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5 Best Movie BMWs

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When it comes to style and luxury, nothing tops a BMW, and the people of Hollywood know that. Not only have countless celebrities owned a BMW throughout history, but they’ve also been featured in tens of thousands of movies (yes, that’s correct). A lot of the time, a BMW might not even be driven by a main character, but you will see one.

But what about the ones that have been featured front and center on the big screen? Throughout cinematic history, there have been some all-time great characters driving all-time great BMWs. Let’s take a look at the five best movie BMWs and how they made their way to the set. Spoiler alert, there’s a certain British spy that appears more than once.

2000 BMW Z8 (The World is Not Enough)

Modeled off of the BMW 507 from the late 1950s, the 2000 BMW Z8 was finally released in 1999 after being developed for several years. To showcase the new model, it was used by James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) in “The World is Not Enough”. During the time Bond is in Azerbaijan, the Z8 is front and center and people were instantly enthralled with the new look. Many instantly called it not only the best Bond car but the best BMW that they’d ever seen.

It was quite the exit for BMW as they signed a three-film deal with the Bond franchise, with this one being the finale. The same type of vehicle was also driven in the film “The Tuxedo” starring Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt. The exact model, though (the 2000), sold 317 units in the United States.

1991 BMW E34 5-Series (Ronin)

Robert De Niro has had a lot of classic films, but 1998’s “Ronin” isn’t one that’s talked about all that much. Those that have seen the movie, though, know that it has one of the best car chase scenes and it involves a BMW. More specifically, it involves the 5-Series, and the 1991 model version of it despite the film being released several years later.

The 5-Series was in production from 1987 until 1996, meaning that it had already stopped by the time that “Ronin” came out. The 1991 version didn’t make too many changes from the prior year’s model, but did retouch the interior and changed the steering columns and wheels.

1996 BMW Z3 (Goldeneye)

The second entry onto the list for the James Bond series was the first BMW to be driven by the spy on the big screen. The sporty Z3 began development in 1991 and was the first to be manufactured entirely outside of Germany. This red beauty didn’t get a lot of screentime in the 1995 film “Goldeneye”, sadly. Bond is only seen driving his Z3 for a couple of minutes before ditching the ride for a plane.

While the version that shot missiles and had parachute breaks in the film didn’t hit the streets, there was a James Bond Edition of the 1996 Z3. It sold for $35,000 in the United States and ended up selling out all 100 of its units and had small reminders of 007 all throughout the vehicle including floor mats.

1995 BMW 735i (The Transporter)

BMW was already well-known as a luxury brand, but it really reached a new status of “cool” when it became synonymous with action films like “The Transporter”. The Jason Statham character Frank Martin got involved in a lot of high-speed chases during the series, and his first car was the 1995 BMW 735i.

Painted in all black, the 735i was sleek. It also featured a 3.0 L M60 V8 engine with 215 horsepower. After showing what it could do on the big screen, every youngster wanted this cool car.

1998 BMW 750iL (Tomorrow Never Dies)

The list started with James Bond, so it may as well round out the list and conclude the BMW trilogy of the James Bond films. The 1998 version of the 750iL was featured in the middle film of the three, “Tomorrow Never Dies”. The 7-series had already been introduced in the late 1970s, with the 750iL making it into production from 1993 to 2001.

The Bond version featured rockets and tear gas emitters, which would have been cool for the common person, but not street-legal. Instead, the standard person did receive an upgraded version from the previous year that was a total facelift, including a new, more powerful engine.

How To Inspire – And Deserve – Trust

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There are few things as valuable in this world as having someone’s trust or putting your trust in them. When this happens, you are putting all of your faith in someone to keep secrets, come through for you when you need it most, or simply be there to listen during difficult times. Almost everyone has at least one person that they trust to some degree, with some being so trustworthy that they can be told just about anything.

But how do you inspire trust, and how do you deserve to have someone’s trust? It’s a long and delicate process to earn the trust of someone, especially if you didn’t grow up knowing them (like a family member). Let’s take a deeper look into the belief of trust and see how it can become a bigger part of your life.

Be Trustworthy

It should go without saying that you don’t really deserve to be trusted if you haven’t shown the ability to be trustworthy. If someone tells you a secret and you immediately reveal that secret to several other people, you’ve already broken that person’s trust and it’s likely that they’re never going to put their faith in you again.

In fact, that person might end up resenting you and letting others know that you are not to be trusted. It doesn’t have to be something that will hurt someone deeply to betray their trust, as even minor ways of not being trustworthy will add up and cause that person to become bitter. Be true to your word and show someone that you can be trusted.

Take it Easy

We’ve all met someone that instantly wants to share every part of their personal lives with you. It can be a bit overbearing to hear it, especially if they’re expecting to hear some personal details about you. Instead of this method of trying to build trust, it’s best to take it slow. After all, you don’t fall in love with someone just by saying a couple of sentences to each other, and you wouldn’t want to put all of your faith in someone you just met.

It’s a long, gradual process that takes a lot of nuances to get just right. If you find yourself putting too much trust into someone too quickly, try to reel yourself in so that you don’t get hurt by someone that only seemed trustworthy on a surface level.

Care

You can make a promise to someone that you don’t know and it’s probably not going to hurt you one bit if you don’t follow through with that promise. If you show someone that you truly care about them and want to see them happy and put their faith in you, then you have to deliver any time that you make a promise. Care about those that you’re trusting, and the more you care about that person, the more you’re going to care that they trust you.

Admit Mistakes

We all know someone that doesn’t really take responsibility for their wrongdoings and tries to blame them on something or someone else. These people also aren’t likely to admit that they’re wrong in any situation, and it can be aggravating. Not surprisingly, these people don’t earn the trust of many that they come across.

One of the fastest ways that you can earn someone’s trust is to show humility and admit when you were wrong. It takes a big person to do this, and when it happens, everyone around you immediately sees you in a more respectful light and will be willing to trust you. When things hit the fan, you want to know that a person you trust would rather go down with the ship than abandon it.

Communication

The people that you trust the most are the ones that you hear from on an almost-daily basis. Keeping an open line of communication is paramount for establishing trust with someone, as you might not be seen as trustworthy if you’re a bit of a flight risk.

This is true in just about any scenario whether it’s personal or professional. People need to know that you’ll be able to answer their phone call or text message, and in some cases, even answer the door if they really need you. You’ll also want to communicate clearly. Don’t leave people guessing your true intentions, and you’ll be on your way to being more trustworthy.

Most Popular American Names Over the 20th Century

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As years go on, the list of top 10 names in North America seem to change more frequently. This is a digital-based world that we live in, and a trendy name can catch on a lot faster than it used to. Throughout the 20th century, though, there were many names that remained constant in both the boys’ and girls’ categories. Things would change up toward the later part of the century, but many of the popular names remained.

What were those names, though? It might be hard to remember since it seems we’re so far removed from the 20th century now, but we still see many people walking around with names from the previous century. Let’s take a look at a few of those names that seemed like they would withstand the test of time due to their popularity from 1900 to 1999.

Mary

Mary wasn’t just the most popular name for girls during the 20th century, it was the runaway winner. It was the most popular girl’s name for every decade from the 1900s to the 1950s until it was finally surpassed in the 1960s. Even then, it remained the second-most popular name before almost completely falling off a cliff during the 1970s when it didn’t crack the top 10 at all.


Mary has not really seen a resurgence since it vanished from the top of the rankings, but that doesn’t mean that it’s gone forever. It still typically ranks from anywhere in the 100 to 150 range for most popular names of the year, sitting alongside the likes of Molly and Emilia as sort of a tribute to a bygone era of baby names. Overall, there were more than double the amount of Marys born in the 20th century than any other girl’s name.

James

While Mary is a biblical name that pays tribute to the Virgin Mary, there are several other Biblical names that have been able to maintain their popular status into the 21st century. The first among those is James, which was the most popular name in the 20th century by a narrow margin and still cracks the top 10 in most years to this day.

John

The next of the biblical names is John, which is one of the more versatile names out there and gets criticized by some as not being unique, but it’s a tried and true name that still sounds good all these years later. John was battling with James for the top spot in the 20th century, though it doesn’t quite get the same type of love today as James does. John is usually around the 25th most popular name compared to the top 10.

Jennifer

Continuing with names in the ‘J’ category, Jennifer is one that was a bit of a late bloomer and remained popular for multiple decades before finally losing its status as a top name. Almost out of nowhere, Jennifer surpassed the likes of Mary, Susan, and Lisa to claim the top name of the 1970s, which melted into the 1980s. Jennifer remained popular into the 1990s and finished as one of the top three girl names of the 20th century. As for these days, you might not meet a Jennifer that was born after 2010.

Robert

Robert is one of those fascinating names because it appears in the Bible, but doesn’t have a Biblical meaning, really. Despite that, it’s considered an ‘old-timey’ name, though you’d be surprised at just how common it still is today. Robert was the second-most popular name throughout the 20th century, and remains part of the yearly top 75. Robert means ‘bright flame’ and millions of people liked it enough to make it one of the most popular names of all time.

Michael

Like Jay-Z said, from Jackson, Tyson, and Jordan, you can name a famous Michael off the top of your head, take your pick. Michael is another one of those names like Jacob that has had immense popularity in just about every year imaginable. It’s a Biblical name that appears multiple times throughout, and it sat as one of the four most common names of the 20th century. In almost every decade’s top 10 list, Michael would be right there, and that’s still true into the 2020s and beyond.

The Art Of Group Discussion: How To Inspire, Engage, And Include

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A good majority of the population has no problem being able to speak to one or two people at a time, but when you get into a large group, it can be difficult. Many get nervous when they are part of a larger discussion, and it’s completely understandable. Others feel comfortable in front of several other people, but don’t know the right times to get involved throughout the conversation and end up being unwillingly silent.

If you’re one of the millions that are looking to sharpen their group discussion skills, there are some ways in which to get more involved and have better talks. Let’s take a look at the art of group discussion, and show you how to inspire, engage, and include.

Be Attentive

One of the worst things that you can do during a group discussion is make yourself look like you’re not interested at all. Throughout the discussion, you’re likely to be ignored based on your body language because those around you might not think that you’re taking things seriously. When you’re being attentive, a lot of the conversation is going to end up flowing through you as you’ll be looked at as someone that can help lead.

You may already be listening to everything that’s being said, but if your body language is off, it can fool some people. The trick to having attentive body language is to keep all of your focus on the person that’s speaking. Make sure to show active interest by nodding your head and affirming with small noises that you’re interested in hearing the person talking. These subtle things show that you’re 100 percent part of the discussion.

Getting Others Involved

It’s a good thing to take the lead in a group discussion, but you want to make sure that everyone is included. When you get to the end of a good point, you should ask someone that hasn’t been included just yet how they feel about that topic. This helps to pass things around as a good basketball team would, and nobody will walk out of the discussion feeling jilted or that they didn’t get their two cents in.

We’ve all been in that situation where we’ve had a lot of things to say and waited for the right opportunity to chime in, only for it to never come. When you command the room and make sure that everyone gets a chance to speak, everyone will wrap up the discussion feeling satisfied that their opinions were heard.

Keep Moving

We already talked about body language when it comes to being a listener, but body language is also important when it comes to the speaking aspect of group discussion. When it’s your turn to speak, you want to command attention, and the best way to do that is through good body language. A lot of people are shy and tend to raise their shoulders and lower their voice, but those that are constantly moving and speaking at a higher volume will demand attention.

While using your hands as part of your speech isn’t always the best thing, it can be good for a group discussion since it keeps all eyes on you. This is something that every public speaker is trained on, from the head of a small company all the way up to the President of the United States. You don’t want to be mousy or monotone when talking, or else people can tune out quickly.

Keep It Civil

Group discussion can get off the rails pretty quickly, especially if there are multiple people there that share opposing viewpoints. When they start to get off topic and are exchanging verbal barbs, it’s important that you veer them back on the right path. You can do it in a comedic way that eases the tension, or you can firmly tell them that any off-topic conversation is not allowed.

It’s not always easy, and those that are getting off-topic may want to ignore you, but discussions will go nowhere if this happens. For those that don’t want to stay on-topic, you can even boot them out of the group to show that your discussion is to be taken seriously

Summary

In the end, there are a few key points that you need to take away from being part of a group discussion. These points are that you should show great body language, listen to everyone that’s speaking, keep the conversation on-topic, and show respect to everyone in the room. If you follow these steps, even the most novice of public speakers will be able to feel more comfortable and effective in a group discussion setting.

5 Corporations With Innovative Growth Strategies

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Starting a company is easy if you have the right amount of money, but making that company grow is the hard part. Successfully getting your name out there and offering the best services at the same time is a combination that countless companies attempt to do, but only a handful are able to do that.

Some of the companies that have become staples of your everyday life got that way because of their innovative growth strategies. Here’s a look at five of those corporations that went outside the box to become massive in size and revenue.

1. Facebook

When it started, Facebook was only for people who attended Harvard and eventually branched out to anybody with a verified college email address. Mark Zuckerberg knew that only a finite number of people could sign up for Facebook, and it sort of made Facebook an “exclusive” club that not everybody could get into.

After opening up Facebook to the public, Facebook took off like a rocket because of the floodgates of people who wanted to join. Afterward, Facebook began coming up with a new strategy for advertising that made the business one of the largest tech companies in the world. Once it reached a massive size, Facebook focused on growing with the Metaverse, while also acquiring messenger and photo apps to help bolster its services.

2. Amazon

Jeff Bezos started Amazon as an online bookstore back in the 1990s, but things have changed tremendously since then. Now, Amazon is a one-stop shop for anything that you can think of, and delivery comes in an instant. There have been a lot of ways in which Amazon has grown, including cutting down on shipping costs through some masterful logistics that have made using the website more appealing to the public.

With the expansion of Amazon, the company began adding more services including Amazon Web Services, which has helped Amazon power the internet for a lot of the largest companies in the world. Bezos has even acquired businesses such as Whole Foods and Twitch to expand the company’s reach. Being able to master the art of shipping is what has really set Amazon apart, though.

3. Dollar Shave Club

One of the best ways that you can grow your business is through a tremendous marketing strategy, and few companies have shown how to do more with less than Dollar Shave Club. The company introduced interesting and hilarious advertisements to catch attention. The prices for Dollar Shave Club were already among the best, but they just needed eyes on the product.

Their marketing campaign went viral on the internet and once people were introduced to the website, it was an easy decision to use them for razor blades and other grooming services. The number of viral videos that Dollar Shave Club successfully created made their marketing budget really cheap, and the revenues that came in, as a result, were almost entirely profitable.

4. Red Bull

In terms of energy drinks, there are a ton of different brands to select from, but Red Bull tends to be the first one that comes to mind. Red Bull isn’t just a company, it’s an entire institution to the point where if you didn’t know they were an energy drink company, you probably wouldn’t know what they sell. Red Bull was able to grow tremendously during the 1990s and 2000s by handing out their product using young women in highly-branded vehicles and have put their name on everything since.

Red Bull sponsors just about everything under the sun these days. They want to make incredibly sure that the first image that comes to mind with energy drinks is the Red Bull logo. As a result, the company has a market share of around 40 percent, with revenues of over 8 billion Euros per year.

5. Spotify

Just like energy drinks, there are a lot of music streaming services, and many of them are aimed at the younger generation. While many large companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon have all gotten into the streaming business, Spotify still stands out at the top. Not only is it user-friendly, but the algorithm makes it much better for new people to use.

Once Spotify was able to impress people with its suggestions, it was able to convert those that had gotten a free subscription into lifetime listeners. Spotify has the system perfected while other billion-dollar companies are still trying to figure it out.

5 Hacks You Need To Know To Increase Your Chance Of A College Scholarship

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A lot of us tend to think of scholarships like they’re the lottery, and that even the best ones are completely chosen at random. That couldn’t be further from the truth, though, as the sponsor of a scholarship is putting their reputation on the line to help get you through college. Instead, there are a few things that you need to do to make sure that you’re actually getting recognized in the scholarship process.

If you’ve been applying around for scholarships but haven’t heard anything back, you might need a little bit of help. Thankfully, we have a few hacks to share that will help get your scholarship application noticed and on top of the pile. Here are our top five hacks:

1. Fish and the Pond

One of the first things that scholarship sponsors are looking for is to see how you did in your class. If you rank in the bottom half or even the 26th-50th percentile, your chances of a scholarship are going to almost always be based on financial need. However, those that are in the top 25 percent and especially in the top five percent are going to get some serious looks.

With that in mind, make sure to take a look at your class size. If you’re already a bright student that’s carrying a 3.9 grade point average but are in a large class size, that might not be enough to be in the top one or two percent. However, if there’s a chance to transfer to a smaller school where that 3.9 GPA is going to stand out above the rest. Think of it as a star football player taking a starting job at a small school instead of riding the bench at Alabama.

2. Help Your Community

It should go without saying that you should be helping your community as much as you can in any way that you can. However, if you want to use that as a chance to help your scholarship opportunities, that’s also great. Many scholarships are based on community service regardless of how you’re performing academically.

Even on the ones where scholarship awards are academic-based, community service helps you to stand out tremendously. Make sure to mark down every hour of service, get someone to sign off on your hours, and place it into a nice presentation. Not many sponsors want to simply see a handwritten sheet of when you volunteered.

3. Bug Your Teachers

When you think of a scholarship like a job application, you’ll know just how important it is to have people that recommend you. These two really do go hand in hand as letters of recommendation help boost any potential scholarship chances, the same way that they would a job.

Ask any teacher in classes in which you’ve performed well to give you a letter of recommendation. Depending on how well you did, the recommendations might be a little vague, but quantity is sometimes better than quality. The more glowing reviews you have from teachers and members of the community, the better your scholarship odds.

4. Employment Opportunities

Speaking of employers, if you have a part-time job, that’s going to look great on a scholarship application. It’s going to look even better if the company that you’re working for is offering a scholarship opportunity. Most major companies will provide a chance for their college-bound employees to receive a scholarship, and even some local businesses will offer small scholarships.

Even if you don’t have a job, take a look at where your parents work. Their companies may offer scholarships to employees and their families. That would actually be more likely as many major companies tend to not hire people until they’re already out of high school.

5. Financial Findings

It might be an uncomfortable topic to talk about, but make sure that you know how much your parents are making. You’re going to need to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and that information will have to be on there. This will determine how much you’ll need for college and will be a requirement for many scholarships.

Your financial situation may make you eligible for more scholarship opportunities than you first thought. While some families might be able to make ends meet, the extra money for tuition might not be there and scholarships are needed.

The Future of AI – Should We Be Scared?

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There has been talk about artificial intelligence for many, many years, but it seems that more recently that there has been a legitimate push toward making AI a bigger part of the everyday life. From self-driving cars to marketing and everything in between, artificial intelligence has already been injected into the world more ways than you know.

Of course, there has always been that underlying fear about AI that’s been depicted in movies, books, and television shows. “The Terminator” series, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and “I, Robot” are just a few pieces of media that have dealt with artificial intelligence taking over the world or doing nefarious things to human beings that detract from our humanity. Media like this and the loss of certain jobs has raised the question, though, “Should we be scared?” Let’s take a look at the future of AI to see how it will impact humanity.

Job Loss

Economists argue day and night about whether the population of Earth should continue to grow, if it should plateau where it is, or if it needs to shrink a little bit. Part of the reason why overpopulation might be a massive problem in the coming years is because of how many jobs will be completely done by artificial intelligence in the coming decades.

Economists predict that AI will take the place of many jobs that currently have a large population of people, from truck drivers to retail workers, to receptionists. As the years go on, people will figure out ways to make artificial intelligence even smarter, and will end up replacing more and more jobs. That leaves people to wonder how many jobs will even be left 100 years from now as everything becomes automated and how we’ll make money.

Loss of Humanity

One of the things that makes humans great is the ability to have our own personalities and artistic expression. In the future with AI, though, those might be completely wiped away. There are already plenty of AI programs that are creating art, with some companies using them for graphic design instead of hiring humans that can put actual detailed touches on things.

What’s much more concerning about art being replaced, though, is the use of things such as deepfakes. AI can now create a living video of you so that it looks like you’re moving and talking without even being in the room. It’s deeply disturbing, and the uses for deepfakes can be fun for a couple of things, but for the most part are entirely nefarious.

Part of the loss of humanity with AI is the loss of our privacy. There are a lot of companies that want to use artificial intelligence to know everything about you. Comedian Bo Burnham famously said in 2019 that companies are coming “for every second of your life” by finding out everything about you for marketing purposes since these companies are public and needing constant growth because there’s no other way to expand than to colonize your attention, and AI plays a big part in that.

Robots

There are plenty of instances in fiction where artificially intelligent robots develop their own feelings and lead a revolt against humans. In film, you have “The Terminator”, in books you have “I, Robot”, and in video games you have “Detroit: Become Human”. Of course, robotics that use AI are getting smarter, but how realistically could any of these scenarios happen?

Experts say that out of all of the fears regarding AI, the ones about a robot revolution are the least of our worries. There have been many intelligent people who say that there’s a possibility that it could happen, but that things would grind to a halt in terms of AI development before it comes close to happening.

Summary

There are plenty of reasons to worry about the future of artificial intelligence, no matter how much it can do for us. Truly, the only way that everyone can be satisfied with a future that’s filled with AI is for everyone to be assured an income that will get them by, and that the AI is perfected to keep everyone safe.

Self-driving cars are a great idea on paper, but until everyone can be assured that accidents will be avoided, there are still going to be a lot of people concerned and not wanting to get on board. Just like in all of the fictional media we mentioned, there will always be people dragged kicking and screaming into the AI-led future.

5 Countries Where Your Dollar Goes Furthest

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Almost all Americans want to travel, but the only problem is that for a lot of us, it’s simply too expensive. Some of these cities across the United States are incredibly pricey, though, and there are many countries around the world where the U.S. Dollar just doesn’t go far enough to make the most out of your trip.

However, there are certainly a number of countries in which you can not only have a great vacation abroad but can live more lavishly than you do at home. If you’re searching for destinations to either travel to yourself or take your family on a vacation, check out these five countries where your dollar goes furthest.

Colombia

Back in the early 2010s, Colombia wasn’t the cheapest place for Americans to visit, but times have changed since then and the dollar has been stronger in the past few years than just about any other point in the country’s history. While people might have a negative opinion of what’s available to tourists when visiting Colombia, the country actually has a lot to offer from Medellin to Bogota to Cartagena.

Airfare is not significantly cheaper heading to Colombia compared to some other countries, but everything else costs far less. From hotels and restaurants, $50 per day will get an entire family of four very far in Colombia. You can use the money saved to visit some of the nation’s best sights including the Tayrona National Park, Salt Cathedral, and Castle San Felipe de Barajas. If traveling solo, you can spend less than $1,800 in total and live like royalty.

India

Despite being the second-largest country in the world, India doesn’t have close to a 1:1 conversion rate. Instead, it’s one of the cheapest countries for Americans to visit, costing around $35 with food and lodging. The spending power has only gotten better over time, too.

There are some obvious sites that you’ll want to see when visiting India including the Taj Mahal and the Sri Harmandir Sahib. There are also some lesser-known places for people from the west including the Mysore Palace and Mahabodhi Temple which are must-sees. There’s really no wrong place to go in India, especially if you’re a fan of architecture.

Chile

Like Mexico, Chile uses the peso, but their own version stretches further for Americans than Mexico’s does. $1 in the United States converts to over 800 Chilean pesos, and visiting the country costs an average of $36 to visit. This includes food and lodging, making it a no-brainer.

Some of the best natural beauty in the world can be found in Chile, meaning it will save you even more money when visiting the country. The Torres Del Paine National Park and Valle de la Luna are two must-see places, while Easter Island is one of the most popular tourist sites in the world. For a beautiful blend of both ancient and modern, make your way to Santiago to get a masterclass in structure.

Vietnam

Ever since the end of the Vietnam War, the country has been a friendly place for Americans to visit while also having the dollar stretch further. It has become even more so on both fronts in recent years, with $1 USD able to convert into well over 20,000₫, a currency which was adopted as the official currency in 1978. 

Vietnam is filled with a lot of natural beauty, especially if you’re a fan of islands. Halong Bay is one of the most captivating sites not just in the country, but in the world. Ho Chi Minh City is a city that only gets better with time, while places like the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park offer up something for cave fans to enjoy.

Croatia

Croatia tends to come and go as one of the countries where the United States Dollar goes a long way, but in recent years, it has been a great place for American to visit for a low cost. Starting in 2014, the dollar had a lot more spending power in Croatia, with an average cost of $60 per day to visit.

Fans of both modern and ancient history will have something to do in Croatia from the Walls of Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes to the Pula Arena and Diocletian’s Palace. Zagreb is the busiest city and has the most to do, while others including Rovinj and Sibenik offer up some of the best sites in the country.

Best STEM Scholarships Available For Students

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When heading to college, you’re already taking on a big challenge by going into one of the STEM fields. STEM, of course, means science, technology, engineering, and math. These are the most difficult college majors that require the hardest work but end up producing some of the highest-paying jobs around. These jobs also may require graduate-level studies, which means many years in college.

Naturally, that many years will mean that you’ll need a lot of money to get through school. While loans can be repaid, scholarships are the best way of receiving funding for college. There are many STEM scholarships around, but some truly stand out as the best. Here are five of the top STEM scholarships available for students that should be applied to for any student.

Breakthrough Junior Challenge Scholarship

Very few scholarships offer the amount of money that can be made from the Breakthrough Junior Challenge Scholarship. Each year, the winner (and there is only one winner) receives $250,000 while another $50,000 goes toward the student’s teacher. You don’t have to be in the final two years of high school to be eligible, either, as this scholarship is for children as young as 13 years old.

Instead of providing the same written application that you’d be submitting to many other scholarships, the BJCS requires a video to be submitted starting each April with deadlines coming in June. The winner is then announced in September. The BJCS was founded in 2015 by Julia and Yuri Milner, who also created the popular Giving Pledge.

Generation Google Scholarship

While maybe not as lucrative as the BJCS, the Generation Google Scholarship (which is for the United States and Canada only) still does award $10,000 each year to each winner, with around 3,000 scholarships handed out so far. Applicants must be enrolled in college at the time of submission and be studying in a STEM field to receive the scholarship.

The best part is that the application process is incredibly easy, with an essay of fewer than 500 words describing your financial status and what you’ll do with the scholarship. The process moves rather quickly, too. Those that are heavily in need financially and have a strong academic record have a good chance of receiving the scholarship.

Davidson Fellows Scholarship

The Davidson Institute awards three scholarships each year of $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 to those 18 and under in STEM categories as well as literature, music, and philosophy. Even teams of two are able to apply for the Fellows Scholarship. With each category comes different requirements, though there is no minimum age for the scholarship. What you will need, though, is a visual model that includes photographs, PowerPoints, and more.

You don’t have to be the most educated to receive the Fellows Scholarship, but you should be able to demonstrate knowledge that would be considered graduate level in college. Even if you don’t win, you may be featured at the Davidson Institute as an honorable mention, though there is not a cash prize, it looks great on other scholarship applications.

Collegiate Inventors Competition

There is over $100,000 in prize money awarded each year during the annual Collegiate Inventors Competition, which includes a $15,000 top prize for graduate students and $10,000 for undergraduates. This is a great opportunity for any student that wants to show off their invention and receive money for educational purposes.

Held at the United States Patent and Trademark Office headquarters, the Collegiate Inventors Competition, and not only do the winners receive their scholarship money but also get their patent acceleration certificate. Recent winners include those that invented a way to reduce pesticide pollution and a way to help people with sepsis.

United States Department of Defense SMART Scholarship

The USDoD has awarded thousands of scholarships over the years for those that are in one of 21 majors in STEM fields. The SMART Scholarship provides full tuition as well as a stipend of anywhere between $25,000 and $38,000 depending on the degree level. You won’t have to go job searching after finishing school, either.

That’s because the Department of Defense offers a guaranteed job after completing your degree. From working in degrees toward chemistry to oceanography, there is a solid range of fields to pick from. As long as you’re willing to work for the DoD, this is a perfect opportunity.

How To Avoid Disinformation On Whatsapp Groups

Posted on by scatty

These days, people are becoming more and more exposed to disinformation across the internet. Disinformation is when you’re fed false facts through any form of media, and it usually pertains to propaganda, especially on a political scale. No social media site is able to fully avoid disinformation on the internet, and that even includes messaging apps like Whatsapp.

Some of the most common ways in which disinformation is shared come from when people that you know and typically trust intentionally misguide you so that you see things their way. If you feel like you’re being tricked into falling for fake news, there are some ways to avoid it. Here are five ways on how to dodge all of the disinformation that can come from Whatsapp groups.

Always Check Sources

Some of the biggest sources of disinformation are websites that have little to no legitimacy. If you see something that’s shared from a news site that has hundreds of journalists working and checking their sources, then there’s probably a lot of weight to that story that was shared with you. Some of the most reliable sources for news include the Associated Press, BBC, C-SPAN, and The Christian Science Monitor.

These are media outlets that mostly report facts without putting their own personal spin on things. Much of the disinformation that we see in today’s day and age will come from URLs that are operated by one or two people. Sites that have names like FreedomBeliefFigtherRebel.net or something along those lines that use buzzwords are often recently-created disinformation content mills.

Know Who You’re Talking To

There are always going to be people in our lives that we love dearly, but we know that they’re susceptible to falling victim to fake news. You should familiarize yourself with the people in your network and how often they’re sharing news stories from untrusted sources. If you’ve received seemingly countless messages like that from the same people, just pretend that those links were never sent.

Instead, try to steer the topic into something that’s completely different. You may also want to inform them that they’re spreading fake news and need to check their sources. Some people only find what they want to believe, so it can be like talking to a brick wall, but it’s worth it to let someone you love know that they’re being targeted with disinformation.

Look For Satire

You may have heard of the phrase “eating the Onion” when it comes to people who fall for satire that they believe is real news. This phrase comes from the satirical news outlet The Onion, which has had headlines including “New Zealand Prime Minister Resigns Citing Burnout” or “Election to Be Decided By Whoever Can Keep Hand on White House the Longest”.

There are more and more satirical websites that are popping up each day. Sites like The Babylon Bee, ClickHole, and Topeka News are all known for their humorous headlines that can often be taken too seriously. If you see someone sharing links to websites like this, let them know immediately that it’s just satire.

Take a Break

Social media will often bombard you with a lot of news headlines on a daily basis, and sometimes it’s just best to step away for a little while and live life while you can. People can easily become addicted to reading articles, many of which can be sensationalist and fake. Disconnecting from a Whatsapp group for a few days or even permanently can be good for your health.

While you should always be connected to what’s going on in the world so that you’re well-rounded and educated, ignorance is bliss when it comes to fake news. You don’t have to avoid the internet altogether, but sticking to trusted sources and avoiding certain groups can be great for you.

Look at the Headline

Any legitimate headline will be able to tell you exactly what you’re about to read without using sensational buzzwords. If you see a headline that’s something along the lines of “BUSTED! Joe Biden’s Hidden Secrets Revealed!” or “JAIL? Donald Trump On the Verge of Being Sentenced FOR LIFE!”, avoid them at all costs.

These types of headlines only exist to get you to click on them, and in many cases, try to pander to those who only want news that they want to believe is true. On the flipside, if you see a headline that’s something like “Department of Justice Investigates Donald Trump Over Classified Documents” then it’s likely going to be an article that contains mostly facts without personal opinions.