Should You Rent or Buy?

Post 2.674

http://www.homeinsurance.org/should-you-rent-or-buy/

The 10 Best Airports for Business Travelers

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People who travel a lot for business usually express a high appreciation for airports that are equipped with the latest amenities that make their lives easier. Whether it’s getting through security lines faster, having convenient locations, or coming complete with business friendly technology, anything to make their frequent travels more bearable is an automatic plus. Several rating agencies are continually surveying business travelers for their feedback when trying to locate the top airports, and after looking at the results of various ratings I’ve compiled a list of the 10 best airports for business travelers.

1. Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood – Frequent business travelers appreciate the technology available at this Florida airport along with its convenient location and the ease of getting around. Facilities, staff and security also ranked high among those surveyed.
2. Pittsburgh – Pennsylvania travelers rank Pittsburgh’s airport high on their list of airports to fly out of. Shopping and dining were two areas business people cited in recent surveys as being top-notch. These amenities coupled with great customer service were well received by frequent flyers.
3. Portland – Tired and cranky business travelers find Portland International airport a welcome change of pace. Receiving top ratings in almost every area, PDX gets their travelers on their way with ease, while also maintaining top security.
4. Ronald Reagan National – Getting through security is a breeze at Reagan National with separate security lines at each terminal. Abundant seating throughout the airport is a welcome change for weary travelers and helps make it the top rated US airport.
5. Tampa – Frequent flyers are likely to recommend Tampa International to their fellow business travelers. They give positive evaluations in areas such as getting to and from terminals, airport facilities, boarding, and baggage handling.
6. Copenhagen – International travelers feel connected in Copenhagen with electronic signs posted everywhere. Functional and friendly, this airport has light and open spaces, and is notoriously easy to navigate.
7. Hong Kong (Chep Lap Kok) – Asian visitors can fill any flight delay time with a round on their 9-hole golf course, which is a welcome diversion to the rigors of business travel. The added convenience of two downtown trains that allow you to check baggage and print boarding passes also enhance the overall travel experience.
8. Seoul (Incheon) – Business people traveling to South Korea appreciate the 83% on-time record of the Seoul airport. Their 5-star rating makes them a favorite among frequent business flyers from around the world.
9. Singapore (Changi) – Tired travelers can catch a nap or watch a movie in between flights at this top rated airport in Japan. Free internet, refreshing terminals and helpful staff are just some of the reasons business travelers like Singapore.
10. Zurich – Immigration and security that is efficient and quick is a plus on international flights through Switzerland. Signs are easy to find and the underground train makes transfers between terminals a snap.

These airports have all been mentioned in several top ten lists compiled by different organizations. Catering to the business travelers’ needs is the bread and butter of these airports so they all seek good reviews. When companies have a choice of flights to book, a pleasant and efficient airport can be worth the extra money to their traveling staff. Hopefully your next business trip will take you through one of the best airports instead of one of the worst.

25 Facts to Share At Your School During Sexual Assault Awareness Month

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http://www.bachelorsdegreeonline.com/blog/2012/25-facts-to-share-at-your-school-during-sexual-assault-awareness-month/

April 23, 2012

April marks the onset of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, making it a perfect opportunity for campus activists to bust some dangerous myths and misconceptions about the crime, many of which actively prevent victims from receiving the medical and psychological care they need to heal. Start out by educating classmates, faculty, and staff about the legal definitions of rape (remember to include the announced 2012 changes!) and sexual assault, then move on to the following essentials. All of these facts cover a wide range of information regarding the spectrum of sexual violence, from the verbal to the physical.

1. A victim DOES NOT “have it coming” if she and/or he dresses a certain way

   Far more organizations, governments, and schools recognize this fact than just the linked-up Marion County, Oregon. In reality, rape and sexual assault victims (who hail from every single demographic imaginable) could be wearing anything at all when the crime occurs; such atrocities are the result of power hunger rather than lust, and foisting the responsibility onto the victim only amplifies their trauma.

2. In 2008, 6.8% of female and 1.8% of male military personnel reported “unwanted sexual contact”

   Of these, 79% of the men and 78% of the women expressed reticence when it came time to file complaints, meaning escalating numbers probably don’t indicate an increase in incidents so much as more willingness to report them. Females were most likely to cite discomfort as their primary reason for holding back (58%), whereas 60% of men thought sexual assault wasn’t significant enough to report.

3. Two and a half percent of men report sexual abuse at some point in their lives

   According to the CDC surveys, at least. But dredging up definitive statistics on just how many men and boys have been raped and sexually assaulted proves a tricky venture, as the prevailing stigmas against victimhood mean so many feel too ashamed to report crimes. Because of this, males on the receiving end of the trauma face an increased risk of depression, self-harm, and substance abuse.

4. CDC surveys show that 10.6% of American women have been sexually victimized in their lifetime

   Once again, though, the numbers might skew higher than that because of fear and victim-blaming. Compared to 0.9% of men, 2.5% of women reported sexual assault and rape occurred within the past 12 months.

5. A correlation between eating disorders and surviving sexual assault exists

   Columbia University states that studies show around 30% of individuals suffering from eating disorders – mostly women – also experienced rape or sexual assault prior to the illness’ onset. Some of these estimate that a victim’s risk of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and/or EDNOS might actually double.

6. Spouses can rape and sexually assault

   Every state recognizes this, although they tend to prosecute sexually violent husbands and wives differently than their unmarried equivalents. Only recently were the laws reworded to make sure the rights of victimized spouses were properly protected, however, and in many parts of the world marital rape and assault are still considered perfectly legal.

7. Two-thirds of rape victims know the perpetrator

   Prevailing myths painting rapists and sexual assailants as proverbial strangers jumping out of the bushes couldn’t be further from the reality. The vast majority of victims knew the criminals before the incident or incidents took place; friends and acquaintances were the most likely to commit the crime at a rate of 38%, followed by intimate partners (28%), and relatives (7%).

8. One out of every four college-aged women has experienced a rape or attempted rape

   A further one out of five will be raped while attending college, and the statistics paint them as one of the most vulnerable groups to sexual victimization.

9. One out of every twelve college men admit they legally raped someone

   Whether out of ignorance for what legally constitutes rape and sexual assault or just not caring, this statistic is certainly a terrifying one. Especially since 35.5% of college students were victimized by a classmate – more than friends (34.2%), partners or exes (23.7%), and acquaintances (2.6%).

10. Thirty-five percent of college-age men said they would rape a woman if they were guaranteed no consequences

    Even more disturbingly, one in five who did rape or sexually assault a female classmate cited a complete lack of self-control as their prime motivator. They admit they place their sexual urges over whether or not the victim in question wanted to take part.

11. Over 75% of college rapes and sexual assault involve intoxicants of some sort

    Either present in the bloodstream of one or more of the involved parties, although victims are still not to blame. Many of these traumatic incidents occur when the man and/or woman on the receiving end wind up too drunk or drugged to fend off their attackers and give a definitive “NO!” when propositioned for sexual activity.

12. At least 9.2% of CPS’ 2010 reports involve sexual abuse

    These reports may or may not come partnered with other forms of abuse, such as neglect or physical violence. Many of these victims were children with behavioral (3.9%) or emotional (3.2%) disabilities, with a further 5.2% suffering from some other medical condition – though the data doesn’t always reflect sexual abuse. Eighty-one point three percent of total incidents were perpetuated by a parent or a parent and an accomplice, with 37.2% involving just the mother, 19.1% involving just the father, and 18.5% involving both.

13. No one date rape drug is more common than another

    Statistics on exactly how prevalent the most popular date rape drugs truly are prove difficult to come by, though a study by Canada’s Coalition Against Violence shows ketamine, ecstasy, rohypnol (“roofies”), and GHB as those typically encountered. Rapists hoping to incapacitate their victims usually combine these with alcohol in order to increase their efficacy, though they can be ingested alone – even consensually – as well. Because victims fear judgment over having drugs and alcohol in their system, their hesitance to report the crime makes it difficult for lawmakers and healthcare providers to receive a clear picture of how far the problem extends.

14. Many date rape drugs cannot be tested using a urine or blood sample

    Probably the major reason nobody can establish a tangible grasp on how wide date rape drugging spreads is how often they manage to stymie routine blood and urine tests. The National Drug Intelligence Center says the human body metabolizes the most common substances so quickly, the victims who have ingested them have usually already passed them by the time help arrives or a report is filed.

15. A date rape drug-detecting straw is currently in development…

    Tel Aviv University chemistry professors Fernando Patolsky and Michael Ioffe have made headway on a straw capable of detecting ketamine and GHB (with plans for rohypnol) in beverages thanks to a sophisticated censor. While not available commercially, this research certainly stands as an excellent building block helping to keep women and men both safe from sexual predators.

16. …as is an anti-rape device

    Known as Rape-aXe and designed by Dr. Sonnet Ehlers, the anti-rape device acts as a sort of condom with toothlike hooks trapping a penis, finger, tongue, or inanimate object used to violate a vaginal opening. Reactions to the invention have proven mixed, with many critics fearing it might enrage a perpetrator to the point of homicide. Regardless, this invention marks a significant step in technology’s role in rape and sexual assault prevention.

17. An average of 207,754 Americans are victimized by rape and sexual assault every year…

    However, the U.S. Department of Justice’s statistics only report the victimization of individuals over the age of 12. Which unfortunately means the exact number of Americans reporting rape and sexual assaults is much higher than that.

18. …which means a rape or sexual assault happens at least once every two minutes in the United States

    RAINN’s took the Department of Justice’s findings and number-crunched them to discover that this means a sexual assault and rape take place roughly once every two minutes. Beyond American borders, the numbers fluctuate, of course, but every incident is a terrible, needless one.

19. Only 5.8% of rape accusations are considered “unfounded”

    One of the horrifying myths genuinely preventing victims from coming forward with their stories – and even reporting the crimes in question – paints them almost universally as liars out to get back at or something from the accused. This, in turn, denies them the justice, support, and treatment necessary to heal. In reality, 2008 saw only 5.8% of cases deemed “unfounded” by the FBI. Thanks to victim-blaming popular assumptions, verifiable cases of rape and sexual assault are considered heavily under reported.

20. Rape and attempted rape victims are the most likely to receive medical attention following an incident

    Keep in mind that the numbers offered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics only cover female victims of sexual assault, rape, and attempted rape. Between 1992 and 2000, 45% of reported cases sought medical assistance, compared to only 22% of nonreported. Every single rape committed during that time frame resulted in mild to severe physical damage, as did 29% of attempted rapes and 17% of sexual assaults.

21. Sexual violence doesn’t have to be physical

    The National Institutes of Health, the CDC, and other government institutions recognize verbal abuse of a sexual nature as a form of sexual assault. While it obviously causes no physical damage and does not require the same intervention tactics as an incident that does, the feds still consider it a crime. Sexual violence exists along a spectrum of severity, with milder words on one end and the most horrifying examples of rape on the other. Purely verbal assaults can still result in extended mental and emotional trauma, however, and should be taken seriously.

22. In 2011, 11,364 American workers filed sexual harassment charges

    Of these, 16.3% were filed by male employees, busting up myths that only women wind up victimized by workplace sexual harassment. These statistics come courtesy of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

23. Workplace sexual harassment cost $52.3 million in 2010

    According to the EEOC, people unable or unwilling to practice courtesy and discretion in the workplace wind up costing their employers (and themselves) obscene amounts of money. Funny enough, the statistics available don’t include monetary rewards that come about because of a lawsuit.

24. Worldwide, anywhere between 80% to 100% of women experience street harassment

    Sociologist Holly Kearl set about collecting the world’s first definitive data on street harassment, or verbal and physical sexual assault happening in a public space. Depending on the nation, anywhere between 80% to 100% of responding women said they had been followed, whistled at, groped, honked at, or received unwanted comments of a sexual nature. She also noted the psychological results of the incidents, which ranged from changing daily routes and moving to triggering traumatic memories of previous assaults and rapes.

25. Where to get help

    Always call the police in the event of an emergency. Domestic violence and family shelters almost always accept rape and sexual assault victims who need a place to stay – and if they have no room on hand, will always point them in the direction of someone who does. The vast majority of colleges and universities also offer resources, and completely free counseling, for men and women traumatized by sexual violence. Be sure to know where and how they work and what services they provide. At the national level, RAINN and Take Back the Night are the two biggest organizations devoted to victim advocacy and sexual assault and rape prevention and care.

10 Detrimental Effects Found From Helicopter Parenting

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by Staff Writers http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/04/23/10-detrimental-effects-found-from-helicopter-parenting/

April 23, 2012

We’ve all seen helicopter parents in action: the ones who get aggressive at Easter egg hunts, and who, even at the college level, can’t stop calling to check up on their kidsor crashing orientations. These well-meaning parents might think they’re doing their kids a favor, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth: experts believe that they’re setting kids up for problems with independence, responsibility, and anxiety. Read on to learn about 10 of the ways helicopter parenting hurts.

1. Children are more likely to be medicated for anxiety and/or depression: Researchers at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga studied more than 300 college students in Does Hovering Matter? Helicopter Parenting and Its Effect on Well-Being. The study indicated that students with hovering parents experienced “lower psychological well-being.” Specifically, these children were more likely to be medicated for anxiety, depression, or both. Hovering parents at this level were likely to hold themselves back from constant phone calls, instead preferring to check in with their children through Facebook.
2. Parents suffer from more anxiety too: It’s not just children feeling the anxious effects of helicopter parenting; parents report similar problems as well. A study by the Society for Research in Child Development indicated that helicopter parents suffered from mental health problems as well, stemming from an assessment of self-worth based on their children’s accomplishments. These parents reported “sadness, negative self-image and diminished contentment with life in general.” George Maxon University provost Peter Stearns indicates that parental anxiety has increased over the past 20 years due to over-involvement.
3. Children become neurotic: Keene State College researchers have discovered that children with helicopter parents are more likely to become neurotic. Studying 300 freshmen, research indicated that these students were “less open to new ideas and actions, as well as more vulnerable, anxious and self-conscious.” Researchers point out that these factors are hardly the basis of a successful college student personality.
4. Children feel like they lack control: When parents control nearly all aspects of a child’s life, it’s not at all surprising that these children feel as if they do not have any control in their lives. In a Current Directions in Psychological Science report, psychologists indicate that the more a parent makes decisions for adolescent children, the more the children suffer emotionally and feel a lack of control over the course of their own lives.
5. Social and personal downsides for students: In a 2007 research project, Indiana University’s Center for Post-secondary Research associate director Jillian Kinzie indicated that helicopter parenting does have its perks: students with helicopter parents tend to be prepared with the academic skills necessary for college, as well as being more engaged and satisfied in learning. But on the downside, these same students are severely lacking in life skills, unable to manage conflict resolution, and experience difficulty with sharing and self-reliance.
6. Kids turn into quitters: We are now seeing a generation of helicoptered children grow into adults, and a study from Jean Twenge at San Diego State University indicates that many former helicoptered children are becoming quitters. In this study, the current generation of new employees expects good pay and prestigious job status, but does not expect to put in long hours to do so. Twenge believes that these overprotected children who do not get what they want will turn into quitters, unaccustomed to failure and having to do things on their own.
7. Lowered feelings of self-worth: Helicopter parents are often all too eager to step in and save the day when it looks like things aren’t going well for their children. But experts say this behavior is teaching kids that their parents don’t believe they’re good enough to do things on their own, undermining feelings of self-worth. By over-assisting, parents deprive their children of the satisfaction of mastering tasks they have been working toward.
8. A lack of responsibility: Children of helicopter parents often learn that they’re not responsible for their own actions, because typically, their parents are the ones in charge of making mistakes disappear. Experts believe that these children have difficulty learning self-control. Helicopter parented adults tend to bully other people into getting what they want, rather than being responsible for their own successes.
9. Establishing unreasonable expectations: Well-meaning parents who rush in to clear every path and solve every problem are not granting their children the opportunity to learn how to fight their own battles and accept disappointment. These children who do not handle their own problems grow up thinking that life should always be easy and happy, so when their adult lives are not so perfect, they find they have unreasonable expectations, struggles, and anxiety in the real world.
10. An inability to be self-sufficient: For children who are coddled and spoon-fed their entire young lives, it is not at all surprising to hear that they experience difficulty in becoming self-sufficient. Educators report that helicoptered children enter schools without essential skills for self-sufficiency. They also suffer academically, experiencing trouble when they have to think critically and analytically on their own.

10 Surprising Brands Killing It on Pinterest

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http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/10-surprising-brands-killing-it-on-pinterest/

Pinterest is a great place to collect images and links to ideas you love, products that rock, and just about anything else under the sun. While most users of the site are still individuals, brands and big businesses have taken note of the major traffic the social media site has been seeing in recent months, and many have begun creating their own Pinterest boards, pinning things from their own sites as well as from around the web. There are hundreds of brands currently using Pinterest for marketing (a number that will undoubtedly grow before the year is out), and some surprising companies are making the site’s visual features work for them. Read on to learn about some of the unexpected brands that are drawing in loads of fans from Pinterest.

1. Whole Foods

   Pinterest has fast become a place to look for and share recipes for everything from health foods to decadent desserts, and Whole Foods has used that foodie frenzy to their advantage in their Pinterest branding. Those who choose to follow the health food store’s pins will get access to amazing and often very healthy recipes, with boards that feature recipes for dinner, vegetarians, vegans, sweets, holidays, and parties, among others. Of course, Whole Foods hasn’t made it all about food. There are also great photos of some of the other products they carry as well, including kitchen gadgets, clothing, and home decor. To date, the Austin-based company has more than 700 pins earning them 21,586 followers.

2. Mashable

   While it’s not surprising that a blog all about social media would have a successful Pinterest account, it is surprising that many not-especially-visual blog posts have drawn so much traffic over the past few months for Mashable. To date, Mashable’s boards have 19,655 followers, which is impressive since they’ve only added about 361 pins over their 14 boards. What are they doing right? Many of their boards focus on humor, tips and tricks, and showcasing particularly cool tech gadgets — stuff that appeals to both genders and is frequently repinned. Mashable also created a successful board that tied into events at SXSW, with that board alone getting 21,011 followers. It seems they know what they’re doing, but they’re not keeping it a secret: they also offer a special board just for Pinterest-based tips, tricks, and news.

3. Nordstrom

   Next to food and home decor, fashion pins are tops on Pinterest, and Nordstrom has made sure to throw a few of their own products into the mix. The high-end retailer has won more than a few fans (12,384 and counting follow all the brand’s boards) by creating themed boards that change with the seasons. Some of their most popular boards include “Spring 2012 Weddings,” “Weddings,” “Beauty Favorites,” and “The Wedding Suite at Nordstrom.” They also have great boards for men, showcasing shoes, looks for prom, and even those that capture trends like nautical stripes. The boards are also current with the seasons, giving fans something new to ogle every few months, which has proven to be a great strategy for Nordstrom and has helped to build a solid Pinterest following.

4. Benjamin Moore

   Paint company Benjamin Moore found a match made in heaven when they started using Pinterest as a marketing tool. They’ve only been pinning for a few months but already have a substantial following and a hefty collection of pins. Benjamin Moore has been using the site to promote new designer lines of colors (including one from Candice Olson), sharing great painting project ideas, and even showing off some seriously beautiful spaces painted in Benjamin Moore colors. With many using Pinterest as a way to collect decor ideas and to build color schemes for everything from nurseries to weddings, having access to the wide variety of colors the company offers is a great way to bring in new traffic. Currently, their most popular board showcases colors created especially for Pottery Barn.

5. The Weather Channel

   The Weather Channel is a strange brand to have found such success on Pinterest, but they’re making the most out of all of their weather-related content and have covered a wide range of interests on their boards. Boards range from the expected photos of amazing weather to those that showcase weather-friendly styles, pets, travel, seasonal recipes, and even resources for teachers who want to help students learn about the weather. They’ve even proven they have a sense of humor, creating a board dedicated to poking fun at TWC and meteorologists. Most individual boards for the brand have 1,500+ followers, so they’re doing pretty well in bringing people in and keeping them around for laughs, inspiration, and advice.

6. Random House Books

   Literature fans should rejoice at the offerings from Random House on this great Pinterest account. The publisher has built a pretty solid following through more than 800 pins, promoting all things literary from their own titles, to amazing libraries, to even seriously nerdy literary tattoos. They’ve found a way to incorporate books into the most popular Pinterest topics (weddings, interior design, crafts, and food) and it works. Special boards on banned books, Jane Austen, biographies, prize-winning books, and even Game of Thrones are bringing in thousands of followers and with great images and quality content, Random House is building a brand that looks to stand the test of time on Pinterest.

7. Southwest Airlines

   What could an airline possibly have to pin? As it turns out, quite a bit. Southwest Airlines has never been one to do things by the book, and that’s been a large part of what has helped make them one of the few (if not the only) truly profitable airlines in the U.S. They already have a great reputation for policies that allow customers to check a bag for free, change flights without fees, and eat free snacks, but it seems like they’re aiming to highlight their friendly image even more on Pinterest. Currently, they’ve got a substantial number of followers on boards that highlight fun things like travel destinations, airplane-related crafts, travel style, travel tips, and even some great shots from airplane windows. It’s all fun, friendly, and inspirational at times.

8. GE

   When you think of brands that naturally match up with Pinterest for marketing, GE might not be one of the first that comes to mind, but the brand has actually come up with some pretty clever ways to use Pinterest. Boards through GE’s profile focus on ideas and images that are inspirational, whether that means curing diseases, highlighting their founder Thomas Edison, building an amazing machine, or just going greener. Few of their pins feature their own products directly (though they do have some cool shots from their factory floors), but that doesn’t seem to be what GE is aiming for through their promotion. So far, they’ve pinned some amazingly beautiful images from their GEInspiredME and #WhatWorks photo contests, some seriously cool photographs of cells seen through a GE microscope system, and some really interesting infographics, all of which help involve and interest customers in their projects, even those they can’t bring into their own homes.

9. Major League Baseball

   You might think Pinterest and MLB are a pretty strange match, and you’d be right, but it seems to be working out pretty well for MLB and sports fans alike. The success seems to be the result of creating boards that are just plain fun, including one called “mascots are people too” and another called “majestic mustaches.” These fun boards are in addition to others that highlight MLB merchandise, baseball-themed art, great games, and fields around the nation. While only 750 people are following all of the brand’s boards, most individual boards have double that in followers, a great start for building baseball’s brand on Pinterest.

10. Wall Street Journal

    The WSJ isn’t known for its stunning visuals (though those stippled drawings featured on the front page are pretty iconic), but that hasn’t stopped this newspaper from gaining quite a following on Pinterest. Their famous hedcuts make an appearance as links to longer articles, and readers can check out a variety of great photos and other images from the WSJ magazine, Arts and Entertainment, and other featured sections. Some of their more successful boards, however, focus on infographics, charts, and special stories, some of which draw in thousands of followers. Surprisingly, the brand has also been very successful with a board called “An Introduction to Pinterest” which, as you might imagine, provides some helpful tips and tricks for navigating the social media site. They’ve also taken full advantage of the popularity of the site with those looking for home decor, creating a Design & Decorating board that has nearly 5,950 followers alone.

31 Great Ways Universities Are Using Google+

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http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/04/31-great-ways-universities-are-using-google/

 

By Staff Writers

Social media resources like Google Plus offer a great opportunity for growth in education through collaborative work, communication, and camaraderie. Many of today’s universities have recognized this incredible potential, and have put G+ to work on campus. We’ve discovered more than 30 great ways universities are currently using Google Plus, along with several ideas for the future. Read on to learn about the amazing possibilities that Google Plus offers for universities.

1. New campus communication: At the University of Michigan, administrators are excited about using Google+ for better campus communication, especially collaboration.
2. Hangout office hours: Don’t feel like heading to campus in the middle of a snowstorm? Hold office hours in your PJs by offering your virtual availability on Google Plus Hangouts.
3. Improving search results: Google Plus has begun to offer personalized search results for users who are logged in. Professors and experts can share excellent resources on Google Plus, and make it easy for students to get the most relevant information when they search.
4. Sharing campus life: Google Plus is a natural spot to highlight university life and activities. Schools like the University of Melbourne use Instagram and other photo apps to share images of their campus.
5. Engaging board members: For board members that have a hard time making it to meetings, Hangouts are a great way to let them get together and talk face to face without even being in the room.
6. Alumni relations: Google Plus Hangouts are a great place for alumni to connect with other student, faculty, and staff, building connections and facilitating opportunities within the university community.
7. Colleague sharing: Within departments, colleges, and the university at large, Google Plus allows for lots of idea sharing. Professors can get feedback on ideas from colleagues without a lot of hassle, and get it fast so that they can implement them immediately.
8. Real-time conference sharing: Whether hosting or participating, universities can share photos and highlights from conferences in real time, offering a great way to promote the events right as they happen.
9. Student feedback: Using Google Plus, it’s easy for professors to ask for feedback on classes, exams, and more, using that information to construct courses for the future.
10. Club management: Extracurricular activities often require lots of meetings and communication that eat up lots of time from college students who often don’t have a whole lot to spare. But with Hangouts, club officers can hold group meetings without having to get together on campus.

11. Career recruitment: Not every employer can make it on campus for career fairs, but most can connect through Google Plus. Using Hangouts, employers can meet in small groups with students who are interested in working for them.
12. Connect with study abroad students: For far-flung students, it can be difficult to stay connected to campus. But Hangouts make it easy for students studying abroad to connect with campus, especially students who might be interested in going abroad in the future.
13. Hangout collaboration: Faculty, staff, and students can collaborate and share as a group with the use of Google Plus Hangouts.
14. Sharing university success: Lots of universities are using Google Plus to highlight the achievements of current and former students, as well as professors. Georgia Tech College of Sciences regularly shares great news about successes within the university community.
15. Information exchange: Open the world of Google Plus up to students by sharing your circles with others. With this ability, you can ask your biology students to follow everyone in your biology circle and learn from the experts you’ve connected with.
16. Sharing assignments: Some professors post assignments on Google Plus, offering a way for students to get clarification and updates in a really convenient way.
17. Google+ reference desk: University libraries can offer a convenient online reference desk. Set times, or stay connected all the time for always-on help from your friendly college librarian.
18. Optional review sessions: With Hangouts, professors can host chats a few nights a week before big exams, offering review sessions and helpful study hints for students to use.
19. Virtual tours: Instead of outdated brochures, Google+ offers universities the opportunity for giving potential students and parents a virtual tour of campus, highlighting achievements, attractive campus spots, amenities, and more.
20. Promoting student groups: Universities can highlight some of their most interesting and popular student groups on Google Plus, attracting prospective students and boosting the membership of worthwhile activities.

21. Class communication: Some professors have asked their students to sign up for GPlus so that they can create class Circles, sharing information, collaboration, and offering an outlet for interaction between students.
22. Material archiving: Instead of getting buried in new material, students and professors can access posts by date. This makes it easy when it comes to reviewing materials for test time.
23. Promotions on Pages: At Georgia Tech, students use Google Plus Pages to promote the latest updates on their research journal.
24. Guest speakers from around the world: Instead of paying to fly experts in from around the world, universities can now use Google Plus to connect with experts and discuss topics virtually.
25. Campus preview hangouts: Admissions counselors can lead hangouts, offering a great time for prospective students to stop by and discuss the college and admissions process.
26. Student study sessions: Students like those at Boise State University can post Named Hangouts to make group study sessions available for their classes. Even impromptu sessions before test time are possible with Google Plus.
27. Sharing campus activities: Universities like Auburn love to share updates on campus activities like football, allowing prospective students and fans to keep up with what’s going on, and get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the campus.
28. Increasing student engagement: Before coming to campus, freshmen often try to find a way to meet other students, but that’s not an easy thing to do. With Google Plus Hangouts, new students can build relationships before school starts.
29. Gathering university news: Google Plus Sparks makes it easy to gather news and information about a variety of topics, including all of the news that’s being shared about the university.
30. Offering tutorial sessions: Much like Hangout office hours, professors and TAs can host tutorial sessions for students to brush up on material covered during class time without having to actually go to campus and participate in person.
31. Marketing: Universities are seeking out future students right where they are: on Google Plus. Drake University has used Google Plus to target prospective students, sharing videos about a typical day at the university.

9 Best Jazz Soloists of All Time

Post 2.668

http://www.toponlinecolleges.com/blog/2012/9-best-jazz-soloists-of-all-time/

According to the good people at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, April is Jazz Appreciation Month. With this in mind, we’ll attempt to name nine great jazz soloists you might want to check out, especially if you’re curious about jazz but don’t know where to start with your listening. When a musician, while playing a composed piece of music, chooses to imaginatively make up original music that complements the composition’s melody, chords, and rhythms, what they’re doing is “soloing.” In a jazz performance, a musical ensemble will often play a composition once through, more or less sticking to what has been notated by the composer, and then take turns individually or collectively making up additional music on the spot, creatively expounding upon the composition. Confused? Well, check out our first jazz soloist, the great Louis Armstrong, and listen to how his trumpet solos frame his own unique vocal rendition of the song. Then check out the rest of the artists as well!

1. Louis Armstrong

   Before trumpeter Louis Armstrong, there was the cornet player Buddy Bolden, who started playing a new kind of improvised music at parades and dances in New Orleans around 1895. Never recorded, Bolden was remembered by musicians who heard him, including Armstrong, as one of the finest sounding horn players in jazz. Born in 1901, Armstrong pioneered new ways to play and improvise with both his trumpet and voice defining what are now commonly acknowledged as the elements of jazz performance. In this recording of the classic mid-tempo ballad “Stardust,” you’ll hear Armstrong solo on trumpet before and after his vocal delivery, which in itself transforms and elaborates upon composer Hoagy Carmichael’s melody.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-PDnqrecB0&feature=player_embedded

 

 

Ella Fitzgerald

As the era of big band swing music gave way to the innovations of a new, complex form of music called bebop, singer Ella Fitzgerald began to experiment with what became known as scat singing, a technique of improvising with her voice that mirrored what she heard bebop horn players like Dizzy Gillespie doing in performance. Fitzgerald was the undisputed master of scat singing, transforming the role of a singer into that of an instrumentalist, as innovative as any member of the bands she sang with.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG71yD8UUbE&feature=player_embedded

 

 

John Coltrane

Tenor and soprano saxophonist John Coltrane enjoyed a level of popularity that was unprecedented for most jazz musicians, especially after the release of his 1965 album A Love Supreme. Always pushing himself, Coltrane would go on to push his playing and improvising into wilder, more extreme territory, and alienate some members of the jazz community as a result. Coltrane once said, “My music is the spiritual expression of what I am.” His composition “Giant Steps” is an example of Coltrane’s harmonic innovations both as a composer and soloist, and still trips up musicians who attempt to play it today

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=30FTr6G53VU

 

 

Jim Hall

The electric guitar came into its own as an instrument of choice for jazz musicians thanks in part to artists such as Charlie Christian and Grant Green. Guitarist Jim Hall, who at the age of 81 is still recording and touring, combines economy and emotional poignancy to his playing, and continues to inspire contemporary players like Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell. His 1963 recording Undercurrent, a set of duos with pianist Bill Evans, is a stark yet soulful collection of standards, with a respect for silence and awareness of space that calls to mind Miles Davis’ groundbreaking album Kind of Blue.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KSA_4gVD_dk

 

 

Charles Mingus

Well known as a ground-breaking composer, bassist Charles Mingus was also a great soloist, inspiring the late fretless bass player Jaco Pastorius and upright players William Parker and Charlie Haden to name just a few. The first track from Mingus’ 1957 album The Clown begins with a fierce, virtuosic upright bass solo inspired in part by Mingus’ rage at the injustice of racism. On the same album, Mingus and his ensemble improvise freely, without chords or a set musical form, behind the improvised narration of Jean Shepherd, to tell the story of a clown who, like great musicians, just wants to make people happy.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2Szy-MHXDQQ

 

 

Clifford Brown

Trumpet player Clifford Brown, a truly gifted soloist, died at age 25, but left behind a recorded legacy that continues to inspire contemporary trumpet players, including Donald Byrd and Wynton Marsalis. Brown’s attack and melodic invention called to mind fellow trumpet players Miles Davis and Fats Navarro, but his sound was always unmistakably his own. Like Coltrane, Brown pushed himself as if he was on a spiritual quest. “Oh, he was always, always learning something,” said Brown’s friend the great drummer Max Roach. “He loved music.”

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tfUp9_6Xz14

 

 

Thelonious Monk

When it came to playing the piano, did anyone sound like Thelonious Monk before Thelonious Monk? Monk’s classic recordings are startling for how contemporary and funky they still sound almost half a century after they were originally released. Check out Monk’s solo beginning seven and a half minutes into this live recording of his composition “Misterioso.” Filled with tension and humor, especially in its concluding punctuation, it’s a nice contrast to the previous solo from tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XmJ9u8X6Z4&feature=player_embedded

 

 

Albert Ayler

Breaking down what tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler was actually doing when he played and soloed collectively with his bands — creating an intense, uncompromising kind of music that became synonymous with civil rights, the black power movement, and spiritual enlightenment — is helpful, especially if the timbre of Ayler’s sound and unsettled, kaleidoscopic quality of his music is initially unsettling. You can trace Ayler’s technique back to the earliest days of New Orleans jazz, where collective improvisation centered around and would repeatedly reference a song’s melodic line. Check out the live performance of “Ghosts” performed by Ayler and an ensemble of similarly forward-thinking musicians that includes trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Sunny Murray.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxwB0_8-1us&feature=player_embedded

 

 

 

Alice Coltrane (1937- 2007)

Wife and collaborator of John Coltrane, pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane had a profound impact on the direction of her husband’s music and the free, avant-garde, and jazz-fusion scene in general as it was developing over the course of the late ’60s and on into the ’70s. After her husband’s death, Alice Coltrane remained active as a recording and touring artist, playing in ensembles that sometimes included her children, creating a repertoire of meditative, spiritually-minded music. She’s one of the few harpists in the history of jazz to record as a bandleader.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XNG7tmIQx4&feature=player_embedded

 

 

Private Spaceflight Company SpaceX Has Lofty Goal: Help Save Humanity

Post 2.667

by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer

Date: 23 April 2012 Time: 07:00 AM ET

This still from a SpaceX mission concept video shows a Dragon space capsule landing on the surface of Mars. SpaceX’s Dragon is a privately built space capsule to carry unmanned payloads, and eventually astronauts, into space. CREDIT: SpaceX

SpaceX plans to launch a historic demonstration mission to the International Space Station in early May, but the company’s ambitions extend far beyond low-Earth orbit.If all goes according to plan, SpaceX’s unmanned Dragon capsulewill blast into space in about two weeks, lifting off the pad at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Once aloft, Dragon will berth with the orbiting lab — a first for a private spaceship — offload supplies and take some different items on for the trip back to Earth. 

SpaceX’s DragonLabCredit: SpaceX.A depiction of the SpaceX DragonLab™ – a free-flying, fully-recoverable, reusable spacecraft capable of hosting pressurized and unpressurized payloads

The mission — originally slated for April 30 but now likely pushed back to May 7, SpaceX officials announced today (April 23) — is a test to see if the Falcon 9/Dragon combo are ready to start making contracted cargo runs to the station for NASA. A successful flight would be a big step forward for private spaceflight, and it would set SpaceX more firmly on a path toward its ultimate goal: helping save humanity from extinction.

Space-flown Dragon Space CapsuleCredit: SPACE.com/Denise ChowSpaceX showcased the company’s flown Dragon space capsule at an event jointly hosted with Tesla Motors in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 10, 2011

“I think it’s important that humanity become a multiplanet species,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said in an interview that aired on CBS’ “60 Minutes” last month. “I think most people would agree that a future where we are a spacefaring civilization is inspiring and exciting compared with one where we are forever confined to Earth until some eventual extinction event. That’s really why I started SpaceX.”

Dragon Spacecraft in a HangarCredit: Brian Attiyeh/SpaceXThe Dragon spacecraft is mounted on a fixture in the hangar at Cape Canaveral in Florida

A cargo craft

When NASA retired its venerable space shuttle fleet last July, the United States became completely dependent on Russian, European and Japanese spaceships to carry cargo and crew into space.

But the space agency isn’t content with this state of affairs. It’s encouraging the development of private American spaceships, in the hopes that they can transport both supplies and astronauts to the space station in the near future.

Dragon Capsule Earth DescentCredit: SpaceXThis still from a SpaceX video shows the company’s Dragon space capsule firing thrusters during a powered descent as it aims for a vertical landing at its launch site. The plan is part of SpaceX’s vision for a completely reusable rocket and spacecraft

The California-based firm SpaceX — short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — is one of the companies that NASA is counting on. SpaceX, which Musk started in 2002, holds a $1.6 billion NASA contract to make 12 robotic supply runs to the space station using the Dragon capsule and the Falcon 9. (Another company, Orbital Sciences Corp., signed a $1.9 billion deal to fly eight cargo missions for NASA.)

The Dragon/Falcon 9 pair already has one space success under its belt. In December 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to send a spacecraft into orbit and retrieve it safe and sound; it fished Dragon out of the Pacific Ocean after the capsule made two loops around our planet.

If the upcoming demonstration flight goes well, the first of SpaceX’s 12 cargo missions could launch later this year, company officials have said. But even if it doesn’t go well, the firm has no plans to give up.

“There should be no doubt about our resolve,” Musk told reporters last week. “We will get to the space station, whether it’s on this mission or on a future one.”

SpaceX plans to launch Dragon two more times in 2012, he added, perhaps once in the summer and once toward the end of the year. Those missions could be bona fide cargo runs or further test flights, depending on how Dragon and the Falcon 9 do next week.

 

Dragon’s solar array panels being installed on Dragon’s trunk at the SpaceX hangar in Cape Canaveral, Fla. CREDIT: SpaceX 

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An astronaut taxi, too

Dragon is not just a cargo ship, however. SpaceX has always envisioned that it would carry astronauts someday, and the company’s engineers are working to make that happen.

Last year, NASA gave SpaceX $75 million to support the development of a launch-abort system for Dragon, a key requirement for a crew-carrying craft. Over the past two years, the agency has also given money to three other private spaceship builders — Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada and Boeing — in the hopes that at least two different commercial spacecraft can start ferrying astronauts to and from the space station by 2017.

Dragon Cargo Ship Approaches the International Space Station Credit: SpaceX/NASAA SpaceX Dragon cargo ship approaches the International Space Station in this artist’s illustration.

According to Musk, SpaceX should be able to meet that deadline.

“There’s a lot of variables between here and there,” Musk said. But in a “perfect world” timeline, he added, “it’s probably like three years — maybe a little less than three years.”

Shooting for Mars

SpaceX is not content just to carry astronauts back and forth to low-Earth orbit. Musk wants Dragon to send humans to much more far-flung destinations, such as Mars, to help us become a multiplanet species.

Artist’s Illustration of SpaceX’s Dragon Space CapsuleCredit: SpaceXAn artist’s illustration of SpaceX’s Dragon space capsule in Earth orbit

“Ultimately, the thing that is super-important in the grand scale of history is, are we on a path to becoming a multiplanet species or not?” Musk said at a conference last year. “If we’re not, well, that’s not a very bright future. We’ll simply be hanging out on Earth until some eventual calamity claims us.”

Dragon in SpaceCredit: nullThis animation still depicts SpaceX’s Dragon crew and cargo spacecraft on a mission to the International Space Station

To help get us farther afield, SpaceX is developing a huge rocket called the Falcon Heavy, which it hopes to launch for the first time in the next year or two. The vehicle will boast 4 million pounds of thrust, making it twice as powerful as any rocket in existence — and about half as powerful as the Saturn 5 rockets that carried astronauts to the moon during NASA’s Apollo program, Musk said.

“So in principle, with two launches of Falcon Heavy and with some in-orbit docking, you could actually send people back to the surface of the moon, which is pretty exciting,” Musk told SPACE.com in an interview earlier this month.

Dragon Qualification UnitCredit: SpaceXThe Dragon qualification unit being outfitted with test Draco thruster housings. Depending on mission requirements, Dragon will carry as many as eighteen Draco thrusters per caps

But SpaceX is dreaming even bigger than the Falcon Heavy. Last autumn, Musk announced that the company hopes to develop a fully reusable rocket, which would dramatically reduce the cost of lofting humans and cargo into space.

A completely reusable spaceflight system — in contrast to the expendable rockets in widespread use today — is the key to opening up the final frontier, making the exploration and colonization of other worlds much more feasible, Musk has said.

Engineering Model of the SpaceX Dragon CapsuleCredit: SpaceXThe engineering model of the SpaceX Dragon capsule is to be on hand for public viewing at the Air and Space Expo.

“In order to revolutionize space, we absolutely must have a fully and rapidly reusable rocket,” he told SPACE.com. “This is basically the holy grail of rocket technology. A lot of people don’t think it’s possible, I should point out, which is why I call it the holy grail.”

Musk thinks it is possible, though he acknowledges the difficulty of the task.

SpaceX’s Dragon Flight VisionCredit: nullSpaceX depicts its Dragon spaceship’s space station flight in an animation still

“But if we’re able to do that, then the cost of space transport can drop by a factor of 100,” he said, then put the concept in terms that most people can appreciate firsthand. “Imagine if you had to buy a new car for every trip; you’d need two cars for a round-trip. You wouldn’t be taking cars very much.”

Dragon Spacecraft Re-entering Earth’s Atmosphere Credit: SpaceX.This still from a SpaceX animation depicts an unmanned Dragon spacecraft re-entering Earth’s atmosphere ahead of a planned splashdown in the ocean

SpaceX’s Reusable Rocket: Three StepsCredit: SpaceXThese three stills from a SpaceX video depict the three components of a planned fully reusable rocket launching system, including a first stage (left), second stage (center) and crew capsule.

Dragon Crew and Cargo CapsulesCredit: NASAAn artist’s concept of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle and Dragon crew and cargo capsules.

Dragon Spacecraft Thermal Testing PreparationsCredit: Roger Gilbertson/SpaceXIn a SpaceX clean room in Hawthorne (Los Angeles) California, technicians prepare the Dragon spacecraft for thermal vacuum chamber testing. The open bays will hold the parachutes. NASA has given us a launch date of Nov 30, 2011 for Falcon 9 Flight 3, which will send a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program

Separation Tests of the Dragon Trunk from the Falcon 9 Second StageCredit: SpaceXSpaceX conducted separation tests of the Dragon trunk from the Falcon 9 second stage. Release mechanisms hold the trunk (top, with solar panel covers on left and right sides) to the stage (bottom). When activated, springs on the Falcon 9 push against the Dragon trunk. The trunk separates and the test fixture’s counterbalance system raises the spacecraft up and away.

Dragon Solar Array Rotary ActuatorCredit: SpaceXIn the Hawthorne factory high bay, SpaceX tested the Dragon solar array rotary actuator by hanging the full array from the ceiling. The actuator (top center) turns the entire array. In flight, the solar panels will track the sun for maximum energy capture

SpaceX Rocket Factory CollageCredit: Roger Gilbertson/SpaceXUpper left: First stage tank, with domes and barrels for the second stage. Upper right: All nine Merlin engines have been individually tested in Texas and then returned to California for integration into the thrust assembly. Lower left: Composite interstage structure that joins the stages. Lower right: The pressure vessel for the CRS-1 Dragon spacecraft has 10 cubic meters (350 cu ft) of interior volume

Dragon Spacecraft After First Successful Orbital Flight.Credit: SpaceX/Mike AltenhofenPhoto of actual Dragon spacecraft after its first successful orbital flight

Dragon Spacecraft Landed in the Pacific OceanCredit: SpaceX/DragonThe Dragon spacecraft landed in the Pacific Ocean 3 hours, 19 minutes and 52 seconds after liftoff—less than a minute  after SpaceX had predicted and less than one mile from the center of the landing target

COTS Demo 1 Mission Orbital PathCredit: SpaceXImage above illustrates COTS Demo 1 mission orbital path. The yellow triangle over the Atlantic ocean marks Dragon’s initial  separation from Falcon 9, and the yellow square off the Western coast of the United States marks the location where Dragon landed.

Dragon Spacecraft Viewed from the Second StageCredit: SpaceX/Mike AltenhofenHigh contrast view of the Dragon spacecraft (circle at center) viewed from the top of the second stage as it departs over the curved  horizon of the Earth. The rectangles indicate locations of three of the nano satellite deploying P-PODs carried on this mission

Artist’s Rendition of Dragon Spacecraft Reentering Earth’s AtmosphereCredit: SpaceX/DragonArtist’s rendition of Dragon, thermally protected by SpaceX’s PICA-X advanced heat shield, reentering Earth’s atmosphere

Falcon 9 Stage SeparationCredit: SpaceX/DragonAfter Falcon 9 stage separation, flames are barely visible around the nozzle as the second stage engine ignites and the first stage falls back to the Earth below

Dragon Spacecraft in the SpaceX Hangar at Cape CanaveralCredit: Michael Rooks/SpaceXIn the SpaceX hangar at Cape Canaveral, the Dragon spacecraft prepares for integration with the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Visible at the base of the spacecraft is Dragon’s heat shield, made of PICA-X, the SpaceX manufactured variation on NASA’s Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) heat shield material. Dragon will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere at around 7 kilometers per second (15,660 miles per hour), heating the exterior up to 1850 degrees Celsius. However, just a few inches of the PICA-X material will keep the interior of the spacecraft at a comfortable temperature.

SpaceX’s Mission Control Center  SpaceX’s Mission Control CenterCredit: SpaceXCredit: SpaceXSpaceX’s Mission Control Center located at their headquarters in Hawthorne, California

Astronauts Cady Coleman and Scott Kelly Visit the Dragon CapsuleCredit: SpaceXEven when outfitted with the full cargo storage system, Dragon has plenty of room. Visiting NASA astronauts Cady Coleman and Scott Kelly discuss spacecraft cargo operations with SpaceX engineers. Both experienced space travelers, Cady and Scott are scheduled for upcoming missions to the ISS.

Falcon 9 Rocket in the HangarCredit: SpaceXSpaceX tweeted on Jan. 5, 2012: “Photo Update: Falcon 9 in the hangar at Cape Canaveral. Getting ready to make history.”

Astronauts and Industry Experts inside Dragon SpacecraftCredit: SpaceXNASA astronauts and industry experts check out the crew accommodations in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. On top, from left, are NASA Crew Survival Engineering Team Lead Dustin Gohmert, NASA astronauts Tony Antonelli and Lee Archambault, and SpaceX Mission Operations Engineer Laura Crabtree. On bottom, from left, are SpaceX Thermal Engineer Brenda Hernandez and NASA astronauts Rex Walheim and Tim Kopra. Image released March 16, 2012.

Walheim Inside DragonCredit: SpaceXNASA astronaut Rex Walheim checks out SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which is under development for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Image released March 16, 2012.

NASA dominated American human spaceflight for more than 50 years, but in the 21st century private spaceflight companies are building new space taxis to launch more people into orbit. SPACE.com looks at the major players in the commercial spaceflight race in our week-long series: The Private Space Taxi Race. This is Part 1 in that series.