Archive for August 10th, 2008

by Jacob Lumbroso

Next to lighting candles on Friday just before sunset, or singing Shalom Aleichem, the Kiddush cup is among the most common symbols of the Jewish Sabbath. The word Kiddush is derived from the Hebrew word Kedushah, which means holiness or separation. Reciting Kiddush marks the special nature of the Sabbath day.

In Judaism, the Sabbath is considered set apart from the rest of the days of the week. The Bible commands “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Kiddush then is a ceremony in which the holiness of the Sabbath or of a holiday is proclaimed. The Talmud interprets this to means that the holiness of the Sabbath must be recognized in speech.

Reciting or singing it is considered a positive commandment or mitzvah. Men and women are obligated to recite it, though in a married household, the husband will recite it. While reciting it is the most important element, a custom from the early rabbinic period sees the act of sanctification as being tied to saying blessing for a glass of wine before the evening meal. The drinking of wine, in addition to some additional paragraphs makes up what is known as the Friday evening Kiddush.

According to the Talmud, Kiddush can be traced back to the time of the Great Assembly. The existence of discussions dating from the first century of the Common Era on the subject of Kiddush make it clear that the ritual is ancient.

At the beginning of Sabbath two loaves of bread are laid down in memory of the double portion of manna that was gathered on Friday, with a white cloth under and over them. There is no true Kiddush except at the place of the meal. There is a custom however among some communities to pronounce Kiddush at the end of the evening service in the synagogue.

Although the Talmud states that strong alcoholic drinks other than wine are not “ideal”for the Kiddush , such drink, out of necessity, once took the place of wine in northeastern European Jewish communities. It is regarded, however, as more dignified, where wine is not available, to pronounce the Kiddush over the bread than to substitute beer or brandy.

It is customary to recite Genesis. 2: 1-3, the account of the Sabbath of Creation, before reciting Kiddush in keeping the Talmudic dictum that one who recites it makes himself, in a sense, a partner with God in the work of creation.

A Kiddush cup is used in a variety of other ceremonies where drinking wine is appropriate. These includes Havdalah (the ceremony demarcating the end of the Sabbath from the new week), as well as at weddings ceremonies.

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by Alice Sy

A prepaid cellular phone plan has the same features to other kinds of phone plans available in the market, except for the one and only factor which is the manner of paying the bills. A post paid plan requires you to pay after using phone services. In a prepaid plan, however, you get to pay in advance for the phone service before using it.

The reason why users buy a prepaid cellular phone plan is to save money and limit their credit. It also offers no hassle and little commitment to the buyer. On the other hand, if you take advantage of the traditional plan, you are bound to the plan carrier for a year or so since you are going to sign a contract. If you fail to meet the terms of the contract or break it, you have to pay for the penalty.

Another advantage of availing prepaid cellular phone plan is that you don’t have to fall for a debt. In other cases, you don’t even need a credit card to use its services. Virgin Mobile Phone, for example, offers prepaid phone cards in their Virgin Megastores. So, all you have to do is get if off the rack, give your cash to the cashier, and in minutes, enjoy making calls.

Another thing that makes a prepaid cellular phone plan more budget-friendly is its hassle-free and no commitment state. The consumer is not obliged to pay a set amount of money per month unlike in post paid plans. Instead, the consumer pays only how much he plans to use. In post paid plans, there is a penalty when a consumer fails to meet the terms of the contract and thus will have to pay penalties and additional fees. In prepaid plans, there are no contracts whatsoever.

For others, you enjoy a prepaid cellular phone plan service base on the amount of calling card you purchased, like $25. When you used up the time, you phone will simply stop the call and you have to buy for another card. In this way, you won’t end up over charge.

With a prepaid cellular phone plan, there are no additional headaches in using a cell phone. All you have to do is buy a mobile phone and then load it with prepaid credit. The minutes of calls and the number of messages you can send on your phone depends on how much you loaded it.

Though the no-hassle idea might entice you to switch to prepaid phone plans, in the long run, you’ll realize that you’ll have to pay more per-minute charge compared to the traditional plan. This is true especially if a person makes calls several times a day.

Plus, prepaid cellular phone plans have expiration date. For example, if you haven’t consumed the entire service in 30 days, the carrier will eat it up after the due date. So, it is wiser to think and weigh matters first before choosing the best cellular phone plan you want to use.

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by Casey Myers

The proliferation of high-speed web connections has made distance learning a viable alternative to typical schooling. More agrestic districts use video conferencing than urbanized or suburban districts, which resort heavily on the Internet. Indeed, students at the college and university level also rely exclusively on the Internet.

An increasing minority of distance educationstudents are working professionals, individuals who work by day and attend classes during the evening, often only two or three times a week. The flexibility of internet education is very appealing to these students as they can successful shuffle work, family, and homework. Many well-respected institutions offer degree levels that include associate, bachelor, and masters degrees. Indeed, the majority of these institutions offer vocational and trades courses also.

The Department of Education thinks online and distant education courses will grow 100% before 2020. The need to manage costly overhead, like campuses and cleaning staff, would become unnecessary, allowing funds to be funneled to the class and coursework level. The concern, as always, is the quality of the work. Distance students are encouraged to develop fruitful correspondences with fellow peers, tutors, and teachers. Ms. Patrick said determining the quality of instruction and coursework could be easier with electronic courses as many factors can be tracked, including the number of times students and teachers interact.

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by Pete Sjogren

If you’re looking to pursue a serious career in culinary arts or culinary related fields, you might want to consider making the effort in finding the right cooking schools for your culinary training. Apart from learning the basics about food and food preparation, culinary training will equip you with knowledge on nutrition, sanitation standards, methods of food preparation as well as the business side of managing a restaurant, caf or the likes.

Proper culinary training will offer you a variety of options for specialization - this includes specializing in pastry arts, catering service management, etc. professional culinary training in the right culinary school will provide you with the basic know-how of a chef. This will lay the foundation for you to pursue what you want in the food industry.

If you’re intention is to build your skills towards becoming a great chef, then finding the right cooking schools for your culinary training is most important. This choice will not only put you in touch with good teachers who can pass on important skills to you but also helps put you in touch with potential employers.

Some of the specialization options you can find in cooking schools are in pastry arts and catering just to name a couple. Training as an executive chef, restaurant consultant or in food and beverage management are just some programs offered in culinary training institutes. You may be interested in developing food products for retail, become a food writer or a restaurant consultant or even a teacher in a cooking school. Understanding how to find the right culinary schools for your culinary training can help you undertake the course of your interest.

One of the things you should do when learning how to find the right cooking schools for your culinary training is to find schools that offer accredited programs. Providing you with the basic knowledge and understanding of ingredients, spices, sauces and how to balance tastes and dishes are core components of culinary training. Building up a strong foundation in the basics you learn through culinary schools will empower you to expand your own creativity in the kitchen.

The facilities from which you will gain practical experience are extremely important in culinary training. If you can, try to take a tour of the cooking schools you have shortlisted. Look out for kitchen facilities that best resemble those used by professional chefs in commercial kitchens. These will help you familiarize yourself with what you will have to deal with when you go out to work.

Cooking schools offer a variety of programs from certificate programs to degree programs. If you’re just interested in developing your culinary hobby on a personal level, you may want to undertake a certificate program. However, if you are looking to make progress in your career then a degree program might be more suited for you. Choosing culinary schools for your culinary training should take into consideration your aspirations and intentions.

Some cooking schools may require you to complete externships as part of their training program. Not only will these allow you to experience what it will be like working in a professional kitchen but these might also connect you with potential employers and lead to job offers as well.

Pursuing a career in food and culinary arts takes commitment, passion and choosing culinary schools for your culinary career, the right one that is. Pursue your cooking career wisely and you’ll find yourself on your way to culinary success.

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by Clara Ryken

It seems nowadays that the subject of geography in the classroom just isn’t making the cut in many curriculums. Especially when it comes to learning how to read and comprehend a map. It’s probably a safe bet to say that many high school teens would be unable to make heads nor tails out of using a Texas zip code map to get to another part of town. Well, maybe with a quick Google search or a good GPS system they could.

Although it seems that technology may be phasing out physical maps and atlases, the pictorial form of maps will always be around in one way or another. Even online driving directions include a visual map to get a feel for actual route the directions will take you and most GPS systems do the same. It’s ironic, since many people are uncomfortable charting a course from a map, yet still want that same course plotted for them visually via a GPS. And really, something like a Texas zip code map isn’t all that different.

Despite the technological advances that seem to be phasing out actual maps, map reading and legend and symbol comprehension should remain an important part of any child’s education. Reading maps is the start of basic literacy and learning the language of ‘giving directions’ is important part of most countries’ culture. It makes sense even for the purpose of safety precautions for a child to be familiar with their own area and major landmarks.

An easy to read Texas zip code map may be the best way to go for educators in the classroom. A typical road map has too many different symbols and details on it for elementary school children to begin with. Road maps are definitely for the more advanced and with a state as big as Texas, an easy to read, uncluttered map is the best way to get kids engaged. A quality Texas zip code map will include zip code borders (with each zip area a different color) as well as major landmarks and roads.

There are many sites online that have Texas and other zip code maps available for download, both for free and for purchase. Of course, as the age old adage goes, nothing in life is free, so the free zip code map downloads are usually less detailed and lower quality then those you can purchase for about $10 to $20. The best thing about purchasing a Texas zip code map online is that you get it instantly, with no printing fees and no shipping and handling.

Once you get the map, you can easily print it at school, or for better quality maps, go and find an inexpensive copier store to print it out. If your school has a computer equipped with a projector, or an overhead transparency, it may be best to use that. Teaching map comprehension this way can save the school (or teachers, if they pay out of pocket) some money and it’s better for the environment.

Whether using a globe, atlas or Texas zip code map in the classroom, it’s an important addition to any lesson plan. Children in any town, state or country should be familiar with their neighborhood and town. Having decent map reading skills could wind up being as important as a child memorizing his or her address and phone number. It helps children gain familiarity with the local landscape, strengthens communicative skills and can even help to keep them safer in the long run.

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Most young people today own a cellular phone even though they never use the many of the functions because it is far more useful as a fashion statement; most young people would probably be completely lost without them. It is hard to believe the cell phones humble beginnings. Some of the most amazing aspects of today’s phones are those that are used for more serious purposes in business. Because of their usefulness and the increasing need and desire for easy communication, manufacturers are quick to take advantage of this booming industry. To help feed this technology frenzy, accessory companies like Audiovox cellular phone accessories have become proficient at introducing new phones and optional extras to go with them.

With improvements in battery life, size, design and capabilities it is amazing what can be packed into an Audiovox cell phone not to mention they accessory range. It would be easy to dismiss many cell phone accessories as just for the young but many are worthwhile; for instance the power cord helps to condition the battery while it is charging, increasing its lifespan.

Audiovox also manufacture a belt clip that can be used with any cell phone. Headsets that allow hands free use of the cellular phone have been developed with the driver and safety in mind. This will help to avoid accidents due to one hand driving and decreased attention on the road.

The latest Audiovox range include hands and wire free kits to enable the use of the phone whilst it is a holster with no cables attached and clear up background interference. You can clearly hear the person on the other line, even while driving or carrying out other tasks where background noise might be an issue.

There is also the Jabra model which is a headset that provides hands-free telephoning. Doubling as a speaker phone as well, Jabra is also very small and so light you will soon forget you have it on.

The multi-functional antenna for instance, is attached to your car while you drive, and it functions well when you talk to another person on the other line while the car is in motion. If you are looking for functionality in your cell phone, try to find an Audiovox cell phone with the matching earphone accessory. For young upwardly cell professionals trying to do carry out many things at the same time these are a great idea as they leave your hands free, which should make it easier if you want to make notes during the call. Audiovox cell phones have produced a range of accessories designed to help you get the most out of your cell phone and make your life safer.

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by Robert Eagle

Used office furniture does not have to look terrible, nor is it always as cheap as you would expect. There are lots of different methods where you can find excellent used office furniture that can exactly suit your preference. You can choose from a wide variety of manufacturers of used office furniture.

The furniture is the first thing that stands out in almost every office. I am sure that an attractive phone receptionist might tie this as well. Color is an important factor to consider also when furnishing an office.

Sometimes offices move, and when they do, they usually leave the old furniture behind. So, what happens to this furniture then? It usually gets liquidated.

The price range of every type of office furniture will vary considerably. So, it’s a good idea to understand what type of office furniture you want. Purchase the office furniture that makes you feel comfortable.

Many dealers provide a clean up, re-holstering and also refitting of any damaged components. The stations will be made in a functioning cubicle that will have a brand new appearance.

The main challenge a person faces, while purchasing used furniture is finding the right piece. It can be challenging to find the appropriate size, quantity and the color that suits your needs.

While purchasing used office furniture, one must keep in mind that everyone has personal tastes and desires. This is why you must be patient so that you can find the right make-up and color. Sometimes waiting just a week longer can get you the right color verses sacrificing for a puke green look.

EBay is one of the best tools to determine how much the price of used office furniture is. It normally offers you a perfect idea on how much you can spend on excellent quality used office furniture. You also get what you pay for.

You can negotiate with the salesman to get used office furniture for a reasonable price. As a smart business person, you understand the significance of spending less for more. Make the right choice and get the best quality used office furniture.

Quite often when people want something immediately and so they search through advertisements. If you are patient enough and spend the time, you are sure to be better off. Another method for purchasing used office furniture is to shop online.

There are lots of wholesale used office furniture stores right at your fingertips. There are even lots of used office furniture stores right online. Search and compare, you will be glad you did.

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by James Redder

Looking for work is stressful. The most anxiety inducing part of all this, as all will agree is the job interview. You may well be anxious in advance of an interview, which may lead to you being nervous during the interview - and this of course can end up causing you to do poorly in the job interview. Doing well in these situations depends to a large extent on being well prepared for the interview.; A job interview is what employers use to gauge how good of a fit you would be for the job - even more so than your resume. An interviewer will ask you specific questions about how you would handle the job and failing to be prepared for this could be disastrous.

Preparing for a job interview is a two way street- as you prepare for the interview, the interviewer will also be preparing to interview you. The interviewer will usually choose some questions which are tailored to your experience and remember - you will be tested every step of the way during an interview. Try to anticipate tough questions which may be asked and prepare answers which refer back to your experience and your qualifications. Doing well in a job interview will have a lot to do with how well you can answer these sometimes tricky questions and how good of a job you can do of justifying your ability to do the job. Remember that you want to make choosing you for the job to seem like a decision which will make them look good.

Three questions you should be able to answer if asked are the old standbys “Why do you want this job?”, “Why do you want to work for this company?” and “What is your current salary?”. Others which are likely to be asked are about your skills, your achievements and your expectations from the position to which you are applying. Answer these questions in as much detail as you can manage and of course, honestly.

It is imperative that you have some answers to give for these questions - it is even more important that you be able to give examples from your personal experience to illustrate these answers. You can use these anecdotes to build a rapport with your interviewer, which is very important in trying to land that job.

Be prepared when you walk in for a job interview. Have at least (preferably more) two copies of your resume, three references and if applicable, your portfolio. This is not just a conversation you’ll be having, but you will have the opportunity to let the interviewer get to know you and make as strong of a case as possible for yourself.

A very important thing to prepare for a job interviewer is a few company-specific questions for your interviewer. Asking these questions will work for you by demonstrating that you have put some thought into this position and are serious about this job and this company. Your interviewer will take note of this.

To be dressed well is equally important. Making a first impression is half the battle won. Dress proficiently and at ease. Have a good combination of formals. Speak clearly and honestly. Be confident and alert. Have a positive mind set and show lot of energy and enthusiasm.

In Closing

To briefly sum up the themes of this article, if you want to do well in a job interview, learn a bit about the company and draw from your experience to make the strongest possible case that you are the ideal candidate for this position while displaying confidence and personablility - this will ensure that you do well in any job interview.

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