Thanksgiving all over the World!

Thanksgiving is going to be upon us soon; we thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the various ways that strong harvests are celebrated around the world!

American Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is held to commemorate the sharing between the First Nations and the pilgrims that occurred in 1621. Turkey, corn, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce are eaten with family as a traditional American meal.

In Korea, the harvest celebration is called “Chu Suk”, which takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. During Chu Suk, families visit the tombs of ancestors to make offerings and eat Songphyun, a rice cake made with beans, seeds and nuts. In the evening, there is a celebration called Kang Kang Sue Wol Lae, where people dance and compete in different activities and games.

The Indian harvest celebration is called Holi; it marks the end of spring. It occurs the day after the full moon in the beginning of March. To banish cold winters, people light bonfires and make offerings of grain. There is much merriment, with feasting, prayer and the throwing of coloured powder.

China celebrates harvest thanks with the Harvest Moon Festival. Like Korea, the celebration begins on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar. This is when the moon is believed to be brightest in the sky. It is also said to be the birthday of the moon. Speaking of the moon, the traditional food for this celebration is mooncakes. This is historically based on the fact that the Chinese would send messages of revolution within these cakes, unbeknownst to the Mongolians.

Canadian Thanksgiving is generally the same celebration as the American, but because of the colder weather and earlier autumn harvest, the holiday takes place each year on the second Monday of October.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Alex B and the OnTheHub Team

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Guest Post: Don’t Let a Budget Keep You Down in College

OnTheHub welcomes guest blogger Alvina Lopez!

So you're a broke college student. You survive by eating instant noodles out of your microwave and borrowing textbooks from your friends. You don't have a car on campus because it costs too much money to insure and the parking fees are outrageous. You have taken out loans to help pay for your classes, and you're responsible for the late-night work-study shift in the mailroom. Seems bleak, doesn't it? I know, because I've been there.

But don't you worry; just because you have a tight budget, that doesn't mean you can't have fun in college. If you manage your money wisely, keep some of it in a savings account, and budget the rest each week, you can still join everyone else in having a bit of fun to take the edge off of going to class.

Here are a few tips to help you on your way:

Flash Your ID

No, I don't mean your driver's license! Instead, pull out that student ID card. That little plastic thing is like a golden ticket in some places. You can get substantial discounts on everything from movies to meals, and all you have to do is show proof that you're a college student. Be sure to look up student-friendly businesses near your school before you go out for a night on the town. The money you save by keeping your student ID with you when you go out can go to paying for textbooks next semester.

Join a Club or Intramural Team

Often these groups cost very little as far as monthly dues, but they give you access to quite a lot: a network of friends, interest-specific facilities like playing fields or meeting rooms, and a great social experience. Unlike fraternities or sororities, there is very little cost associated with a club or team.

Get Some Exercise

Buy a pair of last year's model of running shoes and lace them up. They'll last you about a year, and you'll be able to run for free anywhere you'd like: local parks, your school's track, around the city. Running, and other low-impact sports, is one of the cheapest ways to get in shape. If you like the exhilaration of exercise, then a cheap sport like running can help keep your checking account full.

Host a Bring-Your-Own Party

One of the easiest ways to have fun and save money is to host a Bring-Your-Own party. It's pretty simple: everyone brings their own drinks and food so one person doesn't have to spend a lot of money to keep everyone happy. Then, turn up the music and load the DVD player or video game console. Project movies on the wall of your dorm room or on a bed-sheet hanging outside and relax. Everyone is having fun, but at no one's expense!

This guest post is contributed by Alvina Lopez, who writes on the topics of accredited online schools. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez @gmail.com.

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Take Your Learning In Your Pocket! 5 Handy Smartphone Apps

Below are some helpful mobile apps that can come in very handy as a student! Instead of waiting for your computer to boot, just pick up your phone and get the information you need instantly!

Blackboard Mobile Learn – If your school uses the Blackboard learning management system, you can now check updates from your classes from your smartphone! One of the best ways to keep track of your courses on the go!

Stanza - This free e-reader application lets you download books straight to your phone! Stanza is an ideal application for bookworms. Also, you can adjust the look of your books to personalize the way you want to. With access to over 50 000 books for free, this app is too good to pass up.

Pi83 Graphing Calculator – by the time you are out of elementary school, you probably are going to need a calculator that can do more than add subtract, multiply and divide. By the time you hit high school and university, odds are you are going to need a calculator with a few functions! These cost money. For example, a Texas Instruments' Ti-83 Graphing Calculator is 99 dollars. However, the Pi83 Graphing Calculator app offers the same functionality for 99 cents! A lighter pencil case is better than a lighter wallet!

EverNote – a very popular (and free!) application that allows users to grab information from many mediums and make a personal note out of it. Type down a note, capture a photo, or record voice messages, and save them in the cloud, allowing you to access and organize your notes from anywhere. Search through your notes by tags, titles and text, including printed or handwritten text in pictures. Evernote is a useful tool for those of you who like to jot notes down instantly!

Wikipedia Mobile - exactly like it sounds, it is Wikipedia in your pocket. While I do not know of any teacher or professor who is going to accept a quote from Wikipedia, it can - more importantly - settle debates between friend, and give you a general knowledge of nearly any topic.

Blackboard, Stanza, EverNote and Wikipedia are all free, and Pi83 Graphing Calculator is just 99 cents. These apps could be the cheapest educational tools you have!

Cheers,
Alex B and the OntheHub Team

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QuarkXPress 8 only $189.99 USD at OnTheHub

Students, Faculty and Staff – Get QuarkXPress 8 for just $189.99 USD at the OnTheHub eStore! IT Enquirer calls QuarkXPress 8 the best tool for web and interactive design. As a creative professional, this program will complement your passion for perfection and adapt to the way you work.

For those in need of desktop publishing software, QuarkXPress 8 offers a modern, intuitive interface that will allow you to work smarter and faster. Take advantage of fast, reliable PDF output, now with support for layers and unflattened transparency.

This academic discount is available only at OnTheHub. To download your copy of QuarkXPress 8 for only $189.99 USD, check out our eStore here.

Download your copy of QuarkXPress 8 today and show the world what you can create!

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Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2010 only $22.99 USD

Academic users, rest easy by getting the essential security you need; send emails and share files with confidence. Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware protects against the latest malicious viruses, worms, Trojan horse programs, and spyware.

Any student can take advantage of this great academic discount by visiting the OnTheHub eStore.

New malicious viruses are created daily to wreak havoc on our computer systems. Watch out for mass-mailing worms that spread by emailing themselves to addresses found on your local drive. These worms can lower security settings and could block access to security related websites. Other nasty viruses to look out for are the Trojan horses that attempt to download remote files, which can cause your system to become unstable or crash.

Protect yourself today. Click here to visit OnTheHub and download Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware. You never know what could be waiting to attack your system!

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