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“You know, it just doesn’t matter.”

This thought bounced into my head during one of my endless internet research expeditions, trying to find the “right” curriculum. After home schooling since 1996, I now realize what others have been saying all along: it just doesn’t matter.

Please don’t misunderstand me. Education matters a great deal, but all the fuss about this or that program, this or that method, this or that curriculum package, is just that: fuss, and not substance.

My kids never once finished a spelling book, and guess what? They spell just fine. They probably won’t win a national spelling bee, but they do all right. How did that happen? I don’t know. I do know that it wasn’t due to my expert teaching skills.

I’m not even sure how my son learned to read, but as he sat next to me this morning reading to me I thought, “How did this happen?” Because I honestly don’t remember teaching him to read as well as he does.

I guess it’s just a matter of providing the environment and a little motivation. Kids learn what they need to learn, when they need to learn it. It’s rather miraculous, when I think about it, when I look back and see that it just seemed to happen.

Oh, yea, I put in my share of sweat about the whole thing, but now I see what author Marva Collins means: “Anything works if the teacher works.” I always thought she was right, and now I know it.

So am I excited about homeschooling? Yes and no. Like the rest of life, it will be whatever it is: wonderful, boring, bla bla bla. But somehow my kids will get what they need, and that’s very satisfying to know.

Jennifer Thieme began homeschooling her three children in 1996. She is the administrator of a small, private ISP she established for her own family and several of her friends. She has been published in Practical Homeschooling and the Intuit ProConnection Newsletter. She operates a bookkeeping and tax service from her home. You may visit her business website at http://www.jenniferthieme.com.

While you expect to see dolphins in the ocean, very few people realize that dolphins can be found in fresh water rivers as well.

There are four species of dolphins that make their homes in rivers. There is, however, one species of river dolphin that makes it’s home in saltwater estuaries and the ocean.

River dolphins are not the same dolphins that you would see in the ocean. In fact, river dolphins are only distantly related to sea dolphins.

River dolphins are also the most endangered of all the world’s cetaceans.

The five species of river dolphins are the Amazon River dolphin, the Franciscana dolphin, the Indus River dolphin, the Ganges River dolphin, and the Yangtze River dolphin. Each of these species of dolphins are very different from each other.

The Amazon River dolphin is the largest river dolphin in existence. These dolphins are also called Boto, and their scientific name is Inia Geoffrensis.

The Amazon River dolphin is between six and eight feet long, and weighs between 185 and 355 pounds when it is fully grown.

As it’s name implies it inhabits the Amazon River, but it can also be found in the Orinoco basins and the upper Madeira River as well. These dolphins have various colored skins, which can be light gray, pink, or brown.

The Amazon River dolphin also appears to be the most social of all the river dolphins.

The Franciscana dolphin, which is also called the La Plata River dolphin, is one of the rarest dolphins in South America. Due to its rarity, there is little known about it.

It grows to be between 4 and 6 feet long, and weighs up to 115 pounds, and its body is a grayish brown color.

Even though sightings of the Franciscana dolphin are scarce, it can be found in the Doce River, in Brazil, and the Peninsula Valdes in Argentina. It can also be found in the coastal waters of Uruguay.

This is the only species of river dolphins that can be found in salt water.

The Indus River dolphin is gray-brown, with a pink belly. It grows to be between five and eight feet, and can weigh up to 200 pounds.

The Indus River dolphin is only known to exist in the Punjab Province and the Sind Province of the Indus River.

Due to its decline in population, the government of Sind, in Pakistan, has given the Indus River dolphin full legal protection, and has also established the Indus River Dolphin Reserve.

The Ganges River dolphin is closely related to the Indus River dolphin. It also grows between 5 and 8 feet, and can weigh up to 200 pounds.

It can only be found in the fresh water rivers of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

These dolphins are commonly poached for their oil, which is used in the preparation of bait. Even though the Ganges River dolphin’s existence is threatened, little has been done to protect it.

The Yangtze River dolphin, commonly known as the Chinese River dolphin or the Baiji dolphin, is at the brink of extinction.

In 1975, the Chinese government declared the Baiji a national treasure, and began to offer conservation and protection to the species, however, this has done little good, as the dolphin is still endangered by heavy boat traffic, fishing, industrial development, and the construction of the world’s largest dam.

The Yangtze River, where the Chinese River dolphin makes it’s home is one of the world’s busiest rivers in the most populated country on the planet.

The Chinese River dolphin grows to be between four and eight feet, and can weigh up to 360 pounds.

River dolphins are typically smaller than sea dolphins, with longer snouts.

River dolphins also tend to have more pointy teeth than sea dolphins.

Other than the Amazon River dolphin, sea dolphins have proven to be more sociable than river dolphins.

Most species of river dolphins are almost blind, due to navigating muddy waters, but their brains are extremely large and well developed.

Unlike sea dolphins, river dolphins have what resembles fingers on the ends of their flippers, and their dorsal fins are much smaller than that of sea dolphins.

Laurent Mikhail is a dolphin fan. You can find all the information about dolphins at his site http://www.dolphins-world.com

Here’s an ultralight backpacking list, an example of what I typically take on a weekend hike. We’re all different in our needs and skills, though, so please don’t take it as a recomendation. My list, with weights (not including what I wear to start):

*GoLite Breeze Backpack: 12 ounces

*Western Mountaineering Bag: 17 ounces

*Nylon Tarp: 17 ounces

*Frogg Toggs Rain Jacket: 7 ounces

*Groundsheet: 2 ounces

*Sleeping Pad: 4 ounces

*Bathroom Supplies: 3 ounces

*First Aid Kit: 3 ounces

*Knife, Lighter, Etc: 3 ounces

*Hat: 1 ounce

*Gloves: 1 ounce

*Poly Vest: 4 ounces

*Socks, 2 pair: 2 ounces

*T-shirt, long sleeve: 6 ounces

*Camera: 5 ounces

*Light: 1 ounce

*Water: 16 ounces

*Raw Sunflower Seeds: 16 ounces

*Fudge-dipped granola bars (8): 16 ounces

*Tortilla Chips: 16 ounces

TOTAL WEIGHT : 9 pounds, 8 ounces

This is a summer backpacking list, but it’s worth noting that my 17-ounce sleeping bag has kept me warm below freezing. The food adds up more than 6,700 calories, plus I tend to eat a lot of wild berries. I keep iodine pills for purifying water in my first aid kit, and stop often to refill the plastic water bottle.

This isn’t an exercise in deprivation. I have done that too, going out with just a plastic bag to sleep in and a few granola bars. This list is what I need for comfort, warmth and safety. It is actually very enjoyable to easily walk twenty miles through the mountains, with less than ten pounds on my back. With the right skills, equipment and preparation, ultralight backpacking is never about suffering.

Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com

Segway Scooter in Need of New Innovations Upgrading because for all the hoopla it lacks the latest and greatest technological advances and it does not impress everyone. The Segway Team? Come on get with the latest technology will ya? Regarding this idea:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/754336.asp?cp1=1

These guys are brilliant no doubt, but we could send them back to the drawing board instantly for limiting their ideas. Lets start with it’s most basic component, namely “The wheel” is an ancient component and if you want to build something revolutionary, build it without wheels and without touching the ground and without need for re-charging. It can be designed better. Here is how. Take Bruce DePalma’s perpetual motion machine to make the energy, thus by adding such a feature you would not need recharging and without the wheels you could move more weight faster with less energy. How you say? Well first off using hydro-cushioned technology like is used on hover craft. And think you are only wishing to move a human body which we are talking an average of 250 Lbs. To do this and keep the air underneath you put a small brush guard system under the device where you stand. Then blow 1-2 lbs. of low pressure air under it. Hardly any power needed to lift 250 Lbs or less. This will lift the thing off the ground.

So instead of wheels the thing is magic and hovers, way better and more state of the art too. Now put 18 small jets which move the air in the intended direction of travel up to the gyroscope or small circuit board which is a miniture laser ring gyro to keep it from falling over as you steer it by shifting your weight. When you turn by moving your body weight the devises jets move you from side to side while being simultaneously running by the gyro. The system will prevent you from tipping over like an F-16’s system which prevents the pilots from turning too many G’s so the plane does not depart from flight or the pilot black out. Now you have a hovering mobile with gyro, works exactly the same and does not need any fuel. Just like back to the future ehy? It physically works. I once met the guy who built the first hydro cushioned car, looked like a little fying sauser, he use to drive it around in Los Angeles on the 101 Freeway in the 1960s. He was paranoid because the establishment had come after him due to his mettling with big business and General Motors and the auto industry. I met him at Denny’s in Woodland Hills, CA in 1996. His technology is now moving 100,000 Lb. pallets with aircraft fuelalages on them during the production cycle in Everette WA. He also designed the hydro cushioned bullet train which was never built but was a project to travel people to Las vegas from Los Angeles on high speed rail, which would keep the trains from touching the ground. No friction means little lossed energy.

Someone should challenge the Segway Team to further innovate and not cut the consumers short. The unit should continue the technological trend to be the best, quite frankly it is not good enough yet and that is a huge amount of venture capital to pay back for yesterdays technology even at $5,000 a pop. Am I too harsh on this wonderful invention? Oh probably, but if the manufacturers are not in it to win it and will not push themselves then perhaps we can help. We should challenge these guys, so they can build it better. Considering the wonderful publicity they have gotten including the US President trying one out, why can’t they inspire themselves to take this technology to the next level, after all it is 2003 for God’s Sake. Besides by adding my improvements it could be used on water too. You could cross a lake, rescue a sinking boat, it has thousands of other uses, you could even sweep the drive way with it. Or build a robotic one which hovers and sweeps for you?

I do not mean to be so critical but if you have that kind of money to blow in venture capital, why can’t you build a better mouse trap?

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Submit a poorly written cover letter and the chances are your resume will end up in the trash bin without even being looked at.

On the other hand, a well written cover letter can almost guarantee you get an interview.

Interview Winning Cover Letters

Ok, you may not win any awards for the cover letter that you enclose to your resume, but you may increase your odds it actually getting read, if you follow a few simple steps.

1. Keep it brief. Your resume is the document that conveys your qualifications, therefore your cover letter need not go on and on about how wonderful you are.

2. Remember it serves a purpose. It is announcing you - and your enclosed information, your resume.

3. Tell them what you’re doing: I’m applying for the position of… Enclosed is my resume for the position of …

4. Clearly state what position you’re applying for. Don’t assume the Human Resources person will automatically know what job you want or that they only have one opening.

5. Highlight a few of your strong suits. Although brevity is the key here, you don’t want to merely say, “Here’s my resume. Bub Bye.”

6. Don’t be redundant with contact information. All that pertinent information should be on your resume.

7. Don’t staple your cover letter to your resume. Often photocopies need to be made and it just frustrates the person making the copies to have to remove your staples. Use a paperclip if you feel the need to attach it; else just send it on top of your resume.

8. Typos. That’s an obvious one. It’s hard to proof your own work. Find one other person to give both your cover letter and resume a glance over. You’re dead in the water if your cover letter has misspellings, poor grammar or typos.

Below is a same letter you can use as a guide:
—

Date

Human Resources, COMPANY NAME HERE
RE: NAME OF VACANT POSITION

Enclosed please find my resume’. I am very much interested in working with you as your POSITION TITLE. As you will see from my enclosed resume’ I am qualified in a variety of areas. (Or I am uniquely qualified for this position because of my vast experience in …). My college degrees are in Business Administration with a minor in Management. I have spent the last two decades performing INSERT SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES.

I am anxious to discuss this opportunity with you further.

Respectfully,

Your Name
—

You as can see, the above cover letter is short and to the point. It serves a purpose of prefacing your resume. Don’t waste your time going on and on and on. It will not get read. As it stands, you have a 50/50 chance that anyone will even read your cover letter. Are you willing to take 50% odds that it will be read, only to have a lousy cover letter that will essentially hinder your resume from consideration? Follow the above simple steps and you’ll make a great first impression. Of course, it’s up to you to have knowledge, skills and abilities to back it; but at least you’re starting off right!

Roger Clark is senior editor at Top Career Resumes who provide free information to job seekers on all aspects of finding a new job and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

Holidays and special events should be a time of great joy, but dieters customarily imagine these occasions with dread and horror. Why? Because celebrations are not celebrations without lots of high-calorie, tempting foods. Does this suggest that you have to become a social-scrooge to duck temptation? No. The “secret” is to create a survival “plan” ahead of time and stick to it throughout this holiday season.

“If you fail to plan, you can plan to fail” is a time worn and clichéd statement. But it’s still wonderful success advice. Not only do most people fail to plan, they consciously plan to fail over the holidays.

Most people expect to “blow” their diet and miss workouts during the holidays. They expect to eat more, exercise less and gain weight. Instead of putting forth the effort by taking control, they resign themselves to maintenance at best or back-sliding at worst.

This negative expectancy leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. By the first week of January, they’re in the worst shape they’ve been in for a year and they frantically make New Year’s resolutions to shed the excess fat they’ve gained. Is that your approach? Or, are you going to be strong and really make it all the way to the New Year without gaining weight?

Let’s revisit October with the ghost of binge past. Oktoberfest plus Halloween equaled a huge junk food binge for some of us. Oktoberfest and Halloween are over and done. Does that mean you are going to let the ghost of binge past turn you into a food scrooge? Are you going to pass up seasonal celebrations to avoid the fattening feasts?

Ho, Hum! How do you avoid turning into a miserable ol’ food scrooge?

First, get the Halloween candy out of your house. Take it far away. Okay, there are hungry children in third world countries, but you cannot lend a hand by eating everything in sight! Plus, feeding our sweet tooth is like watering a plant. It only makes the thing bigger, needing more the next time. Ho, Hum!

Wait! Look into your secret stashes and throw them in the trash with old coffee grounds and banana peel (so they won’t find their way back out again). Yes, get rid of the sweets in your desk.

If you empty out all the candy, and find that your house echoes because there’s nothing left in it, swap them with snacks such as unsalted nuts, fruits and vegetables.

Second, plan to tell friends and family to forego food gifts. If you still get them, thank the person, but later give the food away to someone else. This way, you won’t hurt the giver’s feelings and you will eliminate your temptation.

Third, manage your time. With hectic schedules, there never seems to be enough time to plan, eat, exercise, clean, shop, cook, and decorate. Sit down and write out daily schedules for the weeks before your events. Determine what you can reasonable do in specific time frames and then plan to do it. Manage to have a meal replacement when you are on the go. They are far more nutritious than a fast food meal and more convenient.

Fourth, plan to modify your recipes. You don’t have to give up traditional favorites - just modify them. For instance, make turkey stuffing low fat by sautéing onions and celery in broth in place of butter. Use sugar-free gelatin to slice calories in gelatin molds. Take a look at your recipes to see if you can eliminate or decrease some ingredients or use lower calorie substitutes.

Fifth, plan to leave the leftovers. Too often leftover food goes into your mouth instead of the storage container, even if you’re already stuffed. Give leftovers away, make packages for your guests to take with them, take food into work, or divide leftovers into portions to use with your diet plan.

Sixth, control your eating. The moment you arrive to a holiday gathering, check out the food and pick out a few “healthy” foods to eat and skip all the others. Eat slowly and savor every bite. So you don’t overeat, eating a meal replacement beforehand can help fill you up before you reach the holiday party table loaded with “once a year, you have to eat me treats.”

Seventh, meal replacement are your answer if you’re like most people, and don’t’ have several hours a day to prepare healthy and nutritious meals. Study shows that people who replace several meals a week with portion-controlled foods, like liquid shakes or snack bars, lose significantly more weight in three months than folks who simple try to cut calories. What’s the secret of meal replacements? Meal replacements keep it simple. Forget counting carbs or calories!

So you see, you don’t have to fail to plan. You really can make it to New Years without gaining an ounce by including meal replacements in your diet. And, when you make it to New Years Day (and you have not gained weight), you will be free to avoid the parade of New Years dieters. Everyone else will be starting the latest fad, but you will be living your new lifestyle without deprivation dieting. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.

For more information on how to lose weight and get lean using meal replacements visit http://www.waistline-management.com or call Dolletta Mitchell at 888-325-3062.

Dolletta Mitchell is a Health Advisor with Take Shape For Life, a subsidiary of Medifast, Inc. Dolletta provides weight loss and disease prevention management solutions that have been recommended by over 15,000 physicians nationwide and used by more than 750,000 overweight customers. Dolletta caring and positive, encouraging attitude and knowledge about wellness issues is a part of why her program has been successful to so many. She will educate, support, and assist you in attaining a healthier lifestyle.
photo link: http://dolletta-mitchell.com/images/Dallas_01-cropped.jpg

Arthritis is the most common disorder leading to crippling and deformity. It affects about 70 million Americans. Because there are more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, it is important to know what type of condition you’re dealing with.

Effective methods for dealing with arthritis include the following:

• Medicines: Both over-the-counter and prescription anti-inflammatory medicines will help with symptoms. More specific disease-modifying medicines may be needed.

• Exercise: This “treatment” helps to reduce fatigue, increase range-of-motion and movement, and also helps with self-esteem!

• Rest: Proper amounts of rest help to conserve energy and allow the body to heal.

• Thermal modalities: Heat and cold applied judiciously give short-term relief of pain and stiffness. These are also important adjuncts to an arthritis exercise program.

• Self-help aids: These devices help patients with arthritis perform activities of daily living in a more efficient and less painful manner.

• Joint protection: This helps patients perform tasks easier with less stress on the joints.

• Self-help: This method of empowering the mind can help patients manage their symptoms better.

• Surgery: When more conservative measures have failed, surgery may be required. Fortunately, this is becoming less and less of a need.

Despite everything, people with arthritis can lead a productive and less painful existence. Proper attention to detail and individualized therapy can make a big difference!

Dr. Wei (pronounced “way”) is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. For more information on arthritis and related conditions, go to: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com

Lucky baby boomers! They have more leisure time and more money now for travel. And there are so many great places on this Earth to see! Here are some recommendations on the bags they’ll need:

First, always buy the best luggage you can afford. It will save you money in the long run. The better brands need repairs less, and on a whole give you better, longer service. Always buy nylon or ballistic nylon. The poly blends are never as durable. Look for in line skate wheels and locking pull up handles. Additionally, there should be a side handle to lift the case into an automobile. And side feet so the case is not resting on its fabric. The old “doggy leash” suitcases are out. They were clumsy and hard to wheel. The new upright cases can be rolled easily by one person. Most of them will attach another bag and your carry on bag can rest on top.
Purchase luggage that has a good warranty and make your purchase in a store that can handle the warranty repairs. That way if there is a problem with the luggage, you don’t have to pack it up and mail it away for repair. Shipping can be expensive. Also, ask the luggage salesperson if there has been a problem with the bag you like. They will usually warn you if there have been any issues with the quality.

Remember that there are size and weight restrictions by many airlines. To avoid costly surcharges, be sure to purchase luggage that is within 62″ when you add the length, height and weight. It’s often advisable to buy 2 smaller cases instead of one large case. Additionally, lift the case before your purchase. Many airlines also have a weight limit. Some cases are called “light weight” but they aren’t light. So lift before buying. Many travelers also carry a folding bag, so you can bring home your purchases without overloading your luggage.

You’ll need to purchase TSA locks, if the case comes with locks that do not have the TSA acceptable emblem. These locks can be opened with a master key by the security personnel so they are permitted for airline travel. Bright colors make identifying and locating your luggage easier. Sometimes it seems like the whole world is traveling with black luggage. Of course, dark colors do make dirt and wear less noticeable.

Monogramming of luggage is often advisable. It keeps someone from picking up your case by accident. There are also bright colored luggage tags that identify your bag as yours. Besides listing your name and address, these tags are eye catching and make spotting your bag easier.
http://www.villageluggageandgifts.com

Maxine Greco has worked in luggage and travel industry for over 35 years. She is now currently at Village Luggage & Gifts

Hair loss, baldness, hair thinning is something that disturbs tonnes of men old and young. There are many options within reach to you yourself currently, to help you yourself fix the Advanced Hair Studio is nowdays one of these companies. The company have managed to help over three hundred thousand customers everywhere the UK & presently have seventy studios in 12 different countries.

There are tonnes of different sorts of hair loss treatment programmes conceivable to clients all of which involve very different procedures Every one of these are achievable to all customers after a consultation with a consultant. The procedures are Strand by Strand this is very low maintenance and builds the hair up slowly and gradually, so not to make it so obvious, this acts as a hair replacement method as apposed to a hair regrowth method. Advanced Hair Laser Therapy is another option that you could go for; this method is wonderful & very specialised. Advanced Hair Studio has effectively conducted clinical trials in a mix of the latest laser beam technology, an FDA approved re growth pharmaceutical, and a proven scalp & follicle treatment programme for hair loss. With this programme, you will see a vast change within three months. The last technique that they offer is a home treatment, so this is something that the client can actually do themselves in the comfort of there and the results are super. The home treatment programme combines the naturally occurring herb Sereonoa Repens range of products, with a handheld laser device & antioxidant treatment which helps to thicken, strengthen and repair your hair and scalp as well as promoting hair growth and reducing hair loss. All

It will be really great or fantastic to win 7564 euro. Before home computers were popular a common method of entry was a mailed one. Entering sweepstakes by mail is declining in popularity. It should be great or super to win 6262 euros. 4 months ago a Dutch dutch company started a online sweepstakes. Everybody can win terrific cash prizes every 4 hours. Realy terrific TVs to win at sweepstakes websites. Anyone can win absolutely fantastic electrical tools every 6 days at super sweepstakes by windeprijsvraag.nl. Really anyone can win really great computers every 16 weeks. Members sign up once and are entered to various sweepstakes each month. Great cars to be won at dutch online contests. Sweepstakes are also legally different from contests in the United States. Consumer promotions advertised as contests, however, can require an entry fee or proof of purchase. This saves entrants time and effort. That will be absolutely fantastic or marvelous to win 5863 dollars. Realy terrific speedboats to win at dutch online sweepstakes. Really everbody can win super tools every 10 hours. Thats terrific or fantastic to win 2260 dollar. In an effort to increase consumer demand for scratch cards and to help control the litter small problems associated with the disposal of non-winning lottery tickets. Sweepstakes promotions are prohibited from requiring a purchase to enter. 3 months ago a Europe based company has started with a contest websites. Many state lotteries also run a second chance sweepstakes in conjunction with the retail sale of state lottery scratch cards. Many more sweepers are choosing to enter online sweepstakes. There are also other online services, which automatically enter members into sweepstakes. 8 weeks ago a European dutch online company took of a online sweepstakes. Although some sweepstakes ask for a proof of purchase or UPC code, the sponsors must provide an alternate method of entry if they do so. 4 days ago a Belgium webcompany begun with a contest websites. Realy terrific wakeboards to win at dutch online sweepstakes. The reason why contests are treated differently is that the winners are not chosen by chance but by an element of skill. Great Hummers to be won at dutch online contests. Sweepstakes are frequently used by fast-food restaurants to boost business. Sweepstakes are generally easier and quicker to enter than contests. 8 days ago a Belgium online company started a sweepstakes websites.