6 de abril de 2013

How to Make S’more Brownies

Looking for an old campfire favorite wrapped in a warm, gooey brownie? Make s’more brownies tonight for dessert and bring the fun of camping indoors.



Edit Ingredients



  • 1 (21.5 oz/610g) package of brownie mix

  • 6 graham crackers (consider using chocolate flavored for an extra punch of chocolate)

  • 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows

  • 8 bars of milk chocolate (1.5 oz/50g) coarsely chopped



Edit Steps



  1. Prepare your workspace and oven. This recipe is extremely easy to make but having your tools and area prepared before you cook will turn baking into child’s play.





    • Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Keep in mind that some ovens run hotter than others so if your oven either bakes quickly or tends to run a little hotter either reduce the temperature by five or 10 degrees or shorten the baking time.

    • Grease a 9 x 13 inch (23cm x 33cm) pan. Consider using cooking spray for a reduced calorie brownie (but not by much) or take a stick of butter and run it along the bottom and sides of the pan.

    • Assemble your mixer, bowls, rubber spatula and ingredients. Pre-measuring the ingredients and placing in separate bowls will also make the process move a little quicker.



  2. Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions. Since you'll be mingling other ingredients into the brownie mix, don’t add or improvise with the package recipe.





    • Consider using an electric mixer to ensure the batter is fully integrated. If you don’t have an electric mixer, use a wire whisk to blend ingredients.

    • Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake according to package directions (usually about 15 minutes in a 350 degree/180ºC oven).



  3. Combine the s’more ingredients while the brownies are baking. In a separate bowl, gently toss the remaining ingredients together.





    • Break graham crackers into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces. Don't crush or crumble the graham crackers but make sure you have nice chunky pieces, just as how you'd find them in an actual s’more.

    • Dice the chocolate and into large chunks. If possible, use a higher grade milk chocolate to really bring out the flavor in the brownies and marshmallows.

    • Toss the marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers together in a large bowl until fully integrated. The idea will be to spread an equal amount of chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker over the warm, baked brownies.



  4. Remove the fully baked brownies from the oven and spread the s’more mixture over the top while they are still hot. In honor of campfire s’mores, you'll want the marshmallow to melt over the top and combine with melted chocolate.





    • Allow warm s’more brownies to cool before serving. You don't want the brownies to be served cold but provide enough time for the brownie and s’more mixture to congeal and bind before serving (or you could have a big mess).



  5. Finished







Edit Tips



  • Instead of using a pre-boxed mix, create the brownies from scratch.

  • Create a turtle s’more and add diced caramels to the s’more mixture.

  • If you like one ingredient more than others (i.e. chocolate or marshmallows), reduce the amount of one ingredient and increase your favorite.

  • Add other favorite ingredients such as nuts to the brownie mix or you could even frost the brownies first before adding the s’more mixture.



Edit Things You'll Need



  • Mixing bowl

  • Electric mixer or whisk

  • 9 x 13 inch (23cm x 33cm) pan

  • Large bowl

  • Oven mitts



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How to Study Abroad


You're incredibly excited to study abroad and to experience a new culture. Not only will you be embarking on an adventure you'll never forget, but you'll also be learning a lot and expanding your horizons in the process. You may be nervous about studying abroad because you know you'll be stepping out of your comfort zone, but that's only natural. If you'd like to know how to study abroad the right way, follow these tips.

Edit Steps



Prepare to Study Abroad



  1. Choose the right study abroad program. This is the most important step. You'll have to decide what program is best for you — not what program is best for your twenty closest friends in college. You'll have to pick the program you want to do, and the city where you'll be studying. Here's how to decide:

    • If you're not majoring in a foreign language or interested in one particular foreign culture, do some research. Look through travel guides and search the Internet to see what city appeals to you. Once you've narrowed your list down to a few places, ask around to see if you know anyone who did the program you were thinking of, and ask how it was.

    • If you are already majoring or minoring in a foreign language, it's likely that you'll want to study in a country where that language is spoken. You need to check to see how many credits toward your major or minor you will receive from each program.

    • You can also decide if you want to do a program directly through your school or through another college. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. If you choose a program through your own college, it's likely that your credits will transfer more easily, that you'll be around some people you know and will feel more comfortable, and that you'll have to do a lot less paperwork to get the process approved. If you choose a program outside of your university, you may have more options to choose from and will be more adventurous because you'll be studying with a group of people you've never met, but you'll have to do more work to find and apply to the program.

    • Once you choose your program and fill out your application, you'll have to ask about the student visa requirements and make sure to have a current passport. Each country is different so figure this out well in advance.



  2. Begin to immerse yourself in the local culture. You can start preparing for your study abroad trip months in advance. Not only will this make you more prepared to embark on your foreign journey, but it will also make you more pumped to begin your adventure. Here's what you can do:

    • Brush up your language skills. If you need to know a foreign language in your country of choice, take a language class and practice speaking it on your own. Watch movies in the language to help your comprehension skills.

    • Take a class about the culture. If your school offers a course about the history or art of the culture, you should jump at the opportunity.

    • Try some cuisine from the culture. If you're in the right place, it won't be too hard to try some local fare from thousands miles away. Give it a try and get used to the thought of eating it every day.

    • Hang out with friends who are also studying in the same country or city. You can start immersing yourselves in the country together.



  3. Prepare for your destination city. Once you know where you'll be living, read everything you can about the city. Read blogs online, get travel books, and read up on the history of the city. This will give you a stronger appreciation of where you're going, and of all the cool stuff you'll have to do once you get there.

    • Create a bucket list. Make a list of at least twenty things you just have to do in the city before you leave.

    • Mark all the pages in your travel books that show places that you just have to see.

    • Talk to other people who have lived in or studied in the city before. Write down their recommendations.

    • Read up on the weather in your destination city. This will help you know what clothes to pack.





Make the Most of Your Study Abroad Experience



  1. Immerse yourself in the local culture. Above all else, this should be the final goal of your study abroad experience. You have chosen to study in a foreign country because you are excited about its culture and customs, and because you want to broaden your perspective on the world. Therefore, you should seize every opportunity you have to try something new, have a new experience, and to step out of your comfort zone. Here's what you should do:

    • If you're in a country where a foreign language is spoken, immerse yourself in it. Try to speak the language as much as possible, to read the language, and to even catch TV shows on the local channels.

    • Enjoy the cuisine of a foreign land. Though you'll crave your old favorite foods and should indulge once in a while, try to eat as much local food as possible.

    • Understand the local customs. If you're in a country where a siesta is customary, then take one.

    • Enjoy the local music and dance culture. Go to a show or a concert.

    • Watch local films. Go to the movies in your new city. You'll have fun even if you don't understand anything.

    • Go to as many museums, exhibits, and other cultural venues as possible. Learn everything you can about the country and even take notes.

    • It's okay to take a break once in a while. Order some pizza, watch your old Modern Family DVDs, and fall asleep listening to Katy Perry. You can't be a good cultural student all the time.



  2. Hang out with the right people. A big part of having the perfect study abroad experience is who you hang out with. The company you keep can make or break your entire trip, so choose your friends carefully. If you have the right friends, you could end up learning a lot more about the culture. Here's what you can do:

    • Find a few trusted friends in your study abroad group. It's good to maintain relationships with people from your program so you can stay grounded, participate in fun activities, and not feel too lonely.

    • Focus on finding friends who are natives to your new city. Though you may be shy about meeting new people or getting past a language barrier, people from foreign countries are often friendly and will be excited by your foreign-ness. Plus, these people will know where to eat, where to go out, and where the tourists traps are.

      • When you hang out with these people, try to stick to their native tongue. They will most likely say they want to practice their English on you; you can indulge them, but ask them to speak their language to you as well.



    • If you're living in a home stay, then take advantage of your host family. You can learn a lot about the culture from them. If they invite you to join them in events outside the home, don't miss the opportunity.

    • Your main goal should be to avoid being just another American tourist. If you spend all of your time hanging out with the thirty study abroad kids from your school, you won't be broadening your horizons as much.



  3. Take the opportunity to travel. If you're studying abroad, then there's a good chance that you're living within just hundreds of miles of many fantastic destinations. A ticket to these countries is much cheaper than it will be from home, so you should make a point of seizing the opportunity to visit a few exotic places you have never been. However, you shouldn't forget that your main goal is to immerse yourself in the country where you've chosen to study, so you should explore that country the most.

    • Travel within the country where you're studying abroad. This will give you an opportunity to understand the complexities and customs of the different regions of the country. This will also help you appreciate the art or history classes you've taken about your chosen country.

    • Plan a few trips to visit foreign countries. Ideally, you can visit cities where your friends are studying, so they can act as your tour guide.

    • Try to bring a travel buddy or two with you wherever you go. Not only will it make traveling more fun, but it will be safer, too.

    • If you're traveling and can't stay with a friend, it's likely that you will look into hostels, the cheaper alternative to hotels. Hostels can be a fun place to stay and a great way to meet people, but try to book one with a friend, to watch over your belongings, and to do as much research about the hostel as you can in advance.

    • Many students who study abroad in the fall love going to Munich for Oktoberfest. If you'd like to participate in this raucous celebration, book your tickets many months in advance, maybe even before you leave to study abroad.

    • Though your study abroad program will give you an amazing opportunity to travel, make sure that you still leave some time for you to spend the weekends in your city of choice, so you get used to the rhythm of life there and have a chance to really appreciate the city where you're staying.

    • If you do travel out of the country, always let your friends and study abroad teachers and administrators know about it in advance.



  4. Don't forget to learn something. That's right. It's called "study abroad" for a reason, which is that you will be spending half of your time either in class, or learning about the local culture through educational trips to museums, palaces, castles, and other historical sites. Don't let yourself forget how absolutely amazing it is that you get to get first-hand knowledge about a culture that fascinates you. Here's what you should do:

    • Don't blow off class. Take the time to pay attention, take notes, and do well on exams, just as you would do back home.

    • Take the time to talk to your teachers. They are real representatives of the local culture and they can teach you a lot.

    • Be alert during your cultural outings. Don't spend your time at the Louvre or the Alhambra snickering in the back of the pack while your teacher tries to tell you something important. You could be missing an opportunity to learn something that will stay with you for life and you will regret it.

    • Pay attention on the tour bus. If you're lucky enough to go on a tour bus with your study abroad program, don't close your eyes and nurse your hangover. Instead, listen to what the guide is saying, and even write it down.

    • Take the initiative to educate yourself. If you're taking an incredible art class in Madrid, take a trip to The Prado by yourself. Nothing beats exploring a museum in a foreign country by yourself.

    • When you're hanging out with locals — and hopefully you are — use them as an opportunity to learn something about the attitude and perspectives of the local culture. Without sounding like an interviewer, ask the locals how they feel about certain issues within their country as well as globally.



  5. Beat homesickness. You may have been looking forward to studying abroad since the moment you were accepted to college, so it may be hard for you to imagine that you might not love every second of the experience. However, you should expect that there will come a time when you miss your family, your friends, and the customs and foods of your own country. Being prepared for this in advance will make it easier for you to cope with homesickness. Here are some things you can do to beat homesickness:

    • If you're feeling homesick, make a list of all the amazing opportunities you're getting just by studying abroad, such as meeting new people and trying delicious foods. This will make you feel more grateful for your experience.

    • Talk to other students who are studying abroad. It's likely that they have had or are having the same experience, and they may have some coping tips.

    • If your family can afford it, plan for them to pay you a visit after the second half of your study abroad session. Seeing them will make you feel much closer to home, and will make it easier for you to hang on for the rest of your trip.

    • Stay in touch with people from home. Email or Facebook your friends from home, and talk to your family over the phone when you can. Just don't make a habit of talking to them too much, or you'll be too busy thinking about what's going on at home to focus on your once-in-a-lifetime experience.

    • Don't forget to pack a few things that remind you of home. This could be as simple as your favorite stuffed animal, favorite CD, or a collection of your favorite movies. Bring a few pictures of your friends and family, but don't put up too many of them or you will feel even more homesick.

    • If one of your best friends is also studying abroad, plan to visit her or for her to see your new neck of the woods.

    • Write in a journal where you can reflect on your homesickness as well as all of your amazing experiences.



  6. Stay safe. Though you may be studying abroad with a handful or even a few dozen students from your college or a college similar to yours, you should never forget that you are in a foreign country. This may sound obvious, but it means that you should not conduct yourself as you would in your school back home. You are in a new environment, and you may be surrounded by people who you just met or whom you don't know at all, so you should keep your guard up. Here's what you need to do to have a fun and safe study abroad experience:

    • Take it easy on the alcohol. Though drinking is the favorite past time of many study abroad students, you shouldn't drink as much as you would at your college back home. You should still have fun, but don't drink to the point where you don't know what's going on, because the next thing you know, you could be lost on the street without knowing your address and may run into some real trouble.

    • Know your address. Keep it programmed in your phone, written a piece of paper in your wallet, and memorized.

    • Don't spend too much time hooking up with the locals. While studying abroad is all about taking risks and having fun, remember that you're in a foreign country, and try to avoid going home with someone you just met. Though people from another country aren't inherently sketchier than people from your own, your chances of getting into an untoward situation are higher because you'll be operating out of your comfort zone.

    • Don't do dumb things to impress your peers. Don't let study abroad become a contest of who could do the craziest thing just to impress a bunch of people you barely know. You don't have to be disrespectful to the local country, take three shots of a strange drink, or make out with a local on the dance floor just to look cool.

    • Follow the rules. You can still be adventurous without being reckless. The police force in a foreign country may not be as lenient about your antics as they would be in your hometown. Just try to behave.





EditTips



  • If you're a big reader and you'll be living in a place where English is not the primary language, bring enough books to last the trip. Though you don't want to overstuff your suitcase, you do want to avoid a situation where books in English are not only hard to find, but very pricey.

  • If you're staying with a host family, write them a letter in advance to say how excited you are to be staying with them.



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Gerente De Exploracion Regional - Ecopetrol - Colombia

Buscamos Gerente de Exploración Regional para direccionar la actividad exploratoria nacional e identificar nuevas oportunidades exploratorias que contribuyan a...

De Rigzone.com - 04 Apr 2013 17:58:47 GMT - Ver todos: empleos en



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5 de abril de 2013

How to Learn to Sing

To sing well, you need to practice daily. Singing lessons are not always available for many people. If you can't go to singing lessons, consider practicing on your own or using a vocal training program. Here are some things you can do on your own to become better at singing. It will take time, but you should begin to see the fruits of your labor soon.



Steps



Part One: Starting Off



  1. Begin with breathing exercises. Breathing exercises will allow you to better control the pitch and duration of your singing. It's no surprise: singers who can breathe deeply and consistently get better mileage out of their voice.





    • Practice opening your throat opening. Relax and open the jaw like a fish might out of water. Start flexing your facial muscles a little bit in between.

    • Try the following breathing exercise before you warm up:


      • Begin by inhaling a couple deep breaths of air. Imagine that the air is really heavy as you breathe it in.

      • Let the breath fall below your belly button, into your diaphragm. Exhale and repeat several times.

      • Get a light pillow-feather and practice keeping it in the air, sort of like you're juggling a feather with your air stream.[1] Gradually blow the feather really high up, and try keeping it there.

      • Don't let your chest collapse as you keep the feather in the air. Try to keep the air stream coming from your diaphragm.





  2. Next, start warming up. Your vocal chords are a muscle, just like your biceps, and need to get stretched before you do any heavy lifting. You can warm up in a variety of ways.

    • Practice your major scales, starting with the middle C, moving down in half-steps before moving up. Don't push yourself before you're actually singing, and try to move slowly. As you continue to warm up, you'll get better at articulating all the notes in the scales.


      • The notes that you will hit start off as C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C and move either up or down one half-step for each new scale.





  3. Find your range. Your range is the measure of pitches you can sing between your lowest and highest notes. Try any number of classical musical scales (you can easily find them with a simple online search) and see which notes on the bottom and which notes on the top are impossible for you to clearly sing.

  4. Try singing along to a song that you like with a voice recorder nearby. Make sure the music is quiet and your voice is the real thing that the recorder picks up. After you're done singing, check if you are singing on key. Also check to see if you are:

    • Articulating words, especially vowels, clearly. In the beginning, over-articulate the words; really practice on getting them right.

    • Breathing correctly. Hard vocal parts will require you to stretch your voice out over a longer period of time. You'll need to be a strong breather for this.



  5. Drink plenty of water. Drink lukewarm water for best results, as this will loosen your vocal chords. Give your body time to absorb the water. Avoid dairy products or thick drinks such as smoothies immediately before singing.

  6. Practice daily. Every day, practice your breathing exercises, warm-up routine, and recorded singing. Listen for parts that you don't hit with your voice and keep chugging. It could take several weeks of practice just to get a single song down pat.



Part Two: Developing Your Voice



  1. Learn to use your nose. Good singing involves partial nasal placement; it is our body's soundboard. To avoid sounding nasal to others, however, your throat must be wide open with your tongue out of the way (slightly forward, touching the backs of bottom teeth when singing vowels). Nasality can often be heard in country singing and some R&B/Gospel, but can be unappealing to listeners.

  2. Learn to "cover the voice" for a fuller sound. Resonant, rounded sound is formed by opening the throat and by limiting the nasality. This is called "covering the voice." Be careful, however. If you cover it too much, it may become to airy and mushy sounding.

  3. Practice singing your vowels. Again, try to vocalize by using your diaphragm. The vowels, not the consonants, are what you really have to pay attention to.





    • Do not involve your neck muscles in your singing. Try to keep your neck upright but relaxed.

    • Practice keeping the back of your mouth open when you vocalize the vowels.[2] Practice voicing the "ng" sound in training; the back of your mouth is closed. Now practice voicing the "ah" sound, like you're opening your mouth at the dentist. The back of your mouth is now open.



  4. Practice hitting the high notes. High notes are the icing on top of the cake: not always necessary, but really wonderful when done right. You probably already know your range by now, so you also know which high notes you can hit and which ones you can't. Be sure to practice hitting the ones you can't yet reach. Practice will make perfect.

    • Envision jumping as you hit the high note. Perhaps you're jumping onto a trampoline, or maybe you're just jumping up into the air. Imagine hitting your highest point as you reach the high note. Take an adequate breath and keep your mouth open. Hitting a high note doesn't mean you need to increase how loudly you sing.



  5. Continue your breathing exercises. Make breathing exercises an ongoing training opportunity. The better you get at breathing, the easier your vocal training will be.

    • Try this breathing exercise[3] where you breathe in and hiss out. Make sure your hiss is very even and consistent. The goal is consistency:


      • Breathe in for 4 seconds, and then hiss the same breath out for 4 seconds.

      • Breathe in for 6 seconds, and hiss out for 12.

      • Breathe in for 2 seconds, and hiss out for 10.

      • Breathe in for 4 seconds, and hiss out for 16.

      • Breathe in for 2 seconds, and hiss out for 16.

      • Breathe in for 4 seconds, and hiss out for 20.

      • Breathe in for 2 seconds, and hiss out for 20.







Part Three: Putting It All Together



  1. Enter a local singing competition. Be reasonable about how you expect to perform; if you've been singing for less than 3 months and have no formal training, it'll be difficult — but that's what you want, right?

    • If you're serious about becoming a singer, you'll have to get used to singing in front of a large crowd of people, and in stressful situations. It's one thing to sing to yourself in your bedroom; it's another thing entirely to sing in front of dozens or maybe hundreds of people.



  2. Be sure to get a good teacher if you're serious about developing your skills. Voice coaches will be able to give you really good feedback in real time, as well as tips and tricks. They will set a schedule for you and help you meet goals that you set for yourself. A voice coach is absolutely essential for anyone who wants to seriously become a singer.

  3. Once you're confident, perform a song unaccompanied and upload your video to YouTube. The positive feedback you get will most likely far outweigh the negative feedback.







Video



Tips



  • Don't force breath out. Your breath should be flowing.

  • Any time you think of it, practice breathing correctly.

  • Stay within the key. It is similar to singing harmonies when other notes can be sung in conjunction with the main note. Experiment! The voice is to simply expand as the vocal voice comes up as your real singing voice. To sing imagine that everything in your voice is to speak louder to project your voice is to expand it by inhaling and exhaling properly.

  • To aid with the practice of this breathing technique, (which is also used for meditations) place hands on the tummy to feel the correct movements. For men a tight belt can also be worn to push against.



Warnings



  • Clearing your voice by harshly rasping coughs hurts the voice.

  • When singing for long periods of time, it is worth taking a sip of honey cough medicine, or sucking on a sweet cough drop.

  • Do not smoke. This damages your lungs and voice and you need both for breathing and singing!

  • Do not hold the lyrics sheet because that will stifle your styling/selling of the song. Keep your head up and glance around most of the time, but do not latch on to people's eyes or expressions.

  • Do not drink milk before singing as that causes sticky mucus to form in the mouth and throat.

  • Do not sing too much for too long at the start. Vocal chords are muscles and need to be built up for strength and agility.



Things You'll Need



  • Buy a tape recorder with a built in mic, or find one that a microphone can be plugged into. A karaoke machine works great.

    • You can also use the recording function of your mp3 player if the quality is good to check your use of a microphone.



  • A portable CD player or mp3 is needed to play the singer of your choice and the songs you wish to learn.

  • Lyric sheets of the song you will be practicing.

  • Music stand (or willing helper) for the lyric sheet.

  • Water.



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How to Calculate Simple Interest

Simple interest is the amount of interest paid based on only the original amount lent or borrowed, rather than being based on accumulating interest. The formula for this is very simple: I=PRT, where I is interest, P is Principal, R is the percentage rate expressed as decimal and T is time, which is generally expressed in years, assuming your rate is an annual rate. This article shows you how to use this formula to calculate simple interest.



Edit Steps



  1. Find the Principal. This is the amount of money borrowed or lent at the start of the year which the interest will be calculated for.

  2. Find the Rate as a decimal. This is the percentage of the Principal you will pay back each year. Divide the percentage by 100 to give the decimal value.

  3. Specify the Time in years over which you want the interest calculating.

  4. Multiply Principle × Rate × Time to calculate the simple interest. This is the money you will pay/be paid on top of what was lent or borrowed.

  5. Finished.



Edit Video



Edit Tips



  • This formula can be rearranged to allow you to work out the Principle (P=I÷RT), Rate (R=I÷PT) or Time (T=I÷PR)



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