text:
Seedlings September 25, 2008
Our SEEDLINGS show this week is a wonderful interview with Tracy Pariseau, a special educator, from Sanford, ME, talking about her students radio show, blogs and use of technology. Tracy is such an inspiration to the cause, all who were in the chat room wanted to join her class. In fact, next week, or most weeks you can join Tracy and her students as they go live for their radio show. You will find the links for Tracy below.
Delicious Links from the Chat room! Don't miss these.
"Geek of the Week" Links for 2008-09-25
The Great Chat for SEEDLINGS:
19:20:53 cheryloakes webcaster hello, getting things ready.
19:21:03 cheryloakes webcaster Hi Tracy and Steven
19:21:11 tracy hi
19:21:28 cheryloakes webcaster I amjust getting into skype
19:21:59 Steven Kimmi Tracy = tselock?
19:22:16 SusanEttenheim hi!
19:22:31 cheryloakes webcaster Hi Susan, just setting up
19:22:44 SusanEttenheim ok going to make dinner - will listen in!
19:22:45 Steven Kimmi Susan - YOuth twitter?
19:22:54 SusanEttenheim hi steven
19:23:05 SusanEttenheim paul actually built the site..
19:23:24 SusanEttenheim steven - sorry don't remember where you are and what you teach?
19:23:26 Steven Kimmi DOes everything flow into youthvoices?
19:23:38 Steven Kimmi 5th grade in Kansas
19:23:43 SusanEttenheim ah yes
19:23:48 SusanEttenheim what do you mean?
19:24:24 Steven Kimmi All of your previous projects, personal learning space, youth twitter, and youth voices... all part of the new youthvoices.net?
19:25:11 SusanEttenheim mostly working with youthvoices.net right now but paul is feeding into a twitter feed - youthvoices
19:25:12 cheryloakes webcaster 5 min. to showtime
19:25:18 alicebarr Hi Everyone
19:25:24 SusanEttenheim hi alice
19:25:32 SusanEttenheim two long days in a row!
19:25:38 alicebarr Yes
19:25:52 cheryloakes webcaster sound check from chat room
19:25:53 SusanEttenheim cold and windy here and about to rain- there?
19:26:16 SusanEttenheim should I be hearing anything now?
19:26:27 cheryloakes webcaster yes should be hearing sound
19:26:32 SusanEttenheim humm
19:26:36 alicebarr Do you heaar us???
19:26:41 SusanEttenheim got it!
19:26:46 SusanEttenheim you sound great
19:26:52 cheryloakes webcaster thanks
19:26:57 SusanEttenheim can hear you all
19:27:04 cheryloakes webcaster thanks susan
19:27:19 SusanEttenheim so nice to actually hear the show!
19:27:26 SusanEttenheim although I have to go make dinner
19:27:32 cheryloakes webcaster thanks Susan
19:27:56 SusanEttenheim going to turn on the show in the other room your sound is great and I hear alice and cheryl
19:28:10 SusanEttenheim hi doug
19:28:17 dougsymington hi Susan, and all
19:28:18 cheryloakes webcaster evening Doug!
19:28:30 dougsymington hey Cheryl
19:28:49 SusanEttenheim can hear tracy too fine
19:29:28 alicebarr http://google.com
19:31:03 dougsymington undocking the chat window sometimes helps with "new window" clicking
19:31:11 dougsymington for me in FF on windows
19:31:23 cheryloakes webcaster that may be what happen
19:31:55 cheryloakes webcaster I have the floating dock open this time.
19:34:12 cheryloakes webcaster WElcome Durff, glad you are here.
19:34:30 mrsdurff gtg get some dinner - sounds great - brb
19:34:37 alicebarr Welcome Durff!
19:35:11 cheryloakes webcaster What a great concept, Tracy
19:35:13 dougsymington love the "maverick media" angle
19:35:20 dougsymington too good
19:35:21 cheryloakes webcaster isn't that good
19:37:04 cheryloakes webcaster Welcome DaveC, glad you are here.
19:37:12 DaveC Glad to be here, sorry I'm late.
19:38:30 DaveC It doesn't make it easy, and NCLB says not to let the gap widen...
19:38:34 alicebarr Hi steve!
19:38:35 cheryloakes webcaster Hello Steve! Welcome
19:38:57 stevesoko Hello folks!
19:39:36 dougsymington Hi Steve, DaveC and mrsdurff
19:39:50 cheryloakes webcaster Tracy, a special education from Sanford Maine. She has a radio show with her students.
19:40:03 dougsymington how long has the show been running?
19:40:52 dougsymington too true re youth and expectations by nearly every adult they encounter
19:41:12 alicebarr http://maverickmediaradio.googlepages.com/home
19:42:19 cheryloakes webcaster hello unklar, welcome to Seedlings.
19:42:28 alicebarr Welcome Unklar
19:42:35 stevesoko Louder, slower, louder slower, all the time!
19:42:37 Unklar just popped in for a bit; about to start cooking supper
19:42:46 alicebarr http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lobstertalk
19:42:53 cheryloakes webcaster Lobstertalk radio with her students.
19:43:07 cheryloakes webcaster Right Steve, always louder and slower!
19:45:01 stevesoko Had a staff member today who wanted to make a CD out of a 44 page legal document. One take, over lunch.
19:45:07 dougsymington frightening for adults too :) going on 'net radio that is....
19:45:24 cheryloakes webcaster Yes, it is frightening each week:-)
19:45:27 alicebarr @doug for sure!
19:45:49 dougsymington lol
19:45:50 cheryloakes webcaster Steve, did they make it or did you?
19:46:05 stevesoko Noble idea, it was for a visually impaired adult, but she had no clue as to what it would mean.
19:46:10 mrsdurff now they know!
19:46:26 mrsdurff hope you're clear
19:46:54 stevesoko She backed off, and heard the suggestion that we had to break it up, practice, etc.
19:47:01 mrsdurff Gilligan's Island Radio?
19:47:08 DaveC My teaching partner and I started a "secret reader" this year where we have different staff members read an anthology chapter. The students (ALL of them) come and and use it as a read-along and try to figure out who the secret reader is. Kind of a reverse on the radio show, but just happened to make the connection.
19:47:49 cheryloakes webcaster DaveC, that is a great idea!
19:47:54 dougsymington @DaveC great concept
19:48:46 alicebarr Yea Hi Bob
19:48:52 cheryloakes webcaster Hello and welcome Bob, how was the open house
19:49:16 stevesoko @Tracy - yes that is my rule, your kid will do the inschool assignment but if you object , the will not go on the podcast.
19:49:19 cheryloakes webcaster Hi CathyE, welcome to you, why were you happy for an early Christmas present?
19:49:20 bobsprankle hello all
19:49:42 DaveC Aahhh, Tales of Despero opera :-D
19:49:47 tracy excellent steveoko
19:50:31 dougsymington hi Bob and Cathy
19:50:34 cheryloakes webcaster Yes, Dave, we were talking Despero today.
19:50:40 bobsprankle hi doug!
19:50:55 alicebarr http://jadesmysticaljourney.blogspot.com/
19:51:10 bobsprankle the open house was great
19:52:23 stevesoko http://mansfieldct.org/schools/vinton/vnradio/index.htm
19:52:40 cheryloakes webcaster Steve, is this your school radio?
19:53:15 Cathy E @cherlyoakes My hubby had a water purfication system installed - now I have good water :)
19:53:32 cheryloakes webcaster OH, good H2O very important. :-)
19:53:36 stevesoko @cheryl - this is one school's podcast page
19:53:49 stevesoko and another - http://mansfieldct.org/schools/goodwin/gnradio/index.htm
19:53:49 cheryloakes webcaster Oh, that is great STeve, thanks for sharing.
19:53:55 dougsymington @CathyE has the wind slowed down?
19:54:07 cheryloakes webcaster We are bracing for the wind this weekend.
19:54:16 Cathy E @ doug yes, finally
19:54:25 mrsdurff gtg take care all!
19:54:34 cheryloakes webcaster Thanks Durff.
19:55:35 stevesoko and just one more from my last school that is done 99% by two teachers who do not need my help (inspired by Bob's podcasts) http://www.southeaststudentnetwork.com/
19:55:52 cheryloakes webcaster Thanks Steve for sharing these great podcasts!
19:56:12 cheryloakes webcaster These links will be available on our pages, Seedlings, and edtechtalk, look for the chat
19:56:12 bobsprankle Awesome, Steve! Thank you!
19:59:58 alicebarr Welcome nedra
19:59:58 DaveC (recording autobiographies) That's great! We tried using photostory3 last year to have the students create autobiographies of their podcast "DJ" names.
20:00:03 dougsymington great to hear about the human connection between youth
20:00:15 bobsprankle great question, Cheryl
20:00:52 cheryloakes webcaster This is so important for us to help kids identify their own toolkit
20:01:26 cheryloakes webcaster Hello Nedra, glad you are here.
20:01:30 stevesoko For Mother/Fathers Day we had 2nd grade kids select several pieces of writing in their writing folder portfolio, recorded them in Audacity, and then burned CD's. Big hit!
20:01:42 DaveC I love that it isn't "special" software, it is something that they can do on their own or more specifically, parents can do it too.
20:01:44 cheryloakes webcaster Oh, good idea Steve.
20:01:46 alicebarr Very cool project Steve
20:01:47 bobsprankle outstanding steve!
20:01:57 nedra Thanks Cheryl and Alice
20:02:18 stevesoko Sometimes my best skill is getting out of teh way of talented teachers
20:02:19 alicebarr Tracy shared these articles about the faster internet this summer
20:02:21 cheryloakes webcaster Yes, DaveC, that is so true, we need to share all these resources!
20:02:29 alicebarr http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3689881.ece
20:02:37 alicebarr http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2008/PR05.08E.html
20:02:43 nedra Thanks for that idea Steve!
20:02:58 cheryloakes webcaster Steve should get the idea award tonight.
20:03:17 alicebarr I want to be in Tracy's class!
20:03:25 bobsprankle me too!
20:03:26 cheryloakes webcaster Me too , Alice!
20:03:33 dougsymington me too please
20:03:48 alicebarr :D
20:03:49 DaveC @cheryl: I used Storytelling Alice for some things last year and I had parents contacting the school to find out what it was because the students wanted to do it at home too. Talk about engaged students! One of those rare days I went home feeling really good :-)
20:04:06 alicebarr Awesome DaveC!
20:04:22 cheryloakes webcaster way cool DaveC!
20:04:59 DaveC Can we post the link for this?
20:05:18 cheryloakes webcaster Yes, please post it, do you have it DaveC?
20:05:34 DaveC No, the site Tracy was just talking about.
20:05:35 cheryloakes webcaster Or do you mean Tracy's links?
20:05:45 cheryloakes webcaster It is her geek of the week, coming up.
20:05:58 DaveC ooops, jumping ahead :-)
20:07:04 alicebarr Hold on we crASHED I THINK
20:07:13 bobsprankle uh oh
20:07:14 stevesoko One more assistive/special education idea I have done. Take a tough reading asignment and as a teacher, read it aloud into Audacity as a guided reading (before we start lets skim for words we don't recognize, etc), make it MP3, throw it into iTunes and the kid can talk teh hard reading to a quiet corner w/ an iPod. Special ed kid gets to be cool.
20:07:15 cheryloakes webcaster we are still
20:07:21 dougsymington another great idea: amazing race/treasure hunt == animated and engagedyouth
20:08:00 alicebarr I HAVE TO RESTART MY SKYPE COMPUTER
20:08:07 cheryloakes webcaster Oky alice
20:08:08 bobsprankle noooooo!
20:08:38 bobsprankle who's streaming? alice?
20:08:44 alicebarr no
20:08:45 cheryloakes webcaster I ama streaming
20:08:50 bobsprankle phew!
20:08:50 alicebarr Cheryl
20:09:29 alicebarr I'm missing all the good stuff!
20:09:32 cheryloakes webcaster alice did you restart? I still show you in m y skype
20:09:37 stevesoko @Tracy - Great Idea!
20:09:55 alicebarr I am back now
20:10:24 DaveC @steve (re making the mp3s of the reading) We did something like that, but had staff members doing the reading so the students would be trying to figure it out the "secret reader" while they listened.
20:11:04 alicebarr http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lobstertalk
20:11:05 stevesoko @DaveC i saw that idea. I think that is a great idea to try.
20:11:28 cheryloakes webcaster You can tune into Tracy's class, and can call in to her class by calling the callin number. Next Wed. she will have one local representative. Wed. 1pm EST.
20:11:41 cheryloakes webcaster So, we can paraticipate in Tracy's class!!!
20:11:51 DaveC @steve, I was thinking it was kind of a twist on yours. Lots of great ideas floating around, hard to keep track.
20:12:15 cheryloakes webcaster All this chat will be posted on Saturday the rainy day weekend for us.
20:13:17 dougsymington @Tracy have other teachers at your school expressed interest in radio with their classes
20:14:09 cheryloakes webcaster great question Doug!
20:17:18 cheryloakes webcaster http://www.onetruemedia.com/
20:17:19 alicebarr http://www.onetruemedia.com
20:17:41 dougsymington yes, lets have a cameo appearance from the dogs
20:17:46 cheryloakes webcaster Here comes Tracy's geek of the week.
20:18:51 alicebarr http://etoolkit.org/
20:18:57 cheryloakes webcaster evening wireface, welcome we are at the geek of the week
20:19:12 wireface hey hey
20:20:12 wireface not quite sure how this room conducts business
20:20:46 wireface whos the geek of the week?
20:20:53 cheryloakes webcaster oh, there is an audio component, before the chat, there was a link for itunes, real player.
20:20:57 wireface besides myse;f
20:21:39 wireface I only use winamp
20:21:52 cheryloakes webcaster http://www.project10tothe100.com/why.html
20:22:16 alicebarr Hi sujokat
20:22:18 cheryloakes webcaster http://www.edmodo.com/
20:22:21 alicebarr Welcome!
20:22:21 sujokat hi cheryl
20:22:25 dougsymington @wireface the speaker icon should launch default player
20:22:31 sujokat hi alice!!!
20:22:34 dougsymington winamp on your machine
20:22:35 cheryloakes webcaster Hello, good morning to sujokat
20:22:37 DaveC @wireface, click on the black speaker icon, it will use winamp (which is what I use too)
20:22:57 wireface got it
20:23:00 wireface thnx
20:23:05 cheryloakes webcaster http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23274
20:23:13 dougsymington 10^100 *does* look like a great project
20:23:43 sujokat helloall
20:23:51 dougsymington hi Sue
20:23:55 DaveC Hey Sue!
20:23:57 cheryloakes webcaster teachers and students can enter the contest
20:24:10 cheryloakes webcaster google project looks great
20:24:11 alicebarr http://www.nationalmockelection.org
20:24:31 cheryloakes webcaster Sue, nice to have you here. How is your school year, are you nearly at break time?
20:25:04 sujokat we are on spring break now!
20:25:18 sujokat how are you cheryl?
20:25:26 alicebarr How Design Can Save Democracy By Richard Gref?© and Jessica Friedman Hewitt http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/25/opinion/20080825-ballot.html
20:25:30 cheryloakes webcaster Happy Spring Break to Sue and other friends from AU!
20:26:03 cheryloakes webcaster Sue, I am so busy at school, the first month is always the busiest! But looking forward to next month
20:26:23 DaveC Here you fine Bob
20:26:33 dougsymington there's a setting in skype Bob, but sounds great here as well
20:26:55 DaveC Hi Lauren.
20:26:57 alicebarr "Fakely"
20:26:58 dougsymington on windows anyway, you can "deselect" 'let skype adjust my settings'
20:27:15 sujokat hi loz
20:27:23 cheryloakes webcaster http://www.bookosphere.net/disrupting_class/
20:28:25 cheryloakes webcaster I love fakely!
20:28:43 cheryloakes webcaster Hello Laruenogrady
20:29:04 DaveC http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fakely
20:29:34 dougsymington another lovely show folks
20:30:00 cheryloakes webcaster Thanks Doug
20:30:04 DaveC US, CA and AU tonight...
20:30:17 bobsprankle awesome, dave~!
20:30:19 alicebarr Thanks Doug!
20:30:25 tracy thanks all
20:30:45 cheryloakes webcaster See you next week!
20:30:46 DaveC Not I, it was already there.
20:30:52 nedra Thanks everyone!
20:30:55 dougsymington dates back to 02
20:31:01 dougsymington who knew?
20:31:08 cheryloakes webcaster Thanks all, for coming and joining in.
20:31:16 dougsymington ty Cheryl
20:31:46 stevesoko thanks everyone!
20:31:59 cheryloakes webcaster Steve, thanks for all the good ideas.
20:32:06 sujokat thanks guys
20:32:08 cheryloakes webcaster Sue, come back while you are on break.
20:32:10 dougsymington take care all and thanks again
20:32:12 DaveC Great show, thanks!
20:32:29 DaveC Sue, even on break, still doing Sunday night?
20:33:40 sujokat yes dave we are dedicated
20:33:45 sujokat hehe
20:34:00 DaveC :-=)
20:34:31 DaveC HOpefully I'll be there this week. 5:30 is just sooo early :)
20:34:42 bobsprankle night all!
20:34:47 DaveC nite
20:34:55 sujokat bye
20:36:26 DaveC Ya, I said "nite" but didn't log off :-)
20:37:25 DaveC @JL, are you actually at a school in Bow?
20:37:40 JL teaching a course at SNHU
20:38:02 DaveC Not Technology for Educators!
20:38:17 dougsymington how's the course going JL? is this the 1st week?
20:38:32 DaveC Actually, I was asking because I'm going to the NEA thing on 10/10 at the HS in Bow.
20:38:36 JL Yeah, first class was last night. Not too bad - no one cried :)
20:38:45 DaveC or quit....?
20:39:02 JL or quit... so far
20:39:06 dougsymington good to hear
20:39:13 dougsymington always a good thing
20:39:13 JL hear great things about our high school
20:39:33 JL thought of having kids, just so we can send them to Bow's great schools
20:39:41 DaveC haha
20:39:44 JL hoping that will help when we try to sell our house next year
20:39:56 DaveC We had them because I was tired of taking out the trash....long driveway.
20:40:40 JL planning on being around for ETBS, perhaps Ustreaming if folks want Doug. going to reboot - brb
20:40:50 dougsymington k thx
20:41:35 DaveC Hi Doug, I'm Dave.
20:49:48 dougsymington hey jeh
20:51:13 Jason R Greetings
20:51:20 Jason R Playing with Drupal tonight?
20:53:35 dougsymington sorry Jason
20:53:43 dougsymington multitasking, but yes
20:54:13 sheila Hi all!
20:54:14 dougsymington Drupal on the agenda
20:54:20 dougsymington hey Sheila
20:54:42 JL I playing tunes on Ustream Doug - let me know when you're on
20:54:57 dougsymington thx JL
20:55:30 dougsymington stream up now
20:56:19 dougsymington skype me when ready
20:57:30 Jason R Sounds OK to me.
20:57:59 matt montagne hey y'all
20:58:13 sheila hey right! ????
20:58:42 sheila I read Alec's post.
20:59:05 Jason R http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cephalopodcast
21:03:07 dougsymington http://drupal.neemtree.com.au/
21:05:41 sheila JUst used jong tonight for open house!
21:05:47 sheila *jing
21:10:45 matt montagne screen capturing is built in natively
21:10:50 matt montagne command shift 4
21:12:47 matt montagne Jing on mac works fine, but creates HUGE files
21:13:11 JL strange -they're amazingly small on Windows
21:13:19 matt montagne ishowU by shinywhitebox is a good cheap mac screencasting app that allows some decent compression options...
21:13:42 matt montagne @jl...perhaps something in my settings
21:13:45 Jason R Thanks Matt. iShowU is the other one I could not recall
21:15:07 Jason R http://www.derailer.org/paparazzi/
21:15:45 matt montagne JL...what happend to the chat room you were experimenting with a week ago??
21:16:05 matt montagne I thought it was more snappy, but didn't have colors
21:16:22 matt montagne funny, b/c it seemed to perform better!!!
21:16:31 sheila colors?
21:16:46 matt montagne uh oh, here goes sheila with the colors thing!
21:16:53 Jason R For completeness sake: video screen capture - http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/
21:16:55 sheila :)
21:16:59 matt montagne actually sheila was in that room...
21:17:00 Jason R SnapZ Pro
21:17:29 matt montagne google 10 to the 100th for world birdges...how bout it??
21:17:37 matt montagne I think we should go for it!!!
21:17:57 Jason R is there a politicalbridges.com?
21:18:10 matt montagne 300 words or less for proposal or something like that
21:20:11 matt montagne http://www.project10tothe100.com/
21:21:32 matt montagne 3 g is a WIMAX killer
21:21:47 matt montagne although I'm not sure WIMAX ever lived
21:22:18 JL do you want to join in Matt?
21:22:47 matt montagne sure, hold up
21:25:42 sheila http://www.charitywater.org/
21:27:22 Jason R World Ocean Day - June 8th
21:27:32 Jason R http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/
21:27:49 Jason R Anyone up for webcasting underwater?
21:30:08 Jason R Look out for leopard seals, hear those guys are nasty
21:31:33 sheila She usually dives in the lakes . . . but she is very aware of those things!
21:32:13 sheila One weddell took her dive hole hostage for a while and she almost ran into problems but it scooted away just in time.
21:36:06 Jason R worldbridger?
21:36:20 JL http://worldbridgers.net/
21:37:17 JL setting up sciencebridges there now - prefer another domain?
21:41:38 Jason R http://www.xericdesign.com/earthdesk.php
21:42:15 sheila @jl - speaking of which, did I screw up the calendar this week at WCA?
21:45:50 dougsymington thx JR downloading now
21:46:12 Jason R worth the money in my opinion
21:46:16 sheila Hey Lorna!
21:46:21 lorna hey all
21:46:45 lorna get me up to speed pls
21:47:15 Jason R edtechtalk brainstorm talking drupal, timezones, antarctica,
21:47:20 lorna ty
21:47:37 Jason R Macintosh vs PC
21:47:47 lorna mac!!!!!
21:47:49 Jason R Wait what?
21:48:23 lorna url?
21:48:26 Jason R http://www.k12opensource.org/spdc/moofolio/moofolio.html ?
21:48:58 sheila Yes, down the street from me . . .
21:49:30 matt montagne http://moodle.castilleja.org/sandbox/blocks/exabis_eportfolio/extern.php...
21:49:40 matt montagne that is a public portfolio out of moodle
21:50:18 Jason R goes down on their permanent record...
21:51:48 Jason R Oh yeah, another neat thing about Earthdesk...has realtime cloud data overlayed on the image, so I can watch all the tropical storms march toward us in FL.
21:52:18 sheila Ohhhh! nice! Thanks for sharing that Jason!
21:52:24 lorna yes yes yes
21:52:33 sheila http://www.xericdesign.com/earthdesk.php
21:53:21 lorna don't tell me how to do anything
21:53:52 lorna tomorrow night we are going to play drupal around 9:00 pm
21:53:56 Jason R Tried to join my local Drupal user group but the closest meeting is ~130 miles away :(
21:54:19 lorna using yugma
21:54:36 lorna we meaning darrell and peggy and I and ???
21:54:45 dougsymington http://drupal.neemtree.com.au/
21:54:52 lorna jason can now lead the meeting
21:55:09 Jason R Lorna, I am starting a local install of Drupal on my Mac. Long way to go though.
21:55:34 Jason R Might take JL up on the scibridge playground/sandbox offer :D
21:56:00 lorna drupal can be pretty
21:56:24 lorna imagine me saying something nice about drupal
21:57:04 Jason R Time for me to sign off. Thanks and will try to tune in tomorrow for more Drupalage
21:57:20 sheila Thanks Jason!
21:57:35 matt montagne bye jason
21:57:49 lorna thanks for the plug doug
21:57:52 matt montagne nice to catch up!
21:58:28 lorna dream host !!
21:58:36 lorna hurrah
21:59:56 lorna night
22:00:03 sheila night all!
22:00:03 matt montagne nite y'all
22:00:37 matt montagne video is great
22:01:27 matt montagne gnite john boy
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text:
The day after a Best Coast gig in Minneapolis last week, a reviewer for the City Pages alt-weekly bemoaned the fact that the Los Angeles trio took a whole two hours — two hours! — to hit the stage after doors opened.
"Their set-up is ridiculously simple," wrote the critic. "Were they smoking a joint backstage? I kept seeing chicken fingers go back there, so who knows."
It's clear that dude was being cheeky, since Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino's proclivity for smoking marijuana is well documented and well tweeted. But this was an easy cheap shot. LOL, stoners, right? Always being late to shit, always noshing chicken fingers.
Then, sure enough, like a beacon of truth in this golden internet age, a reader in the City Pages comment section posted a Twitpic link from 15 hours earlier of Best Coast guitarist Bobb Bruno taking a drag on a joint. Whether the pic was taken before the gig — causing that oh-so-unbearable 120-minute delay — or was a post-show remedy is tough to say. Cosentino did tweet before the show, "First person to leave a joint at the merch table tonight gets something 4 free."
Welcome to the transparent personal world of Best Coast, the band we cited as California's best new act in this summer's "50 Bands 50 States" feature. It's a world of pot smoke and relentless cat affection — Cosentino's beloved Snacks has 12,000 followers on Twitter, and he modeled for the album cover of Crazy for You (Mexican Summer) — and fuzzy, lo-fi surf-pop music that's perfect for a lazy summer Sunday.
It's easy to hate on Cosentino, especially after the attention that got heaped on her relationship with Wavves frontman Nathan Williams (he of the drug-fueled on-stage cosmic meltdown at a festival in Spain last year). But then there's that music: a simple-yet-smart throwback garage sound that mixes the Shangri-Las and Phil Spector with top-down drives to the beach, daydream naps on a hammock, and all the other sun-soaked seasonally appropriate saccharine-pop references and metaphors. The loose essence of summer — and SoCal dreaming — in Crazy for You no doubt propelled it to debut at #36 on July's Billboard Top 200 album chart.
"When I started Best Coast, it was because I missed writing and making music," Cosentino explains by phone the day after that Minneapolis gig, en route to some town in Iowa. "I wanted to make a specific kind of music, reminiscent of '50s and '60s pop, a very classic surf-pop sound. . . . I wanted a band that showed my appreciation and love for California."
She formed the band with Bruno, recently rounding out the line-up with former Vivian Girls drummer Ali Koehler. "It's important to tour with people you get along with."
Of course, touring also means endless highway hours — which has given Cosentino ample opportunity to post online her adventures. "When you're in a van for seven hours a day, you get bored out of your mind. On Twitter, I can be myself, and people can get to know me and see who I really am. It's also that I'm bored."
See all articles by: MICHAEL MAROTTA
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- Pflugerville Independent School District
- PfISD Chapter 41, Tax and Funding FAQs
August, 2017
Pflugerville ISD
Chapter 41, Tax and Funding FAQs
As Pflugerville ISD's Board of Trustees prepare to approve the upcoming 2017-18 budget, as well as the tax rate, it is important for PfISD residents to understand the various issues that impact these decisions. This includes:Chapter 41
Pflugerville ISD was notified that beginning with the 2017-18 school year, it is classified as a Chapter 41 district by the Texas Education Agency. What does this mean for PfISD and its taxpayers? Please read the following FAQs to learn more.
What is a "Chapter 41" district?
Chapter 41 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) makes provisions for certain school districts to share their local tax revenue with other school districts. For the purposes of the school finance system in Texas, districts are designated as either Chapter 41 or Chapter 42 districts. The relative wealth of the school district is measured in terms of the taxable value of property that lies within the school district borders divided by the number of students in weighted average daily attendance (WADA). Chapter 41's provisions are sometimes referred to as the "share the wealth" or "Robin Hood" plan because districts subject to Chapter 41 of the TEC are required to share their wealth with other school districts. The funds that are distributed by Chapter 41 districts are "recaptured" by the school finance system to assist with the financing of public education for all school districts.
Is PfISD a Chapter 41 district?
This year, PfISD became a Chapter 41 district. However, based on the fact that the Maintenance & Operations (M&O) portion of PfISD's tax rate is below $1.06 per $100 valuation, the effects of Chapter 41 don't come into play. There is no payback to the state, or "recapture," for PfISD at this time.
When would PfISD be subject to recapture under Chapter 41?
Two things would trigger recapture for PfISD. One of these is within local control – the amount set for the M&O tax rate not exceeding $1.06. The other trigger is the "wealth per student amount," (or, Equalized Wealth Level), which would have to exceed $514,000. Currently, PfISD's wealth per student is $357,000.Tax RateHas PfISD increased its tax rate in the past several years?
No. PfISD's tax rate has stayed the same for the past five years. Based on the Board's decision at the July 2017 meeting to set the maximum tax rate at $1.54, the rate will not increase for the coming year.
What does "proposed maximum tax rate" mean?
This is the tax rate amount that the PfISD Board says it will not exceed when setting the tax rate for the upcoming year.
What is PfISD's current tax rate?
The current tax rate is $1.54. This overall tax rate is divided into two separate rates. The first rate is for maintenance & operations (M&O) of the district, which is currently set at $1.04. The second rate is for paying off the district's debt, which is known as interest & sinking (I&S). The I&S rate is currently set at $.50.
If the tax rate hasn't changed in five years, why do my taxes keep increasing?
Because property values, as determined by the county appraisal district, have increased substantially in the past several years. Property values, in combination with tax rates, are calculated to determine the amount of taxes you owe.
How does PfISD's average homeowner tax amount compare to that of surrounding school districts?Pflugerville ISD homeowners, on average, pay less property tax than surrounding districts. The following chart provides a comparison for the 2017-18 school year.
Why doesn't PfISD lower its tax rate?
Given that the state has not changed its funding level, the higher taxes paid by local property owners are offset by lower state funding, which results in no real increase in operating funds per student.State FundingCan you simplify how state funding for public education in Texas works?
State funding is complex, but here is a video analogy that helps explain essentially how it works.
How has the level of state vs. local (tax) funding changed for PfISD in the past several years?
The change has been drastic. From 2015-16 to 2018-19, state funding will fall over $25 million, from $83 million to $58 million. In comparison, local (tax) funding will increase $41 million, from $100 million to $141 million. Given our increase in student enrollment, the net change in funding per student increases by less than 1 percent per year.
This shows the local vs. state percentage of funding trend for PfISD from 2015-16 through 2018-19:
Funding Comparison (Percentage) between Local and State for PfISD 2015-16 through 2018-192015-16
Local tax per WADA*
State funding per WADA*
* WADA = weighted average daily attendance
How does the state funding level for public education impact PfISD?
Based on the shrinking funding levels from the state, PfISD, like most public school districts, is forced to do more with less. In our case, our district continues to grow in terms of student enrollment, the number of campuses and facilities, and the number of teachers and staff to provide for our students. Our growth shows no sign of slowing down, yet the state's funding contribution continues to decline.Debt Management
Why does PfISD need to borrow money?
Since PfISD is a fast-growth district, it must continue to borrow funds by issuing bonds to fund new schools and maintain over 4 million square feet of existing facilities.
How does PfISD manage its debt?
The district's debt management strategy is not unlike the reality each of us experiences with our personal debt. If we only make the minimum payment on our credit card each month, it is going to take us longer to pay off our debt – and we will pay considerably more in interest than if we made higher payments each month. PfISD's debt management strategy is to pay off its debt as efficiently and quickly as possible – faster than most other districts.
How does this strategy help PfISD taxpayers save money?
Two ways. First, the district's strong financial management has resulted in two bond rating upgrades, which lowers the interest rate it pays to borrow money – and thus saves the taxpayers money. (In fact, there are over 1,000 school districts in Texas, but only 18 maintain a higher credit rating than PfISD's rating of AA by S&P.) See how PfISD's bond rating compares across the state:
Second, by paying off its debt quicker, the district saves its taxpayers millions of dollars. Over the last five years, PfISD has used a strategy of defeasing (or pre-paying) its debt on an annual basis. This link shows PfISD debt service and defeasance history. This strategy reduced taxpayers' outstanding debt by over $82 million. The average annual cost of this strategy to the average taxpayer was approximately $80 over the last five years.
It is estimated that when the district does its next bond, it may be able to finance it over an even shorter time period than it previously did. The savings in interest from borrowing for 15 instead of 25 years is estimated at over $100 million.
Watch this video analogy to better understand how PfISD taxpayers have saved due to this debt reduction strategy.2017-18 PfISD Budget
What does the proposed 2017-18 budget for PfISD assume?
Here are the features/highlights of PfISD's 2017-18 proposed budget:
Maintenance & Operations (M&O) Tax Rate $1.04
Debt Service (I&S) Tax Rate $.50
Total Tax Rate $1.54
Freeze adjusted taxable value ($1.4B increase) $11.8B
Collection rate: 99.2%
Projected enrollment (615 student increase) 25,306
Percent attendance 96.2%
Added positions $6.1M
New facilities (Timmerman ES, Mott ES, Weiss HS,
The Pfield)
Teacher pay increase (market's median salary) 2.5%
Non-teacher pay increase (position's midpoint) 2.5%
Medical contribution ($400/month) unchanged
Campus basic allotment (per pupil):
High school: $105; Middle school: $94; Elementary: $79
Food service ($.15 increase; breakfast: $2.15; Elementary lunch: $2.90; Secondary lunch: $3.15)
Debt service (maintain tax rate at $.50 and do another bond defeasance)
When does the 2017-18 budget get approved?
The Board of Trustees is expected to consider and approve the 2017-18 budget at its August 17 meeting.
What is PfISD's fund balance?
Board policy dictates that PfISD maintain a fund balance equal to the amount that would allow the district to operate for 45-60 days. If the 2017-18 budget is approved, PfISD's fund balance would be at $37,861,000, or 63 days.
Where can I find more information about PfISD's finances?


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For two years, Sergeant Major Pat Corcoran had no recollection of the most important week of his life. On Aug. 13, 2009, Corcoran was on a patrol in eastern Afghanistan. He had just finished checking on his troops on the ground, who were clearing the sides of a roadway for hidden bombs, when he climbed into his armored vehicle, buckled his harness and told his driver to move out. A second later, a bomb erupted right underneath Corcoran's seat; he woke up a week later in Germany.
Sergeant Corcoran discusses his journey to recovery after being injured in Afghanistan.
During those missing days, many people worked furiously to keep Corcoran alive: his soldiers dragged him from the upside-down vehicle, and combat medics tried to stabilize his injuries; a flight crew working with the 8th Forward Surgical Team (FST) in Logar Province flew to the scene of the blast and ferried him away. Once Corcoran made it to the FST headquarters–a trauma center close to the battlefield–the doctors and nurses from the 8th FST labored for more than eight hours to stabilize his injuries. The blast broke Corcoran's legs and pelvis; a piece of the roadway, under which the bomb had been buried, hit him just below his body armor vest; his spinal cord was also broken, and midway through that chaotic day, the medical team learned he would be paralyzed.
Corcoran might never have learned about those heroic efforts to save his life were it not for photographer Erin Trieb, who was embedded with the 8th FST. When the call came over the radio about casualties from an Improvised Explosive Device, Trieb grabbed her camera and hopped on the helicopter. While flight medics worked to keep Corcoran alive during the flight, she photographed their work in the cramped helicopter cabin, then kept shooting in the trauma center, marveling at how the medics, nurses and doctors had the drill down to an exact science. "It was like watching a symphony being conducted—they knew their jobs so well," Trieb says.
As soon as Corcoran arrived, it was clear he was different from most of the patients they'd seen: young soldiers, most in their early 20s. Corcoran was one of very few sergeants major to be wounded during Trieb's time with the FST, and he was one of the most severely wounded of all the casualties. They found out he had been set to retire in less than six months after 24 years of service, and that he had young children at home. "He was so close to dying several times, it was up and down emotions the entire day," Trieb says. "It took a very long time to stabilize him. As soon as the doctors and nurses would stabilize him, something would happen."
Once Corcoran was finally stable enough to be moved, the flight team took him to Bagram Airfield, then he was flown to Germany for more extensive surgeries. Trieb, meanwhile, set to the task of organizing the shots that emerged from the day's chaos. "It's a very strange process," she says. "You're looking at pictures of someone basically almost dying and you're like, 'Which one looks better?' You're trying to do your job and I don't think any of that hits you until much after the fact."
While Trieb finished her embed in Afghanistan, Corcoran began his long journey home. In Germany, he developed an ileus, a condition where his abdomen filled with fluid, and an infection raged through his body. Doctors wanted to fuse his broken spinal cord, but feared he would die during such an extended surgery. So they flew him to the U.S., where he spent six weeks in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed hospital before doctors were able to repair his spinal cord during several more surgeries.
About two months after Corcoran was wounded, Trieb sent him some of her photographs. Then in April this year, she traveled to Florida to meet Corcoran for the first time. After months of living in hospitals, Corcoran and his family moved into a house designed for wounded warriors. Trieb showed him the photographs from the day of his injury and filled him in on the frantic hours after the bomb blast. "I was absolutely amazed to see them," Corcoran says. "All of these dark visions, those began to get filled in. There's so much that I don't know. Come to find out, she knew, and remarkably had photographs of it all. Most people would be disturbed by that. I was elated, to say the least."
Trieb also photographed Corcoran's physical therapy as he continued to work to gain strength and fully recover nearly two years after being wounded. "These injuries don't just stop because the soldier is home," Pat's wife, Becky, says. "These are life-long injuries that will never go away." Trieb's photographs of Pat's therapy will be added to a growing collection for The Homecoming Project, a non-profit organization Trieb started that uses visual storytelling to illuminate the ongoing issues of veterans from the past decades' wars.
The Homecoming Project, which began when Trieb spent months with soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division after their return from Afghanistan, documents the struggles many troops face when they return home from combat. "Somehow, we've got to have a conversation about these two wars in a way that's palpable for the public and in a way that they're not burned out seeing or hearing it," Trieb says. "It's been too long and I feel like it doesn't even faze them. It's my job to be a journalist and report, but ultimately it's my passion to reach the public in a really meaningful way." It is a mission that Corcoran is proud to support with his own story. "I couldn't be more proud of her and organizations like that," Pat says. "I was tickled to death to be able to meet her and have some common understanding about this whole thing. She'll go a long way with that work."
Erin Trieb is an Austin-based photographer. See more of her work on her website and learn more about The Homecoming Project here.
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This article is more than 1 year old
Spam blacklist snafu prompts global gnashing of teeth
Legit IPs blocked in SORBS cockup
Many email users around the world have been unable to send messages because of ongoing technical problems with a popular service designed to prevent spam from reaching its intended destination.
The problems at SORBS — short for the Spam and Open Relay Blocking System — began on Wednesday and continued into much of Thursday, said Michelle Sullivan, who founded the real-time blacklisting service in 2002 and sold it to GFI Software last year. As a result, messages sent from a huge number of legitimate mail servers were labeled as junkmail and returned to sender.
The widespread outage caused migraines for sales and support staff around the world, as this ongoing Twitter feed demonstrates.
The snafu was the result of a transition from one SORBS system to another that corrupted a database containing potentially millions of IP addresses, Sullivan told The Register. SORBS admins have responded by temporarily clearing out the entire table of faulty listings under the theory that it's better to let through spam than to block real email. They are in the process of rebuilding the database and populating it to user servers around the world, a process that could take up to 24 hours.
Sullivan denied reports such as those here and here that the problem caused all inbound email from Google, Yahoo, and Rackspace, to name a few, to be blocked from SORBS subscribers. The portion of the database that was corrupted stored entries for its DUHL, or dynamic user host list, which mainly contains dynamic IP addresses offered by ISPs, Sullivan explained.
The outage was nonetheless large. There were more than 79,000 corrupted entries, each of which could contain millions of individual IP numbers, said Sullivan, who was unable to provide an estimate of the total number of addresses that were incorrectly being filtered.
The DUHL portion of the database contains a huge amount of historical data, mainly in the form of IP addresses that were listed as spam sources in the past but are no longer considered as such. During a data migration, the flags that were used to indicate that a listing was historical were deleted, causing the addresses to be considered current. SORBS is in the process of restoring the flags. The historical entries are used to help programs rate the likelihood that a given IP address is malicious.
To make matters worse, the database problem coincided with a denial-of-service attack that made it hard for people to reach the SORBS website. The DoS assault has been ongoing for several weeks, Sullivan said, but in the last 24 hours, it turned "smart," meaning it was able to evade the defensive measures admins had put in place to filter out the garbage traffic.
SORBS has been able to repel the latest attacks, although the site still appears to be sluggish at times. The attacks in no way caused the database problems. ®


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Android: IP Webcam turns your Android Phone into a network camera by streaming the phone's camera over its Wi-Fi connection for remote viewing.
Install the app, tweak the settings (login/pass, resolution, image quality), and then simply load up the URL it gives you in a web browser (I used Chrome for testing) or a client that accepts streaming video (I used VLC).
Below is the setup I used to stream a view from my dwarf Cichlid tank to my desktop. I used two suction cups and a black hair tie to secure the phone against the glass. The same setup could be used to peek out your window at your parked car or out your front door.
Although the individual stills are blurry, the overall video itself was decent enough quality. While it won't replace a dedicated HD web cam or security camera it does add solid remote-viewing capabilities to your Android phone and requires minimal setup. IP Webcam is free and requires Android OS 2.2+. You can download it by searching for "IP Webcam" in the Android Marketplace or by scanning the QR code at right. For an alternative Android application check out previously reviewed Qik. iPhone users will want to check out iWebCamera for similar phone-to-desktop streaming.
IP Webcam (Pro) [Google Play via AddictiveTips]


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January 28, 2013
Password managers can help remember all your passwords
A recent post on the K-State IT Help Desk's Facebook page noted that a "password manager" can help store and access multiple passwords. According to Wikipedia, "A password manager is software that helps a user organize passwords and PIN codes."
Can't remember all your passwords? Us either. A password manager might help:
- LastPass (free, Windows and Mac) - www.lastpass.com
- KeePass (free, Windows) - www.keepass.info
- 1Password (not free, Windows and Mac) -www.agilebits.com/onepassword
For more IT news, tips and events, read the IT News blog at blogs.k-state.edu/it-news.


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The thrill may be gone. After months of bingeing on daily deals and flash site coupons, there's some indication that interest in Groupon and its competitors is waning. Why? The initial excitement has worn off, and consumers seem to feel both overwhelmed and bored by the constant onslaught of deals—which, folks are finally realizing, are just some silly coupons after all.
CNNMoney reports that since the start of 2011, online traffic to Groupon has fallen 13%, while the high-end flash deal site Gilt Groupe (which you know features swanky stuff because they put that fancy "e" at the end of Group) is down 22% from the beginning of the year.
Groupon has inspired tons of copycats, and perhaps the slowdown in traffic is due partly because competitors are taking away some customers. Perhaps these decreases are just a momentary blip, and Groupon's numbers will soon soar again. Deal site popularity has risen in epic proportions in the past couple of years, with sales growing 60% in 2009 and 70% in 2010, and they were bound to plateau at some point.
On the other hand, could the decline continue? In a few years, will we all look back at the daily deal phenomena and think: What was the big, um, deal?
As it's been said before, is saving $10 really all that exciting? Especially when you're "saving" on a product, meal, or service you don't really want?
After you've experienced "Groupon remorse"—in which the initial "What a Deal!" thrill is replaced by the depressing thought "Why did I buy that?"—it becomes clear that no one is saving $10 or $20 at all. Duh, what's happening is buying, not saving. And often, it's buying stuff that the purchaser wouldn't otherwise be interested in if it hadn't presented itself in an amusing, limited-time fashion in one's in-box.
Of course, if the deal in question is for an item or service you're genuinely interested in, then it's great to get that $10 or $20 off. The problem now is that there are so many deals out there, it's difficult for consumers to separate the true deals from the "don't bothers." A couple of consumers weighed in at the CNNMoney story:
"My inbox is inundated with sale emails that I delete. I don't read them anymore because they all blend together"
"I delete at least 100-150 emails a day, most from sale sites," she said. "Too many sales start at noon and I can't stop in the middle of my day to buy things I don't need."
A side industry of sites such as Lifesta and Yipit, which round up dozens of flash deals for one-stop shopping, has arisen as a way to avoid in-box overload. But perhaps a better solution is to start ignoring flash deals, which have already come to feel like more empty marketing noise.
Groupon, the innovator and giant in the flash deal space, is already looking ahead to the next big thing: Last week, news came out that the deal site has plans for a new service called Groupon Now, which will offer consumers discounts in the immediate future—like half off at some Thai restaurant, so long as you eat within the next two hours. This could bring the concept of impulse shopping (or eating) to all new heights. Well, it could do so until the next-next big thing comes along.
Writing for Project Syndicate, start-up investor Esther Dyson explains why small businesses should probably be cursing the Groupon model. As the original concept had it, businesses would attract new customers through the use of discount coupons from Groupon or its many competitors, and at least some of those new customers would return even under non-discounted conditions. As Dyson writes:
But, in what seems to be an increasing number of cases, customers come for the deals, and then leave for deals offered by other merchants through Groupon. So the number of "new" customers attracted by cheap prices increases, and the number of loyal customers decreases as shoppers prefer by become "new" again for whomever offers the best deal.
This scenario works out for consumers—well, it works for consumers who actually use the coupons (a decent portion never do)—but not so much for the businesses involved. So Groupon, once considered the salvation of small businesses eager to connect to new consumers on the cheap, could wind up being the undoing of many small businesses.
For that matter, there's no guarantee Groupon itself will be around for the long haul. Dyson foresees the strong possibility of Facebook taking the coupon/deal lead away from Groupon, along with a shift in the way businesses try to attract new customers, with or without the help of flash deal sites:
In the long run, they [businesses] will figure out how to do it for themselves, and Groupon and its competitors are likely to offer self-service, just as Google does for search ads. Merchants may well use intermediaries to reach consumers, but they are unlikely to continue to hand over such a huge share of the revenues.
So one day, your daily deal may not involve a daily deal site at all, but instead just the business you want to do business with. I think that fulfills my daily quota of repeating words and phrases.


text: Terry, totally agree about the curved birch tree on the left. I purposefully included the tree on the right because I thought it framed the shot nicely, only to discover in post that it is slightly obtrusive. I'll have to go back and see if I have a different view to work on.


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SeaChange Unveils Flash Memory Video Server Platform
The days of video servers operating with spinning disks may by numbered: SeaChange is going flash with its new Broadcast Flash Memory Library FML200 ingest and play-to-air solution.
SeaChange says the server has no moving parts and consumes 10 times less power than its disk-based counterparts with 100 times more reliability.
Combining flash memory with SeaChange's MediaCluster server architecture, the FML200 offers IP-centric connectivity that is ideal for seamless integration with the file-based workflows.
"The availability of a flash-based broadcast server represents a seismic shift at the heart of television operations," said Chris West, vice president of broadcast at SeaChange International. "The ultra-reliable, compact and efficient nature of flash technology means far fewer headaches and much greater operating efficiencies for operations of all sizes. Our customers are beginning to catch on that the Flash introduction is bearing the same kind of dramatic performance improvement that resulted from the introduction of our MediaCluster technology."
The 2 RU FML200 includes an array of 24 flash memory drives available in either 32GB or 64GB configurations. At full capacity, a six-node FML200 cluster puts 144 flash memory drives online, delivering more than 6.6TB of clustered RAID-5 protected storage.
SeaChange's range of content storage, streaming and management solutions, including the FML200 and its latest Broadcast MediaLibrary/Broadcast MediaClient play-to-air storage system and SD/HD software codecs, will be on display at the 2008 NAB Show April 14-17 in Las Vegas.
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Butchering the Corpus Hermeticum: Breaking News on Ficino's Pimander
What then about the other editions, absent from the list above? The 2nd edition (Ferrara, 8th of January 1472: just a few weeks after the 1st) was based upon a separate manuscript of Ficino's translation; but although it is much more reliable than the princeps, it seems to have remained a "stand-alone" edition without much further influence. The 9th edition (Florence 1513), edited by Mariano Tucci, was again based upon a separate manuscript of Ficino's translation and became the basis for two later editions: the 11th (Basle 1532, edited by Michael Isengrin) and the 16th (Cracow 1585, edited by Annibale Rosselli, with huge commentaries). And finally (not counting vernacular versions such as du Preau's), we have three editions independent of Ficino's text: the 13th Corpus Hermeticum edition in succession consists of the first publication of the Greek original by Adrien Turnèbe (Paris 1554); the 15th was a new Latin translation by François Foix de Candale (Bordeaux 1574); and finally, the 17th was yet another new Latin translation by Francesco Patrizi (Ferrara 1591). This certainly suggests that interest in the Hermetica was growing during the second half of the sixteenth century, especially its last three decades; but Campanelli claims that, in fact, none of these three new editions had any success at all, leaving Ficino's Pimander as 'almost the only vehicle of the Corpus Hermeticum in Europe' in this period (p. LXXXIII). One might want to question that point, but it seems clear that van der Leye and Rolandello (and of course their printers) created a mess that would continue to create enormous confusion about the Hermetic message throughout the sixteenth century.
In conclusion, even the most reliable version of Ficino's Pimander turns out to have been quite different from what we find in the Greek manuscript that had been brought to Florence by Leonardo da Pistoia (p. CCL). But what really messed up things for the thrice-greatest was the famous 1471 edition. In the wake of that disaster, and as the number of editions increased, the original meaning of the Corpus Hermeticum was bound to get buried under an ever-expanding number of mistranslations, misinterpretations, and well-meaning but counterproductive emendations. Hence, what we have is a lively Renaissance discourse about Hermes, but no Hermetic Tradition.


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Contact information
László Pintér has three decades of experience working on sustainable development on the global scene. His main research interests include sustainable development governance and strategies, measuring and integrated reporting on progress, and integrated outlooks, scenarios, and transition pathways, often focused on the natural resources sectors. He currently carries out research focused on the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with emphasis on the mechanisms of goal selection, monitoring and review, and means of implementation. He also carries out research on integrated vulnerability and adaptation. He contributed to the Global Environment Outlook since GEO-1 and served as Coordinating Lead Author of GEO-5's scenario chapter, most recently serving as CLA of the outlook chapter of the European assessment of GEO-6. Between 2012 and 2015 he was the lead author of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)'s series of reports on the SDGs in 14 countries in the European region and Asia. He was work package leader in the NATURVATION project focused on nature-based solutions in cities and supported by the EU's Horizon 2020 program. As a NATURVATION legacy, through CEU's Innovation Lab incubator he recently launched a startup around a software tool that helps make the business case for NBS in urban development. He also served as a case study leader in the IMPRESSIONS FP-7 project focused on adaptation to high-end climate scenarios and coordinated a study on the climate risk assessment of large-scale hydraulic infrastructure investment scenarios of the World Bank for the Okavango basin, in collaboration with CRIDF.
Dr Pintér co-established and co-chaired various sustainability-related initiatives, including the International Forum for Assessing Sustainability in Agriculture (INFASA), the Community Indicator System for Winnipeg (PEG), he helped initiate the Canadian Sustainability Indicators Network (CSIN), and lead the development of UNEP's Integrated Environmental Assessment training program for sub-global audiences that most recently involved supporting the National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan to launch the country's first proper integrated state of the environment report. He regularly contributes as a board or steering committee member of professional organizations and networks, including recently the Balaton Group, the Asia-Europe Environment Forum, and The Integrated Assessment Society. He played a key role in the establishment of the Bellagio Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles (BellagioSTAMP) by IISD and the OECD.
He works worldwide and over his career collaborated with a wide range of major organizations such as the World Bank, the OECD, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, the Asia-Europe Foundation, the European Environment Agency, various Directorates of the European Commission, the GEF, and the China Council, and also with many Canadian organizations including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Environment Canada, the National Roundtable for the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), the Canadian Index of Well-Being, CIDA, IDRC, provincial governments, various consulting firms, and others. While often working globally, he strongly believes in the power and importance of local initiatives and research where the concepts and theories of sustainability appear with a human face, tangibility, and often urgency.
Prior to joining CEU in 2010, he worked for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in Canada between 1994 and 2010, serving as the director of the Measurement and Assessment Program between 2003 and 2010. During 2000-2001 he was Practitioner Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, conducting research related to the effectiveness of integrated environmental assessment and reporting at the global level. Besides his position at CEU, he is also Senior Fellow at IISD and was granted the title of Honorary Professor by University of Pannonia in Hungary.
Office Hours: By appointment via e-mail or walk in when door is open
Selected Work Experience
2023 (ongoing) NATURESCAPES - Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilient, Nature Positive and Socially Just Communities in Diverse Landscapes (Horizon 2020, CEU team leader, Workpackage 1 leader)
2023 (ongoing) Cohesion for Transition - make better use of cohesion funds for sustainability transitions (DG Regio, contributor via the Academic Sounding Board)
2023 - Representation and analysis of urban Nature-Based Solutions in Southeast Asia in the Urban Nature Atlas; ASEF (senior advisor)
2022 - Contribution to the understanding of multiple benefits of urban nature in practice - insights from the Urban Nature Atlas; PBL (contributor)
2021-2022 Development of an interactive global map of climate change-relevant nature-based solutions in cities; The British Academy (team leader)
2022 - 2023 Mainstreaming environmental sustainability into Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of EU member countries; PS4SD (contributor)
2020 (ongoing) Capacity building for climate security assessment through participatory scenario analysis ; UNDP (co-leader)
2020-2023 Sustainability measurement and assessment in support of the 2025 SOER for Europe; PS4SD and the European Environment Agency (co-leader)
2020-21 Future of the Global Environment Outlook; IISD for UNEP (team leader)
2019 Capacity building for SOE reporting in Afghanistan; NEPA and UNEP Post-Conflict Assessment Unit (co-leader)
2018 (ongoing) Physi Solutions; launch of startup around a software tool that helps make the business case for NBS in urban development (founder)
2018 National Adaptation Planning (NAP) global network; capacity building on monitoring, evaluation and indicators; IISD (expert)
2016-2022 Intellectual history of the Global Environment Outlook (independent book project; launch of book in 2022)
2016-21 - NATURVATION - NATure-based URban innoVATION (Horizon 2020 through CEU, CEU team leader, workpackage leader)
2016-17 - Climate Resilient Development Pathways - Okavango Basin pilot; CRIDF (study leader)
2016 - Accelerating and rescaling transitions to sustainability - ARTS (EU FP-7 through CEU, CEU team leader)
2015 - Global Environment Outlook - 6: Europe; co-CLA of Outlook chapter (UNEP-DEWA)
2014 - Niche Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture in Hungary. (Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency and PATHWAYS FP-7 project)
2014 - Governance of Sustainable Development Goals Implementations – National Case Studies in Veit Nam and Poland (Asia-Europe Foundation and Hanns Seidel Stiftung, project leader)
2014- Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators for a Small Planet (Asia-Europe Foundation, project leader)
2014 - Sustainable Consumption and Production Targets and Indicators (UNEP DTIE, IISD and CSIRO)
2013 - Task Force on Assessment and Outlook of Economic Green Transformation in China (China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, CCICED; member of Task Force)
2013 - Review of MDG-7 performance and lessons for the integration of the environment with non-environmental goals in the SDGs and post-2015 development agenda. (UNEP; study leader)
2013 - Review of learning mechanisms of national environmental indicator systems. (Environment Canada, study leader)
2013-present - Impacts and Risks from Higher-End Scenarios: Strategies for Innovative Solutions – IMPRESSIONS (EU FP-7 through CEU, case study leader)
2013 - Foreign investment contracts for farmland and water: Options for a sustainable future. (IISD and SDC, contributor)
2013 - Navigating Sustainable Development for the 21st Century: Governance 'of' and 'for' the post-2015 development agenda. (Tokyo Institute of Technology, chapter lead author on 'political economy of measurement')
2013 - Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Creation in ASEM Countries. (Asia-Europe Foundation, project leader)
2012 - Cost of Inaction on the Sound Management of Chemicals in Sub-Saharan Africa report (UNEP DTIE, Chemicals Branch, expert reviewer)
2011 - Scenario Summit – Internet Governance Forum. (IDRC and IISD)
2011-2012 - Ecosystem Management – Concept to Local Scale Implementation Training Manual – Phase 2: Peer Review and Pilot Testing. (UNEP-DEPI)
2010-2012 - Millennium Development Goals Fund – Knowledge Management. (UNEP-DRC)
2010-2011 - China Environment and Development Outlook Feasibility Study. (China Council, member of Task Force)
2010-2011 - Proposal to apply sustainable agriculture metrics to selected Western Canadian field crops. (SERECON Inc.)
2010-2011 - Achieving national and sectoral development priorities: Using integrated environmental assessment tools for improved MEA implementation. (UNEP-ROLAC and CARICOM)
2010-2012 - Global Environment Outlook 5, Chapter 9: Scenarios and Sustainability Transformation. (UNEP DEWA, coordinating lead author)
2010 - OECD Agri-Environmental Indicators: Lessons Learned and Future Directions. (IISD for OECD, project leader)
2010 - Accountability through Measurement, 2nd National CSIN Conference. (Environment Canada, Deloitte, Atkinson Foundation, Commissioner for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Government of Manitoba; conference chair)
2009-2010 - Ecosystem Management – Concept to Local Scale Implementation Training Manual. (UNEP-DEPI)
2009-2010 - Bellagio STAMP – Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles. (OECD)
2009-2010 Hudson Bay Inland Sea Initiative – HBISI. (NTK and Government of Nunavut)
2008-2009 - Comparison of the Agri-Environmental Performance of Canadian Agriculture with a Focus on Beef Production. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Serecon Consulting, Inc.; contributor)
2008 - Developing an Indicator System for Winnipeg's Urban First Nations Community. (Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs; contributor)
2008-2010 - Beyond Business as Usual: Promoting the Use of Sustainable development Indicators in Strategic Corporate Management. (IISD Innovation Fund; Contributor)
2008-2009 - Evaluation of the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicator system (CESI). (Environment Canada; contributor)
2007-2010 - BalatonTrend. Development of an Interactive Portal to Display Quantiative and Qualitative Information on Regional Sustainability. (IISD; project leader)
2007-2008 - Canadian Index of Well-Being – Ecosystem Health Domain. (Atkinson Foundation of Canada; contributor)
2007-2008 - Review of International Assessments (IPCC, GEO-4 and IAASTD) and their Relevance for Canadian Agricultural Policy. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Guelph University; contributor)
2007-2008 - Ecological Goods and Services and International Policy – Phase 1. (MNP, Netherlands; contributor)
2007-2009 - Ecosystem Status and Trends Assessment for Canada. (Environment Canada; Team Leader)
2006-2010 - Collaborative Initiative on Integrated Land Management. (GEOconnections Secretariat, Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada; contributor)
2006-2008 - Indicators for the Circular Economy in China. (World Bank and National Development and Reform Commission, China; contributor)
2006-2008 - Evaluation of the implementation and impact of Manitoba's Sustainable Development Act. (Manitoba Conservation; contributor)
2005-2007 - International Forum for Assessing Sustainability in Agriculture - INFASA. (Swiss University of Agriculture, AAFC, SDC; co-chair)
2005-2010 - Outcome Based Budgeting and Performance Measurement. (Treasury Board Secretariat, Government of Manitoba; contributor)
2005-2006 - Review of Sustainable Development Strategies in OECD and Other Selected Countries. (OECD; contributor)
2005-2006 - Strategy and Business Plan for Establishing IISD's Institutional Presence in the European Union. (IISD; project leader)
2005 - Sustainable Development Indicators – Proposals for the Way Forward. (United Nations Division for Sustainable Development; project leader)
2005-2007 - Performance measurement for local government in China. (Task Force on Economic Growth and the Environment, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. (CCICED; member of Task Force)
2005-2009 - Lake Balaton integrated vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategies. (UNDP, UNEP and Lake Balaton Development Council for the GEF; project leader)
2004-2006 - Pilot Testing of the Canadian Biodiversity Index. (Environment Canada; project leader)
2004 - Sustainable Development Indicator System for Yunnan Province, China. (Scott Wilson, Ltd.; contributor)
2004-2007 - Social Indicators for Canada's Agri-Food Sector. (AAFC; contributor)
2003-2004 - Developing a Strategy for IISD's Revitalized Natural Resources Management Program. (IISD; project leader)
2003-2004 - Study of Sustainable Development Initiatives and Strategies in the Wake of WSSD and Beyond. (GTZ, DFAIT, Environment Canada, UN-CSD, IUCN; contributor)
2004 - Ten-Year Assessment of the Information Products of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. (Stratos, Inc., CEC; contributor)
2003-2005 - Yunnan Sustainable Development Action Plan. (Yunnan Environment and Development Program, China and Scott Wilson Ltd., UK; contributor)
2003-2009 - Strategic Cooperation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on the Agriculture Policy Framework and the Sustainable Development Strategy-III; Coordinator. (AAFC; project leader)
2002-2010 - Peg - Community Indicator System for Winnipeg. (United Way of Winnipeg; co-chair)
2001-2002 - Strategic planning for the Global Environment Outlook-4: SWOT analysis of the GEO process; comparative analysis of global environmental reporting systems; and development of global capacity building strategy on integrated environmental assessment and reporting. (UNEP; project leader)
2001 - Black Sea de-eutrophication strategies. (IREX and University of Minnesota; contributor)
2001-2002 - Romania Local Agenda 21. (NCSD; contributor)
2000-2001 - Research and Assessment Systems for Sustainability. (Harvard University; contributor)
1999-2000 - Envisioning positive community futures through appreciative inquiry in Karnataka, India. (MYRADA and DFID, UK; contributor)
1998-2000 - Developing sustainability values and indicators for Canada's metals sector. (Natural Resources Canada; contributor)
1998 - Development of SD indicators for Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province. (Pakistan Environment Program of IUCN and CIDA; contributor)
1997-98 - Sustainable development: Tools and methods in practice. (Sessional instructor, Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba)
1997 - Development of quality of life indicators for the City of Winnipeg. (City of Winnipeg; contributor)
1996-2001 - Global Environment Outlook-1 and 2000. (UNEP; Collaborating Centre leader)
1997 - Review of performance measurement strategies and indicators in the context of sustainable development. (Industry Canada; contributor)
1996-97 - Measuring sustainability in North American communities (Winnipeg, Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico; Seattle, US). (Commission for Environmental Cooperation) ; contributor
1996-97 - Bellagio Principles for Measuring SD. (Rockefeller Foundation; contributor)
1996-97 - Sustainable development of cities and regions – SUDECIR. (STENUM GmbH, Austria; project leader)
1996 - Mackenzie Basin Impact Study - climate change impact on aboriginal lifestyle. (Environment Canada; contributor)
1995-2010 - Sustainable development reporting for the Province of Manitoba. (Manitoba Conservation; contributor)
1994-2010 - Compendium of sustainable development initiatives and publications. (Environment Canada, Redefining Progress, World Bank, UN Division for Sustainable Development, International Sustainability Indicators Network; project leader)
1993-1994 - Community based comparative risk assessment in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. (Institute for Sustainable Communities, Montpelier, VT, USA; Consultant)
1992 - Lake Tata rehabilitation project. (Tata Environment Protection Society, Hungary; Consultant)
1992 - Use of commercial humic materials in wastewater treatment and soil decontamination. (Deltaco RT, Hungary; project leader)


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I'm stuck again, this time in Testchamber 19 in Chapter 4.
I've used the cubicle on the ground to change the angle of the laser on the right. I also know there's are cubicles to the left and right of where you enter Testchamber 19.
But I couldn't find a way to make use of Portals to get to get to those cubicles. So any hints as to what I should do next?


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Baptist Cancer Center
At Baptist, we believe in treating our patients close to home where they're comfortable and surrounded by their families and friends. Baptist cancer treatment centers are located throughout the Mid-South so our patients can receive the advanced cancer care services they need at a convenient location. From prevention to diagnosis through treatment and survivorship, our cancer care team is there fighting and educating our patients to help them beat cancer.


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Please send a petition to the UNICEF Chief - Help mothers and babies in pre-trial detention (in prisons) in Turkey!
Free the 668 Babies Incarcerated in Turkey
Free the 668 Babies Incarcerated in Turkey
17,000 women and 668 babies and children, under the age of six, are in Turkish prisons on remand. Some were born in captivity and have never lived in freedom.
This is the case of Yasemin Yilmaz, the baby in the photo. She was born on 3 July and was admitted to prison 3 days later, on 6 July.
Turkish doctors opposed this move, but the Erdogan regime nullified their medical recommendation, and sent Yasemin and her mother to a prison 420 kilometres from the hospital. Unfortunately, due to stress, Yasemin's mother stopped producing milk and cannot now raise her child.
Many of these children have little natural light and little room to move around. Here is the current situation:
- Number of children from 0 to 12 months: 149
- Number of children from 1 to 3 years old: 381
- Number of children from 4 to 6 years old: 127
The situation flagrantly violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In its article 37.b, the Convention indicates the following:
"No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time."
It is obvious that pre-trial detention of the mother is not the "last resort"...
This violation of human rights is part of the repressive wave of the Erdogan regime after the failed coup of 2016.
Human rights organisations have protested that 100,000 officials have been detained since then, and 47,000 have been imprisoned - in many cases without the minimum guarantees of legal defence.
And, in some cases, the state is actually separating children from their parents if the parents are suspected of having participated in the coup d'état.
But, it is the situation of the babies which is generating a wave of global response.
Just two weeks ago, on 4 November, there was a demonstration in front of the Parliament of Canada. Feuiza Celik, a Turkish immigrant to Canada who organised the protest, pointed out the following:
"I feel like I'm watching a horror movie, but, unfortunately, it's real. I lived in a Turkey which was moving towards democracy and freedom; now, we are living in a totally opposite environment."
Vaner Kaplan is another Turkish immigrant in Canada who was calling for protest:
"Even if you are a relative, they do not tell you what prison they are in. We do not know anything. Every day that passes our relatives are in danger."
Write now to UNICEF and ask that the Turkish Government immediately release these 668 babies and their mothers incarcerated in Turkish prisons, who have not been tried, nor even, in some cases, charged.
We call on the Turkish Government to implement a system of house arrest, and, or weekly controls, so as to allow these mothers and babies to lead relatively normal lives. Though a state of emergency is still being imposed by the government, for the sake of the children involved, these mothers and babies, who have neither been charged nor tried, should be shown clemency by the state.
Thank you for signing this urgent petition!
Story the demonstration in front of the Parliament of Canada
Report of the Stockholm Institute for Freedom on the arrest of women in Turkey
UN Convention of the Rights of the Child
You can read some stories of these mothers and babies, here
Filiz Yavuz was born on February 7th. She was arrested on the 8th, a day later. All this, despite the opposition of the medical team who attended the delivery. Her mother uses a wheelchair, but that did not prevent her imprisonment...


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A public improvement permit application may be submitted to the office of the City Engineer. The Public Improvement Permit application requires that an associated Performance and Maintenance Bond accompany the application.
Show All Answers
The City of Liberty design criteria and technical specifications can be found our our Engineering Division's webpage. Any questions regarding the Design Criteria and Technical Specifications or about public works projects or this process should be directed to the Engineering Division at 816.439.4503.
Any Person with a Right-of-Way Permit is authorized to use Street Plate Bridging (SPB) to cover open excavations, prior to backfill and restoring the street surface suitable for public use; embedded SPB are required during the months of December through February. SPB shall be marked with the owner's name and telephone number. A City SPB permit must be obtained for a fee as part of a right-of-way permit application.
Yes. Contractors installing an irrigation system in the public right of way must obtain an occupation license in the City of Liberty and apply for both a building permit (lawn sprinkler system permit) and a right-of-way permit. By City ordinance, a Release and Indemnification waiver needs to be signed and notarized by each person on the deed prior to applying for an irrigation permit. Backflow devices must be inspected by the City. More information on irrigation permit procedures is available by calling the Engineering Division at 816.439.4503.
Contact DIG RITE at 1.800.344.7483 and the City of Liberty Water & Sewer Division at 816.439.4503 for utility line locations to ensure the utilities are marked so than an appropriate distance may be maintained during excavation for the safety of all. Both of these parties will need three working days notification prior to digging.
Floodplain development in the City of Liberty must conform to Section 30-100 of the City Unified Development Ordinance and is subject to review by the City Engineer. For developments within a 100-year floodplain, a City Floodplain Development Permit is required.
Many people believe federal disaster assistance will come to their aid after a flood. Floods are not always declared a federal disaster. Even when they are, aid is usually in the form of a loan that must be paid back with interest. Flood insurance, on the other hand, pays for all covered losses, and unlike loans, that money doesn't have to be paid back. Find out more about flood insurance here, or by contacting your insurance agent. For more information on obtaining copies of flood maps, how to read them, and to request map changes that may be warranted, check here or contact the Engineering Division at 816.439.4503.
To request a change in public parking, such as "no parking" or restricted parking signage, a Parking Regulation Petition must be completed and returned to the office of the City Engineer. The petition must be completed and signatures obtained by 75% of the residents in the adjacent area of the request. For a better description of the area required for a petition request, you may contact the City engineer's office for a map of the required signatures before submitting the petition to the city. If you have questions about parking or regulations or the petition process, please contact Engineering at 816.439.4503.


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For the first time since 2007 the Houston Dynamo started preseason without two of their vocal leaders. With Bobby Boswell in D.C. and legend Brian Ching helping build the Houston Dash, the Dynamo are without two of their most prominent locker room and practice field voices.
While team captain Brad Davis—who will join the club in Tucson, Ariz., Friday after being away with the U.S. men's national team—and original Ricardo Clark remain as veteran leaders there is a void to fill, and Corey Ashe feels he's at the head of the next group to fill it.
"I spoke with Brian and he said 'Hey, you're one of the older guys, you need to be a leader,'" Ashe said. "[Head coach Dominic Kinnear] told me that and it's true. This is my eighth year here and it's my job to lead on and off the field along with Tally [Hall], Brad and some of the other guys.
"It becomes a big thing, showing the younger guys the ropes like the Craig Waibel's and Brian Mullan's did for me."
Waibel and Mullan are two of the franchise's best; both players' likeness is featured on pillars at BBVA Compass Stadium. What they taught Ashe was the work ethic that goes into being a Dynamo.
If Ashe is going to return the favor and become one of the club's vocal leaders, it would require the left back to step out of his comfort zone. The feisty defender has never provided his message vocally, rather he has let his play to do the talking in his eight years in Houston. That play has earned him a good deal of respect, and a brief call-up to the USMNT for the Gold Cup last summer.
Now he knows that it is time to step into a new role.
"It was kind of funny [the first day of preseason] that Corey's the one that's been here the longest and he's going to be the leader that everybody looks to along with Brad and Tally," said forward Will Bruin who is entering his fourth year in Houston.
Bruin knows that being an outspoken leader is not what is normally expected of Ashe, mainly because he falls in the same boat. While he would also prefer his play to do his talking, he is another tenured player that understands the changing dynamics of the club.
"I think with Bobby and Ching leaving that's a lot of leadership," he said. "I think I'm ready to take on more of a leadership role that I have in the past. I'm not going to be the one that takes charge of everything but I can be more of a leader than in years past."
While they are at different stages of their careers Ashe and Bruin show that Houston has leadership in the fold. With two prominent voices out of the mix, Ashe and company know their time to step in has come.
"The role that Brian played obviously speaks for itself; he's the face of the Dynamo. Bobby was the vocal leader, organizing guys left and right and had a presence on the field," Ashe said. "Now other guys have to step in and fill those voids. It's not going to be an easy task, but, we have enough guys to get the job done."
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.


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Hi Dr. Kravitz, Just a quick note to tell you again how much I appreciate your operating on me last March. I feel Great and this summer my wife and I had some wonderful adventures that I wouldn't have been able to have without your help. Here is a picture of us hiking to the top of Mt. Monadnock in southern NH, which was pretty challenging: So, please add me to your testimonials web page the next time you add to your website. Sincerely,
Collingswood, New Jersey
Just wanted to thank you for the surgery a couple of weeks ago. I went tubing with my son yesterday - that means getting pulled on a tube at 50 mph behind a 300 hp boat. So I guess I'm doing pretty good. I still have a tiny bit of sensitivity and discomfort, but it gets a little less every day and it has only been 2 1/2 weeks. The staff at the surgery center was great. I appreciate what you and all that work with you did for me.
Pottsville, PA
Hey Dr. Kravitz, I'm doing great started. I am back light duty working my way up to full strength. It feels good not to have the hernia, just wish i got it fixed sooner Thanks again would recommend you to everybody, if you need a reference feel feel to give out my number. We need more doctors like you and maybe we could get this country back on track. Maybe we should have Alancare instead of Obamacare!
Folkston, Georgia
Can't say enough how great everyone was to me. It's been two months now and everything is going good. Highly recommend Dr. Kravitz to anyone who needs hernia surgery, in fact, I have told many of my friends to go to Dr. Kravitz if they need hernia surgery. Surgery was at 4:30 Thursday afternoon and I was home, which is near Pittsburgh, Pa. and a four hour drive, by 10:30 that evening. By Tuesday (five days after surgery) I was cutting grass with a push mower and a week later...
Scenery Hill, Pennsylvania
Dear Dr. Kravitz, It has been three weeks, since my surgery, and I just want you to know that everything is great. Things have healed nicely. I have been able to workout the last week and half. You and your staff did a great job! Thank you again,
Wheeling, Illinois
Initially I was skeptical about having surgery 850 miles from home by an unknown surgeon, but finances dictated I needed to do it. I initially had some skepticism about the incredibly great price too. My initial email was answered professionally and promptly the next morning by the doctor himself and that impressed me. As we corresponded, any fears, concerns or worries were completely allayed. Though I had yet to meet him, I now felt completely comfortable proceeding with the surgery. In fact, my wife asked me prior to my Friday...
Colchester, Illinois
I was back to work in 3 days. My groin feels much better than it did beforesurgery.... The surgical staff were great. Andrew B. 61 IT Director 13 days post-op To Dr. Alan Kravitz & the Montgomery Surgery Center, I want to let you know what a outstanding job you provide! It is the best medical service I have ever received. Dr Kravitz spent many phone calls with me before surgery and you were all so kind while I was checking in for surgery. One hour after surgery I was...
Middleburg, FL
To anyone in search of hernia repair surgery, your search is over ! I found Dr. Kravitz on the web, filled out the info form, and the rest went very smoothly. We had a lengthy phone interview, very thorough and personable. The staff at the office and surgical center are all great. The operation was smooth sailing, and I walked out two hours after being rolled in to the O.R. I was walking around the next day, received attentive follow up calls from Dr. Kravitz and the surgical center, and...
El Rito, New Mexico
I wanted to thank you and your team again for doing such a good job on my hernia surgery and for making me feel at ease with all aspects of the procedure. Nine days after surgery I was back shoeing horses.
Louisville, Kentucky
I had a large umbilical hernia that was causing me a lot of discomfort and no insurance. After exploring all of my options here in Alabama, I used the internet to search for solutions out of state. Dr. Kravitz came out ahead in comparisons with other doctors and clinics across the country and I had my surgery performed November 4th. Dr. Kravitz's reputation is impeccable, Montgomery Surgery Center is first class, and the cost, even considering the travel, was less than half that of his competition. I drove 850 miles...
Dothan, Alabama
I'm telling everyone, if you need to get your hernia fixed you should call Dr. Kravitz.
Green Lane, Pennsylvania
I feel so much better than before. This operation was much less painful than my previous hernia surgery. You and your staff made me feel very comfortable and safe. Thank you.
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
I was really pleased with the surgery center. The nurses were great....I will be bringing my brother up there for surgery in a few months!!
Brevard, North Carolina
Absolutely worth the trip....The staff at the surgery center were great.
Lowell, Arkansas
There are many ways to pick a good physician. One way to do that is to ask a doctor who they use. You might say that doctors have insider information when it comes to choosing a physician. The doctor that I chose to do my hernia surgery was Dr. Alan Kravitz. I initially met with Dr. Kravitz in his office, where he did an examination and quickly confirmed that I had a hernia. He recommended surgery at a time that was convenient for me. On the day of the surgery...
Bethesda, Maryland
This is my third hernia surgery, and it was the easiest one yet. I can't imagine surgery being any more pain-free.
Sharpsburg, Georgia
I'm really happy with the whole experience. You guys really know what you're doing. It was a very smooth operation. Thank you for a great job!
Lake Tahoe, California
I'm real glad I checked you guys out. I feel great and will be bringing my brother up from Florida to have his hernia fixed.
Fort Myers, Florida
Well worth the trip from Louisiana, would recommend you to anyone. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
Well worth the trip from Louisiana, would recommend you to anyone. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
As a 60 year old who has worked all of his life and has no health insurance I want to explain how valuable the services are that Dr. Kravitz and his team provides. According to the information I can access on the Internet, hernia surgery would cost between $20,000 and $28,000 in most hospitals. The premiums I was quoted for insurance were $800 per month. The deductible alone for these charges with most insurance companies would be more than the total cost of the service at Dr. Kravitz Surgery Center....
Had hernia surgery last week. This place is a class act and very professional. Everyone was so nice and professional! I highly suggest this institute and their surgeons for having any surgery that you may need. I've previously had an inguinal hernia fixed on the other side and it was alot more costly and had complications at another medical facility close to me and was not as happy w/ the end result. I appreciate, and, I am glad, to see that, some doctors, (like Dr. Kravitz and his staff), are...
Thank you Dr. Kravitz and the surgical team at the Montgomery Surgical Center. I really appreciate the excellent service and treatment that I received. It was worth the trip and I would recommend you to anyone needing a hernia repaired.
There is no other place to go if you need hernia surgery. The entire process from consultation through surgery is quick and easy. Dr. Kravitz and his staff and are laid back and professional and make you feel at ease from beginning to end. Don't waste your time with any other place, AHS is all you need.
I had my surgery done on February 28th 2013, and am thrilled with the results and experience. Being uninsured, I was quite worried when I began my search. My hernia had become painful and wouldn't retract. I had narrowed my options to 2 places, and after reading reviews online, and searching everything I could find on Dr. Alan Kravitz, Affordable Hernia Surgery, and Montgomery Surgery Center, felt AHS would be my best choice, and boy was I right!! After hearing the cost, people I know were concerned that this was...
Returned last night from my Hernia surgery in Rockville, MD and could not be happier. Dr. Kravitz and the staff at the Montgomery Surgery Center did everything and more to make me comfortable during my visit. I received first class care at a very affordable price, I saved over $4,000. I will recommend Dr. Kravitz and the Montgomery Surgery Center to everyone I know. Steve S. from Colorado
I want to start by saying that I was extremely nervous to have my inguinal hernia repaired in another state; I live in Miami Beach, Florida. Dr. Kravitz and his supporting team made me feel great from beginning to end. It has been 16 days and my recovery is going fantastic. Dr. Kravitz is an example for other surgeons. I could write pages describing my positive experience. If you are thinking about having your hernia repaired feel comfortable to have it done by Dr. Kravitz and his amazing team. Feel...
I would like to thank Dr. Alan Kravitz and his surgery center for an excellent job on my umbilical hernia repair on August, 1 2013. It was the best medical care I have ever received. I traveled alone from a rural area in TN "620 miles" to Rockville, MD to have the procedure done. ...Since the surgery went so well I traveled back home the next day. ..He did a great job closing the opening and it looks like very little scarring. Oh yeah, the price was the best the...
I want to start by saying that I was extremely nervous to have my inguinal hernia repaired in another state; I live in Miami Beach, Florida. Dr. Kravitz and his supporting team made me feel great from beginning to end. It has been 16 days and my recovery is going fantastic. Dr. Kravitz is an example for other surgeons. I could write pages describing my positive experience. If you are thinking about having your hernia repaired feel comfortable to have it done by Dr. Kravitz and his amazing team. Feel...
At four days post-op, I could never have imagined feeling so good! I spent the entire day working at my desk and going about my daily routine as if nothing had happened. What a great experience...Dr. Kravitz has a super system in place; his staff, the surgi-center staff, the PA he sent me to...all super nice, considerate and professional. The worst part of the experience was having to drive home in the rain...not his fault!! If you have a hernia that needs fixing, he's your guy!
I would recommend Dr. Alan Kravitz and the Montgomery Surgery Center, to anyone needing hernia surgery. Two thumbs up. Thank you Dr. Kravitz, I feel better than ever. :)
This is the real deal.....I was so impressed with everyone that works for Dr. Kravitz and he was amazing.....I am so grateful that I found you!!!! It was worth the trip from NC ....I made the trip home the yesterday right after my surgery....and today I am already feeling less pain.....Thank you so much you are all wonderful people and I wish other Medical personnel could learn from all of you....
I just want to "thanks" again. My hernia surgery was done on 08/29/2013 and it was a complete success. It is by far the best thing I have ever done for myself. I feel like I have a new lease on life, finally.
I am more than happy to recommend this. I am one of the oft-mentioned 30 million uninsured (self-employed). This made it possible for me to get my hernia fixed, and I am also very happy with the whole process and the team.
I had Surgery February 20, 2014. I traveled from Florida. They were very caring and professional, routine, and successful. Would highly recommend. Only thing I would add is: Dr. Kravitz, come visit Florida and get a tan!! You need one!
I had a bilateral repair on 2-27-14. The Montgomery Surgery Center and Dr. Kravitz both called me the next day. I told Dr. Kravitz that he had a new cheerleader in me. After reading these reviews it appears that I am too late. As everyone else indicates, excellence is the only rating. (from reception to discharge)I believe that Obamacare and healthcare in general needs to take lessons from Dr. Kravitz.
I had inguinal hernia surgery two weeks ago and all is well so far. I chose Dr. Kravitz primarily based on the Yelp reviews that I had read right here and I couldn't be happier with that decision. I flew out to DC from California and always felt as if I were in good hands with Dr. Kravitz and his staff. I went in to his office for my consultation on a Wednesday and was out of there in no time. I had surgery the following day at the surgery...
The Dr. Kravitz surgical experience is obscenely efficient - the way all surgery could be. I came from New York with an inguinal hernia in need of correction. Five years ago I had my first hernia, but my former mesh failed me and my hernia was back in full force. I'm a freelancer. I don't have health insurance. So finding an affordable option was imperative. Day 1: 15 minute in-office consultation Day 2: went under at 10:40, was in my friends car by 12:45. All healed up. Amazing. My groin...
I traveled from Boston Mass to have a right inguinal hernia repair by Dr.Kravitz on March 16th 2017. We met at his office on the 15th for a brief consultation and diagnosis. I had already been diagnosed by a doctor up in Boston, but that was just to make sure I didn't fly to Rockville only to find out it wasn't a hernia. Dr.Kravitz was the only doctor that called me back and answered my questions over the phone as opposed to some other doctors around my area who's receptionists...
I traveled from California alone to get surgery by Dr. Kravitz. Really professional all the way. Not only is the doctor accessible, he actually called me twice. The recovery from the hernia repair surgery was so easy, I actually when for a 1.5 mile hike 2 hours after the surgery. Only needed Advil for discomfort. I received a Rx for real pain meds, but never needed them. The mesh he uses provides a structurally sound repair immediately. Who knew! Each day I am more active. I had surgery last Thursday....
I have been meaning to write review but just got soo busy. Dr. Kravitz and his staff were extremely professional and demonstrated a general concern for my comfort in going through the surgery. I had a small hernia but being active, it seemed there was always the small voice saying "you got a hernia, don't overdo it...be careful as I felt I could never push myself dispite Dr Kravitz saying not to change anything with my exercise routine. I decided to have the surgery knowing that the recovery and outcome...
Sometimes it's not what a person does, it's what s/he doesn't do. Had gallstones, with frequent episodic events. My internist, himself gallbadder-less, said I needed it removed. Nothing I looked forward to, but the pain was becoming debilitating. I saw that Surgeon Dr. Kravitz was rated highly in Wash Consumers Checkbook, made an appt and took my xrays. 'What are you doing here?', he asked after we exchanged pleasantries. Ummm, aren't you a surgeon? He said: 'you have gallstones, one of them is big, if you come in here with...
Was amazed at how well my surgery with Dr Kravitz went. He was smart & attentive, called a couple times to check in and make sure i was aware of all issues before my surgery. (He called himself!) why can't all doctors work this way. In Indiana I could find anyplace to get the surgery for leads the $12,000 & he did it for less than two.
Nice and easy. about the guy who said that the front office was a little cold in personality, I did not find that at all. Everybody was great. Surgery was great, I have a friend who is a physician here in Chicago where I live and he advised me to find someone who does this surgery routinely. I did, it was great, Im 3.5 weeks in and almost 100% The only complaint is that the doc gave a small script for percoset (for obvious reasons). I got to Chicago, and...
Our Process
our hernia surgery process
Fill out and submit your Pre-Op Questionnaire.
Shortly after we receive your questionnaire, our staff will contact you and review your medical history in detail.
You will speak with the hernia surgeon prior to scheduling your hernia operation. We don't schedule a hernia surgery until all of your questions have been answered.
Depending on your age and health condition, we may ask you to see your primary care doctor before hernia surgery for an examination (and, if indicated, an electrocardiogram and bloodwork) prior to your hernia operation.
If you decide that you want us to schedule your hernia surgery, we require a $75 deposit. You will have a full physical examination on a Wednesday and have your hernia surgery performed the following day. If you want to be evaluated, but don't want the hernia surgery the next day, you may pay the $75 at the time of your office visit.