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Pictures Taken From Dodger Stadium January 28, 2010
Today was my Select-a-Seat appointment at Dodger Stadium. I went hoping that the two seats next to me were available. The owner of those seats lives out of state so you always see different people there and I am always talking to my friends to the right over those two people. Anyway, no luck, the seats were already renewed.
There were alot of cars in the parking lot when I got there. The Dodgers also have free Dodger Dogs, chips, sodas and bags of peanuts on those days. As I was going up the escalator, I ran into Ben Platts from MLB. I told him "I LOVE this place!" He said "I know!" LOL
I went to the Top Deck so that I could sit in my seats! Ahhh. take a look at the view from there. So beautiful, so relaxing. You can see a little snow in the mountains.
Looking at another side from the Top Deck, you can see the Hollywood sign
Here is a view of the Top Deck from the field level. See the Dodger Logo? to the right are my seats against that wall where I put the tag so stop by and say HI if you are at the stadium.
Here a view from the Club level and the row of pictures down the hall. Here it starts with the Captain Pee Wee:
Here is the Duke (pic size 444 because of his number)
Vin Scully Press Box. The door was open but NO! I would not go in to sacred grounds!
One view from the Top Deck parking lot. Between the two palms to the right you can see City Hall (pointy building) where scenes from Superman, Dragnet and Adam 12 were filmed. It was built in 1923.
Top Deck Ticket office. I love the mural. at the other side of the mural wall is the gift shop. See the Dodger Logo? Is on both sides. Right there is elevator.
This to the right of mural. I like the tree here. Beyond you can see snow in the mountains. This is one of the entrances for the media. I am curious about that white wall and the indentations. I don't know what is depicting.
from the dugout level. Players pass here on their way to the clubhouse. This wall has the name of every player that has played for the Dodgers. Don't remember up to what year. Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson's names are on this part.
On the other side of the player's names wall are some pictures. Here is one of the longest playing infield of Ron Cey, Russell, Lopes and Garvey.
well, after all that I went to the gift shop! Great bargains there! The store has been having a 50% discount on the entire store since December. Some stuff is even cheaper now. Players jerseys no longer wtih the team are $20 to $30. I got other kind of t-shirts from $2.50 to $5.
Note: I am saving the pictures of Jackie Robinson to post on his birthday.
24 Comments
Great pics!! I liked the mural and the one with the player's names on it. Hope you find good seats for this upcoming season!!
Any chance of exchanging your seats with the out of towners?
Thanx for the great pics!
Linda and I are so excited to be going today for our first select-a-seat! Thanks for the pics, Emma! I can't wait!
I like the mural too! I bet some fans that enter thru there or don't go buy tickets at the Top Deck have not seen it. I renewed my old seats! I just wanted to move to seats 9 &10 instead of 11 & 12.
I've seen the owner maybe once or twice but I'll keep my eyes open to see if I see him. Glad you liked my pics! thanks!
Oh you are going to have fun! Just entering the gates of our heaven on Earth puts a big smile on my face.
I have never had a Dodger Dog, but I want to sooo bad!
Also have not had the lifetime thrill of attending a game at Chavez Ravine, but it is on my list of 100 things to do before I take a dirtnap.
Awesome seat location. I especially like the addition of that wall to keep a cold chill off your back during night games…Plus the "Hollywood" sign would be a constant reminder I was living my baseball dream.
Thank you so much for taking us on that great trip from the concourse to the Vin Scully Pressbox.
Always great to learn some new and exciting every day……..And today it was about Dodger Stadium.
Rays Renegade
Nice photos! It is very cool that you got to wander around a near-empty stadium..what fun!
Dodger Stadium is such a beautiful ballpark. I can't wait to come back there for the Yanks-Dodgers series in June. Hope you get great seats!
Yep! It was all about Dodger Stadium yesterday! So you don't get Dodger Dogs there? we can buy them at the market or Smart & Final. I probably can mail you some.
I was a few steps away from the clubhouse but I would not dare. As long as I got was fine. One of the club house guys went by with baseball equipment since the young guys have been working during the Winter workouts. My friend Rene said he saw two players going on the elevator.
Yes, Dodger Stadium is such a beautiful place. Like the saying goes "All your worries go away when you are at the ballpark. Can't wait for the whole season to start!
I love where I sit, I just wanted to move two seats over. In all honesty, like my friend LTD23 reminded me🙂, the seats next to me are unocupied since those people are out of towners. .
Hi Emma,
These pics make me want to get to California even more!!! You'd think it'd be easy to try and talk my (Angels fan) hubby into going out west…
What IS it with men?! LOL!
Ah yes… brings back memories! My time in L.A. (though short) was well spent and much of it included Chavez Ravine. Maybe Colorado gives it competition in the best scenery category, but Dodger Stadium will always hold a special place in my heart. Great pics as always!
Don't give up in convincing your hubby! Show him the pictures of how nice it is in the offseason. you all can take a tour of Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium. Lots to see here also. The drive going up or down the coast is beautiful!
I've been to both and I'll take the view from Dodger Stadium! Thank you very much! I do love it in Colorado although when I went to see games there it had snowed the night before!
The mural is cool, Emma! I never did get the opportunity to get to Dodgers (or Angels) Stadium while I lived in CA, but I would have loved to! The weather's too hot, though, out there–I'm enjoying our snow!😉 The photos of Pee Wee and the Duke are great, though—as were your photos of Fernando and Lasorda! I'll take some Dodger Dogs!😉
This was OUTSTANDING!! I'm telling you Emma…we got these Dodgers covered coast to coast!! Past and Present. Your fan…Mike
I love that mural! If you notice closer, it has the scoreboard of a game against San Francisco. What??? You were here and never went to Dodger Stadium! And you definitely need to try a grilled Dodger dog, but you know they taste better at the stadium.
Me too! Can't wait for the season to start! We open at PNC this year.
You got that right! we got them covered coast to coast! I just loved your posts!
Select a Seat is our chance to see the stadium again and it looks grrrreat! Love Yeager! I have this thing for catchers. I played catcher in high school but it was too much for me after I got hit.
Great pictures! Stadium as always looks great. Well it looks like I'll miss you in Glendale, and I missed you at Select a Seat. I went today just…well just because🙂 . Tickets have already been purchased, but I always go out every year anyways. Kinda tradition I guess.
Re: the wall outside the elevator on the Dugout level with all the past/present Dodgers names on it? I ALWAYS jump up and slap Steve Yeager's name. Gotta. He's my all time favorite.
Go Blue!
Ahh Dodgers stadium. I have been there a couple times. In fact don't tell anyone but my first game was a Dodger game! hahaha funny isn't it? I enjoy going to Dodger games actually but don't tell anyone either!
You sounded a bit like my mom on that last comment haha though I do appreciate the thoughts! I do know that I have to concentrate on my studies because i'm almost done with high school🙂
I was so excited to see snow for a couple of days! I was in my classroom when i looked out the window and saw snow!
Great pics Emma! They remind me of the pics I took during our ITD tour. But you have a few more than I did; always LOVE that mural outside the Top Deck! 🙂
When are you going to Camelback?
Hey Mimi,
I'll keep your secret. lol. Glad I sound like your mom. She is giving you sound advice. Make the blog an insentive AFTER you do your homework.
I was on the train and was telling my train friends "LOOK AT THE SNOW!!! " They laugh at me that I get excited looking at the snow on the mountains.
I have a few more that I am putting on my next post that I am currently working on. Mee too! I love the mural outside the Top Deck!!
God willing, I will be at Camelback the first weekend and the last weekend.
Well Emma, if that's when you're going, we'll miss you. Aw, nuts. We'll catch up with each other during the season! 🙂
Oh Carol😦. I will miss you and I will miss Rob also. Oh well. Hopefully I will see both of you at Dodger Stadium!
Nice pics. I went yesterday to renew my package, I got the Triple Crown package, 14 games, all Sundays. Unfortunately, my seats got pushed back further than I usually am but I'm hopeful I can upgrade before the season starts. I'm usually out at 307 in the LF Pavillion, this time, they put me up in 315. I took some pics myself around Elysian Park and should be putting them up some time this week.
I know a few fans that sit in the LF Pavillion: Erik, Jose (who dresses as Manny), I can't think of Jose's friend that I met in San Diego. Gary who they called Leche. There are some other ones including two guys that I took their pictures and posted it here. They stopped in the parking lot asking me if I had a blog here. LOL.
I'll look for your pics! thanks for stopping by!


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And While We Were Gone…
Our recent recess from tickling the baseball-politico world's underbelly did not go without major achievement.
In fact, my factious and oft riot-mongering colleague, Mr. Allen Krause, spent several days salivating over the baseball awesomeness that has been the Detroit Tigers of late.
Quite contrary to that bit of Utopia, I spent several days wondering why my dear St. Louis Cardinals suffer from incurable performance anxiety syndrome when facing their rival Cincinnati Reds.
And meanwhile, RSBS special correspondent and podcast heavyweight, Mr. Johanna Mahmud, spent several days… well, perhaps it's just best if I show you what he's been up to:
Hate me 'cuz I got the interns to spy on our friend, just don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.
9 Comments
Just gonna say 'way to go' to the Cards, a sweep of the Phillies during there slump days…. It could be worse it could have been the sCrUBS…. So how do you lime the new blogs on WordPress, how about giving that a airing on a Filibuster, go Head be brave slam the management don't be afraid be a man…..
I'll be back…..
Still hTe the spell checking on my iPhone….. Sure you can figure out the errors 'lime = like' etc etc


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Next fall, he will be a principal at one of the Beeville Independent School District's reorganized elementary schools.
He will be replaced by FMC Principal DeeDee Bernal, who previously had expressed her desire to go to the high school.
"Because he lives in Pettus," explains BISD Superintendent Dr. Sue Thomas, "he feels the workload at an elementary school will allow him to spend more time with his children and family."
Earlier this year, Rodriguez asked Dr. Thomas to make the switch if the opportunity arose.
This fall, the district's three elementary schools will be restructured, with each school, respectively, teaching grades 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6.
Sixth-graders will be transferred from the middle school.
Rodriguez became principal at A.C. Jones in 2009; Bernal has been FMC principal for two years.
Thomas does not know which elementary principal, including Rodriguez, will teach at which school but plans to announce it at next month's regular board meeting.


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By Tibor Machan: Syndicated Columnist
LONDON — The little hotel, Sanctuary House, where I stayed this time was located, unbeknownst to me, just the other side of the New Scotland Yard. So when I arrived Thursday after my flight from New York, I felt some relief. Terrorists probably will not do their vicious deeds in the back yard of the cops.
I was invited to speak on "The free market and its moral foundation" at a small classical liberal-conservative institute, Civitas, by my friend and fellow philosopher David Conway.
It was ironic — the very day I was laying out the moral case for a free society, four new attempted bombings occurred in London, based in part on the terrorists' conviction that nothing about western societies is of any moral worth. Of course, the big question is what is to count as moral? They believe duty to tribe is, whereas in fact self-perfection as human beings is our true moral purpose in life.
As I left Civitas and did some walking about London while experiencing plenty of jitters, I recalled some similar feelings from when Budapest was bombed in my very early youth. I reflected on why these terrorists have such a warped view of human morality. (I also stopped to call my mother, who brought up that very thing, about how living in Budapest during World War II felt much like it feels living in the shadows of terrorism now.)
I was also assisted in my reflections by a novel I was reading, by Daniel Silva, "The Prince of Fire," which is all about terrorist activity throughout Europe, all in the name of their warped sense of morality.
The bottom line is that terrorists believe in the virtue of tribal loyalty. It is, for most of them, a matter of us against them, as a group. No, it's even worse — as in a beehive or an ant colony. For these terrorists a baby is not some innocent individual but something that's part of an evil body, a body of the infidels who are not with them.
It is all "we, we" and "we" again, or "us."
Individuals do not matter to them. Even parents and siblings are just part of the tribe — if they are hurt or killed it is because this was an act against the tribe that it is a bad thing, never mind them as individual persons. That is why revenge needs to be carried out against anyone deemed as part of those bad others — children, neighbors, relatives, people who look like them, who eat the same kind of food, what have you.
What is so outrageous as well as frightening about this is that much of the world has viewed human affairs along such lines throughout history. Individualism, while far more true than tribalism, has not been fully appreciated by people. Even in much of Europe, the idea of the Serbs vs. the Croats or the Irish vs. the English, the Jews vs. the Christians, or the immigrants vs. natives is still very prevalent, even dominant.
It is no wonder that so many Europeans feel more "understanding" toward the terrorists! The distinctive American view of individualism, wherein it's the individual's actions that establish who someone is, not where someone comes from, what tribe one belongs to, is novel, unfamiliar. Even in America it is mostly a matter of the gut, not of the mind — too many people are philosophical collectivists or communitarians, not individualists.
Yet, of course, it is individualism that is truer about us, and it is also this viewpoint that encourages more peace and harmony among people. With any individual there lies only a tiny bit of power, whereas tribes, even small ones, pack quite a punch. So if individuals within some tribe get crazy angry about something, chances are considerable that major damage will be done. An individual is relatively impotent in these matters and the risk of angry outbursts and barbaric temper tantrums are thus minimized.
In the end, of course, tribes are mainly disguised ways for some members to gain and keep power. They are nasty factions behind which the few who are privileged and unjustly favored hide their vested interests. They are the ones who are most threatened with the idea of individualism, of a rejection of collective duty and guilt. So they will carry on with their terrorism, seeing that without it they have nothing left and nothing of value to fake.
Tibor Machan advises Freedom Communications, parent company of this newspaper. E-mail him at email@example.com


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Are you a good person? The answer to this question is almost guaranteed to be yes, and the people who say no are just so tiresome I will pretend they said yes as well, because dealing with that brand of Hot Topic self-loathing isn't in the cards for today. So, we all think we're good people, by and large. But could you be a better person? Now, here, if you say no, you're probably awful. and I won't listen to that, either. Go back to your wife, Kanye.
For much of us, there's wiggle room to be a better person. We can take stock of our lives, what we've done, and say, "Yes, I could have dropped my pants on the bus fewer times than I did," or whatever your personal bugaboo is. And that's good. You should want to be a better person, because why not? You have a finite amount of time in this world, and why not keep trying to do better and be better? And it doesn't even have to be hard. And just think: if everyone tried to be better, everything would be better. Is that ever going to happen? Fuck no, but you can try and make things a tiny bit better, because otherwise you're hanging with those miserable Hot Topic sad sacks again, and who can handle that?
Jetta Productions/Digital Vision/Getty Images
What's the best way to be better? Learn better. That shit's tight. Socrates, noted brainiac and corrupter of boys, once said something along the lines of, "The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing." This more or less means you will never know everything, and being aware that you don't know everything is a good thing. No one likes a cocky know-it-all. So you start from a position of realizing you know jack, and that leaves a lot of room to learn new stuff. That makes you a wiser, more-rounded person, and that's alright.
While most of us can't wait to get the hell out of school and start a sweet life full of microwave burritos and lazy afternoon jack off sessions between episodes of Maury, some of us keep learning even beyond grad school, and it doesn't require a knit cap or thick-rimmed glasses. Self-directed learning can, in fact, be all kinds of awesome.
While school wants you to learn terrible things like how to make change with an abacus and what Robert Frost thought about farmhouses and cow shit, self-directed learning is all about you. For instance, you can learn the electric guitar, which is awesome. You can play it for friends and family at parties, or on the street for strangers, or in a band at clubs and make hundreds of people feel awesome. You could be Slash and play every Guns N' Roses song, and that is literally the best thing a person can do with a guitar. You can do that! I'm going to do that later! Let's do it together!
There's no downside to learning, unless you're just looking into more efficient ways to dispose of bodies that ensures no gang of kids in the woods will find your latest victim. And that's a good thing, too. So even your learned psychosis is kind of a good thing. Face it, learning is aces. Go learn shit.
3Say Yes
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Maybe this is my own personal handicap, but I can get in negative ruts sometimes that manifest themselves powerfully through the word no.
"Hey, Felix, you want to hit up this party?"
"Hey, Felix, you want to go to this art gallery where you can doodle cartoon characters on the boobs of giggling drunk ladies?"
"Hey, Felix, Susan Sarandon is at the door, and she says she's looking for the greatest motorboat enthusiast this side of Bangkok. What should I tell her?"
Why would I ever do that? Why would you? Sometimes saying no is a product of wallowing in one's own misery -- your boss kept you late at work, and then, on the way out, said you stink like the ballsack of a two-week-old dead hobo. That's mean. And it brings you down. So you want to sit and stew at home. Other times it's just a result of not wanting to leave your comfort zone. For instance, part of me would love to go skydiving, and part of me is deathly afraid of heights. That second part has won out every argument I've had on this topic, ever. Maybe one day I'll jump from a plane like a crazy man, but for now I'm saying no.
Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
Not gonna feast on my soul today, gravity.
Saying yes takes more than just watching a mediocre Jim Carrey movie. It really involves a fundamental change in how you approach life. You say no to so many things, because you want to. Otherwise, you'd say yes. How do you convince yourself to do things you don't want to do? It's hard as shit. But if you have the motivation of wanting to be a better person, you even the playing field of your laziness a little bit.
At this point you ask yourself things like, "What's the harm in saying yes?" or "What has saying no ever got me?" And before you know it, you're calling yourself stupid for missing out on boobs and parachutes and boat trips to a wizard's castle. (Note: Say no to that last one; it's a trick.)
If you're the cynical type, you may still be wondering what the point behind this is, how it would make you a better person anyway, and it's your lucky day, Susie Cynical, because I'll tell you -- saying yes is being positive. It's letting go of negative habits, trying new stuff, meeting new people, and experiencing new tastes or points of view or hobbies or whatever-the-hell. It's not what you say yes to that matters, it's that you let go of the habit of not wanting to change things. That makes you dynamic and flexible and an assorted other words that could be used to describe a gymnast.


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Lazaridis School of Business & Economics
What Has Driven Chinese Monetary Policy Since 1990s? Investigating the People's Bank's Policy Rule (ABSTRACT)
Siklos, P., & Burdekin, R.
published: 2008 | Research publication | Refereed Journals - Economics
Siklos, P., & Burdekin, R. (2008). "What Has Driven Chinese Monetary Policy Since 1990? Investigating the People's Bank's Policy Rule", Journal of International Money and Finance 27 (5), 847.
ABSTRACT: Post-1990 Chinese monetary policy is modeled with an augmented McCallum-type rule that takes into account the People's Bank of China's emphasis on targeting the rate of money supply growth. People's Bank policy appears responsive to the gap between target and actual nominal GDP as well as to external pressures. Additional cointegration analysis yields estimates of the gap between estimated money demand and actual money supply that appear to track the inflationary trends evident over our sample period. Chinese inflation and monetary policy outcomes seem reasonably captured using a standard monetary approach without the need to appeal to China-specific "structural" factors.
Download the article at: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1497869641&sid=5&Fmt=2&clientId=27850&RQT=309&VName=PQD
revised Jul 22/08
View all Lazaridis School of Business & Economics documents


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The Tap Pre-Show: See Canadian husband-wife duo Whitehorse perform in our studio
Photo by Michael Sears
If you still haven't made plans for a Valentine's night out with your sweetheart, or if you're just looking for an affordable night of terrific music, might we suggest seeing Whitehorse at Shank Hall tonight? »Read Full Blog Post
Milwaukee Art Museum makes appearance in iPhone Photography Awards
The subject of one of the winning photos in the 2014 iPhone Photography Awards might look familiar to Milwaukeeans:
Winners of the iPhone Photography Awards: http://t.co/oYFMo8SQso pic.twitter.com/ibgC2fMasV »Read Full Blog Post
Cedarburg native Josh Thompson unveils video for 'Wanted Me Gone'
Just in time for a concert swing through his home state, Wisconsin's biggest national country star, Josh Thompson, has released the video for his new song, "Wanted Me Gone." The song is the second single from Thompson's sophpmore album, "Turn It Up," which was released in April. It is already following the first song, "Cold Beer With Your Name On It" toward the country radio top 40.
The song is a classic country kiss off with a catchy groove. The video finds Thompson addressing his ex from the tailgate of a pickup filled with his belongings and sitting defiantly in a lawn chair under a window with his clothes - and even a whitetail archery target- raining down on him. »Read Full Blog Post
Things to do this week in Milwaukee
Painter's blues
Take a look at Wassily Kandinsky's art from another perspective by attending Gregory S. Athnos' lecture on the artist at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Lubar Auditorium of the Milwaukee Art Museum, 900 N. Art Museum Drive. »Read Full Article


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Thinking about taking a cruise? Choosing the right line can be a dizzying task. There are at least 26 major cruise lines plying the seas and a staggering 7,500 itineraries to consider, from Dublin to Dubai. Each line has its own signature offerings, but options differ dramatically–even within the same fleet. Cruise ships, like people, have distinct personalities and no two are alike.
Time Off
December 4, 2012
December 3, 2012
Searching for the perfect holiday gift? We've investigated hundreds of superlative options and winnowed them down to the best of the best. You'll find something here for everyone on your list, from the tech nerd to the thrill seeker to the person who has everything–or thinks he does until your gift arrives.
November 13, 2012
Tony Gemignani–an 11-time winner of the World Pizza Championship competition–is a genius when it comes to the presentation of pizza in its many styles.
October 18, 2012
Eighty miles off the Venezuela coast, the little jet dipped its wing, giving me a stunning view in the February sunshine of a place called Los Roques: three great igneous rock formations surrounded by brilliant blue water, green mangrove strips and thousands of shimmering white sandbars.
October 11, 2012
"The greatest meeting of land and water in the world" is how landscape artist Francis McComas described Point Lobos, just south of Carmel, Calif. Many would agree.
September 20, 2012
On the inside, Range Rover's new, brand-bolstering Evoque is surprisingly spacious in the seating department and capable in performance, despite its four-cylinder engine and modest footprint (16 inches shorter and more than 1,600 pounds lighter than a Range Rover Sport). The interior trim is worthy of the marque, too, but the vehicle's hatchback area offers limited baggage space.
August 30, 2012
Depending upon how far out of the way you like to get, this could be the place for you.
August 8, 2012
Expect to be awestruck when you enter the open expanse of Prague's Old Town Square. You'll face an array of facades, pediments and spires ranging from Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance to baroque and art nouveau. The buildings constitute a textbook study of urban development from the 14th century to the present.
August 8, 2012
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text: You've already gotten good advice. I just wanted to say that my twins gagged on anything that wasn't pureed (1st or 2nd foods) until they were 12 months old. Even the 3rd foods, some of which had grains of rice in them, would make them gag. It took them a while to get the hang of chunkier textures, but they eventually got it. I think some babies are just different. Try not to worry!


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Ben McAdoo didn't notice anything different about Aaron Rodgers when the Green Bay Packers quarterback returned from the bye week on Monday.
He hadn't drastically altered his appearance, as safety Morgan Burnett had by shaving off his dreadlocks. His disposition didn't seem any different than any other normal week. Now in his second year as Rodgers' quarterbacks coach and his eighth on head coach Mike McCarthy's staff, McAdoo knows Rodgers' M.O. by now.
"When he doesn't play as well as he'd like to play, I notice it the day after the game, but it doesn't linger. He goes about his business and prepares for the next week," McAdoo explained Thursday, as Rodgers and the Packers prepped for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. "He may use it as a source of motivation, (but) it's not something I hear about or I notice. You know, he's a highly motivated, an intrinsically motivated player. He's not somebody, from what I've seen, who's going to dwell on what has happened in the past. He's always looking forward."
What's interesting about Rodgers, who freely admits that he hates losing more than he enjoys winning, is that – for whatever reason – he has almost always followed up a bad game with a sterling performance. Part of that, of course, is simply the law of averages. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2011 NFL MVP is the league's all-time leader in career passer rating, so of course he's going to play more good games than bad ones.
But perhaps it also speaks to his outlook on football in general.
"The joy of winning can't always match the disappointment of losing. It's a perfectionist mindset," Rodgers explained. "It's a mindset you have when you really care about something. You expect to win, and you love winning, but the high is not quite as high as the low of the losses.
"I can tell you because I care about it so much, I'm very competitive, it stings worse losing than it feels good to win."
Whatever the reason, Rodgers has been particularly on point after his rare poor performances – and the Packers' 34-30 pre-bye loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 22 was undoubtedly one of those. Rodgers himself said so – "I played poorly," he said immediately after the game – and his numbers backed up that notion.
After going 41 consecutive regular-season games without throwing two interceptions in a game – the longest such streak since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger – Rodgers threw a pair of interceptions during the second half of that game and had his lowest passer rating (64.5) since the 2010 NFC Championship Game against Chicago. It marked only the seventh multi-interception game of his career, which includes 89 regular- and post-season starts. (Because you know you're wondering: In 324 career regular- and post-season games, Brett Favre had 93 multi-interception games.)
For his career, Rodgers is 58-31 (including 5-3 in the playoffs) as a starter. In those 89 games, he has had a passer rating higher than 100.0 in 55 of them. He's had a passer rating of 80.0 or higher in all but 10 of them.
And only once in his career has he followed a sub-80.0 passer rating with another such performance. That was in his first season as a starter, 2008, when he had a 76.7 passer rating in a loss at Tennessee and a 72.9 passer rating in a loss at Minnesota.
Rodgers has never had back-to-back multiple-interception games, and in the games immediately following games in which he threw two or more INTs, Rodgers has had a passer rating of 90.0 or better in all but one of them. For instance, when he threw two interceptions in the NFC title game at Chicago, Rodgers threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in his MVP performance in Super Bowl XLV.
And for Rodgers, a poor performance can be what other quarterbacks might view as OK. His worst game in 2011 was in the Packers' only regular-season loss, at Kansas City on Dec. 18, when he didn't throw an interception but had only 235 passing yards and one touchdown for an 80.1 rating. The next week, he completed 21 of 29 passes for 263 yards with five touchdowns and no picks for a 142.7 rating.
"If you're a competitor, which he is, and you feel like you didn't play the best you could play in one game, you look forward to rectifying the situation and redeeming yourself. That's not just common to Aaron, it's any competitor. But it's certainly true with Aaron," said Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements, who was Rodgers' quarterbacks coach from 2006 through 2011. "If he doesn't play up to what his standards are, he's going to try to make sure the next game that he does."
But that doesn't mean Rodgers spends the days after his poor showing obsessing on all of his mistakes. Although he admitted to a restless night of sleep after getting home from Cincinnati and getting angry with himself while watching film of his performance the next day, he didn't spend his bye week moping around and wasn't grouchy or unapproachable this week in practice or meetings, his coaches said.
"Aaron's very tough on himself, (but) that process is completed in my view," McCarthy said. "He's had a really good week of preparation. He spends a lot of extra time in the office early in the week, and he's done that. We just want him to be himself, he just needs to go out and play the way he's always played."
Against the Bengals – a game that seems like eons ago because of the week off – Rodgers threw a pair of interceptions: One intended for James Jones on a slant on which Jones took responsibility for stopping the route, and a second on a pass down the sideline intended for Randall Cobb. On the first, Jones may have been to blame, but Rodgers could have gone elsewhere with the ball and avoided the turnover altogether; on the throw to Cobb, Rodgers made not only a poor throw but a poor decision going to the well-covered Cobb in the first place.
"Again, that game didn't start the way we wanted, and we didn't take care of the football the way we need to take care of the football at the end of the game. There were some signs of some good offense in that game," McAdoo said. "We handle a couple decisions differently and place a couple throws differently and it's a completely different game and we're not even having this conversation. We had some things we needed to talk about, some things we needed to fix. We did that and we moved on.
"He came in the day after the game and watched the tape together, talked about some things we need to address and fix, and we moved on from there and he's been the same this week, preparing as he always does, and looking for an advantage."
Whether it's an advantage for the Packers to have Rodgers coming off another rare poor performance remains to be seen, but after a week off for the bye, Rodgers is looking forward to playing another game.
"That's the blessing of being pretty consistent over my time as a starter, that's why it's frustrating when you don't play as well as you want to," Rodgers said. "You're replaying the stuff in your mind that you wish you'd have done, you're thinking about some of the plays that didn't go the way you wanted them to, but then you really need to start moving on, and that moving on process starts on Monday when you come in and watch the film and get graded. I've had multiple performances where I had a 100-plus quarterback rating and gotten a 'minus' performance, and then there's also been games where maybe I haven't played as well stats-wise and gotten a winning performance. That's why it's always good to look at the film because the film never lies. There's things we can all clean up – myself, and the rest of the offense.
"I'm just used to – me personally and I know my teammates are – executing better as a whole on offense. It's frustrating, a frustrating day, but as difficult as it is, it's a good learning experience for us and hopefully we can take a lot from that experience and build on it here in the next 13 weeks."
Listen to Jason Wilde every weekday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on "Green & Gold Today" on 540 ESPN, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jasonjwilde.


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Lula Mae Slaughter Dining Terrace
The Lula Mae Slaughter Dining Terrace is open daily, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
A menu of seasonal soup offerings, hot and cold sandwiches, as well as delicious fresh salads can be ordered at the dining window. Guests can enjoy a freshly made lunch on the Terrace or order it to-go for a picnic in the garden.
Breakfast Selections
Served with fruit salad and La Créme TM drip coffee
Ham and Cheese Croissant - $8.25
Classic Breakfast Burrito with Eggs and Cheese - $8.25
Toasted Bagel with Cream Cheese - $8.25
Soup Of The Day
Large cup served with rustic bread - $5.50
Soup & Sandwich Combo (1/2 Country Style Panini with Cup of Soup) - $9.25
Healthy Choices
Fresh Fruit Salad (assorted seasonal fruit) - $7.00
Served with slice of baguette bread
Garden Salad - $7
Mixed baby greens with cucumbers, tomatoes and shredded carrots and choice of dressing
Salad Trio - $9.50
Choose three salads: Fresh Fruit Salad, Fiesta Black Bean and Corn Salad, Pecan Chicken Salad, Caesar Salad or Fresh Garden Salad
Pecan Chicken Salad - $9.50
Famous chicken salad served with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers slices on baby greens and choice of dressing
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad - $9.50
Sliced chicken breast, crispy romaine, fresh Parmesan, ancho croutons and house Caesar dressing
Specialty Wraps and Sandwiches
Served with kettle chips and dill pickle
The Monterey Club Wrap - $9.50
Shaved turkey, bacon, jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, herb cream cheese in tomato basil tortilla
Southwest Caesar Wrap - $9.50
Sliced chicken and lettuce with house Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese in tomato basil tortilla
Our Famous Chicken Salad Sandwich - $9.50
Prepared with sun-dried cherries, toasted Texas pecans served on a buttery croissant
Hot Panini Sandwiches
Served with kettle chips and dill pickle
Country Style Panini - $9.50
Sliced turkey, parma ham, provolone cheese, sliced tomato, pesto mayonnaise on rustic rosemary focaccia bread
Tuscan Panini - $9.50
Sliced chicken breast, sliced tomato, provolone cheese, boursin cream cheese on rustic rosemary focaccia bread
Roasted Portabella Panini - $9.50
Herb cream cheese, balsamic portabella mushroom, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese and baby greens
Children's Menu
Served with juice box or milk and choice of fresh fruit or kettle chips
Grilled Cheese Sandwich | Macaroni and Cheese | Hot Dog - $5.50
Ice Cream and Desserts
Lemon Chills - $6
Assorted Ice Cream Bars $3.50
Rocky Road Brownie | Chocolate Chunk Cookie | Lemon Bars - $4
La Créme Featured Beverages 16 oz. - $4.95
Café Latte, Café Mocha, Cappuccino, Frappucino, Mayan Mocha Latte, Chai Tea Latte, Mexican Hot Chocolate
La Créme Drop Coffee or Americano - $3.50
16 oz - $3
Coca Cola Soft Drinks, Lemonade, La Créme, Iced Teas - Peach Ginger Green or Tropical Passion
Bottled Water - $3
Green Tea Smoothies (Mango or Strawberry Banana) - $6


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- 98% cotton, 2% spandex. Hand wash, cold. Imported.
- Regular length: 19" center back length and at waist placement.
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You Navy? I was , too. Thanks for comment. I guess I sometimes post just to air things about being in odd positions. I am smack in the middle of bible belt and I don't really want to be ostracized at work. I know those people are just trying to show support because they like me and my wife. It's just that their way of doing it is strange to me. My personal situation requires 'grin and bear it' I think. I'm just glad to have a place to discuss these things finally!
The guitar is 1985 Roland G-707 Synth controller. A friend gave it to me after his buddy found it in a barn! It was rough, too. Looked like someone had driven stakes in the ground with it.HAHA. Originally black. I do auto body work on the side and I had some Ford Sandalwood (Gold) and clear, so I just took it down and painted it. Came out real nice. I alternate playing it and my old MIM strat(1991). People in clubs flip out over the Roland. I tell em it's a 'space guitar' HAHA. My 20 year old son and I call it C3PO. Really proud of the strat, though. That thing is a beast and I got a couple really cool sigs on it. Rick Derringer, Jeff Cook, and Adrian Belew!
Yes, I commented on her page.
Hopefully this weekend I can do some more work on the site.
Your idea is perfect!
OK, for you: North Florida Atheist Alliance (Website link)
Registered and set-up the beginnings of the site. For now you can contact me and/or send suggestions as to what you would like to see on the site.
Have a great day.
Hello Matthew. You have found the right home for your atheist/humanist views.
Welcome to this haven of truth, peace, and freedom for freethinking----far from the superstitions and fictional god of the masses.
"Well-founded common sense helped by science leads to atheist wisdom."
We invite you to make good friends by joining the busy group "ORIGINS: Universe, Astronomy, Life, Earth, Humans, Religion, Gods, Atheism, Evolution, Darwin..." with 500 discussion topics and 2900 members.
Welcome, Matthew! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends. We have a discussion about radiation in Japan to which you might want to contribute your personal experience.
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text:
I tried last night to find the perfect Robin Williams movie to watch and ended up picking one that I had been thinking of the other day which no one has probably ever seen
. The Best Of Times with Kurt Russell.
I still always yell "Watch Out For The UnderToad" at the beachReplyCancel
Moscow on the Hudson because a lot ot it was filmed in the neighborhood where I was livingReplyCancel
Saw it in the theater years ago. Robin was one of my personal heroes and much of my quit wit and humor I have always attributed to him. Of all the celebrity deaths I've seen, this one actually hurts.ReplyCancel
good will hunting, awakenings, one-hour photo. i thought robin was a tremendous dramatic actor. i know he was gifted in comedy, but for some reason i personally never found him funny. Crazy, right?ReplyCancel
I think I'm going to marathon Patch Adams and Death to Smoochie. It's Safari time motherfucker! Safaaaaaaari!!!ReplyCancel
What Dreams May Come is my fav, I haven't thought about Garp in years.ReplyCancel
The Fisher King is my favourite. Watching it now. Saw Aladdin earlier, and teared up at the end. "Genie, you're free!"ReplyCancel
I'm the only person alive who liked Death To Smoochy so I watched some of that one. I watched One Hour Photo not too long ago. Best Robin performance I've ever seen. Too creepy to revisit right now though.ReplyCancel
So glad to see so many of you loved The World According to Garp, one of my all time favorite movies and books. Sublime performances by Robin, John Lithgow and Glenn Close.ReplyCancel
I wonder how the cast of Dead Poets Society is feeling. One of the characters in the film killed himself; it was devastating to all of the characters including Robin's.ReplyCancel
I've probably said this before, but I really disliked his comedy, I love his serious roles. I guess I feel the same way about other physical/accent based comedy. Sasha baron Coen, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler. I do have a sense of humour, but faking a Russian accent or overly self effacing humour is sad to me. Anyway, I will have to watch what dreams may come and good will hunting soon.ReplyCancel
The birdcage. It's still in my top 10 of all time because if his "eclectic dance number". So sad.ReplyCancel
@LadyH (@Jason) death to smoochey, I loved ur if forgot ton he was in it. Tx for reminder.
Can't tell you how many times I've watched them, ESP Birdcage: even tho out if those 2 I'd always figured GOOD WIL was best if I had to pick. Hmm. Maybe not then.
I feel the same. He never made me laugh, but frequently made me cry (the scene in 'Good Will Hunting' when he talks about his wife, the conclusion of 'One Hour Photo', and so on. He also made a creepily believable killer in 'Insomnia').
As talented as he undoubtedly was, what made him compelling to watch was not his abilities, but the charisma and complexity and life-force of the man himself. Very few actors are more interesting than the characters they play.
ok I am going to watch The Best of Times. Thx, Enty.ReplyCancel
I know a couple people complained but I really like when Enty does reveals after a death. It helps me understand more and process the loss. I'm really curious about one blind from about two weeks ago about a comedic actor who if he didn't get help, wouldn't make it. I don't remember if anyone guessed Williams but he would make sense now.ReplyCancel
Good morning Vietnam. Dead poets society. Good will huntingReplyCancel
I can't watch any of his films right now. It's too soon for me.ReplyCancel
I live not to far from where Robin did, and Tuesday's when he was available and in town at the Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley he would perform at comedy night where he would do a quick set and support all the younger comedians. He was a pretty amazing and rather low key guy – I mean he went to visit the monkey from the movie Night at the Museum when she was in SF to do a funding drive – his last photo was of him and that monkey Kristabell I think, they were buddies. That photo makes it seem like he was happy and while he had a tragic diagnosis I wish he'd made it through (at least for a while longer) A generous, kind man who will probably always be so unique – we were lucky to have to have him. I wish… so many things…ReplyCancel


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Do Your 'Merican Duty!
It's Election Day, so you should vote.
No excuses.
People DIED for your right to go to the polls, regardless of your opinions. Don't let those deaths be for nothing. Do your 'Merican duty and like, the Iraq, and such as….
Happy Election Day!
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Central Street residence damaged in fire
Janette Johnson
Janette Joyce Johnson, 52, of Valley Bend, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, at United Hospital Center in Bridgeport.
She was born Dec. 22, 1960, in Philippi, a daughter of Patricia Koon Craven, who survives in Buckhannon, and the late Floyd Wayne Craven.
On Sept. 23, 1990, she married Rick Johnson, who preceded her in death on Feb. 12, 1994.
In addition to her mother she is survived by one brother, Jeffrey Wayne Craven of Clarksburg.
Mrs. Johnson worked as an in-store demonstrator for Advantage Sales & Marketing/Integrated and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Buckhannon.
Friends will be received from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Poling-St. Clair Funeral Home.
A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. today from the funeral home with Pastor Jay Teodoro officiating. Burial will follow in the Buckhannon Memorial Park.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.polingstclair.com.
Poling-St. Clair Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.


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As you read this, I happen to be in Washington State—outside of Seattle—for a meeting of the state education chiefs from across the country. These are always excellent sessions (and indeed, Illinois is not the only state facing challenges), but one of the highlights of being here has been the brief respite from the Illinois heat wave of late.
Two events regarding superintendents have kind of juxtaposed themselves that are prompting today's opener. I hope my thoughts also have some meaning for many of you who are "weekly readers" of the bulletin, though not in the superintendency.
First off, July 1 marked the first day of work for 160 new superintendents across the state of Illinois. Around 108 of these are first-time "supes", while the remainder are folks changing districts. For the brand new superintendents, I want to give you a personal welcome to a position that is at the same time one of the most fun and most exasperating jobs you will ever hold. I look forward to talking with many of you at your August 31 workshop which precedes our ISBE Annual Superintendents' Conference.
Secondly, I had the chance to speak with the Board of Directors of the Illinois Association of School Administrators this past week. Of course, I know many of these individuals and they are indeed true leaders of education in this state. In my remarks to the IASA Board, I shared some thoughts that struck me may be helpful for our new superintendents—and interesting to others as well. I'll try to briefly outline them below.
Tom Sergiovanni—a noted professor and scholar in educational leadership, who some may have known when he was at Illinois—talked about a 5-sided, or pentagonal, model of leadership. While taking a bit of liberty with the dimensions of leadership that Prof. Sergiovanni posited, I used his framework to suggest some ideas to the superintendents gathered.
You have to be an educational leader – This is Job One. Yet, we are still figuring out what instructional leadership means in the superintendency. We have more certain ideas about what this represents in the principalship, but notions of being an educational leader are still emerging for the position of superintendent. However, this is what must set us apart and distinguish us from other organizational leaders in other fields—some of whom think they should be running school districts as well. If we can't show the value-added of instructional leadership as superintendents, then it's time to rethink our profession.
You have to be a political leader – We have always been accustomed to working within a political environment. But instead of too often relying on someone else to advocate for your schools and kids—e.g., your professional association, local officials, etc.—you are in the best position to get out the story of your district and community. Know your legislators and their staffers, talk to them frequently, and never be shy about respectfully pushing for what you think is in the best interests of those you serve. I have been in a position to watch some of the best lobbyists in action this past year—they aren't the shy, retiring type when it comes to their advocacy, and you shouldn't be either.
You have to be a cultural leader – There is an awesome responsibility we share to inculcate new members to the profession of education. There is a collective wisdom and craft knowledge that you accrue from doing what you've done over your career. Please use it to its best ends by sharing with those who have just come to this calling. As the veterans, and leaders, it is really your responsibility to step out in this manner, and not wait for the "newbies" to come to you. I remember being a new superintendent; I was reticent to bother someone for help and I didn't want to say what I didn't know. Thank goodness for some fantastic Macon County superintendent colleagues back then. Bring along others—whether it be a new superintendent in a neighboring district or a teacher you've just hired fresh out of college—to the culture of being a professional in education.
You have to be a symbolic leader – The public so often makes its judgments about your schools, your district, and the education profession in general based upon your values and integrity as a leader. That symbolic power you command as a superintendent is an important public trust that should never be squandered.
You have to be a managerial leader – We sometimes downplay this aspect, but we shouldn't. Kent Peterson and Terry Deal, two other great teachers and writers in educational leadership, tell us that before you can lead, you must make sure you manage well. This parallels what so many of us tell our new teachers: You can't be creative and practice your best teaching craft if the classroom is out of control. For superintendents, nobody cares how cosmic you may be as a leader if your district is in dysfunction. Buildings have to be run, people have to be paid, buses need to be on time, and we like for you to keep us at ISBE happy when we ask for a form or something (which we're trying to do less!). So many times you have to address issues of micromanagement; one of the best responses to that, I think, is to manage well and be able to stand on the effectiveness of your management practice. Of course, management is not sufficient—but it is a necessary component of leadership in my view.
OK, that's it for the speech. I hope it held at least a little value for those who aren't superintendents! Have a great week.
Randy Dunn
Also included in today's message:
ISBE Student Information System
The following topics address issues concerning the ISBE Student Information System (ISBE SIS) development project. If you have questions please call the ISBE Help Desk at (217) 558-3600.
1. Need for ISBE Student Information System (ISBE SIS)
The primary purpose of the ISBE Student Information System (ISBE SIS) is to assign unique identifiers (SID's) to every public school student in the state of Illinois. The assignment of identifiers will enable us to capture demographic, enrollment, program indicator, and assessment data for all students, thereby allowing us to better report information required under NCLB, IDEA, the Illinois Report Card, and other federal and state mandates.
The ISBE SIS is not designed to replace the student information management software currently used by school districts. ISBE will be collecting only that information necessary to meet its reporting needs. With the full implementation of the ISBE SIS, aggregate reporting requirements like as the Fall Housing Report and the End-of-Year Report will no longer be necessary.
Moreover, one of the major promises of the new system is that the entire assessment process will be streamlined and less subject to error. Student identifiers and other demographic information will be sent to ISBE's assessment vendor for pre-coding on answer sheets. This identifying information along with test answers will be scanned, processed and returned to both the home district and ISBE. ISBE anticipates very little manual intervention on the part of school districts resulting in much less cleanup work having to be done by local staff. Furthermore, this improved process will most certainly increase both the quality and timeliness of the data.
2. Participation in ISBE Student Information System Will Be Required for All School Districts
ISBE has filed a proposed amendment to agency rules with the Secretary of State to require that all districts participate in the ISBE SIS. This proposed amendment was posted on the ISBE Home Page on Friday, July 8, 2005. To review this proposed amendment, go to www.isbe.net click on the Rules link in the left-hand menu, click on the Proposed Rules and Amendments link, and click on Text of Rulemaking on Proposed Amendments to Part 1 at the bottom of the page. Please note the deadline for public comment is Tuesday, September 6, 2005.
3. Required Phase 1 Data Elements
The 23 required Phase 1 data elements, their definitions, and code sets are available at the Student Information System Home Page (http://www.isbe.state.il.us/sis/default.htm). These elements are classified into three categories: demographic, enrollment, and program participation.
Demographic Data (6 elements)
· Legal Last Name
· Legal First Name
· Legal Middle Name
· Date of Birth
· Gender
· Race/Ethnicity
Enrollment Data (7 elements)
· Home Region-Count-District-Type-School Code (Home School)
· Serving Region-Count-District-Type-School Code (Serving Entity)
· Enrollment Date at the Serving Entity
· Type of Enrollment in the Serving Entity
· Grade Level I at the Serving Entity
· School Year at the Serving Entity
· FTE at the Serving Entity
Program Participation (10 indicators)*
· Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Indicator
· Homeless Indicator
· Limited English Proficient (LEP) Indicator
· Individualized Education Program (IEP) Indicator
· IEP Accommodation Indicator
· 504 Accommodation Indicator
· Career/Technical Education Indicator
· Migrant Indicator
· Free/Reduced Lunch/Low Income Indicator
· Century 21 Indicator
*Note: These indicator fields are now required to have either a 'yes' or no' response when a student is submitted for a SID. This has changed from our pilot activity.
4. Phase 1 File Formats
Files may be submitted as:
· Comma-delimited text files
· XML files
· Comma-separated value (CSV) files converted from an EXCEL template.
The file formats can be found at the Student Information System Home Page (http://www.isbe.state.il.us/sis/default.htm.).
5. Contacting ISBE SIS Project Staff
Call the ISBE Help Desk at (217) 558-3600 or send an email to email@example.com with the subject line "ISBE SIS Inquiry."
6. IWAS Sign Up Required to Access ISBE SIS
Coming in mid-August at the ISBE SIS Home Page:
"We are pleased to announce that the IWAS SIS production system has been turned on. If you do not yet have an IWAS account, you may apply for one by going to the Student Information System home page at http://www.isbe.state.il.us/sis/default.htm and clicking on the IWAS link in the left-hand menu. Once you are at the IWAS site, click on the Sign Up Now link and follow the instructions."
Your superintendent will be notified that you have applied and are awaiting her/his approval. Once approval has been granted and the ISBE Student Information System has been turned on, you will be able to upload and download files to and from the ISBE SIS. You also will be able to request student identifiers for new students using the Web-Based Student Locator Service.
7. Sign Up for ISBE SIS Training.
From the ISBE SIS Home Page:
In preparation for the statewide rollout of unique student identifiers for the ISBE Student Information System, school districts that did not participate in the pilot project are advised to attend a half-day session designed to demonstrate the features of this system as well as provide hands-on practice for school or district staff. Each school district should send 2 participants, one whose role is to enter student information into the school district's student administrative package (SAP), and another whose role is to interact with the school district's SAP vendor or in-house technical staff to upload or download batch files.
35 training sessions at 14 locations geographically situated across Illinois have been scheduled during a 4 week period beginning Monday, July 18, 2005 and ending Thursday, August 11, 2005. An online registration form and logistical information for each session, including directions, is available through the links below. A continental breakfast or snack will be provided at each session.
8. Important Dates
August 15 - Production ISBE SIS will be turned on. School district batch live data may be submitted for SID assignment. Web-based student locator system will be available for online assignment of SID's. Updates to existing student data will be accepted.
Also, School district batch test data may be submitted to validate export process and test ISBE SIS validations.
9. Vendor Interactions with School Districts
Some vendors are requiring additional cost for modification to their existing packages; others are not. Downloading existing data from local packages to an EXCEL spreadsheet template, adding columns to enter missing required ISBE SIS data, and converting the file to a comma-separated value (CSV) file for submission to ISBE could be an alternative to incurring additional expense.
10. Region-County-District-Type-School (RCDTS) Codes for Home Schools and Serving Entities*
FAQ document (being created, dated 6/27/2005)
The RCDTS codes are found in the Directory of Educational Entities which has a link on the ISBE SIS website.
The RCDTS code is 15 digits in length:
Region 2 Characters
County 3 Characters
District/Entity 4 Characters
Type 2 Characters
School 4 Characters
The codes that are found in the Directory of Educational Entities are listed in RCDST order. The user must rearrange to map to ISBE SIS RCDTS:
*Note: RCDTS codes for special education private facilities will be available by August 1, 2005.
11. Submitting and Updating Student Data (modified 6/20/2005)
Only Home Districts and Schools may request an SID and send and receive original or updated demographic, enrollment and program participation indicator for students. This information must come from student management packages or other data sources maintained by the Home District and/or School.
Message regarding changes to the teacher service record
Please do not contact ISBE to modify Teacher Service Record data on positions and assignments for certificate renewal purposes. Due to state reporting requirements this data cannot be changed once submitted by the districts. ROEs have the ability to enter appropriate exemptions and override TSR data in order to renew teaching and administrative certificates. To process an appropriate exemption for a teacher, have the teacher request the exemption in CeRTS or complete form 77-08 Notification of Change in Teaching Circumstances (Exemptions). To process an appropriate exemption for an administrator have the administrator request the exemption in CeRTS for Administrators.
Grade 2 assessment of reading and mathematics test dates
Title I-funded schools serving grade 2 as their highest grade must participate in this assessment. For these schools, the Grade 2 Assessment of Reading and Mathematics will coincide with ISAT testing in 2006: March 13-24, 2006.
A recent policy change has been made regarding the inclusion of the Illinois Measure of Annual Growth in English (IMAGE) with regard to the eligibility consideration for Reading First grants. The IMAGE measures the progress of students with limited English proficiency (LEP). Now, the results of both the 3rd grade ISAT and IMAGE performance scores will be considered when ISBE staff makes eligibility determinations concerning Reading First grant recipients. More information about the IMAGE assessment can be found on the Illinois State Board of Education's website by accessing the address listed below:
Below you will find the list of bills that have been signed by the Governor since the last update. Please refer to www.isbe.net/legislative.htm for a more complete description of each piece of legislation. Additionally, if you would like to access the full text for any piece of legislation, go to www.ilga.gov on the left hand side of the page, you can search for legislation by bill number. For a House Bill, type in HB and the bill number (ex: HB 1) or for a Senate Bill, type in SB and the bill number (ex: SB 1). The bill status page for that particular legislation will come up. Click on "full text" to see the entire bill.
Places Agricultural Education section fairs under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture.
Creates a Commission that sets forth guidelines available to school boards concerning slavery, etc. Prepared materials will be made available by the State Superintendent of Education and will include the materials by the commission.
Student assessment data corrections reminder
The deadline for correcting all assessment data on SchoolHouse (www.ncsschoolhouse.com)
is Monday, August 22, 2005. Carefully review the discrepancy check reports posted on IWAS to verify that any discrepancies are corrected prior to approving your data. These discrepancy reports are updated daily. If you need assistance in correcting discrepant data, staff from ISBE's Student Assessment Division (217-782-4823) and Pearson Educational Measurement (1-800-627-7990 x814) are available to help. Staff from ISBE's Student Assessment Division will continue to initiate contacts to districts that have discrepant school data. We encourage you to verify these data as soon as possible, as the August 22, 2005, deadline cannot be extended.
Illinois alternate assessment coordinators
Letters will be going out this week to Illinois Alternate Assessment coordinators with a list of important dates and deadlines, information on fall workshops and updates on this year's 2005-06 IAA. If your does not receive a letter, please contact Marilyn Leveque, ISBE, 217/782-4823 or email@example.com
Random student drug testing federal grant application available
The Office of National Drug Policy and the U.S. Department of Education have announced tha availability of applications for federal grants for student drug testing programs in schools. Please visit www.ed.gov/programs/drugtesting/index.html for grant applications. The applications are due August 16. For additional information about drug testing visit www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
Illinois Teacher of the Year available
Jackie Bolger, the 2005-06 Illinois Teacher of the Year, is scheduling speaking engagements. Jackie is a French teacher at Hononegah High School who is a committed, enthusiastic teacher who is eager to share ideas with you, your teachers, and your students. If you would like to have Jackie speak at one of your events, please contact Colleen Hawkinson at 815/624-2070.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service recently announced the creation of "At the Table"
which replaces the external newsletter "Insight…Out." "At the Table" is available only online and provides valuable information for Midwest partners and supporters of USDA Food and Nutrition Service programs.
All seven USDA Food and Nutrition Service Regional Offices newsletters will have the same overall design and the same quarterly publication schedule. In addition, the new format includes columns by Under Secretary Eric Bost and FNS Administrator Roberto Salazar to provide a national perspective on important nutrition assistance issues. Please note: we will no longer be publishing hard copies of the newsletter.
For additional information, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com or call 312/353-1044.


text:
After "The Antics Roadshow" yesterday, SAN now brings you "Graffiti Wars" wherever you are in the world.
Graffiti Wars examines street art and graffiti, and the creative tensions and conflicts within this artistic arena especially with Robbo and Banksy.
It's a bit one sided towards Robbo and hopefully Mr B will get to reply soon!
Get well Robbo!


text:
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review - The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 is the latest connected compact to run on Google's Android OS, making it one of the smartest digital cameras on the market. The question is does it manage the fundamentals alongside all the connectivity tricks?
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review
The manufacturer, no doubt benefiting from its extensive consumer electronics division, married the technology of its Galaxy smartphone range with a conventional digital camera in the first generation Galaxy Camera.
Although there were certainly areas in which the Galaxy Camera impressed, unfortunately there were also a host of shortcomings, including the bulky body, a lack of processing power and a short battery life.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 looks to correct these failings, as well as improve on a host of other areas.
The question is how exactly is it going to do so, and also whether or not the camera succeeds.
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review – Features
In terms of the core components of the Galaxy Camera 2, it certainly inherits a lot of its features from its predecessor.
For example, the model features the same 16.3MP, 1/2.3in BSI CMOS sensor as seen before. Although this isn't a size in keeping with advanced compact cameras, it's enough to keep up with consumer compacts and certainly larger than that found in your smartphone.
As for the model's focal range, the Galaxy Camera maintains the same 21x optical zoom covering a focal range of 23-483mm in equivalent terms.
New CPU
So far, so as you were. However, there are certainly areas in which the camera has been improved.
One criticism of the Galaxy Camera was its operational speed, with the camera proving to be decidedly sluggish when executing certain operations.
This is an issue Samsung attends to with the introduction of a new CPU set-up. The Galaxy Camera 2 features a new 1.6Ghz Quad-Core processor that's complimented by 2GB of Ram.
Furthermore, the Galaxy Camera 2 sports the Android 4.3 Jellybean OS, one of the more recent incarnations of the software and one that's sure to provide a smooth operating interface.
Unfortunately, Samsung has seen fit to remove one of the real selling points of the first generation Samsung Galaxy Camera, and that's the option of utilising a SIM card and connecting wirelessly using either 3G or LTE technology.
In terms of storage the Samsung Galaxy Camera features 8GB of internal capacity as well as offering a Micro SD slot which supports card up to 64GB in size, and shipping with an additional 50GB of cloud storage courtesy of Dropbox.
One other characteristic feature of the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 that's been retained from the previous model is the camera's large LCD screen. The touch screen is one of the very best on any digital camera, measuring in at 4.8in and featuring a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and has such delivers HD resolution.
Finally, another area at which the Galaxy Camera 2 has been improved is with its battery. The model now features a 2000mAh battery – up from a 1650mAh seen on the predecessor – which, in combination with a host of new power saving modes, should improve the model's battery life a great deal.
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review – Design
Despite maintaining much of the same specification as its Galaxy Camera predecessor, the Galaxy Camera 2 is actually larger than the previous model measuring in at 71.2 x 32.5 x 19.3mm.
This increase isn't huge however, and when you compare the cameras alongside one another its quite difficult to sport the difference in size between the two.
The two cameras do appear clearly different in terms of design, however, with the new Galaxy Camera 2 adopting a slightly more retro styling than its predecessor.
Minimal physical controls
Much like the previous model in the series, the Galaxy Camera 2 is lacking on the whole when it comes to physical controls, although the ample LCD touch screen offers more than enough real estate to give good control over the camera's settings.
In terms of the physical characteristics of the camera the model is largely made up from tough plastic, although this is complimented by a brushed metal top and bottom plate along with a chrome lens barrel.
Touch and shoot
These features, in combination with the faux leather body panels, give welcome remidners of old-style range finders.
In terms of how the camera handles, there's no denying that it's quite a bulky and as a result quite difficult to use in the traditional way. For example, if you'd like to use the camera's shutter button – rather than touch to shoot in the manner Samsung would prefer you did – you'll find the Galaxy Camera 2 sits a touch unbalanced in the hand.
That being said, the touch focus and shoot functionality is certainly intuitive and would no doubt be the shooting option of choice to those coming from a smartphone shooting background.
The fact that the camera has done away with its 3G connectivity is somewhat of a disappointment here as the camera lends itself naturally to an always-connected nature, however without this option the body does see a touch unnecessarily bulky.
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review – Performance
In terms of general performance, there are certainly signs of improvements on the Galaxy Camera when it comes to the general processing speeds. The bump in the camera's processing power is noticeable when it comes to capturing a series of images in a row, while switching between various apps and shooting modes is also a more prompt experience.
The LCD screen which takes up the bulk of the camera's rear screen is as impressive as before. The 4.8in viewing space is a real bonus, while the sharpness and detail of the images displayed is also pleasing.
AF speed
In terms of the camera's AF performance, the Galaxy Camera 2 features no significant improvements in this area.
Although the model certainly responds promptly enough when using pinch-zoom and touch focus in good lighting conditions, when the scene presented is lit less than perfectly it does display a slight tendency to hunt for focus.
In terms of general shooting, the Galaxy Camera 2 offers manual shooting settings should you want take control of these yourself. If not, the camera sports some 28 scenes modes from which it will select if you decide to shoot in the smart auto setting.
If you do the chances are that you'll be rewarded with some good images, as the Galaxy Camera 2 does an excellent job of selecting the right mode to suit a scene and thus delivering a pleasing exposure.
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review – Image Quality
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 review sample image gallery
When you consider the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 sports a 1/2.3in sensor more in keeping with a consumer compact than an advanced model, you could be forgiven for expecting the model to fall short in the image quality department.
On the whole, however, if you're willing to make certain allowances for the smaller sensor then the Galaxy Camera 2 delivers some fairly reasonable images.
Metering and dynamic range are generally reliable, delivering even exposures in most conditions so long as you avoid particularly bright or reflective subject.
The colour range captured is also fairly faithful to the scene you're shooting, as is the general tone of images.
Unfortunately image quality is a little let down when it comes to the handling of noise at higher ISO settings. For that matter, even at lower ISO settings the Galaxy Camera 2 struggles, with images from ISO 800 and upwards almost appearing painterly owing to the aggressive noise reduction.
However, when you consider that images captured with the Galaxy Camera 2 are likely to be shared on social media or printed at very modest size, such image quality issues shouldn't provide any major concerns.
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review – Verdict
Once again, Samsung has succeeded in combining the Android operating system with a compact camera that provides a more complete shooting experience than that found on the model's smartphones.
However, it's difficult to judge that Samsung has done enough to improve the Galaxy Camera 2 on the first Galaxy Camera. In fact, it's safe to say that the Galaxy Camera 2 is a step back for Samsung, with the removal of its 3G functionality a particularly confusing move.
So although there are few, if any, dedicated compact cameras which can match the ample LCD screen or the Android and long zoom combination, the Galaxy Camera is unarguably a step backwards for Samsung.
Sample Image Gallery
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review – Sample Image Gallery
These are just a few images captured with the Samsung Galaxy 2. For more information head on over to the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 review image gallery.
First Look
When the Samsung debuted the first Galaxy Camera in 2012, it caused much interest in the world of photography. The combination of a serious imaging specification with 3G connectivity and Android operating system was one that had long been predicted, and as such there was much anticipation as to how the Galaxy Camera would perform.
Reviews were mixed with most complementing the ambition, although unfortunately the execution left a little to be desired with poor battery life and lack of Raw shooting noted as two major flaws.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 looks to right these wrongs and make further headway in the connected camera market. What Digital Camera Reviews Editor Michael Topham got to spend a few hours with one of the first samples available, so read on the find out what he makes of the latest mode.
First Impressions
One of the most striking things about the first generation Samsung Galaxy Camera was its size. It really was a large camera, and although you can forgive it to a certain extent due to the huge 4.8in screen, as well as the ample 21x optical zoom, the was no escaping its bulk.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 continues this theme, as although it's a touch lighter weighing in at 283g as opposed to 303g.
Despite the camera's bulk, it does feel relatively slim line and has a quality feel about it. This is in some part aided by the fact that the glossy plastic finish of before has been dispensed with for a new leatherette finish that provides a grippier surface for single hand shooting.
Any misgivings about the size of the camera are soon dispensed when you appreciate just how impressive the model's screen is.
At 4.8in it delivers a resolution of 720p and as such offers a composition experience similar to what you would have on a modern smartphone. The screen is also assuringly sensitive, requiring only the slightest of touches to scroll between images and activate the various camera settings.
One of the major criticisms of the previous generation Galaxy Camera was that the battery life was poor to say the least. The good news is that with the new Galaxy Camera 2, Samsung has chosen upgrade the battery and the new unit boasts a capacity of 2000mAH.
In real terms, this meant that when I had the camera out in the field I managed around two hours on constant use without really making a dent on the camera's battery level. In the past this would have seriously depleted the levels.
This means that you'll no longer have to worry about carrying around spare batteries, which is a bonus, while the retention of USB charging is also welcome.
Final Thoughts
Having spent a little time with the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 it's clear that it's an improvement on its predecessor. Although we were unable to test out the model's image quality, in terms of build quality it's definitely seen changes for the better.
There are still a few reservations about the camera, the most notable of these being the fact that it still doesn't support Raw image capture.
However, on the whole trying out the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 was a positive experience and I look forward to reviews a full production unit in the near future.


text:
You probably know by now that Python's flexible data structures make working with complex data a breeze. Did you know Python also makes it a snap to visualize your data in vibrant color?
Thanks to the slew of graphics modules people have built, Python is a handy language for creating graphics on the fly. This article looks at two of those modules and shows how to use them to generate graphics from a Python data structure. The example we'll use is a simple Gantt chart.
Gantt charts, a type of timeline often used in project planning, clearly show how resources are allocated to different tasks over time. A Gantt chart makes it easy to see who's supposed to be doing what, and when they're supposed to be finished. It also shows who's overbooked and who's free to pick up the slack.
I use Gantt charts to help organize my projects so I don't try to take on too much. In this case, the resources I am tracking are really just chunks of my time and energy. If I see less than three boxes in a column, I know I've got some free time coming up. If I see more than that, I try to reschedule things. Here's a recent example:
This chart, reduced in size to fit this page, was generated with just under 100 lines of Python code, using two imaging modules: piddle and PIL.
Piddle stands for Plug In Drawing, Does Little Else. It provides a simple interface for drawing 2D lines, arcs, shapes, and text. It allows you to write your drawings to a variety of file types and to interactive displays generated by Tk or wxWindows.
You can fetch Piddle from SourceForge. You'll notice two packages there: piddle and sping. At the moment, sping (Simple Platform Independent Graphics) is the development branch of piddle, rebundled as a python package and renamed to be a little less offputting. But we'll use piddle for this example.
We'll also need the Python Imaging Library (PIL), which we'll use to save our chart as a JPEG. The PIL homepage offers the complete source as well as precompiled binaries for Windows.
Why two modules? PIL by itself is excellent for general image manipulation. It takes care of the low level details of reading and writing file formats, scaling and rotating images, and dealing with individual pixels. While PIL provides some drawing capabilities, piddle operates at a higher level. It offers more choices for storing and displaying images, and it provides the support I mentioned for interactive drawings (though we won't get into that here).
To install piddle, add the unzipped piddle directory to your Python path. To install PIL on windows, unzip the precompiled binaries to your Python directory. Installing PIL on Unix is a bit trickier; you'll have to follow the installation instructions to compile it yourself.
We'll test the installation by generating a simple, empty graphic. The first step is to define a
Canvas object. A piddle Canvas is a rectangular drawing area similar to a painter's canvas, but composed of pixels.
There is a different
Canvas class for each piddle backend. Since we're working with PIL, we'll use
piddlePIL.PILCanvas. Because we might want to change to another backend later, we'll use python 2.0's
import as syntax to hide the module name:
import piddlePIL as pid
c = pid.PILCanvas(size=(250,250))
# .. code to draw graphics goes here ..
c.save("gantt", format="jpeg")
If everything is installed correctly, running this code will save a completely blank 250x250 JPEG called gantt.jpeg to the current directory. Note that at the time of this writing, neither piddle nor PIL has been updated for python 2.1. If you're using the latest interpreter you may get some warning messages, however, the code should still run.
Now that we've got the basics working, let's draw the simple outline of our chart. A Gantt chart is essentially a set of rows and columns with some colored rectangles drawn on it, so we'll use the
drawRect and
drawLine methods from
PILCanvas to do most of our work.
Before we start drawing, let's define a few variables to control how we draw: things like column titles, cell sizes, and even the size of the image itself. This will make the code a little easier to read, and also make it easier for us to tweak our image later. Replace the canvas definition with the following:
titles = ["apr","may","jun","jul","aug","sep"]
cols = len(titles) # number of data columns
rows = 6 # number of data rows
cellW = 80 # cell width
cellH = 20 # cell height
lftColW = 100 # width of left column (task names)
topRowH = 25 # height top row (month names)
# calculate image size and define the canvas:
imgW = lftColW + (cellW * cols)
imgH = topRowH + (cellH * rows)
c = pid.PILCanvas(size=(imgW,imgH))
For the chart's background, we'll draw some shaded boxes on the top and left and use a couple
for loops to draw the lines. In the code below, notice how passing three arguments to Python's
range function lets us define our grid wholly in terms of the variables we created. The arguments tell Python where to start, where to end, and how long to make each step in between. To avoid clutter, we'll multiply
cellH by two in the second loop, skipping every other horizontal line.
## color in the headers:
c.drawRect(0,0,imgW,topRowH, fillColor=pid.gainsboro)
c.drawRect(0,0,lftColW,imgH, fillColor=pid.gainsboro)
# and the area where toprow and lftcol overlap:
c.drawRect(0,0,lftColW,topRowH, fillColor=pid.silver)
## draw the grid:
for x in range(lftColW, imgW, cellW):
c.drawLine(x, 0, x, imgH)
for y in range(topRowH, imgH, cellH * 2):
c.drawLine(0, y, imgW, y)
## draw outer border
c.drawRect(0, 0, imgW-1, imgH-1)
To fill in the labels, we'll call the
method, passing it a string, some x and y coordinates, and a
Font object.
We need some math to center the labels. The formula for centering
requires taking the width of the string in pixels and subtracting half
from the point around which we're centering. Piddle provides the
stringhWidth method for just this task:
## column titles, centered horizontally and vertically:
for i in range(cols):
lftColW + (cellW * i)
+ (cellW - c.stringWidth(titles[i]))/2, # left
(topRowH + 12)/2, # top
Now we've come to the heart of the problem: drawing the actual schedule. This brings up two important questions. First, how will we represent the data? And, second, how will we code the logic to display it? A good answer to the first question will make the second question easier, so let's start there.
Examining our chart, we can guess that our data structure will require at least the following:
When we look at the relationship between these elements, we see:
Also note that the start and end times don't necessarily coincide
with our columns. To keep things simple, we'll divide each month into
four equal chunks rather than into weeks or days. So a time of 3
represents the third quarter-month or (given our labels) three fourths
of the way through April. We'll also set a variable called
now to indicate the current time, which lets us show
progress by coloring in the past.
There are many ways to translate all this into Python, but I chose to represent it with a combination of lists, dictionaries, and tuples. I feel this makes the structure easier to read than the other representations I tried.
tasks = [
{"label": "zikeshop", "boxes": [(3, 8, "cornflower"),
(12, 16, "cornflower")]},
{"label": "blogdrive", "boxes": [(8, 12, "cornflower")]},
{"label": "day job", "boxes": [(0, 4, "red"),
(16, 30, "red")]},
{"label": "body-for-life", "boxes": [(4, 16, "gold"),
(18, 30, "gold")]},
{"label": "writing", "boxes": [(2, 4, "limegreen"),
(6, 24, "limegreen")]},
{"label": "linkwatcher", "boxes": [(4, 6, "limegreen")]},
now = 3
Because each dictionary represents a row, and each
boxes value represents the boxes on that row, we can draw the whole thing with a pair of nested loops. The outer loop moves us downward, while the inner loop draws the boxes across the chart.
We need some more math to calculate the exact positions of the boxes, but it's simple. For left and right coordinates, we multiply the time (measured in quarter cell-widths) by
(cellW / 4) and add the width of the left column. For top and bottom coordinates, we only have to look at
cellH and
Here's the code:
## draw "past" shading first, so it goes on bottom:
c.drawRect(lftColW,topRowH, lftColW + (now * (cellW/4)), imgH,
edgeColor=pid.black, fillColor=pid.slategray)
## draw the charts:
for i in range(len(tasks)):
# draw label left-aligned and approximately
# centered vertically
5, # left
topRowH + 15 + (i * cellH), # top
# draw the boxes
for box in tasks[i]["boxes"]:
begin, end, color = box
c.drawRect(lftColW + ((cellW / 4) * begin), # left
topRowH + (i * cellH), # top
lftColW + ((cellW / 4) * end), # right
topRowH + ((i+1) * cellH), # bottom
fillColor=getattr(pid, color, pid.white))
One last thing. If you run this code, you'll notice that some of the boxes extend past the right edge of the chart, and thus overwrite the right hand border. The proper time to draw the outside border is at the end of the script, after we've drawn any runaway boxes.
## redraw outer border
c.drawRect(0, 0, imgW-1, imgH-1)
Now you can draw simple graphics with piddle. There's plenty more to piddle that we haven't touched on. The piddle reference manual and the examples on the piddle home page can give you some ideas of what else piddle can do. For the latest news and discussions, check out the pythonpiddle mailing list.
There's obviously a lot more we could add to the Gantt chart script. A real Gantt chart would likely have some sort of key to label the different colors, and would probably provide a more accurate timeline. It would also be nice to have a user-friendly interface for specifying the schedule and the ability to store multiple schedules in external files or a database. In fact, next time, we'll write a simple CGI interface to build a schedule and generate Gantt charts in real time on the Web.
Michal Wallace is a web developer and entrepreneur in Atlanta, Georgia.
Return to the Python DevCenter.
Copyright © 2017 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


text:
What is the best social structure for an open source project?
The detail and scope of reviews decrease and increase, respectively, as they travel up the hierarchy. A famous example is the Linux kernel, where Linus Torvalds delegates to lieutenants for the various sub-systems of the kernel.
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