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My boys and I unbuckled our sandals and slid down a muddy bank, slipping our feet into the cool waters of Plum Creek -- Laura's Plum Creek.
Joe chased minnows. Isaac wandered into still, dark water, then suddenly stopped and lifted the hems of his shorts to examine his wet calves. Laura Ingalls, I recalled from reading her "Little House" books, had once taken revenge on mean Nellie Oleson by sending her to a similar spot -- maybe the same one. And I knew what Isaac was looking for: leeches.
Before I had children, I dreamed of taking my daughter on a pilgrimage to run in the prairies where Laura ran, to splash in the waters of Plum Creek. My husband, Jeff, and I were blessed with sons. Fortunately, Isaac, at 6 last summer, was as enthralled by the stories of Pa's can-do inventiveness and Laura's naughty streak as I had been. So we made the trip I'd longed for, traveling to several significant sites, including Plum Creek (though not in the same order as the wandering Ingallses). It would take us more than 450 miles, from Pepin, Wis., south to the Iowa border, and then north and west along Hwy. 14 through Mankato to Walnut Grove, Minn., and De Smet, S.D.
As we prepared for the trip, with Google maps, online travel guides, an iPod, cell phones, audiobooks and DVDs, I reflected on Ma's packing list: blankets, corn meal, salt pork, utensils, clothing, the little china shepherdess. Leave the rest behind.
City passed to suburb, farm and forest as the boys and I drove from the Twin Cities east to Pepin, Wis., Laura's birthplace. We followed a lonely road off the highway to a tiny replica cabin, built to replace the one that had gone from home to corncrib after the Ingallses' departure. I took in the cornfield behind the house, the few tall oak trees. The thick cloak of green described in "Little House in the Big Woods" had long ago been cleared for farming.
Isaac ran through the door, peered into the fireplace, climbed the ladder to the loft, checked out the two tiny bedrooms, then did it all again. No woods? No problem.
The boys ran outside, found sticks and started a sword fight. When Joe lost interest, Isaac looped his Pokemon cards onto the stick, which he slung over his shoulder all day.
From Pepin, we zig-zagged south along country roads in Wisconsin and Minnesota, bound for Burr Oak, Iowa, where the family moved from Walnut Grove, Minn., after the death of their infant son, Charles. Along the bluffs of Hwy. 43, red-tailed hawks and bald eagles wheeled overhead.
Tiny Burr Oak was silent and lonely on a Sunday morning. The museum we'd come to see -- the old Masters Hotel, which the Ingallses helped run during their difficult hiatus from Walnut Grove -- was closed. We passed time in a park. As I watched Joe and Isaac throw stones into a creek and play on a decrepit merry-go-round, I thought again of Ma, beaten back east to this town, mourning her only son, and I resolved to be more thankful.
When the museum opened, Clara Bergan -- a sweet 16-year-old whose claim to fame was as Little Miss Laura 2002-03 -- showed us the kitchen where Ma cooked and the bedrooms where Laura and Mary had bedmaking and chamber-pot duty. The boys tried not to touch the period china and textiles, but they enjoyed scratching on an old-fashioned slate.
We went home to Minneapolis for a few days, picked up Jeff, and then all four of us headed southwest. We looped to Mankato, our starting point on the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway, also known here as Hwy. 14.
Highway leads to old town
Farmer Stan McCone built a couple of sod houses, akin to the Ingallses' first home in Minnesota, on his property near a town made famous by Laura Ingalls, Walnut Grove. We paid $4 each to get into his Sod House on the Prairie and took a trip back in time.
Ten acres of tall-grass prairie stretched into the distance. As Jeff and I followed, the boys ran ahead, popping into doors, peering out the windows of the little sod-brick houses.
The place is a tourist trap, but this was no hands-off museum. Kids, in borrowed calico dresses and pinafores, coonskin caps, leather vests and bush hats, ran amok, immersed in playing olden-days, a game I'd once loved. A group of moms stood around trying to recall the details of each of the Ingallses' Walnut Grove homes. Clearly, their passion for Laura's books drove their vacations that year, as had mine.
McCone and his wife, Virginia, have two soddies on their 40 acres in Sanborn, Minn.
"I just wanted to see what one looked like," McCone said as we visited on his porch.
This was a busy Saturday. Our visit coincided with the Wilder pageant and festival in Walnut Grove, 20 miles west.
We pitched our tent at Plum Creek County Park and went for a swim in Laura Lake as a thunderstorm rolled in. We took refuge in the car and went to see the museum, in the old Walnut Grove depot.
As Jeff and I examined photographs and artifacts, and read the Ingalls-Wilder timeline, the boys were drawn to the back room, where reruns of the show played on a TV. In the gift shop, kids clamored for calico sunbonnets and cork rifles. By this time, I was beginning to fill in the gaps of Laura's story.
"I lived everything told of in the 'Little House' books," I had read her saying in "The Iowa Story," by William Anderson, "but I did not write all the truth."
As the clouds cleared, we got back in the car and headed north, out of town. Pay attention, I told the boys: This was the path Laura and her sister Mary walked to school.
Again, we pulled into a farm family's driveway; this one marked the Gordons. As we curved around a muddy road, I could see the heads of two sunbonneted girls bobbing through the tall, glistening-wet grass.
The dugout Ma made home
While the boys and I waded in Plum Creek, Jeff discovered a path behind the tiny dugout where the Ingalls family spent their first Minnesota winter, described so aptly in "By the Banks of Plum Creek."
The sun was getting low; we headed out, prairie on our left, plum groves on our right. The fruit was small and wormy, but these were Laura's plum trees. The prairie was a riot of coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and purple prairie clover. Laura's prairie.
We meandered back to our mud-spattered campsite. We struggled to make a fire with damp wood (Jeff managed in the end), and roasted hot dogs for dinner, despite my vague ideas about campfire johnny cakes and salt pork. We layered on jackets and jeans and joined the caravan to the charming town pageant, which chronicled Laura's days there.
I thought of Ma during the night, as my air mattress slowly lost its lift. How did she agree to be uprooted from field, friends and family by her husband's frontier fever? Where did she sleep, how did she care for her babies and cope with living out of a wagon, when what she truly wanted was a steady home and an education for her girls?
After flapjacks at Nellie's Café in town, we headed west.
Isaac and I remembered how Laura, Mary, Carrie, Ma and baby Grace had caught the train at the Walnut Grove depot, how Laura had promised to "see" for her sister, blinded by fever. As the boys dozed, Jeff and I watched the tracks follow us out of town and lead on westward.
We arrived in De Smet, S.D., around noon; the same trip had taken the Ingalls family a day and a half, even with help from the train. We followed signs to the Ingalls Homestead, a 160-acre farm museum.
I was dazzled by its bigness, by the blindingly blue sky and seemingly infinite prairie. The boys found a litter of kittens in a barn. Isaac was drawn to a wagon-wheel see-saw, Joe to a dark soddy down the hill. They took turns scrubbing cloths on a washboard; I asked why they didn't take this much interest in laundry at home.
We caught a covered wagon crossing the prairie. The driver, Brian Sullivan, 16, let the kids hold the reins. We disembarked at a schoolhouse, brought in from 5 miles east of town. The teacher, Cathy Kazmerzak Nelson of nearby Lake Preston, led kids through their lessons. The little kids, like Isaac, spelled their names or counted to three. The big kids tackled bigger words: apron, bonnet and pony (which Joe spelled correctly, thank you).
We headed back to town to see the surveyor's house, where the Ingalls family spent their first lonely winter as Dakota Territory pioneers, and to see the home Pa built for Ma when they moved to town soon after Laura married Almanzo Wilder.
It's a sweet, white house on a shaded street in town.
Ma got what she wanted. It was about time. Still, I found that I didn't want to linger at another museum.
My eyes were set west, to the Pierre Best Western.
Maria Elena Baca • 612-673-4409


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Columbia River 2910 Hisshou 13" YK-30 High-Carbon, High Satin Finished Blade, Gift Box
CR2910: Hisshou™
Columbia River
The name means "certain victory." It is the modern embodiment of the close-quarters sword of the Samurai.
Let us be clear: the Hisshou™, designed by James Williams, is a specialized tool that is intended for military personnel and special forces operators. James developed this design to meet the specific requests of coalition forces overseas for a more powerful tactical tool than his CRKT Hissatsu™, which is in wide use.
Historically, military swords have been sized to fit the fighting environment. Long swords, such as the English broad sword and Japanese katana, could only be used effectively on open fields of battle. Fighting in close or confined quarters required shorter swords, such as the sailor's cutlass and the Japanese wakizashi, which is similar in size to the Hisshou.
The Hisshou comes into play when the operator's firearms cannot be used, as often happens in entry and search operations. It is designed for multiple carry options depending on the choice of the operator.
The Hisshou's 13" full-tang dual grind Tanto blade is YK-30 high-carbon steel, high satin finished. The long, tapered tip grind is designed for maximum slashing power combined with superior penetration. At 16.4 ounces, the Hisshou also offers superior slashing ability as compared to the Hissatsu.
James has followed centuries of Japanese tradition in designing the classic cord-wrapped handle with ray skin underlays, which compares very well to more modern handle materials, giving excellent grip under all conditions.
We have designed a custom Kydex® sheath with a patented* quick-release belt-mounting system for the Hisshou. The sheath has detents which grip the knife securely and wide entry lips which allow the knife to be returned to the sheath with one hand.
The belt clip can be attached with the Chicago screws provided for vertical or horizontal carry. Simply press in the injection-molded nylon retaining clip for instant attachment or release.
The Hisshou demands respect, and is certainly not a sport or work knife, but it can truly be a lifesaver for the military professional. This is a knife that would have been carried by the Samurai.
- Knife:
- 2910: High Satin finish, Razor-Sharp Cutting Edge
- Blade: Length: 13.0" (330 mm)
- Thickness: 0.26" (6.5 mm)
- Steel: YK-30, 57-59 HRC
- Knife: Overall length: 18.38" (467 mm)
- Weight: 16.4 oz. (465 g)
- Sheath:
- Hisshou Sheath: (included with knife, preliminary specifications)
- Material: Kydex
- Overall length: 13.75" (349 mm)
- Width: 2.50" (64 mm)
- Weight: 7.0 oz. (198 g)
- Made in China
About the Knife Designer
James Williams is a former U.S. Army officer with over 45 years of experience in numerous martial arts disciplines. He knows cutlery as President of Bugei Trading Company, producer of fine Samurai swords. He is an expert in both ancient and modern martial arts and has developed The System of Strategy, a unique approach to unarmed combatives based on the ancient samurai system of close quarters combat. He is internationally known as a trainer of special operations units, government agencies, and law enforcement organizations, both foreign and domestic. James teaches combatives, self-defense, low-light tactics, and firearms. James is the designer of the Hisshou, Hissatsu Fixed Blade and Folder. He comments, that for tactical purposes, "The fixed blade is superior to the folder in every respect. Our goal with the Hissatsu Folder was not to replace the fixed blade knife, but rather to offer the best alternative possible when circumstances demand other options."

subset: commoncrawl


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At the recent launch of Guinness World Records 2013, we had the opportunity to speak to several record holders featured in the new book. We asked them the questions world record fans most wanted to know about, and now here are the answers!
Today's Q+A is with Alex Barron, holder of the records for most objects juggled (11), and most objects "flashed" (13).
A "qualifying" juggle requires each object to be caught at least twice, a "flash" juggle requires only one catch of each object.
Q - When did you start juggling?
A - I started juggling in the summer of 2006 when I was 12. I'd see someone doing three bean bags and was determined to learn so I picked up a few golf balls and practiced until I could run 3 comfortably. It wasn't until Christmas that year that I really got going though, when my mum bought me a 3 ball DVD. I learnt all the tricks on it in about a week and then started looking online for how to do four, five and so on.
Q - Was it hard when you first learned to juggle? How often did you practise?
A - I picked up 3 quite quickly, but it still felt extremely hard when I first learned! I would definitely encourage anyone finding it tough to keep at it for a while as particularly with the lower numbers as you really will make progress if you practice consistently. I think I practiced most often and regularly in the year following that first Christmas when I was doing at least a few hours every day and considerably more on the weekends. In the last few years it's tended to be more spaced out and I'll have two or three week periods when I'm holiday or the weather's nice where I really go for it. I'll often spend hours practicing the same trick or number with a camera filming constantly in case I break a record or manage something I think is vaguely impressive. I normally only stop if I get the feat on video, the camera runs out of battery or that I'm so tired there's no way I'll be able to do it. That is the method I used to break the two Guinness World Records.
Q - Can you break down how long it took you to learn each additional ball?
A - Sure. If I just go by the time taken to qualify (twice as many catches as balls) it's something like this:
3 balls - A few minutes.
4 balls - A few days (but it was 6 months until I tried it from 3).
5 balls - A few weeks later.
6 balls - A month or so later.
7 balls - Around the same time as 6.
8 balls - About 6 months later.
9 balls - About a year later.
10 balls - After about 4 years.
11 balls - Almost 6 years after learning 3.
Q - Do you juggle any particularly heavy or dangerous objects?
A - Sorry, I'm a little boring in that respect - I only really juggle balls, rings and clubs so you might want to look up 'The Space Cowboy' who's also in the book. I'm really only interested in pushing the technical and physical limits of ball juggling in particular and that requires quite light, small and under filled bean bags. The difficulty in my record lies in the speed and height you have to throw for 11 or 13 rather than the weight of the props.
Q - What would you do to prevent your record being broken?
A - Good question. At the moment it seems unlikely someone will qualify 12 or flash 14 in the near future but there are some extremely talented younger guys coming through so I have to try and keep up my practice! I definitely believe each of those feats will be accomplished at some point. Whether or not I'll be able to manage them I'm don't know, but I guess they are now my ultimate goals in juggling.
Q - Did you purposefully set out to break these two records?
A - It wasn't a goal when I first started but pretty soon I began thinking about breaking some more minor juggling records, usually beginning with 'Youngest person to…'. 2010 was when I started practicing 11 properly and when the 'Most balls juggled record' came into my sights. After that it was most definitely not on a whim and for two years I went through countless hours of frustration trying to break it. It was an amazing feeling when I finally succeeded.
Q - What do you do for a living?
A - I'm a student at the moment and I hope to study the physical sciences and mathematics at university next year. I never perform as my style of juggling (dropping on almost every attempt) doesn't really suit it very well but I did earn some money filming an advert for Virgin Media earlier in the year. That was great fun and it's always nice to have your juggling filmed professionally as opposed to my normal approach of propping the camera up with a bean bag or two.
Q - What does it feel like to juggle 11, 12, or even 13 balls?
A - It's a truly awesome feeling. The first few times you get the pattern going it's just incredible and very exciting. Your arms are going far too fast for you to be thinking about each individual throw so it becomes this messy (at first) beast which you're desperately trying to control. Even with the highest numbers I'm still correcting the entire time and looking to see if I need to move my feet but at that stage it's all completely subconscious. Even though it only lasts a few seconds there still seems to be plenty of time to get nervous and if it's a good run I'll definitely be thinking 'don't drop' as the balls begin to come down.
Q - How do you hold six or seven balls in one hand, to "flash" 13 objects?
A - With great difficulty, but the secret is to use small (about 2.25 inch), saggy bean bags which you can squish into your hand. I'll then leave the last one balancing on top and use my thumb to control it. Releasing the balls one by one just seems to be practice and it does become easier with practise.
Q - Do you have any advice for an aspiring numbers juggler looking to equal your feats?
A - Numbers juggling requires a huge amount of patience, persistence and determination and I think that is more important than any general advice about the pattern. For the higher numbers being physically fit is also crucial. I think one of the reasons I managed the records was that I was able to practice 11 or even 13 for hours without completely destroying myself. I was also willing to devote almost all of my practice to this one area of juggling which, in itself, isn't at all useful for performing. That's probably the main reason why no performing juggler has done it.
Record Holder Q+A: Alex Barron, Most Objects Juggled
At the recent launch of Guinness World Records 2013, we had the opportunity to speak to several record holders featured in the new book. We asked them the questions world record fans most wanted to know about, and now here are the answers!


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Something is not right with the boys. Something in the way Americans look at males and manhood has gone sour, curdling into to a rank, toxic, and nasty brew that is changing the entire flavor of our culture. Men everywhere seem to be furious. Some turn it outward against women, against society, against the institutions that no longer seem to nurture them. Some turn it inward against themselves, putting their energies into bizarre self-destructive fantasy lives centered around money, violence, and sex. Some, more disenchanted than angry, check out entirely, abdicating any interest in making commitments or contributions to a family, a profession, or a community to spend their lives as perpetual Lost Boys. Together, all this misdirected, destructive energy has become a social, cultural, and political liability that we can no longer afford to ignore.
I'm working on something around this stuff now, because I think it's important to what we want to be doing here at FA, and perhaps some others can chime in on it, to. In the meantime, some good discussions about this from:
Shakespeare's Sister


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Lady Luck awaits in our state-of-the-art casino and friendly tables why we were named "Best Casino" by Casino Player Magazine.


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A top federal regulatory official for electrical-grid reliability is confident that San Diego County's summer power needs can be addressed without the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant.
The reactivation of non-nuclear generation plants and preparations to reduce peak power demands in the event of hot weather should ensure uninterrupted service if San Onofre remains offline, said Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Jon Wellinghoff.
The commission, also known as FERC, regulates transmission and the wholesale electricity market, protecting the reliability of the high-voltage interstate grid.
"With the reports that I've read, I believe that there are adequate resources" for the summer, Wellinghoff said Monday after a speaking engagement in San Diego. "I think we're going to be in fine shape."
At full capacity, San Onofre supplies as much as 20 percent of the electricity needs for San Diego County and a large swath of Southern California extending into the Los Angeles Basin.
The seaside, twin-reactor plant has been offline since January after a leak and signs of rapid wear on tubing within the plants recently replaced steam generators.
Prospects are dimming for the plant's return to service to help meet peak summer demand, as air conditioners soak up power. Plant operator Southern California Edison has yet to submit a plan for restarting the plant to federal safety regulators.
To compensate for the outage, utility companies and grid operators have reactivated two retired natural gas generators from the AES Huntington Beach plant. And state regulators have approved additional demand-response programs by Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric that reward consumers who cut consumption at the right time.
Wellinghoff said a summer-long outage would provide significant lessons about the region's capacity to reduce power consumption on short notice through conservation, voluntary cutoffs and pricing incentives, though government experts have warned that prices for replacement power may rise.
"There may be somewhat of a silver lining to this outage," he said. "It can help us all better understand ... the benefits from calling on those resources to be flexible."
So-called demand-response programs that treat energy efficiency and conservation as a resource in its own right now offset roughly 10 percent of electricity demands in some areas of the eastern United States, Wellinghoff explained. Estimates by FERC say consumer response could eventually offset twice that share.
Those numbers could steer the future of nuclear power in states like California, which last week adopted the building standards for energy efficiency regarded as the most aggressive in the nation.
"You couple these things together and there certainly may be the opportunity to retire certain types of resources like nuclear facilities if the state were to chose to do so," the FERC chairman said.


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|The Complete Works of Franz Bardon
Introduction: Frabato the Magician
Volume I: Initiation Into Hermetics
Volume II: The Practice of Magical Evocation
Volume III: The Key To The True Kabbalah
Volume IV: Questions & Answers
Franz Bardon
For detailed information, contents, & excerpts from these titles, please refer to the MAGICK Section on the Home Page, & the individual listings in the Hermetics or Other Categories of the Seeker's Sanctum.
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|Initiation Into Hermetics: A Course of Instruction of Magic Theory & Practice
Franz Bardon
1999 287p. Initiation into Hermetics is the entrance gate to true initiation as it is the first key to the universal laws. The content of this book is not based on any speculative methods, but is the result of personal experiences and research of practical exercises by the author, which, up to now, was available only to a chosen few. And it is not easy to express in simple words a subject which is on such high level as magic, and make it understandable to everyone. Initiation into Hermetics transcends any book ever written on this subject, even though it is only the first of three volumes. From this statement you can gather the wealth of information the other volumes contain. Never before in the history of mankind has this information been committed in this form to paper in such a complete and understandable manner. Initiation into Hermetics is the greatest treasure in this universe and this applies to the other two volumes as well. The reader will not find this information in any other books. For detailed information, contents, & excerpts from this title, please refer to the MAGICK Section on the Home Page.
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|On The Elephant's Knee: Gurdjieffian Typology
Thomas M. Easley
1998 186p. An Interesting Title By An Associate Of The Sacred Science Institute, Presenting A System For Psychologically Reading Or Evaluating People Through Observation Of Physiological & Psychologically Interactive Behavior Characteristics. This System Is Based Upon Principles Developed By The Famous Mystical Cosmologist, G. I. Gurdjieff, And Essentially Allows One To Learn A Quantity Of Information As Sophisticated As An Astrological Reading, Merely Through Observation Of Physical & Behavioral Characteristics. Such Systems Have Always Been Used In Esoteric Orders To Allow An Added Advantage Of Psychological Insight Into Those With Whom They Dealt. This Knowledge Is Called Foundation Knowledge, Revealing The Core Or Foundation Of All Knowledge Which Manifests Through The Law Of Correspondences In All Phenomena. A Valuable Work Meant For Application. Contents: Origins Of Foundation Knowledge; Body Type: Attraction & Repulsion; Alchemy: Keeping Peace Within Your Environment; Chief Feature: Diminishing Fear; Center Of Focus: Spending Your Energy; Essence: What You Can't Change. Charts, Tables & Diagrams Of Correspondences.
CAT#162 $30.00 We are down to our last box of these...
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|Vedic Mathematics, or 'Sixteen Simple Mathematical Formulae From the Vedas'
Jagadguru Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja, Shankaracharya of Govardhana Hatha, Puri.
1994, revised. (Original 1965) 367 P. This original work on Vedic Mathematics (Vedic Maths) begins with various introductions prefaces etc., illustrative specimen samples and a list of the Sutras and their corollaries. The book covers a considerable range of topics and is intended as an introduction to Vedic Mathematics. Contents: 1 Actual Applications Of The Vedic Sutras. 2 Arithmetical Computations. 3 Multiplication. Practical Application In "Compound Multiplication" Practice And Proportion In "Compound Multiplication". 4 Division By The Nikhilam Method. 5 Division By The Paravartya Method. 6 Argumental Division Linking Note (Recapitulation And Conclusion). 7 Factorisation (Of Simple Quadratics). 8 Factorisation (Of Harder Quadratics). 9 Factorisation Of Cubics Etc. 10 Highest Common Factor. 11 Simple Equations (First Principles). 12 Simple Equations (By Sunyam Etc.)13 Merger Type Of Simple Easy Equations. 14 Complex Mergers. 15 Simultaneous Simple Equations. 16 Miscellaneous (Simple) Equations. 17 Quadratic Equations. 18 Cubic Equations. 19 Bi-Quadratic Equations. 20 Multiple Simultaneous Equations. 21 Simultaneous Quadratic Equations. 22 Factorisation And Differential Calculus. 23 Partial Fractions. 24 Integration By Partial Fractions. 25 The Vedic Numerical Code. 26 Recurring Decimals. 27 Straight Division. 28 Auxiliary Fractions. 29 Divisibility And Simple Osculators. 30 Divisibility And Complex Multiplex Osculators. 31 Sum And Difference Of Squares. 32 Elementary Squaring, Cubing Etc. 33 Straight Squaring. 34 Vargamula (Square Root). 35 Cube Roots Of Exact Cubes. 36 Cube Roots (General). 37 Pythagoras' Theorem Etc. 38 Apollonius' Theorem. 39 Analytical Conics. 40 Miscellaneous Matters. Recapitulation And Conclusion.
CAT#368 $30.00. Hardcover Motilal Banarsidass India
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|How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Everyday Genius.
Michael J. Gelb
1998. 322p. We suggest this title for a introduction to the more interesting modern day approaches to Expedient Learning, while tracing them back to the genius of Leonardo. This is an inspiring and inventive guide that teaches readers how to develop their full potential, using the principles of Da Vincian thought identified by the author. Beginning with a brief historical biography of Da Vinci and an overview of the astounding advances made in the arts and sciences during the Renaissance, Gelb illustrates the seven fundamental elements of Da Vinci's thought process: Questionare: A questing, insatiably curious approach to life Dimostrazione: A commitment to test knowledge through experience Sensazione: The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to clarify experience Sfumato: A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox and uncertainty Arte/Scienza: The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination. "Whole-brain" thinking Corporalita: The cultivation of ambidexterity, fitness and poise Connessione: A recognition and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena. "Systems" thinking. Loaded with practical exercises, quotes, sidebars, illustrations and material drawn directly from Da Vinci's personal notebooks, How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci is both a tribute to his great achievements and a call to carry on his legacy in our everyday lives by utilizing our potential to the best of our ability
Bantam, Doubleday, Dell. Hardback. CAT#382 $25.00 OUT OF STOCK
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|And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving.
G. Altshuller (H. Altov) Translated by Lev Shulyak.
1990. 171P. This legendary book was first published in English in 1990. It is Altshuller's most popular book in Russia on how to become an inventor and how to solve technical problems. Originally written for high school students, it engages readers of all ages by inviting them to learn by doing. The translator, Lev Shulyak, is himself an accomplished inventor, engineer and TRIZ expert. About the Author: Genrich Altshuller received his first Soviet patent at the age of 14. While in his early 20s, he began developing TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving. Stalin rewarded him with 25 years imprisonment in Siberia. Released after Stalin's death, he led the underground TRIZ revolution, a fundamental shift in the technical creativity paradigm. Altshuller spent the remainder of his life working to advance what has become the science of TRIZ. He died in 1998. The similarity between many of these techniques and Vedic Mathematics is striking, particularly considering that both authors developed their systems around the same time period.
Technical Innovation Center. Paperback. CAT#383 $60.00 OUT OF STOCK
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|The New Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain.
Betty Edwards
1999. 320pp. This book is amazing! It will teach anyone who feels that they draw like a child to learn to draw stunningly realistic drawings within the time it takes to work through the book(about a month). An superb example of true education, showing that everyone possesses the inherent ability express their vision through drawing, and that our lack of this ability is solely due to our lack of know-how, received through the poor or non-existent art education given in our schools. Book Jacket: "Translated into thirteen languages, with more than 2.5 million copies sold, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is the world's most widely used drawing instruction book."--BOOK JACKET. "This twentieth-anniversary edition of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain has been dramatically revised, with more than fifty percent new material, including: recent developments in brain research that relate to drawing; new insights on the use of drawing techniques in the corporate world and in education; instruction on self-expression through drawing; ways to step beyond black-and-white drawing into color; and detailed advice on applying the five basic skills of drawing to solve problems." Contents: 1Drawing and the Art of Bicycle Riding. 2 The Drawing Exercises: One Step at a Time. 3 Your Brain: The Right and Left of It. 4 Crossing Over: Experiencing the Shift from Left to Right. 5 Drawing on Memories: Your History as an Artist. 6 Getting Around Your Symbol System: Meeting Edges and Contours. 7 Perceiving the Shape of a Space: The Positive Aspects of Negative Space. 8 Relationships in a New Mode: Putting Sighting in Perspective. 9 Facing Forward: Portrait Drawing with Ease. 10 The Value of Logical Lights and Shadows. 11 Drawing on the Beauty of Color. 12 The Zen of Drawing: Drawing Out the Artist Within. Afterword: Is Beautiful Handwriting a Lost Art?
Hardback CAT#384 $30.00 OUT OF STOCK
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|How To Strengthen The Memory; or Natural & Scientific Methods Of Never Forgetting.
M. L. Holbrook, M.D.
1886. 152p. Another of our favorites, from the 1800's, which covers not only techniques and systems of memory, but develops a complete system, considering the physiology with applications to every branch of life & thought. Contents: Best Foundation For A Good Memory; Memory & Nutrition; Fatigue; Perfect Circulation of Blood; Quality of Blood; Memory & Bodily Illness; Results of Brain Injury; Results of Use of Narcotics; Unconscious Memory; Memory, Its Exaltation & Degeneration; Exaltation; Degeneration; Repetition; Suggestions, Associations, Links & Chains; A Striking Example of Memory Culture; Close Attention; Careful Observation & Reflection; Methodical Association; Mental Employment; Memory Culture In Schools; Self-culture of the Memory; Memory of Names; Memory of Forms & Faces; Why the Memory Should Be Trained; Early Training; Methods of Training; Memory of Faces; Memory of Places & Its Culture; Culture of the Musical Memory; Strengthening the Memory for Facts & Events; Memory for Figures & Dates; The Figure Alphabet; Tricks of Memory; How To Learn A New Language; Association of Ideas – Analogous or Opposites/Neither Analogous nor Opposite; Application of These Rules; Word Memory; Lawyer's Memories; Suggestions For Clergymen; Mastering the Contents of A Book; The Art of Forgetting; Abnormal Memory; Conclusion.
CAT#386 Deluxe Quarto Hardcover Facsimile Edition. Maroon Suede w/Guilt Lettering. $50.00
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|Mind & Memory Training.
Ernest E. Wood
1936. 185p. Another or the more interesting and comprehensive titles from earlier this century with instructions for a full integration into life. Contents: The Mind & Its Management: The Magic Box; The Roads of Thought; Concentration of Mind; Aids to Concentration. Imagination & Its Uses: Mental Images; Familiarization of Forms & Words; Projection of The Memory; Simplification & Symbolization. The Art Of Thinking: Modes of Comparison; A Logical Series; Footsteps of Thought; The Power of a Mood; Expansion of Ideas. A Bag of Tricks: Number Arguments & Diagrams; Number Words; Placing the Memory; Memory-Men of India; The Mind At Work: Reading & Studying; Writing & Speech Making; More Concentration; Meditation. Some Parting Advice: Uses of the Will; Bodily Aids.
CAT#388 Deluxe Quarto Hardcover Facsimile Edition. Maroon Suede w/Guilt Lettering. $50.00
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|Zen-Yoga: A Creative Psychotherapy to Self-Integration.
P.J. Saher
1976 Originally, 2002 Edition published by Motilal Banarsidass, India. This book contains a surprise beyond its excellent, highly scientific, mystical instructions. In the back it includes 25 Diagrams by Eberhard Wortmann, the only modern author to be acknowledged by Hermann Hesse as a master of the Glass Bead Game. Surprisingly, there is no reference made or credit given to Wortmann in the book, the diagrams are just mysteriously included, with brief one line descriptions of shocking content value. Wortmann's diagrams are probably the most advanced sacred geometry diagrams ever conceived & all were inspired from Plato's Timeaus/Republic. Since Wortmann's works are all in German, this is the only clue we have in English to his mysterious and superb work! Besides the diagrams, this books presents a spiritual science of meditation and mastery with a scientific basis the like of which we have not seen before, but most closely resembling the initiatory path of Franz Bardon, though focused more on mysticism than magic. Contents: Mind & Thinking; Drifts of the Mind & What They Convey; Do We Think & How?; Must We Sleep & How Much?; Expanding Consciousness; Breathing & Its Relationship To Conscious & Life; Spiritual Planes; Avoidable Mistakes; The Centres (Chakras) & Their Mechanism; Use of Free Will in Trifles; Correct Methods of Daily Living; Progress on the Path; Will-Force; Internal Non-Equilibrium of Centres; How to Restore Equilibrium of Centres; Purpose of Life & Birth; Unpublished Secrets of Zen & Yoga; Pratyahara; Self-Conquest; Laws of Spiritual Success; Liberation from Bondage to Ego; Yoga Sutras; The 60 Secret Steps To Salvation; Mysteries of Higher Grades of Salvation; Practical Exercises; Celestial Influence or Intensities of Celestial Bodies; Neuro-Physiological Basis of our Mind. 25 Wortmann Diagrams!!! Sample Wortmann Captions: Geometrical Structure of Dharmakaya. The "Milky Way" seen as an exact Replica of psycho-astrological Meridian Points in the brain. The brain as pivot of the seven channels leading to it from the Centres-Mandala of the Esoteric Sciences. The principal Three Centres working in cosmic harmony with the Phases of the MOON. The central star as the macrocosmic Centre co-ordinating the micro-cosmic Centres. The anatomical brain reconstructed as a Computer kybernetically co-ordinating the Centres. The internal astro-geometric construction of a Chakra; Geometrical proportions of the Astral Body & its Chakras; The First Five Centres in their geometric Ratios of an esoteric Mathematics. To see some sample Wortmann diagrams see this link: http://utenti.lycos.it/veroweb/Wortmann/
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|Vibration Of The Speaking Voice, A Comprehensive Method.
Beyond Sight (A Story).
Balliett, Mrs. L. Dow.
1907 15p. 1909. 54p. Here are a couple of lesser known pieces by Mrs. Balliett from the Gann List. The first is a voice training method correlated to here system of harmony and numbers. The second is a story which at a quick glance doesn't strike one as esoteric, but who knows from these old schoolers… For those of you who like to see everything an author wrote, this may be of interest.
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"Today Our attention is directed to one of the most common of them (abuses), one of the most difficult to eradicate, and the existence of which is sometimes to be deplored in places where everything else is deserving of the highest praise; the beauty and sumptuousness of the temple, the splendor and the accurate performance of the ceremonies, the attendance of the clergy, the gravity and piety of the officiating ministers. Such is the abuse affecting sacred chant and music."- St. Pius X, Pope
Friday, 10 April 2020
The Reproaches (Improperia) - Clamavi De Profundis - Tomas Luis de Victoria
Posted by Vox Cantoris at Friday, April 10, 2020
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The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association/ Canadienne pour les Plantes (CFGA) is the national voice for all sectors of the forage and grassland industry.
Formed in 2010 to provide a national voice for all Canadians who produce hay and forage products and for those whose production is dependent upon forage and grassland production, the main role of the CFGA is to uphold the robust forage industry and realize the potential of the domestic and export forage market.
Look around our website to see how we're doing this.
Supporting our livestock industry – our high-quality hay is a staple for livestock producers across Canada.
Our excellent weather conditions and the abundance of fresh water, clean air and fertile soil lends itself to the production of the highest quality hay in the world. Several types of forage are produced in Canada, including bromes, fescues, timothy, alfalfa, clover and orchard grass.
Our production supports the dairy, beef, sheep and horse industry domestically and abroad.
CFGA is the umbrella organization for the provincial and regional councils, providing a coordinated voice for the sector.
The board of directors is focused on:
- Raising the profile of the industry with its work on innovation
- Marketing and sales
- Increased profits for member producers
The board also works on behalf of forage exporters, helping navigate issues such as transportation costs, currency rates, protocols, energy costs, and market demands.
Please drop us a line or click here to receive updates.
Canadian Forage & Grassland Association
Cedric MacLeod, Executive Director
Contact us here.
The CFGA was formed to address this and provide a coordinated approach for the industry as a whole.
Click here to get updates.
Contact Us
Cedric MacLeod
466 Queen Street Wilmot Alley
Fredericton NB, E3B 1B6
? Contact Here
? Mon – Fri: 9:00 – 17:00


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Volleyball Advances to Fourth Consecutive Sweet Sixteen with Five-Game Win Over Texas
Dec. 6, 2002
TUCSON, Ariz.--Arizona rallied from a 2 games to 1 deficit to defeat the University of Texas by a tally of 3 to 2 in second round action of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship tournament Friday at the McKale Center. The win ensured Arizona of its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Game scores were 30-25, 25-30, 18-30, 30-22, 15-9.
Kim Glass had 26 kills to lead all players. The freshman from Lancaster, Pa., totaled a hitting percentage of .258 and contributed eight digs. Arizona's offensive attack was anchored by senior setter Laurie Gardner, who dished out 54 assists and added four kills of her own.
Team hitting percentages proved to be the most-telling statistic of the match as the Wildcats' posted marks of .121 and .086 in the frames they dropped. Game four proved to be a see-saw affair as both teams exchanged runs before the Wildcats pulled away to win the game. Arizona hit .306 as a team in game four and a whopping .571 in the fifth and final game. The Wildcats committed zero hitting errors in the decisive fifth game. The match ended fittingly on a kill by Glass.
Texas presented a well-balanced attack to counter the prowess of Arizona's Glass, who was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year last week. Four Longhorns posted double-digits in kills; outside hitter Mira Topic led the team with 20. Bethany Howden, a sophomore middle blocker, totaled a hitting percentage of .387 with 16 kills and only four errors on 31 attempts.
The Wildcats advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year and the sixth time under head coach David Rubio. Texas completes the season with 23 wins and nine losses, while the Wildcats' record improves to 19 wins and 11 losses. Arizona faces off against Minnesota in the round of 16 next weekend at a site to be determined.
Pac-12 PlaylistTODAY | 7:00pm PTLive
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RMU Faculty Spotlight: William A. Wentling, Nuclear Medicine Technology
William A. Wentling II, M.S., NMTCB, RT(R)(N)
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Medicine Technology at Robert Morris University
Prof. Wentling holds an associate degree in radiologic technology from Gannon University (1991), a B.S. in nuclear medicine technology from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1998), and an M.S. in adult education Buffalo State College (2005). He hopes to earn his Doctor of Science in Information Systems and Communications from Robert Morris University in May of 2014.
Before joining RMU as assistant professor/clinical coordinator for the university's Nuclear Medicine Technology Program, he served as an instructor at the State University of New York and manager for Central Radiopharmaceutical Services, Inc.
He has more than 20 years of medical imaging experience in radiology and nuclear medicine.
What's new and exciting about RMU's Nuclear Medicine Program?
There's a lot of exciting things happening right now. For example, recently we acquired a new gamma camera that we're hoping to incorporate into our classes and lectures. This new technology will give the students hands-on experience with fully functioning equipment and allow them to perform testing.
What are your responsibilities within the program?
I teach radiopharmacy and radiopharmacy techniques, as well as Intro to MRI and Intro to CT. I'm also a clinical coordinator, a member of the Lambda Mu Honor Society for Nuclear Medicine, and advisor for RMU's Nuclear Medicine Club.
What has your RMU experience been like?
I've been very happy since we've moved here from Buffalo, where we had a program that was top five in the country. I believe with what we have here that RMU has the same potential. It's nice to see where the program is going.
How has the program changed from when you first arrived?
When I got here, it was our first graduating class. The fourth is coming up this year. Over that time the quality of students we are graduating has improved and the program has become tighter. Overall, the nuclear medicine program's quality has really grown from what it was when I first started here.
Where do you see the Nuclear Medicine Program in 5-10 years?
I definitely think we'll continue to expand and offer further certificates and programs. And with the regional health care climate, the faculty we have on board, and the facilities we have here, I truly believe the sky's the limit. ~
Robert Morris University offers the only four-year nuclear medicine program in the Pittsburgh area. Designed to reflect the Institute of Medicine's vision for the future of health care, the program emphasizes both digital technology and new imaging applications. The program's goals are to educate students to become high quality nuclear medicine technologists; prepare them to achieve satisfactory results on the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Boards and the American Registry of Radiological Technologists; develop professionals who become future leaders in the ever-changing field of nuclear medicine; and fulfill the need for nuclear medicine technologists in the local and regional communities.
To learn more, contact Program Director Angela Macci Bires, Ed.D, MPM, CNMT, RT(N), 412-397-5410, firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Freight ferry from Gothenburg in Sweden to Zeebrugge in Belgium. Cobelfret Freight by Vans. 31/05/2020 to 06/06/2020.
- A travel certificate is now required for entry or transit through French territory. Each driver must have the certificate available to present to border control authorities. FRANCE TRAVEL CERTIFICATE (PDF) | FRANCE TRAVEL CERTIFICATE (DIGITAL)
- The latest Coronavirus (Covid-19) operator updates are available from our Coronavirus (Covid-19) - Operator Update page.


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Model: Onyx
The new ONYX Kitchen Scale from American Weigh features a modern colored glass and plastic construction. The touch activated keys also make for an elegant and clean design. With the back-lit reverse LCD display, weighing is quick and easy.
Ultra Slim!
Available in Black, Silver, White, Blue, Turquoise, Lime Green, Red, Orange and Pink


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Author: Weir, AlisonPublisher: VintageYear: 2001ISBN: 9780099532422Binding: Soft CoverBook Condition: As NewSize: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tallDescription: New book, 639 pages. This magnificent biography of Henry VIII is set against the cultural, social and political background of his court - the most dazzling ever seen in England - and the splendour of his many sumptuous palaces. An entertaining narrative packed with colourful description and a wealth of anecdotal evidence, this is also a comprehensive analytical study of the development of both monarch and court during a crucial period in English history. As well as callenging some recent theories, it offers controversial new conclusions based on contemporary evidence that has until now been overlooked. It is a triumph of historical writing.
There is currently 1 of this item in stock.


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Bills running back C.J. Spiller will take some time away from the team to be with family in Florida.
Spiller, whose step-grandfather killed himself after killing two people and wounding two others on Saturday, will be away for an undetermined period of time.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims as well as C.J. and his family in this situation," Bills coach Doug Marrone said, via the Buffalo News. "I don't have any answer of when he's going to come back, but we're in communication, just making sure that we're there to support him, that he's doing well. And then obviously we're monitoring of when he needs to come back, but we want to make sure that he handles what he needs to handle."
Spiller will likely miss the preseason finale on Thursday but is expected to return to the field for Week One of the regular season.


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CoisCeimPrivate Company active 8 years, 3 months ago
The name comes from the Irish word for Footstep and is pronounced "Kush Came".
CoisCéim's style of performance is contemporary and vibrant, with a knowing regard for the everyday. Artistic Director David Bolger embraces a selection of dance styles as a creative device to demonstrate and articulate stories and emotions that are relevant to the landscapes in which we live. A sense of fun and vitality set in a visually appealing environment along with a depth of emotion and poignancy are key attributes to CoisCéim's success. Our work is created with highly skilled performers and collaborators and with a care and understanding of the needs for their health and well being.
We have created works for live performance ranging in scale from duets to larger ensembles featuring up to eleven dancers and often including live musicians. In the main, CoisCéim's shows have been conceived for presentation within theatre spaces. In recent years, the company has become interested in site specific work, for example Swept was made for and presented in a bar/foyer area and Chamber Made in a hotel bedroom.
In 2001, CoisCéim became the first dance company to secure funding from Bord Scannán na hÉireann for a dance film. Co-produced with Rough Magic Films, Hit and Run was filmed on location around Dublin. It premiered as part of the first International Dance Festival at the Irish Film Institute in May 2002 and was shown on Network 2 Television on 25 December 2002. It has subsequently been shown at over 16 national and international film festivals during which time it has won five major awards including the Paula Citron Award for choreography, the very prestigious Jury Award at the Dance on Camera at the Lincoln Centre Festival for Dance and a Creative Excellence award at the Houston Indie Festival in 2002. Hit and Run has allowed CoisCéim to reach new audiences nation-wide and world-wide.
As CoisCéim establishes itself within the Irish psyche, the company has participated in a range of diverse projects: for the Special Olympics which took place in Ireland in 2003, CoisCéim choreographed A Dash of Colour involving 75,000 people as part of the Opening Ceremony; in 2004, CoisCéim performed in Opera Ireland's production of Orfeo Ed Euridice, which went on to win the Irish Times/ESB Award for Best Opera; and last September, CoisCéim presented Intimate Details, a dance spectacle as part of the Opening Ceremony of the Ryder Cup.
CoisCéim has taken its vibrant form of dance throughout Ireland and beyond. The company has developed an international reputation through its presentations at prestigious festivals such as the 10 Days on the Island Festival in Tasmania (2000) and at the Jacob's Pillow Festival in USA (2001). In 2004, CoisCéim played in Beijing and Shanghai to sell out audiences, as part of the Ireland China Festival of Arts and Culture. For the past two years, CoisCéim has showcased at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, initially with Chamber Made as part of the Traverse off-site programme (2005) and with Knots as part of the Aurora Nova Fringe programme (2006).
We have attracted excellent media attention and have gained widespread critical acclaim from dance practitioners, journalists and audiences alike.
This is a private company. To join you must be a registered member and send request to join it.


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The Jon & Kate Plus 8 TV show has been cancelled and soon Jon and Kate Gosselin's marriage will be history by the end of December.
This is the estranged couple's first thanksgiving apart since filing for a divorce. Since Kate is estranged from her brother Kevin Kreider who reconciled with Jon last month, who better to spend Thanksgiving with than the Neilds. Kate and her eight kids spent Thanksgiving at their Wernersville, PA home with her bodyguard's family – Steve Neild, his wife Ginaand and their kids.
Kate was rumored to have had an affair with her bodyguard earlier this year, which she has denied. According to Kate, the Neild family has been very supportive through her divorce. "They're my best friends," Kate said.
Jon on the other hand tweeted he was going to be at his "grandma's" to celebrate Thanksgiving but Hailey Glassman said otherwise via her twitter. Hailey accused Jon of lying, reports Radaronline.
"LOL-U are in Utah snowboarding w/"friends"-lol-ur redic," Hailey shot back at Jon.
Not exactly sure what's going with these douche bags people. According to Jon, he thinks they are on break, or is the relatioship really over? And perhaps Jon didn't get the memo.


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In a football game that matches up the best receivers in South Carolina against the best defensive backs in North Carolina, Saturday�s Shrine Bowl could turn into a passing frenzy.
Williams High School assistant coach Dave Grant is hoping that doesn�t happen.
Grant, the defensive coordinator at Williams, is the defensive backs coach for the North Carolina team this week. He�ll be on the sidelines during Saturday�s Shrine Bowl in Spartanburg, S.C.
When he first learned of his selection, Grant said he was torn between two similar reactions.
�I didn�t know whether to be more humbled or honored,� Grant said.
Grant has coached at Williams for 25 years, mostly on the defensive side. For the past 10 seasons, he has been the defensive coordinator.
�Dave runs our defense, he�s been the defensive coordinator for a while,� Williams coach David Green said. �It�s hard to think about Williams football without Dave Grant.�
While Grant�s focus this week has been to make sure the North Carolina team is well-prepared, he said there�s been a measured effort to not overload players, many of whom played on teams that went deep into the state playoffs and whose seasons ended as recently as last weekend.
�Obviously they come in here as great athletes. We try not to overcompensate things, keep things simple,� Grant said. �But it�s amazing how much they can accomplish in a short amount of time.�
Coaches and players mostly arrive at the Shrine Bowl during the weekend, giving Grant and the coaching staff little time to prepare.
So as far as defensive strategies go, Grant�s plans are to take advantage of his players� strengths and what they already know.
�Typically, with talent like this, you can play a whole lot more man,� Grant said. �With the kids we have, we want to keep everything as simple as we can. We�ll mix it up to where they can�t tell the difference between man or zone.�
One factor that helps is that Grant certainly hasn�t been lacking for talent in the players he has coached this week.
Among the players in his secondary are Charlotte Independence�s Jack Tocho, Matthews Butler�s Brian Walker and Durham Hillside�s Korrin Wiggins. Tocho is a North Carolina State commit, while Walker and Wiggins are both North Carolina commits.
�They�re top-notch kids,� Grant said. �You�re used to saying things three, four, five times. Around these kids, you just have to say it once and they catch on.�
After going through two-a-day practice schedules Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the North Carolina team had planned to go easier in practices Thursday and today.
Part of that, Grant said, is because of how much was done in the early practices.
�They�re tired of hitting each other. They�re ready to look at the other team and see what they can do and compete,� Grant said.
For the longtime defensive coordinator from Williams, the appointment to the coaching staff also humbled him in the fact that he joined his high school coach, Pete Stout, and the coach who gave him his start at Williams, Sam Story, as Williams coaches in the Shrine Bowl.
�Just to be mentioned along the lines of Sam Story and Pete Stout, it�s just awesome,� Grant said. �We don�t get in this profession for accolades, but a pat on the rear end makes you feel good about yourself and what you�re doing for the kids.�


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How can you better determine your "fit" with Cleveland-Marshall? Visit us!
Cleveland-Marshall's esteemed reputation across the country and around the globe, along with its close-knit community – of dedicated faculty, engaged students, and accomplished alumni - draws students here. But it is usually what prospective students see and feel during their visit that keeps them here. Considering that law school will be an investment of money, time, and focus, we strongly encourage you to visit our beautiful campus in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio.
C|M|LAW Offers Daily Visit Opportunities and Admission Events Throughout the Year!


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Tanaka has made transition seem effortless
Japanese right-hander impresses Yanks with his performance in first Spring Training
TAMPA, Fla. -- Masahiro Tanaka was deep into his sharpest outing of the spring, racking up a 10-strikeout performance against the Marlins on Friday, and yet his demeanor nodded to the relaxing pitch of a recent beer advertising campaign.
Parked on a folding chair in the middle of the Yankees' clubhouse, Tanaka rested between innings, a towel laid out beneath his feet. A cooler of cold drinks was within reach, and one observer joked that -- here in the middle of a George M. Steinbrenner Field carpet -- Tanaka might have found his beach.
"Everybody was doing it that way, so I was kind of manipulating it and doing it as well," Tanaka said through an interpreter.
It has been a whirlwind two months of adjustment for Tanaka, jetting to the United States after signing a seven-year, $155 million contract, then compiling a 2.14 ERA in five Spring Training appearances for his new team. What pleases the Yankees most is how effortless the transition appears to have been.
Tanaka's split-fingered fastball -- rated as world-class by scouts who attended his starts in Japan -- has lived up to expectations, and his fastball and slider have proven to be serviceable weapons. The gauntlet ahead will present new challenges, but the Yanks are optimistic that Tanaka will continue to succeed.
"He's just made it seem like it's almost more of an issue for us," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "It's different for him -- 162 games in 183 days and a five-man rotation and all that, but those are adjustments he'll have to deal with. We've been surprised with how he's hit the ground running and made this much lesser of an issue than we expected."
In five Spring Training outings, Tanaka gave up five runs and struck out 26 over 21 innings, walking just three. His control is a particular point of pride; asked about his favorite part of Friday's outing against Miami, Tanaka replied in perfect English: "No walks."
The Yankees will look for that to continue in their fourth game of the season, giving Tanaka the ball on Friday against the Blue Jays in Toronto. By slotting him fourth in the rotation, Tanaka will pick up an extra day of rest with the Yanks' April 14 off-day; an accommodation given how Tanaka is learning to pitch in a five-man rotation instead of once a week in Japan.
After a spring that started with questions about how he would adjust to not only shorter rest, but different big league baseballs, clay mounds, tighter strike zones and more powerful lineups, Tanaka seems to have dashed those concerns handily.
"He came in with an open mind about the plan we had here and how we do things, and he got on it right away," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "And he wanted to get on it right away. I think he's more prepared to do it right away than if he was to stick on more of his old schedule. I think he's much more prepared."
As Tanaka put it: "I just feel that I was able to get a feel for everything, for how everything is run here in the Majors."
Hiroki Kuroda believes that Tanaka may be a few steps ahead of where Kuroda was when the right-hander made his own jump to the Majors with the Dodgers in 2008. Kuroda said that he left that spring unsure if he could win against Major League lineups; Tanaka has not seemed to have that issue.
"From what I see from these exhibition games, I don't think he has any problems," Kuroda said through an interpreter. "He has the stuff to pitch through a full season."
They worked out together this spring, including playing long toss together, but Kuroda said that Tanaka has not come to him seeking much advice. It is possible that he has not needed to, Kuroda said.
"You could say that he hasn't gone through a wall yet, so maybe he has nothing to ask right now," Kuroda said.
But Tanaka is watching and learning. He said that in his brief tour around the Grapefruit League, he studied the difference in the body types of hitters. Tanaka, who was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles last year, said that "batters are bigger here, stronger here and they can reach out further."
That will continue this week in Houston. Tanaka traveled with the Yankees to their first road stop and is looking forward to watching the first couple of games at Minute Maid Park, saying that he feels it will "be a plus" to get a feel for what Major League games are like from the dugout.
Tanaka said that he plans to study the Blue Jays' lineup "thoroughly," but he seems to be taking a measured approach toward his first start. Tanaka said that he has not allowed himself to get excited about that one outing, knowing there will be much more to experience ahead.
"I feel that I can't overthink too much," Tanaka said. "What I don't know is what I don't know. So basically I just have to go out there and keep learning and go about my business."


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It's not easy being Anne of Green Gables' guardian.
Over the years, Kate Macdonald Butler has fielded various oddball suggestions for the red-headed orphan. Anne of Green Gables wine. Anne of Green Gables shot glasses. Anne of Green Gables ashtrays.
Macdonald Butler is the granddaughter of Lucy Maud Montgomery and protector of her most famous creation. Along with the above peculiar marketing ideas, there have also been some suggestions of how to bring Anne into the 21st century for film and TV.
"I've had a few real dillies," she says. "They wanted to put Anne of Green Gables in New York City, with a band."
So it would be understandable if news that a "contemporized" Anne of Green Gables TV series is being planned would be met with suspicion by Montgomery's protective heirs. But Macdonald Butler insists it will be contemporary only in that it will investigate some new themes. It will, however, keep the plucky redhead in her time and place of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia circa the 1870s.
The announcement was made Monday at the Banff World Media Festival. While still early in pre-production, the new series will be a joint project between Toronto's Breakthrough Entertainment and the author's heirs, led by Macdonald Butler. Set for production in the summer of 2013 in the Maritimes, the show has yet to find a network, although should be ready to air in 2014. It will join a long line of Anne adaptations, stretching back to a 1919 silent film based on Montgomery's series of eight books.
"I have a very big job looking after my grandmother's legacy," says Macdonald Butler, who will act as a consultant on the show. "We're ordinary Canadians with a very extraordinary grandmother and have a very important legacy to look after. I worry about it all the time."
First published in 1908, Anne of Green Gables has been a long-standing global phenomenon. Selling 50 million copies worldwide, the books have been cherished by multiple generations. Macdonald Butler is the daughter of the late Stuart Macdonald, Montgomery's youngest son. He first began reading the books to his daughter when she was eight or nine.
"When I was in Grade 6 I did my speech on my grandmother," she said. "And at the end I said 'And Lucy Maud Montgomery was my grandmother.' My teacher was gobsmacked when she heard that. She didn't know. My dad was so modest about the success of his mother that we were always taught to be modest, too. We just never really talked about it."
Now more than 100 years old, Anne of Green Gables has never been out of print. It was perhaps more famously adapted into a series of movies on CBC starring Megan Follows in the mid-1980s.
"I think she's just an enduring character that people relate to," Macdonald Butler says. "She's feisty and smart and wholesome and tons of fun. She loved the world as it is."
That said, Macdonald Butler says Anne's stories are "not all sunshine."
"If you go back to Chapter 5 in Anne of Green Gables, she talks about the two foster homes that she lived in and the orphanage before she came to Green Gables. There is so much there to tell for Breakthrough. There's so many little nuggets along the way to tell that are not all sunshine. Some of it's very dark. Breakthrough wants to tell a more honest story, the real story. I think it's a fantastic idea: A little less sugary and a little more honest."
The Banff World Media Festival continues at the Fairmont Banff Springs until Wednesday.


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Suffolk seeks investors for historic sites
The crumbling hunting lodge and boarded-up schoolhouse each will cost more than $2 million to restore. Suffolk County is about to find out who may be willing to take on the task.
By month's end, county officials hope to provide potential investors with formal "requests for expressions of interest" in a program that aims to save historic structures on parkland. Unable to afford renovations, the county seeks private parties to do the sensitive historical work in exchange for long-term, rent-free use of the sites.
Five properties were included in the program, approved by the county legislature in late 2011. Suffolk will begin by advertising the two it sees as having the most potential: Elwood Schoolhouse on Cuba Hill Road in Huntington, built in 1915, and Black Duck Lodge at Hubbard County Park in Hampton Bays, a baronial white Colonial dating to 1865 that financier E.F. Hutton used as a private hunting lodge.
"Every day that the buildings sit, the worse they get," said Legis. Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon), who has led the effort.
Advocates of the program, modeled after successful curatorship arrangements in Maryland and Massachusetts, have said the Elwood schoolhouse could serve as office space, while Black Duck Lodge could operate as an inn.
Officials moved slowly in preparing the formal queries about interest -- a step before the bid process -- because they wanted to ensure they clearly outlined the complicated private-public agreements. The county, continuing as owner of the sites, would require specific kinds of historically sensitive renovations and would mandate some level of public access.
Parks Department Commissioner Greg Dawson said attorneys are finalizing the county's pitches to potential investors, with hopes of releasing them in the next three weeks. He said he expects numerous responses.
"We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think it was viable," Dawson said.
If the first two sites in Suffolk's pilot program generate offers, officials will move forward with requests for the remaining three: an 1810 homestead in Nesconset, a 1920s vernacular farmhouse in South Haven and a Greek Revival home in Manorville.
Suffolk owns about 100 historic structures within parks, many sitting vacant with their roofs patched and windows boarded. Horsley said that although superstorm Sandy didn't damage them further, it showed the urgency in restoring the properties before they collapse.
"That's why I want to get this going," Horsley said. "There are plenty more lined up behind these five. They'll take work, but as I've been telling people, 'You fix it to historic standards, we'll pay the rent.' "
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Primordial creatures
When Florida's manatees became threatened by extinction, animal rights activists began to protect them. Our author went snorkeling with the lovable giant
I looked for them in Egypt, Indonesia and Mozambique, but all I found were ocean sunfish, dolphins, carpet sharks and pygmy seahorses. Four-hundred dives and 15 years later, I still hadn't spotted a single manatee. Of all the creatures swimming around beneath the sea, these primordial mammals have got to be the strangest and rarest. Manatees, also known as sea cows, are said to be deeply and soundly relaxed, and so trusting of people that they have been known to swim up and embrace you. How could I give up my search?
So here I am in Citrus County, Florida. It's early morning and the mist hangs low between the oaks and the palm trees. A couple of tourists bob on the murky Crystal River, resting on bright, neon-colored pool noodles. I pull my wetsuit over my shoulders and slip into the cool water, peering at my brownish-green surroundings through my mask. I turn my head slightly and there it is – my very first manatee.
When Columbus and his sailors spotted their first manatees in the Caribbean in 1493, they took them for mermaids, as I read before my trip. Okay, I suppose he and his men had been at sea for a long time… The one I encountered looked more like a short-armed gray sausage. Barnacles and algae clung to its back and rounded tail fin, and the manatee mustered me cautiously with its little black-button eyes. At least that's what it felt like. Manatees are, in fact, half blind and much better at investigating their surroundings with their vibrissae, the coarse hairs growing from their wrinkled snouts. Add a trunk and a pair of big, flapping ears and with a little bit of imagination, you can easily picture the manatee's closest relative, the elephant. More than 60 million years ago, the early ancestors of the present-day species left dry land for the water, and they remain second to none when it comes to munching sea grass – in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, off the coast of West Africa, in the Brazilian Amazon region and right here on the Florida coast.
With a little imagination, you can easily picture the manatee's closest relative – the elephant
As I watch my manatee hop awkwardly across the sand on its stumpy front flippers, I find myself wondering how these creatures ever avoided extinction. "They're tough and smart," says Bob Bonde, "and they never forget anything. They're the lords of their realm." Bonde, 64, has been studying Florida's sea cows for nearly 40 years, and people call him the "manatee whisperer." When he moved to Florida in 1978, for years most of the manatees he saw were dead ones. Despite the fact that these creatures can measure up to four meters in length and weigh a hefty 600 kilograms, they have no natural enemies apart from humans, of course. Indigenous people and European settlers hunted manatees for centuries for their meat. Slaveholders used their hide to make whips, and their bones served as an alternative to ivory. When manatee hunting was finally banned in 1907, there were only a couple of hundred left alive, and they soon faced new dangers.
Florida's human population has doubled over the past 30 years to 20 million. Wooden bungalows line the canals in Crystal River, the town on the river of the same name, each one with its neat lawn and private dock. Many of these homes belong to snow birds, i.e., retired people who escape the northern states and Canada each fall to spend the winter where it's warm. And many residents here regard owning a boat to be a necessary part of life in the Sunshine State. More than a million boats plow through Florida's rivers and lakes, hundreds of propellers for each single manatee. Few of the creatures can escape them, as proven by the tiger-striped scars on many backs. What kills the manatees is being rammed full force by the hull of a boat. It breaks their ribs, which then pierce their lungs. Boat accidents are responsible for a quarter of manatee deaths.
It's all the more surprising, then, how unafraid of people manatees are. Mine comes ever closer to investigate, even as I paddle backwards, beating a retreat. It nudges me gently and swims past beneath me. I cannot resist stretching out a hand and touching its skin, which feels like greased leather. The animal rolls over onto its back as if saying: Scratch my tummy, please! "Manatees like being touched," explains Bonde, "just like a cat that rubs itself against your leg. Here in Crystal River, they've learned that they can trust us."
Crystal River – a sleepy town in the northwestern part of the state – styles itself the "Manatee World Capital," and not without reason. The number of sea cows in Florida is up to a good 6600 once again, and more than 1000 gather every winter in the warm waters surrounding Crystal River. Despite their thick skins, the creatures have very little body fat, so they easily get cold. As soon as the water temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius in the Gulf of Mexico, they swim up the rivers like a procession of gray giants. The rest of the year, they go about their business on their own, wandering as far south as Cuba and north to Cape Cod. But now they are crowding around the springs of Citrus County in their hundreds. It's a pleasant 22°C here all year round and ten kilometers away from the ocean where they grow plump on sea grass. "If I were a manatee," says Bonde, "this is where I'd live."
Part of the area was turned into a nature reserve in 1983. In 2012, the reserve was extended to include all of Kings Bay. Everywhere you look, you see signs sticking out of the water cautioning "Idle speed" and "No wake." If you ignore the signs, you are issued a speeding ticket and may even lose your tour guide license. This rankles with some conservative types who consider it an infringement on their personal freedom. More than two thirds of Citrus County residents voted for Trump, and the streets are adorned with huge U.S. flags. Confederate flags flutter in front of some houses as well. The local Citrus County Chronicle still prints letters to the editor from people who are upset about the manatees. One 85-year-old wrote that the animals pose a real threat to the rivers. Others air their skepticism about manatees actually being native to Florida. You can also buy T-shirts online with the slogan "Even Jesus hates Manatees." The people most indignant about the speed limit are fishers who want to reach their fishing grounds as fast as possible without having to watch out for "natural speed bumps."
But the majority is in favor of protecting the manatees, in part, probably, because doing so has become quite profitable. Five years ago, National Geographic published a big story on manatees and since then, tourist figures have doubled to over 250 000 a year. It's the only place in the entire country where you can go snorkeling with the hefty, good-natured creatures, and this has brought excellent business to what used to be a forgotten corner of the state. So, many people have decided to get in on the action: There are manatee stuffed toys in the souvenir shops and plastic manatees stand guard in front of restaurants. They adorn license plates and yes, they are also on the city's coat of arms.
Animal rights activists are concerned that manatee tourism has gotten out of hand. "This isn't a petting zoo," says Stacy Dunn, "the animals don't come here for our entertainment, they come to survive." Along with her husband Mike, 64, the energetic 55-year-old has been giving manatee tours for the last ten years. "To change things," she explains, "we have to go with the flow." Diving fins are banned on their tours because they don't want tourists chasing after the manatees. Petting is strictly prohibited as well. "You don't want the animal to get too accustomed to people and swim too close to the boats," explains Dunn. You know what she means when you see online videos of tourists riding manatees, cornering them and separating a calf from its mother. For this reason, some people think that swimming with the gentle giants shouldn't be allowed, but Bob Bonde thinks their fears are exaggerated. "I don't see that it does the manatees any harm," says. "It gives them a little change from the never-ending routine of feeding and sleeping."
The fact that the manatee population is on the increase appears to bear him out. "There's plenty of sea grass and fresh water for them," says Bonde, "and when they're satisfied and healthy, they make babies." In March 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal agency, changed their status from "endangered" to "threatened," but animal rights activists say it's too early. There isn't much genetic variety in the population and this makes the manatees susceptible to disease. Plus, most of them spend the winters in the warm runoff from power stations, which creates a dangerous dependency. "When a power station is decommissioned at the end of its working life, thousands of manatees could freeze," says Bonde. This makes the warm springs around Crystal River all the more important. In 2015, regulations were tightened in the Three Sisters Springs area. A sign in front of a rope between two buoys reads: Manatee Resting Area. If the ocean temperature drops to below 17 degrees Celsius, snorkelers are asked to leave to make room for the cold-sensitive creatures.
On a warm November day like today, most of the creatures are out in the ocean feeding. Only a few can be seen dozing behind the barrier. The water is so clear that you can still easily observe them even from several meters away. Every few minutes they rise through the water until their nostrils break the surface. They breathe in deeply before sinking again and landing somewhat ridiculously on their snouts. All of a sudden, a young animal swims under the rope onto our side. His mother immediately issues a high-pitched squeak to call him back. The calf returns, moving almost like a dolphin. With his mouth open, he attaches himself beneath her front flipper and proceeds to drink milk in a blissful state of relaxation. This side of the buoy, we humans hold our breath. Even for a diver, sometimes the most remarkable experiences take place on land.
Enjoy and protect
Swim down to the nurseries in Key Largo where endangered coral colonies are regenerating.
Mike and Stacy Dunn offer manatee tours for small groups of no more than six.
Observe marine biologists and learn about the sea at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.
Sea turtles lay their eggs on Juno Beach in May and June. With luck, you can watch them.


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Langley Web Design and Digital Marketing Services
Fort Langley Web Design and Development is a boutique digital marketing agency local to Fort Langley. We offer local digital marketing services without the big agency price tag. We have clients all-around the Greater Vancouver Regional District including Langley, BC.
We Hire Local Talent
Fort Langley Web Design and Development is proud to say that although our prices are lower then you'll find in big agencies we do not lower our cost base by hiring international labor. Our designers and developers are local to the Vancouver, British Columbia area so the team here is familiar with the Langley area, the businesses that operate on a daily basis and the digital marketing services that would best serve them.
Affordable Web Design and Digital Marketing Services in Langley
There are a number of reasons we're able to beat big agency prices and you can read about them on our blog and services pages. In a nut shell, however, we've been doing this a long time. During our collective time working in the Digital Marketing industry in Vancouver, and tech sectors in the U.S. and around the world – we were exposed to the tremendous amount of waste that impacts most agencies pricing tables. Wasted time, wasted resources and dishonest reporting back to their clients. At Fort Langley Web Design, not only do we avoid all of these disreputable practices, but we custom tailor our services to each client which means we don't have a pricing table, or pre-packaged services.


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Showing 1 - 20 of 111
Report City Budget
NYC Resident Feedback Survey: Report of Results
May 16, 201710,000 New Yorkers responded to a survey about which services they're satisfied with -- and which are in need of improvement.
Press Release City Budget
CBC Releases NYC Resident Feedback Survey Results
May 16, 2017The results show which municipal services are in greatest need of improvement.
Report City Budget
NYC Resident Feedback Survey: Community District Results
June 30, 2017How do New Yorkers feel about quality of life and municipal services? It varies tremendously by community district.
Blog City Budget
NYC Resident Feedback Survey: Issues Requiring More Attention from City Government
October 20, 2017New Yorkers tell us what the biggest issues are requiring the attention of city government. Click to see how your neighbors responded.
Press Release City Budget
Citizens Budget Commission Launches City Resident Survey
January 09, 201772,000 New York City households selected at random will receive a questionnaire to gauge residents' satisfaction with municipal services and the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
Press Release City Budget
Queens Fact Sheet
July 18, 2017Some important results to keep in mind as Mayor Bill de Blasio and his staff focus on Queens this week.
Op Ed City Budget
How Queens Residents Rate City Services And Quality Of Life
August 11, 2017The Citizens Budget Commission recently released the results of a citywide survey of residents' satisfaction with municipal services and the quality of life in their neighborhoods and across the city.
Podcast episode City Budget
Episode 2 - 44%
June 22, 2017This week's data point is 44% - the share of New Yorkers who are satisfied with New York City municipal services. Listen to Ben Max, Maria Doulis, and special guest Alyssa Katz of the Daily News discuss the findings of CBC's Citywide Resident Feedback Survey.
Letter Taxes
Significant Impacts the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on the Residents and Revenues of New York City
March 20, 2018I write to convey the Citizens Budget Commission's findings about the significant impacts the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) will have on the residents and revenues of New York City and New York State and recommended steps needed to address these problems.
Op Ed City Budget
Why we're asking New Yorkers to assess the quality of life in their neighborhoods
January 24, 2017We're asking New Yorkers all over the city to fill out a survey on public services and quality of life in NYC.
Report Housing
Whose Burden Is It Anyway?
November 12, 2015This report looks at New York City rent burdens in more detail, using an in-depth housing survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau to consider a variety of household characteristics.
Statement State Budget
Statement on the Medicaid Redesign Team Recommendations
March 19, 2020The MRT had a difficult task to do with little time, and deserves credit for soliciting public feedback, considering hundreds of proposals, and rising to the challenge of proposing significant reforms and savings without recommending tax increases.
Report City Budget
Reviving EMS
November 25, 2018The City of New York spends more than $1.1 billion annually in an effort to provide its residents and visitors this vital service, but the money is not used wisely.
Report Pensions & Benefits
Out of Balance
December 16, 2009The CBC and the Partnership for New York City surveyed large private firms in New York City to provide a basis for comparing the health insurance and pension benefits of private sector workers with those of municipal employees.
Blog City Budget
Traffic, Rats, and Noise
September 25, 2018Citizens satisfaction measures should be added to the Mayor's Management Report to ensure that quality of life concerns are addressed.
Podcast episode City Budget
Episode 43: 2020, with Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson
June 07, 20182020 is the year of the next Census, a national survey that determines the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives, and informs policy and funding decisions at all levels of government. Phil Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives, is in charge of coordinating the City's public outreach in the months leading up to the Census. The Deputy Mayor joined the podcast to discuss the importance of Census outreach and the many other initiatives he is spearheading.
Report Housing
Cleaning House
April 29, 2015This report identifies the reasons for NYCHA's operating deficits in the last decade - insufficent operating subsidies, low rent collections, low nonrental income and high operating costs - and offers recommendations to increase revenues, curb expenses and improve productivity in order to eliminate NYCHA's projected $150 million deficit and improve conditions for its residents.
Op Ed City Budget
Inside New Yorkers' Satisfaction, or Lack Thereof, with City Services
June 01, 2017New Yorkers are notoriously opinionated, but how often do they get to tell city leaders what they think?
Testimony City Budget
Testimony on Charter-Defined Budget and Management Practices
March 11, 2019While many worthwhile ideas will be proposed, CBC believes the Commission should focus on and proposing only those changes essential to the Charter's purpose
Podcast episode City Budget
Episode 19 - $67 Billion
November 09, 2017$67 billion is the amount of state and local taxes New York State residents deduct from their federal tax returns each year. Known as SALT, this deduction is the topic of intense debate in Washington. Congressional leadership proposes to eliminate or cap SALT in order to offset the cost of corporate and other tax cuts.
Special guest Jay Kriegel, Senior Advisor at Related Companies, is a New York communications and strategic advisor who has been involved in a number of major New York political and policy initiatives. In 1986, Jay led a national coalition that thwarted an attempt to eliminate the SALT deduction, and today he has taken a leadership role in the coalition to protect it.


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The Landmark Museum, which has resided in Garland's former Santa Fe depot since 1974, displays local artifacts from early settlers, old newspapers, farm tools, quilts, clothing, commerce and industry and more. The museum is located at 393 N. Sixth Street and is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special arrangements can be made for private group tours.
To sign up for the monthly Heritage Crossing Newsletter, click HERE. Below is a sample of our latest edition.


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By Teachers, For Teachers
In today's Common Core dominated, test-taking, data-driven schools, creativity is often like everybody's favorite eccentric aunt: we all say we love her just the way she is, but nobody wants to actually be responsible for taking care of and nurturing her. And she's really inconvenient, immeasurable, erratic, irascible and unpredictable.
So many teachers are forced to teach to state tests that, little by little, creative projects and critical thinking have been forced to the back of the educational closet. This isn't because teachers like it this way; they feel it's a necessary evil given the idea that student test scores play a large role in how teachers are evaluated.
I am here to stand proudly for creativity, in all its messy, out-of-the-lines glory.
Why? Because ultimately, creativity not only improves those pesky test scores, but it also contributes to what should be our ultimate goal as educators: inspiring students to become curious, engaged, and interested in the world around them and within them.
"The great engine that drives innovation and invention in society comes from people whose flame of creativity was kept alive in childhood. Research shows that, if not nurtured, creativity takes a nosedive by fourth grade. Young children who were awesome artists in preschool no longer color the sky orange and pink just because they love the glowing colors," says Alice Sterling Honig, PhD, of Syracuse University.
In large part, this happens within the confines of the classroom walls. We train them to spit out the answers we want rather than find the answers themselves, because it's quicker and gets a more consistent result. But is it the right thing to do?
Every invention, both practical and whimsical, was the product of creativity. The car you drive, the clothes you wear, the music you hear, some television shows you watch, the books you've read, medicines that have cured your ills—all these came from a creative mind, someone who could take existing information and knowledge and tweak it slightly to make something totally new and original.
"Creativity has always been prized in American society," according to author Po Bronson, "but it's never really been understood." Bronson and co-author Ashley Merryman wrote a cover story for July's Newsweek Magazine titled The Creative Crisis. The writers note that "while our creativity scores decline unchecked, the current national strategy for creativity consists of little more than praying for a Greek muse to drop by our houses. The problems we face now, and in the future, simply demand that we do more than just hope for inspiration to strike."
As teachers, it is our duty to introduce and nurture creative thought in the classroom. It's messy and often difficult to measure, but this is the stuff that dreams are made of, and America desperately needs dreamers. Of course, they still need to be able to read, write, and do arithmetic, but emphasizing those skills at the expense of critical and divergent thinking is a mistake, not only in a practical sense, but also because we are called to inspire and ignite young imaginations, not shove them into a box with a scantron.
It really depends on your subject area and/or grade level, but all teachers can sprinkle some pixie dust on their curriculum:
Now, it's your turn! Tell us: how do you encourage student creativity? Share in the comments section!


text: Monday, August 08, 2011 Tools for Keeping Up With ACA Implementation The Commonwealth Fund offers 2 resources that break down the various parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and when they go into effect. An interactive timeline provides an overview of ACA's major provisions. The "Find Health Reform Provisions" tool allows users to search for specific provisions by year, category, and/or stakeholder group. A PDF version of this timeline is available here. Comments how will PT reimubursements change with the ACA? Posted by chuck leonard on 10/3/2012 3:52 PM


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Phonathon is one of the key elements of The Washington Fund
Our callers reach out to alumni, parents, and friends to share the latest news on campus, update their information, and ask for a contribution to The Washington Fund, through which donors support student scholarships, campus beautification, and faculty and staff support. Our callers are dedicated to building connections within our College community.
Is it true that a high alumni giving percentage enhances WC's national ranking?
It's true! Graduates who give back to their alma mater send a strong message to external reviewers and potential applicants that Washington College is a worthy investment. High alumni participation can also increase the likelihood of government grant approval. And at WC, it can earn your class a trophy through the Count Me In Campaign.
When I make a gift at The 1782 Society Level ($1500+), am I supporting The Washington Fund?
That depends. The 1782 Society is a community of donors who have given a total of $1,500 or more to any designation at Washington College during one fiscal year — July 1 to June 30. Every gift to the College is deeply appreciated, though many 1782 Society members choose to give all or a portion of their contribution to The Washington Fund because it benefits all students.
What is the endowment?
The Washington College Endowment is comprised of diversely invested funds that were donated for general operations or a specific purpose, like a scholarship or professorship. The current approved Endowment Spending Rate is 5% of the average market value unless other instructions were specified by the donor. These annual funds support each and every student's education.