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University of Arizona F Bomb Design ContestWe recently teamed up with a group of students from the University of Arizona graphic design department to create graphics for our F Bomb cruiser deck. After reviewing the entries we picked our favorite 3 designs. We would like to thank U of A professor Jackson Boelts and his 26 students for their designs.
The Top 3 Designs were: 1st Place Coco Davis, 2nd Place Scott Francisco and 3rd Place went to Carlos Torrejon.
Please comment to tell us your favorite design!
Posted January 10th, 2013 by Tyler


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Discount Chef Pants Sale
Our Discount Chef Pants Sale was created to offer you incredible savings on our high quality comfortable Chef Pants. Specially designed for durability & style in the restaurant, these pants keep you cool and comfortable all day. Our clothes are crafted from top quality fabrics like extra-durable medium weight 100% cotton twill. Express yourself in the kitchen wearing our unique print styles! Or if you prefer a more toned down look, try our solids and expressions styles. With so much variety, it will be hard to pick just one. Hurry while these Discounts on our Chef Pants last!
Number of items: 28

subset: commoncrawl


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CLEARLAKE -- A Clearlake woman was airlifted to an out-of-county hospital with undisclosed injuries after a big rig trailer slammed into her car Tuesday morning, a city police spokesman said.
The crash occurred just before 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 53 and Lakeshore Drive/40th Avenue, Clearlake Police Officer Aaron Winslow said.
Kelly Putrah, 28, was stopped at the light on Lakeshore Drive waiting to drive across the highway onto 40th Avenue when a big rig traveling southbound on the highway lost control and its trailer crashed into Putrah's Subaru, Winslow said.
An error by the driver of the big rig, Ricardo Maravilla, appeared to cause the wreck, the officer added.
Putrah was initially transported to St. Helena Hospital, Clear Lake before being transferred by helicopter to an out-of-county hospital, Winslow said. A 4-year-old girl riding in the back seat of the Subaru was uninjured.
Maravilla, 45, of Vacaville did not sustain any injuries in the crash, which remains under investigation, Winslow said.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh.


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Michigan State guard Branden Dawson recorded a double-double in the Spartans' 23-point win over Purdue on Saturday, but that might not be the lasting memory from the sophomore's afternoon.
With a little less than seven minutes left in an overly physical game, Dawson appeared to ball up his fist, wind up and punch Purdue's Travis Carroll under the basket a moment after Michigan State guard Gary Harris' 3-pointer went through the net. The moment was caught on the Big Ten Network broadcast, and the moment was quickly put up on YouTube.
Based on the Big Ten Network video, a suspension seemed likely for Dawson. However, Michigan State officials say they have reviewed the play and determined that no punch was thrown and that no action would be taken by coach Tom Izzo.
Michigan State spokesman Matt Larson told Sporting News on Saturday night that the Spartans' in-house video, the stream that's showed on the arena's jumbotron, proved that no punch connected to Carroll's midsection.
"The angle of Branden Dawson that BTN had during the broadcast certainly makes it look like there might have been a punch," Larson said in a statement. "However, I've viewed an angle from underneath the basket and that does not appear to be the case."
Dawson, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds Saturday, has deep connections to Purdue; the Gary, Ind., native was recruited heavily by the Boilermakers before he chose to play for the Spartans. Last year, his on-court talking during the Purdue-Michigan State game drew the ire of Purdue coach Matt Painter, who responded when asked about the moment in his postgame press conference.


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What's your toddler's personality type?
Knowing this could impact your parenting style more than you realise. more
Drug allergies can be a confusing area for parents because an adverse reaction to a medication does not necessarily mean that the child is allergic to that medicine.
In fact most drug-related symptoms will not be caused by an allergic reaction. Nevertheless, whether it's an allergic or a non-allergic reaction, all adverse drug events should be checked out by a doctor, as they can be very serious, even life-threatening.
Most allergic reactions occur fairly soon after taking a medicine, however, it is possible to develop an allergic reaction after several weeks on a drug, or during subsequent use of medicine.
The most common symptoms of an allergy include:
And it's worth noting that many of these are also the symptoms of a non-allergic reaction.
While rare, it is the most serious allergic drug reaction and is a medical emergency. Anaphylaxis symptoms usually start within minutes of exposure to a drug. Symptoms of a possible anaphylactic reaction include:
It's possible to have an allergic response to a drug that caused no problem in the past.
This is the most common drug allergy, with penicillins, cephalosporins and sulfonamides (those containing sulpher) the main culprits. Antibiotics can also cause non-allergic side effects such as a skin rash and digestive problems.
Allergic reactions can occur, but rarely, after a vaccination. Usually an allergic reaction is triggered by other ingredients in the vaccine such as egg or neomycin, rather than the vaccine itself. Non-allergic reactions to vaccines are common, but in most cases they aren't severe and symptoms improve quickly.
An allergy involves the body's immune system identifying a chemical or substance as harmful and creating antibodies to attack it. In most cases, what appears to be an allergy is actually a reaction that doesn't involve the immune system.
Some drug reactions that are similar to, but may not be an allergic reaction include:
Anyone can have an allergic reaction to a medicine but there are some factors that can suggest an increase in your risk, such as:
Inform your doctor of any reactions as it can influence whether you can be prescribed the same medicine again. If possible, see your doctor when the allergic reaction is occurring. This will help identify the cause and make sure you get treatment if it's needed.
Obviously if there are any severe symptoms or signs of anaphylaxis, seek urgent medical attention.
This article was written by Fiona Baker for Kidspot, Australia's best family health resource. Sources include NPS MedicineWise.
Last revised: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.


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Truck fire closes I-80 at Colfax
October 8, 2012
A big rig transporting hay caught fire on westbound Interstate 80, approximately one mile east of Colfax, closing down all westbound lanes for more than an hour Tuesday.
The hay truck's brakes caught fire at about 11:30 a.m., and the fire spread to the surrounding vegetation, according to the California Highway Patrol website.
The CHP closed the westbound lanes of I-80 at Highway 174, re-routing traffic from Secret Town toward Rollins Lake.
Eastbound traffic was affected by smoke drifting across the highway, according to the CHP website.
Numerous fire resources were dispatched to the scene, including aircraft and helicopters.
A loader and a dump truck were requested to remove hay from the highway and start the cleanup process.
Recommended Stories For You
One lane was re-opened at 12:50 p.m. with the second lane estimated to re-open by 4:30 p.m.


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There's no way around it: losing weight is hard work. It requires consistency, dedication and a hefty pinch of willpower. If you are married or have children, you likely aren't just cooking for yourself which can pose a whole new set of challenges.
As the sole cook for a family of four, I can speak first hand about dealing with picky eaters and finding creative ways to make nutritious foods taste delicious. To help you reach your weight loss goals, here are my top tips for feeding the family while making healthy lifestyle changes.
Maximize Flavor: Instead of serving steamed broccoli for dinner, try roasting it with a drizzle of sesame oil and a splash of soy sauce. When you roast vegetables the natural sugars in begin to caramelize creating a sweet flavor the whole family will love. Once you begin roasting vegetables you will say bye-bye to boring, overcooked steamed veggies. In addition to broccoli, try roasting Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, eggplant and more.
Variety is Key: One of the surest ways to get bored with healthy eating is to prepare the same foods over and over again. To keep things interesting, try new grains in your favorite dishes. If you normally make quick cooking oats for breakfast, try whipping up a batch of Slow Cooker Banana Nut Oatmeal instead. The chewy, nutty texture is a nice change from rolled oats and will keep the family excited about breakfast. To make it even more fun, let the kids pick their favorite mix-ins in the morning: fresh fruit, yogurt, nuts and seeds make delicious oatmeal toppings. Want to take it to the next level? Try a creamy bowl of Breakfast Quinoa or Spelt Berry Porridge instead. The options are endless.
Get the Kids Involved: The next time you head to the grocery store or farmers market, let your kids pick out one new vegetable or whole grain to try that week. Perhaps they are curious about eggplant or want to try quinoa for the first time. By letting the kids be in the driver's seat, they will be engaged and excited to try out their special new ingredient.
Don't Give Up: If you serve a healthy dish that the family doesn't love, don't give up. Children and toddlers have finicky palates. Their favorite foods might become their least favorite foods in the blink of an eye. An important part of making permanent lifestyle changes is acknowledging the fact that set backs will occur. Wait a couple weeks and try again. Perhaps you can use the same ingredient in a different recipe or prepare it in a new way. No matter what you do, don't give up. You would be surprised how quickly little ones change their tunes.
Above all else, have fun with it and get in the kitchen with your family! Cooking at home is not only a great way to save money and calories but it is a great way to connect with the family and make memories. The more fun you have along the journey, the more likely you are to stick with it.
What are your best tips for feeding your family while watching your weight? Leave a comment below – we would love to hear from you!
Liz Della Croce is the creator and author of The Lemon Bowl, a healthy food blog. Since 2010, Liz has been creating delicious recipes using real ingredients with an emphasis on seasonality. Liz has appeared live on the TODAY Show and tapes regular cooking segments for her local NBC affiliate station. Through healthy eating and regular exercise, Liz has successfully achieved a personal weight loss milestone and has a passion for helping others reach similar goals. New in 2013, Liz launched Healthy Habits, a feature on The Lemon Bowl where her loyal readers and growing audience can find practical advice, resources and information on creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.


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Football Federation Australia (FFA)
Football Federation Australia (FFA) is a member of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international governing body for football. Information regarding FIFA is available at www.fifa.com
While FIFA has FFA and more than 205 other national associations as its members, it also recognises six confederations. Each FIFA member s also a member of a confederation. FFA is a member of the Asian Football Confederation, having joined that body on 1 January 2006. Information regarding the Asian Football Confederation is available at www.the-afc.com
FIFA is the governing body for football in Australia. Therefore, FFA is responsible for governance of the game in Australia, ensuring the world's most popular sport is conducted to the highest of standards and continuing the growth and development of the game.
The NSW Department of Sport and Recreation
The NSW Department of Sport and Recreation has been a principle partner of Football NSW for over twenty years, assisting footballers across the state through their Sports Development Programs.
Their overall purpose is to assist the people of NSW to participate in sport and recreation in order to create a community that uses sport and recreation to improve its well being.
From developing the self-esteem of young people to maintaining the health and fitness of senior citizens, and nurturing talented athletes to improving everyone's enjoyment of life. The NSW Department of Sport is concerned with the big pictures gains of sport and recreation for all communities in NSW.


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Topic: 2009 Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium
Sara and I attended The 2009 Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium (Science and Multidisciplinary Management of GI Malignancies in San Francisco, January 15 through 17, 2009.
GI cancers include: esophageal and stomach cancers, pancreatic cancer, colon and rectal cancer, and small bowel and hepatobiliary cancers, which include, liver, bile duct and tract, and gallbladder.
We attended a symposium where each member of a milidisciplinary panel covered topics of highest public interest and importance, followed by audience participation.
We are encouraged by some research focusing on developing strategies to reduce normal tissue toxicity which can follow radiotherapy for GI cancers, and we have learned of the collaboration of centers focusing on international clinical trials investigating radiation therapy for hepatobiliary cancer and liver metastases. We will be watching the outcome of this studies and post the results accordingly. Of special interest was the direction of development of novel agents in the treatment of GI malignancies and screening protocols for individuals at high risk for GI malignancies.
We attended several poster sessions which included: Tests to anticipate severe toxicities upon gemcitabine intake, the use of CD133 expression as a prognostic factor for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and a single-agent study demonstrating the
activity of obatoclas in a rat cholangiocarcinoma cell line.
Other poster sessions included: Expression of CD74 in gastrointestinal cancers as a target for immunotherapy, A phase II study of erlotinib and bevacisumab in patients with advanced upper gastrointestinal cancer refractory to chemotherapy; incidence of diarrhea in patients with GI malignancies treated with PHY906 and cepetitabine; a phase II study of capecitabine, oxyplating, and fixed-dose rate gemcitabine every two weeks in advanced cholangiocarcinoma, Phase II trail of gemcitabine and S-1 combination for patients with advanced pancreas and bilary tract cancers.
The preliminary data of these studies and many of the others warrant more investigation.
This conference was on a much smaller scale then the upcoming ASCO will be however, Sara and I were able to converse with many physicians (including those from other countries.) We spoke with several representatives of Pharmaceutical Companies who are producing agents for the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma and we connected with physicians, researchers all of whom welcomed our presence and who showed genuine interest in the mission, goals and value of our Foundation. Many brochures were requested and subsequently handed out. We have befriended Advocates from other organization many of which were present at this conference also. It is always nice to share ideas, to pass on information and have questions answered which benefit our foundation.
We are now looking forward to attending the 2009 SSO Annual Cancer Symposium in Phoenix, AZ. I am looking forward to meeting up with Lainy and her Miracle Man, Teddy, who have generously committed to attending this conference with me.


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Transformers Prime, G.I. Joe: Renegades and more available to watch instantly...
Hasbro Studios, the Los Angeles-based television production and distribution division of Hasbro has announced a multi-year deal with Netflix. Ten franchises, including new and catalog seasons of Hasbro content, will be available to instantly watch on Netflix.
Transformers Prime, My Little Pony, Pound Puppies, G.I. Joe: Renegades and The Adventures of Chuck & Friends are now available to instantly watch on Netflix. JEM & The Holograms, Transformers: Generation 1, G.I. Joe: Real American Heroes, Transformers: Beast Wars and Transformers: Rescue Bots will follow later in 2012.
The Hasbro content will be available on Netflix and included in the Netflix "Just For Kids" section. Netflix "Just For Kids" is a collection of TV shows and movies that is specifically selected for children 12 and under, making it easier and more fun for kids and families to browse and instantly watch a large selection of kid-friendly TV shows and movies within Netflix.
Source: Business Wire
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, RedfordFilms.com, PastGenerationToys.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, SmallJoes.com, MonkeyDepot.com, and Urban-Collector.com.


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'There is much hockey yet to be played, yet it seems the Senators, by focusing on being the big meanies and trying to physically dominate the Sabres, have found themselves slightly out of sync. For Buffalo, meanwhile, this is the way it's been all year and the way it'll be in the next round if they advance. They're small and they're going to stay small. Somehow, it's their lack of size that has become intimidating.'
You are here: Home / SabresBeat / Lack of size isn't hurting feisty Sabres


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Machu Picchu
18 Dec 2012 at 10:26
Coolhead is learning how to make a sweater out of llama hair. It takes a lot of hard work! Looks like Coolhead is having a great time.
With Coolhead
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FLAT STANLEY® is a trademark of the Trust u/w/o Richard C. Brown f/b/o Duncan Brown. Used with permission. All rights reserved


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Topic: Going to Princess Margaret Hospital
This Wednesday I go to have a CT Scan in Toronto and then have an appointment at Princess Margaret Hospital with Dr. Stephen Gallinger. I am hopeful that he has a plan for me. I have been following this discussion board for the last couple of months and I find it very encouraging.
I'm glad I found this sight.


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Updated from 11:50 a.m. ET to include Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments on third page. NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- JPMorgan ( JPM) and Wells Fargo ( WFC) took $37.9 billion of their riskiest assets in from the shadows in the first quarter as a rise in trading activity convinced them the assets were easier to value. Given a sharp second quarter reversal in the bond market, it bears watching in upcoming earnings whether a couple of the nation's largest financial institutions made the right call. In particular, investors should watch for movement among asset classifications in banks' available for sale (AFS) securities portfolios. Although JPMorgan and Wells Fargo have been the most active in changing their characterization of AFS assets, other large commercial banks could follow suit, including Bank of America ( BAC), Citigroup ( C) and PNC Financial Services Group ( PNC). Currently, banks hold hundreds of billions of dollars of AFS assets that they mark to fair value each quarter. While the bulk of those portfolios consist of relatively safe government bonds and mortgage bundles backed by housing agencies such as Fannie Mae ( FNMA), banks hold billions in riskier assets, including opaque structured credit products, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and asset backed securities (ABS). To ensure investors have some confidence that banks are marking their books appropriately every quarter, assets are characterized by the transparency of their pricing. Treasury bonds and government guaranteed mortgages trade frequently and with publicly available pricing. They are either characterized as Level 1 or Level 2 assets on balance sheets across the banking industry. Securities that trade in shadowy and less liquid over-the-counter markets, including CLOs, are generally characterized as Level 3 assets, given less clear price information. That is, they were characterized as Level 3 assets before the first quarter of 2013. First-quarter financial statements showed JPMorgan and Wells Fargo shifted $37.9 billion in hard-to-value debt securities from Level 3 to Level 2. JPMorgan said on page 99 of its quarterly earnings filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it had transferred $27.3 billion in high-rated CLO assets from Level 3 to Level 2 "based on increased liquidity and price transparency" of those assets. In a footnote on page 123 of Wells Fargo's quarterly filing, the nation's largest mortgage lender said it had reclassified $10.6 billion in Level 3 AFS CLO assets to Level 2 "as a result of increased observable market data in the valuation of such instruments." The bank added that the shift of CLO assets had been done at the discretion of a broker. During the first quarter, JPMorgan reduced its Level 3 AFS assets by 94% to about $2 billion. Wells Fargo reduced its Level 3 AFS assets by about 40% to about $17 billion in the first quarter and it attributes a remaining position to "limited market activity." Both banks spend multiple pages detailing the process they use to mark their Level 3 assets, including unobservable inputs such as default rates, loss severity, price, yield and credit spreads. While Wells Fargo holds a minimal amount of Level 3 trading assets, JPMorgan continues to report $44.6 billion in such assets within its trading account, mostly loans and derivatives. The decline in long-term interest rates to historic lows in the first quarter may have caused illiquid CLO assets to trade with more frequency as yield-starved investors entered the market. Richard X. Bove, a banking analyst at Rafferty Capital Markets, meanwhile, says a push to move derivative and OTC trading to clearinghouses may have added price transparency. For his part, Bove is unconcerned. "Investors just don't look at this anymore," Bove says of Level 3 AFS portfolios given banks' improving balance sheets. "Most of the stuff that you couldn't value has been written off," he adds. As recently as a year-ago, Level 3 assets proved a point of controversy for JPMorgan, Bank of America and Citigroup, and even relatively staid lenders like Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp ( USB) and PNC.
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For more information, contact:
Kristina Gawrgy
For Immediate Release:
April 4, 2005
NAEYC Accredits 10,000th Program for Young Children
(Washington, D.C.) - The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has accredited more than 10,000 child care, preschool and other programs for young children, an increase of 25 percent over the past two years.
Since NAEYC created its accreditation system in 1985, NAEYC Accreditation has become a widely recognized sign of high quality in early childhood education programs. Today there are 10,130 NAEYC-accredited programs, serving more than 850,000 young children and their families. In 2003 there were 8,000 early childhood programs accredited by NAEYC, and in 1995 there were 4,500. View the summary of NAEYC-Accredited programs by state.
"The growing number of programs earning NAEYC Accreditation is a sign of many people working together to improve early learning opportunities for children," said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., Executive Director of NAEYC. "Families, early childhood educators, employers and others recognize that high-quality child care and preschool programs make a valuable difference for young children, and that NAEYC Accreditation is a crucial process for programs that want to improve."
NAEYC established its accreditation system 20 years ago to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality early childhood programs. The voluntary accreditation system is designed for programs for children from birth through five years, including child care centers, preschools, Head Start programs and kindergartens.
Programs seeking NAEYC accreditation are measured against national standards of quality that go well beyond state health and safety licensing requirements. The accreditation criteria address all aspects of an early childhood education program, including:
- teacher education and qualifications;
- child-to-teacher ratios;
- curriculum; and
- health and safety.
A program begins the accreditation process with an extensive self-study to determine how well it meets these criteria. After the program makes necessary improvements, it is observed by independent, professional validators, and then reviewed by a national panel. Early childhood programs that demonstrate substantial compliance with the NAEYC standards are accredited for a five-year period.
The substantial growth in the number of NAEYC-accredited programs also helped drive an effort to improve the NAEYC Accreditation system. In 2002, the National Commission on Accreditation Reinvention - appointed by the NAEYC Governing Board - made a series of recommendations to promote higher program quality and to increase the reliability and accountability of NAEYC Accreditation. Building on those recommendations, NAEYC and the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation are making extensive changes to improve the system for children, families, programs, employers, and all the other stakeholders who rely on it.
The reinvented NAEYC Accreditation system—including new NAEYC early childhood program standards and revised accreditation performance criteria—will be formally announced at the next NAEYC Annual Conference, on December 7-10, 2005 in Washington, DC. The new system will be fully implemented in 2006.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the
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Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.


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To get your figures graded, go to ActionFigureAuthority.com.
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For a great selection of pop culture apparel, check out 80sTees.com.
Action Figure Authority founder and CEO Chad Thompson (above) and his crew were busy at Comic-Con showing fans what their professional service can do for them. On display were quite a few examples of the work they do. Items ranged in scale from Hasbro's Mighty Muggs to Gentle Giant's Jumbo Star Wars, all graded and sealed in AFA's custom acrylic cases. AFA was having a special at the show were any item brought to them would include free shipping back to their headquarters for professionally grading. Many fans were taking advantage of this deal with their recently acquired SDCC 2011 exclusives.
AFA also had sliding bottom acrylic cases for sale at only $15 each. Able to fit a variety of figures, including popular figures like Star Wars and GI Joe, the cases were a great investment. Be sure to check out our in-depth interview with Chad Thompson HERE to learn all about Action Figure Authority and their invaluable service.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The U.S. military is ending its policy of excluding women from combat and will open combat jobs and direct combat units to female troops, multiple officials confirmed Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will make the announcement Thursday and notify Congress of the planned change in policy, the officials said.
"We will eliminate the policy of 'no women in units that are tasked with direct combat,'" a senior defense official said.
The message of inclusion was well-received by Hailey Demma, whose husband serves in the Navy.
"I'm a Navy wife, and I know that if my husband's allowed out there, his sister should be. Go women. We fought for these rights," said Hailey Demma.
Clayton Grauel told Channel 4 women should have the option to serve however they want.
"I believe they should be allowed to go out there. Personally I think men should be in the combat zone, but I support their decision to go out there," said Grauel.
Not everyone thinks opening the front lines to women is for the best. Former Army Sergeant Melinda Ortiz said she did two tours in Afghanistan near the front lines, but not on the front lines.
"I would never say women should go into infantry, and stand side-by-side against a man on front lines in harsh conditions. I'm not saying we're any better than men. I'm just saying, as a woman and a mother, it's more of a manly position," said Ortiz.
Ortiz said women already serve quite close to the front lines. She said her other concern is what could happen if both a husband and wife served on the front lines at the same time.
"Both parents shouldn't take that risk and go. One parent should make that sacrifice and not be in it," said Ortiz.
Officials Wednesday cautioned that "not every position will open all at once on Thursday." Once the policy is changed, the Department of Defense will enter what is being called an "assessment phase," in which each branch of service will examine all its jobs and units not currently integrated and then produce a timetable for integrating them.
The Army and Marine Corps, especially, will be examining physical standards and gender-neutral accommodations within combat units. Every 90 days, the service chiefs will have to report on their progress.
The move will be one of the last significant policy decisions made by Panetta, who is expected to leave in mid-February. It is not clear where former Sen. Chuck Hagel, the nominated replacement, stands, but officials say he has been apprised of Panetta's coming announcement.
"It will take a while to work out the mechanics in some cases. We expect some jobs to open quickly, by the end of this year. Others, like special operations forces and infantry, may take longer," a senior defense official explained. Panetta is setting the goal of January 2016 for all assessments to be complete and women to be integrated as much as possible.
The Pentagon has left itself some wiggle room, however, which may ultimately lead to some jobs being designated as closed to women. A senior defense official said if, after the assessment, a branch finds that "a specific job or unit should not be open, they can go back to the secretary and ask for an exemption to the policy, to designate the job or unit as closed."
The official said the goal remains to open as many jobs as possible. "We should open all specialties to the maximum extent possible to women. We know they can do it."
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican who spent six years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, said he supports lifting the ban on women serving in combat, pointing out women are already serving in harm's way. But he said the move should not fundamentally change the military.
"As this new rule is implemented, it is critical that we maintain the same high standards that have made the American military the most feared and admired fighting force in the world -- particularly the rigorous physical standards for our elite special forces units," McCain said in a statement.
Thousands of women in the military have already found themselves in combat situations, said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington. Recent wars such as Iraq and Afghanistan have lacked a real front line, and women serving there have come under fire and had to fight back alongside male counterparts, she said.
Murray, who leads the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and is a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, called Panetta's decision a "historic step for equality" that recognizes the role women play in the military.
The Pentagon must notify Congress of each job or unit as it is sent up to the secretary to be opened to women. Then the Defense Department must wait 30 days while Congress is in session before implementing the change.
It is a marked difference from the way the military ended the exclusion of gays serving openly, or the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. In that case, there were no stipulations attached to openly gay service members. There was no staggered approach that integrated openly gay troops into units. It was instead done all at once, across the board.
A senior defense official explained the Pentagon's reasoning behind the different approach: "You're talking about personal choice of behavior versus physical capability. And they were already in the units. If you take a unit that's never had women before, that's quite a culture change."
Another senior defense official said the goal is "to provide a level, gender-neutral playing field."
The American Civil Liberties Union recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Defense, charging that combat exclusion is unfair and outdated, harms America's safety and prevents women from receiving training and recognition for their work. The plaintiffs, who include women awarded Purple Hearts, say the exclusion places them at a disadvantage for promotion.
The ACLU said it is thrilled about Panetta's planned announcement.
"But we welcome this statement with cautious optimism, as we hope that it will be implemented fairly and quickly so that servicewomen can receive the same recognition for their service as their male counterparts," Ariela Migdal, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Women's Rights Project, said in the statement.
Earlier this month, the Army opened the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment to women, and it has begun recruiting female pilots and crew chiefs. The Navy has put its first female officers on submarines in the past year, and certain female ground troops have been attached to combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 800 women were wounded in those wars, and at least 130 have died.
Copyright 2013 by CNN and News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Get a better six™ with Sealy Posturepedic, Imagine a night of deep & restorative sleep. Envision perfectly undisturbed sleep, the first and only innerspring mattress designed to eliminate tossing and turning caused by pressure points. That's what you'll experience every night on a Sealy Posturepedic®. You'll know the difference that the only Orthopedically Correct Designed Sleep System makes in the quality of sleep and life. Quality you can feel. That's what makes us different. For the complete set you must order 1 of this item PLUS 1 queen box spring #62034 or 1 queen low profile #62035 or 2 of split Queen Box Spring 62036 or low profile Split Queen 62037. Standard Box Spring Height 9" Low Profile Box Spring Height 5"
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From OnBoard
- Newsletter of the BCG
Printer Friendly
Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Analyzing Wills for
Useful Clues," OnBoard 1 (May 1995): 16.
Of all the documents we hope to find on people of the past,
wills can be the most informative and the most misleading.
Far less rigid in form and content than deeds, licenses,
or bonds, wills offer their authors the opportunity to express
themselves, their personalities, and their preferences and
prejudices. But a will's informality and latitude, clouded
by changing customs and lexicology, can lead to misinterpretations
and missed clues.
As we analyze a will for latent clues, the following questions
are prime:
Is the will an "original" or a recorded copy? If
it is an original on loose paper:
If the will is a clerk's recorded copy:
Does the will begin with an oath? (e.g.: "In the
name of God, Amen . . . .") If so, the testator was not
Quaker or did not belong to a similar religious body that
eschewed oath-taking.
Are "infants" or minors mentioned? If so:
Also remember:
Was education willed for children prior to the mid-1800s?
Outside the Northeast, mid-to-older teens were not likely
to be schooled unless the family was elite.
Does one heir receive only a token? Don't assume
that heir was "written out" of the will. Check conveyances
and tax records to see if he or her husband received property
in advance. If testator refers to such prior bequests, again
check conveyances and property rolls.
Does a grandchild receive a special share? If of
same surname, this is likely the child of a deceased son
or an unmarried daughter. Grandparental wills often favored
such children because they lacked a male provider.
Does testator state relationships to certain people?
Those terms can mislead. Sons/daughters-in-law may be
stepchildren. Sisters/brothers may be in-laws. Cousins may
be any relationship past the first degree. Nephew may be
Does the will mention debts, property, or beneficiaries
in another region? This may be a clue to prior residence
or origins.
Are slaves manumitted? Significance can depend upon
age and color of those freed, religious affiliation of testator,
or whether testator has a living wife or descendants. If
a master freed all slaves or willed they be freed after
the death of his spouse, then religious scruples may be
at work. If he freed slave children, particularly when calling
them mulatto and citing their mother as Negro (most particularly
if he names no wife in his will) then kinship may exist.
If a slave couple or elderly slave is freed, long-term service
is more likely to be the motivation.
Slave names may also suggest other relatives of the testator,
since the given names of slaves often duplicated those within
the master's family.
In general:
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL
This article was originally published in OnBoard,
BCG's educational newsletter and is protected by copyright.
Individuals may download and print copies for their personal
study. Educators are granted permission to provide copies
to their students as long as BCG, OnBoard, and the
appropriate author are credited as the source of the material.
Republication elsewhere is not permitted.


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Special Features of the NIAMS Intramural Research Program
The special features of the NIAMS IRP research environment allows our intramural scientists to avoid non-innovative science and pursue riskier paths that may lead to major advances in our basic knowledge and clinical abilities. The significant uniqueness of the IRP includes:
- Long-term investment: relatively long-term stable funding, which allows scientists to undertake research with a potentially high payoff but a long germination period
- Teamwork: a critical mass of researchers who can interact collaboratively to assemble teams to attack complex problems
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Capitalize on the special features of the NIAMS intramural program.
Join our team and make it to the top!
For descriptive information on programs and appointment mechanisms, contact the Career Development and Outreach Branch for more information.
Reviewed January 11, 2013


text:
May 24, 2007
Mark Weisbrot
The recent controversy that led to the resignation of World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz highlighted the lack of accountability at the World Bank. But it is not only its governance that suffers from the fact that the Bank, with 185 member nations, is ruled primarily by the US Treasury Department. There are also serious problems with the Bank's research.
Last year, the World Bank established a panel of economists to evaluate its research from 1998–2005, including nearly 4,000 papers, books, and reports. Among other problems, the panel had "substantial criticisms of the way that this research was used to proselytize on behalf of Bank policy, often without taking a balanced view of the evidence, and without expressing appropriate skepticism."
But sometimes the problems are even worse, as when the Bank publishes erroneous research results, which influence important policy debates, and then refuses to correct its errors. The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) has tried to hold the Bank accountable for its research. In December 2003, the World Bank released a paper which purported to show that NAFTA had a positive influence on Mexico's economic growth. The paper was timed — and indeed, rushed — to have an influence on the political debate. It was released on the final day of the CAFTA negotiations and coordinated to coincide with the 10th anniversary of NAFTA (January 2004), which brought a spate of newspaper articles on the agreement's impact.
The World Bank's results, now shown to be erroneous, influenced the public debate. For example, they were cited by a Washington Post column in December 2003 and the Washington Post editorial board in January 2004, in support of the newspaper's arguments for CAFTA. In March 2004, CEPR responded with a paper that highlighted errors in the paper that negated its results.
The correspondence and papers below, between CEPR and the World Bank, explain the details of the Bank's errors and why they matter. The bottom line is that, because of uncorrected errors in the Bank's analysis, their econometric results cannot support the claim that NAFTA had a positive effect on Mexico's growth rate. As of today, May 24, 2007, the Bank has still not retracted its conclusion or corrected this mistake.
December 2003 — The World Bank publishes NAFTA and Convergence in North America: High Expectations, Big Events, Little Time (as Chapter 1 of Lessons from NAFTA for Latin America & the Caribbean).
March 2004 — CEPR publishes NAFTA at Ten: The Recount, which explains problems with the World Bank's methodology in NAFTA and Convergence in North America.
April 2004 — The World Bank posts a second version of NAFTA and Convergence in North America.
May 2004 — The World Bank posts a third version of NAFTA and Convergence in North America.
October 2004 — CEPR publishes Getting Mexico to Grow with NAFTA: The World Bank's Analysis, which explains the World Bank's methodological problems and errors that were not addressed in its subsequent versions of NAFTA and Convergence in North America.
November 2006 — The World Bank publishes The World Bank's Research on Trade Policy, 1998-2005: An Evaluation in which UCLA economist Sebastian Edwards reviews Lessons from NAFTA for Latin America & the Caribbean.
January 2007 — CEPR sends letters to Sebastian Edwards and François Bourguignon (World Bank's Chief Economist) reiterating the original concerns with NAFTA and Convergence in North America and asking for a correction.
March 2007 — CEPR receives a reply from the authors of NAFTA and Convergence in North America, and from Bourguignon, who defers to the authors. The reply defends the paper and does not acknowledge any errors.
April 2007 — CEPR responds, explaining again the errors that negate the World Bank paper's conclusions, and once again asking for correction.
For more information, please contact Dan Beeton at 202-293-5380 x104.


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Laura J. Colker responded to a selection of questions and comments January 7–11, 2013. Read the questions and her responses below!
The impact of room arrangement extends far beyond getting the classroom ready for children. It's useful to think of this task as setting the stage for all that goes on as the children play and learn together, with the teacher as their guide and facilitator. Your choice of learning centers, their layout, and the way you stock them reflect the curriculum and what children will do and learn. Children pick up messages from the room arrangement. In a well-stocked, intentionally designed learning environment, children are likely to feel safe and challenged to explore and learn.
Each issue of Teaching Young Children/Tesores y Colores, NAEYC's magazine for preschool educators, has included a feature that focuses on learning centers. The first 10 features illustrated a single learning center, focusing on what children learn, how to involve families, and how to stretch the budget. We are now revising these 10 centers to suggest ways to enhance the center. For example, a teacher might enhance the art center by creating a place for weaving or enhance the outdoors with a place for woodworking.
I look forward to exploring this topic with you during this Q&A. Please submit your questions about how to make learning centers work for you—and most importantly the children in your program. I look forward to hearing your ideas and
strategies, and problem solving with you and other preschool educators.
— Laura J. Colker
Thank you Laura Colker!
A big thank you to Laura Colker for her detailed, helpful answers to all the great questions this week. Thanks to everyone who posted questions as well.
For more Q&As, visit www.naeyc.org/onlineevents.
Mixing of materials
I'm a family child care provider (35 years and counting) and change our environment monthly in conjunction with the curriculum: major learning centers, monthly, some smaller centers, daily. I have 3 and 4 year olds. A few of the children do not want to just work in the center as it is....they take materials from several and then play with the manipulatives, or whatever it may be. Most of the time their play will be very imaginative, but not what the center objective may be. I allow them to do this because I want to have a program that is developmentally appropriate. However, on the other hand, it's very difficult to get them to put everything back where it came from, pieces get lost and I feel they need to learn a little about structured play and learning, especially the older children who will be attending kindergarten next year. All of our learning is hands on and interactive, but I am torn between letting them play with all the materials or keeping the materials in the centers to which they belong! Thanks for any help you can offer!
Mixing of Materials
Hi Debbie,
I applaud you for trying to keep your learning centers meaningful for the children. It seems, though, as if you may be doing too much work in this regard. While you certainly want to rotate in new materials to keep children's interests piqued and to reflect current project work, you also want to maintain a sense of what is familiar and comforting. Children should know what is happening in each center and the types of play that go on there. They shouldn't be doing an art project in the cooking area or bringing a puzzle to the music and movement area.
Having said this, there are some exceptions. Books belong in every center, as long as they are related to the topic. For instance, books on art and artists compliment the art area and books on buildings are helpful to the block center. The same is true for writing. As noted in an earlier question, writing can naturally be included in dramatic play or in making signs for art or blocks.
To truly work as designed, you want to keep the purpose of each center clear. If children are taking materials from center to center, it is most likely because the purpose of the different centers is not clear to them. In my experience, one of two things is at work:
1. It is often the case that the center is not set up optimally. Are the materials in the center ones that enhance the learning center? Is the center inviting to children? Are materials and labels displayed so that children can get out and return things independently? Is there sufficient space for children to use the materials without bumping into other children or objects? Are children moving materials because they don't have enough room to use them as they like in the center where they are housed?
Take an objective look at your centers and see if there are some things you might do to improve the set-up and "tighten" them up. Make sure the materials that you have relate to learning goals in the area. If you can keep your centers neat and inviting, children should be drawn in to play.
2. The children may need a refresher course on how to use the centers. It might be helpful during a morning group time to talk about the centers with the children. Let them know that there seem to be some problems in using them--that you've noticed children taking materials from center to center. Go over the rules of using the centers with children, including the part about keeping materials in the center where they are found in and returning them when done. Cleaning up is a part of the play experience, so be sure that children understand they need to return whatever they have used to its labeled place on a shelf.
You may find that you want to work with children as they use the centers, reinforcing these procedures and breaking old habits. At the same time, it might be helpful at first to suggest some activities that you can do with children while playing in the centers. Challenge children to build a school out of blocks to write a book on the computer or to put on a skit in the dramatic play area. They may need some inspiration on the types of exciting explorations that occur in a particular center.
I am hopeful that if you try both of these things that your problem will disappear. Your goal is for children to become involved in high-levels of play in the learning center they choose. When this happens, children will have no need to be moving materials around.
I hope this helps, Debbie. Thank you for your long years of dedicated service to young children.
Where can I find more information about providing STEM experiences in my preschool classroom? Are there any websites I can explore?
Hi Janet,
Here are some additional resources:
The kit includes:
- The Young Child and Mathematics (2nd ed.)
- Ramps & Pathways: A Constructivist Approach to Physics with Young Children
- The Block Book (3rd ed.)
- Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools: Science in the Early Childhood Classroom
- Spotlight on Young Children and Technology
- Spotlight on Young Children: Exploring Math
- Spotlight on Young Children and Nature
- Technology and Early Childhood Education - 2008 Institute Proceedings (DVD-ROM)
- Everyday Math Manipulatives (12"x36" Poster, laminated)
- Preschool Learning Centers (10-Poster Set, 11"x14' each, laminated)
Hi Janet,
I'm delighted that you want to know more about STEM learning and preschool. I think that as you explore the topic, you'll see that STEM learning builds on what we in early childhood education already excel at--the development of children's curiosity, exploration, experimentation, hypothesizing, and observing, plus the integration of learning domains.
First off, I'd suggest you look to NAEYC. The organization is involved with a number of STEM initiatives (http://www.stemconnector.org/NationalAssociationfortheEducationofYoungCh...). You'll find professional development resources available to educators at: http://www.naeyc.org/store/STEM-Kit.
If you look through past issues of NAEYC's journals YC and TYC you'll find some very helpful articles. For example, the January 2012 issue of YC features an article entitled, From STEM to STEAM: How Early Childhood Educators Can Apply Fred Rogers' Approach by Hedda Sharapan.
You'll also find many excellent articles on the subject available free to you on the Internet. Here are some that I think might be helpful to you:
Finally, there's even a preschool STEM discussion thread at: http://www.edutopia.org/groups/science-technology-engineering-mathematic....
If anyone has some resources they would like to recommend, please share your thoughts.
I hope that you enjoy your STEM explorations, Janet.
Classroom managment ideas
Hi, Laura! Some preschool teachers are finding it a challenge to develop appropriate "rotation formats" for students visiting interest centers in their small classrooms. They have great ideas for what can be done in the centers, but making sure that the flow of the visitations has equity and order is hard. What advice can you share on this with us?
Classroom Mangement Ideas
Hi Melissa,
Your question is one that I think has plagued most teachers at one time or another. Let me start by giving you my philosophy about the use of centers. I would like children to have access to all centers. However, access does not mean requirement. I define "equity" in this context as freedom to choose. The theory behind learning centers is that children learn best when they are playing in a center that appeals to them--whether this be art or sand play or dramatic play. In each center, materials and equipment should be available that will allow children to learn the same cognitive, language and literacy, socioemotional, and physical objectives specified by the curriculum and your state's early learning standards.
I would like to see children picking the centers where they want to work, not having to visit centers on a preset schedule. If children rotate centers on a schedule, what happens is that no one gets very involved in what they are doing and you will not see the type of play that leads to learning. Children need to both be able to select where they want to play and offered enough time to achieve high-levels of play. This implies, too, that you are scheduling enough time for your center play. At a minimum, children need an hour of time to get involved in the type of play we are talking about.
When putting this philosophy into practice, some teachers become upset if children go to the same center day after day. To me, this is not necessarily a problem. It usually means that the child is having successful experiences --which is what we want for every child. Also, when a child does well at playing in a particular center, he becomes a mentor to other children playing there. Again, this is a plus for children.
There are instances, though, where children become "stuck" and trying out a new center is a good idea. If you become worried about this or fear that a child is monopolizing an area so that others don't get a chance, then feel free to introduce a child to another area. Take a toy or material from an area he likes and introduce that material to the child in a different center. For example, if a child spends all of his time in the library center looking at books, take a book on insects to the Discovery Center and talk with the child about how you might do some ant experiments. By joining the child in this new center, you'll make him feel safe to venture out into a less familiar center. This way you build on what is motivating to the child--but place it in a new context.
To put this philosophy into action does, as you note, require management skills. This is especially necessary in small classrooms, as you point out. No matter how well designed, a learning center can only support so many children at a time. I would suggest the following strategies:
1. Take a hard look at each center. How many children can optimally play in this center at one time? In most cases, this will be from 4-6 children. Even in a large center like blocks, you don't want to crowd the center or else children will not be able to make elaborate constructions. We want children's play to become involved, so bear these factors in mind when setting a maximum limit.
2. During your morning meeting (prior to center time). Let children decide which center they want to play in that day. A visual cue such as a planning board works well. Children can put a velcro-backed photo of themselves (or an avatar of themselves they've adopted) in a slot or atop a photo of the learning center they've picked. When the allotted number of slots are filled, children will see that they need to pick another center.
3. Alternatively, you can put bracelets or necklaces on a hook in each center corresponding to the allotted places available. Children will don a bracelet/necklace while playing in the center. When all of the bracelets/necklaces are in use, the center is full.
4. Children can play in a center as long as they desire. When they are through playing--and have cleaned up--they can move on to another center of their choice--as long as there is space. In the meantime, they should change the placement of their photo on the planning board and return their bracelet/necklace to its hook and put on a new one for the chosen center.
With time, you'll find that children can mentally figure out when a center is filled. For example, four smocks in the Sand and Water center will alert children to the capacity of that center, just as six chairs at the art table indicates the capacity of that center. However, I highly recommend concrete management tools in the beginning to acclimate children.
You might also want to make use of "sign up" sheets as further management tools. If you want to track, for instance, who has helped themselves to a morning snack and whom you might need to remind, place a sign up sheet at the snack area of your cooking center. Children who have had their snacks will indicate so by signing their names (as best they can) on a sheet of paper.
Finally, if you find that you are having additional management problems, try involving the children in a solution. Very often they can see the root of the problem and help you come up with a plan that will work for your classroom.
I think that you'll find that with just these minimal management techniques, you will find that there will be a flow to children's use of centers.
Construction centers for Grades 1-3
I couldn't agree with you more about learning centers for Grades 1-3! I especially love your suggestion of a building center with Legos, etc.; that truly is a most worthwhile activity for children that age-not just the very, very young! What can you give me in the way of a succinct educational argument to administrators who may question the use of what they may consider "just toys" in a center for the primary grades?
Construction Centers for Grades 1-3
Hi Suzanne,
I'm delighted that you're eager to initiate a construction learning center in your program. I became convinced of the importance of this learning center for older children many years ago while observing an after-school-care program. Primary aged-children all congregated in the preschool children's block center. The delight and single mindedness with which they approached this center made it clear to me that this was something they needed in their school lives.
Your dealings with an administrator who views legos and blocks as frivolous toys is not so very different than the situation of preschool teachers who must convince their administrators that sand and water play aren't just messy pastimes. Everyone (well nearly everyone) can see the benefit of reading or math centers, but when it comes to centers that are less clearly academic-oriented, administrators may become squeamish.
To me, I think the key is showing your administrator how a construction learning center can be a haven for academic learning and is anything but frivolous. To do this, I would promote the clear linkage between construction and STEM learning. It is generally agreed that to be competitive in our global economy that children need to proficient in STEM learning-- that is in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Rather than being about "just toys," construction activities with blocks, legos, and other building materials naturally support STEM activities. A construction learning center makes abstract concepts concrete and learning an exciting discovery. For example,
• Legos can be used to teach engineering and technology, as children make simple machines and robotics
• Legos and unit blocks are designed to teach math concepts of geometry and proportion
• Children can draw blueprints and then make constructions from them (engineering, math, science)
• Children can add pulleys and gears to problem-solve block ideas in their constructions (physics)
• Children can take photos and feature their "real estate" in newsletters (technology)
• Children can make constructions that will withstand differing weather conditions (science)
• Children can solve challenges: design a city out of blocks OR build an airport where passengers can reach their planes quickly (all STEM skills).
A construction learning center offers children an opportunity to apply STEM principles to real-life situations. At the same time, children must negotiate with classmates for roles and materials. These hands-on activities make theory come alive and will excite children to enjoy problem-solving and express their creativity. With an open mind, your administrator should be able to see the many virtues of this approach.
Some administrators may be more convinced if you give them literature to read. Share with her or him some of the many articles on STEM learning. Lego puts out a digital curriculum for Grades 2-8, which might also prove helpful to share (http://www.learning.com/legoeducation/).
If you find some receptivity to the idea, it might be helpful to present the concept at a parent education meeting to which your administrator is invited. At the session, encourage parents to use a construction learning center as their children would and to then reflect on what they were learning. Having "light bulbs" go off as the parents build constructions and analyze all of the math, physics, and engineering that took place can be a very effective selling point.
Finally, if you get to the point where you are able to incorporate a construction learning center into your program, take a bit of time to interview the children about the experience. Then share these comments with your administrator. If she or he is still having second thoughts, hearing of how the children are so excited by this learning center (which they will be!) is bound to qualm any final fears.
Again, let me commend you for fighting for an idea you feel will improve your program. Hopefully, you can convince your administrator to give it a try. Good luck!
Learning centers at home?
Hi Laura,
I am enjoying reading your responses. I was wondering if you had any thoughts for families (and for teachers to pass on to families) on a version of learning centers at home. Maybe a small table or a bin children could bring to the kitchen table where parents could rotate in different materials. One week maybe writing materials, another art materials.
Thanks so much for your ideas.
Susan Friedman
Learning centers at home?
How nice to hear from you, Susan. Let me say right off what a wonderful job you are doing with NAEYC's web site for Families. If any of you have not yet seen it, I urge you to take a look at it at http://families.naeyc.org/. You'll find a wealth of information, tips, and advice for families there.
I do have some thoughts on how families can bring the spirit of learning centers into their homes. Before getting into specifics, though, I'd like to offer a word of caution. We don't want parents thinking that their homes should look like schools. We want families to be able to maintain the warmth and nurturing feel of what makes a home a home.
Having said that, there are, of course, things that family members can do to recreate the type of learning that goes on in centers. Probably the most practical way of doing this is, as Susan suggested, through bins or plastic tubs in which parents can store materials and props related to a learning center activity. Old shoe boxes (especially for boots) would work, too. Label the boxes with both words and a picture or photo of what's inside--blocks, dress-up clothes, musical instruments, and the like. Boxes with learning props can be stored in a closet or even under a bed. However, you want to be able to reach them readily. Having intact boxes handy makes it possible for children to be able to play when they are motivated to do so, without searching for playthings.
Here are some ideas on specific learning center materials parents can use at home with their children.
Blocks: Preschool-aged children enjoy constructing with proportional wooden blocks and colorful pattern blocks. These can be stored in plastic tubs and pulled out for building.
Dramatic play can take place anywhere at any time. Having a box filled with dress-up clothes and accessories like hats, scarves, and jewelry makes the experience more exciting and elaborate. Depending on the children's interests and the amount of preparation parents want to do, additional dramatic play activities can be set up in separate prop boxes: an old hair dryer, combs, brushes, and curlers could go into a beauty parlor prop box. Similarly, a briefcase, notebooks, papers, and pens could be gathered into an office prop box. Let the children's imaginations guide parents in their selection of props.
Art is something children love to do at the kitchen table. Keep a box nearby with different types of papers and drawing/painting materials. Adding a scissors and paste allows children to do collage and experiment with other techniques. Parents can use kitchen supplies to make homemade playdough, clays, and paints.
Math and Manipulatives: In addition to stored board games and puzzles, parents can give children empty egg cartons for sorting collectibles such as buttons or old keys. Materials for children to use in making their own games can be stored in an old shirt or game box.
Library area: Most families like to store books in their children's bedrooms, so they'll be close by for bedtime read alouds. A bookcase where children can reach the books and look at them independently is ideal. It's helpful for parents to understand that because children can't read the titles, books are best displayed by being fanned open with the cover illustration on view.
For writing, either the kitchen or dining room table works great. Again, a box with papers, markers, pens, a ruler, stationery, and note cards can be taken from a closet or drawer and used as a writing center.
A great many families have computers in their home that children eagerly use. Most preschool teachers can give parents a list of appropriate web sites and recommend software for use at home. The family computer can be a great enhancement in helping children learn to read write, draw, and become technologically knowledgeable.
Water play can readily be done in a bathtub or at the kitchen sink. Parents might wish to have a plastic box filled with props for children's play: sponges, basters, colanders, strainers, pitchers, tongs, etc.
Cooking itself can of course be done with a supervising parent. There's probably no need to have a prepared prop box here, since parents can direct children where to find needed equipment and food. It is a good idea, though, to have a child-sized apron on hand and to get children used to washing their hands before and after handling foods.
Music is something that is often played in homes and most children know how to access or ask their parent to hear an MP3 player or CD. Children love singing together with family members and making up silly songs to sing together. A large box can be used to store musical instruments such as maracas, castanets, and drums. Parents can likewise make homemade instruments such as a rainstick or a drum with their children and keep them stored together in a box.
Discoveries occur everywhere in the home. Children observe science when popcorn pops, when light makes plants grow, and rainbows occur after storms. To make science a routine activity, parents can collect magnets, prisms, and other science-related materials into a prop box for children to take out, observe, and make predictions about.
It takes organization more than effort to make one's home a learning environment that stretches children's imaginations and ignites creativity. While you don't want to make the home look like a school, you do want to plant the spirit of learning. Rather than learning centers per se, having appropriate materials that are used in learning centers available for children to play with sets the stage for this type of learning.
One final thought: rather than rotating the content you offer children, I would take my cues from the children themselves. If a child wants to write or draw, then I would bring the appropriate storage tubs to a table and let her work with these materials. The same goes for music, cooking, or playing with math and manipulatives.
Should a child never have experienced a learning center-type activity such as water play at home, then I would be sure to introduce the child to this activity and make up a prop boxes that he or she can use. Hopefully, the children's parents and teachers are in close communication, so that parents can support their child by reinforcing what takes place at the program.
learning center surprises?
What's the most wonderful, surprising learning center you've ever seen?
Learning Center Surprises?
Hi Todd,
What a great question. Over the decades I've had the pleasure of working with teachers on room arrangement all over the world. I've seen some learning centers I'd like to forget (an all playdough learning center in a room that had no space left for block play) and many, many creative learning centers where I observed such amazing activities as worm races and children measuring shadows. In one technology-advanced program, the children prepared a PowerPoint presentation every day to show their parents at departure time what they had been engaged in that day.
One learning center that I'll always remember with joy was a dramatic play area set up as a beach. This inviting center echoed the many beaches of Okinawa, where this program was located. White sand was piled atop a tarp that covered the floor. Children and teachers laid back on striped beach chairs reading books and magazines. Palm tree fronds hung from the ceiling and beautiful shells that could be identified and classified were strewn across the beach. One day when I was visiting this center, the children had a picnic on this beach that they had "cooked" ahead of time in the cooking center. You couldn't look at this wonderful setting without thinking you needed to put on sunscreen, sit down, and relax.
Perhaps the best idea I've come across that I thought could be infused into any program anywhere was a publishing center. Children busily used the computer, writing materials, and available tools to type, write, illustrate, scan pictures into, bind, and laminate books. Every child in the classroom had authored and illustrated at least one book, which was housed in the room's library. Visitors were given a detailed tour of each child's works.
On the day I visited this program, I was invited to sit in an Author's Chair in the publishing center. A small group of children proceeded to interview me about my writing process. I think they felt badly for me that I couldn't publish a book in a day, as they were able to. We all agreed, though, that writing is a satisfying way to pass the time.
I was so impressed with this publishing center that since seeing this one I have worked with scores of programs since to help teachers incorporate a publishing center into their library area, or to include it as a self-standing center. In TYC, we have spent the last few seasons introducing readers to enhancements to learning centers. The very first one I chose to highlight was a publishing center like this terrific one I encountered.
It will come as no surprise that the teachers who had the beach dramatic play area and the publishing center are two of the very best it has been my honor to observe. Clearly, learning is a two-way street.
learning centers with primary
What are your thoughts on integrating learning centers into kindergarten, first, and second grade?
Learning Centers in the Primary Grades
Hi Mary Ellen,
Thanks for your question. Please take a look at my response to Sherry below, and let me expand on what I have written.
Let's start with kindergarten. It is my opinion that learning centers are absolutely appropriate with this grade level. In fact, I feel so strongly about this that for several years I worked with the Department of Defense Dependents' Schools (DoDDS) to rearrange all of their kindergarten classrooms into learning center-based environments. The transition from tables and chairs to learning centers stocked with exciting materials had profound effects on teachers and students alike. What I heard over and over was that this new arrangement gave the children permission to play and that learning took on a new spark.
The beauty of learning centers for children of kindergarten age is that they know how centers work and can maximize their potential. Explorations and investigations are everyday occurrences. Children make elaborate constructions and astound us with their creations. They can do project work together on insects' movements or do an individual study of an icicle melting in the water table.
Some kindergarten teachers will want to adapt the environment to accommodate curricular needs for required lessons. This can best be done by adding extra tables and chairs, if needed for journaling or small group math lessons. Yet, even with these accommodations, the nature of the learning centers can remain unchanged. Children can still work individually, in pairs, and small groups. For class meetings, children can congregate in a large center such as the library or block center.
If you look at your state's early learning standards for kindergarten, you'll find that all of them can be mastered as children work in the various centers, in ways that are meaningful to the children. Whether constructing a block building with pulleys and gears or hulling a strawberry for afternoon snack, children are developing needed cognitive, language and literacy, socioemotional, and physical skills.
While I have worked only minimally with teachers in grades 1-3 on the topic of room arrangement, I will share with you my thoughts. I hope that teachers of these grades will jump in with their own perspectives on this topic.
In the primary grades--and I would include third grade here as well as first and second grades--both children's learning needs and the curriculum require that you adjust the idea of learning centers. Nonetheless, I think there is a place for somewhat different looking learning centers in these classrooms. Remembering that these grades are a part of early childhood, I think it makes sense to add components of what we know works well with young children to the learning environment. Children have the rest of their lives to sit in desks focused on the teacher. Why not make learning exciting when we have the knowledge to do so?
In Grades 1, 2, and 3, children need to be able to work in table groups collaboratively with their peers as well as exploring materials in centers. Therefore, I would suggest that centers ought to be used to support the curriculum, rather than acting as its foundation. Useful centers would include a meeting area, a library center (including a writing area), a math center, a science center, and a center for constructing blocks and Legos. In these higher grades, I view learning centers as a curriculum support, whereas in preschool and kindergarten I think of learning centers as the basis for the curriculum.
Writing Learning Centers
I work in a 3 and 4 year preschool classroom. We have a designated center for each area except writing which really surprises me. When I worked in an older toddler room in the past, they had those doodle pads and pencils available for their writing center. I am wondering if you could suggest how to incorporate writing into my centers. Should I include it with art or library? I feel that my students at this age are really missing out on learning to write. I do try to incorporate writing into art but that doesn't always happen.
Writing Learning Centers
Hi Lisa,
I absolutely agree with you that you want to incorporate writing into your centers. What I would encourage you to do first of all is see if there is room to add a writing table (and some child-sized chairs) to your book area, turning it into a library area. Be sure to include a variety of pencils, markers, and crayons and different types of papers, including index cards, lined and unlined paper, newsprint, and the like. A scissors, hole punch, stapler, staple remover, glue, tapes, stencils, sandpaper letters, and alphabet strips will offer children many opportunities to create letters and write. If you can attach a blackboard to one of the walls and provide children with chalk, this will give children further writing experiences.
In addition to a permanent writing area, I'd suggest seeing how you can naturally incorporate writing into other centers. For example, you could attach a piece of paper to the refrigerator in the dramatic play area and have children keep a shopping list. In the block area, you can supply graph paper for making blueprints that children recreate in blocks. They can also make signs such as "Please do not put away." or "Created by Alexandra." In the Discovery Area children can make graphs showing which plants grew tallest or who wore shoes with Velcro closures. In the Cooking Area, children can "sign" in when they have had a snack. If you think about it, you can incorporate writing in natural ways in every learning center.
Your children and their families will be grateful to you for emphasizing writing in your curriculum.
Learning Centers
I always see a lot of good information about using learning centers in the preschool classroom. But at what age do you see the most benefit? I would love to use them in our 2 year old classes - but the teachers are having trouble with managing them at that age. Examples of that would be: how long do you have the children stay at a center or do you let them free roam? Should each child experience each center or is it better to let them choose? How many centers at a time?
Learning Centers (use with 2 year olds)
Hi Sherry,
You've asked an excellent question that I'm sure others have thought about as well. The reason that you see so much written about preschool learning centers in journals like TYC is that preschool-aged children--and I would add Kindergarten-aged children as well--are at the ideal ages for using learning centers effectively and appropriately. From ages 3-6, children can maximize what learning centers have to offer--indepth exploration and experimentation of content in contexts that are motivating to children. Preschoolers have the attention skills to be able to independently make use of learning centers and the social skills to work cooperatively with others.
This does not mean, however, that learning centers can't be used with older or younger children. You will, however, have to adapt your approach to accommodate the way these children learn and what they can gain from having learning centers. For children in the primary grades, where much of the learning is done collaboratively through table groups, these are the focal point of the room, rather than interwoven learning centers. You would want a library , a math center, space for art and construction, science tools, and the like. But rather than having "interest areas" where children explore learning according to their own agenda, in the older grades learning centers support the designated curriculum goals.
You have asked specifically about learning centers for two year olds, mentioning that teachers have had problems managing them. It's no wonder that there have been problems, since learning centers as we have come to know them, are designed with preschoolers or kindergarteners in mind. Toddlers and twos will have difficulty deciding what they want to do in a center and how to use materials and return them on their own. They need much more teacher supervision than preschoolers want or need.
You might consider a hybrid design for your twos. While you could incorporate learning centers for books, music, dress-up, push-and pull toys, painting, and sand and water play, you'd also need table and chairs for the children to eat together as a group, a diaper changing station as well as child-sized toilets, and room enough for cots or mats. Compared to preschoolers, twos spend considerably more time engaged in routines than they do in learning experiences. Their daily schedule and the learning environment have to reflect this reality.
In using learning centers with twos, I would maintain the same philosophy as we do for preschoolers--children should be free to choose the learning center they wish to be in. If they never pick a particular center, that is okay, although you might try introducing them to a toy or piece of equipment you think the child would like to entice them to try that center. Children can learn language and literacy, math, science, social studies, and motor skills in any center. So where they choose to play should be theirs. Likewise, how long they choose to stay in a center should be the child's choice. We do know, however, that it takes time for children to become fully engaged in what they are doing, so if teachers spend one-on-one time with a child in a center reading a book or washing a doll, the likelihood will increase that the child will want to stay where she is and keep learning.
I would look at two's as an opportunity to introduce children to learning centers and view them as a place that they will eventually be able to explore on their own. Teachers will need to spend time showing children how centers work and interacting one-on-one with each child to focus on specific learning goals. With children this age, learning centers require more of the adult's time in order to make them successful tools for learning. At certain times of the day, you may want to limit the number of learning centers open to children so that you can control what happens in each. If you'd like more information on how learning centers can be used with younger children, a good resource is The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, & Twos (2006) published by Teaching Strategies.
Post office?
What are thoughts on how to bring the post office to the digital age? How to incorporate email into writing letters? Most people stay in touch online these days.
Post Office?
Hi Emily,
Your thought about extending "snail mail" into the digital age, is certainly a great idea. If your group has been studying the Post Office, it's a natural leap to explore the use of email in communication. Many programs have their own web page or regularly communicate with families through email. You can draw children into the loop, showing them how to write and receive email. Even if children are just learning to write, family members will be delighted to receive emails with invented spelling or drawings. Children can readily learn to scan their artwork into emails that parents will be thrilled to receive. There is also software available that can read written text or speak highlighted letters, words, and phrases.
If you are working on a class project such as studying the Post Office, scour the Internet for other programs that are also undertaking this study. Many classrooms like to set up web sites to highlight their results. You and the children can communicate with these programs, sharing your ideas for explorations involving the Post Office. Feel free to email ideas back and forth. This is a practice you can undertake even if your project work isn't focused on letter writing, the way the Post Office is. You can email another preschool program about their project studies--no matter what the topics.
Finally, you can find penpal sites that enable your entire class to communicate back and forth via email with children in other countries. EPals Global community (http://www.epals.com/), joining with National Geographic and The Smithsonian, connects over 1.6 million students and teachers in 200 countries worldwide. In addition to the basics of matching classrooms by country, language, or other criteria, their free service includes instant language translation, curriculum guides, world maps, world weather, and Web-based teacher-monitored email accounts for students. Ks-connection.org (http://ww6.ks-connection.org/home.cfm) similarly offers free penpals for preschoolers around the world.
Dramatic Play Area
We encourage students to come up with ideas for the room, or look for their interests and help provide areas to expand that interest. Recently we changed up our dramatic play area, which was a kitchen, into a post office because the class was very interested in writing letters to each other. It was huge success in promoting writing with those not interested in writing, but after about 6 weeks the interest has started to lessen. What can I do to keep them interested, and how do I know if it's time to pack it up and move on?
Dramatic Play Area
Hi Jodi,
First off, let me commend you in looking to the children for inspiration in your dramatic play area. This is a great way of ensuring that you are addressing the children's interests and of building motivation into your program.
Did you tie the Post Office dramatic play area into project work you were doing on the Post Office? This is one way of extending learning. Not only might you have children acting as postal workers in your center, you could have them studying how the machines operate, weighing letters and counting out the value of stamps. Have children brainstorm questions they would like to answer through their study of the Post Office...and then work with the children to answer these questions.
I assume that you had a field trip to a local Post Office. What did the children see there that they might incorporate into their dramatic play? You could certainly bring in maps to study as children sort letters to different destinations. Or perhaps you could set up a wrapping station for mailing packages, using lots of traditional and nontraditional measuring tools.
Another way to extend the play is to reach out to family members for ideas and input. If any of them have ever worked at a Post Office, it would be great to have them share these experiences and compare them to what the children saw on their field trip.
Finally, don't forget about books. Reading aloud a book like Seven Little Postmen by Margaret Wise Brown and Edith Thacher Hurd explains the mystery of how a letter gets to Grandma's house. Children can trace this process as they write and send their own letters. Bunny Mail by Rosemary Wells explores communication, as Max thinks he writing to Santa and Grandma thinks he's saying hello. This is a perfect springboard for studying communication and miscommunication and how to get your message across. The British import The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allen Ahlberg explores how letters are written to fairy book characters. Children can have fun addressing letters to make believe characters such as Pig #3, Brick House, The Woods.
There are many ways to keep your Post Office dramatic play center alive, as I've tried to outline. However, as you point out, there may come a time when children are no longer interested in the subject and it's time to move on. In this regard, I'd like to leave you with a closing thought. While it's a great idea to add additional dramatic play learning centers based on children's interests (such as you did with the Post Office), consider leaving a home center intact. We find that children like and need the familiarity of a home living area (either a kitchen, living room, or bedroom) and that it's a good idea to make this a permanent fixture of your dramatic play center. You can, of course, replace toys and materials to reflect children's changing interests, but having a permanent pretend play area where children can take on family roles is important to their growth and development.
Rather than replacing your kitchen area, in the future I would recommend adding an additional play space to the dramatic play area, such as your Post Office. Depending on your particular group, the children's interest in this space should last a month or more--even indefinitely. Once you feel that the children have learned as much as they will in this area, take a hard look at what is happening. You may be able to renew the children's interests by exchanging props and adding new materials. If however, after six weeks or so, you are not seeing growth, then I'd consider dismantling your Post Office and replacing it with another play space of interest to the children--such as a Vet's office or a restaurant.


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Made in Maine of northern hardwood. A perfect companion to our Six Player Croquet Set. This caddy will provide storage and transport to the lawn. Does not include the croquet set. Made in the USA.
The caddy features:
- all solid wood
- holds up to six mallets & balls
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- wicket holder
- wood wheels
- Item #: 2-NM-CROCDY


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I am LHBH and I frequently use Tomahawk throws. I have been playing for about three months and throw 275 feet max but I seem to be getting longer. I seem to do best with the sidewinder now, but I will be ready to migrate to a faster disk when it is beneficial. I have tried to build my bag by the types of scenarios I would have to throw instead of trying to cover all types of disc types. Several discs are used in more than one category. I use 7 discs total. I have several disks from the same run for my more important disks and rotate them so they break in evenly.
Under stable driver: 168 champ Sidewinder Control / Fairway Driver) (I rotate 4 of these)
Stable Driver: 176 Odyssey Ultra long range driver (Over water/ Max distance) (I rotate 5 of these)
Over stable Driver: 169 Pro Destroyer (longer hyzer shots) (over stable for my arm)
Fairway distance driver: 168 champ Sidewinder
Fairway straight driver: (distances 250 to 150 I would use a Tomahawk throw see below)
Left fade Tomahawk: 174 standard #1 flyer (used for 250 to 150 feet when left fade is needed) (Works like a RHBH Hyzer for me)
Stable Mid: Warn 170 DX Roc (go to disc for 175 to 75 feet straight)
Over stable Mid: 180 DX Roc (mid hyzer) (just added because my 170 Roc is losing low speed fade)
Straight mid: / Approach 175 soft Wizard (go to disc for 100 to 51 feet straight or any shot from 75 to 51 feet)
Putter: 175 soft Wizard (I rotate 6 of these) (putts are 50 feet or under)


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Posted 6 years ago
(1 item)
Hello, I purchased this basket at a garage sale, it was hidden among lots of items and I had to dig it out. Can someone please tell me what it is? What is it's origin? It appears to be Native American. It is made of bark and twigs, willow perhaps?


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I call Japanese cheesecakes my "summer" cheesecakes, because they're so light and unexpectedly delicate. The version from Cafe Zaiya ($3.75) is the quintessential Japanese cheesecake. Soft, and more fluffy than dense, it's like a cross between a sponge cake and traditional cheesecake. Bites finish with a subtle tang and a lingering vanilla. Couple with one of these black sesame frappes and you've got a complete afternoon snack.
Cafe Zaiya
18 East 41st Street New York, NY 10017 (map)
About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travel adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.


text: Gingham seersucker bikini bottom Item C0913 Color: NAVY IVORY Size: All sizes are US sizes. SMALL MEDIUM LARGE X-LARGE Size Charts Quantity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prices do not include taxes. Add to Bag Wishlist Add to Bag Add To Wishlist share: size & fit Moderate coverage. Product Details A classic silhouette in a classic fabric (because nothing says summertime like gingham seersucker). Poly/polyamide/spandex. Lined. Hand wash. Import. Online only. Item C0913.


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Marie Claire Hosts Intimate Hollywood Dinner
Lindsey Ma, 29
Ma has an MBA from a university in Canada and works at her aunt's successful cashmere clothing firm in Beijing. She's smart, pretty, and slim, but she can't find a suitable husband because she's such a high achiever. She is one of a rising number of sheng nu, or "leftover," urban career women.
Helen Lee, 36
Born and bred in China's fashionable second city of Shanghai, designer Lee has her own label and works as a spokeswoman for the up-and-coming local fashion industry. Lee studied fashion in Japan before returning in 2002 to put a Chinese spin on her minimalist designs, and she's built up a following through word of mouth. "Designers are gaining more confidence as China grows in world importance and customers reject Western brands in favor of homegrown talent," she says.
MC Reviews: Books