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It's the end of April and May flowers should be popping up soon. To keep you in the springtime spirit, we have three pinboards that you can browse.
First, start with Water You Waiting For and let your brain soak in typographic inspiration and water fonts. From fish fonts to seashells to beautiful pictures of the deep blue, you'll be ready for your next projects and ideas to bloom. Next, travel to another world full of lush foliage in our Keep Calm & Hobbiton pinboard and talk a walk in our Glyph Garden. Our flowery fonts won't spread any pollen in the air, so have fun playing around with Blossomy and Posy from Kapitza or Imagination Flowers from Elsner+Flake. Enjoy the greenery without allergic reactions!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment maintains a website with detailed information about rabies: larimer.org/health/ehs/rabies.htm.
The site also has a map pinpointing all the confirmed rabies cases in the county: larimer.org/maps/rabies.cfm.
LOVELAND — Barbara Smith knew something wasn't right when a skunk scooted fearlessly across her path in broad daylight Wednesday morning.
The rural Loveland resident was convinced the nocturnal animal's strange and threatening actions were signs of rabies. So she summoned a neighbor, who dispatched the skunk with three shots from a .38 revolver.
"This isn't the way a skunk behaves," she said. "It was going after my animals."
A disease specialist at the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment agrees that the skunk probably was rabid, and he's having it tested.
He said west Loveland is a hotbed of rabies, in a county that is leading the state in confirmed rabies cases in land mammals.
Smith wants to get the word out to her neighbors in the area of County Road 23H south of U.S. 34.
A New Problem
Rich Grossmann, an environmental health specialist with the county, said Larimer County never had cases of rabies in terrestrial animals – just in bats – until last year.
In 2012, rabies burst on the scene, with 52 terrestrial animals testing positive for the deadly virus, he said.
"This year so far, we've had about 32," he said, with more tests pending. "And this is only halfway through the season."
Grossmann said Larimer County had the highest incidence of terrestrial animal cases last year and is on the same track this year, with rabies showing up in skunks, raccoons and foxes.
John Pape, an epidemiologist with the state health department, said rabies started moving into the state from Kansas and Oklahoma five or six years ago, and it now has made its way to Larimer County.
"Skunks are much more efficient at transmitting it than bats are," he said. "You get spillover into all kinds of other species. Any kind of mammal can be infected with rabies."
He said he doesn't have a good answer to why rabies is showing up now in land mammals in Colorado after an absence of more than 30 years.
Urging Vaccinations
But whatever the reason, Pape and Grossmann said people need to take precautions, including staying away from all wild mammals and having their pets vaccinated.
"Vaccinate the dogs, vaccinate the barn cats, and you may want to talk to your veterinarian about vaccinating valuable livestock like horses," Pape said.
Smith said she's owned horses for 40 years and never has had them vaccinated for rabies. But, she said, "I'm making the appointment today."
"Cattle, horses, goats, alpacas and llamas – we've had all of those animals in the county exposed to rabies," Grossmann said.
He said people who notice wild animals acting strangely should stay away and call Animal Control with the Larimer Humane Society at 970-226-3648. A second resort would be to call the county health department, 970-498-6775.
Smith said when she encountered the skunk Wednesday morning, she was walking into the barn. "This thing literally stepped right in front of me."
Observing the skunk's erratic behavior, she put her dog, Wilson, into his fenced run and went to get her phone. The skunk disappeared from the barn area and showed up inside the fence with the dog.
"I was very worried for my dog," she said.
'She Nailed it Three Times'
Kristine Rampone, her neighbor across the road, came over with her Smith & Wesson. Smith opened the gate and let Wilson out, but not before the skunk sprayed him.
The animal hid in some bushes in the run, and Rampone took a shot at it but missed. It then emerged from the fenced area.
"As the thing was coming out, she nailed it three times," Smith said.
Rampone said she has taken some gun classes, but "I've never shot anything before." She was surprised and pleased at how her training kicked in when she needed it.
She said Smith had helped her out with a rattlesnake a few years ago, so she considers her actions payback.
"You have to depend on your neighbors out here," she said.
Craig Young can be reached at 970-635-3634 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter: @CraigYoungRH.


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Suppose we have a finite square n x n matrix of complex numbers H that is Hermitian and skew-symmetric:
$H^\dagger = H$ and $H^T = -H$.
(T denotes transpose, $\dagger$ denote conjugate transpose. I know that these conditions mean that H is a purely imaginary skew-symmetric matrix.)
It is a textbook result that these two conditions ensure that it's eigenvalues are real, its rank is even and its eigenvalues appear in positive and negative pairs.
If the normalised, orthonormal eigenvectors associated to non-zero eigenvalues are denoted by $u_i$ and $v_i$ and the positive eigenvalues are denoted $\lambda_i$ then we have:
$H u_i = \lambda_i u_i$ and $H v_i = -\lambda_i v_i$
where i=1,2,...,s where 2s is the rank of H. The eigenvectors can be chosen to be complex conjugates of each other: $u_i = v_i^*$.
In terms of these eigenvectors and eigenvalues we can write the eigen-decomposition of H as:
$H = \sum_{i=1}^s \lambda_i u_i u_i^\dagger - \lambda_i v_i v_i^\dagger$
We can now define a new matrix Q as just the "positive eigenvalue part" of H:
$Q := \sum_{i=1}^s \lambda_i u_i u_i^\dagger$
This Q is Hermitian, positive semi-definite and satisfies $H = Q - Q^T = Q - Q^*$. Apparently this Q is also the "closest Hermitian positive semi-definite matrix" to H, as measured in the Frobenius norm (and possibly other norms too).
This all goes through smoothly for finite n x n matrices H.
My question is, if H is now a countably infinite dimensional matrix $H_{xy}$ for x,y=1,2,...,$\infty$ which satisfies the same conditions as before:
$H_{xy} = H_{yx}^*$ and $H_{xy} = -H_{yx}$
can we do the same construction and obtain the matrix Q?
It seems like the rigorous way to do this requires treating the infinite matrix as an operator on the $\ell^2$ Hilbert space of infinite square-summable sequences. For general H it seems like this will be an unbounded operator that is probably not defined on the whole Hilbert space (due to issues of convergence when doing the infinite matrix multiplication).
In a best-case scenario we'd like H to define a self-adjoint operator on $\ell^2$. We could then (presumably) apply the spectral theorem and sum the positive eigenvalue part to get a Q operator/infinite-matrix.
What conditions do we have to impose on the infinite H matrix entries to ensure that the Q matrix exists? or to ensure that H defines a self-adjoint operator?
Can we sidestep the use of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues when defining Q and instead seek Q as the "closest positive semi-definite matrix" to H? Does this even make sense in the infinite matrix case?
Can we calculate Q from H if H satisfies the right conditions?
Any thoughts greatly appreciated.


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Ray Lewis will not play in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals but the Ravens kept alive his hope of returning for the playoffs.
The Ravens activated the veteran linebacker from the injured reserve with a designation to return list on Wednesday, a procedural move that makes him eligible to play in the opening round of the playoffs next week against either the Bengals or Indianapolis Colts.
To make room for Lewis, the Ravens placed wide receiver
LaQuan Williams
(Poly, University of Maryland) on injured reserve. Williams has been on the injury report with a thigh injury the past couple of weeks, but he has played in the Ravens' last 11 games, mostly on special teams.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh reiterated that Lewis, who hasn't played since tearing his right triceps muscle in the Ravens' Week 6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, wouldn't face the Bengals. However, several of Lewis' teammates expressed hope that the 17-year linebacker will be ready for the start of the playoffs.
"I have high hopes. I know that he's going to be out there," said Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. "It's Ray Lewis. He's not going to sit down. If he feels like he can go, he's going to go."
Lewis, 37, returned to practice on Dec. 5, meaning that in order to be eligible for the playoffs, the Ravens had to add him to the active roster by today. NFL rules stipulate that players on injured reserve with a designation to return can practice for a period not exceeding 21 days before they have to be activated to the 53-man roster or put on season-ending injured reserve.
Lewis was eligible to return to game action two weeks ago against the Denver Broncos. However, the Ravens have decided to play it safe with the veteran linebacker, who has some atrophy in his right arm after having the surgery on Oct. 17. Lewis was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.
"Knowing Ray Lewis, I'll just be honest: he could have played last week," said Ravens running back
Ray Rice
. "That's just the Ray Lewis I know. His gut instinct told him to not play but he also felt firmly that if we just get him to the playoffs, that we were going to be OK. Obviously, that takes a lot, it wasn't easy. He's our leader, he's our guy. But we did our job. Our job was to get him to the playoffs [and] that's where we're at. Right now, we know for a fact that some time in the playoffs, we'll have Ray Lewis."
Lewis has missed nine straight games and the Ravens are 5-4 during that stretch.


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Friday seems to be the day when we like to find a topic that is humourous, inspiring, relaxing or just has that 'aw-w-w' factor and then, of course, share with our viewers.
Enjoy the wonderful, picturesque, mesmerizing and relaxing video by an extremely gifted photographer, Paul Frederick, of the clear waters in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York – this does have the 'aw-w-w' factor as well!
Where the Clear Waters Flow from Paul Frederick on Vimeo was uploaded 3 years ago .
Paul's comments:
"I love shooting water! This is a collection of images from the past several years of the small streams and waterfalls in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. Most of this was shot with my EX1 and Letus 35mm adapter. Some of it is on the indiSlider, some on a Cobra Crane backpacker (lightweight crane I lug into the woods!) and near the end is stuff from my canoe shot with an FX1. Lightly graded in Magic Bullet Looks, edited in FCP." "Most of this was shot near Keene Valley, Split Rock falls, Deer Brook, Roaring Brook Falls…."
A comment from a viewer and repsonse from Paul:
"really excellent combination of sound and visuals, e.g. the crane shot at 00:53 is stunning and perfectly timed to the music. I wonder if the owl at 02:10 is still perched there motionless – you obviously were not tempted to disturb him 🙂 4M2.
"Thanks …, that owl was a baby that was only a few days old! The mama was nearby keeping an eye on things!"
" Indeed, it's (the music) called Liam O'Raghalliagh and had a version with vocals. Even though it's celtic, I felt it fit the images."
Your friends from Rainsoft, Eternally Pure Water hope you enjoyed this fabulous video and are now in great shape for your weekend.
Make sure you share this with others.


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In the same year that saw the birth of American author Jack London, the induction of Colorado as the 38th U.S. state, and the presidential election in which Rutherford B. Hayes defeated Samuel Tilden; another American legacy was simultaneously sprouting up in the gardens of Illinois.
James Boyle's great-great-grandmother's garden played host to what has become a legendary family heirloom. In 1876, she planted the cucumber in her garden before proceeding to pull it out. She then placed the vegetable in a medicine bottle to pickle it and finish the growth process. It has been in that bottle ever since.
Boyle was a guest on NPR's All Things Considered this past Sunday and spoke of his great-great grandmother's creation on the show. "She pickled it, and corked it, and it has been in the family ever since."
In what must be one of the strangest family heirlooms on record, this bottled pickle has been passed down in the Boyle family since 1876. "It's still got the juice inside of it with the original cork, and it's got the brown label on it that says it was grown July 15th, 1876," Boyle described.
This ancient pickle, however, apparently isn't as important to him as it may have been to his ancestors. When asked if he would pass it on to his children, he said, "If they want it, but if somebody else wants it and the price is right I'd probably sell it." No word yet on whether or not the current economic climate has affected the market on decrepit pickles.
It's just unfortunate that the people at Guinness have never kept track of the records for aged produce. Now the world may never know whether or not this 135-year old pickle is the planet's most perennial vegetable.


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Molecular Imaging
Molecular imaging is a novel field that combines the global anatomical/physiologic scale of currently available in vivo imaging modalities with the detailed molecular/cellular scale of biochemistry and cell and molecular biology, with the goal of obtaining a visual representation and characterization of biological processes at the cellular/sub-cellular level in living subjects. As such, molecular imaging represents a multidisciplinary effort exploiting the convergence of image-capture techniques, basic cell/molecular biology, chemistry, medicine, pharmacology, medical physics, biomathematics and bioinformatics into a new imaging paradigm.The approach could allow unraveling of complex disease pathways; diagnosis of disease at the earliest causative stages, characterized by the first signs of metabolic or molecular disturbance; and noninvasive real-time monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy in authentic physiologic environments.
Five imaging modalities have been adapted for molecular imaging applications: radionuclide imaging, including positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT); optical imaging (bioluminescence and fluorescence); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); computed tomography (CT); and ultrasound (US).


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Covid-19 Office Operations
Our offices are available for phone or video appointments. Email or call for more information. For information, please visit the UA coronavirus information website.
Glossary of Terms
529 College Savings Plans:
A 529 College Savings Plan is a state-sponsored program designed to help families save for a child's college education while offering tax benefits, flexibility, and a broad range of investment options. For more information and resources on 529 College Savings Plans, see Saving For College and the University of Alaska Savings Plan.
Accrued Interest:
The amount of interest, calculated daily, that has accumulated on the unpaid amount of your loan.
American College Testing (ACT) publishes the ACT Assessment Test, commonly known as the ACT. It is a standardized, multiple-choice test used by some colleges as part of the admissions process that is administered five times a year. The ACT measures academic achievement in four areas: English, Math, Reading, and Science.
Adjusted Gross Income:
Taxable income from all sources. (See your Federal Income Tax Form 1040 EZ, line three, or Form 1040, line 31.)
Alternative (Credit-Based) Loans:
Loans that are made to you based on your credit worthiness, as opposed to (or in addition to) Federal Stafford Loans and grants.
The reduction of loan balance by your monthly payments.
Items of financial worth which may include your home, business, savings and checking accounts, stock, bonds, real estate, trust funds, etc.
Award Letter:
This official document issued by a college's Financial Aid Office lists all of the financial assistance offered to a student. The information on your award letter is also available on UAOnline.
The person to whom a loan is made and who agrees to repay it. The borrower signs a promissory note, which serves as the formal promise to repay the loan.
A process of adding unpaid interest to the principal balance of your loan. This will increase the balance due and may increase monthly payments.
Census Date:
Is the date when student credit hours are locked in for financial aid purposes. The lock happens at 6pm on the date listed on the UAS Financial Aid website. Any adding or dropping of credits after this date may not result in changes to your financial aid package.
A signer of a promissory note who agrees to pay the loan if the Borrower defaults.
Cost of Attendance (COA):
The total amount a student must pay to attend school for one academic year, including tuition, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. UAS costs for various categories of students is listed here.
Credit-Based (Alternative) Loans:
Loans that are made to you based on your credit worthiness, as opposed to (or in addition to) Federal Stafford Loans and grants.
Failure to pay your loan according to the terms disclosed on your promissory note. You are in default on a FFEL Program Loan if your payments are more than 270 days past due or if you fail to comply with other terms of the loan.
Deferment: A period of time during repayment in which the borrower, after meeting certain criteria, is not required to make their regular monthly payments. Note: interest payments may or may not be postponed depending on the type of loan.
If a payment is not received by the due date, it is considered delinquent. Delinquencies greater than 30 days are generally reported to national credit bureaus.
Disbursement Notification:
A letter that is sent to you acknowledging that your loan is approved and letting you know when the money will be sent to your school, as well as the loan amount and any fees (origination or guarantee). This marks the successful completion of the loan application process.
Disclosure Statement:
A notification of the actual cost and terms of a loan, which includes the interest rate and any additional finance charges.
Education Savings Account (IRA):
This IRA allows a related taxpayer to deposit up to $500 per year for each child under the age of 18. Interest earned on this type of IRA will be tax-free. In addition, withdrawals from an Education IRA will be tax-free as long as the withdrawals are used for educational expenses. The maximum contribution to an Education IRA is reduced on a pro-rata basis for single taxpayers with income of $95,000 - $110,000 and joint taxpayers with income of $150,000-$160,000. Above the maximum income level, the allowed contribution is zero.
EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer):
The process whereby your bank sends the loan proceeds electronically to your school, if the school participates in this program.
Eligible Citizen:
A United States citizen, U.S. national, or resident of certain U.S. territories who qualifies to borrow under the FFEL programs.
Eligible Non-Citizen:
A permanent resident of the United States who is able to present evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that he or she is in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident.
Estimated Family Contribution:
The EFC is an index computed from a number of data elements on your FAFSA. It is used to determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid. Although you can think of it as what the federal government has determined you and your family can contribute to the cost of your education, it is not necessarily what you have in a bank account, nor is it a balance you owe the university. You can obtain a low-cost Unsubsidized Stafford loan (one that is not based on financial need), even with a high EFC.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a standard federal form used to determine your eligibility for most types of financial aid including Federal Government backed loans. The FAFSA is typically completed early in the year and it requires income, asset, and tax information from the students and/or parents. You will need the school code for UAS, 001065.
Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program:
A loan program authorized by the Federal Government in the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. This program includes Federal Stafford, PLUS and Consolidation Loans. These loans are funded by lenders, guaranteed by guaranty agencies and ultimately insured by the Federal Government.
Federal Work Study
Federal Work Study is part-time employment that is considered a part of your financial aid package. It's a great way to keep your loans down. In order to qualify for Federal Work Study, indicate your interest on the FAFSA (or Free Application for Federal Student Aid - you'll need to know the UAS School Code, 001065). The amount of wages you are eligible to receive is a function of your costs of attendance less all of your other financial aid. Currently, Federal Work Study positions are available only at the Juneau campus. Any student employment position there can qualify as Federal Work Study. Apply for a position, and when you are hired, inform the Financial Aid Office so we can incorporate your position as a part of your financial aid.
In addition, as part of the America Reads Challenge, we have a number of reading tutor and math tutor positions available at the local elementary schools and family literacy center - this is an excellent opportunity to gain experience teaching and to help a child learn necessary skills. Contact the Financial Aid Office for details.
Financial aid
Financial aid is funding used to pay for educational expenses. It can take the form of not only funding that does not have to be repaid, such as grants and scholarships, but also loans or part-time employment. If you are unable to receive money from one source, ask us about other options.
A temporary postponement of principal and interest payments during which the borrower may only pay the interest on the loan. If the borrower chooses not to pay the interest, it will be capitalized at the end of the period.
Financial Aid Package:
The total amount of monetary assistance available to the student including all grants, scholarships, work-study and loans available from school, state and federal and alternative programs, as listed in a college's financial aid award letter.
Financial Need (or Need-based Aid Eligibility):
The difference between the total cost of attendance and the Expected Family Contribution.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG):
Government grants distributed by colleges, at their discretion, to students based on need. At UAS, FSEOG grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to those students demonstrating the greatest financial need.
Good through Date for Payoff:
The date your payoff amount should arrive at the lender or servicing agent.
Grace Period:
An amount of time allowed before principal repayment of a loan must begin after a student graduates, leaves school or drops below half-time status. No payments on your student loans are required during this time. Details of your grace period are specified in your promissory note and are not available for all loans. For federal and state loans, the grace period is 6 months.
A form of financial aid, similar to scholarships, that do not have to be repaid.
Gross Income:
Your income before taxes and deductions.
Guaranty Agency:
A state or non-profit organization, which has an agreement with the Secretary of Education under the Higher Education Act to insure student loans made by lenders.
HOPE Scholarship Tax Credit:
This tax credit is available to those taxpayers who are paying education expenses for students enrolled in their first two years of college. The Hope Tax Credit is available for up to 100% of the first $1,000 of qualified tuition and related expenses (i.e. tuition and fees, but not room and board and books) and 50% of the second $1,000. The Hope Scholarship Tax Credit is for expenses paid after December 31, 1997. It will be reduced on a pro-rata basis for those who file a single tax return with incomes of $40,000-$50,000 and for those who file joint tax returns with incomes of $80,000-$100,000. (Single return tax filers with incomes of $50,000 and joint return tax filers with incomes of $100,000 and above will not be eligible for a deduction.) The Hope Scholarship Tax Credit is part of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.
The fee charged to borrow money, usually a percent of the outstanding amount, which accrues and is paid over the life of a loan.
Late Fee:
An administrative charge that a lender may assess if a student loan payment is not received within 15 days after its due date.
Lifetime Learning Tax Credit:
The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit is available to people beyond the first two years of undergraduate studies, graduate students or working U.S. citizens taking classes to improve or upgrade their job skills. It can be used for qualified tuition and related expenses (i.e. tuition and fees, but not room and board and books) paid by the taxpayers. The tax credit equals 20% of the first $5,000 of expenses paid by the taxpayer after June 30, 1998 through December 31, 2002 and 20% of the first $10,000 after January 1, 2003. The tax credits are reduced on a pro-rata basis for single return tax files with incomes of $40,000 - $50,000 and for joint return tax filers with incomes of $80,000 - $100,000. (Single return tax filers with incomes of $50,000 and joint return tax filers with incomes of $100,000 and above will not be eligible for a deduction.) The Lifetime Learning Credit is part of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.
A sum of money borrowed (principal) usually for a specific reason (e.g., to obtain an education, buy a car, etc.). The entity lending the money (e.g. a bank) usually charges interest for use of the money. The amount of money borrowed is typically repaid with interest over a period of time.
Master Promissory Note (MPN):
Master Promissory Note refers to the revised promissory note which the Department of Education has authorized to be used with Stafford loans beginning 7/1/1999. It allows lenders to use a single MPN instead of requiring borrowers to sign a new promissory note for additional advances.
Multiple Disbursements:
Loan proceeds that are paid in more than one check or electronic transaction. For example, a portion of a loan may go towards the first semester of school and the balance for the second semester.
Origination Fee:
A sum charged by the Federal Government on FFEL loans to offset the cost of processing the loan. The amount of the fee is deducted from the dollar amount of your loan by the lender and paid to the U.S. Department of Education.
Payment Schedule:
A summary of the terms of a loan, which includes the total principal amount, the date payment begins and the interest rate.
Payoff Balance:
This is the total amount you would owe if you were to pay off your entire loan. It includes the outstanding principal plus any unpaid accrued interest.
Pell Grants:
One of the largest sources of grants, Pell Grants are distributed by the Federal Government and are designed to help students with financial need pay for college.
PLUS (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students):
These are loans under the FFEL program for parents of dependent undergraduate students. They require a credit check. The interest rate is low and repayment begins 60 days after disbursement.
The dollar amount of the loan that must be repaid upon maturity, and upon which interest will be charged.
Principal Balance:
The outstanding amount you owe, excluding accrued but unpaid interest.
Promissory Note:
The binding document a borrower signs to obtain a loan. The note includes all the terms and conditions of the loan and the borrower's promise to repay the loan with interest.
Repayment Period:
This is the amount of time during which you repay the money borrowed plus interest.
529 College Savings Plans:
A 529 College Savings Plan is a state-sponsored program designed to help families save for a child's college education while offering tax benefits, flexibility, and a broad range of investment options. For more information and resources on 529 College Savings Plans, see Saving For College and the University of Alaska Savings Plan.
Scholarships, like grants, are a form of financial aid that do not have to be repaid. These are available from many sources including community groups, schools and private corporations. Scholarships can be awarded based on a variety of criteria including scholastic achievement, hobbies and college majors.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a seven-section, three-hour exam that is administered seven times a year. Three of the sections are verbal, three are math, and one is experimental. The experimental section can be either verbal or math. It is used by the test-makers for research purposes only and will not count toward your final score.
Stafford Loan:
Loans under the FFEL program awarded on the basis of financial need. They may be subsidized or unsubsidized. These loans can be made from a bank, credit union or other eligible lender or obtained directly from the government under the Federal Direct Lending Program.
Indicates the condition of your student loan. Examples would include "in school" (i.e., you are deferring payments because you are in school) and "repayment."
Student Aid Report (SAR):
A report sent to a student by the government 4-6 weeks after submitting a FAFSA. The report informs the student of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and the financial aid for which the student is eligible. College financial aid offices use the report information to build a financial aid package for a student.
Student Loan Interest Deduction:
Eligible taxpayers may deduct on their federal income tax return the amount of interest they have paid during the tax year on any qualified education loan for the period of time as defined by law. The deduction applies to interest paid after December 31, 1997 and is phased out for single taxpayers with incomes of $40,000-$55,000 and for joint taxpayers with incomes of $60,000-$75,000. Single return tax filers with incomes of $55,000 and joint return tax filers with incomes of $75,000 and above will not be eligible for a deduction. (Qualified education expenses generally include tuition, fees, room and board.) The Student Loan Interest Deduction is part of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.
Subsidized Loan:
Loans on which the government pays the interest for a student while enrolled in school at least half-time and during periods of grace and deferment (i.e. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan).
91-day T-Bill:
Refers to the auction rate determined for 91-day Treasury Bills by the public auction held by the United States Treasury Department. The interest rates for Stafford and PLUS loans are tied to the auction rates held at certain times of the year. The rate(s) can be obtained from the Treasury Department, but is also available in many newspapers including The Wall Street Journal.
Unsubsidized Loan:
A loan on which the borrower is always responsible for paying the interest while in-school and during deferment, forbearance and grace periods. (i.e. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan or Federal PLUS Loan).
Variable Interest:
Interest rates that change periodically (e.g. quarterly, annually etc.). The interest rates for Federal Stafford and PLUS Loans are set by the government each year and change annually on the first of July. CitiAssist Loan rates change quarterly.
See Federal Work Study.
This is an IRS form which taxpayers use to certify that loans meet the definition of qualifying education debt and which allows lenders to report to the IRS the amount of interest paid on student loans as interest which qualifies for possible


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Tag Teamin: Somaya Reece & Joe Budden Takin Shots At Tila Tequila! "Tila's Vagina Is What Made Fabolous's Teeth The Condition They Are In" + Locking Lips Together Live On The Tour Bus!
Joe Budden & Somaya Reece canoodling
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Writing good message is hard work.
As I wrote in my book (with Duffy Robbins), Speaking To Teenagers, I believe that the craft of writing impactful messages is a very difficult task. There's so many moving parts: the right word choices, the content, and the illustrations all work together to create something that people want to listen to and will move them toward life-change.
All good communicators want life-change!
But, it's so difficult… especially to do it well week after week.
While I'm working on a message I'm always thinking about how to allow my content to "breath" a little so my audience stays with me. I try to give my audience enough space to listen so they feel like they're in a conversation rather than a lecture. I'm constantly thinking illustrate, show rather than tell, relieve the tension, surprise them, drop a laugh-line, grab their attention, etc…
Because I take this craft very serious, I have gathered some friends along the way whom I will occasionally "run things by" so they'll read my message (or a portion of my message) and give me feedback.
One of these guys is Brian Bird. Brian was one of my youth ministry volunteers for many years and the dad of several kids who went through our youth group. In addition to being an amazing man, he's got a cool job. He's a writer. He writes TV shows, movies, etc… He was the executive producer for Touched By An Angel and wrote on sitcoms for many years prior to that. He's the real deal, and he's on my informal "communication team."
Last weekend I was preparing to teach at Mariners Church and I sent out a "help" email to a few buddies to get some help with word-choice. Every time this happens I get a new education of communication.
Tomorrow, in Part 2, I'll show you the string of emails that took place between Brian and I and all that I learned. I think it will be helpful for those who communicate on a regular basis and have a desire to improve.
Part 2: coming tomorrow.
Question: Do you have a communication team? If so, how do they help you? Share here.
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Racquetball Coaching Staff
Danny RodriguezHead Coach
Start Date: 8-1-11
Professional Experience
DANIEL R RODRIGUEZ Department of the Army Civilian – Retired Home Phone: 434-332-4980 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
I was employed by the Federal Government, Department of the Army, from January 27, 1974 till my retirement in June 2005. My primary experience was in Information Technology working on various Operating Systems and the assembly and installation of hardware and networking systems. I instructed military personnel with on the job experience and wide-ranging education in information technology, particularly in DOD Operating Systems. I participated in extensive public speaking engagements in both technical and general management topics. Primary support was on Army tactical equipment used by soldiers in the field of operations, around the world. Supported tactical hardware and operating systems remotely or onsite as required.
Volunteer Activities
While living in Northern Virginia, on January 15 1983, I was assigned the duties of Racquetball Professional for Courts Royal Merrifield. My duties included setting up challenge courts, challenge ladders, in-house tournaments, traveling teams, and providing racquetball clinics. My duties also include providing racquetball clinics at other Courts Royal racquetball facilities throughout Northern Virginia and Maryland.
As a retired individual I have been able to provide volunteer work at the Central Virginia YMCA in Lynchburg, VA. My work has been centered on enhancing the racquetball program. Such activities include setting up the racquetball challenge courts six days a week, organizing the YMCA traveling team which went undefeated in 2010 and 2011, coordinating the racquetball mini-camp taught by the Racquetball Legend Rueben Gonzalez, setting up the YMCA challenge ladder for women and men in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, and being the Tournament Director for the "2nd Annual, 3rd Annual, and 4th Annual YMCA James River Open".
Racquetball Qualifications
April 2010 Elected Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia Racquetball Association April 2011 Elected President of the Commonwealth of Virginia Racquetball Association April 2011 Certified as Racquetball Referee (1 of only nine in the state of Virginia) May 2011 Certified as an "Instructor" by "The American Professional Racquetball Association" May 2011 Ektelon National Singles Racquetball Championships Finished 3rd in 60+A age division June 2011 Team Head USA notified me that I was recommended and accepted as a sponsored player. May 2012 Certified as an "Instructor" by "The United States Racquetball Association Instructors Program" May 2012 Ektelon National Singles Racquetball Championships Finished 3rd in 60+A age division
August 2011 – May 2012 Coached the Liberty University Racquetball team June 2012 Team Head USA renewed my status as a sponsored player


text:
The National Archives is canceling reservations for late afternoon and evening tours due to automatic federal budget cuts taking effect.
Starting Friday, visitors who reserved timed entry tickets for later than 4:45 p.m. will have to reschedule. Some visitors made advanced reservations through the website Recreation.gov and can reschedule on the site.
Officials announced this week that operating hours at the archives would be reduced because of the budget cuts.
The archives usually offers extended hours between March 15 and Labor Day to accommodate crowds during Washington's tourism season. Exhibits were kept open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Now those extended hours are being eliminated. Exhibits will be open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Archives research rooms in Washington and in College Park, Md., also will have reduced hours.


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South African Journal of Education
On-line version ISSN 2076-3433
Print version ISSN 0256-0100
S. Afr. j. educ. vol.28 n.3 Pretoria Aug. 2008
Support services perceived necessary for learner relationships by Limpopo educators
Samuel MashauI, Es SteynII; Johannes van der WaltIII; Charl WolhuterIV
IEducator at Tshivhase Secondary School in Limpopo province. He started his teaching career in 1989 and was acting Principal at Mpfariseni Secondary School from 1990 to 1992
IIManager: Quality in the Institutional Quality Office of the North-West University. She was previously, until August 2006, a lecturer in the Department of Comparative Education at the university and her research has focused on comparative education
IIIEmeritus Dean of the Faculty of Education of the former Potchefstroom University. He is currently Specialist Researcher in the Faculty of Education Sciences (Potchefstroom Campus), at the North-West University. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
IVProfessor of Comparative Education at North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. His wide lecturing experience has been in history of education and comparative education. His research focuses on history of education and comparative education. E-mail: email@example.com
After more than a decade of democracy, based on rule of law and human rights in South Africa, some parts of the education system are still lagging far behind others. Following reports that the provincial departments of education are neglecting schools, especially in the far-flung rural areas of the country, a survey was undertaken on the core pedagogical function of educators. The survey focused on their perceptions of the need for creating and improving their relationships with their learners and the availability of support services to help them improve these relationships. A questionnaire was submitted to a sample of relatively experienced school managers and educators in Limpopo province. Most respondents felt the need to establish and improve such relationships, but a relatively large percentage also perceived such support services to be either non-existent or unavailable to them.
The South African education system emerged in 1994 after a national history of three centuries of political fragmentation. Sixteen different geographically and ethnically based departments of education were merged into one system shortly after the advent of democracy in 1994. One of the most challenging tasks was to bring the education systems of the former semi-independent black 'national states' or 'homelands' (Bantustans) into the national fold.
These historically disadvantaged areas tend to lag behind the previously more advantaged areas. Matomela (2006:10) reports that in some cases learners still walk as far as 20 km to school and have to bring their own water. Among the teacher unions there is a general impression that the provincial departments of education are neglecting these schools. The departments of education supply little transport for the learners, they do not train members of governing bodies (Maluleka, 2008) for their tasks, the feeding schemes are inadequate or inconsistent, and the lack of infrastructure (such as electricity and new textbooks) at schools does not receive adequate attention. Renovation programmes are far behind schedule (Mbeki, 2006:5). Special efforts by the provincial departments are required because of the abject poverty still prevalent in the rural areas (Mbeki, 2006:5).
Conceptual framework and literature survey
Two key concepts in this research were 'education support services' and 'teachers' relationships with their learners'. What follows is a clarification of these two concepts and a brief discussion of the relation between them and the education system. The state of education support services in South Africa, and the lack of published research on this important component of the South African education system, will also be touched upon.
According to Steyn (1997:68; 99), support services are specialized functions that are not typically educational themselves, but are aimed at improving teaching and learning in a particular education system. The compilers of the National Education Policy Investigation (NEPI,1993:221) contended that support services in education covered all areas of difficulty experienced by those involved in the general education system (Mashau, 2000). According to Van Schalkwyk (1995:20), support services are organized in a system to help individual schools so that their education can be more effective. In Lazarus's (1997:2) opinion, education support services include all human and other resources that provide support to individual learners as well as to other aspects of the education system. While these services attempt to minimize and remove learning and development barriers, they also focus on the prevention of such barriers and on the development of a supporting learning environment for learners.
Taking all of the above into consideration, Steyn, Steyn, De Waal and Wolhuter (2002:106) concluded that "education support services (are services) aimed at achieving effective teaching and learning". The latest available definition (Steyn & Wolhuter, 2008:8), that "support services can be defined as the specialized non-educational services needed to improve the quality and effectiveness of educational activities" does not differ substantially from the previous definitions cited above. In this article the latter will be accepted as a working definition. According to Steyn and Wolhuter (2008:8-9), the support services differ from one education system to another according to the needs at a specific time and situation. Support services are of the following types:
Support services to the educator: these include those non-educational services required to optimize the work of the educator and to help him/ her solve problems that could impede his/her effectiveness as teacher/ educator. The following are typical examples: subject advisory and professional services, educator research services, communication services and teacher associations.
Support services to the learners: these include those non-educational services required to assist the learner to maximally gain from the available teaching and learning activities. The following are typical examples: school psychological services, school social work services, remedial/ special education services, career counselling services, school transport services, school feeding schemes, medical and dentistry services, and accommodation services.
Support services to the teaching activities and structures: these are non-educational services required to assist the provision of effective education. The following are typical examples: education media services and examination services.
According to the Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), as well as a White Paper on Education and Training (RSA, 1995:40) (a policy document that preceded the promulgation of the National Education Policy Act of 1996), education and training are basic human rights. The National Education Policy Act (Act 27 of 1996) states that the Minister of Education may determine national policy for education, including policy for the provision of support services in areas such as health, welfare, career and vocational development, and counseling and guidance. The different provincial departments of education should provide these services to learners and educators in order to ensure effective education and training as fulfilment of the basic human rights requirement.
The Department of Education's Policy of Whole-School Evaluation provided a framework for the provision of support services. On 26 July 2001, the Minister of Education announced the Policy on Whole-School Evaluation (South Africa, 2001). The Policy is aimed at improving the overall quality of education in South African schools. Whole-school evaluation is not an end in itself, but the first step in the process of school improvement and quality enhancement. The first intent is to redress the unbalanced and inequitable distribution of education services, and secondly to develop a world-class education system suitable to meet the needs of the 21st century. Among the aims of whole-school evaluation is strengthening the support given to schools by different professional support services. The whole-school evaluation cycle includes pre-evaluation surveys/visits, school self-evaluation, detailed on-site evaluation, post-evaluation reporting and post-evaluation support. The Policy statement makes provision for provincial supervisory units (Section 3.3) which will carry out evaluations as well as district support services (Section 3.4) which will, among other things (Section 3.4.3), co-ordinate staff development programmes in response to educators' individual professional needs, the findings of whole-school evaluation, and the requirements of provincial and national policies and initiatives.
Provincial education departments drafted policies on Whole-School Development in executing the policy of whole-school evaluation. For example, Circular 25/2008 of the Gauteng Department of Education makes provision for such Institutional Planning and Development (Gauteng Department of Education, 2008). All Gauteng schools are required to draft School Development Plans, covering all aspects of the school, including teaching and learning in the classroom, curricular and extracurricular activities, management and governance, administration, community involvement, physical maintenance and development (Gauteng Department of Education, 2008). The Circular states (Section 8.1.3.) that the Institutional Development and Support Officer of the Department must continuously monitor the implementation of school development plans and provide the necessary support to principals, educators and School Governing Bodies to ensure the achievement of goals towards the delivery of quality education.
Steyn (2008:96-97) lists some of the support services provided for educators during the past decade:
A new Assessment Policy for the General Education and Training Band approved and published in November 1998. This entails an extensive campaign to familiarize educators, provincial officials and parents with the new assessment processes.
A life skills and HIV/AIDS programme, implemented at the beginning of 1998 to inform learners, educators, and parents in general on the rights as well as the responsibilities of carriers of HIV/AIDS.
The Culture of Learning and Teaching Service (COLTS), the aims of which include changing the mentality of educators who have strayed from their professional ethics and are performing below the expectations of communities.
The Foundation for Education, Science and Technology (FEST) which publishes a number of cultural and scientific journals, some of which are designed to provide support for educators in the classroom.
A general problem in South African society is the lack of connection between rhetoric and reality, i.e. between official policy and implementation or delivery (cf. Xaba, 2006). This applies no less to the field of education. Mention was made, in the introductory paragraph, of the persistent lack of support services in previously disadvantaged areas. Cognisance should also be taken of Ndou's (1999: pers.comm., primary health-care co-ordinator, Limpopo) observations, that due to a lack of resources, professional services have been minimized or even terminated in urban South African areas while they have never existed in the rural areas. This is a disturbing conclusion in view of the generally acknowledged view that teachers should be supported by a wide range of professionals in the execution of their professional duties, including their relationships with their learners (Mashau, 2000:7). Support should provide valid information and assistance for dealing with practical problems (Westling et al., 2006). In research in Scotland where more than 500 teachers from all types of schools across the country were interviewed, some of the key findings were: More than 75% of respondents stated that psychological stress at work had a knock-on effect on their physical well-being, whilst two-thirds of respondents reported personal problems which affected their work (Finlayson, 2006). In South Africa, Wolhuter and Van Staden (2008) found that stress related to learner discipline problems in schools caused 85% of educators to be sometimes or regularly unhappy in their work, sometimes or regularly caused tension in the family lives of 58% of teachers, and health problems in the case of 54% of the teachers.
In a certain sense, according to Oosthuizen (1997:72), teachers find themselves in loco parentis. This expression does not mean that they actually replace parents during school hours or that parents delegate their legal duties to the teacher, but rather that teachers should discharge their responsibilities towards the child during school hours as if they were themselves the child's parents (Potgieter, 2007:857).
The in loco parentis principle underscores several important aspects with respect to teachers' (pedagogical) relationships with their learners. Teachers should not only help the learners give meaning to their worlds and to their existence in society (Mclaren, 1994:224) but should also lead, guide, enable, unfold and equip the learner towards mature adulthood (Van Dyk, 1993:155; Van Dyk, 1997:39). They should motivate their learners (Stipek, 1988:10), help those experiencing stress (Murelema, 1999; Conley & Woosley, 2000: 180), supply occupational guidance to learners (Murelema, 1999; Lazarus, 1999:33), maintain discipline (Mabeba & Prinsloo, 2000:34; Rank, 2004:1), and promote a class atmosphere conducive to effective teaching and learning (Kruger, Oberholzer, Van Schalkwyk & Whittle, 1983:165).
We chose to focus on the provision of the services supporting these relationships because of their pedagogical significance. We concurred with Van Brummelen (1994:178) that good teachers recognize that their pedagogy profoundly affects their relationships with their learners. Good teachers build relationships that will bind their learners and themselves together in a common purpose. They take into account their knowledge of the learners' background and emotional needs, learning styles and development stages, and their relationships (Parcel, 2008:2). In other words, pedagogy involves more than processing content or going through the formal motions (such as being in the classroom or mechanically reading from a textbook).
As this project focused on support services relating to educator-learner relationships, we had to develop theory about teacher-learner relationships. There is as yet no standard view of what 'education' actually means or entails, nor has every aspect of it been empirically verified (Lagerweij & Lagerweij- Voogt, 2005:337; Van Crombrugge, 2006:12)). There are several theories about education and the educand (the person being educated), such as about the educand as needy, as essentially a spiritual being for whom adaptation to the prevailing circumstances is of secondary relevance, as a natural being to be assisted towards successful adaptation to the surroundings but (unlike an animal), also towards changing those surroundings, as a person subject to a norm- and value-horizon. All these theories (Böhm, 2005:398) share the notion of the educand as impressionable (even malleable). We preferred to use the 'participation', 'attachment relationship', and 'exemplary education' theories since, in our opinion, these did justice to the well-roundedness of both educator and educand as human beings.
Education is always two-way traffic, in which both educator and child have to search for the correct approach to the other (in terms of personality and temperament) (Ex, 2007:24). According to the participation theory, the educator has the duty of guiding the child/learner, but both of them are under way to some or other destination. To educate, says Ex (2007:59), is nothing more or less than creating the conditions that would facilitate the journey together (Van Crombrugge, 2006:13).
In Ex's (2007:24) opinion, the bond between educator and child/learner should also be 'an attachment relationship', in other words, an emotional bond. A caring and guiding relationship can pre-empt and/or alleviate stress in the child/learner. Well-attached children start life positively, they have more self-confidence, are socially more competent, better motivated, and more open to others' feelings. Good attachment with the educator influences those deep emotions that are important for establishing and maintaining intimate relations for the rest of their lives (Ex, 2007:91).
In the context of the theory of 'exemplary education', Van der Hoeven (2007:11) contends that the educator should be trained to keep an eye on developing the skills of his/her learners, and to help and motivate the learners to learn. Apart from being a master of his or her subject, the teacher should also be a pedagogue, in other words, a mature person whose example can be followed (Buys, 2007:61). Teachers require guidance, support and ongoing information for understanding the role of setting an example to learners with moral or other problems.
Most teachers also require specific training and a constant supply of information about the primary functions of their occupation, such as teaching itself (creating a positive classroom climate, the value and means of positive disciplining, education in the broader sense of the word, planning, assessment and remedial work) (Böhm, 2005:398). Lessing and Dreyer (2007:120) furthermore contend that co-operation and enthusiasm will contribute to more disciplined behaviour in learners, and to their quality of teaching as well as of the attitudes and emotions of all involved. Teachers who focus on positive communication and interaction with the learners are more able to handle learners with problem behaviour, and therefore experience less disciplinary problems. This theory about educator-learner relationships is reflected in the second column of Tables 1 and 2.
Support services are, according to Steyn and Wolhuter (2008), one of the four basic components of any education system the other three being education policy, administrative and organizational structure, and teaching structure, i.e. educational levels, educational institutions, curricula, methods, educators, learners, medium of instruction, examinations, and physical facilities. Research on post-1994 education in South Africa has concentrated up to now on these other three components (policy analysis, curriculum studies, etc.) leaving no less important support services as an un-researched field. We worked on the premise that the availability of education support services is a sine qua non for the establishment and maintenance of sound, quality, educational relationships between educator and learner. For example, when stress is found to hamper educators in establishing good relationships with their learners, the educators need psychological support.
Given the indications of the inadequate provision of education support services, especially in historically disadvantaged areas/schools, and the fact that support services are a largely un-researched component of the South African education system, given the importance of education relationships between educators and learners, and given the relation between the provision of education support services and educatorlearner relationships, we decided to investigate the provision of those education support services that provide an underpinning for the establishment and maintenance of sound educator learner relationships in Limpopo province, as a representative case of a historically disadvantaged area in South Africa.
We assumed that on the strength of their historical weight, the participants in the research being professionals, credibility could be given to their perceptions in this regard. The term 'perception' was taken to mean 'to come to comprehend or grasp' (Sinclair, 1999:1097), and 'to understand or think about something in a particular way' (Wehmeier, 2002:863).
Research problem
The following problem was investigated:
Which support services, according to the perceptions of educators, are needed in the historically disadvantaged Limpopo province to improve learnereducator relationships?
This problem statement narrowed the field to only one aspect of the 'support services complex' as discussed by Mashau (2000), namely, to those support services that would enhance the pedagogical quality of the relationships of the educators with their learners. Such support services would include the life skills and HIV/AIDS programme, the support services provided in accordance with the new assessment policy and with the whole-school development policy, the COLTS and the FEST programmes.
Delimitation of geographical area
It was mentioned above that, while there are indications of a general inadequate supply of education support services in South Africa, it is the historically disadvantaged areas that suffer most. Since the education system, according to Smith (1982:73) and Steyn (1997:14), should have the capacity to meet the requirements of the target group in a specific territory, attention was prioritized to these disadvantaged areas, i.e. the former homeland and far-flung rural areas.
The Limpopo rovince in northern South Africa, which now includes the former Venda and Leboa homelands, as well as a previous white area, was selected. The province covers an area of 123,910 km2 and has a population of approximately five million. The province comprises poor communities and schools that are inadequately resourced (Lazarus, 1997:13), which in turn leads to high school-dropout levels, unemployment, alienation, and a psychology of defiance (McGurk, 1997:19; Simango, 2006). According to the latest available statistics, the educatorlearner ratio in schools in the Limpopo Province is 35.3:1, compared with a national average of 33.6:1 and a ratio of 29.8:1 in the Free State province (Department of Education, 205:15). In 2004 only 0.6% of matric learners who passed, passed with distinction, compared with a national average of 2.8%, and 6.6% in the Western Cape (Department of Education, 2005:23).
Research design
Aim of empirical instrument.
The aim in this investigation was to gather information regarding the perceived (by the participants) need and availability of education support services that would enhance teachers' pedagogical relationships with their learners.
Measuring instrument
A self-constructed questionnaire was administered. Interviews with all the participants in the sample would not have been feasible, given the geographical size of the province and the difficulties in arranging interviews.
The questionnaire consisted of two parts. In Part A, respondents were requested to furnish biographical information about the school and themselves (location of the school: urban, rural, farm; status of the school: public or independent; gender of the respondent; and years of experience as principal/deputy/head of department/teacher). This information was obtained in order to gain an impression of (a) the experience of respondents, i.e. their historical weight, and (b) the location of the schools.
Part B contained seven items pertaining to the relationship between educator and learner. The items in this part took the form of a four-point Likert scale where respondents could respond with:
1. No need for the service at all;
2. The service is needed to a lesser extent;
3. The service is needed to a fairly great extent; or
4. The service is definitely needed.
They could also respond with 'yes, the particular service is available' or 'no, the support service is not available' with respect to each of the seven items.
A combination of what McMillan and Schumacher (2001:178-179) regard as purposeful, quota and random sampling was used. The Limpopo province was purposefully selected for reasons supplied above. From each of the six departmental regions making up the Limpopo province, a quota of 10 schools was selected randomly (n = 60). In each of the selected schools, the principal, the deputy, and a randomly selected educator or head of department were selected (n = 180). The sample included 60 principals, 58 deputies, and 62 teachers. Because one of the researchers visited the schools by appointment and administered the questionnaires personally, a 100% return was achieved. This method was combined with interviews in order to gain deeper insight into problems respondents were experiencing in their relationships with learners.
Validity and reliability
Construct validity was ensured by having three of the researchers intersubjectively involved in the construction of the questionnaire (Jaeger, 1988: 326), and by means of a pilot study. The pilot study entailed submission of the questionnaire to five experienced school principals for their comments. This study helped to test the instrument for feasibility, semantic problems, and stability, and thereby increased its agreement reliability (McMillan & Schumacher, 2001:247).
Because of the sampling technique used, the findings could be substantively generalized, because the researchers were confident that they had met the criteria for this form of generalization (as formulated in Jaeger, 1988:326).
Processing of data
That Statistical Consultation Services of the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, processed the data. This process yielded the frequencies and percentages required for the purposes of reporting.
Biographical data of schools and respondents
Most of the questionnaires (135; 75%) were completed by respondents attached to schools in rural areas.
No principal had fewer than 5 years' experience, 27 (45%) had between 6 and 10 years experience, 14 (23.3%) had between 16 and 20 years, and 4 (6.6%) had 21 or more years' experience. Four (6.6%) did not report their experience.
None of the deputy principals or heads of department had less than 5 years experience, 34 (58.6%) had between 6 and 10 years' experience, and 24 (41.4%) had between 11 and 16 years' experience.
There were 8 (12.9%) teachers with less than 5 years' experience, 16 (25.8%) with between 6 and 10 years' experience, 11 (17.7%) with between 16 and 20 years' experience, and 12 (19.4%) with longer experience.
The relationship between the educator and the learner
Table 1 summarizes the finding on whether the respondents perceived the different relationships between the teacher (educator) and his/her learner to be needed.
The overwhelming majority of respondents perceived the seven educator learner relationships to be essential.
The availability of the relevant support services
Table 2 presents the participants' perceptions as to the availability of support services necessary for the maintenance of the various educatorlearner relationships.
Most respondents perceived the support services required for good educatorlearner relationships to be present at or available to the schools in which they worked. Although incidences of perceived unavailability of services were higher than one would expect, the high incidence of the perceived unavailability of support services for helping learners with stress was conspicuous.
Although a random sample was taken of schools in the six Limpopo education department regions, by far the greatest majority of the schools in the sample were found to be situated in rural areas. This confirmed our surmise that most of the schools in the province were in rural areas, and hence probably neglected.
As a group, the respondents were relatively well experienced. Despite poor working conditions (in terms of under-resourced schools), the majority persevered; few had less than five years' experience. This was an indication of their tenacity and their commitment to the profession. It was also an indication of the 'historical weight' of the group: their views (perceptions) were probably credible.
As could be expected from educators with this level of practical experience, most of them thought that the seven facets of the relationship between an educator and his/her learners were important. What was disturbing from a pedagogical point of view, was that between approximately 4% and 7% of the respondents perceived the pedagogical relationships mentioned in the seven items to be 'not needed' or 'needed to a lesser extent'.
One possible explanation for this is inadequate initial teacher education as well as little in-service feedback from their superiors, including the Department of Education. Because teachers received inadequate support with respect to the discharge of their pedagogical duties in terms of these seven items (see Table 2), they may have begun to feel that even these relationships had lost value and significance.
Learners cannot learn effectively from a teacher (educator) who does not value a positive pedagogical relationship with them. During interviews about this and other problems with some of the respondents, it emerged that some school managers indeed ran their schools as 'closed units' with very little input from the learners or from other parties.
Although by far the majority of the respondents indicated that information regarding educators' responsibilities was indeed needed (Table 1), it seems that, in the case of nearly a third of the respondents, such information was perceived not to be available to them (Table 2). Interviews with respondents revealed that, in some cases, they indeed had access to such information but failed to make use of it. They could also have made use of their initial teacher-training textbooks and sought access to regular communications from the Department (unless great distances or inadequate postal services made the delivery of documentation, e.g. circulars, impossible).
Although the majority of the respondents felt the need for educators to be competent in looking after the welfare of the learners (Table 1, Item 3), nearly a third of them perceived that the support services required to maintain such a relationship were not available at/to their schools. This finding revealed that a minute percentage (1.7% of all respondents Table 1) did not have insight into the in loco parentis position of the teacher. Table 2 (Item 3) revealed that information and support with the purpose of helping teachers (educators) in this regard, were perceived by a third of respondents not to be available in and to the school.
The same applied to the need for motivating learners to achieve better at their tasks (Table 1). In this case, some respondents also perceived that the necessary support services were not available in their schools (Table 2). Teachers learn about motivating learners during their initial training but they need updated information and support about this important facet of their work. The fact, that some teachers did not seem to have access to this information and support services, can be ascribed to failure on their part to acquire the necessary documentation and services, inter alia by merely consulting their advisors.
As far as helping learners suffering from stress is concerned, the majority of the respondents reacted favourably because they thought that it was required from an educator (teacher) to be able to assist (Table 1). The fact that 5.6% of the respondents perceived that there was no support in helping learners with stress (Table 2) could be ascribed either to the fact that none of their learners ever experienced stress or that they were not competent enough to detect signs of stress in their learners. In the deep rural areas of Limpopo province there were hardly any schools with professional counsellors attached to the staff. This could be seen in the fact that 59.4% of the respondents perceived that support services of this nature were non-existent in their school(s).
Much the same can be concluded with respect to the task of giving occupational guidance to the learners. In this case, however, they could hardly argue that learners did not need any occupational guidance, as 4% of the respondents' indicated (Table 1). A disturbing fact was that a large percentage of them (36.1%) perceived support services in respect of providing such guidance not to be available to their school(s).
In the case of the maintenance of discipline, one could argue that 7.3% of the respondents (Table 1) saw no or little need for the maintenance of discipline in their schools because they had actually experienced no or few disciplinary problems. It is also possible, however, that they thought the behaviour of their learners was 'normal'. The fact, that 21.1% of the respondents thought that support services with regard to the maintenance of discipline were not available in their schools, was intriguing. It subsequently emerged during interviews that senior teachers in the school could or did not give support with respect to this, and that novice teachers coming from training institutions (universities) where they had received training in maintaining discipline could not impart any of their knowledge to the older hands.
Table 1 reveals a reasonably favourable picture. Only a relatively small percentage of teachers perceived the different aspects of relationships between teachers (educators) and their learners to be of no or little need. Table 2 paints a bleaker picture. The perceived unavailability of the support services to help the teacher cope with the requirements of the different pedagogical relationships between teacher (educator) and learner is a serious obstacle in the way of effective education.
This survey revealed that Limpopo province is still a relatively backward rural area. Apart from only one relatively small city, its inhabitants live in smallish towns and far-flung rural areas. The random selection of schools from the six regions of the province yielded 75% rural schools. This fact alone poses a great challenge to the provincial department of education as the primary supplier of support services. The focus of this survey, viz. the perceived need among educators for certain pedagogical relationships between themselves and their learners and the perceived (non-)availability of the relevant support services to them, is vital to the professional work done in the schools. This survey supplied evidence that in this province of South Africa not everything is as it should be with respect to this core work.
Provincial departments of education should provide in the needs of their educators by supplying, among other things, better-equipped libraries and media services, also in the deep rural areas. Subject advice and refresher courses, with the purpose, inter alia, of showing teachers how to create and maintain pedagogical relationships with their learners, how to understand the in loco parentis status of the teacher and the (legal) responsibilities attached to this status, should form part of the service. In-service teacher training will also help teachers cope with learner stress. Schools should be provided with more and better administrative services, such as more, and more efficient, offices with capable officials who can respond professionally to telephone queries and supply the required information and pedagogical support.
The survey revealed that a relatively small percentage of teachers (educators) in a largely rural province of South Africa perceived certain indispensable pedagogical relationships not to be needed. Even more disturbing, after more than a decade of democratic rule in South Africa, is the fact that a relatively larger percentage of the respondents still perceived the support services that should help them create and maintain these relationships with their learners to be non-existent or unavailable. This problem should be urgently addressed in view of its relevance to the core business of schools and educators.
Böhm W 2005. Wörterbuch der Pädagogik (Dictionary of Education.) Stuttgart: Kröner Verlag. [ Links ]
Buys A 2007. Samen sorg ons voor een nieuwe generatie. (Together we provide a new generation.) In: Van Tongeren P & Pasman-de Roo K. Venlo: Valkhof. [ Links ]
Conley S & Woosley SA 2000. Teacher role stress, higher order needs and work outcomes. Journal of education administration, 38:179-201. [ Links ]
Department of Education 2005. Education Statistics in South Africa at a Glance. Pretoria: Department of Education. [ Links ]
Ex C 2007. Opvoeden, wat kun je? (Education, what can it achieve?). Amsterdam: Wereldbibliotheek. [ Links ]
Finlayson M 2006. Teacher stress in Scotland. Available at http://www.EBSCOHost.com Full display. Accessed 10 May 2006. [ Links ]
Gauteng Department of Education 2008. Circular 25/2008. Institutional Planning and Reporting. Johannesburg: Gauteng Department of Education. Available at www.education.gpg.gov.za . Accessed 18 April 2008. [ Links ]
Jaeger RM 1988. Complementary Methods for Research in Education. Washington: American Educational Research Association. [ Links ]
Kruger MM, Oberholzer CK, Van Schalkwyk OJ & Whittle EP 1983. Preparing to teach. Part 1. Kenwyn: Juta. [ Links ]
Lagerweij N & Lagerweij-Voogt J 2005. Anders kijken. (Looking differently at education.) Antwerpen: Garant. [ Links ]
Lazarus S 1997. Report of the NCSNET and NCESS. Pretoria: Government Printer. [ Links ]
Lessing AC & Dreyer J 2007. Every teacher's dream: discipline is no longer a problem in South African schools! In: Oosthuizen IJ, Rossouw JP, Russo CJ, Van der Walt JL & Wolhuter CC 2007. Perspectives on learner conduct. Potchefstroom: North-West University. [ Links ]
Mabeba MZ & Prinsloo E 2000. Perceptions of discipline and ensuring of discipline problems in secondary education. South African Journal of Education, 20:34-41. [ Links ]
Maluleka JS 2008. The Capacity of School Governing Bodies in Rural Schools of the Moretele District of the Nkangala Region. MEd dissertation. Pretoria: University of South Africa. [ Links ]
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Xaba M 2006. The difficulty of school development planning. South African Journal of Education, 26:15-26. [ Links ]


text: Lifetrainings is about freedom, expression and life in its most undiluted form. Anando and Shunyo's workshops are about potential, and the nourishment we all long for. And are designed to reveal what many of us, in this civilised, cultivated, cerebral world, seem to have forgotten. How to really live and love life.


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hey guys,
i just finished this challenge ( and it was kinda fun ;D ).
I used python for everything ( with xml.dom for xml parsing and cairo for the drawing part + a small class i wrote for login/downloading file/sending result )
But in the end i had to look at the picture and manualy enter all the letters so i was wondering if any of you guys did this with OCR (or something) and automated this last part too ?
Any ideas are appreciated
P.S. PM is nice too, wouldn't wanna spoil the fun for all the others


text:
Willard Student Crime Sparks Community Meeting
Last Thursday, the LeConte Neighborhood Association held a meeting together with the Berkeley Police Department and Willard Middle School Safety Officer Andre Kellum to discuss the issue of after-school student vandalism.
Neighbors estimate 10 to 15 incidents of vandalism in the streets surrounding Willard school over the past few months, including smashed windows, knocked-over trash cans and signs, damage to homes, and other behavior problems among students on their way home from school.
However, Berkeley Police Department Community Services Local Area Coordinator Stephen Burcham says very few cases have been reported to police.
"In response to the meeting, we have asked the beat officers to be there around the neighborhood after school to monitor the students," said Burcham.
Neighbor and Berkeley Planning Commissioner Patti Dacey said that officers and neighbors held a discussion about streets that students have been targeting.
"People talked about how students first targeted Stuart," said Dacey. "Now because the residents of Stuart started watching the students, they have been moving to Russell Street. Students are dancing on cars and denting them. So the police have told residents on Russell to keep an eye out and start taking pictures of kids so that vandalism will cease on that street as well."
Karl Reeh, president of the neighborhood association, said communication between the neighbors and the school has been helpful.
"We have talked to the principal, the vice principal, and the safety officers," said Reeh. "The safety officer has been helpful in identifying the kids who commit these crimes."
Attempts to contact Willard Safety Officer Kellum for this story were unsuccessful.
"I think that everyone in the neighborhood has been affected by the crime of Willard students," said Dacey. "I was threatened by a bunch of kids who I was watching, because I thought they were doing vandalism. So they came up to me and yelled at me. In addition, my neighbor was picking up her kids at Stuart and Telegraph one day. When she came back, her window was smashed, probably by Willard students."
Robert Itherburn, principal at the middle school, said that the actions of certain students in the neighborhood are unacceptable.
"I think that it is appalling," said Principal Itherburn. "We have been in contact with the neighbors and asked them to take pictures of the students when possible. When we can identify the students, that is great. We have a large number of students who walk home, so unless we have specific names, we can't do much."
Kriss Worthington, who represents the Willard neighborhood on the Berkeley City Council, told the Daily Planet that the city is watching the discussion and wants to be part of the solution.
"We want to pay attention to these issues and make sure that the city uses our resources effectively," said Worthington.
Reeh said the meeting was successful.
"Our main goal is to encourage individuals to report crime and go outside around three o'clock to keep an eye on kids," said Reeh. "The police have been cooperating by making rounds after school and monitoring students."


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11:25am PT by Associated Press
Katherine Jackson Testimony in AEG Wrongful Death Lawsuit to Continue Monday
LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson's mother tearfully described finding out about her son's death and testified on Friday that she had expressed concerns about his comeback concert schedule to the promoters of the shows.
Katherine Jackson said she called Randy Phillips, the CEO of AEG Live, to voice her view that her son could have done 50 shows — but not if they were spaced closely together.
"He couldn't do every other night like AEG wanted him to do at first," she said.
STORY: Prince Jackson Testifies Against AEG in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Jackson also said she had called her son's manager, Tohme Tohme, to raise concerns about the This Is It schedule.
She didn't provide any additional details about the calls.
Jackson was expected to be the final witness called by her attorneys in the negligence lawsuit against AEG Live that has lasted 12 weeks. The defense case is scheduled to begin next week.
Her testimony was stopped in the early afternoon after her lawyer said she only had about three hours of sleep Thursday night and was tired.
STORY: 5 Surprising Developments in AEG Trial over Michael Jackson's Death
The decision was made by Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos after defense attorney Marvin S. Putnam asked Jackson several questions about her decision to file the case and she had difficulty understanding and recalling dates.
Palazuelos spoke with Jackson briefly before dismissing her until Monday.
Katherine Jackson has been a courtroom fixture during the civil trial, sitting in the front row as witnesses described her son's creativity and interactions with AEG Live executives.
The Jackson family matriarch sued AEG Live in 2010, claiming it failed to adequately investigate the doctor who was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving the singer an overdose of anesthetic in 2009.
AEG denies it hired the doctor or bears any responsibility for the singer's death.
STORY: Plane Flies Near AEG Live Office With Message, 'Follow the $ to Michael Jackson's Death'
Katherine Jackson also said she had heard from her other children that Michael Jackson was abusing prescription medication, but she didn't know what to believe. She said she visited him in Las Vegas a few years ago to ask him about it.
"He promised, he kept saying, 'I'm OK,'" she told the jury. "Sometimes the mothers are the last to know."
She said she told her son, "I don't want to hear on the news that you're not here anymore."
She did not say when the meeting occurred.
Under questioning by Putnam, she said it had been difficult to see and hear unflattering descriptions of her son.
"It hurts to sit here and listen to all these things," Jackson said. "To listen to how sick my son was and nobody was trying to help him."
She said an email written by Paul Gongaware, a top AEG Live executive, that described her son as lazy was especially hurtful.
"My son is not lazy. You don't get to be the biggest," she said, pausing, "by being lazy."
She broke down as she described the day her son died and learning the news from another of her son's managers, Frank Dileo.
"I just started screaming," she said, crying and clutching a tissue in one of her hands.
Jackson said her granddaughter Paris Jackson was inconsolable at the hospital and was looking skyward saying, "'I can't live without you'" and "'I'm going with you.'"
Putnam asked Katherine Jackson about her decision to sue AEG Live. She said she didn't discuss it with her children or her grandchildren before filing the lawsuit.
"This was your decision alone," Putnam said.
She said it was.
Associated email@example.com @thr


text:
Hi. I'm trying to access the file names of all the files in a folder. I am trying to use FindFirstFile to do this. However, I'm having some issues.
Currently, "Fail" will print. If I try to output the file name before the if statement, it prints jibberish. I've looked over a bunch of examples, but I can't seem to figure out what the problem is.Code:void TestFunction() { string directoryPath = "C:\\TestFolder\\"; WIN32_FIND_DATA FindFileData; HANDLE hFind = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE; hFind = FindFirstFile(directoryPath.c_str(), &FindFileData); //cout << FindFileData.cFileName << endl; if(hFind != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) { cout << FindFileData.cFileName << endl; cout << "Test" << endl; } else { cout << "Fail" << endl; } }
In this current example, I had to change my project settings to "Use Multi-Byte Character Set" instead of "Use Unicode character set". If I leave it as "Use Unicode character set", I change the following in my code:
This will also print "Fail". If I output the file name before the if statement, it outputs: 0012FC18Code:hFind = FindFirstFile(LPCWSTR(directoryPath.c_str()), &FindFileData);
Any ideas?


text:
Top Minnesota lawmakers are working to set the terms of a deal on tax cuts, new state spending and borrowing for construction that would enable them to end their session.
Democratic leaders of the House and Senate say they are closing in on a framework. On Thursday, leaders said they would commit $293 million to spending on programs, with specific details yet to be worked out.
Lawmakers are trying to determine how much of a state surplus to devote to tax breaks, possibly for homeowners and farmers. They are also weighing raises for long-term care attendants, money to fortify prison staffing and allowances for broadband access in rural areas.
The construction projects list, known as the bonding bill, is the biggest unknown. That measure is the only one requiring a supermajority for passage.


text:
The Portugieser Chronograph Edition "150 Years" Story
With a design that appears as uncluttered as it is elegant, the Portugieser Chronograph ranks among the most popular watches manufactured in Schaffhausen. In the anniversary year, this style icon is equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement from the 69000 calibre family for the first time. This model is limited to 2000 watches and features a stainless steel case, a blue dial with a lacquered finish, and rhodium-plated hands. The IWC-manufactured 69355 calibre is a robust chronograph movement in a classic column-wheel design, made up of 194 individual parts. The bidirectional pawl-winding system reliably builds up a power reserve of 46 hours. The see-through sapphire-glass back provides a view of the decorated movement.


text:
Reg4Class lets private tutors and teachers manage their students, classes, locations, schedules and finances online. Set your class prices, add students, create lesson schedules, record attendance, keep track of finance balance.
Student Management
Enter your students contact information and create their lessons schedule when you begin tutoring them. The student list page gives a quick overview of every student lessons taken and current finance balance.
Your Classes & Finance
Create various classes that you provide with their own prices. The balance sheet view is grouped by student so you can easily view your business vital stats.
Lesson Scheduling
Quickly schedule one-on-one or group lessons with your students. The finance balance will be automatically updated according to your class prices. After every lesson you can record attendance per student.
Mobile Friendly
The admin panel of our tutor scheduling software features a responsive design that means you can pleasantly check out your schedule and manage students information with your iPhone, other smartphone or tablet.


text:
99 STREET A, Walkerton, Ontario
ID#441746 | MLS# 235257 | Listed at $140,000.00
Walkerton's newest subdivision! Coming late spring 2020, in a prime residential area. Buy your lot now and pay when the services are fully completed. The Seller requires a $5,000 deposit with all offers. Seller will sell building lots separately or will build to suit. Built by d's Construction. Legal description to follow. Lot prices includes HST with the rebate going to the Seller. (id:5447)
Special Features
- Amenities Near By: Recreation, Park
- Fireplace Present: False
- Has Acreage: false
- Land Amenities: Recreation, Park
- Sewer: Municipal sewage system
- Ownership Type: Freehold
- Zoning: Residential
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