... a necessity. Wind power is not reliable enough to provide all your electric needs. Still, adding $10 to $30 thousand dollars to the price of building a home is cost prohibitive for most of us. If you know a little bit about electricity, are good at building simple structures, and can follow simple instructions, there are ... . They are good for slow cooking, and larger ones can be used to bake bread. If you live in a place where there is sunshine most of the time, a solar cooker can save you considerable money over using even a crock pot. They are especially good for drying/dehydrating f...

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• Grade Level: High School

... -risk population, such as men who have sex with men and injection drug users. The recommendations sent out by the CDC, for the first time, come with guidelines for managing chronically infected patients of hepatitis B. "Chronic hepatitis B affects the lives of more than one million Americans, many of whom do not even know they are infected. These new recommendations are critical to identifying people who are living ... with the disease without the benefits of medical attention," said John W. Ward, M.D., director of CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis. "Testing is the first step to identify...

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... crisis with high fuel prices and banking woes, there is something positive that may come out of it. As many have realized, food prices at grocery stores across the country are increasing out of control. This is due to increased shipping costs from the higher fuel prices. Because of this, many have returned to buying certain things locally. Food grown in a person's home town doesn ... not confined to one area, so they incur large shipping fees that they then pass on to their customers, the grocery stores, in the form of higher prices. The grocery stores cannot afford to absorb the higher...

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... people think of the 1950s or the 1980s. When we hear the term "Nehru Jacket" we think of the 60s. The term "Bell Bottoms" conjures up memories of the 1970s. Izod, polo, leg warmers, Ug boots, parachute pants, and short shorts make us think of the 1980s. Flannel shirts, worn out loose fitting jeans induce memories of the 1990s. Low rise jeans, and layered camisoles have been popular over most of the first decade of the new ... millennium, but unlike decades gone by, for the first time in the history of modern ... are as in style as they are out. Fashion has gone cliquey rather than glob...

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... in Somalia, according to some reports. Groups like Al-Shabaab, which the U.S. had designated a terrorist organization, are on the receiving end of some of these funds. According to Roger Middleton, author of a key report on the situation, "at the moment it's a five-six problem [on a scale of one to ten] with the potential to be a seven or eight You're lookin at nine, ten, if it starts to be ... co-opted by international terror organizations." The Gulf of Aden, which serves as the southern passageway to the Suez Canal, sees about 16, 000 ships pass each year, making it one of the world's...

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... president. The host never questions the validity of the fear. In fact, the host and guests alike treat the subject as though it were fact. They automatically assume the fear is race based. There are no questions about it. Needless to say, the commentators and hosts are simply not doing their job. Why delve deeper or question the source of the fear when fear of a black president suits the party so well? The 'race ... 20 years, Obama must have heard many sermons about the evils of whitey. This is the same preacher who stated that the US government released the AIDS virus to kill blacks. T...

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• Grade Level: High School

Most of the angst over the hundreds of billions of dollars being granted to banks in the great bailout of "08 and "09 is the mere fact that we the people are getting tired of making the rich richer while we all get poorer. So in order to grasp why it is that a Federal Bailout of the banking system was required and in order to get okay with the fact that it's going to cost ... us a lot of ... can keep going to private school, you can add that new room for your mother-in-law to use when she visits. It means you can take care of the emergencies when the stuff of life conflicts with the stuff of...

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... the montage aired, highlighting the large number of protests they received online. The announcer said the "feature was edited" and "not done to upset anyone" (Chavez). The host, Dan Hicks, read the following statement during the coverage: "It was our intent to begin our coverage of this U.S. Open championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being here in our nation's capital for the third time. Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of ... who were offended by it (Busbee). NBC's Universal Sports issued a second apology from Chris McCloskey, the Vic...

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... with allergies and sinusitis. Why can't our children breathe? What is happening in our world to make the very air they need all but toxic to them? According to an article in Time magazine one culprit is undoubtedly global warming. Global warming increases the amount of carbon dioxide in our air. While that is good news for plants since they breathe in carbon dioxide ... , it's bad news for our children who are being deprived of oxygen. Plants, especially the weedier plants, are thriving and producing pollen ... oxygen are being forced to filter pollen heavy air as well. Perhaps it's no ...

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... who seek to divide, by economic and social issues, by the demands of democracy itself. Challenges remain, but the US will be there to stand by the Iraqi people as they navigate those challenges to build a stronger and more prosperous nation," said Panetta (Shanker). "After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real," he ... continued. "To be sure, the cost was high, in blood and treasure for the United States, and for the Iraqi people. Those lives were not lost in vain. No words, no ceremony ... can provide...

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... poppy was discovered and cultivated in Mesopotamia about 3400BC. It was until the 19th century that the chemical analysis of opium was revealed. Most of its content could be ascribed to two ingredients, codeine and morphine. An English chemist named C.R. Alder Wright was the first person who processed the heroin in 1874. He made an experiment mixing morphine with different acids. However, his invention was not a success. It ... was then Felix Hoffman, another chemist who made the heroin popular when he re ... ...

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The trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, the personal physician of the late Michael Jackson, took a turn for the worse after the 911 call was played to jurors on September 29th. Murray chose not to call for an ambulance for nearly thirty minutes after he first realized that Jackson needed medical attention - a fact that prosecutors are calling an attempt at a cover-up (Los Angeles Times). Jackson's security guard, Alberto Alvarez ... Jackson was lying on his mattress, a soft surface. Murray then asked, "Does anybody know CPR?" although he was the doctor on hand. Murray then calmly told Alvarez that th...

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... from Mexico. There are other reasons why consumers choose to eat local foods. The most important of these is the transparency of the production process. You can see the farmer that grew the tomato or see the cow that ends up in your freezer. Domestic food is processed using domestic laws ... and what safety rules meat cutters have to follow. In many cases, stores import goods because they are cheaper. Frequently, the goods are cheaper because the quality isn't as high or safety standards as strict. Another reason often cited for eating locally is being able to eat ... The same applies t...

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... sources. Often more noble in theory than practical in application, breakthroughs may soon lead to alternative energy sources. Solar energy in particular will become a physical reality instead of just an eco-friendly dream. Amazing Potential The problem with solar energy has often been its practicality or lack thereof. It is expensive and not all that durable in real life conditions. This is a large ... part of what keeps solar energy on the drawing board. Advances that could change all that, however, are not far away. Instead of building solar energy panels out of glass, scientists are ...

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... an issue it seems, all over the country, and Charlotte, NC seems to be no exception. In the lower part of central North Carolina, Charlotte has grown over the years into a sprawling city. The banking industry has brought in people from all over the country. With the crowds of decent upstanding people that have migrated to the area, another element has moved in as well. The criminal element has grown as the ... obvious not to see. Reports on the news cover it daily. Gang 'tags' as they are called, or markings, are everywhere. It has gotten out of control. Among the gangs in the Charlotte...

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... makes it look legitimate, drawing even more investors into the scheme. Also called a "pyramid scheme", it is the slimiest of slimy dealings, because the perpetrator knows exactly what he's doing. This is what Bernie Madoff has admitted he did to his investors. He has basically said that the money from the last investors "is gone", probably into an offshore account somewhere where he can get it after ... he gets out of prison. Our government has said that we ... , the taxpayers, have to give to the bankers (who are, by the way, part of that top 1% that owns 24% of the U.S.) $700 Billion ...

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Wikipedia is a vast database of knowledge. The double edged sword of using Wikipedia is that while most of the information is accurate, anyone can edit an article, and Wiki Trolls are commonplace. Evidently, some people have nothing better to do than to place insanely inaccurate information into the articles on Wikipedia. Detractors will say that no one should use Wikipedia as a reference for anything, and many ... schools and colleges have forbidden the use of Wikipedia as a reference. ... as a guide to find more primary sources to do your research. Researchers should only use Wikipedia art...

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We are a gadget-loving society. And with the recent launch of the iPhone onto the market, our addiction has only gotten worse. For true believers, the iPhone is much more than "just" a phone, however. This product is changing the way the world - or much of it - lives. The new 3G iPhone even has those non-techies among us are abuzz about this new toy, thanks to its user-friendly platform ... PC feature that an iPhone can't match (yet) is the ability to cut and paste data from one place to another. Apple acknowledges that the need to be able to cut and paste is important to iPhone users, and th...

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... to return home") 90 days of visa-free travel. Primarily, those granted the visa-free travel have come from other affluent countries such as Japan and Australia. The assumption is that if they already live in a wealthy country, the temptation to stay in the U.S. would not be as strong as if they came from an impoverished or war-torn environment. Without the waiver, potential visitors have to ... go the U.S. Embassy, pay a fee and be interviewed by a consular officer. Often they are rejected for questionable reasons, and this unfair situation has been illuminated as some of the non-visa w...

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... evening hours at his lab after the attacks, and this was thought to be an indication of questionable activities. Incomplete Evidence A news conference was held to explain the scientific case that was brought against Ivins. Those presenting the case contradicted themselves during the course of the news conference. Understandably, this did not instill confidence in the general public regarding the case against Ivins. The destruction of the first sample Ivins sent in is ... also suspect. However, the ability to make the connection between a particular lab and a unique strain of the ... ...

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... their size. Smaller particles can pose the greatest problem. Because of their size, it is easier for them to infiltrate the body via the lungs. Once they have made their way into the body, they can trigger an immune system response that can create even more problems. Depending on the pollutant, they can irritate the lungs, interfere with the supply of oxygen to parts of the body, or further complicate heart and ... lung issues. So What Are You Breathing? Some of the offending substances are carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. All of these can contribute to the proble...

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... their new President? One thing Obama Connoisseurs must pay particular attention to is the language he uses when speaking of change. Where Mr. Obama has his eyes on the prize of change, he uses words like "I will" or "As President, I intend to". When he's merely seeking to appease the masses clamoring for an audience to their agendas, Mr. Obama uses language like "I support" and "I believe we ... need to." Neither is a lie, but one speaks of promise to act. The other, of promise to react. In other words, on ... some issues, Mr. Obama has every intention of taking his cause to Congress, ...

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... historical fiction novel gives a fictional, albeit accurate account of the history of Florida from its pioneer days in 1868, shortly after the American Civil war to 1968, arguably one of the most tumultuous years in the history of American culture. The story is that of a family (The MacIvey family) through three generations, a family emigrated from Georgia into the wild and untamed lands of Florida. They start out eeking out a living from ... the earth, but over time learn to round ... No one is perfect. Everyone is flawed. Those we think are perfect are still susceptible to the forces ...

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... Army wants." Talleri continued. "By utilizing our subject matter experts we are able to establish an effective system together with them that is working well." The Iraqi military are gaining good knowledge by working with the US military. It is the opinion of the Armed Forces that the Iraqis are more efficient than they have been and will be even more effective as time ... on. In other areas, as the General was meeting with military personnel, Coalition forces killed two enemy fighters during an operation near Mosul. It happened when a vehicle was approached by military personnel, and one...

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... is raising our oceans at a rate of 1 to 2 millimeters a year. This increase in depth is particularly noticeable during hurricanes as they crash into shores with an average category rating of 2 and 3. As if this wasn't enough of a threat oil industries, congress, and the white house now want to allow offshore drilling. Let's look at the Georges Bank area off Cape Cod Massachusetts. ... According to geologists there are approximately 57 million barrels of oil lying there beneath the seabed. Currently Georges Bank is a ... going for count them folks 2 days! Another article in the USA Toda...

• Word Count: 396
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• Grade Level: High School