Chiang Mai University Online TEFL Scholarship ContestThe Chiang Mai University Online TEFL Program is pleased to announce the availability of two scholarships for free tuition to our Online TEFL Certification Program. This course has been entirely authored by the experts at the Language Institute.  The content is similar to that of the 120-hour, on campus course but the online curriculum delves deeper into the theory, philosphy and psychology of effictive language teaching. This program offers the convenience of learning at  your own pace from anywhere with an internet connection and can be completed in as little as two weeks or can be taken slowly over six months.All interested applicants must submit an essay of 300 words or more which addresses the following question.Why do you want to teach?All essays should be pasted onto the (Your Message) section of the (Contact Page) on the Chiang Mai University Language Institute web site.Just visit us at www.teflcmu.com, click on contact and paste your essay.The deadline for submission is December 31, 2008The scholarship winners will be announced during the second week in January 2009.The Scholarships will be awarded to the two best essays.Please feel free to be creative, funny, serious personal or academic in your approach to this essay.The scholarships will cover all tuition for the course and certification upon successful completion.All successful graduates will receive their Chiang Mai University Online TEFL Certification by mail.Any further questions can be directed to the Chiang Mai Online TEFL Team by using the contact page on the web site.Good Luck.We are looking forward to your essays.Chiang Mai University TEFL Program 

If you are reading this article then you probably have asked yourself at some point in your life, “Do I have what it takes to become an author?”I believe that successful authors, those who actually write and finish that novel, or book of poetry, or even that book of short stories, and see it all the way to publication, have certain characteristics.Characteristics of Authors1. They like to sit for hours in front of a computer screen (or with pen and paper), typing (writing) away.2. They think about their book, even when they’re not writing.3. They are motivated to finish their book.4. They are motivated to proofread, edit and revise their finished book until it is the best it can be.5. They are motivated to publish their book.6. Once they publish the first book, they are already working on the next one.If you answered yes to anyone of the above, then you have a good chance of attaining your dreams of becoming an author. Don’t listen to those people who say it’s a competitive market out there. Don’t listen to those people who say they’ve written five books and haven’t had one published yet. And don’t listen to those people who send you back your manuscripts! Listen to yourself. Listen to that inner voice, the one that is whispering now. But wait until you get started. Once your book is written and published, that inner voice will be roaring! And the whole world will hear about it.I know, I know. I tend to be the optimist. But we have so many pessimists in the book business, we sure need some more optimists around!For you, the novice writer who would like to start writing that first book, the best way to begin is to start writing. Yes, just sit down and do it. Stop the other activities, the television, the reading, the shopping, the chatting on the telephone, and find the time to devote at least one hour a day to writing.What’s one hour a day in the scheme of things? It comes and goes like this, poof! What do you have

If you have always loved the beautiful world of images, art and animations, a career in graphic design and animation is for you. The application of these can be seen around everywhere in our daily lives. From newspapers, to magazines, to billboards to television and movie graphics and animations, one can see the creative and endearing application of graphic designing everywhere around. With the rising demand in this field, many students with a creative bend of mind and a knack for technology are opting for graphic design courses in India. There are many options on diploma and even degree kevel courses for graphic designing and animation in India and abroad. There are many private institutes that run such courses and also a few government colleges that offer degree courses.One must remember that it is not a regular stream like other career options but it is becoming very popular now. With the rise of media, marketing and advertising companies, the demand for good graphic designers and animators has shot through the roof. And it is not a field where one will get linear promotions and hikes. Better the skill, higher the visibility and demand of a professional. So, those who possess a genuine love for art and technology will surely thrive in this world of graphic design and animation.To enroll into a graphic design and animation course, one has to be very creative, with an eye for detail and hand on the pulse of the ever-evolving new technology. The duration of the course varies depending on the levels. While the bachelor of Fine Arts degree course is a normal three-year one, the diploma courses offered by private institutes vary in duration and content of the course. There are 6-month, one-year, two-year, three-year and advanced courses depending on the difficulty of the course. There are small beginner courses to start with and if you are not sure of the field, you should start with a beginners’ course only. The course will give you a fair idea of what the field entails and the scope of this field. If you find yourself interested

Is it time to junk the Electoral College? By formulating such an arcane method of electing the executive, the founding fathers hoped to insulate the presidency from popular emotions while, at the same time, protecting thinly populated states from domination by the great cities. The College works by having the state legislatures pick people to vote for the President. Each state has the number of electors as it has representatives to the congress, both House and Senate. These were to be the most able people of the state…in theory. What quickly evolved was that each party would nominate a slate of electors. The political party that won the state’s popular vote would have their slate of electors get the right to vote for President. A “win” was considered 50% plus one vote This has been the method of electing our Presidents since the founding of the republic. There have been consequences not intended by the founders. They have shaped what kind of party system we have. The structure of elections has determined the ways campaigns are run. They have even affected the way in which our government is organized. The “winner-take-all” system also shapes the campaign. Since only one vote more than the competing party is required, there is no reason to give campaign resources to states where a particular candidate is well ahead or too far behind to compete. The battlegrounds are those states that could go either way. In a tight campaign the votes of small states become critical in putting together an electoral majority. Because a state’s entire electoral vote is determined by which party gets one vote more than the next, there is no advantage in voting for a party that will come short of that goal. Ten percent means no vote at all. It makes sense then that we have two parties because that’s the surest way to win the privilege of casting the electoral vote. While third parties might have influence at the state level, it is almost impossible to have an effect at the Presidential level. A popular-vote election means Presidential candidates no