Difference between Weather & Climate

From: National Snow and Ice Data Centre

Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and its short-term (minutes to weeks) variation. Popularly, weather is thought of as the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, and wind. We talk about the weather in terms of "What will it be like today?", "How hot is it right now?", and "When will that storm hit our section of the country?"

Climate is defined as statistical weather information that describes the variation of weather at a given place for a specified interval. In popular usage, it represents the synthesis of weather; more formally it is the weather of a locality averaged over some period (usually 30 years) plus statistics of weather extremes.

We talk about climate change in terms of years, decades or even centuries. Scientists study climate to look for trends or cycles of variability (such as the changes in wind patterns, ocean surface temperatures and precipitation over the equatorial Pacific that result in El Niño and La Niña), and also to place cycles or other phenomena into the bigger picture of possible longer term or more permanent climate changes.

Plasma vs. LCD: Six things you need to know

From: CNET Australia

By David Carnoy on 01 December 2009
 

A while ago, a friend sent me the following email:

Random question, oh tech guru: I'm looking for a new TV, what are your thoughts on plasma vs. LCD? Moved to a bigger place, so I can get a decent-size screen, but I don't want to go broke. Also, looking at a 20-inch LCD for the bedroom. Right way to go? Again, your thoughts.

The question wasn't as random as he supposed; I've been receiving similar queries from other friends and readers regularly. The great marketing machines of Panasonic, Sony and Samsung have combined with major electronics retailers to work everybody into a flat-panel frenzy — even people who say they don't watch TV. The only problem, of course, is that there happen to be two kinds of flat panels, and both have their pluses and minuses. With that in mind, I've put together a quick rundown of what you should know before going the plasma or LCD route, along with a few pointers.

1. Price-to-size ratio



40- and 42-inch flat-panel TVs such as the Samsung UA40B7100 are now mainstream. (Credit: Samsung)

At present, neither LCD nor plasma TVs are what you'd term a "budget" buy, with the two technologies costing about the same at the sweetspot of 40 to 42 inches. For example, a standard 42-inch plasma and LCD both go for about AU$2000. While plasma prices have remained relatively static in the last 12 months, LCD has continued to drop at sizes under 50 inches. However, larger versions won't cost the same as their plasma equivalents for quite a while.

The reason my friend was looking at a 20-inch TV for his bedroom is that prices for smaller LCD panels at the time were dropping the fastest, with a 20-incher coming in at a little more than AU$1200. Today, 26 inches are about the smallest the mainstream manufacturers sell and they are available for about half that price. Plasmas aren't available in that size, and while 32-inch plasmas were made they were generally of poor quality.

Just remember that a 20-inch screen is pretty small, and you'll have to sit rather close to it. It may be fine for viewing the news and sitcoms in bed, but it's obviously less than ideal for enjoying movies. And a 17-inch model should be reserved for use as a kitchen television or a computer monitor in a home office; while you work, you can watch TV in a little picture-in-picture box in a corner of the display.

Bottom line: 32-inch LCDs offer the greatest value among bedroom sets, and your best bet for the living room is a 40-inch or larger LCD or plasma.

2. Performance
 

Sony's 70-inch Bravia X-series LCD TV was one of the most expensive TVs on the market, going for a whopping AU$69,999. (Credit: Sony)

A general rule of thumb is that plasmas deliver better home cinema performance than LCDs. Our video guru, David Katzmaier, says the difference is due mostly to the fact that backlighting-based LCD TVs typically can't display black as well as plasmas; it ends up closer to dark grey. That shortcoming decreases the amount of detail you can see in the shadows and ultimately leaves the picture looking — as videophiles would say — less three-dimensional.

The picture quality of both LCD and plasma panels is improving each year, but it can vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer, so check our lists of top products. We're nitpicky about performance in our reviews — of course, it's our job — and you should seriously consider our evaluations if you plan on using your set for home theatre viewing. But if you're buying a smaller LCD (26 inches or so) for the kitchen or the bedroom, don't agonise too much over performance.

3. Lifespan

Lifespan, the number of viewing hours a television provides before dimming to half brightness, used to be one of the biggest advantages LCD has over plasma. Though the numbers vary among the different brands, they now generally last up to around 100,000 hours regardless of the technology.

4. Burning issues
 

Most modern plasma TVs, such as this Panasonic Viera come with an anti-burn-in function. (Credit: Panasonic)
 

One of plasma technology's known issues is something called burn-in. It happens when your television shows a still image or an icon for so long that its "ghost" remains on the screen. For example, if a stock ticker or a news crawl continuously runs along the bottom of your display, that strip may be burned into your set. The same applies to watching an excessive amount of standard TV (4:3) on a widescreen (16:9) model; the vertical bars to either side of the picture could become permanent. Manufacturers have taken steps to prevent burn-in, building in screensavers and other technologies. And you can virtually eliminate the danger by not leaving still images on the screen and reducing your contrast setting below 50 per cent for the first 100 hours of usage.

To their credit, LCDs don't suffer from burn-in, nor do they have troubles at high altitudes where the air pressure differential causes plasmas to emit an irritating buzzing sound. Unless you live at the summit of Mt Kosciusko, this is unlikely to be an issue. And if you do, plasma "whine" is likely to be the least of your problems.

5. Viewing free-to-air

Most plasmas and LCDs can display a high-def signal. However, you'll need a model with a resolution of at least 1280x720-pixel to enjoy HD television. Most 50-inch plasmas and most LCDs from 32 inches upwards offer this resolution in addition to 1080p compatibility, which means it will take full-HD content and scale it down. When you're watching HD feeds on a lower-resolution television of 42 inches or smaller, you'll have to sit much closer to notice much of a difference. But it's not always about resolution: take Pioneer's PDP-427XG. Even though the set provided only XGA resolution (1024x768), HD signals looked really good on it.

6. Computers and video games

Most plasma and LCD TVs can double as computer monitors; some even offer a DVI or D-Sub port for optimal video quality. They'll also hook up to a game console without any problems. So which technology is better for these purposes? From a performance standpoint, it's hard to pick a winner, but because of plasma's burn-in risk, LCD is the safer choice for computer work and gaming. We pick the best models for gaming here.

The Difference between goals and objectives

Goals are broad objectives are narrow.
Goals are general intentions; objectives are precise.
Goals are intangible; objectives are tangible.
Goals are abstract; objectives are concrete.
Goals can't be validated as is; objectives can be validated.

Examples:

Goals: knows about the human body.
Objectives: LWBAT name all of the bones in the human body as stated in the medical textbook "The Human Body".

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Practice:

In the following list, click the circle to identify if the statements is showing a goal or behavior. Remember, it is considered a behavior if we can see or hear someone doing it, and if people agree upon whether it is being done. We're not concerned with how well it is being done, just whether or not it could be measured objectively.

Goal	Behavior	Statement
		1. State the definition of a microcomputer.
		2. Learn about software programs.
		3. Circle the verbs in a sentence.
		4. Feel a sense of fellowship with fellow employees.
		5. Exhibit a dedication to one's occupation.
		6. Differentiate between properly and improperly assembled computerized work stations.
		7. Fill out a travel request.
		8. Sing the company song.

extracted from: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec540/objectives/difference.html

What is the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker?

From: Settlement Council of Australia

The terms "refugees" and "asylum seekers" are often used interchangeably but they have quite distinct meanings. Refugees are victims of persecution who have been recognised as fitting the definition of a refugee contained in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, to which Australia is a signatory. 

For some of the world's refugee population it is either impractical or impossible to go first to a neighbouring country and then to seek resettlement from there. This could be because the neighbouring countries are not signatories to the international laws that would ensure their protection in these countries (few countries in this region, for instance, are signatories to the Refugee Convention). It could also be because they would not be safe in a neighbouring country, in particular if that country was sympathetic to the persecutory regime. 

In these cases, individuals may choose to try to go directly to a country, such as Australia, where they can seek protection. Such people are called asylum seekers. Those who come to Australia have usually entered with a visitors', student or other temporary visa. Some arrive with no documents or with false documents. Arriving without appropriate papers should not be interpreted as an attempt to defraud the system.

For more details go to http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/arp

The Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

From: e-Articles

 
written by: Andrew Sanchez

When you start to think about your research methodology, you need to think about the differences between qualitative and quantitative research.

Qualitative research explores attitudes, behaviour and experiences through such methods as interviews or focus groups. It attempts to get an in-depth opinion from participants. As it is attitudes, behaviour and experiences which are important, fewer people take part in the research, but the contact with these people tends to last a lot longer. Under the umbrella of qualitative research there are many different methodologies. 

Quantitative research generates statistics through the use of large-scale survey research, using methods such as questionnaires or structured interviews. If a market researcher has stopped you on the streets, or you have filled in a questionnaire which has arrived through the post, this falls under the umbrella of quantitative research. This type of research reaches many more people, but the contact with those people is much quicker than it is in qualitative research.

Qualitative versus quantitative inquiry

Over the years there has been a large amount of complex discussion and argument surrounding the topic of research methodology and the theory of how inquiry should proceed. Much of this debate has centred on the issue of qualitative versus quantitative inquiry – which might be the best and which is more ‘scientific’. Different methodologies become popular at different social, political, historical and cultural times in our development, and, in my opinion, all methodologies have their specific strengths and weaknesses. These should be acknowledged and addressed by the researcher. Certainly, if you were to do so, it would help you to think about your research methodology in considerable depth.

Deciding which methodology is right for you

Don’t fall into the trap which many beginning (and experienced) researchers do in thinking that quantitative research is ‘better ’ than qualitative research. Neither is better than the other – they are just different and both have their strengths and weaknesses. What you will find, however, is that your instincts probably lean you towards one rather than the other. Listen to these instincts as you will find it more productive to conduct the type of research with which you will feel comfortable, especially if you’re to keep your motivation levels high. Also, be aware of the fact that your tutor or boss might prefer one type of research over the other. If this is the case, you might have a harder time justifying your chosen methodology, if it goes against their preferences.

The difference between ‘Your’ and ‘You’re’

From: Write Mindset

Grammar fascists are a bore it’s true. But bad grammar makes you look foolish. That’s fine if you’re 17, but if you’re writing and publishing a blog, e-book or anything else for that matter, basic good grammar will create a much better impression.

One of the most common mistakes I see on the web is the use of ‘your’ when the writer means ‘you’re’. It’s a real howler. But I’ve seen it from people who write really well, clearly, with virtually no other grammar faults. They’re clearly well educated and smart people but they seem to have a blind spot here.

There’s obviously some confusion out there, but the difference between the two is really quite simple to grasp.

‘Your’ is possessive: my apple, your apple, their apple, our apple.

You’re is the shortened form of ‘you are’: I am blogging, you are blogging, they are blogging, we are blogging.

This becomes: I’m blogging, you’re blogging, they’re blogging, we’re blogging.

Difference Between Gross and Net

From: Difference Between

Whether you are a business entrepreneur starting up on your business or a student fresh out of college and taking steps to start your career, you are sure to come across the terms “gross” and “net”. Indeed, when it comes in the business sector, these two terminologies are the most commonly used, yet, many people can still find themselves a little bit in the dark when it comes to understanding these concepts.

Generally speaking, the term “gross” simply means the amount of earnings that you and your business are able to generate over a specific period of time. This can easily be computed by multiplying the number of units sold for a particular product by the price that product is being sold for. These are then totaled to give you the gross earnings you and your business earned. The same holds true for the gross earning computed for service-oriented business. Instead of tabulating the total amount earned for each product, this is replaced by the kinds of services that are being offered by your business. If you are an employee, your gross salary is the basic salary that was offered to you by the company plus any bonuses and commissions that you earned for a particular period of time.

The net earnings refer to the earnings you and your business generated minus any form of expenses. Simply put, the net earning is the actual amount that you earned within a particular period of time. If you are a business owner, these expenses would often entail to the operating expenses incurred within a particular period of time in order to keep the business running. Such expenses would include electricity use, salaries of your employees, taxes and other legal fees, materials, advertisements and the like. The total amount of these expenses is then deducted from the total gross earnings in order to get the net amount.

The same thing holds true for employees. In this case, it is not the operating expense that is deducted from the gross salary earned. Instead, these are the taxes and other dues that are deducted, such as health insurance, your 401K, unauthorized absences and tardiness, withholding tax, social security fund, and the like. These deductions differ depending on the payment scheme that is used by the company that you work for. If you are receiving your salary on a bi-monthly basis, only the withholding tax, absences and tardiness is deducted on a bi-monthly basis, while all the others are deducted on a monthly basis.