09.2
10
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It is tough getting educational toys because, well, how would you actually measure whether something is educational, especially when it involves very young children even toddlers? Actually, many child psychologists believe that just about anything is “educational” for a child, particularly at very young ages when practically by definition anything they come into contact with teaches them something about the world, about which they know virtually nothing!
When you do not know a lot to begin with, everything is educational, isn’t it? And so the world is full of educational toys as a result, as any object can be played with and, in the very playing with, help to develop the motor skills and cognitive abilities which toymakers claim their items foster in a child.
And yet clearly there are toys that do seem to somehow offer much more than entertainment value, for example programmable robot kits. So perhaps a better way to think about educational toys is to not regard them as being completely educational or not, in which case it is arguable that a plaything could be made of almost anything and that play itself is an inherently educational activity.
The misunderstandings, as ever (according to most semanticists, anyway), concerns semantics, or meaning. If we mean by the term not merely something that can be played with such that skillsets of some kind are fostered, but instead those toys which are obviously more capable of fostering a skillset, particularly one which is not readily developed otherwise, then shopping becomes substantially easier!
Thus, it will turn out that puzzles like a Rubik’s Cube are very educational while alphabet blocks are much less so. And as parents, we want to encourage our kids to not only explore but push their intellectual envelope, so while good old-fashioned dolls and the like might stimulate the imagination, much more ingenious toys can also stimulate such higher-order faculties as pattern recognition and problem solving.
09.1
10
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An exam glove is used by medical professionals to conduct examinations without contaminating the sample or patient as well as themselves. Most such exam gloves used to be produced out of rubber latex, but the chances of allergic reactions has made the likes of neoprene and nitrile, the materials of choice for many modern medical exam glove. It’s almost impossible to tell them apart at first glance, but each presents its own unique characteristics that make some people prefer one over the other.
The common exam glove these days is made of synthetic rubber that tends to cost a lot more than natural latex alternatives, a concern in these recessionary times when even famous hospitals like Saint Vincent’s in the Bronx, New York can shutter due to financial difficulties.
Furthermore, something like nitrile rubber has second-rate strength and flexibility when compared to natural rubber, though it is more resistant to oils and acids. Neoprene, on the other hand, resists burning better and will often be found inside the weather stripping applied to fire doors as well as in the examination gloves of a healthcare provider.
Exam gloves were first instituted with William Stewart Halsted’s 1890 practice of using rubber gloves that protect medical workers from skin exposure to carbolic acid, a required sterilizing agent. Carbolic acid, or phenol, was adopted originally by Sir Joseph Lister for use in antiseptic surgery, but skin irritation lead to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company’s invention of a rubber glove that could withstand the organic compound.
Interestingly, latex gloves are still much preferred in surgery nowadays because of the fine control and greater sensitivity they offer. The one exception to this fact is the polyisoprene glove, but these are over twice as expensive as their natural latex counterparts, and as mentioned previously, hospitals have now turn into really cost-sensitive environments.
08.29
10
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The right wedding favors can be hard enough to find, seeing how they should reflect not only the occasion but the couple and all their guests, but for those in alternative~ lifestyles for example open marriages it may be highly challenging. On the one hand, conventional wedding favors don’t seem to honor the most unique aspect of such a marriage – namely, that it’s open and the couple isn’t exactly shy about the fact – but on the other hand most people wish to remember a marriage, not a social statement.
Of course, one may easily retort that marriage by definition is really a social statement to begin with – but the institution is so frequent and nearly universal that it’s no “statement” at all, not in the sense of a declaration beyond the obvious.
Wedding favors are also statements, in effect, a kind of message from the couple to their guests. They symbolize what the couple wishes the guest to remember of the wedding, and even how the guest should view the couple. So how to go about selecting the right takeway gift, the right momento?
In the end, it depends on the couple, of course. The overwhelming vast majority would no doubt prefer innocous ceremonies and by extension sourvenirs – even anonymous affairs that make the official proclamation of their marriage blend into the vast background of all marriages occurring in their culture. Hence the double difficulty encountered by people in alternative family arrangements where nothing seems to recognize, much less celebrate, their beliefs.
What to do, then? Fortunately, many such people, those who choose and also proudly proclaim their unusual unions, are extremely creative and eminently capable of designing their own distinctive parting gifts for their guests. But as modern society becomes ever more permissive, it’s only a matter of time before enterprising folks start catering to this niche market with particular products that not only recognize their particular flavor of marriage but even honor it.
08.28
10
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Stocking and providing medical office supplies has usually been one of the duties of a hospital dispensary, which is mainly dedicated to dispensing medication according to doctors’ prescriptions. Nowadays, the term “dispensary” refers to a handful of different institutions around the world – or, even, within the country.
For instance, in California a dispensary is a specially designated store licensed to sell not medical office supplies but medical marijuana (which is also the situation in the Canadian province of British Columbia), while in the states of Idaho and South Carolina a dispensary used to refer to the governmental agency that served as the only legal source of alcohol.
Also no source of medical office supplies is the Kenyan dispensary, a small outpatient health facility generally managed by a registered nurse. These nurses report to clinical officers at a health centre, which is also where patients are referred to for treatment in cases much more complicated than a common ailment like cold or malaria. Modeled on the British system, this sort of health care dispensary is no basic storehouse of supplies but what Americans would call a community clinic.
This kind of clinic or dispensary got its start in London, England back in the 1700s, and is credited with aquainting physicians with the issues of the poor because unlike the case with hospitals or a private practice, this dispensary service really brought doctors into their patients’ homes. Their social consciences shocked, thus were the first dispensaries set up – free healthcare for the poor.
Indeed, young aspiring doctors of the day were very eager to serve as honorary physicians to the dispensaries, though such an appointment was generally voluntary (with no more than a small honorarium at best) and not as prestigious as a hospital posting. It was nothing short of a healthcare revolution: for the first time since the Hippocratic Oath, altruistic motivations had been the norm.
08.28
10
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“Multimedia” and “virtual reality” used to be big buzzwords throughout the second half of the ’90s, before the “dot bomb” when internet start-ups were going up like crazy and the stock market couldn’t get enough of them, throwing money at almost every one in a confident shotgun method.
And now those days are long gone, having moved onto the next big bubble (which was, by the way, subprime mortgages, something that’s still a challenge the world over), but virtual reality and multimedia have only become better and better – though full sci-fic implementation is still quite some way off. That’s because a lot is involved in full sensory replication, though for many, the “rated-G” audiences of families on a vacation package, say, something like the New York Skyride by serial entrepreneur Zalman Silber would be just fine (it is, briefly, an IMAX-like helicopter fly-over of famous city points of interest synchronized to motion seating). But in research and development labs around the world, all the biggest names in consumer electronics are busy figuring out how to apply declassified military technology in a relevant way to ever more immersive videogaming and other kinds of entertainment.
Two trends appear ready to finally come to fruition: 3D and kinetics. First, three-dimensional technology is one of the most heavily researched fields in home electronics, and it seems poised for a prime-time debut in the form of extremely advanced television screens that require no 3D glasses to view 3D imagery. Secondly, the multiple billion-dollar videogaming industry has been crucial in developing kinetic controls, whereby user commands are conveyed not through a physical interface but through the user’s own body movements. These two advances are being marketed right now by some of the biggest names in the business, famous labels such as Nintendo and Microsoft, companies that have a proven record of success in most of the things they do. A far cry from the likes of Zalman Silber!
Besides entertainment, the most obvious other uses for these technologies would be in real estate as well as education. Teaching subjects like chemistry and physics are sure to be revolutionized by the implementation of intuitive user controls and interactive 3D graphics that do not require a special interface. Wholesale property investment already makes significant use of virtual reality by providing 360-degree views and video walk-throughs of real estate to likely buyers from around the world. Using virtual tours over the internet, likely buyers can determine from the comfort of their own homes whether an actual site visit is warranted, though property is also often bought only on the basis of the virtual tour!
08.27
10
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Ah, a portable ice maker. At last, a sure-fire way of keeping cool when out of doors under a hot summer sun. You have a picnic, or a outdoor camping trip, or even just a small get-together in the backyard and don’t wish to keep running back inside for ice – you want a portable ice maker.
It’ll not only save you trips and bother, but save you from such things as running out of ice all of a sudden. Having one of these niffty little marvels of modern engineering will prevent you from looking like a bad thoughtless host. And nothing beats a portable ice maker at the beach! Like, booyeah.
It’s just what you want when enjoying the scenery. It could even be a great conversation starter. Forget about helping to apply suntan lotion – give her the gift of perfectly shaped ice cubes and see what happens next! No, really, it works (with some people, but not all). In any case, the water’s salty – but fresh ice cubes? Come one, you’ll be the king of the beach.
Make sure you get one with helpful functions such as a low water light to remind you of refills. Some versions will even recycle melted water right back into ice cubes. Make sure to get the capacity you will need, too. Portable ice makers are fairly straightforward machines so you should have no trouble finding one that’s just right.
Take one to your next tailgating party. Need one for your RV? Portable ice makers are almost essential on boats. These devices are helpful in a number of situations. When in the market for one, you might find that the most essential aspect of your purchase is simply the choice of color! That’s how easy it is to buy one, because that’s how straightforward they have become these days.
08.26
10
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Adoption screening can be a method that takes into account several factors in determining the suitability of a child and would-be father or mother. It is normally used to ascertain that the potential parent has the means, financial and otherwise, to make the adoption a successful one. Adoption screening can be complicated, though perhaps unfortunately it is often a mere formality in numerous parts of the world, including even North America, Australia, New Zealand, and also the European Union.
One of the most complex tasks of the overall adoption screening process involves a home study. This is when the home life of a potential father or mother is scrutinized to ensure that the home environment will benefit the child to be adopted. As can be imagined, such a thorough vetting can cost a lot of money, typically borne by the potential parent.
Different laws, agency regulations, and industry standards might govern a home study, but generally speaking all such investigations will look into the employment history of the prospective father or mother, whether there’s a criminal record, and so forth. Credit checks will most likely be involved, as personal finances would be one of the most crucial areas subject to an examination. As the name most immediately implies, however, a home study will carefully take into account the dwelling of a prospective parent, with such aspects as cleanliness, fire safety, and even the condition of the surrounding neighborhood taken into account.
Naturally, given such levels of scrutiny, many criticize home studies for being uselessly intrusive and discriminatory, claiming that many otherwise perfectly capable and genuinely loving would-be adoptive parents are turned away on nothing more than whimsy and technicalities.
But such is the concern for child welfare in the most advanced societies that home studies are legally mandated and thus inevitable. And for all the criticism, it is arguable that a slow, even difficult, adoption procedure better helps ensure that only the truly committed will adopt.
08.25
10
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As famous as the team is, it is an open question whether Dallas Cowboys merchandise would’ve been as popular as they are without the equally famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. These ladies are not just any ol’ football cheerleading squad members, but make up a veritable franchise in themselves.
No less than two made-for-TV movies have appeared about them, not to mention any number of Dallas Cowboys merchandise bearing their likeness somewhere on the product! For when you think of Texas football, you think the Cowboys – and when you think Cowboys, you think of their cheerleaders.
For sure the die-hard fan may prefer his Dallas Cowboys towel “straight-up” but several others who usually are not so hard-core would most likely welcome a shot of the cheerleaders illustrating their fan merchandise! No other collection of young ladies so epitomize the American woman: young, fun, and fit; spirited; glamorous; intelligent.
Yes, despite the voyeurism involved these beauties know how to comport themselves and market themselves. Team try-outs obviously focus on athleticism and physical beauty but as spokesmodels for the team a good amount of social savvy and hence intelligence is needed, too.
The only other set of ladies that have left such a deep impression on popular culture worldwide would have to be Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Bunnies. Interestingly, the Cowboys’ cheerleading squad actually started out mixed, with both males and females, as was high school and collegiate football tradition.
And indeed, it was local high school students that really made up the squad back in the 1960s. In 1969, however a deliberate attempt was made to boost in-game attendance by offering only female cheerleaders whose routines were unlike those prevalent at school games. By 1972, all cheerleaders were over the age of eighteen as their moves became increasingly much more like sexy dance routines.
08.23
10
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Wine holders hold wine. They store and organize wine, and can be created of any number of various materials in any number of different sizes. Also known as wine racks, large ones could be found in a professional wine cellar while a lot smaller designs might be wall-mounted in the kitchen to conveniently display an amateur collection.
These latter kinds will at times incorporate wine glasses for a combination rack that holds both drink and implement. Speaking of which, the truest wine holder of all is probably one’s own mouth! But for creative aesthetics, nothing beats the man-made designs. Those constructed from metal are particularly imaginative.
The material itself provides for the greatest amount of creativity, allowing as it does fluid sinuous designs difficult or even impossible to achieve with any wooden or stone. Many are very whimsical, such as a common favorite where thin metal spirals hold wine bottles upside-down in a haphazard manner suggestive of intoxication!
Individual who take their wines, and thus their display, seriously enough to consider such devices (as opposed to just putting them on a shelf in the fridge or pantry) will often favor wood due to the role it plays in formulating the flavor of many wines.
After all, wines are aged in wooden caskets for just that all-important reason, and numerous winemakers are even so careful as to factor in the species of wood used for their bottle corks! Therefore the bestselling styles are still wooden, even in the most modern of decors where chrome or stainless steel predominate.
Storing wine is really a serious affair if you care about taste. Ambient lighting and even the very angle at which bottles may be tilted during storage are said to help produce the flavor of a wine. Keeping your wine in a manner that both highlights the beauty of their bottling while protecting or aiding the creation of their flavors can be difficult, depending on how exacting your expectations.
08.23
10
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Investing in Washington, D.C. can provide many challenges specific to that locale. Industry veterans like Isaac Toussie recognize that, first of all, the property markets of our nation’s capital possesses some very interesting characteristics. Even though the city’s real estate environment continues to be harsh due to still-disappearing gains, gains made during pre-2008 boom-times, new developments are taking place that may indicate a turn-around.
Not everyone knows that home sales have fallen as credit’s dried up the way a pro like Isaac Toussie does, resulting in ripple effects like job insecurity and worse. In fact, suburban D.C. has even been through price drops of up to one hundred thousand dollars! But as is typically the case in the world of business, there may be a silver lining in even this disaster. That’s because one man’s tragedy is another’s opportunity, to put it honestly. And thus the flood of foreclosed properties has come to tripped off a buying spree in many places, especially among the many first-time home buyers of Prince William County who finally found prices within their reach. It should also be mentioned that so-called “vulture investors” have swooped in as well to snap up distressed properties, which is generally considered to be a good reflection of the wider economic situation, as it is a strong sign of a certain confidence in the market, that market fundamentals remain solid. In fact, these two groups of buyers play a role akin to that of canaries in a mine, signaling trends and shifts.
The second matter that has occupied many a thoughtful observer of late concerns the rate of mortgage delinquency, which has actually declined a little, according to a recent industry survey just completed. The rate at which mortgage payments have fallen behind has decreased slightly during the fourth quarter of 2009, which is surprising indeed considering that delinquency rates usually rise during the last three months of the year, as a result of all heating expenses for winter and the holiday shopping season.
Surprised though market analysts may be, very few are puzzled because most take this development for nothing more than a statistical outlier, a coincidence. Most economists and other experts continue to believe that the situation remains extremely dangerous, as there are still record numbers of homeowners in financial straits, with the biggest trouble of all unresolved: that way too many have missed at least three payments, and these people are really the ones least helped by any relief program whatsoever, historically speaking; these are the very souls who will be going into foreclosure rather soon.
One more thing to know about D.C. property markets: the city was the nation’s murder capital during the 1990s, and still suffers from the ravages of municipal mismanagement to this day. Of course, tony nabes like Georgetown exist, but for the most part D.C. is a place where real estate investors need to exercise due diligence when looking into opportunities. The city has been slowly recovering, with gentrification helping pull some pockets of poverty and despair up and out into the modern 21st Century economy, but it’s not a sure bet that current commitment levels will last.
