Students learning to be virtually anyone

Debney Park Secondary College students (from left) Solomon Gebru, Ashav Patel, Henry Hoang and Quynh Chu with their online avatars. Photo: Paul Rovere ASHAV Patel does not look like his online avatar, an athletic character with Japanese-style cartoon body, fox tail and jet pack. Likewise, Solomon Gebru's tall, blond avatar - a rendering of Dragonball Z, the popular anime character - looks nothing like the quietly spoken boy who came to Australia nearly three years ago from Ethiopia. Quynh Chu's online persona is taller than her petite creator. Henry Hoang's is a fox. Advertisement: Story continues below Find more videos like this on Connected Lives Why a fox? ''Because I'm foxy: cunning and good-looking,'' he says, grinning broadly. The four year 10 students from Debney Park Secondary College...

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Prosecutions have since gone up

The Massachusetts firm, federal authorities now say, was merely a front to facilitate the export of defense technology from U.S. manufacturers to Chinese military-related institutes. And Wu now sits in a federal prison after being sentenced in January to eight years for conspiring to illegally export restricted technologies. According to the Department of Defense, the exported items are "vital for Chinese military electronic warfare, military radar, fire control, military guidance and control equipment, and satellite communications." Also included: parts "that the People's Liberation Army actively seeks to acquire." The use of front companies, or private firms that may also do legitimate business, is a common way that China seeks information, said Pelak, who in 2007 was appointed the Justice...

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Explore! 2 days 2 presidents many discoveries

By Jim Haag The Virginian-Pilot These guys were brilliant. They studied law, architecture, botany, music, philosophy, art. They spoke more than a half-dozen languages. Both were presidents, and both were instrumental in setting up our form of government. One, Thomas Jefferson, wrote the Declaration of Independence. The other, James Madison, was the architect of the Constitution. They were friends, confidantes and, as I learned on a recent tour of their homes, competitors on the chess board. The two-day trip took me to the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where their residences sit among rolling hills and offer views of a lush countryside that even in winter are breathtaking.At Montpelier, Madison's home, shards of two ivory pawns recently had been discovered in an archaeological dig. The...

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Several people have been wounded in the clashes

What will Mubarak do? 1537 GMT: Hossam Badrawi, secretary general of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party, is about to resign after just six days in the job, a source close to him tells. 1534 GMT: An Egyptian protester has died and 20 people have been injured in clashes between police and demonstrators in the north Sinai town of Al-Arish, a security official tells. The unidentified protester was killed in an exchange of gunfire between police and demonstrators who were trying to free detainees from a police station, the official says. 1529 GMT: Leader of Mubarak's ruling party to step down: source 1527 GMT: State TV, besieged by cheerful protesters, has adopted a novel form of reality protest show. A presenter is standing in the crowd with his cellphone passing it to demonstrators who...

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Last train to Hogwarts

Harry Potter fan Erica Crombie. Photo: Meredith O'Shea Harry Potter has been a central figure in the lives of many young people and the boy wizard will be sorely missed. WHEN Erica Crombie's parents bought her a book about wizards and magic to help alleviate the boredom of a wet week in a Queensland holiday park, little did they know what they'd let themselves in for. Between the rather ordinary covers lay a story so compelling and addictive, it drew the nine-year-old into a parallel world where she would spend the next half of her life. From the time she turned the first page and met Harry Potter crouching in a cupboard under the stairs at No. 4 Privet Drive, the young Crombie was hooked. What followed was a decade of adventure in which she spent close to $20,000 on Potter paraphernalia and...

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Beyond the world of Wii

So, we're getting closer to the day when the Big Two games consoles catch up with the gallant little Nintendo Wii and embrace motion control. And not just embrace it with a couple of dodgy handheld controllers that don't come anywhere near providing us with the perfectly-mapped lightsaber experience we were sort of promised by Nintendo. No, Sony and Microsoft are going much further with their Move and Kinect systems. I hesitate to call them motion control because they're much more than that something akin to full body immersion. But in very different ways. By now most of you will have seen Sony's new Move controllers with the glowing ping-pong balls. They look ridiculous but they are the functioning heart of the Move system, and from all reports they provide freakishly accurate control, well...

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Now we don't have to see the film!

Four other cardinal sins of the Be-trailer The Star That Ate The Plot A be-trailer will often imply or just plain scream that this film is exactly like its star's previous success, regardless of script, budget, genre or even language. Green Zone's be-trailer was Jason Bourne in Iraq. Matt Damon on the other hand read the script and made an entirely different film. Pffft artists! Another example from this year was The Expendables, watching the trailer it was clear that this was a film that had united Sly with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was slightly less clear that the lines the latter pair said in this betrailer were also the only lines they had in the entire film. Spoiler Room The be-trailer that shows you the entire film, set up through to finish. The Rebound actually included...

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I am glad I did and I'm as mad as hell about it, too

Karen Jackson Gympie (Qld) Geoff Ford's denunciation of Stephen Fielding's accomplishments as ''outrageous'' (Letters, September 10) shows his misunderstanding of the different goals of English teaching and the sciences. I, too, am an engineer who managed to be ''top of the bottom class'' in English - but my aggregate score in the HSC was in the top 5 per cent of the state. I imagine Senator Fielding's aggregate was also quite high, as it must be to enter university. As an engineer, he would probably have been quite easy to understand in intent, even if not accurate in English. Indeed, we all knew what he meant - so he succeeded in communicating his intent. Australia's failure to value and train more engineers has led to the need to import many. Misunderstandings in these cases, linguistic...

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Roosters brilliant effort has been a long time coming

FIRST IMPRESSIONS The Roosters certainly didnt look like wooden-spooncontenders in this one. From the opening whistle there was an energy and purpose abouttheir performance that has been lacking all season. Advertisement: Story continues below They made simple handling errors in their first three sets ofsix in the match, but for the rest of the game they were just aboutperfect in their execution and ball control. ROOSTERS FORWARDS The Rooster forwards, led by the experienced men CraigFitzgibbon and Willie Mason, totally outmuscled the Knightspack and set the foundation for this huge upset. Half Mitchell Pearce enjoyed the extra time and space at hisdisposal and was able to ignite the enthusiastic speed men outwide. He mixed up his game well. He tested the Knightsdefence on the edges and back...

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Harry's a Turkish delight

Photo: AP Galatasaray fans love Harry Kewell and he is keen to put their clubon top of the table, writes Matthew Hall in Istanbul. There are, according to Harry Kewell, no longer any validexcuses. Such is the high level of professionalism within the Socceroos that travelling long distances for matches and lack of preparation fail to faze the Galatasaray star. Professionalism is one reason, Kewell says, that Australia's World Cup campaign has - so far - taken the team unbeatenacross the Middle East, Japan and Uzbekistan. "Players in Europe are used to travelling," Kewell says. "It ispart and parcel of the game. The only difference is the most youfly in Europe is five hours. Yes, it is difficult to fly 24 hours[to Australia] but we have the medical staff and everything we needto perform. Advertisement:...

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Glowing brighter than the combined light of the moon

They possess a yellowish hue like the scales of the pathenam fish which often inhabit the mouths of deep sea whales [Again, not totally true, we have seen shark pearls white in color.] "Boar pearls [we have this pearl available in our collection] are colored like a boar's tusks and are found only in remote parts of the world. Such pearls are auspicious symbols of the Varaha boar incarnation of the Supreme Lord, Sri Vishnu. "Pearls derived from bamboo appear like hailstones in color, and they are found only within bamboo that has grown in a region populated by religious people [Lots of bamboo pearls in our collection--they mostly come from Ujung Kulon, Java, which secret sources say is one of the remote places where the Indonesian Spiritual Masters regularly convene]. "Pearls from the cobra's...

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They are gone before his return

So again do not let anyone tell you that miracles and spiritual gifts are to last until Christ's return.But, one might object to this argument on the grounds that if this be true then it would also eliminate evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Yes, it would those miraculously qualified to do the work by being the recipient of a spiritual gift. One needs to bear in mind, however, that with the completed revelation of Christ to man one no longer needed spiritual gifts to qualify or enable him for the work. Also beware lest you be led astray thinking that since what is called Christendom today is divided that "the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God" never arrived. Yes, that has been lost today but that does not mean they never had it say back in 150 A.D. (just using that date...

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Internet Guru Tells How To Make $500 Or More Per Day

Less than three short months ago, a new 1Step System was born with a very real potential for generating a great deal of income in a short time. Co -founders Rod Stinson and Chris Koehl have brought this opportunity to people all over the world. Many are joining now because the company is still in its infancy, which from a marketing standpoint is surely the best time to get on board.What makes this business opportunity so attractive is that it is so easy. It is appropriately called the 1 Step System. It stands to reason, the more an individual puts in to their business, the more he or she will get out of it, however, your early efforts in the beginning stages can easily provide at least some income while you lay back and observe.Everyone knows, there is no such thing as a free lunch, however,...

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The Highly Flexible Online Degree That Offers As Much Creditability

We live in a time when the world around us seems to have been pre-programmed to excel and life seems to be becoming more demanding everyday. A need for an extra something seems to have become a most wanted for every working professional to survive in todays crucial business environment. The extra something can add status to the credentials and more zeros to the paycheck. To succeed and continue to shine in the tough world of business, the indispensable something is none other than the MBA or Master of Business Administration. The business world is ever changing. What is an innovative idea today can be obsolete tomorrow. The objective is to create a signature statement, a brand image in the minds of the consumers. Todays business organizations strive to achieve this objective and therefore...

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For Teachers Who Want To Make A Difference

How will the master online special education degree equip those teachers who want to make a difference? The answer is straightforward - in the USA, currently there are over 6 million students who have enrolled in these special programs.While schools - public and private, preschool to secondary - struggle to identify and deploy qualified teachers to address these 6 million students, nobody knows for sure how many million students more need to be identified for special classes, so that they can better cope with their learning disabilities, or physical and mental handicaps.At the same time, successive Federal and State Administrations since 1975 have sharpened their focus on creating complex systems for identifying, formulating, and delivering a highly-individualized education program to each...

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There is a reason its called copy writing

How to start a small online business Some people complicate the concept of making money online.The reason is the majority of people who have made money online have done it by teaching others how to make money online.In other words they have never actually had any other business besides teaching people how to make money online.I have personally had over 13 profitable niches that make over $1,000 profit per month. Each niche was totally different than the next.So whats the secret to making money online, to starting a small online business?You must master the art of acquiring customers and converting them into sales. You must become a master of marketing. If you know how to get customers to buy products you will never go hungry again.It doesnt matter what niche you go to. I recommend getting...

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Advantages Of Studying Medical Transcription Online

Medical transcription is a great career to study for online. Some of the most reputable schools for medical transcription offer their courses only online.FlexibilityOnline study is usually highly flexible. This is great if you're studying medical transcription while working at a regular job, or even one with irregular hours. You can fit your studies in around your work schedule.You also don't have to start and finish a course on their schedule. You can decide you're ready to train, and there will be a program ready for you to start. Then you finish as quickly or slowly as you need to, in most cases, within reason. If you need a little more time, the course probably has room for it, and if you need more time than that, many courses offer extensions.CostOnline courses can sound pricey, with...

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Invest In Property In Abu Dhabi

The fast growing Arabian capital of Abu Dhabi is the richest and largest of all the seven UAE states. The city is located on a T-shaped island leading into the Persian Gulf, from the central western coast, and has a population of around 900,000 inhabitants. It currently controls 90 per cent of the oil wealth in the region, making it one of the largest producers of oil in the world. The economyAbu Dhabi has the largest fossil fuel reserve in the UAE, is the fourth biggest natural gas producer in the world, has the worlds highest income per capita, is home to almost all of the Arabic Fortune 500 companies, and is currently sitting on over 88 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.Nonetheless, the emirate is now actively trying to reduce its reliance on oil, and is diversifying its economy into...

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What If You Can't Afford a Wedding Planner?

Too many brides allow themselves to get pushed around. Your grand-aunt Tillie tells you that you must have a 5-layer cake because that's what she had, but you don't want a five-layer cake. Your cousin brags about how "they" went to Tahiti for their honeymoon, but you have decided on Hawaii. And then there are your parents' best friends, who say all the weddings they go to have a 5-piece orchestra.You keep checking your "reality monitor." Are these people for real? You don't want to offend, but deep inside you're burning, because hey, it's YOUR wedding and why are all of these people telling you what to do?Shy bride, speak out. Tell all of these "advisers" that you are doing fine. Don't be shy about telling them to back off.You can do this in a nice way. Simply explain: "I know you want to...

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History of Wedding Favors

Practical Wedding Favors Wedding is an occasion that demands favors from others and you also have to shower wedding favors. Wedding favors are given as an appreciation for your guest’s participation to make your event a great eve. Wedding favors are a way of expressing your gratitude towards your guest and this also shows how much you care for their presence on your D-day. Wedding favors are a part of your budget with other wedding expenses. You can buy wedding favors at economical prices. This can be done by buying practical wedding favors that will be appreciated by the guests and will suit your pocket.Practical Wedding Favors does not indicate cheap products. You can buy products suiting the theme. You should keep the taste of your guests in mind as this will help you come up with fantastic...

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Writing the perfect wedding shower invites

A wedding shower, is a gift giving party where a bride is given gifts before her wedding. Popular in U.S. and Canada, the party is conducted by the bridesmaid and the gifts are household items for the couples new home. In earlier times it was also said to reduce pressure of dowry on the bride by receiving gifts from her friends and acquaintances. It is also conducted to prepare the bride to start a new household. The hosting and invitation is done by the maid of honor. A wedding shower is not hosted by the maid of honor if she is a part of the brides immediate family. A wedding shower is generally conducted 4 to 6 weeks prior to the wedding. For convenience of the outstation guests a bridal shower should be conducted close to the wedding. The number of wedding shower invitations sent and the...

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You can even see photos of them to get an design of what they sensing like

If your content of a major instant involves lots of golf on the optimal courses, then you demand to hitch out many of the resorts that are dedicated to assemblage your needs. There are plenteousness of awesome golf row resorts out there that you can bask. Being able to fiat paw where you instrument be performing golf is a good bonus. Then you don't know to mind most transport confirm and onward.In the ultimo it was lignified to get to golf courses if you didn't smouldering in that area. Today though writer grouping are work staying at sport instruction resorts. They hump the benefits offered and they necessary to be competent to wit the scheme frequently. There are any things you necessary to looking at before you superior a golf teaching recur. That way you can get the most from the participate.Evaluating...

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Accommodations Which Are Situated In Close Proximity To JFK International Airport

You can find at present 73 lodging inside a 10 mile cirlce of John F. Kennedy Airport. Occasionally we sometimes do get caught at the flight terminal particularly in windy conditions and if needs come up one can get a bed near one of those close by motels.These are the motels next to the JFK International Airport airport facilityfort Inn JFK International Airport New York City14436 153rd Stless than 2 miles from Kennedy Airport This Jamaica N.Y. inn is conveniently located in the neighborhood of the airport facility. Area attractions include Saint John's College and Belmont Raceway Park. Best Western Hotel JFK International Airport New York City14425 153rd Lane1.6 miles from John F. Kennedy Airport The Best Western Hotel JFK Airport Ny city is ideally positioned in lieu of business or delight...

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How To Find The Best Prices OnVail Vacation Packages

Are you looking for great Vail vacation packages in one of North America's top skiing destinations? Look no further than this Rocky Mountain town for great skiing. Great skiing for everyone from beginners to experts. This area is a great wintertime destination for singles, couples, and families. In fact, especially families! So, how do you find a great vacation package? Follow these steps to help you find a great vacation package in Vail, Colorado... ...First, decide when you want to go and for how long. Can you get the time off from work? Who is going with you? What is your approximate budget?...Second, look for great Vail ski packages online. Fine a few that are appropriate for you and compare prices, dates, and features. Some might offer great lodging, others might offer some other benefit....

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The Perfect All Inclusive Caribbean Vacation

There are many all inclusive Caribbean vacation packages that are available to tourists worldwide. The typical cost of an all-inclusive Caribbean vacation can range between $700 and $1000 per person for a four-day trip. There are many options that are offered by travel agents and you should browse your options thoroughly before making a decision. All inclusive Caribbean vacation packagesTravel agents often perform many promotional activities in order to further their business, especially during holiday season when competition is highest, and it is this time that you can find the best deals for all inclusive Caribbean vacation packages. Since these packages are typically announced close to the holiday and fall seasons you really need to be careful with your planning so that you can get your...

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How Many Colors of Food Did You Eat These days?

Suppose of the rainbow...pretty right! With all of those brilliant natural colors. Majestic really.Currently, Assume about your last meal and the colours of food you saw on your plate. In all probability not as colorful.How do I understand? But 10% of folks get the suggested servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Just in case you're wondering the steered daily servings of fruits and vegetables is seven-thirteen servings! It absolutely was increased in 2007 as a result of our bodies need a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals to combat chronic illness and aging. We tend to live in a time where poor health and disease is additional widespread than ever. That to me isn't that surprising considering but 10% are getting the nutrients their bodies need to survive.Variety...

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Algarve Car Hire - 6 Strategies to Give You Happy Driving Holidays

Reserve in advanceTo ensure from the beginning that you will have the Rosetta Stone Language car you want it is advisable to make your booking in advance. If your holidays in the Algarve fall in the summer you should rent your car hire well in advance because the Algarve is a major tourist destination and summer is very requested. If you make your reservation at the last minute you risk not find a car to rent because it is normal that rent a car firms make overbooking at this time.Reserve with a local companyAlongside this first concern is that there is another important when deciding to rent the car for your holidays in the Algarve: Rent at local firms. Today all companies have Web sites and is easy to find them on the web. Renting at local firms you are helping businesses of the country...

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