Turn Five

A K-12 Education Blog

Archive for December, 2009

31
Dec

The Importance of Investing in Your Employees

In the economy of today, the future belongs to people who are competent, caring and willing to learn.  Companies throughout the world are realizing that by continuing employee training programs through the recession they are ensuring that when the global financial situation recovers, their staff and their company will be ahead of the game.  That is what the concept of investment is all about, setting one’s sights on future possibilities, and making certain that the actions one takes today, allow for those possibilities to become realities.

In the continuance of education, in marketing, communication and sales training, is key to making certain that your business will not only survive the current economic climate, but that your employees will not only become more knowledgeable and productive, but so as you invest in them, they too will invest in you.  Technology and materials are plentiful, and very easy to access…what is not so easy to access are employees that are loyal and sufficiently satisfied with the work in which they do, but taking the time to train and offer classes which will benefit them, says quite simply that not only do you care about your company, but you care about them as well.  Knowledge and statistics are good, but they will not hold up for true achievement of long term goals.

In order for long term goals to be attained, a glimpse into the future must be something that all can see, that all can visualize.  It is this kind of innovative vision that will set one company apart from another.  Looking not only at what is in the now, but towards future products, future projects, and future services to be offered.  Seeing the future relies not only on knowledge, but in-depth knowledge and wisdom, taking from today and looking towards tomorrow.  This involves the investment in the skills of one’s employees.  It will be these companies that we will see next year, and in the next five years.  Investing in one’s employees, is one investment which will pay off, in more ways than one.

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posted by Aisha in Business and have No Comments
28
Dec

Nights in Sorrento, Days in Pompeii

In the south of Italy, overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento with its 16,500 inhabitants lies at the south-eastern part of the Circumvesuviana rail line, which places it within easy reach of Pompeii.  Spend your nights in one of the hotels Sorrento accords its guests, imbibe limoncello for which the city is known (made from water, sugar, lemon rinds, and alcohol), and enjoy the views of Naples, but by day take a trip to the ruins of one of the most famous disaster sites in the history of the world: Pompeii.

Famously buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., Pompeii was considered a kind of pleasure city.  When the volcanic eruption collapsed the roofs and buried the city under sixty feet of pumice and ash, it was lost to history for one thousand seven hundred years, before it was found again in 1748.  Some of the discoveries made then must have shocked the archaeologists, because they kept hidden a number of finds involving a high number of brothels and erotic art.  Today, the city remains one of the most popular reasons to go to Italy (in recent years, records suggest that over two million people visit the site), and is only one of the trips possible if you stay in Sorrento.

Back from the day trip, the nights can be spent in fine restaurants or cafes.  The city offers interesting walking tours as well.  Medieval buildings abound, from architecture throughout the centuries, with examples from the eleventh, thirteenth, fourteenth centuries, as well as the eighteenth and nineteenth, contained in such places the Piazza Tasso or the Palazzo Correale, and inside the Cathedral of San Fiolippo and Sangiacomo.  Note, too, that in addition to limoncello, Sorrento is known for its fine wood inlays and marquetry.  If you take a look inside one of its museums, for example the Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea, you’ll find a number of 19th Century marquetry furniture.  Most of all, though, Sorrento is a place to relax and enjoy yourself.

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posted by Aisha in Travel and have No Comments
22
Dec

Andrew Murray’s Swiftrank Recovery in Tennis World Rankings

The world tennis star Andrew Murray is only twenty-two years old and has already achieved more than what most professional players will throughout their entire career. This is an impressive status and Murray himself does not seem to be satisfied with the level he has reached. In the last year alone he has made progress on his clay court game, which has always been second to his hard court playing. He has won championships and is recognized throughout the world. Last year, in 2008 he was second to Roger Federer, finishing as the runner up in the US Open.

Murray plays right handed, backhand and two handed and is excellent with aggressive plays as well as swiftrank recovery both on the court and off. He was ranked as number two in the world during the summer of 2009 until he was unable to move beyond the fourth round in the US Open which placed him back to the world ranking of number four. It is through extreme efforts and determination that will improve that status in the future and the discipline to do so is owned by few players. This is in part what the recovery perspective deals with and is part of a continued career high progression.

He won his first major award when he was twelve years old and participated in the Orange Bowl. Winning this prestigious event gained him a high level of respect and attention. He later moved to Barcelona, Spain to study at the Schiller International School. These early years taught Murray his first sacrifice needs regarding choosing such a huge goal and life ambition. Moving away from his family and friend was difficult and so would be the opponents he would come to face on the court throughout his career. Sacrifice, discipline, endurance, and unbelievable hard work are the actual elements behind the perceived glamorous life of this and other sports stars. Murray has what it takes and it will be interesting to watch him throughout his career.

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posted by Aisha in Sports and have No Comments
21
Dec

All Means of Creation

Den Haag Netherlands has been a city of turning for a very long time. So many things have happened and continue to happen to day. I has become quite an important city since its small beginning. It makes a worldly contribution every single day. If you find yourself here at one of the fine hotels Den Haag has and are looking for more information there is a lot to be found. Like many other cities of Europe there is that fantastic blend of old and new in everything. If you are from the young America then it is so amazing to stand in the streets of a city that is been developing for centuries.

The Hague, as it is also known as, has some great museums and buildings to admire. If you go down to the political center of the city you will see what I mean with the blend of old and new architecture. There is the charming bricks, arches, domes and windows of older days mixed in with modern sculptured steel buildings. And what goes on in these buildings is very important to peace and justice for the whole world. Take a guided tour of the Binnenhof buildings. There you will see the Dutch parliament buildings, the Hofvijver and the Hall of Knights, Ridderzaal.

Next you have the museums and art buildings. The Maritshuis is an old mansion built in the 17th century. It is now an art gallery that has many Dutch and Flemish paintings. There you will find some art work created by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Rubens. It is an amazing building to see. The Escher Museum is also inside an old building that was a Palace. Inside, is an exhibit of famous Dutch artist M.C. Escher.  He was famous for his work in tessellations and impossible objects. He uses many art mediums to create some eye catching art.

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posted by Aisha in Travel and have No Comments
17
Dec

History Center

Philadelphia is a must visit city if your interested in the early history of the United States. This was one of the cities that had housed some of the most important people and their decisions that shaped the country to become as great as it is today. So find a fabulous hotel, Philadelphia has many to choose from, and head over to the Independence Visitor Center. This is the ultimate concierge of history for the city. It is smack in the heart of downtown Historical Philadelphia. It is a great place to get information on what happened in the city and were to see the landmarks and museums to check it all out. It is really close to the Liberty Bell Center, the National Constitution Center and of course the not to be missed Independence Hall. You can get tickets for all the main attractions and get a reminder history lesson so you can really make the most of what you see by what you know.

The Liberty Bell Center is the new home of the Liberty Bell. There you will find a wonderful display of historic documents, images and facts about the Bell. You will get to see if any Myths you know of are true or not. Independence Hall is a great view into the place were the lawyers battled out the separation from the King. The Assembly Room is set up the way it was during the Constitutional Convention. The original ink stand used to sign the Declaration sits along the side of the original draft. If you need a patriotic boost continue on to the National Constitution Center. This is were a very influential four page document, the Declaration of Independence is presented and explored with artifacts, interactive displays, high-tech exhibits, music, and acting all to drive the truth and message that We the People stands for. So find a great hotel, Philadelphia has plenty of them, and set out to be inspired by the founding of this country.

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posted by Aisha in History,Travel and have No Comments
14
Dec

Fight for Singapore

Singapore has had it’s land occupied since the eleventh century. With so many rulers in the world for thousands of years, it would not be possible to go without someone trying to take over Singapore. Every major Empire has tried to take this town/city. Early on there was the Srivijayan‘s and the Portuguese fought over the area in 1613. The Dutch tried there hand at taking the city and did gain control of the port. It was apart of the Dutch taking many ports in the area creating a monopoly in the trade of spices. The British were of course next to come and stake their claim to the area. A British port was established by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819. That is when the city started to become more important and the port feed that growing trade business.

The more recent big battle for the city was when the Japanese were trying to build their empire. The city was bombed with daily air raids where many civilian places were destroyed. Many people died while they took the city. The Japanese won and 1942 to 1945 was a very dark time for the city of Singapore. The Japanese Occupation took its toll on the city. The Japanese army was very hard on the local people of the city with harsh punishments. So many horrible acts were committed by the troops especially the military police. They were the ones responsible for the Sook Ching Massacre.  This execution took 25,000 to 50,000 peoples lives in Singapore and Malaya.

After they Japanese surrendered to the allies in 1945, the British came back into the city only to find it destroyed. Most of the infrastructure was gone. The people were hungry and poor. It took several years to bring the economy and city back to previous levels. The pain left in the people against the British for not being able to protect them stirred up an independence. In 1946 the Straits Settlement was torn up and Singapore finally became a separate Crown Colony. Come to and stay at one of the new Singapore spas and see what this beautiful city has become.

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posted by Aisha in Travel and have No Comments
11
Dec

Outdoor Grilling Can Be More Popular Than Indoor Kitchens

In today’s market there are so many options for outdoor kitchen designs, structured and additional elements that cooking out in one’s one backyard has become as diverse as dining in the best barbeque restaurant. In addition these great outdoor grills and kitchen areas add a great deal to the overall ambiance of any backyard design and they serve as the perfect place for family gatherings, birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, social gatherings and holiday parties. Obviously the list could go on and on. However, with just the options mentioned it becomes clear that investing in a backyard kitchen can actually save a household a great deal of money in the long run.

So, realizing all of the benefits of an outdoor kitchen is the easy part. The next step, which includes making the major decisions, planning the area design as well as choosing what all to include, becomes a bit more complicated. Many outdoor kitchen countertops and islands include built in bbq grills, which makes some of the decisions a lot easier. The built in grill is incredibly useful for all aspects of cooking and is conveniently located in the already established countertop or island design.

These grills are also easy to maintain and they make the ideal place to cook a quick hamburger or hotdog meal, or to be a little more elaborate with kabobs and other options. It is easy to prepare the food and all the ingredients right there on the counter next to the grill and in many ways this is a more convenient cooking option than what exists in many indoor kitchens. Don’t be surprised if after having decided on an outdoor kitchen model the family ends up spending more time in the backyard than in the house. And when the great built in grill is considered with other elements such as a fireplace or large screen television, spending time in the backyard becomes utterly irresistible.

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posted by Aisha in Home & Garden and have No Comments
10
Dec

Sentosa’s Song of the Sea is Watered Down

Our final stop of our trip, and indeed for the day was to the resort of Sentosa Island. To reach the island, we had to take a cable car located at the top of Mt. Faber, across the bay, then go through a building, go across the bay again and then down to the island. The view from the cable car was stunning, plus the cable cars bounced around that it almost felt like a ride in an amusement park.

Once at Sentosa, we headed directly to one of the best Sentosa, Singapore hotels where we had reservations and checked in, but before we got there, we were greeted by this massive Merlion statue, apparently it’s the emblem of Singapore. It was huge, towering over us like a snake mountain, we were in awe with all the neon lighting and LEDs brilliantly shining forth. Truly skating on the line of tackiness and wonderment. We wondered if the rest of Sentosa was bordering on that same knife’s edge. After we checked into our hotel, we headed out to the main Boulevard where there were fountains and sculptures, and these too were all lit with an astounding array of incandescent sparkles of luminosity. Frankly, I found it marvelous and great fun.

When we reached the end of the Boulevard, we found several pubs, which we took full liberty to stretch out on the beach with some ice cold lagers. If was our reward for a hard day at playing tourist. We chatted and relaxed before we checked out this audio-visual spectacular show called ‘The Song of the Sea.’ At least that’s what we were told. But, really, the show was, well, lame. The actors mimed the soap-opera story and the songs were pretty hard to listen to, but the lasers projecting into the water was great! This laser projection led into a 3D hologramatic effect, which was totally thrilling and entertaining, very nicely constructed. We pretty much figured the ‘Song of the Sea’ must be for children.

This was our final event in all of Singapore. The next day we headed back over to Singapore and to the airport, tired, but happy.

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posted by Aisha in Music,Travel and have No Comments
07
Dec

Purple Mountains

Every peak in Colorado has a town at the bottom of its hill. Every town has a choice of hotels. Colorado is geared up for fun, sport and leisure. Any time of the year you come to visit Colorado you will find something to do. So many things to do that you will really have to decide between some grand adventures. If you fly in you will most likely make it into Denver first. This is of course the big city of the state. Here you can partake in the night life like other modern cities. There is a wonderful music and theatre scene along with some fantastic restaurants and shopping.

The real adventure begins when you get to some of the smaller towns through out the state. Just getting to these many towns you will drive through some of the most glorious majestic scenes you will ever see. This state has it all from the sandy dunes of the east to the snow crusted peaks of the west. From the high desert of the south to the highest peaks in the north. People come from all over the world to see and experience this amazing state. Colorado’s Pikes Peak was the inspiration for the poem by Katharine Lee Bates which was published in a church periodical on one July 4th day in 1895. Samuel A Ward put his music, which was the old hymn O Mother Dear, to Bates’s poem and published the morphed America the Beautiful in 1910. This now being one of the most patriotic song of America. It even sits in for The Star-Spangled Banner  now and then.

Pikes Peak can be visited out of the town of Colorado Springs just south of Denver. There is a tram that will takes visitors to the top. However Mount Elbert is the tallest peak in Colorado. Your gonna have to get to it from Leadville which is nestled in to the mountains nice an snug.

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posted by Aisha in Travel and have No Comments
01
Dec

Finding Design Help at Next Day Blinds Virginia

I was not really sure what I wanted when I walked into a Next Day Blinds Virginia store.  I explained to the sales person that I wanted to update the look of my apartment, and needed a bit more privacy from the people walking by on the busy street outside my kitchen window.  I had never been in before, but a good friend of mine recommended that I take my business there as not only did she have a great experience shopping with the company, she was sure that they would be able to help me come to a decision about the not only the various designs, but the colors as well.

The years of experience of the staff, has given this company a bit extra, extra in the way that they provide customer service, and what they have to offer, through actively working with so many different people and clients over the years, is really something special.  As soon as I walked in the door, I really felt as though the sales person was there not simply to just sell me some blinds but to make certain I was going to leave completely and thoroughly satisfied.   She suggested that the best blinds for my kitchen and my bathroom would be smaller, mini-blinds as they fit into the smaller spaces much better, and she said, that the blinds made from vinyl are very easy to clean.  We then took a look at the colors.

I had just finished painting my apartment, and happened to have the color swatches in my bag, and she took the time to look over the different shades, and we decided on contrasting colors for the bathroom and the kitchen.  We then moved on to my front room, the painting studio.  I really needed to be able to control the light coming in through the windows, and she suggest some shades that were made from a very thin material, which would let light in, but not create the slatted shadows across my paintings.  When I left Next Day Blinds, concerns that I’d had about my little place vanished, and I knew that once those window coverings were installed, I would be happy to call that tiny apartment, “home, sweet, home”.

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posted by Aisha in Home & Garden and have No Comments
01
Dec

The Gagosian Gallery Manhattan

New York is full of incredible art galleries and exhibit spaces. Work for famous artists as well as the latest generation of up and coming innovators is displayed and scene here. There are examples of the avant-garde experimental scene as well as the most accessible mainstream and popular works. The fact that tourists visit the city to see one of the current Broadway hits is well known thought it is also extremely common for the guests staying in one of the best hotels Manhattan to be in the city to visit some of the art galleries. It is also common for many people to enjoy visiting various galleries during the day while attending a major Broadway musical at night. It’s important to remember to eat, if you’re one of those always on the go people and many of New York’s restaurants cater to the pre-theatre crowd.

The Gagosian Gallery, owned by Larry Gagosian has become one of the leading contemporary art galleries in the world. It has seven locations and four of those are in the United States. Of those four, three of them are in New York City. The gallery has gained a solid reputation for curating high quality and museum ready shows. It has shown the work of some of the top practicing artists and has also represented unknown artists who have demonstrated amazing skill and high quality works.

The New York spaces have current exhibits that range in genre and subject matter. The location at 980 Madison Avenue is currently featuring the sculpture work of CY Twombly. It also has a current exhibit titled Modern Masters, which features the work of Pablo Picasso and David Smith. The work of Roger Ballen is also being featured at this location in an exhibit titled Boarding House. The exhibit is a collection of photographs that were taken between 2004 and 2008. The work is exclusively in black and white and Ballen is known for using photography to evoke the essence and core sensations of the human psyche.

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posted by Aisha in Travel and have No Comments
01
Dec

Miami Monkey Jungle Endangered Species Conservation

There is more than one thing to do and one place to go in or around Miami Florida, but there is definitely only one place called Monkey Jungle. This amazing establishment is incredibly entertaining, engaging, fun and educational. It is a one of a kind monkey encounter and leaves many guests with an entirely knew perspective on non-human primates. The company logo states that this is the place where the humans are cages and the monkeys run free. This of course is in reference to maintaining safety standards because it is true that these monkeys are free. Many of the guests who stay in one of the hotels Miami Florida enjoy a trip to Monkey Jungle as part of their visit.

The jungle began in 1933 when animal behaviorist Joseph DuMond set free six monkeys out into the South Florida hammock. The original intention was simply to study their adaptive behavior patterns and that event has grown and transitioned into three generations worth of the Java Troup. The jungle has helped to evolve zoological perspectives on facility development, structure and design. It remains to be one of the few existing protected habitats for endangered species and it is also the only one that allows the general public to explore it.

The Java monkeys are incredibly interesting to watch and many of the visitors are impressed with the diving and fishing skills. There are scheduled feedings along the riverbanks and mangrove swamps that demonstrate the water skills of these monkeys and the spectators love to watch them as they dive into the water and retrieve fresh fruit. Another feature of Monkey Jungle is the promotion of awareness of and appreciation for some of the species. During their visit the audience is introduces to the orangutans and gets an inside view of their natural daily lifestyle. Most people walk away surprised by and impressed with their spontaneous antics. Monkey Jungle his home to a total of thirty species and works hard to protect and conserve endangered species such as the Golden Lion Tamarin, which is native to the jungles of Brazil.

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posted by Aisha in Travel and have No Comments
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