USA Basketball Candidates Official

The lengthy list of the 25 candidates for the 2008 USA Basketball Team for the Olympics has finally been announced. The USA Basketball team looks to redeem themselves after a poor bronze medal showing at the 2004 Olympics.

The list includes 21 NBA stars (in alphabetical order): Carmelo Anthony, Gilbert Arenas, Shane Battier, Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, Bruce Bowen, Elton Brand, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Antawn Jamison, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Brad Miller, Lamar Odom, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, Luke Ridnour, Amare Stoudemire, and Dwyane Wade.

J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison, both of whom are currently still in college, are also invited, rounding out the roster to 23 total players.

One player's exclusion has garnered heated media attention, and his name isAllen Iverson. Many point to Iverson's age and style of play as reasons for his exclusion, despite his important role in the last Olympics.

"We wanted a team not of individual stars, but athleticism, shooters, role players and distributors," national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said.

Colangelo is also hoping that high school basketball star Greg Oden will be able to join the team for training this summer.

The 23 players will attend a training camp in Las Vegas in July. The team will then fly to China and South Korea to participate in exhibition games. Afterwards, a 12-man roster will be selected for the world championships held in Japan.

There will be another training camp in 2007, which could be regional Olympic qualifying. It will be followed by another camp and additional exhibition games in 2008, before the Beijing Olympics begin.

The team will be led by Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The Advantages of Being a Teacher - Becoming a Teacher in State Vs Private Schools

One of the biggest decisions you will have to make as a teacher is whether to teach at a public school, or a private school. Most people will only think about pay scales when considering the choice. This is a very dangerous way to go about this decision which will impact much more than just your paycheck.

Just to get it out of the way-as I have already mentioned it- yes, in most cases you will make significantly less money teaching at a private school. It is generally about 10-15,000 dollars less than public school salaries. Of course, you will have other benefits to make up the difference in pay.

Class size is a huge factor in your decision. Most teachers, understandably, prefer a smaller class size. Private schools often boast very small class sizes, while public schools-suffering from budget cuts and low funds- often have to cram more students in a classroom than is beneficial to the students.

Another key factor is discipline. In a public school, it can be hard to remove a disruptive student from your classroom. Even when the student has been deemed dangerous, there is not always a recourse for the teacher. In a private school, these students can be removed easily.

In public schools, teachers are required to have certain credentials-including a teaching license, a Bachelor's (or Master's) degree, as well as other educational requirements as needed. Private ones are able to hire anyone they please. This means that if you do not have a certain credential, you may be more likely to get a teaching job at a private school.

There is more government oversight in public schools than in private ones. Schools are often caught in the midst of political battles and often take school budgets with them as well. Government oversight is also the cause of the often dreaded standardized testing required in many public schools.

The student population will vary drastically between a public and a private school. This is because public schools are required to admit every student within a geographical area. Private schools can turn down anybody- be it for academic issues, behavioral problems, or even inability to pay. This means that there will likely be less troublemakers in a private school, but you may have more spoiled children to deal with.

As you can see, each type of school has their pros and cons. My advice would be to make sure to visit every school you are applying to teach in. You may prefer the atmosphere in one school than another. Many teachers have said that for the freedom that they have in private school, it is worth giving up the extra pay. While others say that they feel they are giving back more to their community by teaching in the free, public schools.

A Book Review on the Republic by Plato

Development is something that is a trend nowadays. Every country is doing everything what they can to achieve the so called development. In The Republic, Plato understands that humans are going through a cycle that from a primitive society to a well-developed one, then returning to the original starting point (which is the primitive stage of life). The purpose why Plato wrote The Republic is to freeze all society and prevent change. But how could it happen if change is the only constant in this world. Could the society maintain there lifestyle without changing it or develop it? It isolates a human giving them no room for mobility, for example; if he is a farmer, then that is the boundary. The Republic tries to illustrate how justice can be achieved, and how Plato illustrates how to achieve it. The Republic is a dialogue between Socrates, Polymarchus, and Thrasymachus, and others, who are too many to mention, in the house of Cephalus. There argument is about how would just and right be committed, and what is justice? And that lead to the illustration of forming an ideal state, in search for the definition of justice?

Just and right. These terms may constitute many connotations. Its meaning may vary to what it is in the perception of the beholder. As what Thrasymachus defines "just" and "right" as nothing but what is to the interest of the stronger party. But these concepts are some kind of a term that humans cannot ascertain to what these abstract concepts would really mean. As what stated by Plato in his book, The Republic, "'right' was what good to someone else and 'just' means is serving the interest of the stronger who rules, at the cost of the subject who obeys.

It has 15 chapters. Justice is the main issue in the book. How to attain justice? What is the definition of justice? These were just some of the question that Plato draws an answer in The Republic. He then illustrates it by the forming of an imaginary state. The imaginary state may consist of three classes of people; producers, that is in charge for the sustenance of the society; army, that is in charge for the protection of the society; and guardians, the ruling class. The imaginary state is form in order to trace up where did justice or injustice takes place and the quality of justice may exist in a whole community. Each of the social classes of the society is dominated by one of the three parts of the soul. There is a rational part, spirited part, and appetitive part of the soul. Each of the classes of the society is dominated by one of the three parts of the soul.

The state is form because of the notion that man is not self-sufficing and if it happen that human is self-sufficing he must be not human but a beast or a god and, therefore, they are not part of the state. And by forming this state it may grow larger and larger with many needs are at hand. As it grew, there will be a time that it will come into war because of the struggle of getting unlimited wealth. It will lead to the additional of the members of the community - that is the army. Another class is the Guardians. These are the ruling class. The qualities of being a guardian, as mentioned in the book, which are necessary to make a good guardian, are gentleness and high temper. Aside from these qualities, courage is also important. By these qualities, guardians are compared to a well-bred dog. Just like the well-bred dogs, they are very gentle on the persons that whom they know and fierce to strangers. Then, there will be enlargement of the society. By this enlargement of the community and consideration of comfort may help us to discover how justice and injustice take root. Plato tries to put in plain words how the notion of justice can be obtain then derive a similar concept of individual justice. As what the book stated, it is better to make out the nature of justice in the individual if it will be taken in a larger scale.

It also talks about Philosopher Kings, or rulers are dominated by striving for wisdom. You cannot be a ruler unless you are a philosopher king that they have the wisdom and knowledge to rule. The souls of these philosophers are more than just the others; it aims to fulfill the desires of the balanced part. They form the class of men to possess knowledge. With these basic elements of an ideal society that Plato had installed, it illustrates why men behave justly. In The Republic, it is shown how a perfect society ought to behave and how will the guardians be trained to achieve the so called justice. Plato also explains that the world is divided into two realms; the visible and the intelligible. But only those minds who are trained can grasped the forms, - visible - that is the philosophers. As what he had illustrated, the basic element of an ideal society, must perform its appropriate function (that rulers must rule, producers must exercise whatever skills that is vested to them) to know what justice means. Is justice well defined? Plato end The Republic by defining justice as the greatest good.

Video Poker Games - How Real Do They Play?

Video poker games are the software version of a simulation of playing poker in a real life setting. While nothing beats the real life game, these video poker games offer real fun and lots of winning chances.

Another type of video poker games is those that are designed to help you learn and improve your skills in a real life games. There's video poker games available for just about every type of traditional poker games. Here's a list of some of the more popular video poker games: Omaha Hold 'em, Texas Hold 'em, Seven Card Stud, Blackjack, the World Series of Poker event, and Caribbean Stud Poker. You will also find many variations.

There's video poker online, as well as in your land casinos. You can also get these video poker games for your handheld electronics. No mater how you choose to play video poker games, you're sure to find excitement, fun and lots of chances to win.

Some of the most popular online video poker games are Texas Hold'em, jacks or better video poker and deuces wild video poker. There's several sites online where you can download the software, and play for free or real money. For the poker fan, there's a wealth of opportunity for fun, excitement and many winnings.

If you're looking to learn strategy, several video poker games have been designed to teach you strategies and the rules. There's several produced by the world's most talented professional poker players. What better way than to learn from the professionals.

Just as in person-to-person poker, the video poker games involve chance and skill. One of the neat things about video poker games is that they are available whenever you want to play. The online gaming sites that offer video poker games are never closed. You don't have to worry about who is going to show up or if you'll have enough people to play. There are always people playing online video poker games no matter the time of day or night.

The basics of the rules are pretty much the same as when you're playing with the traditional 52-card deck. With video games, the rules, the table bets, and other things that must be determined in real life are already set for you. All you have to do is read the rules, and begin play.

If you haven't played video poker games, you owe it to yourself to check them out. Beware, they're lost of fun and can be addictive.

Have fun and good luck.

Laminate Flooring - A Shoo-in For a DIY Project

Laminate wood look flooring is relatively easy for a do-it-yourself project. Laminate flooring is available in many wood tones from very light tones to those that are very intense. You will find Oak in a variety of hues from very light, medium and quite dark.

Wood tones of Cherry, Walnut, Beech, Pecan, Chestnut and Pine are just a few of the choices. These floors are very popular for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is because they give a warm inviting glow to the rooms in your home.

What is laminate flooring?

Laminate flooring is created in layers. The top layer that is seen is actually a picture of a wood floor and made from a very tough material. The core is usually a medium or high density fiberboard.

What are the benefits of laminate flooring?

1. Laminate floors can be installed over most surfaces

2. Laminate floors work well for people with allergies

3. Laminates hold up well to the high traffic of children and pets

4. Laminates are easy to clean

5. Laminates are less likely to dent or scratch compared to other flooring.

Laminate flooring is often called a floating floor, because the pieces lock together, but they do not attach to the floor underneath.

When considering a wood look floor for a bathroom, a laminate floor is a better choice than hardwood if chosen well and installed properly. Laminates with paraffin wax impregnated joints are recommended for moist areas. Consult your supplier if you are buying for a bath area. Be sure you read the warranty and install according to the guidelines so that you don't incur problems or void the warranty.

Since the flooring comes pre-finished, once the floor is installed it is done and ready for use.

Laminate flooring has only been available in North America for a few years, although it has been used in Europe for many years.

Wood flooring has a timeless appeal that will not go out of style, and will fit into any style of decor. Unlike hardwood floors, laminates are very hardy and will stand up well over the years.

It is recommended that a purchaser not buy the least expensive, but strive to at least make a purchase from the mid range in pricing to increase the durability factor. Buying up a little in quality will pay off in the long run, because you will get many more years of wear and good looks in the flooring you purchase.

Anger Management Technique: Know Who To Blame

This anger management technique can be very difficult to successfully implement because it requires a lot of soul searching and deep thought.

The anger management technique is that you need to know who it is that you should be blaming, and more importantly, what you should be blaming on whom. The first step towards mastery of this anger management technique, is to make sure that you are differentiating between what it is that has actually occurred and your resulting feelings.

For example, lets pretend that your co-worker spilled hot coffee all over you after having only been at work for a few minutes. You will obviously get angry in this situation, but the question becomes, what exactly are you blaming the co-worker for? Are you blaming them because they spilt coffee on you? or are you blaming them because your now angry?

While it is certainly true that they are responsible for the spilled coffee (well, it was most likely an accident so not really), however you should not hold them responsible for your reaction to the incident. In fact, by doing so you only make the negative emotion stronger and perpetuate the angry sentiment.

The crux of this anger management technique is that you need to hold yourself accountable for your reactions and only by accepting this can you hope to reconcile your frustration. Also, once you acknowledge the fact that only you are responsible for your actions, you can start making significant advances to your ability to deal with anger and stress.