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I've been running a Fate campaign about monster-hunting bikers for four years. We started with the Dresden Files RPG, then converted over to Fate Core in January '13 when that Kickstarter took off. This was our 18th session. You can find the last session writeup here.
A bit of background: I use the Dresden Files bestiary in most respects, but politically the supernatural world is more like the TV show Supernatural, with small nests or cells of monsters instead of secret nations like in Dresden (although there is room for some government conspiracy).
In this session, our heroes deal with some intraparty baggage, misplace some things, and fight a government frankenstein.
Who Was There?
Seven players, man. And as usual, this writeup is a few months late, but unlike usual, I'll be talking less about plot and more about the metagame, balancing conflicts, and intraparty friction.
|Ajaz Gurt, "Relentless Nephilite"
|Bill Stockburn, "Supernatural Scholar"
|Lucy Collins, "Goth Witch Antichrist"
|Tom Talloman, "Modern-Day Quixotic Knight"
|Rick Eagle, "Avenging Roadie"
Science Fiction Double FeatureI had two goals for this session: I wanted to address any friction between Lucy Collins, her player, and the group, and then I wanted to introduce the next level of threats who were taking an interest in the PCs. I'm not sure I completely achieved the former goal, but man did we do the latter.
They're All Gonna Laugh At YouThe thing with Lucy is that as a character, she hasn't been quite fitting in with the rest of the gang of hunters. Issue #1: Lucy's an Antichrist witch in a gang full of monster hunters. Prior to this session, the in-character reasoning for the team-up was more of a probationary thing. Bill was letting Lucy stick around so if she went bad, they could deal with her. That's nice and dramatic, but since we don't play that often and with Lucy's player as an uncommon attendee, the potential drama and chance for resolution quickly turned into stalled subplots and an ongoing shorthand "Lucy's bad" vibe.
The second issue has more out-of-character ribbing behind it, and that's Bad Car, the sentient evil (no, it's misunderstood) Charger that Lucy drives. Lucy's driving a car when everyone else is sticking with the original concept of monster-hunting bikers. Thing is, both Lucy's player and I love the car. It is, however, a pretty constant butt of OOC chatter and it does nothing to help party cohesion.
|Not your friend.
We didn't really address Bad Car this time, but we did resolve Lucy's status in the group. I told everyone before we started that part of the session would be doing what we needed to do to get Lucy into the group. In-character drama was fine, heated roleplay was great, whatever, I just wanted everyone on the same page so if things got rough it'd be awesome roleplaying and not nasty out-of-character drama.
I Swear It Was Just Here A Minute AgoWith that, we opened on the gang's early morning routine in a desolate drive-in somewhere in West Virginia. Scott was out of Maalox because he'd been having nightmares about a shadowy figure watching him (this was all Scott's player's idea, but it tied into the session perfectly). Bad Car had driven off sometime during the night, leaving Lucy feeling isolated and vulnerable, especially with Clay continually asserting that Bad Car was gonna have to be put down before too long. Bill was up early, staring out over the dawn-lit hills, wondering how much longer he could keep up with the things he hunted. Finally, Ajaz couldn't find the silver denarius containing the fallen angel Pantagruel (like the One Ring, these evil denarii have a habit of wandering off if they're not being used). He accepted a delicious compel to keep that revelation a secret, and the gang drove to the nearest Waffle House to figure out what to do.
I unleashed my first new threat at breakfast. The players had taken down Pantagruel in their raid on Crowley-Lampkin's magical vault a few sessions ago, but Bill still had the aspect "Denarians On My Trail". Since Bill hadn't changed his aspect, I interpreted it to mean I should upgrade from the Denarians' librarian to Nicodemus himself. A black SUV rolled into the Waffle House parking lot accompanied by Dallas Junior Brown on a chopper (Dallas Junior Brown was a car thief the gang ran afoul of back in Austin, Texas), then Nicodemus Archleone, leader of the faction of fallen angels entombed within Judas' thirty pieces of silver, walked through the Waffle House door. His demonic shadow writhed and coiled around him, ready to react if the PCs immediately attacked. And thusly, I handily explained Scott's shadowy nightmare man.
In hindsight, using Nicodemus was a misstep because neither he nor the players were invested in each other. Nicodemus is great in the Dresden Files because Harry and him have gone at it multiple times. They've got history. Furthermore, Jim Butcher has lots of time to get the dialogue right and portray the menace effectively. Nicodemus just didn't work for my group. Nicodemus wanted to recover Pantagruel's coin and was willing to trade, but nobody was taking the bait. That was okay - Ajaz accepted another compel and Nicodemus casually let slip that Ajaz didn't even have the coin, then turned to leave. He was just in time to catch a fusillade of rifle rounds as I unleashed my second threat!
Don't Spit in That Cop's BurgerThe shots came from the "faces" of BLACKBOX for the PCs, Agents Dana Fox and Patrick Roberts. The agents and the hunters had enjoyed an antagonistic but not murderous rivalry over several previous sessions, and now BLACKBOX was on-site to abduct or kill Lucy. Nicodemus was a hell of a monkeywrench in their plans, so the agents called in their reinforcements and went straight from "kidnap supernatural things" to "shoot the fallen angel". For his part, Nicodemus' predatory instincts took over and he simply fled, taking to the sky on great shadowy wings and pointedly abandoning his mortal squires and Dallas Junior Brown.
Spirit of Vengeance
|To this!
|From this...
Ajaz: "I'm jealous! I'm supposed to be the only one with a flaming chain whip!"
Clay: "He's probably better with it than you, too."
|Sadly, he's still Nicolas Cage.
An Apocalypse ChecklistLucy snuck out the back of the Waffle House. Bill followed her but ran into Agent Fox. Both of them drew down on each other in the time-honored John Woo tradition of their ancestors, but before either one opened fire, Fox told Bill why BLACKBOX was there. According to their data, Lucy was either purposefully or unwittingly involved in one of several "apocalypse checklists" and Fox and Roberts had been sent in advance of a strike team to try to handle Lucy's extraction peacefully. Bill scoffed but lowered his weapon. Basically Fox had a partial list of events that supposedly would lead to some sort of disaster, and Lucy had accounted for three already. If it was accidental, Lucy had to be informed. If it was intentional, then she had to die.
This was one of the ways I wanted to spotlight Lucy's character - if her comrades would stick by her even though she might kickstart the end of the world, then we could probably resolve whatever lesser in-character reservations people might have had. Considering we'd discussed how to bring Lucy into the group at the table before the session, now was the best time to toss this baggage at her. It also provided a future plot point in the form of taking an active role against BLACKBOX.
Bill and Lucy had it out. It was a good scene, and everyone got fate points for roleplaying and remembering stuff from past games. It basically boiled down to this: Lucy knew she had the potential to be bad, but so did everyone. She was trying to stay on the right path and she had been while she'd been with the gang, barring an unfortunate incident in Florida during her second session. For his part, Bill believed Lucy. They'd figure out whatever kind of ritual or magic or system Lucy was hooked into and stop it, and they'd do it together.
Undeath From AboveBetween the Denarians, the squires, the PCs, and the apparent refusal of Fox and Roberts to assassinate Lucy Collins, things weren't going too well for BLACKBOX.
They airdropped a monster onto the nearby strip mall from a Black Hawk helicopter. Said Black Hawk was subsequently sent careening into the nearby gas station, because destroying aircraft is something of a sadistic hobby for my players. Lucy conjured a great wind to blast the wall of flame away from the battlefield, throwing a veritable flood of fire down the main drag of the small West Virginia town and accidentally marking off yet another apocalypse checklist, the "flood of fire".
Then the creature walked out of the blaze. Massively built, with too-large hands and a comically slabby face, the burns it suffered from the explosion healed in front of the gang's eyes. It started to beeline right for Lucy and the rest of the PCs leapt to her defense!
|More or less.
- Start with the corpse of a shapeshifter with a human brain hooked up. The shapeshifter's abilities prevent rejection of the implants and allow it to change its shape within reason, although this is severely curtailed by the implants.
- Four Wound Beetles (see Fate Toolkit, Voidcallers chapter), for damage control. BLACKBOX thought it only added two.
- A Lazarus Eye (also Fate Toolkit, Voidcallers chapter), both for the initial resurrection and for the physical boosts the creature grants.
- Implanted armor plating, GPS, and ECM package.
- A Lightning Worm (again the Fate Toolkit, Voidcallers chapter) taser. Weapon:7, one shot only.
- Possessed by a demon to keep everything running smoothly, like middleware.
There Was a FirefightFrom there on, pretty much everything was a giant battle. Clay steamrollered Nicodemus' squires with Agent Roberts' help while Rick, Ajaz, and Scott took on Zarathos/Dallas Junior Brown. Tom went right for the BLACKBOX strike team, ramping his bike up the helo wreckage to hit the roof of the strip mall the strike team was using for cover. Zarathos was forced to withdraw, so Clay went up to help Tom with the strike team while the remaining hunters went for the prototype.
The guys watched the monster regenerate their first barrage of attacks near-instantly. Scott opened his Sight, though, and saw the wound beetles "eating" the damage. He picked one off with a Create Advantage roll, and the battle against the creature became a strange tug of war between doing enough direct attacks to keep it from Lucy while striking the beetles (which, except for Scott, required Notice rolls to pinpoint). Meanwhile, Rick was setting up an explosive booby trap using his Pyrotechnician stunt, which led to the best compel ever:
The creature fired its taser at Lucy, missed, and hit the explosives instead. A few players bought off the ensuing compel to be caught within the blast radius, but most were down to dregs and ate the damage (Speed vs. a +6, the result of Rick's previous Tools roll to create the bomb). Tom, who wasn't caught in the blast, lopped the creature's head off, destroying the brain and separating the Lazarus Eye. The prototype kept moving, powered by the possessing demon, although its movements were jerky and poorly-aimed now. Lucy and Bill teamed up for a ritual circle and exorcism next, which destroyed the demon and finally killed the monster.
It was a lengthy conflict (accounting for maybe 80% of the session time), but I felt it was an entertaining, well-balanced conflict for the following reasons:
- Three factions, not two: Having BLACKBOX, the Denarians, and the PCs all in the mix provided an easy way to apply more or less pressure during the conflict. If it's a cakewalk for Clay to trounce the squires, then BLACKBOX can open up on him from the top of the strip mall. If Rick's on the ropes against the creature, maybe Agent Roberts draws its attention with some suppressing fire, and so on.
- Target-rich environment: The battle didn't turn into "everyone wail on this one boss" until the end, so it forced zone movement and threat analysis to deal with each enemy group.
- A decent zone map: Having a map down on the table helped a lot, and it was pretty easy breaking the strip mall, main street, Waffle House, gas station, and nearby woods into multiple zones. Using minis for a big fight like this helps conserve player's mental bandwidth for creativity, not tracking positions.
- As per Ryan Macklin's thoughts on boosts, we had a lot of boosts floating around and we just noted them as "boost". In the future, I'd go one step further and probably plink down a counter or marker to keep track of them, almost like "Shaken" in Savage Worlds.
- Bikes! It's ironic that in a game about monster-hunting bikers, the characters don't do a lot of riding. The fight was spread out enough that Rick, Ajaz, Clay, and Tom all got some good motorcycle moments.
- Mystery captures attention: The prototype was something the guys had never seen before. Not only that, it was made of things they hadn't seen before. Discovering what the thing did with Lore rolls and the Sight kept the players' interest more than a fight against familiar creatures.
If I had to revamp the creature, the one thing I would make an allowance for is the action economy. The prototype's skills weren't terrifyingly high; there was a decent chance any of the PCs could avoid its attacks, but if it ever hit, it'd be throwing out Weapon:4 damage. My players assumed as much and spent fate points accordingly on defense rolls. Once they got the fight down to just them and the monster, the fight went like this:
The monster attacks and misses (at best gets a boost or forces its target to burn FP to dodge).
Seven PCs dogpile on the thing, layering Create Advantages and boosts and attacks.
I probably should have just had the thing take extra actions once it didn't have any friends left, but I didn't, so it didn't feel as dangerous as I wanted. It did feel as tough as I wanted, however, so a partial victory there. What's more, it felt tough without simply having an insanely high defense, which is lame if you're a player and you wait for your turn to come up and you whiff because the GM wanted to drag out a fight scene. There weren't many whiffs on the players' part; the creature just had so many layered and varied defenses and consequence slots that it could take one hell of a beating.
Dude, Where's My Bad Car?After the battle, the gang remembered that Ajaz had lost Pantagruel's coin and turned on him. Just then, Bad Car came cruising up the road and Ajaz found Pantagruel's denarius in its trunk. No explanation for how it got there, but maybe Bad Car knew Nicodemus was coming and tried to hide the coin? Sure it did. Because cars that run on blood instead of gasoline are always nice.
Scott took the coin after that and drove off, swearing he'd put the denarius somewhere no one would ever find it.
|Seriously. Those things are impossible.
Bill brought up his impending baggage - he was thinking about getting out of the hunt, but he couldn't do it until this apocalypse thing was done and in the ground. There'd be something else after that, but he had to draw the line somewhere. Get out and maybe get a few years of rest before he shuffled off to that eternal one. I love Bill's character, but I understood. My attempt with Nicodemus fell flat, so having an internal Trouble to garner fate points and drive the drama with Bill was a better choice than simply upgrading to more Denarians.
The group was okay with Lucy at last. Well, all except for Clay, because what this session taught me (in combination with other observations from other games) is that Clay's player and Lucy's player go at each other no matter what their characters are like. I was misconstruing how much of it was IC vs. OOC. It's not a great situation, but 1) they're friends, they do that, and 2) it's not anything in my game causing it. Problem solved, as far as I'm willing to solve it.


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2 Summer face packs with Mint and Cucumber
Related posts
20 comments:
Im a lover of cucumber :) it soothes skin just in seconds and removes tan too..ReplyDeleteReplies
me too.. I love cucumber.. It does a very good job for my combination skin .:)Delete
Multani and cucumber face pack is my favorite :)ReplyDelete
Will try mint one too ...Thanks for sharing !!!Replies
Try the mint one Shruti.. You will love the cooling and freshness it gives.:)Delete
Mint DIY looks interesting... I will try this... I love fragrance of fuller earthReplyDeleteReplies
You will like the Mint one Shikha. It's easy and yet effective.:)Delete
My all time favorite face pack is fuller earth's one :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Fuller's earth works like magic for oily skin .:)Delete
I love using mint on my face :) Nice post Neish! :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you Lancy.:) I love its soothing and cooling sensation.:)Delete
wow mint face pack is interesting i will definitely try this.ReplyDeleteReplies
You will like it Roobi.:)Delete
Nice post dear..will try mint face :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you Tej.:) Do give it a try!Delete
Nice post. I love multani mitti,, its so natural and gives very good results :)ReplyDeleteReplies
That's very effective as a mask when we have oily to combination skin.:)Delete
Will try the mint pack Niesha, great post :)ReplyDeleteReplies
You will like it Neha .:)Delete
I have oily skin and have found mint leaves paste to be a great face pack in the summer. It feels ultra cool and refreshing. For the body, I use parachute summer fresh body lotion after I found out that as soon as you apply it on the skin, your skin tingles and feels cool.ReplyDeleteReplies
Absolutely!! even I like parachute body lotions. Summer fresh is great!Delete
I have changed the comment system due to which your lovely comments have been disappeared from a lot of posts.
I appreciate the time you take to comment but Kindly DO NOT PUT LINKS in the comments, they will be DELETED. Anonymous comments are disabled, Plz do mail me if you have questions!
Niesha Jeenwal

subset: commoncrawl


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Studying European Affairs at Sciences Po Paris and Economics and Management at Bocconi University. Former General Secretary of JEF France. Daily committed to European future.
The World Economic Forum in Davos: its snow-covered landscapes, its leaders and influential businessmen… and the "Macedonian dispute". Indeed, the Forum held from 23 to 26 January was the occasion for the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev to meet. Both (...)
Saturday 31 March 2018
The European horizon as a future, the Russian horizon as a memory. This is how one could could summarise the strategy of regional integration of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania even if it might sound reductive. Upon the three Baltic countries' centenary of independence in 2018, and the successful (...)
Saturday 17 February 2018
Many manufacturers of electronic goods intentionally shorten their products' lifespan and/or make them irreparable in order to push consumers into buying new ones. This is called planned obsolescence. Beyond the harm caused to the consumers, it raises serious problems from an environmental and (...)
Monday 12 February 2018
Crisis after crisis, the EU resists, bends but does not break. This permanent instability probably gives it the necessary resources to carry on its development. This sui generis project overcame many obstacles and the stubbornness of its opponents has not borne fruit yet, but concerns remain. (...)
Monday 29 January 2018
The Presidents of the EU institutions, the Heads of State and government and social partners met for a social summit in Gothenburg, Sweden on 17 November. While current affairs regularly focus on thoughts about the political and economic integration of the Union, the social issues remain too (...)
Monday 8 January 2018
On 7th December, the delegates attending the SPD convention approved (unwillingly?) the beginning of the talks with Angela Merkel's CDU to negotiate a government pact, which is seriously keeping everyone waiting. During his speech, the social-democrat leader Martin Schulz surprised everyone by (...)
Saturday 30 December 2017
Belarus is located at a crossroads of two major cultural areas in Europe ("Western" Europe, more and more shaped by the EU, and Russia). This can be felt through the construction of the country's national identity and diplomatic relations. If Belarusian culture might be a liaison between Western (...)
Tuesday 12 December 2017


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MA Graduate Degree
Alumni Profiles
Year Graduated: 2014
Current Employer/University: United States General Services Administration – Public Buildings Service
What do you do in your current position? Or what program are you at currently?
I am the Region 8 Portfolio Strategist and I work on the asset management side of the portfolio management department. In this position I basically manage the financial metrics of the federal government's real estate portfolio in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. This encompasses all of the federal buildings that the other government agencies use to fulfill their missions, such as office buildings, lab space, federal courthouses, post offices, and border stations, among others.
How did you become interested in Economics?
I actually started undergrad as a Spanish education major, but after I took intro to microeconomics I realized that I loved every aspect of economics and so I switched majors. I am particularly interested in income inequality, poverty reduction, social mobility, and education policy.
What is the most unique aspect of the DU Economics Program?
I really like that DU approaches economics from a heterodox perspective and that economic history and qualitative analysis are a big part of the program, not just quantitative analysis. I think this creates a very well-rounded education in economics and fosters critical thinking.
What did you enjoy most in studying economics and your time at DU?
I really like the economics program is small enough that each student has the opportunity to build relationships with all of the professors that can last after the program ends. I also really like that there are enough electives for each student to take a few classes that are particularly interesting to them, outside of the mandatory classes for the program.
What was one aspect of DU that helped you find your career interest or has been important to your career?
The wide range of economic ideas that I was exposed to through the program along with the ability to tailor the course of study to fit my interests really allowed me to narrow down what I wanted to do for my future career. I want to be an economic policy analyst focusing on inequality and social mobility, and prior to starting the program I really had no idea that job was even an option; I knew that I wanted to do something with poverty reduction, but I didn't know much beyond that point.
What was your favorite course in Economics?
Advanced Micro.
What advice would you give to current students about careers in Economics?
Make sure you don't pass up any opportunities, even the unlikely ones, because you really don't know where that path will lead you. I've had the opportunity to talk to quite a few CEOs and to ask them about their career paths and that is the advice I got from almost every single one of them. If you jump at the opportunities that come your way and even make opportunities for yourself, your career may follow an unexpected path, but you will probably be much better off in the end. The current president and CEO of American Savings Bank, the largest bank in Hawaii, was an electrical engineering major and started his career as an engineer for GE; by taking opportunities that came his way and not being afraid to branch out, he now has a very successful career that he loves, and he lives in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I took a job at GSA that wasn't very econ-related, but it got my foot in the door and since then I've been promoted a few times and I now have an economist position. It still isn't the field of economics that I would ideally like to work in, but I am gaining valuable experience and standing within the government structure, which will pay off in the end and help me get my dream job in the future.


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PART 2: A holiday gift guide of creative ideas in 2010 that are sure to please the beginner photographers.
Joby Gorillapod Flexible Tripod with Ball Head ($55)
This is the most portable tripod ever created and perfect for the active, high paced photographer. This little monster will cling, grip, or wrap itself to almost anything, anywhere! It provides strong stabilization, yet is small enough to fit in almost any bag.
Kata E Camera Strap ($17)
Any photographer knows the easiest way to spot a "newbie" is by the manufacturer strap they are sporting. The strap that came with the camera was designed for a 4' tall hunchback who likes hosting free advertising around his neck. Its also made of slipperiest material ensuring the camera will find the quickest, most efficient route to the ground. Save the photographer, save the camera, and save the strain on their neck and back…buy them a real strap. The Kata E Camera Strap is so affordable, yet solves so many problems that the photographer will thank you for years to come!
5-in-1 Collapsible Disc Reflector ($28)
This is a photographer's "go-to" light modifier for almost any situation. Made of Translucent, White, Black, Silver, and Gold materials, its design yields many creative solutions to almost any lighting challenge. It is ideal for any photographer who enjoys taking portraits.
50 mm 1.8 Prime Lens ($90-$109)
This is one of the best lenses you can buy at this price point. It seems is a low cost item, but that is only because it has fewer high quality glass elements. This it a great lens for capturing the indoor family moments and overcoming challenges of many low light situations.
Canon 50mm ($94) | Nikon 50mm ($109)
iPad Camera Connection Kit ($29)
This one is for the Apple buffs out there! Use your iPad as, not only an instant way to share and view photos you have just taken, but also as a portable backup device. This is the answer to one of the iPad's short sights and wonderful way to let the camera tap into the beauty of iPad's interactive display capability.
Brando Lighting Kit ($88)
The coolness factor and versatility of this light modification kit is indescribable! Used by many professionals, this is a complete and innovative arsenal of creative lighting power. It is a great way to begin to explore light and almost all the solutions a portrait photographer would ever need.
© 2010 Jared M. Burns Photography
Seattle Wedding Photographer & Snohomish Family Photographer
www.jaredmburns.com | 206.659.7468 | email@example.com


text: tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57341585750862215952019-10-10T11:35:34.763-07:00Life With Cleo And MeWelcome to Life With Cleo And Me, Barbie Jo. I am writing about our life and times in this digital journal for all my family, friends and email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-2017322961202744492017-03-02T11:39:00.001-08:002017-03-02T11:58:03.107-08:00New Easter Wabbits! Wow, how can it be March already! This year is flying by. The last weekend of January Hubby and I drove to Austin Texas for a wedding. A 13 hour drive from Kansas City, we broke our trip up with a stop in Dallas for the night and dinner with our daughter and twin Grandsons! Nothing like some Texas BBQ and Grandson love to end the day. Day 2 we headed in to the beautiful city of Austin firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-53128401366041128112016-12-18T10:36:00.002-08:002016-12-18T10:36:26.867-08:006 days, who's counting.... With Christmas less than a week away, can you believe it already, my cookies are baked. The tree is up.... Cleos tree skirt is underneath now for the 15th year... and Daisy has hung her favorite ornament. Extra stockings were hung for our Oklahoma Grandsons who will arrive the day after! Daisy has her Christmas spirit going on! This year hubby and I saw email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-81267513178306475952016-11-04T13:57:00.000-07:002016-11-04T14:00:16.163-07:00Celebrate!! Last weekend was a celebration to remember with the much anticipated wedding of our son and his beautiful fiancé! The weekend started off on Friday with the rehearsal dinner and much fun seeing so many friends and family join together for this happy time. Saturday morning my daughters and I joined our bride and her wedding party to have hair and makeup done. Then before you know it everyone firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-45113803588150130222016-10-23T10:37:00.000-07:002016-10-23T10:37:24.038-07:00Wedding bells will soon be ringing! It's almost time! EEEEK, I can't believe the day we have all been waiting for is happening this week! Though out the week family and friends will be traveling to Kansas City to help us celebrate our sons wedding to his beautiful fiancé. There will soon be a new Mrs Paquin! We are all busy and beyond excited! email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-73400269727406598192016-10-09T10:00:00.000-07:002016-10-09T10:00:15.779-07:00The excitement mounts! Where does time go? It seems like yesterday when our son was just the most adorable little boy. Somehow the years flew by and he turned in to this handsome young man. In a few weeks he will watch his beautiful bride walk down the aisle toward him and a new life journey begins. Hubby and I finalized the rehearsal dinner plans this week, and celebrated with a happy hour cocktail. email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-54625010071165501482016-09-01T08:14:00.000-07:002016-09-01T08:14:20.472-07:00Welcome September! What a fun time I had at the Greater Kansas City Quilt Guild show this past weekend! I met so many lovely quilters and had the best booth mates on each side of me. The following three pictures are of my booth set up. The best part of being a vendor at a quilt show are the people you meet. Lovely quilter and guild member Joeann Collins stopped by my booth and brought her adorable firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-24199520849039430112016-08-21T10:01:00.002-07:002016-08-21T10:01:23.275-07:00Time is on my side....or is it? As Dr Suess said... how did it get so late so soon! Never enough hours in a day lately. Summer has rushed by and come to a close with most children back to school here in the Midwest. We had our Oklahoma grandsons here for a week of fun. Between Hubby and I we kept them pretty busy. A visit to the Kansas City Zoo where the penguins habitat was their favorite attraction. We saw "The Secret Life email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-58734615574067890162016-07-28T09:32:00.000-07:002016-07-28T09:34:36.931-07:00Sum Sum Summertime! Wow, it has been a busy summer! We spent the 4th of July week with my sis in law and brother in law in Pittsburgh PA. They are such a fun couple to be with and we always have a great visit with them. It is our tradition to go out and have a big breakfast to start off our 4th of July morning. We always go to a little spot in the country on a par 3 course called Chubs Place. How yummy email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-22586893612201928972016-05-31T14:54:00.001-07:002016-05-31T14:54:39.901-07:00A time to reap, a time to sew May day...may day... where has this month gone! Our month started with a quick road trip over Mothers Day weekend to Dallas to visit with our daughter and the twins. Can you believe they are 10 already! Our daughter was born on Mothers Day, how special is that! Even though her birthday fell on Monday this year we were able to have a double celebration. We ate out lots, and when in Texas you firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-50896019007407813102016-04-30T08:41:00.002-07:002016-04-30T08:41:18.879-07:00Friends Jon Leonards quote" It takes a long time to grow an old friend" is so very true. Our dear friends came and went. Our visit went by way too fast, we had such a great time! We managed to do a little bit of everything. We visited The Ems Hotel & Spa in Excelsior Springs Missouri. When healing mineral waters were discovered here during the late 1800's, thousands of people poured in to email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-77209332422611446482016-04-09T14:44:00.000-07:002016-04-09T14:44:06.120-07:00Step away from the sewing machine! The sun is out and shining here in Kansas, it's a perfect day if you were at The Masters which hubby surely wishes he was. So while he reminisces about his time there several years ago, and relives every hole one by one, I am sewing! Or trying to sew. Notice the rather large pile of fabric scraps and ruined paper templates on my cutting board, the unhappy face on my pin cushion. I have email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-52520099153656477182016-03-23T11:33:00.001-07:002016-03-23T11:33:26.239-07:00Put on your Easter bonnet..... Another month blowing by. It has been awfully windy here in Kansas, but really these days are flying! Here is my current block progress in the Splendid Sampler. So enjoyable following along with the Facebook group, everyone has made such different fabric choices, I love to see them all. It is hard to imagine 100 blocks by years end on my wall though! My kitty quilt is bound and washed firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-52145793582121594632016-02-20T14:25:00.001-08:002016-02-20T14:44:52.687-08:00Feels like summer! Another week gone by, we have been enjoying splendid weather in the 70's! Today Hubby and I ran a few errands and at one stop purchased Girl Scout cookies! Yum, I didn't see any little Girl Scouts last year so this was an overdue treat! Driving through I neighborhood we stopped at an Estate sale that was going on. Oh my, they had soooooo much stuff. I purchased these old Hallmark cookie cutters email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-62981261548223818542016-02-15T14:22:00.000-08:002016-02-15T14:35:32.115-08:00UFOs, they keep coming back to haunt you And this one, well it's baaaaack again! Now that I am all caught up on paper work, a blessed event for sure, I feel that I can attack some of those UFOs. First up, this wool rug I started hooking about 10 years ago! Photo bomber Daisy is very curious about new to her project. What ever was I thinking, lol? My 1st two rug hooking projects were pillows and I was able to complete them in a firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-88298242175435039812016-02-03T08:30:00.000-08:002016-02-03T08:42:15.334-08:00Sew Special! You may recall before the holidays I was working on a special project. Kindred Stitches Magazine asked if I would design a project for their Easter issue, and of course, well yes, I was honored to do so! You will find my adorable Easter Bunny table runner in this issue. This digital magazine is beautifully photographed and chalk full of cute Spring projects for you to make and more. You can email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-89284900647041923372016-01-16T10:30:00.001-08:002016-01-16T10:30:12.851-08:00A little bit of everything! Christmas came and went so fast as always! This week we are packing up the trimmings for another year. Yes I am a bit behind, we however left them up extra long for...... our Oklahoma Grandsons visit! Our daughter and her family arrived after the holidays. We had a really fun weekend with the boys, and as you can see, some festive food was still to be had for the occasion! I firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-42847124671144468892015-12-18T07:25:00.001-08:002015-12-18T07:28:06.514-08:006 More Days!Christmas is quickly approaching but Hubby and I are totally prepared for whatever excitement comes our way. This week we are relaxing and enjoying the season. The temperatures have been so up and down, I am wishing for a little Christmas snow however it does not look like it is in our forecast. Miracles can happen though, right? Hubby and I went to the movies and saw The Martian. I didn't firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-21535117684876253372015-12-12T09:16:00.001-08:002015-12-12T09:16:59.738-08:00Cookies for Santa! This week was one spent almost entirely in the kitchen. I made peanut brittle and chocolate dipped pretzels. Followed by thumbprint cookies..... Candy cane cookies.... and cut out sugar cookies. Last night cute son and cute Fiancé came for dinner after which we decorated the cookies. Hmmmm... someone was naughty and put 3 eyeballs on some of my angels. And so my baking firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-56623141092304966622015-11-24T08:55:00.000-08:002015-11-24T08:55:08.843-08:00Gobble Gobble! It's almost T day, time for turkey and family! What is your favorite Thanksgiving Day food? I love it all but I would have to say I adore stuffing.. and gravy!!! I so can't wait! Pictured artwork is from my Grandson Aiden, several years ago, don't you just love it! My how this past week has flown. Saturday was really special for me. My daughter-in-law to be invited me to her bridal salon firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-54441857749903159332015-11-16T08:37:00.001-08:002015-11-16T08:37:35.764-08:00Falling leaves Good morning from Kansas! It is hard to believe here we are 1/2 way through November and enjoying such beautiful weather still. The leaves are mostly gone, as a matter of fact we had a large wind storm last week and it blew most of them away. Here and there a few beauties remain in my neighborhood and I have to sometimes stop and try to capture their magnificent coloring. Speaking of email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-80507108419637442592015-10-29T09:36:00.001-07:002015-10-29T09:36:29.245-07:00Be Royal this Halloween! We are enjoying all the sunny Fall days we can get here in Kansas! This week we are all about the ROYALS! No matter where you go everyone is decked out in their Royals t-shirts and gear, this town is Royals crazy and it's fun to be a part of! Games 1 and 2 won, now we're off to NYC! My Halloween candy is purchased for those little tricker treaters. We never know how many to expect, some years email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-1295879382135067002015-10-21T09:47:00.000-07:002015-10-21T09:47:09.199-07:00A weekend getaway Good morning and happy Wednesday or hump day for many people! The rock pictured looks like one large hump, but it is not! This is actually an Oklahoma historical landmark named Rock Mary, a large natural sandstone mound, once a prominent marker on the California road traveled by those brave pioneers in the mid 1800s. This unique landmark is on my son in law and daughters property where we spent email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-75821915321851680012015-10-13T08:35:00.000-07:002015-10-13T08:35:03.846-07:00Fall Frolics Boy we are having a beautiful weather this week here in Kansas! Sunday hubby and I took advantage of the pretty day and visited Dunn's Cider Mill. It seems we were not alone with that thought, it was packed with everyone craving the same thing....cider and apple cider doughnuts! Oh those doughnuts, they were making them fast and furious but could hardly keep up with the demand..... they are email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-29419407966617155232015-10-06T08:58:00.001-07:002015-10-06T08:58:31.931-07:00Happy October! Happy October! Temperatures are up and down here in Kansas, the heat went on this week and I put an extra blanket on the bed. I have a new design for you, "Fall Blooms Basket" was stitched in wool and looks perfect on my sideboard this time of year. You may find it on my website:http://www.cleoandme.com and also as a instant download in my Etsy shop under pdf patterns at:http://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5734158575086221595.post-14244668404562618852015-09-23T09:13:00.000-07:002015-09-23T09:13:27.246-07:00Celebrate! I don't know if you feel like me but isn't it hard to believe today is the 1st day of Fall! This year has flown by me and next we we'll be this thinking about you know what! Christmas! It's time to put your pedal to the metal... sewing machine pedal that is! I have a new design to get you started, "Christmas Candles" is my latest table runner pattern. Easy to piece, a touch of appliqué, this firstname.lastname@example.com


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suits, recently, have been my favorite things to throw on (see here) so when i saw blair eadie's collection had no shortage of matching suits, i couldn't help myself but to buy one! …yeah yeah yeah okay two! and the best part about blair's collection in collaboration with halogen, was the versatility and interchangeableness (is that even a word?) with one another so i felt so comfortable pairing this polka dotted blouse with the printed suit to complete the look!
suit: halgoen x atlantic-pacific (jacket and pants)
top: halgoen x atlantic-pacific
shoes: sam edelman
bag: m2malletier
earrings: chanel
bracelets: cartier
sunglasses: illesteva


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TRANSCOMA SHIPPING cooperates through its BUNKER DIVISION with a number of international fuel quality testing companies and has access to experienced technical experts, which means that we are well positioned to keep our partners fully informed about the latest regulations and industry standards.
Customers can always download on their web browser the latest information about the status of their supply operations directly from our systems using our WebTracking software. We understand that bunkers often represent a huge amount of the operating costs of a vessel, and that the ability to obtain competitive prices is an important budgeting tool in today's market. Our company is therefore committed to providing the most cost – effective and flexible solutions to our customers..


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ONE STORY - the Bible is a story of redemption, for God's people, through His Son.
OLD TESTAMENT - a collection of 39 books that outline the creation and history of God's people. God makes a covenant with His people to multiply them and provides rules for them to live by. they sin and break these rules a lot, but God promises to send a Savior to redeem them and establish a new covenant.
NEW TESTAMENT - a collection of 27 books that outline the redemption of God's people through Jesus and the good news people proclaimed about Him. God establishes a new covenant and a new way of life through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. God even sends His people the Holy Spirit as a sign of this new covenant until He comes back again.
BOOKS OF LAW - a collection of the first 5 books of the Bible, represented by shades of green. they are also referred to as the pentateuch or torah. these books set up a foundation for the rest of the old testament, including a few very important covenants made by God to adam, abraham, moses, and david. these books also contain the stories of the founding fathers of God's people {israel} and all the rules they were to live by in order to please God. the very same laws referred to by the pharisees in the new testament. it also tells the journey of God's people from slavery in egypt to life on the verge of the promise land.
BOOKS - genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, and deuteronomy
AUTHORS - moses
BOOKS OF HISTORY - a collection of 12 books represented by shades of orange, they come after the books of the law. these books chronicle the story of God's people {israelites/jews} from entering the promise land to rebuilding jerusalem after the bablyonian captivity.
BOOKS - joshua, judges, ruth, 1st & 2nd samuel, 1st & 2nd kings, 1st & 2nd chronicles, ezra, nehemiah, and esther
AUTHORS - joshua, samuel, nathan, gad, jeremiah, ezra, nehemiah, and mordecai
BOOKS OF WISDOM & POETRY - a collection of 5 books represented by shades of purple, comprising the middle section of the bible, they are made up of many great songs, poetry, life lessons, and proverbs, hence the name.
BOOKS - job, psalms, proverbs, ecclesiastes, and song of solomon
AUTHORS - moses, david, sons of korah, solomon, asaph, ethan the ezrahite, agur, lemuel, and a few unknown
MAJOR & MINOR PROPHETS - a collection of 17 books represented by shades of yellow, they make up the last section of the old testament, the first 5 books are the major prophets, the next 12 are minor prophets, these books tell about the prophets God sent to His people {israel} when they sinned and fell away from Him. they spoke convicting words when needed, but also words of God's love. the prophets all existed during the time of the books of history, intermingled from the time of the kings to after the bablyonian exile.
BOOKS - isaiah, jeremiah, lamentations, ezekiel, and daniel, hosea, joel, amos, obadiah, jonah, micah, nahum, habakkuk, zephaniah, haggai, zechariah, and malachi
AUTHORS - books are named for their authors, except lamentations which was written by jeremiah
THE GOSPELS - a collection of 4 books represented by shades of red, they are the first section of the new testament. matthew, mark, and luke are called the synoptic gospels because they were written around the same time, with john being written a little while later, the gospels convey the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, each from a different person's perspective. the gospels are the heart of the bible story, the moment we find redemption from the old covenant and are offered a new covenant.
BOOKS - matthew, mark, luke, and john
AUTHORS - books are named for their authors
NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY - one book represented by pink that comes right after the gospels. it tells the story of the first church after Jesus' death and resurrection, it follows the acts of the apostles and their ministry. majority of the book follows the adventures of paul ministering to the gentiles, but also chronicles the ministries of other apostles like peter and philip.
BOOK - acts
AUTHOR - luke
PAUL'S & GENERAL LETTERS - a collection of 21 books represented by shades of blue. the first 9 books are letters written by paul to groups of people, the next 4 books are letters written by paul to specific people, the next 8 books are general letters written by other people, and make up the majority of the new testament. these letters, also called epistles, were responses to questions and problems churches struggled with. they also called people out for their sinfulness and encouraged them in faith.
BOOKS - romans, 1st & 2nd corinthains, galatians, ephesians, philippians, colossians, 1st & 2nd thessalonians, 1st & 2nd timothy, titus, and philemon, hebrews, james, 1st & 2nd peter, 1st 2nd & 3rd john, and jude
AUTHORS - paul, james, peter, john, and jude
BOOK OF PROPHECY - one book represented by black, it is the last book of the bible. revelations is a prophecy of the end times john sees in a dream while outcast on an island, it talks about the return of Jesus, the end of satan's reign on earth, and heaven.
BOOK - revelations
AUTHOR - john


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Allie and Kina aren't taking Fall's humidity too well, and with no air condition in their house they flirt their way into getting their new neighbor to invite them for some fun pool action. Every girl likes to get wet in the summer even if its a load of cum split between their boobs. Collapse
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Summer is coming to an end but before that happens we've got some really exciting events coming up including the Allagash Lobster Bash and the very first release of beer from Urban Roots Brewing!
As some of you may know, our owner Rob Archie has partnered with brewmaster Peter Hoey to open up Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse in downtown Sacramento. Over the past few weeks, Peter has been brewing collaboration beers with Three Weavers, Alvarado Street and Cellarmaker. They'll be debuting these beers at Empress Tavern on September 7th, during an event for the California Craft Beer Summit and we hope you'll join us! More information and the link to purchase tickets is below.
Urban Roots Collaboration Release Party at Empress Tavern
Join us for the release of 3 collaboration beers masterminded by Urban Roots head brewer Peter Hoey. Peter has gone up and down the state to produce collaboration brews with Alvarado St, 3 Weavers, and Cellarmaker. We're shuttin' down Empress for this event to release these beers!
Attendees will receive 1 10-ounce pour of each of the 3 collaboration beers. Attendees will also receive a choice of either an Empress Burger, Fried Chicken or a Fried Green Tomato Sandwich (vegetarian). Additional drinks will be available for purchase at the Empress Bar. No other food (other than what is listed above +fries) will be available.
This event is not a seated dinner (though there will be some first-come-first-served seating available). Food and beer will be stationed in different parts of the restaurant for guests to access. Guests are encouraged to roam around.
Ticket includes a 15% service fee and taxes.. This is a 21 and over event. Menu is subject to change. Space is limited.
Click to Buy Tickets
Allagash Lobster Bash
Saturday August 26th
All Day Event
Once again our friends at Allagash Brewing Company are flying out fresh lobsters and supplying us with rare beers for what will be a full day of food and fun.
We'll be serving up lobster specials all day long and pouring these rare Allagash brews: Avance, Emile, Jospehine, Cuvee d'Industrial, Mattina Rossa, Windfall, Curieux, White, Hoppy Table Beer & St. Klippenstein.
This is an all day event with free entry, no tickets needed. Lobster specials and rare beers available for purchase while supplies last.
Disco Ninja Release Party
Thursday August 31 at 5PM
Join us on Thursday August 31st for the Sacramento can release of Disco Ninja, a Hazy NE IPA collaboration by Revision Brewing and Shoe Tree Brewing.
This is the first Hazy IPA from Revision and only their second can release. Cans will go on sale at 5PM sharp. We will also have Disco Ninja, Leafy Greens, and Citra Revenge on tap until the kegs kick!


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Apple made a few announcements yesterday that may have an impact on the devices you use on a daily basis. Those are listed below as well as some other announcements on devices. Feel free to follow the links for more information.
- iOS 9.3 update - For newer iPhones and iPads
- OS X 10.11.4 update - comes down through Apple Update on a laptop or desktop
Feel free to apply the update to your device when you feel comfortable. They are pretty big updates and it will take some time to download and install.
Other news from Apple
- Apple introduces iPhone SE with a 4" display
- Apple introduces iPad Pro with a 9.7" display
- Apple introduces CareKit and RearchKit - medical apps to help keep track of your health
There were other announcements as well, but just wanted to let you know about the updates. Again, there is no reason to update unless you feel compelled to do so.


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Snake River Farms Kobe Center Cut Filet/
About a month ago, I ordered a Snake River Farms Kobe Center Cut Filet, which I decided to cook for The Missus on her birthday, which we spent in Big Bear Lake, CA. Special occasions demand special meat!
Here's a view from our friends' place balcony, where the festivities took place:
Vision Kamado with gear at the ready:
So here's how the beef looked in the package:
I was expecting a bit more marbling from a piece of Kobe filet:
I rubbed the meat with a combo of ground pepper, sea salt, coffee, turbinado sugar, and a bit of paprika, as I wanted the meat to have a really nice crust.
Fired up the Kamado with mesquite lump:
And on it went:
About 40 minutes into the cook, and turned once:
I pulled the meat when the internal reached 125 degrees. I was advised that this cut fares better at close to medium, so I figured it would come up to about 135 during the rest.
And here it is sliced:
Closer look:
Everyone was exclaiming how great it was while we ate, including moi. Yes, we served the meat with some other goodies, like a homemade Caesar Salad and grilled asparagus, but the meat was the star of this dinner, and what better occasion than your lovely wife's birthday?
At $150 for the roast, which weighed in at about 1.5 lbs that comes out to $37.50 per person, but if you think about it, you'd easily pay 2-3 times that at an upper tier steakhouse, so that's a pretty darn good deal in my book.


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Tunde Adeleke
|Liberal Arts & Sciences Administration
|603 Ross
527 Farm House Ln.
Ames IA
I am a nineteenth century African Americanist by training. However, my teaching and research interests include themes in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. I am presently a professor of history and director of the African and African American Studies Program (AAAS). I teach a combination of African and African American History/Studies courses. A native of Nigeria, I came to the United States in 1990 after working in the Nigerian University system for about a decade. I was hired in 2006 at Iowa State to teach in, and administer, the AAAS Program. Prior to coming to Iowa State, I taught in several American universities including the Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio), Loyola University of New Orleans, Louisiana, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana), and the University of Montana.
- Education
- Ph.D. University of Western Ontario, 1985


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It is as summerey as sangria and sun cream.
Yet the humble British strawberry, adored by the sporty set at Wimbledon, Ascot and Henley, is due in the shops today – pancake Tuesday – and we're still in wintry February.
While the traditional season for homegrown strawberries does not officially begin until May 1, fruit grown in Lancashire will be on sale in local supermarkets two months early.
Hard on the heels of National Strawberry Day yesterday, one grower based in Kirkham is picking, punneting and delivering to stores this morning, February 28.
"It is the first time for a very long time we have ever picked in February," said a spokesperson for Medlar Fruit Farms. "It's normally March for our first crop."
According to the growers' body British Summer Fruits, the berry season is from May 1 to the end of September. Only 25 years ago it only lasted six weeks. But improvements in technology, coupled with milder temperatures, have now given growers up to nine months of production.
Medlar, of Solarium Nurseries in Kirkham, is one of Lancashire's biggest strawberry producers . Talking about the early harvest, managing director Steve Bell said: "We're pleased to have been able to put Lancashire well and truly on the map for strawberries. "We've been working with Tesco to extend the British season so that shoopers can enjoy them for even longer."
Tesco and Marks & Spencer have said they will have British strawberries in selected stores today. Henry Maulik, Tesco's buyer, said: "The arrival of the first British strawberries marks the start of the UK fruit season and it is a great indicator that spring is just around the corner."


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Join us as we celebrate the opening of the temporary exhibition Samurai and the Culture of Japan's Great Peace. Through more than 150 objects, many of which have never been on display, this exhibition will explore the fascinating history of the samurai from their violent beginnings to the 250-year Great Peace that marked the final period of their reign. We'll have games, craft activities, a scavenger hunt and performances. Come and learn about the samurai and Japanese culture.
11:30 am Fire Horse Aikido, children and adults will be demonstrating the typical movements and techniques of Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art, and Iaido, traditional Japanese sword-drawing. Fire Horse Aikido Chief Instructor Liese Klein is a graduate of Yale College and completed a four-year Aikido teacher training program in addition to studying Aikido and Iaido in Japan for three years.
Japanese calligraphy, or shodo, is the practice of writing the Japanese language with ink and a brush. Keiko Ishibe has been practicing shodo since the age of 6 and is ranked 7th dan in the Yugensha School. She also has a professional license to teach Japanese tea ceremony of the Omotesenke School and Japanese flower arrangement of the Ikenobou school.
1:00 pm Taikoza uses the powerful rhythms of the Taiko drums to create an electrifying energy that carries audiences in a new dimension of excitement. The Taiko is a large, barrel-like drum that can fill the air with the sounds of rolling thunder. Roughly translated, Taiko means "big drums"—and that's exactly what Taikoza brings. Big drums, powerful rhythms, and electrifying, room-thumping energy.
2:00 pm Yale Aikido campus group will show vignettes from their class on this modern Japanese martial art, which is a modern budo study with technical origins and moral values evolved from the samurai. The children's class will also present from their current study topics.


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Some organisational cultures can find it difficult to adapt to an Agile mindset. Central to adopting an Agile approach is emphasising visibility and transparency. This includes making everything (including bad news) visible across the entire organisation. It also means prioritising face-to-face communication. Finally, open team reflection is critical to identifying where things went wrong and how they should improve.
One organisation that has done this successfully is online bank, UBank. Bulletproof was engaged by UBank in July to provide Agile coaching for ten weeks across four product teams in its digital division.
The bank – which says it operates more like FinTech with a banking licence – wanted to improve the speed and predictability of its team's ability to deliver new features to customers.
Bulletproof started by using a DevOps/Agile Maturity assessment which highlighted what the teams needed to focus on first. The first priority was to improve collaboration - both within the development teams and across development and operations teams (also called 'DevOps enablement').
To help drive the Agile approach even further, UBank's digital team was recently organised into four cross-functional scrum teams, rather than by role-based functions. Cross-functional teams are used to foster a culture of innovation and encourage out-of-the-box thinking and problem solving.
How quickly were benefits gained?
Within four weeks, we saw huge improvements. By introducing some of the key Agile concepts, one of the biggest changes we observed was a feeling of 'shared ownership' across each team.
Originally, the teams thought it was a positive thing for individuals to own their own requirement, which they developed as part of a release. It was believed that individual ownership increased the quality of the code.
The cross-functional scrum teams had recently been formed, so the first step was to ensure they 'felt like a team'. Moving to scrum teams rather than specialised role-based teams can be a difficult cultural shift for some organisations. To achieve this cultural shift, teams sat together, went out for team lunches, met face-to-face multiple times a day and participated in team-building exercises.
UBank's head of digital, Jeremy Hubbard has a different approach to managing the digital team.
"It's important to me that there are no silos within the product teams – whether you are a developer, business analyst or tester, we want everyone to speak up and be heard and provide input into the products we deliver to our customers," he says.
"The aim is to make sure the entire team is personally connected to and invested in the customer outcome. We also find that by listening to everyone, there is more room for innovation."
Within a few weeks, UBank's flat structure enabled this reorganisation of teams to work smoothly. The teams started talking a lot more, sharing development work, doing code reviews on each other's code, and clarifying with the product owner when they weren't clear on exactly what they should be developing.
We introduced 'communities of practice' to ensure best-practices were adhered to across scrum teams.
Rather than the scrum team 'just dealing with an issue', and waiting on operations to help resolve a roadblock, it was easier to proactively solve problems. For example, one team created a stubbed-out test environment to enable them to overcome issues they were having with accessing back-end systems. Taking on this type of team-based problem solving related to both development and operations-related issues is a big step towards becoming DevOps-enabled.
We found that over the initial ten week Agile coaching engagement, development team productivity increased by over 200 per cent. Originally one developer could accomplish about five days of development effort across a fifteen day period. By the end of the ten weeks, one developer could accomplish about ten days of development effort across this same period.
Why did UBank gain benefits so quickly?
UBank's culture differs from a traditional bank. They have actively worked on building a friendly, laid-back, no-blame environment. If you ask anyone who works at UBank, they will be able to tell you that their vision is to be 'Australia's most referred brand'.
It's a message that everyone understands. Given that the vision is communicated clearly, it is then easy to link everything that the team does back to the overall goal.
Strong executive support helped ensure success. Taking UBank's CEO and other divisional leaders on the Agile journey helped guide the business transformation that the digital team was trying to achieve. To accomplish this, Bulletproof coaches worked with the product owners to link UBank's goals to the initiatives that the digital team worked on.
Linking the overall goals to these initiatives was only possible by implementing the 'user story' format for product requirements, which summarises the reason that a feature is required. Rather than a requirement worded as 'Develop APIs for banking' it was repositioned as 'Make it easier to make changes to banking products going forward'.
One of the UBank product owners, Ben Drayton feels that after 10 weeks, "the whole organisation has a much better understanding of not only what we are building, but also why we are building it."
What's next for UBank?
Now that the teams have improved their collaboration within the scrum teams, we find the teams adapt to changing requirements more easily. Everyone is clear on exactly what will be delivered every sprint and they stick to their sprint commitments.
There are still further improvements to be made if UBank hopes to release these changes out to production more frequently. The next key focus will be on enhancing the DevOps culture by ensuring more collaboration occurs across development and operations teams.
Is your organisation well-suited to Agile?
Not every organisation has the culture that UBank has and is able to realise the benefits of Agile as quickly as they have. It helps if you already have a clear organisational vision, visibility, communication and a friendly, laid-back, no-blame culture.
However, if you're not there yet, there are some key takeaways that you can look into before you start your Agile journey. They include:
- Have a clear organisational vision: Have buy-in across the business about what your purpose is. Development teams must understand how what they are building ties back to this vision. This creates an innovative environment that encourages teams to problem-solve towards a common goal.
- Provide visibility at the executive level: It's important that everyone has visibility into why the cross-functional development teams are working on certain initiatives. This is only possible if requirements are tied to goals and positioned as business outcomes.
- Foster a trusting environment: Software development is complex in nature which means issues will always arise. The teams must feel that they can raise issues and discuss alternatives without fear of being blamed. Open team reflection means they will continuously improve and become more productive.
Lorraine Pauls Longhurst is the Agile/DevOps Manager and Coach at Bulletproof. Lorraine specialises in consulting with businesses on their overall Agile/DevOps strategy.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


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50 Greatest Songs of Hawaii
An esteemed panel of musicologists, producers and artists select the 50 greatest songs in Hawai'i music history.
(page 7 of 7)
43. Pūpū Hinuhinu
By Winona Beamer, 1949
Nona Beamer and son Keola.
Beamer says she wrote this lullaby after returning from a tour in 1949. "I had a little lullaby for the girls in the family, but I didn't have anything for the boys," she says. "I thought, I should write something simple and sweet that I can use in the classrooms." The lyrics use the image of cowrie shells as a bedtime metaphor. Beamer explains, "Shells are like people, they get tired and so when the sun goes down, we should put the little shells to sleep."
44. Pālehua
Lyrics by Amy Hānaiali'i Gilliom, Music by William Kahaiali'i, 1998
This song was actually inspired, composed and recorded right in Pālehua. "This one morning was absolutely incredible," she recalls. "Once the fog parted, everything became so clear." Willie K composed the melody using a custom slack-key tuning. "If you listen closely, you can hear little birds in the background," Gilliom says. "We actually went outside the studio and recorded in the bushes."
45. To You Sweetheart Aloha
By Harry Owens, 1935
This 1935 Harry Owens composition was once an essential part of an evening out on the town in Hawai'i. "Anybody who came to the Islands in the days after it came out would have heard that song," says Hula Records founder Don McDiarmid Jr. "For the dance bands in nightclubs around Waikïkï, it became a signature way to end the evening." In fact, because of its lyrics, it was often used as a farewell song in place of "Aloha 'Oe."
46. You Ku'uipo
Lyrics by Gilbert Belmudez, Music by William Kahaiali'i, 1990
For lyricist Gilbert Belmudez, the ipo (sweetheart) of the song is Hawai'i itself. "I wrote 'You Ku'uipo' as a thank you to the Islands for the beauty and the love that they taught me." He wrote most of the lyrics in 1984, while living on Maui, but it wasn't until 1990, when he met up with old friend Willie Kahaiali'i in San Francisco, that words and music came together. An insanely catchy, soaring chorus has made this song a radio staple ever since.
47. I'll Weave A Lei of Stars for You
By R. Alex Anderson, 1948
Another standout from Anderson's prolific career, which includes more than 200 songs. It's become a signature of singer Emma Veary, who says she's never gotten tired of performing the tune. "The lyrics are just breathtakingly romantic," she says. "The lei is a special Hawai'i symbol for people, and in this song it's a lei of love, really. R. Alex Anderson was just a lovely man, a sweet person, and that comes across in his music."
48. Ke Alaula
Lyrics by William K. Pānui, Music by Louis R. Kauakahi, 1994
This title track from the Makaha Sons' 1994 album, Ke Alaula, was originally written as a chant for Hālau Nā Mamoali'i o Ka'uiki, a keiki hālau in Maui. Moon says the lyrics draw parallels between Western and Hawaiian religious traditions, describing the rising and setting of the sun. "Man is like that: one day our sun will set," he explains. "But it's a cycle. We live, we die, someone else lives and dies. It keeps going."
49. Ho'onānea
By Lena Machado, 1933
While Machado's soprano-falsetto earned her the title "Hawai'i's Songbird," she was equally accomplished as a composer, with at least 60 song credits. In Machado's 2006 songbook, hānai daughter Pi'olani Motta explains how Machado listened to the lively stories told by local lei sellers. "Ho'onānea" borrowed from their tales "about romance, about affairs that began with dancing in the moonlight and ended with passionate moments of love that sent people soaring like birds."
50. Nightbird
By Mackey Feary, 1975
Photo: Bishop Museum
With their pleasing harmonies and pop-oriented songs about life in the Islands, Kalapana became one of the most successful local bands of the 1970s. Its hit tunesmiths were Mackey Feary and Malani Bilyeu, with Feary composing "Nightbird" as a teenager. "If you listen very closely to his lyrics, you'll know his life story, because he often wrote about whatever was happening in his life," says Kalapana member Gaylord Holomalia.


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In the event that there is ever a problem with your jewelry or you are in need of other services that are not covered under our lifetime warranty, your jewelry can be mailed back to our office for evaluation. Once inspected, should charges apply, you will be notified prior to any work being done to service your jewelry.
Please Contact Us if you have any questions or would like to return your item(s) to take advantage of our free lifetime warranty or request additional repair work needed to service your Princess Bride Diamonds jewelry.


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So today I google "I love my fiance" just because I love my fiance lol and one of the first post that showed up was from a girl and she prattled off 100 reason why she loves her fiance. I was so touched by their relationship that I decided to do the same. Here goes hopefully I can list just 100 things.
1. The way he loved his mother and his sister.
2. He can talk to anyone and they will love him
3. He respects women and I never feel like he would harm me.
4. I feel safe with my fiance because I know he would never let others harm me.
5. He roots for my football teams (except the Steelers).
6. He has cute little feet so I can share his socks.
7. He is super encouraging.
8. He is a camera ham.
9. Smells like sunshine, umbrellas and expensive cologne.
10. Washing my laundry with no complaints.
11. He is open to listening to the type of music that I like and being more diverse
12. Every now and then I catch him doing a cute little butt dance.
13. Marcus is a great dancer and its pretty cute.
14. Takes the time to buy me gifts that I actually like.
15. Cares about what he looks like and how he represents himself and us in public.
16. He is religious but not a hypocrit and shares a lot of my beliefs on God.
17. Encourages me not to work out which sounds bad, yes I know, but he likes me the way I am which rocks
18. He is a snuggler.
19. He smiles at me while he is falling asleep like a little baby.
20. Some times when we are at the mall, we baby watch together. i.e. coo at the same babies
21. Lets me complain without complaining about my complaining.
22. We hate the same attributes in people.
23. If I have an opposing views on something, most times, he hears me out before making a call.
24. He lets me control the remote. Nuff said.
25. Marcus watched the movie Tangled alone and harassed me into seeing it because he just knew I would love it.
26. He secretly is as big of a Harry Potter buff as I am.
27. Watching sports is not obligatory in our household.
28. His hero is his father and I darn near cried when I found that out. How stinking cute is that. It's really rare that you find an African American male who is able to look up to their father.
29. He is interested in traveling.
30. He made me dinner tonight! And the mashed tatoes were homemade and delicious!!!!
31. He never calls me by my name just my position. "Bay"
32. Knows I dont particularly enjoy derivatives of my name & ensures that he refers to me as Victoria to others.
33. He puts up with my family even though they are sometimes @$$holes to about him.
34. Marcus lent me his family when I needed one most.
35 When I asked to do something insane and often asinine, he agrees to let me instead of shooting it down.
36.He thinks about how it would make me look before he tells people information about our relationship.
37. He CRACKS ME UP! Marcus is funny as crap when it's just the two of us.
38. He gives off a ridiculous amount of body heat in the winter like a bear.
39. He texts me to let me know where he is so that I won't worry.
40. He is the grandmaster of Febreeze! He and his mother drench carpets in it.
41. He does not video game but recently acquired a love for Gears of War that I am tickled by.
42. If I can't find him I know to look at "Mike's Apt".
43. The way he talks in his sleep is hilarious. Nap time is so funny.
44. He secretly reads my blog because sometimes it slips in conversation.
45. He picks me up from my classes because he enjoys seeing me just because
46. He squeals in excitement and makes this noise when he hasn't seen me in a long time "EEEEEEEYA"
47. He too is a foody something like myself.
48. He considers feeding people loving them just like I do.
49. He is incredibly loving once you let him in it just takes a while.
50.He doesn't harass me when I shop a long time unless I spend a long time in the hair aisle in a store *sheepish face*
51. Before he walks out a room, he turns the tv to a channel I would like.
52. He feeds my coupon addiction.
53. He bought my engagement ring secretly and even asked my father like I care about his opinion.
54. He is romantic at heart.
55. he gives the best cheer me up kisses.
56. He takes initiative.
57. He always leaves the last piece of food for me 🙂
58. He got this shelf for his apartment just because "you would like this because it's rustic bay"
59. He had his friends walk me places when he couldn't freshman year because the world isnt safe lol
60. When there was "a shooting on campus" he took off to find me because he knew I was in a building near the shooter. How romantic.
61. he likes getting new school supplies and it is totally adorable.
62. He puts clorox in the dishwasher because he is paranoid.
63. He let me help pick out his car and even gave me a key to it.
64. He doesn't scold me when I do something stupid.
65. he is supportive of me being a doctor.
66. He encourages me and gives rational reasons why I can do it instead of feeding me flowery sentiments.
67. Today I didn't start studying until 4pm and he said, "I dont see anything wrong with it since you know you are most productive at night". That is so appreciated because I felt awful.
68.Marcus is not ashamed by the fact that he remembers episodes of sex and the city.
69. He too thinks Miranda is an idiot lesbian on that show.
70. He likes the sight of me in his sweat pants.
71 He encouraged me to go natural and doesn't discourage me when I spent hours trying to figure out how to go about it.
72 He gives no input on our wedding because he knows I have been picking out wedding details forever.
73. He doesn't try and get to know my friends because he knows I don't like to share and they are none of his business.
74. He is an amazing teacher. Everything has a real world connection with him.
75. He has significantly toned down the violence factor since we got together.
76. When I purposely do something out of line, he hears me out knowing that I have a good reason.
77. He is interested in hearing about what I dreampt about when I call him at 3am to tell him.
78. He is spontaneous. Yesterday out of the blue we just decided to buy bikes for no particular reason.
79. If I ask for ANYTHING, he gives it. Marcus would find a way to give me the world if I ask for it.
80. He is faithful to me and me alone. I am numero uno in Marcus' world. Everyone else is just some square.
81. He understands that republican are clowns while still understanding that democrats are clowns.
82. Marcus doesn't live behind rose colored glasses. The world is real to him.
83. He took me home with him before we were even dating because I wanted to shower without shoes on.
84. He gets good grades for me. Because I find them important not because he wants to.
85. The way cute old ladies gravitate towards him. He went to a nursing home with MY class and he helped this hold lady defeat my kids in Sorry! I have never wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
86. He is going to be an amazing doctor one day because he cares about actual people and not just the money.
87. He is packed with a RIDICULOUS amount of random facts.
88. He like my cooking.
89. He use to sleep on his little sisters floor just to keep her company.
90. He teaches a class of 5th grade crumb snatchers with me and he is excited about it.
91. He enjoys rainy days because it gives him a chance to snuggle me.
92. He sent me flowers just because when I went home a year ago and they were my favorites.
93. He pursued me even when I said I didn't want him lol.
94. The way he is considerate. He was going to send me flowers in class but didn't do it because he knew I am easily embarassed.
95. He just rolls his eyes when I'm wounding myself into an anxiety attack because he knows I have nothing to worry about.
96. He checks food for stuff I'm allergic to 🙂
97. He lets me be me waaaay more often then he should lol.
98. He doesn't kiss me in public or match his clothes to mine because he knows I get embarassed easily again.
99. He bought me a bag of purple stuff (little teddy bears, sticks of gum, chapstick etc) freshman year just because I'm obsessed with it.


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A patch of sunshine on the end of my driveway this morning.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
The Skateboard Park
Thursday, August 28, 2008
There are a lot of formal gardens here in Stratford. But every so often you see an abandoned piece of land, left to do what it pleases.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Two Health Clubs
There's the concrete bunker on the left and the one with the flowers on the porch on the right.
Which would you choose?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Stratford Train Station
We can hear the trains from our new apartment. It's such a romantic sound.
Where would you like to go?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Perth County Courthouse
I've always wanted to try to paint a picture of this building. But with all those windows and the patterns in the bricks, photographing it is easier on my patience!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Back Again
Two weeks turned out to be three, but we finally have an internet connection again!
I took this picture today, on my way downtown. I think that railroad tracks, no matter where they lead, or how infrequently they're used, are inherently exciting. It's that air of possibility, that whiff of adventure....
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Life's a Blur
My husband and I are moving to new digs tomorrow.
It's actually a three-step process, including some time with no internet connection. So I'm afraid I need to take a two week blogging break.
I will have a whole new neighbourhood to explore, though, so I'll be back August 18 with lots of pictures to share!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Sapori Restaurant
An interesting roofline over Sapori Restaurant.


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Privacy Policy
Your privacy is important to us.
The Eatery Group is located at:
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It is The Eatery's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our website. This Privacy Policy applies to WWW.EATERYGROUP.COM.AU (hereinafter, "us", "we", or "www.eaterygroup.com.au"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting personally identifiable information you may provide us through the Website. We have adopted this privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") to explain what information may be collected on our Website, how we use this information, and under what circumstances we may disclose the information to third parties. This Privacy Policy applies only to information we collect through the Website and does not apply to our collection of information from other sources.
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We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third-party sites, products or services.
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You can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Preferences page, and if you want to you can opt out of interest-based advertising entirely by cookie settings or permanently using a browser plugin.
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The Eatery discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organisations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on The Eatery's behalf or to provide services available at The Eatery's website, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organisations may be located outside of your home country; by using The Eatery's website, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. The Eatery will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organisations, as described above, The Eatery discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when The Eatery believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of The Eatery, third parties or the public at large.
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A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor's computer, and that the visitor's browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. The Eatery uses cookies to help The Eatery identify and track visitors, their usage of http://www.eaterygroup.com.au, and their website access preferences. The Eatery visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using The Eatery's websites, with the drawback that certain features of The Eatery's websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
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Letter from the incoming editor-in-chief
The most valuable lesson I've learned in life is to make plans knowing none of them will happen. If you had ever asked if I was planning on running a student newspaper, I would have laughed.
In fact that's exactly what happened when I was first asked if I was applying to be The Clocktower Editor-in-Chief. Not in a cynical way, but in a "I couldn't possibly do that" kind of way.
However, good friends, mentors and the subtle leadings of God have a way of putting us on paths we didn't see ourselves capable of walking.
I'm beyond excited for the year to come.
The year ahead will be one of growth. In the words of my predecessor Emily from her incoming letter, "I'll make plenty of mistakes as editor-in-chief. Please forgive me in advance. But know that each article and issue produced is done with you, the students and readers, in mind."
Please forgive me in advance for the small typos I miss, the occasional error in the details and the moments I bite off more than I can chew.
It's my mission and vision to bring you a publication that unites us together as students, peers and children of God.
May the next year be one of the best we ever have.
Gabriel Flechas
P.S. If you have an interest in joining us on this journey, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I'm happy to answer questions. You can email me personally, fill out the form on squirrel hub and/or send an email to email@example.com. I'd love to have a conversation!
Gabriel Flechas is a sophomore studying Business Administration and Engineering Studies


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Digital Citizenship: Resource Roundup | Edutopia
Check out Edutopia's collection of articles, videos, and other resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy.
Tag Archives: digital literacy
Worth a read 09/21/2014
21st Century Fluencies | Global Digital Citizen Foundation
The 21st Century Fluencies are not about hardware, they are about headware and heartware.
We need to move our thinking beyond our primary focus on traditional literacy to an additional set of 21st-century fluencies that reflect the times we live in. That's the essence of the 21st Century Fluencies! Today, it's essential that all of our students have a wide range of skills that develop the ability to function within a rapidly changing society—skills far beyond those that were needed in the 20th century. These skills are not about technological prowess. The essential 21st Century Fluencies are not about hardware; they are about headware and heartware! This means critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, innovation, and so much more. These aren't just for the students, though. The 21st Century Fluencies are process skills that we all need, and there is as much benefit in cultivating them within yourself as within your classroom.
Worth a read 08/05/2014
10 Things You Didn't Know You Agreed to via Terms of Service | Global Digital Citizen Foundation
The terms of service, also known as the document you're supposed to read before signing up for a site or platform, is a treasure trove of legal guidelines, rules and permissions that few people really care about.
But there are a few things you're agreeing to, hidden within the jargon, that might change the way you use the web. Some permissions, like keeping personal information, protecting copyrights and preventing impersonation, are well-known and relatively innocuous. That said, there's a chance you're violating a term of service without even realizing it.
Here are 10 things you didn't realize you agreed to in the social network terms of service you didn't read, but we did.
10 Interactive Lessons By Google On Digital Citizenship | Global Digital Citizen Foundation
YouTube has a firm place in the current classroom. From Khan Academy's videos to YouTube EDU and beyond, there's a reason all these videos are finding a home in schools. In an effort to help keep the ball rolling, Google just launched a set of 10 interactive lessons designed to support teachers in educating students on digital citizenship. A topic obviously quite close to Google's heart.
Google (which owns YouTube) built the lessons to educate students about YouTube's policies, how to flag content, how to be a safer online citizen, and protect their identities.
[There] is a list of lessons, and the recommended flow for delivery. Lessons are designed to fit within 50 minute classes, but can be adapted to fit your schedule:
Worth a read 05/29/2014
From Knowledgable to Knowledge-able: Learning in New Media Environments | The Academic Commons (beta)
"This new media environment can be enormously disruptive to our current teaching methods and philosophies. As we increasingly move toward an environment of instant and infinite information, it becomes less important for students to know, memorize, or recall information, and more important for them to be able to find, sort, analyze, share, discuss, critique, and create information. They need to move from being simply knowledgeable to being knowledge-able."
In a world of nearly infinite information, we must first address why, facilitate how, and let the what generate naturally from there.
Worth a read 04/29/2014
Guiding Student Writers as They Work with Digital Tools | MiddleWeb
From Google Docs to Prezis to whatever new app will come out tomorrow, we know that students want to share their ideas across various forms of media. However, as with all writing, when we ask students to be digital writers, we must also provide them with strong mentor texts as well as good instruction to guide them.