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In this edition we sat down with midfielder Michael Videira. A Milford, Mass. native, Michael was a three-time MAC Hermann trophy semifinalist and helped the Duke Blue Devils reach the College Cup in his freshman year. Michael took the time to dispel the rumor that he is an expert sailor and answer our Burning Questions about the difference between Bostonians and Chicagoans, his favorite movies and what bugs him the most.
AOTI: Your bio lists one of your interests as boating. What is your favorite type of boating and what's the best part about being on the water?
MV: Where did that come from? I guess sailing. I've only gone a couple of times. During pre-season Kwame [Watson-Siriboe] said that I was interested in boating because I had just gotten back from a trip to the British Virgin Islands. It must've been Kwame. I lived on a boat for like 10 days so I learned how to sail. I like boating; everyone likes going on a boat. I still get seasickness, which is really unfortunate for liking to go on boats all the time.
AOTI: What are your top three favorite movies?
MV: It varies every week. I usually like comedies anyways, so it's usually just the next comedy that's coming out. I'm really excited to see "The Campaign." I haven't seen that one yet. I'm also a fan of dry humor, I like some Wes Anderson films. I've yet to see "Moonrise Kingdom," but I heard it's pretty good, which is something else I'd like to see. Those'll probably be my two favorites as soon as I see them.
I like Wes Anderson films; I think they're hilarious, and I think Bill Murray is one of the funniest actors or comedians there are. "Caddyshack" won me over; it's up there for sure.
AOTI: You were drafted by the New England Revolution in 2008 but elected to go abroad and play for Hamilton Academical of the Scottish Premier League. What was the most unexpected thing about living in Scotland?
MV: I know people complain about the weather in the UK in general but it was ridiculous. It started raining in August and pretty much didn't stop until spring. It was cold and rainy everyday but it was expected. People say London has bad weather but they have no idea until they go up to Glasgow. At the same time, people make the best of it. To be honest, they have such great attitudes, everyone there is nice and friendly. Which is nice; I guess you have to make up for it one way or another. And they usually drink a lot more probably because of it.
AOTI: You hail from Milford, Mass. What's the biggest difference between Bostonians and Chicagoans?
MV: I guess Chicagoans, when they first meet a complete stranger, they're still polite and nice to you where as in Boston, people kind of mind their own. So even here, if you're meeting a group of friends out patio somewhere, they're all really friendly where as Boston people keep to themselves. And of course the East Coast stigma is that everyone is pretty mean out there supposedly. I actually have to agree with that now that I moved to Chicago. I've noticed that when I go home people aren't as nice; aren't as friendly.
AOTI: What's your biggest pet peeve?
MV: I have a couple. I don't like leaving lights on. That's a big one. I don't like when people leave the lights on. And I don't like pink sporting hats. A pink Red Sox hat is my biggest pet peeve of all time. Just different colored sporting hats for a certain team; I just think they should just be the colors represented.
AOTI: Three things you'd need on a deserted island?
MV: I would bring my iPod with probably a lot of Motown and country music. I'd definitely have to bring some sort of soccer ball or basketball, but if I'm by myself, I'd need one with a paddle or one that you could flip it into the cup, something to entertain myself. And probably just a catalog of movies. I'd just bring "Castaway" and base my life off of what Tom Hanks did in that movie. He made it out.
Check out previous "Burning Questions" segments below...
Burning Questions with Jay Nolly
Burning Questions with Hunter Jumper
The long-standing rumors of Fire midfielder Marco Pappa's move across the pond finally came true last Monday as the Fire and Dutch club SC Heerenveen jointly announced the Guatemalan international would move to the Netherlands effective January 1, 2013.
While Pappa has been a key part of the team the last four seasons, his desire to go to Europe at the end of his MLS contract was pretty well known. The Fire did right by Pappa and according to the interview to the right, the midfielder is looking to do right by the club that gave him the shop-window opportunity.
WATCH: Pappa Talks Fire Focus
"I still have a contract with the Fire," said Pappa. "We talked about this situation. I'm going to keep doing my best like I always do and I'm happy for the opportunity but right now it would be good to get a championship [here] before going to Europe."
While a player signing a contract with another club before the one he's with is finished seems a little odd, it's common practice throughout the world and is becoming more regular in MLS. For instance it was just three years ago that Fire forward Chris Rolfe signed a pre-contract with Aalborg BK in the Danish SuperLiga.
The best thing about Rolfe's situation was that the Fire played the MLS rules well, giving the forward a "qualifying offer", that is an offer deemed credible for his market value, before he signed with Aalborg. By doing that, the club retained his MLS rights, paving the way for his smooth return earlier this April.
Though defender Gonzalo Segares didn't sign a pre-contract with Cypriot club Apollon Limassol during 2009, his situation is similar to that of Rolfe's. The Costa Rican international played the first six months of 2010 in Cyprus before returning to the Fire that August, a move again made easier by the qualifying offer.
When Wilman Conde made his desire known to return to MLS from Mexican side Atlas earlier this year, the Fire cashed on the qualifying offer made to the Colombian defender at the end of 2010, earning a nice chunk of allocation money in January's trade that sent him to New York.
Aside from doing right by a player that has performed for the club, the best part of Pappa's move to Holland is that like in the differing case of Rolfe, Segares and Conde, the Fire have kept future options open with the player.
Most will agree that Marco has all the tools to be successful in Holland but unforeseen things can happen and though no transfer fee is being wired from The Netherlands to Chicago, it's a sign the Fire have done some good business.
With 10 regular season matches plus a potential playoff run, Pappa still has plenty to prove before heading to Holland.
There was a point Sunday afternoon in which things were looking pretty good for the Fire's positioning in the East. DC United had just suffered a somewhat controversial 1-1 draw at home to Philadelphia while due north Bright Dike and Darlington Nagbe had put the West's bottom team Portland up 2-0 at New York.
Of course Kenny Cooper and Tim Cahill had pulled the home side back level before halftime, the Timbers flubbed two breakaway chances and Heath Pearce headed home the winner in the 83rd minute to push New York back into sole possession of second place in the East.
Later on Sunday night, Columbus used goals from Cole Grossman and Eddie Gaven to erase a 1-0 deficit but had to settle for a 2-2 draw when Andy Gruenebaum muffed Adam Moffat's 82nd minute equalizer.
WATCH: Red Bull 3, Timbers 2
The result meant that the Top 5 in the Eastern Conference closed the weekend the same way they entered it, effectively pushing the Fire back down to fourth place (losing the goals scored tie breaker to Houston).
All this is by way of saying its going to be a scrap or as Brendan Hannan put it this morning, a "real dog fight" the rest of the way in the Eastern Conference. With 10 matches remaining and five of them against the other four in the Top Five, the Fire control their playoff destiny and seeding perhaps just as much as anyone in the East.
"[Playoff qualification] is in our hands," head coach Frank Klopas told Chicago-Fire.com Monday. "They're all obviously difficult matches because most of the games we play are going to be against teams that are going to be right there until the end. Its exciting but I think we feel good about having those games at home and having the opportunity to control our own destiny."
While Montreal and Columbus still have a shot at the postseason, popular opinion has the top five now remaining the top five come October 28 making a "mini-league" of sorts the rest of the way for the Fire, Sporting KC, Red Bull, the Dynamo and United.
See below the "mini-league" grid of remaining matches between the East's top 5 teams.
vs. 8/26
@ 9/19
@ 10/20
|vs. 9/14
|vs. 9/28
@ 8/26
vs. 9/19
vs. 10/20
|vs. 10/6
|@ 8/29
|@ 9/14
|@ 9/2
|@ 9/28
|@ 10/6
|vs. 9/2
@ 8/22
vs. 10/27
|vs. 8/29
vs. 8/22
@ 10/27
When looking at the chart, two things undoubtedly stick out...
1) No that's not a mistake, the East's top two teams Sporting KC and New York, will play eachother three more times through the end of the season. Depending on how their other matches go (something that will continue to be a common theme), the Conference's top seeds could well be decided in those three games.
2) The Fire are the only team in the Top 5 that will play everyone around them and have two games against D.C., meaning the team seems to have the best shot of controlling it's own destiny in the tight playoff race. With 15 points available in these matches, if the Men in Red can take anywhere around 11 or 12, they could be in very good shape for a top two finish.
Either way, the Fire manager reiterated the game of most importance is the one upcoming.
"It's up to us," continued Klopas. "We don't have to rely on other teams like we did last year but the most important thing is to not look too far down the road and so our next game against D.C. is what we have to hone in on right now."
The Fire face yet another Eastern Conference foe at home this week: New England. The clubs appear to be heading in opposite directions with Frank Klopas' side only losing one of their last five while the Revs have lost four out of five but the Men in Red can't overlook this one. Here are a few things to watch out for from a tactical standpoint.
Who will replace the captain? Logan out 4-6 weeks
Last week's 3-1 win in Philly was very costly, namely because of the injury to captain Logan Pause who, to date, has had yet another stellar year. With Logan out for at least a month, two major questions arise – who should replace him in the lineup and should his injury force the Fire to change their tactics? The answer to the second question is almost certainly no. The tactic of two holding midfielders has served the Fire well this season and there is no need to change it.
Replacing Logan is a difficult task but the Fire certainly to have options. Fernandez slotted in for Logan in the second half against Philly but players like Corben Bone, Mike Videira, Daniel Paladini and Victor Pineda can all play in the center of midfield.
Having this many options is a luxury for coach Klopas but the obvious candidate in my eyes is Fernandez. He is the most experienced MLS midfielder and did a fine job in that position last week. Fernandez also didn't play in Wednesday's reserve game which could be another indication that he will be getting the start alongside Pardo.
Shots from Distance: Be Wary
Though New England haven't scored too many goals of late, its not for lack of trying. Midfielders, Lee Nguyen, Saër Sène (sometimes a striker) and Benny Feilhaber are all not afraid to pull the trigger from distance. Just a few weeks ago, Sène scored an absolutely brilliant goal against the Union, cutting in from the right before blasting it past Zack MacMath.
PREVIEW: Fire vs. NE
Nguyen scored a goal-of-the-season candidate earlier this season when he volleyed the ball from outside the box into the top corner. The Fire cannot allow the Revs' midfielders space to shoot from the outside. New England will also have target man Jerry Bengtson back from international duty and will be looking to him to provide layoffs for shots from the outside.
Chris Tierney: A Threat from the Left
New England have deployed different formations in its past two games but one thing that hasn't changed is the team's reliance on left back Chris Tierney to get forward to provide crosses into the box. Against KC, Nguyen constantly pushed inside to allow space for Tierney to move into on the left.
Against Montreal last week, New England played with one striker but again the Revs made room for Tierney on the outside to get the ball in the box. The players pushing inside also meant that New England had numerous players waiting to attack Tierney's crosses instead of just the forwards. In both of the past two games, the Revs have pushed Tierney up in advanced positions while keeping the outside right defender on more a leash.
If the Fire do indeed bring Fernandez into the middle it will be up to his replacement (presumably Nyarko) to track back and help either Jalil Anibaba or Dan Gargan when Tierney gets pushes forward into the attack.
PREDICTION: Chicago Fire 2, New England Revolution 0 with goals from Chris Rolfe and Sherjill MacDonald
Stephen Piggott is a contributor to Chicago-Fire.com, follow him on Twitter @Irish_Steve.
We pride ourselves as pretty snappy dressers here at Always on the Inside. With the Second Annual White Party just one week away, we thought it would be a good time for the Always on the Inside fashonistas to give the world the dos and don'ts on what to wear to the White Party.
DO: Rachel Bilson looks happy as a clam in a breezy white sundress (shopping bag full of groceries optional, but the event is for charity, we'd find something to do with it):
DO: Looking for something a little sassier? Check out the Belted Open Back Romper from AKIRA:
DO: Don't worry gents, even you can look great clad in all white. This male model looks hot, even while rocking a fanny pack and croakies:
Just remember that while it's a great idea to add color through your accessories, even Lindsay Lohan knows that a dress splashed (okay, it's a multi-colored dream coat) with multiple colors is not the way to go for the White Party. Definitely a don't.
As an added bonus, if you purchase a ticket to the White Party, you can print out your confirmation email and receive 20% off all full-priced items at any AKIRA Women's, Men's or Footwear boutique.
This is definitely a party you don't want to miss out on so make sure to buy your ticket and join us on Thursday, Aug. 23 from 7:30 – 11:30 p.m. CT at the MCA Warehouse (1747 W. Hubbard). Get to know the Fire and the Chicago Fire Foundation off the pitch while enjoying a premium open bar, live DJ, hors d'oeuvres and a gift bag (who doesn't love a goody bag?!), so dress in some stylish white attire and come party with us!
A quick round up of how Fire first teamers Marco Pappa, Orr Barouch, Sean Johnson and U18 Youth Academy product Reid Strain fared for their countries in Wednesday's FIFA international date...
Guatemala 3, Paraguay 3 - RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
Guatemalan midfielder Marco Pappa received the call up for los Chapines' friendly against Paraguay. Pappa played for 77 minutes in the 3-3 draw, scoring a penalty that Carlos Ruiz drew. Pappa later set up Manuel Leon for Guatemala's second goal on the night. Guatemala gave up the two goal lead, conceding three goals to Paraguay before former MLS star Carlos Ruiz tied the match from the penalty spot.
Israel U-21 2, Russia U-21 2 at Arena Khimki in Khimki, Russia
Making his fifth appearance for the Israeli U-21's, Orr Barouch logged 84 minutes and would tally his second international goal for the visitors in the 36th minute. Barouch's shot, struck with his left foot from outside the box, hit the left post before going in the back of the net. Russia struck back, tying the game in the 56th. Israel took the lead again in the 71st when Mohamed Kalebat scored. Russia would not be outdone, and tied the match six minutes later in the 77th. See highlights of the match below...
USA 1, Mexico 0 - Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico
Goalkeeper Sean Johnson was called up by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for the United States Men's National Team's friendly match against Mexico Wednesday night. Johnson didn't see any time in the match, but was able to be a part of the history that was made when the US defeated Mexico at the Azteca for the first time in the 75 year history between the two sides.
Spain 2, Puerto Rico 1 - Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Chicago Fire U18 Youth Academy product Reid Strain was an unused substitute in Puerto Rico's 2-1 loss to Spain. The result was considered positive for the Puerto Rican side and was a valuable experience for Strain.
WATCH: Barouch Scores in Israel U-21's 2-2 Draw at Russia
While Fire first teamers Sean Johnson, Marco Pappa and Orr Barouch all take to the field for their national sides Wednesday, another player in the club will be part of an international friendly as well.
Meet Reid Strain. A member of the 2012 Chicago Fire U18 Youth Academy side that went 26-1-1 en route to the 2012 U.S. Club Soccer National Championship, the Barrington, Ill. product has joined the Puerto Rican national team for Wednesday's friendly against Spain in Bayamon.
Eligible for Puerto Rico through his mother, Strain missed the U18 Youth Academy's run at last month's U.S. Club Soccer National championships after being called up for the territory's U-20 CONCACAF World Championship qualifying matches.
"He was very reluctant to play for the U-20 Puerto Rican national team when he got the call up last month," said Chicago Fire U18 Youth Academy head coach Paul Cadwell. "He didn't want to miss the national championships with his Fire team so it took some talking to him from his parents and from myself to encourage him to not miss such an opportunity."
In those games, the forward tallied two goals, both game winners, in 2-0 victories over Barbados and Bermuda. A 0-0 draw in the group finale vs. Haiti pushed Puerto Rico to a second-place finish on goal difference but advanced the side to the final round of CONCACAF's Caribbean U-20 Finals – the first time a Puerto Rican team has made it out of its qualifying group in and youth tournament.
The finals will be played November 3-11 in Jamaica and with his role in the previous matches as well as being the only uncapped player called up for Wednesday's friendly vs. Spain, it's a good bet Strain will play a part.
Why haven't we heard more of Strain until now?
"Unfortunately, Reid has been plagued by an ankle injury the last 18 months," said U18 Youth Academy Head Coach Paul Cadwell. It's one of the reasons he didn't make our Fall [U.S. Soccer Development] Academy team. We didn't get the ability to get a good look at him but he's a great youth player for us this season. He has shown the ability to score a variety of goals."
I'm very proud of Reid at having the opportunity to play against the world's number one team is a dream. Whether he sees the field or not, just the fact that he is going be listed in a squad that plays the current world and European champions is something that he will never forget."
Have you ever wondered what your favorite Fire players are like off the pitch? Well, we aim to please here at Always on the Inside. Each week we are going to sit down with a different player to get answers to those pesky Burning Questions.
In this edition we sat down with the easygoing Jay Nolly. A Littleton, Colo. native with a great head of hair, Jay had an incredible four-year goalkeeping career with the storied Indiana University soccer program, where he led the Hoosiers to back-to-back NCAA Division I National Championships in 2003 and 2004. Jay took some time to answer our Burning Questions about playing for legendary coach Jerry Yeagley, his love for the outdoors and why "Superman" just might be an appropriate nickname for the laid-back 'keeper.
Always on the Inside: You've been living in Chicago for almost a year now. How are you liking it? Do you have a spot that you frequent enough to have a standing order?
Jay Nolly: My spot is actually Starbucks in the morning. There's a little shop next to where I live. Me and my wife know all the girls that work there; we talk to them all the time. I usually have a 35 minute drive with traffic in the morning, so it's nice to have a cup of coffee on the way. They see me walk in the door and they have it ready. I'm simple; I just get a tall, mild coffee with cream. The just know. They're like, "Same thing? Tall?" And I'll just say, "Yup."
There's a another place we go to once in a while; it's called DMK, the burger bar. Whenever we go there I'll have an Allagash White, so they'll just ask, "Another Allagash?"
AOTI: You're one of the few guys on the team that does not reside in the city. What's the best part about living out in the 'burbs?
JN: It's easier for me and my wife. We both grew up in the suburbs. Neither of us have ever really lived in a big city; even in Vancouver we lived in the suburbs. You know, just having grocery stores and restaurants around, there's less traffic, better parking, it was just less stress for us. We're pretty easy going people.
AOTI: Do you have any pets?
JN: We have a dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named Hercules.
AOTI: You have been described as an avid fly fisherman. Have you found any good fishing holes in Illinois?
JN: I've been fishing a little bit; it's back to my Midwest roots which is Bass fishing. I was on the IU Bass Fishing Team. I've gotten to Bass fish a little bit more. I've set up some things to meet friends once the salmon start running in the river to go fly fishing in Michigan City or down lower.
AOTI: Best fishing movie?
JN: It's got to be "A River Runs Through It." Great actors, great place.
AOTI: Do you like other outdoor sports or activities in addition to fishing?
JN: Pretty much everything outdoors, I love. When I was younger we did a lot of camping, white water rafting, canoeing. I have my own one-man pontoon boat that me and a couple buddies have taken fly fishing out on the river. But I pretty much just love the outdoors. I grew up with two older brothers and we were pretty much in the mountains all the time.
AOTI: What was it like winning back-to-back national championships with Indiana University?
JN: It's unreal. That's just one of those things, you're playing for a school, you're in college. I was younger but the history that the school has to keep that tradition going, especially cause it was Jerry Yeagley's last year and then it was Mike Freitag's first year my last two year. It was sending Coach Yeagley out on a great note because he's probably the iconic figure for college soccer. It's something that I feel is so fresh even though it was eight, nine years ago.
AOTI: What was it like to play for Jerry Yeagley?
JN: It's unreal. He respects every player and all he really asks of you is to give an honest effort. He doesn't like people to cut corners. I think that's why the school has done so well over the years is that they just get honest players that work hard.
I'd play for Yeagley over and over again. It's just the person that he is; he still calls his players. I got a call from him last week and I've been out of college for nine years. He still reaches out to players; that level of respect that he has for people that he's coached is just unreal.
AOTI: There are currently five people in the front office who also went to IU, so we have a few Hoosier-themed questions for you. First off, which pizza place do you prefer: Mother Bear's, Mad Mushroom or Avers?
JN: Can I say Pizza Express? The Big Ten. It was a large pizza, ten breadsticks and two Cokes; that was the go to. It was $10 or $11. That was the best when you got cheese and ranch dipping sauces. That was the go to for us, we only did Pizza Express.
The soccer team was kind of sponsored by it but the cups were the best cups to have; they had IU Soccer on them. If you put ice and anything in them, they were just the best cups. We had like 35 of them at our house. I don't know what it was about the cups, it was just one of those things.
AOTI: Best Bloomington bar: Killroy's-Sports or Nick's?
JN: That one's tough because I knew some of the guys that worked at Nick's and I have a jersey that's hanging up in Nick's. That's the classic place. For happy hour and a college lifestyle it was Killroy's. But now if I were to go back, it'd be Nick's for sure.
AOTI: Favorite Indiana movie: "Hoosiers" or "Breaking Away"?
JN: "Breaking Away." One, because I've jumped off those same quarries that they went to. And Little 500 is just awesome. "Hoosiers" is such a classic but I would say "Breaking Away."
AOTI: Switching gears now, while you were in Vancouver you saved a young pitch invader. First, how does it feel to be a hero and second, how often do you deter pitch invaders?
JN: I've had people run across the field before but that was the first time that someone was actually close. It was just a little kid and he was running out and laughing. I think he got away from his brother or something, and just started running onto the field. Luckily the ball was on the other half. The only thing I thought about was to get him off real quick, so I picked him up and turned around but no one was there to hand him to, so I had to run over to the side. Luckily the ball never came down to our end but they kept on playing; nobody stopped the game. So it feels good to feel like a hero, to save a life.
AOTI: Who would you consider your celebrity doppelganger? We want to get your thoughts first because we have someone in mind.
JN: When I was younger, people thought I looked like Heath Ledger from "10 Things I Hate About You" because of my nose and smile or something.
AOTI: We think Dean Cain.
JN: I've heard that. And also the other guy that played Superman later. Brandon Roth. In Vancouver the weight trainers called me Superman; they said I looked like him but only when he was Superman. I don't know, usually when I show up to training I have my hair done and I look presentable, so they would just always call me Superman, cause that's just what I look like, I guess.
Follow "Superman" on twitter: @jaynolly
The Comeback Kids were at it again. The Chicago Fire moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference with the sixth come-from-behind victory of the season as the Fire dispatched the Philadelphia Union 3-1. Chris Rolfe's brace and Arne Friedrich's first MLS goal helped the Men in Red escape Philadelphia with the full three points. Catch all of the highlights here.
Though his brace Sunday evening was the fourth time the veteran striker scored multiple goals in a Fire match, Rolfe said that he thinks there's still room for improvement. "I think overall it was okay," said Rolfe. "I had quite a few mistakes that I need to work on."
While there's always room for improvement, folks are already noting the Fire's recent run of good form. In his most recent MLS Power Rankings for ESPN, Jeff Carlisle had the Fire in fifth place, up one spot from last week.
ESPN wasn't the only one to notice how well the Fire players have been performing. Three Fire players, goalkeeper Sean Johnson (United States), midfielder Marco Pappa (Guatemala) and forward Orr Barouch (Israel U-21) were all called up for international duty to represent their respective nations on the upcoming Aug. 15 FIFA international date.
On a more bittersweet note, the Fire announced this morning that midfielder Marco Pappa has signed a pre-contract with Dutch Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen and will join the club when the transfer window opens Jan. 1, 2013. Pappa will finish out the season with the Fire. "I plan to do the club proud," said Pappa, "And put everything I have into the remaining matches with the Fire."
Former Fire forward Brian McBride is stepping back out of retirement tomorrow as he lines up for ninth-tier English side Wembley FC in the aptly named "Extra Preliminary Round" of the 2012/13 F.A. Cup.
In a move sponsored by Budweiser, the legendary American striker who played for Fulham, Everton and Preston North End will lineup with the likes of fellow former English Premier League stars Martin Keown, Ray Parlour, Claudio Caniggia and Graeme Le Saux as Wembley opens up Cup play against Langford FC Saturday morning. Fans can watch the match LIVE on Facebook beginning at 6:45am CT
The game marks the second time McBride has "stepped out of retirement" to take to the field in England. Last year the former Fire forward lined up with fellow American Brad Friedel and the New York Cosmos to play in Paul Scholes Testimonial match at Old Trafford in Manchester last summer.
Check out the full read on Brian's return to English football from Avi Creditor at Soccer By Ives


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subset: commoncrawl


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Forget about DirectX 10 and DirectX 10.1, the future of Microsoft's graphics platform for the Windows operating system is DirectX 11. The Redmond giant has certainly kept quiet on DirectX 11, just as it has gagged all information on the next iteration of Windows, but details do slip through its fingers. And while mum's the word on where the next generation of the Windows graphics technology is heading, Microsoft is gearing up to deliver the first public taste of the future version of the DirectX suite of multimedia APIs. In fact, at the end of August 2008, Microsoft will introduce DirectX 11 to the world.
Between 25 and 27 August 2008, Nvidia will hold its Nvision 08 conference in San Jose, California. Kev Gee, Software Development Engineer, XNA Developer Connection (XDC) is scheduled to deliver the introduction to DirectX 11 via a one-hour session at Nvision 08 on August 26. Gee promises that attendants will be able to get a sneak peek at what DirectX 11 will look like.
"Kev will introduce the new DirectX 11 rendering pipeline currently under development at Microsoft. The technology builds on the existing DirectX 10 API set and adds new features including tessellation, multithreaded rendering, compute shaders, Shader Model 5, and more. Get up to speed fast with the next generation of rendering technology," reads the presentation of the "Introduction to DirectX 11" session (vr-zone via WinBeta).
Just as Windows 7 will have Windows Vista at its foundation, and will simply be built on top of it, being an evolutionary release, so will DirectX 11 be based on DirectX 10. Microsoft has already officially stated - through the voices of Steven Sinofsky, Senior Vice President, Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group and Christopher Flores, Director Windows Communications - that the graphics subsystem in Windows 7 would have its roots deep into Vista, and that the next generation of the Windows client will play well with the same set of devices and hardware products as its predecessor.
And since the Vista-centric hardware solutions will be able to accommodate Windows 7 with no problems, this means that the same is valid for drivers, including graphics drivers. With DirectX 10 (and DirectX 10.1 as of Service Pack 1) evolving into DirectX 11, Microsoft essentially ensures that Windows 7 will be backwards compatible with DirectX 10 graphics cards.
However, just as it is the case with Windows Vista and Windows Vista SP1, which need DirectX 10 and DirectX 10.1 specific hardware in order to take advantage of the evolution of the technology, so will Windows 7 need DirectX 11-based graphics cards. At this point in time, Microsoft failed to reveal whether DirectX 11 will be back ported to Windows Vista.
"Kev has worked as a professional in the games industry for over a decade and has experienced shipping and supporting many titles spanning a variety of genres. He currently works for Microsoft in the XNA Developer Connection (XDC) team where he helps developers create amazing games across a range of Microsoft platforms," it is added in the synopsis for the "Introduction to DirectX 11."


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The mission of the African American Faculty and Staff Association is to develop a supportive network for UNF employees of African descent, provide services that meet their needs, and promote cultural, educational, fundraising and civic activities in alignment with the academic mission of the University. Find information about AAFSA, UNF, campus and community events related to our mission and links to other UNF events below.
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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — A budget deal that would keep the government running past Friday is closer than ever, President Barack Obama said Tuesday, as top congressional Republicans and Democrats planned another round of negotiations aimed at hammering out a spending plan for the next six months.
Tampa, Charlotte among gainers.
• U.S. homeownership at 18-year low
"We are now closer than we have ever been to getting an agreement. There's no reason why we should not get an agreement," Obama said in a surprise appearance at Tuesday's regular White House briefing. He said that it would be "inexcusable" not to fund the government and added that a new stopgap bill keeping the government running past Friday would be acceptable if Republicans and Democrats first agree on a bill funding the government through Sept. 30.
"That's something we could support," Obama said. He said he'd keep calling leaders back to the White House for meetings for as long as it took to head off a shutdown. "If they can't sort it out, I want them back here tomorrow," Obama told reporters.
Government operations are funded through Friday and would partially halt Saturday without a new budget agreement.
House Speaker John Boehner said Republicans would keep fighting for the biggest spending cuts possible and that conversations would continue with Democrats. House Republicans have prepared a one-week stopgap measure to give negotiators more time to reach a long-term agreement.
"While there was a good discussion, no agreement was reached," Boehner said earlier Tuesday, after meeting with Obama at the White House.
Trouble ahead?
Japan's crisis, turmoil in Europe and unrest in the Middle East have investors worried that we'll all be thrown back into the throes of global recession.
• Hulbert: Seasonal trading patterns battle
• Willard: Long apps, short the Fed
• Kahn: Dollar remains crippled
• Helfert: Expect the unexpected
• Morales/Kacher: Buy silver to hedge
• Kee: Sell anything vulnerable to a downturn
• Sizemore: Three low-risk ETFs for spring
• Hulbert: In search of higher yields
• McMillan: New volatility product hedges
• Global turmoil calls for hedging with oil
• Fitz-Gerald: Three stocks to buy, no matter what
• Lowell: Safer havens amid global calamity
Boehner said House Republicans want to vote this week on a bill to fund the government for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. But he said the new one-week stopgap measure, which cuts $12 billion in spending, is a "potential third option."
Battle begins over 2012 budget
Shortly before Obama's meeting with leaders over the 2011 budget, House Republicans opened a new battle in Washington's budget wars by proposing a budget for fiscal 2012 that would slash government spending by $6.2 trillion over 10 years, cut the top corporate tax rate to 25%, and dramatically overhaul the Medicare program.
Republicans' budget blueprint for fiscal 2012, released by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, would also scrap Obama's health-care law, remake federal welfare programs and allow oil and gas companies to drill more freely. The plan assumes a U.S. unemployment rate of 2.8% in 2021 compared to 8.8% today, the conservative Heritage Foundation estimated.
It cuts $6.2 trillion over the next decade as compared with Obama's 2012 budget proposal. Compared with current policy levels, it slashes $5.8 trillion in spending. See text of plan from House Budget Committee website.
The GOP budget lands in the middle of an intense debate about government spending and debt, and comes a day after Obama announced his 2012 re-election bid. By presenting a plan to lock in spending cuts, replace Obama's health-care law and allow new Medicare beneficiaries to choose private plans, Republicans say they're leading where the president has failed.
"This budget helps spur job creation today, stops spending money the government doesn't have, and lifts the crushing burden of debt," states the plan, which the GOP has dubbed "The Path to Prosperity."
The plan is expected to pass the GOP-controlled House, but it is unlikely to garner much support in the Democratic-controlled Senate. That means that the plan will serve as a focus of debate just as both political parties gird for the 2012 election.


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By Donna Krache and Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN
(CNN) - The United States is obsessed with high-stakes testing that doesn't show whether teachers are masterful and students are knowledgeable, National Teacher of Year Rebecca Mieliwocki said to nearly 8,000 of her colleagues at the National Education Association annual meeting Thursday.
"When we help a child reach proficiency at any grade level, we have changed the quality of that child's life and that community forever," she said. "But aiming for proficiency means we aim to create generations of children who are average."
Instead, she said "people who haven't set foot in a classroom" should not be making decisions and policies about teaching, and teachers should be aiming to take all students - whether hungry, homeless, in the midst of their first crush or celebrating the big game - beyond the test.
"We have got to stop talking about testing and start talking more about developing, supporting and celebrating teachers," she said. "Teachers are the architects of the change we've been waiting for. We've forgotten what a teacher can do that a standardized test can't."
Standing before the delegates as "one teacher, symbolizing millions," Mieliwocki told the assembly: "We may have forgotten how important our teachers were in restoring America's public education system but it's not too late to shift our focus to what really matters.
"If we want real change, lasting change, if we want back the power, the pride, the soaring achievement that is an exceptional public education, then the revolution begins with us."
How Mieliwocki used business experience to transform classroom
Mieliwocki, an English teacher at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, California, was honored by President Barack Obama as 2012 National Teacher of the Year in a White House ceremony in April.
"You have been born with a gift for teaching and you've been given the gift of working with children. You have a front row seat to the future," Mieliwocki said in her speech. "You build that future one child at a time."
In an e-mailed response to Mieliwocki's speech, Robert Enlow, president and CEO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, said testing remains an important tool for taxpayers - and teachers.
"The teachers unions should do more than talk the talk when it comes to accountability and education; they should walk the walk," Enlow said. "There is certainly more to accountability than just testing, but that doesn't mean we should not be accountable for test results. Testing students is a critically important tool for teachers, and one of the most transparent ways that parents can discover whether their children are learning and whether taxpayers are getting their money's worth."
I am in the trenches...........if you are not ...you really do not have the experience or the understanding that life long teachers have. I have seen it ALL.... and I continue to do my best every day I go in. Shame on you teacher bashers! I am on team Brian.
tests are not THE MEASURE they are A MEASURE of a student's progress. Assesments come in many shapes and sizes from talking with a student about a topic related to a subject to student created mukti media to student centered study groups. Not allassessments need to be stamoed with a commercial labek of a hundred million dokkar organization whose existence is based in SALES OF ASSESSMENTS TO SCHOOL SYSTEMS not TEACHING RELATED TO DIVERSE CHILDREN POPULATIONS. Every studnt should be consudered unique and each should in a way have their own IEP because all students and ckassrooms are diverse in demographics, social issues, learning styles, and expression. BRAVO TO OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR!!!She hit the nail on the head: what business or specific knowledge do politicians have making educational law and policy with their "non-expert" backgrounds? You want to fix education? Seek the teachers and administrators when making policy... THEY ARE THE EXPERTS.
Note: I apologize for typos: tablet typing gone wrong
Education starts at home, I work with a large Asian group they push education hard we as American push kids in sports at the age of three but we can't invest time in education. kids need interaction with kids true, but why can't they do that in a after school study group.
The majoriety of respondants are under 50 years of age..it shows. They are also representative of the failed education system too. It's the fault of the unions, gov't officials, parents, bad children and what ever else you can find to blame! Blame is easy, doesn't take much thinking. Finding solutions takes a thinking mind which is in very short supply today. To think is to question. To question needs time to ponder and discuss alternatives. In todays classroom there is no time for this disruptive silliness. Teachers can not deviate from the "plan", there is no room for unplanned dialogue. Even the teacher's colleges can turn a creative, dedicated person into a boring, teach to the test BS. It is a small closed loop of uneducated drones. We punish those that speak up, dare to do things differently, those that do not follow the rules. Those souls that make us think.
When I was in school, graduated in 1964, we were tested every week and at the end of the school year. If you didn't pass, you didn't get to go to the next grade and, if that happened I had to face my parents which wouldn't have been pretty. As I see it, there are several problems with public education.
1- lack of parental involvement ( main problem )
2- Unions
3- Quality of teachers
i have no issue with teacher unions. if there was ever a job that needed union protection, the teachers have it.
Of course you had test weekly. The difference is that those tests were designed by teachers to inform their teaching. Teachers still give thsoe tests – in fact, good teachers assess student constantly. It doesn't take a written test.
You are greatly oversimplifying a very complex problem. As goes on constantly, you are not listening to those who actually know something about educating young people. Because teachers don't agree with the nonsense being foisted on stuednts and teacher by ]opportunistic politicians and businessmen doesn't mean we don't want change.
When you say it is the fault of the unions, how do you reconcile that with the fact that right to work states, with union presence whatsoever, have worse results, on average, than strong union states?
There is a huge correlation between early childhood education and achievement later, yet we see little or no emphasis on that.
There is no correlation between collective bargaining and student achievement, yet that is where all of the reform effort is.
What does it tell us about the reformers when known ways to improve achievement are ignored and dubious ways to improve achievement are the focus?
Bill, what the heck are you saying in your first sentence? I hope you're not a public school teacher.
Tell me the last time that you were involved with the youth of today in an educational enviorment. I am involved with high school kids every year. I am not a teacher. Most kids today get thier opinions from google or some other internet source. I haave many entertaining discussions with them.
Check out the newly released Texas Republican Party Platform, which "opposes the teaching of "critical thinking skills" because they "focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student's fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority." This is what the GOP and NCLB has in mind for our kids!
I'm a parent who cares. My child had a math teacher this year who would not let any test go home. The students got to see their grades in class and then everything was collected, even phones so no one could take a picture of a test. I as the parent was not allowed to see the graded tests. My child struggled. I had my child stay after the one day a week this teacher was available to review the areas that needed improvement. No progress was made. I asked the teacher for names of any tutors and was given a few, but told "I'm not sure they are any good." I found my own tutor. I paid $50/hr for tutoring the entire year and still the grades didn't improve. My child's confidence plummeted. The kids are told they can't have tests back to curb cheating. Some believe the teacher could come up with new tests, but will not. If I can't review graded tests how do I help my child? How do I know the grades are accurate? My child was not the only student having trouble. Ironically at the awards ceremony, this teacher who is also head of the department, gave the most scholastic awards to a boy in school who is teaching himself math! Maybe that is the revolution. We parents use online resources to pre-teach (with all the free time we have, lol) and the kids go into school for socialization.
For the most part, many teachers still believe that their job is to impart information; it is the students' job to learn it. Teachers must facilitate learning with more effective pedagogies–which many do not use unfortunately. In some cases, teachers refuse to even try to implement research-based strategies because they feel their methods are superior–even though the data indicates those methods are not working.
After 35 years as a principal and teacher in Los Angeles, I am convinced that teachers working with students nurtured in non-academic homes must be the catalyst for their students' transition into the academic world–a very daunting task
Did you contact that teacher and ask for a meeting? I know few teachers who are unwilling to allow a parent and child review a test in the classroom while s/he is present. Then those problem areas can be discussed and hopefully addressed. Do things always change? No. Sometimes you give people advice and guidance on how to fix the problem but they continue to struggle with the same problem for years before it reaches an end. Few people blame a doctor if a person doesn't lose weight, but if they don't learn? Teacher must suck. I also think it's important to note that the tutor also failed to help your student. It's possible (though not necessarily the case) that the problem was the learner and not the teachers.
My student was B+/A- in math before this class.
I agree that this is poor teaching practice, but it is what we see in a "test" focused system. The system needs to be "child" and "discovery" based. But until we get big testing business out of the classroom, this will be a continued problem.
Family value is the first problem now a day. Discipline from family is the second. Teachers who have no desire to teach and help is the third. Lastly money is spent by families and government of all kind of levels unwisely.
I do not have to spell out the problems one by one.
All I have to say is our country is going down fast as all the empires before us from "Greed, me, my, mine and I"
Look back in the history of all the empires and question ourselves why did they fail and we will find the answer.
On my part I will do the best I can for any child/student that I am in contact with. My day is bearable because from
their smiles and trust are worth million complains.
By the way I am a 62 year old female Vietnamese hall monitor for a middle school in Racine.
I got lots of hugs from students of all races.
Keep saying and showing you love them from your heart they will see it and they will try to comply.
Children need love from everybody. I will continue to do this until I retire. I hope the same goes to all of you.
Do not talk but do the right way.
The biggest problem with education in the U.S.A is the parents, and their lack of commitment to back up their school system. Whether it"s the dress code, cell phones, tardiness or any of the other school rules that encourage learning and discipline. These parents believe that their child can do no wrong and that the teachers and the schoolboard are "out to get them". I have seen this from parents from across all social and economic classes, public and private schools.
I couldn't agree more. I've been a teacher or 8 years and most of my concerns and frustraitions come from the parents in my classroom.
yeah yeah. lets beat up the parents. others beat up the unions. others beat up the government.
all right and all wrong because each individual situation is unique with unique people. as a teacher you should know better than to generalize about children or parents.
Yea, get rid of the parents and let the government, you, adopt all the children and indoctrinate them according to the government gods. They always know best.........don't they?
More testers need to be hired because that is absolutley all they do in the southeast..Test..Test..Test..Test..Test..Test..Test..
While I agree that teachers play a grand role in the educational aspect of children's lives, I would have to disagree Mrs. Mieliwocki's on the fact that it begins with teachers. Fact is, such a "revolution" begins in the home. With 72% of African Americans being born into single parent homes, you're fighting a losing battle, unfortunately. NO amount of money, hard work, system changes, etc. will make up for the real need - whole families that care. Call me old fashioned, but that's my take on it.
I think you're exactly right! People nowadays spend so much time criticizing government officials on local and national levels.
You hear about the corruption and the need to vote people out and replace them etc.... What is the difference in who we will install in those positions vs. the ones that are present? We still have no way to ever know enough about htem since there are limits to what any of us can ever know about any specific individual.
We NEVER however hear anything about how we are rasing our children nowadays and the role that plays in a childs life and academic performancre in school.
Our morals and values are gone compared to what was existent 40 years ago. Can we expect this will not have any affect on children and learning today?
Suddenly there seems to be this notion that many of the responsibilities in regards to education in the study practices and extracurricular outside of school activity be allocated to teachers and school officials. If our kids fail (and many times it is directly related to habits learned or uncontrolled at home) we attack the school system and it's officials. When it comes to our childrens character, habits, morals and values it is our sole responisibility to do the right things at home first. If we can't do that how can we possibly expect anyone else to be successful in assisting our children to reach the highest attainable academic ability?????????? We're screwed up at HOME!!!!!!! THAT IS our problem!!!
To every teacher that says those who haven't been in the classroom should have no say in educational policy: by your logic, only those who have been in the banking industry should be allowed to criticize bankers. After all, if you haven't been there, you must not know anything about the situation, right?
Teachers, this is why you lose the support of those of us in the middle: you recycle the same old tired defenses every time you are attacked: you aren't paid enough, it's the parents' fault, no one supports you, etc. Meanwhile, we taxpayers watch our bills rise and our students' performance fall year after year. At what point does this idiocy stop? Your unions have fought tooth and nail against every attempt at educational reform: charter schools, vouchers, pay for performance, year-long schooling, etc. Meanwhile, you work 1300 hours a year while the rest of us work 2000 and then you complain you are underpaid. You rail against teacher performance grading even while you give out grades to your students. You label anyone that supports reform as a right-wing, anti-education tool of the rich. In the meantime, our students' performance continues to drop. Here in Wisconsin, the teachers in Milwaukee were so concerned about the students that they voted against a small pay drop in order to keep other fellow teachers employed. They tell us that they need more money, that they can't teach as is. Yet Milwaukee is fourth in the nation in per pupil spending, and has one of the three worst public education systems in the nation. I don't have to be a teacher to tell you that money isn't the problem.
Basically, teachers, we in the middle class are tired of your arguments. We are tired of you telling us you need more money while we are off at work and you lay on the beach for three months. Come tell me that your union-mandated 1300 hour contract is so difficult and you have to put up with so much crap at work. Why don't you come work my job for a day? Why don't you get your head out of the sand and realize that when you say your unions oppose reform in the name of students, we just aren't buying it anymore? Take a good, long look in the mirror and ask yourself why you really oppose educational reform. Is it for the children, or for yourself?
They haven't lost my support on bit Dan, but your viewpoints have,
It is a sad state of affairs, when a random guy on the internet can easily rebut every argument of the "Teacher of the Year".
Put your money where your mouth is Don..
I will bet you my paycheck...at least 300...that you could not take a teacher's job for one week without taking Blood Pressure Medicine..
Let's do this Don..
Let me know when you can change positions with a teacher..!!
Thank you Dan!!!
They also need to get rid of Tenure. It's not right that after 2 years teachers can virtually not be fired. Most teachers are doing well and trying, but there are some teachers out there that are just skating along, and not the best out there. It takes weeding out these bad ones to let the good ones rise, and to focus on improving education.
While I agree with most of your arguments, your harping on the 1300 hour work year almost invalidates all of your other worthy content. I do not know of one teacher who only works 1300 hours. That's during school hours. It doesn't count grading home work at night, staying after school to help a student to takes the initiative to ask for help and tutoring, or all the teachers who participate in summer school so a student can catch up with their class.
I do not say this as a teacher. I am not one. I say this as a former student who stayed after school 3 nights a week to get help with my assignments. I say this as an aunt of a child who is attending summer school.
I agree there are too many excuses in education. That our education system is out-dated for the era we are in. And that many bad teachers are allowed to remain in the system. But I do think many teachers are putting in way more than the 1300 hours you list here.
Nicely put, Dan.
Do you really think teachers like Rebecca Mieliwocki put in in 8 hour days and "lay on the beach for 3 months during the summer?" How dare you make blanket statements like that! I'm sure Ms. Mieliwocki works tirelessly long after her students leave to plan amazing lessons for them. I'm sure she goes to workshops and seminars to develop herself professionally. And I'm sure she spends a good part of the summer organizing materials, refining her lessons, or teaching summer school. Sure, there are bad teachers out there, but there are bad doctors, lawyers, and salesmen. As second year teacher myself, I want to know why are teachers as a group demonized so much? After all, you are entrusting us with your kids! And you think we recycle the same arguments over and over....do you really think we haven't heard the "but you get the summers off" line before??
So before you call all teachers lazy or ungrateful, find a really great teacher and thank them because you have no idea the kind of work they do. you think they just stand front of kids and talk?? think again...
Dan......you just made her point. You have absolutely NO idea of what you are talking about.
I wish I could lay on the beach for three months! I work in GA, a right to work state. We don't have teacher unions negotiating our contracts. The schools are still horrible. The unions can't be blamed for everything.
Dan, my wife is a teacher, and we all agree that education reform is neccesary, but let me offer up some information you seem to have missing. First, while teacher contracts call for 1300 working hours, even mediocre teachers work far more hours than that. When you add in after-school and before-school parent meetings, staff meetings, paper grading, project preparation, and lesson planning, she works almost all day long. Summer months also include lesson plans, conferences, etc. She also pays out-of-pocket for lots of classroom supplies. Also, performance-based pay sounds great and all, but how do you make it fair? It doesn't take a great teacher to get good results out of an honors class because the kids generally want to learn, are well-behaved, and have supportive and involved families. Then you have teachers with classes made up of "regular" students who are also mixed in with kids that have special education requirements. The teachers that get the most out of these kids are always saddled with more of the same the next year because they can handle it. The problem is that they may get a special needs kid to write an essay or participate in class, but despite solid progress like that, grades don't always follow suit. The real problem, and part of what this woman was referring to, is the absolute mountain of garbage that is No Child Left Behind. It just doesn't work in practice. It leads to admistrators requiring students to teach to the test, and kids that need to be removed from the school being slapped on the wrist to keep attendance numbers up. I have no doubt teachers' unions are to blame as much as anything, but they are a necessary evil these days for many teachers. If my wife gives a failing grade to a student because they refuse to do the work, parents come to the school complaining about her instead of being good parents and coming down on their kids. Unions help provide legal council for moments when well-to-do parents would rather take the school or teacher to court instead of demanding excellence from their kids. It happens every day. Again, there's plenty of blame, but let's keep it where it should be: governamental policy, unions, and admistration, not the teachers.
Gee Dan–I just got off from my summer job since I am only paid for the 10 months that I teach. I am also taking a graduate class this summer in order to keep up my teaching certification which I pay for by myself. I can't do a part time job during the year since I being home school work every night and on weekends. I don't have the money to spend on a vacay at the beach because I spend THAT money buying supplies for my classroom and all my students who can't afford the basics. Get the facts before you start standing on your soapbox and bash teachers as being lazy whiners.(And NO-I am not a member of a union-have never been- since in the SE, they are NOT unions, but associations with no bargaining power.)
Let's also see you come to a teacher's class for a day and teach! Two way street on that comment sir.
I wonder if she'd be so prosaic if she won her Teacher of the Year and still got fired because of her junior status...oh, wait that is what happened to a Teacher of the Year in California. We need find and keep our best teachers. Pay them what they're worth. Value merit over seniority.
Sounds a bit too logical for the Unions to approve.
in most states,like here in MI., public school teachers are the most highly paid and benifited PART -TIME employees in the state
Only in America do we bash teachers. Its amazing the ultra conservative ideas are easily promoted to the mentally weak and the mentally weak make comments like you "real american".
Try becoming a teacher and then tell us how "part time" it is.
Look at the world education ratings. The US is 14th while Canada is 3rd. If we are supposed to be the greatest country in the world we should be able to educate our citizens in a world class way. Maybe we should send government officials to Canada to see how they are running their school systems and testing programs. They face many of the same problems we do in the US and they seem to be doing a much better job.
great post! One important aspect is that teachers are the ones making the education reform decesions. Similar to Finland. Teachers are well respected and heaviliy unionized.
However, diviorce rate is lower and the income gap is less. Parents are not forced to work longer hours and can parent their kids instead of school parenting their kids.
Most other industrialized countries do not have the same expectations for every student. In the US, every student is essentially on a college track, whether they are destined for college or not. Students in those countries are tracked into trades and non-professional careers at a much earlier grade level, where they do not contribute to those scores. The tests that are being compared use all of our students, but only their best. So it is the same situation as in the US internally, where every student is compared against "The Standards", but what those standards comprise varies widely by state. Standardized testing is a complete sham in the US, unless you are talking about top-level, third-party exams like SAT/ACT, GMAT, etc.
But those have their own...issues.
Just recently met a Canadian teacher. I asked her several questions about their system and you are right. They do deal with many of our same issues. The one thing I noted though was that they only test their students in grades 3, 8 and one of the high school levels. Their focus is not on testing. This makes me wonder since Pearson, the great test making conglomerate which is based in England, do the English not support testing their kids to death? Or, are we as Americans the only ones who have bought into this continual "incompetent teachers and system" argument that allows this dollar sucking corporation, with the support of paid-off politicians, to undermine the education of our students and the ability of teachers to truly teach?
Get rid of the NEA, aggressively support good teachers, remove the poor ones, remove the trouble makers in the class room, raise the bar on students, .......... do it now.
Simple solution, get the behavior problems isolated and out of the classroom. Hold the students and their parents accountable for their disruptions to the learning environment. Yes everyone has the right for an education but they don't have the right to disrupt the other 25 students.
...35 students or more!
I think 90% of teachers are sincere. I also think 100% of the teacher's union leaders have interests far different than children's education at heart. Same old drumbeat: Smaller classes, more teachers, shorter hours, better facilities, different 'programs of the year', better benefits to attract better teachers....in short, just spend more money and trust us to improve your kid's education. And we, the taxpayers, have swallowed this for decades and ponied up the bucks. And what have we gotten for it? A substandard educational system that produces substandard results. I lay this squarly at the feet of the union hacks and the 10% of teachers who are nothing but sacks of meat taking up space. Get rid of the teacher unions, pay exceptional teachers well, get rid of the dead wood, provide vouchers, and let excellence happen.
It's obvious you are not a teacher and probably never stepped in a classroom to teach. Teachers spend 80 percent of their time dealing with rude students and classroom disruptions while administrators are only concerned about the number of students in school (FTE) rather than the quality of students. It's a shame when students are allowed to curse teachers and threatened them, and what happens, the teacher get admonished for not being able to control their classroom while no discipline measures are at their disposal. The very people directing and guiding education have no educational background.
...don't forget that you have a responsibility at the local level to involve yourself in the school district where you live...it's not just the teacher's unions that bear some of the responsibility...it falls on us individually as well...
Based on your reasoning, then please explain why Mississippi's public schools have one of the worst reputations and that state doesn't allow a teacher union. In the SE, most are right to work states and the teachers have an Association with no bargaining power-they can "suggest" all they want but no one has to follow any of their opinions and they have no say in how teachers get hired/fired/number of hours worked.
We need a revolution in education all right, a revolution that takes our schools away from the unions. We don't need to program more democrats, we need more independent thinkers and doers. You don't need an education to be a ward of the state. Are we willing to sacrifice yet another generation to the failed social engineering policies of these socialists?
The main problem with our educational system is the breakdown of the family. Every educator knows that a child coming from a stable two parent home is more likely to be successful in school. We need to address the real cause of the failures of our educational system and not dance around the issue.
Also, I am all for her suggestion that people who have not stepped foot in a classroom should not be making economic policy.....so long as she abdicates that no one who has never, say, been in the military should be allowed to make military decisions. Somehow I bet she wouldn't not be in favor of that approach.
I don't think Ill be letting my kids be the guinea pigs for the great social experiment that is public education. Private education is a proven commodity, if I can afford it, why shouldn't I send my kids there?
NCLB was a terrible idea from the start. It was based on lies from TX, and Bush believed it all. I taught before and after NCLB and I saw the decline in education due to it. Teaching from a script to attain a minimal arbitrary standard for all produces mediocrity at best, and it wastes the best minds. We need to reinstate Gifted Ed.
So, Gary.....What was the excuse BEFORE the testing began? Things were not any better back when "social promotions" were the norm. Anytime an effort is made to hold teahers "accountable" the teachers rebel. Tenue track positions for teachers must be eliminated. The teacher who taugh my sisxth grade social studies class in 1975-76 by giving us copies of pages out of cutsy coloring books to color remains in her teaching position to this day.
"people who never stepped into a classroom" shouldn't make decisions on education but they do. Just like people with no medical degree decide on the country's healthcare in my profession. The larger the centralized government role has become the more problems we create. I am all for a more micro economic and less macro economic approach. There is no one grand solution for everyone so why not reduce the size and thus, the expense to a state level. That I would support.
As a parent one thing that i've observed is that it always seems that the parents of the troubled students are the least likely to so up at academic functions like open house or parent teacher nites etc. There may be many reasons for this, manybe they are working,or maybe it is something else but parents must value education and demonstate this to their children.
Is there an agenda? A Henry Kissenger inspired program of promoting sodomy as a population control method?
I never imagined a gay support group for 13 year olds. And parents are not allowed in as it would "spoil the meeting" according to the vice principle who hosts the meeting and is openly gay.
I wish I was kidding...
Go Detroit...
Our scientific "experts" and pyschologists, and politicians are severely guilty for overthinking this problem. The more we study public education and its problems the worse it gets.
It used to be simple. Our kids went to school, they learned english, math, science, US history, threw in some electives like shop class, band, art, and after school they played sports or participated in a club or two. Then the "experts" go involved.
Parents have been left out. Admittedly largely because they are the most ineffective stakeholder involved. They have largely abdicated responsibility to the schools and teachers. It used to be that the schools provided the basic facts and education and parents taught the values and ethics. Now they expect schools to do it all.
Lastly, we goofed up when someone decided that every kid has a "right" to a free public education. I agree every kid should have a equal opportunity to a free public education. That right however should be sacrificed if the kids becomes a deterrent to the success of other students. Our schools are riddled with discipline problems. The problem kids are told the are "special" and deserve "special programs", and "individualized attention". The teachers spend so much futile time on discipline that the kids that go to learn are the ones making the sacrifice. Then,. when standards fall, the teachers get blamed. If a kid acts up repeatedly throw him out before he negatively impacts the rest.
That would go 90% of the way toward solving the problem. No expert needed.
WWRRD, agree with your comments!
We did not 'goof up' when it was decided that ALL children regardless of race, creed or financial worth, has the same access to free education. It is simply that the USA has failed where other countries have succeeded in making this work.
They should have access, but the access should be limited based on their behavior and performance. Once they interfere with other kids performance , they should be tossed.
Paul321.....he is talking about the students who consistently go to school and disrupt. That is all they do. The rest of the students suffer because of them, yet the teacher and school cannot get rid of them....without being sued.
Well said!! When we were in school these kids (special needs, etc.) had there own classrooms, now, unfortunately schools are not allowed to do that because it singles these students out. So, as has been said, the teacher has to spend so much class time dealing with them that the other students are not getting a fair shake. Why is that any more fair? I went along on several of my sons field trips in the last few years and have seen this first hand, I have actually seen the kids that WANT to learn just shrug and "give up" because they couldn't get a complete answer from their because he or she was distracted by another student "misbehaving" Lets not forget, in another 20 or 30 years this is the generation that will be "leading" this country.
Considering how much money the USA has spent on education and the lack luster results, one wonders why we have public education at all. If you research where successful people are educated you will find that they are from private schools. Private schools do very well in education and morel upbringing. The teachers union and the election of unqualified board of education members is the cause. People who want to educate their children send them to the private sector and avoid the public school like the plague.
Spoken like the typical elitist person who has no clue or ulterior motives. Educating the masses cannot be done in a private little world. We need public education. We just need to make it better. The problem is that ignorant people and ignorant politicians would rather throw the baby out with the bath water than do what it takes to fix the real problem. Of course this can be said of most government supported systems.
Written like the typical uneducated CNN "soundoff" poster.
It would probably not bother you at all if a possible Einstien was washing your hair. Everyone deserves a chance at an education and a better life.
Public education, educates the masses.
I send my kids to private school not because I do not want a bad teacher, in fact the school my kids are zoned for have outstanding teachers. I don't want them with the other kids. I love private school because all the parents are motivated and and the kids are well behaved because their parents care. The teachers tell us parents what they need from us in order to teach effectively and the parents do it, therefore the teachers can concentrate on teaching. I work in the public school system, I can see the frustration from all sides, the parents, the community, the unions, the teachers, the administration, politicians etc. I can see societies ills right in front of me in a daily basis. Divorce, drug abuse, neglect, single parents, unwanted pregnancies, all the stuff you see on springer. This is what we have turned America in to.
I can see the culture of America turn into what the rest of you see. A greater percentage of kids without work ethic, morals, and motivation. I work in a school that has students from all over the world, and we have Americans too. What I see is that the culture the students come from has the most impact on student success. For example; I rarely have a problem either behaviorally or academically with Vietnamese, Chinese, or Korean students. They come to class, they are respectful, they learn, they do not complain about hard work. Why? Because their parents preach it at home. Shocker! They are easy to teach. We have a culture problem and everyone is pointing fingers. Its our American way of life getting the best of us (or should I say worst of us). US. We are all affected. Therefore ALL OF US NEED TO STEP IT UP!


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"It allows us to have an understanding of what parents' needs are in regards to school transportation," said district spokesman Terry Koehne.
Approximately five bus routes currently serve between six to eight schools in the district, Koehne said. Parents pay for the transportation, although the district funds busing for special education students.
The scope of the school transportation program is being studied by Danville, San Ramon, Contra Costa County and the school district to develop it to serve the needs of the San Ramon Valley. Funds from Measure J, the countywide half-cent sales tax measure to relieve traffic congestion, are earmarked to develop a student transportation system.
The survey is available online until April 10 at www.ci.danville.ca.us


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Both the Jewish and Muslim traditions place a strong emphasis on helping those less fortunate. This concept is based on the idea that our own good fortune is given to us from God and we, therefore, are obligated to share with those who do not have. This can take the form of either giving money or giving time. These two avenues of contributing to the community are shared by both religions, allowing Muslims and Jews to work together to create a more just society.
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At the time that I posted my last blog, I was leaving the Isle of Wight, England, after spending four days on the island. Residents told us that we had picked the worst possible week to visit due to the predicted rainfall. When we woke to a downpour on day two of our visit, I decided that a visit to the Isle of Wight Record Office was in order.
I was almost soaked through when I got to the office due to my refusal to spend potential research monies on cab fare. Fortunately I had bagged my research items in plastic! I learned that you should check to see if the coat, that you thought was waterproof, actually is waterproof. Maybe standing under the shower while wearing it when still at home would have been a good move!
One of my research goals was to find information about apprenticeship records related to my Atkey ancestors. I had checked the websites of Isle of Wight Family History Society and the Isle of Wight Records Office before I left home so I knew some the records that would be accessible like marriage records and apprenticeship indentures.
The staff at the Records Office were very friendly and helpful. Getting copies of the marriage records that I wanted was easy because the collection included photocopies of marriage registrations by parish in binders. These copies could be slid out and the staff would make copies for researchers.
My Research Finds
While I was locating the marriage registrations that I wanted, the staff located the original copy of an 1801 indenture for a James Yelf who was apprenticed to my 3X great grandfather, Isaac Atkey. I found the terms of the agreement quite interesting because some protection for the apprentice was required of Isaac. What a thrill it was to hold this document in my hands. I came home with a copy of it .
I was also able to access the "family" files for the Atkeys which contained information provided primarily by my distant cousin Fred Atkey who lives near London, England. He had provided considerable information about apprenticeship records going back to 1752.
My last find was a marriage record for my 3X great grandfather, James Atkey, who came to Canada as a Wesleyan Methodist missionary circa 1854. Of course, a scan of that record came home with me.
Preparing For Your Research Trip While Still at Home
My preparations for this trip can be duplicated for on-site research in Ontario. The key preparations are:
- doing preparation research to find out what records are actually available at the repository that you intend to visit. If possible, print off information about records, in which you are interested, that are available according to any online indices. This saves time on-site especially if you have no Internet access or if they have no or few computers available for searching their on-line indicies.
- making contact with the archival staff from your home prior to your trip might lead them to look for items that would be of interest to you.
- taking your family tree records with you either electronically or on paper. I keep electronic files on my iPad but take some paper copies as backup. I "teeter" on the edge of going fully electronic but have not let go of keeping paper records and notations for fear of having nothing if my electronic equipment crashes or is stolen.
- asking the on-site archivists if there are any other records that might be of value in your research. For example, the Records Office had fire insurance maps. Unfortunately for me, the ones in the collection did not cover the time period in which my ancestors had a boot and shoe making shop in Newport, Isle of Wight.
Questions to Ask of an Archivist Before You Go
It is a good idea to find the answers to these questions in advance of your trip:
Can I scan or photograph items in the collection?
Can I photocopy items myself or do I have to request that items be copied by staff members?
What is the cost of photocopying?
If I can photograph items, what is the cost of doing so? For example, at the Isle of Wight Records Office they had a flat fee for photography.
Do I have to pay in cash or do you accept credit card payments?
Can I view microfilmed records and if so can I save images to my own USB Flash Drive or do I have to purchase a CD/Flash Drive with the scans? The latter was the case at the Isle of Wight Records Office.
Don't hesitate to move off the Internet and research in archived paper records. The thrills of holding an actual record and of finding family records that are not digitized and mounted on the Internet are well worth the adventure.
Some Internet Sites to Use to Plan Your Trip
The Archives Canada site or Canadian Archival Information Network is worth searching to find out about the archives that exist in Canada.
The Society of American Archivists has posted a handbook on line, Using Archives- A Guide to Effective Research, that can be down loaded for free.
Of course, "Googling" libraries and archives in the geographical areas in which you are interested would be another approach.
Alan Campbell
Copyright 2015


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Now we're into January we're starting to get excited about what records 2013 holds in store. A few very exciting ones have been announced already or nearly out (Kurt Vile, Everything Everything, Daft Punk?) and one that we're anticipating heavily is Esben and the Witch's second effort. Take a watch/listen to Deathwaltz above and don't forget the band play for us on 26th of February.
Category : everything everything


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Good onya, Karl Rove.
Freedom of Religion, not Christian Nation.
Amen. Er, you now what I mean:
Via Youtube comment:
"Congress shall make NO law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." – US Constitution.
"The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." – Article 11.
onism-michele-bachmann-and-ric k-perry-s-dangerous-religious- bond.html
Of course, no surprise, Rove did attack President Obama in 2009 for assuring Turkey that we were not a Christian nation.
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Email us (please put title in subject bar of email so we'll be able to fix). Or do you want to write for Elephant?
{Waylon H. Lewis C Enterprises 2015: Use Rights in perpetuity. Ownership remains with author.}
One Response to "Good onya, Karl Rove."
He scares me.


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More details became available this week about the stand-down of activities in the Plutonium Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory last month that was ordered by lab director Charlie McMillan.
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Anne Hathaway's Brooklyn apartment is on the market at $4.5 million. The actress never lived in the apartment but rather used it as her closet to store clothes.
According to
Realty Today, the apartment was too spacious for Hathaway and her husband, Adam Shulman. Instead, the couple rented a smaller apartment in the Clocktower Building and just kept Hathaway's clothes and accessories in the larger apartment.
An insider told Yahoo! Homes that "she didn't like the unit. It was too big, and she felt she was too visible."
The newly-listed apartment is 2592 square feet with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It features high ceilings, hardwood floors and an incredible view of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.
Another insider revealed that The Devil Wears Prada star "doesn't want to be recognized and believes that she has too high a profile to be able to live in [Manhattan]." Hathaway is currently looking for another apartment in Brooklyn.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons


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World No. 1 Serena Williams sealed her progression into the final of the Swedish Open, where she will face Johanna Larsson.
Williams continued her strong form on the clay at the WTA International tournament in Bastad, cruising to a 6-0 6-4 win over the Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova.
The 16-time grand slam champion wasted little time in dispatching of the third seed, coasting through in just one hour and seven minutes to clinch victory.
Williams destroyed Zakopalova in the opening set, taking a stranglehold with a faultless display as she claimed the advantage without losing a game in a mere 25 minutes.
Zakopalova provided much more of a threat in a hard-fought second set.
The Czech twice fell a break down as the top seed aimed to close the contest out, but both times she responded with a break of her own to keep hopes of a remarkable comeback intact.
However, Williams' quality told in the end, with the U.S. Open and French Open champion grabbing the crucial break in the 10th game to put her in pole position for a 53rd WTA career title.
She is likely to have the crowd against her in the final, though, after home favorite Larsson came from a set down to reach the final, overcoming Italy's Flavia Pennetta 2-6 6-3 6-4.
Larsson emerged victorious at the end of a topsy-turvy encounter, maintaining her chances of taking a maiden WTA title, coming through in one hour and 44 minutes.
Pennetta looked to be in command when she powered to a one-set lead, breaking Larsson four times while losing her own serve just twice.
The 31-year-old broke early in the second, but Larsson recovered and surged into a 5-2 lead before duly leveling to force a decider.
The third set proved to be a much more tense affair, the crucial moment coming in the seventh game as Larsson broke to love, eventually going on to survive a nervy final service game and move into Sunday's showpiece.


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Check out my New York Times post for English Language Learners focuses on using music for language development and includes a student interactive, video, and teaching ideas. One of those ideas relates to using West Side Story to initiate a discussion of gangs.
As part of a series of lessons on writing a persuasive essay with my Intermediate English class, we'll be reading "It Doesn't Have To Be This Way: A Barrio Story" by Luis Rodriguez, who's written several excellent books on gang life in Los Angeles. His books are exceptionally popular with teenage students.
I thought I'd quickly come-up with a "The Best…" list to supplement the unit — and I do mean quickly. I'm sure there's a lot of other good work out there that's accessible to English Language Learners that I haven't found. I hope readers will suggest additional resources that I can add to the list.
Depending on your how your school's content filter handles streaming media, some of these links might not be accessible.
You might also be interested in The Best Sites To Learn About Mexico's Drug War.
Here are my choices, not in any order of preference, for The Best Sites To Learn About Street Gangs (and are accessible to ELL's):
A slideshow from The New York Times is about Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles-based organization that provides jobs to former gang members.
All My Enemies is an impressive multimedia presentation on gang life in L.A.
The San Jose Mercury News has a slideshow on the efforts of a local church to promote a gang cease fire.
The Providence Journal has an ambitious feature on the Gangs of Providence.
In Cold Blood: Guatemala Gangs is a slideshow from National Public Radio.
Gangs Without Borders is multimedia presentation from The New York Times on Central American gangs.
The Los Angeles Times has a feature on gangs in El Salvador and the United States.
Here's a presentation on British gangs.
The L.A. Times has an audio slideshow on gangs in the city of Compton.
An article in The New York Times is titled "Gangs Grows, But Hardline Stirs Doubts." That article and another editorial, A Job Or A Gang, are probably not accessible to English Language Learners, but can be modified by teachers to stimulate class discussion on how best to keep young people out of gangs.
The Modesto Bee has an interview with a police officer on "The Gang Lifestyle."
A Seattle newspaper has an audio slideshow called Gangs In Seattle.
Here's a moving slideshow on effects of gang violence in Miami.
Some students from Trinity College came up with some decent ideas for simple classroom lessons and, more importantly, they include links to good resources teachers can use for developing their own.
Gangs In San Diego is another multimedia presentation.
Here is a slideshow about gangs in Salinas, California.
You can watch a very short "trailer" to a documentary about Latino gangs. It's called Nuestra Familia, Our Family.
Here's a video on Home Boy Industries, the group that was highlighted earlier in this post in a New York Times slideshow.
A Massachusetts newspaper has a variety of online videos, infographics, and articles on gangs.
The Press Enterprise newspaper in southern California has impressive feature on gangs called Bloodshed and Bravado. It includes an accessible slideshow and several online videos.
The Columbus Dispatch has an audio slideshow titled Gospel Versus Gangs about a church's effort to get youth to leave gangs.
Young Guns: A New Brand of Gangster is a slideshow from a Seattle newspaper.
Thug Life is an audio slideshow from an Indiana paper.
A Better Way is yet an other audio slideshow from the Ventura County Star about a gang member who left that way of life.
The History Channel has an impressive site called Gangland.
I'm adding a multimedia presentation from the San Jose Mercury News on that city's Anti-Gang Unit to this list.
The Wall Street Journal has an online video about former gang members being trained to install solar panels.
PBS's Wide Angle series has a number of resources connected its film about gangs in El Salvador called "18 With A Bullet." There's a video preview of the film, a photo essay, a video update, and an overview of gangs worldwide.
Gangs In Hempstead is an onine video from The New York TImes.
Promise and Peril in South L.A. is an impressive multimedia series from LA Times on gangs and gang intervention.
Gangs On Tribal Land is a video from the New York Times sharing how "tribal officials on the Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Reservation are struggling to control a rash of gang-related crime among native youth."
Knocking Out Chicago Gang Violence is a CBS News video on an anti-gang boxing program.
Ex-Gang Members Work Together is a CNN video.
From Gangs To Breakdancing is another CNN video.
CNN has a series of videos about gangs in one community:
CNN also has three videos on gangs in Chicago:
MSNBC has a video on the MS-13 Gang.
ABC News has several videos:
Gang Violence in South Los Angeles
I'm adapting a lesson from The Write Institute (also see The Best Websites For K-12 Writing Instruction/Reinforcement) unit on persuasive writing for the unit I'm teaching now.
One of the lessons — related to gangs — has students list the different groups they "belong to" family, school, etc.) In addition, I'm having them write out the different benefits they receive from belonging to each group (love, support, learing, etc.)
Next, students are researching why kids join gangs, and will then compare those reasons for joining that group with their benefits for being part of their groups. Many, though not all, of the reasons will probably be similar, and then we will explore why students think gang members might not receive those same benefits from elsewhere like our class members do.
Here are some more relatively accessible websites that I'm adding to this list that students will be using to research that particular issue:
Why Do Young People Join Gangs? (same title, different resource)
The New York Times has an online video titled Streetwise Saint Joins Mexico Drug War. Here's how they describe it:
Mexico City gang youth have adopted a first century saint as their idol. A septuagenarian American priest who speaks their language wants to cash in on their unconventional fervor to help them.
Interactive: Gang activity in Sacramento is from the Sacramento Bee and shows on a map where gang activity is occurring. Other newspapers may have similar features.
"After Gang Life" is the title of a slideshow from Newsweek.
Victims of Gang Violence: The smoke clears, but pain endures is a multimedia presentation from The Los Angeles Times.
Urban Jungle on the Reservation is a slideshow from TIME Magazine.
You might also be interested in a series of "Fotobabbles" (audio-narrated photos) that our Intermediate English students did on the issue of what are the consequences of being involved in a gang.
Homegirl Cafe is a video about a young woman escaping gang life.
Blood Ties: A Photographer Captures Gang Culture In Her Family is a photo gallery from TIME.
Here's how the filmmaker describes this short video, "Good Bread"
Bread can be considered many things: warm; delicious; sustaining. It's also slang for money. This literal slice of life, which follows the typical day of an ex-gang member on his first job in the bakery of Homeboy Industries, underscores the meaning – and the lasting contribution – of "good bread."
A Salvadoran Cease-Fire Holds, for Now is a New York Times slideshow.
The Washington Post has published an infographic comparing the 18th Street and Mara Salvatrucha gangs.
Searching for Hope and Humanity in L.A. is a photo gallery from The New York Times.
Video: Violence 'Interrupters'
The Associated Press has an interactive on gangs in El Salvador.
As always, feedback is welcome.
If you found this post useful, you might want to look at previous "The Best…" lists and also consider subscribing to this blog for free.


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Everything's All Right in the Middle East Politics • by Robert Levin A mutual solution to the problem of being mortal
4 319
Peggie (or Sex with a Very Large Woman) by Robert Levin My chance to cross gross obesity from the list of body types I hadn't yet scored.
1 351
When Pacino's Hot, I'm Hot by Robert Levin A comedy about a man with a talent for looking famous
1 98
On Turning Sixty by Robert Levin The advantages of becoming sixty
1 283
Arena by Robert Levin A man finds a way out of his mid-life crisis.
0 167
Dog Days by Robert Levin When you call your dog Maureen you're asking for trouble.
1 267
How to Make a Baby by Robert Levin I was, I suppose you could say, in a PRE-partum depression.
2 286
The Author by Robert Levin An author discovers that his book is missing from the library.
12 511


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Individual Bibliographies
Bibliographies of Online & Printed Resources
This Bibliography consists of online and printed resources. It is broken down by different topic areas. Plants and Wildflowers and Lepidoptera are quite extensive and on separate pages that you can link to from the callout box on the right.
Locating these materials.
Some of the publications will be out of print, but could be at your local library or borrowed from another library through their Interlibrary Loan. Also, in some cases there may be reprints available.
- Alderfer, J. (ed) (2005). National Geographic complete birds of North America. Washington D.C.: National Geographic.
- Audubon, J. J. (1937). The birds of America. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- City of Waco Water Utility Services. (2005). Birds of the Lake Waco Wetland. Waco, Texas: City of Waco Water Utility Services.
- Hiroshige, & Bogel, C. J. (1988). Hiroshige: Birds and flowers. New York: George Braziller, Inc.
- Johnsgard, P. A. (1983). The hummingbirds of North America. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
- Muhawi, I., & Kanaana, S. (1989). Speak, bird, speak again: Palestinian Arab folktales. Berkeley: University of California Press.
- Proctor, N. (1985). Garden birds: How to attract birds to your garden. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press.
- Tyrrell, E. Q., & Tyrrell, R. A. (1985). Hummingbirds - their life and behavior: a photographic study of the North American species. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc.
- Texas A & M. Entomology. http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/youth/4hsg.html.
- Mitchell, F. L., & Lasswell, J. L. (2005). A dazzle of dragonflies. College Station: Texas A & M University Press.
- Observing and photographing dragonflies. http://www.sas.org/E-Bulletin/2003-06-13/features/body.html.
The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. Digital dragonfly museum.
- Texas amphibian watch. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/education/tracker/amphibians/.
- Frogs and toads of Texas. http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/frogs/.
- Frog watch. http://www.nwf.org/frogwatchusa/.
- North American amphibian monitoring. http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp/.
- Declining amphibian populations task force. http://www.open.ac.uk/daptf/index.htm.
- North American reporting center for amphibian malformations. http://frogweb.nbii.gov/.
Florida nature.
A field guide to spiders and scorpions of Texas (Gulf Publishing Field Guide)
ISA: International Society of Arachnology.
Arachnology - the study of arachnids.
- Oklahoma State. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ddd/ddd.html.
The Texas A&M University System. Texas Agriculture Extension Service.
The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Animal diversity web.