The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

Government Student Loan Consolidation: Is It The Solution For
You?

Students across the country are jumping on the government
student loan consolidation bandwagon. And for good reason!

Whether you are still in school, a graduate, unemployed or
comfortably employed you can save thousands through a government
student loan consolidation by locking in record low interest
rates before they go up.

If you need to reduce your monthly student loan payments by
extending the amount of time you have to pay your debt, a
government student loan consolidation may be the solution for
you.

If your loans are in default you may still reap the benefits of
a government student loan consolidation. Benefits include
protecting your credit rating, saving money by locking in lower
interest rates or lower monthly payments.

On the other hand, a government student loan consolidation may
not be the answer for you if you’re nearing the end of your
repayment term. There’s not a lot of ‘cents’ in spending your
valuable time rearranging your loan portfolio, especially if it
means extending the amount of time you have to pay off your
debt. If you can manage your existing monthly payments stick
with it because you will save money over the long term.

To the online artist, it might seem a paradox, at first glance, to hear a recommendation to hold back work. The artist on the Internet often overproduces and displays their entire body of work. In essence, by placing it for casual viewing, known as “shopping” the work, devalues its worth by defying the Law of Supply and Demand.

How can the artist benefit by applying the advantages of the Internet with the successful business practices of the traditional gallery? Let’s look at the traditional gallery’s sales structure.

At the Preview, in an inner gallery, and by invitation only, previously unviewed works are presented to the gallery’s selected collectors. The works are tagged as sold, but left for viewing. An aspect of human nature, wanting what one cannot have, has been accommodated as well as a relationship to supply and demand.

To paraphrase Israel A. Kirzner, the, almost, universally accepted theory of supply and demand shapes production and consumption, and is, not only the skeleton, but the flesh and blood of the economic system which determines the artist’s survival in the marketplace.

[”The Law of Supply and Demand”, by Israel Kirzner At the time of publication Kirzner was an economist at New York University. http://www.libertyhaven.com and The Freeman, a publication of The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc., January 2000, Vol. 50, No. 1.]

The show opens to the general public. As the show closes, unsold works are then considered shopped, since the public has viewed them. Then, they are placed in an outer gallery for the casual onlooker. Those traditions have held true, stemming from the basic nature of human beings and how market prices are determined.

This brings us back to the question of how might the traditional practices be adapted to the Internet? The artist could, for instance, set up a number of galleries.

The Inner Gallery would contain works previously unseen. A collector might pay a one-time fee, the purpose of which is to discourage window-shoppers. The fee could then be applied to their purchase. Those who purchase are the collectors who go into your special Guest Book to receive Preview invitations, thus, eliminating the major pitfall of current Internet based galleries, the window-shopper.

How does one structure a Preview Page? Obviously, for your Preview Page you wouldn’t want just anyone dropping in. This could be accomplished through a member login given only to your private collectors. By closely monitoring their login dates, you can determine when the Preview is over and it’s time for the show to be opened to the general public.

A Middle Gallery is for works that didn’t sell in the Preview, but are only available to those who have registered in the Guest Book and agree to receive future newsletters and updates. Finally, there is an Outer Gallery, that is for browsers and only contains images that have been sold, their price, but never to whom it was sold.

Although there will be many window-shoppers, as the exclusive nature and as the reputation of the site grows, the more exclusive collector will come to the site, sign the Guest Book, and come to the Preview ready to collect.

Perhaps Museum Directors, Curators, Critics and Reviewers could be contacted as well. Given passwords, they could actually look at the work online, without the artist having to physically move the works as in a land-based gallery. Their reviews could be then added to the Preview Page and the artist’s resume for future use.

Anyone with experience on the Internet knows you can’t just create a web site and expect people to show up. The site must be properly marketed as well as have something the web surfer desires. Go to ARTNews and see how the ads are structured. Ask yourself what it is about that ad that makes you want to visit that gallery. What makes it desirable?

Look at the size of the images in the ad. Are they thumbnails or full-size images and details? Collectors want to see brush-strokes and have the monitors to do so. Remember, that the majority of the nation’s assets lie in the hands of those over fifty years of age. Many of them wear eyeglasses. Accommodate their eyesight. Bigger is better.

Of course, not all artists who put up a web site are going to be worth collecting, just as galleries will not find all artists suitable. Not all collectors will want a given artist’s work. Without demand there are no sales.

Therefore, critical analysis of the web statistics should be carefully monitored. If you get a lot of hits and no sales then the problem is not in the marketing. Conversely, no hits, or very few, would indicate poor marketing. At some point you have to figure whether or not you’re no good at marketing or the work is not collectible.

As for meeting with the artist, the web cam, if not a personal visit, makes for an enjoyable time. With the development of Japanese graphic technology, one day soon the collector and others members of the art community will view the minute details of the artist’s work in truly a virtual gallery without defying the laws of human nature which drives all mankind.

About The Author

Cynthia Houppert is an art consultant in Atlanta, Georgia and the author of “Art Gallery Safari: Bagging the Big One”

(c)2003

cyndij@cowboyenterprises.com

So its the beginning of the school year, your first day of class is over, and you just want to sit down and relax for a moment because you know that the rest of the semester won’t be as easy as Day 1. You’re alone in the room. Quiet. You sit, close your eyes, roll your head to massage your neck.

WHAM!! The door flies open and your new roommate charges in with his girlfriend (or guy friend- hey you never know) the friend screaming and bursting in disturbing laughter as your roommate is silent and has this not-quite-well look in his eyes, dragging around a dead hamster, chatting about “I can’t wait to do that again…they’re gonna get what they deserve, Oh sorry [insert your name here], I didn’t see you there.” You muster up the ability to hold your tongue and you finally exhale, ever so slowly, “its okay.” Like hell it’s ok, you think to yourself.

This specific scenario describes what happens when your roommate is a “Freak” (learn more about roommate categorization in Part II of this article), and maybe this all sounds too familiar. But there are plenty of other things that can go wrong with a new dorm or apartment roommate. Maybe you’re more of the party type and your roommate thinks bible study is just sooooooo much fun. Maybe your roommate doesn’t know the meaning of “too loud,” “maybe later,” “lighten up you stiff,” or “for the last time, this is MINE, that is YOURS.” Like I said, there are plenty of things that can go wrong with the unexpected roommate. Maybe you two just aren’t compatible -but don’t worry- we here at thecollegeguys.com know just what to do.

Step one is to relax. This kind of thing is normal. You’ll find hundreds if not thousands of others who are in the same position as you are. Its one of those “please don’t happen to me” type of things, and when it does, one is usually unaware of what should be done or how to handle the situation. If you’ve been in this situation, you know what I’m talking about. First, you’re angry and get the whole “why me” syndrome, wishing your roomie was as cool as your friends’. Then you try to avoid the situation as much as possible but when it gets to be too much you experience moments of extreme awkwardness with your room-buddy and anyone else s/he’s associated with. Worse case scenario is that it starts to affect your work or study skills, and when that happens, you KNOW its bad.

Some problems are really common, such as bathroom use and privacy. The most important things to establish with a new roommate are boundaries. Your roomie needs to know what are off-limits (e.g. shampoo, bag of chips, your box of porn) and what the meaning of space is. The ability to compromise is important in relations among roommates, so you may have to give a little to get a little. You will also have to be frank with your roomie, being clear about what’s your side of the room and about clearing up scheduling conflicts, for example. Scheduling conflicts are particularly important because you don’t want to take home a major project when your roommate has penciled in a yoga session or keg party. Remember, communication is key.

Now, if you are to sort these issues out with your roommate, its important to do it correctly. You can’t just rush up to your mate and demand that you go over some ground rules….”or else.” That won’t do (however, it could be fun). What you need to do is the following:

• Be early: don’t wait until a status quo has been established… you want to make sure that early on in your relationship that you and your roommate are on the same page.

• Be sincere: don’t be demanding nor impatient, and try to be understanding of the poor bastard- otherwise, you could make the whole situation come to a head by turning him/her off any compromise whatsoever. Make your roomie believe that you want to help him/her as much as you do yourself.

• Be willing to sacrifice: have in mind what you can compromise in return for not using your closet or towels, etc.
  Now not all roommates are the same, as we will see in Part II of this article, so you may have to think twice about how to approach yours. However, follow these basic guidelines, and you should save yourself some headaches later on.

  Nostagio Onesti has written several articles specializing in college issues for thecollegeguys.com (where you will find Part II to this article and much more).

When the US House passes a bill that is intended to give college students a break in the price of their text books, this will be a first for the senate regarding text book price legislation.

Many college universities and state colleges will implement additional measures to make sure that text book legislation is more difficult than the house proposes, but this is the first time that this has been done. Legislation was sponsored last year by a republican senator and this lead to text books being required to go through a central review committee that would give proposals for price increases and quality assurance.

There are many college students that view the price of text books as a huge burden, this causes many students that work part time to have to take on more hours just to pay for essential costs of being a student.

Among other things, the legislation would require:

• University bookstores to sell books without expensive add-on products such as CDs or study guides, whenever possible. Such bundled packages can greatly increase student costs for books.

• Faculty to submit lists of required textbooks to the university bookstore in time to make sure enough books are available for students enrolled in classes.

• Faculty to limit use of new editions of books when changes from a previous edition are minimal, thus making used books available.

The bill is now before the full Senate. Both chambers of the General Assembly have to approve each other’s bill.
Textbook publishers opposed the legislation. Bundled packages often save students money – that’s what publishers believe, however, this is slightly biases since they are the ones that control the prices.

Scott Fish is the owner of Handbag Designer Wholesale |
Digital Camera Reviews

Online Education is the most convenient way for adults with busy
lives that include full time jobs and family responsibilities to
obtain a quality education.

Adults are earning Bac
helor’s degrees, Maste
r’s degrees, and doctorates
online in every field through accredited colleges and
universities. Distance learning students are self-motivated and
independent learners. They are willing and able to take
responsibility for their learning and can accept a learning
environment in which the instructor is a facilitator of
knowledge application rather than a dispenser of information.
Adult students take with them into each course vast and varied
experiences and knowledge upon which further knowledge is built.

All that information and all those experiences are incorporated
into applying knowledge to real life and work situations.
Distance learning is not for everyone; but if taking control of
your learning appeals to you, then you should consider an online
course.

What to Expect

Distance learning (DL) students learn to focus on significant
issues rather than readily available information. DL requires
the ability to relate new ideas and previous knowledge. Relating
and applying concepts to everyday life or work is a major
element of DL. Another major element is the ability to relate
and communicate online in a text-based medium. Students get to
know each other and work together through the asynchronous
threaded discussion forums of the course format, emails
between/among collaborative group members, mailing lists, and
synchronous (real time) interactive chat. Some universities have
technology infrastructures that include teleconferencing, audio
and video. While these latest are not yet the norm, as
technology becomes more widely available, more courses will
include these features as well.

Distance learning students must be able to recognize their
strengths and limitations. Excellent time management skills are
mandatory in an online course. The structure of a traditional
class is not present in an online class and sometimes DL
students fall behind in their work because there is no
requirement to “go to class.” DL instructors assist students in
time management skills in a variety of ways, including posting
due dates and participation requirements. If a student does not
post assignments or respond to discussions, then the instructor
will send a private email or call the student to find out if
there is a problem with which the student needs assistance. The
structure is in the organization of units or modules - usually
one per week - just as in a traditional class in which the
student is physically on campus once a week.

How Much Time Is Involved in an Online Class?

If you take a graduate course on campus, you will spend
approximately three hours a week in class for a semester, which
is approximately 16 weeks. Usually graduate students spend
another 10-15 hours a week outside of class preparing
assignments, reading, and completing projects/papers. So if you
count sitting in class plus required outside work each week,
then you are spending between 13 and 18 hours a week for the
course. Travel time is also added to the number of hours spent
each week. Some people may be fortunate enough to live close to
a course site but there are plenty of people who have driven as
far as two hours away to get to a campus that offers a class
they need. As you can see, depending on how far you have to
travel to get to the class, that could add up to a huge amount
of your time each week plus whatever outside work you must do
for assignments.

The general rule of thumb for study time in traditional
undergraduate courses is approximately two hours of study for
every one hour spent in class. Since most traditional classes
meet for three hours a week, that is an average of six hours a
week study time per class. This makes the time spent for
undergraduate traditional courses an average of nine hours
weekly plus travel time. Some weeks will be more if there are
papers or projects due.

Distance learning courses require less time simply because you
are not travelling to and sitting in class. You can do your work
whenever you like. Whether you are a morning person or a night
owl, your schedule will fit your lifestyle. You do your work
when you can make the time and you do not have to give up one
night a week of your family time to attend class for a semester.

Most distance learning graduate courses state that, on average,
10-15 hours a week should be spent on course work. Some weeks
you might only spend 3-5 hours and some weeks (when a project or
paper is due) you may spend more time. Undergraduate courses
generally require an average of 6-9 hours of study each week.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Education

Online Education is surely not for everyone. However, those who
state that they could never complete a course without the
structured class attendance requirement every week are just
making excuses. Anyone who has worked in a full time job has
learned the time management skills and self-discipline that are
necessary for online courses. DL might not be for you, but you
owe it to yourself to discover whether or not there is a
legitimate reason for not taking advantage of online courses
rather than just assuming that you need the structure to
complete assignments.

The advantages of Distance Learning include the flexibility to

* schedule classes/work. * participate in discussions at any
hour and have the ability to catch up on previous discussions
and contribute far more than in the restrictive time constraints
of a traditional class. * study and read materials at a pace
that suits your learning style. * focus more time and effort on
new ideas and information and not have to sit in class and
listen to lectures on content you already know. * communicate
with classmates from around the world who all contribute new
ideas and experiences to the course content.

There are also some disadvantages, which include

* a tendency toward procrastination. * difficulty staying on
track if one is not self-motivated. * no direct face-to-face
interaction with classmates and instructor. * occasional
technical problems that can be quite frustrating at times.

Are You Considering an Onli
ne Course?

Distance learning can give you the freedom to learn and study at
your convenience, in your own time, and on your own schedule.
Beyond those obvious advantages, you will also get to know your
classmates far better than you could in a traditional class.

Throughout my distance learning graduate degree program and in
my current graduate online teaching, I have met many wonderful
people with whom I still maintain regular contact via email and
the phone. We share professional and personal support and many
have become “long distance” friends. Some I have met in person
and some I may never meet, but this does not in any way diminish
the friendships that we have developed.

The ability to meet people and forge professional networks and
personal friendships around the world is one advantage that
simply cannot be found in a traditional class. Time and distance
aside, distance learning students soon discover that one of the
most valuable benefits is found in trading the somewhat limited
interpersonal relationships of a traditional face-to-face
classroom for a world-wide network and support system that can
be found only through online learning.

Get Started Now! Visit JustColleges’ Onli
ne Education Center and request for free information from
colleges.

Distance Learning Online

Distance learning online has become the ultimate hi tech alternative to the old school classroom teaching.

What is distance learning?

Distance learning as a term is normally used when talking about teaching-learning where the student is located in one place in the world and the school/teacher in another place.

Why use it?

There are many good reasons why a school would choose to use distance learning or e-learning.

1. The school has students from a large geographical area. And to be able to increase this area (and the number of possible students), without the need for a bigger campus or more dorms, the online long distance study methods works very well.

2. The school has multiple campus areas, located at large distances. This is one of the newest ways of using distance learning. The student actually is located in a campus area, but as the school has several campuses and the student (and teachers) would have to travel for hours to reach each one of them, the classes have been altered into distance learning experiences.

3. Fewer teachers. This is possible as a teacher without travelling can teach in several places around the country (and the world) without leaving his or hers own room!

Tools used

There are many different levels of technical tools as well as teaching methods applied when using distance learning.

Everything from email and a simple bbs , to streamed live video and advanced meeting areas where students and teachers can work together in an interactive way.

Tests and work papers can be mailed or fetched and re saved via filesharing directly from the schools servers.

And by combining things like high resolution webcams and skype, the cooperation can be taken to a completely new and never before seen level.

There will be a lot of advancements in the area of distance learning in the future. Who knows, your kids may even have the option to take some classes from home, using tools integrated in your tv in the future.

Juan di Santo, www.distance-learning-courses.net/

The Potomac is a river in North America. It stretches from the Fairfax Stone in West Virgina to Point Lookout, Maryland. It travels through Cumberland, Maryland, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and, finally, to Washington, D.C. It’s not an exceptionally long river (383 miles), however, it has had an impact on millions of people.

If you would, permit this aged, old man (a senior by today’s standards) to take you to a few spots on the river of yesteryear.

Our first stop is Kitzmiller, Maryland about 15 miles East of the river’s beginning. Kitzmiller is my home town.

When I was a kid in the 50s, the town had a population of about 600. The population was about half-Anglo and half-Souther European. Many Italians, Hungarians, Russians and others immigrated in the early part of the 20th century and would up working in coal mines in nearby West Virginia and Maryland.

During my childhood, the area was experiencing a wind down of coal production in the area. Hence, the population dwindled almost every year. Today, there are about 300 souls there.

It was a town of vibrant, resourceful people. It was an era when one could leave one’s door unlocked. It was a time when you could buy dynamite at the local store for projects and carry your shotgun in the post-office with no hassle. The last item was during hunting season.

The Potomac at that time was yellow! The effulence from the coal mines made the water polluted and there were no fish. Fortunately, through the years, the river has been reclaimed. Today, there are fish in the river in Kitzmiller.

There was a flood on the Potomac in the 50s-a product of Hurricane Hazel. A portion of the town was wiped out. Fortunately, there were no deaths.

A flood wall was built for the Army Corp of Engineers shortly after this flood. It served the town well for about twenty years.

Another flood in 1985 flooded the home place to about two feet of water in the first floor. Part of East Main Street was gone and had to be rebuilt. As far as I know, there were no casualties. Bob Teets has a fine photo book of the 85 flood. I’m sure you can find it on the web.

My observations are from my book, Orphans of the Wind, also available on the web.

Another fascinating look of river life is Colored People by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Dr. Gates has written about his childhood of growing up in Piedmont, West Virginia. Piedmont is about 10 mile down the river from Kitzmiller. Dr. Gates details the hardships and joys of growing up “black” in a small town. It is an thoroughly enjoyable and readable personal memoir that has no equal in its genre.

Piedmont was a paper mill town and it smelled like it. I remember the stench of the mill while travelling through that area. In fact, when I was a child, there was no vegetation on the hill behing the mill. The smell reminded me of liquid manure and sulfuric acid combined!

Dr. Gates’ book is enlightening of an era that touched so many with prejudice, yet left others alone. You will marvel at the strength of the Gates family and the integrity and beauty of good people. This is a well-known book and if you haven’t read it. Get busy! Colored People is available at many sites on the web.

About the time, Dr. Gates was two years old, a 6 year old girl was in an orphanage in Washington, D.C. Nita, the daughter of a Filipino immigrant was being raised by the Sisters of Charity.

Her story, along the Potomac, begins when she and her younger sister are taken from their comfortable home with relative on Capitol Hill to live in an institution.

The Potomac, even then, was a source of recreation and reflection. Perhaps not as crowded along the river bank but full of people appreciating the ageless river.

She describes the era well in her book, Forever in our Hears. Additionally, details the struggle of immigrants in her second book, Say Uncle! Life in DC with my Filipino Uncles. Again, available on the web.

Three people, one famous and two not-so-famous give you a glimpse of a time that will never be again. There are many more references concerning life along the Potomac that would be beneficial in your study of the Potomac. I do hope that you will research life along the Potomac more thoroughly for your own benefit.

The stories you will uncover will be as fascinating as the endless river that flows to the Capital.

G. M. Smith live near Kearneysville, West Virginia. He holds a B.A. for the University of New York, Albany.
One book-Orphans of the Wind and several essays.

The SAT may be the most important test a student will ever take. When it comes to determining college admissions and awarding scholarships, no single exam is more important. It has recently undergone some major changes, and every college-bound student must pay close attention to the new format.

Partly because of criticism that the old SAT failed as a indicator of college success, the College Board (the makers of the test) have recast the assessment instead as a measure of achievement and college preparation. Its new name, the SAT Reasoning Test, reflects its new emphasis on critical thinking skills needed for college. The changes go far beyond the name. Overall, students are likely to find the new version more challenging than the old.

The new SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes long and is divided into three parts: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. Each section contains important revisions from the old version. In the Reading section, the much hated analogy questions have been removed. Instead, students will answer critical thinking questions on a series of passages, ranging in length from sentences to long passages. The Math section now includes Algebra II level problems, in addition to geometry and many other high school level problems. The College Board says that this is to keep pace with the ever more sophisticated high school curriculums, but many students are likely to be unprepared for such advanced work. The multiple choice section and the student response questions of the old version have not been removed. The Writing section will cover grammar usage as well as essay writing skills. Students are allowed 25 minutes for the essay. This may be one of the more worrisome changes for students. Anyone hoping to bluff their way through this part of the test will be disappointed. Two graders will read each essay, and judge it on how well the student’s thesis is developed and supported. Certainly, the addition of the essay makes the SAT a better measure of the skills needed for college level work, but this is a skill that many students just do not pick up from the standard English class.

Clearly, the changes to the SAT make additional preparation, beyond regular course work, a necessity. The simple test taking techniques taught in so many tradition prep courses will no longer be adequate. Smart students will seek out prep courses that also offer tutoring on weak subjects, stress the fundamentals of writing good essays, and provide opportunities to take practice tests multiple times.

Chris Davis. Please visit www.educationwebresources.com for more information on the new SAT, test preparation advice, and educational products and services for students and teachers.

Firstly revealed by the fable Dr.Dre, and then debut of the Eminem Show, his firstly set on Shady Recording label, already had most leading hiphop fans mad abount Marshall Mathers. Jam packed of powerful lyrical cuts that dig deep into the mentality of a pervertly warped but exceedingly exceptional rap artist, the raps contains some of the most non compromising and chilling controversal lyrics ever recorded. And the primary grounds for the immense profits of Marshall Mathers.

Marshall Mathers perhaps summarizes his white hiphop artist name the best by saying “Just sometimes one motherf***er makes it and finally that just happens to be me.” It will have to be seen how long Eminem would be about, but his prospects sure have exceeded the man eminem is most frequently equated with, Vanilla Ice. However he is not slim shadys only enemy in the hip hop globe. Vanilla Ice told The Source recently that Slimshady “raps like a girl” adding “I merely dont like that tiny screaky voice.” Slim Shady also distinguishes himself from the Ice man by going on the attack against just about everybody in his raps.

Eminem , was born October 17th, nineteen seventy two, may be probably the most controversial and recognized rap music rapper of this era, having the alias Slimshady. Slim Shady is perhaps better know for being one of the few revolutionising white rapper in the rap industry, not to mention one of most successful artists. Eminem is also notorious for the negative influence involving lots of his lyrics, that has been stated by critics to be racist, angry and dodgy.

Eminem Slimshady

Learning Spanish is the perfect way for you to introduce
yourself to the world of other languages. And online Spanish
lessons are by far the easiest way to learn to speak Spanish
too. Of all the languages in the world Spanish may just be the
easiest one to master quickly. Learning to speak Spanish will
also give you an excellent foundation to learn other languages.
Think of Spanish like a stepping stone to other even more
fabulous languages and places.

Here are some tips to help you to learn to speak Spanish fast:

Don’t skip ahead

The key to being a success when you take online Spanish lessons
is to never skip a lesson or skim over a lesson either. Before
you advance to the next lesson to learn Spanish you need to be
sure that you have the previous one down flat. This is the only
way to learn to speak Spanish the right way. Each of your online
Spanish lessons will be building on a foundation and if you
advance before you are ready you will never learn to speak
Spanish because parts of your foundation will be weak.

Get a workbook or equivalent of one

Getting a workbook to supplement your online Spanish lessons is
a wonderful idea that everyone should embrace. These kinds of
activities will help you to learn to speak Spanish fast, much
faster than you would otherwise. You can find these sorts of
Spanish extras online in many different places. Some are free
while others will cost you money.

Don’t fall into the exact translation trap

Try to avoid translating everything in your head while you are
talking. Try to get to the point in your online Spanish lessons
where you can actually think in Spanish. This will help you to
learn Spanish much better as well as help you to learn it
faster. All translations are loose, very rarely does a phrase
mean exactly what it is translated as. There are nuances to
Spanish and try to understand this. Take the Spanish for what it
is, do not relate it to English. This is the best way to learn
to speak Spanish fast with your online Spanish lessons.