Interested in understanding more about the inner workings of the criminal mind? To catch a criminal, one must study the behavioral clues left behind by the perpetrator. But what does this investigative process entail and what type of a person is fit for piecing together the crime scene puzzle?

Learn more about the criminal investigative process at American Military University’s (AMU) live webcast event:
Principles of Criminal Investigative Analysis (CIA)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Join American Military University for this live event presenting the general principles of Criminal Investigative Analysis (CIA), otherwise known as Profiling. This analysis focuses on the perpetrator’s behavior, which in turn reveals certain aspects of his/her personality. A trained investigator can use this technique to link cases in a pattern, include or exclude cases from those patterns, identify likely suspects, and exclude others. These techniques are also useful in developing interviewing strategies. After a presentation of the general principles, we will examine CIA’s use in two types of investigations where it has been particularly useful: arson and serial sexual assault.

Register today to learn more about the fascinating processes that go into place to catch criminals.

- J. Mason

In honor of AMU and APU‘s graduation ceremony tomorrow, I thought, that as a DC native, I might put together a quick post with some to-dos and must-sees in Washington, D.C. — so if you’re in the area for graduation, here are my personal top ten favorite things to do (in no particular order)!

1. Visit the Capitol - You can either purchase a ticket at the kiosk just outside the building (for an official, guided tour),  or admission is free, so you can just wander in (after a security screening) and people-watch.
   • Hours: 8:30am – 4:30pm
   • No backpacks permitted
   • More information here
   • List of restaurants in this area here
2. Check out the Smithsonian/The National Mall – Both the Blue and Orange Metro* lines go to the Smithsonian (the Smithsonian stop is on the Mall).
   • The Mall stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and is dotted by Museums, cafes & restaurants and more
     • The Hirshorn Museum of Art (beautiful sculpture garden)
       • 7th Street SW & Independence A, Washington, DC; 202-633-1000
     • The National Museum of American History(Lincoln’s top hat, Julia Child’s kitchen, Nintendo GameBoy, etc.)
       • 14th Street NW & Constitution, Washington, DC; 202-633-100
     • National Museum of Natural History (Hope Diamond, insect zoo, IMAX theatre)
       • 10th Street NW & Constitution, Washington, DC; 202-633-1000
   • You can also find the National Museum of the American Indian, the WWII Memorial, and an old-fashioned carousel in front of the Arts & Industries Building.
   • Restaurants on/near The Mall
3. Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Located at the west end of The Mall, this memorial is absolutely a must-see while you’re in the area.
   • Henry Bacon Drive NW, Washington, DC 20037; 202-426-6841
4. Visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum – Located just outside the mall, this museum is a sobering experience, but one of the best (IMO) museums DC has to offer.
   • 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC; 202-488-0400
5. Say hi to Mei Xiang and Tian Tian (our giant pandas) at the National Zoo – It’s free and open from 10:00am until 6:00pm daily.
   • 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; 202-633-4800
6. Visit the Newseum- Accessible by Green, Yellow and Red lines on the Metro* the Newseum is an awesome museum (sadly, not free… tickets are around $20/person) featuring front page news from around the world.  Here you’ll have access to 15 theatres and 14 galleries – and I promise a really great, interactive and informative experience.
   • 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., 888-639-7386
7. Walk around Penn Quarter & China Town- If you hit the Newseum, you’ll already be in this area, and the following attractions are all within a 15-20 minute walk:
   • Museum of Crime & Punishment
   • Ford’s Theatre (very cool)
   • International Spy Museum
   • Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
   • The U.S. Navy Memorial
   • The Verizon Center
   • E Street Cinema (eclectic movie theatre)
8. Eat some chili on the U Street Corridor- Home to DC’s famous Ben’s Chili Bowl (1013 U St. NW), the 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW), and plenty of bars, shops, cafes and night clubs.
   • More Food on U St.
9. Take a stroll through Georgetown – Unfortunately, the nearest metro stop (Foggy Bottom) is about 8-9 blocks away, but Georgetown is worth the trip if it’s a nice day.  Here, you’ll find tons of restaurants and shops (from boutiques to big name stores) and it’s just a really beautiful, cute little town that backs up to the water.
   • Georgetown’s main thoroughfares are M Street and Wisconsin Avenue (located right at the end of Key Bridge)
10. Visit Dupont Circle- Accessible by the Red line on Metro, Dupont boasts several posh restaurants and bars, as well as a variety of museums and parks:
    • The Textile Museum
    • Woodrow Wilson House
    • The National Museum of American Jewish Military History
    • The National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall
    • Embassy Row (pretty cool)

Obviously, I’ve given you a TON to do.  And let me put a disclaimer out there: it is highly unlikely that  you would be able to accomplish all of this in one day, so pick and choose, visit the websites I’ve linked to for you above, compare your list to a map and enjoy yourself! Washington, D.C. is really an incredible place (perhaps I’m a bit biased)!

Since this is Nicole’s Corner, and I’m the Social Media Guru here on Online Learning Tips, here are a few apps (iPhone mainly, but I believe some are available on Blackberry and Droid platforms) to facilitate your DC visit:

• Urban Spoon (to help you find good food nearby)
• Yelp (find restaurants, attractions, and events nearby— all rated by locals)
• DC Metro Map (a convenient way to have a Metro map in your pocket at all times!)
• UStream Broadcaster (set up a live streaming video channel online to share your graduation and DC visit with friends and family back home)

Congratulations, grads, and best of luck in your future endeavors…

Cheers, and happy downtown wandering!

*Metro Map

Bored to tears with your job? You are not alone. According to the Conference Board research group, more than 45 percent of workers surveyed expressed that they were dissatisfied with their current jobs. Many factors are to blame for this shift in contentment in the workplace such as,

• jobs are not as interesting as they used to be
• incomes have not kept up with inflation
• climbing cost of health care is eating away at take-home pay

If you are in the same boat, why not try something new? This economy is not ideal for most when it comes to researching and trying new careers, but you can broaden your range of possibilities with an advanced degree, and you can earn it while keeping your job. With the job market slowly climbing back into a healthy status you do not want to be left behind in a career that is unsatisfying. Start by searching for classes today.

View the full worker’s dissatisfaction  report >

Students demonstrate their ability to take classes and perform course work from anywhere in the world in this slideshow. The following photos were submitted by actual American Public University and American Military University students from their home locations.