Tuesday, November 29, 2005

1 Million Digitized Images Online from The Library of Congress

The Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) provides access through group or item records to about 65% of the Division's holdings, as well as to some images found in other units of the Library of Congress. Many of the catalog records are accompanied by digital images--about one million digital images in all.

After clicking on a button which means you understand that not everything is in public domain you can enter the site. Check it out here: The Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)






A very useful education resource:
The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/29/2005 12:40:00 AM  
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Monday, November 28, 2005

Cheapskate Monthly

If you are looking for an online calculator to use with your class, you may not need to look further than the Cheapskate Monthly. It is a web site with online calculators for dozens of uses! There are calculators to enhance loads of math and science lessons. It is enough to make a lab teacher jump with joy! Ok, it is also a terrific site for teachers, parents and everyone else too.

"It was developed for the purpose of helping fellow cheapskates in their financial number-crunching. No longer is it necessary to take all the time and trouble to learn all of the complex formulas necessary for successful financial management. From now on, all you have to do is to visit this ever-growing list of calculators, plug in the numbers as instructed, and let the calculators perform all of the complex calculations for you."

Appliance Operating Cost Calculator: This JavaScript calculator will help you to estimate the cost of operating ... Read full description

Average Interest Rate Calculator: This calculator will help you compute the average combined interest rate ... Read full description

Bi-Weekly Payment Calculator: This calculator will show you how much you will save if you make 1/2 of your loan ... Read full description

Budget Percentage Calculator: This calculator will compute your recommended budget amounts for an income ... Read full description

Car Cost Comparison Calculator: When buying a car most people fail to consider ALL of the expenses that will be ... Read full description

Cash Flow Calculator: Since cash inflows and outflows vary in amounts and intervals, it can be ... Read full description

Children's Math Tutor: Since addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are skills children need to know in order to become successful money managers, this interactive tool was created to give CM children an interesting way to hone those all-important math skills. If you have children and any of them haven't yet memorized the math factors for their age group, simply make using this tool part of their required daily homework.

College Funding Calculator: This calculator, based on The College Board's Annual Survey of Colleges for the 2000-2001 school year, will help you to determine how much money you need to invest on a monthly basis now, in order to be able to pay for your child's college education by the time he or she is ready to start college. The calculator allows you to choose between In-State and Out-of-State, between Resident and Commuter and between Public or Private -- and adjusts the estimated costs according to those selections. Plus, the calculator even adjusts the future cost of attending college based on your own estimated rate of inflation.

Credit Card Comparison Calculator: This calculator will help you to compare the long-term costs of credit cards that have varying interest rates, annual fees, introductory rates and compounding intervals.

Credit Card Early-Payment Savings Calculator: Since most credit card companies compute interest charges based on your average daily balance, making your payment early in the billing cycle will not only reduce the chances of getting hit with late charges, but it will also save you money. This calculator will help you to determine the interest savings that will occur if you make your monthly credit card payment earlier in the billing cycle rather than at the end. Savings will be computed for both your next payment, and for all remaining payments (assumes a fixed monthly payment amount).

Debt Consolidation Calculator: When the typical debt-consolidation company advertises that they can "save you money," what they are most often referring to is simply a reduction in your total monthly debt payments -- not a savings in the cost of paying off your debt (interest charges). Sure, by consolidating your payments into a single loan, you might be paying one monthly payment that is smaller than the sum of your current monthly payments, but if they stretch your loan out for a longer period of time you could actually end up paying more interest by consolidating. This calculator will help you to determine whether or not consolidating will actually reduce the cost of retiring your debts.

Debt Investment Calculator: Before you go throwing darts on Wall Street, check to make sure you can't earn a higher rate of return simply by investing in your own debt! For example, if you have a credit card balance that's costing you 19% per year, and you increase your payment, you will get a guaranteed 19% return on your investment. What's more, your earnings will be tax-free! So use this JavaScript Calculator to see how much you could be earning if you increased your payment on any one of your debts.

Expense Percentage Calculator: This tool will help you to determine what percentage of your income you are currently spending on each of your various expense categories (food, clothing, etc.).

Gas Budget Calculator: This calculator will help you to estimate your annual gasoline cost given the type of car you drive, the number of miles you drive per year, and the price you are paying for a gallon of gasoline.

Gas Station Savings Calculator: This calculator will help you to determine whether or not driving the extra miles to a cheaper gas station will actually save you money.

Generic Savings Calculator: This calculator will show you how much you'll save over the course of your lifetime when permanently switching from any given high priced buying habit (name brand) to its functional, less expensive equivalent (generic). Plus, it will also show you how much interest you could earn if you were to invest all or part of those savings as you realized them. As you're about to see, "a penny saved" can REALLY ADD UP!

Irregular Payment Calculator: This calculator will convert your non-monthly payments into their monthly equivalents, and then provide you will a total. This total will represent how much you will need to set aside each month (into your Freedom Account) in order to make your non-monthly payments as they come due. A great budgeting tool!

Lifetime Earnings Calculator: The purpose of this calculator is to make you aware of just how much money you (and your spouse/mate, if applicable) will have the opportunity to manage between now and when you retire. And the point this calculator will attempt to make, is that if it turns out you end up broke at retirement age, it won't be because you didn't make enough money, it will because you did not successfully manage the abundance of income (potential wealth) you managed to create.

Loan Balance Calculator: This calculator will help you to determine the current balance of a loan when payments that have been made have been different from those stipulated in the original loan terms. This may be especially helpful if you have sold something on Contract for Deed, but the borrower has not made the regular payments as stipulated by the loan agreement.

Loan Calculator w/Amortization Schedule: This calculator will compute a loan's monthly payment amount based on the principal amount borrowed, the length of the loan and the annual interest rate. Then, once you have computed the monthly payment you can also create and print out the loan's amortization schedule.

Loan Comparison Calculator: This calculator will not only compute the payment amount and interest charges on any given loan, but it will also allow you to see what effect changing any of the four variables has on the cost of the loan.

Long-distance Cost Calculator: This calculator will not only assist you in calculating the average cost per minute of one or any number of calls, but it will also keep track of the cost of your long distance phone call (including state and federal taxes) based on either the calculated average cost per minute or on the actual cost per minute -- if you happen to know it.

Meat Cost Per Serving Calculator: Price-per-pound can be misleading because all cuts of meat will not yield the same number of servings per pound. This calculator, based on the information provided by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cooperative Extension (Buying Meat by the Serving), will help you to calculate and compare the cost per serving of up to five different cuts of various types of meat (110 selections overall). You can also use this calculator to determine how many pounds of a selected meat to buy based on the number of servings you need.

Minimum Payment Credit Card Interest Calculator: This calculator will show you how much credit-card interest you'll pay if you continually make only the minimum monthly payment on your credit card.

Missing Loan-Term Calculator: If you know any 3 of a loan's 4 terms (principal, interest rate, payments remaining, and payment amount), this calculator will help you to find the missing term. For example, if you know the interest rate, the payments remaining, and the payment amount, this calculator will compute the current payoff amount of the loan.

Monthly Deposit Savings Calculator: This calculator will show you how much a periodic, interest earning investment will grow to, based on the entered interest rate and length of time.

Monthly Deposit Time Calculator: This calculator will compute how long it will take you to reach your desired savings goal, based on three factors: the amount you currently have set aside, the amount you can add to your savings each month and the annual interest rate you expect to earn.

Mortgage Payoff Goal Calculator: This calculator will show you the additional monthly payment you will need to make on your current mortgage in order to pay if off within a specified number of years. It will also show you how much interest you will save if you make the calculated additional payment each month, from now until your mortgage is paid off. Special thanks to online subscriber Lyle Crafton for presenting the idea for this calculator.

Mortgage Qualification Calculator: This calculator was designed to allow you to see what size mortgage you can afford based on comparing your present financial condition to mortgage lending-industry standards.

Mortgage Refinancing Calculator: This calculator will help you to decide whether or not you should refinance your current mortgage at a lower interest rate. Not only will this calculator calculate the monthly payment and net interest savings, but it will also calculate how many months it will take to break even on the closing costs.

Net Worth Calculator: This calculator was designed to help you to take a "snap-shot" of your current financial condition Whereas an income and expense statement shows you your financial picture for a given period of time (month, year, etc.), this Net Worth Calculator will show you your financial picture at a single point in time (a specific date). That way, if you compute your Net Worth now, and then again 3 months from now, you will then be able to tell whether your financial picture is improving or getting worse.

Payment Breakdown Calculator: This calculator will help you to determine the principal and interest breakdown on a loan's given payment number. Simply enter the loan's original terms (principal, interest rate, number of payments, and monthly payment amount) and the payment you want broken down.

Portfolio Mix Calculator: This calculator is based on Author Austin Pryor's "Just-the-Basics" investment strategy. Upon selecting your life-phase and investing temperament, this calculator will not only tell you the exact portfolio mix you should strive for, but it will even calculate the specific dollar amounts based on the amount of money you have available for investing.

Present Value of a Single Amount Calculator: Use this calculator to compute how much you would need to invest now in order to have your investment grow to a specific amount within a specified time-frame.

Rapid Debt-Repayment Calculator: In a single click this calculator will: calculate the number of payments remaining and interest charges for each debt with a separate chart for "Falling," "Fixed," and "RDRP" payments, sort the debts by order of payoff, create your Rapid Debt Repayment Plan, summarize all three payment plans, and finally will create a "Schedule of Payments" chart that you can use to mark off each payment as you make them. The RDRP result page will also tell you how much interest you will save as a result of following through on your plan. Plus, on the bottom of the RDRP Plan you will also have the option to see how your freed up debt payments will grow if you start investing them once you become debt free.

Real Hourly Wage Calculator: So your boss told you that you were getting paid $10 an hour? Don't believe it! This calculator will show you how much you're REALLY profiting (after-tax, after work-related-expense takehome) from each hour you devote to working--both paid and unpaid.

Rent Vs Buy Calculator: This calculator will help you to compare the costs of renting to the costs of buying a home. Since there are all kinds of forces at work behind the scenes (interest, property taxes, tax savings, appreciation, opportunity costs, closing costs, selling costs, etc.), comparing the cost of renting to the cost of buying is a lot more complicated than just comparing the monthly mortgage payment to the monthly rent payment. This calculator attempts to forecast the net effects of all the hidden forces so you can make an informed decision.

Retirement Savings Calculator: Use this calculator to compute how much you would need to have invested in order to withdraw a specified amount each year over the course of a specified period of time.

Savings Goal Calculator: This calculator to will help you to figure how much your current savings will grow and how much more you'll need to save each month in order to achieve a given savings goal within a given number of years.

Single Debt-Payment Investment Calculator: This calculator will compute how much interest you will save by adding an additional principal payment to the next regularly scheduled payment on any given debt. For example, if you find yourself with an extra $20 this month, this calculator will tell you how much interest you will save (guaranteed, tax-free return on your investment) if you add that $20 to the next payment of one of your debts (preferably the one with the highest interest rate).

Single Deposit Savings Calculator: This calculator will show you how much a single, interest earning investment will grow to, based on the entered interest rate and length of time.

Spending Cost Calculator: When you spend money on non-essential, non-investment type products or services, you simultaneously give up the right to earn interest on the money you spent ... for the rest of your life. The total of the money you spend unnecessarily, plus the forgone interest earnings, represents the real cost of spending (usually an amount much higher than is actually printed on the price-tag). Therefore, in order to make wise purchase decisions (expenditures that return a benefit of equal or greater value than their real cost), you must be aware of -- and give full consideration to -- the real cost of each purchase. This calculator will help you to do just that.

Transportation Savings Calculator: This calculator will help you to determine any savings that might occur if you were to choose a transportation alternative (walking, biking, bus ride, etc.) to driving your car. You can either compute your savings for a one-time trip or for multiple reoccurring trips over any number of years. Plus, you can choose whether to compute the savings using the Gasoline Method (cost of gasoline only) or using the Mileage Method (average cost per mile to own, operate, maintain and insure your car).

Variable Compounding & Deposit Savings Calculator: This calculator not only allows you to compute and compare the forcasted interest earnings on various investment scenarios, but it also allows you to choose the deposit and compounding intervals. No longer will you need to wonder if an investment offering a 6% return, compounded daily is better than an investment offering a 7% return, compounded annually.

Wage Conversion Calculator: This calculator will help you to quickly convert a wage stated in one periodic term (hourly, weekly, etc.) into its equivalent stated in all other common periodic terms. This can be helpful when comparing your present wage to a wage being offered by a prospective employer where each wage is stated in a different periodic term (e.g., one is listed as an hourly amount and the other is listed as an annual amount).

New Calculators Are Added Often!



A very useful education resource:
The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/28/2005 04:03:00 PM  
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Saturday, November 26, 2005

The Carnival Of Education: Week 42 is Here!

The Carnival Of Education: Week 42 is posted and is chock full of fabulous postings this week! The recently revamped format is a pleasure to follow and the articles are insightful and demonstrate genuine dedication to education. Check it out! You'll thank me.




A very useful education resource:
The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/26/2005 02:51:00 AM  
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Thursday, November 24, 2005

Procrastination Hurts


Going with modified free flow, I'm trying to ease my conscience. To wit, my desk is piled to over flowing with envelopes that fill my mailbox daily, all pleading for donations to this charity or that, awaiting my check and a stamp. I truly intendedto write the checks and mail them way BEFORE Thanksgiving.

Each day when opening the mail, I carefully discussed each request, with it's obligatory guilt gift (of personalized address labels, desk and wall calendars, greeting cards, etc.) with my husband. I sorted the throw outs, the may-be's, and our definite regulars. I put them in a pile on my desk so I would have them at the ready when I sat down with my checkbook and stamps.


So what happened? Why couldn't I simply sit down and get them in the mail? I have a warm home filled with all the comforts anyone could need, I have plenty of food, clothes, entertainment media, much unlike so many other people around the world. Now you understand my guilt. OK, lets review the excuses.

My desk has gotten so crowded, that I have stopped working at it, except for the computer (it has its own desktop- ha ha.) Just sitting in my wonderful, comfy ergonomic, 5 wheel chair, which once was a delight to sit in, now stresses me out. When I sit in this chair, all I can see is a wild pile of letters, envelopes, blank greeting cards, colorful address labels, and calendars, tossed in with my personal business items. One day was held off to the next, then one week to the next, and now Thanksgiving is here. Those we intended to support for the Thankgiving holiday have been tossed aside, invisible, and all too much aware that people like me have let life get in the way of sharing a little humanity. Will they be sheltered on the cold day of thanksgiving? Will there be enough food at the shelters to give them a little dining pleasure? I know that my small $18, $36, $54, etc. is a drop in the proverbial bucket and will not in and of itself make a difference. However, what about all those like me, who just didn't get the pen, checkbook and stamps in the right place, at the right time. That's where it adds up. Mea culpa...

Well, noblesse oblige. I believe in it. Those of us with roofs over our heads, food a plenty, and are reasonably healthy, are blessed, and must try to give something, in some way, to help those not as fortunate. No, I'm not a blue blood. I don't have a coffer of old money, and never hit it rich in casinos or the market. I personally do not celebrate Christmas, but appreciate the atmosphere of excitement and expectation that drifts through the air like a floating dragon. A magical dragon for the blessed, and a foreboding dragon for those not. Those hoping for help that doesn't come in a season literally coined as a season of giving, has to be devastating.

So, I resolve to get my letters, envelopes, checkbook, pen, and stamps in order, and remember that procrastination hurts.

Are there any other procrastinators out there?





A very useful education resource:
The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/24/2005 05:39:00 AM  
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Sunday, November 20, 2005

Thank a Soldier Week!


To send your own personal email thank you click here: http://www.thankasoldierweek.com/

~JRY: The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/20/2005 04:06:00 PM  
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Thursday, November 17, 2005

Middle Earth quiz from Blog of a math teacher

In my youth (my dark ages) I was consumed with devouring all I could get my hands on about The Lord of the Rings trilogy etc. So it is not surprising that I, now in my middle ages, fully enjoyed a short Middle Earth quiz snippet post from: Blog of a math teacher Check out Blog of a math teacher . It is interesting reading!

I took the quiz and found out that: I'm Rohirrim

Rohirrim

To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?
brought to you by Quizilla



Another very useful education resource:
The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/17/2005 04:23:00 AM  
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The Carnival Of Education: Week 41 - It just gets better!

This weeks education blogs wrap up is now online and well worth the read! "Thoughts and Ideas Freely Exchanged" certainly fits. This week has a vast diversity of posts from recent news issues to classroom and professional explorations. Get a cup of hot java and catch up:

The Education Wonks: The Carnival Of Education: Week 41 - Thoughts And Ideas Freely Exchanged

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/17/2005 03:28:00 AM  
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Speedy Recovery Wishes to Queens Teacher Stabbed, Carjacked

This tragedy is not yet important enough for the NT Times to report on, but the other 3 city papers found it news fit to print...

Teacher Stabbed, Carjacked In Queens: Wild Ride Eventually Ends In Arrest
by Tanya Rivero

"(CBS) QUEENS Jill Brogan has been teaching reading at P.S. 86 for three years. On Wednesday, students and their parents were stunned by a vicious attack on the well-liked teacher."

Life sure throws some nasty curves.

Get better real soon Jill!


Another very useful education resource:
The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/17/2005 01:58:00 AM  
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Sunday, November 13, 2005

FREE Knowledge from MIT's OpenCourseware!

Well we've all heard the expression, "There's no free lunch!", but lucky for us, on the Internet, there are some wonderful exceptions. A great blog post from Christopher Roach (from Oreilly) discusses the awesome FREE, yes FREE online courses given by MIT- oh yes, FREE! He explores other great rsources on MIT's web site and this is one of my recommended must reads!

Read his post here:
Learn Lisp From MIT--for Free!!!
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/8397


MIT OpenCourseware (MIT OCW): http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html

* Is a publication of MIT course materials
* Does not require any registration
* Is not a degree-granting or certificate-granting activity
* Does not provide access to MIT faculty

Check out the "Master Course List" at: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/all-courses.htm

Highlights from the web site:
Curriculum Guide - In the interest of improving the MIT OCW user experience, they offer a guide to MIT's undergraduate and graduate curriculum. - MIT OCW offers access to a small selection of complete video or audio lectures. Read more about their approach to video and see the entire list of complete video series.
MIT Departments with OpenCourseware are:

  • Aeronautics and Astronautics

  • Anthropology

  • Architecture

  • Biological Engineering Division

  • Biology

  • Brain and Cognitive Sciences

  • Chemical Engineering

  • Chemistry

  • Civil and Environmental Engineering

  • Comparative Media Studies

  • Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

  • Economics

  • Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

  • Engineering Systems Division

  • Foreign Languages and Literatures

  • Health Sciences and Technology

  • History

  • Linguistics and Philosophy

  • Literature

  • Materials Science and Engineering

  • Mathematics

  • Mechanical Engineering

  • Media Arts and Sciences

  • Music and Theater Arts

  • Nuclear Science and Engineering

  • Ocean Engineering

  • Physics

  • Political Science

  • Science, Technology, and Society

  • Sloan School of Management

  • Special Programs

  • Urban Studies and Planning

  • Women's Studies

  • Writing and Humanistic Studies

    "OpenCourseWare expresses in an immediate and far-reaching way MIT's goal of advancing education around the world. Through MIT OCW, educators and students everywhere can benefit from the academic activities of our faculty and join a global learning community in which knowledge and ideas are shared openly and freely for the benefit of all."
    - Susan Hockfield, President of MIT

    Treat yourself to some high quality FREE knowledge courtesy of MIT! I have, and will again!

    Enjoy!


    ----------------------------------------
    Another useful education resource:
    The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/13/2005 05:40:00 PM  
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    Saturday, November 12, 2005

    The Carnival Of Education: Week 40 -

    The Education Wonks posted the new:
    The Carnival Of Education: Week 40 - Thoughts And Ideas Freely Exchanged.

    The Wonk has great intros to this weeks very interesting articles. Yes, I forgot to submit this week...

    Well, the are absolutely must reads for the week! Isn't it wonderful to see such collaboration of minds in peace and harmony? Thanks everyone!

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/12/2005 04:34:00 AM  
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    Sympathies to NYC UFT Teachers on Sell Out-Give Back Contract

    Teachers, you are in for one serious, perilous L-O-N-G haul. Those of you retiring in the very near future, you're YES vote took care of yourselves. Those of you who will be left and voted NO, you have my sympathies. It is sad that for what wasn't even a cost of living increase you lost so very much.

    Rather than bemoaning your losses, I just wish you all the best in your awakening- which will come sooner than you imagine.

    If the vote honestly was 65% for the contract then to those aye votes- good for you! You are getting exactly what you deserve. My sympathies go out to those who recognized the death knoll for what it was and are now stuck with a tentative career. I can't help but wonder though, how it passed, when so many of the teachers I spoke to said their schools were voting "NO." I sure hope that there wasn't any hanky-panky with the process. After all, so much was done to prevent accountability for accuracy. Nah, I'm sure it was on the up and up...

    The thought that so much was lost, and that UFT leadership cares so little about it's membership that it won't even tell you now -in clear language- what you are in for, makes me question how or if they will stand up for you in your times of need.

    Since you have so little you can grieve, there does not seem like much you can hope for. If you are in a subject that Mayor Bloomberg, er uh, Chancellor Klein, deems "fluffy", and get excessed, I sure wish you luck in landing a new job with the Board before you are terminated for good- remember, they do not have to place you any more. It is your problem to find a position.

    We all know what subjects these are. These are the subjects that foster self discipline, emotional, physical and creative growth: Music, Physical Education, and the Fine Arts. The seasoned teachers in these fields know exactly what I mean. They have seen themselves or colleagues of theirs, bounced out of schools because another program was in favor at the time. I personally know several of these hard working, dedicated teachers who were bounced around like ping pong balls by the Department (Board) of Education. Under the new contract, these folks would have to scramble around with resumes to try to get another job, (I believe without pay) within 3 months, after which the Department of Education says "Good bye!"

    I wish you all great success and luck- yeah, you'll need it!




    A very useful education resource:
    The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/12/2005 12:14:00 AM  
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    Friday, November 11, 2005

    Hit and Run Votes - EASY Money For Some!

    I understand that everyone has to take care of themselves. June retirees want their free money, and Educational Assistants certainly were compelled to vote yes because their component was good. I just am uncomfortable with folks who promote something but really don't care at all about anyone else, and have a hidden agenda. It's suckers like me, I guess, who go by conscience and a sense of fair play. I also stand to get a piece of the action now, but could have never, in the depths of my being, campaigned to have my friends and colleagues sell themselves out, and the future of our union, so I could get a few easy dollars. Well, different strokes for different folks...

    NYC Educator in NYC Educator: Slings and Arrows takes issue with the upcoming June retirees (I call them hit and run voters) who were pro-contract, and other items highlighted in Edwise.

    Both are always very enlightening reads. Pay them a visit!

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/11/2005 09:03:00 PM  
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    Veterans' Day - Thank you all!


    The above says it all...


    Thank you to all the soldiers and their families and employers,
    who also sacrificed for our freedom!

    Some wonderful web site to browse are:

    Veterans' Day (formerly Armistice Day)
    The name was changed to Veterans' Day by Act of Congress on May 24, 1954. ... The President referred to the change of name to Veterans' Day in honor of the ...

    American Women in Uniform, Veterans Too!
    Military women - military women's history from the Revolutionary War to present day. Information about combat issues, current women veterans issues, ...

    Kids Domain Salute to Veterans
    Learn how our veterans are commemorated on Remembrance Day in various countries. Remember the veterans with a spectacular concert.

    KWVA - Korean War Veterans Association: HOME PAGE
    Information on 50th anniversary events, Korean war memorials, key US Army Announcement, medals and award, state level casualty lists, veterans' efforts to...

    Jewish War Veterans of the United States
    Jewish war veterans online. Army, navy, marines, vietnam and gulf war veterans of the Jewish faith.

    Civil Rights Movement Veterans
    Movement history, personal stories, contact information by and for veterans of the Southern Freedom Movement

    Veterans Day
    Provides short historical background of Veterans' Day, an overview of the wars in which the United States has taken part, and related links.

    Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
    Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US, vfw nonprofit service org, usa military veterans benefits, VFW programs, community service, patriotic and world events...

    Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Home Page
    Support organization for veterans, providing a nationwide network of services, free of charge to all veterans and members of their families.

    VIETNAM VETERANS HOME PAGE
    Tributes To Vietnam Veterans by their families and friends ... To honor Vietnam Veterans, living and dead, who served their country on either side of the ...

    Paralyzed Veterans of America
    Addresses a wide array of issues experienced by veterans and other people with spinal cord injury or dysfunction. Subjects include legal, medical, sports, ...

    UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS Inc. National Website
    Dedicated to submariners, submarines, vets, veterans, and subvets.

    Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
    Database of the 58195 Names on The Wall in Wash,DC This is the most accurate database online. Military Reunions, Screensavers, Rubbings, Personal Guestbook.

    Veterans History Project (Library of Congress)
    Home Page for the Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

    Military History Channel
    TV Schedule · Video Clips ·

    Another very useful education resource:
    The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/11/2005 09:54:00 AM  
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    Thursday, November 10, 2005

    The "Bulletin Board" Hassle- A Letter from Randi

    NY Teacher has a post on a letter her district received from Randi Weingarten on the micro-management of bulletin boards. Hopefully it will make a difference!

    Check it out:
    NY Teacher: I was only going to mention it . . .

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/10/2005 11:48:00 PM  
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    Wednesday, November 09, 2005

    MIT maps wireless users across campus

    " MIT maps wireless users across campus
    From eSchool News staff and wire service reports
    November 7, 2005

    Used to be, when college students wondered whether the campus cafe had any free seats, or their favorite corner of the library was occupied, they'd have to risk hoofing it over there to see. But for today's students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), that kind of information is all just a click away."


    Whew, talk about Big Brother watching (grin)... Well, I guess if you've "gotta go" it would be pretty helpful to know if your favorite bathroom stall is avalable. It would also be rather nice to know if your favorite brand of orange juice is on the shelf, before you bother to go down the aisle. Hum... so may possibilities...
    Gee, as if we aren't lazy enough already!

    Kidding aside, I think this technology is fascinating, with loads of possible applications, not all of which are bad, rights infringing threats.

    Well read up and post your thoughts here. I'll be reading...

    Browse this link for more info:
    iSPOTS
    How Wireless Technology is Changing Life on the MIT Campus



    A very useful education resource:
    The Educational Voyage Portal Search Engine

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/09/2005 12:34:00 PM  
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    Wednesday, November 02, 2005

    Microsoft Introduces Web Services, Competing With Google and Yahoo - New York Times

    Not to be out done by Google and Yahoo, Good 'Ole Bill has come up with his own brand of live web page, nicely customizable with what seems like shades of "del.icio.us" type links. Unfortunately the FireFox version is not yet ready for prime time. I look forward to playing around with the IE version for now...


    Microsoft Introduces Web Services, Competing With Google and Yahoo - New York Times


    "By JOHN MARKOFF
    Published: November 2, 2005


    SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1 - Microsoft introduced on Tuesday two new advertising-supported Web services, Windows Live and Office Live, as a direct response to the formidable challenges posed by its major competitors, Google and Yahoo.

    The new online initiatives will deliver services to businesses and consumers directly via the Web, in many cases, without the need to download the applications to a computer. As such, they are an important step in extending Microsoft's reach beyond the desktop PC to smart phones and other Internet-connected devices.
    Skip to next paragraph
    Jeff Chiu/Associated Press


    Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, foresees an era of "live software."

    The strategic shift also represents an acknowledgment by the company, the world's largest software publisher, that the Internet has once again changed the rules of business, forcing Microsoft to scramble to catch up.

    Microsoft executives said that the company intended to take on both Google and Yahoo by making advertising-supported services the core of a broad new Web-based software applications business. Bill Gates, Microsoft's co-founder and chief software architect, said Tuesday that new Internet-based technologies were creating an era of "live software" that will change the software industry and transcend the boundaries of any particular computer or mobile device.

    "Every five years or so we look at our strategy and make these big bets," he said.

    The new technologies, which are based on the idea of open Internet standards that allow many applications to be easily connected, is a potential threat to Microsoft because users will be able to select competing software products rather than be locked into large applications suites like Office.

    Tuesday's announcement also laid the groundwork for Microsoft to compete more effectively against many smaller software competitors offering Internet-based business services, including time and billing management, customer relationship management services and Internet phone service.

    Microsoft will have both free and paid offerings on Windows Live and Office Live, where basic services will be advertising-supported. The company will then try to entice or "upsell" customers to purchase subscriptions for more advanced and feature-rich services.

    Until recently Microsoft did not have its own Internet-based advertising technology, but instead relied on Overture, now owned by Yahoo. However, the company, which is based in Redmond, Wash., said that it had made progress in deploying its own search-based advertising engine, which is now being tested in France and Singapore.

    "We will be leaders in terms of understanding where ads really serve the user to get their jobs done, not just in a search box on the Web," said Ray Ozzie, a chief technology officer at Microsoft.

    The advertising approach is a substantial shift because just a few years ago Microsoft was trying to create a subscription model in paying for software.

    "They seem to think that the advertising can pay for this stuff," said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director for JupiterResearch, a computer industry market research firm. "This is much more about an extension of Office and Windows and not a replacement."

    The product introductions were understated compared with other major turns in strategic direction that Microsoft has made in the past. The company described the introductions as a "technology preview" at a news media event, where Mr. Gates and Mr. Ozzie presided.

    A number of industry analysts said the announcements showed how seriously Microsoft took the threat posed by Google and other advertising and Internet-based service providers.

    "It's back to 1995 where the Internet was this great rallying cry," said Tim O'Reilly, a computer industry publisher and conference organizer. "One of the areas where Microsoft has a lead is that they are focusing on non-PC devices. That may be one of their secret weapons."

    In response to the Microsoft initiatives, a Google spokeswoman, Eileen Rodriguez, said, "We welcome all technological innovations that benefit users and businesses by helping them connect to the information they need."

    At Tuesday's event, which was marred by several technical glitches, Microsoft announced the immediate availability of a test version of its new Internet portal live.com.

    The company called the service a "personalized starting point" for a variety of Web services like e-mail, instant messaging, and a new set of Internet-based software called gadgets. These are small Internet-based applications that provide mail, stock prices, weather forecasts and other simple functions.

    The company also demonstrated its new Internet mail service, called Windows Live Mail based on an Internet technology known as AJAX, which will be as responsive as a desktop e-mail program. The service will initially be offered in a limited form.

    The company demonstrated several new features available as part of a new instant messaging service called Windows Live Messenger, including the ability to make Internet voice calls directly to standard telephone numbers. Internet phone providers like Skype currently offer that service. A Microsoft spokesman said the company planned to offer the service by subscription, not free.

    In introducing Office Live, Microsoft said that it did not intend to offer an alternative to its Office desktop program, but rather a set of complementary services. It demonstrated a simple tool for creating a Web site with up to 10 gigabytes of free storage, aimed at the small-business market. It also showed a free entry- level customer relationship management program.

    Microsoft executives said that they had approached several companies, including American Express, Cingular and Toshiba, about becoming advertisers on the Office Live services the company plans to offer."

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/02/2005 10:12:00 PM  
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    Tuesday, November 01, 2005

    FREE OpenOffice 2.0 - Great Alternative to MS Office!

    Yes, I'm still playing around with Flock, but I have been tad bit way layed by a neat open source alternative to Microsoft Office!

    Did you buy or inherit a computer, but it did not come with a full fledged suite? Do you have classroom computers that need word processing capabilities but your school dows not have the bucks? You've got it now!


    OpenOffice.org 2.0 Is Here

    OpenOffice.org 2.0 is the productivity suite that individuals, governments, and corporations around the world have been expecting for the last two years. Easy to use and fluidly interoperable with every major office suite, OpenOffice.org 2.0 realises the potential of open source.

    With new features, advanced XML capabilities and native support for the OASIS Standard OpenDocument format, OpenOffice.org 2.0 gives users around the globe the tools to be engaged and productive members of their society.

    Download it now. If it is not ready today in your language, it will be shortly. OpenOffice.org 2.0 is yours.


    OpenOffice.org Is Five Years Old!

    On 13 October 2000 Sun Microsystems donated the source of StarOffice to the open-source community. Sun remains the project's chief sponsor and contributor, though the project can now boast contributions from Novell, Red Hat, Debian, Intel, and many other large and small companies, plus the very important and numberless contributions from independent developers, NGOs, and government agencies. All these have made OpenOffice.org not just a free alternative productivity suite but the best and most advanced productivity suite. And also a great community.

    posted by An Educational Voyage @ 11/01/2005 02:57:00 AM  
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