From Ucka, you've a splendid view of Istria

Istria and Kvarner

Limski Channel - Between Vrsar and Rovinj, there are a geomorphologic phenomenon - a 10 km long and 600 m wide canyon, with cliffs protruding at least 150 m across the sea. Since oysters and mussels are bred within your Limski Channel, ensure to taste them from of numerous excellent restaurants.

Motovunska Forest - Istria's inland is famous for its forests full of mushrooms and wild game, while Motovunska Forest, that the largest truffle, recorded inside the Guinness Book of World Records, is discovered, is based on the Mirna River valley, close to the Medieval hill-top towns.

Ucka - Ucka, paid by coniferous forests, medicinal and aromatic herbs, is Istria's highest mountain. From Ucka, you've a splendid view of Istria and then the Kvarner islands, and thanks to its vegetation and therefore the direction of an wind, the region along at the foot of Ucka appears to have been included one of many attractions favorable it really is anyone with respiratory difficulties.

Rajska Beach and Dundo Forest - 40% of your respective island of Rab is roofed by woods, whilst Dundo Park-Forest, only 4 km of your capital of scotland- Rab, is different among the best holm oak forests in the Mediterranean region.

Lubenice - At a 378 m steep ledge getting a view in the direction of open sea, lies the prehistoric settlement that resembles the fairytale town in Sleeping Beauty - stone-chiseled Lubenice, where yearly interesting music evenings are held and inventive workshops are organized.

Northern Dalmatia

Lake Mir - Over a island of Dugi otok, in the area belonging to the Telascica Nature Park, 146 m above sea level lies the salt water lake Mir. Historically, a fundamental part of the Kornati National Park, Telascica Bay is amongst the beautiful through the Adriatic, while its waters during the surface are very much 6C warmer compared to a sea water in summer.

Velebit Botanical Garden - Your foot of Zavizan Mountain, within the altitude of 1480 meters, lies a botanical garden through having an section of 30 hectares. Besides dense forests and spacious meadows, you understand autochthonous and rare plants inside the Velebit region, one of them, the endemic yellow flower - Degenia velebitica.

Zrmanja River, whose canyons and rapids have recently been discovered by rafting and kayaking enthusiasts, lies outside of the town of Obrovac. Probably one of its beauties really is a 27-meter high waterfall. Rosetta Stone Language Along its entire time 69 km, the river flows through green landscapes, one of the most spectacular ones at the Obrovac region.

Cerovacke Caves - Across the slopes of Southern Velebit lies the geomorphologic nature monument containing two caves: Donja cave, explored on the depth of 2000 meters and Gornja cave, although smaller (approx. 1200 m), can provide capturing the so-called "White Crystal Chamber" which is usually ornamented with magnificent stalactites and stalagmites.

Central Dalmatia

Cetina River Canyon - 100 km long Cetina River is Dalmatia's river with water will be mouth lies about the old capital of scotland - Omis. By method of its waters, the river has formed an outstanding canyon with waterfalls (Gubavica) and excursion areas, among which Radmanove mlinice, a house where excellent dishes are served, shines.

Malacological Museum in Makarska - is found the Franciscan monastery and houses the most variety of shells and snails around the world, together with a rare group of fossils from your Mediterranean area.

Biokovo Botanical Garden - In case you head from Makarska towards Zagora, you will certainly reach a botanical garden that, besides autochthonous plants for the Biokovo area, houses several endemic plants, while there's large meadows of yellow narcissuses at several places on the park.

Crveno and Modro Lakes are hydrographic and geomorphologic natural phenomena through the Imotski region. In Modro lake (800 x 500 meters), bathing is allowed in summer, while its level varies upto 70 meters. Neighboring Crveno lake resembles a huge well: within the diameter around 200 meters coupled with a depth near 500 meters and can't be accessed, as you move red colorization for the surrounding steep rocks set a marvelous sight.

Southern Dalmatia

Veliko and Malo Lakes - To the island of Mljet, whose western part also has been proclaimed a national park, types lakes and so the bay of Soline. On 46 meter deep Veliko Lake lies the islet of Sv. Marija using Benedictine monastery. The stream of Malo Lake is perfectly up to 4C warmer as opposed to a sea water.

Bacinska Lakes - Freshwater Bacinska Lakes, a favorite destination for sports fishermen, lies north among the port of Ploce and in the immediate vicinity of this sea. You can find excellent fish restaurants nearby.

Ston Walls - The 14th century fortification walls, called "European Wall of China" with regard to their monumentality, still circle this city that have waterworks plus a sewage system already in 1581. In addition, Ston is known for excellent oysters bred there.

Lokrum is the beautiful islands of an Dubrovnik archipelago and it was in the past the summertime residence of Maximillian von Habsburg. The island is roofed with Mediterranean vegetation, magnolias, agaves and palm trees. For the exquisite beauty, the company has been proclaimed a unique reserve of forest vegetation.

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The Rosetta Stone Of Style And Shopping

My amount of time in London was set right in the middle of my month long overseas adventure. From Christchurch, New Zealand Id traveled through Bangkok and on the majestic capital of scotland - London. Just flying instead of the area was exciting; looking on the Thames River was great as well as for some reason brought to mind the Eastenders TV programme.

After settling in at my sisters apartment I got some valuable sleep, traveling may extreme fun except the jet lag can quickly offer you with go into reverse to earth. Another day I headed off to St Pauls Cathedral, its a fantastic monument and was really worth the visit. After lifting the usual touristy photos face-to-face with St Pauls I improved a great deal around the Tate Modern Memorial. Them to had some really fascinating exhibitions on during by great sculptures and craft.

Heading off to lunch brought to mind how expensive all aspects are london after youve exchanged New Zealand dollars to British Pounds, after from the low Bangkok; I seen that this component my holiday would definitely are expensive. Holidays are all about to spend though the program was enough time to get over it and spend more.

Being an immediate sporting fan I got very keen to get to Wimbledon to look some tennis. As soon as first day got rained off Investigate about how in making on your path towards the grounds to see what my probability of getting into were. Been found i just has to wait in line, an exceedingly massive line! Luckily browsing line grown to be section of the fun, I received my queue card, my official self-help guide to queuing handbook and numerous other goodies which are dropped off to the people have been waiting so patiently. We waited within your line into an hour . 5 in spite of everything which wasnt from trouble ., especially when you Rosetta Stone Language compare it toward the other kind of men and women were queuing once for all tickets within the following days play!

As I walked to qualify for the legendary Wimbledon complex I remarked that the labyrinth was alot more than quite a few tennis courts, previously it was for instance a small town finally it was just too large. I watched some games over a outer courts first, had to pinch myself i was really watching tennis at Wimbledon, where were my strawberries and cream? After having some fun testing the incidence of a tennis serve I ventured for the main courts, I were purchase some resale tickets about the main courts and long been watching both Raphael Nadal and Andy Murray, couldnt believe my luck! The climate was amazing, even for so at the beginning of the tournament.

The overnight involved time and effort throughout the underground as well as on foot as I made my way around Londons Museums. I left for the Science, Victoria & Albert, Natural Background and British Museums and thoroughly enjoyed presence, exactly buildings were impressive. I particularly enjoyed seeing all Egyptian and Greek artifacts that include vases, statues together with the Rosetta stone. Its unfortunate I had engineered short time because deal lots of interesting factors to see.

For dinner we sought out in to the Ivy, a posh restaurant that my sister had booked earlier. Your meals was good and also atmosphere nice, even slightly pretentious. After a few drinks in the local pub we meandered back to Clapham Common and my sisters apartment. It has been a fantastic day's sightseeing and certainly one I wouldnt forget any time soon. Luckily I had developed bought enough memory in my small digital camera to last me a lifetime because I seemed to be selecting a substantial amount of photos.

London is stuffed with amazing sights as well as to get it done justice you would have to spend weeks exploring its vast areas. A possible problem is that it requires a long while so as to get using a to B and so you be prepared for some frustrating times whether its delays on your underground or huge lines at famous attractions. Luckily youll never realise you are disappointed with the you see inside london, its a destination that should be on every travelers to do list.

Rene Smith is the travel guru who lives and works in Christchurch, New Zealand. Visit his website for other top travel articles, reviews, attractions, sightseeing, tours, adventure sport, dining, accommodation plus more.

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Guidance With Your Home Safety Decisions

When you begin shopping for a home security system the focus foremost in your mind should be the level of protection the system will afford you and you family. The real problem that you face is that there are literally tens of thousands of products and security companies for you to select from. If you read a respected home security review you will be able to eliminate a lot of the less professional home security firms and products from your list of potentials.So where do you go to find these home security reviews and how do you differentiate between those that provide a true and accurate assessment and those which are biased towards certain manufacturers and providers? At this stage of your investigations you want to steer clear of individual manufacturers or company websites that offer in-house home security reviews because they will of course be geared towards that particular company and its products and services. Choosing a totally independent and unaligned third party home security review is the only way you will be able to gather unbiased information on what is available.Top Websites that Offer Home Security Reviews A service known as Consumer Reports is perhaps the leading authority on literally thousands of products ranging from cars to electrical appliances as well as home security systems and their Rosetta Stone German manufacturers. The publishers at Consumer Reports personally test each item of equipment they review and report on both the positive and negative aspects of each item. For home security services they will even make comments on the ongoing service rates charged by the company as well as the services provided by the various providers. Home security reviews provided by this source can be considered unbiased and well worth considering before you commit to a particular security company. You can source Consumer Reports from your local library or pay an online subscription.Another valuable source of information on home security is The Epinions website which is a consumer driven site with thousands of people reporting their own opinions based on personal experiences. From this website, you will get to read countless home security reviews generated by individuals who can give advice based on their own experiences. This site does have a number of positive product reviews, however, the writers are often influenced by a bad experience. The most effective way to go about reading these reviews is to sort them from highest to lowest level ranking. The products and services that consistently receive the best home security reviews are highly likely to be the ones that you should investigate further.Also consider looking to leading web authorities like CNET on a variety of technological products as they, like Consumer Reports, have their personnel try the products and services and offer up their own results, Additionally they also allow personal users to offer their opinions and reviews. Another quick and easy useful research tool would be to run a web search on different home security tech forums to read what others have had to say on particular products and services that are available in your local area.Trust Your Instincts Once you have read through the available home security reviews via some of the methods listed above, you have to go with your own gut instincts. Referrals and reviews only go so far so your personal opinions and gut reaction should be the final measure as to which products and services you decide to purchase.

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Home Schooling: The Advantages And Disadvantages

People new to the idea and concept of homeschooling often have a thousand of questions to raise. Here is some helpful information to guide you in weighing things out:Some homeschooling advantages:1. Allow quality time, providing individualized attention and instruction. Homeschooling parents can better understand their children; observe how kids progress, what areas they find difficult and help them out.2. Children learn in their own pace. At homeschool, children can advance at any time, not waiting on others or if the kid is a slow learner or having difficulties in a certain subject area, she/he can remain to focus on that area without pressure that others are already moving on.3. Parents pattern their teaching style and curriculum in accordance with the childs learning style, allowing him/her to successfully understand the subject matter, thus better results are achieved.4. No peer pressure. At a homeschool, age classification is not a factor, therefore children not only associate with children their same age level, but with children of different ages and adults Rosetta Stone Spanish as well, so they can decide on their own without the influence of peers.5. Hands on learning. Activities which are outside the context of books are very much essential to the childs learning process. Trips to the park, the museum, the zoo, going fishing with mom and dad can be a great time to spend an afternoon educating your child.Some homeschooling disadvantages:1. For the homeschool parent, much time and effort is required for preparation of teaching materials, lessons and managing the childs opportunities in order to cultivate friendships and expand on the childs interests.2. Parents who homeschool do not have enough time to spend for themselves when kids are constantly at home. This frequent time of being together can be at times suffocating and, therefore, can not work in certain families.3. Homeschooled children do not have a lot of opportunities to bond and develop friendships with peers. For many families, this really is not a problem and is supplemented by taking the kids out to play in the park, attend lessons in ballet, jazz, etc. However it takes a lot of effort on the part of parents to insure that their kids have these opportunities.Whether to homeschool or not, it all depends on you, as a parent, on how much are you willing to give your child. On top of all the learning materials, the field trips, home schooling entails a lot of love, patience and encouragement.

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Advice On Investing In Property Abroad

Buying a property abroad can be a wise investment if you plan and research properly.People buy property abroad for all sorts of reasons. The number of people deciding to buy a holiday home is increasing particularly in the UK and other northern-European countries, where a warmer climate is a big part of the appeal of owning property in Spain, Portugal or Turkey.Buying property abroad can also be an investment. Depending on where you buy and what you use your property for, you can make your money go further.Rising property prices Whilst the most popular areas of France, Spain, Portugal and Italy are now quite expensive, there are a lot of new areas where buying property abroad can be seen as a good investment. Turkey, Croatia and the Czech Republic are just a few of the countries that are attracting Rosetta Stone investors. The combination of low property prices, a low cost of living and the potential rental and re-sale value of properties are making these countries very appealing to those people who are either looking to make the most of their pension funds, or who want to realise cash later on.Lifestyle Whilst some people decide to invest in a possible financial return, others are looking for an investment in their standard of living. The climate, the lifestyle and the cost of living are all good reasons why living in a property abroad can be more beneficial than living in the UK. Retiring to a property abroad is becoming an effective way of making pension funds go further; selling your home in the UK, or even downsizing and buying a second property abroad, means that you can make the most of your money.Should I invest in property abroad?If you think you would like to invest in a property abroad, do some investigation first. If you want to make money on your property, decide if you want to do this through rental income or through rising property prices. Neither of these routes is guaranteed to make money for you, so speak to a professional about the best places to buy, to give yourself the best chance of success.

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Perfect Preparation For Summer Travel Abroad

An essential part of being able to enjoy your trip abroad is to plan in advance for potential emergencies. Preparing for possible medical needs regarding medications, air ambulances, insurance issues and more is especially important.You have your passport, the bags are packed, and the neighbor will water the plants. Youve packed the sunscreen, arranged for overseas cell service and even picked up universal adapters all items are checked off on your travel to-do list. You are all set for the perfect overseas vacation, or are you?Lets face it, vacation provides the opportunity to temporarily escape from reality. Why ruin the mood with thoughts of doom and gloom?! Planning for emergencies does not have to be a downer. A little preparation will help you to relax knowing that you have it all covered. The quick health tips below will help you to breathe easier as you prepare to travel this summer.Register with the US Embassy or Consulate.Registering with the local embassy is a good idea even when traveling to countries that are safe. In the event of an emergency the American consular officers will be able to assist you. You can register online at the embassy travel registration site or upon arrival Rosetta Stone by visiting the local office.Additionally the embassy can be a wealth of information for Americans traveling abroad. They can provide information about the political climate, local medical physicians or facilities and much more.Medical Evacuation.What happens if you become injured or ill while traveling? You can arrange to be transported back to the US for treatment. Air Ambulance services can transport you to a US facility. You will be safely transported in the company of trained medical professionals. The medical evacuation team can coordinate bed to bed transportation, ensuring that you are safely transported back to the states without compromising your care. Keep the number of an Air Ambulance Service with your medical information for handy access in the event of an emergency.Prescription Medications Keep a separate list of all prescription medications, including dosage, pharmacy number and prescribing physician. This will facilitate replacement if your luggage is lost or in case of a medical emergency. Keep all prescription medications in original bottles.Insurance Check with your health insurance company to ensure that you understand your coverage while traveling. If you need medical attention will you have to pay out of pocket and seek reimbursement? Do they have contracts with physicians and/or facilities where you will be traveling? Is there a special phone number to call while traveling?All vacations near and far require advance planning. This becomes more important when you are traveling abroad. With just a few extra steps of preparation you can truly relax and enjoy your trip knowing that you have truly attended to every detail!

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7 easy steps to an early tax refund

By the end of January, you should have all your checks and receipts broken down in each envelope by deduction category. Add up the receipts and checks (don't double count), and those are the numbers you use on your return or give to your preparer.That's how much you've spent in each deduction category. And with this system you never have to fear an audit.An audit is nothing more than the IRS asking you to prove the numbers you put on your return. You've already done that. Just hand over the deduction-category envelope with the receipts and checks. After a series of matches, it's going to be a quick audit.4. Analyze the numbersSometimes, the raw numbers you have are going to be wrong.On the income side, you're required to report any and all interest and dividends received, even if you don't receive a Form 1099.You'll have to match up the sales of stock with the cost of those shares. The number shown by your broker on Form 1099-B last year was only the sale price. You're not taxed on 100% of that number. You reduce it, on Schedule D of your return, by your cost, including broker's fees. You're taxed only on the net profit. Starting with sales in 2011, Rosetta Stone Chinese your broker is required to report cost basis as well. Speak with your broker before any sales are made, and discuss alternative ways of valuing shares if your whole position isn't liquidated. From a tax point of view, you want to sell the shares with the highest cost to minimize your current tax.If you don't sell 100% of your position, you'll have to allocate your costs on a per-share basis.On the deduction side, you may have deductions not reflected by the raw data.Say you make your Jan. 1, 2012, mortgage payment on Dec. 31, 2011. The interest you pay won't be reflected on the Form 1098 sent by your mortgage company. That's because it won't get the check or the online payment until 2012. (If you pay online, be sure your bank records the date that you send the payment properly. A canceled check is still adequate proof.)Paying before the end of the year transforms your January 2012 payment into a 2011 deduction, and you should run an amortization schedule to compute the additional interest. That additional interest would be shown on line 11 of your Schedule A.(You can make the same tax move at the end of 2012, converting what would normally be a January 2013 payment into a 2012 deduction.)5. Call your accountantIf you're going to have your return professionally prepared, call your accountant now for an appointment.

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The 13 females who passed were known as the Mercury 13

They were Bernice "Bea" Steadman, Janey Hart, Geraldine "Jerri" Sloan Truhill, Rhea Allison Woltman, Sarah Lee Gorelick Ratley, Jan Dietrich, Marion Dietrich, Myrtle Cagle, Irene Leverton, Gene Nora Jessen, Jean Hixson, Wally Funk and Geraldyn "Jerrie" Cobb. Lost and Found: Data on Female ApplicantsThe data collected from these women from their physiological testing were never published and had apparently been lost. Dr. Loeppky, one of the co-authors of the article, had worked with Dr. Ulrich Luft, an eminent physiologist who had performed the original aerobic exercise capacity tests on both the female and male astronaut candidates. For the first time, the current paper summarizes these physiological data, demonstrating that the aerobic capacities of the top four women were comparable to those of male pilots of the time. Jerrie CobbJerrie Cobb was the first female to volunteer for the program. Having taken up flying at just age 12, she held numerous world aviation records for speed, distance and altitude, and had logged more than 10,000 hours of flight time. Of the Mercury 7 astronauts, John Glenn had the most flight experience at a total of 5,100 hours. Cobb had undergone a standard battery of personality and intelligence tests, EEG and neurological tests and psychiatric interviews. On the final day of advanced testing she was immersed in a soundproof isolation tank filled with cold water in order to induce total sensory deprivation. Based on previous experiments in several hundred subjects, it was thought that six hours was the Rosetta Stone English absolute limit of tolerance for the experiment before the onset of hallucinations. Cobb, however, spent more than nine hours in the water, before the staff terminated the experiment. All told, Cobb had tested in the top 2% of all tested candidates, male and female. In May 1961 Cobb received an informal invitation to undergo spaceflight stimulation training at the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, FL. After ten days of testing, she had scored as well as experienced Navy pilots and plans were made to test the remaining 12 women.Jacqueline "Jackie" CochranJackie Cochran was the leading woman in American aviation in 1960. During World War II, she founded and led the Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) to fly military aircraft domestically (thus freeing up male pilots for combat service). In 1953, she was the first woman to break the sound barrier. Although she knew of the Woman in Space project, and did not meet the qualifications for testing, she believed she had been deprived of a leadership role in the program. In the end, however, she and her husband agreed to fund the Pensacola testing for the 12 women.The End of a VisionDespite Cochran's funding and the promising results, the Pensacola testing had not been authorized and the military would not move forward. Lovelace could not pursue the Woman in Space program further. Cobb assumed the de facto leadership of the women and began extensive lobbying efforts. In a meeting with then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson, he expressed no support for the program. Embittered by her experience Jerrie Cobb continued to lobby until 1965. For the next five years she flew missionary operations in the Amazon and in 1980 was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. It would be more than 30 years after the testing that 11 of the 13 Mercury women would be reunited. This time, 1995, they came to watch Eileen Collins pilot the first flight of the joint Russian-American Space Program. ConclusionThe vision of Lovelace and Flickinger to launch the Woman in Space Program in 1959 was remarkable not only for the science it attempted to discover, but for the times. The combination of this ingenuity and the capability and willingness of the women in the program ultimately allowed the space program to advance as far as it did.

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Which also means less opportunity for a meltdown to occur

Dear buddy, if you are enthusiastic to obtain dance lessons from a renowned salsa master then online dance schools are the ultimate destination for you. Also by contacting an online dance school, you can take dance classes from the convenience of your own home and altogether there are certain online institutions that offer dance courses at discounted rates. Thus it becomes apparent that if you learn to dance from an internet-based dance establishment you would receive an array of competitive advantages. So, approach an online dance school if you are keen to gain expertise in different ballroom dances, namely, samba, rhumba, tango, tango., cha cha, jive et al.?Guys, it is remarkable that online dance schools facilitate their operations with the help of the latest softwares and other technologies. To take dance classes from an online dance school, you should possess adequate knowledge of the internet and moreover you should have a computer of your own which is equipped with powerful internet connectivity.?However, if you have made up your mind to learn how to dance from an online dance school, then first of all, you should get in touch with one of the reputed dance schools that have established base over the cyberspace. The best dance institutions are always listed at the top in Goggle as well as other search engines and you can find them by searching via relevant keywords. As soon as you get in touch with a reputed online dance academy, you can enrol for a dance course of your choice by filling up an online form. Thereafter, you can start taking dance classes from the convenience of your own home. Rosetta Stone Arabic ?Guys, it is notable that apart from an online dance school, you can also learn ballroom dancing by getting hold of a dance instruction dvd or dance video. You can purchase the best dance instruction video/videos by logging in to an online store that offers dance cd or dance instructional video at reasonable prices. However, soon after obtaining a dance dvd or dance cds from a reputed online source, you can start learning to dance just by sitting at home. Building positive peer relationships is always a challenge for these guys, so the more opportunities they have to practice being a good friend and being a part of a group, the better. Just because they have a disability does not mean that they should be secluded from enjoying the benefits that come from participating in school clubs. The difference with children and young people with FASD, is that they need to do things more often for less time, that way they get to enjoy the experience without having to be there for too long. Which also means less opportunity for a meltdown to occur. Check and check.5. IF IT'S NOT WORKING GO TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL If you get to the point where you are so frustrated you just want to start throwing people through windows(for some weird reason that's what I always picture doing to people when I am mad) then for heaven's sake, go find people who get it. I mean, really get FASD. There are only so many pamphlets and educating you can do. So, take your child somewhere else. Talk with other FASD caregivers, go to other schools and meet with the staff; you are not as powerless as you might think. If the school is not meeting your child's needs then go find one that will!!!School can be a fantastic time for children, even those with FASD. We have to honor their disability and as caregivers we can do that by using the above strategies and reading the amazing document from the link below. With the help of fantastic caregivers like yourself and supportive teachers, you will be amazed at what your child can accomplish.

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Benefits of attending California traffic school

The successful completion of a course from a court approved California traffic school can help you prevent violations from hurting your driving record. In many cases, the court may get a traffic ticket dismissed, if you attend and complete the traffic school course successfully. The course typically consists of lessons explaining safe and defensive driving method, road laws and so on. Learning them can help you tune up your driving knowledge and skills. It also helps you realize the importance of driving safely, so you and your family can be much safer on roads.California is a big state and many Californians rely heavily on a car to travel to their workplace and run their household. It seems absurd for many people to live without a car. However, the traffic laws are somewhat strict. If you occasionally miss a stop sign, you will get a point that may take off your license. The best way to dismiss ticket is to attend a traffic school in California either in person or by enrolling into an online program. Online traffic school is more beneficial, if you are a busy professional, have family responsibilities or do not want to waste your valuable time in sitting in a hot room for hours to complete the course. Online environment always offer more fun. It provides you the freedom and flexibility to learn at your own convenience. You can learn when you are free from virtually anywhere. The only requirement to complete the online traffic school course is a computer with internet connection.One of the most important benefits in attending traffic school in California is that you can reduce the rate on your insurance premium. The insurance companies in California charge higher rates than many other states. If you received a ticket and have points against your license, they will take it as an opportunity to raise your rates. Joining a traffic school and passing the exam can help you save some dollars in your car insurance premium.Completing the traffic school course lends you a hand to show that you are a socially responsible driver. Driving laws are changing year Rosetta Stone after year. Taking the course can help you get to know about new updates in the traffic laws. The cheap and best online traffic school includes updates in road and traffic laws regularly. You can learn them conveniently from your home. It is the best option, if you have been away from home for several years and wants to hone your driving skills. You can get an awareness of safety by completing the traffic school course. It even gives you a chance to prevent a ticket in the long run.Thanks to technological advancements, the process of completing a traffic school course is easy and affordable. You just need to follow some simple steps to dismiss your traffic ticket or reduce your insurance premium quickly. You need to visit the website of the traffic school offering course online and provide some personal details like your name, email ID, phone number, address and purpose of joining the course. You need to give your acceptance to the terms and conditions of the online school. You can then start learning the coursework immediately after registration. The coursework is divided into 5 or 6 easy to read chapters. At the end of each chapter, there is a multiple choice short quiz. You can learn the lesson at your own pace and give answers the quiz to know whether you have understood the lesson fully. After completing the course material, you need to pass the final exam.The online traffic school sends the course completion certificate directly to you or to the court. You just need to pay the court fees and receive your traffic school completion certificate. You can immediately rip up your traffic ticket and get points off your driving record, after receiving the course completion certificate.California is a technologically improved state, so it allows attending online traffic school. You need not travel a long distance to sit in a stale room, trying to keep your eyes open, while some dull traffic teacher giving boring instructions about traffic laws. California traffic school online lets you enjoy a convenient learning process. The coursework comprising of exciting graphics and animations improves your learning experience to a great extent. You can concentrate well on the course material, as you are allowed to read the lessons at the time you want. You can easily pass the required tests without leaving your home.

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The mean scores of students in academic performance

The identified areas where government at different levels could come in will be brought into focus in other to bridge the gap of educational attainment of children of low and high income earners in the society. The importance of achieving the objectives of education programme among the general populace can not be over emphasized. A researcher, Laosa, had posted as follows: "The educational achievement gap has deep root; it is evident very early in child's lives; even before they enter schools. Socio–economic differences – such as health and nutrition status, home environments that provide access to academically related experiences, mobility rates, and financial assets can certainly influence academic achievements" (Laosa, 2005:5)Research hypothesis1. Parental socio – economic status does not have significant effect on the academic achievement of students.2. Parental educational background has no significant effect on students' academic achievements3. Parental qualification has no significant effect on the academic achievement of students4. Health status of students has no significant on the academic achievement of students.MATERIALS AND METHODS Population and sampling procedure The population of the students under the study was made up of both males and females in three senior secondary schools. Sixty students were randomly selected from each of the schools, thus one hundred and eight (180) students came under the study. Random sampling was used for convenience in the selection of schools and respondents using table of random number. In the selected schools, three consecutive ends of term examination results were obtained for twenty students from each of senior classes, I, II and III. Information relating to parental background and students. Questionnaire to elicit relevant information about the demographic data of the students (age, gender), parental socio – economic status, parental educational background and qualification as well as the health statuses of the respondents was used.Statistical analysis The data collected were analyzed using frequency count, percentage for variables such as age and sex. The hypotheses generated from the beginning were tested using t – test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pair – wise turkey test comparison at 0.05 level of significance.RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS The data collected is presented in tabular format for the purpose of analyzing them to expose the major finding in conformity Rosetta Stone Greek with the null hypothesis earlier generated. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using the t – test; analysis of variance (ANOVA), pair – wise comparison using turkey test at 0.05 level of significance. The demographic data were presented using frequency and percentage. Demographic Data: The demographic data of the respondents are shown in table I. This reveals that makes were 81 (45%), while ninety – nine (99) were female (55%). The age range the respondents were divided into three group for convenience. Those respondents that fall within the age range of 11 – 14 years were thirty – two (32) which represent 17.8%, while 108 of the respondents fall within the age range of 15 – 18, giving 60%. Others fall in the age range of 19 and above which were 40 and 22%.TABLE I. Demographic data of the respondents SEX AGE RANGE Male Female 11 – 14 15 - 18 19 above Frequency 81 99 32 108 40Percentage 45 55 17.8 60 22.2THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYZED DATA ON THE FOUR HYPOTHESES The results of the analyzed data on the hypothesis are given below: 1. Parental Socio-Economic Status:- Parental socio-economic status has no significant effect on the academic performance of students as shown in the table II.TABLE II. The mean scores of students in academic performance and parental socio-economics status.Source of Variation N X S.D MD Df t - cal t-crit. Decision (0.05)High 67 53.4 12.06 Low 113 52.3 11.13 NOTE: N.S means not significant at 0.05 levels The mean score of student's performance of high and low parental socio-economics statuses as shown in Table II reveals that parental economic statuses had no significant impact in student's ability to perform well academic study. This is because the calculated t-value in 1.96. Therefore the null hypothesis of no significant influence is retained.

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Launches Ratings & Reviews from Bazaarvoice

Customer-generated ratings and reviews help learners choose best language learning solution suited to their needs AUSTIN, Texas -- Bazaarvoice, the market and technology leader in hosted social commerce applications that drive sales, today announced that Inc. (NYSE:RST), a leading provider of technology-based language-learning solutions, has launched the Bazaarvoice social commerce platform with Ratings & Reviews? at . Now existing customers can easily share their authentic opinions and experiences on a wide range of language-learning solutions covering more than 30 languages. New customers can easily browse customer-generated reviews at the category level (Learn Dutch) or product level (Dutch Level 1, 2, and 3 Set with Audio Companion?) and learn which solution is applicable to their interest and skill level.“ attracts a passionate community of learners who are heavily invested in their language learning success,” said Tom Adams, CEO of . “The positive response to Bazaarvoice Ratings & Reviews has been outstanding and we are eager to further listen, learn, and communicate with our customers and help them in their language learning journey.”launched the Bazaarvoice social commerce platform in April 2009 and has already collected thousands of product reviews. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with over 95 percent having a 4 or 5-star rating. Each review is accompanied Rosetta Stone by an extensive reviewer profile that highlights the reviewer’s previous experience with the language; reason for learning the language; next language to learn; and number of products owned in order to help visitors determine if the review is relevant to their learning needs. “Eight out of 10 shoppers now read reviews as part of the shopping process,” said Brett Hurt, founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. “ is not only giving the customers the information they need to make the best purchase decision, but they are going a step further by bringing the customer voice into their organization. About Inc.?is changing the way the world learns languages.offers an interactive solution that is acclaimed for its speed and power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone. Available in more than 30 languages, the language-learning solution is used by schools, organizations and millions of individuals in over 150 countries throughout the world. The company was founded in 1992 on the core beliefs that learning a language should be natural and instinctive, and that interactive technology can replicate and activate the immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in?Arlington, Va.?For more information, visit . About Bazaarvoice Bazaarvoice’s Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions have served more than 50 billion pieces of customer-generated content on more than 525 brand web sites like Best Buy, Costco, Dell, Macy’s, Overstock, P&G, Panasonic, USAA, and QVC in 36 countries. The company connects organizations to their in fluencers through a unique network that reaches hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe, enabling authentic customer-powered marketing. Through syndication, analytics, partnerships, and consulting, Bazaarvoice brings the voice of the customer to the center of their clients’ business strategy, proving “social” can drive measured revenue growth and cost savings for manufacturing, retail, travel, and financial services companies.?Headquartered in Austin, the company has offices in London, Paris, and Singapore.

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Girl powers big on campus

Charlotte Community School for Girls offers single-gender education opportunity Boys aren't allowed at of Charlotte Community School for Girls, and Takerah Lewis, 10, really likes it that way. She expects to learn more without the distractions. "I am looking forward to getting better in language and writing," she said. Takerah and 17 other girls were chosen for the inaugural class of CCSG, a college preparatory tuition-free private school for girls from low-income families. Takerah has big dreams. She aspires to be a teacher, a fashion designer and a doctor. This year she will have the unique opportunity to incorporate the things that interests her into her curriculum, so she can begin narrowing career options before going off to Yale, her college of choice. Hafsa Abdul Rahman, 10, is also a CCSG scholar. She likes that everything at her new school makes her feel good about herself. Each morning students begin with positive affirmations, reciting "I am beautiful. I am intelligent," aloud. They pledge to "respect each other's opinions and ideas" and vow that they "can do anything." "It feels good to me. When I say I am beautiful, I really feel I am beautiful," Hafsa said. While attending public school, she felt ostracized by classmates who would make fun of her for her religious beliefs and wardrobe. "At my old school, it was a lot of drama," she said. It's all behind Hafsa now, who says she feels embraced by the girls at CCSG, who celebrate their unique differences. CCSG founder Cathy Sheafor said many times discussions about all-girl schools tend to focus on the absence of the distractions of boys, but she Rosetta Stone Software believes that argument misses the point. "The real strength of single gender education is the empowering component. It's not about the absence of boys, but the presence of girls," she said. "We are not about excluding boys; we are about empowering girls." Sheafor said that in allgirl environments, students are more likely to speak up and share opinions. They take more risks and are more confident. "Academically, girls perform better in a singlegender environment than they do in an environment with boys. They out score their co-education counterparts on the SAT," Sheafor said. "They are more likely to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics." Sheafor plans to expand CCSG through the eighth grade. She believes her students will be well prepared to enter into high school, in a private or public setting, because they will develop leadership skills that will enable them to thrive in any environment. Sheafor, who struggled through an unpleasant middle school experience, chose to home school her twin daughters when they reached middle school. She said the experience was valuable. "I learned the value of asking a child her opinion," she said. "They were engaged at a whole different level when they had a say in what they were learning." She integrated that powerful insight into the curriculum at CCSG. Students were asked what they wanted to learn in fifth grade. Their responses were compiled into a checklist to be incorporated into the curriculum this year. Sheafor said she is focusing on grades 5-8 because those are critical years for girls. "Middle school is a difficult time for girls.

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Role of Grandparents in Home Schooling

Grandparents have taken the role of teachers at home. This is also referred to as home schooling. Many parents have various reasons why they opt for home schooling. A parent may decide to home school his or her child due to special needs the child requires. Due to hectic lifestyle adopted by parents, home schooling becomes hard for them. This necessitates the helping hand of the grandparents. Most grandparents have retired and therefore have ample time for schooling their grandchildren.Home schooling needs a lot of caution because a parent must ensure the home offers ideal learning environment for the kid. A parent must also ensure the kid receives necessary discipline from the grandparent during the entire home schooling period. Parents have realized that the discipline of a child deteriorates with parent's absence. Due to this fact, parents request for grandparent's help in instilling discipline in a child. The cost of hiring a teacher to school a kid at home is very high for so some parents. Only wealthy parents can afford to hire private teachers. This leads to parents' need of grandparent's hand in home schooling a kid.Schools are source of bad morals due to aspect of peer pressure as well as bad influence. Kids at a tender age need to learn good morals to acquire a good base early in their life. Children exposed to bad influence at a tender age turn out to be crooks later in life. Rosetta Stone Software To avoid this from happening, many parents opt to home school their kids until the child becomes ready to handle tricky school life. Grandparents teach the kids good morals as they home school them.As one adopts home schooling method, one should cultivate an effective communication with the child. A parent should follow up the learning process to avoid laxity. When a parent is free, he or she should participate in the teaching process. This is very important because it shows concern to both the child and the grandparent. Another paramount factor to consider is learning material used to teach. Many grandparents received different type of education compared to what they teach the child. As a parent, one should ensure what the kids learns is relevant to the modern curriculum.As a grandparent, one should cultivate a sense of discipline in a child. One should prepare a time schedule similar to those used in school. This creates a school environment and helps a child improve on seriousness and attentiveness. When both grandparents are involved in the practice, they should split out responsibilities. For example, a grandmother can decide to coach the child on writing skills while the grandfather may coach the kid on technical subjects such as woodwork, metalwork, art or drawing and design. This helps in creating diversity on material taught as well as style of teaching.Grandparents should learn the importance of examining the kids. The effective way includes issuing of exams offered in schools. This helps in gauging the kid's performance. When taken with seriousness, home schooling has turned the best option in producing diligent and responsible scholars. Grandparents are not good teachers; they are also the best storytellers.

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Understanding The Basics Of Home Schooling

There is no single appropriate method of home schooling. One of the greatest benefits of acquiring education at home is its tremendous flexibility. Every family is free to select subjects and projects that go well with their requirements. They can pick their preferences in programs, techniques, supplies and educational philosophies. There must be an elementary understanding of these and other matters basic to home education. This will empower parents to make a selection that will ensure success.Serious thought should be given to choices in teaching and learning techniques, students improvement stages, potencies and limitations. In addition to all this, the tutor knowledge, practice and assurance should be taken into account. The family supply of time and money as well as the number of children has to be dealt with.In reality there is no single method to home school or a single finest course for everybody. No matter what your personal situation, there are several ways that can make home schooling a good thing for your family.There are cases where at times home schooling is to a large extent more favored than the conventional schools. This happens in circumstances where students are not competent enough to go to conventional classroom surroundings for some reason or the other. General reasons are having troubles with societal inability, psychological aptitude and sentimental Rosetta Stone Spanish Spain behavior. There are numerous things that need to be taken account of prior to placing your child in a home school. Check out the advantages and disadvantages: Prior to adopting home schooling, it is vital that you go through each and every feature of home schooling. You could start by counting the benefits as well as the drawbacks not just for the child but for the entire family as well.Bear in mind that home schooling does not simply have an effect on the child being discussed. It will be chaotic and in particular, the parents get affected, as they have to double up as the educator. The family also has to get geared up for the accountability of trailing along an organized program, amidst routine.Would home schooling be the greatest choice for your child: There are a lot of people who have displayed the efficiency of home schooling by offering education to the youth. However, there are a number of things the children have to give up as well.The approach is not frequently suggested for children who are just beginning to build up their communication and community skills. This is because they might mainly fail to benefit from a lot of budding objectives. However, if it is seriously believed that home schooling is the greatest option, it is fine to highlight the deficiency of the community element. This can be done by way of numerous actions that aptly represent the child to other individuals.Receiving the correct program: It is important to ensure that the adopted home schooling program syllabus is the same as that being taught by the traditional schools around. For this reason it is essential to highlight the subject matter that the child will be learning at home, in addition to the ability he or she is targeted to build up.

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Advantages of Home Schooling

Falling out of favour in recent years, home schooling used to be considered a great way to monitor and enhance your child's intellectual development. Theories about poor social development and emotional exposure led to a downturn in the frequency of home schooling, despite the numerous educational advantages it can bring. By nurturing your child within the home environment, learning and education can seem more of a natural process, whereby your child gains the skills and knowledge required during the course of his daily life. In this article we will consider further some of the advantages of educating your child in your home, and why this form of education may be considered superior to traditional schooling.One of the major advantages that comes with home schooling is the ability to tailor education to the needs and stage of development of the child. In the classroom, there is little in the way of individualised tuition and bonding for most of the children with the authority figure, which can stint and hinder development. Of course the child is exposed to a more social environment, which is certainly beneficial. The problem comes with the lack of direct tailored tuition, which can repress a child's intellectual potential. Secondly, regular schooling cannot move at the same pace, nor can it move at the pace required for the student. A class of pupils can only move as quickly as the Rosetta Stone slowest pupils, which leaves many more developed students bored and lacking intellectual stimulation. With home schooling, on the other hand, the parent or teacher is free to move at the pace of the child, and can devote one hundred percent of his or her attention to the intellectual needs of the child concerned, making for an overall more productive environment for the child.Another advantage of home schooling is that it is more flexible than traditional schooling, catering for the needs of the child concerned rather than the general needs of a class of children. If the child has particular difficulties in any given area, these can be sourced and assisted promptly, without having the burden of thirty other pupils to worry about. By allowing the teacher to focus on teaching the pupil at his own pace, home schooling creates a more flexible environment for intellectual development, which can provide the child with a greater understanding of reason and logic, as well as the basics of elementary arithmetic and literacy.Home schooling seems to be losing popularity in recent years, despite the fact that it still provides much academic and intellectual merit. Children educated in the home environment tend to be more attuned to life-long learning, considering knowledge and information as important assets. Indeed, this form of education allows the child to develop at his own pace where this may otherwise be restricted within the classroom environment. For these reasons, the process of home schooling is particularly worthwhile, and something that should be a consideration of parent everywhere, with the means and ability to educate their own children.

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Home school for your high schooler

Homeschooling at any age can be a challenge, but we have found that home schooling our high school aged children has been the most challenging.? We want to make sure they have everything they need for the real world, but also all the credits they need to get into college.? ?The challenge is not so much with our children, but with finding high school curriculum for home schooling.? Most of the home school curriculum is younger grade based usually below 8th grade.? Yes there are some home school programs out there that have high school aged curriculum, but some of those can be very costly and when you are on a budget it makes it difficult.We prefer to create our own home school curriculum rather than buy something expensive.? Creating your own home school curriculum can be interesting and fun, whether for your younger children or your high schoolers.? With our high schoolers we can include them in creating something they can be interested in and still get the number of credits for graduation.Themed unit studies are one way of creating home school curriculum for your high school children.?? You can determine your children's area of interest whether Rosetta Stone French V3 it be Egypt, Civil War, Automotive, Cooking or any of hundreds of other options.? Themed units should be able to include reading, writing, math, history and science at least.So how do I put a themed unit study together?? Research on the subject is key to creating a home school curriculum yourself.? Let's take Cooking as an example for a high school themed unit study.? The children will need to read recipes and show basic understanding of using it to cook with, they will use math and science when measuring and combining ingredients and of course it is good to learn some history of cooking, techniques and styles.As you can see creating a home school curriculum for your high schooler can be a challenge. Creating your home school curriculum takes some work up front, but in the end when you see how much more interested your children are in learning it is all worth it! ?This of course is just one example of creating your own home school curriculum for your high school children, there are many options out there and don't forget the internet is a very informative place to find great ideas for home schooling your children.

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Venus Willams Mocked By British Press

Click to play video Return to video Video feedback Use this form to: Ask for technichal assistance in playing the multimedia available on this site, or Provide feedback to the multimedia producers. Return to video Video feedback Thank you. Your feedback was successfully sent. Video will begin in 5 seconds. Don't play Play now More video Recommended Click to play video Fit for tennis: Get buff or get beaten Click to play video Jelena Dokic maps out year ahead Click to play video Stosur's Wimbledon knock-out Click to play video Serena and Henin in Open finals Replay video Return to video Video settings What type of connection do you have? Return to video Video settings Your video format settings have been saved. Venus swings with 'jumpsuit' After five-months away from the game, Venus Williams wooed the Wimbledon crowd with her tennis moves, and fashion statement. Video feedback Video settings Venus Williams causes a stir with 'jumper' outfit With a cut out back, draped sleeves, zippers and gold hot pants, Venus Williams's Wimbledon outfit was not the traditional British jumper. The tennis champion wore an eye-catching white playsuit, which she called a "jumper", on day one, attracting the disapproval of the UK tabloid press. Advertisement: Story continues below Mocked by the UK tabloids ... Venus Williams. Photo: Reuters The Sun dubbed it "The Venus eye trap", while the Daily Mail accused her of having "terrible fashion sense". "The back of the playsuit featured an on-trend cutaway, albeit one that is much more suited to black tie evening wear than to a sporting event," the report said. "Venus did not get everything wrong though - the cotton material had a pretty leafy design woven into it which could have made a lovely sun dress." Cut out back ... Venus Williams Photo: AP The Mirror marvelled at her ability to play tennis while wearing an array of chunky jewellery, including a necklace with a pendant and a large ring. "We're pretty sure our PE teacher would never have let us do a sports class wearing all of those at Rosetta Stone Software school." The official Wimbledon website had to translate Williams's use of the word "jumper" to describe the outfit. All-in-one romper suit ... Venus Williams. Photo: Getty Images "The language barrier between American English and English English can be huge and when she called her ensemble a "jumper", the locals looked confused. "Across the pond, a "jumper" is an all-in-one garment. "Over here, that would be called a romper suit for grown-ups." Click for more photos Day one at Wimbledon Venus Williams and her fashionable 'jumper' turned heads on day one at Wimbledon. Photo: AFP and AP The jumpsuit was from her own line EleVen, which has this wordy manifesto: "It's the next level. It's about being more and feeling like more. Be yourself. Feel fabulous. Be fearless. Feel confident. Be triumphant. Feel feminine. Be casual. Feel sexy. Be chic. Feel powerful. Be #1. Feel like an EleVen." Williams explained her fashion choice to reporters after her first round victory over Akgul Amanmuradova. "Jumpers are very in now, as is lace. The shoulders have a lot of draping, which is also in at the moment. "It's just kind of like a trendy dress. I'm really into zippers, so it has like a focal point of a zipper in the front. The elder of the Williams sisters - who have dominated women's tennis for the past decade described the backless feature as a cutout or a "peek-a-boo". "I'm always trying to do something different and fun, but lately I'm really trending towards simplicity. "I'm not sure why. It's just how I feel right now. Everything is getting more simple." In the past, Williams's on-court costumes have included a red and black tutu, a lime green dress with nude underwear and a yellow and brown lattice dress, with a multi-coloured skirt.

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Guide to Dongara in Western Australia

Dongara is located 359 km north of Perth on the Brand Highway and428 km via the Midlands Road. It is a genuinely charming fishingvillage (the ubiquitous Batavia Coast rock lobster is the maincatch) and holiday resort characterised by some beautiful historicbuildings and a main street which has some of the finest stands ofMoreton Bay fig trees anywhere in Australia. Interestingly thetrees were planted in 1906 for a total cost of 16 shillings andfour pence. Like most of the coastline of the Central West the mouth of theIrwin River undoubtedly was passed numerous times by the Dutchmerchant ships which sailed across the Indian Ocean on the RoaringForties and then headed north to the trading post at Batavia (nowJakarta). However no ships were wrecked near Dongara and so itwasn't until Lieutenant George Grey's illfated expedition of 1839was forced to walk from Gantheaume Bay (near Kalbarri) to Perththat the area was in any sense explored by Europeans. In early April 1839 Grey crossed a river which he named theIrwin after a friend, Major Frederick Chidley Irwin (17881860)who, at the time, was commandant of the Swan River settlement. Advertisement: Story continues below Grey's journey and his subsequent reports of good land didenough to engender interest and in 1846 the Gregory brothers(Augustus Charles, Francis and Henry Churchman) travelled northfrom Perth and found both good grazing land and the Irwin Rivercoal seam in the Mingenew area to the east of the coast. The areawas explored further in the late 1840s by Lieutenant Helpmann whofollowed the Irwin River to its source. He reached the present daysites of both Dongara and Port Denison. The first settlers arrived near Dongara in 1850 and two yearslater a townsite named Dhungarra (supposedly meaning 'a meetingplace for seals' in Rosetta Stone French the language of the local Aborigines) wassurveyed. By 1865 the wheat harvest in the area was sufficientlysuccessful to warrant the building of a flour mill. The followingyear a jetty was built and a road from Dongara to Mingenew wascompleted. The port, known at the time as Port Irwin and later tobe renamed Port Denison, was sufficiently active at this time thatobelisks were erected (they still stand at the southern end of theport) and lanterns were lit at night to guide ships through thedangerous offshore reefs. But Dongara is more than just a collection of old buildings. Itis, by any measure, a truly beautiful little seaside town. Apartfrom the residences which look out across the ocean there are anumber of lovely old houses which lie beyond the Police Station inHunt's Road. There are also some superb churches and rectories. Allthese buildings bear witness to the affluence of the earlysettlers. The town was also the birthplace of Sir David Brand who, asleader of the Liberal Party, was State Premier from 19591971making him Western Australia's longest serving Premier.Unfortunately his birthplace, Nurse O'Connor's Maternity Hospital,was destroyed by the floods which followed Cyclone Mavis in1971. Things to see: Dongara Heritage TrailThe visitor wishing to inspect the buildings of historic importancein Dongara should obtain a copy of the Dongara Heritage Trail fromthe Old Police Station and Court House Building (now the Dongaraa Denison Tourist Centre) in Waldeck Street. TheHeritage Trail is particularly good covering seventeen points ofinterest in Dongara.

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Today it's a shadow of its former self

It threw up two international flag manufacturing sites before giving sites for musician James Taylor's CD Flag and Flag Motor Inns. It fared better in tracking down Gallipoli information and most of the computer dictionary results were impressive. You can also look for answers in newsgroups, product search service Froogle, and search for images and video. Extras include street maps, weather and language translation. Sensis Rating For a long time Sensis was the name behind the White and Yellow pages. Sensis is a relative newcomer to the local search market, and it was initially a little clunky to use, but the site has recently been revamped, revealing a brighter design and better search facility. Search results appear in two columns, with content on the left more likely to be relevant to Australians, while the right has a more international focus. And, hallelujah, Sensis was able to tell us where we could go to buy flags in Australia, with the first search result being spot on. Our search on Gallipoli returned better results on the international side of the screen. As for Australianspecific computer dictionary sites, most of the lefthand side proved irrelevant, as expected, but results on the right were more detailed. A good compromise and surprisingly thorough results. ninemsn ninemsn.au RatingMany computers in Australia are shipped with Microsoft's Windows operating system and bundled with Internet Explorer. The default ninemsn home page (complete with search facility) is all some people know which is a shame. This local site, a joint venture between USbased Microsoft and Australian media group PublishingBroadcasting Ltd, does a good job of bringing the companies' brands together, including Channel Nine's TV shows and ACP's magazines, but its search facility performed poorly. Nothing in the first eight results had anything connected to buying a flag. Four of the first 10 results on Gallipoli were OK, but the computer dictionary search was the most successful. As well as being able to search the web, news and images, ninemsn can Rosetta Stone do a basic hunt through Microsoft's Encarta encyclopedia ideal for school work. Yahoo! RatingLike ninemsn, the Yahoo! search facility is embedded into its home page, where many other services such as news, a local TV guide and ads vie for attention. It offers searches in the categories of web, images, video and news. Its muchtouted Local Search (localsearch.yahoo.au) was launched in August last year, but neither it nor the main Yahoo! Australia and NZ site had much luck with our flag request. Local Search thought we wanted a graphic designer, and the main site guessed eBay was the best place to buy exMelbourne Cup banners and flags not exactly what we were after. Our search on Gallipoli was more successful, with five of the first 10 results deemed relevant. There were no problems locating several computer dictionaries. Mixed results. Rating Before there was Google, AltaVista reigned supreme. Today it's a shadow of its former self. Alta Vista now uses the same search index as Yahoo! and results from the two were similar. Alta Vista appears to be thorough by offering web, image, audio, video and news searches. You can choose whether to search Australia or the whole web, and whether to stick to English language results or all languages. But appearances are deceiving. Like ninemsn, AltaVista couldn't tell us where to buy a flag in Melbourne, but threw up a store in Tucson, Arizona and plenty of sites for AFL footy clubs. We found five good Gallipoli links within the first 10 results, and it found the usual computer dictionary suspects with ease. Disappointingly, sponsored links are not clearly separated from the main results. Verdict Sensis was best for Australian searches, with its results relevant and the site easy to use.

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