USA Geography - Map Game - Geography Online Games "I stumbled upon your fun interactive geography games from a link on the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance Website. Since then, your games have become quite a hit with my competitive colleagues!" --Candice Gomes, Education Outreach Coordinator, Boston Public Library Sheppard Software's geography games were featured in the Boston Public Library's 2006 Exhibition on Mapping! "Terrific online educational games, especially geography." "I am a middle school social studies teacher who also sponsors a geography club after school. "Awesome site... it is the only reason I am passing my World Geography class!" "We love your interactive maps and are using them for 10th grade world history." "Let me say that you guys have an awesome website.
How Identity Theft Works" You work hard every day to make a living and support yourself and/or your family. If you've read the HowStuffWorks credit report and credit score articles, then you know how to keep your credit clean so you can enjoy the benefits of all of that hard work. What happens, though, when you find out that someone has used your name to get a credit card and has run up thousands of dollars in charges that you are now going to have to convince the credit card company that you are not responsible for? Innocent people are being arrested because someone is committing crimes using their names. In this article, we'll look into the dark world of identity theft to which we can all fall victim. Identity theft can involve financial fraud or criminal activities. Types of Identity TheftIdentity theft can enter into many areas of our lives. Next, we'll learn how someone can steal and access your identity.
Learn How to Drive a Manual Transmission There's a new FAQ in town! Check the the new and improved FAQ! Note: To see video of some of the below procedures, please visit the Standardshift.com video page. Question and Answer Session with Race Driver Gary Sheehan Gary Sheehan is our resident race car driver, and he has graciously agreed to take part in a question and answer session here at standardshift.com. Gary has been behind the wheel of many a different type of race car, from open wheelers to FWD subcompacts, so this is a great opportunity to get a question answered on a broad range of racing and driving subjects. To post a question, visit the thread at We've all seen them on the road, bucking and stalling while learning how to drive stick. Knowing how to drive a car before tackling the art of operating a manual transmission is a highly recommended, but not required, idea. Push the clutch to the floor again, and start the car. Congratulations!
Identify a Lie with 6 Simple Questions post written by: Marc Chernoff Email We all fall victim to at least a few lies during the course of our lifetime. Some lies may be extremely troublesome to our personal wellbeing, while other “white lies” may be far more innocuous. Either way, a lie is meant to deceive. So how can we avoid falling victim to a lie in the future? A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.- Mark Twain How do you know this? If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)... How to Make a Budget That Works In the past I’ve tried to follow a budget, only to fail time and time again. But I’ve learned from my mistakes. Today I’m going to walk you through the steps you need to take to make a budget that really works. Step 1: Record Your Income and Expenses for a Month TIP: You can also use money management tool like Personal Capital to automatically track all of your income and expenses for you. If you’re really organized, you can look back at your expenses for six months to a year, but I’m going to assume you’re organizationally challenged like I am. :) For one month, you need to record every transaction that you make with your money. The notebook and receipts are important. If you’re adept at using spreadsheets, you can use a spreadsheet to categorize expenses. At the end of the month, if you’re like me, you will be surprised at how much money is leaking out of your bank account every month. We were also shocked at how much money we were using on little trips to the grocery store for snacks.
How to Detect Lies - body language, reactions, speech patterns Interesting Info -> Lying Index -> How to Detect Lies Become a Human Lie Detector (Part 1) Warning: sometimes ignorance is bliss. After gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you. The following deception detection techniques are used by police, forensic psychologists, security experts and other investigators. Introduction to Detecting Lies: This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of fraud/scams and other deceptions. This is just a basic run down of physical (body language) gestures and verbal cues that may indicate someone is being untruthful. If you got here from somewhere else, be sure to check out our Lie Detection index page for more info including new research in the field of forensic psychology. Signs of Deception: Body Language of Lies: • A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact. Bored?
How to Make a Budget and Stick to It - Free Legal Information If you want to keep your spending under control, it's essential that you make a budget. A budget allows you to get a handle on the flow of your money -- how much you make and how much you spend. With that information in hand, you can make intelligent choices about what to buy with your hard-earned cash. Make a List of Your Expenses The first step in making a realistic budget is figuring out where your money goes. Limitations of computer programs. Make your own expense record. Use one sheet of paper per week to record your expenses for two months. Total Your Income Your expenditures account for only half of the picture. On a blank sheet of paper, list the jobs for which you receive a salary or wages. bonus paydividends and interestalimony or child supportpension or retirement income, andpublic assistance. Record net income. Determine monthly income. When you are done, total up all the amounts. Make Your Budget control your impulses to overspend, andstart saving money.
10 Handy Numbers to Save in Your Mobile Phone Email “Always be prepared!” That’s the Boy Scout motto. Here are 10 phone numbers we could not care less about until the moment we need them, at which point they save us time, money and general peace of mind. Do yourself a favor and take 10 minutes to program each of these handy numbers into your mobile phone. I promise you, the convenience you will gain from it someday is priceless. 1. Visa: 1-800-VISA-911 (1-800-847-2911)MasterCard: 1-800-MC-ASSIST (800-622-7747)American Express: 1-800-992-3404Discover: 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683)Diners Club: 1-800-2DINERS (1-800-234-6377) 2. Geico: 1-800-861-8380Allstate: 1-800-ALLSTATE (1-800-255-7828)Nationwide: 1-800-421-3535Progressive: 1-800-PROGRESSIVE (1-800-776-4737)Liberty Mutual: 1-800-2CLAIMS (1-800-225-2467)State Farm: Depends where you live (find your agent’s number).AIG Direct: 1-888-244-6163Travelers: 1-800-CLAIM33 (1-800-252-4633) 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Bonus: How many minutes do I have left before I’m broke?
22 Tools You Should Keep in Your Car post written by: Marc Chernoff Email “Always be prepared!” That’s the Boy Scout motto. Most people keep their tools at home. But if you aren’t at home, you probably drove your car to get to wherever you are. Here are 22 useful tools you should keep in your car. 2-3 Gallons of Water – You can drink it when you’re thirsty, use it as a cleaning/rinsing agent, pour it into your car’s cooling system if it’s overheating, etc.Portable GPS – Being lost is not a fun feeling. While I’m sure this list could be expanded, these 22 tools are the tools I keep in my car. Photo by: Viernest If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)...
20 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Sunday post written by: Marc Chernoff Email At the cusp of new beginnings many of us take time to reflect on our lives by looking back over the past and ahead into the future. We ponder the successes, failures and standout events that are slowly scripting our life’s story. This process of self reflection helps maintain a conscious awareness of where we’ve been and where we intend to go. If you would like to maximize the benefits of self reflection , I have 20 questions for you. What did I learn last week? Take 30 minutes every Sunday and give yourself the gift of self reflection. And check out these books for more thought-provoking questions: Photo by: Cesar R. If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)...
How To Work Less and Still Impress post written by: Marc Chernoff Email Is it possible to work less and still impress your boss, wife, husband and friends? The answer to the question is: YES! The list below is not comprehensive, but leads in the right direction, providing six basic strategies geared for increasing your impressiveness without increasing your workload. Learn Skills Few People Know – Find a niche function (or two) that’s currently in high demand and master it. Photo by: Parker If you enjoyed this article, check out our new best-selling book. And get inspiring life tips and quotes in your inbox (it's free)... 21 Keys to Magnetic Likeability This is a great list….for the U.S.. I think it is paramount, though, that we recognize that each of these points are but the surface layer of deep, cultural values. For example, one would not want to make frequent eye contact in Japan, or too little in the Netherlands. In a collectivist culture, perhaps India, speaking your beliefs might be construed as distracting- as putting your own needs before the good of the group. #10 is another good example. I guess what I would then add to the list, or make as a disclaimer perhaps, is that, above all one should be aware of one’s own cultural norms as well as the fact that there are many (even within the US- probably within your own office). (sorry this was so long)
50 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one. While not totally comprehensive , here is a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. Check out these books for more ideas on pertinent life skills: