it comes to homeschooling children, your resources are unlimited and so is your child’s ability to learn. Their world is boundless and so should be your creativity.

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Tips for Distance Learning Study

Distance learning is a fabulous new way to get an advanced education. It allows you to work at home on your own schedule and it allows you to set your own pace for learning. But remember, you still have to do all of the work. It's just like that old saying, easy does it; but do it!!

In order to be successful in achieving your distance learning goals you will have to develop a sense and source of personal motivation and you will also need good study habits. Just as successful students almost always have good study habits, so too is your online success directly tied to good studying in your distance learning program. Here are a few tips to help you get started off on the right foot.

Set up a study schedule and stick to it.If you need to do two hours of study for every online hour then schedule a fixed time when you will do your studying. Pick a time when you are least likely to be interrupted, it can be early in the morning before the rest of your family wakes up, or it can be later in the day when everyone is gone to work or school.

Don't pick just before dinner when everyone is unwinding and catching up on their day or listening to their favorite, and very loud, music. You need the peace and quiet in order to concentrate. Some people study in the basement or even the garage. It doesn't matter where it is as long as it is convenient, quiet, and conducive to your studies.

Plan your study time when everyone else is busy with their own activities. It might be when the kids are gone to sports or dance class or when your spouse is at their bowling night out.
It might be Saturday morning while the kids watch cartoons or your wife is sleeping in. It helps if other people are busy because they won't be able to interrupt your studying.
Another tip for successful studying in your distance learning program includes creating a space for yourself within your home where you actually enjoy spending time. Some people like to study on the back porch on nice days or in front of a cozy fire on colder nights. As long as you are comfortable it is a good place to study.

Try and protect that space by telling all of your family that this area is off limits during your study time. Make up a small sign that says "Student at Work" or even "Quiet, Please". You may have to tell them a few times, especially your kids, but sooner rather than later they will get it and respect your need for this study time and space.

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How to (Tips for) Article Writing

As most people know writing an article and posting it with links back to your site is an excellent way to direct traffic to your site. However, after reading hundreds of articles I have noticed some people need some tips on how to maximize readership and the rate of publication of their article.

Publishers publish articles for two reasons. For fresh content on their site and to generate revenues, often with ads placed on the page with your article. So, with a highly read article the publisher will be more likely to promote your article, which increases your exposure.
So when writing your articles try to make it short and simple. People are lazy by nature and the easier the article appears to read the more likely it will be read.

It's ok to have paragraphs of one sentence... even one word!

When people look at an article and contemplate reading it, if it looks like work, they'll pass. Having an easy to skim article, with lots of whitespace, makes the article look easier to digest.
Don’t worry too much on the writing style. It is your title and the appearance of an article that people use in determining whether or not to even read it. Once they start reading the article, then it's the content and your writing style that will suck them deeper in.
Another good guideline to follow when writing an article is to aim for the 600 word count. Less than 600 words is too low for many publishers, and not long enough to be considered a proper article.

An article that is too long will make the potential reader think it is too much work to read, and as a result not read it, despite how well it is written or the contents of the article.
The ideal length for an article to achieve maximum republication is between 600 and 800 words.
It is a good idea to write an article and then go back through looking for places to break up long paragraphs, simplify the language, and give the article a more personal feel.

Also, look for places where you can substitute contractions for two words to make the language less stilted. More conversational articles are also easier to read and understand.

Also read your article out loud to yourself several times. If you stumble anywhere, you probably need to rewrite that portion.
The same techniques can also be used when writing sales copy, but that is a topic for another article.

The objective of writing an article is to get published. Once published you want your article to be read. Publishers like popular articles. If you follow these simple tips on how to write an article you will increase your chances of both. With a popular article with your name and url attached to it you will be well on your way to expert internet marketer status.

article by Chris Stirling
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How to Teaching Reading to Your Child

One of the most effective teaching methods for children is to use materials that the child has a natural interest in. Teaching reading to your child is no exception. Our kids (as I’m sure most kids) have a natural interest in animals. Right from the beginning we had great success using their natural curiosity and affection for animals to teach the basic formations and sounds that are associated with the letters and pictures. This naturally progressed into using the same to aid in teaching reading to them as well.

There are several children’s magazines available for you that are dedicated to the animal child connection. As our kids got a bit older we even subscribed to a couple of the magazines for them. You talk about generating an interest! Just wait till the kids realize that every so often the mailman brings them a present. They couldn’t wait and it certainly helped us with teaching reading to both of the kids. If your kids, are struggling to read or maybe struggling to get interested in reading, use a tool that they are naturally interested in. For us, the animal stories and magazines were a great way for us to get started teaching reading.

Find a magazine that seems to fit the age level of your child. For younger children, I recommend one that has big bright colorful pictures with interesting facts. One of our favorite children’s magazines is Zoobooks. Some even have interactive puzzles and games the child can play and learn. A simple search on the internet of “children + animals + magazine” will turn up many choices for you.

Teaching reading to your child is 100 times easier when you employ the use of a subject that children naturally want to know more about. In fact, one thing that we discovered was that once the one of the magazines had been used and was no longer current, they made great tools for the kids to cut some of the pictures out and make bulletin boards, calendars, and it made a great start in getting to the next level of reading by learning to make up their own stories and adventures using the pictures they cut out and the information from the magazines!

Whatever you choice of tools you are considering using to teach reading to your child, I highly recommend the use of some good children’s magazines.

article by Mary Joyce
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Online Education and Online Degrees

Some Universities and Colleges have opened a whole new line of education for today's busy people and for people in smaller cities and towns. You no longer have to sit in a classroom for 8 hours a day in-order to study for a Diploma, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree or Doctoral Degrees such as PhD's.

There are many Colleges and Universities in the UK and elsewhere that are now offering online courses. Of course if you're interested in the more traditional distance education courses and programs, there are some well established institutions where you can enrol. These online and distance education courses allow you to complete your degree or diploma course at your own pace. So before you take study leave from work or change your career just because your local college doesn't offer what you're looking for, find out if there are some accredited courses being offered online or through distant learning. You'll be surprised.

To reach the very top of any profession, you need to gain the right qualifications, and with a good degree course or diploma you'll be giving yourself the perfect start in your professional life. You'll learn in your own time, at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home - so whatever your circumstances, you'll have a much better chance of succeeding!

The great thing about online education is that with most colleges and universities, you can enrol at any time of the year. The courses are structured in small, manageable units, so you'll find learning very easy and enjoyable.

A growing number of physical universities as well as newer online only colleges have begun to offer a select set of academic degree programs via the internet. These programs range from Diplomas and Certificates to Doctoral programs with available emphasis in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. While some programs require students to attend some campus classes or summer classes, many are completely online. In addition, several universities offer online student support services, such as online advising, student governments and student newspapers.

article by Bridget Mwape
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Human Cloning

Cloning is not a news anymore present time. But, do you know if now there in processing to human cloning? What is Human Cloning? Cloning an organism involves replicating the DNA of that organism in a new organism that, as a result, has the same exact features and characteristics. Human Cloning would mean recreating the person that is being cloned. With the successful cloning of Dolly The Sheep, Human Cloning, long the staple of science fiction, is on the verge of becoming a reality. How would Human Cloning work? Human Cloning, if it is ever done, will be carried out by the same method that brought forth Dolly, Reproductive Cloning.

In Reproductive Cloning, the nucleus is removed from a body cell of the organism to be cloned and this nucleus is inserted into an enucleated egg, that is, an egg whose nucleus has previously been removed.
The egg with the new nucleus is then treated to electric or chemical treatment to simulate cell division. The resulting embryo is transferred to a host uterus to develop properly and eventually be given birth to.
The new-born organism will be a replica of the original organism, but not the exact same actually, since it will have DNA derived from both the organism as well as the egg.

Why would Human Cloning be done?
Cloning animals, especially endangered species, is one way of preserving the species from dying out entirely. But why would anyone want to clone human beings? There are enough of us already on the planet without resources enough for the well-being of all of us. So why bother to clone?

Well, one reason is pure scientific research. We've already come a long way. After Dolly, scientists have managed to clone various animals. So cloning humans seems the next logical step and a very important one it would be too.
Cloning humans could also prove a major breakthrough as far as cloning for therapeutic purposes is concerned. Cloning could be used to produce new organs for organ transplants. Since the cloned organ, produced from a body cell of the person needing the transplant, would have the same genetic code, there would be less risk of the body rejecting the new, transplanted organ. Cloning could also be used to treat Cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases, and host of other illnesses.

Cloning would allow infertile couples to have their own genetic offspring or otherwise normal couples to order designer babies. It could also be used to bring back to life your dead ancestors. So if you want to give birth to your great-great-grandmother, you can. Just as long you managed to preserve some samples of her body cells.

One American couple reportedly is willing to pay $500,000 to clone their dead infant daughter.
And then there are some who would like to clone themselves and thereby achieve eternal life.

Is it ethical to go ahead and clone humans?
Well, sometimes one of a kind is more than one can tolerate. But, on the serious side, many of the leading Scientists involved in cloning research, like Ian Wilmut and Richard Gardner, have expressed serious doubts and ethical dilemmas over the cloning of human beings.

Firstly, reproductive cloning is not yet a fool-proof method. It took 272 attempts before Dolly was produced. This means 272 embryos either failed to develop properly or were discarded as defective. In other cases, if the embryos weren't miscarried, a large percentage of the animals born showed a high degree of abnormality and died quickly or had to be euthanized. Those successfully cloned have showed many health problems and none have lived to a ripe old age so far.

Now, since human beings consider themselves a class apart, obviously many moral problems would arise with treating defective human embryos or new-born, handicapped babies in the very same manner.
There is also no way of predicting what the intelligence level and capabilities of a human clone would be. What would be the psychological and societal implications for it as an individual? What kind of a life or future would it have? Since we don't know, many people consider it unethical to go ahead and clone.
But that argument doesn't hold much water with others. After all, we have no way of knowing exactly what sort of a person a normally conceived embryo will turn out to be either.

Is Human Cloning legally allowed?
Reproductive Cloning of Humans is banned is many countries around the world, including the USA and the UK, and allowed in some. Therapeutic Cloning is allowed to some degree, but there is already a clamor against it from religious and pro-life organizations, many of whom are more acquainted with its theological implications than its theoretical possibilities.

How it is?

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