text:
Like most people on this planet, we've been undergoing huge shifts and transitions over the past year.
Our son, now in 8th grade, who has been in either Waldorf School or Homeschooled his whole life, began attending public Jr. High, in a huge city. The days are crammed, classes are 40 min. long, material is rushed, there are 8 periods, and 33 kids in his class, and for the first time in his life he's being rushed, pressured, stretched, and overall being asked to "deal", stay up late, get up early, and produce work. His teachers are overall, and all things considering, quite good, and some even create interesting assignments, but the result of all of the above is a kid who prefers to "check out" and watch The Walking Dead (??) or video games when there is not something he is being made to do. " I just want to escape the nightmare mom, for a little longer." "Mom, the whole thing is so pointless, I'm not even learning anything, I forget it as soon as I don't even need to know it any longer." Socially he is fine, unlike my own experiences at that age, the kids are all quite pleasant to each-other. However, he missed 5 days since September due to illness and he got behind, and since there is a somewhat factory-like system to it all, he can't catch his breath nor catch up. From 5 isolated days. There are 4 minutes in between periods, so there is precious little time to talk with a teacher after class. I suspect those of us who are used to asserting ourselves and know how to be proactive would find this difficult to navigate. Yes, he is learning how to deal with these things, but in the meantime the freight train speeds ahead. There is no time for mistakes, and less time than none to correct them. And I don't remember kids being strung out because they did not have the math gene. Maybe they were, and I was not aware? Woe is the child who is not brilliant in math these days.
Yet, on the other hand the pushing has shown him he can write, something he was loathe to do before, he is learning how to organize himself, and that it matters. He is also learning to see areas where he has abilities that he'd taken for granted. All this is wonderful, and things we'd hoped he'd discover in school. Things we could not provide the right inspiration and motivation to discover at home. Ha! He's also learning to appreciate his life before school.
I find myself torn, constantly, between warring questions about what is the best thing to do. One the one hand, we all need to learn how to "deal". We all need to learn how to navigate the reality that life is not always pleasant, and that people will demand we do things that we neither like, nor agree with, nor even believe in, and that in some cases we must. Yet, I spend much time trying to craft my own life into one where the pace is human. Don't we all read memes like this every day on facebook? I find that health and wholeness is more available when surrounded by beauty and up until this point, this was the parameter for our family. (Aside form my husband who works his butt off everyday and an hour long commute into the city.)
With all this weighing heavily in my mind, I watched a kid speak the other day of the irony of schools never teaching us what we as adults struggle to do our entire adult lives, which is live a fulfilling, satisfying, life full of joy and richness and meaning. And I wonder, is this challenge we are putting our son through, really the right thing to do? Is it going to make things better for him, or worse? What happens to children when they are rushed beyond their natural inner rhythms? Is this where those deep health issues begin? Must it be a choice between character growth and physical health?
Initially, we realized that homeschooling was not working because there was nobody or nothing to motivate our then 13 year old to test himself, to try new things. He is reflective, and creative by nature, but also one who naturally takes the easiest road possible. Less is more, is his motto for living. He was wanting to spend more and more time on his iPad. I have been told this is a natural state for young teens, but still it was very difficult to watch, and hold back the rushing river was even harder. I am not a scheduler, by nature, and as an artist and herb crafter my work is one that requires some degree of quiet mental space and reflection time. At first this worked well and beautifully. He'd be home at times, and out at times taking some classes or playing in the park in the afternoons each day. In between we'd spend a few concentrated hours at home learning meaningful things. But, there came a point when he needed to be out and about more, to be challenged more and by other people, than I could provide. As I mentioned earlier, he is not a natural out-and about-er, so it would take much effort on my part to make things happen. With a 7 year old, or a 10 year old, this is all fine an dandy, but with a teen who is starting to declare their independence? Battles and strife. The end result after a year of much discussion was a unanimous decision that school was the next best step. He was excited for it. Private tuition was out of the question so the local public school it would be.
Sadly, school, especially here, and especially public school is not what it was 30 years ago. Class periods are bizarrely short, and teachers are pushed to race through material to be ready for the statewide testing, and now with the new Core Curriculum, the testing stakes are even higher and the material even more convoluted. Even Art class is contrived to meet "Educational Standards." (I have the deepest admiration for his art teacher who seems to really strive to find a creative solution to the the DoE shackles.) The kids are part of a machine that is running for someone else's benefit, no their own.
So here we are perched waiting to see what each day brings and hoping for answers. The questions circle my mind and tangle up from time to time. I completely disagree with the whole system, yet, I wonder if my own vision of life and aesthetic and philosophy is what has gotten us into this mess in the first place. Was life too good, too beautiful, to relaxed for his development and growth of character? I wonder. Like I said, I have no answers and way too many questions.


text:
February 16, 2011
Surrounded by 3 Whitworth players, Whitman;s Tiffani Brewer looks for help from a fellow Missionary.
Stories this photo appears in:
GALLERY — Whitman women top Whitworth
The Missionaries down Whitworth, 74-61, and they can wrap up a playoff spot with a win Friday at Pacific.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Had a problem with an instructional DVD, that wouldn't play. No reply from the manufacturer on a replacement DVD. Jeff Mash from MJM Magic, on a...Read More ->
I don't know why I shop around when I'm buying supplies or effects. MJM always has what I'm looking for and they have the best prices around. That's...Read More ->


text:
David Ferrer rocks Mikhail Youzhny
PARIS -- Mikhail Youzhny was having such a bad day in the third round of the French Open that he felt the need to apologize, right on court during the match.
The 27th-seeded Russian scraped "SORRI" into the clay with his right foot in the middle of his 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 loss to No. 6 David Ferrer on Saturday.
More French Open Coverage
The big three are around after one week. Shocker! Greg Garber will tell you just how dominant they were. Story
John Isner played like a thousand games. Serena shed nearly as many tears. But it was Richard Gasquet who takes the cake (and simultaneously lost his lunch) in our Week 1 awards, writes Ravi Ubha. Story
• Bryant: The trouble with trouble
• Tandon: Berdych's grand plan
• What we learned | Slam Central
• Looking ahead to Day 8
"There was a lot of people. That's why I write 'sorry.' Because I can't show them a nice game," Youzhny said. "The way we played in the beginning, it was not really interesting for people."
Youzhny is well-known for a more painful on-court meltdown. In 2008 at the Sony Ericsson Open, Youzhny whacked himself in the head with his racket three times after losing a point. The antic left him with a thick stream of blood running from his hairline down his nose.
Rafael Nadal on the other hand, had no reason for contrition.
Nadal improved his record at the clay-court tournament to 48-1, beating Eduardo Schwank of Argentina 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.
The second-seeded Spaniard has lost only 17 games in nine sets at this year's tournament.
Nadal, who has won the French Open title six times, will next face No. 13 Juan Monaco of Spain. Monaco beat No. 19 Milos Raonic of Canada 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
"I'm in the second week, so that's the important thing," Nadal said. "I start the most difficult week now with a big confrontation against Monaco. He's playing great. He's having a fantastic season."
Fourth-seeded Andy Murray also advanced, showing no ill effects of a bad back he complained of during a second-round win.
He beat Colombia's Santiago Giraldo a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Murray never lost his serve and faced break point only once in the 2 hour, 2 minute win.
"When you're playing in Slams, I just think each day you need to take it as it comes," Murray said. "And I felt much better than I did the other day."
Murray, trying to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the sixth straight time, will next face Richard Gasquet.
Against Ferrer, Youzhny won his first game early in the second set, making it 2-1. He held serve at love when Ferrer sent a forehand return into the net. But instead of heading straight for his chair for the changeover, he stopped just inside the service line and started writing out his message.
Complete coverage
Need the scores and stats from today's matches at the French Open? Courtcast
A ball boy stood nearby with Youzhny's towel, and then backed off as the Russian continued drawing out the letters.
"People in the stands may not have noticed, but I think I had to do this," Youzhny said.
Ferrer said he didn't even see it.
"I don't know why he put this in the court, but I don't have (anything) to say," said Ferrer, who is in the fourth round at Roland Garros for the fourth time.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
French Open 2012
2011 champions
Women's singles:
Li Na
Men's singles:
Rafael Nadal
Women's doubles:
Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka
Men's doubles:
Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor
Mixed doubles:
Casey Dellacqua and Scott Lipsky
Slam Central »
Follow us on Twitter »
Watch on ESPN
Day 16
• Nadal captures record 7th French title
• Bryant: Rafa overcomes rain and Djoker
• Bryant: Rafael Nadal's belief restored
• Rafa ecstatic with win
Day 15
• French Open final postponed in fourth set
• Garber: The painful wait for history
• Which player benefits from the delay?
Day 14
• Garber: A sterling career for Maria Sharapova
• Gerstner: Sharapova sensational in win
• Garber: Bryan Brothers still in the hunt
• Bryant: History will fall, one way or the other
• Bodo: Djoker needs a lot of help
• Hot Button: Who will win the men's final?
• SportsNation: Who do you think will win?
• Analysis: Sharapova finally does it
• 5 things we learned from the final
• What now for Sharapova?
• Digital Serve: Men's final preview
Day 13
• Nadal, Djokovic cruise
• Garber: Djokovic thriving under pressure
• Bryant: Nadal draining all the suspense
• Bodo: Will this be easy peasy for Sharapova?
• Hot Button: Who will win the women's final?
• Gerstner: Five things to know about the final
• Nadal, Djoker clobber opponents
• Digital Serve: Women's final preview
Day 12
• Maria Sharapova, Sara Errani reach final
• Gerstner: Sharapova back on top
• Garber: Slam of a lifetime for Sara Errani
• Garber: Why Nadal needs to break his habits
• Bryant: Tough foes, pressure in Djoker's way
• Gerstner: Missing the mark on Ladies' Day
• Can anyone stop Nadal?
• Sharapova, Errani in final
• Sharapova dominates Kvitova
• Errani stuns Stosur
• Digital Serve: Day 13 preview
• Garber/Gerstner: 5 things we learned
Day 11
• Recaps: Men | Women
• Gerstner: Sharapova, Kvitova to play
• Gerstner: A feast for the eyes
• Garber: Ferrer belongs in the semifinals
• Bryant: Rafa raising his level at crunch time
• Tandon: The strength of Slammin' Sammy
• Federer recovering
• Nadal rolls to the semifinals
• Digital Serve: Women's semifinal preview
• Murray falls to Ferrer
• Sharapova breezes into semifinals
Day 10
• Recaps: Men | Women
• Bryant: How Novak Djokovic cheated death
• Garber: Better late than never, Federer
• Gerstner: Errani, Stosur short and sweet
• Gerstner: French draws interesting crowd
• Tandon: Rafael Nadal playing among friends
• Djokovic saves four match points
• Federer makes remarkable comeback
• How did Djoker, Federer do it?
• Digital Serve: Day 11 preview
• Five things we learned
Day 9
• Recaps: Men | Women
• Garber: Andy Murray is back and better
• Bryant: City of Lights? Tell that to Tsonga
• Bryant: Djokovic's battle against himself
• Tandon: Djoker, Fed looking pedestrian
• Digital Serve: Day 9 preview
• Sharapova outlasts Zakopalova
• 5 things we learned
Day 8
• Recaps: Men | Women
• Bryant: A day of resolve and major regrets
• Gerstner: Bittersweet ending for Stephens
• Garber: Djoker avoids same fate as Vika
• Ubha: Djokovic shows signs of vulnerability
• Gerstner: Vika, where's your swagger?
• Tandon: Nadal knocking on Borg's door
• Bryant: When Kvitova believes, watch out
• How did Djoker come back?
• 5 things we learned from Day 8
• Digital Serve: Day 9 preview


text:
OK, I tried search but unfortunately XD and SC seem to be too short of a term to search on. So here comes a question that I know has probably been asked before:
School me on holsters please. I'm abotu 5'7" and about 150lbs. I mostly wear tshirts and polo shirts and I'm looking to primarily carry and XD SC. So what are my choices? I think I like the looks of the crossbreed hoslters but I'm not sure if I like what they show in samples being that you draw on the shooting side: it looks like the gun might be a bit on the high side to be able to be able to smoothly draw without any hangups should the need arise. So I was thinking that it might be more prudent to have it on the opposite side (I'm right handed so that means on the left) and draw across the front?
Also what are other options/choices/suggestions? I'm primarily in warm weather so light outer wear is the key (heck it must have hit about 110F by my office today). I have been reading quite a bit and getting more confused by the minute as it seems that each particular application is different from the other. Oh yeah, I realize that I will probably (definately?) end up with more then one holster in the long run and some of them will end up being a total bust but I want to try and limit the trial and error experience as much as I can by hearing opinions and advice of those who have already went through the process.


text:
Wellington, KS Movers
Showing 1 location
Sort by: Ratings | Number of Reviews
Heartland Moving & Storage
24 miles away from Wellington, KS 67152
- In-State Moves
- Out-of-State Moves
- Full-Service Move
We're here to help!
Moving Deals:
Moving Boxes & Supplies
FREE 1-2 business day shipping!
Move Protection
Your moving company's insurance doesn't cover your stuff.
Home Security
FREE home security monitoring system
Cable/Satellite/Internet Hook-Ups
Providers and deals in your new neighborhood


text:
"A scar from the past aches. When time passes, it fades... I'm not used to living a lie. It's breaking the body. My necklace came off in the city. I wasn't alone when I lost it... Throwing off my decorated clothes, I give a graceful fighting pose to you. When the evil times come and the villain gets distressful, we all stay connected by our fire soul love destiny... Never give in to the bad. Never never never. She is Sailormars...." |
MeMew ^___^ Hello! The following scans are from the Volume 18 issue of MeMew hyper visual idol magazine. This is a magazine that features photobook quality interviews and images of teen Japanese idols. Volume 18 features the girl group Bishoujo Club 21 on the cover. Inside the magazine, there is an interview with Kitagawa Keiko. They even gave the readers a Kitagawa Keiko trading card. Also in the magazine, is an interview with Sawai Miyuu and another Love Berry model Iwai Nanase. This issue can be bought at Amazon.co.jp. Enjoy the scans! =) |


text:
Found the same room at a different price? Tell us, and we'll offer to match it.
Special Offers - easyHotel Luton
2 | Self Classified Hotel | Ratings explained |
The easyHotel Luton is just a 5-minute walk from Luton Railway Station, where Central London attractions such as Hyde Park & The London Eye can be reached with a 40-minute train journey. The Mall shopping centre is just 2 minutes' walk away. There are a wide variety of shops, bars and clubs all within walking distance of the hotel. The M1 motorway can be reached in 5 minutes by car. The University of Bedfordshire is 3 minutes' walk from the hotel and capability Green only a 5 minute drive. We are also within easy reach of the easyJet Academy, Monarch Airlines, Menzies Aviation and Honeywell.
Local Attractions within driving distance of the hotel are Gullivers Land, Whipsnade Zoo, Xscape MK.