Elaine

No one wants to go to traffic school after all, eight hours in a stuffy room, sitting on uncomfortable chairs and watching outdated, gory videos of the devastating results of reckless drivers isnt exactly an ideal way of spending a Saturday afternoon. Sure, sometimes an instructor is fun and witty, making the experience bearable, maybe even enjoyable. But, most people arent willing to relinquish a whole day. Time is simply too precious a commodity.

Mike P. Welch knows all too well the realities of some walk-in traffic school experiences, having completed traffic school in August of 2005. In addition to an uncomfortable facility, Welch had to contend with disinterested fellow students and grossly outdated course materials.

The instructor had us watch a video that was from the 1970s and a big segment was on call boxes, which I felt was irrelevant, considering the majority of the population now has cell phones, he says.

Instead of fostering an atmosphere of learning, half of the students didnt want to be there and were distracting to the learning process, Welch says. I didnt appreciate the social stigma of having to reveal my violation in front of a classroom of people. I felt like I was there to be punished, instead of improving my knowledge of traffic laws.

Fortunately, those who are ordered to traffic school or to a defensive driving course, in exchange for wiping points off their driving records, have an alternative to a long day of traffic school. Online traffic and defensive driving schools are becoming exceedingly popular, particularly in California (including among Los Angeles traffic school and San Diego traffic school), Florida and Texas.

Skeptical? Those who have never taken an online course will quickly find its a fast, easy and effective way to complete traffic school. In fact, statistics prove that online traffic school works. In 2004, more than a third of the 500,000 people ordered to complete traffic school in Florida did so online. Ninety perfect of those who completed the online traffic course passed the final exam.

Compared to Welchs experience with walk-in traffic school, Travis experience with online traffic school was so effective and so inspiring that he founded Ticket Relief Traffic School (TicketRelief.com). Not only was the course a breeze, but I actually refreshed my knowledge of California driving and learned a couple new driving laws I didnt know about, he says.

As he researched and learned more about online traffic schools, his belief in the effectiveness of online traffic school was only reinforced. I found several studies that showed students were able to concentrate better with an online class versus a traditional walk-in school. The studies showed that students who used a computer to take an online traffic school course exhibited a smaller amount of distractions compared to a classroom setting. The students using the computers produced a higher level of concentration and higher test scores than the students in a classroom setting.

Indeed, more and more people are discovering the vast advantages of fulfilling their court requirements by completing online traffic school:

Its easy. Simply register, pay for the course and get started.

Its safe. Many online traffic schools, such as Ticket Relief, offer 128bit encryption to ensure safe credit card transactions.

Save time. Students can complete their online course in as little as six hours, sometimes less.

Finish the course at leisure. With online traffic schools like Ticket Relief, students can save their work and return to it at a later time, unlike traditional traffic school when all work is completed in one session. Of course, those who want to complete the course in one sitting are welcome to do so. In fact, with Ticket Relief, students have access to the course for 160 days from the time they register.

Use any computer. Start the exam on the librarys computer and finish it on a home computer. The course for traffic school, with Ticket Relief for example, requires only a computer with an Internet connection.

Save money. Online traffic schools are typically much cheaper with rates ranging from $17 to $50.

Discounts. Ticket Relief offers discounts to senior citizens, students, members of the military and AAA members.

Consistency. Online traffic schools such as Ticket Relief promise students each time they take the course they receive only the highest quality reading material, quizzes and final exam. Ticket Relief ensures all course material is updated yearly.

Its comprehensive. Students will receive a refresher course, covering traffic laws and other pertinent information. Ticket Reliefs comprehensive course includes five sections, each ending with a quiz that allows students to gauge their level of comprehension of the course material. The quizzes also help students prepare for the final exam.

Worry-free. Students who fail the final exam neednt worry. Ticket Relief allows for unlimited taking of the final exam for no extra charge, as long as its taken within the 160 day time limit.

Students who have never taken an online course neednt worry. Most traffic schools provide customer service either via a toll-free number or email, or both.

Ultimately, trying an online traffic school is a low-risk opportunity. Ticket Relief allows for a full refund at any time, provided the student hasnt already completed the final exam. Its also received high marks from its students. Ticket Relief has been complimented highly on its ease of use, user-friendly environment, and well-organized traffic school course.

TicketRelief.com currently offers traffic courses for residents in California, Florida and Texas. To sign up for a course, or for more information, please visit http://www.TicketRelief.com or email Support@TicketRelief.com.

This article is available for reprint as long as it is printed in full, the author is credited and a URL to http://www.TicketRelief.com is included.

Beth Williams is a freelance writer/owner of Creative Inklings LC (http://www.creativeinklings.org)

Wine can be a complicated topic. Some people have no idea about wine. Knowing the different types of wine will help you to make a more educated choice the next time you are out buying a bottle.

Wines from the United States are named first for the type of grape used in them and then for the place they were made. European wines are named by the place they were made and then by the type of grape. This simple explanation will help you to immediately define a domestic wine from an imported wine.

The different types of wines are based upon what is used to make them and sometimes by the process in which they are made. The following list explains each type of wine.

Red wine - These wines are made form dark skinned grapes.

White wine - This wine is made from light skinned grapes or from dark skinned grapes whose skins have been removed prior to processing.

Rose wine- This is made from leaving the skins on dark grapes just so the wine is tinted and then removing them.

Sparkling wine or champagne- This is made as a regular wine and then goes through a second fermentation process.

Dessert wines - These are made the same as the others, but have a higher sugar content.

Fruit wines - These wines are made from fruit other than grapes.

Agricultural wine - This type of wine is made from agricultural products other than fruit or grains.

Kosher wine - Made for those of the Jewish religions, these wines follow a rabbinical production process.

Organic wines - This type is made from grapes that are grown organically.

Nonalcoholic wines - These wines start as a traditional wine and then go through additional processing to remove almost all of the alcohol.

When choosing a wine you really should go from your personal preference. Taste the wine and consider its flavor and the flavor of the food you are pairing it with. You do not want the wine to overpower the food. The idea is that the wine complements the food. If you are unsure be aware that most people agree that champagne goes with anything.

Knowing a little background on wine ca help you to make a n\more informed decision when you go to buy. You should have an idea of the general type of wine you want before you go. Once you get to the store, taste and think. You should have no problem choosing your own wine.

A beginners guide to choosing wine was written by Craig Dawber, Find out all you need to know about food and drink, wine and spirits on this web-site http://www.winewebsite.info

You have heard of crime labs where scientific testing takes place on the TV show CSI. How is a forensics lab different from a clinical lab? How did a forensics laboratory come about? Where did it come from? What kinds of testing go on in a forensics lab?

Both forensics and clinical laboratories use the same scientific equipment and follow the same research protocols. However, in a clinical lab, testing with the purpose of diagnosing and treating the sick is carried out from a live patient. A forensics lab performs testing with the aim of establishing links between a suspect and a crime.

The Very First Crime Lab

In 1923, August Volmer (1876-1955) of the Los Angeles Police Department established the nations first forensic laboratory. About six years later, the first privately owned forensic lab was established in Chicago following the investigation of Chicagos notorious St. Valentines Day Massacre. Calvin Goddard (1891-1955), Americas leading firearms identification expert at the time, was able to deduce a connection of the killings to Al Capone. Because of his expertise in firearms identification, two businessmen saw a potential in Calvin Goddard and funded further development of his crime lab at Northwestern University where he became a professor of police science. This new lab enveloped the other disciplines of blood analysis, fingerprinting, and trace evidence analysis under the same roof.

Then in 1932, Goddard helped establish a national forensics laboratory for the FBI. It is in this lab that nearly all forensic services known to law enforcement are performed. Today many states have used the FBI forensics lab as a model for their own state or local labs.

Common Procedures Done in a Crime Lab

Technical scientific analyses offered by modern-day crime labs and medical examiners offices are diverse and complex. The number of services supplied by a particular lab is inherently dependant upon its size and available funding. State and regional labs may provide a wide range of services, and local labs may provide only fundamental testing procedures. In general, small crime labs usually outsource more complex testing to larger regional labs. Moreover, the FBIs National Crime Lab offers services to all law enforcement agencies all over the country. An FBI crime lab can perform just about every type of scientific test. It also has access to databases covering everything such as tire-track impressions, fingerprints, shoe prints, and postage stamps.

Larger laboratories may offer separate departments for each discipline, while smaller labs tend to encompass various services. Sometimes, there is an individual technician who is hired to do all the work. This is what the grunge character, Abby Sciuto, the forensics expert on the TV show NCIS, does. If this is the case, it would be smart for her to outsource the work to larger reference labs.

What are the common procedures done in a crime lab?

Fingerprint analysis
Tool mark and impression analysis
Blood analysis
Ballistic reports
Trace evidence reports
Toxicological testing
DNA analysis

No doubt, a crime lab technician has his work cut out.

With advancing technology, there will be newer services offered for crime labs all over the country. This will make it harder for perpetrators to get away with murder, bank robbery, or sexual assault.

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When a person goes through alcoholic rehabilitation he will have to deal with the inevitable alcohol detox symptom. This symptom is a side effect experienced by the person when he deprives himself of the substance his body once depended on. There are a few of symptoms a person might experience when going through alcoholic rehabilitation and the degree of severity of these symptoms will depend upon the degree of alcohol dependence.

Can We Skip Detoxification?

If the person seeking help is someone who has just started drinking and feels that he is starting to get addicted and wants change then he need not go through detoxification. It's a matter of how much the alcohol has infiltrated their systems. However, if the patient has been an alcoholic for a long time then the answer is definitely no. Also called detox, detoxification is the process of purging the body of the unwanted substance, in this case alcohol. In other words, it constitutes the whole course of the rehabilitation. This controlled withdrawal of the substance from the body will cause the body to go through an alcohol detox symptom or two.

What Are Some of the Alcohol Detox Symptoms a Person Can Experience?

Headaches, nausea, insomnia and high blood pressure are common alcohol detox symptoms. Among the most dangerous symptoms are seizures and hallucinations. This is why it is important that a person does not try withdrawal on his own. With out the proper medical attention or careful supervision of family or friends, the withdrawal symptoms may go from unpleasant to life threatening.

The suffering caused by an alcohol detox symptom can be traumatic for the patient and it is common for him to not want to experience it again. Most of the time, it is this memory of excruciating pain that keeps the person sober.

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Superintendent of Portland Public Schools, Mary Jo O'Connor announced that the Portland Schools have exceeded their $81.7 budget by about 2%. This is despite $500,000 in cuts made in May of 2006. O'Connor explained that the increased spending was due to factors beyond the control of Portland Schools officials.

Unavoidable Increases for Portland Schools

OConnor stated that the deficit was regrettable but unavoidable. Federal and state education mandates, increased utility costs, and collective bargaining agreements were cited as causes of the huge deficit. Portland Schools has seen significant increases in energy costs and health insurance costs since the budget was first approved. Portland Schools say that all looked good with the budget until the end of May 2007, when forecasts projected the year-end deficit. What happened?

In the fall of 2006 the Portland Schools approved the hiring of over 7 new Special Education positions to fulfill state and federal mandates. Also, in November the Portland Schools Committee approved a collective bargaining contract at 3%, rather than the projected 2.5%. The figures show that Portland Schools spent an additional $625,000 meeting the Special Education requirements. That number includes transportation services and out-of-district fees. The collective bargaining increases added an extra $675,000 to the Portland Schools budget. Electricity increases, higher than expected bus maintenance, and increased health insurances costs added up to $625,000. Finally, the cost of purchasing software to comply with updated standards from the Maine Department of Education added $80,000 to the Portland Schools budget. Balanced with under spent funds the district ended up overspending about $1.7 million.

Mandates Cause Deficit for Portland Schools

The Portland Schools have been challenged to use existing funds to meet No Child Left Behind mandates along with district and state polices. When the Portland Schools committee initially voted to reduce the budget by $500,000 in April of 2006, there was expected debate over where to make the cuts. Reductions resulted the following areas: professional services $30,000; transportation and travel expenses $85,000; books and supplies $165,000; oil and natural gas conservation measures $65,000; audiovisual and computer supplies $65,000; and deferred capital equipment purchases $60,000.

Despite the publicity over the exceeded budget, the Portland Schools have seen many positive outcomes result from changes over the last few years. The Maine Initiative requiring all students to take the SATs in their junior years raised the bar for graduation requirements. And the Maine program that provides Apple laptop computers to middle school students has been widely successful. Still, the Portland Schools will face increased pressure to insure that the budget numbers are aligned for the coming school year. According to the Superintendent, It is now our task, on behalf of our students, parents and taxpayers to balance the realities of limited financial resources with the goal of providing quality education.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit Portland Public Schools

Ringtones, which are an exclusive feature of cell phones, are custom and personalized ways for people to change the sounds they hear when their cell phones ring. Early on, cell phones only used a simple ring, ring tone to alert users of incoming calls. However, because the cell phone technology has improved over the years, the ability to add different kinds of ringtones was added as a standard feature on most phones, and many other different ringtones were invented. One of those many ringtones was the Christian ringtone.

Christian ringtones are popular all over the world. Moreover, there are numerous individuals that are ready to download these Christian ringtones and make them a part of their cell phone. The best part of these ringtones is that many of them are completely free. The free Christian ringtones give the user the ability to hear his favorite Christian music or song in the form of a ringtone. It is not essential for someone who downloads these free Christian ringtones to be Christian. Anybody and everybody all over the world can use them, if they are so inclined.

The free Christian ringtones are an easy way for people to spread the goodness of Christian music and songs. It is a delight to have one of these free Christian ringtones on your cell phone. Free Christian ringtones can be found in polyphonic as well monophonic types. Religious songs, hymn songs and music about Christ are the major types of free Christian ringtones. There are other free Christian ringtones by Christian musicians and bands like Joy Williams, Planet Shakers, the Parachute Band and Justin Michael that the user can download.

These free Christian ringtones that do not carry any hidden cost, can be downloaded by contacting the cell phone service provider, or by simply logging onto free ringtone Web sites. Moreover, if you are good at composing basic music notes, you can compose your own Christian ringtone using either your phone, or a Web-based application that allows people to create their own ringtones.

FreeRingtonesNow.net is a website that offers visitors the ability to find free ringtones and specific information on free christian ringtones.