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Brown University Ranking (Consistently Worst in Ivy Leagues)

Brown University has the distinct misfortune of consistently receiving the worst ranking amongst Ivy League schools in the highly regarded US News and World Reports rankings that are released annually. In the Best Colleges 2010 edition Brown came in at the number sixteen overall spot in terms of the most highly prized category of National Universities Rankings. For the 2010 rankings Brown finished one spot behind fellow Ivy League school Cornell University. Unfortunately for the good folks at Brown being affiliated with such a prestigious group as the Ivy League means accepting the reality that when competing in an objective ranking system with such highly regarded institutions at least one member will have to come in last place.

Being a top twenty American university (and in this specific instance a top sixteen university) is certainly no small feat. In fact, the case can easily be made that all of the top tier schools are outstanding institutions of higher education that provide tremendous resources for the brightest students on the planet. Parents all over the world would love to be able to give their children the opportunity to attend the top universities in America.

Brown University, located in Providence Rhode Island, has a storied history that dates back to pre-Revolutionary War days in a time before the United States of America even existed. Founded in 1764 by Baptist, Brown University has been both a proud member of the Colonial Colleges (recognizing the nine oldest North American institutions of higher learning) and the Ivy League which formally adopted the Ivy title only as recently as 1954 to distinguish the athletic conference in which eight academically focused members compete.

The eight schools that make up the Ivy League along with their 2010 US News and World Report ranking are:

  1. Harvard University (tied for number 1: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  2. Princeton University (tied for number 1: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  3. Yale University (number 3: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  4. University of Pennsylvania (number 4: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  5. Columbia University (number 8: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  6. Dartmouth College (number 11: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  7. Cornell University (number 15: 2010 US News and World Report rank), and finally
  8. Brown University (number 16: 2010 US News and World Report rank).

As evident by the co-number one spots (this year Harvard and Princeton) there are ties in the rankings. Also of note is the fact that clearly the Ivy League schools do not simply make up the entire list from positions one through eight. Sprinkled throughout the top sixteen spots are well respected non-Ivy League schools like:

  • Stanford (number 4: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  • Duke (number 10: 2010 US News and World Report rank),
  • Washington University in St. Louis (number 12: 2010 US News and World Report rank), and
  • Johns Hopkins University (number 14: 2010 US News and World Report rank) among others.

Over the past ten …

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Online College Degrees – A Simple Direction

The internet has spoken about so many wonderful things in terms of communications and information discrimination. Many schools today are beginning to recognize the importance of the internet in the pursuit of education. This is why taking an online college degree is now becoming a thing of the future.

If you are a fulltime employee or busy family parent, you may find it difficult to balance your life well enough to make space for pursuing a college degree. This may be because you are thinking of education in a very traditional sense wherein you would have to drive to a college campus and actually attend classes and lectures. But if you want an alternative way to learn, online education is now something you can easily avail of.

By taking an online degree you are faced with the advantages of working on your degree requirements at your own time and pace. You will be given a curriculum and syllabus to follow, but since its approach is one of more independent learning, you will find that all it takes is some discipline and hard work on your part to finish your degree.

Before taking your degree it is very important that you choose the right school and a course that is accredited and recognized. Next, make sure this new pursuit is affordable. Aside from tuition and books, an online education entails a good internet connection and a good computer as well. Once you have everything in place, your college chosen, your costs paid, and your computer and connection ready, then you can start your online education degree. …

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The Value of the Unpaid Internship

After a grueling initial interview, you have reached the second interview stage and you find out the position is going to come down between you and two other applicants. Each of you possess similar credentials from credible academic institutions, held office in a couple of academic clubs, and sport impressive GPAs. The Department Manager reviews the resumes one more time and decides on one of your competitors.

Why did they pick him / her? Because last summer, while you were soaking up the sun and surf in San Diego, your competition was gaining valuable on-the-job experience, volunteering their time through an unpaid internship. Even though all of the paid internships through the Placement Office were taken, there was another little-used option … the unpaid internship. If you are still looking for a strategy that can help your career in the long run, consider these factors about an unpaid internship:

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

Training costs are a major factor considered by business entities when making hiring decisions. Department Managers want to be sure that (1) you can be brought up to speed on job duties quickly, (2) you can successfully function in the corporate culture. An internship targeting your career path can provide you valuable real-world experience that your resume writer can use to give your resume the edge over the competition.

Additionally, your future employer only has to check your references to learn that you take direction well and respond to supervisor input … factors many employers wish they had known about recent college graduates before the hiring decision was made.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

We’ve all heard the phrase “It’s not what you know … it’s WHO you know.” Being ejected from a bachelor degree program without any connections puts you behind the proverbial eight ball right away. Working an internship gives you the opportunity to build your network within the industry even before you are available for permanent hire.

While your internship employer may not be in a hiring mode at the time, they may be able to point you in the right direction … and even put in a good word for you. Imagine the weight this can carry in a close competition with another graduate.

SHOW YOUR DEDICATION

Want to “WOW”an interviewer? Tell him how you volunteered your time in the summer to learn the industry and position specifics … and that you did it for nothing! Congratulations … you have immediately communicated your dedication and seriousness to your career in the eyes of your interviewer. Now, when you convey to them that you are looking to be a serious player in the company and the profession, it is backed by your willingness to sacrifice your free time to do so.

CAREER COMPATIBILITY

Let’s not forget “you” in this equation. How do you know if this career path is for you? Does the profession have inherent characteristics you wouldn’t find out about in a classroom setting? Your internship just might show you that this path isn’t for …

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Photo Fantasy Sports Revolution

Just when you may have thought fantasy sports reached a point of over saturation, a new frontier is upon us. With hundreds of teams in each of the major college sports, fantasy competition is rising to a whole new level with the inclusion of college football and college basketball. This really is no surprise given the popularity of these college sports and the popularity of fantasy contests in general. It's development has also been aided by the demand created by daily fantasy sports websites where one can compete for cash. Fantasy sports contests for cash prizes are legal in most US States and on a federal level. At a Federal level fantasy sports is defined and exempted by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) because it is considered a game of skill as opposed to chance.

Nowadays many sports fanatics participate in fantasy contests from their computers at home and at work. Due to advances in mobile technology and user friendliness, participants are now capable of entering contests, editing lineups and tracking player performances from their mobile device as well. All this adds up to a larger market that also has greater access to online sports competitions among friends or strangers. College football and basketball is essentially going to fill this void created by the increasing and already large demand. One can then expect for media and marketing corporations to utilize this opportunity as an advertisement medium which should help compound the popularity of college fantasy sports. This translates into billions of dollars worth in revenue and will revolutionize the way sports are viewed.

When fantasy sports first became popular on a main level, it changed the way games were televised. Now every televised game that has fantasy implications demonstrations graphics with player stats during the game. Player statistics from other games are also shown – usually on a scroll at the bottom of the television screen. This will also be done for college football and college basketball games that are televised. As you may know, the NCAA has strict regulations for college sports programs and their athletes with regards to compensation for performance. It will be interesting to see if the NCAA will revisit these restrictions as a result of the increase in popularity. All the major daily fantasy websites have recently begun providing college football and college basketball contests. Therefore it is still in the early stages. …

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Think Music Theory Is Too Hard? Here’s Why

In my opinion (as a 35+ year music professional), music theory is taught in the most confusing and painful way imaginable. One example of this, students are often confronted with multiple sets of systems to described the same thing in different classes.

For example, Scale Degrees are referenced using numbers (0-9) in private lessons, roman numerals (both upper and lower case) in analysis, terms like Tonic, Submediant, Dominant, etc. when you get to theory class, and something called “Solfege” (Do-Re-Mi) in ear training. Too often the student has no idea all these systems are referring to the same basic thing, scale degrees. And this is just one example!

Scale Degree Naming Schemes…

  • Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
  • Names: Tonic, Supertonic, Mediant, Subdominant, Dominant, Submediant, Leading Tone
  • Roman: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII
  • Solfege: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti

Can Music Theory be made easier to understand?

Yes it can. All it really takes is boiling theory down to its simplest form. Then, present it in a uniform way, much easier to understand. For example. Let’s take a better approach to Scale Degree presentation mentioned above.

Instead of using different systems for private lessons, analysis, music theory class, and ear training, we could use standard numbers (0-9) for all of them. We’ve removed the obstacles of having to learn solfege (including all the solfege names for notes not in the scale), english names for each scale degree, proper use of upper and lower case roman numerals, etc., BEFORE any functionality of music can be learned. We get right down to business using a system every student is already familiar with, the numbers 0-9. Again, this is just one example.

With consistency across the board, all of this can be learned and retained easily. If planning on attending college where all these terms will be needed, you can always learn these terms and systems AFTER you understand how music works. Believe me, it is MUCH EASIER that way!

As indicated before, this is only one example how something that can be explained so simply has become unnecessarily complex.

So, the solution is to make music theory simpler, not the current trend of making it harder. I believe the study of how music works can be reduced to these two basic concepts… First, learn the major scale. Then, use the major scale to learn everything else. Sounds pretty simple to me!…

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Electronic Repair Technician Education Options

The use of electronics can be seen in almost every business and household across the country. Individuals that complete a training program and become an electronic repair technician will find a wide job market available to them. Electronic repair technician education options can be found at most voluntary colleges.

The field is typically broken down into one to two-year educational programs designed to train students to understand how to fix electronics. The purpose of this type of schooling is to learn how to become a technician by completing a program that prepares students to install, repair, and manage electronic equipment. The highest demand for this type of service comes from businesses that rely on their electronics to complete their everyday activities. Studies cover a wide mix of career related topics that include electronic circuits, devices, networking systems, and assembly techniques.

One-year programs are certificate programs that train students for entry-level technician jobs. Programs work through the process of assessing electronic problem areas and how to go about fixing them. The tools and practices used to fix malfunctioning equipment are covered in regards to different electronic systems. Typically coursework may include:

  • Technical Writing
  • Digital Systems
  • Alternating and Direct Currents

A 36 credit hour program is the normal length of a certificate program and incorporates these types of courses and more. Some certificates can be pursued as specialties, which allow students to complete programs in areas like computers and video systems. Further education leads students to programs that take two years to complete.

Two-year programs are associate degree programs that typically are completed in applied science. The analytical process of building and managing electronics is covered through a core curriculum based on the industry and advancing technology. Courses cover various subjects that typically include:

  • Electronic Systems
  • Circuit Boards
  • Electronic Measuring Equipment
  • Technology Schematics

Courses can also cover microprocessors, automated machines, computer systems, and physics. Throughout this in depth look at electronic technology students learn how to fully troubleshoot and repair different equipment.

A general introduction course covers the use of technology and equipment in today's digital age. Currents, circuits, and electronic components are explored while studying the different industry theories. A microprocessor course gives students the fundamentals of how computers are built and what electronics are included into their function. The structure, memory board, and programming of such systems are covered in regards to repair. Installation and computer repair courses focus heavily on teaching students the most common malfunctions and procedures to fix them. Training in technical support is covered as students Learn to maintain and develop their personal skills when working with different systems. Students that wish to display their professionalism and have a better chance at stepping into a job in the competitive market can gain voluntary certification. The International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians is one organization that offers certification.

Entering the field is possible after obtaining the appropriate amount of knowledge. Students can complete a certificate or associate's degree program and become an electronic repair technician in as …

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They Talk About Sustainability – Really, What Intellectual Fraud And Hypocrisy

The buzz words today are quite interesting but so ill-defined that they can mean anything you want them too, allowing one to prove their point, no matter what their point is. In fact, it’s getting so bad that when people use these terms, there is an unspoken rule that you are not allowed to challenge them on it or else you are a bigot, racist, homophobe, or some sort of hater. What are these words or terms I speak of? Well, let’s discuss two of them shall we?

– Sustainability

– Equality

First, sustainability, that word is now being used in corporations, government, schools, academia, churches, no-profit, military, economics, health care, politics, and even on sports teams. The funny thing is, that just about every time it’s used, it is used in hypocrisy – which is ironic in itself, because using a term in hypocrisy isn’t sustainable either – “trust me” on this, I am a writer and so I “must” be an expert and know these things – see what I mean. So, why do those on the left-side of the political spectrum, especially its leaderships use this word so early and often – I speak of folks such as:

(1) Professors

(2) Big City Planners

(3) Hollywood Celebrities

(4) United Nations Agenda 2030

(5) United States Democratic Leadership

Professors are notorious for using ‘sustainability’ and yet, there is nothing more unsustainable than higher education – as academia continues to raise tuition at rates 10-times that of inflation, all the while University faculty members demand better benefits, higher pay, and expect unprecedented pensions, and once tenured – why bother coming to work – let the grad students lecture and go on long-term sabbatical. This whole unsustainable la, la, land is about to collapse as the student loan bubble bursts, probably in 2017-2018.

Big City Planners use the word sustainable in practically every sentence, but big cities draw resources from far outside their glass kingdom as they throw rocks at the rural folks with heavy tax burdens which is siphoned away to quench the unending thirst of the failing inner cities. Cities like LA, NYC, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco pretend to be sustainable and efficient, but we all know they are not.

Hollywood Celebrities – those wonderful limousine liberals – their whole lives are unsustainable yet they preach to us about climate change as they fly around in private jet aircraft putting out more CO2 than your entire family in a year with one-flight. They think this is alright? Sustainable? Not.

The Democrat Leadership brings us more socialist programs every year, supposedly sustainable and affordable due to economies of scale, but there is nothing affordable or sustainable about ObamaCare or anything else they put forth. But, they do it in the name of “equality” and without equality, our society is unsustainable.

Fact is, in nature there is no such thing as equality, and last time I checked nature seems to be doing just fine, and has sustained …

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How to Make Your Woman Scream in Bed Out of Pleasure

Well have you ever heard your friends raving about their sexual skills to you? Have you heard them say that they can please their woman beyond her imagination? And have you heard them say that their women have screamed so much out of pleasure that their neighbors came up to their home to complain? Well if you HAVE heard this before and have wondered how they were able to achieve this, then you are reading the right article because I am going to let out some female pleasure tips which will enable you to blow her mind off and she will be craving to you for more. For those of you’ll who haven’t heard that women can scream beyond imagination like that, then again you are reading the right article, because THEY SO DO SCREAM. I have achieved this pleasure of hearing my woman scream and so can you. And if you are a silent love maker, that let me tell you, chuck that thought! MAKE NOISE and see how FREE and MORE in LOVE you will feel. So once you read this and start acting as per the article, don’t hold me responsible for the noise levels of your bedroom reaching your neighbors! So lets start.

Now many couples I have spoken to or say have mingled with have a problem, they have silent sex. Now this is something like you are ashamed of what you are doing. Many of these couples will be even married. Why can’t they be proud of their love? But now there is another fact that men love VOCAL expression of love. Now a man gets to the heights of excitement when his woman screams, or expresses her pleasure to him. It makes him feel great and superior and this comes from experience. So let me place it in a better way. A man gets his sexual pleasures heightened when he hears his woman’s VOCAL ENTHUSIASM.

But many a times as I have mentioned before, couples want to or have to or JUST DO engage in silent love making. This makes a guy feel like he is making love to a start fish. Now lets a get better response in the bedroom than just a start fish. Mind you, when a woman lays down on bed and lets the man do his bit and does her bit, the man often starts to believe that she is BORED. But now if you sit back and think of it the way I do, why can’t you place yourself in her place? Think! What if she is actually BORED? So when you guys have a problem like this, when your woman is lying like that looking all bored and not as enthusiastic as you while having sex, then maybe she IS bored and its definitely NOT her fault that she is bored, it takes to two to clap.

Now from personal experience I can say that I love it when my woman screams and makes HELL lot …

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Freelance Invoicing – Time To Become Professional In Your Approach To Your Freelance Career

The most important aspect when you become a free lancer, is how to go about dealing with freelance invoicing. If you want to take your freelancing career very seriously, then you must have to know how to issue a billing statement to your clients by way of an invoice. This has been grossly overlooked by freelancers when they are just starting out because they are more preoccupied on winning more projects and learning as much money as they can. But as time goes by, one would come to the realization that issuing an invoice is a good way of projecting a good image to a client. Not only that, you are conveying the message that you are treating the endeavor professionally.

Freelance invoicing comes in the form of free and paid services. In the former, scores of free templates are available to download online with a variety of designs to choose from. They are mostly done in Microsoft Excel or Word formats where you can do the editing of the entries. Most of these templates are simple in designs which, in my mind, should be the case in order to avoid confusion on the part of the recipient, who in this case is your client, because of so many entries in the document.

When you have finished entering the data into the document, and after examining further that all the entries are correct, then it's time to send the service invoice. Be warned that you can not send it in its current format which is in Microsoft Excel. You have to save it in a PDF file and after which you can make it as an attachment in your email. This is possible with the use of a PDF converter but the Microsoft Excel 2007, which I'm currently using, has that functionality already in place.

Usually, the paid services start by giving trial offers. You can use their services free of charge but it comes with some restrictions. One of these is the limitation of being able to send only a few invoices each month. If you are a free lancer with many clients, then the free membership is not the way to go. In a paid membership, you have the luxury of tracking the time you spend on the project which can be included in the invoice when you are billing the client. In addition, it can handle your invoice payments with credit card or Paypal integration.

Summing it all up, freelance invoicing is one of the nicest ways to handle your freelancing career. It will make you appear as professional and your clients will know that you're taking the whole thing very seriously which is good for them. If you're operating as a single entity, then the free templates will be enough to handle your affairs, but if you're a business contracting of several employees, then the paid membership is the best alternative. …

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The Role of Technology in Education

In the current age we live in, technology has become an important component. Every day there is some new gadget or software that makes lives easier and improves on the technology and software that already exists. Making lives easier is not, however, the only role technology plays in our lives.

Technology is playing an increasing role in education. As technology advances, it is used to benefit students of all ages in the learning process.

Technology used in the classroom helps students adsorb the material. For example, since some people are visual learners, projection screens linked to computers can allow students to see their notes instead of simply listening to a teacher deliver a lecture.

Software can be used to supplement class curriculum. The programs provide study questions, activities, and even tests and quizzes for a class that can help students continue learning outside the classroom.

Technology has also become part of many curriculums, even outside of computer and technology classes. Students use computers to create presentations and use the Internet to research topics for papers and essays.

Students also learn to use the technology available to them in computer and tech classes. This ensures that after graduation they will be able to use the technology in a work setting, which may put them ahead of someone who didn’t have access to a particular technology or software in their own school setting.

As technology advances, students have better access to educational opportunities like these. When something new and “better” is revealed, the “older” technology becomes more affordable, allowing it to be used in educational settings, even when schools are on a tight budget.

Technology has also advanced to help children even before they’ve started school. Educational video games and systems for young children helps them prepare for school and in some cases get a head start on their education.

There are people who may say children are “spoiled” by technology. Instead of being able to add a long column of numbers in their heads, for example, they turn to a calculator. Regardless of these arguments, technology is an important part of today’s society. By incorporating it into the classroom, students will be better equipped to transition from the classroom to the work place.…