Using PHP

Using PHP How Do You Use the PHP Programming Language? ChaptersWhat Is PHP?How Do You Display an Image in PHP?How to Open a PHP File in Your BrowserWhich Version of PHP Should You Use for WordPress?“PHP is a minor evil perpetrated and created by incompetent amateurs, whereas Perl is a great and insidious evil perpetrated by skilled but perverted professionals.” - Jon RibbensThere’s a passionate community of people who code in PHP. Millions of people use this programming language to create web sites or other web pages. Programming has never been so accessible.Like some other programming languages (HTML, CSS, Java, MySQL, etc.), PHP can be used in the creation of web sites.Managing databases, graphic interfaces, web servers, IT systems, you don’t need to be an IT engineer to start learning how to code with PHP.In this article, we'll look what PHP is, how you can use it to display images, how to open a PHP file in your web browser, and which version you should use with WordPress, the world's most popular content management system.he ader (“Content-type: image/jpeg”);$image = imagecreatefromjpeg(“myphoto.jpg”);imagejpg($image);?If you don’t want to display the image directly on the website, but keep it as it is in a file, the last line needs to be replaced by the filename of the photo plus the destination.imagejpg($image); (“myphotos/myphoto.jpg”);Your photo is ready!How to Open a PHP File in Your BrowserBefore you can start getting the most out of your dynamic website, there are a few steps you’ll need to follow. To put the code together, you’ll need to download a PHP engine for your site. You’ll need to download the engine onto your computer, install it, then install an editor specific to the programming language. You can use programmes like Notepad++, Dreamweaver, etc.In a word processor, you can write lines to make dynamic web pages.Once your sheet of code is ready, you’ll need to test your PHP file online. This step allows you to check for errors and see if elements are displaying as y ou intended.To read a PHP file online, there are a few options.  The best solution is to rent a server and put your code on it. A server is a computer that allows other users to access it on the internet via an IP address.Renting a server is very easy. There are many sites where you can rent a server with a monthly subscription.Servers allow you to store things online. (Source: heladodementa)Once you’re renting a server, you just need to download your PHP file to it, then type the appropriate address into your browser.The second option doesn’t include renting a server. If you’re not ready to publish your page, you can download the programme XAMPP. This allows you to imitate a server with a “localhost” address.Once the programme’s installed, you just have to integrate the PHP files into the app and the put address into your browser.Which Version of PHP Should You Use for WordPress?WordPress is a CMS (Content Management System) which allows a lot of people to create a webs ite without knowing about web programming. Be it a blog, website, portfolio, etc, there are plenty of themes allowing to personalise your content. Of course, these options aren’t always enough for users so you can modify the base code as well.PHP is used to code WordPress websites. (Source: pixelcreatures)WordPress uses the PHP language. You can introduce lines of PHP code into the site and add plugins.So which version of PHP should you use?There are plenty of versions of PHP and they continue to evolve. The latest version of PHP is 7 and improvements are regularly being made.It’s strongly recommended by WordPress that you use the latest version for both its functionality and security. To change your version, the SG Optimizer plugin can help.To do this, you need to update the theme and plugins in your site so that they’re compatible with the latest version of PHP to avoid bugs and errors.Updating to the latest version of PHP once a year is a good way to ensure that your websit e works well. Think about it!If you want to learn more about programming in PHP, consider getting in touch with a private tutor. There are three types of tutorials offered on Superprof: face-to-face tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Face-to-face tutorials are your traditional private tutorials with one student and one tutor. These are usually the most costly but they're also the most cost-effective as the tutor can spend the whole time focusing on their only student.Online tutorials are similar to face-to-face tutorials but the tutor delivers the class over webcam using video conferencing software like Skype. This tends to be cheaper since they don't have to travel.Group tutorials are cheaper per student since the cost is shared but you won't get as much individual attention from your tutor as they'll have other students to pay attention to during the tutorials.Don't forget that a lot of the tutors on Superprof offer the first hour of tutoring for free so you can see if they're right for you.

20 Insider Tips For Traveling to France [Infographic]

20 Insider Tips For Traveling to France [Infographic] 20 Game-Changing Tips for Traveling to France Jessica Dais From the smell of freshly baked baguettes from the local bakery, to views of the romantic châteaux (castles) in the Loire Valley, to the diverse array of masterpieces displayed in the museums of Paris France has so much to offer! If you’re taking a trip to this beautiful country soon, keep reading to learn how to plan the perfect itinerary so you can enjoy France at its best. We’ll share about the weather, what to order when dining out, a few little known sites, and many more helpful tips for traveling to France! 20 Game-Changing Tips for Traveling to France 1. Keep French Fashion in Mind Pack clothes that are versatile and chic, keeping in mind that the French are simple and effortless when it comes to their style. The saying “less is more” works well for the French.     One of your goals should be to blend in with the locals not stand out as a tourist. For the ladies, bring a scarf! In the summertime, light scarves can add a touch of class, or be used as an extra layer at nighttime without the bulk of a jacket. 2. Pack Comfy Shoes Bring a pair, or two, of comfortable shoes to France. When traveling, you should always expect to be walking quite a bit, whether it’s through the cobbled streets of Le Vieux Carré (the Old Quarter) or through the vineyards in the South. So leave the stiletto heels at home and opt for a pair of comfortable sandals or sturdy boots. Your feet will thank you later! 3.  Learn the Language Locals love when visitors attempt to speak the native language. Even if your French is a little rusty and you can only muster up a polite “Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plait” (“I would like a coffee please”), the French will greatly appreciate the effort. The best way to learn French before your trip is with the help of an experienced tutor. If you’re interested in building up your vocabulary quickly, consider taking private lessons or online French classes. You can also watch French tutorials on YouTube, such as the one below.   4. Check the Weather Regions along the three coasts of France have a more temperate climate, unlike areas in central France, where you’ll experience more variation between seasons. Paris can also become fairly hot in the summer, so be prepared by packing light-colored clothing made of loose material. The summer months in the south along the Mediterranean have very little rainfall, but the rest of the country experiences rainy months throughout the year. Paris has quite a bit of rainfall from April through August. Whatever the season, its always a good idea to check the forecast prior to your visit to France! 5. Travel in Spring or Fall If you’re on a budget, the most cost-effective times to travel to France are during the spring and fall months. Keep in mind that if plane tickets are purchased at least three months in advance, you will be able to find some better deals! 6. Try a Bed Breakfast Relax in the many charming bed and breakfasts that France has to offer! While there are many options for lodging available to visitors, the more intimate bed and breakfasts in France are superb. Many of them offer home-cooked meals of the region, and the locals’ take on must-see sites. 7. Eat Like a Local The French are known for, and proud, of their cuisine. Wherever you are in the country, be sure to try the local delicacies. If you’re traveling to Bordeaux, try the cannelé a small pastry made of vanilla and rum. Take in the view of the Mediterranean while dining on a traditional seafood dish of the region. You won’t regret trying the bouillabaisse (seafood stew) in Marseille, or the delicious quenelle in Lyon! SEE ALSO: 50 Useful French Phrases for Travelers 8. Enjoy an Apéritif or Digestif In France, sometimes the best drinks come just before or after a delicious meal. An apéritif (pre-meal drink) is usually enjoyed among friends before a plat de fromage (cheese plate) is served. One common apéritif is the kir, which is a mix of white wine and blackcurrant. A common digestif (post-meal drink) is an espresso. Or you can try the “eau de vie,” literally translated “water of life,” which is a popular fruit brandy. 9. Check the Prix Fixe Menu When youre unsure about what to order, the prix fixe (fixed price) menu will be your best friend. Selected by the chef, it includes several dishes from the entrée (appetizer) to the plat principal (main dish) to the dessert.   10. Shop at Outdoor Markets   One way to save money without sacrificing the French experience is to shop at the outdoor markets. Most towns have an outdoor market or “marché en plein air.” Here, you can find vendors selling the region’s best at a more affordable price. Just be sure to check the local schedule, as some markets are only open on specific days of the week. 11. Enjoy Local Wines As with the food in France, it’s usually best to go with the regional wine. While there are many options for wine, opting for the local wine is the best choice if you want to fully experience and appreciate the specialties of the area. 12. Travel by Train Another way to save money on travel expenses while visiting France is to take the train. For the best deals, book three months in advance if you already have an itinerary set. If you’re under 25 and visiting France for a study abroad program or internship, signing up for a “Carte Jeune” offers reduced train fares! 13. Follow the Tour de France Are you a fan of cycling? If not, would you like to follow a route that takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of France? Follow the cyclists at the Tour de France! This annual event takes place in July with a route through several notable cities and sites. 14. Celebrate La Fête Nationale Also known as Bastille Day, the French independence day is well-celebrated in this country. If you’ll be in France on July 14th, you’ll get to witness fireworks shows and join in on the festivities. In Paris, go to a ball after the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower! The music and dancing begins around 9 PM. SEE ALSO: What to Pack for France [Infographic] 15. Check out the Museums The Louvre is one of the most popular museums in France, but there are so many other inspiring sites to add to your travel list! In Paris alone, there is the lesser-known Musée d’Orsay that boasts of numerous Impressionist paintings by Monet, and the Centre Pompidou that features contemporary and more interactive art. Both have slightly shorter admission lines! 16. Visit Luberon Don’t forget to bring your camera to the picturesque lavender fields in France. The lavender that blooms in the South of France is a scent that is truly unforgettable. In Luberon these fragrant flowers bloom anytime between late June to early August, with the peak of the season being in early July. 17. Learn About History in Normandy If you’re interested in historical events, head north for Normandy. Along the coast you’ll find the infamous Normandy and Omaha beaches where you can see remnants of WWII bunkers and memorials to those who fought during the war. 18. Stop by the Castles France is home to many beautiful and unique châteaux (castles) in the center of the country. Relive the grandeur of the châteaux in the Loire Valley. Villandry is famous for its gardens that are exact replicas of the medieval gardens, while Chambord includes a grand central staircase in the main entrance. This area of the country is less crowded than Paris or the beaches in the South, so it would make an excellent addition to your itinerary if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle. 19. Make Your Way to ÃŽle de Ré At the mention of French beaches, most people think about the beaches along the Mediterranean Coast. Bask in the sunshine on ÃŽle de Ré instead. Located just off the western coast of France, ÃŽle de Ré is a unique and lesser-known beach that is connected to the mainland by a bridge. 20. Enjoy the Moment While planning a trip to France often includes many preparations, it’s important to remember to savor the moment and not get too caught up in your itinerary. Enjoy the food, enjoy the wine, and enjoy the sites. But most importantly enjoy the journey from one destination to another! Check out the infographic below for a visual reminder of each of these insider tips! Share this Image On Your Site Please include attribution to TakeLessons.com with this graphic. a href=https://takelessons.com/blog/tips-for-traveling-to-france-z04img src=https://takelessons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20-Insider-Tips-for-Traveling-to-France.png alt=Tips for Traveling to France/a Keep these tips for traveling to France in mind and you’ll be able to plan the perfect vacation! Enjoying all the food, drinks, and sites that France has to offer will make your visit one that you’ll always remember. Don’t forget to check out TakeLessons Live before you depart to brush up on your French language skills! Post Author:  Jinky B. Jinky B. teaches  French and ESL  in Jacksonville, Florida. She has her  Bachelors in French, French Literature, and Psychology from Florida State University and over five years of teaching experience.  Learn more about Jinky B.  here!

Huntington Learning Center Offers Tips to Beat Summertime Regression

Huntington Learning Center Offers Tips to Beat Summertime Regression Summer vacation is a welcome reprieve from the busy days of the school year, but for many parents, it can bring up concerns about their children losing skills and falling behind. Luckily, there are a number of things parents can do to help students retain knowledge while theyre not in school. Summer learning activities do not have to be rigorous or mimic classroom learning to be effective, says Eileen Huntington, Co-Founder of the Huntington Learning Center. With a little planning and creativity, parents can offer their children a variety of fun learning experiences that will help them stay fresh. Huntington offers these ideas to avoid summertime learning loss: Review last year. Review assignments your child worked on throughout the school year and make a nightly, 15-minute homework session a part of your summer routine. Activities such as flash cards, times tables and spelling word practice are great to do each night to retain concepts and skills from the previous year. Read, read, read. This summer, help your child learn to love reading for fun. Go to the library every week and let your child pick out books, magazines or other reading materials. As a family, set aside 30 minutes after dinner each night for everyone to settle down with your books. Explore your librarys programs for kids, too. And write, write, write. Summer is a perfect time to develop a regular writing habit. If your child struggles with writing, make it fun. Keep a family journal of everything youve done this summer. Write letters to the grandparents every week. Have your child help you make lists. And if your child is the creative type, encourage him or her to write stories or poems and even submit them to print or online magazines that publish childrens work. Bridge the gap. Consider investing in workbooks specifically designed to bridge learning between grades. There are a wide variety of workbooks available that can be purchased online or at bookstores. Most of the workbooks provide pages of activities for each week of summer, including skill activities in reading, writing, math, language arts, science and geography. Check out camps and classes. Your local rec center, art museum, history museum, nature and science museum, cultural center and zoo are all great places to look for classes, camps or other programs for children on summer break. You could also check out day or overnight educational camps in your area or around the country. The reality is that many students lose some of what they learn each grade during the months they are not in school, Huntington says. But with a small amount of effort, you can help your child stay sharp, retain knowledge and be better prepared for the next grade.

Five Things Your Students Learn from Field Trips

Five Things Your Students Learn from Field Trips If youre all about allowing your students to learn by doing, keep in mind how beneficial field trips can be for them. Designed well, these outside-the-classroom experiences get students engaged and excited and not just to get out of the classroom. Here are five things your students will learn from field trips: How class teachings translate to everyday life: The topics your students read about in textbooks are brought to life when they have the opportunity to see those concepts in action, as they will on certain types of field trips. What kinds of jobs exist: Theres nothing quite like taking students on a field trip to expose them to the many types of careers out there and fields that they could work in one day. Before any field trip, you should take the time to share more about the people who work in those areas and why their jobs are important. How things really work in the real world: It can be hard for some students to fully grasp ideas just by hearing you discuss them. Reading about the railroad is interesting, but going to a museum to see how locomotives work and the behind-the-scenes details of the construction of railway systems puts it all into perspective. The importance of different cultural institutions: Whether you take your students to a historic place or a nature and science museum, this type of exposure to objects, artifacts, history, and other learning opportunities can have a major impact on your students. How they learn best: By their very nature, field trips are different from standard school days. Students get a lot of hands-on learning and absorb information visually, aurally, and kinesthetically. The trips might open students eyes to the learning styles that suit them well. Field trips immerse students in new settings, which can be a lot of fun. Most importantly, they boost students critical thinking skills, stimulate their learning, and help them retain knowledge.

Why you should teach in an IB school

Why you should teach in an IB school If you’ve ever been browsing the Teach Away job board in search of a unique global opportunity, you may have come across postings for positions at International Baccalaureate, or IB, schools. These schools are significantly different from other private and public international schools as well as from local private and public schools. IB schools aren’t better or worse than other options, but do have some unique qualities and education approaches that might make them a more desirable place to teach. They strive to go beyond basic curricula to instill caring and curiosity in their students. IB schools work hard to ensure students step outside of the standard subject material and their programs reflect that sentiment; the Primary Years Programme (PYP) applies the transdisciplinary themes, “Who we are”, “Where we are in place and time”, and “How we express ourselves” across all subjects. As a result, starting from the age of 3, children at IB schools inherit genuine senses of caring and curiosity. They focus on shaping global citizens. The I in IB truly does stand for International. IB schools are known for their focus on producing global citizens who are educated about the world. This, too, is clear when you take a look at another three PYP transdisciplinary themes: “How the world works”, “How we organise ourselves”, and “Sharing the planet”. The Middle Years Programme (MYP) doesn’t use transdisciplinary themes, but rather global contexts, which further reinforce the significance of IB students adopting a genuine global way of thinking. The six global contexts are “Identities and relationships”, “Personal and cultural identity”, “Orientations in space and time”, “Scientific and technical innovation”, “Fairness and development”, “Globalization and sustainability”. They constantly work towards improving their teachers. IB schools immerse their teachers in transformative professional development programs. The idea behind their quality PD program is that teachers who are perpetually gaining new skills are best equipped to develop the knowledge and skillsets of their students. IB PD programs consist of face-to-face workshops, online workshops, and blended learning. Teaching in an International Baccalaureate school is a chance to work in a unique global environment while building your education career with experience that is recognized and valued internationally. See some current Teach Away IB job postings below. Visual Arts Teacher - Private International School - Indonesia IB Math Teacher - International School IB Science Teacher - International School IB Economics/Business Management Teacher - International School More info on teaching in IB schools

Thanksgiving Day Are You Ready For an Annual Food Coma

Thanksgiving Day Are You Ready For an Annual Food Coma Thanksgiving Day, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, is a joyous festival when families and friends get together for a special meal. Similar celebrations are also observed in Canada, Liberia, Norfolk Island, Puerto Rico and several other countries. Today, Thanksgiving is a preliminarily secular holiday but it has deep religious and cultural roots, longstanding traditions and a sometimes dim history. The history of this holiday in North America descends from traditions of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving which were carried by Pilgrims and Puritans who started emigrating from England in the 1620s and 1630s. In the United States, the origins of the modern Thanksgiving Day are usually traced to the harvest celebration that the Pilgrims held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. There are also claims that the first Thanksgiving Day was held in the city of El Paso, Texas in 1598; in the Virginia Colony in 1619; and in Saint Augustine, Florida in 1565. These early Thanksgivings took the form of special church ceremonies, rather than a feast and the practice of holding annual harvest festivals did not become regular in the United States until the late 1660s. Thanksgiving Day was held on various dates throughout history, the date also varied from state to state. In the beginning of the 19th century the final Thursday in November became the conventional date in most U.S. states. In 1863 president Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held on Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day had become an official holiday and was first celebrated on the same day by all states. Lincoln proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November in an attempt to foster a sense of American unity between the Northern and Southern states. However, because of ongoing Civil War the tradition of a nationwide Thanksgiving celebration did not totally take effect until Reconstruction was completed in the 1870s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on the final Thursday in November. The country was in the midst of The Great Depression and Roosevelt hoped that the earlier Thanksgiving could give the U.S. economy a boost by providing merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas. On December 26, 1941 by federal legislation the unified date was fixed as the fourth Thursday in November. At present Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays of the year in the U.S. Some of the modern Thanksgiving traditions are inherited from the first celebrations of this holiday, others were cultivated in later times. The holiday has lost much of its original religious significance but like then, it is celebrated with a huge feast. The Thanksgiving dinner, with a roasted or baked turkey as a center item, is an integral part of this day. Turkey has become a symbol of the holiday. Other traditional Thanksgiving meals include pumpkin pie, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce and various vegetables. Thanksgiving was established as a religious holiday of giving thanks to God and this tradition is continued today in various forms. In many families Thanksgiving dinner is preceded by a special prayer of thanks. For irreligious people Thanksgiving Day is a good time to express gratitude to relatives, friends and dear ones for their love support. A four-day weekend, feasting with friend s and family, parades, festivals and football complete the concept of Thanksgiving day as one of the most delightful and fascinating holidays. “I have become very fond about this day; Coming from Germany to study at UC Santa Barbara, Thanksgiving is was initially a new Holiday for me. I was invited by Judy my former landlady to celebrate with her family and many international UCSB students. She served roasted Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and vegetables on a beautiful decorated table. My favorite part was her New York style cheesecake with ice cream. After the dinner and conversation we played games in the yard and drank more California-made Cabernet wine.” recalls Dirk Wagner, CEO of TutorZ.com. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for confidence in our company and for using our service for your educational and job search needs. TutorZ’ team wishes all tutors and students a Happy and Joyful Thanksgiving Day! Sincerely, The Tutorz.com Team Email: contact@tutorz.com Phone: (805) 288-7338 Thanksgiving Day Are You Ready For an Annual Food Coma Thanksgiving Day, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, is a joyous festival when families and friends get together for a special meal. Similar celebrations are also observed in Canada, Liberia, Norfolk Island, Puerto Rico and several other countries. Today, Thanksgiving is a preliminarily secular holiday but it has deep religious and cultural roots, longstanding traditions and a sometimes dim history. The history of this holiday in North America descends from traditions of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving which were carried by Pilgrims and Puritans who started emigrating from England in the 1620s and 1630s. In the United States, the origins of the modern Thanksgiving Day are usually traced to the harvest celebration that the Pilgrims held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. There are also claims that the first Thanksgiving Day was held in the city of El Paso, Texas in 1598; in the Virginia Colony in 1619; and in Saint Augustine, Florida in 1565. These early Thanksgivings took the form of special church ceremonies, rather than a feast and the practice of holding annual harvest festivals did not become regular in the United States until the late 1660s. Thanksgiving Day was held on various dates throughout history, the date also varied from state to state. In the beginning of the 19th century the final Thursday in November became the conventional date in most U.S. states. In 1863 president Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held on Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day had become an official holiday and was first celebrated on the same day by all states. Lincoln proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November in an attempt to foster a sense of American unity between the Northern and Southern states. However, because of ongoing Civil War the tradition of a nationwide Thanksgiving celebration did not totally take effect until Reconstruction was completed in the 1870s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on the final Thursday in November. The country was in the midst of The Great Depression and Roosevelt hoped that the earlier Thanksgiving could give the U.S. economy a boost by providing merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas. On December 26, 1941 by federal legislation the unified date was fixed as the fourth Thursday in November. At present Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays of the year in the U.S. Some of the modern Thanksgiving traditions are inherited from the first celebrations of this holiday, others were cultivated in later times. The holiday has lost much of its original religious significance but like then, it is celebrated with a huge feast. The Thanksgiving dinner, with a roasted or baked turkey as a center item, is an integral part of this day. Turkey has become a symbol of the holiday. Other traditional Thanksgiving meals include pumpkin pie, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce and various vegetables. Thanksgiving was established as a religious holiday of giving thanks to God and this tradition is continued today in various forms. In many families Thanksgiving dinner is preceded by a special prayer of thanks. For irreligious people Thanksgiving Day is a good time to express gratitude to relatives, friends and dear ones for their love support. A four-day weekend, feasting with friend s and family, parades, festivals and football complete the concept of Thanksgiving day as one of the most delightful and fascinating holidays. “I have become very fond about this day; Coming from Germany to study at UC Santa Barbara, Thanksgiving is was initially a new Holiday for me. I was invited by Judy my former landlady to celebrate with her family and many international UCSB students. She served roasted Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and vegetables on a beautiful decorated table. My favorite part was her New York style cheesecake with ice cream. After the dinner and conversation we played games in the yard and drank more California-made Cabernet wine.” recalls Dirk Wagner, CEO of TutorZ.com. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for confidence in our company and for using our service for your educational and job search needs. TutorZ’ team wishes all tutors and students a Happy and Joyful Thanksgiving Day! Sincerely, The Tutorz.com Team Email: contact@tutorz.com Phone: (805) 288-7338 Thanksgiving Day Are You Ready For an Annual Food Coma Thanksgiving Day, currently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, is a joyous festival when families and friends get together for a special meal. Similar celebrations are also observed in Canada, Liberia, Norfolk Island, Puerto Rico and several other countries. Today, Thanksgiving is a preliminarily secular holiday but it has deep religious and cultural roots, longstanding traditions and a sometimes dim history. The history of this holiday in North America descends from traditions of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving which were carried by Pilgrims and Puritans who started emigrating from England in the 1620s and 1630s. In the United States, the origins of the modern Thanksgiving Day are usually traced to the harvest celebration that the Pilgrims held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. There are also claims that the first Thanksgiving Day was held in the city of El Paso, Texas in 1598; in the Virginia Colony in 1619; and in Saint Augustine, Florida in 1565. These early Thanksgivings took the form of special church ceremonies, rather than a feast and the practice of holding annual harvest festivals did not become regular in the United States until the late 1660s. Thanksgiving Day was held on various dates throughout history, the date also varied from state to state. In the beginning of the 19th century the final Thursday in November became the conventional date in most U.S. states. In 1863 president Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held on Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day had become an official holiday and was first celebrated on the same day by all states. Lincoln proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November in an attempt to foster a sense of American unity between the Northern and Southern states. However, because of ongoing Civil War the tradition of a nationwide Thanksgiving celebration did not totally take effect until Reconstruction was completed in the 1870s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke with the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on the final Thursday in November. The country was in the midst of The Great Depression and Roosevelt hoped that the earlier Thanksgiving could give the U.S. economy a boost by providing merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas. On December 26, 1941 by federal legislation the unified date was fixed as the fourth Thursday in November. At present Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays of the year in the U.S. Some of the modern Thanksgiving traditions are inherited from the first celebrations of this holiday, others were cultivated in later times. The holiday has lost much of its original religious significance but like then, it is celebrated with a huge feast. The Thanksgiving dinner, with a roasted or baked turkey as a center item, is an integral part of this day. Turkey has become a symbol of the holiday. Other traditional Thanksgiving meals include pumpkin pie, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce and various vegetables. Thanksgiving was established as a religious holiday of giving thanks to God and this tradition is continued today in various forms. In many families Thanksgiving dinner is preceded by a special prayer of thanks. For irreligious people Thanksgiving Day is a good time to express gratitude to relatives, friends and dear ones for their love support. A four-day weekend, feasting with friend s and family, parades, festivals and football complete the concept of Thanksgiving day as one of the most delightful and fascinating holidays. “I have become very fond about this day; Coming from Germany to study at UC Santa Barbara, Thanksgiving is was initially a new Holiday for me. I was invited by Judy my former landlady to celebrate with her family and many international UCSB students. She served roasted Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and vegetables on a beautiful decorated table. My favorite part was her New York style cheesecake with ice cream. After the dinner and conversation we played games in the yard and drank more California-made Cabernet wine.” recalls Dirk Wagner, CEO of TutorZ.com. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for confidence in our company and for using our service for your educational and job search needs. TutorZ’ team wishes all tutors and students a Happy and Joyful Thanksgiving Day! Sincerely, The Tutorz.com Team Email: contact@tutorz.com Phone: (805) 288-7338

What Does Working for Yourself Look Like

What Does Working for Yourself Look Like pexels.com Flexibility When you work for yourself, you get to set the rules. Whatever you did not like about working for someone else, you no longer have to do. And whatever you did like about working for someone else, you can. Hate crunching numbers? You no longer have to do it. Hate doing paperwork? It is not something you must do. You have the flexibility to choose the tasks you are interested in doing and take those on for yourself. Tasks like crunching numbers and doing paperwork probably still need to be done in every business, but when you are in charge of your own little company, you are no longer forced to do tasks that you find unpleasant. You can hire an assistant or outsource tasks that you abhor so that you have the time to focus on the part of the business that you like best. Of course you could be creative and find a way around those tasks you hate or find a way that you can make them more bearable to do as well. And you could always not do them but to keep working for yourself, you need to be successful so you probably should not just flat out ignore activities that you dislike for that reason only. You could though, if you wanted to. It is one of the perks of working for yourself and having the flexibility to pick and choose what you do. Another aspect of flexibility that you will get to enjoy is choose when to work. Does the idea of a 9 to 5 work day make your insides shrivel? You do not have to! If you are a night owl, then work at night. If you are a morning person, work during the morning. Need to have your Wednesdays free? You can work on Saturdays instead and make your own weekends. Want to see your little brother’s school play? You can do that. Want to take the day off on your birthday? You can! You get to work when you want to and no one will reprimand you for taking a day off. You still need to be responsible about how you run your business though so that you can be successful. pexels.com Responsibility In order for your independently run business to be successful, you must be responsible. Working for yourself means just that â€" you are in charge and it is up to you, and only you, if you are successful. Especially when you first start out working for yourself, you have no money to hire employees. You are starting from the ground up which means you are responsible for every single aspect. You have to do the accounting, the marketing, the selling, the designing, the everything! Setting up a new business and establishing it takes a lot of hard work and you need to be able to rise to the occasion and meet the challenge. You have to take the initiative and follow every lead. You need to work whatever hours necessary in order to make your business flourish. This might mean working hours and days you might prefer not to or even working more than you did before for even less money. But if having the environment to choose what you do and what you pursue is the right one for it, the hard work to establish yourself as a company will make all the hard work you do in the beginning worth it. When everything is up and running smoothly, the work you do will not feel as much like work. You will be in a happy and healthy environment doing exactly what it is that you love to do. Your success hinges on how seriously you take your responsibilities â€" to the new company, to your new clients, to your new employees, to your family, and most importantly, to yourself.