Nursing Education Blog

CalArts wins grant for arts-and-technology program

With technology making itself all but unavoidable in an increasing number of areas, a special university program designed to get undergraduate art majors up to speed with computer science and programming has received a grant from the National Science Foundation.

The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) -- founded by Walt Disney in the early 1960s and now one of the nation's top art schools -- announced this week that it had received nearly $112,000 to put toward its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) curriculum.

"As artists increasingly employ technology, it is essential that arts institutions provide courses offering students the tools with which to conceptualize and generate new ideas, new artistic approaches, and potentially new technologies," CalArts President Steven D. Lavine said in a release.

Related stories Robot orchestra to rock world music in L.A. Carnegie Mellon students get naughty, nice with new-media art (images) Science, tech fuel artist's varied and vivid ouevre (images)

The two-semester STEM program was designed by Ajay Kapur, associate dean of research and development in digital arts at CalArts, and Perry Cook, founder of the Princeton University Sound Lab and a permanent visiting lecturer at CalArts.

It's meant to bring the latest programming skills to hitherto nontechy students through creative projects designed to get them using the open-source programming languages ChucK and Processing.

"Every assignment is an artmaking assignment," Kapur said in the release. "We are teaching computer science principles through the arts. With each creative project, students build upon a growing repertoire of technical skills." The school sees the program as something that can serve as a model to other art schools.

CalArts is no stranger to technology. The school's Music Technology program engages students in custom software design and physical computing for human-computer interaction, among other things. The school is also home to a robotic orchestra. And CalArts' animation department includes alumni such as "Toy Story" director and Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter and "Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" director Brad Bird.

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Source: CalArts wins grant for arts-and-technology program

Meditation - Give a Brand New Direction to Your Life Followed by...

>Oyster Bay, NY (PRWEB) April 21, 2012 Dr. Harsimran Singh is the first to do many things. He is the first Author in the 2000 year history of Christianity to write about the Spiritual aspects of Christianity. He also wrote a book http://safetydegrees.net/03/disaster-victims-service.php.href)">The Power of Prayer and 10 World Religions. He has been praised by leading authors as, “Super genius author...extensive knowledge...real contribution...applaud author’s research...absolutely astounding...admirable job…great asset…touched deeply...commendable work...” He is first to extract the spiritual knowledge from all religions combined and practice it in the form of meditation. He wrote 13 inspirational books and has held hundreds of seminars teaching how to achieve physical, spiritual and financial richness by the practice of meditation. Because of increased demand, Dr. Singh is now forming a nationwide group of people who may like to benefit from his weekly seminars on meditation by conference telephone calls. In Dr. Singh's words, “It all starts with thoughts. Thoughts become words, words become actions and repeated actions become habits. Gaining excess weight or stress is a direct result of bad habits. To achieve success in life, habits must be changed. It is very difficult to change habits as they are rooted at the very deepest levels of our subconscious mind." How can one change these deep-seated habits? Meditation is the process through which one engages the subconscious with the conscious level of our mind. This way the power of mind is increased tremendously as the subconscious is a million times more powerful than the conscious level of mind. Meditation takes the mind to the deepest levels of the subconscious, where the mind controls the body, not the other way around. The mind, in this powerful state, is able to dictate that the body by changing some habits which are the root cause of

Nielsen Finds U.S. Hispanics Tops In Mobile, Social Activity

A new report from Nielsen this morning delves into the mobile and social behavior of U.S. Hispanic consumers, finding they’re highly engaged in their usage of smartphones, online video, social networking and other types of entertainment. According to the study, Hispanics outpace all over ethnic groups in mobile downloads of music and photos, and are more likely to watch video online and on the their mobile phones than others http://verdede.posterous.com/invertebrate-animals-nutrition.

Specifically, Nielsen says that Hispanic video viewers are 68% more likely than non-Hispanic White viewers to watch video on the Internet, and 20% more likely to watch video on their mobile phone.

They’re also heavy phone users in general, sending and receiving some 941 SMS text messages per month – more than any other ethnic group. And they make 13 calls per day on their mobiles, which is 40% more than the average U.S. consumer.

The group is also increasing its access to social networking services and blogs. In February, visits were up 14% to sites like Facebook and WordPress.com, for example. In February, 16.7 million unique U.S. Hispanics visitors headed over to Facebook, which is up 8% year-over-year. Visits to Blogger (+10% YOY), Twitter (+32% YOY), LinkedIn (+52% YOY), WordPress (+27% YOY), and Tumblr (+85% YOY) were up, as well. (See above chart).

They often have a blog of their own, too – Hispanics are 17% more likely than the average consumer to build or update a personal blog, Nielsen found.

Plus, Hispanics are 25% more likely to follow a brand, 18% more likely to follow a celebrity, 21% more likely to post links, articles, videos and website, and 7% more likely to have one or more social networking profiles.

Perhaps the most interesting part to all this data, though, is the part that hints at the “why.” Hispanics are actually less likely to have Internet access at home than t

Financial Stocks: E-Trade jumps on profit surprise; financials rise

> NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Shares of E-Trade Financial Corp. ranked among the best-performing financial stocks early Friday, adding 5% after beating analysts’ consensus earnings estimate for the first quarter http://melanyor.hubpages.com/hub/Goji-berry-antioxidants.

Late Thursday, the company  said first-quarter net profit rose to $62.6 million, or 22 cents a share, from $45.2 million, or 16 cents, earned in the same period a year ago.

Brokerages’ past year

The latest quarter’s profit included a tax benefit of 9 cents a share. Adjusted to exclude one-time items, analysts polled by FactSet Research had expected E-Trade to earn 10 cents a share.

While investors responded positively Friday, analysts cautioned that with interest rates staying low and seasonal issues approaching with the summer, the long-term outlook for E-Trade shares isn’t entirely clear.

In the broader market, the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF , which tracks the financial stocks in the S&P 500 index, added 0.2%.

And among the financial components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers Cos.  rose 1.3% and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.  added 0.2%, while Bank of America Corp.  shed about 1.8% and American Express Co. fell 0.2%.

Financial Stocks: E-Trade jumps on profit surprise; financials rise

Innotech 2012 Conference San Antonio

The "Innotech 2012 Conference" will take place in United States,San Antonio TX on 5 Apr 2012. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) - Apr 02, 2012 - InnoTech conference is an annual event and exhibition built specifically for business and technology executives, highlighting the region's innovation and technology development opportunities by showcasing pioneering products and services about. InnoTech is designed to be the most comprehensive and collaborative regional technology event available in a one- or two-day format. Look for events in San Antonio on April 5, Portland on May 3, Dallas on May 17, Austin on Oct. 20 and Oklahoma City on Nov. 3.Why Exhibit at InnoTech?- Access to hundreds of local IT professionals including Technology Leaders, VP of IT, CTOs, IT Executives, Network Managers, Business Managers, Government Officials and more.- Opportunities to showcase your expertise with hands-on demonstrations, conference sessions, and booth presence- Ability to network and develop face-to-face relationships with the top industry leaders, all in one place.- Extensive pre-marketing opportunities included in sponsorship to increase brand recognition and awareness.Get more info and register online for the Innotech 2012 Conference at http://itevent.net/innotech-2012-conference---ITEVENT.NET is the largest listing of IT training courses and conferences provided by global corporations (such as Microsoft, IBM and Oracle) and independent consultants from IT, telecom, web and other technology and computer related industries. More IT events can be found on http://itevent.net...

Source: Innotech 2012 Conference San Antonio

Commercial Mortgage Rates Arent Expected to Rise Anytime Soon

>Chicago, IL (PRWEB) March 26, 2012 Clopton Capital, a commercial mortgage provider, is announcing that there are virtually no indicators or factors that lead them to believe the commercial mortgage rates will become less competitive in the near future http://helenhews.skyrock.com/3070788845-Health-Organization-and-Medical-Statistics.html. If anything, the firm believes that due to an economic recovery they feel is sluggish, they may become slightly more competitive. “Commercial mortgages rates are now as low as 3.5% under ideal conditions. This is unprecedented and something I would not have expected two years ago, but it's here and all things considered I do not see commercial mortgage rates going anywhere anytime soon”, said Jake Clopton, the founder of Clopton Capital. The firms future plans for marketing their commercial mortgages involve partnering with many banks who do not have the capabilities to underwrite commercial financing services. They also intend to continue expanding their web presence and name recognition using the same methods that have been successful for them for the prior years. “It's a shame that there are so many people out there looking for commercial mortgages and can not find what they need through their local banks so they simply stop looking. We have the commercial mortgage rates and the alternative commercial financing products to deal with nearly any commercial lending scenario and we wish these banks who are turning away perfectly good business could at least send us their referrals. It's absolutely mutually beneficial and it mak

Tech Policy Summit 2012 - Napa Valley CA, USA

The "Tech Policy Summit" 2012 will take place in Napa Valley CA, USA on 6 Jun 2012. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) - Mar 24, 2012 - Taking place June 6-7, 2012 in Napa Valley, the 6th edition of Tech Policy Summit will bring together industry executives, entrepreneurs, investors, consumer advocates, government officials and legal experts to examine critical policy issues affecting technology innovation and adoption in the United States and beyond read more. The premier tech policy gathering on the West coast, Tech Policy Summit provides an independent, nonpartisan forum for learning and networking. Our mission is to encourage more dialogue so that there is greater accord between what happens in D.C. and what matters to technology leaders and consumers.Space at Tech Policy Summit is limited so sign up today to secure your spot! Special early bird pricing is in effect through April 20th. For more information, contact info@techpolicysummit.com or follow @TechPolicy on Twitter.Attendance cost: $995 until April 20th and $1,495 thereafterGet more information and register for the Tech Policy Summit at http://itevent.net/tech-policy-summit---ITEVENT.NET is the largest listing of IT training courses and conferences provided by global corporations (such as Microsoft, IBM and Oracle) and independent consultants from IT, telecom, web and other technology and computer related industries. More IT events can be found on http://itevent.net...

Source: Tech Policy Summit 2012 - Napa Valley CA, USA

Clopton Capital Announces Aggressive Hotel Financing Programs

>Chicago, IL (PRWEB) March 24, 2012 Clopton Capital, a provider of hotel financing, is announcing more favorable terms for providing commercial loans for the purpose of hotel financing starting immediately. Clopton Capital recently assisted one of their borrowers with a refinance off a construction loan only after being in operation for 4 months http://healthinformaticsguru.blogspot.com/2012/03/procedure-turn-cavitation-apparatus.html. With a leverage of 70%, the borrower received a loan at only 6.5% fixed for 5 years and a 25 year amortization. This allowed the borrower to focus on the next project they had in the pipeline where Matt Reed is now helping him with his next hotel development. “If you have a hotel that is at a 60% LTV, Clopton Capital can structure a loan at 4.1% fixed for 10 years! We have a lending database of over 20 different programs that are considered more aggressive that what any other lending institution has to offer,” said Matt Reed, an associate of Clopton Capital. The firms future plans involve maintaining competitive terms on their hotel financing products and continuing to find new ways to streamline their other commercial loan services. “Good is not good enough and were always focusing on becoming 1% better everyday in everything we do. The only true path to progress is to achieve consistent improvement on top of your already existing success day in day out. This is how we've always operated and it's how we will continue operating until the doors close,” said Jake Clopton, the founder of Clopton Capital. Any parties interested in acquiring hotel financing are urged to contact the firm at 866.647.1650. Any business owners of commercial real estate holders interested in obtaining working capital or some form of a busine

Murray Youth Mural Service Project with Recently Reduced Arts Education Funding

Sixth grade students from Viewmont Elementary teamed up with youth from their school receiving special education services to create a mural of colorful alphabet collages to benefit Cricket Care, the District's daycare center benefiting teen parents. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Tile mural created with Viewmont Elementary youthPRLog (Press Release) - Mar 20, 2012 - Location: Cricket Care - Inside Creekside High School                 179 E 5065 S                 Murray, UT  84107Date: Friday, March 23rdTime: 4:00-4:45pmIn these tough economic times, educational resources need to be placed where they will have the strongest impact on the critical thinking skills that will help youth become self-reliant and independent. Just as arts education funding receives massive cuts from the Utah legislature, Murray youth complete a mural project that proves the value of what is being lost.Artist Roger Whiting met with youth from Viewmont Elementary School in Murray once a week between October 2011 and January 2012. Students were chosen from the sixth grade classes of the school as well as from the population of youth receiving special education services. As the ability levels of the students involved in the project were very diverse, Whiting developed a project to allow all the youth to express themselves and make a valuable contribution.Whiting taught the youth about the modernist art movement of the early twentieth century, and how it transitioned into the abstract expressionist art movement, creating artists such as Jackson Pollock who created art by splatter-painting. Whiting also taught the youth about Eric Carle, a youth who grew up in Nazi Germany and learned the value of free self-expression which he used later in life to design beautiful children's books using collages of splattered and scribbled papers.The youth then spent the next few weeks using techniques such as splattering, scribbling and sgraffito to create dynamic textures on colored papers which they used to create collages of the alphabet. Those collages were then printed onto ceramic tiles which have been installed in a mural at Cricket Care, the Murray School District's daycare center benefiting teen parents. The youth also worked with Whiting to assemble the mosaic border surrounding the tiles.On Friday, March 23rd at 4:00pm the youth will assemble at Cricket Care with Whiting to celebrate their accomplishments in completing this mural. Light refreshments will be served.This project was made possible with a grant from Art Access Utah, in cooperation with the Utah State Office of Education Special Education Services Unit. Equally important, the project was possible because of close collaboration with Crystal Kobzeff, Murray School District's Arts Specialist, who is on staff at Murray District with the cooperation of the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program. This program sends art specialists to work in elementary schools throughout Utah to integrate the arts (dance, theater, music, visual arts) with the other core educational subjects. In the past the Utah legislature has approved funding to match private funding. This year, however, only half of the $4 million requested to continue the program was supplied by the legislature(1)(2). With 4.9 billion dollar total expenditure on education (2011)(3), is it not worth a small percentage for Utah's youth to receive quality arts education as well? The Sorenson program currently serves 59 schools throughout Utah. Stay tuned for a revised number of schools for next year.-----------------------------Contacts:Roger Whiting - Artist - (801) 707-3580 (cell)Crystal Kobzeff  - Murray School District Arts Specialist (661) 992-8537 (cell)-----------------------------Sources: 1. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/53552261-82/program ...2. http://le.utah.gov/~2012/bills/sbillamd/SB0002.htm3. http://www.schools.utah.gov/data/Superintendents-Annual- ......

Source: Murray Youth Mural Service Project with Recently Reduced Arts Education Funding

Cricket Announces March Muve First and Muve Headliner Featured Artists

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120202/LA46949LOGO)

Muve First Artist MGK has partnered with Muve Music to release "Lace Up http://onlineeducationguru.weebly.com/."  Muve Music will have the exclusive release on MGK's new EP titled "Half Naked & Almost Famous" beginning March 20, 2012. MGK knows the darkest moments in everyone's lives and speaks to that despair with resounding optimism.  The authenticity and resilience of Ohio native MC MGK has become a beacon of hope for thousands of kids across America. Penning rhymes about everything from addiction to family issues, MGK has become a symbol of relentless perseverance for his fans and he is about to begin the next chapter of his already successful career.  After many ups and downs in his career, MGK broke through the negativity again with the 2010 release of his latest mixtape, "Lace Up."  The project not only earned the local favorite more fans -- who bare their own "Lace Up" tattoos -- but a national audience. And now, to follow up a stunning come-back year in 2011 with a trip to SXSW where he performed a bevy of shows for brands like VIBE, FADER, Nah Right and The Smoking Section, MGK is partnering with Muve Music to kick off 2012 and to devour the next phase of his life. Check out more information about MGK online at www.mgklaceup.com.

Muve First Artist Breathe Carolina has collaborated with Muve Music in March to offer an exclusive track from their most recent album "Hell Is What You Make It."  Released on Muve Music earlier this month, March 6, 2012, Breathe Carolina's "Bla