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The waters surrounding Champion Islet, a small rocky outcrop off the coast of Floreana Island, are clear – crystal clear – and provide one of the best drift-snorkel spots in the Galapagos. And on January 2, 2014 we were there, drifting – floating with schools of colorful fish – past steep underwater volcanic walls. It takes us no effort, "current power" provides our motoring. Our only challenge is to hold an underwater camera still enough to capture the beauty Mother Nature has provided us.
At first, we're overwhelmed by the swirls of fish, which pass by us like splashes of color that could only make sense to a Jackson Pollock. But as we settle into our float, and follow the beauty of the swirls through the eye of our camera, their harmony becomes more apparent. The collective movements of the swirls are performed with the coordination and gusto the London Symphony Orchestra would use when playing Anton Rubinstein's Oceans.
In its February 2014 article, Mind Meld: The genius of swarm thinking, New Scientist Magazine gives us some insight into what its researchers call "swarm thinking," the mystic choreography of the swirls of the tropical fish who had become our snorkeling companions.
What the research led by Iain Couzin, Princeton University, indicates is that there is a form of group – swarm – intelligence that generates a higher level of complex behavior than the individual members of the group are able to perform on their own. Author Michael Brooks writes:
"Researchers are starting to see swarms as living entities with senses, motivation and evolved behavior. … [The studies have] implications for all sorts of collective action. … [P]rocessing power of the swarm is more than the sum of its parts. Applying this concept to other complex systems provides insight into all sorts of areas, from fighting disease to building robot swarms. It might even provide a way of thinking about the human brain."
The movement of fish, birds and other animals in swarms is not simply a matter of physics; swarms function like biological organisms responding to sensory information. The swarms are not purely democratic in their concerted actions; there are leader and follower relationships shaping what happens. For example, herring occupy different positions within their swarm depending upon their reproductive state.
In his article, Brooks goes on to describe the influence of Couzin's research on such things as robotics and roving sensors, each only dealing with a small sample of information but collectively generating an intelligent composite far outstripping the capability of any one robot. Testing human cells involved in wound healing indicate that they, too, act as a swarm when taking on an injury or disease. The researchers are also beginning to see the 86 billion neurons in a human brain as achieving the brain's results by swarming – clearly the complex intelligence provided by our collective neurons exceeds the capacities of individual neurons.
But as we think about the helpful uses of the intelligence of the swarm, we should reflect on the swarm's other aspects. American Indians learned to use the actions of the buffalo swarm to drive them over cliffs. Fisherman around the world have learned to fill their nets with fish swarms.
And the misuse of "Groupthink," "Wisdom of the Crowds," "Group intelligence," or "Collective Intelligence" by some humans on themselves and on other humans provides warnings for all of us. I wrote about "Groupthink" – the group-drive for consensus that causes a deterioration of individual mental efficiency, reality testing, and moral judgment – in Crash Landing -Surviving a Business Crisis. President Kennedy's Bay of Pigs fiasco and President Bush's Middle East Desert wars are political examples. Google the web and you will find many more swarm-type black holes, from marketing and advertising strategies zeroing in on your swarm preferences to religion and political pontifications.
Yes, drifting works just fine when we're snorkeling at Champion Islet.
Yes, the wisdom of the crowd – the swarm – is very useful.
But buying blindly into swarm wisdom without exercising critical judgment can drive us like buffaloes over a deadly cliff. Particularly when the swarm's deeply-held beliefs that shape our actions deny factual reality.
The National Science Foundation recently published a study of what Americans think about science, Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding. The study is worth reading. Pseudo-scientific beliefs are far too prevalent. Our knowledge and acceptance of well-established scientific facts are lacking.
For example, 25% of Americans still believe the sun rotates around the earth, a religious-swarm belief that drove the Vatican to place Galileo under house arrest centuries ago. [The Vatican recanted a few years ago; but the Flat Earth Society remains a viable entity.] This is but one of many surprising revelations in the study.
It's fun to drift with the undulations of a gentle current, as we did at Champion Islet.
But our swarms – the groups we cherish – need more than drift from each of us.
1 Comment on "A Lesson from Snorkeling: The Intelligence of the Swarm"
Well done, as usual. You are not only a superb photographer, but an excellent writer. Thanks for sharing.


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— Photo by Rhonda Hayward/The Telegram
A cruise ship docked in St. John's ahead of schedule after a medical emergency near Greenland.
The Astor, originally due to arrive in St. John's Tuesday at 7 a.m., docked Monday evening instead.
The ship is on a 37-day cruise from Greenland to Germany, with several Canadian and Newfoundland and Labrador ports of call, including St. John's, Corner Brook and L'Anse aux Meadows.
A spokeswoman for the City of St. John's, when asked by The Telegram the reason for the early arrival, said via email that the ship "had a medical emergency on board."
The ship's representative in St. John's, Roger Tinkham, said Monday was that a passenger had suffered internal bleeding, but weather conditions prevented the ship from docking in Greenland.
"Medevac from Greenland came out to the ship, took the passenger … and medevaced them away," he said.
"So instead of going into Greenland, they altered their course and are coming direct to St. John's."
The ship — with 548 passengers and about 300 crew — is still scheduled to leave at its planned departure time of 7 p.m. today.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Athletics Home
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The Patriots held a small lead midway through the second half, but the Tigers clawed back. Hollis Giles, who also scored 16 points, hit a three-pointer with 2:26 to go to give GC breathing room late in the game, 63-55. Despite going 10-of-18 from the free throw line, the Tigers were able to pull off the victory to improve to 18-6 overall and 6-3 in the conference.
Former Henry Clay standout Vic Moses finished with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Travis Harvey paced the Patriots with 17 points, while Adrion Graves added 13 and Chad Byron 11.
Tanner Jacob pulled down seven rebounds for UC, which falls to 16-8 overall and 5-4 in the conference.
GC returns to action Saturday
at West Virginia Tech.
Shown above: Eddie Gray and Vincent Crutcher use strong defense late in the game. (Photo courtesy of Richard Davis).


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October 25, 2013
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August 23, 2012
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John Hauk is hosting three new competitions at the fifth Nail Tech Networking Event of the Smokies, which will be held at the downtown Gatlinburg Convention Center on June 24-25, 2012.
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Long-time competitor John Hauk has just announced a new venture — Cruise with the Nail Stars, hosted by John Hauk.
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John Hauk, OPI technical advisor, award-winning competitor, and salon owner, speaks about a common problem that is slowing down services in salons.
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Students may specialize in the areas of genetics, genomics, immunology, management, molecular biology, muscle biology, nutrition, physiology, and product quality assurance. M.S. students may also specialize in the area of livestock or poultry management. Interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programs are encouraged and students are given wide latitude to develop customized programs of study directed toward specific career goals. The department has 27 faculty members who serve the needs of about 500 undergraduate and about 40 graduate students.
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|LJN Toyline: Hovercat
Hovercat is a toy that was released in series 2 and 3 of the LJN Toyline and is based on the 80's version ThunderCats series vehicle HoverCat.
Assortment Number
- 3534
The Hovercat vehicle featured "Turbo Whirl Sound" and a bottom spinning rotor which was activated by a trigger at the back. The vehicle could seat one figure (not included) and did not require any batteries to operate.
The box design and artwork remained the same throughout the series with the back depicting the same figures and vehicles as the Series 2 Figure cards.
The accessories included with the vehicle were Two handlebars, Two Wing Flaps, a Windscreen and an Instruction sheet.
There are no known variations of this vehicle.
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Agger out for Denmark
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has pulled out of the Denmark squad to face Russia in a friendly international on Wednesday.
Last Updated: 28/02/12 3:09pm
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has pulled out of the Denmark squad to face Russia in a friendly international on Wednesday.
The centre-back had to be replaced in the Carling Cup final against Cardiff on Sunday after picking up an injury, and manager Kenny Dalglish later expressed fears that the player had broken a rib.
The full extent of the problem has yet to be confirmed but Denmark coach Morten Olsen has stated that the 27-year-old would not be joining up with the national squad.
"Daniel does not attend. He has sent his apologies. It is no surprise," Olsen told the Danish press.
"We - and especially Daniel - are sorry that he cannot come but we have some others who have also done well when he has not been present."
Fellow defender, and former Everton full-back, Lars Jacobsen is confident Denmark will cope in the absence of Agger.
"Recently against Portugal we managed just fine," he said.
"Daniel is a player that plays when he's ready, but he has been a bit unlucky last year with a lot of injuries, so we are almost accustomed to playing without him, although he will obviously be missed."


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2 Min Read
* TSX up 1.38 percent at 10,576.56
* Materials gain 1.7 percent on firm gold prices
* Financials up 1.35 percent (Adds details, quote)
By Nina Lex
TORONTO, July 23 (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock index was 1 percent higher on Thursday morning, boosted by firm metals prices and investor optimism about corporate results.
The index's mining-laden materials sector led the gain, up 1.7 percent, as gold prices rose to a six-week high. Goldcorp (G.TO) rose 1.83 percent to C$41.73, Barrick Gold (ABX.TO) was up 0.91 percent at C$38.75, and Kinross Gold (K.TO) rose 1.55 percent to C$22.26.
The financial sector, which accounts for about a third of the TSX index, rose 1.35 percent, helped higher by better than expected corporate earnings in the United States.
"We've seen about 72 percent of companies beat expectations thus far, which is a good sign," said Paul Taylor, chief investment officer at BMO Harris Investment Management Inc.
Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) was the index's biggest heavyweight gainer, up 1.41 percent at C$49.79.
Manulife Financial (MFC.TO) shares rose 2.25 percent to C$23.21, and Sun Life Financial (SLF.TO) was up 4.36 percent at C$34.44.
At 10:10 a.m. (1410 GMT), the S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE was up 144.76 points, or 1.38 percent, at 10,576.56. Eight of its 10 main groups were higher.
$1=$1.10 Canadian Reporting by Nina Lex; editing by Peter Galloway


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Title: Sniper Out to Play
Author: Despairedpoet
Archived: and Conflict7 (livejournal community)
Summary: Wide Scope is sent on a mission without his faithful pal Lamont, except things don't go according to plan. Can Wide Scope be found in time? Or will Cobra find him first?
Rating: PG
Warning Codes: Umm..Language and Complete. (I actually don't post stories till they are complete anyways…so if you ever read anything from me it'll be complete. )
Pairings: Mentions of Wide Scope and Sadie Jane Cooper
Character: Wide Scope, with mentions of Lamont, Duke, Snake Eyes, and Spirit
Beta Reader: Want the job? Cause it hasn't been beta read yet.
Authors Note: I did this from the set of prompts on the livejournal community: Conflict7. Sadie Jane Cooper will appear another time when I have finished Wide Scope and Sadie Jane's master story, so then these little spin offs will make more sense.
Disclaimer: I don't own G.I. Joe. I do own the character Sadie Jane Cooper, so no stealing without permission.
Wide Scope had studied the surrounding area for the past week for his assignment. The mountain pass was narrow and rocks trickled by as he ran up to the designated point. Little puffs of dirt along with tracks were the only clue that he was there. It was supposed to be a surprise attack on Cobra. They had gotten reports of seeing Destro out in the Rocky Mountain range. They weren't certain what they had been secretly transporting so they planned ambush of the next truck that passed through.
Wide Scope had been dropped off at the bottom of one of the mountains and his set up point was two miles up the mountain. The weather was dry and the temperature started to drop the further he went up. He wasn't out of breath yet, which he had to thank Beach Head for, as he kept running quickly inching closer to his set up point. He reached his position within the allotted time. As quietly as he could he started setting up his M40 sniper rifle.
Taking off the heavy back pack he dropped it on the ground and dug through the pack and started putting the M40 together. Once he had that done he adjusted the scope on it and set it up on its stand. He eased himself to lay flat on his stomach to decrease his chance of being seen. The ground felt cold and hard as he leaned on his elbows and reached into his bag again to pull out binoculars.
He held them up to his eyes and scanned the area. The bushes and trees surround the road seemed to be only kept at bay by the occasional traveler, making it almost impossible to navigate unless you had four wheel drive. His eyes scanned from the left to the right checking for signs of movement down below. The trees provided ample cover on the road to the right, which was where his target was supposed to be coming from, while the left curved out of sight around the mountain. There was only one open area where he'd be able to get a clear shot to take out the tires then start picking off people.
Wide Scope put the binoculars down and leaned of his M40 rifle and closed one eye keeping the other opened and looking out of the barrel of the scope. The area around him was silent except for the occasional bird calling to another and other nature noises that you didn't seem to notice until you were alone. The silence made the excitement and tension build up within him but he kept a cool and calm facade, he would think about all the things that could go wrong after he took out his target. Failure was not an option for him. He took a deep calming breath to clear his mind just as he heard a crackle come over the radio.
"Are you in position?" Duke asked his voice hard and clipped.
"Yes, Sir," Wide Scoped answered. "So far there isn't any movement."
"When you get a clear shot take it," Duke said. "We're going into radio silence now. Good Luck."
"Yes, Sir," Wide Scope answered again before sub coming to the quite and stillness of his situation. Most would be as strung as a wire but Wide Scope's easy going attitude made him idea for the situation they were now dealing with. He was calm and clear headed even when he knew everything was riding on him. He swirled the rifle to his right and twisted the focus on the scope.
He heard the disturbance before he saw it. A carrier truck fought its way down the trail slowly and loudly. Wide Scope became more alert as he focused the scope on the driver, upon seeing a Cobra uniform he had his target. He lowered the rifles Schneider 610 barrel on the front tire of the truck. His finger twitched as he waited for the truck to get into position so he could easily take out the front two tires then quickly follow through with the back tires. His opening came and he fired the first two shots in rapid action. With accurte shots the vehcile was immobilized. He smirked then ducked when a shot hit off the edge he was hiding on. Covering his head with his arm he lifted himself up and reloaded the riffle for another round. He had no time to pay any attention to the yell as mass chaos broke out. Joe's were swarming the area and Cobras were taking cover behind the truck.
Wide Scope heard Duke's voice in his ear but his foucs was on the sceen below. His adrline pumping all he could hear where the sounds of his own gun going off and the only sight where his targets as he took them off one by one. Without hesitatopm he shot down Cobra agents ableing the Joes to move further towards the truck. When the last remaining Cobra agaents gave up the Joes on the ground were able to reach the truck.
"It was a decoy!" yelled Duke, Wide Scope defintly heard that. He also saw the other Joes on the ground running away from the tuck frantily. He wasted no time picking up his gear and moving too. He was flung to the groung by the force of the impact from the bomb. Rocks and dirt sprayed over his body as he tumbled down a steep revine and landed with a 'thud' on a ledge.
He groaned but didn't move as he worked his way though his body to check and see if he'd broken anything. Seeing that eveything was working and he'd only ended up with some nasty buries and a few cuts on his face he stood up. This back pack lay on the ledge near him but his M40 was no where in sight. He looked back up and decided climbing was out of the question if he didn't have ropes.
"Wide Scope, check in," Duke's voice crackled over the radio.
"I'm alive," Wide Scope answered looking around and taking out his M9 pistol to keep in one hand. "I'm stuck though. When the bomb went off I got thrown over the edge of the revine and now I'm sitting on a ledge."
"Do you know how far you were pushed from your orginal postion?" Duke asked. Wide Scope looked back up the ravine wall.
"I'm not certain but I'd say about two kilometers," Wide Scope answered as he took in how far he had ran then had fallen off the ravine.
"I've got Spirit and Snake-Eyes out searching the area you were last in since they were the closets," Duke's voice crackled over the radio once again. "Just sit tight and hold your position."
"Affirmative," Wide Scope said sitting down so his back was against the ravine wall. He cursed the fact that he'd let go of his rifle, he might not have been in the idea position but he could have used the extended sight. He kept his eyes and ears open for any signs of the enemy. He wiped his brow free of sweat and looked up at the sun beating down on him. "Sure is hot," he muttered.
"Good thing I didn't bring Lamont," he said to himself, after what felt like hours. The sun had gone down slightly and from that he knew he'd been sitting on this ledge for at least two hours maybe even more. His thoughts briefly turned to his K-9 companion then towards the woman who was currently taking care of his dog. His lip twitched as he wondered how that was going. Rai was scared of dogs yet she'd volunteered to take care of Lamont while he went on his mission to the Rockies.
Rai was defiantly something and he wanted to be able to find out what, he was determined not to die or get caught on his forsaken ledge. The thought of dieing out here had crossed his mind once or twice but he refused to entertain the notion. He was pulled alert when he heard foot steps above him and rocks trickled down on top his head. He looked up and lifted his gun into the air, pointing upwards and holding it with both hands. Snake-Eyes peered down over the edge and Wide Scope relaxed and stood up.
"About time you got here," he said as a rope was dropped down to the ledge. Wide Scope wrapped the end around his waist and tied it off tightly before he started his way up the ledge, half walking and half being pulled by Snake-Eyes. When he got near the top he reached out and pulled himself over. The rope went slack and Wide Scope nodded his thanks to Snake-Eyes, as he untied the rope from around his waist. "Now for the fun part," Wide Scope said grinning as he pulled out his M9 pistol, "Getting back to the rendezvous point."


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We conduct interviews from late September through the end of January. Recognizing that distant families' schedules are less flexible than those of local families, we reserve Saturday interview spots for boarders. Interviews fill up quickly—the sooner you call us, the more likely we are to be able to accommodate your visit request. Please notify us of your intentions to be in the area as soon as you begin making your school visit plans.
If you are unable to visit us on campus, we also offer online interviews at 9:00 a.m. EST on weekday mornings from October through the end of January.
To schedule a visit to campus or an online interview, please call us at 978-402-2250 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
To apply to CA, please use one of the following online common applications: the Gateway to Prep Schools application, The Association of Board Schools (TABS) application, and the SSAT application.
Have your parent or guardian submit the first part of the application (often called the Candidate Profile or Family Information Form) along with the application fee ($50 for students living in the US; $100 for students living overseas) as soon as you are sure that you would like to apply to Concord Academy (but no later than January 15, which is the deadline for the full application).
SSAT, ISEE, and PSAT Test Scores
Concord Academy requires results from standardized tests taken during your current school year. We will not consider results from tests taken after January 15.
If you are a prospective 9th or 10th grader, register for and take either the SSAT or ISEE. CA's SSAT code is 2560. CA's ISEE code is 220640. We do not have a minimum requirement for SSAT scores, but admitted students score at the 82nd percentile on average.
If you are a prospective 11th grader, register for and take the PSAT or SAT test. CA's PSAT/SAT code is 220640.
TOEFL Test Scores
If English is not your primary language and/or if you have attended an English speaking school for less than three years, we require you to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam (TOEFL). On average, admitted students score 105 on the TOEFL. CA's TOEFL code is 2255.
Letters of Recommendation
In September or October of the year you are applying to CA, speak to adult members of your school community about writing letters of recommendation on your behalf. We encourage these adults to submit their letters of recommendation after December 1 so that they may know you that much better when writing about you.


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* * *
Five years ago, Specialized Bicycle Components invited J&J Cycle in Kingston to become one of its dealers. J&J co-owner John Gardner was keen—Specialized is one of North America's top makers of high-end bikes. But if J&J wanted to sell Specialized, it would have to meet the company's considerable demands, including taking the lines Specialized wanted, and hitting ever-increasing sales targets.
Sales boomed and Gardner was thrilled—for a while. "Bit by bit, Specialized was taking over more of our store," he says. "They were very forceful with the products they want you to represent."
Last year he decided to add a third brand: Cannondale. The Specialized rep pooh-poohed the idea. Gardner pressed, then wrote to Specialized Canada managing director Larry Koury to say he was serious. Koury's e-mailed response: "Cannondale in, we're out. Simple." That is exactly what happened. "They crossed the line and tried to run our business," says Gardner. (Koury declined to comment.)
The competitive zeal of elite cyclists is matched in the industry that supplies them. With adult bike sales stagnant in the U.S. (at about 13.5 million units in 2010), it's trench warfare in the independent dealer channel, marked by a never-ending race to create more innovative and sophisticated components, frames and designs, and a fight for floor space. Apart from Cannondale, the principal combatants are industry leader Trek Bicycle Corp. of Wisconsin, and No. 2 player Specialized, based in California.
Cannondale was started by Joe Montgomery above a pickle shop in Connecticut in 1971, and it soon made a name for itself as a design innovator. Like Specialized and Trek, Montgomery introduced a mountain bike at the dawn of the mountain biking craze in 1983. In the late 1990s, Cannondale began a misadventure in off-road motorcycles and ATVs. In 2003, it filed for Chapter 11. A new owner, private equity firm Pegasus Partners II, took over.
Around that time, Dorel was preparing its big move into bicycles. By then, it was a Canadian success story: Leo Schwartz had founded the company in 1962 as a manufacturer of baby mattresses, then merged in 1987 with a furniture company built by his son Martin and son-in-law Jeff Segel and went public. In 1988, Dorel bought Cosco Inc., a U.S. children's furniture manufacturer three times its size. That gave it a reach into Walmart; other successful acquisitions followed. "Mergers and acquisition activity and integration ability are critical given the company has not typically been a brand innovator," RBC Capital Markets analyst Tal Woolley said in a 2009 note. "It tends to purchase brands established in the market and enhance them by applying [its] sourcing and logistics skills."
Dorel's purchase of Pacific Cycle in 2004 for $310 million gave it another category to offer its discount retail customers. Later that year it brought out an update of the classic Schwinn Sting-Ray "banana seat" bike. Dorel could barely keep up with demand, but the Sting-Ray revival proved to be short-lived, and then sales in the bike division sagged.
Dorel's bike story needed a second spin. Schwartz had had ambitions for the independent channel from the outset: While bike shops typically accounted for just 15% to 20% of unit sales in the U.S., their pricier merchandise meant they collected around half of the dollars.
But Dorel encountered rejection from independents when it tried to peddle its Schwinn brand to them. "We as an industry shot it down," says Darrin Duhamel, owner of Revo Cycles in Lake Forest, California, one of Cannondale's top customers in the Sunshine State. "Pacific had devalued the brand by putting it in Costco and Walmart."
"That's when we turned around and said, 'Look, if we want to grow the next step in bikes and grow in the independent bike dealer channel, we have to grow with a proper brand," Schwartz says. He approached Cannondale's owner and liked what he saw. Cannondale still had a reputation for making excellent bikes, but also for providing little brand support. Marketing was weak and the company struggled with product availability. "So many things Cannondale did were better than the competition, but they just failed at getting the word out," says Duhamel.Report Typo/Error
Follow @SeanSilcoffon Twitter:
- Dorel Industries Inc$33.99-0.02(-0.06%)
- Dorel Industries Inc$33.93+0.27(+0.80%)
- Updated July 26 10:58 AM EDT. Delayed by at least 15 minutes.


text: "Irwin's Trout" --------------- Whole rainbow trout, no head or tail and filleted, but one piece. Place some extra virgin olive oil inside the fish. Pepper Lemon slices Tomato slices Rosemary Thyme Close the trout, place in parchment paper tightly sealed and baked at 350F for about 15 minutes. From: MS Dietary Home Page www.2x2.co.nz/ms/ [page no longer exists]


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Our Pretties
My name is Anna, I am attractive, easy-going, with good sense of humour lady. I like sincerity and openness. I like sport, travel, parties and meeting with friends. I would like to meet confident man with strong opinion. I want to enjoy with nice and funny man!
I like to travel, to see new places of the world. I like to go to the cinema and watch romantic movies about love, and enjoy walking in the park .
Need partner: 20 - 70 years old
I miss having a person who will care how I feel, who will tell me "Come here in my embrace", who will kiss me softly and passionately. I do not care on age because love can exist in all ages! I want to find stability and happiness. Would you like to find the happiness with me? Do you think we have a chance, Could you write me? I am waiting for you.


text:
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Dear Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor and Minority Leader Pelosi:
We are writing to express our strong support for extending the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to Poland as a provision to any immigration reform package that comes before the House. This program was extended in the Senate's recently passed Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.
As you know, the Visa Waiver Program permits nationals from certain countries who are traveling to the United States for tourism or business to stay for ninety days or less without obtaining a visa. Currently, 37 countries are included in the VWP. Of the European Union nations, Poland is one of only three nations to not belong to the program.
Poland is a long-time ally of the United States, sharing in our morals and principles as a nation. Since becoming a democratic nation in 1989, Poland has made incredible strides in developing its economy and building strong relationships throughout the world. Poland's membership in NATO and the European Union is further evidence of securing itself as a major player on the global stage. In addition, Poland's military in the United Nations' peacekeeping forces play a critical role in the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 2011, there were 18.3 million visitors who came to the United States through the VWP, approximately 40% of all overseas visitors. By expanding the VWP to Poland, we benefit as a country through increased tourism, commerce and business opportunities, and overall goodwill with our ally. We look forward to working with you to extend this critical program.
Carolyn B. Maloney
Member of Congress
Mike Quigley
Member of Congress
Jan Schakowsky
Member of Congress
Luis V. Gutierrez
Member of Congress
Brian Higgins
Member of Congress
William R. Keating
Member of Congress
Source: http://maloney.house.gov/press-release/rep-maloney-led-letters-colleagues-house-leadership-support-polish-visa-waiver-program


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Spiceworks is in the running for the Tech Innovation of the Year, sponsored by the Austin Business Journal. If you like our product and think it's pretty innovative... not to mention the fact that you love the innovate business model that let's us deliver it for free... just click on the link and vote. Give us a 5 (or whatever number you think we are worthy of) and the others a 1 or 2 (or whatever you think Enterprise Resource Allocation Performance Compensation Relationship Governance Architecture Discovery Management is worth). Thanks!
1 Reply
Sep 28, 2007 at 7:48 UTC
I voted Number 1 for Spiceworks because you guys are NUMBER 1!
Hehe, just kidding, i voted 5, or whatever was "best."
This discussion has been inactive for over a year.
You may get a better answer to your question by starting a new discussion.


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The first professional baseball game I saw was the San Francisco Giants versus the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1984. We were visiting family in San Jose, and one of my uncles gave us tickets. It was frigid and drizzly at Candlestick Park that afternoon — there's a reason Mark Twain said the coldest winter he ever experienced was the summer he spent in San Francisco. We stayed through the game and won the croix de candlestick, a pin given to fans who stayed 'til the bitter end on nasty days.
I wasn't that into baseball back then. I don't know who was pitching, who won, and can't report on a terrific double play made by so-and-so. I don't even know which living legends might have been playing.
What I remember best is a man in full pirate regalia, complete with a stuffed parrot on his shoulder, standing through the game and cheering for the visiting team. His banter was brilliant, and although he rubbed the home town fans, I think everyone found him entertaining. I also remember the Crab, a mascot the fans loved to hate. He danced and capered while the fans hurled abuse. "Get rid of the crab!" they groused. I'm not sure if he's still around, but if he isn't, I bet he's missed.
I appreciated cheap seat culture before I appreciated the game: the humorous asides, the good-natured smack talk and ribbing and baiting. The pitcher/belly-itcher chant, "swing batter," that kind of thing. Other sports are all hollering, but baseball is way better. It's got chatter.
When: 1984
Where: San Francisco


text:
Kneipp Jasmine and Argan Oil Body Lotion
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Escape with the exotic and richly floral scent of Kneipp Jasmine & Argan Oil Body Lotion. The natural aromatherapeutic effect of Jasmine is known to deeply relax and soothe, while producing a feeling of great confidence. Valuable Argan Oil hydrates, softens and protects skin from pre-mature aging, allowing for a fresh, youthful glow. Suitable for all skin types. NaTrue certified natural personal care. From The Product Label: For increased aromatic and nourishment benefits, apply as needed to skin and gently massage until completely absorbed. Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Palm Kernal Glycerides, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Glyceryl Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Argania Spinosa Kernal Oil, Jasminium Grandiflorum (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Dipterocarpus Turbinatus (Gurjum Balsam) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Cedrus Atlantica (Cedarwood) Bark Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Citronellol, Coumarin, Geraniol, Parfum (Frangrance), Glyceryl Caprylate, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Calcium Alginate, Tocopherol. EAN: 4008233101286


text:
|Police Officer
|Police officer
|First appearance
|11th December 2009
|Number of appearances
|Played by
|Elizabeth Arends
The unnamed Police Officer was on beat patrol with a male colleague in December 2009 when they were approached by Norris Cole who advised the officers that the ladders which Graeme Proctor had been using on his window-cleaning round were stolen, and were in fact the property of Weatherfield Council.
As Graeme continued to clean the windows above the Corner Shop, Norris claimed that Graeme had been bragging about the stolen property earlier that morning and the officer instructed him to come down the ladders and speak with her. When asked why the ladders had "Weatherfield Council" written on the side, Graeme explained that he'd brought them when they had a clear-out.
A sarcastic Norris was however sternly reprimanded when Graeme produced a receipt for the property with the officer reminding him of the penalties for making false accusations and the seriousness of wasting police time.


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Professor Green mourned late father on wedding day
Professor Green's wedding day was tinged with sadness as he felt the absence of his late father. The I Need You Tonight hitmaker married reality TV star Millie Mackintosh in September (13), but the British rapper admits his big day was overshadowed by the loss of his dad, Peter, who committed suicide in 2008.
Green was estranged from his father at the time of his death, and he now regrets not reaching out to him.
In a new documentary for Britain's Radio 1, titled Suicide Survivors, he says, "Since Dad died, I've been through a whole spectrum of emotions… It also made me realise how stupid not reaching out over pride was.
"I got married recently. It brought everything back to the surface, because my dad wasn't there to see it. My father wasn't at my wedding, not because of some unfortunate accident, but because of a decision that he made… We (my wife and I) went up to my nan's (grandmother's) house the other day. Nan was doing what she always does and annoyingly showing my now wife pictures of me as a kid. Out comes one with my dad.
"I haven't cried in years, but I saw his face and it just broke me down. There was just a void, thinking about how I haven't got him in my life."


text:
Teddy Wilson - School for Pianists (10 solo piano recordings) MP3
Teddy Wilson - piano 1. That Old Feeling (0:08) 2. My Blue Heaven (2:50) 3. Loch Lomond (5:02) 4. Tiger Rag (7:47) 5. I'll See You in My Dreams (9:57) 6.
Lester Young & Teddy Wilson. Pres and Teddy MP3
1. All of Me 2. Prisoner of Love 3. Louise 4. Love Me or Leave Me 5. Taking a Chance on Love 6. Love Is Here to Stay 7. Pres Returns.
Teddy Wilson plays "tea for two" MP3
"tea for two" Teddy Wilson (piano)
Jazz at the Philharmonic 1967 BBC JATP Clark Terry, Teddy Wilson,ZootSims, MP3
Clark Terry James Moody Zoot Sims Dizzy Gillespie Coleman Hawkins Benny Carter Teddy Wilson Bob Cranshaw Louie Bellson T-bone Walker Jazz at the ...
Also featuring Zoot Sims, Roy Eldridge, Tyree Glenn, and other Jazz greats.
Earl Hines & Teddy Wilson All Of Me (1965) MP3
http://www.bojazz.com/ --- http://bjazz.unblog.fr/ Earl Hines & Teddy Wilson - All Of Me - Jazz Piano Workshop Berlin 1965 http://www.bzajj.com/ ...
As Time Goes By - Teddy Wilson MP3
Torah Week 24 ~ Teddy Wilson ~ Seekers of Yahweh Ministries MP3
In this study, Teddy teaches from Lev. Ch. 6 & 7. We take what is written in Torah and allow it to show us that the definition of transgression and sin do not ...
Teddy Wilson Trio with Jo Jones on International Hour - American Jazz 1963 MP3
On the 1963 TV special International Hour - American Jazz, filmed at the Civic Opera House in Chicago, and hosted by Willis Conover.
TEDDY WILSON - Body And Soul (1941) MP3
RECORDED IN 1941. Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson (November 24, 1912 July 31, 1986) was a jazz pianist from the United States born in Austin, Texas.
East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) - Teddy Wilson MP3
On The Sunny Side Of The Street -Teddy Wilson MP3
But Not For Me - Teddy Wilson 1985 MP3
The Man I Love - But Not For Me October 7, 1985 @The New York Marriott Marquis Piano:Teddy Wilson Bass:Slam Stewart Drums:Louis Bellson.
Poor Butterfly - Teddy Wilson MP3
The Lester Young-Teddy Wilson Quartet / All of Me MP3
Teddy Wilson - That Old Feeling MP3
Just Teddy.
Moonglow - Teddy Wilson MP3
Teddy Wilson - Runnin' Wild (1973). MP3
Recorded live at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival, Wilson plays some surprisingly extroverted solos, even starting "One O'Clock Jump" off with some torrid ...
Just One Of Those Things - Teddy Wilson MP3
Teddy Wilson in concert part 1 ( Teddy plays Ellington ) MP3
So happy with some items of Teddy Wilson in my collection . Here his version of Ellingtons take the a train .Teddy Wilson P Harley White B Eddie Graham D ...
TEDDY WILSON - Rosetta MP3
RECORDED IN 1934. Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson (November 24, 1912 July 31, 1986) was a jazz pianist from the United States born in Austin, Texas.
Billie Holiday - Teddy Wilson Orchestra 1935 ~ What a Little Moonlight Can Do MP3
Recorded: 1776 Broadway, New York City, NY July 2, 1935 Personnel: Billie Holiday - Vocals Benny Goodman - Clarinet Roy Eldridge - Trumpet Ben Webster ...
Misty Teddy Wilson MP3
Teddy Wilson - Carelessly MP3
Performer(s): « Teddy Wilson » « Carelessly » Audio : Very Hq - CD Quality Sound -- MP3 320 Kbps Album : « 99 Hits : Teddy Wilson » by « Teddy Wilson ...
Teddy Wilson Lesson - Dick Hyman MP3
This clip is from Dick Hyman's CENTURY OF JAZZ PIANO CD-ROM encyclopedy. Recorded in 1999.
Billie Holiday 1936 "These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)" Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra MP3
Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra plays "These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)" with Billie Holiday as vocalist. This is the the 1936 version. Billie recorded ...


text:
Back…to Los Angeles!
For the last few days of our vacation, we stayed in the Historic Core of Los Angeles. Our AirBnB didn't seem to have the best insulation, as you could hear every conversation (and screaming match) on the street below, even though we had the windows shut tight. Thankfully, we brought ear plugs, so the arguments that went on well past 4AM were reduced to a dull roar.
Our friends really wanted to see the Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theatre, so those were our first stops. I wasn't too excited about the Walk of Fame, as it's just names stamped in concrete, but there were a few surprises that gave me a chuckle. Did you know Godzilla has his own star? Well, now you do! Sadly, I didn't grab a picture, but I did take a few around the theater. There, at least, the names in concrete were actually written by the celebrities!


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23rd December 2015
Headship by degrees
What did Good Schools Guide heads study at university?
A very important part of any Good Schools Guide review is the profile of the head. We generally find that most heads are happy to answer all our questions - even the more personal ones. We also hear on the grapevine that this part of our reviews is often used (presumably as background) by candidates applying for headships at other schools. It's a privilege for our writers to spend time with such interesting and busy people and we love finding out what led them to work in education. A surprising number of heads claim to have 'fallen' into teaching - how careless of them!
Some of our writers have observed that music seems to be a popular first degree subject for heads; others thought history was the top choice. This got us thinking - so we decided to look through 800 or so Good Schools Guide head biogs and see what trends emerged.
Top of the head undergraduate subject charts are in fact science, technology and engineering degrees (16.7 per cent) but only if you group physics, chemistry, biology etc together. As far as separate subjects go, it's English (16.45 per cent), closely followed by history (15.67 per cent). Other subjects are as follows in order of popularity:
Maths: 7.57 per cent
Languages: 7.18 per cent
Geography: 7.05 per cent
Music: 6.53 per cent
Education: 5.35 per cent
Classics: 4.96 per cent
Theology: 3.26 per cent
PE: 2.74 per cent
Economics: 1.70 per cent
PPE: 1.31 per cent
Drama: 1.31 per cent
Law: 1.04 per cent
History of art 0.78 per cent
Archaeology: 0.39 per cent
So, it looks like a win for the liberal humanists. It's hardly surprising that a head with a degree in music is more likely to be in tune with, say, a choir school, but should we worry that so many English graduates and historians are leading our top schools? Lord Sugar might take a view on this but we couldn't possibly comment.
Written by Janita Clamp - Senior Editor The Good Schools Guide
13th December 2015
Pray or Pay?
'On your knees, forget the fees,' proclaims an unabashed father in the first episode of the wonderful series, 'Rev', where Adam Smallbone's usually virtually empty congregation is filled with hordes of middle class parents about to apply for places at the local Ofsted "Good" Church of England primary school.
Faith schools are popular – and not just with parents who want their children to be educated in them for the sake of their religious character. A major reason is that they are often academically high achieving: whilst constituting around a third of all state schools, they hold 17 out of the top 30 positions in the 2015 Sunday Times primary schools league table and 15 of the top 30 in the secondaries one. It is also unusual for them to have less than a "Good" Ofsted.
Pew jumpers
The 'Rev' episode is, in fact, not totally realistic, as parents would probably have needed to attend church regularly for at least a year to have had a hope of obtaining a place. So, canny, well organised, often middle class, parents (also known as 'pew jumpers'!) get ahead of the game by sacrificing their Sunday morning lie-in well in advance.
According to recent C of E research, growth in church attendance is strongest in areas with over-subscribed faith schools, the conclusion being that 'some churchgoing is clearly motivated by a desire to qualify for school admission'. Who knew? The rise by one third in late RC baptism (after the first birthday) in a decade could also well be to secure admission to good Catholic schools.
Inequality agenda
There is also data showing that a significantly higher percentage of well-off people are regular church attenders. This is in line with the evidence that faith schools often have a much lower percentage of children on free school meals than the average in their locality. So faith admissions criteria do little to advance the social equalisation agenda. This unfairness is compounded by the high price of property around top schools.
At the heart of the church
Some admissions policies are stringent: The Grey Coat Hospital C of E School in Westminster (attended by David Cameron's and Michael Gove's daughters) prioritises children who, along with their parents, have attended church weekly for at least the five years prior to applying and are communicants.
Some are so complicated you need a degree to get your mind round them, eg to grasp the difference between being 'at the heart of the church' and 'attached to the church'. The old policy for The (RC) London Oratory (attended by the Blair and Clegg boys) had a complex points system that included service to the church – eg flower arranging, cleaning, choir singing. This has now been dropped following a legal judgement that found it unfair to parents who lacked the time to meet such requirements.
Secondary school black holes
In general it's easier to find a good primary school, faith or non faith, than a strong secondary. This is particularly the case in London, where it really pays off to be a practising Catholic if you live in Greenwich, Hounslow or Hammersmith and Fulham, or an active Anglican in Westminster, which is why ambitious, secular parents can get frustrated by being excluded from their local high flying state school. This has motivated the creation of some of the new free schools – though several of these are faith ones.
An end to faith criteria?
Not all C of E schools select by faith – some have a wide mix of faiths and ethnicities. Others only select a proportion by faith, using the standard criteria for the remaining places, so serving their local community more.
The Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life's newly published report, 'Living With Difference', recommends that faith schools should have to take half their pupils from other backgrounds – which is already a requirement for all new academies and free schools.
But what would happen if faith schools were compelled to drop their selection process entirely? If they kept their religious ethos and changed their intake, would standards remain high nevertheless? I suspect results would drop if the percentage of children from supportive families (middle class or immigrant) fell below a critical mass. It would certainly be interesting to measure the extent to which their religious character could counter the educational damage inflicted on children by poverty and chaotic homes.
Guest blog by Liz Coatman, Good Schools Guide Educational Consultants' specialist in state schools.
25th November 2015
Wrong Move
There are times when moving a child out of a school and into another makes perfect sense. If he is being bullied, the school's efforts to deal with it are inadequate and you have lost your confidence in their capacity to keep him safe, by all means look elsewhere. If your daughter wants to take A levels in subjects not offered by her current school then, of course, find a school which does them.
But there are always costs in a move between schools – not all of them financial.
We are disturbed by what we hear – from both parents and schools. Parents whose child is flourishing at a fine school call us to discuss the option of moving him to a "better" school – usually one which gets more children into "top" schools at 13. Others worry that their child's school's results dipped by a percentage point the previous year and that she won't get the opportunity of Oxbridge that she might elsewhere.
Of course, each family and each child is different and the advice one gives is unique in each case and dependent on circumstances. It is always true, however, that schools which are highly selective at entry are bound to get superior results to non-selective schools, and that results dip and rise at any school.
Perhaps more disturbing is what one hears from schools – especially from schools which work with "agents" who provide them with pupils, usually from overseas. Not content with having placed a child at a given school, some less scrupulous agents are, 18 months or so later, contacting the parents, sowing seeds of doubt about the quality of the chosen school and offering to help move their child into a "better" school – thus pocketing another hefty fee plus commission from the new school. It doesn't take much to unnerve a parent – especially one who feels dependent on advice from their agent – and children are then moved – unnecessarily and, we contend, often destructively.
On the back foot?
Moving schools is not something to be done on a whim. It takes time to learn a new place, to adjust to new teachers, to absorb a school's culture and rules and, above all, to make new friends. If a young child is moved from a school in which he is happy – for no reason he can grasp – he may well feel that it might be as well not to put down roots again as they will probably be pulled up. Easier not really to try, not to get to know people. Older children are expected to break into established friendship groups, surrender the work they have done in the previous school and make up work done in their new classes before they joined them.
They don't know the teachers and the teachers don't know them. In other words, they start on the back foot and are forever running to catch up. Not all schools are as helpful in integrating the newcomer as one might hope.
As we said above, there are, occasionally, unarguable cases for moving a child. When this happens, both the first and the second school will usually help and cooperate. The child's best interests are what matters. After all, as we maintain, happy children learn. But concerned parents are well advised to think hard and long about such a move.
Talk it over? And you can always call us to talk it over.
19th November 2015
School governance – everyone's business?
It is our business
Sir Michael Wilshaw, HM Chief Inspector of Schools, has published his thoughts on school governance. Do not yawn. Do not think this does not concern you. With increasing numbers of schools now self-administered and, therefore, more distant from local authority and government supervision and control, how they are run, the policies and practices they pursue, their ethos and the level of achievement they aspire to is everyone's business.
We have persisted with an outmoded and, now, inadequate system of governance in many of our schools and local authorities. It has been customary to fill seats with anyone who volunteers rather than people with the experience, know-how, skills and time to manage a modern, efficient educational operation. As Sir Michael says:
the role is so important that amateurish governance will no longer do. Good will and good intentions will only go so far. Governing boards made up of people who are not properly trained and who do not understand the importance of their role are not fit for purpose in the modern and complex educational landscape."
Whereas there are examples of excellent governance in many schools, last year there were nearly 500 schools where inspectors were so concerned about the performance of the governing board that they insisted on outside experts carrying out an urgent external review of governance.
Sir Michael notes that
"… depressingly, we often find the weakest governance operating in the most challenging schools in the poorest areas of the country – the very schools that stand to gain most from strong, professional and forensic governance and are least able to muddle through when this is absent."
Payment for results?
He also asks: has the time not come to consider paying chairs and vice-chairs in order to recruit the most able people to schools in the most difficult circumstances? and he has commissioned inspectors to undertake a survey into the effectiveness of governance in our schools.
It is a real problem. At present, school governors are not paid so we rely on their altruism and generosity. But is payment an answer? The answer? How would one evaluate the remuneration for such a role? We need to recruit people with real skills – financial, people management, site management and with an understanding of social concerns, the chairing of meetings, delegation and so on. Above all, they need to understand enough about a complex educational world – while not, themselves, being educators, for the most part – so that the head teacher and SMT are enabled to teach and lead, knowing that they are supported by a competent and effective board of governors.
Should all governors be paid if we want to recruit the right people?
Sir Michael calls for a debate and for contributions from an interested community. We add our voice to his.
Your ideas needed
Send us your thoughts on the governance of schools – email@example.com .
4th November 2015
The Sad Saga of SATS
So the Secretary of State for Education wants 'more robust tests for seven year olds', to replace the current teacher (therefore suspect) assessments. My heart, having leapt on reading that a review could lead to the abandonment of testing at 5 (the new baseline tests) and 7, and that national tests at 11 might be replaced by teacher assessment, has now plummeted to its residual depths.
To cheer myself up, I read through the 2016 exemplar grammar and punctuation test – 49 items in 45 minutes, mostly multiple choice – and groaned. As Michael Rosen says, in his excoriating critique in this week's Education Guardian (November 3rd), spending vast amounts of teaching time training children to identify examples of grammatical terms in isolated sentences will do little to help them learn how to write 'coherently and interestingly'. How much more valuable it would be to spend this time exploring engaging fiction. How dis-spiriting for children to spend months practising for their SATs in reading, writing and maths and having little time for all their other subjects and additional enriching experiences.
Measuring and labels
So now our four/five year olds are to be subjected to formal baseline tests in their first weeks of school. This should be a time for their teachers to focus on getting to know and bond with around 30 little individuals, each with their own anxieties, enthusiasms, talents and other quirks, who will learn in different ways and at different rates. Rather, they will have to begin the year by measuring their 'skills and competencies' in literacy and numeracy, identifying their deficiencies and giving them labels that could follow them throughout their primary school years.
It is hardly surprising that only 34% of those participating in the official consultation thought the tests a good idea, and that almost 3000 heads are believed to be continuing with their own assessment methods instead.
No Nirvana
Under the present regime children become statistical fodder and their teachers collateral damage. Children who do not achieve the expected standards – about to become much more exigent, to bring England up to the level of the winners in international tests – will be given a sense of failure likely to crush their self confidence and cripple their eagerness to learn just when they are advancing to secondary school. A third are expected to fail the new Key Stage 2 tests and up to 12,000 primaries to be at risk of not meeting the new, much higher floor targets and therefore of being made to become academies – the still unproven assumption being that this will bring about educational Nirvana.
Our school system is dominated by testing, so that learning is synonymous with achieving qualifications rather than satisfying intellectual curiosity, acquiring new skills and developing talents and cultural interests that can give pleasure throughout our lives. Not enough young adults leave secondary school able to work co operatively and independently, solve problems creatively, think critically and adapt to the radical changes in the workplace that technological change will bring – all qualities employers are crying out for.
Weighing the pig
So what have 25 years of SATs tests and 23 of Ofsted brought us? Children described as 'some of the most tested and unhappy in Europe' (Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers) and teachers of whom over half are considering leaving the profession. That is: children unable to enjoy learning, teachers to enjoy teaching, together with heads unable to enjoy the rich potential rewards of their position for fear of the consequences of failing to meet their targets.
As we say:
Your child – nothing matters more.
Guest Blog by Liz Coatman, Specialist in state schools for the Good Schools Guide Advisory Service
28th October 2015
Appealing for grammar places
It will be a good year to appeal to the Weald of Kent Grammar School. That's the verdict of experts speaking at a conference on the Kent 11+ (21 October).
The speakers revealed how the supposedly impartial and independent Kent grammar appeals system is distorted by political winds. Having won the right to open a satellite grammar school, Weald expects to have many more desks to fill, and the pundits believe it will bring a spirit of generosity to the appeals, as the school moves towards two additional forms of entry.
The variation in success rate of appeals to different schools is staggering, said former headteacher and education consultant Peter Read. 'Increasingly appeal panel decisions reflect the meaning of selective ability according to demand for places at the school, or alternatively the school's wishes. In 2014 Weald clearly thought the Sevenoaks annex was just around the corner, and out of 69 appeals to the school, 48 were successful. Unfortunately the Sevenoaks story went cold and the school discovered it had no more room; the success rate in 2015 fell sharply to six out of 70 appeals.'
Independent appeal administrator and former grammar school head Marylyn Atkins related how success varies not just by year, but also across the county. 'One school in East Kent had 146 appeals and only 33 were upheld. One in mid-Kent had 107 appeals – the school was heavily undersubscribed on Offer Day and encouraged parents to appeal, and 73 were successful. In north-west Kent 70 appealed to a school, but only 6 were upheld. Her message if you want to appeal: Do your homework, and target promising schools.
Parents facing the long wait until the summer term appeal hearings could be reassured that this year, their child's chance is better than ever.
Grammar schools in Kent have traditionally selected the top 25% by ability. But Census figures show that 29% of Kent children were in grammar schools in 2014, according to Reed, who suspects the figure is 30% this year. Nearly 700 appeals were successful this year, 100 more than in 2014.
But be prepared for stretched resources as a result of the swollen numbers. 'A large number of schools are choosing to expand largely to cover up gaps in decreasing government funding, not because they are finding a larger cohort eligible,' said Matthew Bartlett, headteacher of Dover Grammar School for Girls.
If you're thinking of relocating for a grammar, it's worth knowing that Dover is among five Kent grammar schools which runs an additional test of its own 'to select for different skills'. Pupils can gain entry by passing either test, making these a good punt for children who may be close to the borderline. The two tests run days apart, so children have to sit both to hedge their bets.
And setting up home in east Kent rather than west also improves your odds when it comes to headteacher assessments. Headteachers receive results approximately two weeks before parents, and at this point they are able to appeal for pupils who they had expected to pass, and show work to a panel to demonstrate grammar ability. These panels are supposed to select a further 4% of pupils to add to the 21% who gain automatic passes. That has recently crept up to 6%; but Reed says you are twice as likely to win a headteacher appeal in the east of the county compared to the west.
Weald of Kent school aside, pressure is likely to increase on girls' places, as the revised Kent test (now in its second year of operation) brought in a literacy element which has favoured girls (nearly 2% more girls than boys passed this year, a reversal of the position under the old test).
As well as introducing a literacy component, the new test was designed to reduce the effect of coaching. Reed's verdict is that tutoring still has a significant effect, albeit less than in previous years. Coaching has its clearest benefit in reasoning, and Reed has crunched the numbers to show that it is resulting in cut off scores for a pass five points higher in reasoning than in English or maths. Bad luck kids, but the verdict was that if you are gunning for the super-selectives in particular, every point counts (three of the 32 grammar schools are super-selective, five are partially super-selective).
But don't go into appeal bemoaning the lot of a summer born babe: 'Children born in August have exactly the same pass rate as those born in September. That's standardisation working,' Reed said.
For those faced with supporting their child through the anxious wait until appeals, Emma Hickling, executive head of three primary schools in Maidstone, had some advice. 'We tell the children to show us in lessons what they can do,' she said. Your head can then report at the appeal hearings in the summer on the standards of work the child is producing.
Getting your head's backing is all-important, but Atkins reassured parents with children at schools where heads are politically opposed to the 11+. 'We know the schools where the head refuses to support anyone,' she says. But you must ensure your head provides the facts. 'The head's letter needs hard data on reading, writing and numeracy.' It must also be unequivocally supportive, she said, referring to one head's letter her panel considered which could only stretch to 'We admire this father's aspiration'.
For individual advice on appealing to or choosing a Kent grammar see Kent Grammar School Appeals
24th October 2015
School Reports
When is 4:1 not a good ratio? When it's a four page letter to explain how I should interpret my son's one page report.
His school is revising the format of its half-termly assessments and, over these four pages, the head explains that pupils will now be sub-graded by four different letters and numbers for each subject. Why do I suspect that at the end of this brain-taxing exercise I'll have no clear idea how he is doing?
"Funnily enough we've had a similar thing – my eyes glazed over I'm afraid," yawns a colleague.
And we are not alone.
Emerging, Expected and Exceeding – Exhausting?
As National Curriculum levels are abolished, schools are coming up with their own reporting systems which parents of pre-GCSE course children will have to wrestle with. And good luck to parents of primary school pupils, whose children's skills will be described by one of three words – Emerging, Expected and Exceeding – when teachers freely admit that an 'Exceeding' as applied to one child, might mean something rather different to another.
What We Want
For those of you still deciding on a new system, here's what parents want:
- a return of the handwritten, personalised reports
- bring back the ink dripping with sarcasm and dark humour, which we can dine out on in years to come
- stop shying away from any criticism; we want to know where our child needs help
- tell us clearly and honestly how our child is doing against a peer group, not some woolly target of his own.
My son's former prep gave simple figures for each subject – a percentage figure for him and the average percentage for the class/set. Perfect. I knew exactly how he was doing and it didn't need an accompanying tome to explain it.
Top crimes in school reports:
- Computer generated reports with lines of bilge about what your child has been 'experiencing' or 'enjoying'. We don't need the curriculum reeled off – if it's been interesting our child will have already talked about it. "You can't tell your child was even in the room," laments a parent.
- Cut and paste – my elder son's form rip open the envelopes and laugh together at the science teacher who uses one of two texts for every member of the class. "You often find blatant chunks of cut and paste across reports for different year groups," says one parent who found her son's name becoming 'Lucy' halfway through a report.
- The tick system – "drives me crazy, it feels so indiscriminate and gives you no real individualised feel for how your child is doing," says another parent.
- Statements about children being quiet and/or shy. As one aggrieved mother puts it, "It's a personality trait, not an academic failing."
- Relentlessly positive reports which shy away from the truth.
Let's get real.
A colleague's son was described as "lazy, disruptive and immature" in a biology report. Doubtless true (he is a linguist and a naughty boy) – it gave us parental ammunition" she tells us. Another colleague, whose son thought school was huge fun but not a lot else, found his report began : "While not afflicted with the work ethic…."
- Spelling, factual and grammatical errors. Or, as one mother read: 'Caroline needs to check her work more thoroughly'. She has one daughter. Called Freya.
- Using one of five statements from a drop down menu.
- Meaningless education jargon and obfuscating phrases. Although we hear tales from one highly regarded prep, where bored report-writing staff would select a word from the dictionary with a pin. Next player had to use it in their report. Explains all?
Can we forgive hard-pressed teachers for not always getting it right? Here are some teachers' nuggets from report writing of the past:
'Writes indifferently and knows nothing of grammar' ( of Charlotte Bronte)
'Unusually unpromising' (of Martin Amis)
'Her knowledge of the subject is so poor as to make one wonder if she is simple-minded' (of Beryl Bainbridge)
'If I had to select an expedition to the South Pole he would be the first person I would choose. But I would make sure that he was not on the return journey' (of politician David Owen)
'He has no ambition' (of Winston Churchill)
'He will never amount to anything' (of Albert Einstein)
'He must devote less of his time to sport if he wants to be a success' (of Gary Lineker)
'Moral conduct, very satisfactory' (of Adolf Hitler)
'Has an attitude like a Bolshie shop steward' (of our very own head of SEN who says, "Up yours Miss Mitchell, I'm proud of my 14 year-old self standing up for those I thought you had treated unfairly."
As we say:
Your child – nothing matters more.
Written by Susan Hamlyn, Director of the Good Schools Guide Education Consultants
18th October 2015
Satellite Grammar School Spin Off?
The Secretary of State's granting permission for Weald of Kent Grammar School to open a satellite in Sevenoaks is the culmination of a four year struggle (it's been the only sizeable town in Kent without one). This is good news for its brightest girls – though not for its boys, condemned to continue their 25 mile round trek to the Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells grammars. It is very likely that a number of other grammar schools will follow suit: there are already possibly 15 similar proposals in the planning stage.
For all that is often said 'bright children will succeed at any kind of school', grammars offer a very enticing environment in which they can thrive happily. They can study alongside other able, well motivated students, without having to worry about getting teased or, at worst, bullied for having academic interests and ambitions. (My daughter more or less got away with it, at her mainly middle class comprehensive, by being known as a 'goth boff'.) They don't have to get frustrated and bored by work that doesn't challenge them, as can be the case in the less good comps – although in well ordered ones, the most able children will be identified early and given extension work in class and more opportunities outside it, this doesn't always happen for all children and with all teachers.
Fast Track to the Russell Group
Grammar schools usually achieve 95-100% five plus A*- C GCSEs including English and Maths, as opposed to the 2014 state school national average of 53%. More importantly, a much higher proportion will get As and A*s, followed by A*-B in the key A Level subjects favoured by the most prestigious universities. The first 130 places in state school league tables are usually dominated by selectives (there are 164 remaining grammars in England), and some 'super selective' ones come in the top twenty in tables including independents. Academically gifted children are often multi talented, so the standard of music, art, drama and sport is often very high, too.
Tutoring triumphs
Small wonder, then, that parents who can afford it invest in many hours of tutoring for their 9-11 year olds (and even younger ones – I have been dismayed by an advisory client assuring me her 5 year old would be starting tutoring imminently with a view to her getting into the highly competitive Henrietta Barnett). They can expect to pay 25-50 pounds an hour, or even more. Despite recent attempts to make the 11+ tests 'tutor proof' – the schools themselves would prefer not to have children who struggle later on, and may end up having yet more tutoring – plenty of prior practice is a big advantage, to develop the requisite speed and expertise. Another strategy is to go private, to save on secondary fees.
What price equality?
So a substantial increase in the number of grammar places is to be welcomed, for the thousands of children who pass each year but are denied a place. But – and it is a big but – it will, on present showing, do little to promote social equalisation. Grammar schools take a significantly lower proportion of children on free school meals than the national average – commonly 2-3%, versus 17.5. The much vaunted claim that they were chiefly responsible for the 'golden age of social mobility' in the '60s and '70s is not conclusively supported by the evidence – they contributed to it, but other factors were important, too, such as the growth of middle class jobs. To that end, I hope many more grammars will follow the example of the Birmingham King Edward VI schools, that are reserving 24-32 places for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The local comprehensives will not be rejoicing, when they lose even more of the able children who bring up their crucial GCSE success rates. Research shows that pupils in secondary moderns in wholly selective areas achieve less well than those of similar ability in non-selective authorities. Nor will the children who fail the tests and are left with what can be a crippling sense of failure at the tender age of 11 – far too young for such momentous academic 'sifting' to occur.
Funding boost for all
The best solution would be to fund all kinds of state school adequately (grammars, too, are suffering from the changes to A Level funding), to allow them to meet the needs of children of all kinds of ability – maintaining a flat rate of funding is tantamount to a 12 per cent cut in view of additional pressures, such as teachers' pay increases and higher pension and national insurance contributions. Some schools will lose even more when the 'national fair funding formula' comes in; this involves a redistribution of income from some London schools to less well funded ones in the regions. More money rather than less is needed, to significantly improve teachers' pay and conditions, for example by decreasing class sizes and increasing funding for pastoral care and children's mental health. If ever there was a 'false economy', failing to do this is one par excellence.
There is a looming crisis over teacher recruitment and retention (not just to do with cash – the demands and stress of Ofsted have a big bearing), plus that of headteachers, likely to be exacerbated once the Education and Adoption Bill now going through Parliament is enacted. This is coinciding with a huge projected explosion in pupil numbers. We should be far more concerned about this than any expansion in the number of grammar schools.
Written by Liz Coatman, lead state schools adviser for the Good Schools Guide Education Consultants
8th October 2015
A Site for Sore Eyes?
A website is a school's shop window. The first thing a parent, looking for a school, will do is find the school's website. They want primarily to get a general impression of the school and then information which will be key to the applications they will make.
The first impression made by the school's website may well determine the ultimate decision as to where to send their offspring.
So you'd think that every school – especially independent schools which are, after all, dependent on fee-paying parents – would take the trouble to ensure their site was easy to navigate, up-to-date, full of basic information and – above all – not irritating.
And many are.
We at the Good Schools Guide Educational Consultants spend much of each day scrutinising schools' websites. We look for eg current fees, what subjects are offered at A level, exam results, term dates, which are the main sports and so on.
Many schools' websites are a pleasure to visit. We'd like to stay longer – not just because of the heartening pictures of smiling children but because you move smoothly from page to page, finding what you need.
Driving You Mad?
Too many others, though, seem designed to make an enquirer give up and go elsewhere. Some have pages which jump up and down or shift sideways when you're in the middle of a sentence. Others seem deliberately to obscure or conceal information. Some have search boxes which sidle off when you type in what you are looking for. Many have features which might seem a good idea to a marketing director but which drive you mad when you have to revisit the menu to find what you are looking for – eg the video of disarming children telling you about "forest school" but which keeps restarting.
So: here is a list of our absolute pet hates:
- head teacher (not even a name) nowhere to be found on a school's website
- schools which don't tell you who they take eg are they co-ed or single sex? what age groups do they take?
- fees which are, it's claimed, "competitive" but you can't find out what they are
- no mention of support for children with SEN
- no breakdown of A level subjects offered or results. Parents want to know which subjects are available and what results are attained. Simple.
- no mention of leavers' destinations OR pointless lists of schools/universities leavers' have gone to but when – over the last 3 years? 10 years? 50 years?
- clichés. "To us, every child is an individual…" YAWN!
- boarding schools. Parents want to know whether their child can come home at weekends, not that "each boarding house is a real home from home". Full/weekly/ flexi? – tell us!
- out-of date. Some schools still display their sporting fixture diary for 2013, their term's dates for 2013-4 and their "News" section hasn't been updated since 2010.
- no search facility or a search facility that comes up with everything except what you're looking for
- tiny print and too much of it
6 of the best schools' websites:
These show how it can be done:
Abingdon School www.abingdon.org.uk
Ampleforth www.ampleforth.org.uk
Drayton Manor High School www.draytonmanorhighschool.co.uk* state school
Oakham School www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk
Old Buckenham Hall www.obh.co.uk
Rossall School www.rossall.org.uk
6 of the worst schools' websites:
These need an overhaul:
Cranleigh School – misspellings, far too many words, chaotic
Kimbolton School – induces brain damage
Moulsford Preparatory School – ghastly design and complicates every enquiry
The Perse School – words, words, words and does it have a head?
St Mary's, Calne – try searching for SEN (you get Latin) or boarding options
University College School – can anyone find A level options? far too much movement on screen
As we say:
Your child – nothing matters more.
Written by Susan Hamlyn, Director of the Good Schools Guide Educational Consultants
6th October 2015
The Vote – A Matter of Education
The European Court of Justice has voted to uphold the French government policy of denying the vote to prisoners. This removes the pressure on the UK government's similar stance on this matter. We see this as a tragic missed educational opportunity.
Of all the privations and deprivations suffered by prisoners, the lack of the vote is probably not highest on the list of most of them. Why is this? A huge proportion – perhaps 60% of prisoners – have poor literacy skills and only a small percentage would be able to read a daily paper. They do not have the vocabulary needed to be able to partake in and contribute to discussions on social or political questions. They are, therefore, marginalised and disenfranchised not by government but by a lack of English. And I am not talking here just about those whose mother tongue is not English but by many of our own, home-grown prisoners. So why should they care about the vote?
The prime purpose of prison in any civilised society must be to rehabilitate, educate and reintegrate its inmates into society as productive and contributing members. The vote – all that it signifies and all that the concept of the vote brings with it – could be a transformative tool in the hands of those that strive to do this profoundly important work.
To instil in a prisoner – chaotic, bitter, anxious, addicted or whatever his condition – the knowledge that his vote carries as much weight as anyone's in the land and that he has a right to use it as he wishes would be an essential first point. Second would be history – the story of the vote, how, gradually, it stopped being the sole right of the privileged and the property-owning classes and became the equal right of everyone over 18 is inspiring – particularly in comparison to the lack of such a right in so many places in the rest of the world. Opportunities for literacy work are endless – the etymological links between vote and voice could be a starting point.
Once you show disaffected and desocialised people that these ideas start from them, not that they are "education" from the top down, you have a chance to motivate and engage.
Prisoners should have the vote. It should be seen as an essential tool in the meagre kit of those who work to rebuild fractured lives. An understanding of the universality of the vote is the first step towards an individual's self-respect.
As we say:
Your child – nothing matters more.
Written by Susan Hamlyn, Director of the Good Schools Guide Education Consultants
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text:
I cant get logged in the character select screen. I get:
13001 The lobby server connection has encountered an error.
Error Code: 0
Status: 0
Servers have been up awhile now. I searched the forums but found no real useful info. I've played almost everyday since CE launch. I've been waiting for this update, but now I can't even get on. Someone help pls.
P.S. Im on Wutai
Edited, Nov 25th 2010 10:18pm by GoGoStarsfall


text:
Picked up a new client that has an existing SBS server with a LTO-5 drive and Symantec Backup Exec 2010. My initial thoughts are that this is overkill for a single SBS 2008 server and that Windows 2008 backup to External hard drives maybe a better way to go as this has served me well in the past. Whats your thoughts, I do not have any experience of Backup Exec however just seems overly complicated for the task, exhibited also by the fact that isn't (and hasn't for sometime) actually worked (setup by the previous support company).
5 Replies
Jan 7, 2011 at 1:35 UTC
They running exchange or hosted email? BackupExec is good for exchange. You can restore a individual mailbox rather than only restoring the whole db with ntbackup. Among a few other granualar things that the windows backup can't do.
Jan 7, 2011 at 1:44 UTC
It is running Exchange 2007. NTBackup is horrible, not fit for purpose. Does the image based backup in Windows 2008 have an official moniker?
How easy is Backup exec with bare metal restores? Windows 2008 backup is easy and quick in this scenario.
Jan 7, 2011 at 1:56 UTC
The sporadic restores are easy, but BareMetal I have never experienced. BE is tough beast, so I only image it is not fun.
Have you looked into ASR?
Jan 7, 2011 at 3:15 UTC
networksystems.com is an IT service provider.
I believe that you'll want to look at the modern block level incremental forever disk-to-disk solutions that will be faster, easier to manage and allow for shorter RPO and RTO. StorageCraft, AppAssure, CA, Acronis and the like.
What if the box dies and is not coming back. How will you recover?
Jan 18, 2011 at 11:45 UTC
Is there any help that you need configuring/using BE? Also, have you looked at Symantec Connect community for help? It is a good resource.
This discussion has been inactive for over a year.
You may get a better answer to your question by starting a new discussion.


text:
Jyotika Shah
Zamkuba Kathiyawadi
Manu wants his mother to come to the United States and live with his family, but they both know his bossy wife, Lily, would never allow it. Then, Manu's mother devises an ingenious plan: She'll disguise herself as a maid and work at her son's house. Unfortunately, Lily is none too fond of the family's new addition. Directed by Manoj Shah, this comedy-drama stars Kalpana Diwan, Rajul Diwan, Sachi Joshi, Niyati Joshi, Karan Mehta and Jyotika Shah.