Chicago Joins President Obama’s Better Buildings Challenge to Reduce Energy Use and Save Money

Chicago Joins President Obama’s Better Buildings Challenge to Reduce Energy Use and Save Money | Department of Energy Skip to main content Energy.gov Find information about your town or city. Search form Search Energy.gov Public ServicesTax Credits, Rebates & SavingsHomesVehiclesBuilding DesignManufacturingNational Security & SafetyEnergy EconomyFunding OpportunitiesState & Local GovernmentScience & InnovationScience & TechnologyScience EducationInnovationEnergy SourcesEnergy UsageEnergy EfficiencyMissionNews & BlogMaps & DataAbout UsFor Staff & ContractorsOfficesAll OfficesProgram OfficesStaff OfficesLabs & Technology CentersField SitesPower Marketing AdministrationOther Agencies You are hereHome Chicago Joins President Obama’s Better Buildings Challenge to Reduce Energy Use and Save Money June 5, 2012 - 2:26pm Addthis NEWS MEDIA CONTACT(202) 586-4940

CHICAGO  – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu joined Mayor Rahm Emanuel at an event in Chicago today to announce that the city is joining the Obama Administration’s Better Buildings Challenge, part of the initiative launched last year by President Obama to catalyze investment in commercial and industrial building energy upgrades and support new jobs across the country.  As a partner in this national initiative, Chicago is committing to reduce energy use by 20 percent across nearly 24 million square feet of public and private building space within the next five years. The Better Buildings Challenge supports the Obama Administration's  blueprint for an economy built to last, reducing energy costs in buildings – which last year consumed more than 40 percent of all the energy used by the U.S. economy – while boosting American competitiveness in the global clean energy race.

“Investments in energy efficiency are making the American economy more competitive by creating jobs, growing industries, reducing energy bills for families and businesses, and protecting our air and water,” said Secretary Chu. “By joining the Better Buildings Challenge, Chicago is not only leading by example, but is also better positioning the city in the global economy by saving millions in energy costs.”

At the event in Chicago, Secretary Chu and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made the announcement and highlighted the building owners in downtown Chicago that are stepping up to meet the Better Buildings Challenge.  Chicago plans to upgrade 10 million square feet of City-owned buildings and nearly 14 million square feet of privately owned buildings that have partnered with the City.  The City of Chicago and its partners will share their most successful energy-saving strategies and solutions so that others can follow.

The energy to operate the buildings in which we work, shop, and study costs the U.S. approximately $200 billion annually. By taking steps to be energy-efficient, buildings and manufacturing plants nationwide can reduce their energy use by more than 20 percent. The goal of the Obama Administration’s Better Buildings Challenge is to encourage building upgrades that will make America’s buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade, reducing energy costs for American businesses and local governments by more than $40 billion. 

The Better Buildings Challenge is a national leadership initiative launched by President Obama in December 2011 that calls on chief executive officers, university presidents, and state and local leaders to reduce their portfolio-wide energy use by 20 percent by 2020 and to share the results of their energy reduction strategies. To date, the more than 60 organizations partnering with the Energy Department for the Better Buildings Challenge have committed to improve the energy efficiency of more than 1.6 billion square feet of building space, in addition to reducing energy waste across more than 300 manufacturing facilities and committing nearly $2 billion in energy efficiency financing.  For more information please visit the BetterBuildings Challenge website.  

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Ultrabook Vs Netbook: How Are the Ultrabooks Better?

Plenty of excitement has been generating about it fresh notebook computer category, but in this Ultrabook Vs. netbook guide you will observe how the best Ultrabooks are very superior to the out of date netbook computer.

Firstly, don't let the size of Ultrabooks deceive you. Even though they are extremely thin, they contain the power of full size laptops. Comparing Ultrabooks to netbooks is sort of a joke, considering the netbook's lack of power.

What Exactly Are Netbooks?

Years ago, LAPTOP makers begun constructing notebooks that were much smaller as opposed to common notebook. These kinds of machines were supposed to come to be compact, light as well as mobile along with extra long battery lives.

The problem with netbook laptops is that they are lacking the power of more common, full sized notebooks. These are typically equipped with underpowered processors as well as a below average amount of RAM. The reason why they are like this is to add a lot of time-span into the battery life and keep them dirt cheap.

This was actually an ideal investment for many who don't quite run demanding software on their notebook and would prefer to have portability. For many, though, the laughable technical specs simply just aren't sufficient. What do these individuals do should they desire a strong ultra-portable laptop with more than sixty minutes of battery life?

Ultrabooks Vs Netbooks Where the Advanced Notebook Rises

The introduction of Ultrabooks generated a massive buzz inside tech media. These kinds of notebooks, designed by Intel around their most up-to-date processors, was even thinner than nearly all netbooks but still contained the power of full sized laptops.

So Intel's Sandy Bridge processors inside these Ultrabooks aren't simply the most notable processors inside laptops today, but Intel has managed to get Ultrabooks to run them on a suprisingly low voltage. Furthermore, these processors will supercharge their power to much increased levels automatically when your activities require it!

So Which Type of Ultra-Portable Notebook Should You Invest in?

The Netbook: They're decent for many who don't desire to pay out big money. Netbooks are usually priced at only near 200 to 300 dollars, during sales they might sometimes get as low as $150.

Just don't expect to accomplish very much with these computers if you ever need to have demanding programs or large amounts of multitasking. Now, there are some rather dependable netbooks on the market that aren't as awful as I'm describing, but they are normally a lot more pricey.

The Ultrabook: Receive the portability while preserving maximum processing power. The best Ultrabooks will be a lot more pricey versus the common netbook, but they are definitely seriously worth the price tag!

Ultrabooks will be just one of those products that whenever you see them you MUST have it. Intel has been doing everything they can to keep all of these Ultrabooks reasonably priced, and even looking at every little thing that's stuffed inside these brilliantly thin and light shells, they're just genuinely great packages!

To discover more about the new, ultra-portable laptop category, check out this website to see the latest news about the best Ultrabooks and why they are the future of mobile computing!

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Prevention: Better Than Correction

Imagine you are driving too fast on a highway and you skipped a signboard "Historical Place Ahead". Does it matter for you? Definitely not, because such signs are placed half a kilometer before, and chances are that you might see that historical place yourself.

But what would you do if a danger sign "Dead End" is gone unnoticed...? Similar to above example, our lives are full of indicators, from fuel gauge of our cars to battery sign on cell phone screens; we are being notified almost at every step of our life. Fuel gauge and battery sign both have some tolerance level and appropriate actions need to be taken at right time otherwise your car engine and cell phone both will be switched off.

You may need to bring some changes in your attitude and approach in order to be a preventive-oriented person. Some approaches that can be adopted are:

1) Timely Identification

The best time to address any problem is when they first arise. If a problem is identified at its early stage, you can spot full range of outcomes and plan your actions accordingly against each outcome. I believe that nothing happens at once and every event gives you a pattern before its occurrence. Every problem signs various indications at different stages.

2) Be Realistic

Once you identified any problem, grasp the true source of the problem and learn from it. Be realistic in expecting outcome of any problem.

3) Don't be Daydreamer

Maintaining daydreaming can intensify the explosion of the problem. Some people are habitually ignorant of problems. They assume that problem will go away itself and will never comeback. I call them the "Innocent Stupid" on Earth. Never satisfy yourself with words like

- No one will ever know it. It's off-the-record.

- It's fine, everyone does it.

4) Avoid Fake Problems

Don't be so proactive to identify fake problems - The Pseudo Problems. For example, you are delivering a presentation and you mispronounce the dignity name. Don't feel embarrassment and never consider it a serious issue.

5) Take Responsibility

Jet Fighters usually fly in clusters. They are trained to follow their squadron leader. They perform maneuvers as of their leader. So, bring out that squadron leader in you and prepare yourself to take responsibility.

- Your boss will see if you can handle the situation.

- Your subordinates might look to you for guidance.

- Your colleagues wait and watch your actions.

6) Wait & See Approach

Sometimes a successful project seems to be a failed project because we were unable to address tiny issues timely and adopt wait-and-see approach. This approach can bring some serious problems for you. For example, if a person starts behaving differently, don't ignore. Identify the fault lines and if something is going wrong, fix it. Don't be habitual in delivering after deadlines.

7) Create Richter scale

If you see any indication, map all possible outcomes from the most innocent harmless possibility to the worst situation. In this way, you create a Richter scale that registers everything between worst and best case scenarios. Advantage of this approach is that if you are prepared for the Worst Case, no matter what happens next, you are controlled

Author: Mujtaba Mehmood

Author's Profile: facebook.com/mujtaba911

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Mind Power Secrets - Control Your Subconscious Mind For A Better Life

Most of us are aware of the existence of our subconscious mind, but we do not know how much influence it has on our lives. Let's look at some common occurrences in life for example - there are days when you don't get enough sleep, you don't feel energetic, you are worried than usual and feel hungrier. Most of us take unusual situations lightly as long as we start noticing these things taking a toll on our life. Your personal and professional life can get affected by excessive fear, lack of energy and boredom.

Both the negative and positive thoughts are nurtured in our subconscious mind and most of us already know this fact. But what you do not know is your ability to control the thoughts in your subconscious mind through mind power training. There are no shortcuts to eliminate negative thoughts but this is a step-by-step process and with systematic training on mind control, you will learn how to make your brain churn out positive thoughts.

Understanding Negative Thoughts And Learning How To Overcome Them

You should realize that the negative thoughts that control your decisions are not built up overnight but it's a process of many years, generally starting from your childhood, and was fueled up by people in your surroundings. Your parents, teachers, relatives and friends have contributed enormously on teaching you 'why you are incapable' or 'what qualities you do not have' to achieve certain things in life. In the long run, you start associating these negative thoughts with almost everything and a greater sense of discouragement builds in your subconscious mind.

With mind power techniques, you will train your brain the other way around - you will teach yourself to think why you are capable of doing things that you once thought to be impossible. You will prospect the fact that you are just like any other human being and definitely with some shortcomings but none of them are capable of stopping you from achieving your goals. This basically is called mind conditioning and powerful commands are used to train your brain why you are capable of achieving your goals.

Eg: Instead of telling yourself why you are weak in math, you will educate your brain why you are capable of picking the subject really fast. Believe it or not, you'll be surprised how you will excel on the subject in record time.

Guided Relaxation Is Your Stepping Stone To Success

The most powerful weapon in the arsenal of mind power education is teaching you how to relax in the toughest of times through different relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga and simple games. It's not easy to overcome your fear in a single step but you can easily teach your brain how to stop worrying and relax your body and mind. With the help of guided relaxation, it's extremely simple educating your brain to slowly eliminate negative thoughts.

Guided relaxation techniques are also used to build posted the thoughts in your brain. You will start with small successes as smaller goals are easy to achieve. Once you succeed, you will build up a very powerful trait called confidence and nothing can beat the confidence of a human being. Mind power education is extremely important but unfortunately, most mainstream education systems do not educate their students how to train their mind. This is how a lot of us become compromised individuals and think most of the times why we can't do a thing instead of thinking why we are capable of doing it.

This is Carol Strong who has always had a keen interest in self development. The power of mind power training is truly unbeatable and the success you can achieve is beyond the scope of words! Check out my informative website http://www.mindpowersecretsanswers.com/mind_power_training.html for more.

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Android Tab or iPad - Which Is Better?

Android tablet or the iPad all look almost the same but when it comes to the configuration both the tabs differ from each other. Lets us discover how the tablets differ from each other.

First and foremost let's talk about the operating system, Android tablets might run on one of the OS they have, however an iPad would run on iOS. Both of the operating systems are the ones that work on company's respective smartphones with set and defined protocols. As the technology is changing dynamically developers are becoming more interested in developing or working on the Android platform as it does not need any approval from the company while submitting a new app wherein this is the problem with Apple's iOS. Android users also have the option of working on different versions of Android's OS as compared to iOS which is a lot more exciting and fun.

Applications, be it mobile or tabs is becoming very popular among the youth and the business professionals as well. If we compare Apple's iTunes definitely has more applications number wise as compared to Android's Market but still with the advancement developers want to develop apps for Android. At the same time users prefer Android tabs over iPad because Google's Market has almost all the applications as compared to iOS. As we all know the development for application on Android platform is increasing day by day, very soon its application Store Market will overtake Apple's iTunes. Let us compare the screen size of both the tabs. iPad's only disadvantage screen wise is that it is large enough and looks like a small laptop and vice versa Android's tablet has a smaller screen and it can be carried to any place without carrying a bag for it which includes meetings, travelling etc and this is not the case with iPad, being a bit larger in size a bag is required for the same.

Last but most important factor looked by the users when they opt for buying an expensive thing is the cost of the product. Android smartphones are available at low costs and same is the case with android tablets and as compared to iPads. Both the machines have data plans for their functioning just like in the case of smartphones. But when it comes to comparing the cost of the device Android tabs win hands down.

Choose the features you are looking for when you are getting an application made for the tablets and as a word of advice look for the statistics of the devices before deciding to get your application made. Look for the best Android tablet app developer who can help you to take your business to the next level.

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Building for Something Bigger and Better

We exist in a world where instant results drive most people. Older generations will recall a time, however, when people planned ahead and saved, building a future - patience being rewarded through a well-organised approach to fulfilling their dream.

That reward remains today if we will build the sort of future that God is steadily sowing into our hearts now.

EXTENDING THE BUILDING ANALOGY

Construction is a metaphor well worthy of our plans for better things.

The need for the asset is, first, identified. This is equivalent to the pressure-for-change that compels us to build for a happier future, bright with hope, and fulfilling our purpose.

Design is the next phase. We develop the blueprint and think some more. We take the blueprint to people we trust and solicit their opinion. Back to the architect we go - who in this case is us - and we continue to refine the design.

When we are happy with these plans we take them to the local government authority for approval. Then we engage a builder who will bring these plans to reality.

The timeline is developed and contracts are signed. Then we wait and monitor progress, all the while anticipating how good it will be to enjoy this new building.

The whole developed world understands this principle of slow development.

It's no different for us in our personal lives. The process of slow development, plans maturing over time, with plenty of scope for reflection and critique, helps us to achieve the best possible outcome. This method employs wisdom.

BUILDING A BETTER FOUNDATION

Jesus' concluding point in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27) centred on the foundational strength of two buildings: one built on sand, the other on rock. Not only must our faith be built solidly, our plans are best blessed also when we patiently lay them, like bricks, one course at a time.

Change is a risky business. Perhaps we learn once in life - maybe once too many - that flippant change of directions can end disastrously. Wisdom suggests there is nothing wrong with change, just we need to understand what needs changing, how to do it, and what timeline is realistic.

***

Why do we forge ahead to bring about instant change when we miss out on the climaxing anticipation of a well-laid plan eventually coming to pass?

It's because we are naturally impatient. We don't know what will happen tomorrow, so we want what we can get today. It affects all of us unless we understand that good things can't take place without much thought and planning.

The best future is planned, custom-designed to our unique needs. While we wait, there is peace in preparation and joy in anticipation. And patience is all we need. Better to build something that is needed, and wait for it, than to occupy a redundant dwelling early.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.

Steve Wickham is a Registered Safety Practitioner (BSc, FSIA, RSP[Australia]) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). His blogs are at: http://epitemnein-epitomic.blogspot.com/ and http://tribework.blogspot.com/

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Successful Longevity: Is It Better To Die Healthy Or Suffer a Fate Reminiscent of the Struldbrugs?

"The future has been filled with fear, stained and polluted by the heartless past. From the wondrous tree of life the buds and blossoms fall with ripened fruit, and in the common bed of earth patriarchs and babes sleep side by side. Why should we fear that which will come to all that is? We cannot tell. We do not know which is the greatest blessing, life or death. We cannot say that death is not good. We do not know whether the grave is the end of this life or the door of another, or whether the night here is not somewhere else a dawn."

Robert Green Ingersoll, Oration at a Child's Grave, Chicago Tribune, Jan. 13, 1882

Religions, Christianity in particular, have indeed promised a future beyond this life-a hopeful idea save for one unfortunate fact: the priests of Christendom, as Ingersoll noted, filled it with fear. Nobody knows anything about the nature of such a possibility. We do know, however, that we will, in time, fall from the tree of life like buds and blossoms and ripened fruit. I agree with Ingersoll that we cannot tell if death is good or not. We all have our opinions, some faith-, some reason-based, whether death, the night of this life, might be the door to a dawn of another. However, pious and pagan alike also know, in their own hearts, that such beliefs (or hopes) are only that-hopes, not facts.

Death, by contrast, requires no faith. It is a fact, understood, if out of mind.

Fear of death renders longevity appealing, even more so, I suspect, than love of life. Large sums are spent on medical systems keeping people alive at the margins in the final times of life. In some cases, this is done against their will, regardless of diminished or non-existent quality of life prospects.

In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift introduced the Struldbrugs. The Struldbrugs were a small clan of immortals described by Gulliver as having been "born exempt from that universal calamity of human nature" (i.e., death). To Gulliver, it seemed "their minds were free and disengaged, without the weight and depression of spirits caused by the continual apprehensions of death!" But, they still suffered the effects of time, though their brand of "ripened fruit" never fell from the wondrous tree of life. These immortals, subject to aging and disease were, by their 80's, found by Gulliver to be "opinionative, peevish, covetous, morose, vain and talkative," as well as "incapable of friendship and dead to all natural affection." By their 90's, they had lost their teeth and hair and couldn't carry on conversations. Beyond that, it was much worse. Perhaps dying healthy, earlier in life, might have been the wish of many a Struldbrug.

So let's agree that longevity without vitality is not a consummation devotedly or otherwise to be desired. Let's also remember Ambrose Bierce's take on longevity, as seen in The Devil's Dictionary: "Longevity is the uncommon extension of the fear of death." The lesson? Curb your enthusiasm for advances in medicine and biotechnology that could prove more effective at extending existence than meaningful life.

Now comes a new book on longevity research in which the possibilities of "radical life expansion - to age 150 and beyond," is offered. In the pages of Living to 100 and Beyond, author Sonia Arrison speculates about the implications of such advances both for individuals and society. She recognizes the difference between simple longevity and life quality, using the terms "lifespan" for the former, and "health span" for the latter.

Arrison also provides many longevity-related facts, including these:

The Census Bureau lists 5.7 million Americans at 85 years and older-almost two percent of the population. While 2050 may seem a long way off, well beyond the time when many of us will still be alive, by that time 19 million (4.34%) will be in this category. Among the seniors will be 601,000 centenarians.

Longevity for humans has expanded over time. In the Cro-Magnon era, average life expectancy was 18! By the Renaissance, it had nearly doubled-to 30. In 1850, it was 43. Today, it's 78.

Longevity research persuades some scientists to forecast much longer lifestyles than those projected by the Census Bureau. Some claim that diet, drug and medical innovations (i.e., organ replacements) will lead to science-fiction scenarios. A gerontologist named Aubrey de Grey is credited with this outlandish forecast: "The first humans to live for 1,000 years may already have been born." (Source: Book review of Living to 100 and Beyond, Wall Street Journal (August 27, 2011, pp. C1-2). I find this remark hard to take seriously.

Imagine the implications of 100-year life spans, let alone a time when 150 years is the norm. If Republicans have problems with Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security now, what will they do when the bills arrive for subsidies for the super centenarians? Obviously, such life-spans will impact worksites, families, relationships, natural resources, the environment and much more. Perhaps some changes will bring pressures that spark generational civil wars!

Also, ask yourself this: Would ten percent of Americans prove to be "miserable, tired and cranky?" Would the very, very old be like Gulliver's Struldbrugs, namely, "opinionative, peevish, covetous, morose, vain and talkative?" Judging from the demeanor of Tea Party elders at political rallies, it seems likely.

Yet, when longevity researchers assert that an "average span of 150 years seems well within reach in the near future," they insist that those extra years will be vital and productive. That is amazing, in my view, and should be viewed skeptically, however persuasive the data marshaled to support such bright side scenarios. Extraordinary claims, after all, require extraordinary levels of evidence to be taken seriously, and such empirical support is not on the horizon.

What is the nature of research that Arrison provides to support such claims or alleged possibilities? Most of the evidence comes from experiments with worms; the rest with mice, fruit flies and monkeys! I'm sorry but not even an eternal worm, fruit fly or mouse would give me much confidence of seeing, let alone becoming, a 150 year-old. (However, if organ transplants, DNA manipulations and/or a new diet plus fitness regiment keeps a monkey going for a century and a half, then I might change my tune.)

Sonia Arrison, the author of 100 Plus: How the Coming Age of Longevity Will Change Everything, From Careers and Relationships to Family and Faith, reviews and then rejects the principal arguments against efforts to dramatically extend life. She finds nothing "noble, beautiful or exciting about deterioration and decline." At the end of her book, she asks: "What is morally suspect about ameliorating human suffering? The answer is nothing. Everything that we have, socially and as individuals, is based on the richness of life. There can be no more basic obligation than to help ourselves and future generations to enjoy longer, healthier spans on the Earth that we share."

Obviously, this good and wise lady does not believe the choice is to die healthy (i.e., relatively young) or suffer the fate of the Struldbrugs. What do you think?

Publisher of the ARDELL WELLNESS REPORT (AWR) - a weekly electronic newsletter devoted to commentaries on current issues that affect personal and social well being from a quality of life perspective. The emphasis is on REAL wellness, which is also the topic of Don's latest book. Read about it here - https://www.createspace.com/3478226 - The "REAL" acronym reflects key issues embraced and advanced in Don's philosophy, namely, Reason, Exuberance, Athleticism and Liberty. Sample copy of Don's latest edition by request. If you like it, you can sign up - the price is right - free. Contact Don at awr.realwellness@gmail.com

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The Obama Administration Says They Will Create Jobs - I Have a Better Idea

It seems to me that the American people are being brainwashed by the media into thinking that the government, the Federal Reserve, and the Obama Administration are the only ones who can bring jobs back to America. That is absolutely blasterdash and poppycock. You see, it is not government that creates jobs, it is the private sector. Now then, I'd like to discuss this with you for a moment, in case you think you might disagree based on what you've heard in the media or the Teleprompter Routines spoken by the commander-in-chief.

President Obama would have us believe that the Obama Administration has a bullet proof plan to create jobs and reduce unemployment. Well, I have a better idea for the Administration, so let me explain. Rather than having the Obama Administration create jobs for us, and create new industries for America, maybe they might reduce regulations, delete ObamaCare, and call off the regulatory attack dogs so that we can have back all the industries they either hijacked or inadvertently destroyed?

There was a great little article and statement in the Wall Street Journal on August 18, 2011 in the Notable and Quotable Section which was a repeat of a speech by Warren Buffet's son Howard Buffet who had quoted a piece from the December 1956 issue of the "Freeman" and stated the challenges of the government grabbing hold of production rather than allowing the free-market to do it's magic. "Oh how history repeats," I say.

The reality is our nation has worked well because we believed in free markets, we believed in capitalism, and we demanded our liberty and freedom. That includes the right to choose, the right to pursue happiness, the right to free contract, and it comes with it the responsibility and the unfortunate reality that you can't have true success without failure. If we start believing that only the government can provide jobs, they will grab a hold of the money flows, capital flows, and production of our free-market system.

Now then, if the federal government cannot even mind its own affairs, live within its means, or balance its budget then how one Earth can we expect them to guarantee us that they can provide us jobs with some special plan that they concocted? They've never been able to do it before, they can't even handle their own affairs, and they keep running out of money because they have to borrow 40% of every dollar they spend. They spend 45% of everything they put out in the administration of those services.

The last thing we want them to do is meddle in the affairs of businessmen and women in the free-market system. The Obama Administration cannot provide jobs for America, it doesn't know how, it would be utterly ridiculous for us to ditch what works in the free-market, for some sort of hope and change that America will be better off as a socialist nation, with its industries nationalized. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,500 articles by August 24th or 25th will be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..

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Online Education Can Be Better Than The Offline Equivalent

Online Education - K-12 Distance Education

Image by courosa via Flickr

We all have individual learning styles. There are visual learners,who learn mostly through seeing, there are Auditory learners who learn mostly through listening,and there are also Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners: who learn through learn through, moving, doing and touching.

Learning and understanding your learning style, may help you to learn more effectively.
According to a recent report published by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 20percent of all college students experienced some kind of online instruction.

The volatility of the global economy have necessitated retraining for a large number of people. the act of balancing work,family,civic commitments,and school can be arduous. Online education allows students to to address professional needs with flexibility. This is may part of the reason that online enrollments are flourishing.

We are continually learning and in almost every situation, we are absorbing and processing new information. If you are among the millions who access the web, your are involved in learning online. The leap to a more formal world of online education that involves pursuing an online degree or continuing education in a virtual classroom is not extensive

One of the key indicators of online education success is the motivation of the student.Online students tend to be more motivated as they have a deeper appreciation of why they are engaged in the process and the expected outcomes. The other main ingredient is often designed and supported online educational program.

Advantages of online education
The popularity of online degrees have been steadily increasing over the last couple of years. The following may been seen as beneficial attributes

Flexibility:You can work around and when it fits your schedule. With an online course, you can login and work when it's suitable to you.

Accelerated learning; Many online programs have accelerated a traditional semester long course into eight weeks which may a bit more demanding.

Save time and money by not commuting: Not having to travel, even it is just five miles away can save an enormous amount of time and expense when you study from home.

Non physical contact can be liberating to some people.Many people are conscious and concerned of their physical appearance or mannerism.This becomes immaterial in the online world.

Online degrees may not be for everyone, but it is definitely a wave of the future. A few different formats may be adopted and the method in which the information is presented must be first examined to determine which is most suitable.

The most common design may involve reading materials, engaging in online discussions with classmates and submitting papers or projects at term end. The work is completed at your convenience, but with some established guidelines. Other methods include simply reading the material and taking the test with little interaction with others.

Instruction delivery in online education is now evolving and also includes reading materials, logging into a real time Web conferences to interact with instructors or peers. This method is becoming popular, but requires adjusting your schedule to accommodate the class.

There is some self assessment necessary in order to determine if you are a suitable candidate for an online degree.
1) Are you a self starter? Procrastinators may be at a disadvantage
2) Are you persistent? Computer crashes, lost data, broken fingers must not be able to stop you.
3) Can you work alone? Even though a lot of online work is done in groups, the majority of your time online will be independent. The ability to think independently will be of primary importance.
4) Do you manage your time well? Online education will require effective time management skills.

In addtion to the above mentioned requirements it is important to know your learning style and how it can be applied in your online education.
The internet is constant evolution as is education.
The benefits and advantages afforded by the internet are now being adopted in the education arena to create a paradigm shift in the way we learn...
The information superhighway is real
visit http://degreesonet.com/ to find how you can dramatically improve your education and prospective lifestyle at your convenience.

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Obama: Better off as a lame duck? - USA Today

A couple of pollsters have an odd suggestion for President Obama, if he wants to get something done with the new, more Republican Congress.

Announce he won't run for re-election.

Douglas E. Schoen and Patrick H. Caddell write in The Washington Post:

If the president goes down the re-election road, we are guaranteed two years of political gridlock at a time when we can ill afford it. But by explicitly saying he will be a one-term president, Obama can deliver on his central campaign promise of 2008, draining the poison from our culture of polarization and ending the resentment and division that have eroded our national identity and common purpose

Schoen polled for former President Bill Clinton. Caddell worked for President Jimmy Carter, but has since been more of a political independent.

We rather doubt their analysis, however -- it's hard to see how Obama gains any leverage over congressional Republicans or Democrats by making himself a lame duck.

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There will be many books about the Obama administration in the years ahead, and we can't help but wonder if one of them will be the president's diary.

The evidence that Obama keeps a diary is in Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside The Obama White House, which is scheduled to be on the shelves tomorrow.

"Sometimes, I keep notes, I keep a diary, and I was looking over some old volumes that I had written," Obama told author Richard Wolffe, according to an account in Politico.

Wolffe writes:

There was often speculation that a writer like Obama would keep extensive journals of his own unlikely journey from the Illinois state senate to the presidency ... But the speculation was never confirmed, and Obama's aides appeared to know little about what their boss was writing, if anything.

No doubt such diary entries would form the basis of a future autobiography, just as his Chicago journals were the foundation for his memoir, 'Dreams from My Father.' But they also suggested something about Obama's self-reflective moments. They were the result of a methodical harvesting of other people's ideas and words: a conscious effort to weave his own thoughts and experiences into some kind of literary compendium. They also served to reinforce his self-image, as a self-disciplined, strategic mind that could find solutions to emotional challenges.

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When President Obama and the Republicans meet this week to discuss the George W. Bush tax cuts, he will have a question for them about extensions for the wealthy.

"If they feel very strongly about it, then I want to get a sense of how they intend to pay for it," Obama told reporters yesterday as Air Force One made its way back from Asia.

Obama supports extending the tax cuts for the middle class, but raises a deficit objection for Americans who make more than $200,000 a year, and couples who make more than $250,000.

"I believe it is a mistake for us to borrow $700 billion to make tax cuts permanent for millionaires and billionaires," Obama said. "It won't significantly boost the economy, and it's hugely expensive. So we can't afford it."

The lame duck Congress needs to resolve the issue soon: The Bush tax cuts expire at the end of the year.

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After his 10-day trip through Asia, President Obama turns to what might be his biggest foreign policy challenge: The war in Afghanistan.

Obama flies at the end of this week to Lisbon, Portugal, for a NATO summit devoted to Afghanistan. The weekend meeting will feature a new administration plan to shift more responsibility to the Afghans over the next 18-to-24 months, and to end all U.S. combat operations by 2014.

The new 2014 date that Obama administration officials have begun to float would be a goal of the gradual withdrawal process that Obama wants to begin in July of 2011.

The NATO summit comes as Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai -- who has often been at odds with the Obama administration -- says he wants a lower profile American presence as soon as possible.

"The time has come to reduce military operations," Karzai told The Washington Post. "The time has come to reduce the presence of, you know, boots in Afghanistan ... to reduce the intrusiveness into the daily Afghan life."

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In the wake of a bad election, President Obama says he is returning to "first principles," including bipartisanship, dealing with wasteful federal spending, and explaining his actions better to the American people.

"I spent the first two years trying to get policy right based on my best judgment about how we were going to deal with the short-term crisis and how we were going to retool to compete in this new global economy," Obama told reporters aboard Air Force One, flying back Sunday from his Asia trip.

Speaking nearly two weeks after an election in which his Democratic Party lost control of the U.S. House, Obama added:

In that obsessive focus on policy, I neglected some things that matter a lot to people, and rightly so: maintaining a bipartisan tone in Washington; dealing with practices like earmarks that are wasteful at a time where everybody else is tightening their belts; making sure that the policy decisions that I made were fully debated with the American people and that I was getting out of Washington and spending more time shaping public opinion and being in a conversation with the American people about why I was making the choices I was making.

So I think, moving forward, I'm going to redouble my efforts to go back to some of those first principles. And the fact that we are out of crisis -- although still, obviously, in a difficult time -- I think will give me the capacity to do that.

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President Obama talks this week with Republicans about extending the George W. Bush tax cuts for wealthy Americans, and White House adviser David Axelrod began laying down some markers on the Sunday talk shows.

Axelrod said Obama opposes the "permanent" extension of those tax cuts for individuals making more than $200,000 a year, and couples who make more than $250,000 -- but a temporary extension may be up for discussion.

"The bottom line is he wants to sit down and talk about this," Axelrod said on NBC's Meet The Press.

Obama meets with congressional leaders from both parties Thursday at the White House.

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In case you were wondering if President Obama will seek re-election: Top adviser David Axelrod confirmed today he will leave the White House in the first half of next year to start organizing Obama's 2012 campaign.

"Sometime in the spring, late winter, early spring, I'll be going back -- coming back here -- to Chicago and beginning to work on that project," Axelrod told Fox News Sunday today.

Axelrod,who did the interview from his hometown of the Chicago, has often discussed going back to the Windy City to start the president's re-election bid, associates have said. The veteran political consultant ran Obama's successful 2008 presidential campaign.

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There's been a lot of talk about extending the George W. Bush tax cuts before the end of the year, but President Obama has identified another big goal for the upcoming lame duck session of Congress: The pending Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia.

"I reiterated my commitment to get the START Treaty done during the lame duck session, and I've communicated to Congress that it is a top priority," Obama said after a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Japan, wrapping up his 10-day Asia trip.

Some Senate Republicans have balked at the proposed treaty, saying it could undercut U.S. missile defense plans.

Obama and aides figure they have a better chance of ratification of the treaty in the lame duck Senate; the new Senate that opens next year will have six more Republicans.

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President Obama is winging his way back to Washington, but not before receiving some spiritual nourishment in Japan.

Obama visited the 44-foot-high Great Buddha statue of Kamakura, returning to a spot he visited when he was 6 years old.

"The first time I was here, I was this big," Obama said, putting his hand up to his waist.

The copper Buddha statue, constructed in 1252, weighs 93 tons, and is seated in the lotus position, meditating. The statue is a sacred site.

"It is wonderful to return to this great treasure of Japanese culture," Obama wrote in the guest book. "Its beauty has stayed with me for many years."

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Declaring a better city, a better life - Xinhua

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Some participants at the Shanghai World Expo jointly summarized the "substantive achievements" of the 184-day event in a Shanghai Declaration, on Sunday, the last day of the Expo, pointing to its innovations as solutions in tackling the challenges of urban development.

The declaration was also "an expression of the shared aspirations of people around the world for a 'Better City, Better Life'". This came in a statement released at the Summit Forum, held on the sidelines of the Expo.

The forum was hosted by the Shanghai organizing committee, the United Nations, and the International Exhibitions Bureau and attracted nearly 2,000 people, including Chinese and foreign leaders, mayors of major cities in the world, business elites, and academics.

The participants came to a consensus that people's understanding and pursuit of a better life are the foundation and the engine of urban development, as was seen in the pavilion exhibitions and showcases of the best urban practices.

It is necessary to re-examine the relationship between people, cities and the planet, said the statement. The participants pledged to build cities with harmony among diverse people, between development and the environment, and between cultural legacies and innovations.

The declaration also proposed that Oct 31, the closing day of the World Expo 2010, be nominated as World Better Cities Day, in a bid to recall, renew and advance ideas and practices of the Shanghai Expo for future development.

At the forum's opening ceremony, Premier Wen Jiabao called the Expo a splendid event and a glorious chapter in Expo history.

Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, in a speech before members of the forum, called for a joint effort in tackling the growing urbanization challenge.

Wen spoke of the Expo bringing "together the Chinese people who wish to learn more about the world, and foreign friends who wish to know more about China" and said they have forged a strong bond of friendship.

Ban called China "a frontrunner in addressing the urban slum challenge and in embracing green technologies, renewable energy sources and green business models."

Urbanization with green technology, were the keywords of the day at the forum on Sunday.

"We must marshal the benefits of technology to harmonize the needs of people and nature. That's how we build a city of harmony; that's what lies at the heart of sustainable urban development," said Sha Zukang, the UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs.

Over the past six months, more than a thousand new energy vehicles were used in the 5.28 square-kilometer Expo Garden in a large-scale demonstration of 'zero emissions' transportation.

"Science and technology is not the only power to push economic development, but also the engine of urbanization and sustainable development," said China's Cao Jianlin, vice-minister of science and technology.

In addition, there were seven separate panel discussions with different themes on how to build digital, cultural, creative, sustainable, and livable cities.

 (Source: China Daily)

Special Report: World Expo 2010

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